Parkend, Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
Parkend is a village
, located at the foot of the Cannop Valley, in the Royal Forest of Dean, West Gloucestershire
, England
, and has a history dating back to the early 17th century. During the 19th century it was a busy industrial village with several coal mines, an ironworks
, stoneworks, timber-yard and a tinplate works, but by the early 20th century most had succumbed to a loss of markets and the general industrial decline. In more recent times, the village has found new life within the tourism sector, primarily as a centre for the provision of tourist accommodation.
(C.S.M.A.). The Dean Field Studies Centre, once part of Parkend Ironworks
, is owned by Bristol City Council and is used to accommodate schoolchildren from that city.
Another impressive building is the village and parish church
, dedicated to St Paul, and situated on the eastern edge of the village in a forest clearing. The shape provides the point of interest, being both octagonal and cruciform, with the arms formed by the sanctuary, north and west transept
s and the west tower. It was designed and built in 1822, together with the village school, by Henry Poole; a local priest who raised most of the money through public subscription and his own generosity.
Parkend has a cricket
club with teams at several different age levels. Parkend Players is another of many organisations in the village, and performs most of its shows at the village's Memorial Hall. The village also has a very active Women's Institute. Parkend Carnival, held on August Bank Holiday Monday, is renowned throughout the Forest as being the biggest and best for miles around. During the summer, regular Sunday car boot sales are held on the recreation field, the profits from which go to support the Memorial Hall.
The village is also home to two significant tourist attractions;
s, Buzzard
s, Redstart
s, Pied Flycatchers
, and Crossbill
s are frequently seen in the reserve, but fortunate visitors may also spot Great Spotted Woodpecker
s, Nuthatch
es, Redwing
s, Woodcocks
and Wood warblers
.
In 1942, nest boxes were erected, in the hope that Pied flycatchers would control Oak Leafroller
moths, which were defoliating trees. These boxes have been continually monitored since 1948, making it the world's longest running bird breeding programme.
A decline in coal production and a reduction in passengers saw the station close to regular passenger services in 1929. The last goods train left Parkend on 8 July 1975 and much of the track was dismantled. The line was bought by the Dean Forest Railway
, based at Norchard, and Parkend station was officially re-opened on Friday 19 May 2006 by HRH the Princess Royal. It is currently the northern terminus of the Dean Forest Railway.
In 1612 James I
built a charcoal
-fired blast furnace
and forge at ‘Parke End’, bringing with it the first real settlement. ‘The King’s Ironworks’ proved horrendously inefficient and it closed in 1674. It would seem that occupation of the village ceased until new dwellings appeared from 1747 onwards. Part of the Fountain Inn dates back to 1767 and is the oldest surviving building in Parkend.
The first record of a coal mine in Parkend dates back to 1718, but by 1787, there were 37 mines; all of which were small. In 1811 The Severn and Wye tramway reached Parkend, facilitating the more efficient, and cheaper, movement of coal. Several of the larger mines, most notably Castlemain, developed to a large scale and prospered for the next 70 before going into administration in 1880. They reopened several times over the next 50 years, but were to finally cease coal production in 1929.
With the advent of coke
-fired furnaces, Parkend, and its many coal mines, was once again considered an ideal location for the production of iron and work began on Parkend Ironworks
in 1799. In 1825, the lower pond at Cannop
and a 1½ mile leat were constructed to provide a constant supply of water to a waterwheel at the works. Despite the enormous effort expended in creating this supply, it proved inadequate and an engine house and steam engine were added in 1828. A second pond at Cannop was also constructed a year later.
The works were extended several times over the next forty years, but the iron trade went into recession and it closed in 1877. Demolition was completed by 1908, but the engine house and some ancillary buildings survived and became the country’s first ‘Forester Training School’ in 1910. During the war it was used as a barracks for the American army and it is now the Dean Field Studies Centre.
In 1818/9 David Mushet
built Darkhill Ironworks
, just to the west of Parkend, where he experimented with iron and steel making. In 1845, his youngest son, Robert Forester Mushet
, took over management of the site. One his greatest achievements was to perfect the Bessemer Process
by discovering the solution to early quality problems which beset the process. In a second key advance in metallurgy Mushet invented 'R Mushet's Special Steel'
(R.M.S.) in 1868. It was both the first true tool steel
and the first air-hardening steel. It revolutionised the design of machine tools and the progress of industrial metalworking, and was the forerunner of High speed steel
. The remains of Darkhill are now preserved as an Industrial Archaeological Site of International Importance and are open to the public.
(1792–1841) - Miners' leader who led the Foresters to action against the Crown, in 1831. Born on the southern edge of Parkend.
Robert Deakin
(1917-1985) - Anglican Bishop of Tewksbury. Born in the village.
