Coalway

Settlement in Gloucestershire Forest of Dean

England

Coalway

Southern end of Cannop Ponds Credit: David Martin

Coalway is a quaint village located in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England. Nestled in the heart of the beautiful countryside, this small community is known for its serene and tranquil atmosphere. Situated just a few miles north-west of Coleford, Coalway offers residents and visitors a peaceful retreat away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

The village is primarily residential, with picturesque houses and cottages dotting the landscape. The architecture reflects the traditional style of the region, showcasing the area's rich history. The local community is close-knit and friendly, creating a warm and welcoming ambiance for all who visit.

Surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills, Coalway presents an ideal location for nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. The Forest of Dean, a vast woodland area, is easily accessible from the village. Visitors can enjoy hiking, cycling, and exploring the numerous trails that wind through the forest, immersing themselves in the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Coalway also boasts a range of amenities, including a village shop, a post office, and a well-regarded primary school. The nearby town of Coleford provides additional services and facilities, such as supermarkets, restaurants, and healthcare facilities, ensuring that residents have all they need within reach.

Overall, Coalway offers a charming and idyllic setting for those seeking a peaceful lifestyle amidst the stunning landscapes of Gloucestershire. Its combination of natural beauty and community spirit make it a desirable place to live or visit for those looking to escape the fast pace of city living.

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Coalway Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.789067/-2.598753 or Grid Reference SO5810. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Southern end of Cannop Ponds

David Martin

Winter reflections, Cannop Ponds, 1

A bright Boxing Day morning.

Jonathan Billinger

Barnhill Plantation

On steeply sloping land to the west of Cannop Upper Pond.

Jonathan Billinger

Steep footpath

The forested hillside to the west of Cannop Upper Pond.

Jonathan Billinger

Forest path

Looking eastwards into a stand of mature conifers.

Jonathan Billinger

Cyclists on the old tramway

The Bix Slade porting of the Forest of Dean is full of old stone and coal workings. This remnant of a horse-drawn tramway was finally decommissioned in 1946 and is now part of the extensive path and cycleway network in the forest.

Jonathan Billinger

West Dean : Speech House Road B4226

Looking along the B4226.

Lewis Clarke

Speech House Road

The bus stop here is convenient for Hopwell Colliery, now a museum dedicated to the Forest of Dean's once important industry. Unfortunately no timetable information is displayed.

Stephen McKay

Hopewell Colliery

This is a free mine that is still worked in the winter. In the summer one of the old worked out sections is used as a museum. The narrow gauge line goes down the drift into the mine and the haulage rope is seen. The device on the right allows coal to be tipped out of the tubs/drams. This is a typical small scale mine as found in the forest. The seam is about 30 " thick and worked longwall with undercutting by a pneumatic pick. The two miners have to work on their backs or sides. On the plus side, the mines in the Forest of Dean are free of methane (firedamp) but carbon dioxide (choke damp) is a real danger.

Chris Allen

Hopewell colliery - pump

Preserved in an open fronted shelter is this Worthington-Simpson horizontal duplex non-rotative pump. Although built to run on steam it would also run on compressed air. It is believed to have originated locally but our guide at the mine did not know its provenance. It appears to be portable and could well have been used underground on compressed air. Hopewell Colliery is a working free mine in the winter and a colliery museum with an underground trip in the summer.

Chris Allen

Hopewell Colliery - re-erected head gear

This is not a feature of this working free mine but rather a visible indicator for the colliery museum that operates in the summer months. I am not sure if this is a complete relica or whether some of the timbers are from an original head gear.

Chris Allen

Hopewell Colliery - looking towards the working mine

This is a working free mine where two free miners hew coal in the winter. In the summer a disused part of the workings is used as a museum. The narrow gauge track leads down the drift mine and drams of coal are hauled out by the wire rope. A guide roller is seen between the rails in the foreground. In the centre background towards the top of the picture you can see a vertical post carrying a pulley and a thin wire rope. This is the signalling system to the pit top and is mechanical (the wire is just given a good tug to signal via a bell). It is hard to believe that this is the 21st century. Free mining is an ancient tradition reputed to date to a royal charter from Edward 1. To be a free miner a person must have been born in and live in the Hundred of St Briavels, be at least 21 and have worked underground in a mine in the forest for at least one year and a day. Although traditionally a male preserve there is one registered female free miner, a decision that was not without controversy.

Chris Allen

Hopewell Colliery - museum entrance

Hopewell is a working free mine in the winter but in the summer it operates as a museum. Visitors are taken down this steep drift to a largely worked out coal face. This shows the seam that is about 30" deep and was worked to the rise by a miner lying on his side or back and undercutting with a pick. It was worked long wall rather than pillar and stall. We exited the mine via a drainage level (actually on a slight decline rather than level). The drainage level also contained a ventilation furnace that would only have been used when the temperatures inside and outside were such as to slow or prevent natural convection. The mine is free of firedamp (methane) because the coal outcrops and that allows the lighter than air methane to vent. This trip is recommended as opportunities for underground visits are pretty rare now.

Chris Allen

Going Underground

About to start a tour down the mine at Hopewell Colliery Mining Museum, one of the handful of mines still producing coal in the Forest of Dean. Access to the coal face is down a steeply sloping tunnel rather than down a vertical shaft.

Des Blenkinsopp

Fallen tree, Cannop Ponds

The once mighty tree is gradually disintegrating into the water. See: SO6010 : Fallen tree in Cannop Ponds from 2014.

Jonathan Billinger

Autumnal undergrowth

The forest floor near Cannop Ponds is reflecting autumnal shades.

Jonathan Billinger

Cannop Ponds picnic area

A view through a window in the foliage to the picnic area at Cannop Ponds, busy with families on this sunny June day. In the foreground is a coot nest (not moorhen, as I initially thought). This is yet another Forest of Dean location whose idyllic present belies its industrial past: the ponds themselves are old gravel workings and near here was a wood distillation works and at least one colliery, served by a railway which ran along the flat area of land visible in the clearing behind the people.

John Winder