Feckenham Forest facts for kids

Feckenham Forest

Feckenham Forest was a special area of land in Worcestershire and west Warwickshire, centered around the village of Feckenham. It was called a "royal forest" because the King had special rights there. This didn't mean it was all trees or that the King owned all the land. Instead, the King had rights over hunting animals, cutting wood, and grazing animals.

Special courts were set up in Feckenham to make sure these rules were followed. If someone broke the rules, they faced tough punishments. The forest had its own prison in Feckenham, and executions happened at a place called Gallows Green near Hanbury.

This forest was likely used for hunting by kings even before Edward the Confessor. By the time of the Domesday Book, large parts of Worcestershire were under these special forest laws. The rules changed a lot during the early Norman period. The forest grew much bigger during the reign of King Henry II, expanding from 34 to 184 square miles. However, its size was reduced again in 1301.

Over time, parts of the forest were used to make salt in Droitwich. By 1629, during the reign of King Charles I, the forest laws were removed, a process called "disafforestation." This caused a lot of anger and riots among local people. Today, only a few small areas of the old forest remain near Dodford and Chaddesley Corbett. The land in the forest area is mostly clay, sand, or gravel, with some peat bogs in the south.

Feckenham Forest in Medieval Times

How Big Was the Forest?

At its largest, Feckenham Forest covered a huge area. It included places like Bromsgrove, Redditch, and Evesham, and reached almost to the city of Worcester. It even crossed into Warwickshire, going as far as the River Arrow, where it met the Forest of Arden.

Before King Henry II, the forest was about 34 square miles (88 square kilometers). It stretched from Tardebigge in the north, included Hanbury, and went close to Droitwich in the west and Alcester in the southeast.

King Henry II made many forests, including Feckenham, much larger. It grew to about 184 square miles (477 square kilometers). This huge area went from Evesham in the south, near Worcester, up to Droitwich and Wychbold in the west. It reached Stone, Chaddesley Corbett, and Alvechurch in the north, and Redditch, Studley, and Alcester in the east. These boundaries were officially written down for King Edward I in 1300-1301.

This official document also suggested making the royal forest smaller again. It recommended that the forest should only include the Parish of Feckenham, Bradley, the western part of Hanbury, and parts of Stoke Prior and Bentley Pauncefoot. Foxlydiate and Headless Cross were on the northeastern edge of this smaller area.

Arguments about the forest's size continued. King Edward II tried to expand the forest laws again in the 1320s. This meant some areas that had been outside the forest were brought back under its rules. For example, Robert Burdet complained that his woodlands at Arrow were made part of Feckenham Forest again. His and other complaints were heard by the King's Council in 1326.

By the 15th century, the forest courts in England became less powerful. In 1444, King Henry VI gave the forest to Henry, Duke of Warwick. However, the Duke died a year later without an heir, so the forest went back to the Crown. During the 16th century, forest laws were enforced less and less across the country.

Animals and Plants of the Forest

The wooded parts of Feckenham Forest were home to many animals. These included badgers, foxes, martens, otters, wild boars, wild cats, and wolves. The main animals hunted for sport were hares, red deer, and fallow deer.

Special areas called warrens were used to keep pheasants, partridges, and woodcocks. There were also fishponds near Feckenham and special parks for deer.

Wolves were a big problem in the Middle Ages. Hunters were paid to kill wolves in Worcestershire. For example, during the time of King Henry III, they were paid 3 shillings for each wolf. In 1280, King Edward I specifically ordered his chief forester, Peter Corbet, to destroy wolves in the area. He told him: "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, the wolves, with men, dogs and his own devices in every way he thinks proper."

However, for a long time, wolves were also hunted for sport, so their numbers were managed rather than completely wiped out. Wolves were finally eliminated in England during the reign of King Henry VII.

Who Owned What and What Rights Existed?

The King owned the hunting rights in the forest. He had rights over hunting game, letting pigs eat acorns and beech nuts, and using timber and smaller wood. In 1281, Grimbald Pauncefoote was given rights to keep rabbits in his manor of Bentley Pauncefoot.

