Our First Day

We came by car, many direct from London, but some of us from Lydney Station, itself served by trains from Gloucester and Newport, with their respective direct rail connections from the Capital. The early birds among us, after a look round our abode for the next few days, did an interesting 6½ mile circular forest walk, capably led by Dave, from Parkend to the site of the Bixlade horse-drawn tramway. In the evening, many of us met up for diner in the "Miners (no apostrophe) Arms" in nearby Whitecroft. A nice start to our CLOG "days-away" break in the Forest of Dean.

Some of us arrived early afternoon (thanks Nigel) and enjoyed Dave's 6½ mile introductory circular walk through the Forest of Dean. Good Weather! Good Omen!

This is what this page has in store for you. Enjoy your browse!

• We Arrive
• Our Residence
• Our First Walk
• Walk Features
• Our First Evening


• Please Read Me! Thankyou!

We Arrive

We gradually arrived by train and by car from the east (London area) and north east (Stockport). We settled in to our lodgings and five of us early birds had a pleasant introductory circular walk from our base in Parkend to the Bixlade mine workings and the Cannop ponds. Many of us then enjoyed a nice initial "gastronomical get-together" at the "Miners Arms" in Whitecroft about a mile south of Parkend.

Some of us wait at Black Horse Road Station for Nigel who is kindly giving us a lift ...




... and have time to ponder the station's maze - more why it's there and less how to solve it!




It's a reasonably good run ...




... and 25 Eddie Stobarts later we have Wales in our sights.




We take the older and shorter Severn Bridge ...




... with the newer bridge to our right.




Suspension bridges often give you a nice perspective of their construction as you cross,
and this bridge is no exception.




We reach the other side and find that the main road to Lydney is closed for resurfacing.
We go cross-country to Parkend, enjoying the distant views on the way.

Our Residence

We were staying in the "Fountain Inn Lodge", which was part of - would you believe - the "Fountain Inn" itself. The Lodge was originally the meat storage house connected with the Dean Forest Railway - now a heritage line linking Lydney with its present Parkend terminus almost next door. Lots of railwayana decorated and embellished our residence - railwayana recalling the glory days of the Dean Forest railways and of course the GWR ("God's Wonderful Railway") itself.

The Fountain Inn ...




... with its colourful sign is down-town Parkend.




We stay at the Fountain Inn's "lodge", formerly a meat store for the railway.




Indeed, the lodge is full of - mainly GWR - railwayana, like this poster from the early thirties, with a King class proudly heading an express from Paddington to the West Country.




Parkend was a centre for coal mining in the Forest of Dean and had a small associated iron works where now there is an open space in the centre of the village. Coal was of course used for - amongst other things - in blast furnaces for the production of iron.




Cravens were an important carriage and wagon building firm even suppling buses and Underground carriages to London.
Andrew Barclay, based in the Industrial Powerhouse of the Empire - namely Glasgow and environs - was a famous supplier of industrial steam locomotives, including the once ubiquitous, and typically British, saddle tanks.




Parkend Station - at present the northern terminus of the Dean Forest Heritage Railway - is in sight of, and indeed a mere stone's throw from, where we are staying in the village.

The Bixlade Tramway

We had found some useful suggestions on the web for short walks. These gave Dave the idea to lead this introductory 6½ miler - a circular forest walk between our base in Parkend and the site of the former horse drawn Bixlade Tramway. The tramway linked the coal and stone mines dotted around the Bixlade Hill with the Cannop Ponds and the old railway to Lydney and to Lydney Harbour on the River Severn. We got the forest atmosphere and, of course, enjoyed the nice walking weather - a good omen for the days ahead.

Dave (left) leads a short 6½ mile circular afternoon walk from our base to the route of the former Bixlade horse drawn tramway. This was used to bring sandstone and other materials extracted from the surroundings down to Cannop Warf Station on the old Dean Forest Railway.




We initially take part of the Gloucester Way, and here we are again.




And here is the Gloucester Way again, complete with sunshine!




Here are is part of the route of the old Bixlade Horse Tramway. The stone sleepers are still on place. The horse drawn tramway was used to bring sandstone, and other materials extracted from the Forest, down to Cannop Warf Station on the old Dean Forest Railway.




On the route o0f the tramway were a number of collieries, like the Union colliery.
Coal mining was not without its dangers ...




... as this well preserved memorial to a disaster in 1902 shows.




We peer down one of the colliery's deep access shafts.




The very deep "Knob Quarry" at the top of the hill ...




... is still being worked for sandstone.




Beyond the quarry at the top of the hill,
we turn east and get a view of Cinderford in the distance.




Here's yours truly. Thanks Ash for the "piccy".




Here are two more views ...




... towards Cinderford.




We are enjoying this, the first walk of our weekend away trip.




It's a mixture of sunshine and shade as we re-enter the forest.




And here, in the middle of the forest ...




... is the southern Cannop Pond.




The railway went past here and on to Lydney Harbour.




Cannop Wharf was where the coal and stone was loaded on to the railway trucks.




Coleford (railway) Junction was quite close to Parkend, where we are staying.
Thanks again, Ash, for the "piccy".

Our Evening at the "Miners Arms"

On our first evening we were fortunate to have a nice meal at the "Miners Arms" (hey, no apostrophe) situated about a mile south in Whitecroft. Some of us, who strayed into the surrounding forest on the way, even saw a family of wild boar - wild boar like to make their presence felt around dusk. A respectable distance is always called for in such encounters, and since all who had intended to arrive at the "Miners Arms" actually did arrive at the "Miners Arms", we assume that a respectable distance had been duly kept. Anyway, even though the service at the "Miners Arms" was a bit tardy, we all enjoyed our respective repasts, accompanied - for some of us - by a nice South African Red. Certainly a good omen for the days to come!

The "Miners Arms" is about a mile south of Parkend,
almost next to the newly opened Whitecroft Station on the Dean Forest Heritage Railway.




The lights come on as our first evening together approaches, ....




... a first evening which we celebrate ...




... with a modicum of style,
as we discuss our plans for the next day.