Monument record 2017 - The Royal Wood of Saughall or King's Wood

The Royal Wood of Saughall which was administered by Shotwick Park’s Park Keeper. This area was leased (sixteenth century) and ultimately sold (seventeenth century) along with Shotwick Park. Timber was regularly supplied from the park and the wood to the Prioress and nuns at Chester for fuel and to repair their houses and church. Oaks and other timber were supplied for the repair of ‘Floddeyard’ in the water of the Dee and to repair the mills of the Dee (1).

King's Wood or Royal Wood of Saughall which adjoined Shotwick Park & Manor. Their histories are closely connected and at an early date Royal Wood was attached to office of park-keeper. King's Wood was first mentioned 1260 when Guy de Provence and Thomas de Mainwaring agreed that a jury should set out bounds between Saughall & Blacon. Wood granted to various keepers or leased. During reign of Elizabeth I disputes arose between the Crown & the Tattons over ownership of wood & in 1565 an inquisition found it belonged to the Queen. At this time it appears to have been c.100 acres in area & common land. In the seventeenth century it was enclosed (2).

The manors of Great and Little Saughall were held by the crown and attached to the office of Park Keeper of Shotwick. The Royal Wood of Salghale was considerable. In 1260 when Guionet de Provence and Thomas de Menegar (Mainwaring) agreed that a jury should set out the bounds between Blakene and Salhale. The jury found that all the wood, 'nemus', between Balene and Salhale, belonged to the town of Salhale up to the outer oaks towards Blakene; the oaks themselves remain part of Salhale, and the plain beyond the wood part of Blakene. The inclosure of King's Wood and the other wastes of Little Saughall took place within the reign of Elizabeth I and formed a subject of litigation for a very numerous body of free holders, the absracts of the pleadings in which still fill a bulky volume of the Harlien MSS (Harl. MSS. 2099). Ormerod gives an extensive list of lease holders (3).

Kings Wood Lane and the regular field systems either side may indicate the location of the former woodland. Regular field systems to the north of Kingswood Lane Farm may also be associated. The complex pattern of land ownership between the two townships of Great Saughall and Little Saughall may be the product of the litigation meditioned by Ormerod (4).

<1> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 20/19-20 Harrison W 1902 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<2> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 28/132 Stewart-Brown R 1912 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<3> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol. 2 P.567-8 (Book). SCH1389.

<4> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, R Edwards 16/06/09 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.