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Title: Excursions in North Wales
       A Complete Guide to the Tourist through that Romantic Country


Author: John Hicklin



Release Date: December 29, 2020  [eBook #64164]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)


***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EXCURSIONS IN NORTH WALES***

Transcribed from the 1847 Whittaker and Co. edition by David Price.

EXCURSIONS
IN
NORTH WALES:

A COMPLETE
GUIDE TO THE TOURIST
THROUGH
THAT ROMANTIC COUNTRY;

CONTAINING DESCRIPTIONS
OF ITS
PICTURESQUE BEAUTIES, HISTORICAL ANTIQUITIES
AND MODERN WONDERS.

EDITED BY JOHN HICKLIN,
OF THE CHESTER COURANT.

LONDON:
WHITTAKER AND CO.; HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO.;
LONGMAN AND CO.; AND SIMPKIN AND CO.
R. GROOMBRIDGE & SONS.
W. CURRY AND CO., DUBLIN.
GEORGE PRICHARD (LATE SEACOME & PRICHARD), CHESTER.

1847.

p. iiiINTRODUCTION.

The ancient City of Chester is unquestionably the most attractive and convenient starting-place, from which should commence the journey of the tourist, who is desirous of exploring the beautiful and romantic country of North Wales, with its lovely valleys, its majestic mountains, its placid lakes, its rushing torrents, its rural retreats, and its picturesque castles.  Before leaving Chester, however, it will amply repay the intelligent traveller to devote some time to the examination of the many objects of interest, with which the “old city” abounds.  A ramble round the Walls, embracing a circuit of about two miles, will not only disclose to the stranger a succession of views, illustrative of the quaint architecture and the singular formation of the city, but will reveal a series of landscapes of the most varied and charming description; while the ancient fortifications themselves, with their four gates and rugged towers, serve to exemplify the features of that troubled age, when they were erected for the protection of our ancestors against hostile invasions.  Another striking peculiarity of Chester is the construction of the covered promenades, or Rows, in which the principal mercantile establishments are situated: unique and very curious are these old arcades, which are as interesting to the antiquarian, as they are convenient for a quiet lounge to ladies and others engaged in “shopping.”  The singular old houses, too, with their elaborately carved gables, of which Watergate-street, Bridge-street, and Northgate-street, furnish some remarkable specimens, will naturally attract attention.  Among public edifices, the venerable Cathedral, though not possessing much claim to external elegance, is replete with interest, from the style of its architecture, and the many historical associations which a visit within its sacred precincts awakens.  The cloisters and the chapter-house are interesting memorials of olden time; while the beautiful and effective restoration of the choir, which has lately been completed p. ivunder the skilful superintendence of Mr. Hussey, of Birmingham, commands the admiration of all who take pleasure in ecclesiological improvements.  The fittings of the interior have been entirely renovated; the Bishop’s throne, a splendid and characteristic erection, has been restored; a new stone pulpit (the gift of Sir E. S. Walker, of Chester) has been introduced, to harmonise with the style of the building; an altar screen, to divide the Lady Chapel from the choir, has been presented by the Rev. P. W. Hamilton, of Hoole; the eastern windows have been filled with stained glass, of admirable design and execution, by Mr. Wailes, of Newcastle; and a powerful organ, which cost £1000, has been built by Messrs. Gray and Davison, of London.  The expenses of the restoration were defrayed by public subscription; and too much praise cannot be given to the Dean (Dr. F. Anson) for the zeal and liberality with which he has promoted these gratifying improvements, as well as for the efficient and orderly manner in which the choral services of the Cathedral are conducted.  The fine old Church of St. John the Baptist, which in the tenth century was the Cathedral of the diocese, with the adjacent ruins of the Priory, should not be left unvisited; and St. Mary’s Church also presents, in its roof and monuments, some objects of interest worth examining.  Of the ancient Castle, very little, except Julius Cæsar’s tower, remains; but a magnificent modern structure, for military and county purposes, has been erected on the site of the old edifice, after designs by the late Mr. Harrison, of Chester.  The shire-hall is an elegant fabric of light-coloured stone, the principal entrance to which is through a portico of twelve columns in double rows, 22 feet high, and 3 feet 1½ inch in diameter, each formed of a single stone.  The court-room is a spacious semi-circular hall, lighted from above.  The county prison is behind, on a lower level, whence prisoners are brought into the dock by a flight of steps.  The extremities of the county-hall are flanked by two uniform elegant buildings, facing each other, appropriated as barracks for the officers and soldiers of the garrison.  In the higher ward is an armoury, where from thirty to forty thousand stand of arms, and other munitions of war, are constantly kept, in the same beautifully arranged manner as at the Tower of London.  The spacious open area in front of the Castle is enclosed by a semi-circular wall, surmounted with iron railings; in the centre is the grand entrance, of Doric architecture, p. vgreatly admired for its chaste construction and elegant execution.  The front view is classical and imposing.

