Woolmer Forest

forest, wood
parish:
county:
coords:
Whitehill
Hampshire
SU8032
refce: HANTSLOC.t

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

Woolmer Forest
otherwise: Wulvemar', 1236

refce: Coates 1989
WOOLMER FOREST
Takes its name from the pool referred to in 970, 'wolves' pool'. The pool is near Longmoor Camp. The forest is referred to in a Close Roll in 1236.

description
Woolmer Forest
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830

refce: Cobbett 1830
... the danger of breaking my neck at Hawkley and of getting buried in the bogs of Woolmer Forest. My route was through East-Meon, Froxfield, Hawkley, Greatham, and then over Woolmer Forest, (a heath if you please) to Headley.
...
Upon leaving Greatham, we came out upon Woolmer Forest. ... The man told me, that I must go across the forest. I asked him whether it was a good road: 'it is a sound road,' said he, laying a weighty emphasis upon the word sound. 'Do people go it?' said I. 'Ye-es,' said he. 'Oh then,' said I, to my man, 'as it is sound road, keep you close to my heels, and do not attempt to go aside, not even for a foot.' Indeed it was a sound road. The rain of the night had made fresh horse tracks visible. And we got to Headley in a short time, over a sand-road, which seemed so delightful after the flints and stone and dirt and sloughs that we had passed over and through since the morning! This road was not, if we had been benighted, without its dangers, the forest being full of quags and quicksands. This is a tract of Crown-lands, or, properly speaking, public-lands, on some parts of which our Land Steward, Mr. HUSKISSON, is making some plantations of trees, partly fir, and partly other trees. What he can plant the fir for, God only knows, seeing that the country is already over-stocked with that rubbish. ...
The soil of this tract is, generally, a black sand, which, in some places, becomes peat, which makes a very tolerable fuel. In some parts there is clay at bottom; and there the oaks would grow; but not while there are hares in any number in the forest. If trees be to grow here, there ought to be no hares and as little hunting as possible.
...
I GOT a boy at Selborne to show me along the lanes out into Woolmer forest on my way to Headley. The lanes were very deep; the wet malme just about the colour of rye-meal mixed up with water, and just about as clammy, came, in many places, very nearly up to my horse's belly. There was this comfort, however, that I was sure that there was a bottom, which is by no means the case when you are among clays or quick-sands. After going through these lanes, and along between some fir-plantations, I came out upon Woolmer Forest, and, to my great satisfaction, soon found myself on the side of those identical plantations, which have been made under the orders of the smooth Mr. Huskisson, and which I noticed last year in my ride from Hambledon to this place. These plantations are of fir, or at least, I could see nothing else, and they never can be of any more use to the nation than the sprigs of heath which cover the rest of the forest. Is there nobody to inquire what becomes of the income of the crown-lands? No, and there never will be, until the whole system be changed. ...

old map
Forrest Woolmer
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- forest - Hampshire
refce: Ogilby 1675 (pl.30)
into Woolmer Forest
(OG30SU82.jpg)

old map
Forrest Woolmer
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- forest - Hampshire
refce: Ogilby 1675 (pl.30)
into ye Forrest Woolmer
(OG30SU83.jpg)

old map
Wulmer forest
Shown on an old map by Drayton 1612

refce: Drayton 1612
(DRY1TRE8.jpg)

old map
Wvtmer Forrest
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- forest, wood - Alton Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
refce: Norden 1607
(NRD1SU83.jpg)

old map
Shown on an old map by Keer 1620
- Southampton
refce: Keer 1620
(KER1SMAL.jpg)

old map
Wulmere forest
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- wood, forest - Southamtoniae
refce: Saxton 1575
(SAX1SU83.jpg)

Alice Holt and Wolmer Forest
- forest, royal forest - Hampshire
refce: Colebourn 1995

   Old Hampshire Gazetteer - JandMN: 2001