Ruardean is a village in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, to the North West of Cinderford.

Little now remains of the village's industrial history, but once it was a centre for iron-ore smelting furnaces, forges and coal mines.

[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.

His relatives, James and William, born in Ruardean, were the inventors of the hot malt drink Horlicks.

They were attacked by a mob, enraged by rumours that the bears had killed a child and injured a woman.

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.