111-571: Feckenham Forest was a royal forest , centred on the village of Feckenham , covering large parts of Worcestershire and west Warwickshire . It was not entirely wooded, nor entirely the property of the King. Rather, the King had legal rights over game, wood and grazing within the forest, and special courts imposed harsh penalties when these rights were violated. Courts and the forest gaol were located at Feckenham and executions took place at Gallows Green near Hanbury . The legal origins are not recorded, but
222-458: A fine of £4,000 and a small annual rent of £20. Ashton was a courtier, like many of the beneficiaries of the policy of disafforestation. The grant was confirmed in June 1629, when the disforestation of the forest was decreed, so that the 2100 acres (8.5 km) of woodland and waste in the forest parishes of Hanbury , Feckenham and Bradley could be partitioned between the crown, the manorial lords and
333-621: A "deer forest" generally has no trees at all. Marshlands in Lincolnshire were afforested. Upland moors too were chosen, such as Dartmoor and Exmoor in the South West, and the Peak Forest of Derbyshire . The North Yorkshire moors , a sandstone plateau, had a number of royal forests. William the Conqueror , a great lover of hunting, established the system of forest law. This operated outside
444-536: A considerable problem in the Middle Ages. Hunters were paid to kill wolves in Worcestershire, at the rate of 3 /- in the reign of Henry III , and Edward I specifically ordered his new chief forester Peter Corbet of Chaddesley to destroy wolves in 1280: to take and destroy in all forests and parks and other places within our counties of Glocester, Worcester, Hereford, Salop and Stafford, in which wolves are found,
555-472: A court of justice-seat (Forest Eyre) seems to have been in about 1635, in an attempt to raise money. By the Tudor period and after, forest law had largely become anachronistic, and served primarily to protect timber in the royal forests. James I and his ministers Robert Cecil and Lionel Cranfield pursued a policy of increasing revenues from the forests and starting the process of disafforestation. Cecil made
666-433: A deputy. He supervised the foresters and under-foresters, who personally went about preserving the forest and game and apprehending offenders against the law. The agisters supervised pannage and agistment and collected any fees thereto appertaining. The nomenclature of the officers can be somewhat confusing: the rank immediately below the constable was referred to as foresters-in-fee, or, later, woodwards , who held land in
777-616: A large Parke abuttinge on Feckenham thoughe in the Paryshe of Hanbury. Neither wanted theare (in Hanbury) for the recreation our Kynges a fayre Parke sortinge in name with the Kinges vast forest, reachinge in former ages far and wide. A large walk for savage beastes, but now more commodyously chaunged into the civill habitations of many gentellmen, the freeholds of wealthy yeomen, and dwellings of industryous husbandmen. Feckenham Parke cominge by attainder to
888-610: A more wooded character. Part of the area near Feckenham also includes important peat wetlands. The council classifies these landscapes as 'Timbered Farmlands', 'Wooded Estatelands' and 'Wet Pasture Meadows'. The "Forest of Feckenham and Feckenham Wetlands" area is identified by the Council as a "hotspot for biodiversity" and a priority for protecting and developing ' green infrastructure ' especially to protect "traditional field patterns, boundaries and small woodlands [and to] [e]nhance stream corridors". The Forestry Commission identifies most of
999-644: A most daring and presumptuous manner presented themselves unto us with warlike weapons ( vizt ) pikes, forrest bills , pitchforks, swords and the like". On this occasion, the authorities acted to suppress this "flatt [flat] rebellion", tried to arrest the rioters and injured a number of them. These riots were part of wider disturbances including the Western Rising . Ultimately, the Crown and manorial lords were successful in enclosing their lands. The Crown allocation in Hanbury
1110-606: A number of West Country forests, including Gillingham, Braydon and Dean, known as the Western Rising. Riots also took place in Feckenham, Leicester and Malvern. The riots followed the physical enclosure of lands previously used as commons, and frequently led to the destruction of fencing and hedges. Some were said to have had a "warlike" character, with armed mobs numbering hundreds, for instance in Feckenham. The rioters in Dean fully destroyed
1221-521: A range of offences within the forests; by the mid-17th century, enforcement of this law had died out, but many of England's woodlands still bore the title "Royal Forest". During the Middle Ages , the practice of reserving areas of land for the sole use of the aristocracy was common throughout Europe. Royal forests usually included large areas of heath , grassland and wetland – anywhere that supported deer and other game . In addition, when an area
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#17328478131971332-505: A separate concept. Trespasses against the vert were extensive: they included purpresture , assarting , clearing forest land for agriculture, and felling trees or clearing shrubs, among others. These laws applied to any land within the boundary of the forest, even if it were freely owned; although the Charter of the Forest in 1217 established that all freemen owning land within the forest enjoyed
1443-409: A triangular face, pointed ears, an elongated rostrum , and a bushy tail. They are digitigrade (meaning they walk on their toes). Unlike most members of the family Canidae, foxes have partially retractable claws . Fox vibrissae, or whiskers , are black. The whiskers on the muzzle, known as mystacial vibrissae, average 100–110 millimetres ( 3 + 7 ⁄ 8 – 4 + 3 ⁄ 8 inches) long, while
1554-426: A white marking . A fox's coat color and texture may vary due to the change in seasons; fox pelts are richer and denser in the colder months and lighter in the warmer months. To get rid of the dense winter coat, foxes moult once a year around April; the process begins from the feet, up the legs, and then along the back. Coat color may also change as the individual ages. A fox's dentition , like all other canids,
