Legal Definitions - venville

Venville refers to a historical and unique form of landholding specific to the Dartmoor forest region in Devonshire, England. Under venville tenure, individuals or communities residing within or near the forest were granted particular rights to use the forest's resources, such as grazing livestock, collecting wood, or quarrying stone, in exchange for certain payments or services to the Crown or the forest's lord. These rights were distinct from typical land ownership and were tied to the specific geographic area and its historical customs.

• Example 1: Grazing Rights
  A farmer named Eleanor, whose family has lived on the border of Dartmoor for generations, holds venville rights. This allows her to turn her herd of hardy Dartmoor ponies out onto specific areas of the Dartmoor forest to graze freely during certain seasons, a practice passed down through generations that helps maintain the unique ecosystem of the moor.

  How this illustrates venville: This example demonstrates venville as a specific type of land tenure that grants the right to use forest resources (grazing) to tenants within the designated Dartmoor area. Eleanor's right is not based on owning the grazing land itself, but on her family's historical venville status.

• Example 2: Resource Collection for Fuel
  In a small, isolated hamlet nestled deep within Dartmoor, residents historically relied on venville rights to gather peat for fuel from designated bogs within the forest. These rights were crucial for their survival during harsh winters and were maintained through customary payments made to the Duchy of Cornwall, which historically managed parts of the forest.

  How this illustrates venville: This scenario highlights venville as a tenure that provided rights to collect specific resources (peat for fuel) from the forest. It shows how these rights were vital for local communities and were associated with customary obligations or payments, rather than outright ownership of the resource-rich land.

• Example 3: Quarrying for Local Construction
  The inhabitants of the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, historically recognized as venville tenants, possessed the right to quarry small amounts of granite from specific outcrops within the Dartmoor forest. This stone was used for local building projects, such as repairing dry stone walls, constructing new barns, or maintaining village pathways, ensuring the continuity of traditional building practices.

  How this illustrates venville: This example illustrates venville as a tenure that granted specific resource extraction rights (quarrying stone) to tenants within the Dartmoor forest. It demonstrates how these rights supported local infrastructure and livelihoods, allowing communities to utilize natural resources for their needs based on their historical tenure.