Phelps Meadow (General)
by Antipodean 
, Thursday, May 31, 2012, 13:45 (4565 days ago)
Does anyone have any history, or even current knowledge of, Phelps Meadow. It appears on old maps from 1700 and 1787 in the wonderful FoD Interpretative Center, but had disappeared by the time of the 'Manderley Map of the Forest of Dean'.
Its boundaries, before being planted for masts for the King's flotilla were approximately between Speech House Hotel in the north and what is now The Barracks to the south. Cannop Ponds was on the western boundary and Ruspidge to the east. However, by 1920, Saintlow Inclosure occupied most of the central and eastern portion, Staple-edge wood the southern portion and Russels Inclosre the western portion.
The clearing that I believe may be the last remnant is about 2.1 km south of Speech House or 1.2 km north of the Parkend/Barracks bus stop. It is on the western side of the sealed bitumen road and is about 100 m by 100 m in size - a far cry short of the few thousand acres that it started as.
Phelps Meadow
by peteressex , Friday, June 01, 2012, 07:25 (4565 days ago) @ Antipodean
You might get help by reference to local railways.
Three mentions at www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21380/pages/3048 indicate that the meadow was by Wellington Colliery. (This Gazette extract is from proposals to add to or modify rail/tramroads in the Forest.)
At www.way-mark.co.uk/forestofdean/historic/hworkw.htm the map reference for Wellington Colliery is SO 6346 6559. (You need to be careful that you're looking at the right Wellington colliery as there was a much bigger pit by the same name in the North of England.) I believe this colliery went bust in 1926. However, at www.forestofdeanhistory.org.uk you can order a leaflet with a walking trail that starts nearby at New Fancy and apparently takes you to the site of the colliery, so you may well be able to make out any remaining meadow as you go. At New Fancy there is also a "geomap" showing the site of numerous collieries and several tramroads but I don't know if there's enough detail of the Wellington or other nearby mines to enable you to pick out where Phelps' Meadow is/was. Someone living nearby might be able to find out. Or some kind person at the history society might be able to tell you if the walking trail helps with the site and size of the meadow or help with other knowledge.
Also, the Severn & Wye Railway chief engineer's plans for the railway by Phelps' Meadow are deposited at Gloucestershire Archives and if you rummage on their website it looks as if they've got 27-inch-to-the-mile plans and elevations that include the railway by the Wellington Colliery and you never know but they might indicate the neadow. You can get local researchers to go into the archives at Gloucester (for a fee) and get you a copy if it looks useful.