Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean district sits in western Gloucestershire in South West England, bordered by the rivers Wye and Severn. Towns such as Coleford, Cinderford, Lydney and Newent sit around a large area of mixed woodland, former industrial sites and farmland. Tracks and disused mineral lines cross the canopy, and the Dean Forest Railway runs along part of a historic route into Lydney. Clearwell Caves and the Speech House lie inside the forest, and iron-age earthworks, sandstone quarries and river crossings mark a long sequence of local use.

Mining and forestry shaped settlement and rights here; the area still recognises the old custom of Free Miners who historically worked the coal and iron deposits of the Hundred of St Briavels. Small-scale ironworking and timber management left stacks of pits, bell pits and charcoal hearths that can be found beside modern cycle routes. Local museums and preserved sites focus on those industries, while community halls, village pubs and rural workshops reflect the district’s continuing links to its land and materials.