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The Friends of the Wild Boar group maintains that numbers are much lower than believed by the Forestry Commission At the end of August, a meeting was held in Coleford to discuss the issues between the commission , a verderer, and two conservationists.

Chair of the meeting, verderer Ian Standing, said those present agreed how hard it was to determine exact numbers of the feral animals.

The verderer was a judicial officer chosen in full county by the freeholders in the same manner as the coroner.

There is a very curious old grant from the Prior of Penruthyn, which my uncle has at Ware, of a right to pasture a certain number of cows in the park, on condition of aiding the verderer in keeping up the green underwood.

The master-forester, or captain for the year, is the maker of the first “gold” at the annual target; he who makes the second is the senior verderer.