A Resource Assessment of Ridge and Furrow: Challenges for Conservation in Landscapes of Change
Author(s): Maggi Noke, Adam Mindykowski
The Historic Environment Record of Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service was undertaken to enhance the recording, understanding and conservation of ridge and furrow earthworks in the county of Worcestershire through the mechanisms of the HER, as the primary database and collection of sources, and its capacity as an advisory service to planning, development and land management professionals. The condition assessment project reported in this document was developed out of the recognition that, once commonplace, ridge and furrow earthworks have been affected by agents detrimental to their conservation. These drivers for change are increasing as a result of pressures on land for alternative management and land use. The results from this project identified that ridge and furrow earthworks in the study area have been lost to agricultural land use, including equestrianism, diversification of farm activities, waste management, as well as to housing and road developments. The study area covered 6013.18ha over 64 parishesthat hat been included in an earthwork survey running since 1997. It recorded the visible form of earthworks or cropmarks from aerial photographs and LiDAR coverage. The most common form recorded in Worcestershire was straight ridge and furrow, which made up 44% of the results, followed by curved/reversed S with 27%, with the remainder being classed as not clear, none or watermeadow.
- Report Number:
- 89/2019
- Series:
- Other
- Pages:
- 58
- Keywords:
- Conservation Landscape Ridge and Furrow
