Monument record HAD 264 - Earthwork of a possible medieval Hollow Way "Bacon Lane"

Possible medieval Hollow Way, visible on the 1st edition OS map (S1) and on LIDAR (S2), and research by The Hadleigh Society (below) shows origins of this route goes back to at least 1524.

1454 - Starting with the 1454 deed (S3). This document is dated 32[nd year of the reign of] Henry 6. 20 May (ie. 20 May 1454) and is a 19thCentury partial translation only, from the Latin, and it does not mention Bacon Lane. There is no description of abutments. Unfortunately, the original document, which may have given more information, could not be found in Hadleigh Archive. The document concerns a croft of land called Garleberdyshel and is one of a bundle of documents relating to that piece of land and most of those that follow do include mention of Bacon Lane. Bacon Lane was probably there in 1454 but reference to it cannot be found in this document (S3)

1524 - In 1524, in a document dated 16th [year of the reign of] Hen[ry] 8th the last day of October (ie. 31 October 1524; again a partial translation from the Latin and, again, the original is not in the Hadleigh Archive), two pieces of land are now described:-
1. a) Garleberdysshe, and
2. b) another piece of land containing 3 roods more or less and it is this second piece of land which lies “between land late John Kings on the one side and a lane called Bacons Laneleading from ?Barlonberdysshe hill to Topperlye on the other side” (S4).

1551 - There are two documents dated 1551 which mention Bacon Lane: John Freeman’s Will (S5) and a Grant in Latin (being a later translation thereof) to use 3 pieces of land near Bacon Lane (S6)

The will bestows the profits yearly from 2 parcels of land in Hadleigh, commonly called the Maundy land, to the churchwardens of Hadleigh to bestow upon the poor of the town (S5).

The grant is by John Freeman to Sir Henry Doyllye, William Forth and others and concerns “3 pieces of land lying in Hadleigh of which one is called Garleberdysshehylle & lying between land late of Edward Burton on the South and land called Cottons on the North and a second piece of land contains 3 roods in Bacons Lane leading from Garleberdysshehylle to Toppystye” (the third piece of land in this document is not relevant and is not included here) (S6)

1642 - There is a deed dated 25 April 1642 (S7) which makes mention of a Bacon Lane. This deed is a grant “by Phillipp fforth of Hadleigh in the County of Suff[olk Esquire (the only surviving ffeoffee of the Townlands premises hereafter by these presents granted)” to John Alabaster (mayor of Hadleigh) and named aldermen of the town, two parcels of arable land and pasture called Garleberdishhill otherwise known as GalleBeddhill of about 4 acres between the lands of William Stoddard called Friars Field on the South and a lane called Bacon Lane on the North, ”one head whereof abbutteth thereupon the land of the said John Alabaster called Cottons otherwise Pondfield towards the East and the other head whereof abbutteth thereupon a lane leading from the said Bacon Lane into the Kings highway there which leadeth towards Hadleigh Heath towards the West”. This grant appears to be a transfer of the land from “old” feoffees (of the feoffment charity) to new feoffees. We have similar documents of the same date and between the same parties relating to other feoffee-held properties in the town (S7).

1673 - In addition we have found a deed dated 19 December 1673 (S8) which like above is a transfer or ownership from “old” feoffees to “new” feoffees. In this case the old feoffees were Phillipp Buckenham and Thomas White the Elder and the new feoffees were Henry Buckenham (Mayor of Hadleigh), John Glanvill, Joseph Beaumont and Edward Beaumont, aldermen of the town. The description of the land is identical to that in the 1642 deed and so will not be repeated here.

1693 - Accounts Chief Collector (S9). Although this document is cited in the Hadleigh Historian Article there is, in fact, no mention of Bacon Lane by name although there is mention of "Galibed Hill" (believed to be Garleberdishhill) which as we have seen is associated with Bacon Lane (see documents 2, 6, 7 8 and 9).

1852 - Copy of extract of map from Indenture for the sale of 21 to 27 Gallows Hill in 1852 (S10) that clearly shows Bacon Lane. The original indenture document is in the ownership of the occupier of No 23 Gallows Hill.

1913 – Valuation dated 21 February 1913 of Maunder Field (S11), occupied by William Baalham (Document 4; Hadleigh Archive 005/L/02) which provides a description of “Arable Land – Maunder field, Bacon Land [sic]”. The lands are described as comprising 5 acres, 1 rood and 24 perches. Maunder Field can be seen on the 1839 Tithe Map that I have previously sent you.

1931 – Permit granted by the Charity Commission to sell “An arable field situate at the end of Bacon Lane in the Parish of Hadleigh… being No.142 on the Ordnance Survey Map of the District and comprising an area of 5a. 1r. 26p. Or thereabouts” (S12)