Watnall Hall and ye olde Forest of Sherwood

Today’s tale from Watnall Hall takes us back to the reign of Elizabeth 1^st in 1600 when old Watnall Hall was still embraced by the verdant arms of ancient Sherwood Forest².

The forest would have been an important source of work and resources for the residents of Watnall (or "Watnowe"). The new Lord of the Manor, Lancelot Rolleston³, had just moved into Watnall Hall. He was an important part of the admin team in the forest. In 1598 he had been a member of "a Commission [that] sat in Mansfield to enquire into the condition of Sherwood Forest. The Commissioners were Mr. William Cartwright, Mr. Lancelot Rolleston, Mr. James Leake, Mr.William Lyndesby, and Mr. Gervase Wyeld. At this time, Mansfield Wood [a sub-division of Sherwood Forest] contained 480 oaks of more than 200 years’ growth".

Ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest

Lancelot's everyday life was intimately governed by the ancient laws and rituals of the forest. "Forest" was a legal term, and meant an area subject to special Royal laws designed to protect the valuable resources of timber and game (Vert and Venison) within its boundaries. These laws were strictly and severely imposed by agisters, foresters, verderers, wardens and rangers, who were all were employed by the Crown. Notorious or persistent law breakers could be punished by being placed outside the protection of the law so becoming that most famous of Sherwood rogues, an "outlaw". Lancelot also carried out stock checks of the deer in the local area as part of his responsibilities. 

The official forest boundaries² were important to maintain as Forest law affected what locals were allowed to do. Every few years forest officers walked around the entire boundary to record exactly where it was. The last of these "perambulations" was in 1662 and took several weeks. The Watnall section is described in a somewhat vague manner and includes places and features not known today. In fact the place names were so old that even the locals in 1662 did not remember them...

"...from Basford to Bulwell, and then (as the old Forrest Booke saith) it leaveth the Leene, and goeth something Westward unto a place called Thorlwell, and thence to the Hedge of Hinddale, and soe to a Milne Gate, and thence to Watnall Stighe, [stighe=path, byway or rise in Anglo-Saxon Middle/Old English] and from thence to Rudditch, alonge to the said Ditch, which last mentioned meires, because most of them are worne out of minde and unknown to us, and to the Inhabitants thereabouts, we passed after the said River of Leene unto a Walke Milne there, and soe to the Foard above the Walke Milne near Beskwood Park side..."

In 1594 Lancelot married Margaret Ashe, his 3rd wife. From his previous marriages he had 4 stepsons, one of which, young George Fenton, he accidentally shot and killed during an archery contest in 1568. He did receive a full pardon though but probably not from his ex-wife.

Fallow deer are still in the forest in 2023

Medieval Sherwood was not, as many imagine, a continuous swathe of dense virgin forest. It was a productive resource that was carefully managed. It comprised birch and oak woodland, interspersed with large areas of open sandy heath and rough grassland. At the time, there were three enclosed Royal deer parks in the forest, Pittance Park, (also called Clipstone Park and nowadays the location of Center Parcs), Bestwood Park (which can be seen on the map above) and Nottingham Park (today's Park Estate). Fallow deer were introduced specifically to be hunted. The offspring of the Fallow deer are now naturalised and roam wild in the woods around Watnall. 

Predators were strictly controlled and wolves were hunted and trapped to extinction. The last wolf in Sherwood was most likely killed sometime in the 1600's by wolf hunters employed by the Royal parks specifically to protect deer stocks. They'd become increasingly rare over the previous century with a large bounty placed on their heads. In fact the law of Caput Lupinum ("head of a wolf") allowed outlaws, like wolves, to be killed by anyone with no repercussions. In the 11th year of Henry VI's reign (1433), Sir Robert Plumpton held land called “Woolfhunt land” in Mansfield Woodhouse in return for the service of sounding a horn and chasing or frightening the wolves in Sherwood Forest. Also on record is one... "Walter le Wulfhunte... in Mammesfeldwodehouse (Mansfield Woodhouse) in the county of Nottingham of the king in chief, by service of chasing wolves outside of the King’s forest of Shirewood, if any they found". His house, called Wolfhunt House, still stands and is the oldest in the village. The local comprehensive school commemorates him by calling one of their academic "houses" Wolfhunt.

Wolves were hunted and trapped to extinction

The 1832 Gazeteer of Notts explains
the ancient officers of Sherwood Forest
and the last of the Verderers below...

