Ross-on-Wye Circular Walk
This delightful circular walk takes you through the Herefordshire countryside around Ross-on-Wye.
You start on the River Wye, in the pretty market town of Ross-on-Wye, and follow the river north to the riverside settlement of Hole-in-the-Wall. The walk then leaves the river, visiting Crow Hill, Weston Under Penyard, Penyard Park, Warmhill Wood and Howle Hill as you head through the Herefordshire countryside.
There's much to enjoy on this varied walk including rivers, woodland and a series of pretty villages.
Situated in the beautiful Wye Valley Ross-on-Wye is ideally situated for walkers. To continue your walking in the area you could try the Herefordshire Trail which runs through the countryside from Ross on Wye to Bromyard via Ledbury.
Just to the south of the town is the lovely walk to Goodrich Castle and Coppet Hill. There's fascinating history, woodland trails and great views from the high points to enjoy here.
Ross Round Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Ross Round Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Ross Round OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Ross Round Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Walks near Ross-on-Wye
- Goodrich Castle and Coppet Hill - Explore the Goodrich Castle estate before climbing to Coppet Hill on this walk in Herefordshire
- Symonds Yat Rock - Enjoy wonderful views over the Wye Valley from this well known viewpoint on the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire border
- May Hill - Climb this hill on the Gloucestershire/Herefordshire border for wonderful views over the two counties, the Forest of Dean and the River Severn
- Herefordshire Trail - Ross on Wye to Bromyard - The Herefordshire Trail takes you on a tour of the area's prettiest villages, rivers, parks, woodland, countryside and hills
- Garway Hill - Climb across Garway Common to the summit of Garway Hill on this walk in in south-west Herefordshire
- Daffodil Way - Explore the pretty countryside, orchards and woodland surrounding the village of Dymock on this circular walk in the Forest of Dean
- Marcle Ridge Circular Walk - Climb to Marcle Ridge and enjoy splendid views towards the Malvern Hills on this circular walk in Herefordshire
- Haugh Woods - These expansive woods in Hereford have mountain bike trails and a Butterfly Trail for walkers
- Mordiford Loop - This waymarked circular walk explores the countryside and woodland around the Herefordshire village of Mordiford
- Ledbury - This Herefordshire based market town is a splendid place for a walk with waymarked footpaths to follow into the nearby Malvern Hills
- Mordiford Dragon Trail - This short walk celebrates Mordiford’s fascinating Dragon legend, taking you through some lovely local countryside and woodland on the way.
Pubs/Cafes
Stop off at the noteworthy White Lion pub for some refreshments on the walk. The 16th century inn is in a great location right next to the river. If the weather is good you can enjoy your meal in the garden area with views across the park to the river. They also have a campsite which offers the opportunity to pitch your tent right on the banks of the beautiful River Wye. You can find the pub on Wilton Lane at a postcode of HR9 6AQ for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The riverside paths, woodland trails and open countryside surrounding the town make for great dog walking. The White Lion mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Photos
Grand entrance to The Prospect. John Kyrle created The Prospect, offering magnificent vistas overlooking the Wye River, which lies a hundred feet below, extending all the way to the Welsh mountains. He rented this parcel of land from the Marquess of Bath in 1696 and transformed it into a garden and leisure area. Around 1870, disputes arose over land ownership. James Barrett constructed the Royal Hotel and appropriated part of The Prospect to establish gardens for the hotel. This action led to significant unrest among the residents of Ross, who believed that The Prospect belonged to the town and accused Barrett of unjustly claiming the land. Eventually, Thomas Blake intervened and resolved the conflict by arranging for the land to be permanently transferred to the townspeople. Subsequently, the garden was laid out in a manner similar to its present-day configuration.
Ross-on-Wye war memorial situated on The Prospect; it has been relocated to this spot partly to permit archaeological investigations to take place.
Penyard Park. A Forest of Dean outlier, and a surprisingly craggy hill. The summit is farmed, the rest, brambly forest and sandstone crags. Taken during the 2000 British Relay Championships in Orienteering. The ruins of Penyard Castle can be found in this area. Dating back to the 14th century, the castle was once owned by the Talbot family and is believed to have been demolished in the late 17th century. The surviving ruins consist of a single building, likely a portion of the original castle's residential quarters, displaying medieval features. Constructed partly with recycled masonry from the original castle, this small structure underwent extensive modifications and remained inhabited until the early 20th century. Oriented in a north-south direction, it features gable walls at both ends connected by walls on the east and west sides, with a dilapidated extension protruding from the east side.
Countryside near Howle Hill
River bank with summer wildflowers, Ross-on-Wye. The Wye Valley Walk passing through Long Acres on a sunny, windy day in May. On the right is one of Walenty Pytel's metal sculptures, Swans in Flight.
The Wye bank by the Hope and Anchor pub. In the distance is the rowing club.