Rig and furrow

Rig and furrow was a type of cultivation practised in upland areas of the British Isles which differs slightly from the more common ridge and furrow in that it appears to have been created through excavation by spade rather than plough.

The technique improved drainage by creating raised areas of cultivation and furrows to carry away water. The medieval strip field system caused the rigs to be long and thinn.

The system was applied during the medieval and post-medieva periods especially in Scotland where examples of the corrugated landscape of raised rigs and deep furrows survive in some areas today.