50 THE FORESTS OP ENGLAND. 



ment of the Forest of Dean is vested in a lord warden, 

 who is constable of the Castle of St Briavells, six deputy- 

 wardens, four verderers chosen by the freeholders, a 

 conservator, seven wood- wards, a chief-forester in fee, and 

 bow-bearer ; eight foresters in fee, a gaveller, and a 

 steward of the swanimote. The forest is divided into six 

 walks ; and these officers are empowered to hold a court of 

 attachment every forty days, a court of swanimote three 

 times in the year, and another court, called the justice-seat, 

 once in three years. These courts are held at the Queen's 

 Lodge, or Speech House, situated nearly in the centre of 

 the forest. The whole forest is extra-parochial, and its 

 inhabitants are exempted from rates and taxes, have free 

 liberty of pasturage, the privilege of sinking mines, and 

 access to the woods and timber for their works. 150 

 years ago the six lodges erected for the keepers were the 

 only houses in the forest ; now the number amounts to 

 nearly 1500. 



In Dean Forest the devastation has been reckless and 

 wanton, and, latterly, this has been continued through the 

 demand of the miners' industry of the locality ; but here 

 we have to do only with the olden forms of this. 



It greatly abounds in coal and iron-ore; and iron 

 appears to have been wrought there both by the ancient 

 Britons and Romans. In the time of Edward I. there 

 were seventy-two furnaces in this forest for melting iron ; 

 and it is related that the miners of those days were very 

 industrious in seeking after the beds of cinders where the 

 Romans of Britain had been at work before them, which 

 remains, when burnt over again, were supposed to make 

 the best iron. The following historical facts relative to 

 the forest are worth recording : 



" Henry I. gave the tithes of all venison in the Forest 

 of Dean to the Abbey of Gloucester* 



" Henry II. gave to the Abbot of Flaxley for his forge 

 two oaks every week. Wood Was plentiful then, and 

 monks were bold. 



" A forge was granted to Roger de Lacey in the reign 



