Ruardean
Ruardean is a town in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the west of Cinderford. It is located on a hill with sights west towards the mountains of South Wales. Little currently stays of the town's industrial history, once it was a centre for iron ore smelting heaters, forges and also coal mines. The Norman castle, currently little greater than a pile, regulated the shortest route from Gloucester Castle to the Welsh Marches as well as the Wye Valley. The village has actually been, in times past, an important centre of iron and coal mining, though little evidence continues to be of this facet of the village's background. The major historic landmark of the village is Ruardyn Castle, close to the parish church. In the past the town was spelt as Ruardyn as well as became part of Herefordshire. Nowadays the town lies inside Gloucestershire and becomes part of the Forest of Dean area. Like much of the surrounding location, Ruardean has actually historically been fairly poor; the 1831 demographics records 127 households, with half the populace used in agriculture and 160 individuals on poor alleviation.
