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The small market town of Coleford
lies in the west of the Forest of Dean. The town
is situated approximately four miles to the east of the Welsh border
on the English side, and is close to the Wye Valley, a popular walking
and canoeing area. It is the administrative centre of the Forest
of Dean District. It was first recorded as Colevorde in 1275, when
it was in part of the royal hunting forest and takes its name from
one of the two rivers that merge in its centre, as it was formerly
a fording point. 
By the beginning of the 14th Century, Coleford had a thriving small
market and, because of its network of tracks and roadways as well
as several inns and alehouses, its importance was increasing. By
the end of the century, the tree cover of the forest was receding
to higher ground. Charcoal played an important part in the smelting
of iron and is probably the reason why quite a substantial amount
of wood was removed from the surrounding areas. The production of
charcoal usually took place in the woods, the charcoal then being
transported to the smelting bloomeries via the old hollow ways.
Iron ore extraction was known to take place in nearby Scowles and
Perrygrove (now known as Puzzlewood, and a popular tourist attraction).
Small furnaces and forges were set up near to the deposits.
Coleford also played a minor part in the Civil War, a skirmish taking
place in the town when an army consisting of 1500 foot soldiers
and nearly 500 horsemen was opposed by a party of Parliamentarians
led by Colonel Berrowe. According to legend, the attacking forces
lost Major-General Sir Richard Lawley who was shot through the eye,
and the town’s market hall was damaged. The town was granted
a Charter by King Charles II, dated 30th April 1661 for a market
and two fairs, the market to be held on Fridays. During the two
fair days, a Court of Pie Powder was also to be held (the Court
of Pie Powder administered instant justice at markets and fairs
and settled disputes on the spot. Pie Powder is a corruption of
Old French pied poudre meaning ‘dusty of foot’, used
to describe itinerant traders).
Because of its strength as a market town, Coleford prospered during
the 19th and early part of the 20th Century, when coal mining was
the staple industry in the area. This enabled it to cope with the
mine closures of the 1950’s without suffering the major decline
in its fortunes that some of the other towns endured. Aspects of
the centuries-old tradition of freemining can be seen in a number
of local tourist attractions.
One of the town’s most famous former residents was Robert
Forester Mushet, born here in 1811. He was a metallurgist, and perfected
the Bessemer process for making steel in 1856/7. The first steel
rail was forged at Ebbw Vale from his metal, and placed in Derby
Station in 1857. He also invented high-speed self-hardening steel
in 1868, though because of lack of funding and ill health he lost
his patents. It is still possible to visit his birthplace, and the
remains of the Dark Hill Works, where he worked.
Today, due to its excellent location in the heart of the forest,
Coleford is popular with walkers and cyclists. The District Council,
which has its headquarters in the town, has been encouraging tourists
to the area as it is an ideal base from which to explore, and is
popular with both residents and visitors. The town centre is a conservation
area, featuring several buildings of historical interest. The architecture
is mainly Georgian in appearance, but many buildings have facades
covering much older buildings. ‘The Angel’ pub has a
large, arched entrance, hinting at its coaching inn days. The Clock
Tower, in the centre of the town, was originally attached to an
octagonal church, built in 1821, but when, in 1882, this church
was considered to be too small for the town’s population,
the main building was demolished, leaving just the tower.
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