Ruardean Woodside’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Ruardean Woodside’s built-up area.
49% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Ruardean WoodsideGloucestershire
Home to 317 people, this village lies in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Stuart Wilding · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
317
Census 2021 · Forest of Dean council
Median home
£368K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.5
25% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
2%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ruardean Woodside a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Ruardean Woodside has no grades; its figures are still real. 2% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Nearly half of homes were built before 1919. Mortgage-free owners make up 57% of households.
What makes Ruardean Woodside stand out
The 3 things Ruardean Woodside does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
2% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
49% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
57% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ruardean Woodside.
Work & commute
The car carries 94% of commuters in Ruardean Woodside, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
2%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: just over a quarter of workers, below Gloucestershire’s towns (32%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. Just over a third of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. A household here earns £50K a year before tax, on average.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot2%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Ruardean Woodside is a town of owners: 95% of households own their home, above Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
£368Kmedian sale
The median sale price was £368K, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (£347K) and England’s towns (£308K). The private rented sector houses 5% of households. Private rents average £828 a month across the Forest of Dean council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ruardean Woodside£368K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £385,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £360,000 | 7 |
95%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£828
average private rent a month, Forest of Dean council area
£2,387
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Ruardean Woodside records less violent crime per resident than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns, at 9.1 per 1,000 a year
9.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage came to 2.6 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (8.1) and England’s towns (9.4). Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.9 reports per 1,000, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (9.2) and England’s towns (7.8).
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
9.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
0
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Ruardean Woodside live with a disability than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 14%
82%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Ruardean Woodside is Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, 13.4 miles away. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.2 miles off. At the census, 5.4% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Ruardean Woodside | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
78.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Ruardean Woodside keeps more of its old housing than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 49% built before 1919
1listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Ruardean Woodside has 32 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Its heritage register entries (1 listed building) are all Grade II.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
49%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
32
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Ruardean Woodside than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
51.5median age
Aged 15 to 24: one in ten residents. People 65 and over make up a quarter of the town, above Gloucestershire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The middle age in Ruardean Woodside is 51.5. Also worth knowing: among adults, 32% have a degree.
Ruardean WoodsideGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ruardean Woodside | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ruardean Woodside
13pages on Ruardean Woodside
The big questions
Safety9.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £368K · rent £828 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Farm RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 78.9 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commute47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Lea Bailey Light Railway and 3 more in and around Ruardean Woodside
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ruardean Woodside. Best known first.
Heritage railwayLea Bailey Light Railway2.7 km outside town, to the northeastArt galleryArt galleryForest of Dean Sculpture Trail4.2 km outside town, to the southZooZooCoppett Hill Butterfly Site4.8 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionLittledean Jail5 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Lea Bailey Light Railway: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Ruardean Woodside
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Ruardean Woodside is a built-up area of 317 people, in the Forest of Dean council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 317 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Forest of Dean
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004280
Ruardean Woodside’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RuardeanDrybrookWelsh BicknorCinderfordMitcheldeanRuspidgeBroadwell and CoalwayRuardean Woodside
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruardean Woodside | 317 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ruardean | 1,195 | 0.7 | — | A− | B+ | C+ |
| Drybrook | 2,572 | 1.2 | C | B | C+ | C+ |
| Welsh Bicknor | 1,988 | 1.7 | — | B | B+ | B− |
| Cinderford | 8,778 | 2.5 | C | A− | C− | C− |
| Mitcheldean | 2,163 | 2.6 | — | B+ | C+ | C |
| Ruspidge | 2,431 | 3.2 | — | A− | B− | C− |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 4.1 | C+ | B | B− | C |
Ruardean, Welsh Bicknor, Mitcheldean and Ruspidge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ruardean Woodside
How many listed buildings are there in Ruardean Woodside?
1 on Historic England’s list. That is 1.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Ruardean Woodside expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £360,000 and detached houses £385,000.
How much is council tax in Ruardean Woodside?
Band D council tax in Ruardean Woodside is £2,387 for 2026–27, less than in 61% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.