On Friday, 13 January 2017 11:58:18 UTC, Tim Lamb wrote:
In message , Tim Streater
writes
In article , Vir
Campestris wrote:

On 11/01/2017 16:19, NY wrote:
"Roadworks in 500 yards" or "Roadworks in 1/4 mile" (I've rounded the
numbers). Maybe it's because I always think in the largest unit that
expresses the quantity without losing too much precision

How far is that in furlongs?

He's not on a horse and it's not a horserace, so that is not relevant.

I think it is related to ploughing with horses.. 220 yards x 22 yards =
1 acre. (10x1 chains)


--
Tim Lamb

Peasants were given apiece of land one furrow long and one chain wide in medieval times.
So they were decimal even back then.
An acre is 4840 squ yards