DEAN FOREST. 47 



"A record of the perambulation made in 1302 is pre- 

 served in the Tower of London, by which it appears that 

 the forest had shrunk into very much narrower limits, 

 which no longer extended from Chepstow by Monmouth 

 to Ross, and from Beachley by Gloucester to Newent, but 

 had retreated on the north to somewhere about the line of 

 hills from Churcham by Blaisdon Edge, Huntly Hill, 

 Longhope and May Hill to Lea, with a still greater 

 shrinkage on both the south and west, the towns and 

 villages of Hewelsfield, Alvington, Ailberton, Lydney, 

 Purton, Box, Rodley, Westbury, Blaisdon, Huntley, Long- 

 hope, Newent, Tayton, Tibberton, Highnam, Churcham, 

 and Bulley being no longer included (as they had been) 

 within the bounds. 



"About this time the question was raised as to the 

 Crown possessing the right of conferring the tithes of the 

 'assarted' forest lands, not being within the bounds of any 

 of the adjacent churches, and decided in the affirmative ; 

 the king, exercising his right, bestowed the tithes upon 

 the Church of Newlands. 



"In the years 1310,1311, 1351, 1319, and 1355 the 

 foresters were summoned to furnish a quota of miners 

 and archers for the sieges of Berwick ; the unfortunate 

 border town changed owners no less than sixteen times 

 between 1174 and 1482, On one occasion 96 men went 

 up to do military service ; on another 200 were ordered to 

 North allerton, and ' 20 of the strongest miners in the 

 bailiwick of St Briavells ' to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, John 

 de Abbenhall held his bailiwick by the service of guarding 

 it with bows and arrows. 



" In 1333 Parliament confirmed the perambulations of 

 26 and 28 Edward I., which reduced the forest to the 

 limits which, w T ith some slight exceptions, remained in 

 force till within the last fifty years. At this time the 

 forest was farmed to one Guy de Brien, and the pay of the 

 warden was one hundred shillings a year. 



" In 1450 the king's lands, manors, castles, and other 

 possessions therein were granted to Henry, Duke of 



