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Irish Post
04-07-2025
- Irish Post
The Wye Valley: A grand tour re-imagined
TO CLIMB to the Eagle's Nest—365 steps above the Wye Valley—you must be prepared. Not just physically, but philosophically. It helps, for instance, to know that your exertions through steep, shaded woodlands will eventually be rewarded with confit duck leg or Welsh lamb rack, elegantly served at the region's finest restaurant. Welcome to walking, Wye Valley style. The view across the Wye Valley (Pic: Kevin Pilley) Where you stay matters, and there's no better base camp than Parva Farmhouse: a riverside gem near Tintern Abbey, just a scone's throw from the teacakes of the Abbey Mill and close to the historic trails once trodden by Wordsworth, Thackeray, and even the donkeys who delivered coal and bread in the 18th century. At Parva, the gourmet dinner menu is handed out the night before your walk—a clever move. Visions of lobster samosas and beef cheek in makhani sauce give even the most reluctant rambler a spring in their step. The following morning, a full English or poached eggs with Bovril crumpets provides fuel for the day. Each dish, like the view from Symonds Yat Rock, is its own Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The grand tour We were following in the footsteps of the Reverend William Gilpin, the 18th-century English cleric, artist and writer who arguably invented British tourism. He pioneered the concept of the 'picturesque', celebrating natural scenery with a painter's eye and influencing Romantic thought. He also advocated educational reform and parish improvement—a good egg all round. In 1770, while headmaster at Cheam School, Gilpin sailed down the Wye and later published Observations on the River Wye (1782), the first British guidebook to view the countryside through the lens of this new-fangled 'picturesque beauty.' And, according to him, if you hadn't navigated the Wye, 'you have never seen the world.' Tintern Abbey (picture by Martinvi, image licensed under under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license) River romantics and cannon fire IN THE late 1700s, the Wye Tour became a fashionable pursuit for the Georgian elite. Tourists travelled by boat from Ross-on-Wye to Chepstow, pausing to watch the harvest moon rise through the east window of Tintern Abbey. Wordsworth was among them. 'No poem of mine,' he said of the valley, 'was composed under circumstances more pleasant for me to remember.' One such path leads from the boat-building cottages at Llandogo to Cleddon Shoots waterfall - a two-hour climb through the oaks and birch. It's not hard to imagine Wordsworth breathlessly composing new lines as he huffed uphill, with the ever-patient Mrs Wordsworth trailing behind, muttering about the difficulty of the "moderate ascent." A gentler option is the six-mile 'Picturesque Piercefield' walk from Chepstow Castle through landscaped parkland once owned by sugar magnate Valentine Morris. Lookouts—then as now - are 'judiciously placed among dense foliage.' Coleridge praised the view as 'the whole world imaged in its vast circumference.' Gilpin himself recommended bringing a small quantity of gunpowder. Hand it to Mr Morris's gardener, he said, and have him fire a cannon as your boat drifted below the cliffs. The echo, he promised, would be 'wonderfully affecting'. Above sits the Eagle's Nest, the highest viewpoint on the Monmouthshire side of the Wye. Built in 1828 for the Duke of Beaufort, it commands a sweeping panorama: both Severn Bridges, the Cotswold hills, and the meandering river below. Nearby Wintour's Leap—named after Sir John Wintour, who allegedly galloped his horse off the cliff to escape the Parliamentarians—is another showstopper. Victorian and Georgian tourists would also picnic at Coldwell Rocks, take in the romantic ruins of Wilton Castle, and marvel at the iron foundries which, according to one 18th-century guide, 'brought animation to the romantic scenes.' At Ross-on-Wye, river cruises had already begun in the 1740s, thanks to Reverend John Egerton, rector and son of the Bishop of Hereford. His boat tours eventually sparked a local industry of pleasure boats, launching from riverside inns like the Hope and Anchor or the Saracen's Head at Symonds Yat—the world's first river cruise terminals. Today, you can still board the Kingfisher or Wye Pride for a one-hour cruise. At £10, it may be the best value historic voyage on the island. Parva Farmhouse from across the lake (Pic: Kevin Pilley) The original filter Gilpin's passion for 'charmingly grouped' scenery wasn't just literary; it was technological. The Claude Glass—a tinted, convex mirror used to frame views—was the Georgian equivalent of a photo filter. Tourists held them up to distort or "improve" the scene. If the lighting wasn't right, a tinted glass could simulate dawn or dusk. Gilpin wasn't shy about altering nature: he once proposed knocking down parts of Tintern Abbey with a mallet to make it 'more ruinous,' and thus, more picturesque. He may also be the spiritual godfather of Instagram: 'the picturesque,' he wrote, 'is that kind of reality which is agreeable in a picture'. The Wye Valley's carboniferous limestone cliffs attract birds of prey—most famously the peregrine falcons that nest on Coldwell Rocks. From April to August, you can watch them from the viewing