130 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



The object of this encroachment is obvious, 

 because all the best coverts in the country and the 

 favourite breeding places of the deer were thus 

 brought within the "regard of the forest." 



We do not know that King John ever hunted on 

 Exmoor himself, but he frequently went to the Royal 

 hunting lodge at Axbridge to hunt on Mendip. 

 There is said to be an old foik-song extant in those 

 parts, with a chorus in praise of King John — surely 

 the only place in England where he ever was 

 praised. 



By the forest clauses of Magna Charta and by the 

 Charta de Foresta John professed to abandon all 

 his encroachments, but it was long before any 

 effective steps were taken. 



Two perambulations of the forest were made in 

 1279, one on January 4th, and the other in April. 



The jury on the first occasion started from County 

 Gate and followed the line of the present road by 

 Hawkcombe Head to Alderman's Barrow, and thence 

 by the line of the existing trackway to the road below 

 Hill Head Cross and by Edgcott to Exford. From 

 here the line followed the Exe down to Road Castle, 

 and then proceeded by the track up to and across 

 Room Hill, and by Comer's Gate and Wambarrows 

 nearly to the old inscribed stone by Spire Cross, then 

 ** by the great way between the two Ashways " (how 

 often we gallop that track in the course of a season) 

 "as far as the water of Barle at Tarr Steps, and 

 down to the Danes Brook at Castle Bridge. From 



