The Forest of Dean’s beech and oak trees were vital for British shipbuilding – most notably for vessels to defend against the Spanish Armada in 1588. By the 1800s, however, poor forest management led to a lack of ship-quality wood, a move denounced as “deplorable” by British naval officer Lord Nelson. In 1808, Parliament passed the Dean Forest (Timber) Act, which included the provision for the monarchy to enclose and re-seed 11,000 acres of the forest. The commoners saw this as a contravention of their rights to mine, graze and collect wood and this led to riots in 1831. Today, timber felling is managed by the Forestry Commission and occurs only in clearly defined areas of the forest, such as this one near Bradley Hill. (Credit: David Stock)