Forests and Chases of England and Wales, c. 1000 to c. 1850:
An Inventory of Early Maps and Plans
An important part of the project is to identify the
whereabouts of maps and plans of forests and chases up to c. 1850
and to make them freely available on-line.
For example, to view a digital image (monotone) of Thomas Aldwell's 1618 'map or plot' of Cranborne Chase, with modern additions, click on 'Dorset' in the Index to Counties and then on the thumbnail in the catalogue window. When the larger image shows, click on the red-and-blue 'Expand to regular size' button at the bottom right-hand corner of the image.
Other examples are an early map of Mocktree Forest and Bringewood Chase (click on 'Herefordshire'), and part of a seventeenth-century map of Rockingham Forest (click on 'Northamptonshire').
From this page, thanks to a British Academy Small Research Grant, application can be made in due course by bona fide scholars and students, for private or educational purposes, to view digital images of the maps prepared to accompany the Reports to Parliament on the state of the royal forests at the end of the eighteenth century. These have been collected together and commented on, for the first time, by Dr David Fletcher, Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University and alumnus of St John's College.
You can help the project achieve this part of its objectives, either by telling us about the location of such maps and plans, or better still, by sending us digital images. Our contact details are on the Home Page. ◄Click here to return to the Home Page
Index to Counties
| Anglesey | ||||
| Bedfordshire | Ampthill Warren | |||
| Berkshire | Windsor Forest | |||
| Breconshire | Brecon, Great Forest (south of river Usk) | Brecon, Little Forest (north part of Brecon Forest, on the river Senny) | Cae Vadock Carn Forest (St Michael Cwmdu parish) | Canterceliffe (i.e. Cantref Selyf) (Upper) Forest |
| Coed y Frith | Dinas Forest (Talgarth parish) | Erwood Forest (on river Wye, south-east of Builth) | Fynnant/?Tenant Forest (Talgarth parish) | |
| Fwddog Forest (Llangattock parish) | Heol David Coch Forest (St Michael Cwmdu parish) | Myarth Forest | Reynold Forest (Tretower lordship) | |
| Talyfan/?Tallawyn Forest | Watersland | |||
| Buckinghamshire | Bernwood Forest | Whaddon Chase | ||
| Caernarvonshire | Snowdon Forest (including Ardudwy commote, Merioneth?) | |||
| Cambridgeshire | ||||
| Cardiganshire | Blaencwm in the Forest (in north of Llandyssul parish) | Blaen Ythan in the Forest (in north of Llandyssul parish) | Cerdin Forest (in north of Llandyssul parish) | Llanbedr (i.e. Lampeter) Forest |
| Llanfair Clydogau Forest (adjoining Llanddewi Brefi) | Llangybi Forest (adjoining Llanddewi Brefi and Nantcwnlle) | Llysnewydd/Llesnwyth Forest (adjoining Ystrad Meurig, where castle) | Nantgunlle/Nantcwnlle Forest (adjoining Llanddewi Brefi) | |
| Rescob (i.e. Yr Escop, Bishop's) Forest (Llanddewi Brefi parish), alias the Four Forests of Tremynts | Tythin Forest (Llandyriog parish) | |||
| Carmarthenshire | Cardyth/Cardiff Forest (Whitland and St Clears) | Genol Forest ('waste ground called') | Glyncothi Forest | Penant Forest |
