Rural History Today is published by the British Agricultural History Society

Issue 10 • January 2006

Above – Horse & Hounds Marie Hartley celebrates her 100th birthday see page 2

Marie Hartley, the well-known author, Dr Joan Thirsk, wood engraver and painter, celebrated her one of the foremost 100th birthday on 25th September, 2005. She is agricultural historians best known for her books on which and a previous she produced, first, in collaboration with president of the British (1897–1945) and later, with Agricultural History Joan Ingilby (1911–2000). Society, wrote in her tribute published in Her publications record both the history of A Favoured Land in 1994: parts of her native Yorkshire, largely through In the last fifty years, oral sources, life and traditions in more recent our understanding and times. Marie has over 30 books and countless appreciation of local paintings and wood engravings to her name. agricultural history Her final books were produced when she was has been transformed, in her early 90s. Throughout her working life, and among the writers Marie, had compiled a photographic record who have deepened of fast-disappearing rural traditions and, with our perceptions, Ella her co-authors, had collected farming and Pontefract, Marie Hartley, other local artefacts. By the 1970s the collection and Joan Ingilby stand out comprised 382 items. Marie and Joan offered this before all others for their to the County Council and eventually it formed pioneering work in the the core of the Dales Countryside Museum in 1930s and the constancy of , upper Wensleydale. 1997, they were accorded even wider recognition their endeavours up to the The publication of Yorkshire Village in 1953 with the award of the MBE. present day. brought Marie and Joan recognition within the Marie remains active and lively. She celebrated academic community and assisted in raising the her 100th birthday in the Yorkshire Dales village status of local history from something that had of Askrigg, her home since the 1930s. Not A L S O I N been regarded as somewhat antiquarian to a surprisingly, she had well over a hundred cards, discipline worthy of serious study. Their books including, of course, one from the Queen. Over this issue were always well reviewed in academic journals fifty friends and neighbours were invited to and, indeed, Professor Maurice Beresford in celebrate her birthday at a tea party held in the Economic and Social his review of Yorkshire Village observed that, village hall. The following week she attended the History of Rural France – 2 without claiming to write economic history opening, by Lord Crathorne, Lord Lieutenant of News from MERL – 4 Marie and Joan had succeeded in doing North Yorkshire, of a retrospective exhibition of The Historic Farm exactly that. all aspects of her work at the Dales Countryside Buildings Group – 6 Marie and Joan’s contribution to historical Museum in Hawes. Appropriately, she received research has also received formal recognition a birthday letter from Prince Charles in which he News from Laxton – 8 from the academic community with the award wrote: ‘Thanks to you, the history and timeless of honorary degrees by the Universities of beauty of the Dales will be recorded for ever’. (1968), York (1986) and the Marie’s remarkable life and work richly deserve (1999). Perhaps even more prestigious was their the tributes that have flowed to mark her receipt of the rarely awarded Silver Medal of hundredth year. the Yorkshire Archaeological Society in 1993. In Christine Hallas

