Manuscripts and Special Collections
Ma S 16 : Report of Mr Thomas Huskinson recommending enclosure of Laxton, 1862
The Grass Land which comprises about one third of the Estate, also varies much in quality. Part near the Village of Laxton is of high quality as Dairy and Feeding Land. Part lying in the Valley between Laxton and Moorhouse is productive Meadow Land, and the remainder ordinary Store Land, some of it of poor quality.
All the Farms with the exception of five, have the Houses and Buildings in the Village of Laxton, and therefore very distant from much of the Land occupied with them.
This is partly a necessity resulting from the uninclosed condition of the Parish, which prevents any House being built upon the Open Fields subject to Common Right, but irrespective of this restraint, the Lands are inconveniently allotted, without any regard to the convenience of the Tenant, or to the increased Rent which would accrue to the Owner by more economical arrangements.
Many of the Tenants have Lands in several and distant parts of the Parish, not only in the Open Fields - which till Inclosure is inevitable - but in the inclosed Lands for which there is no valid reason. It is a common case that a Tenant occupying a Farm less than 200 acres in the whole, would require the greater part of a day to inspect it.
The Farm Houses in the Village are for the most part of inferior character, and the Buildings generally ill arranged and in bad repair.
Many of the Cottages are also very bad and some scarcely habitable, as will appear from the description in the Valuation of each Holding.