In 1607, Lancelot and John Wood wrote to Roger Manners, the 5th Earl of Rutland and owner of Bestwood Park, with a stock taking report "We find that there are in the park at least 300 fallow-deer, and four-and-twenty red deer." John Wood was one of the six Verderers¹ of Sherwood Forest, men of high status who reported directly to the King. Verderers investigated and recorded offences such as the taking of venison and the illegal cutting of woodland and dealt with the day-to-day forest administration so perhaps Lancelot was involved with this too. Upholding "Forest Law" was an important responsibility designed to protect the forest and to encourage the breeding of game, including deer and wild boar and the greenery that sustained them. Landowners also got the most value from their woodland by using techniques such as coppicing and pollarding to produce poles and laths for building. Underwood (twigs, brushwood etc.) was collected and sold for domestic fuel, and the woodland supported several industries, such as charcoal burning and the stripping of oak bark to use in tanning leather. The autumn crop of acorns produced in oak woodland was used to feed pigs. Cattle, sheep and deer grazed 'wood pasture'.

The 1832 Gazeteer of Notts explains the last of the Verderers

New French style of hunting adopted by James I

Soon after, "in the reign of James I", two of their fundamental forest rights came under threat from the King himself so Lancelot with Gervas Wyld, Christopher Strelley and John Wood "petitioned the King to have their right of a Fee Tree and a Fee Deer (which had been withheld) restored to them". That’s the right to cut firewood and hunt deer. King James regarded hunting as “a royal prerogative” and wanted to adopt the French style of hunting which involved mounted huntsmen tearing across the countryside on horses, taking hunting out of the royal parks and into the wider forest and farmland. James forbade the ploughing of land (furrows being a hazard to galloping horses) and ordered pigs to be confined (so their rooting didn’t create dangerous holes). Worse still, locals were commanded to take down any fences, walls or hedges that might obstruct His Majesty’s ride and even provide sustenance for the Royal hunting party. Attempts to appeal to the king fell on deaf ears. Indeed, during one hunt, a local hit on an ingenious way of getting the king’s attention – by kidnapping his favourite dog, Jowler. Jowler went missing and reappeared later with a message tied to his collar which read:

“Good Mr Jowler, we pray you speak to the King, for he hears you every day, and he does not hear us. Ask that His Majesty be pleased to go back to London, or else this countryside will be undone. All our provisions are used up already and we are not able to entertain him any longer.”

Instead of taking note, James laughed the matter off and carried on hunting. No wonder he was so unpopular. Later Royal visitors regularly used the enclosed parks for sport and various forms of "recreation". Bestwood was one of King Charles II and his famous mistress Nell Gwyn's preferred "trysting" places. Charles was a king who enjoyed the traditional hunt at Bestwood and he would routinely take "pretty, witty" Nell with him. A local legend tells how Nell won a challenge from the King into giving her the whole of the Bestwood Estate. The king would always be up hours before Nell who would get up after lunch. Jokingly, the King promised Nell "all of the land you can ride around before breakfast". Unknown to Charles, Nell was up before dawn and rode around the entire park, with lawyers for witnesses, claiming it all for their illegitimate son. And so in 1683 Charles II, by letters patent, granted Bestwood to his son Charles Beauclerk, first Duke of St. Albans. 

It's not known if Lancelot Rolleston retained his forest rights but in 1618 he was involved in another legal dispute with Sir John Byron of Bulwell over an illegal dam above Sir John's ironworks on Rolleston land for which Lancelot was eventually compensated. There had been bad blood between them for a few years and with good cause. In Feb 1604, a dispute was taken to the Star Chamber in London by George Chaworth and Edward Rolleston (Lancelot's brother), against Sir John Byron the elder and Sir John Byron his son who were neighbouring squires in the manor of Oxton. Chaworth and Rolleston claimed that the Byrons and others by force of arms held a church official's house in Oxton and appropriated the tithe crops and other produce, also that Edward Rolleston was assaulted with a long pike being thrust to his stomach. He obviously survived the attack if he was taking legal action.

After a full and eventful life, Lancelot died in 1625 and the Rolleston manors of Watnall and Oxton passed to his sons. What mischief did his offspring get up to? That's a tale for another day... 

Sources : University of Nottingham archives; Illustrations of British History - Edmund Lodge 1791; Ken Rolston's Rolleston family research 2019; Nottingham Hidden History team; Fall in Love with History blog; History of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and Major Oak - Notts.CC https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/culture-leisure/country-parks/history-of-sherwood-forest-robin-hood-and-major-oak; http://www.mercian-as.co.uk/wolfhunter.html

Notes: 

1 - Forest administration http://www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk/places/sherwoodforest.htm

2 - From Rev L Illingworth Butler, Sherwood Forest, Transactions of the Thoroton Society, 49, 1946 ... "Any attempt to trace on a modern map the boundaries of the forest is bound to be hampered by changes which have taken place through new roads being constructed, old names being changed or lost, and boundary marks of trees, ditches and boulders either being destroyed or removed. Even the courses of the rivers have altered or changed, as for example where the perambulation speaks of following the old course of the Trent and the old course of the Leen. Some years ago in the course of road widening on the Derby road at the end of Annesley park, a large stone was removed from the roadside, which was undoubtedly the Blew Bolder mentioned in the perambulation of 31 Elizabeth, and also shewn on the John Manners map of Sherwood Forest circa 1593, but anyone who cares to turn down by the Shoulder of Mutton Hill along the Nuncargate road, can still see the mark stone in Nuncar Hedge, mentioned in the perambulation of 1662—the last one made."

