DUFFIELD FRITH 197 



Wynston the grant made by Philip and Mary in these two 

 parks of timber sufficient for the repair of houses, lodges, 

 hedges, and all manner of farm gear, as well as for fuel. 



An elaborate survey of this forest, giving the exact number 

 of the trees and the condition of the undergrowth in each 

 ward and park, was drawn up in 1560. There is no other 

 known forest return of the sixteenth century which gives 

 nearly such full details. It was printed in full, with other 

 later surveys, in the Derbyshire Archaeological Society's 

 journal for 1903. The large trees were entirely oak. There 

 is not a single mention of an elm. The underwood included 

 white and black thorn, hazel, holly, maple, crab-tree, and 

 alder, as well as abundance of birch wood in Belper ward. 

 The totals work out to the large amount of 111,968 trees, of 

 which 59,412 were large oaks, 32,820 small oaks, and 19,736 

 oaks in more or less state of decay " dottard oaks," and only 

 suitable for fuel. 



The destruction of timber throughout Duffield Forest was 

 excessive during the whole of Elizabeth's reign. The contrast 

 between this survey of 1560 and another that was taken in 1587 

 is most extraordinary. There were at the latter date only 

 2,764 large oaks and 3,032 small oaks; they are set forth in 

 detail with their estimated worth. The total value of the 

 whole wood was somewhat under 2,000. 



The commissions relative to this forest during Elizabeth's 

 reign were frequent. In 1581 Edward Stanhope, William 

 Agard, and Simon Arden were commissioned to view and 

 report on Duffield Frith. They called before them the wood- 

 wards and collectors of the three wards (for Colebrook ward 

 had now disappeared through the appropriation of the Lowe 

 family, and Shottle park was wholly in Duffield ward), as well 

 as divers of the tenants and freeholders, and by their informa- 

 tion and their own perambulations arrived at the following 

 conclusions : That there is a woodward and collector or 

 forester-in-fee of each ward; that these wards were "till of 

 late years replenished with game and fallow deare, and had 

 divers other officers and ministers of chase as foresters-in-fee, 

 bow-bearers, and such like " ; that as " the said game is utterlie 

 destroyed ' they did not call for sight of such grants ; that in 

 Hulland there is a great deal of plain ground as well as 



