Landscape, agency and enclosure : transformations in the rural landscape of north-east England
Five Northumberland townships were subjected to map-regression in order to identify and date changes in their landscapes resulting from enclosure and agricultural improvement during the post-medieval period (1500-1900). The townships examined were selected for the presence of documentary resources, and to include a wide range of environmental and tenurial conditions. The changes identified can be grouped into five categories: enclosure, farm consolidation, changes to land-use patterns, settlement dispersal and improvement. The examination of enclosure revealed that the most formal types, such as Parliamentary Enclosure, were only used in particularly contentious situations or where specific circumstances required them. Farm consolidation occurred throughout the period, though ring-fence farms were not created in every case. Importantly, the consolidation of farms rarely resulted directly from enclosure but from a piecemeal process which straddled enclosure. It was also found that the pre-enclosure pattern of land use, one of arable core and pastoral periphery, broke down following enclosure, though this was also by a piecemeal process. This thesis has also revealed the importance of settlement dispersal without
O'Donnell, Ronan Peter
Landscape, agency and enclosure : transformations in the rural landscape of north-east England. Five Northumberland townships were subjected to map-regression in order to identify and date changes in their landscapes resulting from enclosure and agricultural improvement during the post-medieval period (1500-1900). The townships examined were selected for the presence of documentary resources, and to include a wide range of environmental and tenurial conditions. The changes identified can be grouped into five categories: enclosure, farm consolidation, changes to land-use patterns, settlement dispersal and improvement. The examination of enclosure revealed that the most formal types, such as Parliamentary Enclosure, were only used in particularly contentious situations or where specific circumstances required them. Farm consolidation occurred throughout the period, though ring-fence farms were not created in every case. Importantly, the consolidation of farms rarely resulted directly from enclosure but from a piecemeal process which straddled enclosure. It was also found that the pre-enclosure pattern of land use, one of arable core and pastoral periphery, broke down following enclosure, though this was also by a piecemeal process. This thesis has also revealed the importance of settlement dispersal without
landscape agency enclosure transformation rural_landscape north_east_england northumberland township subject map regression order_identify date change landscape result enclosure agricultural improvement post_medieval_period township examine select presence documentary resource include wide_range environmental tenurial condition change identify group category enclosure farm consolidation change land_use pattern_settlement dispersal improvement examination enclosure reveal formal type parliamentary enclosure use particularly contentious situation specific circumstance require them farm consolidation occur throughout_period though ring farm create every case importantly consolidation farm rarely result directly enclosure piecemeal process straddle enclosure also_find pre enclosure pattern land_use arable core pastoral periphery break follow enclosure though also piecemeal process also_reveal importance settlement dispersal without