The twist of the eight-ox plough. (Kipling)

[A.W.U.K.]

Behind the feet of the Legions and before the Norseman's ire
Rudely but greatly begat they the framing of State and Shire.
Rudely but deeply they laboured, and their labour stands till now,
If we trace on our ancient headlands the twist of their eight-ox plough....
http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_kingstask.htm

I took this pic last week, at Wilmcote near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Anglo-Saxon ploughman ploughed each strip in a clockwise direction, throwing the soil inwards. Each strip was deliberately made in a reverse S-shape so as to allow the long plough team to swing sideways into the headland prior to lifting the plough out of the furrow and turning it round.
Long after the middle ages, the great fields were divided up with hedges so that each farmer could have a compact holding instead of a random scatter of strips. Those hedges preserved the form of the strip boundaries so that the modern ploughman, perched on his Massey-Ferguson, must follow the winding furrow of his 1500 year old ancestor, whether he will or no.

 

[A.W.U.K.]

Well I thought it was interesting!

 

[mete]

Yes it is ! I find it fascinating when I find something used today had perfect sense many centuries ago. Rods, links, chains, and acres all made perfect sense that few understand today. And our 'mile' comes from ancient Rome ! There is an area in Italy that was a marsh and they wanted to drain it for agriculture. Surveyors found it was an old idea as the Etruscans had done it well over two thousand years ago.The area had been covered with an efficient drainage system !!

 

[A.W.U.K.]

Ah, the old milia passuum!