The Ross War Memorial is being resited - it had to be taken down to allow for the archaeological excavation which resulted in the discovery of the intriguing Roman remains at the Prospect.

The new site is two thirds of the way up the central path which dissects the Prospect. Two commemorative seats, which were formerly sited along the path, will be returned to their places on either side of the War Memorial.

Councillor Gordon Lucas praised the contractors, I J Preece &?Son Ltd, who have started on the foundations on which the re-assembled monument will be placed in time for the Remembrance Day Service on Sunday, November 9th. After it is re-sited, it will need to be rededicated.

Councillor Lucas said:?"I can't praise I?J Preece too highly. They are aiming to have it all tidied up in time for Remembrance Day. They are also re-building the stonework on the church wall very quickly."

It was the collapse of the wall between the Prospect and the churchyard that led to the finding of the dramatic remains which are believed to be Roman. Stone Masons from I?J?Preece started working on refacing a new concrete wall on September 9th.

Councillor Lucas said: "They are using all the stones from the original wall - and when it is back to normal all the grave stones which were disturbed will be put back where they should be - as they were before the wall fell down."

Councillor Lucas knows every inch of the churchyard and he has been cleaning old inscriptions and replacing many of the old stones. His work has also involved getting ivy cleared and cutting down some of the fast-growing silver birch trees which have obscured and damaged the older monuments.

In last week's issue the Gazette had a report on the dilemma facing Ross concerning the Roman remains and the Wellingtonia tree. If the unique Roman finds are put on show the Sequoia which dominates the Ross landscape must go.

Further excavations are planned and although the experts do not really know what the find is, they are more or less certain it is Roman and that there is nothing else like it in the country. The Wellingtonia was probably planted around 1850.

A decision must be made by the end of September. If anyone would like to express their opinion they should write to the Herefordshire Council Conservation Team, Plough Lane, PO Box 4, Hereford, HR4 0XH.