Places and People Forest of Dean
- About the Forest of Dean
- Abenhall, Gloucestershire
- Anchor Inn, Lydbrook
- Ariconium, Herefordshire
- Arthur and Edward Colliery
- Bigsweir, Gloucestershire
- Bishopswood, Herefordshireshire
- Bixslade (Bicslade)
- Blakeney, Gloucestershire
- Bloomery (definition)
- Bradley House
- Bream, Gloucestershire
- Bullo Pill, Gloucestershire
- Cannop Colliery
- Cinderford, Gloucestershire
- Clearwell, Gloucestershire
- Coleford, Gloucestershire
- Collieries
- Crawshay, Henry
- Danby Lodge
- Darkhill Brick, Colliery + Ironworks
- Dates in the Forest of Dean
- Dean Forest (Mines) Act 1838
- Dean Forest Railway
- Dean Forest (Reafforestation)
Act 1668 - The Dean Forest Riots
- Dean Hall, Littledean
- Dean Heritage Centre
- Dean Road
- Drybrook, Gloucestershire
- Eastern United Colliery
- Fairplay Iron Mine
- Findall Iron Mine
- Flaxley, Gloucestershire
- Forest of Dean Central Railway
- Free Miners
- Green Bottom
- Gunns Mill
- The Haie (house + tunnel)
- Harvey, F. W.
- Hopewell Engine Colliery
- Horlick, James and William
- Kings Lodge
- Lightmoor Colliery
- Littledean, Gloucestershire
- Lower Redbrook, Gloucestershire
- Lydbrook, Gloucestershire
- Lydney, Gloucestershire
- Mining and Forest Terms
- Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
- Mushet, David and Robert
- Nelson Colliery
- Newland, Gloucestershire
- Newnham, Gloucestershire
- Northern United Colliery
- Offas Dyke
- Parkend, Gloucestershire
- Pillowell, Gloucestershire
- Protheroe, Edward
- Pubs of the Forest of Dean
- Purton, Gloucestershire
- Redbrook, Gloucestershire
- Ruardean, Gloucestershire
- Severn and Wye Railway Co.
- Severn Bridge Railway
- Shakemantle Iron Mine
- Speech House
- Speech House Hill Colliery
- St Briavels Castle
- St Briavels, May-pole
- Strip-and at-it Colliery
- Symonds Yat
- Teague, James
- Teague, Moses
- Trafalgar Colliery
- Tramroad
- True Blue Colliery
- Union Colliery
- Upper and Middle Forge
- Upper Lydbrook Station
- Upper Mill, Edge Hills
- Upper Redbrook
- Verderer (definition)
- Verderers' Court
- Welshbury Hill Fort
- Westbury Brook Iron Mine
- Whitecliff Furnace
- Whitecliff House
- Whitecliff Quarry
- Whitecroft
- Whitecross Manor
- Wigpool, Gloucestershire
- Wintour, Sir John
Clearwell, Gloucestershire
CLEARWELL derives its' name from "Clower-Wall" and is a former ancient manor and village in the Forest of Dean. The area is mostly known for the famous Clearwell Caves, which may date back over 7,000 years. Ochre was mined there and, at nearby Clearwell Meend, iron ore was mined by the Romans and some mining continued into the 1800's. |
 |
|
Roads and tracks form over time, albeit to villages, towns, farms or places of work. Clearwell and nearby Platwell had dwellings in the early 1300's. Together with nearby Peke and Wainlete, there were 43 houses by the 1460's. These were gradually replaced by stronger stone house in the late 1700's and during the 1800's. A chapel was built in the village in 1830, a school was built in 1859, a new church replaced the chapel in 1866 and a small cottage hospital constructed in 1869. The school, church and chapel were all built under the instruction of the Countess of Dunraven during which time she also had the interior of the Court of Clearwell Castle.
From the first manor house at Clearwell built in the 1400's, the grand families of Greyndour, Walwyn, Baynham, Throckmorton and Wyndham held Clearwell. Later the Castle passed through several ownerships, a fire, a restoration, was sold for demolition in 1947. Rescued in 1952, restored, sold again in the 1980's and then turned into a hotel.
|
|
In the year 2000 I arranged a four-day event entitled BURGUM 2000. The first day (Thursday 27th July) took place at Cearwell Castle. Approximately one hundred people attended the Burgum Reunion. Some where from England, while nearly sixty people flew in from the United States of America! One person (Ruth Bridges) flew in, all the way from Australia!
The event generated a great deal of publicity and news about it (and the associated BURGUM 2000 Exhibition at the Dean Heritage Centre) appeared in several local newspapers. There was also local coverage on BBC local radio and both the BBC and ITV local news stations. You can click here to read the story of BURGUM 2000 |