A noble Bridge crosses the Dee at the south-east angle of the Roodee, the picturesque Race-course of Chester; it is approached by a new road from the centre of Bridge-street, which passes by the castle esplanade, proceeds across the city walls, and then by an immense embankment thrown over a deep valley.  The bridge consists of one main stone arch, with a small dry arch or towing path on each side, by which the land communication is preserved on both sides of the river.  The distinguishing feature of this edifice is the unparalleled width of the chord or span of the main arch, which is of greater extent than that of any other arch of masonry known to have been constructed.  Of its dimensions the following is an accurate delineation:—The span of the arch is two hundred feet; [0] the height of the arch from the springing line, 40 feet; the dimensions of the main abutments, 48 feet wide by 40, with a dry arch as a towing path at each side, 20 feet wide, flanked with immense wing walls, to support the embankment.  The whole length of the road-way, 340 feet.  Width of the bridge from outside the parapet walls, 35 feet 6 inches, divided thus: carriage-road, 24 feet; the two causeways, 9 feet; thickness of the parapet walls, 2 feet 6 inches.  Altitude from the top of the parapet wall to the river at low water mark, 66 feet 6 inches.  The architectural plan of this bridge was furnished by the late Mr. Thomas Harrison; Mr. James Trubshaw, of Newcastle, Staffordshire, was the builder; Mr. Jesse Hartley, of Liverpool, the surveyor.  The bridge was formally opened in October, 1832, by her Royal Highness the Princess (now Queen) Victoria, on occasion of her visit and that of her royal parent, the Duchess of Kent, to Eaton Hall.  As a compliment to her noble host, the bridge was named Grosvenor Bridge by the young Princess.

Our limited space prevents us from entering into particular descriptions of other buildings and antiquities, which might well claim our attention; as the remarkable Crypt and Roman Bath in Bridge-street, the Museum at the Water Tower, the p. viBlue Goat Hospital, the Training College, the Linen Hall, the Episcopal Palace, the Exchange, &c.; but we must not omit to remind the stranger, that when at Chester, he is only three miles distant from that magnificent modern mansion, Eaton Hall, the seat of the Marquis of Westminster.  The approach to the beautiful and extensive park in which this princely abode is situated, is by an elegant Lodge on the Grosvenor Road, about a quarter of a mile from Chester Castle; or the excursion may be made by a boat on the lucid bosom of the river Dee, which runs through verdant meads and lovely scenery close by the pleasure-grounds of the Hall.  Visitors must be careful to provide themselves with tickets, which may be obtained of the publisher of this little work in Bridge-street Row, or they will not be admitted to view the interior of the mansion.  The elaborate adornments, the gorgeous fittings, and the truly magnificent architecture of Eaton Hall, with its superb furniture, its beautiful pictures, and exquisite sculpture, never fail to excite the most lively admiration; and to pass it without a call, would be held by the residents of this neighbourhood to be a sort of topographical heresy, of which tourists should not be guilty.

Having satisfied their taste and curiosity by exploring the attractions and characteristics of Chester and the vicinity, we will suppose that our travellers are now ready to proceed into Wales; and for the purpose of directing and enlivening their journey, we present them, in this little Manual, with a faithful Guide and an amusing Companion by the way.  The admirer of Nature, in her wildest or her loveliest guise; the man of antiquarian research, the student of history, the valetudinarian in quest of health, or the ardent votary of “the rod and line,” anxiously seeking for favourable spots where the angler may best indulge his piscatorial fancies; may find in the following pages some information adapted to his taste and pursuits.