Some of the land within the forest area belonged to the Bishop of Worcester. A few areas, like Feckenham, Inkberrow, Bromsgrove, and Chaddesley Corbett, were owned by the King. Inkberrow even had a royal deer park.

How the Forest Was Managed

Forest law was very strict and caused a lot of complaints. The main center for managing the forest was Feckenham, where the courthouse and prison were located. Executions happened at Gallows Green, a place between Hanbury and Droitwich on the old Salt Way.

Forest Officials

Being an official in the forest could be a very important job. The main person in charge was the keeper, but this was mostly an honorary title. Famous people like Geoffrey Chaucer (in 1389) and Gilbert Talbot (in 1492) held this position. Below the keeper were the verderers. They were the main enforcers of the forest laws, investigating rule-breaking and illegal entries. Their official symbol was an axe. Woodwards were responsible for guarding the King's timber and deer.

Poaching and Disputes

Breaking forest rules, like poaching (illegal hunting) or taking over royal land, wasn't just done by poor people. Many records show that noblemen or churchmen were also involved. They were usually punished with large fines. For example, the Bishop of Worcester was fined 500 marks (about £333) in 1290 for "trespasses of vert and venison" (crimes against trees and deer). He was fined another £200 in 1291. However, under King Henry III, the Church of St Mary (which is now Worcester Cathedral) was allowed to hunt in its own forests. This meant that the King's foresters could not interfere there, except for matters concerning the King’s deer.

There were also land disputes with the Abbots of Evesham. They enclosed a large part of the forest when it was at its biggest, claiming they had the right to do so under old agreements. Their wood at Sambourne was taken in 1280 as payment for this.

Forest Courts

Records of investigations and the Forest Eyre (a special court) from the 13th century still exist in The National Archives. There is also one investigation from 1377. Some records of the Swanimote court (another forest court) from the time of King Henry VII have also survived.

End of the Forest and Riots

There was a lot of demand for wood from the forest to fuel salt-making in Droitwich. This practice was recorded as far back as the Domesday Book. As the population grew, the need for salt increased. By the time the forest laws were removed in 1629, much of the forest had been cut down and was being used for farming. Maps from this time, like those by Christopher Saxton and the Sheldon Tapestry, show how much the woodland had shrunk.

In fact, a lot of the land in the forest had been farmed for a long time. The main wooded areas were Walkwood and Berrow Wood. But there were few deer because many sheep grazed in the forest. By 1591, over 732 acres had been cleared for farming. However, the forest was still very important for people who used its land for fuel, timber, and livestock. It also provided fruit for the poor.

Steps to Remove Forest Laws

The Lord Treasurer Robert Cecil started the process of removing forest laws across the King's lands. In Feckenham, the Crown earned £1100 from selling 1600 trees in 1609. In 1612, they made £821 from selling cleared forest lands. In the years that followed, even more wood was cut down. King James's Lord Treasurer, Cranfield, ordered surveys of cleared lands in various forests, including Feckenham in 1622. This was done to increase money for the King and sped up the plan to remove forest laws.

In late 1627, William Ashton and William Turnor were given a lease of the forest. They paid £4,000 and a small yearly rent of £20. Ashton was a courtier, like many who benefited from the removal of forest laws. This agreement was confirmed in June 1629, when the removal of forest laws was officially ordered. This meant that 2100 acres (8.5 square kilometers) of woodland and unused land in the forest parishes of Hanbury, Feckenham, and Bradley could be divided among the Crown, the local lords, and the common people.

Sir Miles Fleetwood was in charge of surveying the lands before the forest laws were removed. The local people refused to accept their share of common land. They said they had only agreed "for fear and by terrible threats" and that their shares did not make up for losing their common rights. In the end, 155 of them complained to the Court of Exchequer.

A new order in November 1630 reduced the Crown's share in Hanbury from 550 to 460 acres. But this was still not accepted by the locals. The new owners were told to enclose their lands by March 1, 1631.

