203:. Gilpin deemed the castle "correctly Picturesque". in its own right, and the crumbling structure, entwined with vines and set on a large hill that loomed over the viewer, "was generally considered to rank as the second grand object of the tour". From Goodrich Castle, tourists would sail past the ironworks at New Weir (sometimes spelled "New Wear"). Tourists of the time (like Thomas Whateley, who reverentially mentioned "a path , worn into steps narrow and steep, winding among the precipices" and commented on a "sullen sound that, at stated intervals from the strokes of the great hammers in the forge, deadens the roar of the water-fall") thought of the ironworks as enhancing the Picturesque qualities of the surrounding landscape; "the natural scene itself is awesome, and therefore positively enhanced by the presence of industry". After sailing past New Weir, the boats would next pass under
234:, who had immediately attempted to "restore" the Abbey. The Duke's restorative efforts, which included hammering bronze letters into the brick floor, introducing plants that compromised the structural integrity of arches and hallways, and other such harmful practices, ultimately did more damage than good to the ruins. Despite the Duke's restorative efforts, Gilpin remained unimpressed with the Abbey, and complained that "though the parts are beautiful, the whole is ill-shaped". Most tourists, however, generally considered Tintern Abbey to be the most important and beautiful location on the Wye Tour. Later tourists were probably familiar with Wordsworth's famous poem
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285:– it marked the first time that Gilpin discussed the Picturesque (originally defined as "that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture") at length. As a result, the Wye Valley was more or less constantly associated with the Picturesque, and as public awareness and appreciation for the Picturesque increased, so too did the popularity of the Wye Tour.
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128:) and satirical poets, who mocked their ignorance of local customs, single-minded pursuit of Picturesque views, and disregard for one another. Despite this (frequently accurate) criticism, the popularity of the tour endured until the middle of the 19th century – well after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the Picturesque fad. Wye Tour destinations like
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During the height of the Wye Tour's popularity (the first decade of the nineteenth century, there were no fewer than eight to ten "pleasure boats" launching from Ross-on-Wye towards
Chepstow each day. These pleasure boats were equipped with drawing tables, at which tourists would either read travel
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Tours skyrocketed. Thousands of tourists descended upon Ross-on-Wye each summer to take a
Picturesque tour, and to appreciate scenery that the fastidious Gilpin had declared "properly Picturesque". During this time, Wye Tourists (and seekers of the Picturesque in general) were widely lampooned by
184:) or sit and rapidly sketch scenes that struck them as especially Picturesque. The boats also featured canopies (to protect travellers from the sun), and crews to steer and row the boats downriver. Such boats could be retained for the price of three
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222:. There, awestruck seekers of the Picturesque observed the bare columns and walls of what was once a massive structure, overrun with vegetation and decay. Before the Abbey was immortalised by William Wordsworth's poem
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Each Tour followed the same general itinerary. First, tourists would leave Ross-on-Wye, appreciating the "mazy course and lofty banks". of the river on the way to their next major destination,
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After walking through the ruins of the Abbey, tourists returned to their boats and sailed further down the Wye, noting the cliff "Lover's Leap" and especially the
Picturesque plains of
218:, and spend the night in an inn. The following morning, tourists would pass riverside hamlets and Picturesque natural scenery before finally arriving at the Tour's greatest spectacle,
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Although tourists had been travelling down the River Wye since the middle of the 18th century, the Wye Tour became a must-see series of destinations after the publication of
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Composed a few miles above
Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, 13 July 1798"), or, if they were exceptionally rich, take a private carriage.
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281:, who had found the tour to be "a succession of nameless beauties". Gilpin's book did more than encourage British citizens to observe the beauties of the
108:(he called the Tour "a portrait of the celebrated Grecian Tempe enlarged"), thereby elevating the Wye Tour "to the highest level of classical beauty".
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Observations on the River Wye and
Several parts of South Wales, &c., Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, made in the summer of the year 1770
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were the final spectacle of the Wye Tour. After arriving in
Chepstow, Tourists would arrange for transportation back to their respective homes.
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Observations on the River Wye and several parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to
Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770
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held a temporary exhibition, 'The Wye Tour and its
Artists', of period art from the Wye Tour. A catalogue and detailed guide was published.
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it was considered to be an impressive, although imperfectly
Picturesque, ruin. During the 18th century, the Abbey was purchased by the
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For
British travellers unable to travel to continental Europe during the Napoleonic Wars, the Wye Tour became a replacement for the
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27:. It was a popular destination for British travellers from 1782 to around 1850, and reached its peak popularity during the
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was an excursion past and through a series of scenic buildings, natural phenomena, and factories located along the
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per passenger per day. Alternately, a tourist could elect to walk along the banks of the Wye (as
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remain some of the most popular weekend destinations for British tourists to the present day
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At the end of the first day of the Tour, the travellers would arrive at the town of
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423:
Michasiw, Kim (Spring 1992). "Nine Revisionist Theses on the Picturesque".
