1258 tours bro v6 aw · the picturesque movement and landscape painting in the eighteenth and...

INSPIRATIONAL VALLEYThe Birthplace of British Tourism

www.wyetour.adventa.org.uk

ThePicturesque

WyeTour

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone

Tintern AbbeyDevil's Pulpit

Chepstow Castle

Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

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ContentsIntroducingthe Wye Tour

3 Foreword - Introducing the Wye Tour4 Inspirational Valley – Birthplace of British Tourism6 The Picturesque Movement8 Wye Tour Boats

The Tour 10 Ross-on-Wye10 Goodrich Castle11 Yat Rock12 Monmouth13 The Kymin14 Lower Wye Valley15 Whitestone16 Tintern Abbey18 Devil’s Pulpit19 Eagle’s Nest20 Piercefield22 Chepstow Castle

24 Inspirational Breaks26 Rooms with a View28 Map30 What’s On31 Artists’ Paraphernalia32 Art Galleries33 Notes and Credits

Grid ReferencesOutdoor Leisure Map OL14 Wye Valley & Forest ofDean 1:25,000 covers the whole of the Wye Tourarea and all grid references relate to this map.

Safe ExploringNote: Some of the walks in this guide can besteep, slippery and precipitous. Take a map, andwear stout shoes and suitable clothing.

Sir Roy Strong & Lettice, Paul Brason


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In 1745 a rector from Ross-on-Wye, Dr John Egerton, was the first to build

a boat especially to take his guests on excursions down the Wye. By the late

eighteenth century there were at least eight boats operating on a commercial

basis, in response to growing demand from tourists. Much of the demand

was a direct result of a book, the first tour guide to be published in Britain

in 1782, entitled Observations on the River Wye and Several Parts of

South Wales, by William Gilpin. Gilpin took the Wye Tour from Ross to

Chepstow in 1770 and wrote, “if you have never navigated the Wye, you

have seen nothing.” Part of the popularity of the Wye Tour was that

tourists viewed the valley from boats on the river and Observations started

the fashion for ‘picturesque tourism’ - travel which focused on an

appreciation of scenery rather than just history or architecture.

Increasing interest in, and appreciation of, Britain’s landscapes helped make

Gilpin’s book an instant success and brought many visitors, including artists,

writers and poets to the Wye Valley. Many kept journals and diaries which

provide a wonderful insight into their travels: Samuel Ireland, William Coxe,

Charles Heath, Thomas Martyn, Thomas Roscoe, Leitch Ritchie, Louisa Ann

Twamley and Mr and Mrs S C Hall were amongst many who recorded their

observations on the Wye Valley. Wordsworth, Turner, Philip de Loutherbourg,

Michael ‘Angelo’ Rooker and Coleridge left inspiring records of their own trips

in paintings, poetry and prose. By 1850 over twenty guidebooks had been

published, firmly establishing the Lower Wye Valley as the birthplace of

modern British tourism.

Today the Wye Valley is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural

Beauty (AONB), recognised as one of the nation’s most treasured

landscapes. Although still a favoured touring destination, the Wye Valley

is seen mostly from a car or coach window, although short boat excursions

still leave from Symonds Yat and canoes can be hired from a number of

locations along the riverside.

We hope this guide will help you to enjoy the most ‘picturesque’ sites visited

by the early tourists. Some of the views are remarkably similar today, others

show considerable change in the landscape, but one thing all the sites still

have in common is their ability to inspire.

To view a digital version of Thomas Martyn’s ‘A tour to South Wales’ 1801 visit:http://www.llgc.org.uk/drych/drych_s068.htm

Online archive resource for Walesvisit: www.gtj.org.uk

Inspirational Valley William GilpinBirthplace of British Tourism

History of the Wye TourIn the late eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries it wasfashionable to take a boat tourdown the Wye Valley, to view itsromantic sites and picturesquelandscape. ‘Tourists’ dined atspecific locations, took walks toparticular viewpoints and visitedspecific romantic ruins, making the ‘Wye Tour’ one of the first‘package holidays’!

1. Tintern Abbey

2. View of the Wye from ChepstowCastle, Chepstow Museum

3. Lydbrook has a history, Audrey Hart, 2005

4. The Wye at Lydbrook, Audrey Hart, 2005

5. The Wye at Coldwell Rocks, Jim Meenaghan, 2005

6. Wye Valley Tour – On Reflection,Julian Wimpenny, 2005

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“if you have never navigated the Wye, you have seen nothing.”

William Gilpin, 1782

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The Picturesque Movementand Landscape Painting in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

William Gilpin

Gilpin was a pioneer in the appreciation of landscape in Britain and

his ideas had a lasting effect on the way we came to view the

landscape. He developed a set of rules for the Picturesque movement:

“the most perfect river-views are composed of four grand parts:

the area, which is the river itself; the two side-screens, which are

the opposite banks, and lead the perspective; and the front-screen,

which points out the winding of the river..... They are varied by...

the contrast of the screens....the folding of the side-screen over

each other......the ornaments of the Wye.... ground, wood, rocks,

and buildings..and colour”.

William Gilpin Observations on the River Wye, 1782

Travellers in search of the Picturesque had some essential items in their

luggage, which were deemed necessary to control the untamed

landscapes they encountered! A piece of tinted glass, called a Claude

Glass, a pedometer, a telescope, a barometer, maps, memorandum

books, tour journals, sketch books, drawing pads, a watercolour set,

pens and pencils, and a pocket edition of William Cowper’s poems were

the essential requisites for a tour. The Claude Glass was a convex mirror

about four inches wide on a black foil. It miniaturized the reflected

landscape, so that detail was lost except in the foreground, thereby

helping painters to simplify what they saw. Many tourists used the

glasses to manipulate the landscape: a sunrise glass when used at

midday gave a dawn view! As Gilpin wrote, Picturesque practice always

involved some ‘improvement’ of the landscape.

Gilpin described a number of significant views which could be seen

from the river, as well as other sites which could be explored on foot.

This guide aims to introduce you to some of the work of the original

Wye Tourists, and to some contemporary interpretations of these views,

including pictures by members of today’s flourishing Wye Valley Art

Society and other artists who took part in an open competition

organised by the Society. The selected paintings from this competition

feature in a travelling Wye Tour exhibition.

There were two types of landscapepainters in eighteenth and nineteenthcentury Britain; topographical artists(photographers today) and picturesqueartists who produced romantic andsublime paintings. At this time‘Picturesque’ meant literally, a scene which would make a painting, but it came to be used outside the context of art and painting, having a major influenceon garden design, landscape fashions and ornamental walks. Designers wereencouraged to think like artists, especiallywhen planning ‘enhancements’ to thelandscape on country estates such asPiercefield, one of the most famouslandscape parks in eighteenth centuryWales and a highlight of the Wye Tour.

