Festivals bring together communities to celebrate, mark significant events and create prosperity. The Ross Walking Festival, which takes place next year between September 23-25, captures all of these elements. The festival has been included in Outdooractive’s list of ’best walking festivals for 2022’ and the organisers are recommending their favourite ’winter walk’ to share their love of the region in all seasons.

One of the organisers, Jan Stevenson says: "I love being part of a great team and part of that wider community working to provide the best for our town of Ross-on-Wye.

"Ross is a really special place, which is rather off the beaten track with smaller shops, vintage trail and quirky cafes - but above all full of really friendly people. I love walking and the countryside around South Herefordshire is amazing with a real diversity of walking terrains and spectacular views, plus of course the magic of the River Wye. "

Craig Wareham, CEO UK of Outdooractive, Europe’s leading digital outdoor tourism platform, says Ross is an excellent example of how festivals can introduce new people to walking and stimulate economic activity: "The British have a fine tradition of walking festivals and we are looking to profile the best to our international community. The Ross-on-Wye team have impressed us with their enthusiasm and passion and the 2022 festival brings together both heritage and landscape."

The Ross Walking Festival has run every year since 2009, when it was accredited as a Walkers are Welcome town. It attracts people from as far afield at USA and Japan many with repeat visits as they have made friends locally.

"The annual Ross-on-Wye walking festival is really important to our small riverside market town, which relies heavily on tourism," says Jan. "We have made a conservative estimate of some £150k economic benefit to the town.

"One of the key features of the walking festival in Ross, is that the Organising Committee is made up of a diverse group of people and has drawn on a really strong collaboration between the Ross Walking Group, the Ross Ramblers, the Town Council and the Ross Tourism Association.

"This means it draws the town together as a really supportive and welcoming place for walkers and links to other town events and festivals. We have also gained support for associated walking-related developments, such as the fully accessible Buggy Walk of 4 miles which was first created a few years ago and now is being expanded along the River Wye and linear arboretum."

It was out of concern that many communities and festivals like that at Ross-on-Wye would be impacted by Covid-19, that prompted Outdooractive to support many create a virtual presence in 2021. Its team helped to digitising paper-based walking routes to create self-guided walks that could be followed year around using its free navigation app.

Details of the virtual festivals with ’taster’ walks chosen by the organisers, were then shared with Outdooractive’s growing community of enthusiasts. This has encouraged people to visit the region, discover walks recommended by local people and look forward to future in person events.

Ross-on-Wye was one of the festivals to benefit as Jan explains: "We created our first virtual festival last year with some of the routes made available on the Outdooractive app. We will be uploading more routes again this year to help introduce a wider audience to the Wye valley and to enable the walks to be enjoyed for more of the year."

"This includes our winter walk suggestion (see here), beginning at the medieval Goodrich Castle, which climbs up through the old woods and bracken of the Coppett Hill Nature Reserve to spectacular views west over the Welsh hills, descending to the banks and meadows of the River Wye for the return journey."

"It is great to share our enthusiasm with other walkers who appreciate the "Hidden Gem" that is our home."

For more details about Ross Walking Festival visit: https://walkinginross.co.uk/festival/