3-096-478 - Ware in the World/Heritage Images

Parkend, Forest of Dean, c1955. In 1612 James I built a charcoal-fired blast furnace and forge at 'Parke End', bringing with it the first real settlement, however, 'The King’s Ironworks' proved horrendously inefficient and it closed in 1674. With the advent of coke-fired furnaces, Parkend, and its many coal mines, was once again considered an ideal location for the production of iron. In 1799 a new ironworks was constructed. Initially it suffered from technical problems, but by the early/mid-1800s it had triggered a major industrialisation of the village.