THE latest edition of Historic England’s Building at Risk Register lists 15 structures in the Forest ranging from a Roman villa at Woolaston and sections of Offa’s Dyke to 19th century churches and chapels.

Of the eight buildings given a priority category two are ’A’ which means immediate risk of further rapid deterioration with no solution agreed, one is ’B’ where there is immediate risk but a solution has been agreed but not yet implemented and five are in ’C’ where there is slow decay and no solution agreed.

The Category A buildings are St Saviour’s Church, Redbrook and St Bartholomew’s Church in Redmarley.

Gunns Mill furnace near Littledean is the only Category B building.

The buildings in Category C are: Blakeney United Reformed Church, Gunns Mill near Littledean, Lydney Docks, a tithe barn at Highleadon, St Mary the Virgin Church at Flaxley, St Michaels and All Angels at Blaisdon.

The other Forest structures on the register are Whitecliff Iron Works which is described as having extensive, significant problems, five sections of Offa’s Dyke in Tidenham, three of which are generally satisfactory and two generally unsatisfactory but all five have significant localised problems.

A Roman villa near Woolaston is described as having significant problems.

In its report, Historic England highlighted the "good progress" being made at Gunns Mill, which is one of the most significant buildings of its type in the country.

It was constructed as a charcoal furnace in 1682 and was converted to a paper mill in the 18th century.

It has been supported by scaffolding since 2001 and was taken into the ownership of the Forest of Dean Building Preservation Trust in 2013.

The trust has been working with Historic England to secure the future of the starred Grade II listed building.

Funding has enabled various surveys and improved the landscape and setting.

The mill wheel pit structure was repaired with an Historic England repair grant in 2020 and the collapsing north wall last year.

Surveys of the roof structure are also scheduled.

The problems for the other structures range from animal burrowing to erosion of sandstone.