COMMONS REGISTRATION ACT 1965
The exact legal status of Stinchcombe Hill, and what part or parts
of it were Common Land, and what rights of Common existed, and what
this actually meant to the public has always been a fertile matter
for discussion in the locality. For many years the inhabitants of
the neighbourhood around Stinchcombe Hill had formed the habit of
walking there for fresh air and exercise and playing games, even
though part had been laid out as a Golf Course. The enactment of
the Commons Registration Act 1965 gave to the Trustees and others
the right to submit Applications for registration of Ownership and
Rights of Common affecting Stinchcombe Hill.
It was clear that as the part of the Hill, which had formed part
of the old Stancombe Estate, purchased from Mrs. Purnell-Edwards
and her Trustees had been let as agricultural land it could never
have been a Common or part of a Common. The Inclosure Award for the
Parish of Stinchcombe preserved an area round Drakestone Point for
fresh air and exercise by inhabitants of the Parish and
neighbourhood but otherwise the land which Sir Stanley Tubbs
purchased was conveyed to him by the Earl of Berkeley, the Cory
Trustees and Sir Charles Prevost subject to such rights of Common
as might exist. It proved impossible to obtain any better
information at the time of purchase.
Applications were, therefore, made on behalf of the Trustees to
register their ownership in the Register of Ownership maintained by
the County Council and this was duly recorded as Unit Number CL136.
No attempt was made to register any Rights of Gammon and therefore
no adverse claims in respect of such rights can now be made by any
Landowners. This was a satisfactory result for the Trustees as
registered Rights of Common could have made the management of the
Hill more difficult.
A plan is annexed showing with a green verge line the land owned
by the Trustees and with a red verge line the land registered as
Common land. Part of this land above Yercombe is not in the
ownership of the Trust.
The area leased to the Golf Club has a blue verge line on this
plan.