Laxton Pound or Pinfold, for the holding of stray animals on the open field system. England UK
Pounds and Pinfolds were originally built to hold animals found straying from their owner's land or grazing on the common without common rights. The animals would only be released on payment of a fine to the Pinder who was an officer of the Lord of the Manor. Each village or township as early as the 16th century would probably have had a Pound or Pinfold but relatively few remain today. Surviving Pounds and Pinfolds are often listed buildings but many more are falling into disrepair and disappearing from the landscape. Laxton village's open-field system was probably already in place by the time of Domesday. Basically, it relies on a three-field rotation system, where in any one year, one field is sown with winter wheat; the second, a spring-sown crop such as barley, and the third is left fallow. All village farmers have the right to use the land in strips or furlongs in the three great open fields of Laxton: the West Field, the Mill Field and the South Field. Uniquely, Laxton's open-field system is still administered by the Court Leet, a form of manorial government surviving from medieval times. On Jury Day, usually held at about this time of the year, an inspection is made of the open fields, checking that everything is in order. This is followed a week later by the Court Leet held in the Dovecote Inn, where officials and a new jury are appointed and fines are imposed.
Size: 5700px × 3800px
Location: Laxton Pound or Pinfold, Nottinghamshire,
Photo credit: © Neil Dangerfield / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: animals, court, enclosure, england, field, fine, fines, gate, holding, laxton, leet, medieval, nottinghamshire, open, pen, pinder, pinfold, pound, small, stray, system, uk
