Edge End is a small

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in west

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, England.

Location and amenities

Edge End is about 1.5 miles NW of Coleford and about 1 mile north of the

Royal Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...

College. Originally close to some mine workings, all of which have now closed, the hamlet consists of 62 private dwellings, with no pubs, shops or schools (the one village shop closed some time ago and is now a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

establishment). The village is effectively split in half by a village green, which is co-owned by the residents and is maintained by contributions. On the green there is one goalpost and there used to be a small park but it has been taken way. Within the village live a mix of "Foresters", the original inhabitants, many of whom can trace their family lineage back through the village's history, and incomers from further afield. The community has a nice balance and there is a sense of community spirit evident here, with neighbours helping each other. From the village green, perched 600 ft above sea level, on a fine day you can see north for up to 50 miles or so into

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

, whilst the counties of Gloucestershire,

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

and the

Brecon Beacons The Brecon Beacons ( cy, Bannau Brycheiniog, ) are a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of Old Red Sandstone peaks which lie to the south of Brecon. Sometimes referred to as "the central Beacons" t ...

are also visible. The hillside drops away to some farming communities, whilst the eastern edge of the hamlet is bounded by the main

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

road and the start of the Forest of Dean proper. Edge End represents an excellent starting point for many local walks. The committee has recently been rediscovered and the villagers can get involved more. A sponsored bike ride took place on Sunday 25 March 2012 and a quiz night in April 2012 which funded money for the Queen's Jubilee Fete in June. Since there has been a Bonfire and Fireworks display in November and various other small events.

History

A small book is available (from the local bookshop in Coleford) which documents the histories of the families that have lived in Edge End since the 19th century. It was printed in 1993, based mainly on the recollections of the then elderly inhabitants of the village, most of whom have now died.

References

External links

Hamlets in Gloucestershire Forest of Dean {{Gloucestershire-geo-stub