RURAL HISTORY TODAY Issue 10 | January 2006 1 The economic and social history of rural France, 1800-2000: a review of recent research Nadine Vivier In the third of our contributions from agrarian the progress towards modernity, shedding light (born 1949) studied historians on mainland Europe, Nadine Vivier on the differences between regions. Trying to free history in Paris from the University of Maine describes recent themselves from this strict a priori, historians X-Nanterre, She developments in French rural research which adopted a more critical attitude towards sources. questions, among other things, the accepted view of It was no more acceptable to select the documents obtained her doctorate the ‘backwardness’ of peasant farming. She calls for which could support the thesis. The entire corpus in 1987 with a thesis on more comparitive studies and also more research on has to be used and submitted to a careful criticism in the rural communities the 20th century. order to understand which motivations and which of the Briancon area ideas, consciously or unconsciously influenced the After a period of crisis in the 1980s, French rural authors. This proves to be a fruitful approach for a (in the French Alps), history has been extremely productive in the last better understanding of the writings of the French 1714–1914. Since fifteen years. The creation of the Association Histoire administration, the authors of which were strangers to then she has been et Sociétés Rurales reflects this vitality. rural realities. working on commons An exceptional number of theses about rural The main topics of today’s research deal with France in the 19th century were completed between the attitudes inside rural communities. Economy is in France (second thesis 1960 and 1980. They aimed at a ‘histoire totale’ studied much less for itself and more as an element to 1998) and collective grounded in economic history. The evolution of explain social evolution. Let us quote two examples, properties in western social structures and of political behaviours was multiactiviy and landed property. Multiactivity in Europe (2003). Since predominantly explained by economic trends, until the countryside vanished progressively, weakened Maurice Agulhon’s thesis which attributed the main by competition from manufactured goods. Instead 1998, as a professor of significance to social causes. The traditionalism versus of considering its survival in certain regions as an economic and social modernity issue was prevalent: theses presented the archaism, studies try to understand how the craftsmen history and as vice- backwardness of the peasants and their resistance and the small-scale industries could adapt themselves chair of the Association to change which penetrated the countryside only to the market demand1. Landed property and land slowly. Marxist theory which denigrated the peasant tenure remain also a major issue, for they represented d’Histoire des Societies class, influenced historians. They were also deeply an access to voting right and a guarantee of economic Rurales, she has impressed by the English agricultural model which independence. The land market and the inheritance developed comparative has been seen since the 18th century as the only way transmission for private properties are scrutinized2. studies and meetings towards a productive agriculture. All the countries, Collective property and use rights subsisted during whatever their climate may be, were supposed to copy the 19th century and this was said to prove how much about rural European the Norfolk’s system, and their results were compared poor peasants held on to traditions, even when they societies, including to those of Norfolk, especially with regards to wheat only offered a miserable life. In addition to economic joint conferences with production, cattle breeding and fodder plants. facts, a new approach to these struggles takes into the BAHS, the most From the 1990s onwards, rural history took account the role of politics. Two main reasons led to recent in September advantage of the questioning of these stereotyped the refusal to agree to the demand of small peasants ideas. The main historiographical debate now for a division of the commons; first the governments 2005 in Canterbury. concerns the behaviours of rural populations. The feared that division would renew interest in the Recently she has vision of backward peasants denying change fades Revolutionary laws and second, municipal councils, published two books: away; the statements are more qualified, showing led by wealthy farmers who took advantage in Rurlalite francaise et Footnotes britannique, histoire 1 Olivier Jean-Marc, Des clous, des horloges et des lunettes. Les campagnards moréziens en industrie, 1780-1914, Paris, rurale comparee, CTHS, 2004. Belmont Alain, Des ateliers au village, PUG, 1998. Presses universitaires 2 Béaur Gérard, Dessureault C. et Goy J., Familles, terre, marchés, PUR, 2004. de Rennes, 2005, and 3 Vivier Nadine, Propriété collective et identité communale, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1998. 4 Les societies rurales see the debates in Histoire et Sociétés rurales, n°11, 1999. The synthesis of J-C. Farcy in Les sociétés rurales, Belin , 2005 ; Hubscher Ronald, L’immigration dans les campagnes françaises, 19e-20e s, Odile Jacob, 2005. (1830-1930), France, 5 Ploux François, Guerres paysannes en Quercy. Violences, concertations et répression pénale dans les campagnes du Lot, Allemagne, Espagne 1810-1860, Paris, 2002. 6 Pécout Gilles, « La politisation des paysans », Histoire et Sociétés rurales, n°2, 1994, Guionnet Christine, et Italie Belin Sup. L’apprentissage de la politique moderne. Les élections municipales sous la monarchie de Juillet, Paris, 1997 ; McPhee Peter, October 2005. The Politics of rural Life. Political Mobilization in the French Countryside, 1846-1852, Oxford University Press, 1992. 7 for exemple, Boutry Philippe, Prêtres et paroisses au pays du curé d’Ars, Paris, 1986 ; Chanet Jean François, L’école républicaine et les petites patries, Paris, 1996. 8 Gavignaud Geneviève, La révolution rurale dans la France contemporaine, Paris, 1996. 9 Among the first volumes, Démier, Farcy, Sanz, Vivier, Zimmermann, Les sociétés rurales, Belin, 2005 and Moriceau Jean-Marc (dir.), Les campagnes en France, Allemagne, Espagne, Italie, Paris, Sedes-Colin, 2005.

