Historic Ross-on-Wye



The place for information on Ross-on-Wye and the Wye Valley

Historic Places of Interest in Ross-on-Wye and the Wye Valley

Prehistoric Local Occupation

King Arthur's Cave is just one of many small caverns which can be found at the Doward, close to both Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth. It was occupied by stone-age man during the upper palaeolithic period and may well have been occupied prior to that but the ice floe of the lower palaeolithic has removed any evidence of this. Past finds in the cave include a flint axe, a hearth, broken woolly mammoth and other large animal bones. Unfortunately however the cave was 'excavated' using dynamite in the 1870s, so what one sees now on visiting is not necessarily the same view that greeted the troglodyte people of the upper palaeolithic on returning home from a hunt.

The caves are not reachable by car but should you would wish to discover them on foot, the precise National Grid Reference is: SO 54574 15607. Please respect the remaining archaeology of the site however if visiting!

Entrances to the two caverns of King Arthur's Cave, spring 2002.

A view from the inside of King Arthur's Cave, spring 2002.

Short Movie - King Arthur's Cave to the music 'Palaeolithic Storm'

King Arthur's Cave was one of the first places I photographed for Wyenot, back in 2000 when the idea for a Ross Community web site first occurred to me. To this day the cave has remained one of my two favourite places in the whole world to hide when I want to escape from the pressures of life for a while.

King Arthur's Cave was occupied by Cro magnon man during the Upper Palaeolithic period but would have looked different from the way it looks now. In their wisdom, the Victorians excavated it using dynamite and so the front view has changed considerably. The bones of woolly mammoth and other large animals have been discovered in the cave, as have flint tools. The film contains photos of the cave, surrounding area and of modern day dwellers - bats, spiders and fungi . . .

Goodrich Castle

Located high above the river Wye near Ross-on-Wye, Goodrich Castle was a medieval fortified palace which is now owned by English Heritage and open to visitors. Mostly, the castle is still intact. Although unoccupied by the sixteenth century it was still able to withstand a major siege during the English Civil War. Built around 1150, the keep is the castle's oldest remaining section.

Goodrich Castle, photographed during the summer of 2000.

Wilton Castle

Located beside the River Wye at Ross, the ruins of Wilton Castle date from the 13th century but there has been a fort at the site since the reign of Stephen. Although the castle is private property, it is possible to follow the public footpath and view this fortress from the outside.

Wilton Castle, a view from across the River Wye, summer of 2002.

Wilton Castle, photographed during the summer of 2002.

Ross Market House

Although Ross is a medieval market town, the current market house was built between 1650 and 1654, replacing an older building. Ross Market Building is still in use by local traders on Saturdays and Thursdays and also houses the Ross Heritage Centre, which is open to visitors during the summer months.

Ross Market House, photographed during the summer of 2000.

The Rudhall Alms Houses and Plague Cross

The Plague Cross marks the burial site of the town's 315 victims of plague in 1637 and is located within the grounds of St. Mary's Parish Church. Located close to the cross are the Rudhall Alms Houses, which probably date from the 14th century. According to the plaque on the outside, these almshouses were repaired by William Rudhall in 1575 and when restored again in 1960 the five almshouses were converted into three without altering their Tudor front.

The Plague Cross, photographed during the winter of 2002.

The Rudhall Alms Houses, photographed during the summer of 2002.

The Gazebo Tower

The Gazebo Tower as it is now known was built, along with mock gothic town walls, during the 1833 construction of Wilton Road. It was built as part of Palace Pound the house of John Collins and originally known as "Collins Tower."

The Gazebo Tower, photographed during the summer of 2000.

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