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Arden, Warwickshire

(Redirected fromForest of Arden)

"Forest of Arden" redirects here. Not to be confused withForest of Ardennes.For the hotel and country club complex, seeForest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

The Forest of Ardenis a formerforestand culturally defined area located in the EnglishWest Midlands,[1]that in antiquity and into the Early Modern Period included much ofWarwickshire,and parts ofShropshire,[2][3][4]Staffordshire,theWest Midlands,andWorcestershire.[5][6][7]It is associated withWilliam Shakespeareas a territory of his youth, and the setting of some of his drama.

Arden
Map showing the traditional territory of the Forest of Arden by reference to the Roman roads that formed its boundary
Geography
LocationWest Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire.

The Forest of Arden area was first mapped according to the Roman roads which conceptually bounded it: in the West by theIcknield Street,in the South by theSalt Road(the modern Alcester to Stratford Road), in the East by theFosse Way,and in the North by theWatling Street.[8][9][10][11]TheGough Mapshows this traditional extent of the forest.[1]

More recently the shorter term'Arden'has been used to describe a smaller area primarily concentrated in thehistoric countyof Warwickshire and parts of the modernWest Midlandsmetropolitan county.

History

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Early history

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Birmingham illustrated on the fourteenth centuryGough Map,shown within the Forest of Arden on the road between Lichfield (left) and Droitwich (right)

Believed to be derived from aBrythonicwordardu- "high" (cf.Welsh:ardd), by extension "highland", the area was formerly thickly forested and known as theForest of Arden.Located near the geographical centre of England, the Forest of Arden, through which noRoman roadswere built, was bounded by the Roman roadsIcknield Street,Watling Street,Fosse Way,and a prehistoric salt track leading from Droitwich.[12]It included the north-western half of the traditional county of Warwick, stretching fromStratford-upon-Avonin the south toTamworthin the north, and as well as areas that are now the large settlements ofBirmingham,CoventryandShrewsbury,in addition to areas that are still largely rural with numerous areas of woodland. A significant settlement in the forest was the townHenley-in-Arden(in a valley of the River Alne, approximately 15 miles southeast of Birmingham), the site of anIron Agehillfort.

Wide lands in this district were held in the time ofEdward the Confessorby Alwin, whose son Thurkill of "of Arden," founded thefamilyof this name.[7]The Domesday book reveals that in 1086 the Forest of Arden was comparatively lightly settled, and poor in terms of agricultural wealth.[13]

An ancient mark stone known as Coughton Cross[14]is still present at the southwestern corner of the forest, at the junction ofIcknield Street(now A435) and the salt track, now the southern end of the frontage ofCoughton Court,and is owned by theNational Trust.According to local tradition, travellers prayed here for safe passage through the forest.

Arms of the Arden family

Thorkell of Arden, a descendant of the ruling family ofMercia,was one of the few major English landowners who retained extensive properties after the Norman conquest. His progeny, theArden family,remained prominent in the area for centuries, by the 14th century, under Sir Henry de Arden, the most prominent Ardens had their primary estate at Park Hall,Castle Bromwich,Solihull.[15]Connection to this ancient family was important in the identity work of theDudley familyin the sixteenth century.[16]

Mary Arden,mother ofWilliam Shakespeare,was a member of this prominent West Midlands family,[17]who had also had a prominent centre of power inStockportin the 1500s.[18]

From around 1162, until the suppression of their order in 1312, theKnights Templarowned a preceptory atTemple Balsallin the middle of the Forest of Arden. The property then passed to theKnights Hospitaller,who held it until theReformationduring the 16th century.

During the medieval era it is believed the forest began to become enclosed and deforested.

Early modern period

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Robert Catesby,leader of theGunpowder Plotof 1605, was a native ofLapworth,a village in Arden. It is believed that many local families across the Arden area had resisted the Reformation and retained Catholic sympathies, possibly including the family ofShakespeare,whose paternal ancestors were from the Balsall area.

Many of the key engagements ofEnglish Civil Warof 1642 – 1651 were fought in the Arden area, such as theBattle of Camp Hill.

Culture and cultural references

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William Shakespeare was familiar with The Forest of Arden and set drama there, most notablyAs You Like It.

Shakespeare

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Marie Davey as Rosalind in As You Like It 2017

Shakespeare's playAs You Like Itis set in the Forest of Arden, but it is an imaginary version incorporating elements from theArdennes forestinThomas Lodge's prose romanceRosalynde; Or, Euphues' Golden Legacyand the real forest (both as it was when the play was written, i.e. subjected todeforestationandenclosure,and the romanticized version of his youth).[19]Lodge was familiar with the English Forest of Arden via the ownership and occupation by the family of the manorSoultonby his father,Sir Thomas Lodge.