1665-453: A woman in Clapham, London was bitten on the arm by a fox after she had left the door to her flat open. The fox appears in many cultures, usually in folklore . There are slight variations in their depictions. In European, Persian, East Asian, and Native American folklore, foxes are symbols of cunning and trickery —a reputation derived especially from their reputed ability to evade hunters. This
1776-416: Is I 3/3, C 1/1, PM 4/4, M 3/2 = 42. (Bat-eared foxes have six extra molars, totalling in 48 teeth.) Foxes have pronounced carnassial pairs, which is characteristic of a carnivore . These pairs consist of the upper premolar and the lower first molar, and work together to shear tough material like flesh. Foxes' canines are pronounced, also characteristic of a carnivore, and are excellent in gripping prey. In
1887-589: Is a remnant of an older, much larger, royal hunting forest, which derived its name from its status as the shire (or sher) wood of Nottinghamshire, which extended into several neighbouring counties (shires), bordered on the west along the River Erewash and the Forest of East Derbyshire . When the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the forest covered perhaps a quarter of Nottinghamshire in woodland and heath subject to
1998-583: Is an area of land with different definitions in England , Wales , Scotland and Ireland . The term forest in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the original medieval sense was closer to the modern idea of a "preserve" – i.e. land legally set aside for specific purposes such as royal hunting – with less emphasis on its composition. There are also differing and contextual interpretations in Continental Europe derived from
2109-601: Is limited to the forests that extend from the southernmost to the northwesternmost part of the island. Though the Nahuelbuta National Park is protected, 90% of the species live on Chiloé Island. A major issue the species faces is their dwindling, limited habitat due to the cutting and burning of the unprotected forests. Because of deforestation, the Darwin's fox habitat is shrinking, allowing for their competitor's ( chilla fox ) preferred habitat of open space, to increase;
2220-540: Is often pressure to exclude them from these environments. The San Joaquin kit fox is a highly endangered species that has, ironically, become adapted to urban living in the San Joaquin Valley and Salinas Valley of southern California. Its diet includes mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, hares, bird eggs, and insects, and it has claimed habitats in open areas, golf courses, drainage basins, and school grounds. Though rare, bites by foxes have been reported; in 2018,
2331-681: Is the Russian silver fox , which resulted in visible and behavioral changes, and is a case study of an animal population modeling according to human domestication needs. The current group of domesticated silver foxes are the result of nearly fifty years of experiments in the Soviet Union and Russia to de novo domesticate the silver morph of the red fox. This selective breeding resulted in physical and behavioral traits appearing that are frequently seen in domestic cats, dogs, and other animals, such as pigmentation changes, floppy ears, and curly tails. Notably,
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#17328478131972442-414: Is usually represented as a character possessing these traits. These traits are used on a wide variety of characters, either making them a nuisance to the story, a misunderstood hero, or a devious villain. In East Asian folklore, foxes are depicted as familiar spirits possessing magic powers. Similar to in the folklore of other regions, foxes are portrayed as mischievous, usually tricking other people, with
2553-623: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is little more than propaganda. William Rufus , also a keen hunter, increased the severity of the penalties for various offences to include death and mutilation. The laws were in part codified under the Assize of the Forest (1184) of Henry II . Magna Carta , the charter forced upon King John of England by the English barons in 1215, contained five clauses relating to royal forests. They aimed to limit, and even reduce,
2664-562: The Carolingian and Merovingian legal systems. In Anglo-Saxon England , though the kings were great huntsmen, they never set aside areas declared to be "outside" (Latin foris ) the law of the land. Historians find no evidence of the Anglo-Saxon monarchs (c. 500 to 1066) creating forests. However, under the Norman kings (after 1066), by royal prerogative forest law was widely applied. The law
2775-499: The IUCN have since downgraded the conservation status from crictically endangered in their 2004 and 2008 assessments to endangered in the 2016 assessment, following findings of a wider distribution than previously reported. On the Chilean mainland, the population is limited to Nahuelbuta National Park and the surrounding Valdivian rainforest . Similarly on Chiloé Island , their population
2886-623: The New Forest in 1877. Since the conquest of England, the forest, chase and warren lands had been exempted from the common law and subject only to the authority of the king, but these customs had faded into obscurity by the time of The Restoration . William I , original enactor of the Forest Law in England, did not harshly penalise offenders. The accusation that he "laid a law upon it, that whoever slew hart or hind should be blinded ," according to
2997-809: The New Forest , three others in Hampshire , Windsor Forest in Berkshire , the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, Waltham or Epping Forest in Essex, three forests in Northamptonshire , and Wychwood in Oxfordshire. Some of these no longer had swainmote courts thus no official supervision. They divided the remaining forests into two classes, those with and without the Crown as major landowner. In certain Hampshire forests and
3108-748: The South West of England, forests extended across the Upper Jurassic Clay Vale. In the Midlands , the clay plain surrounding the River Severn was heavily wooded. Clay soils in Oxfordshire , Buckinghamshire, Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire formed another belt of woodlands. In Hampshire , Berkshire and Surrey , woodlands were established on sandy, gravelly, acid soils. In the Scots Highlands,
