East 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.
Period - 19th century, early
Hampshire ... its great woods, of which the principal are ... and the forest of Bere.
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- forest, wood - Portsdown Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Badeslade 1742
- forest - Hampshire
Period - 1740s
- forest, wood - Portesdown Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
unnamed grouping of trees
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- forest - Hampshire
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- wood, forest - Portesdowne Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Drayton 1612
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- wood, forest - Portesdowne Hundred - Hantshire
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
that little river [Meon] passeth betweene the Forrests of Waltham (where the Bishop of Winchester hath a goodly house), and of Beere, ...
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- forest, wood - Portesdowne Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
- Southampton
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- wood, forest - Southamtoniae
The place is described in text Leland 1535-43
Here lyith by est Southwike a great forest ground wel woddyd caullid Est Bere, welle replenished with deere.
Minns says:- The Forest of Bere included about 16,000 acres of land, and in 1800 contained about 200 head of deer. In 1850 it was disafforested and divided among the commoners.
- forest, royal forest - Hampshire
