Ruardean

Last updated

Ruardean
Church of St John the Baptist, Ruardean - geograph.org.uk - 1303094.jpg
Gloucestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ruardean
Location within Gloucestershire
Population1,399 (2011) [1]
OS grid reference SO621175
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Ruardean
Postcode district GL17
Police Gloucestershire
Fire Gloucestershire
Ambulance South Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Gloucestershire
51°51′15″N2°32′59″W / 51.854204°N 2.549622°W / 51.854204; -2.549622

Ruardean is a village in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the North West of Cinderford. It is situated on a hillside with views west towards the mountains of South Wales. Little now remains of the village's industrial history, but once it was a centre for iron-ore smelting furnaces, forges and coal mines. The Norman castle, now little more than a mound, commanded the shortest route from Gloucester Castle to the Welsh Marches and the Wye Valley.

Contents

History

The village has been, in times past, an important centre of iron and coal mining, though little evidence remains of this aspect of the village's history. The main historical landmark of the village is Ruardyn Castle, near to the parish church. In the past the village was spelt as Ruardyn and was part of Herefordshire. Nowadays the village lies inside Gloucestershire and is part of the Forest of Dean district. Like much of the surrounding area, Ruardean has historically been relatively poor; the 1831 census records 127 families, with half the population employed in agriculture and 160 people on poor relief. [2]

St John the Baptist's Church, dating from 1111 AD, is the village's centrepiece and main landmark, including a nave, chancel, tower and spire added in the 14th century and a chapel added in 1798. The church is a Grade II* listed building. [3] A manor house which once stood in the field behind the church was crenellated in 1310 to become Ruardyn Castle but this was largely destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's troops in the English Civil War.

Ruardean's Congregationalist minister in the early 19th century was Reverend John Horlick. His relatives, James and William, born in Ruardean, were the inventors of the hot malt drink Horlicks. [4] The shed in which they first developed the technique of producing dried milk with malt, in the 1860s, still stands behind the Malt Shovel public house on the high street. [2]

"Who killed the bears?"

A notable event in the village's history occurred on 26 April 1889. Four Frenchmen and their two tame bears were making their way to Ruardean, having performed in Cinderford. They were attacked by a mob, enraged by rumours that the bears had killed a child and injured a woman. The bears were killed and the Frenchmen badly beaten. It soon became clear that the bears had not attacked anyone. Police proceedings followed, and 13 colliers and labourers appeared before magistrates at Littledean a week later, charged with ill-treating and killing the bears, and assaulting the Frenchmen. All but two were found guilty on one or more charges, with another convicted a week later. A total of £85 (equivalent to £9,995in 2021) was paid in fines. A subscription was also launched which generously compensated the Frenchmen.

The question "Who killed the bears?" was used for many years as an insult, directed particularly towards people from Ruardean, despite the fact that all those convicted were from Cinderford. This caused a long-term feud between the inhabitants of the town and village. [5] [6]

Education

Ruardean's first school was established in 1774, providing 43 places in 1833. Modern-day Ruardean contains one school, the Ruardean Church of England Primary School, with 90 pupils. The nearest secondary school is the Dene Magna Community School in Mitcheldean. There is also a second primary school nearby, in Ruardean Woodside.

Sport

The village has a Men's football club named Ruardean United. The club plays its home matches at Ruardean Memorial Ground. They compete in North Gloucestershire Division 2.

Nearby places

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire</span> County of England

Gloucestershire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire to the east, Wiltshire to the south, Bristol and Somerset to the south-west, and the Welsh county of Monmouthshire to the west. The city of Gloucester is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest of Dean</span> Geographical, historical and cultural region in England

The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinderford</span> Human settlement in England

Cinderford is a town and civil parish on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. The population was 8,777 at the 2021 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest of Dean District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Forest of Dean is a local government district in west Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns and villages in the district include Blakeney, Cinderford, Drybrook, English Bicknor, Huntley, Littledean, Longhope, Lydbrook, Lydney, Mitcheldean, Newnham and Newent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Briavels</span> Village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England

St Briavels, is a medium-sized village and civil parish in the Royal Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England; close to the England-Wales border, and 5 miles (8 km) south of Coleford. It stands almost 800 feet (240 m) above sea level on the edge of a limestone plateau above the valley of the River Wye, above an ancient meander of the river. To the west, Cinder Hill drops off sharply into the valley. It is sheltered behind the crumbling walls of the 12th century St Briavels Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvington, Gloucestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Alvington is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, situated on the A48 road, six miles north-east of Chepstow in Wales. The parish had a total population of 506 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitcheldean</span> Human settlement in England

Mitcheldean is a market town in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydbrook</span> Human settlement in England

Lydbrook is a civil parish in the Forest of Dean, a local government district in the English county of Gloucestershire and is located in the Wye Valley. It is on the north west edge of the Forest of Dean's present legal boundary proper. It comprises the districts of Lower Lydbrook, Upper Lydbrook, Joys Green and Worrall Hill. It has a mile and a half long high street, reputed to be the longest high street of any village in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drybrook</span> Human settlement in England

Drybrook is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruardean Woodside</span> Human settlement in England

Ruardean Woodside is a village in Gloucestershire, England, located in the Forest of Dean and tucked away behind Ruardean Hill and Brierley. There is a primary school and a village hall. The Roebuck was the last of the local pubs to close.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam Mills</span> Human settlement in England

Steam Mills is a village in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pludds</span> Human settlement in England

The Pludds is a hamlet in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. Lydbrook and Joys Green are to the west, Ruardean is to the north, and Ruardean Woodside is to the east. The Pludds has a village hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Horlick</span> American businessman (1846–1936)

William Horlick, Sr. was an English-born food manufacturer and the original patent holder of malted milk. He emigrated to the United States in 1869, settling in Racine, Wisconsin. There he started a food company with his brother, James. Horlick was a well-known philanthropist in the Racine area. He was also a major sponsor of the Racine Legion, which played in the National Football League from 1922 until 1924. He died 25 September 1936 at the age of ninety.

The Cinderford Canal was a private canal, opened in about 1797, in Gloucestershire, England, which was used to provide coke and water to Cinderford Ironworks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinderford Ironworks</span> Historic site in England, UK

Cinderford Ironworks, also known as Cinderford Furnace, was a coke-fired blast furnace, built in 1795, just west of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.

Ruardyn Castle was a manor house in the village of Ruardean. Its ruins have been scheduled as an ancient monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir James Horlick, 4th Baronet</span>

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir James Nockells Horlick, 4th Baronet, OBE, MC (1886–1972) was the second son of Sir James Horlick, first holder of the Horlick Baronetcy, of Cowley Manor in the County of Gloucester, England, and Margaret Adelaide Burford. James, the 1st Baronet, was co-inventor of Horlicks Malted Milk drink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir James Horlick, 1st Baronet</span>

Sir James Horlick, 1st Baronet DL (1844–1921) was, with his brother William (1846–1936), the co-founder of the malted drink Horlicks.

References

  1. ↑ "Parish population 2011" . Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Ruardean - Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire Archived 19 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II*) (1100629)". National Heritage List for England .
  4. ↑ Andrew Gardiner, The development of Horlick Malted Milk and Infant Food, The New Regard (Journal of the Forest of Dean Local History Society), no.27, 2013, pp.39-45
  5. ↑ Information taken from 'Who Killed The Bears?', by Leonard Clark. Published by Forest of Dean Newspapers Ltd, 1981.
  6. ↑ Ruardean - Who killed the bears
  7. ↑ "Horlicks Malted Milk Co" . Retrieved 16 December 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.