In the spirit of the Radio 4 programme
The Long View, local historian Joe Studman in an
Enfield Dispatch article draws our attention to the negative public reaction to the enclosure (ie the transfer of publicly accessible land to private owners) of a large part of Enfield Chase in the 17th Century. The "good folk of Enfield" were none too pleased about "the removal of their common rights, that they had enjoyed since time immemorial" and acted to reassert them.
I'm sure many people will find this an interesting bit of local history. However, Joe goes on to float a completely far-fetched scenario, that today, in the enlightened 21st century, someone might again try to remove the common rights of the good folk of Enfield:
Can you imagine what might be the response today if, just for instance, a certain party erected a fence around, say, 18% of Whitewebbs Park, perhaps where the old golf course is? Today there is a marvelous savanna reminiscent of the how the Chase would have looked three hundred years ago. Would the good folk of Enfield, knowing that this estate had been purchased by Middlesex County Council for the benefit of local people, feel that their common rights had been abused?
It's bad enough reading complete nonsense in some of the national papers, but most disappointing to see our esteemed local community newspaper printing such totally absurd ramblings!
Enfield Dispatch: Cromwell, the Civil War, and Whitewebbs Park
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