From the earliest times the people of the Forest of Dean have relied on what nature provided, the woods and pastures, the iron, stone and coal.

Over the centuries, old industries have disappeared and traditions changed. The Dean Heritage Centre grew out of public concern to preserve the history of this unique area. In 1979, the Royal Forest of Dean Rotary Club called a meeting to explore the possibility of setting up a museum to conserve what remained. A committee was established which organised travelling exhibitions, collected objects and investigated sites for a Museum of the Forest.

In 1981, the Dean Heritage Museum Trust through the generosity of the Joiner family and the Forest of Dean District Council, acquired Camp Mill in Upper Soudley. At that time, Camp Mill, a former iron foundry site, was being used as a car breaker's yard; work started on transforming the near derelict 19th century mill building ( which at one time had housed a corn and later, a leatherboard mill) into a Museum, which first opened its doors to the public in 1983.

With the generous support of the Foresters, the Museum has continued to grow and develop over the years. In 2002, it received £500,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to refurbish its exhibition space and storage facilities. This has resulted in more treasures being donated into the Museum's safe keeping and allowing the story of the Forest's history communicated to the widest possible audience.