LORD AILESBURY AND SAVERNAKE FOREST.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 10 April 1890, Page 39

LORD AILESBURY AND SAVERNAKE FOREST.

Mention was recently made of the decision of the Marquis of Ailesbury to avail himself of the Settled Estates Act, in order that he might dispose of Savernake forest. His uncle seems anxious that the estate should be preserved, and is calling to his aid the Court of Chancery, with that object; but it is quite likely that Dolly Tester's husband will carry out his determination if allowed to persevere. A correspondent sends the following account of this truly magnificent property to a Home paper : — The announcement that Savernake forest, the only one in England in the possession of a subject, is in themarket, has caused widespread interest. Some 4000 acres in extent and 16 miles in circumference, Savernake forest occupies a position which is in every respect unique, both as to its ownership and the unrivalled charms of its delightful recesses, and the public will wait with keen curiosity the result of its proposed sale. The forest forms' part of the Marquis of Ailesbury's extensive estates in Wiltshire, and is to be sold privately under the Encumbered Estates Act. The property to be sold also comprises upwards of 40,000 acres of land, the family mansion (situated in the most picturesque part of the forest), and the right of presentation to 11 church livings. But the' chief public interest naturally centres in the forest. This has been described, by no less an authority than M. de Lesseps, as the finest forest in Europe, and those best qualified to express an opinion on' the subject unanimously agree that he has by no means overstated the case. It will be a national gain if the property pass into the hands of a millionaire, inasmuch as that will, it is to be hoped, put an end to the ruthless cutting down of some of the finest trees, which has been going on for the past two years, in order to meet the pecuniary requirements of the estate. These have of late apparently overridden any regard which may previously haye existed for the beauty of the forest or its historic associations, and the sound of fche woodman's axe busily plied in all directions now falls with painful frequency upon the ear of every lover of Nature who pays it a visit during the tree-felling season. In the winter of 1888-89 timber to the value of £10,000 or £11,000 was cut down and hauled away by the timber merchants. That involved the destruction of some thousands of trees, and although the heir-presumptive, Lord Henry Brudenell Bruce, M.P. for North-west Wilts, succeeded in obtaining an injunction in the law courts restraining his nephew, the present marquis, from felling any more purely ornamental timber, and thereby saved some of the unrivalled avenues from being sacrificed to the pecuniary needs of the moment, the wholesale clearance of trees has already sadly detracted from the picturesque appearance of the forest in many places. For example, while the trees actually forming the commencement of the grand avenue have been left standing, those on either side have been cleared for a considerable distance. This has practically spoiled the first part of the avenue, which previously was without an equal. It is some four miles in length, and lined with magnificent beeches, meeting high over head like the vaulting of some grand cathedral. The road is undulating, and the little valleys through which it passes open out into the most delightful glades.

In the centre of the forest is a spot known as "the Eight Walks," from the fact that eight roads converge upon that point; of these three are metalled, and the remainder green drives leading through various parts of this delightful sylvan retreat. In passing it may be mentioned, as an indication of the tastes of the present owner of the forest, that up till recently theopenspacein the vicinity of " the Eight Walks " was used as a training ground for racehorses. Not far from " the j£'<?ht Walks " the rambler comes upon what are krjown as "the Ruins," but in place of the dismantled towers and ivy-grown walls which the uninitiated explorer expects to find, his eyes light upon nothing more striking than the unromantic part— the stable and coach house— of the former residence of the Bruce family which escaped from a fire in 1861 when the house was destroyed. The pleasure grounds around it are, however, maintained in their original beauty, and form the rendezvous of many a pleasant picnic party during the summer months. A quarter of a mile from "the Ruins" is the famous "King Oak," under which, according to tradition, bluff King Hal courted Lady Jane Seymour. This interesting tree has lately lost the last of its massive branches, and now nothing remains to recall its former grandeur beyond an enormous hollow trunk some 24ft in circumference. Wolf Hall, the ancestral home of the Seymours, is within a few miles of the spot, and to thjs day are exhibited in a large building now used as a barn, relics of its former grandeur in the shape of scraps of tapestry and other festive adornments. Another monarch of the forest is known as " the Duke's Vaunt," from the fact of its having been the boast or glory of the great Duke of Somerset 350 years ago, and on the

side of the main road from Marlborough to Salisbury (which skirts the forest for miles) is the freak of nature, known as the "Bigbellied Oak," from the fact that gnarled pro- ! tuberances have grown from the trunk and rendered it three times its natural size. The forest is, for the most part, covered with luxuriant bracken, in which the herds of deer that roam at will in its recesses find ample shelter from the gaze of the curious. The deer, of which it is supposed there are something like 1000, ever and anon trot gracefully across the rides, and to the astonishment of the visitors are at some seasons of the year comparatively tame. At others, especially at the commencement of autumn, some of the stags are rather vicious, and they have occasionally been known to attack pedestrians. The origin of Savernake forest is lost in antiquity. Its age is undoubtedly such that it may be fairly regarded as a relic of the time when almost all England was one great forest, and nowhere is there to be found a finer example of a forest in its primeval state. The earliest mention of it is in a grant of lands by King Atbelstan to the Abbey of Wilton in the year 933, or nearly 1000 years ago. Originally in the hands of the Crown, Savernake forest was granted to the Esturmey family about the time of the Norman Conquest, and continued in their possession for 350 years. The tenure of the forest is singular and interesting. It is held from the Crown on condition that whenever the King or Queen comes with its precincts, the owner shall blow a tenure horn on pain of forfeiting the property. It is related that during a visit by King George 111, the then Marquis of Ailesbury, in his anxiety to provide suitable entertainment for his illustrious guest, entirely forgot to perform the act of allegiance which the terms of his tenure required. The King before taking his departure expressed his satisfaction with the hospitality of his host, but at the same time jocularly reminded him that he had omitted to discharge a rather important duty. " Perhaps," added the King, " you are not aware that the whole of your property will pass immediately into my hands ie you do not fulfil that duty." The noble marquis, on hearing this, was naturally thrown into a state of trepidation, and inquired what the duty was. " You have forgotten," said the King, " to blow your tenure horn." It is needless to say that the noble marquis lost no time in complying with that condition. It should be stated, in justice to the successive Marquises of Ailesbury into whose possession Savernake forest has been bequeathed from time to time, that they fyave always cordially welcomed the public within its precincts, and visitors have at, all times had perfect liberty to roam hither and thither in its innermost recesses free from any restriction whatever.