2 Issue 10 | January 2006 RURAL HISTORY TODAY collective pasture, claimed autonomy3. An important theme of research focuses on social issues. The debate on the driving forces and the paths of rural migrations has been reopened4. The use of courts’ sources in a regional context increases our knowledge of conflicts within the family, the community, or against the authority of the State5. Politics also had a role to play in the countryside. Maurice Agulhon’s hypothesis of the influence of bourgeoisie on peasants, its role of mediator in the introduction of political debates in the village (descente de la politique vers les masses), is in question. This leads to a renewed approach to political behaviours. Dwellers in the villages may have been aware of politics earlier than it has been said and they revealed it in various ways6. Here are only briefly presented some of the more productive fields. The cultural life on the countryside was also addressed by historians but often classified under religious or cultural history7. One of the challenges of research in rural history is for historians. The last one should be encouraged This 19th century painting now to widen its horizon and open it to international by the new text submitted at the French competitive by Jules Breton entitled comparisons. Its past weakness has obviously been examination of ‘agregation’ for 2006-07: about rural ‘le soir’encapsulates the its main focus on the 19th century, leaving the study societies in France, Germany, Italy and Spain (1830– traditional view of the of the 20th century to sociologists and economists8. 1930); it is necessary first to establish the current state of drudgery of peasant life. Those two directions, towards 20th century and knowledge and then to build on this with new studies.9 comparative history should be the next decade’s focus

Foxhunting: past, The 2004 Hunting with Dogs Act, which banned A NEW hunting foxes with hounds, represents a unique present and future opportunity to reflect on the history and future of fox RESEARCH hunting practice and opposition in the region. It is About the project equally important to record the impact on associated PROJECT trades and the links to a range of other rural issues. Leicestershire County Council’s Heritage Services, in We would be very interested to hear of any Carolyn Abel, Project partnership with the Museum of Hunting Trust, have current research relating to foxhunting, landscape, been awarded a major grant of £50,000 by the Heritage Coordinator,Foxhunting: environment and associated trades and activities that Lottery Fund (HLF). you would be willing to share with us. In addition, Past, Present, Future The award will fund a unique project entitled please contact us if you are aware of any public or ‘Foxhunting: past, present and future’ which will describes a major research private collections that may be relevant in this context. record the impact of the Hunting Act from all points of project funded by the view, as well as establish what artefacts are currently held in public and private collections across the region About the Museum Heritage Lottery Fund. and targeted sources. The information generated from the study into the The former Carnegie Library was refurbished and past, present and future of foxhunting will be used to opened by Leicestershire County Council in 1977 as Melton Carnegie Museum create a virtual exhibition about hunting and records the Melton Carnegie Museum. Thorpe End will be made of peoples’ memories, photographs In 1983 the National Museum of Hunting Trust Melton Mowbray and artefacts. The exhibition will offer an impartial was established. The hope was that since Melton LE13 1RB account of how the hunting ban affects the region and was a world-renowned centre of hunting, the Melton Tel: 01664 569946 illustrate an important time during the history of the building could eventually incorporate material Email: [email protected] East Midlands. on hunting. It is hoped that the project will engage with The refurbishment of the building, costing some young people from across the region. Youngsters £500,000, was led by Keeper Jenny Dancey. It gave will be invited to interview a cross-section of people the opportunity to include a foxhunting display and who hold varying views on foxhunting to help was greatly celebrated at the re-opening in the speech them develop an understanding of the cultural of Baroness Mallalieu, QC, given on Friday, 3rd May tradition. These interviews will then be used as 2002. The Museum is open seven days a week from educational material for local school children. 10am to 4pm and run by Jenny Dancey.

