Up to the 1890's the population either worked in the mines, quarries, forestry or on one of the small farms in the area. More jobs were created when the "Patent Fuel Company" and later the "Pin Factory" opened in the neighbouring village of Whitecroft.
 In the 1920's with the opening of the New Road from Whitecroft to Lydney and the starting of local buses. More of the people of the villages around Lydney like Pillowell sought to seek employment further afield. 
Today Pillowell is just a Dormitory village, except for a few self employed people and small cleaning company. There are no shops left in the village, the villagers have to travel either to the neighbouring villages or towns for all their needs.

Over the last 60 years there has been many changes in the village. At onetime there were two pubs, The "Foresters" on the Upper Road and the "Swan" on the Main Road, and a lot of small shops. The village has been made a conservation area which means there is a tighter control on buildings, cutting and planting of vegetation, unfortunately the village has become a wilderness. The open grass land where I played as child is now overgrown with gorse, nettles, thistles and scrubby trees and briar. With no sheep in the village to keep the above under control nature has gone wild.

About 60 years ago starting from the Swan and going towards the next village "Yorkley" you would have passed the old mine shaft of "Random Shot" pit on the right. Continuing  on  was the wooden Barbers shop,( now destroyed), opposite this on the right the remains of yet another old mine "Pillowell Level" this went into the side of the hill. It was in this mine that my Great Uncle died by suffocation. The entrance to this mine, can be seen in the old 1910 photo, it is the archway on the right. As can be seen in the latest photo, all signs of it has gone,  it is now a field.  To the right of this is the lane leading to the "The New Norchard" mine.  In the 1930's as the miners from Yorkley and Pillowell were walking three miles above ground to get to "The Norchard " colliery which is near Lydney, then walking back underground 3 to 4 miles to start work at the coal face, under Yorkley and beyond, it was decided to drive through on an incline up from the underground roadway, to make a new entrance from the old workings. This then became the main entry for miners and extraction of coal. Today the "Old Norchard" Is the site of the Forest of Dean Railway, and the "New Norchard" is now the site of a Cleaning Service Company. 
Proceeding towards Yorkley following the Main road, you come to "Allibasters" sweet shop, going farther up the Main road on the right was Mr Powells  "Cobblers shop". 
Next on the opposite side was  " Hursts" General Stores, where you could get anything from Grocery to Furniture then you come to three more shops, Sid Lewis'  Post Office and Grocery's, Mr Wilces Grocery shop and then Mrs James Sweet shop. All these shops have gone and are now private houses.
Travelling on you come to the site of an old quarry, that has been built upon where "Willetts' coaches are garaged. The father of the present owner started the business with a large car taking passengers to the "Speech House" on Speech House Day. Later he had a lorry with seats which he used to take miners to work.  This is an old Forest of Dean family from the
Yorkley, Pillowell area dating back to the 1700's 
      On the upper road past the "Forester pub", you would have eventually reached the Methodist Chapel; this was built in the 1800's. It is a two story building set into the side of the hill.  Just past the Chapel was the Co-op Shop and Bakery. The old Co-op shop was originally a Chapel. When the Bakery closed it became the village hall. Continue along this road and you come to Mr Prices Farm and Coal Yard, opposite was Fred Wards " Cobblers Shop" and bit further was Mr Fennell's Sweet Shop in a short distance you rejoin the Main Road. At this point there were three more shops, Sonny Kears' Bakery, Ron Jones ' Butchers shop and Mr Price's grocery shop. All these have now disappeared, the butchers is a private house; the Bakery and adjoining shop has been demolish and house's are being built there. 

This is now Lower Yorkley, continuing our journey into Yorkley we leave the Main road and procceed up Stag Hill, passing Crown Lane where an old public house use to be. We then come to The Stag Inn. Moving on up the hill we pass on the left the Baptist Church which is now a private house. Going on we reach the George Inn, opposite is the Yorkley Onward Band Hall, just above this is the Royal Oak Inn, all these Inns are now private houses. Here also is The Fish and Chip Shop, again this is a private house now. On up the hill we pass on the left the Old Co-op Gents outfitters this is today the Post office and store. Next we reach the crossroads where the Bailey Pub is and is still a pub today. at these crossroads the left turn goes back down the hill to Parkend pass Mrs Ellways Sweet shop, The Yorkley Co-op, and The Co-op Butchers. The right turning at the crossroads leads to Lydney pass Mrs Gunters Sweet shop, Yorkley schools, and Thompsons garage at the Barn. Straight over goes to Blakeney passing the Institute on the left, opposite is the Police Station and then Stan Willetts' Coal Yard, next is the Post Office. Going on down the hill passing the turning Oldcroft and the Nags Head Inn (still in use today) you come to Williams and Cottons Stores and then the Methodist Chapel both these are now private house and flats.