Five years have past; five summers, with the length
Of five long winters! and again I hear These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs With a soft inland murmur.—Once again Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, That on a wild secluded scene impress Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect The landscape with the quiet of the sky. The day is come when I again repose Here, under this dark sycamore, and view These plots of cottage-ground, these orchard-tufts, Which at this season, with their unripe fruits, Are clad in one green hue, and lose themselves 'Mid groves and copses. Once again I see These hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines Of sportive wood run wild: these pastoral farms, Green to the very door; and wreaths of smoke Sent up, in silence, from among the trees! With some uncertain notice, as might seem Of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, Or of some Hermit's cave, where by his fire The Hermit sits alone. |
The Wye Valley, located along the border of Wales and England, is known as "the birthplace of British tourism." The Valley follows the River Wye and has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Beauty, making it an internationally-protected landscape area. During the eighteenth century, it came to prominence by means of The Wye Tour, which took travellers to ancient ruins, castles, and natural wonders. During the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15), when travel to Continental Europe was prohibited, the Wye Tour reached its height in popularity for British citizens. Today, it remains a top tourist destination in the UK. We will visit two of the most popular and important sites on the Wye Tour: Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle.
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