Among the other advantages which Chester possesses as a starting-place for visiting the Principality, may be mentioned its position as a grand central terminus, where the London and North Western, the Chester and Holyhead, the Shrewsbury and Chester, the Chester and Birkenhead, and the Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railways, meet.  A splendid station, commensurate with the requirements of the traffic from this combination of railway interests, will forthwith be built at Chester, at an estimated cost of £80,000.  The Shrewsbury p. viiand Chester line being now open as far as Ruabon, pleasant excursions can easily be made to the vale of Gresford, Wrexham, Wynnstay Park, and Llangollen: and as in August of this year (1847) the Chester and Holyhead Railway will be opened as for as Conway, visits to that delightful locality, including the intermediate stations for Flint, Mostyn, St. Asaph, Rhyl, and Abergele, may then be enjoyed in a day.  Facilities like these will no doubt tend greatly to increase the number of tourists to North Wales; where the principal hotels are admirably conducted, and carriages, cars, and horses, with civil drivers well acquainted with the country, may be engaged on satisfactory terms.

It may not be without its use to indicate a few excursions, which would include some of the most interesting and romantic parts of the Principality.  From Chester, a charming trip may be taken to Hawarden, Holywell, St. Asaph, Abergele, Conway, Aber, Bangor, Menai Bridge, Beaumaris; returning by Penrhyn Castle, the Nant Ffrancon Slate Quarries, Capel Curig, Rhaiadr-y-Wennol, Bettws-y-Coed, Pentrevoelas, Corwen, Llangollen, Wynnstay Park, Wrexham, Eaton Hall, Chester; or Eaton Hall may be taken on leaving Chester, Wrexham next, and so on to Beaumaris, returning by Conway and Holywell.  This route may be comfortably accomplished in four days; or if pressed for time, in three, as the railway would be available from Ruabon (Wynnstay Park) to Chester.

Another excursion, which would occupy four days, might be made by taking the railway from Chester to Birkenhead, embarking at Liverpool in the steam-packet which passes Beaumaris and the Menai bridge for Caernarvon, thence to Beddgelert, Pont Aberglaslyn, and return, ascend Snowdon, descend to Dolbadarn, Pass of Llanberis, Capel Curig, Rhaiadr-y-Wennol, and return by Nant Ffrancon slate quarries, Penrhyn Castle and Bangor, thence by steamer to Liverpool.

An agreeable and more extended route may also be taken from Caernarvon to Clynog, Pwllheli, Criccieth, Tremadoc, Port Madoc, Tan-y-bwlch, Maentwrog, Ffestiniog, Beddgelert, Nant Gwynan, Capel Curig, Rhaiadr-y-Wennol, Bettws-y-coed, Llanrwst, Conway, Penmaen Mawr, Aber, and Bangor for the packet to Liverpool.

Another journey may be accomplished in nine days:—from Chester to Eaton hall, Wrexham, Wynnstay, Chirk Castle, Llangollen, Valle Crucis Abbey, Corwen, Vale of Edeirnion, p. viiiBala, Dolgelley, Cader Idris, Barmouth, Harlech, Maentwrog, Tan-y-Bwlch, Ffestiniog, Port Madoc, Tremadoc, Pont Aberglaslyn, Beddgelert, Capel Curig, Dolbadarn, Victoria Hotel, Snowdon, Caernarvon, Menai bridge, Bangor, Aber, Conway, Abergele, St. Asaph, Denbigh, Ruthin, Mold, Chester.

Those whose time is less limited can readily select tours which will include a wider range of country, according to their taste and convenience; we have, therefore, adopted, in our literary panorama, an alphabetical arrangement, which, with the aid of the index, will direct the reader to the description of any place he may be desirous of visiting; and, as the distances are also marked, he may readily calculate the extent of the route he contemplates.  The work has been compiled from authentic sources, and has been carefully revised, throughout, by the present editor, with the view of presenting to the public an accurate and entertaining Guide-book through North Wales.

GLOSSARY.

The English traveller, in passing through North Wales, will find the following Welsh terms frequently occur in the names of places; to which are subjoined their significations in English.

Ab, or Ap, a prefix to proper names, signifying the son of

Aber, the fall of one water into another, a confluence.

Am, about, around.

Ar, upon, bordering upon.

Avon, or Afon, a river.

Bach, little, small.

Ban, high, lofty, tall.

Bedd, a grave or sepulchre.

Bettws, a station between hill and vale.

Blaen, a point or end.

Bôd, a residence.

Braich, a branch, an arm.

Bron, the breast, the slope of a hill.

Bryn, a hill, a mount.

Bwlch, a gap, defile, or pass.

Bychan, little, small.

Cader, a hill-fortress, a chair.

Cae, an inclosure, a hedge.

Cantref, a hundred of a shire, a district.

Caer, a city, a fort, a defensive wall.

Capel, a chapel.

Carn, a heap.

Carnedd, a heap of stones.

Careg, a stone.

p. ixCastell, a castle, fortress.

