Farmers’ fines are doubled as ancient court is convened
Farmers convening at an ancient court that is the last of its kind received record fines for transgressions such as spray drift and cultivating into other people’s plots.
The Laxton Court Leet enforces farming rules dating back to Medieval times and regulates what is one of the last remaining open-field farming systems.
The tradition of fining farmers for any wrong-doings has been carried out in Laxton for 700 years and is renowned for getting farmers hot under the collar when defending their agricultural prowess.
Laxton is the country’s last working feudal village, which involves a series of open, unhedged fields divided into lengths known as furlongs, which are in turn subdivided into flatts.
Farmers own flatts in various furlongs in each field, which are policed annually by a jury to ensure farmers are not encroaching on each other’s flatts.
Jurors inspect the fields a week before the court holds session to look for evidence of any transgressions and these are listed on a Presentment Paper given to the court steward, Mr Alistair Millar, of Tallents Solicitors, Newark.
The court session was held in a room at The Dovecote Inn where some attendees had to stand because there were not enough seats.
The session was overseen by Mr Millar; the bailiff of the Court Leet, Mr Robert Haigh; and the clerk to the gaits and commons, Mr Stuart Rose, who is responsible for gathering fines.
This year, the court’s jury decided to double the fines for each offence from £5 to £10 to better reflect their seriousness.
It meant that two farmers, each punished for three offences, were fined a record £30.
Mr Nic Gent was fined £30 for causing spray damage to, and cultivating into, Radbeck Syke, and not shovelling in, and received a warning for not ploughing far enough on Fidler Bank.
Mr David Critchley was fined £30 for causing spray damage to, and cultivating into, Crouch Hill and not shovelling in.
Other farmers received fines for causing spray damage to other people’s plots.
Mr Kevin Saxilby was fined £10 for causing spray damage to Roebuck Syke.
Mr Stuart Rose was fined £10 for causing spray damage to Roebuck Syke and another £10 for causing damage to Radbeck Syke.
Mr Ivan Rayner received a warning for not ploughing far enough on Fidler Bank, and Mr Mike Jackson received a warning for not ploughing far enough on Roebuck Syke.
None of the farmers contested their fines.
2p fines for non-attendance
Eight members of the Suit Roll, which lists those who are required to attend the Court Leet, were fined 2p for non-attendance.
Fines collected are used to pay for maintenance and repairs to farming land such as filling in potholes.
The system dates back to before the introduction of the Enclosure Act 1773, which introduced the concept of hedged fields.
Mr Millar said that two years ago the Government tried to remove the Enclosure Act from the statute books because they were under the impression that no one used it.
When he was contacted by the Government, Mr Millar had to ask them to keep it in the statute books because he still used it.
Land in Laxton, including that regulated by the Court Leet, is owned by the Crown Estate, which was represented in court.
Mr Robert Haigh, bailiff of the Court Leet, said: “The Court Leet is the ruling body of the open-field system.
“We run the system and try to make it work but the tenants don’t really have any obligation to do it.
“It is only the goodwill of the tenants that keeps it going but most people toe the line.”
'We have got the tenants to uphold the system'
Mr Haigh said there were some tenants who always seemed to have an excuse not to attend and did not want to be part of the process.
He said they should attend the Court Leet as it was a system they benefited from through lower rent and stewardship payments.
Mr Haigh said: “This is the last three-field farming system operating with a Court Leet anywhere in the world.”
Asked whether the system had a long-term future, Mr Haigh said: “That is the million pound question — as long as we can raise 12 good men who are capable of working the fields.
“We have got the tenants to uphold the system and it will continue as long as we have got some support from the owners, the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs, and anybody else who supports us.”