3219-405: The bat-eared fox , gray fox , and island fox . Foxes live on every continent except Antarctica. The most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) with about 47 recognized subspecies . The global distribution of foxes, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their prominence in popular culture and folklore in many societies around
3330-508: The common law , and served to protect game animals and their forest habitat from destruction. In the year of his death, 1087, a poem, " The Rime of King William ", inserted in the Peterborough Chronicle , expresses English indignation at the forest laws. Offences in forest law were divided into two categories: trespass against the vert (the vegetation of the forest) and trespass against the venison (the game). The five animals of
3441-516: The crab-eating fox ) have more specialized diets. Most species of fox consume around 1 kg (2.2 lb) of food every day. Foxes cache excess food, burying it for later consumption, usually under leaves, snow, or soil. While hunting, foxes tend to use a particular pouncing technique, such that they crouch down to camouflage themselves in the terrain and then use their hind legs to leap up with great force and land on top of their chosen prey. Using their pronounced canine teeth, they can then grip
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3552-407: The hare , coney , pheasant , and partridge . In addition, inhabitants of the forest were forbidden to bear hunting weapons, and dogs were banned from the forest; mastiffs were permitted as watchdogs, but they had to have their front claws removed to prevent them from hunting game. The rights of chase and of warren (i.e. to hunt such beasts) were often granted to local nobility for a fee, but were
3663-412: The 11th century, and at the height of this practice in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, fully one-third of the land area of Southern England was designated as royal forest. At one stage in the 12th century, all of Essex was afforested. On accession Henry II declared all of Huntingdonshire to be a royal forest. Afforestation , in particular the creation of the New Forest , figured large in
3774-418: The 1320s, and areas again fell within expanded forest boundaries. Robert Burdet complained that his woodlands at Arrow had been re-afforested into Feckenham. His and other complaints were heard in at the king's Council in June 1326. The 15th century were a period of decline of the forest courts in England, and weakness of the Crown. In 1444, Henry VI granted the Forest to Henry, Duke of Warwick to follow
3885-642: The 13th century survive in The National Archives , together with one inquisition from 1377. Some rolls of the Swanimote court of the forest from the time of Henry VII also survive. There was considerable pressure on the wooded areas from the use of timber to fuel salt pans in Droitwich, a practice that had been recorded as far back as the Domesday Book. Demand for salt increased as the population grew. Much of
3996-598: The 1630s. Each disafforestation would start with a commission from the Exchequer, which would survey the forest, determine the lands belonging to the crown, and negotiate compensation for landowners and tenants whose now-traditional rights to use of the land as commons would be revoked. A legal action by the Attorney General would then proceed in the Court of Exchequer against the forest residents for intrusion, which would confirm
4107-588: The California Channel Islands, it was found that the population of the island fox was so low due to an outbreak of canine distemper virus from 1999 to 2000 as well as predation by non-native golden eagles . Since 1993, the eagles have caused the population to decline by as much as 95%. Because of the low number of foxes, the population went through an Allee effect (an effect in which, at low enough densities, an individual's fitness decreases). Conservationists had to take healthy breeding pairs out of
4218-609: The Council of the Marches instructing him to supervise the deputy Lieutenants in Worcestershire in suppressing further "rebellious attempts". They demanded this be done by any means necessary, as the disturbances did "carry with them so dangerous a consequence". 300 people rioted in Spring 1632 and were met by the Sheriff, a Deputy Lieutenant and a Justice of the Peace with forty armed men. The rioters "in
4329-558: The Court of Verderers. A further Act was passed in 1964. This forest is also managed by Forestry England . A forest since the end of the Ice Age (as attested by pollen sampling cores ), Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423.2 hectares, (1,045 acres) surrounding the village of Edwinstowe , the site of Thoresby Hall . The core of the forest is the Special Area of Conservation named Birklands and Bilhaugh . It
4440-408: The Crown's allocation in Hanbury from 550 to 460 acres, but this was still not accepted locally. The new owners were ordered to enclose their lands by 1 March 1631. The relative generosity of the settlement to copyholders and freeholders may reflect the poverty of the local residents. The general policy of compensating poor and tenants, says Sharp, "was a recognition of the pressing social problem that
4551-480: The Crown, Queen Elizabeth bestowed it on Sir Thomas Leighton, who married her neere Kynswoman Mistris Elizabeth Knolles in which family continuing towe descentes, it is devolved (by purchase) to the honourable house of the Lord Baron Coventree , Lord Keeper of the greate seale. The manor of Feckenham was sold by Leighton to Coventry in 1632, around a year after the forest was broken up. Placenames which record
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4662-515: The Darwin's fox, subsequently, is being outcompeted. Another problem they face is their inability to fight off diseases transmitted by the increasing number of pet dogs. To conserve these animals, researchers suggest the need for the forests that link the Nahuelbuta National Park to the coast of Chile and in turn Chiloé Island and its forests, to be protected. They also suggest that other forests around Chile be examined to determine whether Darwin's foxes have previously existed there or can live there in
4773-563: The Delimitation of Forests Act 1640 ( 16 Cha. 1 . c. 16, also known as Selden 's Act) to revert the forest boundaries to the positions they had held at the end of the reign of James I. The Forest of Dean was legally re-established in 1668 by the Dean Forest Act 1667 . A Forest Eyre was held for the New Forest in 1670, and a few for other forests in the 1660s and 1670s, but these were the last. From 1715, both surveyors' posts were held by
