152 THE NEW FOREST 



with the rules laid down to regulate the method 

 of farming the coppice. 



Ridley Wood, where these misdemeanours 

 occurred, is one of the most beautiful woods in 

 the whole Forest. It consists almost entirely of 

 pollarded beeches, with wide spreading heads of 

 numerous different stems, some of very large 

 dimensions, forming, both individually and as a 

 whole, woodland scenes of very great beauty. It 

 has amply repaid the care that was bestowed upon 

 it in its early days. 



There were other forestal crimes committed 

 with regard to these ancient encoppicements. In 

 one case the " Regarders and Preservators of the 

 Bailiwick of Fritham make oath and say in 

 English words, that in the coppice called Hock- 

 nold (Ocknell Wood) there is felled by the ground 

 four oaks" i.e. the pollards might be re-pollarded, 

 but not felled. These records, trivial in them- 

 selves, when taken with the story that the old 

 woods tell for themselves, throw a flood of light 

 on the origin and history of the ancient wood- 

 lands which most profoundly interests the prac- 

 tised observer. That they were first enclosed is 

 certain by the records and by the heavy bills we 

 find being presented to the Exchequer of the 

 day for the charges of doing the work. That 

 they were farmed out, on peculiar terms, is shown 



