Hello - we are looking for information on The Laurels on the High Street, Ruardean. We've found one partial old photo of the house online (taken from the Church looking East) but wondered if anyone could tell us who it was originally built for or whether there are any other photos of the house in existence? Thank you :)

British Newspapers on Line - Gloucester Citizen 25 March 1904

EVANS, March 23, at Laurels, Ruardean, James EVANS, late Bell Hotel, aged 76 years

(the newspaper on his death, say he was kindly genial manner, and after his retirement from the Bell Hotel he filled the office of Churchwarden.

followed not long after by

4 October 1904

EVANS, Oct 3 - at The Laurels, Ruardean, Eliza JANE, daughter of the later James EVANS

(these burials are on this website records)

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Ross Gazette - Thursday 10 October 1912

A girl named Gwendoline Maud Emily Evans, aged 16 years has been missing from her home without any apparent cause since Saturday morning. Her parents, who reside at the Laurels, Ruardean, will be grateful for any information as to the whereabouts of the girl.

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If you use the Advance Search - Eliza EVANS, burial is listed 1904 and with

1967 - Margaret Eileen BRAIN, The Laurels, Woodside, Ruardean

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On a happier note: by using the Advance Search - 29 Jun 1920

Joseph Reginald EVANS (occupation: Engineer - and his wife Harriett - residence: The Laurels Ruardean - baptised their son Joseph Reginald EVANS at Ruardean),

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Census returns - directories etc etc - are on Ancestry, Find My Past etc.

Thank you so much - that's really helpful :) We're just starting to find our way around how to find the history of a house and I'm hoping to unearth some old photos :)

There seems to be quite a number of hits for the Laurels, Ruardean

One being quite an interesting advert in the Ross Gazette - 24 October 1907

Don't think we can attach photos... , it's all about a sale, Tuesday next

The Laurels, Ruardean, six miles from Ross

Mr W H FOOTITT has been favoured with instructions from Mr Henry WITHERS who is leaving the district, to SELL BY AUCTION, as above

Farming Stock, Also Household Furniture and Effects. Assume we are talking about the same house, the list of furniture is amazing. e.g. Cottage Pianoforte in Walnut.

Have to look at LLoyds George Land Survey 1908 - which is on the net.

Lloyd George Land Survey 1908 - which is on the net

and I've searched for EVANS - Ruardean

EVANS, Joseph Penn

has 6 hits in Ruardean

House & Garden, The Laurels
stables & buildings, near Bell Hotel
agricultural land, Turners Tump
agricultural land, Crooked end
agricultural land, Crooked eng
agricultural land, Church Meadow

If you click on each one, this will tell you the size, and value etc. and the reference on the end - gives the link to the maps - and hopefully, most places have been added, and you can see the actual ordnance survey map.

If the Google

The Laurels, Ruardean

Under the website:

herefordshirehistory.org.uk

actual heading reads

RG2212 The Laurels, Ruardean, 5th July 1984

There is a colour photo taken on that date - and it seems they are selling prints of different sizes of this house and beautiful front garden.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much - this is exactly what we were looking for! Thank you for all your trouble :)

The photo really is a stroke of luck for you, it's beautiful.

My x Grandad William WICKENDEN was in Ruardean between 1878 and 1880 then back again to Blakeney.

I've just searched the Catalogue on the Gloucestershire Records Office

and they hold this

Deeds of The Laurels, Ruardean (formerly Church Meadow and 4 cottages)

1873-1988

Date: 1873-1988

Description: Original Bundle

Finding Reference: D7741/Bundle 5

Held at : Gloucestershire Archives

Number of items: 1 bundle

Level: Item

Orderable: YES

On the left of their page is

ACTION:

Contact us about this item

Print catalogue entry

Email catalogue entry

Add to saved records.

One little extra bit of info, Claude W Parnell who was the son of the Ruardean vicar from the early 1900s was a keen amateur photographer and lived across the road from the Laurels. There's a chapter about him in Leonard Clark's first book of reminiscences.