IN THE letters page last week we had what I would regard as a tendentious and somewhat partial defence by the National Trust of their management of the Rodborough and Minchinhampton Commons.

As is well known Rodborough Common was given to the National Trust in 1937 by Mr Bainbridge Fletcher (in fact he had not realised he had bought the common when he purchased Rodborough Fort).

What is little known is that this gift was dependent on the establishment of an endowment fund to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the common.

And we have a former rural district councillor for Rodborough – Walter Payne – to thank for taking the time and trouble to organise the fundraising including a considerable donation at that time from the council itself.

Walter was later to be chairman of the council. In his working life he was a partner in the accountants Randall and Payne as well as being secretary of the late lamented Stroud Building Society At the time it was stated “The annual expenditure required would not be large; there would be certain expenses incurred in the prevention of encroachment, the cutting of thistles and weeds, the fencing of dangerous quarries, the prevention of damage and nuisances, and generally in keeping the common tidy.”

Unfortunately I have no knowledge about the arrangements for Minchinhampton Common.

No doubt inflation and time has taken its toll, but perhaps it’s time for the National Trust to publish detailed accounts of what it spends on each of the commons and how it is managing the endowment funds and other donations that are given to ensure that public continue to have free public enjoyment of the commons.

Some info on the donors at the time can be found on my local history website stroud-history.org.uk/articles.php?article_id=164

Chas Townley

Uplands