Coppett Hill Common was
owned* by
the Lords of the Manor of Goodrich for 800 years until 1919. It was
then sold to another private owner.
The Common came on the market again in 1985 and a far sighted initiative by people in Goodrich led to the formation of the Coppett Hill Common Trust Ltd which bought the Common for £35,000. This money was raised by 70 local residents who bought shares (shareholders must live or own land in the Parish and shares cost £100 each), Goodrich and Welsh Bicknor Parish Council and Herefordshire Council. Over time, other residents have bought shares and there are now over 100 shareholders; the company is set up so that any surpluses must be fully re-invested in the management of the Common.
There are few public footpaths on the Common and the initial work of the Trust was to open up permissive paths across the Common for public use. All management is undertaken by local volunteers and working parties are organised throughout the year covering projects such as path maintenance, woodland management, coppicing and scrub and gorse control on the open areas. As with all commons where traditional management by commoners has ceased, open areas without management will rapidly revert to scrub and woodland with the loss of valuable flora and landscape value.
The registered charity, Friends of Coppett Hill, was formed in 1994 with the specific aim of helping the work of the Trust by raising funds to support projects. The Friends allows those who do not live in the Parish, and those who prefer to contribute through an annual subscription, to support and become involved and better informed about Coppett Hill. The Friends, as well as running this web site, have also produced walking guides and other publications about the Hill and organise evens and walks in the area.
If you are interested in joining the Friends of Coppett Hill or would like to make a donation to the charity, please contact :
The Membership Secretary, The Friends of Coppett Hill, Charlton, Goodrich, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JF, email or download an application leaflet here.
If you are a resident of Goodrich and Welsh Bicknor and wish to know more about buying a share in the Trust, please contact:
The Secretary, The Coppett Hill Common Trust Ltd, Charlton, Goodrich, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JF
* Many people think that an area called a ‘common’ must be in public ownership or be owned by ‘the commoners’. This is rarely the case and Coppett Hill is no exception. There are quite a few houses on Coppett Hill where the owners have ‘commoner’s rights’. These rights which go back several hundred years allow these residents to do things such as graze sheep or gather firewood and bean sticks from the common.
The Common came on the market again in 1985 and a far sighted initiative by people in Goodrich led to the formation of the Coppett Hill Common Trust Ltd which bought the Common for £35,000. This money was raised by 70 local residents who bought shares (shareholders must live or own land in the Parish and shares cost £100 each), Goodrich and Welsh Bicknor Parish Council and Herefordshire Council. Over time, other residents have bought shares and there are now over 100 shareholders; the company is set up so that any surpluses must be fully re-invested in the management of the Common.
There are few public footpaths on the Common and the initial work of the Trust was to open up permissive paths across the Common for public use. All management is undertaken by local volunteers and working parties are organised throughout the year covering projects such as path maintenance, woodland management, coppicing and scrub and gorse control on the open areas. As with all commons where traditional management by commoners has ceased, open areas without management will rapidly revert to scrub and woodland with the loss of valuable flora and landscape value.
The registered charity, Friends of Coppett Hill, was formed in 1994 with the specific aim of helping the work of the Trust by raising funds to support projects. The Friends allows those who do not live in the Parish, and those who prefer to contribute through an annual subscription, to support and become involved and better informed about Coppett Hill. The Friends, as well as running this web site, have also produced walking guides and other publications about the Hill and organise evens and walks in the area.
If you are interested in joining the Friends of Coppett Hill or would like to make a donation to the charity, please contact :
The Membership Secretary, The Friends of Coppett Hill, Charlton, Goodrich, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JF, email or download an application leaflet here.
If you are a resident of Goodrich and Welsh Bicknor and wish to know more about buying a share in the Trust, please contact:
The Secretary, The Coppett Hill Common Trust Ltd, Charlton, Goodrich, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JF
* Many people think that an area called a ‘common’ must be in public ownership or be owned by ‘the commoners’. This is rarely the case and Coppett Hill is no exception. There are quite a few houses on Coppett Hill where the owners have ‘commoner’s rights’. These rights which go back several hundred years allow these residents to do things such as graze sheep or gather firewood and bean sticks from the common.