1. View of Chepstow from Piercefield, G E Madeleyc1840, Chepstow Museum

2. Interior of Chepstow Castle, detail of engravingfrom drawing by George Robertson, 1787,Chepstow Museum

3. Tintern Abbey, (detail) Gilpin, 1782, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

4. View of the Wyndcliff from Lovers Leap, Piercefield Park, G E Madeley, Chepstow Museum

5. Chepstow Castle, detail of engraving from drawing by Thomas Hearne, 1798, Chepstow Museum

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The Wye Tour Boats

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Boats were the preferred method oftravel for the Wye Tour and vesselswere specially constructed for thegrowing tourist trade. They were light and could be used with orwithout a sail. They were equippedwith a canopy, padded seats and a table to sit at, so that touristscould paint, draw or write as theytook in the scenery.

Thomas Roscoe

“My ‘light bark’ was not much unlike a gondola, when its tarpauling cover was spread over the framework; but being favoured by a randomly bright morning, I prefered sitting under the skeleton and enjoying the charming scenes around me. A table in the centre of the part alloted to passengers, and cushioned seats around, made this small floating parlour a most commodious conveyance.”

Thomas Roscoe Wanderings and Excursions in South Wales, c1830s

From the 1770s boats were available to take visitors down the Wye

throughout the summer months. Boats were hired from inns in Ross and

Monmouth. The boat owner provided food and wine to be enjoyed on

the trip which generally took two days going downstream. There was a

crew of three (one to steer and two to row), but boats frequently had to

be hauled over shallows and rapids by gangs of ‘bow hauliers’. Stops

would be made at the well known sites so that tourists could explore or

walk to viewpoints high above the river. The period 1770 to 1830 was

the heyday of the Tour, which became over-commercialised and much

less leisurely in the later nineteenth century.

1. Llandogo, Samuel Ireland, 1797, Chepstow Museum

2. Tintern Abbey, engraving by W Radclyffe after Copley Fielding from ‘Wanderings in South Wales….’ By Thomas Roscoe, 1837, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

3. Advert from the Monmouthshire Beacon newspaper, late 19th century, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

4. Tour boat at Redbrook, detail from engraving, 1861, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

5. Tintern, engraving from ‘The Wye, Narrative of a Pedestrian Ramble’ by Leitch Ritchie,1841, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

6. Bow Hauliers on the Wye (detail). Nelson Museum, Monmouth

7. Coldwell Rocks, engraving by W Radclyffe after David Cox from ‘Wanderings in SouthWales….’ By Thomas Roscoe, 1837, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

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Ross-on-Wye Yat Rock

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At Coldwell Rocks many tourists left their boats and walked up to the

viewpoint at Yat Rock whilst the crew rowed the boat around the four

mile loop to New Weir to meet the tourists on the other side.

“…. In due time we gained the platform of rock crowning the

narrow ridge, and I was well rewarded for my toils and tumbles, by

the grand view spread around; with the Wye winding about below,

and almost making an island of the lofty point on which I stood.”Louisa Anne Twamley

An Autumn Ramble on the Wye, 1839

Today Yat Rock is an internationally famous viewpoint which

continues to delight visitors of all ages. Often busy with tourists,

Yat Rock also attracts ornithologists keen to catch sight of the

peregrine falcons who have chosen to nest on nearby Coldwell Rocks.

From April until August there is a Peregrine Viewing Point. RSPB staff

and volunteers are on hand with telescopes, to tell visitors about the

peregrines – the fastest birds in the world.

AccessGoodrich Castle is just off the A40,signposted with brown castle signs. Thereis a large car park from where it is a 400yard walk to the entrance to the Castle,which is in the care of English Heritage.There is an admission charge.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

Grid Reference 579 199

AccessAccess is from the A40 at Whitchurch orfrom the B4432 north of Coleford. Followbrown tourist signs to Symonds Yat Rock.Access to Yat Rock is via a footpath fromthe main Forestry Commission car park atSymonds Yat.


Traditionally Ross was the start of the Wye Tour.The riverside was a busy place. Pleasure boats leftfrom the river bank near the Hope and Anchor forthe trip downstream to Monmouth and Chepstow.

Lord Nelson was just one of many who took the tour from Ross in

1802. The Royal Hotel, a well known local landmark high above the

river, was the favoured place to stay at the start of the Wye Tour.

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

Between Ross and Monmouth Gilpin felt that the view of Goodrich

Castle was “one of the grandest on the river, I should not scruple

to call correctly picturesque”. Two hundred years ago tourists

enjoyed the view of Goodrich from the river before leaving their

boats at the ferry house and walking up to the castle. Today’s

visitors can explore the castle’s interior, with its views out over

the Wye.

Goodrich Castle1. Monmouth, watercolour by David Cox,

1809-1885. Nelson Museum, Monmouth

2. Goodrich Castle from the Wye, Jim Meenaghan, 2005

3. The Viewers, Audrey Hart, 2005

4. Twilight at Yat Rock, Gordon Luscombe,2005William Gilpin

“one of the grandest on the river, I should not scruple to call correctly picturesque” 2

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The KyminDuring the Picturesque movement it becamefashionable to build summerhouses at sites withspectacular viewpoints. With one of the best viewsaround, the small two-storey circular Georgianbanqueting house that stands on top of The Kymin,was built in 1794 by the Monmouth Picnic Club.

Guests who came here received instructions on how to observe the

views in the correct Picturesque manner. A Naval Temple was built in

1801 and when Nelson visited Monmouth the following year, long

four-pounder guns boomed out from the Temple to greet him as his

tour boat from Ross came into view on the river below at Hadnock

Reach. Nelson enjoyed a ‘handsome’ breakfast in ‘The Round House’

as it is known locally. The site is now owned by The National Trust

(www.nationaltrust.co.uk) and it is the view, extending over much of

rural Monmouthshire, which continues to be the biggest attraction.

The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The Round House

is open from the end of March until end of October on Saturdays,

Sundays and Mondays.

AccessTake the A4136 from Monmouth towardsColeford and the Forest of Dean. Afternearly one mile turn sharp right signpostedfor The Kymin. Follow this road, which isnarrow, windy and steep in places, to thetop of the hill and the car park. (Note carpark closing times - it may be locked earlyautumn/winter afternoons.) From the carpark walk up to the Round House andviewpoint, past the Naval Temple.


Monmouth

1. View from The Round House

2. Monnow Bridge, c.1800, watercolourby Michael Angelo Rooker, 1746-1801,Nelson Museum, Monmouth

3. The Kymin, detail from oil painting byJohn Arthur Evans, 1854-1936, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

Monmouth was the half way stage on the Tour and most tourists stayed at oneof the inns in Agincourt Square, althougha few slept on their boats. As well asexploring the town and The Kymin,excursions were also made to other‘romantic ruins’ nearby, including Raglan Castle and Llanthony Abbey.

The Nelson MuseumThe Nelson Museum and Local History Centre in Priory

Street has a reference library which visitors are

welcome to use by appointment. The collection includes

some of the original Wye Tour journals such as Gilpin’s

Observations, and paintings, engravings and prints,

including work by Michael ‘Angelo’ Rooker.

