Speech House
Speech House stands in the Forest of Dean, at the centre of the forest on the road from Coleford to Cinderford. It was once the meeting place of the Forest of Dean's own parliament.[1]
The Speech House was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1668 as part of a reorganisation of the open land in the Forest, and its construction was finished in 1682.[2] It hosted the "Court of the Speech", a sort of parliament for the Verderers and Free Miners managing the forest, game, and mineral resources of the area.[3] It was severely damaged in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, but repaired soon thereafter.[4] Around 1840 Speech House began to be used as an inn, and by the late 19th century it was functioning as a hotel. It remains a hotel.[1]
To the southeast of Speech House is a small lake, named Speech House Lake.
Outside links
- Location map: 51°48’24"N, 2°33’9"W
- Speech House Hotel
References
- Brooks, Alan; David Verey (1999). "Speech House". Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean. Yale University Press. p. 680. ISBN 0-300-09733-6. from series Buildings of England orig. ed by N. Pevsner
- Nicholls, Henry George (1858). The Forest of Dean: An Historical and Descriptive Account. J. Murray; digital version by Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=y4IvAAAAMAAJ.