By T. IT. Baker. 



237 



Every copyholder also held a portion of arable land, and the 

 downs were generally stocked in common, each owner having 

 pasturage for a certain number of sheep, according to the size of 

 his holding. These sheep were attended by a shepherd who took 

 charge of the whole flock, but in Mere a portion of down seems to 

 have been allotted to each farm, whose occupier stocked it as he 

 thought fit. Those downs which were called tenantry downs were 

 subject to certain regulations, which the farmers who held rights of 

 pasturage on them were bound to adhere to. There was a tenantry 

 down at Mere, in addition to those in severalty. 



To form a correct idea of the state of things at the period con- 

 cerning which we are writing we must banish the Mere of to-day 

 from our thoughts, and picture to ourselves Mere as it was then. 

 A collection of small thatched houses framed with wood and filled 

 in with lath and plaster, with a few superior buildings in the shape 

 of shops, formed the town. One of these fifteenth century shops, 

 situated on the north side of the Market Place, with its original 

 front and pretty much in the same state as it was then, has lately 

 been taken down, and a brick building erected on its site ; another, 

 though scarcely so perfect as this, fell to decay a few years ago in 

 Church Street, opposite the National School. In addition to these 

 were the manorial residences, and the Deanery and Chantry houses, 

 which were of a more substantial character. Then the streets were 

 rough and not macadamised, contrasting strongly with the well-kept 

 roads of the present day, and the approaches to Mere were bad in 

 every direction. From Salisbury the town was entered by the 

 Old Hollow, then through the water, up by Steep Street, and 

 round by Back Lane and Bishops Corner. Mere then, as now, 

 lay out of the direct line of communication from Salisbury to the 

 West of England. The high road ran over the down from the 

 top of Chadenwyche Hill to Whitesheet and Long Lane. This 

 in pack-horse days was a very important thoroughfare. From 

 Grillingham and Shaftesbury it must have been difficult to get to 

 Mere at all during the winter months, except on foot or on horse- 

 back. The Shaftesbury Road is now often called " The Causeway," 

 plainly showing that an artificial raised roadway was there made 



VOL. XXIX.-— NO. LXXXVIIl. g 



