Speech House
Coordinates: 51°48′24″N 2°33′09″W / 51.80655°N 2.55243°W
The Speech House was the administrative building of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, lying at the centre of the forest on the road from Coleford to Cinderford.[1]
The Speech House was authorised by the Act of 1668 as part of a reorganisation of the open land in the area, and its construction was finished in 1682.[2] It hosted the "Court of the Speech", a sort of parliament for the Verderers and Free Miners managing the forest, game, and mineral resources of the area.[3] It was severely damaged in the Revolution of 1688, but repaired soon thereafter.[4] Around 1840 it began to be used as an inn, and by the late 19th century it was functioning as an hotel, which (as of 2013) it continues to do.[1]
To the southeast of Speech House is a small lake, Speech House Lake.
Notes
References
- Brooks, Alan; David Verey (1999). "Speech House". Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean. Yale University Press. p. 680. ISBN 0-300-09733-6. from series Buildings of England orig. ed by N. Pevsner
- Nicholls, Henry George (1858). The Forest of Dean: An Historical and Descriptive Account. J. Murray; digital version by Google Books.