Forests and Chases of Medieval England and Wales c 1000–c 1500: towards a survey and analysis. A Companion Volume to Forests and Chases of England and Wales c 1500–c 1850. Edited by John Langton and Graham Jones. 260mm. Pp x+196, 24 col pls, 20 b&w ills. Oxford: St John's College Research Centre, 2010. ISBN 9780954497576. £35 (pbk).

摘要

Compared to enclosed parks, on which muchnhas been published recently, forests and chasesn(the ‘royal’/’private’ distinction cannot benmeaningfully maintained, according to Jones)nare difficult territory for archaeologists; evennif a perambulation exists, it may not spell outnboundaries that are easy to locate today, andneven a perambulation did not fix them for allntime. Fluidity of size is matched by fluidity ofnterrain; the uplands of the north involved greatntracts subject to forest law, asWinchester shows,nbut the Welsh borders had many more smallnpatches, investigated by Silvester. They were notnconfined to high ground, however, nor dictatednby geology; although clays, gravels and sandsnthat lent themselves to woods and wood-pasturenwere more likely to be brought under forest lawnthan intensively cultivated limestone and chalk,nmuch of central England nevertheless was pre-nserved hunting territory, even though cultivationnwas not prevented, as Thomas’s mapping ofnridge and furrow in Bernwood shows. Nor wasnthe Norfolk Breckland made forest despite itsnheaths, nor large parts of the Weald of Kent andnSussex despite its woods.