Upper Caldecote Pound

The site of Upper Caldecote pound March 2010

A pound was an enclosed space in which straying animals were put (impounded) by the officials of the Manor to prevent their damaging property, including grass and crops. Their owners could redeem them by paying a fine to the manor. The Manors of Caldecote and Trumpingtons were, by the mid 19th century in the hands of the Thornton family of Mogerhanger, whilst Upper Caldecote Manor was in the hands of the Harvey family of Ickwell.

Upper Caldecote pound about 1920

Bedfordshire Historical Record Society published a series of three volumes devoted to a survey of the county's ancient buildings in the 1930s. Volume III, published in 1936, included turnpike roads and toll gates, duck decoys and pounds. The section on pounds was writen by J. Steele Elliott. He noted: "The Pound at Upper Caldecote stands at the north-east angle of the cross-roads. It measures 27 feet by 24 feet and is 3 feet 6 inches in height to the top rail. Joseph Rock was the last to act as 'Pinder'. The enclosure adjoining the Pound is known as Pound Close; that on the north-west angle of the cross-roads as Pound Field".

Pound sign March 2010