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Ross-on-Wye

Edde Cross Street

Edde Cross Street, Ross-on-Wye, runs north - south from the junction between the High Street and Wilton Road down to where it becomes Trenchard Street at the point where Kyrle Street joins it although there is evidence that Trenchard Street used to extend right up to where New Street joins Edde Cross Street.

The view down Edde Cross Street towards Trenchard Street.

The building on the right was the site of the Swan Hotel, now the council offices and Tourist Information office, at the start of Edde Cross Street where the High Street and Wilton Road join.

The Swan Hotel was a huge hotel incorporating its own stables and later a garage. It even had it's own petrol pump on the side of the street in the early 1900's.

Edde Cross Street
Edde Cross Street
(Click for a larger image)

The "Swan" was originally located on the High Street and was called the "Swan and Falcon". The original site was abandoned because, presumably, it was deemed too small by the 1800's so they moved around the corner. James Barrett was the landlord of the Swan Hotel in 1837 and this was when he opened the Royal Hotel up in the Palace Pound on the site of the Bishops Palace.

The Swan Inn was at the start of Edde Cross Street
(Click for a larger image)

Opposite the site of the Swan Inn is the site of the Valley Hotel which extended right down to where the tree is on the left side of the Road. This was another massive hotel with a black and white mock Tudor style frontage which has since been removed when it was converted into separate houses. It boasted that it was the closest hotel to the Wye and that it had grass tennis courts.

The Valley Hotel was not an old hotel but a few old houses knocked together to form a unlicensed hotel.

The site of the Valley Hotel
The site of the Valley Hotel in Edde Cross Street
(Click for a larger image)

The Valley Hotel was renowned for it's Queen Anne features in the houses and a Octagonal Gazebo dated to around the mid-1700's in the gardens which were often used by the patrons of the Swan Hotel too.

Apparently (according to Tales of old Inns - Richard Keverne) there were ornate, brass fitted "Russian Doors" looted during the Crimean War and bought home for use in the houses. The houses needed strengthening to be able to support them due to the weight and size of the doors.

The view back up Edde Cross Street towards Wilton Road. To the left is New Street and the site where Multicore Solders had their factory.

Up Edde Cross Street
Edde Cross Street
(Click for a larger image)

Merton House
Merton House
(Click for a larger image)

This is Merton House and it was built sometime around 1800.

In 1802, Merton House was owned by Walter Hill and Lord Nelson and his guests visited the gardens after breakfasting at the Swan and Falcon Inn on the High Street. Lord Nelson then went down to the Wye and took a pleasure boat down to Monmouth.


Merton House used to be a hotel. A postcard (published by Dodwell & Sons, Cheltenham) titled "Merton Hotel Ross" advertised it.

Merton House postcard
Merton House postcard
(Click for a larger image)

The view down Edde Cross Street
Edde Cross Street
(Click for a larger image)

The view down Edde Cross Street from outside Merton House which is opposite the point where New Street joins Edde Cross Street.

To the left you can just make out the Ross-on-Wye St. John's Ambulance Brigade garage and headquarters which they obtained in 1937 when 3 slums were being cleared.


The site of the 3rd well in Ross which was on the corner between Kyrle Street at the point where Edde Cross Street becomes Trenchard Street. (The well head was actually on the far right of the shot where there is a drive way now.)

The well was sunk in 1844 and the pump was installed in 1845 by the Ross Town Commissioners. The land was purchased by private subscription and dedicated for public use forever.

The site of the 3rd well
The site of the 3rd well in Ross
(Click for a larger image)



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[Page updated: Feb 15 2011 13:31:59]






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