About Us

All common land has an owner; the term ‘common’ refers to the rights held in common by certain individuals to use the product of the soil of the common, for example by grazing, cutting turf or cutting stone.

The Batheaston Freeholders Association of which the Batheaston Freeholders Committee is the active member dates back to a deed of 1719 and administered the rights of common thereafter.

The Commons Act 1965 required that the Local Authority register all commons and rights of common. At that time the Batheaston Freeholders Committee registered Bannerdown Common and Solsbury Common in the name of the Batheaston Freeholders Association. Individuals also registered rights of common that are attached to parcels of land that they owned at the time.

Our committee members include:

  • Chairman: Martin Veal
  • Vice Chair: Mary Hunt
  • Treasurer: Rob Kendall (temporary)
  • Secretary: Rob Kendall
  • Land Manager: Rob Kendall
  • Eric Burcombe
  • Nick Cozens
  • Stephen Creed
  • Mike Hunt
  • Gerald Rich
  • Shaun Russell
  • Brian Wall
  • Ms Esther Dodd
  • Ian Hutchinson
  • Steve Curtis