Monument record 8355 - Open Field System, West Haddon

{1} Walkover survey in advance of bypass scheme; the majority of ridge and furrow for the medieval field system is in a poor state of preservation.

{2} The common fields of the parish were enclosed by an Act of Parliament in 1765. The original Act records that, before enclosure, in addition to the common fields there were 800 acres of heath, common and waster ground as well as 'Two Rye Hills'. Though the location of these areas is unknown, the recoverable ridge and furrow is so extensive as to indicate that most of them much have been under cultivation at an early period. The ridge and furrow is preserved on the ground or is visible on air photos throughout most of the centre and south of the parish but in the north, apart from a few isolated furlongs, it has been largely destroyed. In the osuth much of it is orientated north-south in end-on furlongs, with a few blocks at right angles. Around the village the predominant orientation is east-west, although there is a pronounced pattern of interlocked furlongs to the west.

{3} The survey identified two former field boundaries and ridge and furrow cultivation as the only probable archaeology on the site.

<1> CHAPMAN A., 1998, Archaeological Evaluation of Land Along the Proposed Route of the A428, West Haddon Bypass, (checked) (Report). SNN43964.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.97 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<3> Richardson, T., 2014, Geophysical Survey Report: West Haddon, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN109625.

<4> Oakley E., 2013, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land off Guilsborough Road, West Haddon, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109623.

<5> Flitcroft M., 2013, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land East of West Haddon, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109624.

Record last edited

Jul 24 2024 4:39PM