Monument record 7386 - Open Field System, Higham Ferrers

A three-field system by at least 1571 and pobably much earlier. The date of enclosure is unknown

{7-10} Contiguous medieval and/or post medieval ridge and furrow blocks, remnants of the former common open-field system, are visible as earthworks and cropmarks on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and were mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. The ridge and furrow is visible across the parish of Higham Ferrers but is concentrated to the east and southeast. Recent aerial photographs and lidar imagery show that many of the blocks have been ploughed-levelled in the latter half of the 20th century through continued agricultural cultivation, though some blocks remain as extant earthworks within pasture fields and paddocks. Boundary banks, furlong boundaries and plough headlands were also mapped and recorded.

<1> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

<2> Hall D.N., 2001, Turning The Plough - Midland Open Fields: Landscape Character and Proposals for Management, (unchecked) (Book). SNN101551.

<3> Hall D.; Palmer R., 2001, Midland Open Fields Project: Digital Archive, (part checked) (Archive). SNN105253.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.56 Site 13 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<5> Hollowell S., 1999, Northamptonshire Inclosure: The Commissioners and Other Officials, p.42 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102530.

<6> Hall D.; Handing R., 1985, Rushden, A Duchy of Lancaster Village (Book). SNN105284.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/540/474 RS 4020-4021 22-APR-1951 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<8> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1925 RS 4254-4258 16-JAN-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<9> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/540/1312 F22 0261-0262 26-MAY-1954 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<10> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR SP9769/SP9767/SP9768/SP9769/SP9669/SP9668/SP9667/SP9868; 01 Oct 2014 - 31 May 2017 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2022 12:03PM