) The name "Ross" is derived from the
Welsh or
Celtic for a "promontory". It was renamed "Ross-on-Wye" in 1931 by the
General Post Office, due to confusion with other places of the same or similar name (such as
Ross in Scotland). Ross-on-Wye promotes itself as "the birthplace of British
tourism". 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 attraction was its river scenery, its precipitous landscapes, and its castles and abbeys, which were accessible to 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 had appeared, demand grew so much that by 1808 there were eight boats making regular excursions along 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 destination.
Parish church The 700-year-old
Church of England parish church,
St Mary's, is the town's most prominent landmark. Its tall pointed
spire is visible when approaching the town from all directions. The church holds several distinctive tombs, one of which – that of
William Rudhall (who died in 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 to the north west of the church, in 1575. Another tomb is of
John Kyrle, a prominent figure in 18th-century Ross, whose name has been taken by the town's
secondary school. He is also recalled in one of the town's notable inns, The Man Of Ross, and there is a fine painting of him, by an unknown artist, in the
Corn Exchange in the High Street. , Ross from the Meadows, watercolour c. 1920
United Reformed, Methodist and Baptist churches The
Methodist Church in Christ Church in Edde Cross Street has closed permanently. The
United Reformed Church congregation, part of the Herefordshire Group, likewise was at Christ Church. The former United Reformed Church in Gloucester Road has now been converted into housing. Ross
Baptist Church is in Broad Street. In 1731 the Baptists built Ryeford Chapel at
Weston under Penyard, but in 1817 worshippers from Ross decided to separate. They purchased the site on Broad Street and constructed a chapel with an attached graveyard. The original chapel was replaced in 1879, with much of the funding from Thomas Blake, a local philanthropist. In 2017, the current Baptist church in Ross marked its 200th anniversary.
Plague Cross The
Plague or Corpse Cross was erected in the churchyard of St Mary's in 1637 as a memorial to 315 townsfolk who died that year of
the plague and were buried nearby in a
plague pit, at night and without
coffins. By 1896, the Plague Cross had fallen into disrepair and the top was missing. It was later restored. Since 1952, it has been
listed as a Grade II* edifice, and since 1997 it has been a
scheduled monument.
The Prospect The Prospect was created by John Kyrle, who rented the land from the
Marquess of Bath in 1696 and turned it into a garden and walkway. In 2008, heavy rain uncovered Roman remains that were excavated under the site. The Prospect provides a public garden opposite the church, containing trees dedicated to local people, a
VE Day Beacon and a War Memorial. It offers a view of the famous horseshoe bend in the Wye and as far west as the
Black Mountains. ==Present day==