platform at Symonds Yat Rock. Goshawks, sparrowhawks and buzzards also patrol the skies. And on sun-dappled slopes like Coppett Hill, you might spot the rare pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. Historic inns and modern delights TO WALK the Wye properly, you must promenade the Prospect in Ross-on-Wye and perhaps take a drink at the Royal Hotel, where 18th-century guests descended river-facing steps in elegant dress. William Thackeray once praised the George Inn in Chepstow for its fresh salmon and friendly hosts—though sadly, it no longer lives up to its literary billing. Happily, Parva Farmhouse exceeds expectations. Run by Roger and Marta Brook (formerly of the Walnut Tree in Abergavenny), it offers seven en-suite rooms and gourmet dining from Wednesday to Saturday. After a long hike, every plate looks like an oil painting and tastes even better. The Regency fops and Victorian ramblers may have had bonnets and beaver hats, but they never had lobster samosa. Whether you're hiking to Whitestone in the footsteps of Wordsworth or cruising past the crumbling cliffs admired by Coleridge, the Wye has a way of combining effort with reward, poetry with plate. The full Wye Valley Walk runs 136 miles from Chepstow to Plynlimon in Wales and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. But even a modest stroll brings you close to the Valley's twin spirit guides: Gilpin the aestheticist, and Wordsworth the romantic. Where to look/book: / Tel: 01291 698411 See More: The Wye Valley, Travel
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Be it stage or the screen, the moment the spotlight hits, I am no longer Siri, says Siri Ravikumar
For actress Siri Ravikumar , acting involves shedding her own identity to fully embody the character. 'On stage or screen, I am no longer Siri; the character that takes over. My focus is the character and only the character; never Siri. I don't bring Siri into any role; instead, I strive to become the character I'm playing and do justice to what the role demands,' says Siri, who received a Best Actress award last year for her performance in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. In a chat with Bangalore Times, she discusses the opportunities that followed her win, her thoughts on the portrayal of female protagonists in cinema, the demands of theatre and film acting and what continuously draws her back to the stage… 'WINNING 'BEST ACTRESS' WAS A BOOST TO MY CONFIDENCE' Opening up about the opportunities that have come her way since winning the Best Actress award, Siri says, 'The award gave me a platform and boosted my confidence as an actor. But to be honest, the film industry is a bit dull right now — not just Kannada, but overall. There aren't many films or series being made. Still, I've been in conversations for two or three projects, which are likely to begin by July or August. I'm also active in theatre, so that keeps me going. ' I act because I love the process. The recognition is a bonus, But the real joy is in becoming someone else for a while — and telling their story Siri 'WORKING WITH KISHORE WAS EXTREMELY SPECIAL' Her recent theatre ventures include the productions of Love Letters and Parva. Speaking about Love Letters, where she shared the stage with seasoned Kannada actor Kishore, Siri recalls, 'Working with Kishore was truly special. Though he's such a well-known name in cinema, there was no air about him at all. This was his return to theatre after almost 20 years, and he just blended in beautifully.' 'THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON TELLING WOMEN'S STORIES AUTHENTICALLY' On the portrayal of female protagonists in Kannada cinema, she says, 'The focus shouldn't be on making a 'women-centric' film, but on telling women's stories authentically. There are so many interesting stories that can be told from a woman's perspective — be it about a domestic worker, a mother, or a college student. Don't call her fierce or strong or anything, just tell her story. She could be flawed, she could fail — that's fine. Let's stop glorifying women and start writing them as people.' I feel extremely blessed and lucky to have played Prerna in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. That role was written for me, how often does that happen. I'm so grateful for that Siri 'THEATRE GIVES ME A HIGH LIKE NO OTHER' For Siri, the difference between theatre and cinema is stark. 'Theatre is all in the moment; you rehearse endlessly, and then you get just one chance to get it right. On screen, there are retakes, but even there, you can't afford too many.' So, what keeps drawing her back to the theatre? 'The high of being on stage: those lights, that adrenaline, the instant connection with the audience. Every rehearsal, every performance brings something new. You watch the play grow from script to stage, and you know you were part of that magic,' she says. ' AS AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO TRY PLACING ACTORS IN NEW KINDS OF ROLES' The actress opens up about the challenges of being typecast, which she says is a common concern for actors once they gain recognition. 'That danger is always there; once something works, people want to see you do that again. I do believe that, we, as an industry, need to try placing actors in new kinds of roles and see what works. It shouldn't be one box forever,' she says.
