Latest News.

  • Lancaut January 2023

    The Gloucestershire branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) have nominated the Trust’s work at this medieval church, a Scheduled Monument, for an award. Not only has the project conserved the ancient ruins it has enhanced the landscape and added an interesting stopping point for ramblers along the south bank of the Wye. (link) The Forest of Dean Building Preservation Trust is active in maintaining its stock of historic sites of which Lancaut is an outstanding example.

  • Lime Pointing Skills June 2022

    FoDBTP partnered with Carrington Lime, a local conservation skills training company to facilitate training in lime pointing on the east boundary wall at our Gunns Mill site (link). The participants, most of whom had travelled from the midlands were joined by trust chairman, Sinclair Johnston. After a day of classroom introduction to the principles and initial practice in the training shed, the masonry was raked out and pointed in freshly prepared lime mortar, all under the watchful eye of Ben Kerslake of Carrington. The results were surprisingly good though this is partly due to Ben’s skilful and diligent tidy-up of the completed work. We hope this event may be repeated.

    https://m.workplace.com/bbcgloucestershire/videos/gunns-mill/1287578134979371/

  • Open House Weekend September 2022

    As part of Open House Weekend the trust opened up Gunns Mill (link) for conducted tours by groups of visitors lead by trustees. The visitors were fascinated by the history and close up contact with the great variety of original materials and historic features, stone, brick, timber framing, water wheel, furnace chamber, window frames and roof trusses. The newly completed repairs and rebuilding of the north wall to this Scheduled were much admired. As elsewhere the event was free but the visitors contributed generously to our funds.

  • MP Mark Harper visits Gunns Mill - June 2021

    Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper visited the site in June this year to see the progression of the restoration works first hand.

    During the visit, Mr Harper praised the efforts of trustees to develop the site into "a top tourist attraction" in the Forest of Dean.

  • Gunns Mill Ancient Iron Furnace April 2022

    We celebrated the completion of the rebuilding of a large section of the precarious north wall facing the visitor area by Oliver Fookes, an experienced stone mason. This was the most critically unstable part of the masonry structure and involved dismantling the heavily displaced stonework and reinstating it sufficiently vertical to provide sound support for a new wall plate and make a satisfactory connection with the existing masonry on either side. Additional work included repointing and repairs to the remaining section of the north wall. This work brings the benefit of allowing this part of the structure to be exposed to public view since the enclosing scaffolding was erected 25 years ago. Kate Biggs had negotiated funding from Historic England for this work, David Viner dealt with the mason and Sharon Seymour organised payments.

  • Whitecliff Iron Furnace December 2022

    On a bitterly cold Saturday morning a work party of 9 Trustees and volunteers, including a Ukrainian guest turned out to clear undergrowth and shrubs which had invaded the stone walled shed next to the 1789 furnace, a Scheduled Monument. (link) Since, of course, fires are prohibited on site the waste material was removed by a truck kindly provided and driven by BTP Treasurer, Bill Parker. This worthwhile action illustrates just how hands on, resourceful and committed the BPT Trustees are.