Villagers restore medieval animal pound

An ancient animal pound, which was neglected for more than 200 years, has been restored by volunteers.

Around 70 volunteers from Arlingham, Gloucestershire, have helped with the project following the acquisition of the site by the parish council in 2023.

Village pounds for stray livestock were once commonplace across England and were important prior to the enclosure of land from the 18th Century.

The £23,000 restoration was funded by grants from the Enovert Community Trust and Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Located close to Gloucestershire’s Arlingham’s Grade-I listed 14th Century church, the pound originally formed part of the former Arlingham Court Estate.

“The impressive appearance of our restored village pound results from the use of traditional methods and reused stone with lime mortar,” said parish council chairman, David Merrett.

The volunteers helped clear and sort the stone for reuse, made a medieval gate, dug out new footings and exposed the original cobbled floor.

Angela Haymonds from the Enovert Community Trust said: “The result is a restored, landmark public structure which will not only be frequented by members of the community but will also serve as a point of interest on two of the ever popular Arlingham Circular Walks.”

Arlingham Parish Council also plans to recreate the original 18th-Century sign setting out fees for the release of livestock from the pound, as well as installing a bench and possible horseshoe sculptures of livestock to provide visitors with a sense of how it was in the past.

“This project has overwhelming support from the community,” said Andrew Cummings, strategic director of resources at Stroud District Council.

“Using heritage skills has preserved an important aspect of a sense of place within the rural community,” he added.

The official reopening of the pound takes place on 6 July with a barbecue, live music and children’s entertainment.