Forest of Dean (UK Parliament constituency) Forest of Dean (UK Parliament constituency) Forest of Dean is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Mark Harper, a Conservative. 1885-1918: The Sessional Divisions of Coleford, Lydney, Newent, and Newnham. 1918-1950: The Urban Districts of Awre, Coleford, Newnham, and Westbury-on-Severn, the Rural Districts of East Dean and United Parishes, Lydney, Newent, and West Dean, and part of the Rural District of Gloucester. 1997-2010: The District of Forest of Dean, and the Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Haw Bridge and Highnam. 2010-present: The District of Forest of Dean, and the Borough
Forest of Dean Central Railway the Forest of Dean has been an important site of mineral extraction: coal and iron ore, and also stone. Free Miners had certain exclusive rights to minerals, but the restriction on outside involvement had prevented the introduction of capital and large scale industrial processes. Moreover the extremely poor road network in the area, due in part to the very hilly terrain, added cost to the products of the Forest. The Crown interest in timber had resulted in statutory control of development. The small scale mining operations needed to get their output to market, generally by river transport on the Severn