


The Forest Trees of Wiltshire. 147 
only ten feet up to where its head branched out, was sold, standing, 
for’ no ‘less a sum than 400 guineas, in the year 1810. But when 
one of them is mentioned and that probably not the largest, a 
perfectly sound and still growing tree, with a clear, clean trunk of 
fully twenty-five feet in height up to the first branches, and 
measuring at three feet from the ground, as many feet in circum- 
ference, nothing more needs to be said about the specimens to be 
‘seen in that domain. 
Going northward some fifteen or twenty miles thence, Spyz 
Parx and Bowoop will afford numerous specimens well worthy of 
admiration and of notice; and at a short distance beyond at Biack- 
LAND Park, is an oak more than locally celebrated, and deservedly 
so from its great size and fine proportions. It is a great and a 
good tree, being perfectly sound and vigorous. It may safely 
challenge to be, in all respects, the Premier Oak in the county. 
Measuring on the ground, which however is no fair criterion, it is 
_ thirty-one feet in circumference. At rather more than a foot from 
the ground it is twenty-seven feet, and at about eighteen feet from 
the ground it is eighteen and a half in circumference. Very large 
branches from nine to twelve feet in circumference, are thrown out 
at intervals, the lowest being upwards of eighteen feet from the 
ground, forming a very noble head. The spread of the branches 
cannot cover an area of less than three hundred and twenty feet. 
Spyz Park, a place of singular natural beauty, as well from the diver- 
sified surface of the ground, as for the splendid views obtained from 
it to the east, south, and west, but particularly to the west, must 
formerly have been rich indeed in timber, especially oaks; doubt- 
less having once, with Bowood, formed part of the ancient but 
now non-existing forest of Pewsham. In addition to some very 
fine oaks—forming what may not improperly be called a “ grove” 
of oaks, which is quite a feature of the place,—are a number of 
venerable relics, some of immense size, and although almost head- 
less, apparently sound; that is to say without any outward openings 
indicative of their being hollow. . Several of these measure from 
twenty, to twenty-four or twenty-five feet in circumference at twe 
or three feet from the ground; and one as much as thirty-four 
"VOL. X.—NO. XXIX. K 