Cefn, ridge, the upper side, the back.

Cell, a cell; also a grove.

Cil, (pronounced keel) a retreat, a recess.

Clawdd, a hedge, a dyke.

Clogwyn, a precipice.

Côch, red.

Coed, a wood.

Cors, a bog or fen.

Craig, a rock or crag.

Croes, a cross.

Cwm, a valley, vale, or glen.

Dinas, a city, or fort, a fortified place.

Dôl, a meadow or dale, in the bend of the river.

Drws, a door-way, a pass.

Dû, black.

Dwfr, or Dwr, water.

Dyffryn, a valley.

Eglwys, a church.

Ffordd, a way, a road, a passage.

Ffynnon, a well, a spring.

Gallt, (mutable into Allt) a cliff, an ascent, the side of a hill.

Garth, a hill bending round.

Glàn, a brink or shore.

Glâs, bluish, or grayish green.

Glyn, a glen or valley through which a river runs.

Gwern, a watery meadow.

Gwydd, a wood.

Gwyn, white, fair.

Gwys, a summons.

Havod, a summer residence.

Is, lower, inferior, nether.

Llan, church, a smooth area, an inclosure.

Llwyn, a grove.

Llyn, a lake, a pool.

Maen, a stone.

Maes, a plain, an open field.

Mawr, great, large.

Melin, a mill.

Moel, a smooth conical hill.

Mynydd, a mountain.

Nant, a ravine, a brook.

Newydd, new, fresh.

Pant, a hollow, a valley.

Pen, a head, a summit; also chief, or end.

Pentref, a village, a hamlet.

Pistyll, a spout, a cataract.

Plâs, a hall or palace.

Plwyf, a parish.

Pont, a bridge.

Porth, a ferry, a port, a gateway.

Pwll, a pit, a pool.

Rhaiadr, a cataract.

Rhiw, an ascent.

Rhôs, a moist plain or meadow.

Rhŷd, a ford.

Sarn, a causeway, a pavement.

Swydd, a shire; also an office.

Tàl, the front or head; also tall.

Tàn, under.

Traeth, a sand or shore.

Tre, or Tref, a home, a town.

Tri, three.

Troed, a foot, the skirt of a hill.

Twr, a tower.

Tŷ, a house.

Waun (from Gwaun), a meadow, downs.

Y, the, of.

Yn, in, at, into.

Ynys, an island.

Ystrad, a vale, a dale.

Yspytty, a hospital, an almshouse.

p. xNORTH WALES DISTANCE TABLE

p. 1PANORAMA.

ABER,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Aber, or, as it is called by way of distinction, Aber-gwyngregyn, the Stream of the White Shells, is a small neat village, situated on the Holyhead and Chester road, near the Lavan Sands, at the extremity of a luxuriant vale watered by the river Gwyngregyn, which runs into the Irish sea; it commands a fine view of the entrance into the Menai, with the islands of Anglesea and Priestholme, and the vast expanse of water which rolls beneath the ragged Ormesheads.  The pleasantness of its situation, and the salubrity of its air, render this place exceedingly attractive during the summer season, and the beach, at high water, is very convenient for sea bathing.

The church is an ancient structure, with a square tower; the living being in the gift of Sir R. W. Bulkeley.

The Bulkeley Arms is an excellent inn, where post-chaises and cars may be had.

This is considered a very convenient station for such persons as wish to examine Penmaen-mawr, and the adjacent country, either as naturalists or artists.  From this place also persons frequently cross the Menai straits immediately into Anglesea, in a direction towards Beaumaris.  The distance is somewhat more than six miles.  When the tide is out, the Lavan Sands are dry for four miles, in the same direction, over which the passenger has to walk within a short distance of the opposite shore, where the ferry-boat plies.  In fogs, the passage over p. 2these sands has been found very dangerous, and many have been lost in making the hazardous enterprise at such times.  As a very salutary precaution, the bell of Aber church, which was presented for the purpose by the late Lord Bulkeley, in 1817, is rung in foggy weather, with a view to direct those persons whose business compels them to make the experiment.  It would be dangerous for a stranger to undertake the journey without a guide, as the sands frequently shift: however, since the erection of the Menai bridge, this route is seldom taken.

The village is situated at the mouth of the deep glen, which runs in a straight line a mile and a half between the mountains, and is bounded on one side by a magnificent rock, called Maes-y-Gaer.  At the extremity of this glen, a mountain presents a concave front, down the centre of which a vast cataract precipitates itself in a double fall, upwards of sixty feet in height, presenting in its rushing torrent over the scattered fragments of rock a grand and picturesque appearance.

