The original purpose of commons has long since passed but in recent years Brockdish Common is finding a new role in our village life. There are two parts of the common: (1) Brockdish Common off Common Lane and (2) Foredale Common, as named in the Tithe Map of 1838, or Foreland Common as it is otherwise known, off Grove Road. Both are treated as one in the published Register of Commons 1970 (CL125) where it is also recorded as “owner unknown”. The total area is 4.15 acres.
One issue faced a few years ago was that the official map defined only half of Brockdish Common as it was known by the village community. A lengthy process followed and the whole is now recorded with Norfolk County Council acknowledging that a mistake in the Register had now been corrected.
Regarding ownership, extensive research by Elaine Murphy * has proved that both pieces of the common were in fact gifted to the parish prior to 1838 by the previous owner John Birkbeck and although lost sight of by the time of commons registration the Parish Council is the true owner. This has yet to be recorded by the Land Registry.
So the original registration of the common submitted in 1968 was lacking somewhat in accuracy but all is now ‘on the record’ and we are looking forward. Work started a few years ago on Brockdish Common with the creation of a wide path extending to the River Waveney and this has become a popular walk with an opportunity for children and dogs to enjoy a paddle. This is also the site for regular monitoring of water quality by the River Waveney Trust. A picnic table near the River and seats along the way have been donated. Early on in our rescue of the Common, the Parish Council commissioned a wildlife survey by Norfolk Wildlife Trust which resulted in a management plan to guide future work. This ensures improvements for public access whilst enhancing its wildlife value.
Work started by creating a small working party from the village but in 2019 the Trust for Conservation Volunteers (TCV) obtained lottery grant funding for a project involving 4 commons: the two in Brockdish plus Langmere Green and St.Clements Common. This brought in considerably more resources for the work. Now in 2022 we have a leaflet describing a beautiful 7-mile walk visiting the 4 commons and many other interesting features of the area**. That project is now at an end but its legacy is the creation of a new permanent organisation to carry on the good work and hopefully develop it into other areas. That organisation is The Waveney Volunteers for Nature. It is supported by two parish councils and associated with the TCV. It has a storage facility at The Waveney Heritage Centre whose cooperation is much appreciated.
Attention is now turning to Foredale Common. A public footpath crosses the Common at its midpoint, which is part of Angles Way. There are two distinct parts of Foredale Common, north of the footpath is scrub which is to remain as a particular wildlife habitat, south of the footpath will be maintained as a wildflower meadow with a path meandering through it.
*see The Local Historian – January 2021 – Vol 51 No.1
** see The 4 Commons Walk leaflet
See Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s page about the common
Brockdish and Thorpe Abbotts 