THE FOREST OF WORCESTERSHIRE 227 



a hollow timber tree had been set on fire in the park, and that 

 they appealed to Blount to save it ; he told them to fell it, 

 which they did, intending it for the lord president, but Blount 

 seized it. They also reported that no person was allowed to 

 take out any dead tree, windfall, rootfall, or stub, " unless the 

 same be first by us vewed and prised and sealed with our 

 sealinge axe." 



Ombersley forest began at the north gate of Worcester and 

 extended along the banks of the Severn ; it had originally 

 been part of the great forest of Wyre. 



Horewell forest began at the south gate, and extended 

 along the eastern road to Spetchley and across the Avon. 

 Both Horewell and Ombersley ceased to be forest districts 

 under the Forest Charter of Henry III. 



Malvern forest, or rather chase, extended from the river 

 Teme in the north towards Gloucestershire in the south, and 

 from the Severn to the top of the Malvern Hills. In Nash's 

 Worcestershire (i., Ixxiv., etc.) there is some interesting in- 

 formation as to the considerable rights pertaining to the lord 

 of the free chase of Malvern, which are discussed by Mr. 

 Turner in his Forest Pleas (cix.-cxiii.), and clearly point to 

 the district having once been royal forest. For instance, the 

 dogs of this extensive chase were lawed twice in seven years. 

 This lawing, locally termed "hombling," differed somewhat 

 from the method prescribed in true forests by the Forest 

 Charter. All dogs that could not or would not be drawn 

 through a strap of eighteen inches and a barley-corn in length 

 had the further joints of the two middle claws cut away, for 

 which operation the owner was amerced in the sum of 3^. \d. 



Leland, temp. Henry VIII., says: "The Chase of Malvern 

 is biggar than Wire or Feckingham, and occupieth a great 

 part of Malverne Hills. Great Malverne and Little Malverne 

 also is set in the Chase of Malverne. Malverne Chase (as I 

 hear say) is in length in some places twenty miles." It was 

 granted by Edward I. to Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, 

 on his marriage with Jean d'Acres, the king's daughter. 

 From that date it ceased to be under true forest law, being in 

 the hands of a subject ; but down to the reign of Charles I. 

 there were verderers, foresters, and other ministers of the 

 chase. 



