Editing Verderer (section)

==Forest of Dean Verderers==
[[File:Speech House Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 1323461.jpg|thumb|right|Speech House]]
The Verderers in the [[Forest of Dean]] have been in existence since at least 1218 and are charged with protecting the ''vert''  and ''venison'' (that is, generally, the [[vegetation]] and habitat<ref name="VFD">{{cite web|url=http://www.deanverderers.org.uk/glossary.html#vert |title=Glossary |access-date=2009-04-25 |year=2009 |work=Verderers of the Forest of Dean }}</ref>) of the Forest. The Verderers are elected by the freeholders of [[Gloucestershire]] at the [[Gloucester]] Court (an ancient procedure in its own right) and serve for life. Over the years, the [[deer]] in the Forest of Dean have fluctuated in numbers and species (they were totally absent for about 90 years from 1855) but today a herd of about 400 [[fallow deer]] inhabits the Forest. The Verderers now meet quarterly in their courtroom in the [[Speech House]], close to the centre of the Forest.