Peter King commented on 16th century approaches to forest 
management:

> The classic English system of coppicing is to some extent the
> result of legislation of Henry VIII passed in 1544,  requiring
> coppices to be inclosed after felling to preserve the 'spring'.  
> This followed legislation of Edward IV in 1482, which permitted
> inclosure in Royal Forests after felling,  when it would otherwise
> have been illegal.   The purpose of this enclosure was to prevent
> grazing animals from eating the tender new shoots growing from the
> stools left when the coppice was felled.  The fences were removed
> after a few years,  when the trees were large enough,  and grazing
> was again allowed. 

In the area where we are currently working in Glamorgan, the 
geography of iron making in the 16th century seems to have been 
controlled largely by the location of large areas of woodlands able 
to be leased by the iron men. In the earlier 16th century this meant 
largely those owned by the crown.

In 1532 a report on the iron making operations in Cloune Park said 
that there were a great number of "wooddes belongyng to youre 
heygnes ... (in) wyld and desrt place far from the yewiss of any of 
your grace subjects ... nor can fit for any purposse but for the 
fynyng of the sayd owers found in the said mynd". 

When the crown leased the iron mining operation in 1540, the 
stipulations were more enlightened and fairly explicit "woode for 
making of coles as is aforsaid to be also preyned and taken of 
loppes toppes and shreddings within the said parke fforests and 
place aforsaid. The same alway to be fellyd cut downe lopped 
topped and shredde in seasonable tyme and tyme of the yere as 
woodes be used to be fellyd cutt loppyd toppyd and shredde and 
that without any waste or distrucion of the tymbre there". 

It is not clear however, that these good practices demanded by the 
lease were actually observed. Meyrick mentions in 1578, speaking 
of Glamorgan in general, "wherein lie many fforests and woodes 
wherof many in our daye about iron milles were spoyled and 
consumed". In 1596 Rice Lewis was able to say "The fforest of 
Talyvan is nowe a faire and lardge sheepe leaze, together with the 
fforest of Arthmaylogg and Arthgriffith..."; all three forests had been 
included within the bounds of the 1540 lease.

We are currently investigating one of the bloomeries that would 
have been involved in the 1540s lease, and I look forward to gaining 
direct archaeological evidence for the nature of the fuel.

It would appear that in this area at least the sixteenth century was 
a time of changing forestry practices. On the above evidence, the 
last burst of the blomery industry seems not to have been 
undertaken on a particularly sustainable basis. However, within a 
few decades the blast furnace iron industry became established (in 
adjacent districts!) and seems to have been able to operate in a 
more sustainable manner.

Tim






Dr Tim Young
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.geoarch.demon.co.uk/
Phone: 029 2074 7480
Fax: 08700 547366
Mobile: 07802 413704


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