The history of Wyre Forest
The ‘Foresta de Wyre’ Straddling the border of Shropshire and Worcestershire, the Wyre Forest area is known to have been wooded since at least 900AD. The ‘Foresta de Wyre’ is mentioned in the Domesday Book, Britain’s earliest record commissioned by William I in 1085. Historically, the ‘Foresta de Wyre’ was once a Royal forest and parts were fenced off as a Royal Chase for hunting deer. It is thought to have once formed an almost continuous forest with the Royal forests of Kinver to the east, Feckenham to the south and Clee to the west. The forest was popular for hunting throughout medieval times, but gradually the wood began to be coppiced in order to produce charcoal, which was used to fire up the furnaces in the new, local iron works. Coppicing is an ancient woodland practice whereby trees are periodically (every 15 to 20 years) cut down to ground level to produce a renewable harvest of poles for charcoal and firewood. Small clusters of charcoal burning hearths can still be found throughout the woodland as well as distinctive earthworks that were once ‘bell pits’ used to mine coal from beneath the forest floor.
Wyre Forest Forestry England
File:Forestry road, Wyre Forest - geograph.org.uk - 1623578.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
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Wyre Forest becomes the largest woodland National Nature Reserve in England Big news! We're delighted to share Wyre Forest has become the largest woodland National Nature Reserve in England! The Wyre
Wyre Forest by Catherine Rothwell, The Francis Frith Collection
Woodland Industries in the Wyre Forest - Revolutionary Players
Ruskin Land in the Wyre Forest - The Guild of St George
File:The old railway line - Wyre Forest - May 2012 - panoramio.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Kidderminster & Wyre Forest: (OS Landranger Map 138 February 2016 ed)
Wyre Forest becomes largest protected woodland in England
Kidderminster and Wyre Forest: : 9781905568703: Books
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Cassini Revised New - Kidderminster & Wyre Forest (1901-1902)