Misplaced Pages

#817182

118-459: There were contemporaneous uprisings in Feckenham Forest and Leicester Forest . Riots also took place at Malvern Chase , where enclosure was largely successfully opposed. Riot and breaching enclosures were not the only form of opposition to disafforestation. In many cases, landowners and tenants felt the compensation they were offered was unfair, and they sought to challenge decisions through

236-459: 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

354-537: 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,

472-600: A decree was issued in 1632 for the "disafforestation of the Chace of Malvern, and for freeing the lands within the bounds, limits, and jurisdictions thereof, of and from the game of deer there and the forest laws". By this decree (to obviate all disputes) one-third part only was to be severed and divided by commissioners, but the other two parts "shall remain and continue unto and amongst the commoners, and be held by them according to their several rights and interests, discharged and freed from his Majesty's game of deer there, and of and from

590-616: 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

708-612: 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

826-647: 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

944-453: A network of railways, and numerous tramroads. The tradition of independence in the area resulted in a great number of smaller and not necessarily economically successful mines. In 1904 the Gaveller oversaw a period of amalgamation of collieries which allowed deeper mines to be sunk. During the early 20th century, annual output from the coalfield rarely fell below 1 million tons. In 1945 half of

1062-458: A number of industrial areas but the focus has been to capitalise on the scenery and to create jobs from tourist attractions and the leisure sector. Significant numbers of residents work outside the area, commuting to Gloucester , Cheltenham , Bristol , Newport and Cardiff . The Forest of Dean is formed of a raised basin of palaeozoic rocks folded in the Variscan Orogeny , similar to

1180-534: A week later. A total of £85 (equivalent to £11,900 in 2023) was paid in fines. A subscription was also launched which generously compensated the Frenchmen. The term "Who killed the bears?" existed for many years as an insult, directed particularly towards the people of Ruardean – despite the fact that all those convicted were from Cinderford. A fictional version of the incident was used by Dennis Potter for his TV play A Beast With Two Backs . Exploitation of

1298-486: Is oak , both pedunculate and sessile . Beech is common and sweet chestnut has grown here for many centuries. The forest is home to foxgloves and other wild flowers. Conifers include some Weymouth pine from 1781, Norway spruce , Douglas fir and larch . The deer are predominantly fallow deer and have been present since the second world war (there were no deer from about 1855 when they were removed in accordance with an Act of Parliament). A number of fallow deer in

SECTION 10

#1732844217818

1416-581: Is archaeological evidence of early trading by sea, probably through Lydney . Before Roman times, the area may have been occupied by the British Dobunni tribe, although few of their coins have been found in the area and control may have been contested with the neighbouring Silures . The area was occupied by the Romans in around AD 50. They were attracted by its natural resources which included iron ore , ochre and charcoal . The coal mining industry

1534-446: Is necessary. Under its international obligations the UK government is obliged to consider the reintroduction of species made extinct through the activities of man, the wild boar included. The Forest of Dean is known for its woodland birds; pied flycatchers , redstarts , wood warblers , lesser spotted woodpecker , nightjars and hawfinches can be seen at RSPB Nagshead and other parts of

1652-552: The Bessemer Process by solving the quality problems which beset the process. In a second key advance in metallurgy he invented Mushet steel (R.M.S.) in 1868. It was the first true tool steel and the first air-hardening steel . It revolutionised the design of machine tools and the progress of industrial metalworking, and was the forerunner of High speed steel . The remains of Darkhill are preserved as an Industrial Archaeological Site of International Importance and are open to

1770-611: The Civil War . The Protectorate tried to enclose a third of the forest in 1657, leaving two thirds to the Commoners. Although a relatively generous settlement, it caused resistance in April and May 1659, when fences of new enclosures were broken and cattle brought in to graze. Royalists including Edward Massey attempted to bring the discontented to the side of Charles II . After the restoration, Sir John Winter successfully reasserted his right to

1888-512: The Dean Forest Railway between Lydney Junction and Norchard is now a heritage railway . The Gloucester-Newport line continues to carry passengers. Lydney railway station serves the Forest of Dean, with 0.196 million passenger entries and exits in 2017–18. The station is served by trains operated by Transport for Wales , linking the Forest directly to Cheltenham and Gloucester to

2006-554: The Forest of Dean Coalfield developed rapidly in the early 19th century with increased demand from local ironworks, and when some of the earliest tramroads in the UK were built here to transport coal to local ports the area was transformed by the growth of mining and the production of iron and steel. In 1818–19 David Mushet built Darkhill Ironworks , where he experimented with iron and steel making. In 1845, his youngest son, Robert Forester Mushet , took over its management. He perfected

2124-572: The South Wales Railway at Bullo Pill . The less successful Forest of Dean Central Railway attempted to compete with the other lines for coal traffic but was rendered obsolete by the opening of the Mineral Loop, a new line opened by the Severn & Wye to connect a number of pitheads. Most of these railways now cease to exist, with most of the railways in the Forest abandoned by 1968. A section of

2242-511: The South Wales coalfield to the west. Underlain by great thicknesses of the Old Red Sandstone , the basin is filled with Carboniferous limestones , sandstones and coal measures , all of which have contributed to the industrial history of the region. Its highest point is Ruardean Hill (290 m, 950 ft). The forest is composed of deciduous and evergreen trees. Predominant

2360-439: The hundred of St Briavels , and after 1668 comprised the royal demesne only. The Forest proper is within the civil parishes of West Dean , Lydbrook , Cinderford , Ruspidge , and Drybrook , together with a strip of land in the parish of English Bicknor . Traditionally the main sources of work have been forestry  – including charcoal production – iron working and coal mining . Archaeological studies have dated

2478-644: 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

SECTION 20

#1732844217818

2596-453: The 1660s. In the Forest of Dean, 22,000 acres were disafforested, with 4,000 going to manorial lords and freeholders in compensation in 1639. 18,000 acres were to go to the Crown, and granted to Sir John Winter . Riots ensued in 1641. Winter's claim to the lands was voided by Parliament in March 1642, in part because he had failed to pay. His assets were sequestrated for supporting the Crown during

2714-631: The Commoners Association. In October 2010 a woman won the right to be classified as a Freeminer. Elaine Morman, an employee at Clearwell Caves in the Forest, who had worked as a miner of ochre for a number of years, raised a claim of sexual discrimination against the Forestry Commission . After Mark Harper MP raised the matter in the House of Commons , the Forestry Commission reversed its position and agreed to register her. The forest

2832-610: 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

2950-424: The Crown was not complete disafforestation in the Forest of Dean , as both timber and iron ore could be exploited for the Crown's profit without leasing the lands. During James I and Charles I's reigns, sales of wood for use in iron works were increased. Some land was enclosed in order for ore to be dug. Around 3,000 acres were however granted to "courtiers and government officials" with the intention that they exploit

3068-409: 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

3186-482: 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

3304-572: The Forest of Dean was disafforested in the 1620s, causing a series of riots in 1631–32; this was part of enclosure riots across the South West commonly known as the Western Rising. In 1639 22,000 acres (8,900 ha) were disafforested, with 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) going to manorial lords and freeholders in compensation. 18,000 acres (7,300 ha) were to go to the Crown, and be sold on to Sir John Winter . Riots ensued in 1641. Winter's claim to

3422-458: The Forest of Dean. However, in 1668 forest law was reestablished by Act of Parliament. in 1672, the King's ironworks were closed, to reduce pressure on the forest from mining. Feckenham Forest 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

3540-417: The Forest or Chace of Malvern to Sir Robert Heath , then Attorney-General, and Sir Cornelius Vermuyden . In the meantime many rights or claims of right had arisen by grant or long usages in the lapse of several centuries. When the grantees began to enclose the Chace the commoners and other persons interested disputed their right to do so. Several riots and disturbances took place in consequence. Nevertheless,

3658-458: The Friday, a party of 50 soldiers arrived from Monmouth , but by now the number of Foresters had grown to around 2,000 and the soldiers returned to barracks. Over the next few days more troops arrived from around the country. The Foresters' resistance crumbled and most of those arrested elected to rebuild the enclosures, rather than be charged with rioting. James was sentenced to death but his sentence

Western Rising and disafforestation riots - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-500: 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

3894-575: The Hundred of St Briavels supported King Edward I at the siege of Berwick-on-Tweed in the Scottish Wars of Independence by undermining the then Scottish town's defences in the first step of his campaign to seize Scotland from John Balliol . As a result, the king granted free mining rights within the forest to the miners and their descendants; the rights continue to the present day. Miners at that time were mainly involved in iron ore mining – although

4012-506: 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

4130-403: The King, and the rest to the manorial lords. The landowners had in turn to compensate their tenants for their losses. 554 acres went to tenants according to the size of their holdings, at around 4–6 acres to the yardland . Around 1.5–2 acres went to each cottage in addition. The Crown also compensated freeholders in other townships at a similar rate and gave 40 acres to the borough of Leicester for

4248-468: 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

4366-523: 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 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

4484-651: The Lords however supported Fleetwood. An order was then made by the Lords praising Fleetwood for adding substantial income to the Crown but however to halt Star Chamber proceedings against the rioters. Buchanan Sharp concludes that "it may be surmised that a quid pro quo had been worked out: if the forest's inhabitants stopped rioting and petitioning, the government would drop all legal proceedings". The Crown made considerable compensation to local manorial lords and tenants as well as other residents. Five lords claimed around 2,755 acres were in use by their manors; of these 1,030 went to

4602-546: 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

4720-533: The Snead, then onto lands granted in 1625 to Sir Edward Villiers , the half brother of the Duke of Buckingham . Villier's widow Lady Barbara Villiers 's agent Robert Bridges was shot at and threatened, iron ore pits filled in and enclosures broken. An effigy of Lady Villier's agent, the "odious projector" Sir Giles Mompesson was thrown into the pits and buried. In April 1631, 3,000 rioters with banners and drums removed most of

4838-533: The Speech", a sort of parliament for the Verderers and Free Miners managing the forest, game, and mineral resources. The Gaveller and his deputy were responsible for leasing gales – areas allocated for mining – on behalf of the Crown. The Speech House has been used as an inn and hotel since the 19th century. The Forest of Dean, with its huge iron ore reserves and ready supply of timber, had been of national importance in

Western Rising and disafforestation riots - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-428: The UK national target for clean air, set at 40 μg/m ( micrograms per cubic metre ). In 2017, no roadside monitoring site in the Forest of Dean District failed to meet the UK objective. The most polluted site measured was on Lydney High Street, with a 2017 average NO 2 concentration of 36.9 μg/m . The Forest of Dean once boasted a developed railway network, much of which evolved from plateways built in

5074-722: The Viking settlements in that era. It is possible that an original name Dene developed from this. The area was inhabited in Mesolithic times, and there are also remains of later megalithic monuments, including the Longstone near Staunton and the Broadstone at Wibdon, Stroat . Barrows have been identified at Tidenham and Blakeney . Bronze Age field systems have been identified at Welshbury Hill near Littledean , and there are Iron Age hill forts at Symonds Yat and Welshbury. There

5192-499: The Western Rising than they actually played". Most of the rioters were artisans, including weavers and tailors. Many would have depended on forest reduce, such as tanners, glove makers and carpenters. They would have been unlikely to be entitled to compensation and so were among the most badly affected by disafforestation. Around 2,400 acres were sold by the Crown, with 750 acres being set aside to compensate tenants and cottagers. The poor of Mere received little, however. The object of

5310-683: The area came under Anglo-Saxon control, the Forest of Dean remained under the auspices of the diocese of Hereford , rather than Gloucester. The Beachley and Lancaut peninsulas east of the Lower Wye remained in Welsh control at least until the 8th century. Around 790 the Saxon King Offa of Mercia built his dyke high above the Wye, but the area was still claimed by the Kingdom of Gwent and Morgannwg before it

5428-435: The bears had killed a child and injured a woman. The bears were killed and the Frenchmen badly beaten. It soon became clear that the bears had not attacked anyone. Police proceedings followed and a week later 13 colliers and labourers appeared before magistrates at Littledean, charged with ill-treating and killing the bears and assaulting the Frenchmen. All but two were found guilty on one or more charges, with another convicted

5546-507: The central area are melanistic . Small numbers of roe deer and muntjac deer have spread in from the east. The Forest is also home to wild boar . A population in the Ross-on-Wye area on the northern edge of the forest escaped from a wild boar farm around 1999 and are believed to be of pure Eastern European origin; in a second introduction, a domestic herd was dumped near Staunton in 2004, but are not pure bred wild boar. Attempts to locate

5664-571: 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

5782-419: The decline of the mines, the area has undergone a period of significant change, ameliorated to some extent by a shift to high technology , with companies establishing themselves in the area, attracted by grants and a willing workforce. Many mines have now been reclaimed by the forest and the area is characterised by picturesque scenery punctuated by remnants of the industrial age and small towns. There remains

5900-465: The discontented to the side of Charles II . After the restoration Sir John Winter successfully reasserted his right to the Forest of Dean. However forest law was reestablished by Act of Parliament in 1668. In 1672 the King's ironworks were closed to reduce pressure on the forest from mining. The Speech House , between Coleford and Cinderford , was built in 1682 to host the Court of Mine Law and "Court of

6018-470: The earliest use of coal to Roman times for domestic heating and industrial processes such as the preparation of iron ore. The area gives its name to the local government district , Forest of Dean , and a parliamentary constituency , both of which cover wider areas than the historic Forest. The administrative centre of the local authority is Coleford , one of the main towns in the historic Forest area, together with Cinderford and Lydney . The origin of

SECTION 50

#1732844217818

6136-780: The early 19th century to facilitate freight traffic to and from mineral workings in the Forest. Many of these lines were part of the Severn & Wye Railway , which ran from the River Severn at Lydney to Cinderford, with branch lines to Lydbrook, where it connected with the Ross & Monmouth Railway , and Coleford, where it linked to the Wye Valley Railway via a line known as the Coleford Railway . The Forest of Dean Railway also ran towards Cinderford and its nearby collieries, branching from

6254-466: The enclosed areas and unable to hunt or remove timber. In particular, they lost their ancient grazing and mining rights. As unrest grew, a populist leader named Warren James emerged in the riots against the enclosures. Attempts to peaceably resolve the matter failed, and on 8 June 1831, James, leading more than 100 Foresters, demolished the enclosure at Park Hill, between Parkend and Bream . Around 50 unarmed Crown Officers were powerless to intervene. On

6372-567: The end of the Roman period, around AD 370, a major Roman temple complex dedicated to the god Nodens was completed at Lydney. The central parts of the woodlands in the forest are believed to have been protected for hunting since Roman times. The area formed part of the Cantref Coch and was traditionally considered part of the Brythonic kingdom of Ergyng , centered in modern Herefordshire. Even when

6490-468: The final division of the lands. Legal challenges were also made, against both the rioters and the enclosures. The enclosures were challenged by local inhabitants, the Corporation of Leicester and borough residents who submitted petitions to the King and Privy Council . The Privy Council found nothing unjust about the dealings of Fleetwood however, so challenges were made in the House of Lords in June 1628.

6608-569: 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

6726-454: The forest area is mostly clay or sands and gravels. There are also peatland bogs to 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

6844-562: 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

6962-457: The forest in return for a fine of £4,000 and a nominal annual rent of £20. This was confirmed in June 1629, when the disforestation of the forest was decreed, so that the 2100 acres of woodland and waste in the forest parishes of Hanbury , Feckenham and Bradley could be partitioned between the crown, the manorial lords and the commoners. A further commission in November 1630 reduced the crown's allocation in Hanbury from 550 to 460 acres, but this

7080-440: The forest lands in 1630, shortly before his death. Riots took place through 1626–1628. In December 1626, Star Chamber ordered the attachment (arrest) of fourteen men and twelve of their wives. Seven were brought to trial, and four of the men were fined. in 1628, soldiers destroyed some of the new enclosures, presumably incited to do so by the locals. Further trials at Star Chamber took place. Deer were killed and plants to be used in

7198-501: The forest laws, and the liberties and franchises of Forest and Chace, in such sort as by the said decree it doth and may appear". Further disputes with landowners resulted in clarifications that any land that was disafforested had to be in proportion to the quality of the land as a whole, so that the common was not the most meagre land. Further unrest took place during the run up to the Civil War, with episodes continuing to break out until

SECTION 60

#1732844217818

7316-475: The forest. The mixed forest supports one of Britain's highest concentrations of goshawks and a viewing site at New Fancy is manned during February and March. However, goshawks are still illegally killed in the area, with a bird found dead with a shotgun wound in June 2022. Peregrine falcons can be seen from the viewpoint at Symonds Yat rock. Mandarin ducks , which nest in the trees, and reed warblers can be seen at Cannop Ponds and Cannop Brook, running from

7434-404: 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 Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in

7552-533: The fringes of the Crown forest demesne. By about 1800, these settlements were well established at Berry Hill and Parkend . In 1808 Parliament passed the Dean and New Forests Act 1808 , which included the provision to enclose 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of woodland. This enclosure was carried out between 1814 and 1816. There were bread riots in 1795 and in 1801. Ordinary Foresters were already poverty-stricken, and their plight had grown worse. They were denied access to

7670-493: 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

7788-553: The historic Forest; they do not include places which are located outside that area, but which are within the larger District Council area. The A40 runs along the northern and northeastern edges of the Forest of Dean. The road provides the Forest with a direct connection to Ross-on-Wye and the M50 in Herefordshire . Westbound, the road runs towards Monmouth and South Wales . To the East,

7906-487: 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

8024-779: 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 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

8142-402: The landowning gentry, of being behind the riots, and looked for evidence that they were involved in their organisation. Although the term 'Western Rising' implies an organised effort across the different threatened Royal forests, there is only occasional evidence that the different communities communicated or tried to co-ordinate their activities. Nevertheless, many tactics were shared, including

8260-429: 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 by "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 . Near the end of 1627, William Ashton and William Turnor were let

8378-459: The lands for grazing, iron and coal mining and charcoal production. 17,000 acres was to be left to be worked by those claiming common land rights. Riots ensued. In March 1631, the enclosures were destroyed. An assembly of 500 men, "with two drummers, two coulers and one fife in a warlike and outrageous manner did assemble themselves together armed with gunnes, pokes, halberds and other weapons". They destroyed enclosures granted to Tristram Flower in

8496-485: The lands was voided by Parliament in March 1642, in part because he had failed to pay. His assets were sequestrated for supporting the Crown during the Civil War . The Protectorate tried to enclose a third of the forest in 1657, leaving two thirds to the Commoners. Although a relatively generous settlement, it caused resistance in April and May 1659, when fences of new enclosures were broken and cattle brought in to graze. Royalists including Edward Massey attempted to bring

8614-651: The legal system. In at least one case, a town council, the Corporation of Leicester, and borough residents took legal action because of the effect on the poorest forest dwellers, who were likely to become a burden on the town's poor relief. The 1626–1632 riots were followed by further riots at many of the same locations during the English Civil War and the following Interregnum as disafforestation proceeded and continued to be contested. As early as 1608–1612, King James I of England 's minister Robert Cecil investigated

8732-478: The like". On this occasion, the authorities acted to suppress this "flatt rebellion", tried to arrest the rioters and injured a number. Ultimately, the crown and manorial lords were successful in enclosing their lands. The crown allocation in Hanbury was rapidly sold off. The Lord of Hanbury and Feckenham manors, Sir Edward Leighton gained around 80 acres in Monkwood and 360 acres around Feckenham. Sir Miles Fleetwood

8850-564: The local freeholders and copyholders. They reported the following year, but the complex land relationships meant that a further commission in 1629 was needed to ensure compensation would be granted to everyone who was entitled to it. in November 1627, 4,000 acres were granted for 41 years to Phillip Jacobsen , the Crown jeweller, and the London merchant Edward Sewster . They paid £21,000, plus £11,000 as an entry fine, and £10,000 for game and timber and an ironworks licence. A further annual rent of £450

8968-487: The maintenance of their poor. However, compensation would not have been made to the many families who had established homes on assart land (i.e., those who were occupying part of the forest without permission). The June 1628 petition to the House of Lords claimed that the families in 100 ancient cottages would not be compensated and neither would many more living in newly built cottages. In 1630 Charles I granted one-third part of

9086-473: The male working population worked in the coal industry but after the Second World War increased pumping costs and other factors made the coalfield less economic. The last commercial iron mine closed in 1946 followed in 1965 by the closure of the last large colliery, Northern United. There are still small private mines in operation, worked by freeminers and Hopewell Colliery is open to the public. With

9204-549: 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

9322-399: The name is unknown. The prevalence of Welsh place names in the area suggests a possible corruption of din (meaning "hillfort"). However, similar or identical elements from Old English exist throughout England. In Welsh, Forest of Dean is Fforest y Ddena . Gerald of Wales , writing in the 12th century, refers to the area as Danubia which may translate as "land of Danes" following

9440-465: The new enclosures were burnt. Threats were made against the labourers employed by Fullerton to build the enclosures. Messengers from Star Chamber were assaulted and prisoners released. The Privy Council took the Gillingham riots very seriously, saying that "such like rude actions [must] not be tolerated in a well governed state". An attempt to restore order was made in late 1628, when the Sheriff of Dorset

9558-538: The ponds through Parkend, is famed for its dippers . Butterflies of note are the small pearl-bordered fritillary , wood white and white admiral . Gorsty Knoll is famed for its glowworms and Woorgreens Lake for its dragonflies . The Forest of Dean is also a stronghold for Britain's only venomous snake, the European adder , although its population is now believed to be in dramatic decline. The lists below include towns, villages and places of interest which are within

9676-402: The presence of coal was well known, and limited amounts had been recovered in Roman times. Coal was not used for ironmaking with the methods of smelting then in use. Later the freeminer rights were used mainly for coal mining. The activities of the miners were regulated by the Court of Mine Law. This, and other forms of self-governance, coupled with the Forest's geographic isolation between

9794-472: 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

9912-573: 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

10030-432: The production of iron, using charcoal, for hundreds of years. Despite the abundance of coal, it was not until the last decade of the 18th century that local ironmasters were prepared to invest in the technology needed to produce iron from coke , when coke-fired furnaces at Cinderford , Whitecliff and Parkend were built almost simultaneously. During the 18th century, squatters established roughly-built hamlets around

10148-400: The public. The Park Gutter pit was renamed Princess Royal after Princess Victoria in 1842. The Princess Royal Colliery Company was founded in 1891 to work Park Gutter and Flour Mill Pits. It reached peak production in the 1930s, employing 1300 men. The pits closed in 1962. Cinderford was laid out as a planned town in the mid-19th century, but the characteristic form of settlement remained

10266-610: The reform of Royal forests, aiming to increase the income due to the Crown. Cecil's investigations led to more intensive working of the Forest of Dean, and higher revenues from wood sold for iron smelting. Lionel Cranfield accelerated the policy in the 1620s with commissions to determine the scale of the Royal estates within forests and negotiate compensation for their sale and enclosure. Charles I of England 's decision in 1629 to govern without Parliament meant greater urgency in finding further sources of income which did not require legislation. Sale of Royal lands, especially Royal forests,

10384-497: The remaining enclosures elsewhere in the forest and attacked houses of the improvers. By the end of the month, all of the 1628 enclosures had been removed. Over the next two years, the rioters attempted to destroy enclosures as they were put back in place. On 26 July 1626 Sir John Bridgeman , John Essington (keeper of the king's woods in Wiltshire) and others were given a commission to survey Braydon Forest and compound (settle) with

