164 



THE ANCIENT FOEEST OF DEERFOLD. 



BY DR. BULL. 



PART L— TOPOGRAPHICAL AND INTRODUCTORY. 



" Lug from the Eadnorian plain 

 At Prestain coming in ; where lie cloth entertain 

 The Wadel, as along he under Derfold goes ; 

 Her fuU and lusty side to whom the forest shows 

 As to allure fair Lug abode with her to make." 



Drayton, " Polyolbion" 7. 



The ancient Porest of Deerfold, oi- Dai'vold, as it is now more commonly 

 called, is situated in the Northern part of Herefordshire, between Aymestry 

 and Lingen, and between Wigmore and Shobden. It is chiefly contained in 

 the parish of Wigmore, but partly also in that of Aymestry. It is not large in 

 size, about 2,500 acres, and consists of high ground, with one chief valley sloping 

 to the South-east. Its situation is extremely secluded, and its scenery on the 

 Northern side, where it is bounded by a steep descent to the plain beneath, is 

 very fine. The highest portion of the forest is a hill to the South, and it is the 

 highest ground in the district. Six other counties may be seen from it, viz., 

 Gloucestershire, "Worcestershire, Shropshire, Montgomery, Radnorshire, and 

 Brecon. The summit of this hill shows the remains of a circular camp, and 

 there are the traces of a ditch which inclcffeed a much larger portion of the 

 round top of the hiU. The inner circle is planted with a row of Scotch firs, 

 which may be about fifty years old. 



The Forest has now lost its wild character. It is completely inclosed and 

 for the most part under cultivation. Two centuries ago a traveller could pass 

 through it without leaving the shade of the oak trees which grew tliere. Now 

 the woods are chiefly confined to the steep hanging slopes of the hills, and thin 

 belts of larch give their character to the landscape. The final inclosure took 

 place in 1818, and the straight roads and formal allotments then made will 

 long disfigure the district. It will be some time too before that sign of a forest 

 district disappears, the remains of the charcoal burner's fires, which the plough 

 turns up in almost every field. These " charking places" are very numerous all 

 over the Forest. 



The chief proprietors at the present time are Lady Langdale, who has 

 the largest share, Lord Bateman, the Messrs Fortey and Turner, and some three 

 .dozen smaller freeholders. 



