Planning a break or day trip away from home can often be stressful if you have reduced mobility or a disability but Ross-on-Wye has much to offer and can accommodate varying levels of accessibility in and around the town centre.
Eating out: there are many restaurants, pubs and cafés in the town which have level access and disabled toilets but always ring in advance to check that they are suitable for your needs.
- The Royal has a ramp at the back of the hotel accessed via the car park and level toilets just off the bar. There is also plenty of room outside on the terrace as well as inside the restaurant. Tel 01989 565105.
- The Hope & Anchor and The Pavilion on the riverside have level access toilets in both locations. The outside garden has plenty of room too if you prefer to eat al fresco, taking in the beautiful river views. Tel 01989 4777100.
- Leonards at 39 in the centre of town is an elegant yet informal tapas bar, catering for light lunches and dinner, with an excellent wine and cocktail list. Tel 01989 567830.
- Thorns Coffee Lounge is a lovely little café in Croft Court which can be accessed either from Broad Street or by parking in The Maltings next to Sainsbury to approach from the rear. There is an outside terrace which has plenty of room for wheelchairs. Tel 01989 567892.
- Costa Coffee can be found opposite the Market House on Broad Street and serves its usual range of signature coffees plus light bites, cakes and bakes. Tel 01989 763714.
- The Mill Race a mile outside of Ross town centre in Walford, is a friendly family-run countryside village pub and restaurant with full disabled toilet facilities off the bar and an outside terrace with plenty of space for wheelchair users. Tel 01989 562891.
Walking: If you fancy getting out and about, Ross-on-Wye’s Buggy Route is an accessible walk around the town which was put together by the local Walkers are Welcome group. This gentle 4 mile walk starts at The Bandstand on Caroline Symonds Gardens at the bottom of town and takes in many popular sights such as St Mary’s Church and the Linear Arboretum along the Rope Walk. Stop off for a bite to eat here and enjoy the views of the river using the accessible picnic table which has room for a wheelchair. There is also a children’s play park which now includes a swing that is suitable for some children with disabilities to enjoy.
St Mary’s Church: The iconic 700 year old church with its 205 foot spire is open daily from 9am to 5pm. It has level access and automatic front doors after a recent refurbishment and visitors can access it by approaching from Crossfield car park (enter the churchyard and follow the path on the left hand side to access the front of the church). You can also turn in left before the church along the path through the large iron gates to access The Prospect garden – pack a picnic and take in the incredible views of the River Wye and beyond towards the Welsh mountains.
Museum Without Walls: If you have a smart phone that can download an app, and are able to get up and down the hills of Ross, you can take a trip around the Museum Without Walls – an innovative augmented reality tour around Ross-on-Wye which shows pieces of missing history, bringing back lost aspects of our town’s past.
Bands in the Park: the town’s free outdoor concert series at The Bandstand on Caroline Symonds Gardens runs every Sunday throughout the summer until 28 August from 2.30pm-4.30pm. There is a gentle grassy slope just to the side of the Bandstand – so you can either take your own chairs or you can park up and sit on one of the benches on Wye Street facing the stage. There is also level access to the Wye Street toilets (for wheelchair access, you will need a radar key).
Made in Ross: for those of you interested in arts and crafts, you can visit the beautiful gallery upstairs at the Market House in the centre of town – the gallery is free to enter and is a co-operative of local arts and crafts producers living within 20 miles of our beautiful market town. Use the lift on the ground floor to take you upstairs where you can view a wide range of art, jewellery, wooden crafts, clothing and much more.