The past in the present – remnant open field patterns in England

Abstract

The agricultural landscape forms an important part of Britain’s cultural heritage. Relict field systems cast light upon landscape evolution, often showing the special connections between landscape and people over time. Medieval open field systems represent a method of farming that endured for many hundreds of years, produced through, and dependent upon, community involvement. Most of these landscapes were lost in the period of enclosure in the 18^th and 19^th centuries as individually held farms replaced such systems; later, the large estates themselves were also frequently broken up. The few survivals of open fields in England are discussed here and the cultural changes associated with landscape change, culminating today in conservation measures to protect such features. Thus the rural landscape reveals the depth of its evolutionary history, contributing towards the rich diversity of England’s regional landscapes and the maintenance of a sound ecological balance, thereby contributing towards the preservation of cultural identity and heritage.