Ruardean
Ruardean is a village in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the west of Cinderford. It is situated on a hillside with views west towards the hills of South Wales. Little bit now remains of the village's industrial background, but once it was a centre for iron ore smelting heaters, builds and coal mines. The Norman castle, currently little more than a pile, commanded the shortest route from Gloucester Castle to the Welsh Marches as well as the Wye Valley. The village has been, in times past, an important centre of iron and also coal mining, though little evidence continues to be of this facet of the town's history. The main historical landmark of the village is Ruardyn Castle, near to the parish church. In the past the town was spelt as Ruardyn and also belonged to Herefordshire. Nowadays the village exists inside Gloucestershire and also becomes part of the Forest of Dean district. Like much of the surrounding location, Ruardean has traditionally been reasonably inadequate; the 1831 demographics records 127 family members, with half the population employed in farming and also 160 people on poor alleviation.
