The Bishops Place

Toll Gates

Ross-on-Wye

The Old Jail

In 1830 an Improvement Act was passed for "paving, cleaning, draining, lighting, regulating and improving the Town of Ross" and this meant that Ross could have Watchmen and a Lock Up containing two or more cells.

The Lock Up, now known as Old Jail or 'Gaol', was then built on New Street on the site of an old stables in around 1838 and was used between 1838 and 1844 as an actual Lock Up.

In 1839 the Rural Constabulary Act was passed and, although slow to be implemented as it was seen mainly as being expensive and a challenge to England's liberties among other things [ more details ], this resulted in the county forcing the town commissioners to find a new station house. This led to a new station, and housing for the constables, being built in Brampton Street, just off Five Ways, in 1844. By 1935 expansion meant a new station was needed and the old rectory in Church Street was used as a police station until around 1957, when a new station was built off Old Maids Walk, and the old rectory was soon demolished to allow police housing to be built there.

The Bishops Place

Toll Gates