At the entrance of the glen, close to the village, is an extensive artificial mount, flat at the top, and near sixty feet in diameter, widening towards the base.  It was once the site of castle belonging to the renowned prince, Llewelyn the Great, foundations are yet to be seen round the summit; and in digging, traces of buildings have been discovered.  This spot is famous as the scene of the reputed amour of William de Breos, an English baron, with the wife of the Welsh hero, and of the tragical occurrence which followed its detection.  This transaction, which has given rise to a popular legend, is well told in Miss Costello’s “Pictorial Tour,” published in 1845:—

Llywelyn had been induced by the artful promises of the smooth traitor, king John, to accept the hand of his daughter, the princess Joan; but his having thus allied himself did not prevent the aggressions of his father-in-law, and John having cruelly murdered twenty-eight hostages, sons of the highest Welsh nobility, Llywelyn’s indignation overcame all other considerations, and he attacked John in all his castles between the Dee and Conway, and, for that time freed North Wales from the English yoke.

There are many stories told of the princess Joan, or Joanna, somewhat contradictory, but generally received: she was, of course, not popular with the Welsh, and the court bard, in singing the praise of the prince, even goes so far as to speak p. 3of a female favourite of Llywelyn’s, instead of naming his wife: perhaps he wrote his ode at the time when she was in disgrace, in consequence of misconduct attributed to her.  It is related that Llywelyn, at the battle of Montgomery, took prisoner William de Breos, one of the knights of the English court, and while he remained his captive treated him well, and rather as a friend than enemy.  This kindness was repaid by De Breos with treachery, for he ventured to form an attachment to the princess Joan, perhaps to renew one already begun before her marriage with the Welsh prince.  He was liberated, and returned to his own country; but scarcely was he gone than evil whispers were breathed into the ear of Llywelyn, and vengeance entirely possessed his mind: he, however, dissembled his feelings, and, still feigning the same friendship, he invited De Breos to come to his palace at Aber as a guest.  The lover of the princess Joan readily accepted the invitation, hoping once more to behold his mistress; but he knew not the fate which hung over him, or he would not have entered the portal of the man he had injured so gaily as he did.

The next morning the princess Joan walked forth early, in a musing mood: she was young, beautiful, she had been admired and caressed in her father’s court, was there the theme of minstrels and the lady of many a tournament—to what avail? her hand without her heart had been bestowed on a brave but uneducated prince, whom she could regard as little less than savage, who had no ideas in common with her, to whom all the refinements of the Norman court were unknown, and whose uncouth people, and warlike habits, and rugged pomp, were all distasteful to her.  Perhaps she sighed as she thought of the days when the handsome young De Breos broke a lance in her honour, and she rejoiced, yet regretted, that the dangerous knight, the admired and gallant William, was again beneath her husband’s roof.  In this state of mind she was met by the bard, an artful retainer of Llywelyn, who hated all of English blood, and whose lays were never awakened but in honour of his chief, but who contrived to deceive her into a belief that he both pitied and was attached to her.  Observing her pensive air, and guessing at its cause, he entered into conversation with her, and having ‘beguiled her of her tears’ by his melody, he at length ventured on these dangerous words.—

“Diccyn, doccyn, gwraig Llywelyn,
Beth a roit ti am weled Gwilym?”

p. 4“Tell me, wife of Llywelyn, what would you give for sight of your William?”

The princess, thrown off her guard, and confiding in harper’s faith, imprudently exclaimed:—

“Cymru, Lloegr, a Llywelyn,
Y rown i gyd am weled Gwilym!”

“Wales, and England, and Llywelyn—all would I give to behold my William!”

The harper smiled bitterly, and, taking her arm, pointed slowly with his finger in the direction of a neighbouring hill, where, at a place called Wern Grogedig, grew a lofty tree, from the branches of which a form was hanging, which she too well recognised as that of the unfortunate William de Breos.

In a dismal cave beneath that spot was buried “the young, the beautiful, the brave;” and the princess Joan dared not shed a tear to his memory.  Tradition points out the place, which is called Cae Gwilym Dhu.

