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 Post subject: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:47 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
My wife and I enjoy an annual holiday in the Forest of Dean. We have been there almost every year since the year 2000. During that time we have enjoyed exploring a number of the different railway routes in the forest and have begun to realise just how complex a network of tramways supported the standard vague 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 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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:07 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 4:29 pm 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
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. 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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:44 pm 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
There was a significant network of tramroads close to Parkend in the Forest of Dean.

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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:20 pm 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
Moseley Green Tramways ....

The featured image at the head of this post does not come from the Forest Tramways. It in fact comes from the Long Eaton Tramway in the Midlands. It is included to highlight the kind of traffic that was characteristic of the Forest Tramways.

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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:45 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
New Fancy Colliery in the Forest of Dean ....

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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 8:14 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
I have been 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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 4:23 pm 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
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

My wife and I were in the Forest of Dean on 30th August 2018 and visited a small garden centre that we have been to many times before - the Pigmy Pinetum. Later in the day I was reading an older copy of "The New Regard" - Number 23 from 2009. The first article in that edition of the magazine was about Cannop Colliery and was written by Ian Pope. The colliery was just north of the location of the garden centre.


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 4:24 pm 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
Recently, I have begun 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 of 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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:48 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
The Guardian carried an article on 31st August 2019 about old rail routes in the UK 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


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:51 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
My wife and I stay in the Forest of Dean most years. September 2019 was no exception. We stayed in a cottage close to what were Cannop and Speech House Collieries which were both rail served when they were active collieries. I have already posted about Cannop Colliery as part of this series of posts. It seems appropriate that I post something about Speech House Colliery.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/14/sp ... nd-railway


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:53 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
Another Forest of Dean Colliery. .... Flour Mill Colliery. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2017/09/30/th ... l-colliery


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:54 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
The industrial history of the Forest of Dean is such that the intensity of activity was high throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Innovation was rife and nowhere was this more true than in its transport infrastructure.

In, what history will ultimately regard as, a very short period of time, tramroads were built and became the dominant form of transport. They waned and were replaced by broad gauge railways which in turn lost out to what was the dominant but probably inferior standard-gauge. For a time, all were active in the Forest at once. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/15/di ... st-of-dean


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:55 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
Trafalgar Colliery - I have enjoyed reviewing the available documentation about Trafalgar Colliery in the Forest of Dean. I hope this post is of interest.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/24/tr ... nd-railway


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 Post subject: Re: The Forest of Dean, UK
PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:55 am 

Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:25 am
Posts: 337
I have recently encountered two small books, both of which are facsimile editions of much older books. The first is a 19th century guide to the Forest of Dean for early holiday makers. The second provides a guide to the various coal mines in the Forest. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/10/05/tw ... st-of-dean


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