Kintbury (“Cynetanbyrig”) and its Meadland (“Mædwe”), the Meadow Today and Some Gossip, Part One

A nice walk in the marshes and meadows of Kintbury, looking for that elusive access to the river Kennet (Cynetan in Old English). What is meadow (“meadwe” in Old English) for? I discuss this.
These history walk videos are about the English landscape in and around the south west of England (though I make the odd foray into Wales). I often use ancient charters (such as Saxon charters) to give me insight into the way the landscape was viewed in the past.
But it is not the Saxons that interest me the most (though they do) but the prehistoric world and its ancient monuments, trackways and ditches.
#Archaeology #oldenglishcharters #antiquarians #historywalks #britishhistory #kintbury #meadows

[@pwhitewick]

West Berkshire council do seem proactive on such matters. Especially as 45% of the land is seemingly held/managed by limited companies registered in the Bahamas. Yup its a tricky one, but had you have been able to take that "White Road" above Kintbury, I don't think you would have acted any different to any other local wishing to take a relaxed stroll to view the meadows.

[@thebeatentrack156]

As a local I quite agree and access to Avington Church (which has to be sought from a higher authority) where many locals have family burried.

[@pwhitewick]

@@thebeatentrack156 Oh dear. Always assumed Churches were free to visit regardless

[@thebeatentrack156]

@@pwhitewick Ah, you may be right, just what I’ve heard on the local grapevine. Made redundant in 1977 and bought by Howard de Walden Estates around 1980.

[@AllotmentFox]

I stood at that junction for 20 seconds before I attracted attention. I've looked at the map all the way from Hungerford to nearly Newbury and there is no access to the Kennet apart from a small bit next to Hungerford sewage farm. I remember walking along the river when I was a youngster, it definitely wasn't the canal, you could see the bottom.

[@thebeatentrack156]

Yes its Pippa Middleton (putting everyones nose out of joint), Kates sister. Took over from Terence Conran RIP. Should have popped up my end of town, I'd have given you a cup of tea at the very least 😊 We're a lot friendlier south of the river 🤣

[@AllotmentFox]

Me lurking in the bushes with a telephoto did attract some attention! Access to the Kennet is terrible

[@thebeatentrack156]

@@AllotmentFox It is awful for access, we get the brown canal for our riverside walks, the Kennet is the domain for the rich and privileged, always been that way round here. I'm suprised the SAM sites didn't detect your drone 🤣

[@AllotmentFox]

@@thebeatentrack156 its alright I waved to the snipers on the way in

[@thebeatentrack156]

@@AllotmentFox Joking aside 🤣 Barton Court seems to me to be the landing place on the Kennet from the Leverton charter, its situated at the end of the valley Hyddene, (Hidden as its named today). Great to see you out this way, are you coming back?

[@AllotmentFox]

@@thebeatentrack156 oh, heavens!-I shall have to re-edit part two now …

[@iainmc9859]

Well, now you've got England's 'sovereignty' back from all those interfering Europeans, I guess you're just going to have to get used to not being able to set foot on English soil.
As a Leveller I consider the rights of the rich are given far too much priority over the freedom of the not so wealthy.
During the medieval period rivers were considered as effectively free to fish in, as fish was not considered 'red' meat. There's records of servants complaining that their lord was a cheapskate because he fed them on salmon too often ... even if it wasn't a Friday.

[@AllotmentFox]

@@iainmc9859 how you managed to shoe-horn brexit into this discussion eludes me. But as you brought it up I thought I’d mention that I am looking forward to the nationalisation of rail and a national energy company under a Labour government which would have been impossible in Europe. Secondly Norway has right-to-roam and it isn’t a member of the EU meaning the concept has nothing to do with the EU. Did you mean a Digger rather than a Leveller?

[@iainmc9859]

@@AllotmentFox Many EU countries effectively have State run train companies, or so heavily state subsidised that it is de-facto nationalised. Luxembourg I believe has simply stopped collecting fares and considers effective infrastructure as having a positive countrywide economic effect; so the EU doesn't fall stall any sovereign country having a state owned transport network (Article 93 of Treaty membership). The Fourth Rail Package, in place since 2023, does however now requires some element of private tendering, this doesn't stop a State owned/subsidised company tendering for the contract, the economy of scale comes into effect here, often making the State company the cheapest tender.
I did not say that non-EU countries, although Norway is EU aligned, cannot have Right-to-Roam. Scotland made it law whilst still in the EU and retains it post EU membership. I posited the opinion that leaving the EU was simply a ploy by 'those that have' to limit the freedom and opportunities of those that don't, without EU law and social policies getting in the way ... the previous Government were quite keen on leaving the EU Convention on Human Rights. Lets see if a Labour Government grants the 'Right to Roam' to people in England or merely, by inaction, protects the privileges of the few regarding land access.
It is a well understood aspiration of the Levellers, although a disparate group politically and religiously, to reduce the privileges of the rich and raise up the position of 'the common man'; which is why the King had them imprisoned and Cromwell had them executed (its where the movement gets it's name). The Diggers were, shall we say, an offshoot more specifically aimed at land access for farming. Either term could apply to the points raised above, although I didn't specify agricultural usage, merely access.