This manor is located on the boundaries of the English Forest of Arden in a territory in which the Tudor StatesmanSir Rowland Hillwas active, furnishing a possible inspiration for Shakespeare's character Old Sir Rowland.[20][21][22][23]

Shakespeare's Arden seems to have promulgated a vision of the forest that fits in with the English nostalgicautostereotypeofMerry England,and inspired subsequent artists such asPre-RaphaeliteJohn Collier.

Myths and legends

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The status of Coventry as an isolated settlement surrounded by the thick Forest of Arden has been cited by some historians as a cause for the prospering of a cult of the pagan goddessCofaafter the rest of the country had been Christianised.

It is believed that in the 12th century, this localised cult had transferred its veneration from the goddess Cofa toLady Godiva,an Anglo Saxon Countess of the area. The warping of the myths with the real historical figure of Godiva, could explain many of the legends associated with her.[24]

According to the legend, the heroSir Guy of Warwickset up his hermitage atGuy's Cliffein the Forest of Arden, overlooking the River Avon.

In other fiction

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John Collier - In the Forest of Arden

Moseley Bogis a remnant of the Forest of Arden, now alocal nature reservethat inspired theOld ForestinJ. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Lord of the Ringsbooks.[25][26]

Court offices

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In 1758 the Earl of Aylesford and five others founded (or possibly re-founded) theWoodmen of Arden.This is an exclusive archery club that takes its offices from the medievalRoyal Forestcourt positions, such asVerdererand Warden.

The organisation claims to be a successor to an older organisation of woodmen, however there is scant evidence that forest law ever applied in the Forest of Arden.

Forest law

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Remains of Wayside Cross Marking South Western Corner of the Forest of Arden

Unlike other forests of the era it does not appear that the Forest of Arden was ever subject toforest law.It is unclear why this is, however it is possibly because wide-scale settlement of the area did not occur until comparatively late, and thus the forest still represented something of afrontier.[13]

This may have been due to the density and size of the forest – which overlies a large area of clay resulting in natural vegetation of dense broad-leaved woodland like oak and lime – as well as the dangers within such as bears and wolves, which did not become extinct in Great Britain until the sixth and seventeenth centuries respectively.[27]No Roman road penetrated the forest;Icknield Street,Watling Street,andFosse Wayall went around it instead, and a salt track bounded the south side.

The Domesday book indicates that the area was still little settled by 1086, with a handful of former Iron Age hill forts, Roman forts, and Anglo-Saxon settlements at places likeHenley-in-Arden,ColeshillandUlverlei.A medieval era wayside cross known as theCoughtonCross sits at the southern boundary of the forest, and was allegedly a site where travelers would pray for safe passage through the forest prior to entering.

Forest Hall of theWoodmen of Arden

The first major wave of settlement ofassartsoccurred from the eleventh century to the fourteenth century, as a result of "peasant land hunger" from settlements south of Arden and "seignorial encouragement" and lords desiring to expand their holdings and political power. Even so, settlers had to be enticed to colonise the area. In the planted borough of Solihull the Lord of the Manor offered free burgage tenure in which residents were free, rent-paying burgesses, rather than villeins owing service to the Lord of the Manor. In Tanworth in Arden the Earl of Warwick pursued a policy as overlord that unusually saw over 60 per cent of the income from this manor derived from free rents.[13]

Royal forests subject to forest law were established on wooded land adjoining the Forest of Arden, atSutton Parkin the Anglo-Saxon era, andFeckenham Forestin the early Norman era, both much smaller and more manageable than the vast untamed land of Arden.

Despite the lack of evidence that the Forest of Arden was ever under forest law, theWoodmen of Arden,founded (or refounded) in 1758, claim to be a revival of a body who traditionally exercised the role of crown forestry officials in the area.

