EXTINCT WOODS AND FORESTS. 145 



to 4 miles by 2 miles, 3J by 2J miles, 3 miles by 3 miles; 

 and states that these, with others of less note, make in all 

 147 woods and forests. 



Of forests in Yorkshire he gives the names of 116, 

 varying in size from 1 mile long and J mile broad to 16 

 by 4, and 9 by 9, which, with a great many other woods, 

 make in all 366 ; and, he adds, " One of the smaller woods 

 is Bolton Percy, from which a great part of its timber was 

 given by Lord Percy to the building of the cathedral church 

 at York,* whence it appears that the trees had been large. 

 In taking the woods from Doomsday Book we observe that 

 many of these woods are the whole length or breadth of 

 the manor from which they are named ; and the adjoining 

 manor gives its woods a different name, though many of 

 them are apparently only a continuation of the same forest : 

 consequently, if they were taken as they really were in 

 wood, without being divided by the artificial line of manor 

 right, there would appear a much smaller number, but 

 larger in size. This will hold good with the other counties 

 as well as Yorkshire." 



Of woods in Kent he gives the names of 49 mentioned 

 in Doomsday Book with others of less note, in all 225 

 " bearing mast and berry, besides those not bearing mast, 

 many of them of great extent, though not taken particular 

 notice of on account of their yielding nothing for the 

 feeding of swine. One of these bearing no mast near 

 Canterbury contained one thousand acres. All these are 

 exclusive of the royal forests, to which, says he, I now 

 proceed. 



" William I. appears to have had in possession 68 forests, 

 13 chases, and 781 parks, in different parts of England. 

 The number decreased much under his successors, as will 

 be apparent when speaking of forest laws, though Henry 

 VIII. gave the fatal blow to the woods and forests of the 

 country in general, when he seized the church lands &c., 

 and applied them principally to his own use. 



* Bawdwin'a Doomsday, page 163, 



