Ruardean
Ruardean is a town in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the west of Cinderford. It is positioned on a hillside with views west in the direction of the mountains of South Wales. Little bit now remains of the town's commercial background, but once it was a centre for iron ore smelting heating systems, forges and coal mines. The Norman castle, currently bit more than a pile, commanded the shortest route from Gloucester Castle to the Welsh Marches and also the Wye Valley. The village has been, in times past, a crucial centre of iron and also coal mining, however little evidence remains of this facet of the village's history. The primary historical landmark of the town is Ruardyn Castle, near to the parish church. In the past the town was meant as Ruardyn as well as was part of Herefordshire. Nowadays the town exists inside Gloucestershire and also belongs to the Forest of Dean district. Like much of the bordering location, Ruardean has actually traditionally been fairly poor; the 1831 demographics records 127 families, with half the population used in agriculture as well as 160 people on inadequate alleviation.
