Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1798, the present work is one of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, westwards from Wiltshire through Somerset and Devon to Cornwall, returning via Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. He describes his impressions of famous landmarks such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Abbey, the River Tamar and Carisbrooke Castle, and includes several evocative reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings. The companion volumes of Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.