| Tyr Nant y Forest (farm: Llanfair ar y Bryn parish) | Blaeney Forest (Llanycrwys parish) | Cwmbawthwr Forest (Llandigat parish) | Cringoed Forest (Llandigat parish) | |
| Pennyhearth Forest | Penrin Forest | Pullkinbye Forest (with Glyncothi and Pennant - part of?) | Wen Forest (Allt Wen, in Glyncothi & Pennant?) | |
| Cwmmaur Forest (Llandigat and Llanfair ar y Bryn parishes) | Ochor Forest (Llandigat and Llanfair ar y Bryn parishes) | Bedwl Forest (Llandeilo Vawr parish) | The Forest (Penbre, Kidwelli, Llangyndeyrn, Llanelli parishes; rivers Morlais, Gwendraeth Fawr and Gwendraeth Fach) | |
| Cumea/Nantcwm Forest (Penbre parish?) | Issa Forest (Penbre parish) | Wenallt Forest (east of river Gwendraeth Fach) | Aberbaydon (part of the common called Wenallt, Llanelli parish) | |
| Gelli Visagh/Llanedy Forest (present-day Fforest, on river Loughor) | Pennyheath wood | Penrin wood | Venallt Forest (Llandefaelog parish) | |
| Cheshire | Delamere Forest | Macclesfield Forest | Wirral | |
| Cornwall | ||||
| Cumberland | Allerdale Forest (=?West Ward) | Copeland Forest | Derwentfells Forest | Ennerdale Forest |
| Geltsdale Forest | Gilderdale Forest | Gilsland Forest | Greystoke Forest | |
| Inglewood Forest | Nichol Forest | Skiddaw Forest (?Thornthwaite) | Thornthwaite Forest (?Skiddaw) | |
| Ulpha Forest (upper Duddon valley) | West Ward Forest (=Allderdale?) | |||
| Denbighshire | Is Aled Forest (Is Aled commote) | Uwch Aled Forest (Uwch Aled Commote) | Amnodd (part of Cwmcaeth?) | Archwedlog Forest (part of Uwch Aled Forest?) |
| Banhadla Forest | Bodith Forest | Bromfield and Yale Forests | Cefn y Forest (part of Uwch Aled Forest?) | |
| Craignant/Krygnant (i.e. Carregnant?) Forest | Cwmcaeth Forest | Dinmell Forest (Dinmael commote) | Is Dulas Forest (Is Dulas commote) | |
| Uwch Dulas Forest (Uwch Dulas commote) | Eiarth Forest (Llanerch commote) | Gelli Velin Forest (adjoining Great Mountain of Porkington, Whittington lordship, so part of Glyn Ceiriog?) | Glyn Forest (Coelion commote) | |
| Glyn (Cwm, Coed) Ceiriog Forest | Glyn Maen Evan Forest (part of Glyn Forest?) | Keymergh (i.e. Ceinmeirch) Forest (Ceinmerch commote) | Krygnant Forest (Lhuyd) [i.e. Carregnant] | |
| Rhuthun Forest | ||||
| Derbyshire | Crich Chase | Duffield Frith Forest | Peak Forest | |
| Devon | Dartmoor | |||
| Dorset | Badbury Chase | Bere Regis Forest | Blackmore Forest | |
|
Cranborne Chase. Thomas Aldwell, 1618. |
Cranborne Chase. Eighteenth-century revision of 1618 map attributed to Richard Harding. |
Gillingham Forest | Holt Forest | |
| Powerstock |
Purbeck Forest (Warren). 1558. |
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| County Durham | Langley Forest (in Teesdale?) | Marwood Hagg or Chase (in Teesdale?) | Teesdale Forest | Weardale Forest |
| Essex | Epping or Waltham Forest | Essex Forest | Hainault Forest | Hatfield Forest |
| Kingswood Forest | Writtle Forest | |||
| Flintshire | Garthbridoke Forest (Earl of Chester; rights of freemen of Englesfield in; or Delamere?) | Soughton Forest (Earl of Chester, adjoining Moldsdale. Part of Tythin?) | Tythin Forest (in Mold and Moldsdale) | |
