Montgomeryshire was predominantly a pastoral county extending from the fertile Shropshire plain in the East to the mountain regions in the West. The ancient oak forests and good pastures of cattle, horses and sheep, together its lush grasslands justified the counties reputation as the paradise of Wales. However, during the sixteenth century, Montgomeryshire suffered the same problems of deforestation and enclosure as the rest of the country. The county had deposits of iron ore, which helped supplement the fee farming economy.