THE ROYAL HOTEL ITSELF IS ONLY A FEW STEPS AWAY FROM THE MARKET SQUARE AND WAS VISITED BY CHARLES DICKENS IN 1867. ROSS-ON-WYE IS SITUATED IN AN AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY WITH THE RIVER WYE MEANDERING SOUTHWARDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR WYE VALLEY. THE PERFECT PLACE TO START A VISIT TO THE VALLEY IS SYMOND S YAT, A VILLAGE SPREAD ALONG THE CRAGGY SLOPES OF THE WOODED GORGE. IT IS ALSO THE LOCATION OF THE WYE VALLEY VISITOR S CENTRE, WHICH HAS A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY GARDEN AND A MUSEUM OF MAZES. BETWEEN THE RIVERS WYE AND SEVERN IS THE MYSTERIOUS FOREST OF DEAN, THE SITE OF A PREHISTORIC FOREST AND AN AREA OF MAGICAL BEAUTY. ON THE FRINGES OF THE FOREST, THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWELL HAS MANY EXAMPLES OF THE RICH HISTORY OF THE AREA, WITH THE REMAINS OF MINING THAT HAS OCCURRED HER SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES. CLEARWELL CAVES, A 600FT LABYRINTH COMPLEX, HAS BEEN MADE INTO A MUSEUM WITH MANY RELICS OF LOCAL MINING ACTIVITY. CLEARWELL CASTLE, BUILT IN 1727, IS CONSIDERED TO BE ENGLAND S PREMIERE NEO-GOTHIC MANSION. THOUGH IT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1929, IT HAS BEEN FULLY RENOVATED AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM EASTER UNTIL OCTOBER. THE TRANQUILITY OF THE BEAUTIFUL BORDER COUNTRY BETWEEN ENGLAND AND WALES, WITH THE MALVERN HILLS TO THE NORTH AND THE BLACK MOUNTAINS AND THE BRECON BEACONS DOMINATING THE WESTERN SKY LINE, WILL MAKE YOUR VISIT TO ROSS-ON-WYE AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION TO THE TRANQUILITY AND SERENITY, WE ARE PERFECTLY POISED TO CATER TO YOUR WILDER SIDE, THE WYE RIVER OFFERS KYAKING, RAFTING, AND TUBING, WHILST THE SPECTACULAR CLIFF FACES PROVIDE THE PERFECT FEATURE FOR THE DEATH DEFYING PLUNGE AS YOU ABSEIL DOWN TO THE MAGNIFICENT RIVER WYE. NOT QUITE YOUR SCENE, TRY THE WALKING TRAILS, CYCLING TRAILS, HOT AIR BALLOONING, GOLF, HORSE RIDING OR A DAY AT THE RACES. YOUR LEISURE IS OUR PLEASURE, WE AIM TO MAKE ALL YOUR DESIRES COME TRUE, NO MATTER WHAT TICKLES YOUR FANCY, THE ROYAL HOTEL AND THE WYE VALLEY ARE BOUND TO BE ABLE TO SAT