CHRONICLE. 



283 



and com- 

 mons, the 

 wastes of 

 different 

 manors ... 

 Land cover- 

 ed with 

 water ... 



tally to the knowledge of the com- 

 missioners, perverted to private ad- 



vantage 



22,233 39 



165 1 9 



Total open 

 forestland 24,628 2 36 



24,628 2 36 



Encroachments inclosed by 

 individuals, from differ- 

 ent wastes, but claimed 

 by the crown 4910 2 



59,600 



" The number of deer have of 

 late years been much diminished. 

 And it appears by the returns made 

 in November, 1731, that there 

 were at that time more than 1,300 

 deer in the forest ; and by a return 

 in November, 1806, thatthere were 

 then only 318 deer in the whole 

 forest. It would be supposed that 

 these having a range over 24,600 

 acres of land, would find sufficient 

 food, with proper assistance, in 

 winter; the contrary, however, is 

 the case ; and the deer in almost 

 every walk of the forest, except 

 one, are all nearly starved ; many 

 actually die of hunger, and the sur- 

 viving does, have not strength to 

 rear their fawns. This principally 

 arises from the unlimited manner 

 in which animals of all descriptions 

 are turned out in the forest, by per- 

 sons who have no right or pretence 

 whatever to do so, and by the sur- 

 charge of the common by those 

 who have a right to a certain extent. 

 The assistance that ought to be 

 given to the deer in severe weather 

 is not attended to. The provision 

 made for that purpose is, in every 

 walk in the forest, inadequate; and 

 in one instance, that came accidcn- 



The ruinous effects of the sys- 

 tem which has hitherto prevailed in 

 Windsor Forest, cannot be better 

 illustrated than by stating, that the 

 timber now growing in the forest is 

 valued, upon a loose estimate, to be 

 worth nearly 200,000/. of which 

 (from the want of care) only a small 

 portion will be applicable to naval 

 purposes. The greater proportion 

 of the timber is now going rapidly 

 to decay, and ought to be cut as 

 soon as possible. There are now 

 in the forest of Windsor about 

 2,230 acres of land, on which trees 

 are standing; but throughout the 

 whole of that district there is not a 

 single sapling, or growing young 

 tree, to succeed those which decay, 

 or are cut down. There are also 

 in the forest about 22,233 acres of 

 heath and open land, on which 

 there are no trees of any age or 

 kind, excepting a few oak andbeech 

 pollards ot' inconsiderable value. 



" The lodges in the forest (except 

 those occupiedby the underkeepers, 

 which are mere cottages) are Cran- 

 bourne Lodge, NewLodge.Swinley 

 Lodge, and Bigshot Lodge ; and it 

 appears, by the return of lord 

 Cranely, in the explanation of his 

 office of out ranger, that there is 

 a lodge annexed to his office, called 

 Trys Lodge, near Chertsey (which 

 is out of the forest), now in the 

 occupation of admiral Sir Richard 

 Onslow, baronet. 



" Cranbourn Lodge was occupied 

 by his late royal highness the duke 

 of Gloucester, when lord Warden 

 of the forest; it has, since his death, 

 been completely repaired and fitted 

 up, and is now in the occupation of 

 the honourable George Villicrs, by 



permission 



