The Reverend William Gilpin wrote about the Wye Valley area praising it for its beauty
"A more pleasing retreat could not easily be found" he wrote, noting the pleasure of the winding river, the mixture of woods and glades and at Tintern
the splendid ruin and the surrounding hills, which "make all together a very enchanting piece of scenery."Thomas Gray writing in 1770
"The very principal light, a capital feature of my journey was the river Wye, which I descended in a boat for near forty miles, from Ross to Chepstow. Its banks are a succession of nameless beauties."
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,
That on a wild secluded scene impress
Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect
The landscape with the quiet of the sky.
The day is come when I again repose
Here, under this dark sycamore and view
This was composed above Tintern Abbey, in the woods above LLandogo by Cleddon Falls when he revisited the Wye, during a 4 day break in July 13, 1798 with his sister Dorothy.
They crossed over in the Severn Ferry and then walked to Tintern for their first night.
The second day they walked along the banks of the Wye to Goodrich Castle and stayed their second night.
Both thses buildings are well worth a visit as their settings are glorious!