Notwithstanding this tragical episode, the princess and her husband managed to live well together afterwards; whether she convinced him of his error, and he repented his hasty vengeance, or whether he thought it bettor policy to appear satisfied; at all events, Joan frequently interfered between her husband and father to prevent bloodshed, and sometimes succeeded.  On one occasion she did so with some effect, at a time when the Welsh prince was encamped on a mountain above Ogwen lake, called Carnedd Llywelyn from that circumstance; when he saw from the heights his country in ruins, and Bangor in flames.  Davydd, the son of the princess, was Llywelyn’s favourite son.  Joan died in 1237, and was buried in a monastery of Dominican friars at Llanvaes, near Beaumaris; Llywelyn erected over her a splendid monument, which existed till Henry the Eighth gave the monastery to one of his courtiers to pillage, and the chapel became a barn.  The coffin, which was all that remained of the tomb, like that of Llywelyn himself, was thrown into a little brook, and for two hundred and fifty years was used as a watering trough for cattle.  It is now preserved at Baron Hill, near Beaumaris.

p. 5ABERDARON,
(Caernarvonshire.)

This is a miserably poor village, at the very extremity of Caernarvonshire, seated in a bay, beneath some high and sandy cliffs.  On the summit of a promontory are the ruins of a small church, called Capel Vair, or Chapel of our Lady.  The chapel was placed here to give the seamen an opportunity of invoking the tutelar saint for protection through the dangerous sound.  Not far distant, are also the ruins of another chapel, called Anhaelog.  At this spot, pilgrims in days of yore embarked on their weary journey to pay their vows at the graves of the saints of Bardsey.

The original church was a very old structure, in the style of ancient English architecture, dedicated to St. Hyrwyn, a saint of the island of Bardsey, and was formerly collegiate and had the privilege of sanctuary; it contained a nave, south aisle, and chancel, and was an elegant and highly finished building.  A new church has been recently built, on the site of the old one, at the expense of the landed proprietors, aided by the church building societies.

The mouth of the bay is guarded by two little islands, called Ynys Gwylan, a security to the small craft of the inhabitants, who are chiefly fishermen.  It takes its name from the rivulet Daron, which empties itself here.

This primitive village is noted as the birth place of Richard Robert Jones, alias Dick Aberdaron, the celebrated Welsh linguist.  He was born in 1778, and died in deep distress at St. Asaph in 1843.  Jones was the son of a carpenter, and always evinced a want of capacity, except in the acquiring of languages by self culture.  He began with the Latin tongue when fifteen years of age.  At nineteen he commenced with Greek, and proceeded with Hebrew, Persiac, Arabic, French, Italian, and other modern languages; and was ultimately conversant with thirteen.  Notwithstanding that he read all the best authors, particularly in the Greek, he seemed to acquire no other knowledge than as to the form and construction of language.  He was always in great indigence, and used to parade the streets of Liverpool extremely dirty and ragged, with some mutilated stores of literature under his arm, and wearing his p. 6beard several inches long.  He was at one time much noticed by the late Mr. Roscoe, who secured him a weekly stipend, which however was not maintained after the death of that distinguished scholar.

Bardsey Island,

Generally called by the Welsh Yr Ynys Enlli (the Island of the Current), and formerly known as the Island of the Saints, is situated about three leagues to the west of Aberdaron; it is somewhat more than two miles long and one broad, and contains about 370 acres of land, of which near one-third is occupied by a high mountain, affording sustenance only to a few sheep and rabbits.  The number of inhabitants does not exceed one hundred, and their chief employment is fishing, there being great abundance round the island.  It is the property of Lord Newborough.

On the south-east side, which is only accessible to the mariner, there is a small well sheltered harbour, capable of admitting vessels of 30 or 40 tons burden.  The lighthouse was erected in 1821; it is a handsome square tower, 74 feet high, and surmounted by a lantern, 10 feet high.

This island was formerly celebrated for an abbey, a few portions only of which are now remaining.  Dubricius, archbishop of Caerlleon, resigned his see to St. David, retired here, and died A.D. 612; he was interred upon the spot, but such was the veneration paid to his memory in after ages, that his remains were removed in the year 1107 to Llandaff, and interred in that cathedral, of which Dubricius had been the first bishop.  After the slaughter of the monks of Bangor Is-y-coed, nine hundred persecuted men who had embraced Christianity, sought a sacred refuge in this island, where numbers of the devout had already established a sanctuary, and found repose from the troubles which then raged through the Principality.

ABERDOVEY,
(Merionethshire.)

This is a small sea-port in the parish of Towyn, and about four miles from that place.  It is pleasantly situated on the p. 7northern side of the mouth of the river Dovey, which here empties itself into Cardigan bay, and is rapidly rising into estimation as a bathing place.  The beach is highly favourable for bathing, being composed of hard firm sand, affording a perfectly safe carriage-drive of about eight miles in length, along the margin of the sea.  The ride to Towyn along the sands, at low water, is extremely delightful.

