188 LARGE OAKS. [Jan. 



up the Race Hill, left Sherwood on the right hand, crossed Offham 

 Hill to Southwood, from thence to South Stoke, to the wall of 

 Arundel Kiver, where the glorious twenty-three hounds put an end 

 to the campaign, and killed an old bitch fox ten minutes before six. 

 Billy Ives, his Grace of llichniond, and General Hawley were the 

 only persons in at the death, to the immortal honour of seventeen 

 stone and at least as many campaigns.' 



The Charlton Hunt came to an end, and the kennel was removed 

 for a short time to Goodwood, afterwards to Petworth, whose owner. 

 Lord Leconfield, is still the M. F. H. of his locality. 



H. E. 



LARGE OAKS. 



|.N reading Mr. Evershed's 'Notes on Trees' in the last number 

 a of ' FoRESTKY,' I was induced to turn to a record I have in 

 ^ my possession of a traditional Oak which once flourished in 

 the Valley of Ganllwyd. This valley is situated five miles north- 

 ward from Dolgelly, the county town of Merioneth. The high road 

 from Dolgelly to Carnarvon, via Tan-y-bwlch, runs through the 

 valley, which is well sheltered from the east by the mountain 

 whose summit is scored horizontally by the 'Precipice Walk,' so 

 well known to tourists, and from the boisterous south-west by the 

 chain of mountains on the opposite side, stretching away northwards 

 at right angles to the Barmouth estuary. The shelter from the cold 

 east and stormy south-west is therefore as complete as it can be, and 

 yet the slant of the intermediate flat ground towards the south admits 

 the sun for the best part of the day freely. 



In this valley, close to the little inn of Tyn-y-groes, stood the great 

 Oak called ' Brenhinbren-y-Ganllwyd,' or King of Ganllwyd. Its 

 exact site, its dimensions, age, and date of its death, are familiar 

 traditions with the old native inhabitants of the district, many of 

 whom, no doubt, could vouch for the facts by the'direct testimony of 

 eye-witnesses communicated personally to those who are still living. 



From these, as well as on the authority of a well-known anti- 

 quarian in Carnarvonshire, whose name I could give, if necessary, 1 

 have it on record that the tree was cut down in the year 1746 ; that 

 it had to be uprooted, being too thick in the girth for any cross-cut 

 saw or other implement then in use ; that the girth at three feet from 

 the ground was 24 feet 8 inches ; the height from the ground to the 

 top, measured after the tree was down, 180 feet, and to the first fork 

 25 feet ; that the bark, stripped with iron crowbars, weighed 6 tons ; 

 and that the butt sold for £G0. A piece of one of its branches was 

 taken to make an axle for a large water-wheel at Ynys-y-maengwyn, 



