Quakers in Ross-on-Wye welcomed guests to the Friends' Meeting House in Brampton Street on Sunday 15th October for the official opening of the recent improvement made to the historic building. A new ramp will provide better and safer access, not only for disabled people but for small children, their parents, bicycles and deliveries. An unforeseen spin-off of the work has been improvements to the Children's meeting room, which is bright and airy and is being well used.

The detailed design has been effected with much careful thought on the part of Jane Holland Architects and Friends are well pleased with the result. The builder, Richard Kirk of Walford, has taken equal care. He and his staff were considerate and painstaking in the execution of the work, both internally and externally.

The property lies on the Ross Heritage Trail and welcomes visitors at any time to see the building and garden. Guided walks also visit on occasions.

Continued . . .

Quaker History in the town goes back to 1652 when Friends met in a private house by the market place. They moved down the hill in 1675 to a newly built Meeting House which was sited in the heart of industry. Just over the road was the main power source, the water mill and millpond, and around the area lived eleven families of Quakers. The site itself was given by a Friend who was a tanner (leather being a most important commodity before the days of plastics). This Protestant group thrived until in 1805 pressure of space meant an extension to the building was required. The resulting changes gave a higher ceiling, elders' bench and gallery.

Many individuals, Quaker Meetings and Trusts helped financially to make the improvements possible and the Friends would like to thank The Becket Bulmer Charitable Trust, William A. Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gloucester Greyfriars Housing Association, Hickinbotham Charitable Trust, The Oakdale Trust and the W.F. Southall Trust.

Continued . . .

Quakers were not buried in church grounds and originally they used a plot of land for burial near the top of the hill, but at the time of the extensions to the building the garden behind began to be used for burials. There are names of well known local figures on stones around the burial ground and a plan gives details of more Friends whose graves are unmarked. Several prominent Quakers' life stories have been researched by the Civic Society and they are the subjects of some of the 'pink publications' available from the Heritage Centre.

Continued . . .

Several groups other than Quakers already use the premises. The Friends' hope is that they will become better known and in wider use by the local community and that the warm, welcoming atmosphere will entice many people to step over the threshold to find out more about that little known society of people who are called Friends.

Many individuals, Quaker Meetings and Trusts helped financially to make the improvements possible and the Friends would like to thank The Becket Bulmer Charitable Trust, William A. Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gloucester Greyfriars Housing Association, Hickinbotham Charitable Trust, The Oakdale Trust and the W.F. Southall Trust.

Hereford Big Band held a concert at John Kyrle High School on Saturday evening, 14th October to raise some of the £8,000 required to send nine Ross-on-Wye Explorer Scouts to the World Scout Jamboree. The last Jamboree was held in Thailand but next year it will be held in Essex, the birth place of scouting.

The evening was very successful and raised £250 towards the trip.

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