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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. 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 Castle Tump
to the north of the town. By the 14th Century the settlement had
grown into 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
six 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 cafes, pubs and restaurants are open all
day, to cater for visitors, and there is also a variety of street
vendors selling food. It 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 glass
studio, the International Centre for Birds of Prey, 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.
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