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Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:12 am
by Taylor Steiner
Iodo wrote:I don't believe it, Macclesfield forest is one of my favorite tracking spots :mrgreen: my latest pictures here: https://www.ranger.budgetauthenticity.o ... 2&start=30 are there
What a neat coincidence!

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:03 am
by Iodo
yep :P a few years ago I asked an forestry commission ranger if the place had any history, he just shrugged and said that it use to be farm land, then when the fabric trade in Maccelsfield needed wood for canal boats and machinery, about 150 years ago, someone planted trees on it, clearly this is not the case, it's nice, and a little bit spooky to find out that the place is old. It explains some of the ruins that can be found among the trees though

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:04 pm
by Taurinor
Iodo wrote:yep :P a few years ago I asked an forestry commission ranger if the place had any history, he just shrugged and said that it use to be farm land, then when the fabric trade in Maccelsfield needed wood for canal boats and machinery, about 150 years ago, someone planted trees on it, clearly this is not the case, it's nice, and a little bit spooky to find out that the place is old. It explains some of the ruins that can be found among the trees though
He probably wasn't wrong about the woodland. It looks like it's mostly pines/conifers in your pictures, which would match up with commercial planting for timber.

A medieval forest wasn't necessarily a woodland, and any woodland in the Middle Ages wasn't a forest. In post-1066 England, a royal forest was land set aside as hunting grounds for the monarch, and it could include grasslands, moors, wetlands, and woodlands. There would also be roads and towns within the bounds of the royal forest, and folks living there could (with permission and usually for a fee) gather fallen wood, cut turf, graze livestock, and the like. Royal forests typically weren't untamed wildernesses; most things I read compare them to preserves, or even describe them as agricultural in a way, only the livestock and crops were timber and game for the monarch.

So the ranger was probably right about the trees themselves, but maybe wasn't aware of the older legal designation of the area. Wikipedia has a little information about the area, if you're interested!

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:06 pm
by jbook
Iodo wrote:I don't believe it, Macclesfield forest is one of my favorite tracking spots :mrgreen: my latest pictures here: https://www.ranger.budgetauthenticity.o ... 2&start=30 are there
That's really cool! It's a really beautiful area judging by the pictures!
Iodo wrote:yep :P a few years ago I asked an forestry commission ranger if the place had any history, he just shrugged and said that it use to be farm land, then when the fabric trade in Maccelsfield needed wood for canal boats and machinery, about 150 years ago, someone planted trees on it, clearly this is not the case, it's nice, and a little bit spooky to find out that the place is old. It explains some of the ruins that can be found among the trees though
It is sad that many people, even people who work in a particular field can be completely ignorant of their historical surroundings. I think many people unfortunately just don't have the head for it. I am always disappointed when local people can't tell me a scrap of history about the area they've lived in their whole lives.

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:08 pm
by jbook
Taurinor wrote:
A medieval forest wasn't necessarily a woodland, and any woodland in the Middle Ages wasn't a forest. In post-1066 England, a royal forest was land set aside as hunting grounds for the monarch, and it could include grasslands, moors, wetlands, and woodlands. There would also be roads and towns within the bounds of the royal forest, and folks living there could (with permission and usually for a fee) gather fallen wood, cut turf, graze livestock, and the like. Royal forests typically weren't untamed wildernesses; most things I read compare them to preserves, or even describe them as agricultural in a way, only the livestock and crops were timber and game for the monarch.
You're completely correct here!

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:20 pm
by jbook
Taurinor,

Since you are a medieval reenactor also, are you familiar with the event "Days of Knights"?

Our group attends every year and it might be worth your time to check it out. It's the most authentic medieval living history reenactment event you're likely to find.

Here are few pictures of our group portraying Knights, Peasants and everything in between during the Baron Wars, 1215.

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:08 pm
by Taurinor
jbook wrote:Since you are a medieval reenactor also, are you familiar with the event "Days of Knights"?

Our group attends every year and it might be worth your time to check it out. It's the most authentic medieval living history reenactment event you're likely to find.
Those are wonderful pictures of wonderful kits! Thank you so much for sharing them.

That does look like a very cool event. A bit out of the way for me (I'm in Virginia), but not out of the realm of possibility. Definitely something to keep in mind...

Here's an older picture of my medieval kit, if you're interested. That bow went the way of the world (as self bows do), I've switched the Livre de chasse-inspired leather horn baldric for a cord one, and the sword belt has been converted to a regular belt, but I still use the rest of it! Used most of that gear as part of my soft kit for an overnighter that I went on earlier this month.

Re: Rider of Rohan (or Foot Soldier of Rohan)

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:50 pm
by Iodo
Taurinor wrote: A medieval forest wasn't necessarily a woodland, and any woodland in the Middle Ages wasn't a forest. In post-1066 England, a royal forest was land set aside as hunting grounds for the monarch, and it could include grasslands, moors, wetlands, and woodlands. There would also be roads and towns within the bounds of the royal forest, and folks living there could (with permission and usually for a fee) gather fallen wood, cut turf, graze livestock, and the like. Royal forests typically weren't untamed wildernesses; most things I read compare them to preserves, or even describe them as agricultural in a way, only the livestock and crops were timber and game for the monarch.

So the ranger was probably right about the trees themselves, but maybe wasn't aware of the older legal designation of the area. Wikipedia has a little information about the area, if you're interested!
Interesting :P I never knew any of that, a completely different definition of a forest, thanks for the info and the link
jbook wrote:
Iodo wrote:I don't believe it, Macclesfield forest is one of my favorite tracking spots :mrgreen: my latest pictures here: https://www.ranger.budgetauthenticity.o ... 2&start=30 are there
That's really cool! It's a really beautiful area judging by the pictures!
yeah it is :mrgreen: and it's one of the best places I go (not quite as good as Scotland), here's some more of the place if your intrested: https://www.ranger.budgetauthenticity.o ... 3558&hilit that last picture is taken from the same view point as the as the pic showing the lake on the Wikipedia article
jbook wrote:It is sad that many people, even people who work in a particular field can be completely ignorant of their historical surroundings. I think many people unfortunately just don't have the head for it. I am always disappointed when local people can't tell me a scrap of history about the area they've lived in their whole lives.
agreed, although stuff like this doesn't tend to be common knowledge, although I think it should be and usually try to learn at least a little about places I visit