4884-606: The Forest lands described in Domesday Book as within the forest. Successive kings tried to recover the "purlieus" excluded from a forest by the Great Perambulation of 1300. Forest officers periodically fined the inhabitants of the purlieus for failing to attend Forest Court or for forest offences. This led to complaints in Parliament. The king promised to remedy the grievances, but usually did nothing. Several forests were alienated by Richard II and his successors, but generally
4995-568: The Forest of Dean, most of the soil belonged to the Crown and these should be reserved to grow timber, to meet the need for oak for shipbuilding . The others would be inclosed, the Crown receiving an "allotment" (compensation) in lieu of its rights. In 1810, responsibility for woods was moved from Surveyors-General (who accounted to the Auditors of Land Revenue) to a new Commission of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues . From 1832 to 1851 "Works and Buildings" were added to their responsibilities. In 1851,
5106-498: The Hanbury Park area "is best viewed as an agriculturally despoilt part of the greater forest area. Field size is large, arable is the prelevant land use and biodiversity low." Worcestershire County Council 's documents identify that the larger area includes many "irregular fields with hedges rich in woody species indicating their origins from assarts cut into the ancient wildwood"; examples would include Astwood . Upper Bentley has
5217-504: The King's shall in future intermeddle in the woods saving in matters touching the King's venison". Land disputes are also recorded with the Abbotts of Evesham , who enclosed a large part of the forest, when it was at its greatest extent, arguing they had the right under old charters. Their wood at Sambourne was seized in 1280 as compensation. Records of inquisitions and the Forest Eyre in
5328-456: The King's sole rights as enshrined in forest law. The clauses were as follows (taken from translation of the great charter that is the Magna Carta ): After the death of John, Henry III was compelled to grant the Charter of the Forest (1217), which further reformed the forest law and established the rights of agistment and pannage on private land within the forests. It also checked certain of
5439-466: The King, his farmers, and the substantial landholders in the forests". At Feckenham, the 60 acres to the poor was divided into plots for the poor cottagers. In Hanbury, 80 acres went to cottagers, while 20 were given to the churchwardens to provide an income to distribute to the poor. The plots granted to cottagers can be estimated to be around 1.5 acres. At Bradley, ancient cottagers were to receive 1.5 acres, and newly erected cottages 1 acre. Evidence of
5550-545: The Salt Way. Appointments could be of considerable prestige. The forest's titular head was the keeper, whose role was essentially honorary. Prominent appointments included Geoffrey Chaucer (1389) and Gilbert Talbot of Grafton (1492). Under the keeper were verderers who were the main enforcers of forest law, investigating infractions and trespasses. Their official symbol was an axe. Woodwards guarded royal timber rights and venison. Poaching and encroachment on royal rights
5661-455: The ability to disguise as an attractive female human . Others depict them as mystical, sacred creatures who can bring wonder or ruin. Nine-tailed foxes appear in Chinese folklore, literature, and mythology, in which, depending on the tale, they can be a good or a bad omen. The motif was eventually introduced from Chinese to Japanese and Korean cultures. The constellation Vulpecula represents
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#17328478131975772-551: The activities of the Freeminers . The sale of cordwood for charcoal continued until at least the late 18th century. Deer were removed in 1850. The forest is today heavily wooded, as is a substantial formerly privately owned area to the west, now treated as part of the forest. It is managed by Forestry England . Epping and Hainault Forest are surviving remnants of the Royal Forest of Waltham. The extent of Epping and Hainault Forests
5883-467: The area may have been used by Edward the Confessor and his predecessors for hunting. Large areas of Worcestershire were subject to forest law at the time of the Domesday Book . Forest law itself evolved greatly in the early Norman period. The forest boundaries were extended greatly during the reign of Henry II, expanding from 34 to 184 square miles. The forest boundaries were reduced back in 1301. The wood
5994-545: The commissioners again became a Commissioner of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues . In 1924, the Royal Forests were transferred to the new Forestry Commission (now Forestry England ). The Forest of Dean was used as a source of charcoal for ironmaking within the Forest from 1612 until about 1670. It was the subject of a Reafforestation Act in 1667. Courts continued to be held at the Speech House , for example, to regulate
6105-568: The commoners. Sir Miles Fleetwood was charged with surveying the lands before the disafforestation. The response of the inhabitants was to refuse to accept their allocation of common land, on the grounds that they had only agreed to them "for fear and by terrible threats" and that their allocations did not compensate them for the loss of common rights. Ultimately 155 of them complained to the Court of Exchequer . A further commission in November 1630 reduced
6216-483: The early 19th century for sport, and have since become widespread through much of the country. They have caused population decline among many native species and prey on livestock, especially new lambs. Fox hunting is practiced as recreation in several other countries including Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, United States and Australia. There are many records of domesticated red foxes and others, but rarely of sustained domestication. A recent and notable exception
6327-430: The enclosures surrounding 3,000 acres in groups that numbered thousands of participants. The disturbances tended to involve artisans and cottagers who were not entitled to compensation. The riots were hard to enforce against, due to the lack of efficient militia, and the low-born nature of the participants. Ultimately, however, enclosure succeeded, with the exceptions of Dean and Malvern Chase. In 1641, Parliament passed
