CHARLES Dickens, King George IV and a bar that remained in a time warp following the death of the landlord are all featured in a new book devoted to the drinking places of Ross-on-Wye.

'The Pubs of Ross and South Herefordshire' by Heather Hurley follows the social history of the inns, pubs, taverns and selected hotels in the south of the county.

Starting with two introductory chapters on the origins of pubs and the brewing industry in South Herefordshire, the book moves on to deal with the town of Ross-on-Wye and the many hotels and inns that grew in this important staging point on the road from London to South Wales.

The remaining chapters follow the old turnpike roads radiating in all directions from Ross towards Hereford, Gloucester, the Forest of Dean and the Welsh border.

The stories about local pubs are many and varied. The Duke and Duchess of Teck, Charles Dickens and many other famous people stayed in Ross. In 1821 George IV was unexpectedly stranded in the town on his way back from Ireland and the disgruntled monarch had to wait in a modest hostelry, later renamed George the Fourth's Rest.

There was the locally named Hole in the Wall in Ross, where the bar was left undisturbed and covered in dust and cobwebs for a quarter of a century.

The landlord at the Hope and Anchor used to make baskets as a sideline to running the inn.

Then there are the inns of yesteryear: The Swan, The George, The Railway Tavern and many others in Ross, and the many village inns that have closed or been destroyed by fire.

With well over 100 photographs, maps, plans and drawings, the book is published by Logaston Press for £9.95.