Summary
Drybrook is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England.
| Drybrook | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Drybrook Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Population | 3,052 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SO621175 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DRYBROOK |
| Postcode district | GL17 |
| Dialling code | 01594 |
| Police | Gloucestershire |
| Fire | Gloucestershire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Location edit
It lies in the North West edge of the Royal Forest, bordering with Herefordshire, about three miles from Cinderford, and about two miles from Mitcheldean.
Population edit
In the 2001 census, Drybrook had a population of 2,855.[1] This includes 1,391 men and 1,464 women. There are 1,146 households in the village. By the 2011 census the population had increased to 3,052.[2]
Amenities edit
The village has a range of amenities, including a butcher, chemist, general stores, hairdresser, post office, fish and chips shop, builder's merchant, doctor's surgery, nursery school, primary school, and a bus service to Gloucester and surrounding areas.
The nearest secondary school is Dene Magna School, which is in Mitcheldean. Drybrook has a rugby club, which is at the top of the High Street,[3] and it also has a football club on Harrow Hill. Among the villages in the Forest of Dean, Drybrook has been voted one of the best villages to live in, for its scenery and leisure.[4]
Education edit
Drybrook School, which is the village's only school, is a primary school for pupils of ages 4 years to 11 years.[5] The nearest secondary school is Dene Magna Community School, which is in Abenhall, by Mitcheldean. Dene Magna Community School is about 1 mile from Drybrook.
Royal Forest edit
Drybrook is also known as a royal hunting ground,[6] where the white deer, and, according to legend a black panther roamed. Unfortunately, the white deer was killed after being hit down and then trophy hunters cut off its head, but the police have not caught the person responsible.[7] Drybrook also had a good supply of coal and stone. As Drybrook grew, so did its boundary, and it grew to include a small village called Harrow Hill (or as most locals call it, Harry Hill). The village's first modern church, The Holy Trinity Church, was built on Harrow Hill in 1817.[8] The church's location is on the way to Mitcheldean.
Mechanical Organ Museum edit
The Mechanical Organ Museum is situated at the north end of the village, on the road to Lea and Ross-on-Wye. It has been called "a unique collection of mechanical music spanning the last 150 years, hidden away on the edge of the Forest of Dean. Mechanical organs, polyphons, pianola, automatic piano, electronic organs & musical boxes".[9]
Climate edit
The Forest of Dean has been known for warm summers and cold winters. Some of the extremes that have been recorded in Drybrook are 36.6 °C in August 2003 European heat wave and -16 °C in January 2010. Snow and rain have also been a problem in the village: for example, in the winter of 2005, six inches of snow fell in a few hours, causing horrific traffic problems. And the Gloucestershire Floods of 2007 were also a major problem for the village. The averages are pretty much normal for Drybrook as they would be for most of the south of England, but in the winter it may change as Drybrook is on higher ground than other towns and cities in the surrounding area. For example, in January, the average high temperature in Drybrook is 3 °C while in Gloucester the average low temperature is 7 °C.
Drybrook experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The information below is Gloucester's climate.
| Climate data for Drybrook, (Gloucester) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8 (46) |
9 (48) |
11 (52) |
14 (57) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
19 (66) |
15 (59) |
11 (52) |
7 (45) |
14.8 (58.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3 (37) |
4 (39) |
4 (39) |
6 (43) |
8 (46) |
12 (54) |
13 (55) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
6 (43) |
4 (39) |
7.7 (45.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 63.2 (2.49) |
51.2 (2.02) |
46.5 (1.83) |
77.7 (3.06) |
45.9 (1.81) |
52.3 (2.06) |
43.3 (1.70) |
53.9 (2.12) |
63.4 (2.50) |
93.3 (3.67) |
69.5 (2.74) |
77.8 (3.06) |
738 (29.1) |
| Source: [10] | |||||||||||||
Severn and Wye Railway edit
Drybrook Road railway station railway station closed in 1943.[11]
References edit
- ^ "2001 Census: Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts: Area: Drybrook CP (Parish)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
- ^ "Parish population 2011". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ "Drybrook Rugby Football Club". Drybrook Rugby Football Club. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "The Squirrels - Drybrook". Bell Homes. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Drybrook school". Drybrook school. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Forest of Dean: Introduction Pages 285-294 A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5, Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, the Forest of Dean". Victoria County History. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "White stag killed in the Forest". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Our History". Holy Trinity Church, Drybrook. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Forest of Dean Mechanical Organ Museum". Visitor UK. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Monthly averages for Gloucester". August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
- ^ "Drybrook Road". Forest of Dean Railways. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
External links edit
- photos of Drybrook and surrounding area on geograph
- Dean - towns - Drybrook
- Forest Web - Drybrook
- Drybrook RFC
- Holy Trinity Church - Drybrook
- Drybrook Band