Dean Heritage Centre, Forest of Dean

Discover the story of the Forest, in the heart of the Forest.
Step out into the woodland to experience the lives of charcoal burners, traditional cottage-dwellers, and free miners.
Explore a Victorian Foresters’ cottage, free mine entrance, and charcoal burners camp. An impressive waterwheel and beam engine are also on show.
Indoors the museum tells the history of a beautiful Forest formed by an industrial past. It reveals a unique culture which visitors will find hard to forget.
For families, dressing up clothes, craft activities, and trails around the museum provide plenty to occupy everyone - not to mention our brilliant adventure playground!
Enjoy a range of homemade cakes, meals and drinks in our cafe overlooking the mill pond. Picnic areas and specially built barbeques can be found around the site.
Our shop stocks a wide range of gifts, from small pocket-money items, to the stunning work of a range of local artists including the Dean Oak Cooperative, Mary Rose Young, and Victor Hugo. We also sell charcoal produced on site during our traditional charcoal burns.
A great place to start your visit to the Forest!

Additional info

Our library is open to the public by appointment.