Changing agricultural landscape

Before the 1823 Inclosure Act and 1826 Award, Thame had 2180 acres of arable land used for growing crops such as wheat, oats and beans. The open fields were large and divided into strips which were farmed communally.

When the fields were enclosed, they were also reallocated, consolidating them into larger, more efficient, individual plots. Some farmers, like George Loosely, benefited from being granted adjacent plots in Priest End, but the biggest beneficiaries were Miss Wenman of Thame Park and the Earl of Abingdon of Rycote Park.

However, many others lost out when their small strips were reallocated to larger farms where efficiency led to a reduction in the availability of agricultural work.