Herefordshire, England

Ross-on-Wye put-in

Launch — A wheelchair-accessible ramp on the left (town) bank on Rope Walk, about 100 metres below the Hope and Anchor pub; no permission is required to launch here.

Parking — The Maltings car park on Henry Street (Herefordshire Council) has 107 spaces including 4 disabled bays and a 3-hour maximum stay; charges apply Monday to Saturday, and parking is free all day Sunday.

Access — No permission is required to launch here. The Wye's public right of navigation does not otherwise give a right to land or launch outside accepted public sites such as this one.

Season — No seasonal closure applies to the ramp itself. The Environment Agency publishes a yearly calendar of rowing and paddling events on this stretch, which can bring short-notice restrictions around race days.

Regulations — The non-tidal Wye below Hay-on-Wye carries a public right of navigation and needs no waterways licence; the Environment Agency is the navigation authority as far as Bigsweir Bridge. The whole river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, and Natural England discourages bank works such as digging steps or clearing vegetation that can disturb its protected species.

Ross-on-Wye stands on a sandstone bluff overlooking a horseshoe bend of the River Wye, and this put-in sits on the town-side bank close to the town centre. The reach carries a public right of navigation along the whole non-tidal Wye, from Hay-on-Wye down to Chepstow, and the river's historic locks and weirs were removed long ago, leaving open water for miles in either direction.

The river here

A short paddle downstream, the river passes beneath Wilton Bridge, a Grade I-listed sandstone bridge of six semi-circular arches built under an Act of Parliament passed in 1597, with the ruins of Wilton Castle nearby on the far bank.

The whole of the River Wye is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, one of the UK's most important rivers for species including Atlantic salmon, otters, white-clawed crayfish and three types of lamprey. Natural England downgraded the river's condition to 'unfavourable – declining' in 2023, pointing to nutrient pollution alongside falling salmon and crayfish numbers, and asks river users not to disturb banks by digging steps or clearing vegetation.

Nearby

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The Priory Coffee House

Independent café on the High Street, about a 5-minute walk from the launch.

Ginger Nut Cafe

Independent café on the High Street, about a 5-minute walk from the launch.

Ross Rowing Club and Campsite

Open to the public via online booking, normally March to October; tents, campervans and motorhomes welcome, no electric hook-ups; a public right of way crosses the site.

Website

Broadmeadow Caravan & Camping Park

Lakeside touring park about a 10-minute walk from town, not directly on the river; touring caravans, motorhomes and limited tent pitches; open 1 April to 31 October.

Website

Conditions to check

Other

The Wye is a fast-flooding river and can rise more than 30cm an hour after heavy rain.

Source

Boat traffic

Rowing boats from Ross Rowing Club, based about 300 metres upstream of the launch, use this stretch of the river.

Source

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