The customary right to take wood or other materials from another person’s land for necessary use.
Estovers were customary rights allowing tenants to take certain materials, especially wood, from woodland belonging to the lord of the manor.
The right could include gathering fuel, collecting fallen branches or obtaining timber for repairs to buildings and agricultural equipment.
Estovers were normally limited by local custom, and disputes over excessive or unauthorised use could be brought before the manorial court.
The term illustrates the importance of woodland resources in the everyday life of rural communities.
See also:
Common Rights
Woodland
Pannage
Tenant