How the Forest Was Finally Divided

The way the land was divided might seem generous to copyholders (people who held land by custom) and freeholders (people who owned land outright). This could be because many local residents were poor. The general idea of paying poor people and tenants was to help with the serious social problems that caused the riots. The total money given out seemed quite generous, but the amount each poor villager received was very small. The King took away a key part of their income – free access to thousands of acres of common land – and gave them only tiny bits of what was left over.

In Feckenham, the 60 acres for the poor were divided into small plots for poor villagers. In Hanbury, 80 acres went to villagers, while 20 acres were given to the churchwardens to provide money for the poor. The plots given to villagers were estimated to be around 1.5 acres each. In Bradley, old villagers were to get 1.5 acres, and newer villagers 1 acre.

The fact that the poorest residents challenged the agreement in 1630 shows that the settlement was not enough for them. Only 30 of the 184 people who complained were actually entitled to compensation. The others were tenants on land cleared without permission or subtenants who had no right to use the common land. These residents were the main reason it was hard to agree on removing the forest laws. The area did not have many important industries, so many poor villagers had settled in the forest and survived by using the common land.

Riots and Stopping the Disturbances

On March 28, 1631, a riot broke out where three miles of fences were torn down. The King's Privy Council took the rioting very seriously. They were also worried that local militias and courts were not doing enough. Lawsuits were brought against the rioters in the Star Chamber court in 1631. The Privy Council wrote to the Lord President of the Council of the Marches, telling him to make sure the deputy Lieutenants in Worcestershire stopped any more "rebellious attempts." They demanded this be done by any means necessary, as the disturbances were "so dangerous."

In Spring 1632, 300 people rioted. They were met by the Sheriff, a Deputy Lieutenant, and a Justice of the Peace with forty armed men. The rioters "in a most daring and presumptuous manner presented themselves unto us with warlike weapons (namely) pikes, forest bills, pitchforks, swords and the like." This time, the authorities acted to stop this "flat rebellion." They tried to arrest the rioters and injured some of them.

These riots were part of bigger disturbances, including the Western Rising. In the end, the Crown and the local lords successfully enclosed their lands. The Crown's land in Hanbury was quickly sold off and is now known as Forest Farm. The Lord of Hanbury and Feckenham manors, Sir Edward Leighton, gained about 80 acres in Monkwood and 360 acres around Feckenham. This included areas like Queen's Coppice and Ranger's Coppice.

Land Use After the Forest Laws Were Removed

Thomas Habingdon described Feckenham Park sometime after 1632. His words show how the area changed from a forest to farmland: "The king had 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 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, about a year after the forest was divided up.

What Remains Today

Place Names

Some place names still remind us of the forest:

Remaining Woodlands and Environment Today

The most significant remaining woodlands are in the northwest area, which was expanded under Henry II, rather than the original woodlands around Feckenham. Many of these areas are now managed by the Wildlife Trusts. They have a "Forest of Feckenham" project to bring back some of the natural habitats.

Very little of the original woodlands are left. Surveys of Worcestershire show some signs of the former forest, such as a higher number of ancient trees in those areas.

The Feckenham Forest area has been named a "Biodiversity Enhancement Area." This means it is a priority for improving wildlife and natural habitats. It includes old countryside with mixed farms, ancient woodlands, old grasslands, wetlands, and traditional orchards. However, some argue that the Hanbury Park area is mostly farmland with low biodiversity.

Worcestershire County Council notes that the larger area has many "irregular fields with hedges rich in woody species." This shows they were created from land cleared from the ancient wildwood. Upper Bentley still has a more wooded feel. Part of the area near Feckenham also has important peat wetlands. The council calls these landscapes 'Timbered Farmlands,' 'Wooded Estatelands,' and 'Wet Pasture Meadows.' The "Forest of Feckenham and Feckenham Wetlands" area is a "hotspot for biodiversity" and a priority for protecting and developing 'green infrastructure'. This includes protecting traditional field patterns, boundaries, and small woodlands, and improving stream areas.

The Forestry Commission believes most of the former forest area has high potential for growing trees. However, the quality of the agricultural land is only fair or poor.