Ruardean
Encyclopedia
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
.
, 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
.
Today, 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. 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
.
The church's inhabitants in the 19th century were Reverend John Horlick and his descendents, James and William, who are today known worldwide for their hot malt drink Horlicks
. The shed in which they first developed the technique of producing dried milk with malt still stands behind the Malt Shovel public house on the high street.
A notable event in the town's history occurred on 26 April, 1889. Four Frenchmen and their two bears were making their way to Ruardean, having performed in Cinderford
. They were attacked by an angry mob, enraged by claims 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 a week later 13 colliers and labourers appeared before magistrates at Littledean, 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 was paid in fines - a huge sum in those days. A subscription was also launched which generously compensated the Frenchmen.
The term 'Who killed the bears?' existed for many years as an insult, directed particularly towards the people of Ruardean, despite the fact that all those convicted were from Cinderford, and caused a long-term feud between the inhabitants of the two towns.
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
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to the west of Cinderford
Cinderford
Cinderford is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. A population of 8,116 people is recorded in the 2001 census....
. It is situated on a hillside with views west towards the mountains of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. 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
Gloucester Castle
Gloucester Castle was a castle in the cathedral city of Gloucester in the county of Gloucestershire.- Early Norman Motte & Bailey Castle :It began as a motte castle during the reign of William the Conqueror when 16 houses were demolished to make way for it. It was enlarged by William Rufus who...
to the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
and the Wye Valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
.
History
The village has been, in times past, an important centre of iron and coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, though little evidence remains of this aspect of the village's history. The main historical landmark of the village is Ruardyn Castle
Ruardyn Castle
Ruardyn castle is in the village of Ruardyn, now known as Ruardean. It was originally a manor house built in Norman times, but because of its strategic importance it was crenellated in 1310 and became a castle. The surviving evidence suggests the site comprised a courtyard, flanked by short...
, near to the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. 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
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
records 127 families, with half the population employed in agriculture and 160 people on poor relief
Poor relief
Poor Relief refers to any actions taken by either governmental or ecclesiastical bodies to relieve poverty experienced by a population. More specifically, the term poor relief is often used to discuss how European countries dealt with poverty from the time just around the end of the medieval era to...
.
Today, St. John the Baptist's Church, dating from 1111 AD, is the village's centrepiece and main landmark, including a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, tower and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
added in the 14th century and a chapel added in 1798. A manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
which once stood in the field behind the church was crenellated in 1310 to become Ruardyn Castle
Ruardyn Castle
Ruardyn castle is in the village of Ruardyn, now known as Ruardean. It was originally a manor house built in Norman times, but because of its strategic importance it was crenellated in 1310 and became a castle. The surviving evidence suggests the site comprised a courtyard, flanked by short...
but this was largely destroyed by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's troops in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
The church's inhabitants in the 19th century were Reverend John Horlick and his descendents, James and William, who are today known worldwide for their hot malt drink Horlicks
Horlicks
Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
. The shed in which they first developed the technique of producing dried milk with malt still stands behind the Malt Shovel public house on the high street.
A notable event in the town's history occurred on 26 April, 1889. Four Frenchmen and their two bears were making their way to Ruardean, having performed in Cinderford
Cinderford
Cinderford is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. A population of 8,116 people is recorded in the 2001 census....
. They were attacked by an angry mob, enraged by claims 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 a week later 13 colliers and labourers appeared before magistrates at Littledean, 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 was paid in fines - a huge sum in those days. A subscription was also launched which generously compensated the Frenchmen.
The term 'Who killed the bears?' existed for many years as an insult, directed particularly towards the people of Ruardean, despite the fact that all those convicted were from Cinderford, and caused a long-term feud between the inhabitants of the two towns.
Education
Ruardean's first school was established in 1774, providing 43 places in 1833. Modern day Ruardean contains one school, the Ruardean Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Primary School, with 90 pupils. The nearest secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
is the Dene Magna Community School
Dene Magna Community School
Dene Magna Community School is a secondary foundation school in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England, previously known as Abenhall Comprehensive School. The school is mixed, and has 745 pupils aged between 11 and 16. In 2005, the school was awarded a place on Ofsted's "Honours List" of 234...
in Mitcheldean
Mitcheldean
Mitcheldean is a small town in the east of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.-History:Mitcheldean was a thriving community for many centuries due to the town's proximity to iron ore deposits...
. There is also a second primary school nearby, in Ruardean Woodside