The Monks Track

Report of a Survey at Humblescough Wood, Nateby. October, 1995. By The Nateby Team

Some weeks before the survey was carried out it had been reported to J.Salisbury that a track could be seen in Humblescough Wood. Permission was sought from the landowner for access to the wood and this was granted. The team set off to investigate the site on the 21st October. The wood is about half a kilometer from the farm and the track is at the eastern end across the old tank trap.*

On arrival at the site the raised trackway was clearly visible. A cutting was taken across and a rough cobble path was found some 150mm below ground. The cobbles did not appear to have been set into the surface, more likely they had simply been tipped and levelled. There was no evidence of any type of binding holding the stones together as is the case on the other road through the village. Ditches could be seen on either side of the track and the cobbles were little more than a stone deep. There was some evidence of repair work. Amongst the stone we found several pottery sherds and remains of rough tile or brick; possibly the rubbish left over from a firing. Several small pieces of coal were also found. A measurement of the track was taken from its location at SD474 436 for 90m to SD472 436 where the tank trap has cut through it. It measured between 2.5m and 3m in width, running east to west. Efforts were made to find the track to the west of the tank trap on Tarnacre Moss, but ploughing appears to have removed any trace. To the east, the track joins Ainspool Farm road and so on to Kirkland Hall.

The monks of Cockersand Abbey held lands on Tarnacre Moss and in 1282 - 1285, a covenant by John of Kirkland granted to the monks of Cockersand a road through Kirkland Wood to drive their beasts and carry their turves (turbis). Also, in 1274 (approx.) John, son of John the tailor of Kirkland granted to the Abbot of Cockersand ..that they wholly should take forever the dead wood in Kirkland.' 

It is likely that Humblescough Wood is a remnant of the Kirkland Wood mentioned in the covenant, and the track leads to Tarnacre Moss, so it would seem that it is all that remains in its original form of the track built by the monks to their land at Tarnacre.

*A description of the tank trap may be required by the reader to clarify exactly what it is. The tank trap was built during World War Two as part of the western defence system and in the area around Nateby can now be seen as a large ditch; the theory being that tanks would be unable to cross this obstruction. In other places, large square blocks of concrete can still be seen laid out in lines like huge teeth.

N.B. All grid references in the above articles are from the O.S.Landranger 102, Preston, Blackpool and surrounding area.