Farming

Passenham, Deanshanger and Puxley have been rural economies for many centuries. Today many of the former farmhouses of the three villages have become residential homes with only a few independent farms remaining in the area.

Many villagers were seasonally employed as labourers on the local farms. Census details from 1841 show people working in many related industries such as corn, horse and feed merchants, making beer from home as small breweries.

Farms in Deanshanger have been owner occupied for many years thanks to the village's heritage as an open field structure, i.e. not being part of large landlord estates. Evidence of ridge and furrow, a medieval system of farming that existed well into the 17th century, can still be seen in the Deanshanger Pocket Park. The three main fields of North Field, South Field and Denshanger Field to the west formed the basis of the village farms.

• Back to Local Trades