178 THE RED DEER OF EX MOOR. 



The valleys around Porlock, Luccombe, and 

 Dunster were, we know, highly cultivated from an 

 early time, but they were probably enclosed and culti- 

 vated in severalty from remote ages. They must have 

 been enclosed a long time before 1 540, when Leland 

 wrote of them : " From Culbone to Stert most parte 

 of the shore is hilly ground and nere the shore is no 

 store of wood ; that that is ys al in hegge rows of 

 enclosures. There is great plenty of benes in this 

 quarter and great plenty of whete and catelle. . . ." 

 Leland's account of the district is interesting. He 

 rode " From Dunnesterre to Exford a 7 miles. 

 Of these 7 miles 3 or 4 were all hilly and rokky, 

 ful of Brokes in every Hilles botom and meatly 

 wodded." He must have gone over the shoulder 

 of Croydon Hill instead of up the Avill \'ale, 

 otherwise he would not have failed to notice Timbers- 

 combe, Harwood, Bickham, and other ancient farms 

 in the valley. " These Brokes by my estimacion ran 

 towards the Severn Sea. The Residew of the 

 way to Exford was partly on a moore, and 

 sumwhat barren of Corne, and partly hylly, having 

 many Brookes gathering to the hither ripe of Ex 

 Ryver. There is a little tymbre bridge at Exforde 

 over Ex Brook, ther being but a smaul water. 



" Ex risith in Exmoor at a place called Excrosse, 

 a 3 miles of by North-Weste, and so goeth towards 

 Tyvertun a XII. miles lower. 



" From Exford to Simondsbath Bridge a 4 miles 

 al by Forest Baren and Morisch ground where 



