"Fresh" Forest of Dean.

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> Geoff wrote:
> > One of the best known spots is Symonds Yat which is high above the Wye Valley, on the north-west edge of the Forest of Dean and a few miles north of Tintern Abbey.
> > 
> > I've only ever visited once when there was about 3" of snow on the ground and the views down the valley were stunningly beautiful.
> 
> Carol:
> 
> Aha! A chance for me to quote more English Romantic poetry for Steve.
> 
> Here's a bit of a poem by William Wordsworth (1770-1850), actually called "Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting The Banks Of The Wye During A Tour. July 13, 1798" but familiarly known as "Tintern Abbey."

<poem snipped>

> Sorry to quote such a long extract, but the poem contains some great and memorable lines that I couldn't bring myself to snip. (Steve should like it because it's blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)--no rhymes or end-stopped lines to distract him from the imagery and ideas.
> 
> Wordsworth was influential in spreading the idea that people should live in harmony with nature, which is not the same thing, of course, as giving up houses and gardens and picturesque architecture like Tintern Abbey altogether.

> And here's a link to the Tintern Abbey website.

Geoff:
Er, where?

There are several websites referring to the Abbey. If you 
Google "Tintern Abbey" you can look at several.

I have visited the Abbey area several times - unlike Symonds Yat.
We have walked along the river and into the woods and also followed 
part of the alignment of the old railway. The railway station is still in 
situ and used as a small information site about the line.

Just as an aside, the Abbey is in a stunning location. This is true of 
so many old abbeys up and down the country. One of my personal 
favourites is Rievaulx in Yorkshire.