July

1,200 residents gathered on Castle Green for the “Restore the River” event, organised by Save the Wye, which saw local performance art acts gather, as well as holding the symbolic procession led by Goddess and Lady Wye to bless the River Wye.

This year’s event, which was the largest in its history, saw musical performances from local acts such as Sax in the Park, Ella Mary’s, as well as students from Hereford College of Arts, as well as colourful dance and theatre performances.

The event was held to raise awareness around the degradation of the River Wye, and also featured discussion around the need for government, regulators, farmers and supermarkets to take action.

Jane Roberts makes our review again when she was presented a £2,355.20 cheque by fellow former Mayor, Councillor Ed O’Driscoll, for the beloved charity that she chairs, the Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust.

The cheque came because of the Trust’s large body of work for the local community, and Jane said that the money “will be used to support our Ross Good Neighbours scheme, which offers befriending and practical help to vulnerable adults.”

August

Heated debate around plans to construct a McDonald’s in Ross-on-Wye’s town centre were brought into the forefront as Herefordshire County Planning and Regulation committee unanimously denied the plans.

The application has split the local area, with 450 messaged submitted in favour of the proposal whilst 400 objections were lodged, the latter of which formed a large part for the decision to reject the proposal.

The project also raised concerns from local councillors, such as Cllr Chris Bartrum, who was concerned about public health and the spoiling of the beauty that is seen by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty.

There have been warnings that the decision may be contested on appeal, however as of now, the potential of the appearance of the famous golden arches in Ross has hit a huge stumbling block due to this decision.

Fete-season was in full swing in as Walford Village Hall held their summer fete on August 28th.

Notable attractions at the event included Pirate and Princess fancy dress, the much-loved dog show, as well as hosting Ross-based band The Indiecators, in addition to the traditional fete-activities.

The dog show was specifically a big hit, with unique categories including best fancy-dressed dog and the waggiest tail.

September

The Welsh government’s introduction of 20mph speed limit zones in residential areas sparked debate inside not just Wales but bordering country Herefordshire as well.

2022 saw Herefordshire Council assign £1.2million for the introduction of 20mph roads across Hereford and neighbouring towns and is being implemented in a bit to improve road safety.

Trails were held in areas such as Cusop and Pembridge, and an announcement in November by Herefordshire Council said that they are consulting professionals regarding the implementation of the policy, and when awarded, the six-month contract will run from February and August next year.

The announcement has split residents in Herefordshire, however the wider implementation of 20mph looks likely to plough ahead regardless of some negative feedback and will be a key story in 2024.

Moving from the roads and into the skies, a 16th-century hawking ring that was unearthed in Much Marcle has been official declared as treasure.

Found by metal detectorist Simon Davies, the ring contains over 10 percent silver and features an engraving of a hedgehog.

These rings are commonly used by falconers to attach a bird to its perch, and the engravement is believed to be associated with the Kyrle family who have incorporated hedgehogs as part of their coat of arms.