Several respectable houses and a commodious hotel (the Corbet Arms) have of late years been erected for the accommodation of visitors; and a chapel of ease has also been lately built by subscription, which affords great convenience to the inhabitants, who are four miles distant from the parish church.  Service is performed every Sunday morning in English, and in the afternoon in the Welsh language.

The river Dovey is here one mile in width, and is crossed by a ferry, which leads by a road along the sea shore to Borth, whence is a communication with the Aberystwyth road.  During the spring tides the ferry can only be crossed at low water, on account of the sands being flooded, and so rendered impassable.  The river is navigable nine miles up a most picturesque country, and affords good trout fishing.

ABERFFRAW,
(Anglesea.)

Aberffraw, once a princely residence, is now reduced to a few small houses; it is situated on the river Ffraw, near a small bay.  Not a vestige is to be seen of its former importance, except the rude wall of an old barn, and Gardd y Llys, at the west end of the town.  It was a chief seat of the native princes, and one of the three courts of justice for the Principality.  Here was always kept one of the three copies of the ancient code of laws.  This place is of great antiquity, being one of three selected by Roderic the Great, about 870, for the residence of his successors.  In 962 it was ravaged by the Irish.  An extent was made of Aberffraw in the 13th Edward III, from which may be learned some of the ancient revenues of the Welsh princes.  It appeared that part arose from the rents of lands, from the profits of mills and fisheries, and often from things taken in kind; but the last more frequently commuted p. 8for their value in money.  There is a good inn called the Prince Llywelyn.

Near to Aberffraw is Bodorgan, the seat of Owen Augustus Fuller Meyrick, Esq., which is pleasantly situated, and overlooks Caernarvon bay.  The mansion, gardens, and conservatories are worth a visit from the tourist

ABERGELE,
(Denbighshire.)

Abergele, [8] a market town, is pleasantly situated on the great Chester and Holyhead road, on the edge of Rhuddlan marsh, and about a mile from the sea shore.  The church is ancient, with a plain uninteresting tower, which the white-washing hand of modern “improvement” has deprived of all pretensions to the picturesque.  The town consists only of one long street; and in 1841, its population, with the parish, was returned at 2661.

The coast is composed of firm hard sands, affording delightful drives for many miles.  Tradition says, the sea has in old time overflowed a vast tract of inhabited country, once extending at least three miles northward; as an evidence of which, a dateless epitaph, in Welsh, on the church-yard wall, is cited, which is thus translated: “In this church yard lies a man who lived three miles to the north of it.”  There is, however, much stronger proof in the fact, that at low water may be seen, at a distance from the clayey bank, a long tract of hard loam, in which are imbedded numerous bodies of oak trees, tolerably entire, but so soft as to cut with a knife as easily as wax: the wood is collected by the poorer people, and, after being brought to dry upon the beach, is used as fuel.

The salubrity of the air, the pleasantness of situation, and the superiority of its shore for sea-bathing, have rendered this town a favourite resort for genteel company, and it has long been a fashionable watering place.  The environs are picturesque, p. 9the scenery beautiful, and many interesting excursions may be made from this locality.  The Bee Hotel, one of the best in the kingdom, is a most comfortable house, and possesses superior accommodations; and there are some excellent private lodgings to be had in the town: for those who would prefer a more immediate contiguity to the sea, there are cottages close to the beach, fit for respectable families, and apartments may be had from farmers, who are in the habit of accommodating visitors for the summer season.  Bateman Jones, Esq. has a handsome residence on the road between the town and the beach.  Besides the Chester and Holyhead and other mails that pass through Abergele, there is an omnibus which runs daily to Voryd, to meet the Liverpool and Rhyl steam-packet.

