The Keeper's Lodge, in the Great Park, at Staunton-Harold, Leicestershire, 1840. 



CHAPTER VII. 



LEICESTERSHIRE. 



URTON in his 'Description 

 of Leicestershire,' printed in 

 1622, observes of the parks in 

 this county : ' This shire hath 

 bene reasonable well stored with places 

 for vert and venison, but now not so well 

 furnished ; the ancient Forest of Cham- 

 wood, commonly called Loughborough 

 Forest, by reason of the vicinity, hath 

 long ago been disafforested,' of which I 

 shall speake hereafter in his place. The 

 Chase of Leicester is now well replenished 



with game. It did anciently belong to 

 the Earles of Leicester, who had many 

 parkes also neere adjoyning. It now be- 

 longs to the Dutchie of Lancaster.' Bur- 

 ton proceeds to give a list of ' the parks 

 now in use.' But perhaps the most con- 

 venient arrangement will be to notice 

 those ancient parks first, which were in 

 the immediate neighboui'hood of Leices- 

 ter ; next, those in the vicinity of Cham- 

 wood Forest, and afterwards those in 

 other parts of the county; premising that, 



It passed from the Crown to the Lords of Manors in the time of Henry II. 



