YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY J939 MO NMOTJTH SHIRE. DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNTS OF PERSFIELB CHEPSTOW, 1 INCLUDING CAERWENT, AND THE PASSAGES; ALSO, THE ROAD TO BRISTOL AND GLOCESTER; INTERSPERSED WITH LOCAL AND INTERESTING PARTICULARS: SELECTED FROM THE MOST ADMIRED WRITERS, VIZ. YOUNG, WYNDHAM, WHEATLEY, SHAW, GROSE, &a BEING THE CONTINUATION OF A DESIGN FOR PUBLISHING 'IN LIKE MANNER, An Account ofthe most Interesting Places in the County, BY CHARLES HEATH, "r PRINTER, MONMOUTH. " Pebsvieid is a Place full df Wonders, and will yield ydu amaziag Entertainment." AitTrtui Yousc. S&LD liy HIM IN THE MARKET PLACE, AND AT ALL THE INNS IN THE* COUNTY. '793> ^s^^c^^^^^^^^^^^§£ ;/ir INTRO DUCT ION TH E scenes at Persfield have been' examined by men of fuch distinguished taste, and the. various beauties, with wqich, the place iSj furrpunded, pointed out by them with., fuch ability, that Jn-their description. the Stranger will find every feature noticed deferving of his attention. No part of the kingdom has been more the object of general curiofity, nor feen with greater pleafure', than this we "are now fpeaking Of ; for the grandeur and va riety which" here prefent themfelves, are peculiar to this place'. The" frfgenious Mr. Valentine -Morris, to whom Persfielo is fo much indebted' for its prefent decoration, gave every affistance which Art could add to Nature fo adorned :. but, as Mr. Gilpin juftly obfervos, " Jittle, " was left for him but to open walks and views, thro' " the woods, to the various objects around them, which . ,--.-• " he INTRODUCTION. " he hath'fKewn, under h different forms, to great '¦¦'¦ advantage." That he— whofe tafte improved the fcene, and whofe • politenefs and hofpitality fo greatly enhanced the plea fure to the Traveller of viewing it — fhould during life have continued the PoflefTor of fo charming a refidence, every generous heart will naturally wifh ; — but, from a liberality too great for his circumftances, he was doom'ct to malce atonement by a long confinement in the King's Bench j .... _-...,,.-- - "-; :~r "'. Surely1 eveTy feeling mind*- will regret his reverfe of fortune, oh reading the following paragraph, which is copied from a publication' of laft October' :' ; " T H E Chepstow Hunt was to begin on the 2 2d. " Mr. Smith, Prefident. This gentleman fucceeded " poor Val. Morris, at Perseield, whom Shenstone, " arpOng a thoufand other people, envied — whofn poor " old Thickneffe, more finned against" than finning", " relieved !— -and whom fome' of his nearest rich rela- " ticns left defolate, and fent him nothing but an inju- " rious dole of broken victuals when his high heart; was "breaking! — and in tthe King's bench-prifon ; h.e who " communicates this article,, saw him. taking in a pettv '• MEASURE OF MILK IN A BROWN PAN ! " , (fcp* By the kindPcrmijjion of Mr. Smith, these Walks' at present are to be se-cn every Day. PERSFIELD. M^"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ERSFIEL EXTRACTED FROM ARTHUR TOUNG's, " Six Weeks Tout through the Southern Counties of England and Wales? F your purpofe is feeing. Per shield, you go from Chepftow up the Monmouth road (un- lefs you go by water, which is a pleafant fcheme enough), and pafs directly to the houfe.* I * This Work being publifhed in 1772 s while the eftate was in Mr. Morris's poffeffion, confiderable alterations have been inade in the walks by Mr. Smith, fince that time. A >'; We 2 PER SF I ELD. We were fhewn to an adjoining* part of the garden, which confifted of flopes and waving lawns, having fhmbby tr&s Scattered about them with great tafte, and ftriking down a fhort walk to the left, came at once to a little fequeftered fpot, fhaded by a fine beach tree, which commands a landfcape, too beautiful for pencil to paint. This little fpot, over which the beach tree fpreads, is levelled in the vaft rock, which forms the fhore of the river WYE, through thefe grounds: this rock, which is totally covered with a fhrubby underwood, is almoft perpendicular from the water to the rail that encldfes the point of view. One of the fweeteft vallies ever beheld lies immediately beneath, but at fuch a depth, that every object is diminiihed, and appears in miniature. This valley confifts of a complete farm, of about forty inclofures, grafs and corn fields, interfered by hedges, with many trees ; it is a peninfula almoft furrounded by the river, which winds direclly beneath, in a manner wonderfully romantic ; ahd what makes the wifoie pidure {JeH feft, is it's being entirely furrounded1 by vaft rocks and precipices, covered thick with wood down to the very water's edge. The whole is an amphi theatre, PERSFIELD. 3 theatre, which feems dropt from the clouds, com plete in all its beauty. From thence we turned to the left, through a winding walk cut out of the rock ; but with wood enough againft the river to -prevent the horrors which would otherwife attend the ireading on fuch a precipice : after palling through a hay-field, the contrail to the preceding views, we entered the woods again, and came to a bench enclofed with Chinefe rails in the rock, which commands the fame valley and river, all fringed with wood; fome great rocks in front ; and juft above them the river "Severn appears, with a -boundlefs prof- ped beyond it. A little further, we meet with another bench, .inclofecl with iron rails, on a point ofthe rock .which.. is b^re pendent over the river, arid may be truly called a fituation full ofthe terrible fub lime: you look immediately down upon a vaft hollow of w pod, all furrounded by the woody precipices which have fo fine an effect from all the points, of view at Persfield ; in the midft appears a imali,. but neat building, the bathing-houfe, which though, none of ^he leaft, appears from this enor mous height, but as a fpot of white, in the midft A3 of 4 PERSFIELD. J- of the vaft range of green : towards the right is feen the winding of the river. F>-om this fpot, which feems to be. pufhed forT ward from the rock by the bold.1 hands of the Genius of the Place, you proceed tO! the temple, a fmall neat .building on the higheft part of thefe grounds; and imagination cannot form an idea of anything more beautiful than what appears full to the fight from this amazing point of view. You look down upon all the woody precipices, as if in another region* terminated by a waif of rocks: juft above them appears the river Severn in fo pe culiar a manner j that you would fwear it waflied tb-m.- and that nothing parted you from it but thofe rocks, which are in reality, four or five miles dis tant. This deception is the moft exquifite I ever beheld, for viewing, firft. the river beneath', then tii? vaft rocks rifing in a fhqre of precipices, and immediately above them the noble river, as if a part pf the little world immediately before you ; and laft'ly, all the boundlefs profped oVer Gib- ' ceflerflii'e and Somerfetfhire,' are, together, fuch a bewitching view, that nothing can exceed it, and contains more romantic variety, with fuch an apparent junction offeparate parts, that imagination PERSFIELD. 5 V,' , '". . ' ' nation can fcarc°ly coi:eive any thing equal to the amazing reality. The view to' the right, over the park, and the winding valley at the bottom of it, Would, from any other fpot but this, be thought remarkable fine. • • • The winding road A down to the .oold bath, is cool, fequeftered. and agreeable. The building itfejf'& exceffively neat, and well' contrived, and the fprfng which fupplies ity plentiful1 arid trans parent, You wind from it up' the -rock; but here, I muft be allowed juff to hint a want, if any- thing can beJ wanted in fuclr'a 'fpot as Pers field. This walk from the cold bath, is • dark ¦and rather gloomy, breaks and objeds are rather fcaree ink; the trickling stream you have juft "left, puts one in mind of a cafcade, which would be here truly beautiful, but doss not appear throughout all the walks of Persfield. On. the left 'towards the valley, there is a prodigious hol low filled with a;thick wood, which almoft hangs beneath you; from the walk? an opening down through this wood, might eafily be fmade, with juft light enough let in, to fhew to advantage the gufh: of a cafcade ; to Took backwards , afllnt uppn |uch an objed, would be infinitely pidurefqtfe, ¦ ¦'-'¦¦¦ amidft 6 PERSFIELD. amidft the hrownnefs pf this hanging grove. I know. not whether water could be brought there ; but if it cpuld, pever