Ruardean (St. John the Baptist)
RUARDEAN (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Ross, hundred of St. Briavell's, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 6ΒΌ miles (N. W.) from Newnham; containing 929 inhabitants. It comprises about 1600 acres; the soil is various, and the substratum contains good limestone and coal. The surface is generally elevated, extending along a lofty ridge overlooking the river Wye, and the scenery in some parts is beautifully picturesque. A small brook called Bishop's Brook forms a boundary between Ruardean and the county of Hereford, and the Severn and Wye railway passes through the parish. The living is in the gift of the Precentor of Hereford Cathedral: the church is partly Norman, but principally of later date, and the west window is finely enriched with tracery. The Independents have a place of worship. There are a few remaining fragments of an ancient castle.
Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.