West Bere Forest
otherwise: Bera, 1168-1185; foresta de Ber', 1237
BERE FOREST, two forests
Old English 'baer'='swinepasture', ie: one where rights of pannage were exercised. There is a significant name in Soberton, in the eastern forest, viz. 'Mislingford' which appears to contain a lost hypothetical place name 'Mastleah'='(beech )mast wood/clearing', the favourite food of the foraging pigs being beechmast. The two forests are distinguished as 'East' and 'West' or the smaller western one as 'near Winchester' (1280 'la Bere de Asshele juxta Wynton'). Its name survives in 'Forest of Bere Farm' in Ashley.
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- forest - Budlesgate Hundred - Kings Somburne Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Drayton 1612
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- forest - Budlesgate Hundred - kings Sombourne Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- forest, wood - Budlesgate Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
- Southampton
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- wood, forest - Southamtoniae
otherwise: West Bere forest
The place is described in text Leland 1535-43
... a nother chace and forest ground of this name a 3. or 4. miles by west of Winchestre, and is caullid the Forest of West Bere.
- forest, royal forest - Hampshire
