Monument record 7351 - Open Field System, Broughton

{2} The common fields of the parish were enclosed by Act of Parliament in 1786. On an estate map of 1728 almost the whole parish except along the valley bottoms and in the extreme south west is shown divided into six open fields with the internal furlongs named and strips indicated. Ridge and furrow of these fields can be seen on the ground or traced on air photos over much of the parish, and south and south west of the village the pattern is virtually complete. The layout of the surviving ridge and furrow agrees exactly with the strips shown on the 1728 map. South and south west of the village the ridge and furrow is arranged in interlocked and end-on furlongs, with well-marked headlands up to 30m wide, still clearly visible in the modern arable. These lay in Stone Pit, Middle and Headland Fields in 1728. The name Middle Field is recorded in 1745. North east of the village the ridge and furrow is less complete, but appears to be mainly in end-on furlongs, all lying north west- south east, at right angles to the contours, except in the extreme north east of the parish where it extends down the slope to the stream. All this ridge and furrow lay in Kettering Hill, Nether Middle and Carr Side Fields in 1728.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1971, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1970, (unchecked) (Journal). SNN100525.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.14 site 4 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> HYLTON T.; MASTERS P., 1998, Empingham to Hannington Anglian Water Pipeline, Northamptonshire Section, Archaeological Evaluation: Stage 1, (checked) (Report). SNN63049.

<4> 1728, Map of Broughton, (unchecked) (Map). SNN33205.

<5> Salzman L.F.(ed), 1937, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, pp.160, 162 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100371.

<6> Hollowell S., 1999, Northamptonshire Inclosure: The Commissioners and Other Officials, p.49 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102530.

<7> Richmond A., 2012, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land at Cransley Hill, Broughton, Northamptonshire, 2012, p.28 (checked) (Report). SNN108550.

Record last edited

Apr 1 2015 5:49PM