DEAN (FOREST-of), a liberty (extra-parochial), in
the hundred of ST-BRIAVELLS, county of GLOUCESTER,
comprising the divisions of Denby walk, Herbert's walk,
Little Dean walk, Speech-House walk, Worcester walk,
and York walk, and containing 5535 inhabitants; the
centre of the forest is 5 miles (S.W. by W.) from Newnham.
There are three chapelries in the Forest of Dean,
Vis., Christ Church, endowed with £200 private benefaction,
and £230 parliamentary grant;- the chapel of
the Holy Trinity, endowed with £200 private benefaction,
and £2500 parliamentary grant; and St. Paul's, endowed
with £2200 parliamentary grant; all of which are perpetual
curacies, in the archdeaconry and diocese of
Gloucester. This district, extending from north to south
twenty miles, from east to west ten miles, and lying between
the rivers Severn and Wye, was anciently occupied
by the Silures, and probably obtained its name
either from the contraction of the Gaelic word Arden,
a wood, or from the British Danys Coed, the wood
of fallow deer, for which it was famous for many
centuries. Within its original bounds were situated the
very ancient towns of Tudenham and Wollaston; also
on the margin of the Severn, the Abona of Antoninus,
long since reduced to a small village, called Alvington;
and on the Wye, Breulais Castle, embosomed in almost
an impenetrable, thicket, and now fallen to decay. In
the reign of Henry II., so dark and intricate were its
tracts or cross ways, that the inhabitants committed
the most daring outrages and robberies with impunity,
until restrained by the discovery of its rich mines
of iron and coal, and the consequent establishment of
forges, by authority of parliament, together with the
erection of towns and villages for the residence of the
miners and manufacturers; before which, the six lodges
for the keepers of the several walks were the only
houses in it. All the inhabitants are exempted from
rates and taxes, with free liberty of pasturage and to
cut wood, and the privilege of sinking mines, the sixth
part of the produce of which, called the king's gawl, is due
to the king, and is collected by the gaveller. The forest,
as denned in the 12th of Henry III., the definition having
been subsequently confirmed, is stated to comprise
twenty-three thousand and fifteen acres, belonging to the
crown, exclusively of freeholds obtained by grants1.
Charles I. conveyed all the coppices and waste soil of
the forest, except the Lea Bailey, with all mines and
quarries, to Sir John Wyntour, for £10,600, and a
fee-farm rent of £1950. 12. 8. for ever, at which time
there were standing one hundred and five thousand
five hundred and fifty-seven trees, estimated to contain
sixty-one thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight
tons of timber,  and one hundred and fifty-three thousand
two hundred and nine cords of wood; but the civil war
putting an end to the patent, the enclosures were thrown
open, and the whole re-forested; however, a renewal of
the grant, excepting the timber fit for naval purposes,
was made by Charles II. to the same individual; but,
on a survey made by the parliament in 1667, it was discovered
that he had made great encroachments upon the
property of the crown, to repair which one thousand one
hundred acres were then enclosed and planted; from this
plantation the royal dock-yards are chiefly supplied. There
are orchards producing a peculiar kind of fruit, called
the Styre apple, the cyder made from which is of a superior
quality, and bears a high price. It is affirmed that
the .commander of the Spanish Armada had directions, if
he failed in subduing the kingdom, to destroy every tree
in the Forest of Dean, The government is vested in a
lord warden, who is constable of St. Briavell's Castle;
six deputy wardens, four verdurers, chosen by the freeholders,
a conservator, seven woodwards, a chief forester
in fee, and bow bearer, which united offices are
held .by the> Wyndham family, in right of inheritance;
eight foresters in fee, a gaveller, and a steward of the
swainmote, who are empowered to hold a court of attachment
every forty days; a court of swainmote thrice
a year, and a court called the justice seat, once in three
years. The steward presides at the miners court, and
is assisted by a jury of miners, who judge upon the particular
laws and customs by which they are governed,
to prevent encroachments upon each other ia the coal
and iron works. These courts are held at the Speech-
House, in the centre of the forest, the general aspect of
which is picturesque in the extreme, being beautifully
diversified with hill and valley, interspersed with the
rich and varied foliage of the woods. Pursuant to an
act passed in the 36th of George III., new roads have
been opened in various directions through the forest,
which is also intersected by several railways, communicating
with the Severn and the Wye.