Monument record 6479 - Open Field System, Staverton

The common fields of the parish were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1774. Ridge and furrow of these fields exists on the ground or can be traced on air photos over almost the entire parish.

{1} The common fields of the parish were enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1774. Ridge and furrow of these fields exists on the ground or can be traced on air photos over almost the entire parish, even extending to within a few metres of the River Leam and over the very steep north west facing scarp to the north of the village where it is still well preserved. However in the narrow valleys with extremely marshy bottoms which are cut back into the scarp north east of the village (eg SP547635, 548630 and 548621) there is no indication of any medieval or later cultivation and these areas may have been the meadow land of the medieval parish.
The ridge and furrow is mainly arranged in rectangular furlongs, with the ridges almost always running down the slope. This is specially notable on the scarp to the north, north west and south west of the village. To the south west (centred SP530607) where three small almost parallel streams flow west to meet the River Leam the pattern of ridges is carefully adapted to this broken land. Further north, on flatter ground below the scarp face (SP535625), the rectangular furlongs are mostly interlocked.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.179 site 3 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> 1774, Staverton Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN109138.

Record last edited

Sep 10 2024 12:03PM