Ross-on-Wye
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Ross-On-Wye
Market town on the A40, situated on high grounds above the river, looking towards the Welsh hills. Inside the Market Hall at the end of the S wall there is a memorial to John Kyrle (1637–1724), the ‘Man of Ross’, celebrated by Pope in his Moral Essays, Epistle III, ‘To Lord Bathurst’ (1732), concerning the use of riches. Kyrle was a wealthy man who spent nearly all his life in Ross, where he lived in modest style and devoted his surplus income to the public good. Pope, whose poem holds up Kyrle's good works as an example of a rich man's liberality, wrote to a friend (7June 1732): ‘A small exaggeration you must allow me as a poet; yet I was determined the groundwork at least should be Truth, which made me so scrupulous in my enquiries.’ Kyrle's house, a half-timbered building in the marketplace, became the King's Arms inn after his death and was later converted into shops ((plaque) and low-relief portrait). His garden, with a summerhouse and curious ‘mosaic’ made with horses’ teeth by the poor whom he patronized, is at the back of what is, at the time of writing, an unoccupied shop. The Prospect, a public garden given by Kyrle to the people of Ross, leads off the churchyard, and the footpath, John Kyrle's Walk, offers fine views of the river and the hills. Kyrle is buried in the chancel of the church.
Coleridge stayed at the King's Arms on his tour of Wales in 1794 and wrote the lines beginning:
"Richer than miser o'er his countless hoards,
Nobler than kings or king-polluted lords,
Here dwelt the man of Ross.
"
Robert Bloomfield lodged at The Swan in the summer of 1807 when touring with friends along the Wye. Dickens met his biographer, John Forster, in the Royal Hotel (plaque) in September 1867 to discuss his proposed American tour of 1867–8. Forster was not in favour of the project, but Dickens decided to go nevertheless.
From 1920to1936 the novelist Peggy Eileen Whistler (1909–58), who wrote under the pen-name Margiad Evans, lived at Lavender Cottage, Bridstow, 3 m. W on A49, and after her marriage in 1940 her home was at nearby Llangarron. The first of her four novels, Country Dance (1932), evokes the atmosphere of the Welsh-English border and reflects her perception of all borderlands as places of torn allegiances and incessant strife.
The playwright Dennis Potter moved to Morecambe Lodge in Ross-on-Wye in 1967; he would remain until his death 27 years later. His ashes are buried in St Mary's churchyard.
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Coordinates: 51°54′50″N 2°35′13″W / 51.914°N 2.587°W
| Ross-on-Wye | |
| Welsh: Rhosan ar Wy | |
 Town centre as seen from the Market House. |
|
 Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye shown within Herefordshire |
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| Population | 10,100 [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SO597241 |
| Unitary authority | Herefordshire |
| Ceremonial county | Herefordshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ROSS-ON-WYE |
| Postcode district | HR9 |
| Dialling code | 01989 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Hereford and South Herefordshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Herefordshire | |
Ross-on-Wye (Welsh: Rhosan ar Wy[2]) is a small market town with a population of 10,089 (according to the 2001 census)[3] in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.
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Contents
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History
Ross-on-Wye was the birthplace of the British tourist industry. In 1745, the rector, Dr John Egerton, started taking friends on boat trips down the valley from his rectory at Ross. The Wye Valley's particular attraction was its river scenery, its precipitous landscapes, and its castles and abbeys, which were accessible to fashionable seekers of the "Picturesque". In 1782, William Gilpin's book "Observations on the River Wye" was published, the first illustrated tour guide to be published in Britain. Once it was published, demand grew so much that by 1808 there were eight boats making regular excursions down the Wye, most of them hired from inns in Ross and Monmouth. By 1850 more than 20 visitors had published their own accounts of the Wye Tour, and the area was established as a tourist area.
Parish church
The 700 year old parish church of St. Mary's[4] is the town's most prominent landmark and its tall pointed spire is visible when approaching the town from all directions.[5] The church holds several distinctive tombs, one of which – that of a certain William Rudhall (d.1530) – is one of the last great alabaster sculptures from the specialist masons of Nottingham, whose work was prized across medieval Europe. Rudhall was responsible for the repair of the almshouses, situated to the north west of the church, in 1575. Another tomb is of John Kyrle, a prominent figure in 18th century Ross, whose name is now given to the town's secondary school and after whom one of the town's notable inns, The Man Of Ross, is also named.
Plague Cross
The Plague Cross, also known as the Corpse Cross, was erected in the church yard of St. Mary's church in 1637 as a memorial to 315 people who died in the town of the plague in 1637. These people were buried nearby in a plague pit, at night and without coffins.[6] By 1896, the cross had fallen into disrepair and the top of the cross was missing. It was later restored to its former state.
The Prospect
The Prospect was created by John Kyrle and offers superb views over the Wye and views right out to the Welsh mountains. This piece of land was rented by John Kyrle off the Marquess of Bath in 1696 and turned into a garden and walking area.[7] In 2008, as a result of the heavy rains that occurred at that time, Roman remains were discovered and excavated under the site[8]. It now contains a number of trees dedicated to local people, the Town's V.E. Day Beacon and the Town's War Memorial.
Present day
The town is known for its independent shops, picturesque streets and market square with its market hall.
