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The Open Fields of England describes the open-field system of agriculture that operated in Medieval England before the establishment of present-day farms surrounded by hedges or walls. The volume encompasses a wide range of primary data not previously assembled, to which are added the results of new research based upon a fifty-year study of open-field remains and their related documents. The whole of England is examined, describing eight different kinds of field-system that have been identified, and relating them to their associated land-use and settlement. Details of field structure are explained, such as the demesne, the lord's land, and the tenants'holdings, as well as tenurial arrangements and farming methods. Previous explanations of open-field origins and possible antecedents to medieval fields are discussed. Various types of archaeological and historical evidence relating to Saxon-period settlements and fields are presented, followed by the development of a new theory to explain the lay-out and planned nature of many field systems found in the central belt of England. Of particular interest is the Gazetteer, which is organized by historic counties. Each county has a summary of its fields, including tabulated data and sources for future research, touching on the demesne, yardland size, work-service, assarts, and physical remains of ridge and furrow. The Gazetteer acts as a national hand-list of field systems, opening the subject up to further research and essential to scholars of medieval agriculture.

An Atlas of Northamptonshire presents an historical atlas of the greater part of Northamptonshire (the first quarter having been published as An Atlas of Rockingham Forest). It presents in map form the results of fieldwork and documentary research undertaken since the mid-1960s to map the landscape of the whole of Northamptonshire prior to enclosure by Parliamentary Act. This is the first time a whole county has been completely studied in this way, and the first time a whole county has had an accurate view of its medieval landscape with details of the medieval fields, woods, pastures and meadows which have been mapped by ground-survey of archaeological remains confirmed where possible from aerial photographs and early maps. It is also the first time a county has been mapped showing all pre-parliamentary enclosure providing comprehensive data for the difficult theme of early enclosure in a midland county. Complete relevant historic map sources are listed, many in private possession and not lodged with county record offices. Settlements are discussed based on the detailed mapping of every house depicted on historic maps as wells the extent of earthworks, which provides much new evidence relative to settlement development in the Midlands. As well as being highly relevant for anyone studying medieval settlements and enclosure, it illustrates how GIS can be used to present a very large amount of historical and landscape data for any region. The clearly laid out maps in full colour throughout contain an immense amount of data which together provide a fascinating new portrait of this historic county.