Speech House

Speech House is a historic building at the very heart of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, now run as a hotel with a restaurant. It stands on the road between Coleford and Cinderford and has been one of the forest's key landmarks for centuries, because the local forest court still meets here.

What is Speech House?

The building began as a royal hunting lodge and administrative base for the forest. Most accounts link its origins to the reign of Charles II in the later 17th century, although the construction date varies by source, usually given as 1669 or around 1676. The location was a deliberate choice: it sits roughly at the centre of the forest, convenient for people from all the surrounding settlements.

What was the forest court?

Since the Middle Ages the Forest of Dean has had its own customs and its own officers, the verderers, who oversaw rights to timber, grazing and the land itself. Their court was meeting in this area as early as the 14th century, at first in an older building at Kensley. The first recorded session at Speech House took place in 1676. The verderers held wide local powers, and some of these passed to the Magistrates Court in 1914.

What happened here?

In 1688 Speech House was badly damaged during a riot. Local inhabitants of the Dean were protesting against the enclosure of parts of the forest. Over time it stopped being a keeper's lodge and began receiving paying guests. Sources disagree on exactly when: some point to shortly before 1841, others to 1858. The enlargement to roughly its present size, around 1882, is widely reported.

What can you do here today?

Speech House operates as a hotel in the middle of the woods, and the former courtroom now serves as a restaurant. Notably, the verderers still meet here four times a year, so the tradition is unbroken after centuries. The surroundings make a good starting point for forest walks, and the building itself is worth seeing, even from outside, as an example of historic administrative architecture.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Speech House? In the centre of the Forest of Dean, on the road from Coleford to Cinderford, in Gloucestershire.

Is it still a working hotel? Yes, it houses a hotel and a restaurant in the former courtroom.

Does the forest court still meet here? Yes, the verderers hold meetings in the building four times a year.

When was it built? Sources give different dates in the second half of the 17th century; the first recorded court session was in 1676.

Can I eat at Speech House without staying overnight? The restaurant occupies the former courtroom, but check current opening hours and booking rules with the venue first.