Edward Hunt's Forest of Dean Miscellany

In the centre of the plateau is the shaft of the Wigpool Iron Mine which ceased to operate in 1918. The shaft was sunk through 300 feet of Coal Measure sandstones and 200 feet of Drybrook Sandstone before reaching pockets of iron ore in the Crease Limestone some was also found in the Lower Dolomite, and the underground workings under Wigpool Common are said to be quite extensive. There are many entrances to underground workings in a ‘scowles’ area between Lining Wood and Wigpool Common. The bizarre shapes of these ancient workings for iron ore may be well seen in the Devil’s Chapel on the other side of the Forest at Bream. Similar ‘scowles’ can be seen on the eastern side of Wigpool Common where the outcrop of the Carboniferous Limestone occurs. One such ‘scowle’, known locally as ‘The Yankee Cinema’, was used during the war as an open-air cinema by American Troops stationed nearby. Little did the old miners know that their underground delvings would later provide a natural stage and auditorium for foreign soldiers.

Source: Geology Explained in the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley, by William Dreghorn, published by David & Charles in 1968      

Keywords:

American Troops, auditorium, Bream, Carboniferous Limestone, Coal Measure Sandstone, Crease Limestone, delvings, Devil’s Chapel, Drybrook Sandstone, iron ore, Lining Wood,  Lower Dolomite,  miners, outcrop, scowles, soldiers, Wigpool, Wigpool Common, Wigpool Iron Mine, Yankee Cinema