The Cornwood Commoners Association

This Association serves the needs of registered commoners in the Parish of Cornwood grazing on Penn Moor and Stall Moor.

Information

Like common land everywhere, the Dartmoor commons are all owned by someone but are subject to rights of commoners. The Commons Registration Act of 1965 required the registration of common land nationally , its ownership, and the extent and nature of the rights held. Today on Dartmoor some 8,338 commoners have registered rights (of which about 1500 currently exercise them) on 92 separate common land units coming under some 54 different owners of which The Duchy of Cornwall is the largest. In the parish of Cornwood there is approximately 4100 acres ( 1672 hectares ) of commons owned by The Delamore Estates, Dr Burrows of Watercombe and English China Clay.

The most important right of common is grazing - this right of common of pasture is extremely important to the hill farms holding such rights. Rights are attached to specific properties for keeping certain numbers of sheep, cattle and ponies. On Dartmoor rights of grazing exist for some 145,000 sheep, 33,000 cattle, 5,450 ponies and 12,330 other potential grazing units. ( in practise the numbers actually grazed are much smaller).

Cornwood Commoners Association is at the forefront on conservation being the very first to join an ESA ( Environmentally Sensitive Area ) agreement with MAFF. This agreement relies on farmers reducing their stock on the moor in line with government guidelines for conservation and the environment in exchange for yearly payments on any reductions. This also affects any non-graziers as well as the commons owners.

This agreement also allows for a ‘reeve’ or shepherding system for care of fallen stock and straying.

The Cornwood Commoners Association meets usually quarterly and has an AGM in the autumn - meeting are for commoners only.

The Chairman is Mr Clive Venables at Hall Farm on 01752 896263.

The Vice Chairman is Mr Robert Greep of Lower Hele Fm on 01752 837254.

The Common Owners representative is Mr Gavin Dollard on 01752 837711

The Non- Graziers representative is Mrs Patty Watkins on 01752 892373.

Any problems or fallen stock queries should be reported to the Chairman initially