was there a fituation for viewing it to ,fuch advantage. Paffing on, there are two breaks, which open! -to the valley in a very agreeable manner. You «re then led through an extremely rpmantjc cave, hollowed out of the rock, and ppening to a fine point of view. At the mouth pf this cave fome fwfvel j;uns are planted ; the firing of which occar fions a repeated echo from rock to rock in a mpft? furprifing manner, i^or muft. you pafs without] obferving a remarkable phenomenon, a large oak, of a great age, growing out of a cleft of the rock, without the leaft appearance of any : earth. Pur suing the walk, as it rifes U;p the, rocks, ana": paffes by the point of view first mentioned, ypjuA arrive at a bench, which commands a yiew deli cious beyond all imagination : on, the. left you look •down upon the -valley, with' the- river winding many -hundred ,- fathom perpendicular beneath, the whole furrounded by the vast amphitheatre of wooded rocks; apd to the -right fall upon the town of Chepstow; .beyond it the .Severn's windings, and ¦a prodigious profped bpunding the -.whole, v ' When PERSFIELD. -f Whenever you come to Persfield, rest your- felf fome time at this bench, for, believe me, it is a capital view. From- thence an agreeable walk, fhaded on one fide with a great number of very fine fpr uCe firs, leads you to an irregular jundion of winding Walks, with many large trees growing from the feques- tered lawn, in a pleafing manner, and figures by cdnttaft fo what prefently fucCeeds; which is a view, at the very idea of which, my pen drops from my hand. The eyes of your imagination are not keen enough to take in this point, whick the united talents of a Claude arid a PoUffiii would fcarcely be able to fketeh. Full to the left, ap* pears beneath you, the valley, in all its beauty, furrounded by the rocky woods ; which might be called (to ufe another's expreffion), a coarfe fal- vage of canvafs around a fine piece of lawn. In the front, rifes from the hollow of the river, a prodigious wall of formidable rocks, and immedi ately above them, in breaks, winds the Severn, as if parted frorii you only by therru On the fight is feen the town and caftie, amidft a border Pf wood, With the Severn above them ; and over the whole, as far as the eye can commarid, an immenfe prof- peel 8 PERSFIELD; ped, of diftant country. I leave your imagination tp give the colours to this mere outline, which is all I can attempt. The Hoping walk of evergreens, which leads from hence, is remarkably beautiful in profped; for' the towft and, country above it appear perpe tually varying as you move ; each moment prefent ing a frefh pidure, till the whole is loft by defcend* ing. You next meet with the grottO, a point of view exquifitely. beautiful, ; it is a fmall cave in the rock, ftuck with- ftones of various kinds ; copper, and; iron cinders, kc. You look from the feat in it iriimediately-'down affteep flope on to a hpllow of .wood, bounded in front by the craggy rocks, which feem to part, you from the Severn in breaks ; with the diftant country, fpotted with white build-., -hags above all ; forming a landfcape as truly pidurefque as any in the world. The winding walk, which leads from the grotto, varies frorp any of the former; for the town of Chepftow, and the various neighbouring- objeds* break' through" the hedge, as you pafs along, in a .manner, very beautiful: paffing over a little bridge -Which is thrown aqrofs a road m a hollow way , through] PERSFIELD. § through the Wood, you come to an opening upon. a fcoop of wood alone, which being different frOnr the reft, pleafes as well by its ndvelty, ii its ro* riiaritic variety. Further on, from the fame walk, are two other breaks which let in rural pidureS; the latter Opehs to a hollow, of wood, bounded b'y the wall of rocks, one way, arid letting in a view ofthe foWri another, iri ari exquifite tafte. The next opening in the hedge (I fhould tell you, by die way, that thefe breaks arid* openings are" all natural, none jiifly artificial ), gives yOu at One fmall view, all the pidurefque' beauties of a natu ral camera obscura ; a bench Which is thickly fhaided with trees, in a dark fequeftered fpot, from Which you, look afide through the opening to a landfcape, Which feems formed by the happier! Hand of de fign, it i£ realty nothing but catching a view of acci dental objed's. The town and caftie of Chepftow appear, from one part, rifing from romantic fteeps 6t wood, iri a manner too beautiful tp exprefs"; a fmall rerriove discovers the fteeple, fo dropt iri the precife point" of tafte, that one can fcarcely believe it real, and riot an eye-trap. Soon after a large break opens a various view' ofthe diftant country ; and riot" far from it another1, which is much wor thy of reiriark ; you look doWh upOn a" fine bene? *A Of io PERSFIELD. ofthe river, winding to the caftie, which appears here romantically fituated ; the oppofite bank is afwelling hill, part overrun with gorfe and rub^ bifh, and part cultivated inclofures : this differ^ ence in the fame objed, is here attended with emotions not consonant ; the wild part of the hill. fuits the reft of the view, and agrees with it in. the fenfations it raifes, but the cultivated part being ipcomplete,:Aapd unlike the beautiful farm, at the bottom of the before-mentioned amphi-, theatre," . which is entire, has a bad efTed. Wasj the whole well cultivated and lively, being rather diftind from the reft of the landfcape, it would! have a much better effed. The laft point; and which perhaps is equal to moft of , the preceding, is the alcove. From this you look down perpendicularly on the river, with a cultivated flope on the other fide. To the right is a prodigious fteep ,fhore of wood, winding to the caftie, which, with a part of the town, appears in. full vieW. On the left is feen a fine bend of the river for fome diftance, the oppofite fhore of wild wood, with the rock appearing at places in rifing cliffs, and further on to the termi nation of the view that way, the vaft wall of rocks sc PERSFIELD. n so often mentioned, which are here feen in length, and have a ftupendous effed.* On the whole, this fcene is ftriking. ' About a mile beyond thefe walks is a very romantic cliff, called the Wind Cliff, f from which the extent of profped is prodigious ; but it is moft remarkable for the furprifing echo, on firing a piftol or gun from it. The explofion' is repeated five times very diftindly from rock to rock, often feven ; and if the calmnefs of the Weather hap pens to be remarkably favourable, nine times. This echo is curious. Beyond the cliff, at 3 miles diftapce, is Tintern Abbey, X , a venerable ruin, * In this range of rock, are twelve large projections over the river, like baftions^ which the country people have dignified with the names of fhe Twelve Apostles; and a thirteenth, ftanding' in the fame row, hpving a flender ftone upon the fumiriiit of it, afcout-fivp feet in height, they denominate Saint Peter's Thjjmb. . •}• The'rivers Severn and Wye ; the towns and caftles of Chepftow, Thornbury, and Berkley ; the feveral counties of Brecon and Glamor gan, in Wales.; Mpnmouthfhire, Herefordfhire, Worcefterfhire, Glou- Cefterfhire, Wiltfhire, Sorderfetfhire', and Devonfhire, in England, are contained in this profpedl ; efteemed one of the moft extenfive and! beautiful inland views in the kingdom. $ A Defcription. of which (on the plan of this work), may be had of Mr. Gethen, Tintern; and Mr. George, the Beaufort Arms Inn, Chepftow ; alfo of Mr. Watkins, Beaufort Arms.'MoNMOUTH. * a 2 fituated 12 PERSFIELD. fituated In a romantic hollow, belonging to the, Duke of Beaufort, well worth your feeing ; and this is the end ofthe Persfield entertainment. Upon the whole, it exceeds any thing of the! kind I have feen. In point of ftrikirig pidurefque: views, iri the romantic ftile, Persfield. is exqui*s ftte. The cultivated inclofures, forming the hot-* torn of the valley, with the river winding round them, and the vaft .amphitheatre of rocks and pendent woods which wall it in, tp fuch a ftupen- dpus height; is the capital beauty of the place, and the owner has fixed his benches., kc. in thofe. points of view \yhich command, it in the happieft manner, with the utmoft tafte : Nothing can be more truly pidurefqu? than the appearance v&hich; the Severn takes in many places, pf being fupT, ported and bopnded. by the wall of rocjss, though fopr miles diftant ; this effed is beyond all irnagin-r' ation, ftriking. In refped; to the extenfive prpf- peds, the agreeable manner in which the town, caftie, and fteeple are. caught, with: the rpcks^ woods, and river, taken in themfelves,,. Other- places are equal ; but when they unite to form the landfcapes I have juft mentioned, I1 believe they never w,ere equalled. Throughout PERSFIELD. 