IMPORTANT figures who shaped the town of Ross-on-Wye are being commemorated with the installation of new blue plaques in the town.

Ross-on-Wye Town Council has already installed a plaque at The Hope and Anchor’s Pavilion in honour of the founding members of Mott the Hoople, Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin and Pete Overend Watts.

And now the first of two new plaques honours Reverend William Gilpin and is situated in a flowerbed at the top of Thomas Blake Memorial Gardens, overlooking the riverside.

Rev’d Gilpin (1724 to 1804) was an artist, Church of England cleric, schoolmaster and author who most notably gained notoriety as a travel writer and was one of those who pioneered the idea of traveling purely for pleasure and appreciating ‘picturesque’ scenery.

He is known for mentioning the ‘Wye Tour’ in one of his books, in which visitors would journey down the River Wye by boat.

This concept was inspired by Dr John Egerton, the rector of Ross who began taking friends on leisure boat trips down the River Wye from his rectory, showcasing local castles and abbeys as the boat meanders sleepily through the local countryside.

Rev’d Gilpin published ‘Observations on the River Wye’, to promote his vision of picturesque beauty in 1770 and shortly afterwards, Ross became known as ‘the birthplace for British tourism’ and this inturn sparked the nationwide craze for 'picturesque' holidays.

The second plaque is situated on The Corn Exchange, on High Street, to recognise Bernhard Molique Carrodus, a talented violinist, who lived at the Lea, as the location was formerly used as a venue for his many, popular smoking concerts.

The town council encourages locals and visitors to explore the town’s rich history through the heritage trail, found on the free Ross-on-Wye Trails app, and the Museum Without Walls app, made by CreateRoss.