Ross-on-Wye

The first building on the left was the Royal Oak Inn which closed just after the turn of the 20^th century.

Slightly further up the street is December House. This building has had a number of names in the past and prior to circa 2005 it was known as Foundation House. It was then refurbished and it was renamed December House because "December" is written in a circle of stones in the courtyard.

In the 1920's and 1930's it was known as The Ivy House which was run by Mrs and the Misses Holloway and it was a Board Residence with moderate terms. It is described as having private sitting rooms, electric light and an excellent bathroom (with hot and cold water). It also had a "beautiful old-world garden" and was near the golf links and river.

Subsequently this building became the Magistrates Court.

To the left can be seen the Ross Community Hospital and to the right are Webb's Alms Houses.

On the right of Copse Cross Street is the site of the Thomas Webb's Alms Houses.
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Clairville House was the home of a private school which initially started out as a Boys' Boarding and Day School and later on it also accepted girls. Adverts from around the end of the 19th Century imply it was still at "Boys' only" school at that time.

The name Copse Cross Street is thought to come from Corpse Cross Street. This has two possible derivations for this, one idea is that there was a hang mans cross at this point, or because suicide victims were buried at the cross in a hastily-dug hole without a Priest present. This was a common method of burying suicide victims as they were thought to be "unholy". The act of interring suicides here is thought to have continued here until 1923 when laws was passed to prevent the act.

This second idea ties in to one story about the derivation of Old Maids Walk.

This is the Copse Cross Toll House [ more details ] which stands next to where the gates used to be.

The Walford Road, as the name suggests, runs out to Walford and then from there to Bishopswood and Lydbrook where it is called Ross Road.

In the distance can be seen the Prince of Wales (which became an Inn sometime in the latter half of the 19^th century).