Geography

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The area is punctuated by a large number of settlements – such asBearley,ShirleyandHenley– ending with 'ley', meaning 'a clearing'. There are also a large number of areas with references to woodland, such asKingswood,Nuthurst,Packwood,Hollywood,Earlswood,Four Oaks,and so on.[28]

1000 year old oak tree in the grounds of Stoneleigh Abbey

It is not known exactly when deforestation began, but even in the 16th century it was understood that the forest of Arden had been diminished from what it had been due to enclosure and later logging, due amongst other things to the demands of the navy for wood.[29]

The forest itself is today mostly reduced to individual oaks, hedgerows and occasional pockets ofancient woodland,such as the former Royal Forest ofSutton ParkandRough Wood.Ecologist Steven Falk, undertaking research withWarwickshire County Council,conducted a survey of the oldest trees in the Arden area and found over 500 examples of ancientQuercus robur(common oak), including examples exceeding 1000 years old. The oldest trees are believed to be inRyton WoodswhereTilia cordata(small-leaved lime) has beencoppicedfor so long that individual coppice stools have become difficult to distinguish from clustered ones. Falk estimates these trees are well over 1000 years old.[30]

The fauna is typical for the wider area, however before emparkment would have included traditional game species such as wild deer, boar andWhite Park cattle.Many species of deer still roam the region, however the cattle have long since been lost to emparkment. Wild boar were extinct in Great Britain in the 17th century, however they were accidentally reintroduced in the 1970s and sightings have been made in the Arden area.[31]

A number of rivers run through the Arden area including theRiver Coleand theRiver Blythe.

The Arden Wayat Windmill Hill – A rural path tracking old paths through the forest – Demonstrating the modern agricultural nature of the area

Given the history and natural geography of the area, tourism supports some of the local economy. Towns in the area includeHampton-in-Arden,Henley-in-Arden,andTanworth-in-Arden.The name 'Arden' is used prominently across the region, such asArden Academyand theForest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

TheArden Wayis a waymarkedUK National Trailthat traces old paths and routes through rural areas of the ancient Forest of Arden.

Government protections

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TheStratford-on-Avon Districtallocated the Arden area within its borders as aSpecial Landscape Areain 1996.[32]

Although the Arden area itself is not recognized as anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty,it borders theCannock ChaseAONB to the north, andCotswoldsAONB to the south.

Arden Sandstone

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Maxstoke Castle

Arden Sandstone is a distinctive Triassic whiteheterolithicsandstonequarried from the Arden area and used in local buildings. The sandstone contains a large amount of calcium carbonate ('lime') originating from the shells of creatures that lived in the water in which the sandstone formed, which over time develops a reddish hue due to a type of algae (Trentepohlia jolithus) that grows only on such lime-bearing stone.

TheAlmshousesat Stoneleigh – A typical Arden village

The stone varies in colour from a muddy brown-red to a brighter orange or red ochre depending on factors such as how long it has been exposed. It is a common building material across the Arden area, and many prominent and famous buildings use it, such asKenilworth Castle,Maxstoke Castle,St Alphege Church, Solihull,Stoneleigh Abbey Gatehouse,and numerous others.[33][34]

The stone features prominently in villages across Arden, such asTemple BalsallandKnowle.

Forest restoration and rewilding

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Deforestation and emparkment has reduced the woodland cover, but it should be kept in mind that "forest" meant a legal and governance territory before it described the tree cover as it does to modern ears.

The area remains largely rural, and pockets of trees, a few ancient woodlands, field boundaries and ancient oaks remain as the heritage of the once much larger forest.[35]

Most of the trees and woodland that made up the forest and still remain are today protected, and there are a number of listed buildings across the area, noted for their history. Many of the buildings are operated by the National Trust and can be visited by tourists.[35]

Heart of England Forest

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PublisherFelix Dennisplanted substantial areas of woodland in the area. He created a charity, theHeart of England Forest,to carry on this work. On his death in 2014 he left most of his fortune to be used for this purpose.[36]3,000 acres (12.1 km2) have been planted inSpernall,DorsingtonandHoneybourne,and at the Lenches in Worcestershire.[37]

Arden Forest scheme

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In 2021 it was announced that a new 'Arden Forest' scheme was being established in the borough ofSolihull,to create a continuous wildlife corridor across the region, in an effort to restore andrewildsome of the forest. The aim is part of a wider project seeking to plant a quarter of a million trees within ten years across the area.[38]

National forest proposal

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TheCountryside Commissionconsidered creating a newnational forestin the area in 1989, but the proposal was not taken up.[39]ACommunity Forestwas established in the 1990s to the north of the forest of Arden called theForest of Mercia,and anational foresthas since been established betweenLeicesterandSwadlincotein theEast Midlands,however.

