Lydney
Encyclopedia
Lydney is a small town
and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire
. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn
, close to the Forest of Dean
. The town lies on the A48 road
, next to the Lydney Park
garden
s with its Roman
temple in honour of Nodens
.
crossed just north of Lydney from Purton
to Sharpness
on the eastern bank. Built in the 1870s, it was damaged beyond repair by a pair of oil tanker barges in 1960. The barges hit Pier 17 bringing down two bowstring girders. There have been several plans to renew the link, most recently in the late 1990s as a millennium project.
Lydney railway station
, which serves the town, is located on the Gloucester to Newport Line
, with connections from the town centre by the Dean Forest Railway
. Lydney Canal was once an important harbour for shipping timber, coal and iron from the Forest of Dean. It is now a harbour for pleasure craft.
and is based at Regentsholme. The club had successful runs in the John Player Cup during the 1980s, including a match against Sale F.C. which was televised on the BBC's Rugby Special
.
Cricket
is also popular within Lydney, with the local side running three teams in various leagues, as well as having a popular social scene located within the club. Former Glamorgan captain and England opening batsman Steve James
began his career at the club. Lydney was also the first English club of England wicket keeper Geraint Jones
.
Lydney town has an outdoor swimming pool, the Bathurst Swimming Pool built in the 1920s, open in the summer months.
Lydney Town F.C.
is based at the town's recreation ground.
Lydney Hockey Club (Field Hockey
) and Lyndean Netball
Club play their home games at Whitecross School.
Whitecross Leisure Centre
is located at Whitecross School
Lydney Golf Club is a nine hole course located off Lakeside Avenue. The club is building a new course on a site located on the opposite side of the Lydney Bypass.
Lydney Twonkers Scrabble
Club play their home games at the town's library. The Twonkers were Western Area Scrabble League champions in 2001 and 2005 and were twice runners-up in the National Scrabble Club Knockout Tournament in 1999 and 2003.
Bathurst Park in the centre of the town (not to be confused with Lydney Park
on the town's outskirts) is home to several senior and junior football and cricket teams.
Lydney Town Band operates as a non-competitive training band.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, close to the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
. The town lies on the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, next to the Lydney Park
Lydney Park
Lydney Park is a 17th century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex.-House and gardens:...
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s with its Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
temple in honour of Nodens
Nodens
Nodents is a Celtic deity associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. He was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, and possibly also in Gaul...
.
Transport
The Severn Railway BridgeSevern Railway Bridge
The Severn Railway Bridge was a crossing across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney, Gloucestershire. It was badly damaged in an accident involving river barges in 1960 and demolished in 1970.-Construction:...
crossed just north of Lydney from Purton
Purton, Lydney
Purton is a hamlet on the west bank of the River Severn, in the civil parish of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England. It lies opposite the village of Purton on the east bank of the river....
to Sharpness
Sharpness
Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West. It is on the River Severn at , at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream , is still large .The village of Sharpness is pronounced with the...
on the eastern bank. Built in the 1870s, it was damaged beyond repair by a pair of oil tanker barges in 1960. The barges hit Pier 17 bringing down two bowstring girders. There have been several plans to renew the link, most recently in the late 1990s as a millennium project.
Lydney railway station
Lydney railway station
Lydney railway station is a railway station serving the town of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the Gloucester-Newport line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales, with an hourly Maesteg/Cardiff Central-Cheltenham Spa service...
, which serves the town, is located on the Gloucester to Newport Line
Gloucester to Newport Line
The Gloucester to Newport Line is a railway line that runs along the bank of the River Severn in the United Kingdom from Gloucester to Newport....
, with connections from the town centre by the Dean Forest Railway
Dean Forest Railway
The Dean Forest Railway is a long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and...
. Lydney Canal was once an important harbour for shipping timber, coal and iron from the Forest of Dean. It is now a harbour for pleasure craft.
Sport, recreation and arts
The town's rugby football club plays rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and is based at Regentsholme. The club had successful runs in the John Player Cup during the 1980s, including a match against Sale F.C. which was televised on the BBC's Rugby Special
Rugby Special
Rugby Special was the main rugby union programme on the BBC in the UK. The show ran from 1966 and past presenters included David Vine, Keith Macklin, Cliff Morgan, Chris Rea, Nigel Starmer-Smith, Bill Beaumont and John Inverdale. The theme tune, "Holy Mackerel", was composed by The Shadows'...
.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is also popular within Lydney, with the local side running three teams in various leagues, as well as having a popular social scene located within the club. Former Glamorgan captain and England opening batsman Steve James
Steve James (cricketer)
Stephen Peter James is a former English cricketer who played two Tests for England in 1998, making 71 runs in four innings. He was captain of Glamorgan for three seasons before retiring in 2003 after 17 seasons with the club, aged 35...
began his career at the club. Lydney was also the first English club of England wicket keeper Geraint Jones
Geraint Jones
Geraint Owen Jones MBE is an England cricketer of Welsh extraction but raised in Australia. Until August 2006 he was the first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both Test and One-day cricket, but fell behind Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose...
.
Lydney town has an outdoor swimming pool, the Bathurst Swimming Pool built in the 1920s, open in the summer months.
Lydney Town F.C.
Lydney Town F.C.
