1 66 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



We are, however, here concerned with the smaller pieces 

 of woodland attached to definite estates. Whenever a wood 

 is recorded, some indication of its size is also given. If we 

 return to the three Oxfordshire manors to which reference 

 has previously been made, we find that both at Combe and 

 Stanton Harcourt there were woods " a league and a half in 

 length, and the same in breadth," while no wood is recorded 

 as belonging to Deddington. But, as has been said above, 

 we must not consider these woods as being squares with a 

 side of 12 furlongs ; these are the extreme measurements, 

 and no attention was paid to the shape of the wood. There 

 are a few cases in Essex of measurement of the wood by 

 hides and acres : at Burstead there were 5 hides of wood, 

 and at Barstable there were 30 acres of wood. Sometimes 

 a large wood was not specifically divided. There was a large 

 wood in the hundred of Hertford, of which Ralph de Limesi 

 claimed as much as pertained to 3 hides of Emmeswelle, and 

 the canons of Waltham claimed as much as pertained to 

 I hide. 1 The whole county of Leicester had a wood 

 (Hereswode) 4 leagues in length and I in breadth. 2 Another 

 wood belonging to different owners in individual shares was 

 Hawcombe Wood, in Dorset, of which two parts were in the 

 King's farm, and " the third part, or the third oak " belonged, 

 T. R. E., to Earl Edwin. 3 Most frequently the wood was 

 used in common by the lord and his tenants ; but a distinction 

 is drawn at Rodolei between the demesne wood and the wood 

 of the villans, the former being more than double the size of 

 the latter. 4 



The woodland would be useful to the villagers in many 

 ways. In later centuries every tenant of a manor was entitled 

 to firing and materials for the repair of his house and fences 

 in the manorial woods. Such rights are mentioned in Domes- 

 day Book. At Malvern the Bishop of Worcester had firing 



1 D. B., I. 140 b I. 2 Id., I. 230 a I. 



3 Id., I. 75 a 2. 4 Id., I. 230 a 2. 