RURAL HISTORY TODAY Issue 10 | January 2006 3 NEWS FROM MERL CONFERENCE

With the opening of the Reading Room on NOTICEBOARD May 3rd 2005 and the exhibition building on July 5th, the new Museum was fully Historic Farm Buildings Group operational once more. A reception was held on November 14th to thank donors and 15–17 September 2006 supporters of this £11 million project. Lord The annual Historic Farm Buildings Group Carrington, Chancellor of the University of Conference will be held from the 15th–17th Reading, presided. September, 2006 and based at the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Ipswich. Suffolk is well known for its wealth of timber-framed buildings set in beautiful countryside. Saturday’s outing will include a detailed study of the farms of one village and other sites in the Gipping valley to the north-west of Ipswich and on Sunday we will go to the southeast. We plan to include both typical and estate farms as well as some of the finest manorial sites in the county. We will be introduced to the region is presentations by local experts and will hear from a local planning officer how he sees the future for these buildings as well as from DEFRA about their policies and the help they can offer. The conference will therefore be of interest to Putting an early combine A Rural Research Forum, chaired by Professor all those who take pleasure in farm buildings harvester through its Michael Fulford, now meets under the MERL in general and are concerned for their future paces in the 1930s. umbrella with the aim of bringing together as well as those with a specific interest in East From the Silsoe collection. from around the University all those engaged Anglian buildings. in research relating directly or indirectly to the The cost will be £190 to include accommodation Museum’s collections in order to spark new to members and £210 for non-members. work and new partnerships for mutual benefit. An application form is available on the HFBG A related initiative has seen the creation of three website: www.hfbg.org.uk or from the organiser MERL Research Fellowships tenable for a year [email protected] and worth up to £10,000 each. Appointments were made in the summer from a very strong field and the three holders are: Dr Richard British Agricultural History Society Bonser (University of Reading) for a project 3–5 April 2006 on ‘The Changing Shape of the Chicken’; Dr Andrew Godley (University of Reading) for The annual conference will be held at the ‘Scientists, Farmers and Retailers in Britain’s University of Exeter from 3rd-5th April, 2006. Food Chain in the 20th Century’; and Dr Nicola The programme includes papers by Professor Verdon (University of Sheffield Hallam) for Nadine Vivier, Professor Mark Overton, ‘Gendered Lives: the Changing Roles and Dr Ben Dodds and Dr Edward Bujak. There Identities of Women Workers in Rural England, will be three ‘new researchers’ papers and a field 1900–1950’. trip into the Devon Countryside. Further details Significant acquisitions recently have will be sent to members of the Society in January included the archive of engineering drawings and also available on the Society’s web page: from the steam engine builders Charles Burrell www.bahs.org & Sons of Thetford and a large selection of Post-graduate students who are interested material, including books, photographs and film in attending should note that the Society has from the Silsoe Research Institute, now closed, bursaries available to help with the cost. which had been involved with agricultural For more information, please contact engineering since 1924. [email protected]

