About The Bestwood Lodge HotelThe Story of an Estate - Page 2
To poach a deer from the Royal Forest put life and limb in peril and it was not only the game that was protected but also the timber, which could not be cut without permission and the land itself could not be ploughed up. This was in spite of the fact that whole villages lay within the boundaries of the Forests, which were declared to be Royal Forests by the King’s will alone. The Monks of Lenton appeared to rate their Charter highly and took the trouble to ask for its renewal every few years on the accession of a new Monarch.
Bestwood lay at the southern end of Sherwood Forest and although unfenced until the days of Henry III (1216-1272), it was reserved from the days of Henry I as a site for Royal Hunting. The name shows many deviations in spelling as Bocswood, Bosckwood, Beskwood or Busewood and was recorded in the Pipe Rolls in 1177 as Beskewude. So if we assume from the Norse ‘buskre’ meaning a thicket and the Anglo-Saxon ‘wudu’ meaning a wood, this might indicate a settlement prior to the Norman Conquest.
This then was the beginning of the connection between the Parish of Lenton and Bestwood, and the monks having obtained their Charter to get their cartloads of dead wood established their authority over the inhabitants. Bestwood was part of the ancient Parish of Lenton until the year 1878.
Peveril was generous to his newly found Priory and granted it to the whole manor of Lenton, his considerable properties in Nottingham and the three city Churches of St. Mary’s, St. Peter’s and St. Nicolas. This comprises of some 6,000 acres of land altogether, half of which was Bestwood.
In 1250, in the reign of Henry III, Bestwood is recorded as “A hey or park of our Lord the King, wherein no man commons”. Also in the same reign, the Grey Friars, that is the Franciscan Monks were given twenty oaks for building a Dormitory and Chapter House in Nottingham.
We have definitive proof that Edward III (1327-1377) actually stayed at Bestwood, as he wrote letters, which granted various pardons and Charters in 1363, and they bear the Bestwood address. Among these was a pardon sent to the Monks and Priors of Newstead Priory for certain rents due from Linby Hay and Bulwell Wood, most probably included in the Bestwood Forest.
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I celebrated my engagement and birthday with 9 of us having a meal at your restaurant. The carvery was lovely all the food was fresh and very tasty. We all had a brilliant time. Thank you and a big thank you to your restaurant staff.
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