Monuments

Crofting is a type of land tenure characterised by small land holdings that began to appear in the medieval period. ‘Croft’ refers to the enclosure for animals like sheep and cows that were the focus of the farm. This enclosure often included or was connected to the dwelling of the tenant farmer’s family (also called a ‘toft’). Large pieces of land could be divided into multiple croft enclosures each with their own tenant families. Crofters would have access to communal grazing land for their animals.

Crofting facilitated more tenants on a piece of land, increasing income for a landowner. -Crofts usually look like small villages which can take different forms, but rectangular or sub rectangular plots of adjoining enclosures are common.

Crofting continued to be a common type of farming throughout history – particularly in Scotland in the 19th century.