F O R EST AN D CHAOE M AL E N V R , I T S A N C I E N T 85 P R E S E N T S T A T E ; WITH NOTICES OF THE MOST R EM AR K AB L E O L D T R EE S REMAINING WITHIN ITS CONFINES . BY ED I LEES W N , F ellow of tin Botanical Soc iety of Edinburgh, Jae. ' ’ - r MALVERN ononsrnnsnmn NA T VICE PRESIDENT o m 8c W TUBALIB S Cu ms. WORCESTER P E AT THE HERALD OFF CE 2 H GH- S REE RINT D I , 7 , I T T. 1877. FOREST AND CHACE OF MALVERN, " WITH NOTICE"“ THE MOST REMARKABLE OLD TREES BY EDWIN LEES, EL S But now l turn 1m m. Ot tu teleu order. with the banh of earth. ” To tame its d luxurlance. Change has passed upon the c ountry onc e designated as " ' Malvem Chace since its disafiorestation in the reign of ” r s 1st w n s s of n r Cha le the , he the bea t ve e y strayed over its n n s oods and w n n i urin u e clo ed w , he the e ghbo g occupiers of land were compelled under the forest laws to submit to the visitations of stray deer without daring to preven t their tr s sses and our si in n e pa , a C t tt g at Ha ley had j urisdicti on over “ 01 ma s n to th haos hil 1 tter appertaini g e C , w e the Chief Forester" D r 2 m FOREST AN om en o m vnm . axe was at times brought down upon the n eck of any unfor , tun ate marauder who could n ot show good cause for bein g f s i But a mos foun d within the sacred pale o the a d Chace . l t to the close of the last cen tury the Chaos was a great unen osed ste for in m mor of men n but few rs c l wa , the e y livi g a yea s n rson ou r n on orse a from r i ce, a pe c ld have idde h b ck G eat M alvem to the top of Bredon Hill an d foun d n o impedimen t to his ours s on ss of rn an d c e ave ly, the pa age the Seve , that c ould be crossed at Upton B ridge . It is scarc ely possible to form an adequate idea of the appearance of the Forest of Malvem in the early times prior to the orm n Con u s but er o mon k s N a q e t, at that p i d the i h ron r m of m s ur m n t on s as w r ch icle , Willia Mal e b y, e i it a ilde " Pr v ou n ess thick set with trees. e i s to that time the whole coun try from the bills to the Severn must have been a waste r fit on for r of o s* an d o r s n m ls t act, ly the lai w lve the avage a i a ; an d in s n ot o r r s or un r ood r place c ve ed by t ee de w , except whe e a few bare emin en ces like the Wold Hills con trasted with the oom for s s en was mars n s diffi u t gl y e t c e, a flat hy expa e with c l y ‘ or b an d n rous n of mm asur expl able y day, a da ge exte t i e able o m t n h s r of an o gl o a ight . T i t act l d west f the Severn was n u in the oun tr of the ur s but was ro l i cl ded c y Sil e , it p bab y on s te on huntin for s for no r es n ly vi i d g ay , t ac have bee dis o r of an rm n n o u on and s r e si e c ve ed y pe a e t cc pati , ca c ly a ngl r s m men has en an r x um n or are B iti h i ple t be ywhe e e h ed, memorial ston es or sepulchral barrows to be foun d " Very the 1 th ear of the rei of Henr t ree s lin w In 3 y y II. h hil gs as ordered to he paid to the hunter in Worc esters ire who c aught the wolves in the Forest ; and the sai un ter or his suc cessor had similar orders in his a our for wolf- illin 1 t d h f v k g, 7 h and 27th ears of Henr . and in the 5th ear of the rei n of Kin y y II , y g g John . See W vol. 1 1 0. But as late as the i N ash Hist. or est . 3 re n of war w l , c , , p g Ed d I. o ves were numerous in the orests of Worc esters ire and the a ac ent c unties for e er f h dj o , P t Cor et was irec te a s ecial man ate of t t mo r b d d by p d ha na ch to. supenntend and ass“; in the destruction of them. At Pendoc lr are traces of a dyke that extended acres- the c ountry towards Corse Lawn ore Dra Celtic —a oun ar ro a l to ri (C m, b d y b b y B tish tribes. Exc e t a " p bronze c elt foun at reat l ern more t an psit a c entur a o an d G Ma v h y g , d a c urious c up ‘ of rude earthenware disc overed buried with burned human bones on the s t of i he ire Beac onr nothing has been hitherto ' mee with la the ‘ to mark the oc cupation nf man in pre historic times. m m r m m or m m few e ti n m s r m n in the is ri and C l c a e e ai d t ct, with the ex c ep tion o f rn an d r s Pen o all n m o Malve , pe hap d ck, the a es f r s s are n of on ori or d pa i he evide tly Sax gin . N di the Romans mark their presence visibly in the flat coun try between the al rn s and rn for n M ve Hill the Seve , o decided Roman road ross s n or an m r c e the Chace, have y Ro an emain s (a few coins ex e n found in n r n w r cept d) bee it except ea Upto , he e there se ms to n m or s on r a on r e have bee a Ca p, ec da y St ti , p obably to guard the ford across the Severn ; and an other Roman or r r u i r m is at m se four mil s l athe a x lia y Ca p ex ted Ke p y, e be ow or s r but is was on t rn n of ri r W ce te , th the eas e ba k the ve . The Saxons do not appe ar to have en tirely conquered the c ountry between the Severn an d the Wye before the reign of At s n and r did mu mor n di e th hel ta , whethe they ch e tha vid e n r s o n r om r n Chac e i to pa ishe d es ot clearly appea . S e g a ts of n r ro m on in s and E r the la d we e p bably ade by Sax k g , dwa d Confessor exercised that right ; but the greater part of the h mus n un ro r and as for s roun C ace t have bee app p iated, e t g d r u on the orm n so r ns was therefo e seized p by N a ve eig . s n tion n or s and is h t the The di ti c betwee a F e t a Chace , t a rm was o al ro r but r oul d fo er R y p pe ty, the latte c d be hel by anner llu in to rmi a r in w rd a subject. T , a d g the he t ge he e Ed a ’ “ f or s r n s s was in or s an d the C on ess eig , ay it the wild F e t ; the hills an d the coun try all aroun d their bases for many rn ss and is so l miles was gen erally termed a wilde e , ca led by ' ' - o n on mon r s illiam of Malmesbmy .