| Glamorganshire | Allt (Garth) Griffin Forest (part of Talyvan Forest? Llanblethian, Pendoylan and Welsh St Donat's parishes) | Blaen Gyncorrwg Forest | Caer Ochor Forest (part of Senghenydd Forest? Eglwysilian parish) | Castell Lloyn Forest or Forest Vawr (Llangynwyd parish) |
| Cefn y Coed (Castell Coch) Forest (part of Senghenydd Forest? Eglwysilian parish) | Cefn y Fidd (part of Senghennydd Forest? Eglwysilian parish) | Clyne Forest (middle Neath valley) | Coidfrank (Neath) Forest (Cadoxton parish) | |
| Farwood Forest | Garth Maelog Forest (part of Talyfan Forest? parish of Llanharran) | Glyncynon Forest (part of Miskin Forest? - Miskin itself? manor of Miskin, parish of Llanwonno) | Glyn Taff Forest (part of Senghenydd Forest? parish of Llanishen) | |
| Forest Goch (Llangynwyd parish) | Gwladis Forest (part of Senghenydd Common; part of Senghenydd Forest?) | Havod (i.e. Hafod) Forest (part of Margam forest?) | Keven (i.e. Cefn) Forest (part of Clyn Forest? Neath) | |
| Little Forest (12 acres; part of Senghenydd Forest? parish of Llanishen) | Llanwethian or Witherside Forest (Llangynwyd parish) | Llavan Du Forest (Aberavon, Baglan and Michaelston parishes) | Lloyd (Llwyn) Coed/Hirwaun Wrgan Forest (part of Miskin Forest? parish of Aberdar) | |
| Lloyn Evan Forest (part of Castell Lloyn Forest or Forest Vawr?) | Lower Forest (part of Trewyddfa Forest? parish of Llansamlet) | Margam Forest (Margam parish) | Mavon Ely Forest (part of Talyfan Forest? Ely valley) | |
| Miskin Forest | New/Newyth/Yburye Forest (part of Talyfan Forest? St Mary Hill, Llanharry, Llanharran, Llanblethian, Penllyne and Pendillion parishes) | Oakingham/Newydd/Ysha Forest (part of Senghenydd Forest? Whitchurch parish) | Old/Rydynge Forest (part of Talyfan Forest? St Mary Hill, Llanharry, Llanharran, Llanblethian, Penllyne and Pendillion parishes) | |
| Pwll Du Forest (Llangynwyd and Bettws parishes) | Senghennydd Forest | Stock Forest (Llangynwyd parish) | Talyvan (i.e. Talyfan) Forest | |
| Trewyddfa Forest (Llansamlet and Llangyfelach parishes) | Tule'r/Tylor Forest (Ystradfodwg parish) | Upper Forest (part of Trewyddfa Forest? parish of Llansamlet) | Forest Vach (part of Trewyddfa Forest? parish of Llangyfelach) | |
| Forest Vach or Goch (Llangynwyd parish) | Forest Vorgan (part of Coidfront Forest? Cadoxton parish) | Ynys y Vago Forest (Ystradfodwg parish) | ||
| Gloucestershire | Alveston Forest | Corse Forest (Crosselawne Chase 1609) | Forest of Dean | Horwood Forest |
| Fillwood Chase (part of Kingswood in Somerset, acc. 1609?) |
Kingswood Forest (Chase), 1610 |
Micklewood Chase |
Gloucestershire by Speed, 1611 |
|
| Hampshire (including Isle of Wight) |
Alice Holt Forest on Saxton's map of Hampshire, 1575 |
West Bere (Ashley) Forest on Blaue's map of Hampshire, 1645 |
East (South) Bere (Portchester) Forest (Hampshire, Blaue, 1645) |
Buckholt Forest on Norden's map of Hampshire, 1607 |
|
Chute Forest on Norden's map of Hampshire, 1607 |
Freemantle Forest on Harrison's map of Hampshire, 1788 |
Harewood Forest on Saxton's map of Hampshire, 1575 |
Humbledon Free Chase
|
|
 New Forest on Blaue's map of Hampshire, 1645 |
 Pamber Forest on Saxton's map of Hampshire, 1575 |
Parkhurst Forest (Sharpend in 1609?) | Pernhill Wood Chase | |
| Stourfield Chase |
 Waltham Chase on Saxton's map of Hampshire, 1575 |
Waltham Chase: Titchfield Estate, 17th c. |