The last official perambulation of the bounds of Sherwood Forest in 1662 mentions the Forest boundary leaving the River Leen at Bulwell and heading west to a place called "Watnall Stighe" Stighe (or astighe) is an old Norse word meaning to mount or ascend so maybe Watnall Hill? Also defined as path or byway in Middle English. It is a very detailed account and took several weeks to complete. It tried to follow the rivers, ditches and other landmarks that formed the Forest's official boundary, some of which had fallen into disrepair. Even some of the locals they spoke to did not seem to know about some of the boundary ditches purpose... 

 "...to Yelland Hall, where is a Milne [mill] upon the said River of Leene, from thence to Basford, where the Streame is turned from the old Course to serve a Milne there, and it is turned from the old Course at a place called the Old Carr, and it cometh into the old Course again a little beneath Basford Church, which Church is on the West side of the same River of Leene, and soe from Basford to Bulwell, and then (as the old Forrest Booke saith) it leaveth the Leene, and goeth something Westward unto a place called Thorlwell, and thence to the Hedge of Hinddale, and soe to a Milne Gate, and thence to Watnall Stighe, and from thence to Rudditch, alonge to the said Ditch, which last mentioned meires, because most of them are worne out of minde and unknown to us, and to the Inhabitants thereabouts, we passed after the said River of Leene unto a Walke Milne there, and soe to the Foard above the Walke Milne near Beskwood Park side, to Waterfall gate, and soe ascending up the Water of Leene unto Lynbie [Linby] Milne, and from thence to Lynbie Crosse, and then it turneth to Lynbie Hall gate, and then followeth the Highway neare unto the Henn Oake, or Stand Oake, leaveing the same on the South, and leaveing Hoult Milne and Oxley Well on the South side alsoe, and soe to Pismire gate, leaveing the old Castle of Ansley on the East, and soe passeth up a dale in Ansley Eastfield and goeth to a place called Chesterfeild Lydgate, from thence to Stiegate and Stillcotts, then to Blewbolder, which is a Stone lying near Ansley feild hedge, directly against Annot Lane, and ascending North-west to the said Lane, leaving Ansley Woodhouse Grounds West from thence, and soe it descendeth to a stone in the middle of Nunn Carrhedge, unto a place called the Grives, and then it followeth after Kirkby feild side to Acbridge Lane..."

http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/monographs/sherwoodforest1893/sherwoodforest1.htm

Another "semi-translated" version is as follows...

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/1eb07da5-c946-4215-9ebc-48f977ec2fb0

"...on to Bobbers Milne; on to Lovett Milne; on to Yelland Hall where there is a mill; thence to Basford where the stream is turned from its old course to serve a mill there (i.e. turned from its old course at a place called the Old Carr and returning to it a little below Basford Church which is on the W. of the river); so from Basford to Bulwell; leaving the Leene and going W. to Thirleswell; thence to Watnall Stighe; and so to Hucknall Ditch and by the Ditch and Bulwell grounds to Ruddes Ditche; so to the Leene "with Meres"; so after the Leene to the Walke Milne and to the ford above the Walke Milne at Beskwood Parke side; then to Watersall Yate; to Lindbye Milne and to where Lindbye to the cross, then turning by Lindbye Hall gates and up the highway to the Henn Oake; leaving H enn Oake, Holt Milns and Oxley Well, S., to Pismire Yate; leaving Annesley Castle E., through Annesley East Field to Chesterfield Lydgate; thence to Stigate and Styllcootes; then to Blew Bolder (a stone near Annesley Field hedge against Annat Lane); then down to Nuncarr and the Grynes..."

Also from Full text of "The works of Sir Thomas Browne"  

https://archive.org/stream/worksofsirthomas02brow/worksofsirthomas02brow_djvu.txt

"  Stirops.  From  the  old  English  astige  or  stighe,  to  ascend  or  mount  up,  and  ropes  ;  being  first  devised  with  cords  or  ropes,  before  they  were made  with  leather  and  iron  fastened  to  it."  Verstegan,  p.  209.  "To have  styed  up  from  the  very  centre  of  the  earth."  Bishop  Hall's  Contemplations on  the  Ascension,  vol.  ii.  p.  285.     Hinc  Stigh-rcpes. — Jeff. 

3 - he was the very first Lancelot to bear that name, so favoured by subsequent generations for their first born son and heir. [Medieval joke alert - They called them "Lance" a lot...]