THE HOME OF THE WILD RED DEER. 7 



and the English Channel, while all the water north 

 of the road finds its way direct by various brooks to 

 the Bristol Channel. 



Midway across these hills are the ruins of the 

 engine-houses put up years ago by the Ebbw Vale 

 Iron Company for the purpose of their mines there. 

 The working of these mines gave a great stimulus to 

 the villages round, and, happening at a time when 

 corn, and particularly oats, commanded a high 

 price, led to a vast area of rough heather land being 

 enclosed and partially turned to cultivation. There 

 are miles of what are called " rough enclosures " on 

 the Brendon Hills, saving trouble, no doubt, to the 

 shepherds, but for arable purposes utterly useless, 

 and, save for the rough banks with or without beech 

 hedges on top, hardly distinguishable from open 

 moorland. 



The coverts in the deep valleys, particularly at 

 Haddon and Slowley and round Chargot Lodge, are 

 favourite haunts of the deer, and many a good run has 

 been enjoyed over Brendon Hill of late years, after a 

 long period when that good stretch of country was, 

 owing no doubt to the then recent enclosures, the 

 mining, and the attendant railway, forsaken by the 

 deer. Now that the mines are deserted and the 

 railway is grass grown, the red deer once more roam 

 at will over the wild plateau. 



Dipping down towards the north-west one finds 

 oneself on a narrow ridge with deep valleys on either 

 hand, and, after pausing awhile to refresh both man 



