VOL XVIII. (3) EXCURSION— FOREST OF DEAN 197 



EXCURSIONS 



1914 



EXCURSION TO THE FOREST OF DEAN. 



Tuesday, May 19th, 1914. 



Director : C. O. Hanson. 



[Reported by C. O. Hanson, T. Newcomen, John Sawyer and 



W. Thompson.) 



The First Field Meeting for the year 1914 was held in the Forest of Dean. 



Those present included the Rev. Walter Butt (Vice-President), Mr L. 

 Richardson (Hon. Secretary), Rev. A. R. Winnington-Ingram, Rev. S. R. 

 Robertson, Dep. Surg. -Gen. G. A. Watson, Surg. -Major Isaac Newton, 

 Dr J. N. Middleton Martin, Messrs. St. Clair Baddeley, Walter Butt, H. T. 

 Bruton, H. W. Bruton, S. J. Coley, J. D. Crewdson, A. J. Cullis, F.G.S., 

 J. M. Collett, F.C.S., G. M. Currie, T. S. Ellis, Herbert Haigh, H. Knowles, 

 J. N. Hobbs, J. H. Hume-Rothery, F. Hannam-Clark, A. E. Hurry, C. O. 

 Hanson, H. H. Knight, E. Lawrence, John Sawyer, E. C. Sewell, W. Thompson, 

 Charles Upton, Dr E. W. Prevost, Dr Cunningham Affleck, R. Austin and 

 R. Anderson. 



The Members left the G.W.R. Station, Gloucester, at 10.45 a-"^- ^^^ 

 motored via Minsterworth, Westbury-on-Severn and Flaxley to Pleasant 

 Stile (Little Dean), which was reached about 11.45 3..ra. [W.T.] 



FORESTRY IN THE FOREST OF DEAN. 



The Forest of Dean is situated on the western extremity of the County 

 of Gloucester, and lies between the Rivers Severn and Wye. It contains 

 15,184 acres of woodland, of which 9,630 acres are enclosed, and the balance 

 is unenclosed. The Crown have a right to enclose 11,000 acres, and this 

 limit will shortly be reached and will eventually form the timber estate. 

 The " open woods " cannot be properly worked over for timber, as no re- 

 planting could be done if the present crop is cut, owing to unrestricted sheep 

 grazing in the open areas. Besides the above, the Highmeadow Woods of 

 3,349 acres, Abbotswood of 618 acres, and Clearwell Woods of 298 acres are 

 under the same management as the Dean. These are all enclosed, and, with 

 the four estates, there will thus be, when the 11,000 acres of Dean are fully 

 enclosed, a wooded estate of 15,265 acres. Practically the whole of this 

 area is actually under timber or young plantations at the present moment. 



The management of the Forest is carried out by the Deputy Surveyor, 

 who is assisted by a Head Forester, two Assistant Foresters, and fifteen 

 woodmen, each of whom is in charge of a definite district. There are also 

 about 130 permanent workmen, and an office staff consisting of a Surveyor, 

 an Accountant, and Clerk. 



As a side branch, there is a School of Forestry under the instructor, who 

 is solely responsible for the educational work and who has no say in the 

 management of the Forest. At the school young working-men are trained to 



