Forest of Dean 

The Forest of Dean offers a slice of English countryside at its best. A Royal Forest since Norman times and a National Park since 1938 it is an area of historical interest, as well a place of great natural beauty.

‘Foresters’ have had ancient rights since Norman times; they may keep and graze sheep freely throughout the forest, they can allow their pigs to forage for acorns in the autumn months and they can establish their own coal mine, as long as they have mined in the area for at least a year and a day. While these practices are very much in decline you may chance upon a ‘sheep badger’ tending his flock and a few Free Miners do still extract coal to sell locally and you can learn about this tradition at the Hopewell Colliery Museum.

The forest is rich in iron ore, as well as coal, which has been mined in the region for over 2,500 years. Clearwell Caves near Coleford are open to the public daily during the summer months and by appointment at other times and has an impressive network of caverns, linked by tunnels that have been mined out of a naturally occurring cave system.