Mary Rose Young
(b.1958) - Internationally renowned ceramic artist, lives and works in the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, located at the foot of the Cannop Valley, in the Royal Forest of Dean, West 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....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and has a history dating back to the early 17th century. During the 19th century it was a busy industrial village with several coal mines, an ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
, stoneworks, timber-yard and a tinplate works, but by the early 20th century most had succumbed to a loss of markets and the general industrial decline. In more recent times, the village has found new life within the tourism sector, primarily as a centre for the provision of tourist accommodation.
Amenities
The village has two public houses, both with guest accommodation, and one with an adjoining hostel; The Fountain Inn and Lodge and The Woodman Inn. There are also two guesthouses, several holiday let properties, a CIU affiliated club with caravan & camping facilities, and a large camping and caravan site named Whitemead Forest Park; owned and operated by the Civil Service Motoring AssociationCivil Service Motoring Association
The Civil Service Motoring Association is a British motoring and leisure association.CSMA was established in 1923...
(C.S.M.A.). The Dean Field Studies Centre, once part of Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks, also known as Parkend Furnace, in the village of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a coke-fired furnace built in 1799...
, is owned by Bristol City Council and is used to accommodate schoolchildren from that city.
Another impressive building is the village and parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, dedicated to St Paul, and situated on the eastern edge of the village in a forest clearing. The shape provides the point of interest, being both octagonal and cruciform, with the arms formed by the sanctuary, north and west transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s and the west tower. It was designed and built in 1822, together with the village school, by Henry Poole; a local priest who raised most of the money through public subscription and his own generosity.
Parkend has a 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...
club with teams at several different age levels. Parkend Players is another of many organisations in the village, and performs most of its shows at the village's Memorial Hall. The village also has a very active Women's Institute. Parkend Carnival, held on August Bank Holiday Monday, is renowned throughout the Forest as being the biggest and best for miles around. During the summer, regular Sunday car boot sales are held on the recreation field, the profits from which go to support the Memorial Hall.
The village is also home to two significant tourist attractions;
RSPB Nagshead
Located on the western edge of the village, RSPB Nagshead is a quiet and tranquil reserve. Open all year, facilities include a visitor centre and toilets (open from 10am to 5pm at weekends during the summer), large car park, two viewing hides, two way-marked walks, a picnic area and information boards. Entrance and car parking are completely free. WrenWren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s, Buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
s, Redstart
Redstart
Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
s, Pied Flycatchers
European Pied Flycatcher
The Pied Flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family, one of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia. It is migratory, wintering mainly in western Africa. It hybridizes with...
, and Crossbill
Crossbill
The crossbill is a bird in the finch family . The three to five species are all classified in the genus Loxia. These birds are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name...
s are frequently seen in the reserve, but fortunate visitors may also spot Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
s, Nuthatch
Nuthatch
The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
es, Redwing
Redwing
The Redwing is a bird in the thrush family Turdidae, native to Europe and Asia, slightly smaller than the related Song Thrush.-Taxonomy:...
s, Woodcocks
Woodcocks
Woodcocks is a locality 15 km west of Warkworth in the Rodney District of New Zealand. It was named in honour of the Woodcock family who settled there around 1895....
and Wood warblers
Wood Warbler
The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains...
.
In 1942, nest boxes were erected, in the hope that Pied flycatchers would control Oak Leafroller
Tortrix viridana
The tortrix moth Tortrix viridana is known as the European oak leafroller and the green oak moth. It is a distinctive green moth whose larvae feed on tree leaves, especially oak....
moths, which were defoliating trees. These boxes have been continually monitored since 1948, making it the world's longest running bird breeding programme.
Parkend railway station
The Severn and Wye Railway Company began operating mineral trains through the village in 1864. The station was built in 1875 to enable the company to also run passenger services. The level crossing gates by the station are reputedly the longest in Britain.A decline in coal production and a reduction in passengers saw the station close to regular passenger services in 1929. The last goods train left Parkend on 8 July 1975 and much of the track was dismantled. The line was bought 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...
, based at Norchard, and Parkend station was officially re-opened on Friday 19 May 2006 by HRH the Princess Royal. It is currently the northern terminus of the Dean Forest Railway.
History
The earliest evidence of human activity in Parkend comes from a hoard of over 1,000 Roman coins, found in the village in 1852, and dating from around AD 300. A lack of other artefacts, however, suggests that the Romans probably did not settle here. History is then silent until 1278, and the first record of a hunting enclosure called ‘Wistemede’ - later known as Whitemead Park; from which Parkend derived its name.In 1612 James I
James I
James I may refer to:* King James I of Aragon * King James I of Sicily , also King James II of Aragon* James I, Count of La Marche , Count of Ponthieu...
built a charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
-fired blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
and forge at ‘Parke End’, bringing with it the first real settlement. ‘The King’s Ironworks’ proved horrendously inefficient and it closed in 1674. It would seem that occupation of the village ceased until new dwellings appeared from 1747 onwards. Part of the Fountain Inn dates back to 1767 and is the oldest surviving building in Parkend.
