Monument record MBC48683 - Ridge and furrow field systems in the parish of Nether Winchendon

Ridge and furrow field systems of medieval and post medieval date are visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as extant earthworks, levelled earthworks and cropmarks and were mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in the southern two thirds of the parish of Nether Winchendon and centred at SP 72433 12121. Ridge and furrow field systems, with plough headlands, furlong boundaries and drainage ditches recorded on the heavier soils overlying solid geology of Kimmeridge Clay Formation Mudstone. All but two parcels of land were recorded as earthworks in the 1940s and approximately 40% of those parcels remain as earthworks. Two large contiguous areas of interlocking earthworks are visible, north and south of Whaddon Field Hill on the western edge of the parish, as good examples of these field systems. Other remaining earthworks are in small irregular shaped fields, where it is not possible to use large agricultural machinery, or small parcels which are close to settlements where land use is less likely to be arable. Furlong boundaries and plough headlands remain as low earthworks and can be seen on lidar visualisations where ridge and furrow earthworks are gone. (1-17)