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      • Accommodation with Swimming Pool
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      • Adventure & Extreme
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      • Canoeing, Kayaking & Watersports
      • Climbing
      • Cycling & Mountain Biking
      • Golf
      • Food & Drink Experiences
      • Nature & Wildlife Experiences
      • Shooting & Archery
      • Walking & Hiking
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      • Beauty Spots & Visitor Sites
      • Castles & Ruins
      • Cinema & Theatre
      • History & Heritage
      • Museums & Galleries
      • Nature & Wildlife Attractions
    • Experiences
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      • 12 Easy Walks
      • Guided Tours
      • The Wye Valley Walk
      • Good with the Dog
      • The Offa's Dyke Path
      • Symonds Yat Rock Walks
      • The Wye Valley Greenway
      • Accessible Walks
      • Other Walking Routes & Trails
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      • Cycle Trails
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      • Guided Rides
      • Mountain Biking and Downhill
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      • With Tweens & Teens
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      • Wye Valley Perfection
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  1. Iron Road on the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
  2. Mining History Forest of Dean, Clearwell Caves
  3. Dark Hill Ironworks
  4. Hostels and Bunkhouses in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley

You are here: Explore > History & Heritage

The History & Heritage of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley

We have a very rich heritage here in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley of which we are rightly proud. A former royal hunting forest, the Dean has a long past as a source of timber for ships and building, coal, charcoal, iron ore, ochre and limestone. Archaeological studies have dated the earliest use of coal to Roman times. But the area was inhabited well before that in Mesolithic times and there are even remains of megalithic monuments. One of the few surviving ancient woodlands in England, a large area was reserved for royal hunting before 1066, and remained as the second largest crown forest in England. The Speech House Hotel was built in 1682 to host the Court of Mine Law and "Court of the Speech" and you can still eat in the Verderers Court today.

The area has had a resurgence in recent years thanks to tourism, and we are lucky that because of this many important sites have been preserved for future generations. From the pick axe marks on the walls at Clearwell Caves to the underground mine tours at Hopewell Colliery, the monuments to fallen miners in towns and in the forest, to the museums which tell their story such as the Dean Heritage Centre, to the old railway lines and bridges now cycle paths and footbridges and the Dean Forest Railway still running steam trains through the forest today... the heritage is such an important part of what makes this area so special.

The Wye Valley is considered to be both the birthplace of British tourism and also the birthplace of the industrial revolution. With more castles than anywhere else in the UK, there is a strong history of conflict and defence, as well as religion and craftsmanship. From Tintern Abbey to Goodrich Castle, Monnow Bridge to Offa's Dyke, the Wye Valley has a wealth of heritage to see and explore to this day. With its beauty it is easy to forget why some of these fortifications were built, but the arrow slits, cannons and dungeons remind us of their history too.

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Find Your Freedom

  1. Agincourt
    Agincourt
    The Battle of Agincourt is one of the best-known events in British history. What is less well known is the role played by Wales in Henry V’s stirring victory. In 2015 to commemorate its 600th anniversary a new interpretation trail was developed. The Agincourt Wales Trail links eight locations across South Wales telling the stories of the people and places that played a role in the famous battle.
  2. The Fascinating Facts of the Dean Wye
    The Fascinating Facts of the Dean Wye
    Some of the fascinating facts, myths, legends and tales about the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
  3. The History of the Forest of Dean
    The History of the Forest of Dean
    From the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until 1971 the Dean was a Royal Forest. It was used by the Normans as their personal hunting ground and kept stocked with deer and wild boar. Its history is rich and fascinating.
  4. Freemining in the Forest of Dean
    Freemining in the Forest of Dean
    Freeminer is an ancient title given to coal or iron miners in the Forest of Dean. The freemining tradition is unique to the Forest. For hundreds of years, mining of the Forest of Dean coalfield and iron reserves has been regulated through a system of Freemining, with the Freeminer's Mine Law Court sitting at the Speech House from 1682.
  5. The Hidden Heritage of the Forest of Dean
    The Hidden Heritage of the Forest of Dean
    Explore the Forest of Dean's Hidden Heritage in a series of apps, an exciting new way to explore the Forest of Dean using modern technology to bring historic areas to life. Using them is like taking a step back in time, showing you the Forest’s industrial past in a series of magical Then and Now images.
  6. Industrial Revolution
    Industrial Revolution
    An industrial heritage as remarkable as any area of Britain is revealed amongst the beautiful landscapes of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. It has left tantalising evidence that can be seen today in the most unexpected of locations the length and breadth of the area.
  7. Myths and Legends
    Myths and Legends
    Explore the historical legends, ancient myths and terrifying ghost stories that surround the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. From the historic folk tale of who killed the Ruardean Bear to the iconic legend of the Devil’s Pulpit overlooking Tintern Abbey, the bleeding stone at Staunton and the trial of the last person charged with witchcraft in Gloucestershire...
  8. The Wye Tour
    The Wye Tour
    Visitors to the Wye Valley today are following in the footsteps of many an eighteenth century traveller, sketchbook in hand, eagerly pursuing the British equivalent of the European Grand Tour.
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