Chapter I: Front Matter

BY LEITCH RITCHIE, ESQ.

AUTHOR OF "WANDERINGS BY THE LOIRE," "WANDERINGS BY THE SEINE,"
"THE MAGICIAN," ETC.

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LONDON:

LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND
LONGMANS.

1841.

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LONDON:
PRINTED BY J. HADDON, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY.

ADVERTISEMENT,

A portion of the lower part of the Wye has been described by Gilpin, Archdeacon Coxe, and some others; and the same portion has been touched upon, with greater or less minuteness, by Prince Puckler Muscau, and various Welsh tourists, as well as by Whateley in his Essay on Modern Gardening. It seemed, however, to the writer of the present sketch, that something more was due to the most celebrated river in England; and that another book (not too large for the pocket, and yet aspiring to a place in the library) which should point out the beauties of the Wye, and connect them with their historical and romantic associations--beginning at the source of the stream on Plinlimmon, and ending only at its confluence with the Severn--might still be reckoned an acceptable service by the lovers of the picturesque. Hence this little work, which may be consulted at will either as a finger-post by the traveller, or as a companion by the reading lounger at home.

_London_, _November_ 28_th_, 1840.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. Page. Philosophy of the picturesque--Peculiarities of English 1 scenery--Worcester--Immigration of peasant girls--The Devils' Garden--The Rest on the Stones--Plinlimmon--Inhabitants of the summit--The Inn--Source of the Wye CHAPTER II. Descent of Plinlimmon--Singular 17 illusion--Llangerrig--Commencement of the picturesque--The Fall of the Wye--Black Mountain--Course of the river--Builth--Peculiarity of the scenery--Approach to the English border--Castle of the Hay--First series of the beauties of the Wye CHAPTER III. Clifford Castle--Lords-marchers--Fair Rosamond--Ruins of 31 the Castle--The silent cottage--Approach to Hereford--Castle--Cathedral--Nell Gwynn--Cider--Salmon--Wolves CHAPTER IV. Beauty and tameness--The travelling hill--Ross--The 45 silver tankard--The Man of Ross--The sympathetic trees--Penyard Castle--Vicissitudes of the river--Wilton Castle--A voyage to sea in a basket--Pencraig Hill CHAPTER V. Roman passes of the Wye--Goodrich 58 Castle--Keep--Fortifications--Apartments--Its history--Goodrich Court--Forest of Dean--Laws of the Miners--Military exploit--Wines of Gloucestershire CHAPTER VI. Iron furnaces of the Wye--Lidbroke--Nurse of Henry 74 V--Coldwell Rocks--Symond's Yat--New Weir--Monmouth CHAPTER VII. Monmouth--History of the Castle--Apartment of Henry of 87 Monmouth--Ecclesiastical remains--Benedictine priory--Church of St. Mary--Church of St. Thomas--Monnow Bridge--Modern town--Monmouth caps--The beneficent parvenu CHAPTER VIII. Welsh pedigree of queen Victoria--A poet's 100 flattery--Castles of Monmouthshire--Geoffrey of Monmouth--Henry of Monmouth--The Kymin--Subsidiary tour--Sir David Gam--White Castle--Scenfrith--The Castle spectres--Grosmont--Lanthony Abbey CHAPTER IX. Raglan Castle--Description of the ruins--History of the 121 Castle--The old lord of Raglan--Surrender of the fortress--Charles I. and his host--Royal weakness--The pigeons of Raglan--Death of the old lord--Origin of the steam engine CHAPTER X. Troy House--Anecdote--Antique custom--Village churches of 140 Monmouthshire--White-washing--The bard--Strewing graves with flowers--St. Briavels' Castle--Llandogo--Change in the character of the river--The Druid of the Wye--Wordsworth's "Lines composed above Tintern Abbey" CHAPTER XI. Vales of the Wye--Valley of Tintern--Tintern 156 Abbey--History--Church--Character of the ruin--Site--Coxe's description--Monmouth--Insecurity of sepulchral fame--Churchyarde on Tombs--Opinions on Tintern--Battle of Tintern CHAPTER XII. The Wye below Tintern--Benagor 174 Crags--Lancaut--Piercefield Bay--Chepstow--Ancient and modern bridge--Chepstow Castle--Roger de Britolio--Romance of History--Chepstow in the civil wars--Marten the regicide CHAPTER XIII. Piercefield--Points of view--Curious appearance--Scenic 192 character of the place--View from Wyndcliff--Account of Valentine Morris--Anecdotes--The Wye below Chepstow--Aust Ferry--Black Rock Ferry--St. Theodoric--Conclusion

ENGRAVINGS.

Page. GOODRICH CASTLE VIGNETTE TITLE. LLANGERRIG 19 RHAIADYR 21 NEAR RHAIADYR 22 CLIFFORD CASTLE 35 HEREFORD 44 ROSS 48 THE NEW WEIR 81 TINTERN 158 TINTERN ABBEY 160 CHEPSTOW 177 VIEW FROM WYNDCLIFF 198