The Forestry Commission has celebrated the 200th anniversary of the 1808 Dean Forest Timber Act.
The act was put in place in order to enclose 11,000 acres of forest and safeguard timber supplies and oak numbers for future generations.
The 200-year celebrations included the unveiling of a new boundary stone for the enclosure, which replaced one of those lost in the last two centuries.
Rob Guest, from the Forestry Commission, said that the establishment of the 1808 Dean Forest Timber Act had paved the way for the forest to support modern activities.
“Although it is increasingly important to support local timber processing industries, it is increasingly important to support the tourism and creative industries which are burgeoning in the Dean,” he said.
“More and more companies and charitable sector organisations appreciate the beauty of the area and come to the Forestry Commission to use the forest resource as a backdrop for their activities.”
The celebrations also took in a tour of the Cyril Hart Arboretum in the forest and a guided walk to learn more about the history of the area.