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William Coxe

“I shall not attempt to describe the unbounded expanse of country which presentsitself around and beneath, and embraces a circumference of nearly three hundredmiles. The eye satiated with the distant prospect, reposes at length on the nearviews, dwells on the country immediately beneath and around, is attracted with thepleasing position of Monmouth, here seen to singular advantage, admires theelegant bend and silvery current of the Monnow, glistening through meads, in itscourse towards the Wy, and the junction of the two rivers, which form anassemblage of beautiful objects”. William Coxe An Historical Tour in Monmouthshire, 1801

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Boat building was an important industry in the villages of Brockweir,

Llandogo and Tintern. The larger local boats, flat-bottomed barges

known as trows, could sail as far as Brockweir where cargoes were

unloaded onto smaller boats to be carried upstream. Coracles were

also a common craft on the river.

Surprisingly the scenes of industrial activity along the Wye were

considered Picturesque by the tourists. Redbrook’s iron and tin works

‘gave animation to the romantic scenery’ thought Archdeacon Coxe

when he visited in 1799. At Whitebrook wire and paper were

manufactured and, “Within half a mile of it (Tintern Abbey) are

carried on great iron-works, which introduce noise and bustle into

these regions of tranquillity” wrote Gilpin. He was referring to the

Angidy Ironworks which had made Tintern an important industrial

centre for over 300 years. Following Henry VIII’s dissolution of the

monasteries, Tintern would have faded into obscurity but for the fact

that the Crown chose to establish a foundry for brass and iron in the

Angidy Valley. At its peak over 600 people were employed in Tintern.

Along this lower stretch the valley is largely forested, one of the

main changes in the landscape over the past two hundred years.

At the time of the Wye Tours much of the woodland was coppiced

to feed lime kilns and furnaces. Trees were also felled for bark, used

in the tanning industry and for timber, especially for pit props in the

Dean mines. Many conifers have been planted since World War I,

although this is nothing new. “Will it never be known that firs in

groups are like plumes on the graves of the Picturesque?” wrote

Fosbrook in 1818.

Lower Wye Valley

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AccessFrom Llandogo take the Trellech Road(beside the shop), climbing up out of thevillage. After about 11/2 miles there is aForestry Commission car park on the right.Park here and follow the main track up thehill passing the adventure playground onyour right. Take the path on the far left ofthe upper car park heading up hill with thevalley on your right. There are threeviewpoints along the route, each providinga more spectacular view over Llandogo. At the third viewpoint follow the trackaround to the left as it joins anotherforestry road. Continue along this straightsection until the main path bears right.Keep left and follow the path down a rockydescent back into the lower car park.

Grid Reference 524 029 (car park)

Whitestone

Below Monmouth the Wye flows past severalsmall rural villages which in the eighteenth andnineteenth centuries were important industrialsettlements. The river was the focus of travel andtrade as there was no road through the valleybetween Chepstow and Monmouth until 1828.

1. Redbrook, engraving from ‘The Book of theWye, South Wales and the Coast’ by S CHall, 1861, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

2. Llandogo, lithograph by T M Baynes afterW H Bartlett, Chepstow Museum

3. The View from Whitestone

4. Llandogo, engraving from ‘The Book of theWye, South Wales and the Coast’ by S CHall, 1861, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

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Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

William Wordsworth

Five years have passed; five summers, with the length Of five long winters and again I hearThese waters, rolling from their mountain-springsWith a soft inland murmur. Once againDo I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,That on a wild secluded scene impressThoughts of more deep seclusion, and connectThe landscape with the quiet of the sky.

William Wordsworth Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey, 1798

It is thought that the views from Whitestone andCleddon inspired Wordsworth to write “Linescomposed a few miles above Tintern Abbey”. He commented that “no poem of mine wascomposed under circumstances more pleasant for me to remember than this”. Whitestoneremains a very pleasant place to spend some time,enjoying the views from the conveniently placedbenches along the woodland trail.

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AccessTintern Abbey is on the A466. There is a large car park adjacent to the Abbey.

Grid Reference533 022

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Built by Cistercian monks in 1131,Tintern Abbey was the architecturalhighlight of the Wye Tour, a touristdestination since the 1750s whenThe Duke of Beaufort cleared theinterior of the Abbey and laid alawn to make it easier for visitors to view the ruins.

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

Tintern Abbey

Many tourists were initially dismayed by the un-Picturesque beggars

and hovels surrounding the Abbey. Grose disapproved of, “the ill-

placed neatness of the poor people who show the building, and by

whose absurd labour the ground is covered over by turf as even and

trim as a bowling-green, which gives the building more of an air of an

artificial ruin in a garden than that of an ancient decayed abbey.”However once inside, the Abbey delighted all. Thomas Roscoe wrote:

“the rich heavy folds of Nature’s most graceful drapery, luxuriant ivy,

which adorns the lofty aisles and transepts of this majestic edifice,

and scarcely suffers us to regret that it is a ruin. Small ferns and

flowers of many hues spring from wall and buttress, and the presiding

genius of such spots, the fragrant and beautiful wall flower wanders

over arch and window, decking them with its fair garb of green and

gold, and crowning the decaying pile with a halo”.

Thomas Roscoe Wanderings in South Wales, including the river Wye, 1836

Once the railway arrived in 1876, Tintern became even more accessible

as an ‘excursion’ destination. In the 1880s it was not uncommon for

over a thousand people to arrive by train on September evenings to

view the harvest moon rising through the Abbey’s rose window.

1. Tintern Abbey, side aisles looking north, detail from lithograph by L Haghe, Chepstow Museum

2. Autumn Lights, Christine Hunt, 2005

3. Tintern Abbey by moonlight, c.1900, Chepstow Museum

4. Tintern Abbey, D Mariana Robinson, 2005

5. North View of Tintern Abbey, engraving by Rev. I Gardnor & J Hill after drawing by Rev. I Gardnor, from ‘A History of Monmouthshire’ by David Williams, 1793, Nelson Museum, Monmouth

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William Gilpin

".....the most beautiful and picturesque view on the river....It occupies a great eminence in the middle of a circularvalley, beautifully screened on all sides by woody hills,through which the river winds its course." William Gilpin, 1782

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This narrow pillar of limestone near the edge ofthe Wye gorge has magnificent views overTintern Abbey, and was a popular site with theWye Tourists. Legend has it that the ‘pulpit’ wasused by the devil to cajole the monks toilingbelow and persuade them to join him!

Although the view of the

Abbey is kept clear today by

the Forestry Commission, it is

evident that the area was much

more open when Thomas

Roscoe and his contemporaries

visited in the nineteenth

century. The hillsides behind

the Abbey on the Welsh side

of the river were also much

less forested than nowadays.

Notice also how the Abbey is

surrounded by more cottages

and houses in W H Bartlett’s

1845 lithograph. The ‘hovels’

have gone today, but there

are intrusions into the

picturesque landscape: car

parking, tarmac, the visitor

centre and souvenir shops!

Devil’s Pulpit

AccessThere are two routes; The first via the strenuous 365 Steps, starts at the LowerWyndcliff Forest Enterprise car park adjacent to the A466, just north of St Arvans. Followsigns across the road up the 365 steps. At the top turn right at the bench along the WyeValley Walk. The sign for Eagle’s Nest is on the right.

