During period of the Enclosure Acts, the common at Widham was awarded to the Earls of Shaftesbury along with 'foot rights' to the cottages around the common to the highway (which had been a private road with tolls collected at the toll house).
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Originally, Widham consisted of a few houses along the highway and parts of Witts lane and the toll house at Collins lane, with Widham Common in the centre.