Research On Decline Of The British Open Field System

The open field system was the most important land system in the Middle Ages of England,which provided guarantee for the smooth progress of medieval British manor farming and built the foundation of economic basis of the former industrial society in England.The open field system was formed in the late Anglo-Saxon era and lasted until the late 19 th century before it disappeared from British land.At the early stages,The existence of the open field system indeed can meet into the needs of the British agricultural development,and which have effectively promoted the British social economic progress.During the periods of 12-13 century,the open field system in the UK reached the heyday and extended in the vast majority area of the whole country.In the mid of 14 th century,Because of the sharp decline of the population in the United Kingdom,British have suffered a result of a serious scarcity labor on the open field.What's more,with the open field system itself has the dispersion,mandatory malpractice,causing that the British social and economic development have been hindered.Land owners began to change the production and management model,the rental farm began to appear and continue to develop,and in so doing,which gradually broke the original system which opened on the scattered state ago,As a matter of fact,the agricultural producers began to carry out self-production.In the 16 th century,for the rising of the enclosure movement,the open field system have been destructed seriously.With the rising of the parliamentary enclosure movement in the 18 th century,the open field system have been suffered a fatal blow,Therefore,the open field system completely ended.The decline of the open field system can be divided into three periods,the first period is before the mid-14 th century,when the open field system is still in the period of development,and there is no obvious traces of destruction,only some signs of imminent destruction.Such as farmers in order to solve the rural land problems,institutionalproblems,population growth,adjust the allocation of land structure.The second period is the mid-14 th century to the early 16 th century,the open field system began to be destroyed,and in a series of factors to promote the process of decay.Such as land rents brought about by the currency rent,population reduction caused by the employment relationship and commercial prosperity has changed the rural production structure,which have developed the rural commodity economy,and promote the development of agricultural modernization.The third period is the 16 th to 19 th centuries,the open field system at this time a comprehensive collapse,from the production mode of operation to the land ownership of a comprehensive change in modern agricultural production in rural areas established.Such as rented farm to take the capitalist mode of operation and management,enclosure to end the characteristics of open field scattered.From the results of the research,the impact of the decline of the open field on the development of agriculture is mainly positive.As matter as fact,which have led to changes in the structure of the agricultural population and increased enthusiasm of the agricultural labor force;furthermore,which have also increased the area of arable land and agricultural production,attracted a lot of money into agriculture and promoted the process of commercialization in rural areas at the same time,which have forced the ruling class to change Agricultural policy,to provide support for the stable development of rural areas.