4 Issue 810 | | December January 2006 2004 RURAL HISTORY TODAY • To what extent were rural landscapes becoming Rethinking the rural: increasingly central to national identity, as they land and the nation in undoubtedly were in the UK? Does the inverse relationship between the place of agriculture in the the 1920s and 1930s economy and the countryside in national identity posited for interwar Britain by, for example, Simon Call for papers Miller, obtain more widely? • How did contrasting experiences, memories The 1920s and 1930s were a key period in the and commemoration of the First World War affect emergence of new relationships between land the relationship between landscape and national and the nation. identity between the wars? Perhaps the most obvious unifying theme was the • Why does the form taken by the rural idyll agricultural depression, one of the first truly global between the wars vary so widely, emphasising, for economic events, but one which produced very example, the settled ‘countryside’ in England but different reactions in different countries. Equally unpopulated ‘wilderness’ in the USA? significant to the economic problems of farming, • What were the prevailing or dominant however, was the cultural rise of the countryside, representations of rural people and how were such which if arguably less universal nevertheless representations mobilised to promote or justify powerfully reconfigured the relationship between government policies? SHORT landscape and national identity in many countries. • How similarly/differently did governments It was also an era in which new demands on land react to falling world food prices, what different NOTICES use for resources such as building land, water, forms did government intervention take, and ► Dan Byford is wood and minerals, radically altered agricultural how successful was intervention (a) in achieving looking for a good landscapes at the behest of urbanisation/ domestic food security (b) in maintaining home for a complete suburbanisation, industrialisation, and transport/ farm incomes? run of Economic communications infrastructure, and these • How did farmers react to the new role of History Review from pressures and opportunities led to increasing state the state? Was the emergence of the National 1968 to 2002. Anyone involvement in rural life. Farmers Union in the UK paralleled by similar interested should Rural historians have been slower than those developments elsewhere? What accounts for contact Dr D.Byford, in other fields to review prevailing assumptions the contrasting success with which agriculture 58 Station Road, about this period. In the last five years, however, mobilised politically in different countries? Hatfield, Doncaster the Interwar Rural History Research Group, • What was the nature of the relationship an informal group of scholars in the UK, has DN7 6DT between rising incomes, leisure, the attempted to remedy this defect, with conferences Tel: 01302 841739 commodification of rural landscapes and the in 2002 and 2004. At the latter of these it became prominence of the rural in national identity? apparent that some of the most interesting ► Peter Sommer tells How did this relate to the emergence of an questions about rural life in the 1920s and 1930s us that a DVD of the preservationist/environmentalist movement? could only be answered from an international popular television • How did political parties, including fascists, make perspective. Hence this present call for papers. lifestyle reconstruction use of images of the countryside between the wars? The range of issues embraced by ‘land and the of the lives of Welsh The conference will be held at the Royal nation’ is very wide indeed, going to the heart borderland farmers in Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK, in of many of the central aspects of international the 17th century, Tales economics, politics and representation in the 1920s the first week of January, 2007. from the Green Valley and 1930s. Contributors are encouraged to put Potential contributors are asked to send an is now available, forward proposals that reflect their own interests. abstract of c.300 words to Dr Jeremy Burchardt price £24.99. Amongst the questions that the conference is likely [email protected] by 31st March 2006. to addressare: • Should we really see the 1920s and 1930s as Dr Caitlin Adams, Witan International an era of global agricultural depression, or is the College, Reading situation elsewhere similar to that in the UK (where Paul Brassley, University of Plymouth although farm incomes experienced a temporary Dr Jeremy Burchardt, University of Reading trough, output and productivity rose markedly)? Dr Keith Grieves, Kingston University • What role did literary and visual representations Dr Clare Griffiths, University of Sheffield of the countryside play in establishing agricultural Dr Anne Meredith depression as a dominant trope? e.g. Farm Security Professor Keith Snell, University of Leicester Administration photographs of rural poverty in the Dr Lynne Thompson rural South. Professor Mick Wallis, University of Leeds

RURAL HISTORY TODAY Issue 10 | January 2006 5 KINDRED BODIES The Historic Farm Buildings Group

