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Bullo Pill

Newnham, Gloucestershire£799,000 Freehold

Bullo Pill

Newnham, Gloucestershire£799,000 Freehold

An elegantly symmetrical arrangement of a five-window façade, adorned with two stone mullioned casements each

Surrounded by beautifully planted gardens and rolling fields, this handsome Grade II-listed house is set on the edge of the village of Newnham on Severn in Gloucestershire on the edge of the Forest of Dean. Constructed in the mid-19th century, the house comprises a smart Flemish bond red brick façade with stone mullion windows laid out in a striking symmetrical arrangement across gable frontage. Arranged over three floors stretching to around 3,500 sq ft, the house has been extensively renovated, carefully preserving many original features while introducing an atmospheric colour scheme that complements the honeyed-toned floorboards running throughout most of the house. Natural light pours through stone mullion and arched sash windows, drawing the eye to the pastoral surroundings.

Setting the Scene

The village of Newnham and the surrounding villages were once a thriving area of maritime commerce, with the nearby Severn estuary acting as a conduit for goods and produce in and out of the Bristol Channel. Reputedly built by the village harbour master, the expansive arched cellar spaces below the house were rumoured to have been used for more nefarious commerce in the 19th century in the form of goods smuggling. Despite auspicious origins, a period of borderline dereliction in the late 20th century saw the house almost lost. Thankfully in new ownership, it was saved and carefully restored and renewed, creating a period house with many quietly modern interventions. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

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History

The Forest of Dean and surrounding areas have for centuries been valued for their natural resources, not just for their timber but also for the valuable minerals native to the site. Despite its abundant reserves of both resources, the area’s isolation from potential markets and the presence of only a few scarcely passable roads posed a significant disadvantage, while rugged terrain rendered it unsuitable for the construction of canals, which were extensively built elsewhere.

Bullo Pill, situated on the Severn, started as a small tidal creek branching off the main river and was primarily used for boat construction. However, it underwent development in the 19th century to combat the lack of goods transport from the Forest, and a dock basin with lock gates and loading wharves for shipping goods was built. The dock facilitated the loading of coal, iron and stone from the Forest, which could then be transported via Severn trows in either direction along the river.

A private tramway was constructed to enhance transportation further, spanning from Bullo Pill to Cinderford Bridge—the tramway exclusively employed horse-drawn traffic, utilising privately owned four-wheeled wagons designed according to approved specifications. The tunnel at Haie Hill stretched for an impressive 1,083 yards, reputedly making it the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time. Interestingly, a tunnel was conceived to run under the wide-set Severn, and digging commenced on the bank between Bullo Pill and Newnham. The tunnel had been extended 226 yards, approximately halfway, but construction came to a halt in November 1812 due to water influx and never recommenced.

Starting in the late 1890s, shipments from Bullo Pill experienced a decline, and the dock saw its final cargo depart in 1926. Over time, the lock gates deteriorated, leading to the silting up of the basin. Eventually, the coal-loading chute was dismantled. Passenger service on the railway began in 1907. However, passenger operations on the line ceased in 1958, while the transportation of goods persisted until the entire branch was closed in 1967.

Bullo Pill — Newnham, Gloucestershire
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Bullo Pill

£799,000

Sold: Bullo Pill, Newnham, Gloucestershire