The Royal Forest of Dean

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Forest of Dean
The view north towards Ross-on-Wye from Symonds Yat Rock, a popular tourist destination in the ForestThe Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is a roughly triangular area 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 area is characterised by over 110 square kilometers (42.5 sq mi) of mixed woodland, one of the surviving ancient woodlands in England. A large area was reserved for royal hunting before 1066, and remained as one of the largest Crown forests in England, the largest after the New Forest. Although the name is often used loosely to refer to that part of Gloucestershire between the Severn and Wye, the Forest of Dean proper has covered a much smaller area since mediaeval times. In 1327 it was defined to cover only the royal demesne and parts of parishes within the hundred of St Briavels[1], and after 1668 the Forest comprised the royal demesne only. This area is now within the civil parishes of West Dean, Lydbrook, Cinderford, Ruspidge, and Drybrook.[2]
Traditionally the main sources of work in the area have been forestry including charcoal production - iron working and coal mining. Evidence shows that the area was extensively mined for coal from about 8000 BC to 1965 AD.
The area gives its name to the local government district, Forest of Dean, and a Parliamentary constituency. The administrative centre is Coleford which is also one of the main towns in the area, together with Cinderford, Lydney and Newent.
Foresters
If born within the hundred of St Briavels, an ancient administrative area covering most of what is now considered the Forest of Dean, one is classed as a true Forester. This classification bestows a unique right for males who are over 21 and have worked in a mine for a year and a day-they can register to be a freeminer. Residents of the hundred who are over 18 can also graze sheep in the Forest. These ancient rights that were put on the statute books in the Dean Forest (Mines) Act 1838, the only public act to affect private individuals.
Famous natives
Dick Whittington, also known as Richard Whittington, who later became Lord Mayor of the City of London, was born in Pauntley, now part of the Forest of Dean district. The writer Dennis Potter was born near Coleford and frequently used the region as a setting in his work, most notably in The Singing Detective, Blue Remembered Hills and Karaoke/Cold Lazarus; the local accent and dialect can be heard at some length in the BBC productions of these shows. The BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 DJ Jimmy Young is one of Cinderford's most famous sons, as are the indie band EMF. J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, lived on the southern edge of the Forest at Tutshill from 1974 to 1983 and used the forest as a setting in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Jane Couch living at Lydney who is a female world boxing champion.Jason Allen who has the world record for the volume of cheese baps eaten in 1 minute (27).