Delamere Forest The Forestry Commission, which was established in 1919, took over the management of Delamere Forest in 1924; the land was managed for timber production. Its management area occupies 16 percent of the former medieval forests. Since 1968, the Forestry Commission has worked with successive local authorities (now Cheshire West and Chester) to promote recreational usage of the area. Blakemere Moss was drained in around 1815, supposedly by prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars. During the 19th century, it was unsuccessfully planted with oak, and later with Scots pine. The Forestry Commission planted the moss with pine and western hemlock during the
Leigh Delamere Grade II* listed building and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The benefices of Leigh Delamere and Grittleton were united in 1924. The union of benefices of Biddestone with Slaughterford, Castle Combe, Grittleton and Leigh Delamere, Nettleton and Burton with Littleton Drew, West Kington and Yatton Keynell to form a united benefice was formally established on 1 December 1999, although the parishes had been operating along these lines for the previous five years. The Benefice of Colerne and North Wraxall was from January 2006, joined with the By Brook Benefice. The Benefice is part of the