A dock at Lydney opened in the early 1800s and at its peak saw some 300,000 tons of coal exported annually from here in more than 2000 vessels. An outer harbour was completed in 1821; originally for sailing ships, it is a rare example of an unspoilt 19th Century harbour. In the 1980s it was protected by English Heritage, becoming a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The first lighting to be installed here was in 1886 and the harbour lamp is one of the original gas lamps.
