{"id":21653,"date":"2023-02-02T09:55:37","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T08:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=223805"},"modified":"2023-02-02T11:35:14","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T10:35:14","slug":"wild-places-wild-people-a-short-history-of-common-land","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/wild-places-wild-people-a-short-history-of-common-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild places & wild people: a short history of common land"},"content":{"rendered":"

Britain\u2019s common land has often been considered a wild place for wild people \u2013 Professor Angus Winchester explains how it played a key role in local economies and communities <\/p>

By Dr David Musgrove\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 02 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Common land \u2013 land which wasn\u2019t settled or farmed \u2013 used to exist right across Britain, and provided a vital shared resource for local communities. However, it was also seen by some as a wild place for wild people, and over the centuries, was gradually \u2018improved\u2019 or enclosed. Speaking with David Musgrove, Professor Angus Winchester highlights common land\u2019s rich and complex history, arguing that it provided a key resource for fuel, building materials, foraging and hunting, as well as being a place where communities gathered, games were played, fairs were held, and political dissent occurred.<\/p>\n\n

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Angus Winchester is the author of Common Land in Britain: A History from the Middle Ages to the Present Day<\/em> (Boydell & Brewer, 2022)<\/strong><\/p>\n