Forest of Dean Old Railway Marshalling Yard

Parkend in the Royal Forest of Dean, as well as being home to the Dean Forest Heritage Railway, also has a long history with links to railways through the rest of the forest. Lines past through here not only to Lydney, but also Coleford, Cinderford, Lydbrook, and the wider world. Because the route to the west was up a steep grade, it was often impossible to pull a whole rake of loaded trucks up it, and so they were split at a marshalling yard in Parkend and taken up in sections. This yard is the subject of today’s adventure. It has been in use for forestry and road transport parking for many many years since the closure of the railway, so the prospects are not good, but as always worth a look. Whilst here we will take a closer look at the route of the railway northward to see if we can identify the alignment from several candidates. Home to the adventurous subscriber. As well as films we have a bi-weekly Vlog to keep up to date on the previous and next week’s videos, and a chance for all to air their views on a variety of subjects, why not join in. My passion has been walking, a while ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and walking does not come naturally any more, however the more I walk the easier it gets, for now anyway. I hope these videos will inspire others to keep going and hanging on in there. I try to cover variety of subjects, such as old abandoned railways, and canals. I love the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, with its rich history and I usually take my camera whenever we holiday in the southwest and Cornwall. The rugged coastal paths are a magnet for anyone who loves dramatic scenery. I live close to the Cotswolds Hills and have done quite a lot of walking around there, recently, following some of the lovely rivers. Hill walking on the Malvern’s is a challenge but worth the effort. I try not to let Parkinson’s get me down and take every opportunity to get out with my camera and film, I hope you enjoy watching. P.W.