Ridge-and-furrow

Ridge and furrow is the term used to describe the earthen banks and troughs that are created through the action of prolonged ploughing. The action of the plough caused earth to build up in regularly spaced banks along the length of the field.

The angle required to turn the plough team is also evident as it typically caused the banks to form a reversed ‘s’ shape, something which can still be seen in the curving nature of some field boundaries to this day. The width of the ridge and furrow can be indicative of the date of its formation, an example being the narrow ‘cord rig’ associated with late prehistoric ploughing.

There are some very well-preserved examples of ridge-and-furrow in the Vale of Aylesbury, some of it of national importance, such as at Ludgershall, Shipton Lee and Denham townships in Quainton and Pollicott township in Ashendon.

Ridge-and-furrow at Chilton.