We are thinking of moving to Ross. It appears to be a nice place but can anyone give me a real world opinion on the town and surrounding area?

What do you want to know?

If you can afford it, then there are very few downsides to living in that part of the world IMHO. But depends on what YOU want. If you can afford it mind, and don’t NEED to live there, I would be using my cash to move somewhere else 🙂

Can’t comment on the Town, but some of the best riding in the UK is 30 minutes downstream. We have friends who lived close to Ross, but moved downstream as access to the flesh pots of Bristol, Cardiff and London is considerably easier the nearer Chepstow you are – assuming you want a bit of culture of course.

There’s great riding in the woods around Ross with a very active group of trail builders.

It would help to know where you are moving from and why you are considering it.

What do you want to know?

Whats it like? Which schools are good, which ones to avoid. Which areas to avoid (every town has one) Is the town centre full of drunken fighting yobs every Saturday night? usual sort of stuff.

The town brings in people from a large rural area at the weekends. Summer is like Blackpool in the day, and obviously, er, “vibrant” in the evenings. Weekdays is very genteel though. Plenty of nice little cafes and delis. Is it really the town centre you were looking to buy in though?

[ I like Ross, very pretty, surrounding area is lovely, I used to often ride into town on quiet roads when I lived down there… it’s now better for a night or meal out, but not as good for shopping… but better for both than most towns of its size ]

Is it really the town centre you were looking to buy in though?

No, we are looking around the outskirts or maybe surrounding villages.

I live 4 miles away. Between Ledbury and Ross. They are quite different places 😉

I like Ross, mostly as all my riding friends live there, the Kings Head is a great pub for a Friday night/post ride beer, the trails in Penyard and Chase (above Ross) are brilliant and, as said, part of an active trail building community.

Riding wise, we’ll also ride to Staunton/S-yat which is about 45 mins or to Pedalabikeaway 50% off road which takes 90 mins or so. The trails around Staunton are fantastic, again lots of fantastic trail building out that way. FoD also has some great trails – lots of progression from the blue to some really steep and scary stuff. Uplift as well if that’s your thing.

Ross is like a lot of market towns. It’s a bit sad in places but at least not overrun (quite) by charity shops and chains. Ledbury is definitely a bit more up market (5 Deli’s!) but I prefer Ross I think.

As Kelvin says, it’s busy in the summer and the ‘spoons in town is always amusing on a Friday / Sat but otherwise it’s absolutely fine.

We love it for the rural-ness of it. When I was working in London, coming home to Ross/Monmouth/Black Mountains was what I looked forward to all week. Still if you want big stores/garages/etc then you’re going to have a drive.

We’re moving soon-ish to a bigger village in the area.  I wouldn’t move into Ross tho. Mostly because I value my liver 😉

Oh Schools. John Kyrle is the one in Ross. My lad went to the 6th form (both kids did 11-16 in Ledbury). 6th form is good, not sure of the rest of the years. It’s very busy tho as Ross has had quite a lot of houses built and the school serves chunks of the Forest as well.

No idea on other schools. If you’re feeling flush, you can send them to Cathedral in Hereford 😉

Don’t do that.

Don’t do that.

Dont do what!?

Sorry, we’re just joking about the Cathedral school. Ignore us. I went to Bishops, which isn’t the same thing at all. Just to confuse matters more.

Sorry, we’re just joking about the Cathedral school. Ignore us. I went to Bishops, which isn’t the same thing at all. Just to confuse matters more

OK, throwing more light on the subject, we are not from the other side of the country. We live in Hereford and our kids already go to Bishops. I ride in and around the forest already so know all about how good that side of things is. As for the town, i know nothing more than the odd day trip, which as i said appears nice, but often the reality of living somewhere is quite different.

Ah right. Well I’d rather live in/near Ross than Hereford!

It’s not called Ross Vegas for nothing!

The only positive I can see in Ross over Hereford is that it’s on the end of the M50 and A40/A449.

I quite like Ross as a small nearly-in-the-Forest town. All I can usefully add to what’s said above is that there’s an excellent Thai takeaway in the centre.

I’m entirely biased… but I’d say some of the loveliest places to live are half way between Hereford and Ross… so split the difference… you’ll need more money than I’ll ever have though.

No idea what the rest of the UK is like but you will get to hear a lot of eastern European langauges. None the worse for it.
Morrisons is fine.
Easy to get to midlands and M4.
I only know 3 primary schools. All fine in my experience.
Bike shop has gone down hill a bit.
Quite a few charity shops and fast food joints. Not a usual indicator of a town doing well. It’s fine for a visit.
Pick your area.

No train station.

Quite a few charity shops and fast food joints. Not a usual indicator of a town doing well. It’s fine for a visit.

Even Peacocks has closed!

Ross is doing better than most towns of the same size in terms of keeping actual real shops open. The last decade has emptied many small town high streets.

My kids are mostly dressed from charity shops in Ross and Newent as it happens. Much better choice than charity shops up here… which reflects the fact the areas around Ross are doing pretty well.

And yes, easy to get kabanos to snack on. Yum.

Just wanted to point out Zero Bikes in Much Marcle, about 4-5 miles from Ross.

https://www.zerobikes.co.uk/en

Discovered by chance as their internet presence is a bit sketchy, but I called by earlier this week to throw a leg over an Orbea and I must say I was properly impressed. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but very laid back, no hard sell, just a cup of coffee and an hour long chatting bikes. Good stocks of Orbea and Rocky Mountain bikes.