The Forest of Dean

[rogerfarnworth]

I hope that my posts on this theme and discussion around them will promote ideas for modelling Forest of Dean themes. Inevitably these posts look back to an era when tramways and railways ruled supreme in the Forest. Many of the routes which will be highlighted can be accessed on foot, some are now part of an extensive cycle network in the Forest.

My wife and I take holidays in the Forest of Dean every year. We have been there almost every year since the year 2000 and I have become fascinated by the history of life and industry in the Forest. I have particularly been struck by the extent of tramways and tramroads in the Forest. We have enjoyed exploring a number of the different railway routes in the Forest and the complex network of tramways which supported the standard gauge railways which themselves had replaced much earlier tramways. I hope this thread will be of interest to some.

This is the first of a series of blog posts about the forest and its railways and tramways and focusses on Lydney Harbour and its transport links, particularly rail and tramway/tramroad. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... ey-harbour

[rogerfarnworth]

Here is the next post in the series .... It relates to the immediate area around Parkend in the middle of the Forest of Dean.

Parkend in the Forest of Dean is currently the terminus of a preservation line, the Dean Forest Railway (http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk).

Historically it was a small through station on the Severn and Wye Joint Railway with a short branch to transhipment wharfs that allowed tramways to transfer good to the main line. Further back still it was the centre of some major forest industries which were heavily served by tramways.

Parkend had quite a concentration of tramways associated with local collieries and iron works as well as hosting the terminus of the Oakwood Tramway at Marsh Sidings.

The first image on the blog below is a map of the tramways at Parkend in its prime as an industrial centre in the Forest.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... st-of-dean

[rogerfarnworth]

Prior to the introduction of standard gauge railways in the Forest of Dean there was an extensive network of tramways or tramroads. These tramways were of a variety of gauges from 3ft 6in to 4ft. One of these was the Severn and Wye Tramroad. This post details the various branch and feeder tramways associated with this line. The tramway was replaced by the Severn and Wye Joint Railway. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... e-tramroad

[rogerfarnworth]

New Fancy Colliery in the Forest of Dean ....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... t-railways

[rogerfarnworth]

There was a significant network of tramroads close to Parkend in the Forest of Dean.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... s-tramways

[rogerfarnworth]

The tramways in the area around Mossley Green which is not far from New Fancy Colliery.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... n-tramways

[rogerfarnworth]

A visit to the Forest of Dean promoted some reading and reflection on Cannop Colliery. This post is the result of those reflections:

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/08/31/cannop-colliery

[rogerfarnworth]

I spent some time looking at the route of the Forest of Dean Tramway which was a major innovation in its day. Haie Hill Tunnel which was built for it in the very early 19th Century was for a short while the longest tunnel in the world. It was also one of the earliest tunnels built.

The tramway linked significant industrial concerns in the Forest of Dean with the Severn Estuary at Bullo Pill. The owners of the tramway were also behind the first serious attempt to tunnel under the Estuary.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... an-tramway

[rogerfarnworth]

I was researching some of the tramways/tramroads in the valleys of South Wales. The first of these that I looked at was the Penydarren Tramroad.

While I was looking at the website of the Industrial Railway Society (https://www.irsociety.co.uk) I came across a story which related to the Forest if Dean and, in particular, the Severn & Wye Railway & Canal Company.

The link below highlights the story of what appears to have been the research necessary before purchasing the first steam locomotive the Forest of Dean. It also pints to what could have been a far earlier introduction of steam traction into the Forest.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/02/08/a- ... ye-tramway

[rogerfarnworth]

The Guardian carried an article on 31st August 2019 about old rail routes being used as cycleways. It suggested the 10 best routes where old railway formations are in use as cycleways. Theirs is not the only list of routes which seeks to provide a "Top Ten."

I have pulled together a few examples in the linked post below. I'd like to add at least one which does not feature in the top ten lists, and that is the Forest of Dean.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/13/ra ... -a-top-ten