Gateway to the Forest of Dean

The Gage Library and Research Facilities

The Gage library opened in 1995 with a major bequest from Laurie Gage, an antiquarian book dealer with a great personal interest in the area. The Museum continues to collect both archive and contemporary material published on the Forest of Dean and now houses over 8000 historic records, books, maps and documents making it the perfect place to search out local history enquiries or trace your family history roots.

We have a wide range of material available for study including:

BOOKS
Many books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories and journals relating to the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas.

DOCUMENTS
Archival manuscript material, Crown Reports and Acts of Parliament, newspapers, personalia, souvenir and commemorative material and documents relating the coal and iron mining in the forest of Dean.

MAPS
Large collection of Ordnance Survey 25" maps from 1880 onwards, tithe maps and apportionments, encroachment maps, Sopwith geological maps and many more local maps.

FAMILY HISTORY
Photographs, wills and access to ancestry.com

POSTCARDS & PHOTOGRAPHS
Over 2,500 images of the Forest of Dean and surrounding district including local views, events, family and group occasions and Forest collieries.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTARY
We can provide copies and reproductions of images and documents from the archive. Please click here for our policy and prices. Link to the pdf documents.