A HISTORY OF DORSET 



Hundred of Newton. — Item there is within the said hundred two commons of her Majestic 

 whereof one of them called West Comon continent by estimation I myle in compasse or thereabouts 

 These Manners viz LiJlinche West Bagber, East Bagber and Mr. Crolchorne his tenants of Haydon do 

 entercomon The other called Gobson Comon continent the like compasse or thereabouts the Mannors 

 hereafter mentioned be intercommoners viz. Chilockesover Ockeforde ffitzpain South Fifett Fifett Nevill 

 and Plumber ar entercomoners upon whiche comons ar mares kepte accordinge to the statute. 



Hundred of Buckhnde. — Item there is within the said hundred one Comon of her Majesties called 

 Blackmore Comon continent by estimation vj myles in compasse or thereabouts whereunto these Manors 

 viz Pulham Hohvall Bucklande and Wotton Glanfeld do entercomon And upon the same ar Mares 

 kept according to the statute. 



Item within the said hundred one Henry Stoyett of Mylton holdeth by lease one enclosed ground 

 called Duntishe Park being disparked and the lands of the Lord Morden continent by estimation one 

 mile and a half in compasse wherein are not mares kept accordinge to the Statute. 



Hundred of Jf'hitetvay. — Item there is within the said hundred one parke called Melcombe Parke 

 continent by estimation ij myles and a helf or thereabouts in compasse being the land of Sr John Horsey 

 Knight And in his occupation in whiche parke he as well deere kepte as also Mares and Stallands 

 according to the Statute. 



The Isle of Purbeck, which is the name for the south-easterly corner of the county, though 

 ceasing, as has been stated, to be a royal forest under forest laws in the time of John, long 

 remained a home of the red deer, which roamed almost at will throughout the whole territory, 

 extending twelve miles in length, and ten miles in the widest part from north to south. Within 

 the warren or park of Corfe Castle there were also fallow deer. Documents of the fourteenth and 

 subsequent centuries occasionally name the Forest of Purbeck ; but it was more usually termed 

 Chase, the correct title when held by a subject. The Constable of Corfe Castle, who held that office 

 under various titles, was lieutenant of the whole island, and not infrequently denominated chief 

 forester or warrener. In a quaint map of the Isle of Purbeck, drawn by one Ralph Treswell, 

 circa. 1585, red deer (both stags and hinds) are drawn as roaming about in all parts of the district.** 

 The author of a survey of the western counties, drawn up in 1635, says of Purbeck : — 



In this island doth range many goodly deere that are hedged in with a surer p.ile than wood 

 (sea and river), which, when they are hunted will adventure into the sea and take s.ik soils, 

 whereby they stand long and make brave sport, of which (having a fit opportunity and a little time 

 to cast away) I had some part, much to my content." 



King James is said to have been the last of our kings who hunted here ; he visited Corfe 

 Castle in 161 5. The open heaths of the eastern side of the island were eminently suited as runs 

 for the red deer. The last of these wild deer are said to have perished during the great Civil War. 



There are but five deer-stocked parks at the present day in the whole of this extensive 

 county.*^ 



Charborough Park (Mrs. Ernle-Erle-Drax) is one of the finest parks in England ; it is beauti- 

 fully timbered on undulating ground. The area is 798 acres, and it is stocked with 400 fallow and 

 250 red deer. The park also contains 35 Brahmin cattle. There has been no planting done on 

 this estate for many years, but the present owner is much interested in forestry and replanting has 

 begun (1907) at Moram Park. Charborough Park was inclosed on its present lines early in the 

 nineteenth century, but there had previously been a park of a smaller extent within its limits, and 

 the park at Lytchett, a mile in compass, just mentioned in the 1583 survey, was near at hand. 



Sherborne Castle (F. J. B. Wingfield-Digby, Esq.) The actual deer park has an area of 328 

 acres and is stocked with 280 fallow deer. There are also two Japanese deer. All the fallow deer 

 are of a dark brown colour, and very few are in any way dappled. In addition to the park proper, 

 there is a considerable extent of surrounding park-like grounds with finely displayed groups ol 

 timber and stretches of bracken, flanked with wood. The whole covers about 1,000 acres. 



There are a large number of roe-deer living wild among the woods, particularly in the Old 

 Park, Honeycombe, and Whitfield woods. Of late years a considerable area of woodland has been 

 replanted. 



Melbury House, Dorchester (Earl of Ilchester) is surrounded by a fine old well-timbered park of 

 about 500 acres, stocked with about 500 deer, red, fallow, and Japanese. Here was an ancient seat 



° This map is preserved at Kingston L.icy ; a reproduction is given in the last edition of Hutchins' 

 Dorset, i, 462. 



" Lansdowne MS. 213. 



" Some of the brief information as to Dorset parks is gained from Deer and Deer Parks (1867) and 

 Whitaker, Deer P^r^j (1892), and some from local observation; but I am chiefly indebted to the ready- 

 courtesy of the agents of the different estates. 



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