 Woolmer Forest on Norden's map of Hampshire, 1607 |
|
 Hampshire, by Keer, 1605 |
 Bolderwood Lodge, New Forest, 1784 |
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| Herefordshire | Acornbury Forest | Bishop's Chase (=Ledbury Chase?) | Bringewood Chase (see Mocktree) | Burrington Forest (part of Bringewood?) |
| Derefold (Darvall) Forest | Ewias Lacey Forest (in and same as Kilpeck?) | Greytree Forest | Haywood Forest (The Hay of Hereford) | |
| Kilpeck Forest | Ledbury Chase (Bishop of Hereford = Bishop's Chase?) |
Mocktree Forest and Bringewood Chase, Herefordshire Record Office |
Prestwood Forest (adjoining Bringewood Chase, so part of?; or Presteigne, Radnorshire?) | |
|
Herefordshire, 1577 (Saxton) |
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| Hertfordshire | Hatfield Chase | |||
| Huntingdonshire |
Huntingdonshire, 1673 (Blome) |
Huntingdon Forest | Harthay | Ramsey Chase |
| Sapley Forest | Somersham Chase | Waybridge Forest | ||
| Kent | Hoathe Forest | Southfrith Forest, Chase, or Manor | Whitley Forest | |
| Lancashire | Accrington Forest | Amounderness Forest ('containing Myerscough', 1609) | Blackburnshire Forest | Bleasdale Forest |
| Little Bowland Forest (Bowland Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1609) | Burtonwood Forest | Croxteth Forest (Park) | Fulwood Forest | |
| Lonsdale Forest | Myrescough Forest | Pendle Forest | Quernmore Forest | |
| Rossendale Forest | Simonswood Forest | Trawden Forest | Toxteth Forest | |
| West Derby Forest | Wyresdale Forest | |||
| Leicestershire |
Charnwood Forest, 1754, John Nichols, The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester |
Charnwood Forest, 1842, Leicestershire and Rutland Record Office |
Leicester Forest | Leicestershire and Rutland Forest |
| Lincolnshire | Kesteven Forest | Tattershall Chase | ||
| Merionethshire | Ardudwy Forest - part of Snowdonia, including Lanfrachreth | Pysor Forest (part of Ardudwy Forest? part on Snowdon, in cantref Ardudwy?) | Estimanner (i.e. Ystumanner Commote, later Ystymanael Hundred?, included Cader Idris) | Llanymawddwy Forest or Frith Cornoppas |
| Kevan (i.e. Cefn) Kustlys and Frith Kilcombe Forest (part of Llanymawddwy Forest? in Mawddwy manor) | ||||
| Middlesex | Enfield Chase | |||
| Monmouthshire | Abergavenny/Bergavenny Forest | Coedmorgan Forest (part of Abergavenny Forest? Llanarth and Llanthewy-Rhytherch parishes) | Coedpoeth Forest (part of Abergavenny Forest? Penrhos parish) | Caer Forest (part of Machen Forest? Bassaleg parish) |
| Cilfynydd Forest (part of Machen Forest? Mynyddyswyn parish) | Coed Breint Forest (Bedwellty parish) | Grosmont, Forest of | Kelly (i.e. Celli or Gelli) Wastad Forest (part of Machen Forest? lordship of Machen and Glyntrossant) | |
| Machen and Coed Meredydd Forests, adjoining | Moyle Forest (in [A]Bergavenny manor; Llantillo, Abergavenny and Llanwenarth parishes; adjoining Brecon) | Neweth (i.e. Newydd) Forest | Skenfrith, Forest of | |
| Tillery Forest (parish of Aberystruth) | Forest Vach ((part of Machen Forest? Michaelston-Fedw parish) | Forest Vainke (part of Machen Forest? Michaelston-Fedw parish) | ||