6438-416: The extortions of the foresters. An "Ordinance of the Forest" under Edward I again checked the oppression of the officers and introduced sworn juries in the forest courts. In 1300 many (if not all) forests were perambulated and reduced greatly in their extent, in theory to their extent in the time of Henry II . However, this depended on the determination of local juries, whose decisions often excluded from
6549-400: The family Canidae such as wolves and jackals , while they may be larger than some within the family, such as raccoon dogs . In the largest species, the red fox , males weigh between 4.1 and 8.7 kg (9.0 and 19.2 lb), while the smallest species, the fennec fox , weighs just 0.7 to 1.6 kg ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 lb). Fox features typically include
6660-473: The family Canidae . They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout ; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species belong to the monophyletic "true fox" group of genus Vulpes . Another 25 current or extinct species are sometimes called foxes – they are part of the paraphyletic group of the South American foxes or an outlying group, which consists of
6771-519: The first nonlinear oscillation studied and led to the derivation of the Lotka–Volterra equation . Fox meat is edible, though it is not considered a common cuisine in any country. Fox hunting originated in the United Kingdom in the 16th century. Hunting with dogs is now banned in the United Kingdom, though hunting without dogs is still permitted. Red foxes were introduced into Australia in
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#17328478131976882-682: The first steps towards abolition of the forests, as part of James I's policy of increasing his income independently of Parliament. Cecil investigated forests that were unused for royal hunting and provided little revenue from timber sales. Knaresborough Forest in Yorkshire was abolished. Revenues in the Forest of Dean were increased through sales of wood for iron smelting. Enclosures were made in Chippenham and Blackmore for herbage and pannage. Cranfield commissioned surveys into assart lands of various forests, including Feckenham, Sedgemoor and Selwood, laying
6993-465: The folk history of the " Norman yoke ", which magnified what was already a grave social ill: "the picture of prosperous settlements disrupted, houses burned, peasants evicted, all to serve the pleasure of the foreign tyrant, is a familiar element in the English national story .... The extent and intensity of hardship and of depopulation have been exaggerated", H. R. Loyn observed. Forest law prescribed harsh punishment for anyone who committed any of
7104-407: The forest and apprehending offenders. The forests also had surveyors , who determined the boundaries of the forest, and regarders . These last reported to the court of justice-seat and investigated encroachments on the forest and invasion of royal rights, such as assarting. While their visits were infrequent, due to the interval of time between courts, they provided a check against collusion between
7215-566: The forest and survived by using the common. On 28 March 1631, a riot took place in which three miles of fencing were thrown down. The rioting was taken highly seriously by the Privy Council , which was also disturbed by what it perceived as inaction by local militias and courts. Actions were brought against the rioters in Star Chamber in 1631. The Privy Council wrote to the Lord President of
7326-561: The forest had therefore been cut, and was being farmed by the time the forest was abolished in 1629. The woodland can be seen on maps produced in this period, including that by Christopher Saxton and on the Sheldon Tapestry . Indeed, a great deal of the land in the forest had long been cultivated. The covert of the forest consisted of the walks of Walkwood and Berrow Wood (at Berrow Hill in Feckenham), but there were few deer, because of
7437-428: The forest in exchange for rent, and advised the warden. They exercised various privileges within their bailiwicks . Their subordinates were the under-foresters, later referred to as rangers . The rangers are sometimes said to be patrollers of the purlieu. Another group, called serjeants -in-fee, and later, foresters-in-fee (not to be confused with the above), held small estates in return for their service in patrolling
7548-415: The forest into them were permitted to be killed if causing damage. Payment for access to certain rights could provide a useful source of income. Local nobles could be granted a royal licence to take a certain amount of game. The common inhabitants of the forest might, depending on their location, possess a variety of rights: estover , the right of taking firewood; pannage , the right to pasture swine in
7659-581: The forest laws. Only one royal forest is known to have been formed in the Lordship of Ireland . In 1282, William le Deveneys was granted 12 oaks from the King's forest of Glencree. William de Meones was keeper of the forest and of "the Queen's timber works" in 1290. It is last mentioned in the reign of Edward I and is believed to have been destroyed during the Bruce campaign in Ireland (1315–18). Podzol , oak trees Fox All other species in Canini Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of
7770-426: The forest protected by law were given by Manwood as the hart and hind (i.e. male and female red deer), boar , hare and wolf . (In England, the boar became extinct in the wild by the 13th century, and the wolf by the late 15th century.) Protection was also said to be extended to the beasts of chase , namely the buck and doe ( fallow deer ), fox, marten , and roe deer , and the beasts and fowls of warren :
7881-457: The forest; turbary , the right to cut turf (as fuel); and various other rights of pasturage ( agistment ) and harvesting the products of the forest. Land might be disafforested entirely, or permission given for assart and purpresture . The justices of the forest were the justices in eyre and the verderers . The chief royal official was the warden. As he was often an eminent and preoccupied magnate, his powers were frequently exercised by