For a gentler climb start from the Upper Wyndcliff car park, which is reached via a lane off the A466, 1⁄2 mile north of St Arvans. The car park is on the right after about1⁄2 mile. Take the footpath on the left at the back of the car park which is signposted forEagle’s Nest and Wye Valley Walk - 350yds. Follow this stony path uphill, without turningoff the main route (unless you want to sneak a peep at the view) until reaching the sign for Eagle’s Nest off to the right. Go down the steps to the viewpoint where there is a bench.

Note how thick woods now obscure the cliffs and exposed rock along the right bank ofthe river, cliffs which were clearly visible in the nineteenth century picture. Note also thesimilarities and changes in the hedges and field layout of the farmland on the left bankof the river. This farm was bought by the Piercefield Estate in order to protect their viewsacross the valley!

Eagle’s NestThe Eagle’s Nest is a spectacular viewpoint, highabove the Wye at Wyndcliff, looking out over thesweeping curve of the river around the LancautPeninsula. In the distance the river winds out tothe Severn. The Wyndcliff was, in effect, the start(or finish) of Valentine Morris’s Piercefield Walk,the highest point on the walk with the grandestview. Coleridge, one of the Romantic poets,described the Wyndcliff view as “the whole worldimaged in its vast circumference”.

Circular RouteIt is possible to take a circular route,returning via the 365 steps, by turningleft at the bench on your way back downthe hill. At the bottom of the steps followthe path back round to the car park atUpper Wyndcliff.

For the less able there is a very shortpath on the right of the Upper Wyndcliffcar park which leads to a bench withviews over the river.


AccessAccess to Devil’s Pulpit, only about amile above the river, is on foot up afairly steep ascent. Start from thefootbridge over the River Wyeadjacent to Abbey Mill. Cross thebridge and follow the path around to the right for a short distance. Turn left between the metal posts and continue upwards. After a level area, continue upwardsagain, looking out for a painted stoneon the ground saying ‘Devil’s Pulpit’.Take a left turn here up a fairly rough, tortuous path which crosses a forestry track and continuesupwards. On reaching the Offa’s Dyke Path turn right and Devil’sPulpit is about half a mile further along.


“On the opposite bank of the river, an anciententrenchment runs some distance along the ridge of the hill, and one angle, commanding a splendid view of Tintern and the fair vale around it, is dignified by the appellationof the ‘Devil’s Pulpit’.”

Thomas Roscoe Wanderings in South Wales, 1836

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

“the river here formsalmost a circle and therocks richly wooded anamphitheatre, overwhich a wide extendedcountry appears spreadout including the riverSevern beyond.”

Joseph Farington

The Wye Tour of Joseph Farington, 1803

1. The Vale of Tintern from theDevil’s Pulpit, W H Bartlett, 1845

2. Tintern Abbey from Devil’s Pulpit, Jim Meenaghan, 2005

3. View from the Wyndcliff,compressed detail from engraving,Chepstow Museum

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AccessPark in Chepstow Leisure Centre car park,just off the A466 near ChepstowRacecourse gates. Leave the car park onfoot and walk back towards the main road.Turn right heading back towards theracecourse roundabout. Turn rightimmediately after a drive on the right called‘The Cloisters’, taking a footpath throughan archway in the wall. On reaching thegravel track keep straight on with a wall onyour right hand side. Follow this trackthrough the woodland (you might just catcha glimpse of Piercefield House in thedistance through the trees) until reaching agateway/kissing gate. Go through the gateinto open parkland. This was part ofValentine Morris’s Piercefield Park, wheremany eighteenth century artists painted.Gilpin painted an earlier house, this housebeing redesigned in the late eighteenthcentury by Sir John Soane. It has been inruins since the 1920s.

The racecourse is now on your left. Followthe track and then bear right headingtowards Piercefield House. Standing withyour back to the ruined house the viewlooks out across the Severn Estuary.

Walk on directly in front of the house forabout 100 yards with the fence on yourleft. Cross the stile and follow the footpathdown to meet the Wye Valley Walk. Turnright onto the Wye Valley Walk and keep onthis path, passing through a laurel tunnel.Look out for ‘The Grotto’ on the right,surrounded by laurel. The view is nowcompletely obscured by laurel trees.

Continue along the path, and after a downhill section you reach a logging track. Turnright onto the track and then after about100 yards turn left down the path andthrough another laurel tunnel. Keep on thismain path and as the track bears rightthrough a cutting you will see ‘ThePlatform’ on the left, a dressed stone

structure with the remains of iron railingson the top and a yew tree growing out of it!Yew trees now obscure the view over theriver. Keep on the main path through morewoodland and after a while you will cometo some railings on the left and glimpses ofChepstow Castle. A little further on you willfind ‘The Alcove’ on the right, looking outover the river, the Castle and the newSevern Bridge.

Much of this view remains unchanged,though the noise of traffic, and the newbridges over the Wye and the Severnhighlight two centuries of ‘progress’!

Continue up the steps, following the pathwhich turns off to the left through the wall,and along the fenced pathway passing theschool on your right before returning to yourstarting point in the Leisure Centre car park.


1. Piercefield Mansion & Park, c.1840G Eyre Brooks, Chepstow Museum

2. Piercefield Panorama, Jennifer Bannister, 2005

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This walk takes you across PiercefieldEstate, retracing paths laid out by ValentineMorris in the eighteenth century. Morris’spicturesque walks had viewpoints andfeatures along the route and were extremelypopular with tourists. In fact, Piercefieldbecame an unmissable attraction on theWye Tour as Gilpin wrote, “Mr Morris’simprovements at Persfield.... are generallythought as much worth a traveller’s notice,as anything on the banks of the Wye.”

Many of Morris’s features remain, including on this walk,

‘The Grotto’ a semi-circular cave decorated with stones and

cinders, ‘The Platform’ and ‘The Alcove’. You can continue

beyond these sites to Wyndcliff on the Wye Valley Walk.

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone


Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

Chepstow Castle

“One of the sweetest vallies ever beheld lies immediately beneath, but at such adepth, that every object is diminished, and appears in miniature. This valleyconsists of a complete farm, of about forty inclosures, grass and corn fields,intersected by hedges, with many trees; it is a peninsula almost surrounded bythe river, which winds directly beneath, in a manner wonderfully romantic; andwhat makes the whole picture perfect, is its being surrounded by vast rocks andprecipices, covered with thick wood down to the very water’s edge.”

Arthur Young A six week tour through the Southern Counties of England and Wales, 1768

Piercefield

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“…..The town and castle ofChepstow appear from one partof the bench, rising from theromantic steps of wood, in amanner too beautiful to express.”

Arthur Young A six week tour through the Southern Counties of England and Wales, 1768

2

2322

In the late eighteenth century the ruins of Wales’ first stone built castle,spectacularly sited on cliffs above theWye, provided inspiration for manyvisitors, including Turner. Chepstow was the highlight at the end of theWye Tour, “so uncommonly excellent, that the most exact criticin landscape would scarcely wish to alter a position in the assemblageof woods, cliffs, ruins and water”,commented Wyndham.

