Landscape Detective

The need for organised agriculture is closely linked to human settlement and the need for reliable food resources. Shropshire’s agriculture began in the Neolithic, but there is little evidence in the landscape until around 2000 BC.

At the southern end of the Long Mynd lies a low promontory overlooking the banks of the River Onny. This aerial photograph shows a series of interconnecting banks crossing the hillside. These are the remains of an ancient fieldsystem, often known as 'Celtic Fields'. They lie on land which is today considered to be marginal, or poor, farmland. Celtic fields were in existence by 2000 BC in Shropshire. They are small, often less than an acre in area, squarish and irregular in size. They are the result of ploughing in two directions.