AROUND 100 protesters, many from the Warren James history group, held a walk on Sunday through recently sold Bircham Wood to assert their right to access to the Forest.

They were joined by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Labour leader in the House of Lords, and Councillor Bruce Hogan.

Ian Wright, a member of the Waren James group and one of the organisers, said that the walk was a symbolic gesture to show the new owners that they believed access to the woods in the Forest of Dean was their right.

Until recently Bircham Wood was owned and managed by the Forestry Commission, but was sold to a private owner several weeks ago for a sum thought to be around £160,000.

The government is going to lose millions of pounds in tax revenue as a result of any woodland sell off, Mr Wright said, which over time could exceed the money gained from the woodland assets sold. The wood comes with full shooting rights and part of it is classified as ancient woodland.

Some of the male walkers were dressed as women and others wore animal masks or fancy dress.

Group member Dave Morris said this was known as 'Skimmington dress' after the Skimmington riots and rough music, a very ancient Europe wide tradition that went back to the 1600s but was particularly strong in the West Country. It represented of the world turned upside down, men dressed as women, day turned to night, and was used to show disapproval of events or individuals. It was mentioned in Hardy's novels. The last Skimmington was broken up by police in Dorset in 1917.