10 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



a large portion of the timber used in the construction of 

 our " wooden walls," now, alas ! becoming things of the 

 past. 



At various times portions of the forest had been 

 granted to different lords of manors, the last which 

 changed owners being that beautiful tract adjoining the 

 little town of Ollerton, comprising the two Hays, or divi- 

 sions, of " Birkiand " and " Bilhagh," still covered with 

 trees. This about sixty years since was granted to the 

 late Duke of Portland in exchange for the perpetual 

 advowson of St. Mary-le-Bone, then held by the duke. 

 The division of Birkiand (so called from the numerous 

 birch trees which are interspersed amongst the oaks), 

 was reconveyed by the duke to the late Earl Manvers 

 in exchange for the manors of Holbeck and Bon Busk, 

 which were contiguous to the duke's domain at Welbeck 

 Thoresby Park, the seat of the earl, being only 

 separated from the forest by a fence. 



Some idea of the value of the timber derived from 

 the forest in bygone times may be estimated from the 

 fact that in 104 years viz., from 1686 to 1790 there 

 Lad been cut down no fewer than 27,199 oak trees, all 

 of large size. From a survey made in 1 609 it was 

 found that even then the majority of the trees were past 

 maturity. The result of the survey was that Birkiand 

 numbered 21,009 oak trees, and Bilhagh 28,900. I 

 have heard my father say he remembered that in each 

 of the three consecutive years before the Crown parted 

 with the forest, a large fall of trees was taken for the 

 royal dockyards. 



Some curious instances of inosculation occur amongst 

 the trees in Thoresby Park, but this peculiarity does not 

 seem to be possessed by all trees even of the same 



