PLANTS : BIRCH, YEW, BOX, ETC. 55 



the New Forest. (In the parish of Market Lavington is a pretty large coppice, which consists for 

 the most part of birch; and from thence it is well known by the name of the Birchen coppice. 

 BISHOP TANNER.) 



In the parish of Hilmerton, in .the way from Calne, eastward, leaving Hilmerton on the left hand, 

 grows a red withy on the ditch side by the gate, 10 feet 6 inches about ; and the spreading of the 

 boughs is seaven yards round from the body of the tree. 



Wich-hazel in the hundred of Malmesbury and thereabout, spontaneous. There are two vast 

 wich-hazel trees in Okesey Parke, not much lesse than one of the best oakes there. 



At Dunhed St. Maries, at the crosse, is a wicli-hazell not lesse worthy of remarque than Magda- 

 lene-College oake (mentioned by Dr. Rob. Plott), for the large circumference of the shadowe that 

 it causeth. When I was a boy the bowyers did use them to make bowes, and they are next best 

 to yew. 



Hornbeam we have none ; neither did I ever see but one in the west of England, and that at 

 Bathwick, juxta Bath, in the court yard of Hen. Nevill, Esq. 



Yew trees naturally grow in chalkie countrys. The greatest plenty of them, as I believe, in the 

 west of England is at Nunton Ewetrees. Between Knighton Ashes and Downton the ground 

 produces them all along ; but at Nttnton they are a wood. At Ewridge, in the parish of Colern, 

 in North Wilts (a stone brash and a free stone), they also grow indifferently plentifull ; and in the 

 parish of Kington St. Michael I remember three or four in the stone brash and red earth. 



When I learnt my accidents, 1633, at Yatton Keynel, there was a fair and spreading ewe-tree in 

 the churchyard, as was common heretofore. The boyes tooke much delight in its shade, and it 

 furnish't them with their scoopes and nutt-crackers. The clarke lop't it to make money of it to 

 some bowyer or fletcher, and that lopping kill'd it : the dead trunke remaines there still. (Eugh- 

 trees grow wild about Winterslow. A great eugh-tree in North Bradley churchyard, planted, as 

 the tradition goes, in the time of y c Conquest. Another in .... Cannings churchyard. Leland 

 (Itinerary) observes that in his time there was thirty-nine vast eugh-trees in the churchyard belong- 

 ing to Stratfleur Abbey, in Wales. BISHOP TANNER. Abundance of ewgh-trees in Surrey, upon 

 the downes, heretofore, tho now much diminished. J. EVELYN.) 



Box, a parish so called in North Wilts, neer Bathe, in which parish is our famous freestone quarre 

 of Haselbery : in all probability tooke its name from the box-trees which grew there naturally, but 

 now worne out. 



Not far off on Coteswold in Gloucestershire is a village called Boxwell, where is a great wood of it, 

 which once in .... yeares Mr. Huntley fells, and sells to the combe-makers in London. At 

 Boxley in Kent, and at Boxhill in Surrey, bothe chalkie soiles, are great box woods, to which the 

 combe-makers resort. 



Holy is indifferently common in Malmesbury hundred, and also on the borders of the New Forest : 

 it seemes to indicate pitt-coale. In Wardour Parke are holy-trees that beare yellow berries. I 

 think I have seen the like in Cranborne Chase. 



