Coleford, Gloucestershire

Coleford was originally a tithing in the north-east corner of Newland parish. The settlement arose at a ford through which charcoal and iron ore were probably carried. By the mid-14th century, hamlets called Coleford and Whitecliff had grown up in the valley of Thurstan's Brook. Coleford had eight or more houses in 1349 and was described as a street in 1364. It had a place of worship by 1489. In 1642 the commander of a parliamentary garrison in Coleford started a market in the town, as the nearest chartered market in Monmouth was under royalist control.[3]

Coleford soon saw some action in the English Civil War. On 20 February 1643, Lord Herbert, the Earl of Worcester's eldest son and the King's Lieutenant-General of South Wales, marched through Coleford heading for Gloucester, at the head of an army of 500 horse and 1500 foot. At Coleford their progress was impeded by a troop of Parliamentarians under Colonel Berrowe, aided by a disorderly group of country people. A skirmish ensued, in which the market-house was burnt and Major-General Lawday, who commanded the foot, and two other officers were shot dead from a window. Colonel Brett was then put in command of the foot, Lord John Somerset continuing at the head of the horse. The Royalists forced a passage through, after capturing Lieutenant-Colonel Winter, together with some other officers and soldiers, and so putting the Parliamentarians to flight. They then marched unimpeded to Gloucester.[4]

After the Restoration, a market was granted in 1661 and a new market house built in 1679. Much building took place in the town, which was thought by 1710 to have 160 houses. Of the older surviving buildings in the market place, the Old White Hart Inn dates from the 17th century. In the late 18th century and early 19th, the town expanded along its other streets and most of its older houses were rebuilt. The Angel Inn, which had opened by the 1650s, was re-fronted or rebuilt around 1800. For many years it housed an excise office. In the mid-18th century it was the town's principal coaching inn and used for public meetings and assemblies. The number of public houses increased as the town grew in importance. By 1830 there were seven or eight, most of them in the market place, and also a larger number of beerhouses.[3]

The market house (or town hall) was rebuilt on a larger scale in 1866. Also in the market place was the church, which was rebuilt on an octagonal plan in 1820, but proved too small for the growing congregation and was pulled down in 1882, its tower being retained for a clock tower. A much larger church, St John the Evangelist's, was built on a hillside overlooking the town. This church was closed in 2016 and its building put up for sale. Expansion continued in piecemeal fashion throughout the 20th century, through both council and private development. Traffic congestion in the market place was eased by demolition of the town hall in 1968 and the introduction of a gyro system around the clock tower.[3]

Coleford adapted more ably to the mine closures of the 1950s than its neighbour, Cinderford. Their prime location in the heart of the Forest make them popular with walkers and cyclists and the local council has made moves to encourage further visitors. The large factory in the town, originally called Carters, then Beechams, then GlaxoSmithKline, is now owned by the Japanese firm Suntory. It is the sole production facility for Ribena and Lucozade. One surviving building is the former goods shed for the defunct railway line to Monmouth. This now houses the Coleford GWR Museum.

SPP Pumps Ltd, Britain's leading pump manufacturer[9] also has its main UK manufacturing site at Coleford, where it employs over 300 people.[10] It mainly caters to the industrial and offshore firefighting oil and gas markets, and to the UK municipal water market.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the Mendip and the local relay transmitters. [11] [12]

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Heart West, Greatest Hits Radio South West, and Dean Radio, a community based radio station. [13]

The town is served by the local newspaper, The Forester. [14]

By date of birth:

• Mary Howitt (1799–1888), author of over 200 books, was born here.[15]
• Alan Cornwall (1898–1984), county cricketer and Marlborough College schoolmaster
• Andrew Taylor (born 1951), author
• Shoo Rayner (born 1956), children's writer and illustrator
• Steven Sproat (born 1960), ukulele player
• Paul Groves (living), poet and schoolteacher, lived locally from 1971 to 1996.
• Alex McLean (born 1975), electronic musician[16]
• Olly Alexander (born 1990), singer with the group Years & Years

• 
  Coleford clock tower
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  The Parish Church of Coleford, St John the Evangelist
• 
  Former Independent Chapel
• 
  A pink and white house (Rock Castle Dental Practice)
• 
  The Angel Hotel, behind the site of the old Market Hall
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  St John's Street, in the centre of Coleford
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  Whitecliff Ironworks, on Newland Street
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  Coleford Baptist Church

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coleford, Gloucestershire.

• Coleford Town Council