Abenhall

Forest of DeanFormer civil parishes in GloucestershireUse British English from February 2015Villages in Gloucestershire

Abenhall is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Mitcheldean, in the Forest of Dean district, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the road between Mitcheldean and Flaxley in the Forest of Dean. The parish included the settlement of Plump Hill, which is actually more populous than Abenhall itself, and was once part of the Hundred of St Briavels (known as Dene at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086). Originally a mining and iron-making centre like much of the surrounding area, the village is notable for its 14th century Church of St Michael, which is built of local red sandstone and has ornate contemporary carvings relating to the Forest of Dean's principal industries. These include a shield bearing the arms of the Freeminers on the west wall and a mid-15th century octagonal font, that has tools of miners and metalworkers incised on its sides. Abenhall is a tiny, ancient village in a secluded quiet valley near Mitcheldean. The parish includes the settlement of Plump Hill, on the Mitcheldean to Cinderford Road as it climbs into the high Forest. Abenhall is on the Flaxley to Mitcheldean Road. Originally a mining and iron making centre, it is notable for its 14th century Church of St Michael, which is built of local red sandstone and has excellent contemporary carvings relating to the Forest of Dean's industries. These include a shield bearing the arms of the Freeminers on the west wall and the fabulous mid-15th century octagonal font, that has tools of miners and metalworkers incised on its sides. In the west tower is a spectacular new window installed 14 April 2011 by stained glass artist Thomas Denny; presented by the current free miners of the Forest of Dean to represent their gratitude and present day continuation of the ancient local customs of coal, iron ore and stone mining. In 1931 the parish had a population of 230.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Abenhall (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Abenhall
Abenhall Road, Forest of Dean Mitcheldean

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Continue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 51.859722222222 °	E -2.4836111111111 °

placeShow on map

Address

Abenhall Road

Abenhall Road
GL17 0DT Forest of Dean, Mitcheldean
England, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Nearby Places

Dene Magna School

Dene Magna School is a secondary school in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England. The school takes both girls and boys, and has 1005 pupils aged between 11 and 18, including a sixth form. In 2005, the school was included on Ofsted's "Honours List" of 234 high-achieving schools, and received further positive Ofsted reports in 2008 and 2012. The headteacher is Stephen Brady, who replaced Robert Broadbridge in December 2009.

Land Grove Quarry, Mitcheldean

Land Grove Quarry, Mitcheldean (grid reference SO672185) is a 3.8-hectare (9.4-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).The site is a working quarry, but with only small scale quarrying being undertaken. This leaves good exposures as required by the designation.

Mitcheldean Town Hall

Mitcheldean Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England. The structure, which operates as the offices and meeting place of Mitcheldean Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

Mitcheldean

Mitcheldean is a market town in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England.

Boxbush

Boxbush is a village in Gloucestershire, England.

Plump Hill Dolomite Quarry

Plump Hill Dolomite Quarry (grid reference SO661171) is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.The site is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and held under agreement with the Forestry Commission since 1982. In 1987 a rough area to the north of the Quarry, together with a narrow strip on the western edge were incorporated into the reserve. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

Stenders Quarry

Stenders Quarry (grid reference SO659183) is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1966 and renotified in 1990. The site is designated as an SSSI for its important geological features, although there is also a diversity of plants and animals recorded.The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).Stenders Quarry is situated west of Mitcheldean and is on the south side of the Drybrook road. The site was known formerly as the Wilderness Cement Work Quarry. The Quarry, which was gradually extended during the second half of the nineteenth century, provided material for the cement works. Scully Grove Quarry SSSI which is situated to the north also provided material for the cement works.. The remains of an overhead tramway, which was built to carry the limestone across the road, can be seen on the eastern side of Stenders Quarry. Working stopped in 1918 and the Quarry became derelict. The site is regularly used by geological students.The site is owned and managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. It was purchased in 1974.

Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine

Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine (grid reference SO662166) is a 15.69-hectare (38.8-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1998.

Edgehills Quarry

Edgehills Quarry (grid reference SO660167) is a 0.4-hectare (0.99-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974.The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

Scully Grove Quarry

Scully Grove Quarry (grid reference SO657186) is a 0.4-hectare (0.99-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1974.The site is listed in the Forest of Dean Local Plan Review as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

Gun's Mills, Flaxley

Gun's Mills, at Flaxley, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a major industrial site from the 17th century. Originally built as an armaments factory with associated blast furnace in 1629, it was converted into a paper mill in the 18th century and operated as such until the late 19th century. By the 21st century the mill buildings were largely ruinous, but are being restored as of 2023. Structures on the site included listed buildings and a scheduled monument. The mill complex has been described as the "best remaining furnace of the earliest phase of British blast-furnace practice' and as the "oldest surviving blast furnace that exists in Europe, if not in the world."

Wigpool Ironstone Mine

Wigpool Ironstone Mine (grid reference SO654197) is a 34.88-hectare (86.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1998.