Meetings and Events Reports
Jul 12: Brian Short: An Historical Perspective on the Ashdown Forest.
Professor Short explained that research at East Sussex Records Office had revealed that a duplicated set of notes made by Beatrix Lamb had come to light in the l980’s which comprised 119 depositions made between 1876 and 1882 and collected by a Battle Solicitor, Gilbert Raper, giving evidence of the existence of various rights over the Forest back to the 12th Century. From these Professor Short was able to paint a fascinating picture of the Ashdown Forest over the centuries.
The first mention of the name Ashdown Forest was in a document of 1130. The origin of the area as a forest was hunting – established by the Normans. The word “forest” does not mean trees – rather it is a legal term for an area reserved for the hunt – with very severe penalties for anyone caught taking game. In general forest laws were outside the normal laws but it is not known whether these special forest laws operated in the Ashdown Forest. From Norman times, the Forest belonged to the Monarch and then the Duchy of Lancaster.
One of the first known rights was for monks to cross the Forest.
Brian Short demonstrated the geology of the Forest. It is in the middle of the High Weald – much of it is poor acidic soil with poor drainage – there are several springs and it is the watershed of the Medway. As a result, the watercourses have carved out small ghylls (valleys) and the area is difficult to farm. Over the years, some of the heather land had been improved and it has always been necessary to keep heather and trees controlled. The Forest is a wonderful eco-area for flora and fauna.
Even before the Normans took over the forest, there were Saxon settlements with the people farming the area and turning out cattle communally; no-one stopped them and they assumed the right. When the Normans imposed a hunting forest, conflict resulted which continued into the 19th century.
An alternative name for a Forest was a chase – the pale (boundary) was erected by the monarch and some of this is still visible today – it took the form of a bank topped by stakes. The bank was deeper on the inside and hatches (gates) were erected so that the king’s deer could not escape but those from outside could get in.
Over the early years, Master Foresters were appointed to administer the Ashdown Forest – drawn from the neighbouring noble families – Sackville, Pelham, Boleyn and Gage amongst others
In 1273, there were 208 tenants who had the right to agist (graze) cattle and swine (not sheep), to take wood and building materials –