All Round the Wrekin - The Royal Forest

The Reality of Forest Law

Inspite of the harsh restrictions, many people still depended on the forest for their livelihoods, whether grazing cattle on Wellington Hay or pasturing pigs in the surrounding woodland. The Crown's constant need for money meant that most prohibited practices were legally licensed by the local courts and, in return for a small fee, offences such as 'imbladements' (sewing crops on forest land) and 'waste' (cutting down woodland) were overlooked. However, the licensing of illegal practices led to widespread abuses of power by many officials, to the extent that measures were enshrined in the Magna Carta to curtail their 'evil customs'. In fact, Norman forest law proved so unpopular with many landowners that a separate Charter of the Forest was drawn up two years later in 1217, which permitted the removal of many recent additions to the forests.