How the land of England got enclosed

The hedges and walls characteristic of the English landscape are taken for granted but they are mostly of quite recent origin. Perhaps hedges and walls on the ground give rise to hedges and walls in the mind. Or perhaps it is the other way round. Before enclosure, the landscape would have looked something like that in the picture. How the situation came about is described here. The article, in the Land Magazine, also debunks the notion that the commons were a tragedy where everyone pursuing their own interests brought about disaster for all – an argument used by neo-liberals to “prove” the superiority of private ownership over other forms of land tenure. In reality, as the article explains, these commons were managed co-operatively in the interests of all.