Archaeologists discover foundations of Roman tower at Ross

Archaeologists monitoring the rebuilding of a wall in at 'The Prospect' overlooking the River Wye at Ross-on-Wye have uncovered stone foundations that date from Roman times.

Herefordshire Council is planning a series of open days for the public to view the excavations, which were discovered during work to safeguard a wall made unstable by tree growth. Ground penetrating radar is to be used gauge whether there may be further foundations beneath the surface.

Herefordshire Council archaeologist Dr Keith Ray said: "We have for some while suspected that there might be Roman period remains in the centre of Ross, but this find was a complete surprise. Further investigations will provide more clues but one idea is that it was a prospect tower, built to enjoy the fine views. Another is that it could have been used as a watchtower during times of unrest".

Councillor John Jarvis, cabinet member for environment, added: "This is potentially an exciting find for Ross and we are carefully assessing what the foundations are telling us. At the moment, there isn't a lot to see but local members are viewing the find for themselves and as excavations continue to the stage where people can view the foundations, we will be arranging open days".

"We are looking at whether we can preserve the find and present it as a tourism attraction. This would provide yet another reason for people to want to visit this beautiful ancient riverside town - which was after all one of the birthplaces of tourism in this country."

Colin Birks, property operations manager with Herefordshire Council, who commissioned the work for safety reasons at the public open space, added: "The site is in a tricky location regarding access but we are investigating how we might be able to give people a clear, safe, view of the structure during organised open days that will be advertised soon. At the moment it is covered over to protect it from the elements and the site is secure. The general public should not go onto the construction site for safety reasons; however, a public viewing platform is being constructed in the grounds of the cemetery and should be accessible from early next week."