Celtic fields are a popular name for the traces of early agricultural fieldsystems found in the British Isles. They are sometimes preserved in areas were industrial farming has not been adopted and can date from any time between the Early Bronze Age (c. 1800 BC) until the early medieval period.
They are characterised by their proximity to other ancient features such as enclosures, hollow ways and farmsteads and are divided into a patchwork quilt of square plots rarely more that 2,000 m² in area although larger examples are known. Their small size implies that each was cultivated by one individual of family. Similar examples are known in Scandinavia and the Netherlands.
Lynchets, evidence of early ploughing can often be seen at the upper and lower ends. Large scale Roman agriculture replaced them in lowland Britain and they are more common in less accessible regions such as the West Country.
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air photo of a Celtic fieldsystem in Dorset