| Forest Vawr (part of Machen Forest? Michaelston-Fedw parish) | Wentwood Forest or Chase (below Chepstow Castle; Magor, Penhow, Llantrisant, Shirenewton, Llanvairdiscoed, Llanvaches, Kemeys, Newchurch, St Arvans, Wilcrick, and Llandevenny parishes) | Whitecastle, Forest of | Wieswood (i.e. Wyeswood?) Forest or Chase | |
| Montgomeryshire | Carnedon Forest (Corndon?) | Cefn ar Ddeg or Keven Arthega Forest (Cemmaes parish) | Ceri Forest | Clun Forest (see Shropshire) (originally in Montgomeryshire as part of the lordship of Ker[r]i) |
| Forest of Coed Kyrry ap herren (Ker[ri?, so Clun? Cwm Hire Abbey - private) | Dab(v)olwern Forest (Llanbrynmair and Darowen parishes) | Dolvoryn Forest | Frith Cwm Buga (part of Trefeglwys Forest?; Trefeglwys parish). Cwmbiga is a peak on Plynlimon, west end of Trefeglwys parish, so probably identical with Plinlimon and Gwaun Draynon Forest. | |
| Ffrith y Dinas (part of Trefeglwys Forest?; Trefeglwys parish) | Frith Esgair y Maen (part of Penprice Frith or Forest? Llanwnnog parish) | Frith Penystrawd (part of Penprice Frith or Forest? Llanwnnog parish) | Llanllwchaearn Forest (Llanlwchaearn parish) | |
| Penprice Frith or Forest (Llanwynnog parish) | Plinlimon and Gwaun Draynon Forest (probably identical with Frith Cwm Buga, q.v.) | Talgarth or Allt y Brayne Forest or Frith (part of Trefeglwys Forest? Trefeglwys parish near Trefeglwys vill, Dolegorden township; adjoining Dabolwern, in north?) | Trefeglwys Forest | |
| Tregynon Forest (Tregynon parish) | ||||
| Norfolk | Castle Rising Chase | Horsham St Faith Chase | Hunstanton Chase | Methwold Warren |
| Sculthorpe Chase | ||||
| Northamptonshire |
Rockingham Forest: Part of map of Gretton manor, seventeenth century, Northamptonshire Record Office |
Salcey Forest | Whittlewood Forest | Yardley Chase (in or adjoining Salcey or Whittlewood Forest) |
| Northumberland | Allendale Forest (Hexham Forest) | Aydon Forest (with Alnwick Moor in enclosure award) | Bywell and Bulbeck (forfeited by Earl of Westmorland, 1609) | Earsdon Forest |
| Felton Forest | Hexham Forest (Allerdale Forest) | Forest of Lowes | Redesdale Forest | |
| Rothbury Forest | ||||
| Nottinghamshire | Sherwood Forest (and Thornwood Park or Walk in, 1609) | |||
| Oxfordshire | Shotover Forest | Stowood Forest | Wychwood or Whichwood Forest | |
| Pembrokeshire | Coidrath Forest (identical with Lloydarth in Leland?) | Cilgerran or Ket(v)endrin Forest | Llwydiart Forest (Llanycefn parish) | Narberth Forest (Narberth parish) |
| Pengelly/Penkelly Forest (adjoining Cilgerran?) | Priskilly (i.e. Presceli) Forest | |||
| Radnorshire | Ackwood and Cwmbergwyn Forests (part of Radnor Forest?) | Bleddfa or Blethvaugh Forest (Fforest y Mynachdy in Lhuyd; Bleddfa parish) | Colwyn Forest (Aberedw parish) | Cwmbergwynn Forest (see Ackwood) |
| Hirthowell Forest (part of Radnor Forest?) | Knockles Forest | Radnor Forest | ||
| Rutland | Beaumont Chase | Leighfield Forest | ||
| Shropshire | Babinswood (or Whittington or Oswestry) Forest | Bringewood Chase (see Herefordshire) | Clee Forest | Clun Forest |
| Coid y Gaer Forest (Oswestry lordship) | Crickheath Forest (part of Trevelegh Forest? Llynclys township) | Haughmond Forest | Hayes Forest (Caus lordship) | |
