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| Norber Phototrail - Lynchets |
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LynchetsIn the lower fields around both Clapham and Austwick there is evidence of a farming system introduced over a thousand years ago by Anglo-Saxon and Viking farmers. These early farmers cleared much of the landscape of woodland and scrub and practised a system of triple rotation. This involved the cultivation of strips of land which were alternatively sown with wheat and rye on one, peas and barley on a second while a third strip lay fallow. Farming of these lowland areas was hindered by poor drainage and to combat this terraces were constructed on the hillsides just outside the villages. These terraces enabled the steeper hillsides to be ploughed by a simple wooden plough pulled by oxen. Examples of these early terraces can still be seen in the area, with the Phototrail passing through several on the footpath from Austwick to Clapham. These old field terraces are called Lynchets. Many local place names can trace their origins back to the early Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlers. During the eighth Century the Anglo-Saxons established small villages or hamlets throughout the area, often growing out of a farmstead or 'tun'. They also replaced the Celtic language with an early ancestor of our modern English. The Angles were followed by the invading Norwegian Vikings who colonised Cumbria and the Dales towards the end of the tenth Century. Their Norse influence is still very evident today. Examples of local place names and their origin: Clapham - homestead on the noisy stream (claepe OE noisy stream + ham OE homestead)
OE Old English (Anglo-Saxon), ON Old Norse (Viking) Further examples can be found in a number of books on the subject, including 'Place-names of the Yorkshire Dales' by Peter Metcalfe. |
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