Picturesque views on the river Wye, from its source at Plinlimmon Hill, to its junction with the Severn below Chepstow : $b With observations on the public buildings, and other works of art, in its vicinity

Description

"Picturesque views on the river Wye, from its source at Plinlimmon Hill, to its…." by Samuel Ireland is a topographical travelogue and pictorial survey written in the late 18th century. It traces the Wye from its mountain spring to its union with the Severn, blending landscape description with antiquarian notes, architectural observations, and local lore, all in the spirit of the picturesque. Expect castles, abbeys, bridges, market towns, and dramatic river scenery, often contrasted with practical remarks on navigation and recent flood damage. The opening of this work sets out Ireland’s aim to give faithful “portraits” of the Wye’s scenery and monuments, distinguishing his approach from more purely aesthetic sketchers, and noting floods that have swept away notable bridges. Beginning at Plinlimmon, he describes the river’s precipitous birth, wild cataracts, and sublime hills, seasoning the route with etymologies and tales of Owen Glyndwr. The journey then softens through villages and tributaries to Builth—its lively market, castle traces, and the Irvon—before moving on to Hay, Clifford Castle (with the story of fair Rosamond), and a richer, calmer reach toward Hereford, where the ancient bridge and cathedral (recently repaired after a collapse) dominate. Southward, legends (the Mordiford dragon), great houses (Holme Lacy), and wooded hills give way to Ross, the celebrated vistas, and the benevolence of the “Man of Ross,” John Kyrle. Below Wilton Bridge the river grows grander: Goodrich Castle crowns a height; Coldwell Rocks and Symonds Yat yield sublime prospects; the New Weir thunders beside iron forges, and fishermen ply corracles. Approaching Monmouth, the narrative notes its bridges and ancient gate over the Monnow, Henry V’s birth, the scant remains of the castle, and Jeffrey of Monmouth’s legacy, even pausing for the town’s charitable foundations and imposing new gaol. A brief excursion reaches Raglan Castle—magnificent, partly Elizabethan, and storied in the Civil War—before the author returns to the Wye, glancing at the Kemmin Rocks, the rocking Buck Stone, and the confluence with the Trothy near Troy House. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Wye, River (Wales and England)
• Wye, River (Wales and England) -- Pictorial works
• DA