The Boundaries Discussion : Whiskershiel Holding

Whiskershiel Whiskershiel section 1 encloses a piece of ground referred to on the Enclosure map as East Fair Moor, which at that time was divided into three small plots. It survives in the form of a prominent hedge bank with post and wire fence. A public footpath crosses the enclosure from northwest to south east with another running along the inside of the south boundary.

These are mentioned in associated with the 1731 enclosures and described as running between ' the ancient enclosure grounds of Whiskershields northwards to the ancient enclosed grounds of Landshet and through the same westwards to the parcel of the said Elsdon common called the East Fair Moor.

• And we do also appoint… from the aforesaid last mentioned ancient public highway along, by and between the said allotment called East Fair Moor to Hudspeth' (NRO QRD 3/1).

Whiskershiel

Sections 2 - 4 continue to the east, crossing Landshot Burn and climbing up on to Darden Pike. Sections 2 and 3 are prominent stone-faced banks standing to a height of 1.5m and with a width of 3m. At least four courses of stone are visible on the south side of section 3, with a prominent ditch. The bank becomes less well defined north-east of Landshot Burn. These sections do not appear on the enclosure map but do appear, much as they are today, on the Tithe Award of 1840 (NRO DT 163m).

A derelict post and wire fence represents the final section of boundary 4, from Darden Cleugh to Darden Pike. Approximately 15m to the north of it, and running parallel to it, is a very low linear bank, almost indiscernible in the thick heather. This is no doubt the remains of the boundary wall shown in 1731 and 1840.

On the summit of Darden Pike itself are the remains of a robbed-out burial cairn. It is approximately 15m in diameter and has been mutilated by the creation of a modern shelter. At its centre there appear to be the remains of a disturbed cist.

Sections 5 and 6, post and wire fences, continue eastwards and south-eastwards to Dough Crag where there is evidence of an earlier fence in the form of a wrought iron braced stanchion bedded into the rock and with holes for seven wires. Further evidence of this fence line continues along section 6.

From the end of section 7 on King's Dod a slight linear bank continues to the west and marks the parish boundary between Elsdon and Hepple. Section 8 extends to the south-west of this point in the form a post and sheep-netting fence. This boundary is clearly shown on both 1731 and 1840 maps and survives as a low linear bank running parallel to the fence on the edge of the plantation.

Section 9, a dry stone wall, post-dates both maps; on these the boundary wall is shown to continue to the west along the south side of a trackway (the present public footpath) from Eastnook to Hudspeth. Sections 10 to 14 south of Eastnook appear largely unchanged on both maps and it was clear that the sections of well-built dry stone wall 10 and 11 had been constructed on the footings of an earlier wall.

From south of Eastnook a post and wire fence continues to follow the meandering course of Whiskershiel Burn. The burn marked the boundary in 1731 and 1840 but there does not appear to have been any structure at these times.

The short section of dry stone wall 16 is shown on both maps as running from Todholes to Whiskershiel Burn, after which the burn once more becomes the boundary. Just to the south of section 16 a building described as Whiskershields Mill is shown on the 1731 map. It has clearly been abandoned by 1840, but the unnamed outline of it is shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1866 and is likely to have been ruinous at this time.

The sections from here are all post and wire fences, many with associated hedge banks. The course of the boundary continues to follow the burn before turning north towards the village. The tithe map shows a complex of fields in this area, still to some degree discernible as low banks with intermittent area of rigg and furrow.