Today Chepstow has a thriving artistic scene. Art on the Railings

takes place on the first Saturday of the summer months which

includes displays by more than 200 artists with a variety of

different styles. (www.artontherailings.co.uk)

Chepstow Museum, just across the road from the Castle is worth a

visit having an inspiring collection of engravings, prints and paintings

by artists who took the Tour. Quotes from journals and diaries of the

time are on display alongside paintings in an exhibition entitled

Chepstow Castle, the artist’s eye and the visitor’s view. Many of the

historical pictures in this guide are held in the collections of Chepstow

and Monmouth Museums and can be viewed by appointment.

“I went to the Bridge and made a drawing of the Castle which occupied me four hours. The view forms a very picturesque composition the parts of the Castle appearing united so as to make a well collected mass of large objects.”

Joseph Farington The Wye Tour of Joseph Farington, 1803

1. Chepstow Castle revisited, Annabel Clements, 2005

2. First Court, Chepstow Castle, detail from lithograph by J Newman, c 1845, Chepstow Museum

3. Chepstow Castle, Susanna Birley, 2005

4. Chepstow Castle, detail from aquatint by Paul Sandby,1775, Chepstow Museum

AccessThere is easy access to the Castle from the Bridge Street car park adjacent to theTourist Information Centre at the bottom of Chepstow. From here you can walk down to the riverside or across the WyeBridge, from where the best views of theCastle can be obtained. There is also apermissive path across the fields on theGloucestershire side of the river, lookingacross the Wye to the Castle, a favouriteview with artists.


Chepstow CastleChepstow Castle

Goodrich Castle

Ross-on-Wye

Monmouth The Kymin

Whitestone

Tyntern AbbeyDevil's Pulpit

Piercefield

Eagle’s Nest

Yat Rock

1

32

4

Louisa Anne Twamley An Autumn Ramble on the Wye, 1839

24 25

We’ve selected a range of artisticoffers and venues you won’t be ableto resist, as well as suggesting placesto stay so you can follow in thefootsteps of the early Wye tourists.Several hotels, mentioned in diariesand journals of tourists over twohundred years ago, continue towelcome visitors today and we’veincluded them here. Choose one ofour specially selected watercolour orcreative breaks, or if you prefer,there’s a wide range ofaccommodation and activity optionswhich can be selected separately.

Only a limited amount of information can be

included here. For a full selection and further

information and booking details, visit the website


Rydym wedi dewis amrywiaeth ogynigion artistig a chanolfannau nafedrwch eu gwrthod, yn ogystal agawgrymu lleoedd i aros fel y gallwchddilyn yn olion troed y twristiaid cynnar i Ddyffryn Gwy. Mae nifer o westai, agrybwyllwyd yn nyddiaduron a dyddlyfrautwristiaid dros ddau gan mlynedd yn ôl,yn parhau i groesawu ymwelwyr heddiwac rydym wedi eu cynnwys yma.Dewiswch un o’n hegwyliau dyfrlliw neu greadigol sydd wedi eu dewis ynarbennig, neu os byddai’n well gennych,mae ystod eang o lety a gweithgareddauy gellir eu dewis ar wahân.

Dim ond ychydig o wybodaeth y gellir ei chynnwys

yma. I gael detholiad llawn a gwybodaeth bellach

a manylion am archebu, ymwelwch â’r wefan


Be inspiredIn the footstepsBach Travel offer the opportunity to retrace the steps of

the first tourists, including those of the artist, Turner, and

the poet, Wordsworth; to discover what attracted and

inspired them to take ‘The Wye Tour’. The short break

includes a day tour of the inspirational sights of the Wye

Valley area and 2 nights’ accommodation. Choose to stay

either at a 3★ historic hotel in the Wye Valley, or a 4★

country B&B with historic links to Tintern Abbey.

Transport to and from mainline stations can be provided.

www.wyetour.adventa.org.uk ✆ +44 (0) 1495 785712

WoodcraftRectory Cottage, with inspirational views across the Vale

of Usk to the Wye Valley and surrounded by spacious

grounds, offers 4★ B&B accommodation. Dating from the

16th century, the house is believed to be built on land

that once belonged to Tintern Abbey. The lay brothers

mined iron ore and ran sheep on the hillside above; they

also quarried stone in the next valley. The living room has

a floor of ‘monks’ tiles’. Try a taster session or improve

your skills with a wood-turning or pyrography course.

Woodcraft short breaks are offered in association with

Woodland Turnery.


Watercolour tuitionLearn to paint and enjoy watercolour painting tutored

by international artist Tony Slater, in inspriational

surroundings at The Abbey Hotel, overlooking the

majestic Tintern Abbey. The five day breaks are fully

inclusive of tuition, accommodation and all meals.


Watercolour workshopsD Mariana Robinson, a popular watercolour artist based

in Tintern, offers a variety of one and two day watercolour

workshops for groups of between 4 and 8 painters in the

Wye Valley. Enjoy a few days in tranquil surroundings,

painting at your own pace. Workshops can be arranged

on a tuition only basis or as a hotel package staying at

the Florence Hotel, Bigsweir.


Painting in the Brecon BeaconsStay in one of two four star self-catering cottages with

log fires and superb views over the Brecon Beacons,

and enjoy one of a wide range of art courses, run

by professional artists and tutors at Broadley Farm.

A spacious studio provides an ideal place to work.

There is also an art gallery on site - visitors welcome

by appointment.


Pack your paints andcapture the Picturesque!

Mynnwch yr awenPaciwch eich paent i fynd i dynnu llun y Pictiwrésg!

1. Goodrich Castle, Caroline Downey, 2005

2. Tintern Abbey, Dick Ray, 2005

3. View from Piercefield, Susan Peterken, 2005

4. Tintern Abbey, M R Charles, 2005

5. Tintern Abbey, C J Waugh, 2005

6. Tintern Abbey, M R Charles, 2005

1

Inspirational BreaksEgwyliau Ysbrydoledig

2 3

4 5 6

2726

Rooms with a ViewYstafelloedd gyda Golygfa

Keeping the Wye Valley Special – for a full range of environmentallyresponsible accommodation in the area, visit the website:

Cadw Dyffryn Gwy yn Arbennig – i gael dewis llawn o lety cyfrifol o safbwynt amgylcheddol yn yr ardal, ymwelwch â’r wefan:

Goodrich

Granton House B&B was once

lived in by Joshua Cristal (1823-

1841) who was President of the

Royal Academy Watercolour Society

and very much part of the

Picturesque movement.

www.grantonhouse.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1600 890277

Symonds Yat

The Saracen's Head Beautiful 16th century Inn. Embark

on a river cruise from Kingfisher

Cruises from the mooring outside.


✆ +44 (0) 1600 890435

Walnut Tree Cottage Hotel (4◆) Set high on the banks of the river

Wye with stunning views of the river.

Symonds Yat West, Ross-on-Wye,

HR9 6BN

www.walnuttree-cottage.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1600 890828

MonmouthMonmouth was the half waystage on the Tour and mosttourists stayed in one of theinns in Agincourt Square,although a few slept on theirboats. The Kings Head Hotel,(now the Kings Head,Wetherlodge) was one of twocoaching inns in Monmouthwhere the Wye touriststraditionally stayed.

