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It was the Romans who first used Lydney to ship out iron ore that had been mined in the Forest of Dean.
The easy access to the estuary increased Lydney's importance as a trading centre and a harbour was built to transport iron and later coal from the forest. The harbour was the last port on the Severn where sea-going boats could unload.
Where the River Lyd flows into the estuary (right) is known as Lydney Pill. However, the silting up of the local river, the Lydney Pill, closed the old harbour and a new wharf had to be built. With the charcoal iron industry and coal production thriving and roads through the forest remaining poor, Pidcock's canal was constructed from 1790 onwards, connecting Upper and Lower Forge at the head of Lydney Pill.
The current canal and basin complex was built by the Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company between 1810 and 1813. A horse drawn tramway was laid, to move the coal and iron to the wharves after it was brought down from the pits and forges on the Pidcock's Canal. The new dock on the estuary was started in 1809 and opened in 1813. The outer harbour was finally completed in 1821.
During the hey-day of the docks there was around 300,000 tons of coal being exported annually in over 2000 vessels. The final export of coal from the harbour was in 1960.
The harbour carried on working up to the 1970s by importing logs for the manufacture of plywood at the factory at Pine End and was finally closed in 1977. In 1985 the harbour from the swing bridge downstream was scheduled as an ‘Ancient Monument', due to the historic importance as a transport link for the Forest of Dean to the Severn.
The swing bridge was designated a Grade II Listed Building in 1988 due to it being ‘a very good example of the direct and sturdy quality encountered in the functional tradition of quay-side design'.
As the last major alterations to the harbour were conducted during the 1870s, Lydney is a rare example of an unspoilt 19th century harbour, built to accommodate sailing ships so its historic importance is disproportionate to its size.
As part of the reconstruction process archaeologists recorded evidence of the docks' historic use. The results of this work have provided an important insight into how the harbour functioned in the Nineteenth century.
The archaeological work has helped define the historic value of the surviving standing buildings on the site. Additional landscaping works have taken place to improve disabled access and address public safety issues.
As a publicly funded body, the Environment Agency cannot develop the docks as a commercial operation. They are looking to work in partnership with local and national development bodies to continue the regeneration of the harbour and surrounding area. It is intended that this will be a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area. |
