THE days when most Forest of Dean men worked beneath ground mining ore or toiled in associated iron or steel works, will be recalled at a meeting of local history enthusiasts in Bream on Saturday.

Forest History Society members Cecile Hunt and Averil Kear, joint organisers last year of a highly successful tour of sites associated with ironworking in the Dean, have again combined their knowledge to take members through a whistle-stop tour of the wealth of material and evidence of a once great industry now hidden away in the woods.

The illustrated talk is a journey of discovery from the Scowles of pre-Roman days through to the development of metal used in weaponry in the Civil War and the huge growth and development of iron and steel manufactured by famous entrepreneurs such as the Mushets at works in Whitecliff, near Coleford, and, more famously, at Darkhill and the Titanic Ironworks, now almost invisible in the woods near Gorsty Knoll, on the outskirts of Coleford.

Cecile explained: “There are many sites to visit locally and tracing them is much easier than people think.

“It’s hard to imagine that mining ore was at one time much more important than the quest for coal but between them the two industries are responsible for a remarkable underground network that makes the Forest almost unique.”

Saturday’s meeting is at the West Dean Centre, Bream, and starts at 3pm. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

•The meeting will be preceded by the Society’s annual meeting at 2.30pm.