Agricultural History Review, Volume 63 Part 1 (2015), pp. 39–59

The creation of ring-fence farms is an aspect of agricultural improvement which has often been overlooked, and it is hoped that this article will provide a starting point for its examination. When farm consolidation is discussed it is usually either incidental to other issues or it is assumed to be largely a product of enclosure. The article presents four case studies of enclosure that reveal the importance of pre- and post-enclosure processes for the creation of ring-fence farms. It is shown that both landlords and tenants played a part in the process but that tenant farmers often led the way. Finally a number of barriers to farm consolidation are discussed, of which the most significant is found to be the presence of a large number of freeholds within a township. 

Complete Volume PDF