Bigsweir, St Briavels

The Florence Hotel (4◆)

Commanding views of the River Wye

and the famous Offa's Dyke and Wye

Valley trails, which cross the

beautiful woodland gardens.

www.florencehotel.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1594 530830

LlandogoWilliam Wordsworth, who tookthe Wye Tour, wrote about 'thecottages on the hills' and the

'wreaths of smoke' sent up insilence from among the trees.Llandogo was a port even before Chepstow and the riverwas the focus of the village. The village still has a pub, The Sloop Inn, a reminder of the village’s maritime past. In the churchyard look out for anchors on graves.

Foxes Reach (5★)

This luxury holiday cottage is in the

heart of the Wye Valley just one and

a half miles from Tintern, and ideally

situated for inspirational painting

holidays. Take advantage of a Special

Autumn Colours Break or a Spring

Daffodil Break. Special artists offer –

one free dog place!

www.foxesreach.com

✆ +44 (0) 1600 860341

Fairfield B&B (5★)

Ideally situated in Llandogo, just

three miles from Tintern Abbey, with

views across the River Wye.


✆ +44 (0) 1594 530105

Lugano B&B (3★)

Beautiful views of the river valley

and wooded hillsides from this B&B

in Llandogo. Walk to Cleddon Shoots

which is said to have inspired the

poet William Wordsworth to compose

the famous poem, ‘Lines’.

www.luganobandb.com

✆ +44 (0) 1594 530 496

The Abbey Hotel, Tintern

The Old Farmhouse B&B(3★) Situated in Llandogo between

Monmouth and Chepstow on the

A466, about 2 miles north of

Tintern Abbey.

www.wyevalleytheoldfarmhouse.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1594 531216

Tintern

The Abbey Hotel (3★)

Previously known as the Beaufort

Arms and mentioned by Charles

Heath in his writings in the early

nineteenth century when it provided

refreshments to parties descending

the Wye by boat. This hotel offers

the best ‘rooms with a view’ for

miles.

www.theabbey-hotel.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 689777

Wye View B&B (3★)

Charming, ensuite rooms with

spectacular views over the beautiful

river Wye at Tintern.

www.wyeview.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 689779

ChepstowTwo of the hotels in Chepstowwhich were used by the earlyWye tourists still offeraccommodation, although youwill find many other hotels,B&Bs and farmhouses in thearea.

The Beaufort HotelThis hotel is in the centre of the

historic border town of Chepstow.

Despite its modern facilities the hotel

still retains all the charm and

character of a 16th century coaching

inn. This hotel was traditionally used

by visitors on the Wye Tour.

www.beauforthotelchepstow.com

✆ +44 (0) 1291 622497

The George HotelMany of the early tourists arrived

in Chepstow and stayed at

The George - a coaching inn

described by William Makepeace

Thakeray in his Cockney Travels

in 1842, as ‘one of the cleanest,

neatest, cheerfulest, fresh-

salmon-givingest inns to be

found anywhere’.

✆ +44 (0) 1291 625363

Castle View HotelThis hotel offers an unrivalled view

of Chepstow Castle, painted by so

many of the Wye Tourists. Stones

used in the building may have come

from the Castle, just across the

road, which by that time had fallen

into disuse.

www.hotelchepstow.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 620349

Vale of Usk Excursions were also made toother ‘romantic ruins’ nearby,including Raglan Castle andLlanthony Abbey. For manyyears a coach took tourists fromMonmouth to Raglan as a sidetrip to the Wye Tour.

The Beaufort Arms CoachingInn & Restaurant (3★)

17th century coaching inn. Only a

stone’s throw from Raglan Castle,

the large stone fireplace in the

lounge is believed to originate from

the castle itself!

www.beaufortraglan.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 690412

Tor-y-Mynydd Farm Holiday Cottages Converted stone barn self-catering

cottages in the heart of the Wye Valley


✆ +44 (0) 1600 860887

Vanilla Cottage (5★)

Luxury holiday cottage on the

River Usk is within walking distance

of the Craft Renaissance Art Café,

Gallery & Shop. Special Autumn

Leaves and Daffodil Spring Breaks

available. Special artists offer –

one free dog place!

www.foxesreach.com

✆ +44 (0) 1600 860341

Abergavenny

The Angel Hotel (3★)

Original coaching inn on the London

to Fishguard road, and the terminus

for services from Ross-on-Wye.

Today, it combines friendly and

attentive service with elegant décor

and an award-winning restaurant.

www.angelhotelabergavenny.com

✆ +44 (0)1873 857121

Court Farm, LlanthonyThe farmhouse looks out on to the

west front of Llanthony Abbey and

the mountains rise up immediately

behind it. Turner painted the Abbey,

and the farmhouse. Court Farm is a

traditional working hill farm offering

self-catering accommodation in a

separate wing of the farmhouse.


✆ +44 (0) 1873 890359

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Artist SuppliesThe Art Shop8 Cross Street, Abergavenny NP7 5EH

✆ +44 (0) 1873 852690

Email: [email protected]

Artists CornerAn Aladdin's Cave with everything for the artists, crafter

and modeller.

6-7 Beaufort Square, Chepstow NP16 5EP

✆ +44 (0) 1291 627393 www.artistscorner.co.uk

Heritage HallOffers professional digital scanning, old art or photo

restoration, mastering and fine art giclée printing.

The Sugar House, Llanwenarth Citra,

Nr. Abergavenny NP7 7ET

✆ +44 (0) 1873 851669 www.heritage-hall.com

For a complete listing of current art related businesses and activities in the area, visit:

I gael rhestr lawn o’r busnesau a’r gweithgareddau sy’n gysylltiedig â chelf yn yr ardal, ymwelwch â:


Artists’ paraphernaliaOffer Artistiaid

Need to frame your masterpiece?Beaver FramingPicture Framers, Gallery, Paintings and Original Prints

Shop selling artists’ materials, cards and gifts.

Monk Street, Monmouth NP25 3NZ

✆ +44 (0) 1600 713905

H & S Picture FramingUnit 4, Hatherleigh Place, Union Road,

Abergavenny, NP7 7RL ✆ +44 (0) 1873 858680

www.hspictureframingltd.co.uk

Martin’s FramingThe Old Police Station, Baker Street, Abergavenny

✆ +44 (0) 7854 843017

The Old Smithy GalleryThe longest established picture framers in

Monmouthshire. All aspects of picture framing undertaken

on the premises, plus original and limited edition prints.

Resident stained glass artist.

34 Maryport Street, Usk www.oldsmithygallery.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 672207

Wye Tour ExhibitionVisit this travelling exhibition of modern paintings selected

by open competition and organised by the Wye Valley Art

Society. Based on twelve sites of the Wye Tour, new

paintings are displayed alongside copies of original

pictures, engravings and quotes. See the website

www.wyetour.adventa.org.uk for exhibition details.