1$ Throughout the whole of thefe walks, it is evident, that Mr. Morris meant them merely a$, an affiftance to view the beauties of Nature ; as a means pf feeing what .Nature had already done to his hands, and without a ftrong defign of deco ration or ornament. Every thing is in a juft tafte ; but as I have been particular in fpeaking of all the? beauties of Persfield, I muft be allowed to- him-fe a few ciucumftances wanting to render it complete. But 4o not imagine I mean in the leaft to difap- prove the tafte of the ipgenious owner ; by no- means ; I am not certain that it would be poffible to. ia;d(| . what I am going to- mention ; but I minute them: -p3$ffel§f' that, your idea of Persfield. ma^ he: exad ; and1, that you may not hiiftake any general! exceptions, I have madeufe of, to imply beauties; which; are not here. < ^!-£' ¦ .} . , . "A- -'-' The river Wye, which runs, at the bottorntof the walks, - is an infinite advantage; but: it is by many, degrees ipferior in beauty to a. frefh water one, which keeps a level, and. does not difplay. a, breadth of muddy bank at low^ water;, and the colour is very bad; it has not that tranfparent. darknefs, that filver-ihaded furface, which- is,, of itfelf, one of. the greateft beauties in Nature, , and would 14 PERSFIELD. would give a luftre inexpreffibly elegant among ^ thefe romantic objeds. t: • '• 7- '¦' Cascades are likewife much wanting. In fuch-' ftfeeps of wood, and embrowning hollows, that- have a pleafing folemnity, nothing has fo glorious' an effed, as breaking unexpectedly upon a cafcade,1 gufhing from rocks, and over-hung with wood. There are many fpots in the Persfield hollows,' which would point out in the ftrongeft manner the beauty of fuch objeds. Laftly, There is a want of contrqfts ; for the1 general emotions which arife on viewing the rocks, hanging woods, and deep precipices of Persfield, are all thofe of the fublime : and when that is the cafe, the beautiful never appears in fuch bewitching colours, as thofe it receives from contraft : to turn fuddenly from one of thefe romantic walks, and break full upon a beautiful landfcape, without any intermixiure of rocks, distant profped, or any objed that v/as great or terrible, but on tbe con trary, lively and agreeable, would be a vaft improve ment here ; and I venture the remark the rather, becaufe thofe views at Persfield, which are beautiful, are all intermixed with the fublime: the PERSFIELD. 15 the ferm beneath you is fuperlatively fo ; but the precipice you look down from, the hanging woods, and the rocks, are totally different. The fmall break, however, through the hedge, which catches the town and steeple, is in this taste ; but even here, fome large rocks appear. Small elegant buildings, in a light and airy tafte, rifing from green and gently fwelling flopes, with fomething moving near them, and fituated fo as the fun may fhine full upon them, viewed fuddenly from a dark romantic walk, have a charming effed. But it muft strike every one who Walks over Persfield, that the finest feats, &c. are feen rather too much before youjiep into them; they tio not break upon you unexpectedly enough: in many of them you fee the rails, which enclofe them on the brink of the precipice, at a fmall dis tance before you enter. What an effed would the view from the Grotto, for instance, have, if you entered it from behind, through a dark zig zag narrow walk ! Excufe thefe hints, which I throw out with great reludance; for Persfield, notwithstanding thefe trifles, is a place full of wonders, and will yield you amazing entertainment. [THUS FAR MR. YOUNG.] TO THE READER. I Mr. YOUNG'S Tour, from which the pfeceWfc^ $pg account is extraded, being fearCe and out of print, it was not procured till after the rest of the Wprk was put to prefs. It is not of any confequence as t© the place it occupies, but it is neceffary to remark it, to account for the ¦ duplicate of pages which follow it, - r c. tftkTftl Maa. i PERSFIELD PERSFIELD* EXTRACTED FROM WHEATLEY's " Observations on Modern Gardening? PERSFIELD is not a large place: the park contains about three hundred acres ; and the houfe ftands in the midft of it. On the fide of the, approach, the inequalities of the ground are gentle, and the plantations pretty ; but nothing there is great : on the other fide a beautiful lawn falls pre cipitately every way into a deep vale, which fhelves down the middle ; the declivities are diverfified with clumps and with groves ; and a number of large trees ftraggle along the bottom, This lawn is A encom- 2 PERSFIFLD. , eneoriipWed-witb: wood'; -and through the Wooti are walks, which open beyond it upon thofe romantic fcenes which furrOund the park, and which are the glory of PERSFiELD.J;The Wye runs immediately below the wood; the river is of a dirty colour- but the fhape of its courfe is very various ; wind ing firft in the form of an horfe-fhoe, then proceed ing in a large fweep to the town of Chepftow, and afterwards to the Severn* The banks are high hills ; in different places fleep, bulging out, or hollow on the fides ; rounded, fiattei&d, or irregular at top ; and covered with wood, or broken by rocks. They are fometimes feen hrfront ; fometimes inperfpec- tive ; falling back for the paffage, or clofing behind the bend of the river ; appearing- to- meet, rifing above, or fhooting out beyond one another. The^ wood /Which enclofes the la wn crPwns an extenfive range of thefe hills, which oveiiki&kall tlibfe on thfe oppofite fho-fe, with the country which appears above or between therri ; and winding tbemfelvt$ as the river winds, their fides, all rid* atid beatffri-' ful, arte alternately exhibited; arid' the point of view iri one fpot becomes an objed to the next. In many places the principaLfeatMte is a eoriti^ nued rock, in length a quarter of a mile, perpen*: dicular, PERSFIELD. 3 dicular, Wgh, and placed upon a height. Torefem- ble ruins -is common to rocks ; but no ruin of any fingle ftrudure was ever equal to this enormous pile v' it feems to "be the remains of a city ; and other fmaller heaps fcattered about it, appear to be iainter traces ofthe former extent, and ftrengthen fhe fimilitude. It ftretches along the brow -which terminates the forefiof Dean ; the face of it is. compofed of immenfe blocks of ftone, but not rugged ; the top is bare and uneven, but not craggy ; and from the foot of it, a declivity, covered with thicket, flopes gently towards the Wye, but in one part is "abrupt ly broken off by a ledge of lefs rocks, of a different hue, andiri a different diredion. From the grotto it feems to rife immediately over a thick wood, which extends down a hill below the point of view, flcrOfs the -valley through which the Wye iows^ and up the oppofite banks, hides the river, apd continues without interruption to the bottom of the rocL; 'from another feat it is feen by itfelf Without even its* bafe ; it faces another; with all its appepdages about it; and fometimes the fight pf it is partially intercepted by trees, beyond which, at a diftance, its long line -continues on through all the ope-pipgs between tbem. ~s' ; A 2 Another 4 PERSFIELD. Another capital objed is THE CASTLE OF CHEPSTOW, a noble ruin, of great extent; advanced to the very edge of a perpendicular rock, and fo imme-r .diately rivetted into it, that from the top of the battlements. down to the river feems but one pre* cipice: the fame ivy which overfpreads the face of the pne, twines and dufters among the fragments ofthe other ; many towers, much ofthe walls, :andj large remains of the chapel are ftanding. Clofe to it is a moft romantic wooden bridge, very ancient, very grotefque, at an extraordinary height above* the river, and feeming to abut agajnft the ruins at* one end, and fome rocky hills at the; other. The:; caftie is so near to the alcove at Persfield, that* little circumftances in it may be difcerned; frpm.,* other fpots .more diftant, even from the lawn, and/ frpm a fhubbery on the fide of the lawn, it is dis-- tipdly vifible, apd always beaut jful, whether it is feen alone, or with the bridge, with the town, with more or with lefs of the rich meadows which, lie along the bapks of the Wye, to its jundion three miles off with the Severn. A long fweep of that river alfo, its red; cliffs, and the fine rifing cpuntry in the counties of Somerfet and Glocefter, -generally terminate the. profped. Moft PERSFIELD. 