Monument record 9995/0/10 - Medieval/post-medieval ridge and furrow

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. Located across the southern tip of Rushden parish, aerial photographs taken in 2018 suggest 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.

{1-14} 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. Located across the southern tip of Rushden parish and centred at SP 97176 64629, aerial photographs taken in 2018 suggest 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.

<1> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1994 FS 2221 13-APR-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<2> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1976, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1976. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN116411.

<3> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1986, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1986. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN115229.

<4> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1991, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1991. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN111744.

<5> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR SP9764/SP9864/SP9566 Environment Agency 1m DTM 04-JUL-2006–03-AUG-2017 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

<6> Vertical Aerial Photograph, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SP9664/SP9763-9764/SP9863-9864 12-JUN-2018 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1994 RS 4223-4226 13-APR-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<8> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/540/474 RS 4019 22-APR-1951 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<9> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1925 RS 4254-4258 16-JAN-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<10> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/540/474 RP 3021-3022 22-APR-1951 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/540/1312 F22 0263-0264 26-MAY-1954 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<12> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1994 RS 4399-4400 13-APR-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<13> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NHC 3046/18 18-JUL-1986 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<14> Vertical Aerial Photograph, OS/56A1 V 144-145 15-MAY-1956 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<15> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 8:32PM