Ron Brunskill’s Vernacular Architecture, A conference is also organised each year published in 1971, was the foundation for which regularly attract an attendance of 50 Andrew Patterson, much of the farm building survey work delegates. A very successful conference to undertaken by institutions and individuals Holland in 2000 encouraged a further European chairman of the in subsequent years. By the 1980s sufficient excursion in 2004, this time to Italy. These Historic farm work was underway to stimulate a national two events, and an increasingly international conference, and in 1985 the Historic Farm membership, are beginning to bring home the Buildings Group Buildings Group was formed. scale of redundancy across Europe, as well as the describes the lessons that can be learnt from the experiences The original membership was biased towards from outside the UK. development of the the agricultural museum and folk life sector, Alongside the annual conferences, the group and its present but also contained a significant number of Group began to consider additional targeted individuals engaged in survey and research events to stimulate awareness and interest in conservation and for private interest. Not least amongst these Farm Buildings. In 1990 a conference was held the research and was Nigel Harvey, who had already published in association with English Heritage and the extensively on the subject, and established a Rural Development Commission, at which research role. national reputation for his work. He agreed to the Prince of Wales gave the keynote address. become the Chairman of the new Group. The conference proceedings – “Old Farm The formation of the Historic Farm Buildings Buildings in a New Countryside – redundancy, Group also coincided with the major resurvey conservation and conversion in the 1990s” were For further details of buildings which English Heritage was published soon after. about the Historic undertaking. This particular agenda resulted in In 1994 a one-day conference organised in an increase in professional membership of the association with the Centre for Conservation Farm Buildings group, with an emphasis on those engaged on Studies, University of York and the Royal Group and how the re-listing exercise as well as those engaged as Commission on the Historic Monuments of to join, see local authority conservation officers. England, stimulated considerable interest. The focal point of this early membership The publication of the proceedings extended www.hfbg.org was very much the survey and recording of the audiences that the Group was managing buildings, for which access was of course an to reach. obvious requirement. For this reason the Group A third conference, ‘Rural Regeneration; was very anxious not to engage in conservation a sustainable future for farm building’ was or protection issues, feeling that this was likely organised jointly with the Countryside and to create a resistance from landowners leading Community Research Unit at the University of to a restriction in access. Gloucestershire in 2002. Again, the proceedings The Group’s membership very quickly grew have been published. to about 200, and this audience was initially Early planning for this conference had supplied with two newsletters each year. In been difficult, not least because most 1987 the first in a series of annual Journals was government departments, and many non- produced, initially edited by Gerallt Nash of the governmental organisations had a complete Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagans, and then by blind spot when it came to the significant Jeremy Lake from English Heritage. rural asset represented by the farmstead The Journal was a platform for well and the buildings within it. Nevertheless the researched academic articles, together with book presentations from Jane Brown, Director of Land reviews. The newsletters kept the membership Management and Planning at Defra, Sir Neil aware of current work in the field, featured Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, Ewen occasional short articles on particular buildings Cameron, Chairman of the Countryside Agency or issues, and provided an awareness of the and Sir Edward Greenwell, President of the activities of the membership. More recently the Country Landowners and Business Association, Journal and Newsletter have been combined in a and Ben Gill, President of the National Farmers twice-yearly Review containing short academic Union allowed a full range of stakeholder articles, book reviews and items of topical interest. interest to be aired and explored.

6 Issue 810 | | December January 2006 2004 RURAL HISTORY TODAY From the ‘cathedrals of medieval agriculture’ to the industrial farms of Victorian ‘high farming’ – all are of interest to members of the HFBG

Through various government consultations, Minister, the Royal Institute of Chartered the HFBG has been able to air its opinions. Its Surveyors, and the Society for the Protection submissions have carried a consistent theme of Ancient Buildings. Discussion within the based on two main contentions. Firstly, the Forum has focused on shared areas of concern, paucity of information available on the stock and debate on mechanisms to address them. of farm buildings within the UK and that lack Increased awareness of the importance of farm of knowledge made it impossible to develop buildings to our understanding and appreciation informed strategies and policies at the national of our rural past is shown by the fact that their level. The Group also consistently highlighted role has been highlighted in the latest Heritage the wonder that chapter and verse could be Counts report by English Heritage (2005). quoted on the exact miles of hedgerows pulled It is very obvious from this account that the out since the war, and that it was known exactly Historic Farm Buildings Group has come a STOP PRESS how many skylarks there were, but in contrast, long way from its thinking in the early 1980s. no precise figure could be given on the number As an organisation it has consistently punched We are sorry to have of farm buildings that existed, let alone what above its weight – a fact made possible by the to report the death their condition might be. willingness of a core of its membership to put in on December 15th, The response to the 2002 conference long hours in addition to their day jobs. of Professor Maurice encouraged the Historic Farm Buildings Still at the core of the Group’s activity is the Beresford at the age Group to initiate the formation of an Historic intellectual pursuit represented by surveying, of 85. Always an Farm Buildings Forum within which common and the diligent documentary research to active member of the interests and concerns could be discussed and support it. Historic research has now become Society, he will be hopefully resolved. Its diverse membership a tool to guide designs for restoration and best remembered for included representatives attending from the conversion of buildings. It also has the potential his ground-breaking Ancient Monuments Society, Cadw, the Council to provide the basic information against which work on the English for British Archaeology, the Council for the policy and strategic decisions may be made. medieval landscape. Protection of Rural England, the Country Land There is still a very long way to go before there is An obituary will and Business Association, the Countryside sufficient data available to make this claim fully, appear in the next Agency, the Department for the Environment but the Group can be justly proud of the profile volume of the Food and Rural Affairs, English Heritage, that farm buildings now have in the policy Agricultural History Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, the framework, and of their part in achieving Review. National Trust, the Office of the Deputy Prime this position.