5 Moft of the hills about Persfield are full of rocks; fome are intermixed with hanging woods,' and either advance a little before them, or retire within ' them, and are backed, or overhung,'" or feparated by trees. In the walk to the cave, a long fucceffion' of them is frequently feen in per^1 fpedive, all of a dark colour, and with wood' in the* intervals between therri. In other parts, the rocks are more wild and uncouth ; and fometimes they ftand on the tops of the higheft hills; at*othetr times down as low as the river ; they are home objeds in one fpot ; and appear only in the back-* ground of another. . The woods concur with the rocks to render the fcenes of Persfield romantic ; the place every where abounds with them ; they cover the tops ofthe hills ; they hang on the Afteeps ; or they fill the depths of the vallies. In one place they front, in another they rife above, in another they fink below the point of view : they are feen fometimes retiring beyond each other, and darkenirig as they recede; and fometimes an opening between two is clofed by a third at a diftance beyond them. A point, called the LOVER's LEAP, commands a continued furface of the thickeft foliage, which over- G Pi RS FIELD. PverljMreads a vaft , ht<ow immediately under- neatiw. ;,-=!.. . ¦¦ - ''¦'' .^elpw the Chinefe. feat, the cotirfe of, the. Wye .> ip the-fhape of a borfe-fhoe '; it is on one fide en-- clofed-fey a femi-circular hanfing wood ; thedired fteeps pf a tablerhiil rffi-ut it iri on the other ; and the great rock -fills the inter valjhetween them: iri tjae midft of this rude fcene lies fhe peninfula form ed by the river, a mile at leaft inlength, and :im t^e, -highest state of. cultivation: near the isthmus the ground rifes confiderably, and thence defcends- in a broken furface, till it flattens to the water's- edge at- the other extremity. The whole is divi ded into corn-fields and pastures ; they are fepara- ted by hedge-rows, coppices, and thickets; open' clump and fingle trees stand out in the meadows ; arid houfes. and other buildings, which belong to the farms, »are-fcattered amongst them : Nature fo Cultivated, furrounded by Nature fo wild, compofe a moft lovely landscape together.. The -communications between thefe feveral" points are generally by clofe walks ; but the covert ends-near the Chinefe feat ; and a path is afterwards' conduded through the upper park to a ruftic , temple, PERSFIEL& " Tour to the West of England? WHEN we left Tintern Abbey, after a difficult accefs, thro' a narrow and rough lane, to the fummit of the hill which leads to Chepstow, the contraft" was moft wonderful; from the narrow confines of the wildeft dell, and the fecluded haunts of monaftic folitude, to. the vaft expance that here burfts upon our view : towns, ' villages, feats- and woody lawns, with the noble Severn rolling to the ocean, and thofe iflands called the Holmes, are the objeds of this fublime fbehery. B Between to. PERSFIELD. Between this 'and ^Chepftow ^nd* Persfield, famous for the much .admire* walks ofthe ingenw ous Mr. MoR^rs, wbic* we -now -vifited. This place originally VeToW to the Nous's ; was bought by Mr Morris, an*1 w^utified moft confonant to the , natural endoh rendered the vya|| too fhsng, havelbeW thrown %ipto ftrait lines, far the acJcbmmodatjpip $£ vifitprs. •: . r; The firft yie\v ,w§ had . after, entering this fcene'ry of enchantment, tyas a- pleafing fight ^oi* C h£ p stow Castle,- cliffs, ;kc%.- : Alfo La ncot; cliffs, andthe broad Severn beyond..,, , The next opening We be held: a wonderful dip'of^ob feet perpendicular into the PERSFIELD. u .U ,T ] ' Z A" .1 '" the ^ye> whofe waters were not fo agreeable and livid as above, where the briny waves of ocean had not adulterated them. We next came to a fweet point called the Pleafsipt View, truly defcrip- fiye of its name. Next from a bench, LanCqt Woods and rocks 'were mdft majeftic and fine, the river winding nobly underneath ; oppofite the cave are bpw railings with a feat, which if we compare the works of nature with thofe of art, may be called a front box of one of the compleateft theatres in the univerfe ; the whole appears from heneeJ a perfed circular theatre, marked out by the fur- rounding wood -fringed cliffs. Here wants no painted canvafs to exprefs its fcenery, nature's fweet landfcape is quite enough, and inftead of an artificial fky depicted over pur hea^the blue vault of heaven hangs fublime and lovely. Returning from this, we afcended on a path above the cave which leads to a fimiiar box to the one defcribed, that is called the Lover's Leap. Having taken a fipal view of the fcenery from this tremendous precipice, we were conduded to the corner ofthe adjapept field, where ftands the Temple, command ing a moft glorious profpe# ip ari oppofite direc- t-ipp; the conflux of the, Wye. and Severn, the Priftbl Channel opening 'into' ' the main fea, the $ 2 fmoke 12 PERSFIELD. fmoke of that great city on the oppofite fho^ interfperfed with fnow-white houfes, kc. while th* refledibn of the fetting fun gilded their windows*/ that fhone like real, fires; thefe, together with other diftant profpeds of ftupendous hills on the Welch coaft, the abrupt rocks, immenfe woods, and all the fofter, beauties of improvement, con- fpire to render Persfield a fcene that fills the breaft with delight apd adrpiratiori above all others. CHEPSTOW. Chepstow is a Saxon name, apd fignifies. a market, or place of trading; in Britifh,it is called Kafwent, or Caftelh-Gyvept. It is a place of no great antiquity, and mapy affirm that it h^d its origin not many ages paft, from the ancient city^ Venta, which flourifhed about four miles from hence, in the time of Antoninus, who calls it Venta Silurum. Which name (fays Camdep) nei ther arms por time has beep able to confuriie; for at CHEPSTOW. 13 at this day it is called CAERWENT, or the city Venta. But the city' itfelf is "fo much deftroyed, that it only appears to have once been, from the ruinous walls, chequered pavements, and Roman coins. aii'"- ,:• About two miles below is the famous paffage pver the Severji.at Beachley to Aust, on the &apofite fhore. Aust was formerly called Aust- Cliye, from its fituation on a high craggy cliff. At thk place happened once as ftrong an inftance of Wisdom triumphing over Folly, as the annals of hiftory can produce. Walter Mapes who Wrotefive hundred years ^efore Camden, thus defcr.ibes it : " Edward the j^der, lying at Aust-Clive, and Leolin Prince of Wales at Bethesley, or Beach- ley, when the latter^ would neither come down toa conference, nor crofs the Severn, Edward paffed over to Leolin ; Who feeing the King, and know ing who he was, threw his royal robes upon the ground (which he had prepared to fit in judgment with), and leaped into the water breaft high, and embracing the ' boat, faid, " Moft. wife .King, your humility has conquered my pride, and your wisdom triumphed over my folly ; mount upon that peck which Ihave foolifhiy exalted againft you, fo :;: " ihall i4 CHEPSTOW. Wl, yp^ri enter iptp tpat country, which ypur ^dneis-hath at this day made your own," ape} fotak^ng h^p upop his fhpulders, he made him fit upon his, robes* and joinipg hands did homage to him." ... . j Chepstow is a neat little port, for moft of the places on this rivet, where their commerce feems, to center j the tide is' very high and impetuous/; rifing, I fuppofe, ' greatly beyond any other in the kingdom, commonly about fprty feet at the bn'dge, which tho' built of, timber looks noble, freing 70 feet from the furface of the water ; in January 1738, -we were told the Water rofe confiderably a.hove this height, which did very great damages ti|s this und the neighbouring country. Half the bridge, isip.Glpcefterfhire, fp that it is fupported at the expepce of both counties. The town is fituated op a fweet declivity facing the wicle expanfe of the" Severn. , We retired to reft, tfie room .was. back-: ward, and the window unguarded by a curtaiii -'¦¦¦.'¦'¦'''•*:-'' "~; ' ¦ * * looked that way.,.; At earliest twilight of the morn 1 woke, ' And from my pillow faw the God of " day Stand tiptoe on the "eaftern mountain ¦ tops," While in the air dim mifts and vapours hung, Cloathing CHEPSTOW. F5 Clo'athirig the diftant hills and winding Vales. Upon th e gentle radiance of his face ' n ;: ¦¦ • - My ravilh'd €yes ^Hth eafe ^nd pleafure dwelt. ' ^ r^i . But foon his cheeks difplay-d a brighter glow; . \;.iib:A^ His^ kindling 4)eaihs by gradual afcent ;?