IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Old Market Close, ROSS-ON-WYE, HR9 7QB

Planning permission for the development of a housing estate on this field has been in place for a few years now, and the site has recently been cleared. When I moved to Ross 11 years ago, this was all allotments: "I remember when this didn't used to be all fields", you might say. In the background are houses on River View.

The old railway bridge in Ross, one of an ever decreasing number of physical reminders of the railway presence. This was constructed to broad gauge dimensions which is why it appears more like a short tunnel than a bridge. There's talk that this will be demolished soon in order to allow construction lorries access to the allotments beyond, which have been earmarked for housing development.

A railway used to cross this bridge. Headroom shown is 11' 0".

The arch of the old railway bridge, which was built to carry the broad gauge line to Hereford in 1855, is barely visible beneath the undergrowth. The bridge is soon to be demolished in order to allow access for large vehicles in connection with a proposed residential development on a field nearby. Even a committed railway archaeologist like me can see that it's difficult to argue a case for retaining the bridge - it hasn't carried a train since the line north of Ross was closed in October 1964 - but it's a shame to see Ross's railway heritage gradually disappearing.

I've photographed this before, but I like this particular shot. Taken with my elderly Agfa Isolette. The bridge used to carry the railway to Hereford, which closed in 1964. Sadly, it's under threat of demolition as there's a plan to build houses on the allotments on the other side of the arch, and the bridge would have to go to allow access for construction traffic.

The latest floods by the river in a view eastwards from the bypass, with the dome of May Hill looming in the distance.

Is the red zigzag on modern housing purely decorative?

The overgrown area in the left foreground was formerly used as allotments, now abandoned and earmarked for a housing development. Shot on film using a Braun Paxette.

This railway bridge used to carry the Ross to Hereford railway which closed in the mid 1960s. As can be seen, the embankment to the left has gone and the former railway's course has now been built on.

The hedgehog has been associated with Ross on Wye since around 500AD, when the Celts invaded Ross and called the area "Ergyng", meaning "Land of the Hedgehogs". The old name survives in a mutated form as "Archenfield", an area on the south edge of modern-day Ross. There are at least fourteen representations of hedgehogs in the town's church, as well as some less official ones on roadsigns.