ECONOMIC HISTORY

Four ploughs were recorded on the demesne in 1086 and by the 13th century the lord's estate was said to comprise 6 plough-lands. The demesne farm included a barton in the east part of the parish in 1332 when 4 ploughmen, 4 drivers of plough-teams, and 2 carters were employed. The demesne arable remained in hand in 1415 but it was being leased by 1426. In addition to his arable land the lord owned extensive pasture land at Chavenage Down and smaller areas scattered through the parish. In the 13th century it was said that the manor, if stocked, could support 500 sheep. A sheepfold was recorded at Chavenage in 1332 and a sheep-house had been built by 1541. In 1332, when the lord's flocks comprised 307 wethers, 285 sheep, 168 rams, and 200 lambs, 3 shepherds were employed with 2 boys to assist at lambing. From the 14th century sales of sheepskins, coarse wool, and fine wool were an important source of income, and sales of wool in 1453 amounted to £12 9s.

The tenants at Horsley in 1086 included 6 villani and 5 bordars, working 6 ploughs, and a radknight. A house in Gloucester was attached to the estate at that time. In the 13th century the tenants were said to hold 30 yardlands, and in 1293 owners of yardlands, half yardlands, fardels, and mondaylands were recorded. Tenants owed pannage of pigs and heriots were due from some holdings. In the later 16th century much copyhold property was converted to leasehold but copyhold tenure was recorded in 1671.

Arable farming was conducted in open fields which survived into the 18th century. In the northern part of the parish were Sealywood (or Nupend) field, which was in two parts in the mid 16th century, and Wimblybarrow field at Tickmorend. Common field, recorded in 1332 and apparently an open field in 1777, Chavenage field, Coniger field, and Hazlecote field lay in the southern part of the parish. In the eastern part were Barton (or Old) field and Binbury field and there were also some smaller open fields recorded in the mid 16th century. In 1807 it was said that the commoning rights of the parish had been reduced to nothing because of surreptitious inclosure. Mbr>
In 1856 11 farmers were recorded at Horsley and their number had increased to 16 by 1889. During the later 19th century the proportion of arable farming in the parish dropped and c. 1901 there were 1,313 a. of arable land and 1,805 a. of grassland in the parish. The number of farms remained at c. 14 until the First World War but consolidation of properties resulted in a decline in numbers by 1939.

A mill was recorded at Horsley in 1086 and three mills were recorded on the manor in the 13th century, some of which may have been in that part later transferred to Nailsworth. The mills situated in Horsley were small concerns on the Horsley stream. Three were recorded there in 1824: Hartley Bridge Mill, downstream of the bridge, later belonged to a farm at Barton End and was worked as a corn-mill until the end of the 19th century; a mill below, at Washpool, had apparently been built in 1796 by John Remington; and the third mill, at the east end of Downend hamlet, may have been used in the cloth industry in 1840 when a house at the site belonged to Peter Playne. Horsley Mill, below the Downend mill, was probably the one built at Horsley by the Playnes of Longfords Mill in the early 19th century.