Monument record 5568/1 - Old Town Field

{1} Before the foundation of the New Town, or at least before the Castle was built, it is probable that a single field system was in existence within the township of Brackley, exploited from the Old Town. Although there were two separate manors in 1086, one in Brackley and another with holdings in Brackley, it seems unlikely that they represent separate settlements and field systems. With the construction of the castle or with the foundation of the New Town the field system was apparently subdivided, for in 1260 reference is made in different documents to ‘the north field of the castle of Brackley’ probably the ‘Lower Field’ of the ‘Castle Side’ in 1830; to the western field of the castle of Brackley and to the ‘Heldetunfeld’ (Old Town Field).
What is being described is not several Great Fields within a single system but rather two separate field systems each of two or three great fields (high, middle and low).
This is apparently the only case in Northamptonshire of a field system being subdivided in association with the foundation of a town to create two separate systems, probably because in most other cases an existing settlement was elevated to urban status rather than a new, separate settlement being created.
The boundary between the two field systems or 'sides' is recorded in the 19th century and represents a sharp division in the layout of the furlongs themselves, but as it follows the road from Brackley to Halse it may be simply the antiquity of that road, already in existence by the 12th century, which is reflected in the topography not the antiquity of the division between the field systems. The boundary to the east of the High Street has not been identified, because much of the area was enclosed and the remainder was Common Land by 1830, but it seems likely that Basset’s Lane formed the medieval boundary.

{2} The geophysics survey showed traces of ridge and furrow remains over all of the areas surveyed. A sample of these furrows were excavated to test this identification.

<1> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brackley, Section 1.0 and 2.0 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100499.

<2> Wheaton, K. and Lawrence, S., 2010, Land to the North of Brackley, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation Report, pp.10-17 (checked) (Report). SNN106734.

<3> Chapman P., 2010, A Desk-Based Assessment of Land at Brackley Grange, Brackley, Northamptonshire, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN107020.

Record last edited

Jan 23 2015 3:41PM