| Abstract: | The Forest of Dean has been an area of outstanding nationaleconomic importance because of its mineral wealth and timberresources. Iron ore had been mined and smelted with the aidof charcoal since the earliest times. Coal-mining subsequentlybecame a major industry in the nineteenth century and coke replacedcharcoal in the ironworks. Exploitation of the timber resourcesof the Forest reached its peak in the middle of the seventeenthcentury. This was accentuated by excessive grazing of sheep,pigs, and other animals. There was national concern for thedisappearing supplies of naval ship-timber. This culminatedin the Dean Forest (Reafforestation) Act of 1668 Forest management had its ups and downs. The Napoleonic Warsmade tremendous demands on the Dean oak and the nineteenth centurysaw a new wave of reafforestation and the tending of oak speciallyfor shipbuilding. Unfortunately the demand for oak ship-timberceased about the middle of the century because of the developmentof iron warships. The twentieth century has not only seen twoworld wars deplete the Forest of its timber but has witnessedthe introduction of planned forest management and the large-scaleuse of conifers, some of which are particularly suited to theDean environment. More than half the woodland is now stockedwith conifers but there have been amenity safeguards and theeffect is not unpleasing. |
