Monument record 6103 - Open Field System, Brixworth

The common fields of the parish were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1780.

{1} The common fields of the parish were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1780. On a map of 1688 (NRO) the names of these fields and the individual furlongs are shown, though not the strips. At the time there were three large fields, Shotnell Field (north and north-east of the village), Whaddon Field (south-west and west of the village, and Demwell Field (south and south-east of the village. There were some old enclosures in the extreme north-west of the parish.
Ridge-and-furrow of these fields survives on the ground or is visible on air photographs over much of the parish though extensive ironstone-quarrying has removed all trace over wide areas in the N. and to a lesser extent elsewhere. The Pitsford Reservoir which now covers a large part of the southern edge of the parish has drowned much ridge-and-furrow though this can be seen on early air photographs. Where it survives the ridge-and-furrow is arranged in interlocked and end-on furlongs, some up to 300 m., a considerable length, arranged to ensure that, where possible, the ridges run across the contours.

In several places (e.g. SP 770702) there are rectangular areas 20 m. by 30 m. where the underlying ridges have been almost obliterated. These have been identified as sites of 'rick-places' marked on the 1688 map and are presumably places where stacks were regularly built within the open fields

{6} Fig.1 shows Brixworth fields and furlongs as they were in 1422. Circa 1250 there were three fields, Shotten, Demswell and Whaddon, as found until enclosure in 1780. An early terrier for Brixworth (c.1240) gives no field names but the furlong sequence runs smoothly in order north to south. The terrier shows that the whole township had been openeed up by this date.
The furlongs have been located from the combined evidence of the 1688 map, a terrier of 1846, a field-name map of 1901 and a plan published in 1982 showing the extent of leys. The parish was enclosed by Parliamentary Act in 1780.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.31 (part checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> 1688, Map of Brixworth (NRO IL 3702, NRO Map 1555), (unchecked) (Map). SNN20822.

<3> 1781, NRO YZ 7780 (Act of Parliament), p.93 (unchecked) (Series). SNN109589.

<4> 1846, Terrier of Brixworth (NRO Map 3588), (unchecked) (Map). SNN105079.

<5> HALL D.N., 1982, Medieval Fields, p.36 (unchecked) (Series). SNN56218.

<6> HALL D.N., 1995, The Open Fields of Northamptonshire, p.10-11+216-7 (part checked) (Series). SNN56219.

Record last edited

Aug 28 2026 2:31PM