7992-408: The foresters and local offenders. Blackstone gives the following outline of the forest courts , as theoretically constructed: In practice, these fine distinctions were not always observed. In the Forest of Dean , swainmote and the court of attachment seem to have been one and the same throughout most of its history. As the courts of justice-seat were held less frequently, the lower courts assumed
8103-405: The former forest area as having a high potential for forestry, ("Woodland Opportunity Priority 1' or 'Priority 2') while the agricultural land quality is mediocre or poor (Grade 3 or 4 agricultural land). 52°16′N 2°01′W / 52.26°N 2.02°W / 52.26; -2.02 Royal forest A royal forest , occasionally known as a kingswood ( Latin : silva regis ),
8214-525: The foundations of the wide-scale abolition of forests under Charles I . The commissioners appointed raised over £25,000 by compounding with occupiers, whose ownership was confirmed, subject to a fixed rent. Cranfield's work led directly to the disafforestation of Gillingham Forest in Dorset and Chippenham and Blackmore in Wiltshire. Additionally, he created the model for the abolition of the forests followed throughout
8325-554: The fruit intact. The island fox , though considered a near-threatened species throughout the world, is becoming increasingly endangered in its endemic environment of the California Channel Islands . A population on an island is smaller than those on the mainland because of limited resources like space, food and shelter. Island populations are therefore highly susceptible to external threats ranging from introduced predatory species and humans to extreme weather . On
8436-1188: The future, should the need to reintroduce the species to those areas arise. And finally, the researchers advise for the creation of a captive breeding program, in Chile, because of the limited number of mature individuals in the wild. Foxes are often considered pests or nuisance creatures for their opportunistic attacks on poultry and other small livestock. Fox attacks on humans are not common. Many foxes adapt well to human environments, with several species classified as "resident urban carnivores" for their ability to sustain populations entirely within urban boundaries. Foxes in urban areas can live longer and can have smaller litter sizes than foxes in non-urban areas. Urban foxes are ubiquitous in Europe, where they show altered behaviors compared to non-urban foxes, including increased population density, smaller territory, and pack foraging. Foxes have been introduced in numerous locations, with varying effects on indigenous flora and fauna. In some countries, foxes are major predators of rabbits and hens. Population oscillations of these two species were
8547-489: The great flock of sheep that grazed in the forest. No less than 732 acres had been assarted out of these by 1591. however, the forest was clearly a major support for those using its lands for fuel, timber and livestock. It also provided fruit. The Lord Treasurer Robert Cecil began the work of disafforestation across the Royal estate. In Feckenham, the Crown raised £1100 from the sale of 1600 trees in 1609; and in 1612 £821 from
8658-486: The inadequacy of the settlement for the poorest residents comes from the legal challenge they made in 1630 to express dissatisfaction with the proceedings. Only 30 of the 184 complainants were entitled to compensation. The others were tenants on lands cleared without permission or subtenants who had no right of common. These residents were the main obstacle to reaching agreement on disafforestation. The area lacked important industries, so large numbers of cottagers had settled in
8769-596: The last term is not to be confused with the kit fox , a distinct species. "Vixen" is one of very few modern English words that retain the Middle English southern dialectal "v" pronunciation instead of "f"; i.e., northern English "fox" versus southern English "vox". A group of foxes is referred to as a skulk , leash , or earth . Within the Canidae, the results of DNA analysis shows several phylogenetic divisions: Foxes are generally smaller than some other members of
8880-511: The male line. He died a year later without an heir. Forest law across the country was less and less enforced during the 16th century. The wooded areas were home to numerous species of animals including badgers , foxes , martens , otters , wild boars , wild cats and wolves . The main animals that were hunted as game were hare , red and fallow deer . Warrens sheltered stocks of pheasant , partridge and woodcock . There were also fishponds near Feckenham and deer parks. Wolves were
8991-800: The mammary gland to the nipple, allowing for milk to be carried to the nipple. The fox's vocal repertoire is vast, and includes: In the case of domesticated foxes, the whining seems to remain in adult individuals as a sign of excitement and submission in the presence of their owners. Canids commonly known as foxes include the following genera and species: Several fox species are endangered in their native environments. Pressures placed on foxes include habitat loss and being hunted for pelts, other trade, or control. Due in part to their opportunistic hunting style and industriousness, foxes are commonly resented as nuisance animals. Contrastingly, foxes, while often considered pests themselves, have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms while leaving
9102-547: The manor of Bentley Pauncefoot in 1281 for rabbits. Some of the manors within the forest area were owned by the Bishop of Worcester , and a few were owned by the King, such as Feckenham, Inkberrow , Bromsgrove and Chaddesley Corbett . Inkberrow had a royal deer park. Forest law was especially harsh and a cause of considerable grievance. Governance centred on Feckenham where the courthouse and gaol were located. Executions took place at Gallows Green, between Hanbury and Droitwich on
9213-595: The new foxes became more tame, allowing themselves to be petted, whimpering to get attention and sniffing and licking their caretakers. Foxes are among the comparatively few mammals which have been able to adapt themselves to a certain degree to living in urban (mostly suburban) human environments. Their omnivorous diet allows them to survive on discarded food waste , and their skittish and often nocturnal nature means that they are often able to avoid detection, despite their larger size. Urban foxes have been identified as threats to cats and small dogs, and for this reason there
