This site was produced by: LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk

Newent is the smallest of the four market towns in the Forest of Dean. It lies in the north west of the district, in the Vale of Leadon. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, as Noent, but its history goes back well beyond then. It is known that, by the Bronze Age, metal working was taking place in the area, and during the Roman period it began to grow in importance, so that by the 2nd century AD it was a key settlement with roads linking it to Ariconium, Gloucester and the iron ore outcrops at Wigpool near Mitcheldean. The Roman site at Newent is large, being spread over 117 acres and seems to have been a civilian venture rather than an official site, for as well as an industrial area where iron smelting took place, it had a group of buildings identified as a workers' settlement and in a separate field, a high status villa, linked to the other two by a road. By late Saxon times, Newent was a manor which was held by the king and soon after the Norman Conquest, a motte & bailey castle had been built at Castletump to the north of the village. By the 14th century the settlement had grown in to a small town. A market was established quite early and the centrally sited Market House still exists, although the present structure is late 16th/early 17th century.

Today, Newent is a thriving, unspoilt market town with a wide range of attractions for the shopper and visitor. As well as the half-timbered Market House and St. Mary's Church, which dates back to Norman times, listed buildings can also be found in the main street. One of the town’s charms is the wide variety of architectural styles, both ancient and modern. There is also a lake next to the car park, which is extremely popular with both visitors and residents. The ‘Lakeside Walk’ is ideal for people of all abilities. The trees, daffodils, shrubs and wild flowers make the lake and park an ideal picnic spot. It is home to swans, ducks, coots and herons, as well as perch and carp. There is also a play area for children.

The second Saturday in September sees one of the town’s most popular annual events - Newent Onion Fayre. Around 15,000 people visit, to enjoy the wide variety of entertainment on offer. Over 100 stalls selling all kinds of goods, including local produce, pack the streets, as well as traditional fairground attractions such as a Helter Skelter and Big Wheel. Street entertainers are around throughout the day, performing Clog and Morris dancing, playing music, demonstrating circus skills and magic tricks. There is also an onion eating competition and sacks of onions for sale - over 6 tonnes of onions are sold each year. Other entertainers perform on a special stage and provide shows at intervals through the day. Many of Newent’s 19 cafes, pubs and restaurants are open all day, to cater for visitors, and there is also a variety of street vendors selling food. The day ends with a firework display, and many local venues hold parties, with live music.

Newent has more to offer, however. Lying in the Leadon Vale, the surrounding scenery contains award winning vineyards, as well as market gardens. The area has long been known for its wild daffodils, which grow naturally in the woods and meadows. Within living memory, they grew in such profusion that school children picked flowers to be sent to hospitals as far away as London. There is also a Victorian village, glass studio, the National Birds of Prey Centre, and a thriving arts and crafts industry. One house in Newent even holds the record for the world’s largest spider’s web!

Over the years, Newent has been home to several famous residents. Perhaps the most well known is Dick Whittington, who travelled to London to seek his fortune, and became the city’s mayor. Joe Meek, one of the early pioneers of electronic music, was also born here. His name might not be familiar, but many people can hum his greatest hit - ‘Telstar’. The nearby area of Dymock is celebrated for the Dymock poets - Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke, John Drinkwater, Wilfred Gibson, Edward Thomas, and the American poet Robert Frost. Frost and his family left America in 1913 and rented a cottage near Dymock. Eventually, he returned to the USA, and wrote a poem specifically for the inauguration of President Kennedy.

With so much to see and do in the area, visitors and residents can obtain information on all the local events and attractions at the Tourist Information Centre, in Church Street.