Hentland

Not every monument in the landscape is particularly well understood.

Chapel Tump, at Treaddow in the southern part of the parish, is clearly originally a medieval moated site,probaly a small motte and bailey castle. although we know nothing of its history. The Royal Commission on Historic monuments described an oval enclosure of about 0.3ha with a rock-cut ditch and traces of an internal bank

It has been much mutilated and its contours altered by modern cottages and gardens. There are traces of bank on the north-west and south-east sides. The surrounding ditch remains on the south-west side, where the outer scarp is rock cut, and on the greater part of the north-west side. Motte of c.26m diameter but has been cut away on south side. Still stands to 2.5m on north side. Bailey is c.50m sq with motte at north corner. Surrounding was a ditch extant on the south-west and part of the north-west, but elsewhere little more than traces. To the south-west the ditch, partly cut through rock, is up to 16m wide and 1.5m deep.

Treaddow is recorded as Trairat in 1136-42. The original form may have been something like Tre'r-adwy - settlement at a gap. It was the township - villata - of Trerado in Henry VIII's taxation of 1525.

The land was regarded as common land in the 19th century. In 1899 one attempt to utilise it for private use was vigourously resisted. On Saturday 30 September the Hereford Times had an article entitled 'UPHOLDING COMMON RIGHTS AT HENTLAND'.

'About six months ago a sawpit was sunk in the piece of common land at Chapel Tump, Hentland, and on Friday last, the villagers and neighbours, numbering between 50 and 60, assembled, and proceeded to uphold their rights by filling it up and clearing away the obstruction.'

'Mr H. M. Davies, yeoman, sent a small cask of cider. A bonfire was started on the land, and the proceedings were enlivened music and singing. Mr J. Scudamore, in few well-chosen words, called the attention those present to the fact that it had been common land from time immemorial, and said it rested with then to keep it so and to see that their rights were not interfered with.

Hearty cheers given for Mr H.M Drew, Mr H. H. Stock, Mr J. Scudamore, and the ''Mayor of Chapel Tumps.''-The National Anthen having been sung, the gathering dispersed.

At some stage a squatter settlement grew up on the property. Several settlements in the area appear to have originated as squatter communities.