SATURDAY, May 13 is Forest history day. At Lydney Town Hall, more than 20 local history groups are setting out their stalls to demonstrate the extraordinary range of historical research being carried out in the Dean and environs.
Organised by the Forest of Dean Local History Society to mark the Millennium, the "History 2000" exhibition offers free admission all day. As well as providing displays on subjects ranging from archaeology to family history, it provides the opportunity to meet many notable amateur historians.
The Dean Archaeological Group (DAG) is marking the occasion with the issue of two new booklets in its Occasional Publications series. "Early Medieval Dean" (64pp, £5.25), edited by Alf Webb, follows an earlier account of the area in Roman times.
Sub-titled "The Forest of Dean and West Gloucestershire 409 to 1272 AD," it covers the Saxon, Danish and Norman invasions and conquest to the end of the calamitous reign of Henry III and accession of Edward I.
"It is a consensus of information obtained by walking the area, by reading earlier books, obtaining photocopies from many archaeological publications and flying over the area," explains Alf Webb in his preface.
As such it is a useful pull-together of old records, supplemented by original material from DAG's own researches – especially Alf's expertise in the archery industry at St Briavel's castle, and finds by metal detectorists Dave Hutton and Don Sherratt.
It chronicles castles, churches and place names, illustrated by maps, drawings and photos. It is accompanied by "Garlic in my cauldron" (32pp, £1.80), an account of early medieval food and cookery.
Many of the recipes included are adapted to presentday tastes. The originals would be far too heavily spiced and sweetened for a modern palate – the additives serving to conceal "off" meat.
"Garlic, as in the title, and wild onions were used extensively, mainly to give flavour to meat from old animals," the text notes.
"Because of the poor quality of the vegetables, native and imported herbs and spices such as dill, coriander, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and mace were used in almost everything cooked."
These and other publications will be on sale at the Saturday show.