Monument record 1382 - Open Field System, Gretton

The common fields of the parish were enclosed by Act of Parliament in the early 19th century. Earthworks of ridge and furrow survive as scattered areas across the parish. [See individual records for more detail]

{1} The common fields of the parish were enclosed by Act of Parliament in the early 19th century. Immediately prior to that date there were four open fields arranged around the village, South, Little Southy, North and West Frields. On a map of 1587 only three fields are depicted, called Wood, East and West Fields. Ridge and furrow of three of these fields exists on the ground or can be traced on air photos over most of the north and west of the parish in the form of end-on and interlocked furlongs, often of reversed-S form. On the steep slopes immediately north and south west of the village the ridge and furrow runs at right angles to the contours though elsewhere on the flatter ground near the River Welland there is more variety in the layout. The surviving ridge and furrow agrees exactly with the arrangement of strips depicted on the 1587 map.
Ridge and furrow is also traceable in the south west part of the parish in areas already enclosed in 1587 (SP881918-SP895935), though from the field shapes shown on the map it was once clearly part of the common fields. Further ridge and furrow is traceable south east of the village also in areas which were old enclosures in 1587 (SP904932 and 908938). Further south there is no trace of ridge and furrow, and this is almost certainly due to the existence of a large area of woodland not cleared until the late 19th century. The extreme south east of the parish, to the south of this woodland, belonged to the former village of Kirby in medieval times. Ironstone mining has been extensive here and only one small piece of ridge and furrow is now traceable (SP905921.)

{5} The award was made in 1837.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.61 site 11 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Hollowell S., 1999, Northamptonshire Inclosure: The Commissioners and Other Officials, p.42 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102530.

<3> 1587, Map of Gretton (NRO Map 3597), (unchecked) (Map). SNN233.

<4> 1832, Gretton Inclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN106091.

<5> Hall, D and Franklin, W (eds), 2024, The Enclosure of Northamptonshire 1485-1901, p. 443-4 (Book). SNN116630.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2025 3:54PM