}«. ndi-m; r <"Gajn!ddouhte yigastir. ; Now the airy tjpoops .< 'iBW P^rciev'dl the glitt' ring rays, like pointed fpears. c;r;Q Darting from; heav'n tccaxth, and inftant fled. f J^O' longer could jone view, , with eye direct, r -, the dazzling glories of his mighty fphere. , The radiant day feeWd copf clous of its God;" . Ajl nature funi'd ; 'the rofy tfibe 'of fruits, :5"' 7/ A':: jJ lending IhibrpWrirtrees tolifs trie gi'ourid, *v# fi! f<:^ ^rhbib'drth-e''ge^alvwarmth¦^^eayd.V*GA^d1M^rWJ¦',¦Hfff fea-green feearris deep marmurk?g%engatnfo fir.' I The hanging bowers' and^Kttermgtocks!; whileiwid^ The /offghef. Severn ftf etch'd 'Ms fatai Sir William Herbert, Knt. a faithful adherent to Edward, IV. having reduced divers caftles, forts, and towns, in Wales, of Henry Duke of Exeter, .. J^fper CHEPST.OWi ty Jailer Earl of Pembroke, and James Earl of Wilt- fhire, to obedience", had a grant of their eftates, amongft which was much that belonged to the an cient earls of Pembroke^ in conference of Which he was created Earl by that title. He died poffefled of the caftie of Chepstow and other large poffes- fions hereabouts. Alt thefe with the Barony pf Herbert, pf Chepftow,:* Ragland, and Gower, the daughter and heir *of his fon, carried to Charles Somerfet, (a fop of HENRY BEAUFORT, third Duke of Somerfet), created afterwards; ,.E.arl of Worcefter, from whom they have defcended to the prefent Duke. But this has been many years Under a leafe of lives, and the elderly perfon who ftiewsit is the laft; fbewas bom here, where fhe ftill refides in comfortable apartments, and makes a good fubfiftence by the fruits of the garden, peaches, &C. which are plentiful on thefe warm Walls when other places fail. In one of the towers we faw a room, where Harry Martin, ope of the twelve judges who fat to condemn Charles I. was afterwards confined for 27 years, and then died there. From the leads above, we had, an extenfive and fine view. Mr. 18 CHEPSTOW. Mr. Shaw having here. introduced Chepstow Castle, we presume the account at large] extracted from GRGSE's - : ANTIQUITIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES,* Will be more acceptable to the Reader. °' THE' Caftie of Chepftow ftands pn a high rock ; wafhed by the river Wye, Pear its influx into the Severn, 6vef "which there is a wooden bridge 70 feet high. : ' • Its area, or fite, is faid to dccupjf five acres of ground. It confifts of three courts: the iecond is converted into a 'kitchen garden. Here iare feveral •buildings, particularly the Chapel, which was once very large and much ornamented ; it Was three ftories high, as is evident from the. marks ofthe joifts and floors, and in the uppermoft are the re mains of a fire-place. Within the chapel alfo are twelve CHEPSTOW. ig twelve large niches, with femiqrcular -arches- over. them, formed in the walls. Their feats were chair high above the floor of the room. The ufe of them is npt very apparent, unlefs we might be permitted to imagine, that they were intended for the twelve Norman adventurers, who might pro^ bably do their fir/t fervices in this caftie, fpr the lands which they had newly conquered in Glamor-. ganjhire. -;. ., _ Great attention feems to have been beftowed in fortifying the entrance, which lies through two lofty towfers on the eaft fide ; for befides a ftrong latticed^ door, the croffings of which are fattened with iron bolts within, and covered with iron plates, on the outfide there was a pott-cullis, whofe groove7 is ftill to be feen, and two large round funnels in the top ofthe arch, for pouring down melted lead or fcalding-water, and alfo a machi- Colated or projecting arch beyond all, and a chink on a fmall projection on the fouth fide ' of the gate, at about the height of a man. The caftie feems to have been built at the fame time with the town, to which it was a kind of citadel, but by whom, or when, neither Leland, Camdep, nor any ' of the topographical writers C2 mention. so CHEPSTOW. mention."* Stowe, indeed/ in his Annals, attributes the building ofthe Caftie to Julius Caefar, a fuppofi4 tion top glaringly abfuf d to merit ferious confutation; Probably it was built by fome of the earls of Pembroke. Camden thinks it of no great apti4 quity .;' ' " for feveral affirm, fays he, and not without reafoP, that it had its rife not many" ages paft from the ancient Venta, u which flourifhed about four miles from hence, in the time of Anto ninus, who calls it Venta Silurum, as if it was their Chief city, which peither arrps nor time havq been able to confume ; for at this day it is called Kaer-wept ,or the City of Venta.," But tpe city itfelf is fo much deftroyed by the one or the; other, that it only appears tp have once beep, from th'f ruinous walls, the chequered pavements, and the Jtoman coins, ¦ . Leland, in his Itinerary, thus , defcribes it : ? * ThetoWpe of Chepftowe hath bene very ftrongly waulled; as yet doth appere..; The waulles. began at the ende of the great bridge over Wye, ahd? fo came tp the caftie, the which yet ftandeth fayr and ftrong, not far from the ruin of the bridge. In the caftie ys one tower,- as Iherd fay, be the name of Lpngine. The tpwp hath hpw but one parcphe CHEPSTOW. 2i paroche chirche: the cell of a blake monke or or tWo of Befpiundsey near London was lately there fuppreffed ; a great part of oumpace witpyn, tbe wauils is now converted to little meadowes.and gardens," >Y\ki ¦ This place formerly belongeft to the CLARE Sj eails of Pembrbkej who" Were likewife called earls of Btrighul, from a neighbouring caftie1 of that name, wherein they dwelt. The laft of thefe, Richard, furnamed Strongbow, on account of nis fkill in archery, was the firft who gained a footing1 of the Ehglifh in' Ireland ; by his 'daughter it de volved to the Bigots, apd is now by defceni the property .of the Duke of Beaufort. In the troubles under Charles I. this town and caftie were garrifpned^ for the king, and, accor ding to Rufh worth, in October 6, 1645, Colonel JVIorgan, . governor of.. Gloceftgr, ,at the head of three hundred horfe, and four hundred foot, and auifted by the Mbnpiouthfhire. men, with little difficulty.made hinifelfmaftef of the town, and then fent the' following fummons to Colonel Fitzmbrris, an'Trifhrnan, governor of the Caftie. - ?< Sift, 22 • CHEPSTOW "SIR, « I am commanded by his Excellency Sir Tho- " mas Fairfax, to demand this caftie for the ufe of " the King and Parliament, which I require of " you, and to lay down your arms, and accep| ". of reafonable proportions, which will be granted V tjpth to you apd your foldiers, if you obferve «?- this fummons ; and further^ you are to confider «* of what nation and religion you are, for," if you l* refuse this fummpns, you ; exclude yourfelf frorii *' mercy, and, are to expecl . for yourfelf and fol- " diers, no better than Stinchcombe quarter.* 11 \ expect your fudden anfwer, and according "thereunto, fhall reft your friend, " Thomas Morgan." CHEPSTOWE, 6dtpber6, 1645 T . To which Colonel Fitzmorris sent this Answer-: J '"'?Sli?, ' r\ ':\ / -:r* 1 i "I have the fame reafon to kee£ this caftie, ," for my mafter the King, as you to demapfl'it " for General Fairfax ; and until, my reafon be " convinced, and my provifions decreafed, I fhall, " notwithftanding my religion, and menaces of ex- , * Stinchcombe was a place where the Parliament complained of Prince Rupert, for putting their men to the fword. " tirpatioh, CHEPSTOW. 