Following article appeared in FAREHAM PAST AND PRESENT Book XIII. . By H T Privett.

THE FAREHAM AWARD. 5TH AUGUST 1807.

This Award only dealt with a portion of the Parish of Fareham. The area was approximately from North Hill and Old Turnpike, Kiln Road, Fontley, Highlands Road, Catisfield and some 240 yards East of Peak Lane towards Fareham.

At that time, the main road was through Catisfield. The main road as we know it today, from Peak Lane to Titchfield and Southampton, was not constructed until about 1826.

The Commission appointed to carry out this award included Richard Eyles of East Meon, John Trefold of Winchester, George Purvis of Blackbrook and Benjamin Stow and James May of Catis field.
The Commission was formed by Acts of Parliament.

The Act was passed in the Forty First Year of the Reign of George III, initialled 'An Act for enclosing Lands in the Parish of Fareham in the County of Southampton'. It went on;- 'Whereby, after reciting that there were within the Parish of Fareham, a certain Common containing by estimation three hundred and thirty four acres or thereabouts, a certain other Common or Waste adjoining the aforesaid Common called Gudge Heath, containing by estimation five acres or thereabouts, and a certain other Common or Waste called Catisfield Common adjoining the said Common called Fareham Common and containing by estimation one hundred acres or thereabouts.

Further that the Honourable and Right Reverend Father-in-God Brownlow, Lord Bishop of Winchester and a Lord of the Manors of Fareham and Catisfield, was entitled to certain rights of the soil of the several Commons and Wastes.
Also, that certain persons therein named, and divers other persons, were the Owners and Proprietors of, or interested in, the said Commons or Wastes, and that the lands in their present Uncultivated State afforded very little Profit or Advantage to the several Persons interested therein: but that the Same were capable of considerable improvement, and that it would be very Advantageous and of great Public Utility if the same were divided and enclosed, and Specific Shares allotted to the several Proprietors in lieu of, and in proportion to, their several and respective Rights and Interests.
The Commission were required to give notice in some Public Newspaper -the Portsmouth Telegraph and the Hampshire Chronicle - of setting out Public Carriage Roads, and of reading and executing the Award. Public Notice was to be affixed to the principal outer door of the Parish Church of Fareham of the time and place of the said meeting at least eight days before the meeting, and of any subsequent meetings. No meetings were to be held at any greater distance than 6 miles from the Town of Fareham.
The Commissioners were required to see that all the lands and enclosed Grounds be measured, surveyed and valued, and an accurate Plan prepared. The person appointed to carry out this survey was George Baines of Andover.

The first meeting of the Commission was held on the First Day of July 1805 and was held in the Red Lion Inn. At a subsequent Meeting on the 29th day July 1805, all persons claiming any right, property or interest were required to lay their respective claims in writing before the Commissioners. The Commissioners publicly declared their intention to perambulate the Boundaries of the Manors of Fareham and Catisfield, and this they did on the 27th day of August 1805.

On 30th day of September 1805, the Commission set out and appointed the several Public and Private Carriage Roads and Drift Roads. The Roads are as follows. (The names of the roads are recorded as they exist today - no names are recorded in the Award or on the Plan acconpanying it).
No. 1. One Public Carriage Road of a breadth of 30 feet commencing at the Turnpike Road near Fareham Turnpike Gate and extending to the brick Kilns onFareham Common and thence in a Northerly direction to Fontley Lane. (Kiln Road)
No. 2. One Public Carriage Road and Highway of the like breadth, branching out from the last mentioned road and extending in a South Western direction through a certain gate called Frost Hole Gate and terminating at the end of a lane called Ash Pond lane leading to the village of Catisfield. (Highlands Road).
No. 3. One other Public Carriage Road and Highway of a like breadth of 30 feet across and over the Common called Catisfield Common. (Catisfield Road from Highlands Road eastwards to a point some 240 yards East of Peak Lane).
No. 4. One other Public Carriage Road and Highway of a like breadth of 30 feet branching from the last mentioned road in a South direction to an ancient lane called Peak Lane leading to Stubbington.
No. 5. One other Public Carriage Road and Highway of like breadth of 30 feet along Gudge Heath. (Gudge Heath Lane).
No. 6. One other Public Carriage Road and Highway of the breadth of 60 feet leading from the Carriage Road No. 2. at Ash Pond Lane to the Watering Place called Ash Pond, and awarded for the purpose of watering cattle at Ash Pond. (For many years this piece of land was used as a Recreation Ground for the villagers of Catisfield. It is now at the entrance to Place House Close).

Public Footways.
No. 1. One Public Footway of the breadth of six feet branching out of Carriage Road No. 3. (This was situated about 50 yards West of heathfield, but does not exist today).
No. 2. One other Public Footway of a like breadth of six feet (This footway more or less exists today commencing from near Maylings Lane into Highlands Road, thence over the Tunnel and on to a lane called Honey lane. The western end of this footway is lost; the footway now leads into Red Barn lane).
No. 3. One other Public Footway of the like breadth of six feet commencing at the Turnpike Road near Fareham Turnpike Gate and extending in a North West direction across and over Fareham Common to Mockbeggar Lane. (This path does not exist today).

Private Carriage Roads.
No. I. One Carriage Road and Drift Way from the end of Mockbeggar lane in a Westward Direction. (This raoad was near Kneller Court and I think Mockbeggar Lane was one from the Common to Dean Farm).
No. 2. One other Private Carriage Road and Drift Way of the breadth of 20 feet from Public Road No. 1. in a Westward direction (This is Red barn lane).
No. 3. One other Private Carriage Road and Drift Way in a Southerly direction from Public Raod No. 1. (This is Maylings Lane. No mention of the width it should be).
No. 4. One other Private Carriage Road and Drift Way of a breadth of 20 feet for the Turnpike Road. (This is the road leading to Fareham Common from the Turnpike Road),
No. 5. One other Private Carriage Road and Drift Way branching out of Public Road near Gudge Heath leading to the Iron Mills at Fontley). (This is Fareham Park Road),

There are three Gravel Pits or Quarries mentioned in the Award although they do not exist today.
One is in Highlands Road near the junction with East Glories Lane.
One Quarry or Chalk Pit is what is now known as Mitcheners Pond, Wickham Road.
The other Gravel Pit was just East of Heathfield on the Catisfield Road.

The Award then sets out all the parcels of land to be allotted, together with acreage and the persons to whom it was allotted, some 70 in number.
The first was to the Bishop of Winchester, who was allotted one sixteenth of the whole of the land to be allotted in lieu of and as compensation for his Right and Interest in or to the soil of the said Common.
Others were to Samuel Jellicoe, of Jutland fame, who lived at Uplands; Sir John Walley Smith Gardner of Roche Court; John Delme of Cams Hill and other well known Fareham names. The persons allotted the land were required to inclose, hadge, ditch and fence, and to plant quickset.

The cost incidental to and attending the obtaining and passing of the Act, together with the division and Allottment of the lands and grounds amounted to £23 14:1 6 10 5, and the Commissioners made a levy or rate on all persons to whom allottments had been made. Such levy or rate was to be paid within ten days to the Commissioners' Clerks, Messrs Paddon and Barney at their office in Fareham.
It was directed that a copy of the Award should be deposited in the Parish Church of Fareham.

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