DEAN FOREST. 43 



near tbeir old iron workings, and the marvellous paved 

 highways which still form the principal thoroughfares, 

 remain to tell us of the importance and prosperity of the dis- 

 trict as far back as the commencement of the Chrisitian era. 



" The chain of detached earthworks commencing with 

 the lines of circumvallation which enclose the promontory 

 of Beachley, the camp and entrenchments on the high 

 lands of Tidenham Chase, then the camp near Bearse 

 Common, terminating in the triple ramparts across the 

 neck of Symonds Yat, generally believed to be portions of 

 the great barrier known as Oifa's Dyke, thrown up by that 

 king to prevent the invasion of his territory of Mercia by 

 ' the wylde Welshe menne,' bring us up to the year 760. 



"The chronicles ofFlorentius Vigomiensis tell of an 

 invasion by 'the Pagan Pirates,' under Ohterus and 

 Hroaldus, who, sailing up the Sabrina (Severn), incon- 

 tinently carried off the good Bishop Cymelgeac from the 

 pleasant mead of Yrcenefield (Archenfield) in the year of 

 grace 912, whom King Edward ransomed for forty pounds 

 of silver. But it is in Domesday Book that we come upon 

 the first undeniable record of the Forest of Dean — 'has 

 tras c' oessit rex E. quietus a geldo pro fm-estd custod' — 

 and Edward the Confessor having thus exempted this 

 forest from the payment of the Danegeld, it remained free 

 from taxation under the dominion of the Conqueror. 

 Already a Royal Chace, it became a favourite resort of the 

 first of our Norman kings ; and it was while hunting in it 

 in the year 1069 that William received the news of the 

 invasion of Yorkshire by the Danes. Eoused to fury by 

 the tidings, he swore with a tremendous oath that not one 

 Northumbrian should escape his revenge, an oath which 

 he put into prompt and terrible execution. 



"Between the years 1120 and 1135 the Castle of St. 

 Briavels was btiilt by Milo Fitz- Walter, first Earl of Here- 

 ford, who appears to have been also the first Constable of 

 St. Briavells and Warden of the Forest of Dean. In a.d. 

 1140 the Abbey of Flaxley was founded by Roger, the 

 Earl's eldest son, who named it ' The Abbey of St. Mary 



