Forest of Middlesex facts for kids
The Forest of Middlesex was a huge, ancient forest that once covered a large part of what is now northern Greater London, England. It stretched for about 20 miles north from the old city walls of London. This forest was a wild place, full of trees and home to many animals.
A Royal Hunting Ground
After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Forest of Middlesex became a special "royal forest." This meant it was owned by the king and used for hunting. However, the citizens of the City of London were also given special permission by kings Henry I and Henry II to hunt there.
A writer named William Fitzstephen, who lived around 1190, described the forest as a "vast forest, its copses dense with foliage concealing wild animals – stags, does, boars, and wild bulls." Imagine how wild and exciting it must have been!
What Happened to the Forest?
In 1218, King Henry III decided that the Forest of Middlesex would no longer be a royal forest. This process is called "disafforestation." Once it was no longer a royal forest, the land could be bought and sold by private owners.
This led to a lot of the forest being cut down, a process known as deforestation. People cleared the land to build homes, farms, and towns. This was a common trend across England as the population grew and needed more space and food.
How Big Was It?
It's hard to know the exact size of the Forest of Middlesex. However, old records from 1086 (called the Domesday returns) suggest that about 30% of Middlesex was covered in woodland. This was twice the average amount of woodland in other parts of England at that time.
Over time, especially between the Norman Conquest and the Black Death (a terrible plague in the 1300s), the amount of woodland in England decreased a lot. This was because more and more people needed land for farming and living.
What's Left Today?
Even though most of the Forest of Middlesex is gone, you can still find small parts of it today. These are like little pieces of the ancient forest that have survived.
Some of these remaining fragments include:
The London area known as St John's Wood also gets its name from a part of the forest that was once owned by a group called the Order of St John of Jerusalem. These places give us a glimpse into what the vast Forest of Middlesex once looked like.
