What did ‘common land’ mean to the English countryside peasant?

[Murali]

What did ‘common land’ mean to the English countryside peasant?
OR
How far is it correct to say that the common land was essential for the survival of the poor?
Answer:

1. All villagers had access to the commons.
2. Here, they pastured their cows and grazed their sheep.
3. They collected fuelwood for fire and berries and fruits for food.
4. They fished in the rivers and ponds and hunted rabbits in common forests.
5. For the poor, the common land was essential for survival.
6. It supplemented their meagre income, sustained their cattle and helped them during bad times when crops failed.