Landscape Detective

The enclosure of the open fields into smaller units can be seen across the Shropshire landscape starting around the 14th century. Open fields gradually disappeared, this was related to a reorganisation of agriculture in the county which included improvements in drainage and farming techniques.

This image shows the east slope of the ridge on which Wentnor stands. Strips of land have been bunched together and enclosed by hedges, fences and ditches. Early enclosure of fields is often visible in the pattern of hedges which preserve the furlong shapes. In the centre of the picture you can see the remains of ridge and furrow.

The enclosure of the surviving stretches of moor and marsh in the north of the county came about by legislation in the 18th and 19th centuries. The effect of Parliamentary enclosure can be seen in the quickset hedging interspersed with small trees. Alongside enclosure roads were built. These are very distinctive as wide newly constructed straight roads often running from isolated farm to isolated farm.

Unattached people began to settle on the edge of common land or on marginal land. The erection of single story houses in irregular enclosures began to spring up. By the end of the 16th century, 12 such cottages sprung up at Kenley near Much Wenlock. This squatters cottage has been reconstructed at Blists Hill Victorian Town but is similar to those constructed right across the county.