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I vaguely remember reading that in parts of Europe in the Middle Ages it was the custom for all sons of a father to inherit his land equally. The result of this over a few generations was that the field pattern became divided into thin strips of land cultivated by different families. You can see the effect on the Slovakia and Bessarabia maps.

This is totally different from England and France, where the law of primogeniture ensured that the eldest son inherited all of the father's land. This kept estates together, resulting in much larger fields and a distinctly different look to the pattern.

There were many other factors involved of course - especially where large areas were cleared for sheep farming - so there is always a mix of patterns, but generally the above is true..

Just something to bear in mind. :wink: