The Forest of Dean: An Historical and Descriptive Account Part 7

Four more steam engines were allowed to be erected about the close of this year at Palmer's Flat and at Hopewell.

Proceeding to the following year, we find that in 1815 the number of plantations was increased by the addition of--

A. R. P.

Leonard's 66 0 32 near Cinderford.

Hill, containing Edge Hills 494 1 36 ,, Little Dean.

c.o.c.k Shot 598 0 22 ,, Blakeney.

Yew-tree 183 0 0 ,, Cinderford.

Brake ---- -- -- 1341 3 10

Two years before this time the Admiralty had called the attention of the Commissioners of Woods, &c., to the most proper means of improving the durability of oak timber, which had always been supposed to be best secured by its being felled in winter, although, owing to its involving the loss of the bark, the practice had not become general. To avoid such loss it was determined, on the 15th of March this year, that the bark should be stripped in the spring from the trees standing, leaving them to be felled in the ensuing or some subsequent spring, five shillings per load being allowed for the additional trouble occasioned thereby. But this determination was not formed without careful investigation and experiment. Thus in the previous year (1814) thirty trees were marked and set apart in each of the Royal Forests, "which were divided into five cla.s.ses: three of the cla.s.ses were stripped standing, but with some variety in method, and left to be felled in winter; the second cla.s.s was felled, but left with the bark on; and the third felled, and then immediately afterwards stripped in the usual way." But the results of these different methods are not stated.

Licences to erect machinery were granted in the preceding year to Messrs.

Kear for a waterwheel at Park End in connexion with a mill for pounding slag from the iron furnaces, and to Mr. Mushet for a steam engine at Deepfield, and to Mr. John Protheroe for an engine at Whitelay Colliery; and in the present year two steam engines were licensed at Upper Bilson by Mr. Thomas Bennett, and one at Smith's Folly by Mr. Glover.

In the course of the succeeding year (1816) the last of the enclosures, as set out by the commissioners appointed under the Act of 1808, were completed, viz.--

A. R. P.

Perch, 386 1 15 near Coleford.

containing Aston 475 0 4 ,, Lydbrook.

Bridge Kinsley 376 1 27 ,, the Speech Ridge House.

---- -- -- Total 1237 3 6

The second report of the Commissioners of Woods, dated the 18th of May, and signed by Wm. Huskisson, Wm. Dacres Adams, Henry Dawkins, states "that 9,389 acres of this Forest had been enclosed and planted, the remaining 1,611 acres, making up the 11,000, being partly fenced, and would be shut in the next year, viz. 1816, making the total number of enclosures upwards of thirty. Besides which 240 acres of Whitemead Park had been appropriated (1809) to the growth of timber, as also 120 acres adjoining the different lodges, as well as 120 acres of the open Forest, where trees twenty-five or thirty feet high had been planted, and were doing very well. The cost of these operations, since 1808, was 59,172 pounds 5s. 10d."

To this period belongs the interesting circ.u.mstance of the then Bishop of Gloucester, the excellent Dr. Ryder, paying his first official visit to the Forest, for the purpose of consecrating Christ Church at Berry Hill.

The building was commenced, in 1812, as a chapel schoolroom, by the Rev.

P. M. Procter, the Vicar of Newland, a.s.sisted by the Duke of Beaufort, the Lord Bishop, and Mr. Ryder his secretary, aided by 100 pounds from the National Society, being the first grant made by it. But the structure was enlarged to twice the original size previous to its consecration.

The next year (1817) the Bishop had the satisfaction of being called upon in the month of April to repeat his visit to the Forest, for the purpose of dedicating the Church of the Holy Trinity, on Quarry Hill, to divine worship, for which it was first used on the previous 5th of February, having been commenced the summer before. Its erection was princ.i.p.ally accomplished by the exertions of the Rev. H. Berkin, a.s.sisted by contributions from the Earl of Liverpool, the Right Hon. N. Vansittart, the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Kenyon, Lord Calthorpe, W. Wilberforce, Esq., M.P., and other benevolent persons. The site, comprising five acres, was given by the Crown.

On the 15th of May this year the purchase of Lord Viscount Gage's estate, adjoining the Forest and the Wye, was concluded, as stated in the Commissioners' Report, which appeared on the 18th of June. It contained 2,229 acres of wood, which, "if preserved, would (they said) very soon be stocked with a succession of trees of the first quality, as they were of the most thriving description, the oldest being from sixty to eighty years old." The whole property contained 4,257 acres 15 poles, and, including all the timber and underwood, with certain forges, mills, limekilns, iron and tin works, was valued by the referees at 155,863 pounds 3s. 2d., the timber being prised at 61,624 pounds 4s. This agreement was confirmed by Act of Parliament, 57 George III., c. 97, which authorized the raising of the money by sales of Crown property to the amount of 101,945 pounds 6s. 3d., with the view of enabling the purchase money to be paid by five equal yearly instalments. A corn-mill, two forge-houses with appendages, the tolls of the Coleford Market-house, and about 423 acres of arable or meadow land, were sold for the most part at higher prices than were given for them, leaving 2,925 acres for the growth of timber.

[Picture: Norman Capital in Staunton Church]

On tracing the history of this property as far back as existing records permit, it appears that "the High Meadow Estate," although naturally included in the district const.i.tuting the Crown property of the Forest, had been at remote period detached from it as appears by the perambulations of 28 Edward I., with which the bounds of the shires of Gloucester and Monmouth here coincide. Its ancient village church, partly of Norman architecture, and its still more antique font, apparently Saxon, sufficiently attest the early location of inhabitants on the spot. This estate const.i.tuted one of the ten bailiwicks of the Forest as early as 10 Edward I. (1282), when it was held by John Walden, called John de Staunton, by the service, as the Rev. T. Fosbroke has ascertained, "of carrying the King's bow before him when he came to hunt in the bailiwick, and by homageward and marchat," and "he had for his custody housbote, heybote, of every kind of tree given or delivered by the King; all broken oaks, and all trees of every sort thrown down by the wind." After pa.s.sing through the families of the Baynhams, Brains, Winters, and Halls, who purchased the manor of English Bicknor early in the 17th century, it became by marriage the property of Sir Thomas Gage, created Viscount Gage of Castle Island, in the county of Kerry, and Baron Gage of Castlebar, in the county of Mayo, September 14th, 1720. It must also be noticed, that licences were issued this year for the erection of steam-engines at "No Coal" and at "Churchway Coal" Mines.

[Picture: Ancient Font in Staunton Church]

The following minute and interesting account of the state of the several plantations in the year 1818 is by permission abstracted from Mr.

Machen's private papers.

Speaking of the Buckholt (one of the older enclosures), he observes--

"The large timber in it has been cut, and parts of it planted with young oaks, obtained from places where they had sprung up spontaneously, but it is still imperfectly stocked. Stapledge (another of the earlier plantations) has been filled up by transplanting from the thick parts, and is tolerably well stocked on the whole. Birchwood (the third of the previous enclosures) has been planted in the vacant parts, and is fully stocked and very flourishing. From the Acorn Patch (the last of the old plantations) a large quant.i.ty of young oaks have been transplanted into the open parts of the Forest and the upper part of Russell's Enclosure. The trees drawn out are thriving, and many of them grow faster than the trees remaining in the Acorn Patch. There is a great quant.i.ty of holly and other underwood scattered on the parts where the trees are planted, and which serves for shelter and protection, and the soil is very good. The trees, though never transplanted before, came up with bunches of fibrous roots; and though of so large a size, being from 10 to 25 ft. high, scarcely any of them failed. Several experiments were tried as to pruning closely, pruning a little, and not at all; and it appears that those pruned sufficiently to prevent the wind from loosening the roots answer best, although many of those which were reduced to bare poles, and had their heads cut off, are now sending up vigorous leading shoots, and have every appearance of becoming fine timber: those unpruned did not succeed at all."

Alluding to the earthen banks, with which the plantations were mostly surrounded, Mr. Machen observes that "In most parts they appear to succeed very well, and the furze on the top of them grows very luxuriantly; but in some places, and those where the bank of mould has acc.u.mulated by being washed there in floods, the banks are mouldering, and in the last two years hawthorn-quick has been planted in those parts, and now looks very flourishing. There has not been a good year of acorns, that is, where a quant.i.ty have ripened in the Forest, since the commencement of the plantations until the present, and the trees are now loaded, and with every prospect of ripening.

The young trees in all the new enclosures are looking remarkably well this year, and some of them have made shoots so long that they more resemble willows than oaks. The six first-named enclosures, in addition to the acorns and five years old oaks, have had the same quant.i.ty of five years old oaks planted in addition, in lieu of the mending over, viz. 270 on an acre; but there are parts of all these, and almost the whole of Crab-tree Hill and Haywood, which suffered not only from the failure of the acorns, but from the ravages made by the mice, that will require to be filled up as soon as there is a stock of plants sufficient for the purpose. Russell's Enclosure is left to nature: only 10,000 Spanish chesnuts have been planted in it, and some young oaks from the Acorn Patch at the north end. There is a good deal of large timber over the whole, particularly the south and centre parts, and a vast quant.i.ty of natural young oaks sprung up in the neighbourhood of the large trees. The fern has been cut to relieve and encourage them for the last three years. The Lea Bailey Copse (north) consists of young copsewood well stored with oaks, growing on their own b.u.t.ts. The Lea Bailey Copse (south) has more large timber in it: this has not been regularly planted, but some trees have been transplanted from the thick parts of the north copse, and from the woodmen's nurseries. The lower Lea Bailey Enclosure has a considerable quant.i.ty of growing timber in it, and a large quant.i.ty of young oaks springing up. No planting has been done here. The fencing round these consists of a large ditch and bank, and a dead hedge at top, with hawthorn-quick planted within. The hedge having stood three years is decayed, and another will be required this year, which it is expected will last until the quick becomes a fence. The addition to the Buckholt of about fifteen acres was planted with 3 years old oaks from the woodmen's nurseries, and looks very thriving.

All the other enclosures were planted with seedlings and tenth trees, according to the second agreement with Mr. Driver, in 1812, 13, 14, and 15, and are this year looking very well. Parts of all the enclosures will require mending over, but I should think more than half are sufficiently stocked with oaks well established, and that will require no further attention until they want thinning. On the high land of Haywood, Edge Hills, and Ruerdean Hill, firs and a mixture of other trees have been planted, and are thriving and growing fast, particularly on Ruerdean Hill, where the Scotch and larch take the lead. Firs, &c., have also been planted in the wet and bad parts of most of the other enclosures, and succeed. The nurseries we have in cultivation are the Bourts, 161 acres; Yew-tree Brake, about 5 acres; Ell Wood, 11 acres; and about 26 in the Vallets, or middle, and Sallow Vallets Nurseries, previously occupied by Mr. Driver. In these there are now about four millions of young oaks, three, two, and one year old, and about 600,000 firs and other trees of different sorts. The plants in Whitemead Park are thriving very well in all parts which are situated at a distance from the brook, but near to it they are very thin, stunted, and unhealthy, and are constantly killed down by spring frosts. Ash and fir trees have been planted amongst them, but with little success at present. The princ.i.p.al part of the large timber now in the Forest is about Park End, on Church Hill, Ivy More Head, Russell's Enclosure, Park End Lodge Hill, and at the Lea Bailey. That at the Bailey appears younger, and some of it shook by frost, and rather drawn up by standing too thick. The timber about Park End is very fine, and I should suppose from 150 to 200 years old. There is a considerable quant.i.ty of young oak, from 15 to 40 years old, about Tanner's Hill, &c., near Gun's Mills, on the outside of Edge Hill Enclosure, and some within it in the lower part. Chesnuts Enclosure is covered with hazel, that was cut down when the oak was planted, and is now growing up with the young oaks and chesnuts, both of which are more rapidly growing in this enclosure than in any other; a double quant.i.ty of chesnuts are planted in this enclosure. There are scarcely any natural trees in the Forest but oak and beech; birch springs up spontaneously in every enclosure, and overruns the whole Forest. The few ash trees look scrubbed and unthrifty. Since the year 1809, 14,260 oak trees containing 14,546 loads of timber have been felled, viz. 11,322 trees for the navy, and 2,938 sold by auction. About 50 trees, containing about 50 loads, have been blown down or stolen."

This year, 1818, Mr. Trotter obtained the permission of the Crown to erect steam engines at Vallets Level and Howler's Slade, and in the following year the first corn mill was constructed at Cinderford, by Mr.

Brace, out of an old water-wheel, and the adjoining buildings. In the year 1819 also, through the exertions of the Rev. H. Poole, the small chapel at Coleford, erected there in the reign of Queen Anne, was taken down, and a building more equal to the religious wants of the place was erected, and duly set apart for Christian worship, by Bishop Ryder, on the 18th of January, 1821.

The Third Triennial Report of the Commissioners of Woods was issued on the 18th of June, 1819. It states that three portions of land had been granted in trust for church purposes to the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, Lord Calthorpe, and the Right Honourable Nicolas Vansittart, one piece being attached to Christ Church, Berry Hill, a second to Holy Trinity Church, and the third for a proposed church at Cinderford. It also affirms that the whole of the 11,000 acres specified in the Acts for enclosing the Forest had been taken in and planted, and that the plantations were generally in a very flourishing state, comprising with the recent purchases 14,335 acres, the whole of which lands were, from the nature of the soil and the conveniences of water-carriage, probably better adapted for that purpose than any other tract of land in the kingdom lying together and of equal extent. The report concludes by alluding to the efforts which the commissioners had been making to induce such parties as occupied encroachments on the Forest to accept leases for thirty-one years, at an almost nominal rent, with the view of effecting the ultimate restoration of these lands to the Crown, but regrets that so liberal a proposal had been refused by nearly all; nevertheless further steps were about being taken in the matter.

The following particulars relating to this period are abstracted from Mr.

Machen's Memoranda:--"29th May, 1819. The frost was so severe that the verdure around White Mead, and throughout all the low parts of the Forest, was entirely destroyed. There was not a green leaf left on any oak or beech, large or small, and all the shoots of the year were altogether withered. The spruce and silver firs were all injured: in short all trees but Scotch fir and poplar suffered severely.--August 10th. The plantations had recovered from the effects of the frost--the oak more effectually than the beech, and had made more vigorous and thriving shoots than I ever saw. We measured several shoots in Serridge and Birchwood more than five feet long, and one in the Bailey Copse seven feet. We measured an oak planted in Whitemead Park near to the W. hedge, and in the second field planted below the house, seventeen feet six inches high: Lord Glenbervie was present. Shutcastle in the upper part, and the eastern part of Serridge, were looking best of all the new plantations, though all appear in a very thriving state this year." From the same source we learn that Ellwood, purchased from Colonel Probyn, and containing 110 acres, was planted this year. The holes were dug four feet apart in rows, and five feet between the rows. The trees planted were 30,000 Scotch firs, 1,600 pineasters, 3,600 larch, 6,000 Spanish chesnuts, 120,000 oaks of three and four years old, and 4,500 seedling oaks planted by way of experiment in one corner of the large field on the south side of Ellwood, and with no large plants amongst them. A few of the enclosures had oaks planted in them also, viz.-

Ruerdean Hill 35,000 Beechen Hurst 52,000 Bromley 35,000 Sallow Vallets 12,000 Park Hill 30,000

and some more, from each of the woodmen's nurseries in their respective enclosures.

In the spring of 1820, 15,000 Scotch firs were planted in Ellwood, in the place of those that died. During the autumn and the following spring, about two million trees, which had been raised in the different Forest nurseries, were also planted out to mend over the different enclosures, viz.--

Oaks. Firs.

In Whitemead Park 51,000 50,000 Shutcastle Enclosure 25,500 Ellwood 8,000 16,000 Bromeley 80,000 3,500 Nagshead 460,000 5,000 Aston Bridge 81,000 Ruerdean Hill 120,000 63,000 Haywood 240,000 Edge Hills 10,000 70,000 Crab-tree Hill 115,000 Russells 25,000 Kensley Ridge 210,000 80,000 Yew-tree Brake 125,000 35,000 Blakeney Hill 100,000 13,000 --------- --------- 1,625,500 360,500

Under the usual official permission, the Howler Slade Colliery was connected, by a tramway 350 yards in length, with the Severn and Wye Railways at Cannop, and Mr. J. Scott was permitted to lay down 102 yards of tramway to his coal-works at the Moorwood, and Mr. Thomas Phillips to put up a steam engine at the Union Colliery, in Oaken Hill Enclosure.

There was also another tramway extension by the Bullo Pill Company to the Folly and Whimsey Collieries at the head of the Dam Pool. A junction was effected in 1823 between the Severn and Wye, and the Bullo Pill Tramway, by means of the Churchway Summit, parallel to Serridge, thus connecting the eastern and western lines of traffic.

In the year 1822 the consecration of the third of the Forest Churches, St. Paul's, for which a site had been given by the Crown on Mason's Tump, at Park End, took place on the 25th of April, Bishop Ryder attending.

The Fourth Triennial Report of the Commissioners of Woods, dated 1823, intimates disappointment at the little growth made by the new plantations, now eight or nine years old; but, on the other hand, it was observed that "they were doing well, and that slowness of growth was inseparable from their nature, particularly at that age." We learn from Mr. Machen's Notes that at this time, and again in the two succeeding years, very severe frosts, in one instance as late as the 23rd of June, greatly injured the young trees, more especially such as grew in low, moist situations, although in some degree it also touched those on higher lands.

The property known as "the Great Doward Estate" was purchased by the Crown, in 1824, from the Miss Griffins, for 15,000 pounds. Although separated by the river Wye, and situated in Herefordshire, and never before included within the limits of the Forest, it certainly groups with the High Meadow Woods, clothing the same valley; and it moreover forms a definite part of the geological basin of the district.

In March, 1825, the well-known and prosperous Nelson Colliery was commenced by Messrs. Bennett and Meek. A branch line of tramway was also made up to Mr. Mushet's Mine, near the Shute Castle Hill Enclosure, from the Severn and Wye line at Park End.

In each of the seasons of 1824-25 and 1825-26, Mr. Machen states that about 500 acres of the High Meadow property was planted with oak, Scotch fir, and larch, in proportions varying with the nature of the soil and openness of the situation. In the parts where shelter was most requisite, two-thirds of fir and one-third of oak were planted, in others half of each, and in sheltered situations oak alone. A great many of these plants perished in the spring and summer of 1825 from heat and drought, and still more in 1826, which was the driest spring and summer ever remembered. In some high and shallow parts nearly every tree died; a great many also were eaten off and destroyed by the hares and rabbits.

There were now 3,000 acres of wood on the High Meadow estate, viz. 2,000 acres of old woods, and 1,000 acres lately planted. In the year last mentioned the Fifth Triennial Report of the Commissioners of Woods, &c., was issued, signed by Charles Arbuthnot, Wm. Dacres Adams, and Henry Dawkins.

By the spring of 1827 Mr. Edward Protheroe effected the opening of collieries at Ivy Moore Head, Park End Main, Park End Royal Pits, and at Birch Well, at most of which pumping and winding engines were put up, a tramway 1,500 yards in length connecting them with the main road of the Severn and Wye Company. The same year saw a reduction of the landed property of the Crown by the sale of its rights in the Fence Woods, Mawkins Hazels, and Hudnalls, comprising a total of 1,273 acres 3 roods 9 poles, for 925 pounds. The Crown's right in Hudnalls, although it contained 1,200 acres, was of little value, as the inhabitants of St.

Briavel's had the right of cutting wood on it.

Pa.s.sing over the next year, the earliest circ.u.mstance in order of time is the opening of the important colliery at Crump Meadow, and the construction of 1,200 yards of tramway, uniting it with the main line of the Bullo Pill Company above Cinderford, all which was executed by Mr.

Protheroe.

We next find, under the date of March 16th, 1829, Mr. Machen observing--"Although the Scotch firs have succeeded so well as nurses for the oaks, and have brought them forward, making them healthy and thriving on land that without shelter would only have produced them stunted and unthrifty, yet I am inclined on the whole to prefer larch. They are a shelter available for the purpose, although not so complete; but by that means the oaks are not kept too warm and brought too forward, and the larch is more valuable in itself. In some of our cold valleys, however, the larch will not grow, the spring frosts cutting them off." He also remarks--"We are now planting the oaks by the side of the road from 'Jack of the Yat' to Coleford Lane End, those at the White Oak, and opposite the Buckholt, and those leading to Eastbatch, having been planted in 1827 and 1828. The s.p.a.ce of road left is about fifty feet. Most of the trees are brought from the Vallets Enclosure, and do not cost more than four pence each to replant them. They are twelve to fifteen feet high, and a man can carry about two of them at a time. We are also planting the Lodge Hill about York Lodge, at the rate of 300 to an acre, leaving them without any fence."

Upon the 6th of June this same year the sixth and last of the "Triennial Reports of the Commissioners of Woods," &c., came out, signed Lowther, Wm. Dacres Adams, Henry Dawkins.

With reference to 1830, Mr. Machen's note-book supplies the following memoranda:--"2nd March, planted trees on each side the road to Breem, also on the side of the Coleford Road below Bromley Enclosure, and about Catchcan Coal-works, continuing the avenue down the Long Hill, planting also the delves between Serridge and Sallow Vallets, at a cost of about four pence per tree, no fences being put round them. We planted also in the Greens of Russell's Enclosure. Some pineasters and larch were likewise planted on the old Quarry Mounts, by the sides of the road leading from Park End to Coleford, as likely, if successful, to produce a good effect.