10502-465: The rivers Severn and Wye, has given rise to a strong sense of cultural identity in those from the area, who are collectively known as "Foresters". The ancient rights were put on the statute books in the Dean Forest (Mines) Act 1838 , the only public act to affect private individuals. Residents of the hundred over 18 can graze sheep in the Forest in accordance with an agreement between Forestry England and

10620-677: The road links the Forest directly to Gloucester , the M5 , Cheltenham and Oxford . North of the Forest, the road is managed by National Highways . To the southeast of the Forest, the A48 links the region to Chepstow , the M4 and Newport , or Gloucester . This route passes around the Lydney area and follows the course of the River Severn . Other key routes include: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) levels, measured using roadside diffusion tubes , are generally well below

10738-420: 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

10856-518: The same reasons. Considerable pressure on the wooded areas was the result of 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 the forest that had therefore been cut was being farmed by the time the forest was abolished in 1629. Sir Miles Fleetwood was charged with surveying

10974-679: The settlement to be made legally binding, the Attorney General then brought an action against the tenants in the Court of the Exchequer, which issued the final decree in May 1627, allowing for adjustments to the compensation were made by a commission which finalised arrangements in October. Much of the land was granted to Fullerton in 1625. The terms were renegotiated in 1628 to help him repay debts. Further arrangements were made to ensure these debts were paid from

11092-477: The source of the illegal dumps were unsuccessful and boar can now be found in many parts of the Forest. Locally there are mixed feelings about the presence of boar. Problems have included ploughing up gardens and picnic areas, attacking dogs and panicking horses, road traffic accidents, and ripping open rubbish bags. The local authority undertook a public consultation and have recommended to the Verderers that control

11210-487: The sprawling hamlets of haphazardly placed cottages. Characteristics shared with other British coalfields, such as a devotion to sport, the central role of miners' clubs, and the formation of brass bands , created a distinct community identity. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Forest was a complex industrial region with deep coal mines, iron mines, iron and tinplate works, foundries, quarries and stone-dressing works, wood distillation works producing chemicals,

11328-603: 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 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

11446-556: The use of traditional "Lady Skimmington " costume and parades to show community disapproval and organise action to break down enclosures. In arrest warrants, leaders were often identified as " alias Skimmington". The first riots were in Gillingham Forest, Dorset. Commissions headed by Sir James Fullerton were sent in February and May 1625, to work out compensation for freeholders and copyholders in Gillingham and Mere . In order for

11564-471: 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 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 ,

11682-444: 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 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

11800-531: The western part of the county of Gloucestershire , England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east. The area is characterised by more than 110 square kilometres (42 sq mi) of mixed woodland, one of the surviving ancient woodlands in England. A large area

11918-490: 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

12036-509: Was an obvious means of raising short term funds. The forests were also increasingly seen as insufficiently productive. However, many people depended on forest lands for income. As forest law had for many years not been enforced except as a means to raise income, land had been encroached and many people were living there without permission. Timber and grazing rights were very important for commoners. The rights to common had been created through custom rather than legal entitlement: forest law itself

12154-562: Was annexed into the kingdom of England by Æthelstan in 926. Throughout the next few centuries Vikings conducted raids up the Severn, but by the 11th century, the kingdom of Wessex had established civil government. The core of the forest was used by the late Anglo-Saxon kings, and after 1066 the Normans , as their personal hunting ground. The area was kept stocked with deer and wild boar and became important for timber , charcoal , iron ore and limestone . The Hundred of St Briavels

12272-421: Was around 34 square miles (88 km ), encompassing an area with Tardebigge in the north, including Hanbury , approaching Droitwich in 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

12390-598: Was commissioned to survey and disafforest Leicester in December 1626 and March 1627. Commoners were to receive compensation where they could show a valid claim; many would not be able to, if they had settled of their own accord. The Attorney General then ensured that the arrangements were confirmed by the court of Exchequer in February 1628. The King then let 1,598 acres to nearby landowners for "fines" of £7,760 and small annual rents. Riots occurred in response, destroying existing enclosures in spring 1627 and again in 1628 following

