A HISTORY OF SURREY 



Traversed from east to west,' and thus divided into two unequal 

 portions by the North Downs range, which rises to a height of 880 

 feet— though the highest hills (Leith Hill, 967 feet ; and Hindhead, 

 903 feet) are on outlying ridges in the southern portion of the county — 

 it is probable that at one time by far the greater part of the county was 

 covered with woodland growth. Although oak, chestnut, walnut, ash, 

 elm, alder and willow have been extensively planted, as well as Scots 

 pine, which propagates itself freely from seed on the stretches of com- 

 mon in the north-western side of the county, beech no doubt at one 

 time formed large compact masses of woodland on the chalk hills of the 

 Downs, even though these have in most places long since been stripped 

 of such primeval covering. The climate is mild and the air dry, the 

 rainfall north of the Downs being from 25 to 30 inches a year, while it 

 varies from 30 to 35 inches in the southern part of the county. 



The soil throughout Surrey varies very greatly in quality, from stiff 

 plastic clays to calcareous earth, poor sands, dry chalk and bare rocky 

 ground. To the north of the Downs on the tracts sloping downwards 

 towards the Thames the land is fertile, while in the central and southern 

 districts it is poor in quality, and consists mostly of sand and chalk. 

 Though some of these latter tracts look as if they could never have 

 been densely wooded, and though no historical evidence can be quoted 

 to show that they once were so covered, yet it seems extremely probable 

 that such was the case. Experience in different parts of the world shows 

 very clearly, and more especially so in the case of limestone hills, that 

 often even within the course of two generations well-wooded hills can be 

 reduced to a condition so bare that it seems difficult to believe they 

 can have been thickly wooded until a comparatively recent date. 

 The Weald, or southern district extending along the north of Sussex 

 into Kent, and consisting of a pale, cold, retentive clay, was undoubtedly 

 (as its name imphes) thickly covered with woods, in which oaks 

 probably predominated largely. It is still the principal woodland 

 district of Surrey, and remarkable for the fine growth of its timber 

 trees of all sorts, while the woods on the poorer upland tracts consist 

 to a much greater extent of beechwood and copses than of highwoods 

 grown for timber. 



The game laws which William I. found in existence, or the 

 habits and customs sanctioned by long usage having the effect of laws 

 and regulations, fell far short of what he desired and intended to 

 carry out in order to diminish the power of the landowners and to 

 establish his own dominion. Hence his general policy was to enlarge 

 the boundaries of the various royal hunting grounds in the different 

 counties by including extensive areas of cultivated and uncultivated lands, 

 to place these under ban as sanctuaries for game, and to reserve to him- 

 self, or to those specially privileged by his royal favour, the right of 

 hunting there. The placing of such tracts under ban was termed 



' See map feeing p. 340, vol. i. 

 562 



