Expert in Common Land to speak at Banbury Historical Society

Dr Kerner will deliver her lecture at the society's next meeting next Thursday, March 12 at Banbury Museum.

The title of Dr Kerker's session is What is Common Land? She will be delving into the background history of Common Land and explaining why work is going on to re-register it.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of common land, used for grazing, fuel, brick-making and a myriad other crafts, were enclosed and privatised during the 19th century. Surviving common land, such as the Lakeland fells and the metropolitan commons, was preserved and registered under the Commons Act of 1965.

Dr Kerner is working with the Open Spaces Society to re-register common land under the Commons Act 2006, which involves historical research to correct mistakes made under the 1965 Act.

Frances Kerner undertook her PhD at the University of Lancaster, researching the enclosure and survival of common land in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns. The Open Spaces Society is a charitable body dedicated to maintaining and protecting footpaths and other land with common rights.

The lecture is free to Banbury HIstorical Society members but non- members are very welcome to attend at a fee of £3 fee.