Take a Discovery Tour The Picturesque Wye Tour is one itinerary on the current

programme of Monmouthshire Discovery Tours. If you're

interested in discovering Monmouthshire's hidden secrets,

whether you're a local or a visitor, these tours are for you.

www.discovery.adventa.org.uk

Abergavenny TIC ✆ +44 (0) 1873 857588

Workshops and Demonstrations

The Court Cupboard Craft GalleryJoin one of a wide range of workshops, including

watercolour workshops led by Keith Foster.

www.courtcupboardgallery.com

✆ +44 (0) 1873 852011

The HillWide range of workshops and courses on offer.

www.thehillabergavenny.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1495 333777

Woodland TurneryWood-turning & Pyrography Courses

www.woodland-turnery.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 7901 790543

Richard Corbett, Printmaking CoursesSpecial offer for users of this guide - 10% discount for

short courses. 20 % for courses of 2 hours plus.

✆ +44 (0) 7967 094080 www.richardcorbett.biz

Charles & Patricia Lester, Textile Artists Demonstrations for groups by appointment.

✆ +44 (0) 1873 853559

www.charles-patricia-lester.co.uk

G J KilBride, Silk WeaversDemonstrations for groups by appointment.

✆ +44 (0) 1873 881059

Take to the WaterAs the Wye Tour was generally taken by boat, many of the

views the early tourists enjoyed can only be seen on the

river. Why not hire a canoe from Monmouth Canoe Centre

or take a short cruise from Symonds Yat West?

Monmouth Canoe and Activity CentreHire a canoe or kayak and explore the Wye Valley from

the water.

Castle Yard, Old Dixton Road, Monmouth NP25 3DP

✆ +44 (0) 1600 713 461/ 716 083

www.monmouthcanoehire.20m.com

Riverboat Cruises at Symonds Yat West The Lady Christina, The Jacqueline D and The Lady

Charmaine leave Symonds Yat West Leisure Park for short

cruises from the 13th century church of Saint Dubricous

to the rapids.

✆ +44 (0) 1600 890350 / 07976 413330

www.symondsyatleisure.co.uk

Kingfisher Cruises From Symonds YatKingfisher Cruises operate daily river trips from Symonds

Yat. The forty minute trips through the Symonds Yat gorge

depart around 11am.

✆ +44 (0) 1600 891063 / 07831 297672

www.kingfishercruises.co.uk

For up to date information on news and events in the area, visit the website:

I gael y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am newyddion a digwyddiadau yn yr ardal, ymwelwch â’r wefan

www.visitwyevalley.com

What’s OnBeth sydd Ymlaen

The Wye at Lydbrook, Audrey Hart 2005

3332

Copyright 2006 adventa. All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any meanswithout prior permission of the copyright holder.

Hawlfraint 2006 adventa. Cedwir pob hawl. Ni ellir atgynhyrchu unrhyw ran o’r cyhoeddiad hwn, eistorio mewn system gaffael na’i drosglwyddo mewnunrhyw ffurf na thrwy unrhyw ddull heb ganiatâdblaenorol daliwr yr hawlfraint.

This project has been supported by the EuropeanGuidance & Guarantee Fund, the Welsh AssemblyGovernment and Monmouthshire County Council. Theproject has also received financial support from CapitalRegion Tourism’s Short Break Scheme.

Cefnogwyd y prosiect hwn gan y Gronfa Cyfarwyddo aGwarantu Ewropeaidd, Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru aChyngor Sir Fynwy. Derbyniodd y prosiect hwn gefnogaethariannol hefyd oddi wrth Gynllun Gwyliau Byr ‘CapitalRegion Tourism’.

If you would like further information about the adventaprogramme or its activities, visit the website:

Os hoffech unrhyw wybodaeth bellach am raglen adventaneu ei gweithgareddau, ymwelwch â’r wefan:

www.adventa.org.uk.

If you wish to receive the information contained in thispublication in Braille, large print, or by electronic means,please contact:

Os dymunwch dderbyn y wybodaeth a gynhwysir mewnBraille, print bras neu drwy ddull electronig cysylltwch â:

Nicola Smith, Green Tourism Officer, adventaEmail: [email protected] ✆ +44 (0) 1873 736035

Copy researched & written by:Ymchwiliwyd i’r copi ac fe’i hysgrifennwyd gan: Ruth Waycott, Wye Knot Tourism Solutions ✆ +44 (0) 1600 860 779

Photography by: Ffotograffiaeth gan:Harry Williams and Mari Roberts

Translation by: Cyfieithiad gan:Business Language Services

Design by: Dyluniad gan: Dispirito Design ✆ +44 (0) 1600 740 432(www.dispirito.co.uk)

Images reproduced courtesy of: Monmouth & ChepstowMuseum, Wye Valley Art Society (including entrants in theWye Tour competition)

Atgynhyrchwyd y delweddau trwy gwrteisi: AmgueddfaTrefynwy a Chas-gwent, Cymdeithas Gelf Dyffryn Gwy(gan gynnwys y ceisiadau yng nghystadleuaeth Taith Gwy).

Notes and Credits Nodiadau a DiolchiadauArt GalleriesOrielau Celf

Most of the historical pictures in this guide are held inthe collections of Chepstow and Monmouth Museumsand can be viewed by appointment.

Cedwir y rhan fwyaf o ddarluniau hanesyddol yn yllawlyfr hwn yng nghasgliadau Amgueddfeydd Cas-gwenta Threfynwy a gellir eu gweld drwy wneud apwyntiad.

Chepstow Museum ✆ +44 (0) 1291 625981Monmouth Museum ✆ +44 (0) 1600 710630

The contemporary interpretations of the picturesqueviews featured in the guide were amongst the entriesin the Wye Valley Art Society’s Wye Tour competition.A selection of these paintings can be viewed andpurchased at their 2006 travelling exhibition.

Roedd y dehongliadau cyfoes o’r golygfeydd pictiwrésga gynhwyswyd yn y llawlyfr ymysg y ceisiadau argyfer cystadleuaeth Taith Afon Gwy Cymdeithas GelfDyffryn Gwy. Gellir gweld detholiad o’r peintiadauhyn a’u prynu yn eu harddangosfa deithiol 2006.

This guide has been produced by adventa –Monmouthshire’s LEADER+ rural developmentprogramme - to interpret the picturesque viewpointsmade famous by the early tourists who came to thearea to paint and to compose poetry in the eighteenthand nineteenth centuries, and to promote the area asa cultural tourism destination to visitors.

Cynhyrchwyd y llawlyfr hwn gan adventa – rhaglendatblygiad gwledig LEADER+ Sir Fynwy – iddehongli’r gwylfannau pictiwrésg a wnaed yn enwoggan y twristiaid cynnar a ddaeth i’r ardal i beintio ac igreu barddoniaeth yn y ddeunawfed a’r bedwareddganrif ar bymtheg, ac i hybu’r ardal fel cyrchfandwristiaeth ddiwylliannol i ymwelwyr.

Our thanks go to the members of Wye Valley ArtSociety whose vision and enthusiasm inspired thisproject and for their help and support during theproduction of this visitor guide.

