Historic effects of Forest Law on Woodland Management

What Was Forest Law?

  • In medieval England, a “forest” was not just woodland—it was a legally defined area where royal hunting rights were protected. Forest law applied to deer and wild boar (the “four beasts of the forest”) and their habitat.
  • These laws were enforced by forest courts and officials, and breaking them could lead to heavy fines.

Management Within Feckenham Forest

  • Wood cutting and timber use: Inhabitants could cut wood and timber, but only for immediate domestic needs, not for commercial purposes.
  • Pasture rights: Locals could graze livestock, but again, only on a small scale. Large-scale clearing for farming (called assarting) was restricted and often fined.
  • Coppicing and woodland clearance: Some managed clearance occurred as population grew in the 13th century, but it required royal permission and usually involved paying fines.
  • Why These Restrictions?
  • The Crown wanted to preserve hunting grounds and also exploit forests for revenue through licensing fees and fines.
  • Over time, forest law acted as a land-use overlay, limiting economic activity while allowing controlled resource use.
  • Feckenham Forest Context
  • At its peak in the 13th century, Feckenham Forest covered 184 square miles, later reduced to about 34 square miles.
  • Persistent poaching and economic pressures led to gradual disafforestation, but until then, management was tightly regulated under forest law.
  • Timeline of Feckenham Forest’s legal changes

1217 – Charter of the Forest

  • The Charter of the Forest was issued as a companion to Magna Carta, reducing the severity of forest law and restoring some rights to commoners. It marked the first major legal reform of royal forests, including Feckenham
  • Domesday Era (1086) to 13th Century.
  • At the time of Domesday, most of Worcestershire lay within the royal forest system.
  • By the 13th century, western and southern areas (e.g., Ombersley and Horewell) were disafforested, leaving Feckenham as the core forest.
  • 1300 – Perambulation and Boundary Reduction
  • A legal challenge forced King Edward I to reduce Feckenham Forest’s bounds.
  • The forest shrank from about 184 square miles to a core of 34 square miles, though forest law continued to apply within these limits.
  • 1608–1620s – Crown Revenue Measures
  • Under James I, ministers began investigating royal forests to raise income, leading to stricter enforcement and plans for enclosure.
  • By the 1620s, Lionel Cranfield accelerated disafforestation policies, preparing forests for sale and enclosure
  • 1626–1632 – Disafforestation Riots
  • Feckenham Forest saw riots and legal disputes during the Western Rising, as Charles I sold off royal forest lands and enclosed them.
  • Disafforestation meant the land lost its special legal status, allowing private ownership and ending forest law protections.

Post-1630s – Complete Disafforestation

  • By the mid-17th century, Feckenham Forest was fully disafforested, and forest law ceased to apply.

The land transitioned to private estates and agricultural use, marking the end of its royal forest status.