

ALICEHOLT AND WOOLMER FOREST, 113 



A. Aliceliolt and Woolmer Forest, 



Amongst the ancient Forests of England given in Mr 

 Pearson's Historical Maps, cited by Mr Bishop, as found in 

 Hampshire, is the Forest of Axiholt, now known as Alice* 

 holt, and the Forest of Wulvemere, now known as Wool- 

 mer, which were considered by Mr Bishop as but divisions 

 of the New Forest. These two portions are separated by 

 intervening private property : one part containing 1 5,493 

 acres, and the other 2,744. Of the two forest woodlands, 

 Aliceholt and Woolmer Forest, the following account is 

 given in the Journal of Forestry, vol. i., p. 43 : 



" The Forest of Aliceholt and Woolmer is situated in the 

 east part of the county of Hants, on the borders of the 

 counties of Surrey and Sussex, and is bounded on one side 

 by the river Wey, which becomes navigable at Godalming, 

 about ten miles from the middle of the forest, and com- 

 municates with the river Thames, affording an easy con- 

 veyance for the forest timber to the dockyards in that 

 river. The most ancient perambulation of this forest 

 recorded is dated in the 28th year of Edward I., from 

 which document it appears that this was one of the forests 

 enlarged by the four preceding kings, and reduced by 

 Edward to its more ancient limits. Another perambula- 

 tion was made in the llth of Charles I., and the boundaries 

 of both appear to be the same. In 1787 the whole of the 

 forest consisted of about 15,493 acres, but of that quantity 

 about 6,799 acres belonged to private proprietors, and the 

 rest to the Crown. The forest consists of two divisions, the 

 one called the Holt, or Aliceholt, and the other Woolmer. 

 The two parts are separated from each other by consider- 

 able extent of intervening private property. Aliceholt was 

 formerly divided into three bailiwicks or walks, called the 

 North, South, and West Bailiwicks, but this distinction 

 has long been laid aside ; Woolmer is divided into two 

 walks, called Linchborough Walk and Borden Walk. As 

 is usual with English forests, there appear to have been 



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