Ridge and furrow

When I was a boy I lived about a half mile from the village where I went to Primary School. From about 7 years I walked alone to the school along the lane passing my house. After a short series of curves the lane led straight to the village. I could follow the road and often did so. However there was a short cut I could take. This crossed a large field, entered the churchyard at a stile and then to my school immediately by the church.

Crossing the field it had corrugated appearance with ridges every 15 metres or so about a metre high above the depressions between them. The ridges were even across the field and ran for its full length parallel to the road. I used to wonder what these were. I have since found out they are the legacy of the village farming system used before enclosures.

A village arable land in defined large fields near the village was divided into strips. These strips were typically 15 metres wide and ran the length of about 200 metres. Villagers would farm these strips with a villager often having several strips spread between several large fields. The strips were cultivated by single sided ploughs so the ploughman would follow the outside of the strip around always throwing soil to the inside of the strip. Over centuries, and this system was used between late Roman and late medieval times, the strip grew large and the furrow between fell. This inefficient system fell into disuse after enclosure. We see surviving effect today occasionally as a corrugated grazing field.

This feature is only preserved in the landscape where the land is used for grazing and is destroyed by modern cultivation. It is still possible to see this vestige of ridge and furrow farming although fewer every year. Thus the field I crossed which is now used for arable farming and the corrugations have disappeared. I was often rather dubious about using the short cut. Often there would be a bull in with the herd. I had enough country knowledge to know a bull in a herd was probably safe. Nevertheless I would take a wide circle around it keeping my eye on it all the way.. More troublesome would be young bullocks who would investigate out of curiosity rather than aggressive intent. I found this rather frightening. Even cows could be disconcerting in their curiosity.

Looking back I am surprised that I used the short cut. I wasn’t a very venturesome boy. I would certainly carefully assess the livestock before entering.. I knew well enough that mature bulls not in a herd were to be avoided.

There were compensations to walking by the road particularly if it was muddy, If I encountered the road sweeper he would lean on his broom and say “Have you had the cane today?”. I never had but I gave some silly answer.

It seems odd to recall now but as I walked I talked to imaginary friends. This was usually OK but sometimes a cyclist would come up behind me quietly and must have wondered about a small boy walking along muttering to himself. I was an only child and the only other child nearby moved away when I was 8.

The hazards of this walk would preclude it these days. However I was carefully taught; I always faced the oncoming traffic, I refused lifts unless I knew the driver and in extremis I was to say my Dad was just over the hedge .At that time the traffic was sparse. In a fairly enclosed community not long after the war I knew most people I encountered , at least by sight.

In the way of memory I have no recollection of bad weather but rather walking back in spring or summer musing at the profusion of growth in verge and hedgerow. One memory I have is getting utterly confused about time one day and walking back at lunchtime. Fortunately I met my dad who was cycling to work ( he worked afternoon shifts ). He put me right and gave me a lift back on his crossbar.

In that post war period ( 1947-53) the road was improved. In the early fifties it was kerbed by brick shaped edging. The edging was however more like granite setts in appearance and because of their irregularity I would guess from some natural source. The road was surfaced by the old fashioned molten tar followed by a layer of chippings. I notice that this method has enjoyed something of a comeback as a cheap surfacing. The problem is the large number of loose chippings which gradually accumulate in the gutters.

Although mainly the verge was wide, in those days of little traffic I walked in the road. It