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HRH The Princess Royal visits Coleford to celebrate the town's twinning links

On Friday, 12 May, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Coleford for the naming of St. Hilaire Avenue and Sion Place, during a celebration of the towns twinning with Saint Hilaire de Riez.

Formed in 2016 the twinning has been a major success building strong cultural, social and personal links between the towns. School children, rugby players and choir members who had enjoyed twinning visits, and French and local dignitaries were all present to celebrate a joyous occasion. The highlight of the visit was the naming of two streets to celebrate the links between the two towns and the unveiling of a stone commemorating the visit and the twinning. The visit concluded with the British and French National Anthems being performed by Forest of Dean Brass and the Coleford Community Choir prior to The Princess Royal unveiling a forest stone to commemorate her visit.

Did you know that we have 8 twinning links between towns in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, with towns in both France and Germany? Keep reading to find out more about the towns that we are twinned with.

Chepstow - Cormeilles (France)

Chepstow Castle in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley

Although the current twinning arrangement between Chepstow and Cormeilles officially began in 1976, the link between the two towns can be traced back as far as 1067, when Chepstow Castle was established in 1067 by William Fitz-Osbern, Knight of Cormeilles.

Cormeilles is a small rural town in Normandy on the banks of the river Calonne, and is built along a former Roman road. The town is known for its antique shops and its architectural heritage, most notably the Saint Croix's church.

You can find out more about the twinning link between Chepstow and Cormeilles here.

Coleford - St Hilaire de Riez (France)

Coleford Clock Tower

Twinned with Coleford since 2016, St Hilaire de Riez is located in the Vendée region on the western coast of France. The town is a popular tourist destination, with holiday makers flocking to the beaches during the summer months.

You can find out more about the twinning link between Coleford and St Hilaire de Riez here.

Lydney - Bréhal (France)

Lydney Harbour boats

Bréhal is a small seaside town in Normandy, and has been twinned with Lydney since 1991. The town is best known for its beach, Saint-Martin-de-Bréhal, which is almost 3 km long.

Monmouth - Carbonne (France) and Waldbronn (Germany)

Charles Rolls Monmouth

Situated on the Garonne river, Carbonne is a small town in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. The town has a rural French feel with a quiet and relaxed way of life, and has been twinned with Monmouth since 1975.

You can find out more about the twinning link between Monmouth and Carbonne here.

Meanwhile in Germany, Monmouth is also twinned with Waldbronn, and has been since 1986. Waldbronn is a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, in the south of Germany, and is located in the northern Black Forest

Raglan - Parcé-sur-Sarthe (France)

Raglan Castle in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley

Parcé-sur-Sarthe, a town in the Pays de la Loire region in north-western France, and Raglan have been twinned since 2012. Like Raglan, Parcé-sur-Sarthe has a historic background, is located in an attractive river valley, and has an economy based upon agriculture.

Ross-on-Wye - Condé-sur-Noireau (France)

Ross on Wye Town Market House

Parcé-sur-Sarthe, a town in the Pays de la Loire region in north-western France, and Raglan have been twinned since 2012. Like Raglan, Parcé-sur-Sarthe has a historic background, is located in an attractive river valley, and has an economy based upon agriculture.

Ross-on-Wye - Condé-sur-Noireau (France)

Usk Castle

Graben-Neudorf is a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, in the south of Germany, and was established in 1972 when two communities, Graben and Neudorf, were united. The town has been twinned with Usk since 1980.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the twinning links between the destinations. have you visited any of the twinned towns? Let us know we'd love to hear from you.

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