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Maps and diagrams are used to explain the open field strip farming system used at Laxton in Nottinghamshire. We see a view of the village from the church and architectural details of Laxton church including effigies of the former landowners, the Everingham family. In the fields we see a farmer leading a horse plough and scenes of sewing and harrowing also using horses. The Court Leet that is used in the village to administer the open fields system is described but not shown. We do see farmers marking the field strips using wooden pegs and the village pinder rounding up stray animals and farm workers harvesting wheat. The film ends with more views of the village including a mound that marks the site of the demolished Norman castle.
Mediaeval Village by H.L. Beales and R.S. Lambert
Directed by J.B. Holmes
Photographed by Frank Bundy and Frank Goodliffe
Crop rotation was used in the village with one of the three open fields kept fallow until the practice was dropped on economic grounds in the 1960s.