Monday 6 November 2023

Lydney

Lydney is a town in the West of the county on the bank of the river Severn.

Under the house
Information
County: Gloucestershire
District: Forest of Dean
Population: 8,766

The name Lydney may be derived from the Old English Lydan Eg (Lludd's Island) though there are other possible origins. Settlement in the area dates back to the Iron Age, a fort was built in the area. Later on the Romans built a temple on the site. The Saxons built a settlement at Lydney, which by the time of the Domesday Book was known as Ledenei.

Located on the Severn, Lydney later gained docks to capitalise on the river trade. A railway bridge crossing the Severn was built near Lydney in 1870, the bridge was damaged beyond repair after being struck by oil tankers in 1960. Lydney railway station opened in 1851, one of a number of stations in the area. Another of these stations, Lydney Junction, is now the Southern terminus of the Dean Forest preserved railway.

The parish church dedicated to St Mary dates from the 13th century though most of the current church dates from the start of the 16th century.

On the way to the harbour