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changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 During the eighteenth century Stilton cheese production had increased greatly in the Vale of Belvoir. This required many of the parishes to be enclosed into smaller fields and closes. Only in the south of the Vale, in the parishes controlled by the Duke of Rutland, did arable farming continue to be comparatively important. The opening of the Grantham Canal in 1797 was of great benefit to farmers in the middle of the Vale. However a combination of factors made the 1840s a difficult time for farmers and an even worse time for the labourers. The soils of the Leicestershire parishes of the Vale were best-suited to grow the types of barley that malted well and was in demand for the maltings at both Newark and Grantham – both now readily accessible via the Grantham Canal. Around 1850 the growing of both barley and wheat increased significantly in the Vale. To convert the wheat into flour for bread there was a heyday of building windmills, and new-fangled steam mills at Bingham and Bottesford. By the end of the nineteenth century a William Daybell of Bottesford had bred large white pigs and the boars were much in demand throughout the world. Hard to understand now but this breed had a high proportion of fat to lean meat. The reason was fatty bacon – or just lard – was eaten with bread to keep labouring men supplied with energy during the long working days. The First World War required agriculture, just as much as manufacturing, to maximise output. But that only lasted four years. And worse was about to unfold. Back in 1909 Lloyd George had increased death duties. And in the 1920s this had serious implications for the Vale, up to and including the Duke of Rutland needing to sell off much of his land. Throughout England there were extensive property sales. Sometimes the tenant farmers were able to acquire their land. But certainly not always. As always it was the labourers who suffered most, often losing their homes. In the 1920s local councils realised that there needed to be a campain of new houses to rehome these families. One unplanned outcome was that when the farm labourers moved into purpose-built council houses their old cottages could be bought by commuters, especially in villages near to the Ambergate railway, and 'done up'. Increased ownership of motor cars in the 1930s meant that commuting was also possible from other parts of the Vale, including the villages once controlled by the Duke of Rutland, who was very much against such 'blow ins'. Dairy production continued to be the most important aspect of agriculture in the Vale in the inter-war period. However the Second World War, despite the overall need for food, resulted in swathes of pasture land being acquisitioned to build airfields. By 2025 only one airfield in the Vale remains in use, purely for civilian flying, at Langar. Government regulations meant that in the 1940s farmers who had only ever raised livestock were expected to acquire mechanised ploughs and grow crops. The outcome was somewhat uncertain as they did not have the necessary experience. But they mostly learnt to get it right, so arable didn't go away. And steadily through the 1950s into the 1980s more and more land in the Vale was ploughed. Growing grain is now the predominant agricultural activity in the Vale – just as it was in the medieval period – with oil-seed rape and other crops also appearing regularly. About a third of the enclosure award hedges were grubbed up to allow large mechanised farm equipment to operate. Cattle and sheep are still around, but by the twenty-first century most of the cattle were inside large sheds, at least for the winter months. Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/chronicle

Chronicle entries home page what's new? the geology of the Vale the boundaries and rivers of the Vale long, long ago prehistory in the Vale prehistoric boundaries in the Vale north-south prehistoric routeways Romans roads in the Vale Roman settlements in and near the Vale long ago introduction to Anglo-Saxons place-names of the Vale waterborne transport around the sixth century Orston's early church Anglo-Saxon sculpture in the Vale why Orston lost out to Bingham and Bottesford what the Normans did for the Vale Granby's importance in 1086 Granby's lost castle the Vale's watermills in 1086 Romanesque sculpture in the Vale St Remigius why Bottesford is in Leicestershire the Vale in medieval times medieval gargoyles of the Vale Eastwell's chancel screen St Ethelburga's church other early saints Elston's old chapel Muston and Long Clawson saltways of the Vale the Vale's medieval tile collection the Vale in Tudor times Dissolution in the Vale not that long ago the Vale in the C17th the 'great and the good' of the Vale Bottesford's effigies 'wicked practice and sorcerye' the whales on the Whalley memorial Car Colston's bigoted GP cum JP the Vale's very own regicide Wiverton Hall five rare C17th fonts in the Vale pinfolds and pounds in the Vale dovecotes in the Vale the Vale in the C18th turnpiking the Vale gravestones and C18th trade routes goodbye 'Belvoir Angels' C18th gravestone carvers in the Vale Daffy's Elixir the Marquess of Granby Stilton from the Vale springs and spas of the Vale outstanding organs in the Vale Grantham canal changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 Eastwell's recusant priest house and chapel Colston Bassett's ruined church seems like yesterday windmills in the Vale stained glass in the Vale village life in the southern Vale 1850 to 1880 folklore of the Vale Flintham museum lacemaking in the Vale gypsum pits in the Vale brick and tile works in the Vale ironstone quarrying in the Vale ironstone railways ironstone quarries of Leicestershire (YouTube video) The Vale's railway stations Orston's famous architect Mothers Union banners of the Vale redundant telephone exchanges in the Vale WWII airfields and pillboxes in the Vale the Vale in 1944 location shooting at Belvoir Castle Screveton's giants researching and writing local history the Vale as a verb getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around the Vale Aslockton (Cranmer LHG) Bingham Heritage Trails Association Bottesford Eastwell Harby Harlaxton Hickling Redmile archive Belvoir Villages History and Memories Group Belvoir Angel Society Grantham Canal Society you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Barrowby Until Now website Rutland Village by Village website Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland