Monument record 8715 - Open Field System, Aynho

{1} The common fields of the parish were finally enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1792. By that date, however, the greater part of the western half of the parish was already divided into hedged fields while along the eastern boundary lay areas known as Spitehill Common, The Warren and Old Down. Bridges, writing in about 1720, stated that extensive areas were already enclosed, including The Warren.
Ridge and furrow of the common fields exists on the ground or can be traced on air photos over most of the area already enclosed in 1793; these are almost entirely on the Upper and Middle Lias Clay deposits. Here there are rectangular interlocked and end-on furlongs, mainly of reversed-S form, with well-marked headlands or access-ways between them, especially in Aynho Park. To the west of the village (SP505330) the existing rectangular field pattern reflects almost exactly the end-on furlongs of ridge and furrow, suggesting that the individual furlongs were enclosed as separate fields. Elsewhere in the parish, on the lighter sandstone or limestone soils, no ridge and furrow remains and only in a few areas close to the village (eg SP519335) can it be traced on air photos. This is probably the result of post enclosure ploughing, which has destroyed the ridge and furrow more easily than on the heavier soils.

{2} The field systems of Aynho, both when open and in the way that they were enclosed in three separate stages, are remarkably complex, but can be understood from the detailed documents that describe them. A plan of ridge and furrow remains made by archaeological survey was published in 1997. This is incomplete in the east and south of the township where light soils preserved no earthworks of headlands. Figure 1 has been completed using data from the Cartwright maps of 1696 and 1720.

{4} Published plan of ridge and furrow remains.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.13 site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> HALL D.N., 2006, Aynho Fields, Open and Enclosed, p.7-22 (part checked) (Article). SNN109284.

<3> 1696/1720, The Topographical Descripton of the Lordship of the Manor of Aynho, Being the Land of Thomas Cartwright Esquire (NRO Map 4612 C(A)6268 (Map of Aynho)), (unchecked) (Map). SNN109339.

<4> Hall D., 1997, Aynho Archaeological Survey, p.239-42 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109338.

<5> 1793, Aynho Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10084.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.134 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<7> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1999, Land at College Farm, Aynho, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Building Recording, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN43379.

Record last edited

May 21 2014 11:36AM