Wye Valley Track Recovery
Looking to the A48, January 2020
The same view, October 2020
Looking south along the track bed, October 2020
Looking southwest along the track bed, October 2020
'Hymek' No.D7068 approaches Bishton Lane bridge with loaded 'Dogfish' hoppers
2nd August 1971 (Bill Potter/KRM)
Parkend Waiting Shelter
The Dean Forest Railway has been slowly undertaking the complete reconstruction of Parkend station since the foundation of the Society in 1970, with the station finally re-opening to the public in 2006.
​
The village of Parkend was, during the 1800s, one of the industrial centres of the Forest of Dean. The Severn & Wye railway reached the village in 1868, just as the industrial fortunes of the area went into decline.
A goods shed built in 1871 by Messrs. Eassie & Co was moved from the Marsh sidings to station proper in 1897. In 1929 the station closed to passengers and the buildings and equipment, except the Brick WC and Goods shed were recovered.
​
Pre-1929, Ian Pope collection
1995, DFR Museum Trust collection
Parkend is the spiritual home of the Dean Forest Railway with the embryonic Society starting in the old Goods Yard and Goods Shed in 1970, the first steam day being held in 1971. Following hundreds of hours of painstaking work, the station has been recreated to what is seen today – yet one feature that had yet to be recreated was the Platform Waiting Shelter.
​
2000, DFR Museum Trust collection
2005, DFR Museum Trust collection
The shelter was drawn up from original designs built by the Parkend Monday Gang. In due course, it will be dedicated to the memory of Mervyn Thomas, a former leader of the Parkend Monday Gang and one of the founding members of the Dean Forest Railway Society, who sadly passed away unexpectedly in 2018.
​
2018, DFR Society collection
2020, DFR Society collection
We’d like to thank all of those that made the project possible, which was funded with £587.50 that was raised in memory of Mervyn Thomas, a generous donation of £200 from Howden’s joinery in Ross-on-Wye and a grant of £1328 from the Summerfield Charitable Trust. The project was shortlisted for the The Hendy & Pendle Trust Volunteers Award as part of the 2020 National Railway Heritage Awards - coming a close second to the restoration of the Minffordd Station Workshop 'Gweithdy' on the Ffestiniog Railway.
​
The Hendy & Pendle Trust Volunteers Award - Highly Commended Certificate