12508-424: Was destroyed, belonging to a servant who had reported some of the rioters to the authorities. When the sheriff and a court official attempted to suppress the riots on behalf of Star Chamber, the crowds shot at them. As Feckenham, Leicester and Malvern were further afield, disafforestation riots in these places were not classed as part of the Western Rising by contemporaries, but took place at the same time for roughly

12626-406: Was established in the 12th century, at the same time as many Norman laws concerning the Forest of Dean were put in place. St Briavels Castle became the Forest's administrative and judicial centre. Verderers were appointed to act for the king and protect his royal rights, and local people were given some common rights . Flaxley Abbey was built and given rights and privileges. In 1296, miners from

12744-438: Was extremely harsh. The participants of the disorders following enclosure tended to be artisans and waged or self-employed labourers. Many were therefore resident within the forest with small holdings, rather than being peasants primarily dependent on agricultural production. In the Forest of Dean, many were miners whose rights to dig for ore were threatened. Contemporaries within government suspected local men of standing, such as

12862-564: Was instructed to arrest 100 rioters. Faced with a much larger and well-armed crowd, he retreated. Particular efforts were made by the government to arrest Henry Hoskins, a yeoman, John Phillips, a tanner and John Williams, believing them to be serious ringleaders. However, Sharp concludes that "although these men were important as leaders of riots in their home areas, the government's fears were grounded upon little more than unsubstantiated rumors ... these rumors have misled modern historians into ascribing Hoskins, Phillips and Williams larger roles in

12980-686: Was later commuted to transportation. He was sent to Van Diemen's Land ( Tasmania ) in October 1831, only to be pardoned five years later, although he never returned home. Conservatives were disliked in the Forest of Dean; on polling day in 1874, there was a riot in the market town of Cinderford in which the Conservative party headquarters and nearby houses were ransacked and damaged. On 26 April 1889, four Frenchmen and their two bears were making their way to Ruardean , having performed in Cinderford. They were attacked by an angry mob, enraged by claims that

13098-547: 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

13216-599: Was probably established on a small scale in Roman times. The area was governed from the Roman town of Ariconium at Weston under Penyard near Ross-on-Wye , and a road was built from there to a river crossing at Newnham on Severn and port at Lydney. The "Dean Road", still visible at Soudley , is believed to be a medieval rebuilding of the Roman road , and would have been an important route to transport iron ore and finished metal products. During Roman times there were Roman villas at Blakeney, Woolaston and elsewhere, and towards

13334-494: 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

13452-507: Was reserved for royal hunting before 1066, and remained as the second largest crown forest in England, after the New Forest . Although the name is used loosely to refer to the part of Gloucestershire between the Severn and Wye, the Forest of Dean proper has covered a much smaller area since the Middle Ages . In 1327, it was defined to cover only the royal demesne and parts of parishes within

13570-475: Was still not accepted locally. The new owners were ordered to enclose their lands by 1 March 1631, but on 28 March, a riot took place in which three miles of fencing were thrown down. 300 people rioted the following year and were met by the Sheriff, a deputy lieutenant and a justice of the peace and forty armed men. The rioters "in a most daring and presumptuous manner presented themselves unto us with warlike weapons (vizt) pikes, forrest bills, pitchforks, swords and

13688-405: 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

13806-534: Was to be paid They were permitted to enclose the lands and lease them to new tenants. As with Gillingham, the next step was to establish the precise settlement and rights through actions at the Court of Exchequer, which confirmed the settlement in 1628 and 1630. Riots broke out in May–June 1631 when enclosures made by Jacobsen's agent Simon Keble were destroyed. Groups of perhaps over 1,000 rioters also threatened to kill Keble and destroy his workmen's houses. At least one

13924-538: Was used exclusively as a royal hunting ground for the Tudors , and subsequently a source of food for the royal court. Its rich deposits of iron ore led to its becoming a major source of iron. The forest's timber was particularly fine, and was regarded as the best material for building ships. In the 17th century, as a result of King Charles I 's decision to rule without Parliament , he sought to raise finances through grants of royal forest lands. 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of

#817182