National Trust

152769

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Description:  All the features on the north and west sides of the Beacon are defined by lynchets which are sudden changes in the angle of slope where the plough has cut into the hillside. Soil is gradually cut from the hillside (creating a negative lynchet) and pushed downslope, leading to the gradual formation of terraces (a positive lynchet). [1] Located around the base of the north, west and south slopes of Ivinghoe Beacon there are a series of these lynchets and boundaries marking the remains of a series of closes forming part of the Ivinghoe field system. Fortunately, there are a series of maps in the Centre for Bucks Studies covering the period from c.1809 to 1822 which show not only the outlines of the closes but also the individual ploughed strips still in use at the turn of the 19th century. Under an act of enclosure dating to 1822 these closes were awarded to the 7th Earl of Bridgewater and thrown open.
The most useful of the maps is Ma 116/5 [2] and is used for the purposes of this description.
At the base of the west slope of the Beacon the map shows the outline of a close named as 'Hill Pieces' which extends beyond the Ringshall-Ivinghoe road. The road was diverted and straightened in 1822. The outlines of this close can still be traced as a slight west-facing lynchet up to 0.5 ms in height on the east side of the road (A). It turns sharply through 90 degrees to form the southern end of the close, whereas the north end turns sharply to the west and continues as a low bank (B) with a slight ditch on its south side measuring approximately 80 metres in length. There is an easterly continuation of this feature up the slope for a distance of about 30 ms {C} with very slight traces of a ditch on its south side. The west margin of the close is traceable as a more prominent lynchet on the west side of the road (D). The southerly continuation of this feature (E) beyond the southern margin of 'Hill Pieces' marks the boundary between enclosed fields and the area of open downland - formerly common - which was awarded to the Earl of Bridgewater in 1822.
The early 19th century map shows a series of strips forming part of a field named 'Shooting to Whitterfield Way' in the elbow formed in the road junction at (F). This area is currrently (2007) covered in heavy scrub and it is not certain if physical evidence survives for these strips. At (G) there are series of narrow north-facing lynchets also concealed by scrub. These are not apparent on the 19th c. map but can be assumed to be a remnant of the same system of strip cultivation.
Continuing east along the base of the north slope there are earthwork traces of the field named as 'Above Hill Close'. The western boundary of this close can be traced as a slight east-facing lynchet (H), as can the staggered south boundary (I) representing the southern ends of the strips within the close. Feature (J) - a slight west-facing lynchet - could represent the remains of one of these individual strips but continues beyond the southern margin of the close.
On the east side of this close there is a further close named as 'Hill Closes'. The shared boundary between the two closes is difficult to detect due to the presence of a modern field boundary, nevertheless the key point of reference may be the small quarry group (152797) which lies within the south-west corner of 'Hill Closes' and is present on the early 19th c. map. The depiction of these quarries on the map confirms that they must date back to at least the 18th c. The southern boundary of 'Hill Closes' can be reconciled with a sharp north-facing lynchet measuring up to 2.7 metres in width and 1.2 metres in height (K). The east boundary (L) appears to have been ploughed-out, leaving faint traces of a slight bank defining the southern section. It is interesting to note that the south boundary continues beyond the outline of the close shown on the 19th c. map, both in an easterly and westerly direction. A very slight north-facing break of slope with occasional hawthorn trees growing along its length marks this continuation. This may suggest either that there were previously more closes in existence than shown on the map, or the extension is the survival of a plough lynchet pre-dating the formation of the close. The westerly continuation {R} confirms that Above Hill Close originally extended further up the hill slope but was perhaps too steep to plough and therefore enclosed along the staggered line shown on the c.1809 map. Grey's 1762 map [4] shows a single large enclosure probably corresponding with this earlier outline. Within Hill Closes several prominent lynchets shown on the map can be reconciled with north-facing breaks of slope evident on the ground. (M) measures up to a metre in height and 4.7 ms in width, (1N) measures up to 2 ms in height and 5.6 ms in width and continues beyond the eastern margin of the close .
The northern edge of Hill Closes now lies within a thick belt of scrub. It is flanked by a track or lane leading onto the Beacon and former common (151148 and continued as 152784). This feature corresponds with the present footpath which lies between a complex group of braided hollow ways. Wainwright [1] suggests that some of these features may be early cultivation terraces pre-dating the enclosure of the strip fields.
On the northern side of the track the 19th c. map shows a group of lynchets lying within an enclosure named as 'Bone Hill' - perhaps a bizarre early reference to bones found within one of the barrows on Beacon Hill or Gallows Hill? This area of the landscape is now difficult to penetrate due to heavy scrub growth but Wainwright recorded a series of parallel lynchets within the outlines of this former enclosure. Beyond the eastern margins of this enclosure the c.1809 map shows faint traces of a further enclosure, the outlines of which are now also heavily scrubbed over, although the southern (O) and eastern edges (P) correspond with sharp breaks of slope.
Wainwright's survey mapped seveal features within this area that are not explained by the historic mapping. (Q) is a large though rather indistinct north-facing lynchet measuring up to 9 metres in width and 1.5 - 2 metres in height. He shows this lynchet as cut by two narrow linear hollows, presumably former tracks, though these were not traceable when a site visit was made in March of 2008.
The early 19th century maps provide a useful tool for understanding the final stages in evolution of these closes. The final plan - the Ivinghoe enclosure map of 1821 [4] - shows none of these closes, clearly indicating that they were thrown open and made up part of the award made to the Earl of Bridgewater.
A recent (war time?) phase of ploughing may explain the smoothed-out appearance of many features in this area, leaving only the most prominent lynchets.
(G Marshall)

Country:  England

County:  Buckinghamshire

District:  Aylesbury Vale

Parish:  Ivinghoe

Grid Reference:   SP962166

Map Reference:  [EPSG:27700] 496295, 216676

Period/Subject:  1066 - 1539 - FIELD SYSTEM

Identifiers: 
[ADS] Depositor Id: 152769
[ADS] Associated Id: HBSMR Id: MNA131512
[ADS] Import RCN: NTSMR-MNA131512

People Involved: 
[Publisher] National Trust