chris955

Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of the Forest of Dean and more specifically the Lydney area? We have our eye on a lovely house in the area and would like some impressions from people who know the place.
Thanks.

jackytoo

It's a lovely area but haven't been for many years so don't know if it's changed. We had a weekend place close by and sometimes shopped around lydney.

BristolUK

Are you moving with your sister?

Isn't it infamous for something?

chris955

You're thinking of Tasmania.

chris955

Thanks. Anyone else.

Mallory

Yes, I know Lydney. Haven't been there for a while though. The location isn't very good, thus the lower prices. It's in the flatter valley part of the river Severn, and boxed in by the Forest of Dean. Thus, you can't get to the Cotswolds, because of the river. To get to the other side of the river you either have to go to Gloucester, and go around, or go through Chepstow, and go over the Severn bridge. Both quite a jaunt.

Lydney is a very small sleepy town. Not much there. It's not picturesque or artsy or anything. No shopping to speak of. The nearest shopping would be Gloucester. Also for big hospitals, the train links, concerts, etc., you would have to go to Gloucester. Chepstow is about 10 miles away, and part of the Wye valley, but most shops have closed down, and the high street now is charity shops, and Tesco. Most people in Chepstow go over the Severn bridge to Bristol, or Cribbs Causeway shopping. Which is quite handy, but then you have to pay a large toll for the bridge.

The Forest of Dean has some lovely scenery, but in past days it was also a coal mining area. The small towns of the forest were cut off, with small roads, and the locals have a very broad coarse sort of accent. It's not an artsy area by any means. The forest, with it's small roads, also makes getting to Hereford, etc. very difficult.

Lydney is a friendly nice town, but there is really not much there, and it's quite a drive to anything you might like to do. Most people would have been brought up around there. I personally wouldn't want to live there - but then I don't know what you are looking for.

Tel8

What's it infamous for?

chris955

Thanks, sounds like just what we are looking for.

Victor Meldrew

What is it that you are looking for?

Victor Meldrew

In breeding

Mallory

Lydney is okay - it's not really in the forest per se. The local area, schools and such, is called "The Forest of Dean."

The villages of the forest would be somewhat like West Virginia. Very beautiful, but.........

Victor Meldrew

I lived in Cinderford for a while, many years ago. The school I worked in probably had a combined total of about 20 surnames (exaggeration of course, buts gives the gist). There were kids in Year 7 who were 'uncles' of kids in yr 11 etc.

'Outsiders' were still not considered as 'local' even after 15-20 years of living there.

The countryside/geography of the Forest is beautiful, but it is very parochial, and remote (in feeling if not geographically).

Lyndney was the big town down the Rd and slightly less like the scenario I describe.

I wouldn't live there again.

chris955

Beautiful surroundings, relative isolation, a detached home on a decent block, a nice place for the kids to grow up. The usual stuff.

Lothianlad

As a result most of the villages in the Forest of Dean have their idiots. The northern part of the Forest of Dean area is also infamous for being the stomping ground of Fred and Rosemary West....doesn't come more infamous than that.

Not quite so infamous - most of the wood that formed part of the construction of the original Palace of Westminster / Houses of Parliament - pre May 1941 - came from the Forest of Dean.

The local accent is quite unique - a wee bit weird you might say.

In spite of its beautiful surroundings parts of the Forest of Dean District area was a thriving coal mining area - and some of the small towns and villages reflected this....a Labour party stronghold in the midst of the Tory heartlands.

Victor Meldrew

Why the Forest of Dean though? Do you have connections with South Wales/Gloucestershire?

There are lots of places in UK which fit this description which are probably more practicable and desirable.

If you want relative isolation why not Yorkshire, Dartmoor, Exmoor, many areas of Somerset, devon, Cornwall. If you want isolation, Scotland is your place.

Lydney is just a bit too impractical for travelling around UK elsewhere. Also, like others have said, although Lydney is slightly better than the other areas, there isn't much to do there unless you like the great outdoors and plan to do not much else than walking.

I am intrigued as to why you want isolation.