The Pound

Have you ever noticed The Pound in St Mary Bourne Parish?

During the medieval era, the prevailing field system was an open one, meaning animals could stray easily onto a neighbour’s land.  Animals found grazing unlawfully on common land were also likely to be impounded. Should an individual owe a debt, there was always the possibility that their animals could be seized and kept in the pound until the debt was settled.

Pounds were usually made from locally available materials, ours is made of wood, and is similar to those found across Hampshire.  In other parts of England they are made from the locally available stone depending on what was available and affordable for the local community.

Pounds were usually located in a place near village greens, churches or crossroads to enable local residents to check if any of the impounded animals belonged to them.  Our Pound is located on the now B3048 near Swampton (W3W: ///garlic.reserving.stuff).

The Enclosure Acts in the 19th Century led to the disappearance of communal grazing lands and consequently the diminished need for village pounds.  Ours survived much longer than that and was still in use in living memory – not to the same level, but for the temporary housing of a stray cow, sheep or horse while the owner was found.

The Pound in St Mary Bourne Parish is a historic structure which allows an insight into medieval village life, and is from a time when community, land, and livestock were linked, and communal responsibility and cooperation were vital for survival.

In 2025 one of our community, Allan Hitchcock, asked whether the Parish Council were interested in allowing him to renovate The Pound, which had fallen into a state of disrepair.  The Parish Council funded the materials for the project, and with the help of his grandson, Allan totally rebuilt the Pound.  The Parish Council would like to publicly thank Allan (and his grandson) for their efforts during the summer of 2025.  The Pound looks fantastic, and its oak structure has now weathered nicely and fits beautifully into its surroundings.

Thank You Allan.

Maybe if you’re missing a labrador one day The Pound might be somewhere to look?