Ruardean is a town in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the west of Cinderford. It is positioned on a hill with views west towards the hills of South Wales. Little now continues to be of the town's commercial background, but once it was a centre for iron ore smelting heaters, forges and also coal mines. The Norman castle, now little bit greater than a mound, regulated the shortest route from Gloucester Castle to the Welsh Marches as well as the Wye Valley. The village has been, in times past, a vital centre of iron and also coal mining, though little evidence continues to be of this aspect of the village's history. The primary historical site of the town is Ruardyn Castle, close to the parish church. In the past the village was meant as Ruardyn and belonged to Herefordshire. Nowadays the town exists inside Gloucestershire as well as is part of the Forest of Dean area. Like much of the surrounding location, Ruardean has historically been relatively bad; the 1831 demographics documents 127 family members, with half the population used in farming as well as 160 people on poor relief.