Ruardyn Castle

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Ruardyn Castle
Ruardean

Ruardyn castle is in the village of Ruardyn, now known as Ruardean. It has been scheduled as an ancient monument. [1]

Ruardean village in United Kingdom

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 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.

Ancient monument monument of ancient days

In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. The term differs from the American term "national monument" in that U.S. National Monuments are comparatively few in number and may include natural formations; British ancient monuments are by definition manmade.

It was originally a manor house built in Norman times, but because of its strategic importance it was crenellated in 1311 and became a castle. [2] The surviving evidence suggests the site comprised a courtyard, flanked by short ranges of buildings to the north east and south west, with a tower in the western corner. A gatehouse stood to the south east, with a hollow way leading from it towards the parish church. The site was probably enclosed by a curtain wall. [2] The castle suffered major damage during the English Civil war in the 17th century. [3]

Manor house country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor

A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with manorial tenants and great banquets. The term is today loosely applied to various country houses, frequently dating from the late medieval era, which formerly housed the gentry.

Norman conquest of England 11th-century invasion and conquest of England by Normans

The Norman conquest of England was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French soldiers led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqueror.

Castle Fortified residential structure of medieval Europe

A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls, arrowslits, and portcullises, were commonplace.

Nowadays, little remains of the castle, just large mounds with some stone wall surviving on the steep bank side. By the size of the landscape that it once stood, it is suggested that it was of considerable size. To find it go down the lane next to St. John the Baptist church and it is in a field behind. [4]

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References

  1. "Ruardean Castle". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Ruardean Castle". Gatehouse. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. "Ruardean Castle". Dean Web. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  4. "MONUMENT NO. 111753". Pastscape. Historic England.

Coordinates: 51°51′27″N2°33′05″W / 51.8576°N 2.5515°W / 51.8576; -2.5515

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.