294 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



those who subsequently tried to find their way by- 

 aid of the map. 



Mr. Knight had been successful in enclosing 

 portions of his own county, Worcester, and he set to 

 work with great vigour to turn his newly acquired 

 property to account. 



A small village had, since the small enclosure 

 authorised by Charles I., grown up at Simonsbath, 

 and Mr. Knight taking up his quarters at what was till 

 then the village inn, started to build himself a large 

 house, the unfinished ivy-clad walls of which rem.ained 

 standing like a picturesque ruin till pulled down a 

 few years ago by Lord Fortescue. 



Immense sums of money were spent on road- 

 making, enclosing, draining, and in prospecting 

 for minerals. The South Forest, that is, the part 

 south of the Barle, w^as entirely enclosed and sub- 

 stantial farms built, such as Emmet's Grange, Winter- 

 shead, Sherdon, while Honeymead, The Warren, 

 Larkbarrow, and Driver, or Dryford, were laid out. To 

 carry out these works all the local labour in the villages 

 round was insufficient, and a whole army of Irishmen 

 was imported, a very turbulent crowd, always fighting 

 among themselves. Tales of their battles still survive. 



The Ebbw \^ale and other companies, who were 

 sinking shafts and raising iron ore, imported gangs 

 of Welshmen, and the peaceful haunts of the red deer 

 were rudely disturbed. A very high quality of iron 

 ore was found in abundance, and a track for a 

 tramway to take the ore from Simonsbath, by the 



