By Rev. C. S. Ruddle. 5 
In Durrington, in which there was little freehold, the greater 
part being held as copyhold on lives, the chief freeholder in 1804 
had a freehold of 146 acres; but it was made up of ninety-eight 
pieces. Consequently there must not only have been great in- 
convenience in all kinds of husbandry, but the waste in lynches, 
balks, and headlands must have been enormous. Another hindrance 
must have been the great uncertainty of areas. It may be said 
that practically a reputed acre might mean anything. In an 
elaborate terrier of Milston in the last century it is said “ All which 
acres of Arable ground as the Tythes of them are thus distinguished 
& set right are not acres by measure or the Lugg, but reputed 
acres.” But this will clearly appear by the detailed account 
of a farm in Durrington, measured by an eminent surveyor, Mr. 
Thomas Blandy, approximately about 1790. This shows a holding 
of under 75 acres, but it is made up of no less than eighty-nine 
pieces of land dispersed in the six different common fields into which 
the parish was divided. The six arable fields were independent of 
the down pasture; and as may be seen the six were primarily three, 
each of the three being divided into a High field and a Low field. 
Anyone who is interested in the question of the area of a yard 
land may observe that if, as in other parts of England, it meant 
30 acres, in this part the 30 reputed acres averaged little above 
two-thirds of the statute measurement. 
Lark hill and North field. 
Ge F.\- p- 
Halve at Long wall DDD: 
Two acres at Long wall 1 230 
Three halves on Larkhill Le OSL 
Acre butting over Packway 2 34 
Upper acre at Hook 2 28 
Other acre at Hook 3 8 
Acre butting against Edney’s 4 acres 2 15 
Head acre} 3B 4 
Three acres 1 1 386 
Acre butting on Surton’s head acre 1 26 
Two acres butting on Do. 1 OG 
Two acres butting on Lavington way t, £0 0 
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