23 «'* tirpation, continue in my fefolutioP, and in. my " fidelity and loyalty to my King. As to Stinch- •*, combe quarter, I know not what you mean by *? it, nor do depend upon your intelligence .for ** relief, which in any indigence I Aaffure me of : " and in that affurance I reft, your fervant, " Robert Fitzmorris." " What quarter you give me and my foldiers, k' I refer to the confideration of all foldiers, when " I am conftrained to feek for any." Notwithftanding this refolute anfwer, four days after he furrendered upon articled, himfelf and jtiis garrifon- becoming prifoners of war. From the fame authority it appears, that anno 1648, about the beginning of May, this caftie was furprifed by Sir Nicholas Kemifh, Mr. Thomas LeWis, and other adive royalifts, who, in the abfence -of the governor,; Colonel Hewes,. by means of a correfpondence with feme in the caftie, in the night obtained poffeffion of a port ; when notwithftanding one Cautrell, an -officer of-/ the garrifon, with fome foldiers, retreated to a tower, •where they for a while attempted a defence*, it .was taken,. and Captain Herbert, with the gar rifon, made prifoners. . A ' - • t.:.::.V Colonel 24 CHEPSTOW. v Colonel Herbert having intelligence thereof,' prefently affembled fome forces in order, to, recover^ it; atid CromWell marched againft it in perfon; thinking to have- taken it by storm ; • he. foop got, poffeffion of the town," but unfuccefsfiilly affaulted| the caftie, whereupon he left Colonel Ewerr. wittt a train of artillery, feven companies of foot, and four troops of, horfe, to profecute, the^ fiege; when, though the garrifpn copfifted o£ only pne hundred and fixty men, they ; gallantly de,fepde4 themfelves till their provifions were exhausted,* and even then refufed to furrender on affurance of quarter, hoping to efcape by means of a boat : but in this they were prevented by the intrepidity of a foldier in the parliamentary army, who fwimming acrofs the river with a knife in hfe teeth, cut loofe and -brought away the boat; at length, on the 25th of May, the caftie was taken. $ir Nicholas Kemifh and about forty men were slain in the fiege. This was confidered by the par liament of fuch importance, that the captain who brpught the news was rewarded with 50I. ana the parliament directed, that a letter of thanks fhotlld be drawn up, and fent from' that hoiife to Colonel Ewer, and the officers and, fbldsets employed on that fertice. Anno CHEPSTOW. '85 Anno 1659, here was a royal garrifon, on the followipg &tab\i{hinent,.per4ay; ^ ¦ £ * d Governor, befides captain's pay - 020 A gunner, at - - o 1 8 A mattroffe, at - - - © q 10 Fire and candle for the guard - 008 A company of foot, confisting of a captain, at - - - 080 A lieutenant, at- - - 040 Two fergeants, is. 6d. each - o \ o Three corporals and one drum, is. each o 4 p Sixty-two foldiers at 8d, each -21 4 Xs 5 « HENRY 26 .CHEPSTOW HENR'^WAAfEff. °, - - ^.af*-— 77ze followingTarticulars of this Character, rendered memorable from having been one of the Judges of King Charles I. isnere 'inferted, for the infornv- ation of -the Reader. o HENRY MARTEN, commonly called tidriy Marten, was born at \ Oxford, where" pis "Father, Sir Henry Marten, then lived, a Doctor of Civ$ Law, fucceffively Judge of the Admiralty, and Deap of trie Arches; .and, ip 1624, Judge of the Prerogative ; and 1628, ferved ip Parliament as a Burgefs for the univerfity of Oxford. Henry, , at fifteen, was entered a Gentlemen Commoner, of Univerfity College; where, giving proofs of preg* nant Parts, had the degree of A. B. conferred on him in the Year 1619. He afterwards went into one of the Inns of Court, and then travel led into France. In the Year 1 640, before the Death of his Father, who was Lord of the Manors of Longworth, and poffeffed confiderable Eftates CHEPSTOW. 27 in Berkfhire, he was elected one of the Knights in Parliament for that County ; and in the War that foon after 'defolated the Kingdom, he fided with the Parliament ; and when the King was van- quifhed, and. brought to Trial, Harry Martep fat as one of his Judges. After the Reftoration, he was called to an Ac count; but his Life was fpared, becaufe he came in upon the Proclamation of Surrender ; yet his eftate was fequeftered, and, himfelf imprifoned for Life in Chepftow Caftie, where he died fuddenly, while at Dinner (as reported by Anthony Wood), in the Year ip"8o, aged Seventy -eight, and was bu ried in the Church of St. M E2 the 36 CAERWENT. thfe fouth fide.* This is three feet wide, apd had fo much the appearance of a bank or fteps td a bath, that I fhould have concluded it to have been fo, if traces of any other foundations could have fupported the conjedure. It might poffibly have been the floor of a temple, as we may reafonably confider ft as too coftly an ornament for a private building. We may, with lefs difficulty, perhaps, deterr mine the sera in which this pavement was formed, than the Ufe for wbich it was formed. Agricoia, according tp "facrtus, was the firft' Roman general, Who endeavoured to foften the; manners of the Britains, by the introdudion of baths, temples, porticos, and other luxurious;'. elegances, and he probably gained rpore by thefV afts ¦oyer the minds of our rude anCSstbfs than by his fword . Agricoia commanded in Britain during the reigp pf the Emperor Titus, and about five or fik years * This wall was, perhaps, erected fome centuries after the pavement lay concealed in rubbifh, and the builder of it might not have had the fcufiofity of pu'rfuing die teffelated work, part of -which fee de- ftrdyed, in digging the. foundations for- it. during CAERWENT. 37 during that of Domitian. In that period, the polite arts were in their flourifhing state, and as we cannot conceive that this antiquity could take its rife, at a time when thofe arts became dege nerated, we may naturally conclude, that the age of it may bfc dated from between the years ctf Christ 79 and 86. The country around Caerwent is pleafantly enclofed, and towards Caerl'eon the views are extenfive and fine. N, B. Several pavements have at different pe riods been difcovered at Caerwent, and a re- pfefentation of -part of one, fomething fimilar tp the above defcribed, is given in the fifth volume of the Afcheotdgia, page 58. 'Wyndhtzm'sToUr thro* M.shiTe tmdWaks. 1781. pleasing ( 38 ) PLEASING AND INTERESTING DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON OF THE RIVERS SEVERN and WYE, Which add so much to the Beauty and Advantage of this Part of the Kingdom . SEVERN. This noble river, called by the Britons- Hayren, the Romans Sabrina, and the Engiifh Severn, rifes out of a high mountain in Montgomeryfhire, called Plinlimmon ; after having received th^,. waters of feven fmall streams it enters Shrop* fhire, and being joined by feveral brooks, at length reaches Welch Pool ; being in the fpace of 20 miles, become from a fiender filver ftream, a very deep and copious river, and is navigable from thence to its mouth. From Welch Pool it proceeds by the fplendid and populous town of Shrewfbury, then runs fouth-eaft to Bridgenorth ; and from thence declining still more to the fouth, enters SEVERN AND WYE. 39 enters Worcesterfhire, and proceeds to Bewdley. Swelled with concurring streams, it traverfes this county entirely, and having watered, amongst others, Worcester and Upton, it panes forward to Glocesterfhire, and rolls to Tewksbury ; from whence, having vifited the city and. capital of that county, it travels forward, and meeting still with frefh acceffions of waters, grows to fuch -a fize, as to be stiled the Severn Sea, pouring its_,t£de', after a progrefs. of more than 130, miles, into the BristolChannel , WYE. This river makes 'but an inconfiderahle figure in comparifon with the Severn. It rifes On Plim- limmori hill, and running S.E. divides the counties of Radnor and Brecknock ; then crofles Hereford- fiiire, paifes by Hereford, and turning diredly S« runs by Rofs and Monmouth, and falls into the mouth of the Severn below Chepftow. IT is a lingular circumftance, that within a quarter of a mile of the well-head of the Wye, arifes the Severn.' The two fprings are nearly alike: but the -fortunes of rivers,- like thofe of men, are owing to various little circuiriftances, of which 40 SEVERN AND WYE. which- they take the advaptage, in the early part of their courfe. The Severn meeting with a track of ground, '¦ riling on the right, fopp after it leaves Plinlimmon, ireceives a pufh towards the portb^ eaft. In this diredion it continues its courfe to Shrewfbury.. There it meets another obftrpdipp, which turns it: as ifar to the .fouth-eafti Wards ftill meeting with favourable opportune, it fuccefsfufiy improves them ; inlarging it's circle ; fweeping from ope Gountry to another ; receiving large acceffions every where of wealth and gran* deur; till at length with a full tide, it enters the ocean as an arm of the fea. . In the mean time the Wye, meeting withjPO1 pajTfcieuiar opportunities of any confequence to improve it§ fortunes, never makes $py figure m a' capital [river ; and at length becomes fubferviept to that very Severn, whofe birth and eariy^ttinjj. out in life, were exadly, fimilar to it's own. Between thefe" "two rivers is comprehended a 4iftri6r, confifting of great part of the cqu^tie^of Montgomery, Radnor, Salop, Worce^tejj Hffe-j ford, and Opcefteir. Of