Ruan Major is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier. It is bounded on the North by Cury, Mawgan, St Martins and St Keverne. It is bounded on the East by St Keverne and a detached part of Grade parish, on the South by Ruan Minor, and on the West by Mullion and Cury. There was a detached portion of the parish called Bednas which measured only two furlongs in length by one and a half in breadth, which is bounded on the East and South by Landewednack and on the West and North by Mullion. The main village of Grade-Ruan is Cadgwith, although this was not really ever in Ruan Major; other villages in this former parish are Treal and Ruan Vean. Because of falling population, in 1934, this parish was united with Ruan Minor and Grade to form the parish of Grade-Ruan.