IKBR Ltd Reaching Out, Reaching Up in & around Llandogo

The Village of Littledean in the county of GloucestershireThe village was once the site of Roman occupation, and the remains of the Roman temple can be seen in the grounds of the Hall. Even earlier, the hillside to the east of the village was the site of an ancient encampment and the hillside still bears traces of the banks and ditches of the fortifications. Littledean grew up at the centre of a network of ancient Forest tracks (notably the Roman road which led up from the ford and ferry at Newnham). By 1086 a motte & bailey castle, known in later times as the Old castle of Dene, had been built on a hill to the east, in a commanding position above the village and the valley leading up from the Severn plain. Littledean gradually became a centre of local industry, especially iron making and associated metal trades.

Littledean's Church of St Ethlebert was built in the late 12th century with the tower added in the 14th century. Today this has a rather truncated appearance, because the tower originally had a spire which was destroyed in a severe gale in 1894 and never rebuilt. Other buildings of interest are the Red House an early building, possibly with a Norman Core, the Old Coaching Inn and Littledean Hall. Also known as Dean Hall, this is reputed to be the oldest known house in Gloucestershire. The present house is 16ht century in date, with an early17th century north wing and a mid 19th century top story. Within the grounds of Littledean Hall is a Roman temple, sited at a springhead on the edge of the Forest escarpment. It was only discovered in the early 1980's and subsequent archaeological excavation revealed a complex history. Perhaps the most interesting artifact from the site is a piece of sandstone which has a primitive face carved on one side. This was found on the site in 1991 and is of Celtic origin. As the Romans often adopted local religions and sacred sites, it is thought that Littledean temple was built as a water shrine dedicated to the. deity of the River Severn and its bore, for the site has excellent views of the great horseshoe bend in the river.

The most noticeable building in the village is Littledean Gaol, an imposing structure designed by the London architect William Blackburn using locally quarried red sandstone, it was one of four identical gaols built in the country by Sir George Onesiphorus Paul in 1791 and is easily the best preserved. The public can visit it by prior arrangement.