254 FOREST OF BEAN. 



the best iron of Europe for many years, and other uses in time 

 to come which might be of great use for defence of the nation, 

 the old trees then standing being above 300 years growth, and 

 yet as good timbers as any in the world, and the ground so apt 

 to produce and so strong to preserve timber, especially oaks, 

 that within 100 years there may be sufficient provision there 

 found to maintain the Navy royal for ever/' 



The result of this inquiry was that the grant to 

 Winter was surrendered, and a new lease was given 

 to him for a term of }^ears, after negotiations with 

 Pepys, which are duly mentioned in his Diary. 



Acting under this new lease, Winter again began 

 to inclose the Forest, and again the popular feeling 

 of the district was aroused against him. Complaints 

 were made to the House of Commons, and a Committee 

 was appointed to consider the matter. It appears 

 that the freeholders, commoners, and inhabitants of the 

 district met together and made proposals to the Com- 

 mittee for the settlement of the Forest, in which they 

 offered very large concessions in the direction of inclosure 

 for the improvement of the growth of timber. The 

 Forest then consisted of 24,000 acres. They proposed 

 that 11,000 acres should be inclosed by the Crown, and 

 be discharged of rights of pasture, estover and pannage ; 

 and that the Crown, on throwing open any of these 

 inclosures, might take in as much, so that not more 

 than 11,000 acres should be inclosed at any one time; 

 that the timber on the remaining 13,000 acres should 

 belong absolutely to His Majesty, discharged of estovers 

 for ever, and of pannage for twenty-one years ; that 

 the whole waste of the Forest should be re -afforested, 