the laft county, rnergly; that beautiful paction is inclofed which Ibymsth^ foreft of Dean. ( 4i ) BEACHLEY. THE OLD PASS-AGE: •IS about three miles from Chepftow, the road leading through an agreeable peck of land,; rwafhed on each fide either by the Severn or the Wye. . The houfe is pleafantly fituated on the .Beach," and commands a fine view of the oppofite country, whofe numerous villages, greatly enhance the beauty of the fcene. Within thefe few months the proprietor-, Mr. Eogers, has fitted up the houfe in the mbft elegant manner, and made fuch improvements,' as muft Undoubtedly reward him, as well as pleafe the traveller. ; "" The paflage houfe on the oppofite fhore is called Aust, or Aust Clive: and is diftant about eleven miles frPPi Bristol. The road from hence communicating with that which leads from the New Passage, about a mile and a half from Aust, a fketch of it will be given from: the former place to Briftol. ( 4*- ) THE NEW PASSAGE. [So called, to distinguish it from that above.'] "J I S diftarit about five miles from Chepftow : on the right is a fine view of Caldicot caftie, whicft is the fhell of an old Norpian fortrefs, but prefents! nothing curious in its remaips. This house is equally pleafantly fituated, apd commands nearly the fame views, as the houfe above.- • , ..,;,--,, ,,, Since the eftablifhment of a mail coach,* fro$h London, to 'Mrlfordi Haven, (which paffes through Swanfea, and the moft , beaiutiful parts of Sppu? Wales), and of the packets from thence, to Cork- apd Waterford, this place has become of con-,- fiderable note. * What perfon that has feen a Continent Diligence, but muft fmile^t the comparifon of it with one of our Mail Coaches ? A vehicle as large as a broad wheel waggon, withjfeats all round for 8 infide pafftngers, [pretty GENTtEMEN with thek heads in night cats, and tied witf? colepred ribbons]; drawn by. 6 or 8 heavy black ftallions,, fuch as are ufed in tbe "drays ih London, with 2 poftilions, fmacking their whijis all the way they go ; moving at the rate of 5 miles an. hour ! This very elegant carriage was formerly dignified (according to the pom*; pous fafhion of the French), with the title of the Poste Royale. To NEW PASSAGE, 43 To Mr. Palmer many parts of the kingdom ire indebted (and none more than South Wales), for the daily and fpeedy intercourfe opened with flie metropolis by his plan. At this place, every attention is paid to the Mail paffengers. x- As foon as the coach arrives, a light failing boat is ready, to convey them to the oppofite fhore ; and if it proves calm weather, they are rowed over. The Briftol mail is brought down to the landing place, when the company are taken up, and the coach proceeds on its jpurpey, without the frnalleft lofs pf time. {f^ For want of proper knowledge when to pafs, many people suffer great delay at these houses; the following information may, in general, prevent the- ' f inconvenience. Endeavour to learn when it is high water at the paffage you mean to crofs at, and if ypu are there half an hour [better an hour] before that time, ypu 'are certain of going over. -. The above was told me by the Mafter of the boats. The Mail Coach from Milford and Swanfe.a ar rives at the New Paffage every morning, about ip o'clock," and at Briftol at 2 in the afternoon. leaves Bristol every, afternoon at half past two. F 2 Mr. 44 NEW PASSAGE. ,., Mr. GILPIN ffaving included this place in his Tour, any remark . from his pen is too valuable to be omitted. FROM Newport as We approached the paffage over the Briftol Channel, the views of it became ftill more interefting. On the right, we left the magnificent ruins of Caldicot caftie ; and arrived at' th^ ferry-houfe, about three in the afternoon^ where we were fo fortunate as to find the boat1, preparing to fet fail. It had attempted to crofs at high water, in the morning : but after toiling three hours againft the wipd, it was obliged to put back. This afforded another opportunity, when the water was at ebb : for the boat can pafs only at the two extremes ofthe tide. - We had fcaree alighted at the : ferry-houfe; when we heard the boatman winding his horn from the beach, about a quarter of a mile below, as a fignal to bring down the horfes. When they were all embarked, the horn founded again for the paffengers. A very multifarious company| affembled ; and a miferable walk we had to the boat through fludge; and over ftielving and] flippy NEW PASSAGE. 45 ilippery rocks. When we got to it, we found M&ven horfes on board, and above thirty people ;' and our chaife (which we had intended to convert) into a cabin during the voyage) flung into the; fhrouds. - - t 1 The tides are uncommonly rapid in this channel ^ and when a brisk wind happens to blow in a con- trary diredion, the waters are very rough. The boats too are often ill-managed ; for what is done repeatedly is often done carelefsly. A Britifh" admiral, I haVe heard, who had lived much* at fea, riding up to one of thefe ferries, with an intention to pafs over, and obferving. the boat, . as fhe was working acrofs the Channel from the other fide, he declared he durft not truft him felf to the feamanfhip of fuch "fellows as ma naged her; and turning his horfe, went round by Glocefter.* > ..."'". A gentlernan gave me the following account of the lofs of an open- boat, in this paffage, from- the obftinacy of a paffenger. - - - A * That's not a bad ftory. The country was a few years ago 'amufed with lee shores, and of an admiral waiting till the next morning to fight his adverfary :— -we prefume this courageous failor was an officer of that fchool. Had he swam his horse across, inftead of turning from it, what a capital figure he would have made in anecdote! Sudden exclamation of a Stranger who took up Gilpin in my houfe. .',: The 46 NEW PASSAGE. The wind was rough, and a perfon on boarit loft; his hat; which floated away in a contrary, daredion. He begged the waterman to turn round to recover it ; but the waterman told him, it was as much as their lives were worth to attempt it. Op which the paffenger, who feemed to be a tradefman, ftarted up, feized the helm, and fwore the fellow fhould return. In the ftruggle the helm got a wrong twift, and the boat instantly filled and went to the bottom. It appeared after wards* that the hat was a hat of value ; for the owper had fecreted feveral bills in the lining of it, For ourfelves, however, we found the paffage , only a difagreeable one : and if there was apy* danger, we faw it not. As our chaife could not be landed till the tide flowed up the beach, we were obliged to wait at tjhe ferry houfe. Our window^ overlooked the channel, and the Welfh-coast, which feen from a higher stand, became now a woody and beautiful distance. From ROAD TO BRISTOL. 47 From the Ferry Houfe to Bristol, the views are amufing. The first fcene prefented to us, was a fpaeious lawn, about a mile in diameter, the area of which was flat ; and the boundary a grand, woody bank; adorned with towers and villas* standing either boldly near the top ; or feated ip Woody receffes near the bottom. - When we left the plain, the road carried- us into fhady lanes, winding round wOody eminences ; one of which was crowned with an artificial caftie* The caftie indeed, which Confifted of one tdwef, might have- been better imagined : the effed ho^ ever was good, tho' the objeft was paltry. About three miles on this fide of Briftol, we had a grand view of rifing country. It confifted of a pleafing mixture of wood, and lawn : the parts were large : and the houfes and villages fcattered in good proportion. The whole when we faw it, was overfpread'with a purplifh tint, which, as the objects were fo near, we could not account for; but it united all the parts together ih"'Very pleafing harmony. The approach to Briftol is grand; and, the -en-? virons every where fhew the neigbburhood of an ppulent dty ; tho' the city itfelf lay concealed, till we 48 ROAD TO BRISTOL. We entered it. For a confiderable way, the road .led- between, ftone walls, which bounded; the the fields on each fide. This boundary, tho' Of all others the moft unpleafing, is yet proper as you approach a great town : it is a kind of 'conne&r ing thread. The narrownefs ofthe port of Bristol, which is" formed by the banks pf the river, is very striking. it might be called a: dry harbour, notwithstanding the river : for the veffels, when the tide ebbs, lie on an ouzy bed, in a deep channel. The re turning tide lifts them to the height of