Regular Thursday and Saturday markets are held at the red sandstone[9] Market House building[10] in the town centre, which was built between 1650 and 1654 replacing the older, probably wooden Booth Hall. The upper storey of the Market House now houses a Visitor Centre.
The town has also not had a cinema since "The Roxy" in Broad Street closed its doors for the last time in 1985. The cinema site was purchased by Gateway Supermarkets for development and the closure of the cinema has been a big issue for over 25 years.
Opposite the church, The Prospect is a public garden offering a view of the famous horseshoe bend in the River Wye, as well as views as far as the Black Mountains. The ruins of Wilton Castle, which lie to the west of the town, have now been fully restored and are open to visitors. The town sports a number of sculptures created by Walenty Pytel. The left bank of the River Wye boasts two of these. Despite the commonly held belief that both depict swans, one in fact shows ducks.
Politics and representation
Most local government functions are vested in Herefordshire Council, the unitary authority covering the whole of the county. Ross Town Council, which consists of 12 Councillors (six elected from each of two wards), has the statutory responsibilities of a parish council The current Mayor is Councillor David Ravenscroft.
Transport
The former Ross-on-Wye railway station was a junction railway station on the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway constructed just to the north of the town. It was the terminus of the Ross and Monmouth Railway, which joined the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester just south of the station. Opened on 1st June 1855, on 29 July 1862 the line was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, and in 1869 converted from broad gauge to standard gauge in a five day period. A line to Tewkesbury was authorised by parliament in 1856, but was never built.
Closed under the Beeching Axe, The lines to Ross closed in stages, with the final closure in 1964.[11] The brick built station building has been demolished and the site redeveloped into an industrial estate, on which the brick built goods and engine sheds still stand.[12]
Today, although the nearest railway station is Ledbury on the Cotswold Line, Gloucester has a much better bus connection with Ross, and is a major interchange on the national rail network.
Just to the east of town is the end of the M50 "Ross Motorway" spur from the M5 motorway which links the area to the UK motorway network.
Sports
Ross-on-Wye is home to thriving men's and ladies hockey clubs. The men's club fields two senior teams and has enjoyed considerable success in recent years (league champions 2009/2010). Ross-on-Wye men's hockey club regularly fields two current Welsh international players. Since 2009 the town has not had a senior football team. In previous years, Ross United F.C. and Woodville F.C. both fielded senior football teams of varying quality. In 1993 these teams were disbanded, and Ross Town F.C. was established, which fielded the best of both teams. Ross-on-Wye Cricket Club is the local cricket team, with Ross junior and senior teams, wit the U15s currently Herefordshire county champions.
Climate
As with the rest of the British Isles, Ross-on-Wye experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. A Met Office weather station provides long term climate data for the town.
| Climate data for Ross-on-Wye 67m asl, 1971-2000 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.3 (45.1) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
12.9 (55.2) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.1 (46.6) |
14.1 (57.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
3.2 (37.8) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
9.9 (49.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
2.6 (36.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 80.7 (3.177) |
53.0 (2.087) |
51.2 (2.016) |
48.4 (1.906) |
49.2 (1.937) |
54.0 (2.126) |
34.8 (1.37) |
61.1 (2.406) |
63.7 (2.508) |
67.5 (2.657) |
64.5 (2.539) |
78.1 (3.075) |
706.2 (27.803) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49.9 | 67.5 | 107.3 | 149.4 | 189.4 | 188.1 | 211.4 | 193.4 | 137.1 | 98.6 | 67.2 | 45.0 | 1,504.3 |
| Source: Met Office[13] | |||||||||||||
Notable people
The dramatist Dennis Potter, most famous for The Singing Detective, lived in Ross in the later part of his life. He died in 1994 at the age of 59.
Richard Hammond lives near Ross-on-Wye.
Twin towns
- Betzdorf, Germany
- Condé-sur-Noireau, France since 1978
- Namutumba, Uganda[14]
Gallery
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The Man Of Ross Inn
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The Market House from the west
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St Mary's Church spire
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View of the town from across the River Wye
See also
References
- ^ "The Population of Herefordshire 2009" (PDF). Herefordshire Council. http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/factsandfigures/docs/Research/Current_Hfds_Population_Digest.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
- ^ Welsh placenames in Herefordshire
- ^ "Key Statistics" (PDF). Herefordshire Council. http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/docs/Business/eidt_hip_factsheets_aug_2004.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ St Mary Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire:: OS grid SO5924 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!
- ^ Ross-on-Wye from the Bypass:: OS grid SO5924 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!
- ^ "Local Monuments". Ross-on-Wye.com. http://www.ross-on-wye.com/index.php?page=ross_426-Monuments. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ http://www.ross-on-wye.com/index.php?page=ross_060-The_Prospect&pg=1
- ^ http://www.ross-on-wye.com/index.php?page=rdev_720-Prospect&pg=7
- ^ Ross on Wye, Market hall:: OS grid SO5924 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!
- ^ Market House, Ross-on-Wye:: OS grid SO5924 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!
- ^ http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/railways/hrfd_ross_glouc.htm
- ^ http://www.ross-on-wye.com/index.php?page=ross_540-The_Railway_in_Ross&pg=3
- ^ "Caldecott 1961-90 averages". UKMO. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/ross_on_wye.html. Retrieved 09 nov 2011.
- ^ "Twinning". Ross-on-Wye Town Council. http://www.rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk/twinning.php. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
External links
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