Freefolk Wood

Freefolk Wood, Laverstoke
wood
parish:
county:
coords:
Laverstoke
Hampshire
SU4944
refce: HANTSLOC.t

old map: 25inch County Series map -- Hants XXV.10

description
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830

refce: Cobbett 1830
Just after we had finished the bread and cheese, we crossed the turnpike road that goes from Basingstoke to Stockbridge; and Mr. Bailey had told us, that we were then to bear away to our right, and go to the end of a wood (which we saw one end of), and keep round with that wood, or coppice, as he called it, to our left; but we, seeing Beacon-Hill more to the left, and resolving to go, as nearly as possible, in a straight line to it, steered directly over the fields; that is to say, pieces of ground from 30 to 100 acres in each. But, a hill, which we had to go over, had here hidden from our sight a part of this 'coppice', which consists, perhaps, of 150 to 200 acres, and which we found sweeping round, in a crescent-like form so far, from towards out left, as to bring our land-mark over the coppice at about the mid-length of the latter. Upon this discovery we slackened sail; for this coppice might be a mile across; and though the bottom was sound enough, being a coverlet of flints upon a bed of chalk, the underwood was too high and too thick for us to face, being, as we were, at so great a distance from the means of obtaining a fresh supply of clothes. Our leather leggings would have stood anything; but, our coats were of the common kind; and, before we saw the other side of the coppice we should, I dare say, have been as ragged as forest-ponies in the month of March.
... in one part of the coppice, there was a road cut across, ... A beautiful road we found it. I should suppose the best part of a mile long, perfectly straight, the surface sound and smooth, about eight feet wide, the whole length seen at once, and, when you are at one end, the other end seeming to be hardly a yard wide. When we got about half way, we found a road that crossed this. These roads are, I suppose, cut for the hunters. They are very pretty, at any rate, and we found this one very convenient; for it cut our way short by a full half mile.
... this coppice, to Whitchurch, is not more than about four miles ...

   Old Hampshire Gazetteer - JandMN: 2001