Abenhall is a small village in the English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 county of Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

, lying on the road between Mitcheldean

Mitcheldean

Mitcheldean is a small town in the east of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.-History:Mitcheldean was a thriving community for many centuries due to the town's proximity to iron ore deposits...

 and Flaxley

Flaxley

Flaxley is a small settlement in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, located in between the larger villages of Westbury-on-Severn and Mitcheldean at the foot of the Vale of Castiard.-History:...

 in the Forest of Dean

Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...

. The parish includes the settlement of Plump Hill, which is actually more populous than Abenhall itself, and was once part of the Hundred of St Briavels (known as Dene

Dene

The Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...

 at the time of the Domesday book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 in 1086). Originally a mining and iron-making centre like much of the surrounding area, the village is notable for its 14th century Church of St Michael, which is built of local red sandstone and has ornate contemporary carvings relating to the Forest of Dean's principal industries. These include a shield bearing the arms of the Freeminer

Freeminer

Freeminer is an ancient title given to a coal or iron miners in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, who have earned the right to mine personal plots, known as gales.-History of Freemining:...

s on the west wall and a mid-15th century octagonal font, that has tools of miners and metalworkers incised on its sides. Abenhall is a tiny, ancient village in a secluded quiet valley near Mitcheldean. The parish includes the settlement of Plump Hill, on the Mitcheldean to Cinderford Road as it climbs into the high Forest. Abenhall is on the Flaxley to Mitcheldean Road. Originally a mining and iron making centre, it is notable for its 14th century Church of St Michael, which is built of local red sandstone and has excellent contemporary carvings relating to the Forest of Dean's industries. These include a shield bearing the arms of the Freeminers on the west wall and the fabulous mid-15th century octagonal font, that has tools of miners and metalworkers incised on its sides. In the west tower is a spectacular new window installed 14th April 2011 by stained glass artist Thomas Denny; presented by the current free miners of the Forest of Dean to represent their gratitude and present day continuation of the ancient local customs of coal, iron ore and stone mining.

More History

Abenhall was and still is a tiny, ancient village in a secluded quiet valley near Mitcheldean. The parish includes the settlement of Plump Hill, on the Mitcheldean to Cinderford Road as it climbs into the high Forest. Once part of the Westbury Hundred (which was known as Dene at the time of the 1086 Domesday book) Abenhall is on the Flaxley to Mitcheldean Road. Originally a mining and iron making centre, it is notable for its 14th century Church of St Michael, which is built of local red sandstone and has excellent contemporary carvings relating to the Forest of Dean's industries. These include a shield bearing the arms of the Freeminers on the west wall and the fabulous mid-15th century octagonal font, that has tools of miners and metalworkers incised on its sides, recently enhanced by a spectacular miners window above it.

Tourist Information

Excellent walks in the valley down to Welshbury Hill with its important and large Iron Age camp and the nearby St Anthony's Well in woodland near Gun's Mill Farm, it was built by the monks of Flaxley Abbey it is large and has steps down into it and fed from a nearby spring. There are walks up on the nearby hills near the Wilderness Centre.

Churches

St. Michael's Church - originally built as a chapel of ease, the church was expanded in the 14th century to include nave, south aisle and tower. The arms of the Freeminers and spectacular modern freeminer window can be seen on the west side of the tower and emblems on the 15th century font. Abenhall church is 1.5 km south of Mitcheldean and is set in beautiful surroundings on the edge of the Forest. Old Parish baptism, marriage and burial registers, from 1596, are stored at the Gloucestershire Record Office.