The Point, Plump Hill , Mitcheldean (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Monday, April 23, 2012, 11:53 (4593 days ago) @ amaska

By 1832 the number of dwellings in the hamlet of Plump hill had risen to c. 32, (fn. 20) and the development of Westbury Brook mine and other industrial activity stimulated more random building there later in the century. (fn. 21) Some new buildings faced the Mitcheldean-Coleford road, constructed over the hill in 1841. (fn. 22) One of the first, half way up the hill, was a beerhouse in 1851. (fn. 23) Later called the Point inn, it was demolished during road improvement after 1960. (fn. 24) Higher up the road a pair of small houses was built in 1876 by the quarrymaster Aaron Simmonds. (fn. 25) Much further along the road on Merring Meend a pair of houses built near Fairplay mine in 1856 (fn. 26) was later converted as four cottages. (fn. 27) Most houses built at Plump Hill in the 20th century were on the lower part of the hill. Cottages dotting the steep wooded hillsides further south, near Abenhall, include an early group in Horsepool bottom.

From: 'Forest of Dean: Settlement', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 300-325. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23266 Date accessed: 23 April 2012.

The Point is amongst other things, a view point on Plump Hill. If you were driving up from Mitcheldean, the road bears sharpish right, Virgo Lane on left, and on your left is a dramatic view out across the Severn Vale. This is approx where the Point Inn stood, and what I call the Point (!)

Its not marked, but the bend in the main road is very clear
http://www.geograph.org.uk/showmap.php?gridref=SO6617 ( look for the black telephone symbol !)

http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Phone%20box%20and%20seat%20at%20Plump%20Hill,%20Glou...

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>