Dean Heritage Centre

09/06/2026

Far Open Exhibition - 27th of June until 12th of July

Every July, farOpen brings the Forest of Dean and the rivers Severn & Wye to life with the popular Open Studios Art Trail. FarOpen - (Forest and Rivers Open) - is a volunteer, artist-led network to showcase and support the artists in the community.

Established in 2017, the number of artist members has grown phenomenally. In 2026, the organisation represents 182 members with 55 studios open for visitors on its Art Trail in July. Additional group exhibitions for members are held at different local venues.

Visitors are invited to explore, meet the makers, and witness art in progress.
https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/event-details-registration/far-open-exhibition

08/06/2026

17th of June, 2 pm - Backstage in the Gage - Ruspidge burial society
🎟️Free local history talk

Last year, our collections review unearthed a box of fascinating documents from the Rising Sun Inn Ruspidge Burial Club that hadn’t been looked at for many years. We contacted Kathryn Berry, a local academic researching late Victorian rural death, who researched the documents and wrote an article for the local history society journal The New Regard 2026. Great opportunity to see the documents up close, chat to Kathryn herself, and find out more about how people dealt with death over 100 years ago.

Backstage in the Gage takes place at 2 pm on the 3rd Wednesday of each month in the Collections Room. Enjoy a relaxed 30–60 minute talk, see objects not normally on display, and chat with our staff and volunteers.

Find out more - https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/event-details-registration/backstage-in-the-gage-ruspidge-burial-society

07/06/2026

Get a closer look at local history with our Museum Gallery Tours, led by our knowledgeable volunteer guides.

Our free guided tours run weekly during term time:
Tuesdays at 11:00 & 14:00
Thursdays at 11:30 & 13:30

Find out more here 👇
https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/event-details-registration/free-museum-gallery-tours-2026-06-11-13-30

04/06/2026

Want a peek behind the scenes and exclusive early access to what’s coming up? 👀
Stay in the loop with the Dean Heritage Centre’s newsletter, The DHC Journal!

Get regular updates, insider stories, and sneak peeks at upcoming events—straight to your inbox. Don’t miss out… subscribe today!

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03/06/2026

We are having a volunteer open day here at the Dean Heritage Centre. Please come along on Tuesday the 9th of June, to find out all about our volunteer opportunities.

14:00 Meet in the Heritage Coffee Shop
14:30 A guided tour of the museum and grounds
15:30 Coffee and cake, and an opportunity to meet our current volunteers.

We are having a volunteer open day here at the Dean Heritage Centre. Please come along on Tuesday, the 9th of June, to find out all about our volunteer opportunities.

02/06/2026

🎉 Exciting Announcement! 🎉
Join us for our first Coffee Shop Quiz Night of 2026 on Friday, 12th June!

Gather your friends and family for an evening of fun, laughter, and friendly competition. Test your knowledge across a variety of mixed quiz rounds and compete for a fantastic selection of prizes.

🕖 Quiz starts at 7:00 PM sharp, teams of 2-4 people
We look forward to seeing you there!

Book here - https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/event-details-registration/coffee-shop-quiz-night

01/06/2026

Object of the month 🔍 - Lightmoor Beam Engine

Beam engines transformed coal mining in the 19th and 20th centuries. This type of engine made large-scale deep mining possible.

In the Forest of Dean, these advances led to the replacement of small drift mines with large industrial collieries. Lightmoor Colliery opened in 1832 and was owned by Henry Crawshay & Co. Ltd. In 1899, it was one of the largest collieries in the Forest, employing more than 600 men.

The Lightmoor Beam Engine was built on the site of the Dean Heritage Centre in the early 1820s. It remained in use at Lightmoor Colliery until its closure in 1940. The engine was then dismantled and sent to the National Museum of Wales. It later returned to the Forest and was restored for display at the Dean Heritage Centre. It is the only surviving example of those used in the Forest.

ℹ️Plan your next visit here - https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/visit-us

31/05/2026

Before you step into the deep, dark woods, head over to the Gift shop to get some Gruffalo Goods! 🐾🌲

The Heritage Gift Shop is full of Gruffalo goodies from cuddly characters to stationery, it's perfect for little adventurers (and big fans too).

Pop by and see what you can find… but watch out for that Gruffalo! 👀

The Gift Shop is open every day 10:00-17:00
Find out more - https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/heritage-gift-shop

30/05/2026

Over the past two years, the Forest of Dean Writers Collection has amassed a huge number of papers and ephemera relating to Forest poets and authors. The new collection at the Dean Heritage Centre covers nearly two hundred years.

The 'Beyond the Books' exhibition will be showcasing just some of the treasures in this vast new collection of over 1,000 individual items. As well as original manuscripts and early drafts, notebooks, play scripts, and never-before-seen poems and novels. Interpretation panels explore the authors' life and work, as well as focusing on themes such as the Forest of Dean, nature, and Forest dialect.

The Exhibition will be on display in Gallery 41 from the 16th of May until the 30th of August.

ℹ️Find out more here - https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/event-details-registration/beyond-the-books-exhibition

30/05/2026

REMEMBERING THE 1926 MINERS STRIKE
It is 100 years since the General Strike and Miners' Strike of 1926. The 1926 General Strike was a nine-day nationwide walkout in the UK from 3-12 May, called by the TUC (Trades Union Congress) to support over one million coal miners facing wage cuts and longer hours. Although the TUC called off the General Strike, the miners continued striking for seven more months before they had no choice but to return to work or starve.

Forest of Dean miners fought hard for better working conditions and pay. Miners and their families faced severe poverty and hardship but managed to survive several months through determination and community solidarity.

Today we held a day of talks and discussion exploring the impact of the Miners Strike on the Forest of Dean and the wider context. Thank you very much to speakers and contributors, Nigel Costley, Ian Wright, Tony Conder, Graham Morgan, Matt Jenkins and Maggie Clutterbuck and thanks to everyone who came.

ITV came to the Forest to cover the strike. Thanks to Reporter Max Walsh, here's the clip if you missed it:

Watch the latest from ITV News - Beginning at one minute to midnight on 3 May 1926, the General Strike was called by the Trade Union of Congress in support of striking miners.