the wharfs. It exhibits of courfe none of thofe beautifial wind ing fhores, which often adorn . an estuary. The'! PORT of BRISTOL was probably first formed,? when veffels, afraid of being cut from their har bours by corfairs, ran up high into the country for fecurity. The country around BRISTOL is beautiful.; tho' we had not time to examine it. The fcenery about the Hot-wells is in a great degree picturefque. The river is cooped between two high hills ; boffi; of which are adorned with a rich profufion of rock, Wood, and verdure. Between thefe hills stands the pump-room, clofe to the river ; and every ftiip, that fails into Bristol, fails under its windows; KJIWI UPPfJJJPM* IH ( 49 ) Mr. SHIERCLIFFE- BOOKSELLER, BRISTOL, Having publijked an excellent account of whatever is worth the ftrangers notice -in that city, we would nqt attempt q, tajk -which he has executed so well ; but refer the traveller to the Book, which will amply inform his curiofity. We return again to CHEPSTOW, in order to accompany the Traveller From heme to GLOCESTER. WE now took the Glocefter road, over the lofty bridge at Chepftow, whofe planks, on which our horfes hoofs refounded, are contrived to efcape the violence of floods, by floating in a limited fpace ; but this, rarely happens- at fp immenfe an height as 70 feet. From the hill beyond, we command a delightful view of the town and caftie. Continuing thro' feveral fmall G villages, *o ROAD TO GLOCESTER. * D villages, the wide Severn rolling on our right, we came to Lidney Park, a good, old feat of one of the Bathurft family, fituate On the edge of THE FOREST OF DEAN This Foreft either obtained its name from Dean a'market a town, lowly fituated within its limits, (which word is of Saxon origin, fignifying a dale or woody valley, whence probably cOmes the word d en in Engiifh), or -elfe from.Arden. by rejecting the firft fyllable, which the Gauls and Britains formerly ufed for a wood. It was formerly fo thick with trees, and fo dark and terrible in its fhades and by-ways, that it rendered the inhabitants barbarous, and emboldened them to commit many outrages.- /:.»• The foil is various, but,mostly favourable to the growth of the oak, which was once fo confiderable that it is faid to have been part of the instructions ofthe Spanifh Armada to destroy it, but of late- years the numerous iron furnaces hereabouts have much destroyed it. The whole Forest of more than 23,520 acres, which is extra parochial,.. is divided into fix walks, • or parts, known by their refpec-1 tive Lodges; viz. King's Lodge, York Lodge, Worcefterl ROAD TO GLOCESTER. u U' Woicefter Lodge, Danby Lodge, Herbert Lodge, and Latimer Lodge. St. Briavel's Caftie, which was once very ftrong and large, but is now in ruins, gives name to one of the Hundreds, and ferves chiefly as a prifon for offenders againft the laws of the foreft. The privileges are very exten five ; the free miners claim a right of digging iron ore, and coal ; alio to cut timber neceffary to carry on their works. A gold -mine was dis covered in the year 1700, at a village called Tayn- ton, on the northern borders of the foreft, of which a leafe was granted to fome refiners, who extracted fome gold from the ore, but did not continue the work, the quantity of gold being fo trail as not to anfwer- the expence of feparation. A little beyond we pafsed the village of Lidney, and another iron furnace belonging to T. and R. Tidcock, Esquires, of the Plaits, near Stourbridge, Worcefterfhire. A long fpout fupported -by pil lars acrofs the road, -conveys water from the oppo site hill to move the great wheel of thefe works. The next afcent on this road commands a moft delightful view over this handforrie- fpire, down the liquid expance of Severn, ip any miles. G 2 Sir 52 ROAD TO GLOCESTER. Sir John Winter, during the civil war in Charles the firft's time, garrifonned his houfe at Lidney, for the king ; from whence, in conjunction with Lord Herbert, who commanded for the king about" Monmouth and Ragland, he frequently alarmed Maffey, the governbt of Gldcefter ; but after the blockade of that city was raifed by the Earl of Effex, the King's affairs daily declined in Glocefter* fhire, and Sir John Was driveP from his houfe at Lidney, and being Clofely purfued by Crbrri Well's Troops over Tidenham Chace, he was, in order to iave himfelf, compelled to ride down the LaPcbt cliffs, and being at that tithe" high water in the Wye,, he crofted over Oh horfe-back into' Mon- mouthfhire, and thus mira'culou'fly effected hlS efcape. He returned to Lidney after this, demo- lifhed his houfe there as not tenable, and joined the King's army, until the battle of Naieby, which gave the finifhipg. ftroke to the King's affairs, From LIDNEY, The roads became fteep and rough to a great degree ; nothing but fome pleafant views towards the water could make them bearable. Hereford- fhire is in bad repute, and not without reafon, for its roads; but compared with this, they are really ROAD TO GLOCESTER. 53 really good. We arrived at Newnham to dinner, an ancient fmall town, pleafingly fituated near thft river ; our inn, the Bear, ftands clofe to the paffage to Newport, and all the great roads to Bath, Briftol, kc. From hence we enjoyed a pleafing view ofthe oppofite hills, Bird-lip, Robin Hood, and thofe about Ruxmore, in the cloathing Country. In the evening, which was very fine, :we •pnrfued our courfe thro' Weftbury, fo large a parifh iri Camden's time, as to be reputed above •go miles' in compafs ; here we faw a fine ftone manfion, with formal old gardens, and pieces of water, belonging to Mr. Colchefier, heir of Sir Duncombe Colchefter, who married the daughter of Sir John Maynard, -Knight, owner of Gunners- bury. The road being now level and excellent, we arrived at Glocester without much further ¦obfervation. This city was built by the Romans, and made a flation to curb the Silures, the braveft and moft powerful of all the Britons. It derives its name from Caer Glow, which fignifies a fair city, a name certainly not now improper, as its four principal ftreets meeting in the centre are both ff>acious and well built. fts fituation is in ' one 54 VALE OF GLOCESTER. pne of the richeft vales known, a continuation of the noble Evefham. fcl-SEJ^g *sggmg&imm.nw*'<,-iw ^lywi-^*1-^! »,¦ g'w^k* WILLIAM OF MALMESEURY, Thus describes it, in his book " De Pontificibus" 11 THE Vale of Glocefter is fo called froni its " chief city. The foil yields plenty of corn and " fruit (in fome places, by the natural richnefs " of the ground; in others, by the diligence of " the countryman) ; enough to excite the idleft " perfon to take pains, when it repays- his labour " with the increafe of an hundred fold. " Here you may behold high- ways and public " roads full of fruit trees; not planted, but grow'-- " ing natutally. The earth bears fruit of its owii " accord, much exceeding others both in tafte and " beauty, many forts of which coPtinUe frefh the " year round, and ferve the owner till he is fup- " plied by a new increafe. " No county in England has fo many or fo good "vineyards as' this: either- for fertility, orthe " fweetnefs ofthe grape. The vine has in it no un- r" pleafant tartnefs or eagernefs ; and is little inferior " to VALE OF GLOCESTER. 55 '« to the French in fweetnefs. The villages are " very thick, the churches handfome, and the •' towns populous and many." In a fimilar ftraip he continues his praife of the noble river the Se vern, " than which there is not any in the land that has a broader channel, fwifter ftream, or greater plenty of fifh," kc. Thefe vineyards have nothing, left but the places named < from them ; viz. one on a hill by Overbridge near Glocefter, and another near Tewkesbury. [Thus far the sensible and entertaining Mr. Shaw.1] OBJECTS ' Worthy the Stranger's Notice, at GloceJier. The Cathedral. (Esteemed one of the beft pieces of Afchitedture in the kingdom. J ... , In which, among many other monuments, that to the memory of Mrs. Morley fhould be seen.' The New County Gaol. A moft extenfive and superb building. The four fine Streets ; Called Eaft, Wejl', North, and South, Gates. FINIS. J&/? Publifhed, (According to the Plan of this Part) ¦f rke Two Shillings, neatly done up in Blue Paper, A Defcriptwe Account of Tintern Abb^y. Also, preparing for publication, A Descriptive Account of Ragland Caflle; From new materials, and local mformation. ... To which will be added, Abergavenny Caftie, &c. &c. By CHA&LES HEATH, Printer, Monmouth.