| Heath Forest (Caus lordship) | Hockstow Forest (Caus lordship) | Kingswood Forest (Chirbury lordship) | Long Mynd (northern remnant of, identical with Hockstow, and Hay and Hen, in Caus lordship; plus Seifton?) | |
| Mocktree Forest (see Herefordshire) | Morfe Forest | Mount Gilbert Forest | Seifton or Long Forest (Culminton parish) | |
| Shirlett Forest | Treveleigh Forest (Oswestry lordship) (including Crickheath?) | Wrekin Forest | Wyre Forest | |
| Somerset | Exmoor Forest | Fillwood Chase | Mendip Forest |
Neroche (Roche) Forest |
| North Petherton Forest | Selwood Forest | |||
| Staffordshire | Ashdown Hey (part of Kinver added to Pensnett by the Dudleys) | Brewood Forest | Cannock Chase | Kinver Forest |
|
Leek Frith, 1775, on Yates's map of Staffordshire |
Malbon Frith | Mabon Forest or Frith | Needwood Forest | |
| New Forest |
Pensnett Chase, 1775, on canal plan of Whitworth Click here for enlargement (black-and-white) |
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| Suffolk | Mildenhall Coney Warren | Thetford Chase | ||
| Surrey | Hampton Court Chase | Windsor Forest (see Berkshire) | ||
| Sussex | Arundel Forest | Ashdown Forest | Broyle Forest | Charlton (and Singleton) Forest |
| Dallington Forest | St Leonard's Forest | Stanstead Forest | Waterdown Forest | |
| Worth (and Cleeres) Forest | ||||
| Warwickshire | Forest of Arden | Kenilworth Chase | Merevale Chase | Forest or Chase of Sutton Coldfield |
| Westmorland | Fawcett Forest | Grisedale and Glencoyndale Forest | Mallerstang Forest | Martindale Chase |
| Milburn Forest | Rydall Forest (including Loughrigg, Troubeck and Ambleside? and Grasmere Common) (PRO 1581) | Stainmore Forest |
Thornthwaite or Bannisdale Forest (now Ralfland Forest?) |
|
| Whinfield Forest | ||||
| Wiltshire | Aldbourne Chase | Braydon Forest | Chippenham Forest (or Pewsham) | Clarendon (Park and Pauncett or Panshill [1609]) Forest |
| Groveley Forest | Melchet Forest | Melksham (or Blackmore) Forest | Savernake Forest | |
| Selwood Forest (see Somerset) | Vernditch Chase (walk of Cranborne Chase, Dorset, q.v.) | |||
| Worcestershire | Feckenham Forest | Horwell Forest | Malvern Chase | Ombersley |
| Wyre Forest (with, and see Shropshire) | ||||
| Yorkshire | Applegarth Forest | Arkengarthdale (or Arkilgarth? or New) Forest | Barden Chase (in Wharfedale) | Bishopdale Chase (in Richmondshire, with Coverdale) |
| Bowland, Great Forest | Coverdale Chase | Eskdale Forest(s) (including Danby, Westerdale and Baysdale [1716], Heckdale and Egton [Winchester]) | Farndale Chase | |
| Fullwith Forest | Harlow and Okeden Forest | Galtres Forest | Gisburn Forest | |
| Hatfield Chase | Knaresborough Forest | Langstrothdale Chase | Littondale Forest (also below Fountains Abbey, cf Nidderdale) | |
| Luddington Chase | Lune Forest | New Forest (with Arkengarth, Bowes and Hope [Winchester]. | Nidderdale Free Chase | |
| Ouse and Derwent Forest | Pickering, Forest of | Richmond (Coverdale, Bishopsdale & Wensleydale) Forest | Rylstone Chase | |
| Spaunton Forest | Sowersbyshire Forest | Swaledale Forest | Swynden and Wharfedale Forest (see Barden Chase - in Wharfdale?) | |
| Wensleydale Forest (see Thornthwaite and Whinfield in Westmorland) | Wharncliffe Chase | Whitby Forest (see Eskdale?) |
