St Mary, Ross-on-Wye

     To the charming Herefordshire town of Ross on Wye a week ago now to meet up with family. A long time since I paid a visit and I was rather impressed - a little more work-a-day than nearby Ledbury and with some good shops and good townscape. One of those market towns with which Britain is so blessed (sorry to go on about it, but our market towns are an absolute treasure). Ross stands dramatically above the massive sweep of the Wye as it swings southwestwards back towards the Welsh border, fitting then that the town's most important contribution to British and indeed world culture is its role in the development of the Picturesque and the Romantic.

     St Mary's church stands at just about the highest point in the town - the tall spire can be seen for miles around - and forms a sort of acropolis with the Royal Hotel.  The churchyard is large and well tended, surrounded at the town end by Georgian and medieval buildings. M was right when she likened it to a cathedral close. The material used throughout the church is friable, dull pinky-grey Old Red Sandstone. The detailing is nearly all Geometric and reticulated Decorated.  The sort of architecture that, rightly or wrongly, I tend to associate with Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The spire dominates all. It was rebuilt in the early 1950s but looking at the details I did wonder if it was actually post-Reformation in origin.

     Inside the first impression is of height and space for, rather like Ledbury, the nave which is rather short and wide (almost square in plan), is built like a hall church.  The piers are of a number of different periods and were rebuilt in 1743. The beautiful sense of spaciousness is heightened by the acres of empty floor for pews have gone to be replaced with chairs of possibly the wrong colour. The bf was not impressed - having been raised in the Welsh non-conformist tradition he likes pews.  There is a second narrow s aisle - the Perp Merkyne chapel - adding the right note of complexity. Stretching out from the nave is a long chancel. The church it is obvious has undergone a thorough 19th century restoration.

     As at Ledbury the church is rich in memorials. There is that same air of Civic trumpery. In particular there is an eclectic group of tombs and memorials oddly grouped together at the e end of the inner s aisle that deserves investigation.  An important collection, I should think. The earliest tomb dates from the 1530 and appears to have a remarkably intact collection of religious statuary decorating the base.  Some of the other memorials aren't so lucky.  In all though they all really need cleaning and recolouring. The medieval stained glass in the e window comes from elsewhere in the county. In general there is a lot general religious clutter that hampers both spiritual and aesthetic contemplation, and regular readers will know how I feel about that.  It needs to be removed. That said there is still plenty to take delight in.

Addendum 04.04.2020 I was drawling through the files of photos I have amassed on my computer looking for some inspiration for a small watercolour and came upon this image of the inner leave of, I think, the S nave door at St Mary's - a mighty piece of Victorian woodwork it is. Worthy of inclusion earlier.