18. The Pound
The Pound – a restored high stoned walled, gated enclosure, fronting the main village Cressage road, on the edge of the Pound field.
The Manorial Pound would be built by the Lord of the Manor and located on the Manor House boundary or near the Manor House.
Pounds and Pinfolds of Cumbria by Nigel Mills
The Pound field has previously been proven to be the site of the Manor House (VCH) so the location of the Pound is a confirming factor in the siting of the Manor House (Hall Garth)
The purpose of the Pound was to temporarily contain stray animals mainly cattle, for collection by the owners on payment of a fine. It was administered by a Pinder who was an official of the Manor Court who was responsible for rounding up stray animals and for protecting the Lords forest against encroachment and poaching. Payment was collected on behalf of the Lord of the Manor.
As to the age of the Harley Pound the plaque on the restored Pound claims that it is late 18th Century. However, it is clearly shown on the 1735 map with a wall linking it to what is probably the ruin of the Manor House. If, as stated by Nigel Mills, it was built by a Lord of the Manor then it is probably much older. The last resident Lord was Robert de Harley, who died in 1349. The first Lord to adopt the name de Harley was Malcoline who became Lord in 1108. The age of the Pound is therefore unknown. It could be as old as 12th Century.
The Pound, the Plaque states, was given to the Harley, Cressage and Sheinton parish Council in 1972 by Baron Barnard of the Raby Estate, County Durham. It was restored with the help of a grant from the Countryside Agency and the Lottery Heritage Initiative Fund.
As to when Pounds fell out of use, Nigel Mills says that this occurred about the middle of the 19th Century. However, Mary Brookshaw, wife of Jim Brookshaw of Forge Farm told me that a cow escaped from the Harley Pound only to be run over by a motor vehicle. An approximate date for this would be about the middle of the 20th C. Mary was born about 1925, and died about 2005, aged 80.