Lydney Town F.C. are a football club based in Lydney, Gloucestershire, England. They joined the Hellenic League Division One in 1980 but left the league in 1984. In the 2005-06 season, they won the Gloucestershire County League title, earning promotion back into the Hellenic League Division One...
is based at the town's recreation ground.
Lydney Hockey Club (Field Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
) and Lyndean Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
Club play their home games at Whitecross School.
Whitecross Leisure Centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
is located at Whitecross School
Lydney Golf Club is a nine hole course located off Lakeside Avenue. The club is building a new course on a site located on the opposite side of the Lydney Bypass.
Lydney Twonkers Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
Club play their home games at the town's library. The Twonkers were Western Area Scrabble League champions in 2001 and 2005 and were twice runners-up in the National Scrabble Club Knockout Tournament in 1999 and 2003.
Bathurst Park in the centre of the town (not to be confused with Lydney Park
Lydney Park
Lydney Park is a 17th century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex.-House and gardens:...
on the town's outskirts) is home to several senior and junior football and cricket teams.
Lydney Town Band operates as a non-competitive training band.
Tourism
- Norchard railway stationNorchard railway stationNorchard railway station is a railway station on the Dean Forest Railway, near Lydney in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.Norchard is the main station of the Dean Forest Railway. Complete with sidings and a shed, it is the engineering base of the railway...
is the home of the Dean Forest RailwayDean Forest RailwayThe Dean Forest Railway is a long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and... - Lydney ParkLydney ParkLydney Park is a 17th century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex.-House and gardens:...
is the site of a Romano-BritishRomano-BritishRomano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
Roman TempleRoman templeAncient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
and previously was an Iron AgeIron AgeThe Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort. It also has gardens which are open to the public for a limited period each spring.
Notable people
- Charles BathurstViscount BledisloeViscount Bledisloe, of Lydney in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the Conservative politician Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe, upon his retirement as Governor-General of New Zealand...
, Governor-General of New ZealandGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
later Viscount Bledisloe of Lydney - Christopher HerbertChristopher HerbertChristopher William Herbert is the former Bishop of St Albans.He was born on 7 January 1944, in Lydney in the Forest of Dean. His father helped run the family road haulage business, but was also very proud of his roots as a foundryman in a local iron works....
, Bishop of St AlbansBishop of St AlbansThe Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three archdeacons.... - Herbert HowellsHerbert HowellsHerbert Norman Howells CH was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.-Life:...
, composer - Steve JamesSteve James (cricketer)Stephen Peter James is a former English cricketer who played two Tests for England in 1998, making 71 runs in four innings. He was captain of Glamorgan for three seasons before retiring in 2003 after 17 seasons with the club, aged 35...
, England cricketer and captain of Glamorgan CCC - Sir William Winter, Vice-Admiral of Queen Elizabeth I
- Nicholas Clapp, BBC award-winning journalist
History
- British Iron AgeBritish Iron AgeThe British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
- promontory fortPromontory fortA promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus utilizing the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to date to the Iron Age...
established at Lydney ParkLydney ParkLydney Park is a 17th century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex.-House and gardens:...
. - Early RomanRoman BritainRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period - the fort is used for iron ore mining. - Late Roman period - a Roman templeRoman templeAncient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
to NodensNodensNodents is a Celtic deity associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. He was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, and possibly also in Gaul...
is built on the site of the fort. - 1588 - Vice-Admiral of England Sir William Winter was granted the manor of Lydney in recognition of his services against the Spanish ArmadaSpanish ArmadaThis article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. - 1723 - the Winter family sold their Lydney estate to the Bathurst family
- In 1810, docks were constructed to capitalise on the town's location, close to the River SevernRiver SevernThe River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. The River LydRiver LydRiver Lyd may refer to:* River Lyd , a tributary that flows into the River Severn at Lydney, England* River Lyd , a river in Dartmoor, Devon, England...
flows through the town and into the Severn. - 1935 - the title of Viscount BledisloeViscount BledisloeViscount Bledisloe, of Lydney in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the Conservative politician Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe, upon his retirement as Governor-General of New Zealand...
of Lydney was created and awarded to Charles Bathurst upon his retirement as Governor-General of New ZealandGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state.... - August 31, 1962 - the BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
play Lydney Town Hall - 1964 - the Lydney Murder, a significant case in the history of the use of entomologyEntomologyEntomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
to assist criminal investigations. On 28 June 1964 a body was found in woods near BracknellBracknellBracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
. By studying the maggotMaggotIn everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s found on the body, forensic entomologist Professor Keith Simpson was able to establish a date of death as around 16 June 1964. Missing persons records for that date lead the police to believe that the body was that of Peter Thomas who had gone missing from his home in Lydney. Fingerprints confirmed the identification. William Brittle, a business partner of Peter Thomas was convicted of the murder. The Lydney Murder was the subject of an episode of the Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
documentary; "Crime Museum UK with Martin Kemp"
External links
- Information from the Royal Forest of Dean website.
- Lydney RFC - Official site
- Lydney Cricket Club - Official site
- Lydney Hockey Club - Official site
- Lydney Grammar School - History site
- Whitecross School - Official site
- Dean Forest Railway
- Whitecross Leisure Centre
- 614 (Lydney) Squadron ATC
- Historic pictures of the Lydney and area.
- British History page for Lydney
- Roman-Britain.org page for Lydney Park Temple Complex
- Photos of Lydney and area on Geograph