A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



seventeenth and following centuries, l there were some considerable compensations made in the second 

 half of the last of these centuries. 



In the elaborate report on the county of Nottingham issued by the Board of Agriculture in 1 794, 

 there is a good deal of information as to the woods and plantations of the shire. It is there stated 

 that a spirit of planting had prevailed throughout much of the old Sherwood district for the last 

 forty years. Though at first fir trees were chiefly planted, it was found that the sandy soil seemed 

 well adapted for almost every kind of forest tree in the sheltered places. The duke of Newcastle 

 had recently planted 1848 acres in Clumber Park. Considerable particulars are given in appendices 

 as to the plantations on the VVelbeck and Ruffbrd estates, together with descriptions of the methods 

 adopted. 



There was but little wood save hedgerow, and but little recent planting on the level lands of 

 the county that flank the Trent, save occasional ash growing. Thirty-one acres had been planted 

 with ash in 1771-2 on thecliff opposite Washford Ferry, in Flintham ; it had been cut in 1791-2 

 and had been sold standing for 1,300. In another instance six acres of ash that had been planted 

 for seventeen years sold for 70. 



In the Clay district 3,664 acres had been planted in comparatively recent enclosures. There 

 was very little timber in the Vale of Belvoir district ; but mention is made of Bunny Wood, which 

 contained seventy acres. 2 



In Major Rooke's Sketch of Sherwood Forest, printed in 1799, much praise is given to ' the many 

 respectable persons, whose mansions and parks border on the forest, who have made and continue 

 to make large plantations in honour of the splendid victories gained by our gallant admirals.' Such 

 were the twenty-five acres of forest trees and firs planted by Lord Newark, and called Howe Grove, 

 in honour of Earl Howe and his victory, as well as fifteen to the east of Thornley Park, called after 

 Lord St. Vincent, and twelve acres on the north called after Lord Duncan. He also particularly 

 mentions the extensive plantations of the duke of Portland in the neighbourhood of Welbeck; the 

 fine plantations at Ruffbrd by the Hon. R. Lumley Savile ; as well as the Howe, Spencer, Nelson, 

 St. Vincent, Warren, and Duncan groves planted by the Hon. F. Montague. Mr. Foljambe, of 

 Osberton, was one of several other Nottinghamshire gentlemen who were busily engaged in tree 

 planting towards the close of the eighteenth century. The marquis of Titchfield had sown up- 

 wards of a hundred acres in parts of the old forest, between Mansfield and Nottingham, with acorns. 



Though the glories of Sherwood as a royal open forest have long since passed, various noble 

 parks occupy some of its choicest portions. They not only include much of the ancient timber, 

 but several are well stocked with red and fallow deer, which in some instances rightfully claim to be 

 the descendants of those that used to roam at will the forests and glades in mediaeval days. 



The present deer parks in Nottingham only number five, all of which are in the old Sherwood 

 Forest district. 3 



Thoresby Park (Earl Manvers), one of the finest in the kingdom, has a circuit of upwards of 

 ten miles and an acreage of 2,000. In 1683 the crown sold 1,270 acres out of the hays of 

 Bilhagh and the White Lodge to be added to his own land to make the park of Thoresby. It is 

 grandly timbered in parts, particularly at the Buck Gate entrance, where there are many noble oaks. 

 The park is also noted for its Spanish chestnuts, and there are large picturesque stretches thickly 

 dotted with old thorns. The fallow deer number about 630 and the red deer 25. 



Welbeck (duke of Portland) was the only one of the duke of Newcastle's eight parks that 

 escaped destruction at the time of the great Civil War. It has an acreage of 1640; the 

 timber is chiefly oak. Many of the trees are of great age, the oldest being the Greendale Oak . 4 

 Two fine oaks, standing one each side of the roadway, are known as the Porters. Of the once 

 celebrated Seven Sisters, which had seven stems growing from a single root, only one stem is now 

 standing. There are about 500 fallow deer, including a herd of white ones, and 150 red deer. 



Rufford Park (Lord Savile) extends over 500 acres ; it is well wooded, and contains some 

 particularly fine beech trees. The fallow deer number about 350. 



Wollaton Park (Lord Middleton) covers 750 acres, and is well wooded with fine clumps of 

 forest trees. Its principal feature is the avenue of limes from the chief lodge to the hall. The 

 fallow deer number about three hundred. This park used to harbour a herd of wild white cattle, 

 of the polled or hornless breed, with black noses and ears. They died out in the first quarter of last 

 century. 



Annesley Park (J. P. Chaworth-Musters, esq.) contains about 600 acres, and has a good deal 

 of large timber, though there are many bracken-covered stretches. There are about 200 head of 

 In Cox's Magna Britannia, issued in 1827, reference is made to ' the abominable destruction of the wood 

 made by the connivance or negligence of the woodwards (vol. iv. p. 171). 



' Robert Low, General View of Agriculture of the County of Nottingham (1794), passim. 



'he brief notes on these parks are taken from Whitaker, Deer Parks of England (1892) ; Shirley, Deer 

 and Deer Parks (1867); White, Worktop and Sherwood Forest (1875), and from personal observation. 



1 The story of this ' Methusaleh of the Forest ' was told at length in Country Life (30 Dec. 1905) by Dr. Cox. 



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