Newtown Common
| Newtown Common | |
| Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Heather field near Newtown Common | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU470632 |
| Location: | 51°21’57"N, 1°19’35"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 382 |
| Post town: | Newbury |
| Postcode: | RG20 |
| Dialling code: | 01635 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Basingstoke and Deane |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North West Hampshire |
Newtown Common is a village in the north of Hampshire. Its nearest town is Newbury, across in Berkshire which lies approximately two and a half miles north-east from the village.
The Barkshire border, marked here by the River Enborne, is a quarter of a mile to the north.
The ransom strip scandal
The Feudal title Lord of the Manor of Newtown was sold at auction in 1986 for £4,200 by the Earl of Carnarvon to local businessman Michael Farrow. Using the title, Farrow claimed the common and registered it with the Land Registry. He then transferred it to Bakewell Management, who requested a fee of 6% of the property value from all of the homeowners who used the common to access their property. Initially successful, the request for money to cross the ransom strip was overturned by the House of Lords on 1 April 2004. [1]
References
- ↑ "Bakewell Management Ltd v. Brandwood & Ors [2004] UKHL 14 (1 April 2004)". Bailii.org. http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/2004/14.html. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