The first record of a coal mine in Parkend dates back to 1718, but by 1787, there were 37 mines; all of which were small. In 1811 The Severn and Wye tramway reached Parkend, facilitating the more efficient, and cheaper, movement of coal. Several of the larger mines, most notably Castlemain, developed to a large scale and prospered for the next 70 before going into administration in 1880. They reopened several times over the next 50 years, but were to finally cease coal production in 1929.
With the advent of coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
-fired furnaces, Parkend, and its many coal mines, was once again considered an ideal location for the production of iron and work began on Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks, also known as Parkend Furnace, in the village of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a coke-fired furnace built in 1799...
in 1799. In 1825, the lower pond at Cannop
Cannop Ponds
Cannop Ponds are two large ponds, just north of Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The ponds, and surrounding area, are a popular tourist destination....
and a 1½ mile leat were constructed to provide a constant supply of water to a waterwheel at the works. Despite the enormous effort expended in creating this supply, it proved inadequate and an engine house and steam engine were added in 1828. A second pond at Cannop was also constructed a year later.
The works were extended several times over the next forty years, but the iron trade went into recession and it closed in 1877. Demolition was completed by 1908, but the engine house and some ancillary buildings survived and became the country’s first ‘Forester Training School’ in 1910. During the war it was used as a barracks for the American army and it is now the Dean Field Studies Centre.
In 1818/9 David Mushet
David Mushet
David Mushet was a Scottish metallurgist and the youngest son of Margaret Cochran and William Mushet.-Early life:Mushet was born on October 2, 1772, in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh. He was educated at Dalkeith Grammar School....
built Darkhill Ironworks
Darkhill Ironworks
Darkhill Ironworks, and the neighbouring Titanic Steelworks, are internationally important industrial remains associated with the development of the iron and steel industries. Both are scheduled monuments. They are located on the edge of a small hamlet called Gorsty Knoll, just to the west of...
, just to the west of Parkend, where he experimented with iron and steel making. In 1845, his youngest son, Robert Forester Mushet
Robert Forester Mushet
Robert Forester Mushet was a British metallurgist and businessman, born April 8, 1811, in Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. He was the youngest son of Scottish parents, Agnes Wilson and David Mushet; an ironmaster, formerly of the Clyde, Alfreton and Whitecliff...
, took over management of the site. One his greatest achievements was to perfect the Bessemer Process
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron. The process is named after its inventor, Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1855. The process was independently discovered in 1851 by William Kelly...
by discovering the solution to early quality problems which beset the process. In a second key advance in metallurgy Mushet invented 'R Mushet's Special Steel'
Mushet steel
Mushet steel, also known as Robert Mushet's Special Steel , self-hardening steel and air-hardening steel, is considered the first tool steel and air-hardening steel. It was invented in 1868 by Robert Forester Mushet. Prior to Mushet steel, steel had to be quenched to harden it...
(R.M.S.) in 1868. It was both the first true tool steel
Tool steel
Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion, their ability to hold a cutting edge, and/or their resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures...
and the first air-hardening steel. It revolutionised the design of machine tools and the progress of industrial metalworking, and was the forerunner of High speed steel
High speed steel
High speed steelMost copyeditors today would tend to choose to style the unit adjective high-speed with a hyphen, rendering the full term as high-speed steel, and this styling is not uncommon . However, it is true that in the metalworking industries the styling high speed steel is long-established...
. The remains of Darkhill are now preserved as an Industrial Archaeological Site of International Importance and are open to the public.
Notable residents
Warren JamesWarren James
Warren James is a British jeweller and watchmaker. Established in 1979, the company now has 115 stores and is one of the largest independent jewellers in the United Kingdom....
(1792–1841) - Miners' leader who led the Foresters to action against the Crown, in 1831. Born on the southern edge of Parkend.
Robert Deakin
Robert Deakin
Thomas Carlyle Joseph Robert Hamish Deakin, known as Robert Deakin , was the Anglican Bishop of Tewkesbury from 1973 until his death in 1985....
(1917-1985) - Anglican Bishop of Tewksbury. Born in the village.
Mary Rose Young
Mary Rose Young
Mary Rose Young is a ceramic artist who lives and works in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in the UK.-Early life:Mary Rose Young was born near London in 1958. As a child her family moved around frequently, with one year being spent in a remote fishing village in Minorca...
(b.1958) - Internationally renowned ceramic artist, lives and works in the village.