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The term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, i.e. an area of densely wooded land. Royal forests usually included large areas of heath, grassland and wetland — anywhere that supported deer and other game. In addition, when an area was initially designated forest, any villages, towns and fields that lay within it were also subject to forest law. This could foster resentment as the local inhabitants were then unable to use land they had previously relied upon for their livelihoods.
The practice of reserving areas of land for the sole use of the aristocracy was common throughout EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se during the mediaevalThe Middle Ages formed the middle period in a schematic division of European history into three 'ages': Classical civilization, the Middle Ages, and Modern Civilization. It is commonly dated from the end of the Western Roman Empire ( 5th century) until th period.
In mediaeval England, many activities were at one time or another prohibited under forest law. These included hunting, enclosurePrior to the 18th century, agriculture was much the same across Europe, and had been since before the Middle Ages. The system in operation was essentially post- feudal, with each villager subsistence-farming their own strips of land in one of three large of land, felling of treesFor another article about a different type of logging, see data logging. Logging is the practice of cutting down trees, then cutting out their central boles (the clear trunk or central stem) and possibly branches in order to use the wood directly or to ma, buildingBuilding is either the act of creating an object assembled from more than one element, or the object itself. A building is usually a human-created object composed of more than a single element, permanently fixed to the ground, that mediates one or more as, the carrying of weaponA weapon is a tool used to kill, maim, destroy or perhaps simply disable, a person or animal and as a result, also to threaten and defend. Since the dawn of humanity the use of weapons has been codified resulting in both martial arts and strategic doctrins and the grazing of livestockSheep are commonly bred as livestock. Livestock refers to domesticated animals, that may be kept or raised in pens, houses, pastures, or on farms as part of an agricultural or farming operation, whether for commerce or private use. In many countries the l. In the beginning, punishments for these offences were brutal: blinding or amputationFor mutilation of documents, works of art or monuments, see Vandalism : For mutilation of human genitalia, see Genital modification and mutilation Mutilation is an act or injury that changes the appearance of the (human) body, without causing death. The t were not uncommon. This evolved into a system of fines; eventually this became a de facto tax, providing a major source of income to the Crown.
Forest law was enforced by foresters , and the fines administered by verderers . These titles still exist today, although they are now largely ceremonial.