The Forest of Dean.
Where England meets Wales - “The Land Between Two Rivers” - the Severn’s broad estuary and the Wye’s scenic valley.
The Forest of Dean lies between the Rivers Severn and Wye in Gloucestershire.
A royal forest from before 1086 until given to the Nation by King George V in 1924, it has a remarkable history. The Romans mined ore here long before the Norman conquest, when it was used primarily for hunting. But the presence of easily accessible iron ore made it Britain’s leading source of iron in early medieval times, with the industry persisting into the 19th century.
The trees provided charcoal for smelting, and later on timbers for the Royal Navy, although the 19th century saw a great expansion of coal mining, made possible by a network of tramways and later railways.
In 1938 the Forest was designated the first National Forest Park and is a popular destination for tourists, while still very much a working forest, providing sustainable hardwood and softwood.
The Forest of Dean is also a stronghold for nature with large areas of woodland and open space providing habitats for a wide variety of wildlife, including the notorious wild boar.
Industrial Heritage
Beneath its soil lay deposits of iron-ore, stone and coal that were worked over many centuries leaving a rich industrial heritage, some of it from periods long before the Industrial Revolution.
This ancient forest has changed many times over the centuries. In medieval times it was a royal hunting forest, before becoming a source of timber for the navy's Tudor warships. By Victorian times it was a major site of industry, with coal mining and tramways punctuating the landscape
It is a great place to explore. See if you can find the hidden remains of industry as you enjoy this wild and beautiful forest.
Built Heritage and Archaeology
The Forest of Dean has a long and complex history of exploitation for its mineral wealth and timber resources.
While that exploitation has, at times, been brutal, the continuity of woodland management across a very large area has resulted in an incredibly rich legacy of built heritage and archaeological features surviving within the Forest landscape.
The Trust was formed in 2009, with the encouragement of the County and District Councils, to take on the ownership of historic monuments and buildings at risk in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley areas, to fundraise and conserve them.
The Forest of Dean Buildings Preservation Trust
The Forest of Dean Buildings Preservation Trust, a registered charity, owns, repairs and restores buildings of historic interest that might otherwise be lost and brings them back into beneficial use within communities.
