A land survey carried out 1788, shortly before Inclosure, shows a farming pattern for much of the manor of Sutton Poyntz that was still basically medieval. The whole manor (Preston and Sutton Poyntz) was owned by a Lord of the Manor, who leased lands to a number of chief tenants.

There were by this time two farms (as we would recognise them) - Northdown Farm in Sutton Poyntz and Jordan Farm in Preston. There was common downland on the hills, used mainly for the grazing of sheep. But most of the rest of the land was divided into "Furlongs", mostly of 20-30 acres, each one subdivided into a number of units occupied by different people. Almost certainly the Furlongs would have been divided into strips, following an ancient pattern - the strips averaged about 0.7 acres; say 220 yards long by about 15 yards wide. Overall, the farming pattern was thoroughly mixed, with about one third being downland used mainly for sheep grazing, another one third being arable (crops and/or vegetables), and one sixth each of meadow and pasture. There were only a few orchards at that time. Economically, labourng families had some common rights to use land, as well as being employed to tend the areas held by the chief tenants. By this time, however, common rights had already been significantly eroded.