Conclusions on woods

The "woods" in this area were originally mostly scrub with some trees. It was never classed as forest. Although Princes Risborough was a royal borough and the Black Prince had a stud farm in the town, royalty never lived here. There are records in the sixteenth century when the land was let and legislation dictated that no great oaks were to be felled and that twelve staddels (young trees) had to be left to grow in every acre. A good law in a country where timber for ships and houses was of top priority.

In time huge areas of trees had grown to become the Parish Woods.

The population grew slowly, still all part of the Manor of Princes Risborough. The parish woods were vital for them as they provided the only source of fuel for warmth and cooking. It was not permitted to fell or even trim the trees but collecting fallen wood was. After stormy weather everybody possible went "wooding".

This system continued for centuries. But 1823, with the Inclosures of Princes Risborough, brought a complete change. At that time the woods were sold into private hands. They were all purchased by John Grubb, the Lord of the Manor, and at first nothing changed even though they no longer belonged to the parish. Gradually the massive area of Highwood, Kingswood, and Abbottswood was auctioned off. Smallridge Wood stayed intact for a long time, but over time was bought by various people as a block.

The new owners gradually cleared the land, (now In 2019 this would be called deforestation). In the mid nineteenth century the number of sawyers employed rivalled that of agricultural labourers, which had historically been by far the biggest form of employment. Before the end of the eighteen hundreds all the parish woods were know as "Grubbins" which were either cleared or at the stage of grubbing out the roots. Most importantly to the parishioners was the fact that they had lost their source of free fuel.

Through the sixteen hundreds there had been a 60 acre wood called Stocken Wood. It did not belong to Stocken Farm, although by 1818 it had been cleared and had become part of that farm. It had been on the steep south side of Highwood Bottom. The north side, equally steep was also completely wooded. The track that ran along the bottom of the valley, was before 1823 a main route from the Hughenden Valley to Princes Risborough, (no roads in the tiny villages as that time). There is a legend of a highwayman buried along this stretch of track. It would have certainly been perfect for a highwayman there, with the deep woods either side, but whether a large boulder marks his grave could just be another local fancy.