Diolch i aelodau Cymdeithas Gelf Dyffryn Gwy y bui’w gweledigaeth a’u brwdfrydedd ysbrydoli’r prosiecthwn a diolch am eu cymorth a’u cefnogaeth yn ystody gwaith o gynhyrchu’r llawlyfr hwn i ymwelwyr.

We would like to thank Ann Rainsbury, Curator ofChepstow Museum and Andrew Helme, Curator ofNelson Museum and Local History Centre, Monmouthfor their guidance and support on this project,particularly for their help in sourcing images andproviding captions.

Hoffem ddiolch i Ann Rainsbury, Curadur AmgueddfaCas-gwent ac Andrew Helme, Curadur AmgueddfaNelson a Chanolfan Hanes Lleol, Trefynwy am eucyfarwyddyd a’u cefnogaeth gyda’r prosiect hwn, ynarbennig am eu cymorth i ddod o hyd i ddelweddauac am ddarparu capsiynau.

Our thanks also go to Mark Bristow, InformationOfficer, Wye Valley AONB, for his valuable input.

Diolch hefyd i Mark Bristow, Swyddog Gwybodaeth,AHNE Dyffryn Gwy, am ei gyfraniad gwerthfawr.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy,adventa can accept no liability whatsoever for anyloss or damage resulting from any errors, inaccuraciesor omissions or for any matter in any way connectedwith or arising out of the publication of thisinformation. adventa cannot be held liable for any loss,damage or injury sustained by any member of thepublic visiting any of the sites or businesses featured.

Tra gwnaed pob ymdrech i sicrhau cywirdeb, ni alladventa dderbyn unrhyw gyfrifoldeb o gwbl amunrhyw golled neu ddifrod sy’n deillio o unrhywgamgymeriadau, gwallau neu unrhyw beth sy’n caelei adael allan nac am unrhyw fater sy’n gysylltiedigmewn unrhyw fodd gyda neu sy’n codi o gyhoeddi’rwybodaeth hon. Ni ellir dal adventa yn gyfrifol amunrhyw golled, difrod na niwed a achosir i unrhywaelod o’r cyhoedd sy’n ymweld ag unrhyw rai o’rsafleoedd neu’r busnesau y rhoddir sylw iddynt.

Llanthony

Downey Barn GalleryAlthough the Wye Tour was the most

famed pictuesque tour, artists and

writers travelled across South Wales.

Turner painted Llanthony Abbey and

today Caroline Downey finds inspiration

in the landscape surrounding her

gallery at Cwmyoy in the Llanthony

Valley. Open most days but please

phone if making a special journey.

Cwmyoy, Llanthony Valley,

Abergavenny NP7 7NT

www.galleriesintheblackmountains.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1873 890993

Raglan

Rachel Spaven An artist and woodcarver making

bespoke ‘3 Dimensional Paintings’

which are inspired by the patchwork

of landscapes in Monmouthshire.

www.againstthegrain.me.uk

✆ +44 (0)7932 569 799

Usk

Craft Renaissance Art Caféand Gallery Paintings, artwork, and crafts.

Kemeys Commander, Usk NP15 1JU

www.craftrenaissance.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1873 880879

Whitespace Art Gallery A changing programme of exciting

exhibitions by contemporary artists.

49, Bridge St, Usk, Monmouthshire

www.manseldavies.com

✆ +44 (0) 1291 673350

Hazel Pickering, The Round House (detail)

Visitor informationGwybodaeth i ymwelwyrFor further information on where to go in the area, what to do and how to get there, please contact one of the area’s three Tourist Information Centres whose staff will be happy to help:

I gael gwybodaeth bellach ynghylch ble i fynd yn yr ardal, beth i’w wneud a sut i fynd yno, cysylltwch ag un o dair Canolfan Croeso yr ardal y bydd eu staff yn falch o’ch helpu:

Abergavenny Tourist Information CentreCanolfan Croeso’r Fenni ✆ +44 (0) 1873 857588

Chepstow Tourist Information CentreCanolfan Croeso Cas-gwent ✆ +44 (0) 1291 623772

Monmouth Tourist Information Centre Canolfan Croeso Trefynwy ✆ +44 (0) 1600 713899

For a complete listing of current galleries and craft centres in the area visit:

I gael rhestr lawn o’r orielau a’r canolfannau crefft yn yr ardal ar hyn o bryd ymwelwch â:


Pat Yallup Studio & GalleryEstablished professional artist Pat

teaches and works from her gallery.

Gallery House, Llandogo, Monmouth

NP25 4TJ www.patyallup.com

✆ +44 (0) 1594 530940

Abergavenny

The Court Cupboard Craft GalleryA wonderful showcase of arts and

crafts from members of the Black

Mountains Circle, a group of local

artists and makers who take much of

their inspiration from the landscape

in which they live and work.

New Court Farm, Llantilio Pertholey,

Abergavenny NP7 8AU

www.courtcupboardgallery.com

✆ +44 (0) 1873 52011

Robert Jones, Gwlad PublicationsLimited edition landscape photographs

PO Box 222, Abergavenny NP7 5YG

www.gwlad.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1873 855552

Take home a pieceof the Picturesque! Ewch â darn o’rPictiwrésg adrefgyda chi!Chepstow

Art on the RailingsTakes place on the first Saturday of

the summer months with more than

200 exhibiting artists, sculptures and

potters, art workshops and

demonstrations

www.artontherailings.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 627393/ 625646

Riverside Pottery and Gallery 10 Bridge St, Chepstow NP16 5EY

www.riversidepottery.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1291 621999

The Workshop Gallery Exhibitions of potters, fabric artists

and print makers.

13 Lower Church Street, Chepstow

NP6 5HJ

www.nedheywood.com

✆ +44 (0) 1291 624836

Tintern

Mariana-Art GalleryMariana’s vibrant work is in private

collections throughout the world.

Abbey Lodge, Tintern, Chepstow

NP16 6SF www.mariana-art.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 7748 690096

Wye Valley Crafts Association Just five minutes walk from Tintern

Abbey, members display their arts

and crafts in the historic

surroundings of Abbey Mill.

Abbey Mill, Tintern, Chepstow NP16

6SE www.wyevalleycrafts.co.uk

Monmouth

Gallery ArticoLocated in cobbled Church Street

Artico stocks prints and gifts.

14-16 Church Street, Monmouth

NP25 3BU

✆ +44 (0) 1600 719471

Richard Corbett Printmaker, Photographer, Painter

The Stables, Bridges Community

Centre, Drybridge Road, Monmouth

NP25 5AS www.richardcorbett.biz

✆ +44 (0) 7967 094080

Tack Room GallerySelected high profile specialist

exhibitions and showings of

local artists.

The Stables, Bridges Community

Centre, Drybridge Road,

Monmouth NP25 5AS

www.tackroomgallery.co.uk

✆+44 (0) 7779 680114

Great Atlantic Art GalleriesFind the local gallery in cobbled

Church Street in Monmouth.

19 Church St, Monmouth NP25 3BX

www.greatatlantic.co.uk

✆ +44 (0) 1600 714527

John Harris, Eagle’s Nest

1258 tours bro v6 aw · the picturesque movement and landscape painting in the eighteenth and...

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