THE NEW FOREST. 65 



The soft verdure of the Southdown Hills may be in part 

 derived from the flocks which pasture them, and the sheep 

 must have followed horned cattle after a long interval, 

 implying a country at all events partially cleared, and a 

 state of protection and peace. But though the grass may 

 have been coarser which first covered them, it appears to 

 have been their only growth. The ancient Briton, when 

 he became advanced enough to domesticate cattle, may 

 have used such spots for their pasture as well as for his 

 own summer home. But the ordinary hills and the plains 

 and valleys of Hampshire were one great wood ; even in 

 the days of the Saxons the Andred Weald is known to 

 have extended through three counties, with a length of 

 more than 120 miles, and a breadth of 30. The Norman 

 invaders found the country still densely wooded. 



" In a list of the Ancient Forests of England, given in 

 Mr Pearson's Historical Maps, the woods of Hampshire 

 appear to outnumber those of any other county. They 

 may be considerably diminished in extent, but most of 

 them exist to this day. Lyss Wood, near Petersfield ; 

 Axiholt (the modern Alice Holt), and Wulvemere (Wool- 

 mer) perhaps were as truly portions of one and the same 

 great forest as Durley and Wigley, Rumberge and Brem- 

 blewood, Knight wood and Ringwood, were but divisions of 

 the New Forest. Beyond Alton came the woods of Odiham, 

 Pamber, near ' the Vine,' Freemantle, in Kingsclere hun- 

 dred, and the Fecceswudu and Tadley Wood. 



" Following to the south-west came Andover Forest and 

 Buckholt adjoining ; Wherwell, or Harewood, lay farther 

 south, but at no great distance, towards Winchester. 



" In the heart of the county were great woods about 

 Avington ; further to the south-east lay St. Clare's Wood, 

 near Exton (the Wudu CErscos probably), and farther to 

 the south still, the Forest of Bere. 



"Kilmiston, or Homoeres, or the Hormeswudu, is to be 

 added to these, extending towards Bishop's Waltham on 

 the south and northwards to Old Park and Cheriton Wood, 

 the former a deer forest in the early Norman days, and 



F 



