What is "common land"

n. 1 (context British Irish English) an area of land in the United Kingdom or Ireland that is open to the public at all times and until the 18th century would have been land that was free for anybody to graze their animals on (often shortened to common). 2 (context UK Irish English) collectively, all the common land in one of those two countries.

n. a pasture subject to common use [syn: commons]

Common land is land owned collectively by a number of persons, or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel.

A person who has a right in, or over, common land jointly with another or others is called a commoner.

This article deals mainly with common land in England, Wales and Scotland. Although the extent is much reduced due to enclosure of common land from the millions of acres that existed until the 17th century, a considerable amount of common land still exists, particularly in upland areas, and there are over 7,000 registered commons in England alone.

Common land or former common land is usually referred to as a common; for instance, Clapham Common or Mungrisdale Common.