166 



The attention of the "Woolhope Club was drawn to the Forest of Deerfold 

 by the discovery of the new instance of a Mistletoe-oak, the eighth in the list 

 of those remarkable trees known to be in existence at the present time.* A 

 visit to this tree gave rise to the discovery of another rarity, Asarum Europmum, 

 the Asarabacca, and an account of both these discoveries was read at the first 

 meeting of the Club this year at Ledbury (see pages 15 and 16). The Asarabacca 

 is a medicinal plant of considerable virtue. It is only known to grow in four or 

 five other places in the kingdom, and always in the neighbourhood of some 

 religious institution. This ecclesiastical association has, singularly enough, been 

 the means here too of opening up an interesting chapter in church history, though 

 of a character very different from what might have been expected. 



On the eastern side of the Forest, Juniper (Juniperus communis) grows 

 wild. There are a few large bushes there still. 



It may be also noticed that the neighbourhood of the Forest has ever been 

 celebrated for its breed of horses. So late as 1660 it was specially so, and it is 

 supposed that they were the descendants of some Spanish stock introduced by 

 Robert de Belesme at the close of the 11th century. Giraldus Cambrensis 

 speaks of their fame in Powys-land in his time, and no doubt the wild nature of 

 the country favoured their breeding. The late Lord Bateman and Lord Oxford, 

 in recent times, were great horse-breeders, and to this day there is a good horp 

 fair at Bx-ampton Brian in the immediate neighbourhood. 



The only jjrinted fragment to be found in history with regard to the For. 

 of Deerfold is the brief statement in Duncumb's " History of Herefordshirt 

 (p. 205) that "in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Forest of Deerfold was ODv 

 of the four royal Forests of Herefordshire, the others being those of Aconbury, 

 Ewyas, and Haywood." This is quite true, but it is scarcely enough to satisfy 

 the most moderate enquirer. 



This want of any History of the Forest, and the ignorance of its existence 

 even, which generally prevails thi-ough the county, render it desirable that all 

 the information that can be procured should be made known. And this, too, is 

 the more important since the poor of the immediate neighbourhood believe that 

 they have still certain rights of common in the Forest, which, beyond doubt, 

 formerly belonged to them ; but which, most certainly, have ceased to do bo for 

 \st fifty-one years, as will be shown hereafter. 



PART II.— THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE FOREST. 



" Meery it was in the grene forest, 



Among the leves grene ; 

 Whereas men hunt east and west, 

 Wyth bowes and arrowes kene. 

 To raise the dere out of theyrdenne." 



Ballad of " Adam Bell." Percy's Beliquea. 

 The Forest of Deerfold with the adjoining chases of Brindgewood, 

 Prestwood, and Mochtree, formed a portion of that large tract of woodland, then 



* See page 15 for the list of all the known Mistletoe-oaks. 



