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Forest of Dean

Interactive map displaying Forest of Dean

Crime
LowHigh

About

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.

Area overview

On average Forest of Dean has average deprivation and very low crime levels, with around 44 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 48% below the South West average of 85 per 1,000. Approximately 10.8% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Forest of Dean is £49,615 per year. There are 52 schools in Forest of Dean: 46 primary (1 Outstanding and 37 Good) and 6 secondary (1 Outstanding and 4 Good). Forest of Dean is home to around 87,004 people, with a population density of about 165.4 per km².

Crime rate
2/10
Crimes per 1k residents
44
Deprivation level
6/10
Income level
4/10
Social housing
10.8%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Forest of Dean Population
87,004
Population density
165.4 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
23.75(-29%)
Anti-social behaviour
14.29(-4%)
Criminal damage and arson
5.3(-18%)
Public order
3.79(-42%)
Other theft
3.52(-37%)
South West average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
82,401
94.71%
Other White
1,988
2.28%
Other
316
0.36%
Irish
314
0.36%
White and Asian (mixed)
303
0.35%
Total population: 87,004

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
21,023
28.78%
No qualifications
13,427
18.38%
Level 3 (A level)
12,861
17.61%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
11,425
15.64%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
7,648
10.47%
Total 16+ residents: 73,047

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns outright
16,466
44.24%
Owns with a mortgage
10,552
28.35%
Private landlord or letting agency
4,072
10.94%
Other social rented
4,004
10.76%
Other forms of private rent
959
2.58%
Total households: 37,217

Property prices in Forest of Dean

Median price£282,500
Price per sq ft£290
Sales (last 12 months)985
Typical range (middle 50%)£216K – £380K

Based on 985 recent sales, the median property price is £282,500 (about £290 per square foot) in Forest of Dean area, with individual transactions ranging from £53,000 up to £1,025,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Forest of Dean over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached444£385,000£309
Semi-Detached343£245,000£282
Terraced154£206,000£283
Flats44£120,000£219

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Forest of Dean

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Forest of Dean.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£273,250£105,000£170,000£139,995
2017£275,000£106,475£172,500£149,000
2018£300,000£109,500£188,750£160,000
2019£300,000£95,000£194,250£164,995
2020£336,000£117,000£201,995£165,750
2021£353,000£120,000£225,000£192,500
2022£370,000£130,938£255,000£218,000
2023£379,500£123,625£257,500£221,000
2024£377,000£120,000£250,000£200,000
2025£395,000£124,000£250,000£210,000
2026£378,500£107,500£240,000£202,500
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Forest of Dean.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Forest of Dean.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£218£151£195£179
2017£220£186£198£189
2018£240£184£212£212
2019£254£183£225£207
2020£263£206£228£223
2021£275£204£252£228
2022£308£218£284£275
2023£307£207£290£269
2024£311£210£281£266
2025£317£232£281£282
2026£305£208£281£295
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Forest of Dean.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Forest of Dean in the last year.

Council Tax Bands

Annual council tax rates for Forest of Dean district.

Band A£1,629
Band B£1,900
Band C£2,172
Band D£2,443
Band E£2,986
Band F£3,529
Band G£4,072
Band H£4,887

Council tax bands are based on the value of your property. Most homes fall into bands A to D.

Local government

Members of Parliament for the constituencies covering Forest of Dean.

Member of parliament

Matt Bishop

Forest of Dean - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Labour Party

Frequently asked questions about Forest of Dean

Is Forest of Dean safe?

Forest of Dean records about 44 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a very low crime rate for England: it scores 2 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level.

Which is the safest ward in Forest of Dean?

Among the 21 wards of Forest of Dean, Tidenham has the lowest crime rate, with about 31 crimes per 1,000 residents per year (the Forest of Dean average is 44 per 1,000) based on official Police.uk data.

What is the average house price in Forest of Dean?

The median sale price in Forest of Dean is £282,500 (about £290 per square foot) based on 985 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

Are there good schools in Forest of Dean?

Forest of Dean has 46 primary schools (1 rated Outstanding, 37 Good) and 6 secondary schools (1 rated Outstanding, 4 Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is Forest of Dean?

Forest of Dean scores 6 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. The typical neighbourhood in Forest of Dean sits around rank 16,089 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

What is the average household income in Forest of Dean?

The average household income in Forest of Dean is around £49,615 per year, and 11% of homes are social housing (ONS data).

Who is the MP for Forest of Dean?

Forest of Dean is represented in Parliament by Forest of Dean: Matt Bishop (Labour Party).

GL19 3BH

Danford Villas

GL15 4EJ

Harbour Road

GL15 5AA

Mead Lane

GL14 2ER

Furnaces Close

NP16 7HJ

Buttington Hill

GL17 0DB

Eastern Avenue

GL15 5AB

Naas Lane

GL18 1DZ

Gloucester Street

GL16 8HH

Bessemer Close

GL15 4HA

Fairmoor Close

GL16 8AH

Newland Street

GL14 2YT

Newtown Road

GL19 3BA

Dent's Lane

GL16 8ER

Arthur Cooper Way

GL18 1AA

Church Street

GL18 1BB

Bridge Street

GL16 8AA

Market Place

GL15 4PS

Lydney Road

NP16 7BN

Coleford Road

NP16 7BH

Beachley Road

GL14 1JB

Hawkins Lane

GL14 1PH

Church Lane

GL14 2PA

Seven Stars Road

GL14 2EY

Somerset Road