Monument record 4394 - Open Field System, Lamport

The common fields of Lamport were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1795 and, though no Enclosure Map appears to have survived, a small plan of 1797 shows the boundary of three former fields.

{1} The two medieval settlements of Lamport and of Hanging Houghton in the old parish of Lamport each had an open field system. The common fields of Lamport were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1795 and, though no Enclosure Map appears to have survived, a small plan of 1797 (in NRO) shows the boundary of three former fields. One lay to the N.E. of the village, another to the N.W., W. and S.W. and the third further W. between two S.-flowing streams. Ridge-and-furrow of these fields survives on the ground or can be traced on air photographs over large areas of this part of the parish. As a result of the very variable topography, with steep slopes and rounded spurs, the recoverable pattern is a complex one of interlocked and end-on furlongs, apparently carefully adapted to the natural drainage of the area. However even on the more gently sloping ground in the W. (SP 743748) the furlongs are arranged in a similar way.

The land immediately S.E. of Lamport Hall, now part of the park, apparently lay outside the common fields in 1797. Despite this there is much surviving ridge-and-furrow, especially to the S. of the hall around Swan Lodge (SP 758742). Further E., also in the park, there are large blocks of 18th or 19th-century narrow-rig ploughing, but this is overlying early headlands, now visible as broad ridges up to 25 m. wide but only a few centimetres high. The whole area therefore must have had ridge-and-furrow on it at an earlier date

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 114-125 (Series). SNN77381.

Record last edited

Aug 28 2026 2:27PM