[@AllotmentFox]

@@iainmc9859 i beg to differ on a few points though I welcome some of the clarity you have provided-
(1) you said we had reclaimed our ‘sovereignty’ (the inverted commas suggesting that that sovereignty was in doubt or a concept lacking vigour) from those interfering foreigners, I would say directly linking what you had to say about countryside access with brexit. I objected mentioning the non-EU right-to-roam of Norway and you said your position had nothing to do with the EU. I think it is clear you originally claimed in your post that it did.
(2) you have clarified the pretty good rail services run in the EU (for which I am grateful) but even with excellent services at a low price for the punter it is very, very hard to run a wholly state-run rail enterprise. The lie that having a line that is private that runs, say, to Devon and a public line that runs to, say, Kent means there is market competition raises its head again: there is not, you need to go where you need to go. I do believe in market restraints on cost but it just doesn’t work with rail. So a modern version of British Rail is near impossible in the EU. Is it worth comprising on full nationalisation for the sake of European unity and common purpose? Maybe, but it runs in the face of the people of this country.
(3) You suggest that brexit was entirely for and fought for for the benefit of the rich which is not the case. The rich are very concerned by Brexit and it has interfered with their investment choices. Brexit was a populist movement, whether it was right or wrong is a different matter. I won’t regret it because like the Levellers I believe in a popular mandate from the people: it was a fair fight and the centre-left lost. The only remorse I have is that I am pretty sure war is coming our way in a decade or two in Europe and closer union would increase our ability to win it. I am pleased Starmer is trying to rebuild links and hopefully something like Norway’s or Lichtenstein’s agreement with the EU will come out of it.
(4) The Levellers were the armed wing of what would become classical liberalism. Free trade, regular elections, popular mandate, checks and balances within government, freedom of religion: Levelling is way more closer to the American system than, say, anarcho-syndicalism or communism, as revoltionary at the time as it was.

[@iainmc9859]

@@AllotmentFox 1 - Perhaps the inverted commas around 'sovereignty' didn't come through in type the way that it sounded in my head. The right claimed UK sovereignty had been undermined by the EU. Whereas EU law is a black ball system, if one country says 'no' then any EU proposal does not become law, ergo any EU laws before Brexit that applied anywhere in the EU was voted in favour of by all, including the UK. Post Brexit all of laws are of UK origin and in the hands of the rich and powerful in the UK, which is why in England I do not foresee the common folk being allowed full access and 'Get ooff my laand' still applies ... in England. I certainly implied that some EU countries have more liberal land access laws. I don't foresee that happening in England post Brexit.
2 - Slightly unsure of your meaning/opinion regarding nationalised rail. I totally agree that if you only have one rail company option when travelling to a certain place there is no competition. I'd generally agree that nationalisation is the way forwards. I'd go as far as to say that critical infrastructure should always be in the hands of the State, roads, water, power etc. The EU doesn't state that it must be run one way or the other and leaves each nation to decide its own methodology (Article 93), although there should be a tendering process (Fourth Rail Package) it doesn't exclude the state from running every line. Its up to each government to pick what's right for them. As we are no longer part of the EU that no longer applies to us. If the UK Govt wants to nationalise it can, if it wants to privatise or some sort of half way house it can; but effectively so can any EU state as well.
3 - Its only a fair fight if its an even playing field and the truth is being told, by all sides. I don't agree that the truth was being told regarding the UK's 'lack of sovereignty' as portrayed by the right. There was also a whole heap of 'blame Johnny Foreigner' and false patriotism, when the intention of those running the Leave campaign was to undermining the rights of the common people within the UK without more liberal EU interference. 'You can fool all of the people some of the time ....' comes to mind. Its a lost battle, but the UK will pay the financial cost for many years to come. We also do not have a black ball any longer but will need to conform to EU trade rules if we wish to trade with them.
I'm less pessimistic about war in the EU and/or Nato than you are. The Russians have certainly had a bloody nose in Ukraine and I doubt they will be spoiling for a fight they can't win along their whole border. However I am in favour of raising taxes a little for further spending on conventional weapons in the UK.
4 - I'm well aware of what in general the Levellers stood for, Lilburne and Winstanley being personal heroes of mine (and I've spent enough time in Pike Blocks to earn my scars). It was also at the roots of Quakerism after the Civil War when the armed struggle ended. Essentially Emancipation and Democracy; unfortunately that was also a lost battle until the C19th.
I've just finished reading Thomas More's 'Utopia', which I thought would be dry, but is more lighthearted that Gulliver's Travels, so I can recommend it, if you haven't read it already.