66 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



leap" at Hursley Park, Hampshire, which is also 

 figured by Mr Evelyn Shirley in the work last 

 quoted (p. 85), and I have seen the remains of a 

 similar one at Exton Park, Rutlandshire, the seat 

 of the Earl of Gainsborough.-^ 



The privilege, which was sparingly accorded, of 

 making and maintaining a "deer-leap" on the 

 borders of a forest or royal chase was always 

 specially granted by deed or charter, and could not 

 otherwise be claimed as of right by the owner of 

 the park, who had license to inclose it. 



The records of special grants of this nature are 

 not very numerous, and a few may here be cited as 

 curiosities. 



In the county of Somerset, Robert de Were, a 

 son of Robert Fitzharding (temp. Hen. II.), had 

 " deer-leaps " on his manors of Barrow and English- 

 combe. 



A patent roll of the eighth year of King John (a.d. 



1 The position of this " deer-leap " is somewhat singular, 

 inasmuch as it is not situated, as usual, on the present boundary 

 of the park, but directly across a broad ride in Tunnelly Wood. 

 An old keeper (Robert Williams, aged seventy-four), with whom I 

 had some conversation on the subject, told me that he re- 

 membered the old people in his youth talking about this "deer- 

 leap," and that there was a tradition to the effect that it was used 

 for shooting deer ; that the shooter crouched in the fosse under 

 the stone wall, and that the deer were driven by beaters directly 

 up the ride, and so forced to take the leap. I cannot help think- 

 ing that this was altogether a misapprehension of its object; and 

 judging from the growth of the timber, I should suppose that 

 there has been an alteration of boundary, in consequence of the 

 wood on this side now projecting further into the park than was 

 formerly the case. I remarked also that the slope of the fosse 

 from the base of the stone wall is towards the park, and not 

 towards the forest. 



