Reclaimed Lydney Harbour. There has been a port here since Roman times, but locks and docks were not built until the early 19th century. Coal and timber were the main exports together with smaller amounts of stone and ore. At one point late in its life, timber was actually imported through here, African hardwood for use by local industries. At its peak 406,400 tonnes of coal per annum passed through handled by 9 coaling stages.
Silt from the river has always, and still is a problem, and in 1810 proposals were made to build a dock, as well as construct a lock, and a canal, to ship goods from Lydney. Approval was granted and the work took 3 years to complete. In 1821 the dock was extended again and a tidal basin added to extend the access time between tides.
Today the harbour is kept respectful of its past, allowing access to most of what remains, some of the machinery and capstan, together with some of the old buildings. There are some information boards and it is easy to find traces of the past activities. Using the harbour as a base there are some very good walks to be had, both up river, down river and inland. I hope this film provides a useful snapshot.