Anne Steele Tomkins, Malpas, to Mary Steele Dunscombe, Broughton, [Monday] 2 November 1807.

Malpas

   This morning my dear Sister a friendly reminder arrived in the form of yr Dr letter, and I hasten to obey its dictates.  I fully intended writing immediately after T’s return home, but waited to be able to tell you somewhat about our future arrangements; and indeed I have [illegible word] fully occasion’d – one [illegible word] of meeting Mrs Tomkins at the old Passage pass’d a chearful happy evening with her & parted in the morning [illegible word] were highly gratified by seeing Piercefield the walks abound with picturesque & beautiful scenes – Nature has [illegible word] me to [illegible word] to this interesting spot, that the hand of art has scarcely intended; after walking 4 miles through a wood of [illegible word] only to exhibit the most beautiful variety of rocks sand & water. – We proceeded a while farther to the celebrated hill call Wynd Cliff, where we beheld a singularly significant & beautiful prospect, it is a kind of amphitheater form’d by the river Wye in the valley & overlapping woods & rocks above, – this terminated our walk & we met the carriage at the foot of the hill, & about 3 miles of rugged but romantic road brought us to Tintern Abbey, if you can imagine such a building as Salisbury Cathedral but more extensive ransack’d by Time. – The arches on both sides the room still perfect, & the grand windows & those in one aisle deprived only of the glass – the outside wall still standing, & the whole interlaced with the most luxuriant Ivy, – you may have some idea of this enchanting place. I shall forget the sensation of surprise & delight I felt when the gate was thrown open that discover’d the wonderful ruin. –

   I long’d to wander till the suns beams play’d among the Ivy, & increased the serious impression it inspired – I wished for you to enjoy it with me though I am aware you might think with Grose “it wants that gloomy solemnity those yawning vaults & dreary recesses which strike the beholder with religious awe” – this may be true but the enthusiasm of delight & astonishment I felt will not soon be effaced, – the woody mountains which overshadow the Abbey, & the Wye winding beneath, render the scenery highly interesting. From this place we travell’d to Usk, over roads that would have terrified less adventurous parties, – but the romantic objects which surrounded us left no time for the indulgence of [paper torn] – at Usk we slept & return’d to our little family party the next morning the following Monday Mr T and myself [left] to visit our friend Mrs Kendall where we passed a few days & on my return from thence I found my housemaid extremely ill and the children poorly with sore throat, – they are all happily recover’d & last week T. and Martha went to Bath to seek for a house, as we have determined that shall be our next place of residence if providence permit, at least for a year as we think it will be very advantageous to the elder children – we have not yet suceeded in getting a house but hope to find one at the extremity of the town – where we can soon be in the country – it is probable we shall remove soon after Xtmas – as T. thinks he can visit Hampshire more conveniently for us thence to begin clearing Birchwood – will you be so good as to tell Mr D –  that T –  met Mr B – about a fortnight since & enquired if he had received Mr D’s letter he said he had & intended answering it the next day T. has written to him this morning –

   Mary begs her love and thanks for your kind letter, – indeed my dear Sister I feel very incompetent to judge about the lines intended as a reminiscent of our departed friend, but it strikes me, though somewhat of tenderness is added, by the insertion of “From one who knows &c” that the composition is not improved; – I do not think those lines equally practical with the others & on the whole prefer the inscription in its original form, – but you have so many friends more capable of judging that I hope this will have no influence – there is an appropriate simplicity in your lines which I greatly admire & I do not feel any deficiency, but must again repeat I have no confidence in my judgment. I have scribbled to little purpose, & fear you cannot possibly read it pray employ better eyes if any one will take the trouble – I am pleased to hear Sally Evans is with you  pray remember me much kindly to her  Martha & the children all desire their love and are all well – adieu my dear Sister I am ever

                                             yrs most affectionately

                                                         A S T

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols.  (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 3, pp. 370-71 (annotated version); STE 5/11/xii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Newport, 4 November 1807. Address: Mrs Dunscombe / Broughton / near Stockbridge / Hants.

Anne’s walk had become a popular hike by the date of this letter.  According to The Beauties of England and Wales, Piercefield was situated about two miles to the west of Chepstow, Wales, ‘a seat of much celebrity, and a just theme for descriptive encomium with tourists and topographers ... The grounds are extensive, and embrace much diversified scenery of wood, lawn, rock, and river. Stretching along the irriguous banks of the Wye, from the castle at Chepstow to a lofty perpendicular rock, called the Wynd-cliff, is a walk of about three miles in length...’ William Coxe, in his Historical Tour (a work mentioned above by Mary Steele), wrote that Wynd-cliff towers ‘above the river in all its height and beauty, and below yawns a deep and woody abyss. It waves almost imperceptibly in a grand outline, on the brow of the majestic amphitheatre of cliffs, impending on the Wye, opposite to the penisular of Lancaut...’  (p. 182).  He adds that along this walk ‘the same objects present themselves in different aspects and with varied accompaniments: hence the magic transitions from the impervious gloom of the forest to open grove; from meadows and lawns to rocks and precipices; and from the mild beauties of English landscape, to the wildness of Alpine scenery’ (p. 183). Tintern Abbey was also nearby, as mentioned above. See The Beauties of England and Wales, by J. Evans and J. Britton, vol. 11 (London: Vernor, Hood, and Sharpe, 1810), p. 402; William Coxe, A Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London: T. Cadell, 1801), pp. 182-83.