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ab"Bodleian Library MS. Gough Gen. Top. 16".digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.Retrieved6 November2023.
  2. ^"Wem's Shakespearean Connection:" Old Sir Rowland "Unmasked | Wem Rural Parish".Retrieved23 August2024.
  3. ^Austin, Sue (23 February 2024)."Shropshire Day: Natural beauty and culture help county celebrate its own patron saint's day".shropshirestar.Retrieved23 August2024.
  4. ^Austin, Sue (8 November 2023)."Shropshire's remarkable connections with Shakespeare are fascinating".shropshirestar.Retrieved9 November2023.
  5. ^"Forest of Arden".8 February 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2012.Retrieved8 July2023.
  6. ^Martineau, P. E. (1927)."The Forest of Arden".Empire Forestry Journal.6(2): 197–201.ISSN2054-7447.JSTOR42591666.
  7. ^ab"Forest of Arden – Encyclopedia".theodora.Retrieved6 December2023.
  8. ^Pawlowski, Anna (24 October 2023)."St James' Church Is A Neo-Classical Architectural Gem Sitting On The Packington Estate In Coventry".Secret Birmingham.Retrieved6 November2023.
  9. ^"Dog trials".Packington Estate.Retrieved6 November2023.
  10. ^Ross, James (20 November 2020)."Greater Landowners and the Management of their Estates in Late Medieval England".The Fifteenth Century XVIII:93–104.doi:10.1017/9781800101128.009.ISBN978-1-80010-112-8.
  11. ^"cannot be reached"(PDF).eservices.solihull.gov.uk.Retrieved8 October2024.
  12. ^Webb 2008.
  13. ^abcRoberts, B. K. (1968). "A Study of Medieval Colonization in the Forest of Arden, Warwickshire".The Agricultural History Review.16(2): 101–113.JSTOR40273280.
  14. ^https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coughton_Cross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4657750.jpg[bare URL image file]
  15. ^Dargue, William (2 May 2014)."Park Hall (Part One) – The Manor House".Birmingham History.Retrieved2 November2023.
  16. ^Enis, Cathryn (October 2016)."Edward Arden and the Dudley earls of Warwick and Leicester, c. 1572–1583".British Catholic History.33(2): 170–210.doi:10.1017/bch.2016.24.ISSN2055-7973.
  17. ^Shapiro 2005,pp. 276–7.
  18. ^"Arden Hall Bredbury, Reddish Vale, Stockport | Artware Fine Art".artwarefineart.Retrieved9 December2023.
  19. ^Shapiro 2005,pp. 270–4.
  20. ^"August 2023".stmaryabchurch.org.uk.Retrieved8 July2023.
  21. ^"Archaeological dig unlocking the mysteries of historic site near Wem".Whitchurch Herald.15 June 2023.Retrieved8 July2023.
  22. ^"Excavation resumes at Wem manor at the centre of medieval and Tudor history".Whitchurch Herald.3 June 2023.Retrieved8 July2023.
  23. ^Tooley, David (14 June 2023)."Archaeologists coming closer to breaking the 'code' of ancient Shropshire hall which folklore links to Shakespeare".shropshirestar.Retrieved8 July2023.
  24. ^"The City of Coventry: The legend of Lady Godiva | British History Online".british-history.ac.uk.
  25. ^"Lottery grant for 'Tolkien' wood".30 March 2010.
  26. ^"Step into Tolkien's world".5 April 2016.
  27. ^"Arden Hill".History of Birmingham Places A to Y.
  28. ^"Finding Shakespeare's Forest of Arden | The Shakespeare blog".
  29. ^"The Historical Reality of Fantasy Forests: Arden, Sherwood, and Sambisa – as You Like It | Marin Shakespeare Company".16 July 2014.
  30. ^Steven Falk (2011)."The Veteran Trees of Warwickshire"(PDF).ncr.Retrieved15 September2023.
  31. ^"Wild boar spotted in Warwickshire".13 June 2011.
  32. ^"Special Landscape Areas Study"(PDF).stratford.gov.uk.June 2012.Retrieved15 September2023.
  33. ^"Heritage: Delving into Baddesley Clinton".11 August 2011.
  34. ^"BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units – Result Details".
  35. ^ab"Where was Shakespeare's Forest of Arden?".National Trust.
  36. ^Felix Dennis leaves £500 million fortune to his forest24 June 2014
  37. ^"Visit the forest | Heart of England Forest".heartofenglandforest.org.
  38. ^"1000s of trees and plans to 'rewild' land under Arden Forest plan".5 February 2021.
  39. ^The Forest of Arden,Heart of England blog

Sources

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Further reading

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