RURAL HISTORY TODAY Issue 10 | January 2006 7 A note from News from Laxton Crown Estates’ commitment to the future of the editor Laxton as an open field village, and he agreed to work with the agents, Carter Jonas, and Prof. John Beckett, University of Nottingham, Rural History Today is the tenants, to find a way of handling the author of Laxton, England’s Last Open Field published by the British tenant situation. It was a positive meeting, and Village (1989) provides an update on this Agricultural History Society. although Mr Bourchier was not to be drawn on unique Nottinghamshire village. The editor will be pleased questions about why Laxton farmers should be to receive short articles, Laxton, the last open-field village with a fully suffering financially when the Crown Estates press releases, notes and made a revenue surplus of £184.8m for the year queries for publication. functioning manor court, was taken over by 2004-5, he did assure the farmers that they had She would particularly the Crown Estates in 1981. They have invested the full support of their landlord for the future. like articles on European considerable sums in the village, and are As a gesture of goodwill, Mr Bourchier projects, kindred societies committed to maintaining the farming system offered to fund necessary improvements for and news from museums, as long as tenants can be found for the open disabled access to the Visitors’ Centre, and on all of which she hopes will field farms. Even so, in these difficult days for the same day Nottinghamshire County Council become regular features. farming, there are considerable obstacles to proposed that new interpretation boards should Articles for the next be overcome, not the least of which is finding be prepared for the village in 2006. This was all issue should be sent appropriate new tenants who will take on what good news, but Laxton is only just surviving. by 30 May 2006 to are, in many cases, part-time farms, whilst also Some of the tenants are still hard at work in their Susanna Wade Martins, agreeing to be bound by the rules of the manor 70s, partly because there is no obvious way of The Longhouse, court. As a result of increasing worries among retiring given that they are tenants, and many of Eastgate Street, the farmers, the trustees of the Laxton Visitors’ North Elmham, Centre invited Mr Chris Bourchier, the Crown their fears surround the finding of new tenants Dereham, Norfolk Estates’ Director of Rural Estates, to a meeting who will accept the discipline of the open-field NR20 5HD on the 21st October 2005 which I attended as one system. The Crown Estates have offered to help or preferably by email of the trustees. Five of the full-time farmers, and them find ways of increasing their incomes, [email protected] one of the small holders (who is also the parish but a good deal depends on what they are clerk) were at the meeting. prepared to undertake. As ever, I shall retain Mr Bouchier assured the trustees of the a watching brief. Membership of the BAHS is open to all who support its Aerial photograph aim of promoting the study showing the open fields of of agricultural history and the Laxton parish history of rural economy and society. Membership enquries (Cambridge University Collection of Air Photographs, Unit for should be directed to the Landscape Modelling) Treasurer, BAHS, c/o Dept. of History, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ. Enquiries about other aspects of the Society’s work should be directed to the Secretary, Dr John Broad, Dept. Humanities, Arts and Languages, London Metropolitan University, 166–220 Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB Tel: 020 7753 5020 Fax: 020 7753 3159 [email protected]

8 Issue 10 | January 2006 RURAL HISTORY TODAY