It originated in the ancient past from a parcel of manorial waste ground that belonged to the feudal manor of Bromyard.

The medieval period was one of prosperity for the tanners and clothiers of Bromyard, in a part of England where there were more sheep than people.

During the agricultural revolution its ownership was shared by various aristocratic owners, including from nearby Buckenhill Manor, and Brockhampton Court.

[citation needed] A feature on the common is the outline of an old disused horse racecourse that was created by soldiers and tenant farmers returning from the Napoleonic Wars.

The Second World War brought preparative measures for any possible German invasion, allowing the Mercian Marquis to construct underground bunkers in the dense forest.