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The Chancel and Crossing of Tintern Abbey, Looking towards the East Window
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List of airports in the United Kingdom and the British Crown Dependencies
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and the importance of that piece only increased the aura of the Abbey.
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was published in 1782, travellers from all across Britain flocked to
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before arriving at the end of the Tour, the junction of the Rivers
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During the early 19th century, the popularity of the Wye and other
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468:"Enchanting Ruin: Tintern Abbey and Romantic Tourism in Wales"
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Observations on Modern Gardening, illustrated by descriptions
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1488:
List of past and present youth hostels in England and Wales
86:, the Tour's final destination, over a course of two days.
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The Adventures of Dr. Syntax, In Search of the Picturesque
735:
Discovery of Britain: The English Tourists, 1540 to 1840
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inspired many artists who took the Wye Tour, including
54:, who popularised the Wye Tour in the late 18th-century
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List of National Trust properties in Northern Ireland
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Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise
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1087:Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
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646:The Banks of Wye : a poem in four books
1082:Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
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689:. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
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1425:Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality
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400:. Ross, England: W. Farror. p. 167.
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269:The Wye Tour was first popularised by
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648:. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme.
16:British excursion along the River Wye
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265:The Wye Tour and the Picturesque
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687:The Search for the Picturesque
31:, when travel (especially the
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773:Tourism in the United Kingdom
101:compared the Wye Tour to the
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968:Forgotten Landscapes Project
716:The Wye Tour and its Artists
293:From May to September 2010,
1025:British Antarctic Territory
644:Bloomfield, Robert (1812).
180:journals (usually Gilpin's
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884:Hotels in Northern Ireland
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714:Mitchell, Julian (2010).
685:Andrews, Malcolm (1989).
556:Whateley, Thomas (1771).
1561:History of Herefordshire
1556:History of Monmouthshire
1453:Blue Badge tourist guide
1097:Turks and Caicos Islands
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703:Gilpin, William (1802).
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66:, which established the
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709:. London: A. Strahan.
698:. London: R. Blamire.
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866:Welcome to Yorkshire
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1294:Directline holidays
1186:Great Rail Journeys
932:Resorts in Scotland
70:as an area rich in
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718:. Logaston Press.
706:An Essay on Prints
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190:William Wordsworth
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257:. The ruins of
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1304:First Choice
1258:Trailfinders
1211:Kuoni Travel
1201:Jet2holidays
1196:Holidaybreak
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659:Gilpin 1802
608:Gilpin 1782
570:25 February
532:Gilpin 1782
520:Gilpin 1782
473:22 February
378:20 February
279:Thomas Gray
243:Piercefield
158:watercolour
146:picturesque
113:Picturesque
80:Ross-on-Wye
72:Picturesque
1535:Categories
1359:XL Leisure
1354:TUI Travel
1299:EasyCruise
1289:Court Line
1284:Club 18-30
1263:Traveleyes
1241:NetFlights
1231:Superbreak
1077:Montserrat
562:. London:
301:References
283:Wye Valley
91:Grand Tour
68:Wye valley
33:Grand Tour
1541:River Wye
1324:Lunn Poly
1253:TUI Group
1110:Companies
1050:Gibraltar
620:Moir 1964
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347:Moir 1964
335:Moir 1964
236:"Lines.."
154:David Cox
148:ruins of
93:. In his
25:River Wye
1507:Category
1334:MyTravel
1171:Ebookers
1129:Airtours
1060:Alderney
1055:Guernsey
1015:Anguilla
919:Scotland
564:T. Paine
398:Wye Tour
396:(1822).
255:Chepstow
216:Monmouth
160:in 1815.
136:The Tour
116:British
97:(1818),
95:Wye Tour
84:Chepstow
21:Wye Tour
1519:Commons
1458:Holiday
1444:Tourist
1339:Palmair
1272:Defunct
1117:Current
1020:Bermuda
808:England
800:regions
784:Tourism
441:2928685
209:Sublime
186:guineas
103:Grecian
43:History
1139:Cunard
1072:Jersey
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175:, 1794
120:(e.g.
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957:Wales
437:JSTOR
194:Lines
106:Tempe
35:) to
1415:ABTA
998:and
720:ISBN
572:2010
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380:2010
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