9324-466: The power to fine offenders against the forest laws, according to a fixed schedule. The courts of justice-seat crept into disuse, and in 1817, the office of justice in eyre was abolished and its powers transferred to the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests . Courts of swainmote and attachment went out of existence at various dates in the different forests. A Court of Swainmote was re-established in
9435-623: The preceding 20 years. In 1875 and 1876, the corporation bought 3,000 acres (12 km ) of open wasteland. Under the Epping Forest Act 1878 , the forest was disafforested and forest law was abolished in respect of it. Instead, the corporation was appointed as Conservators of the Forest. The forest is managed through the Epping Forest Committee. The New Forest is home to the British cultural minority known as New Forest Commoners . An Act
9546-471: The presence of the forest may include: The most substantial areas are in the north west area as extended under Henry II, rather than the woodlands around Feckenham. Many are now managed by the Wildlife Trusts , who have a "Forest of Feckenham" living landscape project to restore some of the habitats: Very little of the original woodlands are left. Biological surveys of Worcestershire show some evidence of
9657-571: The presence of the forest, for instance ancient trees are found in greater density in the areas of former forest. The Forest of Feckenham area has been designated a "Biodiversity Enhancement Area" in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy . This documents the area as comprising "ancient countryside with a mixed farmland mosaic of arable cultivation and temporary grass leys, ancient semi- natural woodland, old grassland, wetland, and traditional orchards". However, others claim
9768-559: The prey's neck and shake it until it is dead or can be readily disemboweled. The gray fox is one of only two canine species known to regularly climb trees; the other is the raccoon dog . The male fox's scrotum is held up close to the body with the testes inside even after they descend. Like other canines, the male fox has a baculum , or penile bone. The testes of red foxes are smaller than those of Arctic foxes. Sperm formation in red foxes begins in August–September, with
9879-422: The rights of agistment and pannage . Under the forest laws, bloody hand was a kind of trespass by which the offender, being apprehended and found with his hands or other body part stained with blood, is judged to have killed the deer, even though he was not found hunting or chasing. Disafforested lands on the edge of the forest were known as purlieus ; agriculture was permitted here and deer escaping from
9990-417: The sale of assart lands. In the following years, more wood was cut down. King James 's Lord Treasurer Cranfield commissioned surveys into assart lands of various forests, including Feckenham in 1622, in order to increase revenues from the forests. This accelerated the wider policy of disafforestation. Near the end of 1627, William Ashton and William Turnor were granted a lease of the forest in return for
10101-464: The same person. The remaining royal forests continued to be managed (in theory, at least) on behalf of the Crown. However, the commoners' rights of grazing often seem to have been more important than the rights of the Crown. In the late 1780s, a royal commission was appointed to inquire into the condition of crown woods and those surviving. North of the Trent it found Sherwood Forest survived, south of it:
10212-418: The settlement negotiated by the commission. Crown lands would then be granted (leased), usually to prominent courtiers, and often the same figures that had undertaken the commission surveys. Legal complaints about the imposed settlements and compensation were frequent. The disafforestations caused riots and Skimmington processions resulting in the destruction of enclosures and reoccupation of grazing lands in
10323-511: The south of Feckenham. At its greatest extent, the forest covered an area including Bromsgrove , Redditch , and Evesham , reaching to the gates of Worcester . It extended across the Warwickshire boundary as far as the river Arrow , where it adjoined the Forest of Arden . Its extent prior to Henry II was around 34 square miles (88 km), encompassing an area with Tardebigge in the north, including Hanbury , approaching Droitwich in
10434-509: The system decayed. Henry VII revived "Swainmotes" (forest courts) for several forests and held Forest Eyres in some of them. Henry VIII in 1547 placed the forests under the Court of Augmentations with two Masters and two Surveyors-General. On the abolition of that court, the two surveyors-general became responsible to the Exchequer. Their respective divisions were north and south of the River Trent . The last serious exercise of forest law by
10545-846: The testicles attaining their greatest weight in December–February. Vixens are in heat for one to six days, making their reproductive cycle twelve months long. As with other canines, the ova are shed during estrus without the need for the stimulation of copulating. Once the egg is fertilized, the vixen enters a period of gestation that can last from 52 to 53 days. Foxes tend to have an average litter size of four to five with an 80 percent success rate in becoming pregnant. Litter sizes can vary greatly according to species and environment – the Arctic fox , for example, can have up to eleven kits. The vixen usually has six or eight mammae . Each teat has 8 to 20 lactiferous ducts , which connect
10656-462: The then extent of the forest. The Perambulation also recommended the reduction of the royal forest to its earlier size, to include only the Parish of Feckenham, Bradley , the western part of Hanbury, parts of Stoke Prior and Bentley Pauncefoot . Foxlydiate and Headless Cross were on the northeastern boundary. Disputes about the forest boundary continued. Edward II expanded the use of forest law in
10767-411: The underside. Fennec foxes (and other species of fox adapted to life in the desert, such as kit foxes ), for example, have large ears and short fur to aid in keeping the body cool. Arctic foxes , on the other hand, have tiny ears and short limbs as well as thick, insulating fur, which aid in keeping the body warm. Red foxes , by contrast, have a typical auburn pelt , the tail normally ending with
