Forest of Dean

Villages Of The Forest of Dean

Blakeney

Until starting this project I had only either driven through Blakeney or visited the chip shop or in recent years the ever changing pub/restaurant which is now a nursery. So on a beautiful autumn morning I had a very enjoyable wander around this lovely village. It has some history and it was at a house called Hawfield that Thomas Stenhold was born. He was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and his son, but is renowned (along with John Hopkins of Awre for publishing the first metrical version of the Psalms. The house where he was born still exists in the village. Thomas Sternhold died in 1549 *.

Situated at the confluence of the Blackpool and Soudley Brooks, Blakeney is a busy Forest village that was a natural site for early industry (an iron forge and furnace existed here as early as 1228). The oldest building is the 16th century Swan House, formerly an inn, although there are several 17th and 18th century buildings in the village, the largest being the early 18th century Church of All Saints *

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* INFORMATION COURTESY OF: www.royalforestofdean.info