AN OFFICE clear-out in Scotland has unearthed a treasure trove of old Forest maps which could have implications for the scores of local people who have "nicked" Crown land over the past 200 years.

The original maps show every inch of the Forest of Dean.

The hand-coloured maps are now preserved in the Forestry Commission's Bank House offices at Coleford.

They are regarded as so precious they can't be photocopied for fear of damaging their quality.

The Commission's assistant land agent Dave Clark explained: "They were produced in 1834 by J. Hosmer. The government of the day wanted to know what encroachments existed within the statutory Forest.

"They weren't interested so much in the trees by then, but were very anxious to control the iron and coal rights," says Deputy Gaveller John Harvey.

"There had been encroachments for centuries, and the Crown needed to remove them or regularise them."

Hosmer, a surveyor, examined each of the five Forest 'walks' in minute detail. The result is a thick tome of maps the size of a

small table.

"Encroachments before 1787 were coloured red and these occupants were allowed to stay," said Mr Clark.

"Those coloured blue were from then to 1817, and these were permitted to be held for three lifetimes – and then reverted to the Crown or were sold on.

"Encroachments after 1817 were coloured yellow and given 14 years occupancy. I suspect almost all were sold on to the then occupants, the Crown not being keen to push people out."

Mr Clark, himself a cartographer and surveyor, is in charge of preparing today's definitive map of Crown land within the Forest.

He said: "I did not know these Hosmer maps existed until they arrived from our Edinburgh HQ.

"They must have been doing a clear out of old files and came across them. Fortunately they are in marvellous condition and we can now look after them properly.

"They are not just a historical treasure but a valuable working document. One day, if funds become available, we could put them on disc and make them accessible to everybody."