10878-524: The west and approaching Alcester in the south east. It was extended, along with many other forests, during Henry II's reign to encompass about 184 square miles (480 km). This stretched from Evesham in the south, close to Worcester, up to Droitwich and Wychbold in the west, to Stone , Chaddesley Corbett and Alvechurch in the north, and Redditch , Studley and Alcester in the east. These boundaries are described in an official Great Perambulation made for Edward I in 1300-1, which also sets out
10989-456: The whiskers everywhere else on the head average to be shorter in length. Whiskers (carpal vibrissae) are also on the forelimbs and average 40 mm ( 1 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) long, pointing downward and backward. Other physical characteristics vary according to habitat and adaptive significance. Fox species differ in fur color, length, and density. Coat colors range from pearly white to black-and-white to black flecked with white or grey on
11100-476: The wild population to breed them in captivity until they had enough foxes to release back into the wild. Nonnative grazers were also removed so that native plants would be able to grow back to their natural height, thereby providing adequate cover and protection for the foxes against golden eagles. Darwin's fox was considered critically endangered because of their small known population of 250 mature individuals as well as their restricted distribution. However,
11211-513: The wild, the typical lifespan of a fox is one to three years, although individuals may live up to ten years. Unlike many canids, foxes are not always pack animals. Typically, they live in small family groups, but some (such as Arctic foxes ) are known to be solitary. Foxes are omnivores . Their diet is made up primarily of invertebrates such as insects and small vertebrates such as reptiles and birds. They may also eat eggs and vegetation. Many species are generalist predators, but some (such as
11322-488: The wolves, with men, dogs and his own devices in every way he thinks proper. However, for a long time wolf populations were managed, rather than destroyed, as they were hunted for sport. Wolves were eventually eliminated in England in the reign of Henry VII . The sporting rights pertaining to the forest belonged to the king. He had rights over hunting game, feeding pigs on acorns and beech nuts; and timber and ‘underwood’. Rights of warren were granted to Grimbald Pauncefoote in
11433-600: The world. The hunting of foxes with packs of hounds, long an established pursuit in Europe, especially in the British Isles , was exported by European settlers to various parts of the New World . The word fox comes from Old English and derives from Proto-Germanic * fuhsaz . This in turn derives from Proto-Indo-European * puḱ- "thick-haired, tail." Male foxes are known as dogs , tods , or reynards ; females as vixens ; and young as cubs , pups , or kits , though
11544-449: Was designed to protect the " venison and the vert". In this sense, venison meant "noble" animals of the chase – notably red and fallow deer , the roe deer , and wild boar – and vert meant the greenery that sustained them. Forests were designed as hunting areas reserved for the monarch or (by invitation) the aristocracy . The concept was introduced by the Normans to England in
11655-469: Was encroached to produce salt in Droitwich , and was quite reduced by the time it was disafforested during the reign of King Charles I in 1629. The process of disafforestation created considerable social unrest and riots. A few areas of ancient forest still remain near Dodford and Chaddesley Corbett. The underlying geology of the forest area is mostly clay or sands and gravels. There are also peatland bogs to
11766-399: Was greatly reduced by inclosure by landowners. The Hainault Forest Act 1851 was passed by Parliament, ending the Royal protection for Hainault Forest. Within six weeks 3000 acres of woodland was cleared. The Corporation of London wished to see Epping Forest preserved as an open space and obtained an injunction in 1874 to throw open some 3,000 acres (12 km ) that had been inclosed in
11877-523: Was initially designated forest, any villages, towns and fields that lay within it were also subject to forest law. This could foster resentment as the local inhabitants were then restricted in the use of land they had previously relied upon for their livelihoods; however, common rights were not extinguished, but merely curtailed. The areas that became royal forests were already relatively wild and sparsely populated, and can be related to specific geographic features that made them harder to work as farmland. In
11988-546: Was not simply a matter of the poor taking game and, when caught, being executed. Many of the documented offences involved either noblemen or churchmen and were punished by heavy fines. The Bishop of Worcester was fined 500 marks (£333/6/8d) in 1290 for "trespasses of vert and venison" and a further £200 in 1291. Under Henry III, however, the Church of St Mary, that is Worcester Cathedral , was granted rights to hunt in their own forests, so that "no forester, verderer or other bailiffs of
12099-570: Was passed to remove the deer in 1851, but abandoned when it was realised that the deer were needed to keep open the unwooded "lawns" of the forest. An attempt was made to develop the forest for growing wood by a rolling programme of inclosures. In 1875, a Select committee of the House of Commons recommended against this, leading to the passage of the New Forest Act 1877 , which limited the Crown's right to inclose, regulated common rights, and reconstituted
12210-543: Was rapidly sold off and is now known as Forest Farm. The Lord of Hanbury and Feckenham manors, Sir Edward Leighton, gained around 80 acres in Monkwood and 360 acres around Feckenham, including the Queen's Coppice, Ranger's Coppice, Timber Coppice, Fearful Coppice and Red Slough Coppice. Feckenham Park was described some time after 1632 by Thomas Habingdon, and gives a picture of its transformation from forest to farmlands: The king had
12321-405: Was the ultimate cause of the riots. The total sums seem quite generous, but the amount disbursed to each cottager was a mere pittance. With one hand the Crown deprived the large and growing population of poor cottagers in each forest an essential part of their income – free access to thousands of acres of waste ground – and with the other offered to them the crumbs left over from the feast consumed by
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