254 FOREST OF DEAN. 
the best iron of Europe for many years, and other uses in time 
to come which might be of great use for defence of the nation, 
the old trees then standing being above 300 years growth, and 
yet as good timbers as any in the world, and the ground so apt 
to produce and so strong to preserve timber, especially oaks, 
that within 100 ycars there may be sufficient provision there 
found to maintain the Navy royal for ever.”’ 
The result of this inquiry was that the grant to 
Winter was surrendered, and a new lease was given 
to him for a term of years, after negotiations with 
Pepys, which are duly mentioned in his Diary. 
Acting under this new lease, Winter again began 
to inclose the Forest, and again the popular feeling 
of the district was aroused against him. Complaints 
were made to the House of Commons, and a Committee 
was appointed to consider the matter. It appears 
that the freeholders, commoners, and inhabitants of the 
district met together and made proposals to the Com- 
mittee for the settlement of the Forest, in which they 
offered very large concessions in the direction of inclosure 
for the improvement of the growth of timber. The 
Forest then consisted of 24,000 acres. They proposed 
that 11,000 acres should be inclosed by the Crown, and 
be discharged of rights of pasture, estover and pannage ; 
and that the Crown, on throwing open any of these 
inclosures, might take in as much, so that not more 
than 11,000 acres should be inclosed at any one time; 
that the timber on the remaining 13,000 acres should 
belong absolutely to His Majesty, discharged of estovers 
for ever, and of pannage for twenty-one years; that 
the whole waste of the Forest should be re-afforested, 