The pretty villages of Bettws and Llanfair are in this immediate neighbourhood: near the former is Coed Coch, the residence of J. Ll. Wynn, Esq.  Llanfair is most picturesquely situated on the Elwy, a little way above its conflux with the Aled.  Close to the village is Garthewin, the sylvan residence of Brownlow W. Wynne, Esq. embowered in trees; and following up the Elwy and its narrow but beautiful valley, is the village of Llangerniew; near to it is Llyn Elwy, the pool from which issues and gives name to the river Elwy.  Havod-unos, about a quarter of a mile from the village, is the seat of S. Sandbach, Esq. an eminent Liverpool merchant, who some time ago purchased it and the estate, once the property of a long list of ap Llwyds.  Two or three miles to the south-east, lies the village of Llansannan, at the head of the pretty vale of Aled.  Close below the village is the elegant modern mansion of the Yorkes, called Dyffryn Aled: it is built of Bath free stone, and presents a very beautiful and classical structure.  These are places a little out of the common track of tourists, but they will not be disappointed at visiting them; and from Abergele is the most convenient start to them.  The roads are good; the country very beautiful; trout fishing is excellent in the Elwy and Aled from their sources, the Aled and Elwy pools, to Rhuddlan; and the villages afford very good passing-by accommodations.

On the hills above Abergele, grow some of the more uncommon plants; geranium sanguineum, rubia peregrina, halloboris fœtidus.  In the shady wood, paris quadrifolia, and ophrys nidus avis; and on the beach, glaucium luteum, and eryngium maritimum abundantly.  The hills are interesting to the p. 10geologist as well as to the botanist; and command remarkably grand and extensive views of the ocean, and of the adjacent mountain scenery.

About a mile from Abergele, on the left of the road towards Conway, stands Gwrych Castle, a modern castellated mansion, the property and residence of Henry Lloyd Bamford Hesketh, Esq.  The situation is admirably chosen for a magnificent sea view, which, owing to the constant passing of vessels for the ports of Liverpool and Chester, is extremely beautiful and animated.  Very near to this singular but ambitious looking structure, is a huge calcareous rock, called Cefn-yr-Ogo (or the Back of the Cavern), an inexhaustible mine of limestone, where a multitude of labourers are constantly employed in blasting the rock, and breaking the masses, which are exported to Liverpool and other places.  But what chiefly renders it curious is the circumstance of a number of natural caverns penetrating its side in different places; one of which, called Ogo (or the Cavern), is well worth a visit.  It is celebrated in history as having once afforded a place of retreat to a British army.  Its mouth resembles the huge arched entrance of a Gothic cathedral.  A few feet within this, and immediately in the centre of it, a rock rising from the floor to the lofty roof, not unlike a massive pillar rudely sculptured, divides the cavern into two apartments.  The hollow to the left soon terminates; but that to the right spreads into a large chamber, 30 feet in height, and stretching to a greater depth than human curiosity has ever been hardy enough to explore.  Making a short turn a few yards from the entrance, and sweeping into the interior of the mountain, the form and dimension of the abyss are concealed in impenetrable darkness, and its windings can only be followed about forty yards with prudence, when the light totally disappears, and the flooring becomes both dirty and unsafe.  Stalactites of various fanciful forms decorate the fretted roof and sides of this extraordinary cavern. [10]

p. 11From Cave Hill (Cefn-yr-Ogo), is an extensive and varied prospect.  The city of St. Asaph, the Vale of Clwyd, the mountains of Flintshire, and in clear weather, a portion of Cheshire and Lancashire, with the town of Liverpool, are distinctly seen to the eastward; and to the north is visible the Isle of Man; to the west, the Island of Anglesea; and to the south-west, the mountains of Caernarvonshire.  Just below is the small village of

Llanddulas.

In this little village or glen it is supposed that Richard the Second was surrounded and taken by a band of ruffians, secreted by the Earl of Northumberland, for the purpose of forcing him into the hands of Bolingbroke, who was at Flint.  Here enterprise has discovered the means of realizing wealth.  A railway, several miles long, has been constructed from the sea to Llysfaen limestone rocks, being on a remarkably steep incline down the side of the mountain.  It is a stupendous work, and highly creditable to the projector, Mr. Jones.

About two miles nearer Conway, is the increasing and respectable village of Colwyn.  A new church has lately been erected here.  Glan-y-don, the seat of H. Hesketh, Esq., is in this neighbourhood; Mr. Wynne and Dr. Cumming have cottages here, and many other genteel residences have recently been built.  The sea bathing is very good, and the place is pleasant and salubrious.  Up the valley, to the left of the bridge, is the village of Llanelian, with its calm green meadows, and its far-famed holywell, or Ffynan Fair.

Returning to Abergele, and at the opposite end, is a good and direct road to Rhuddlan, through a number of excellent p. 12and extensive corn farms.  The road crosses the celebrated Morva Rhuddlan (or Rhuddlan Marsh).

About three miles on the St. Asaph road is the neat and clean little village of

St. George, or Llan Saint Sior; [12]

And about a quarter of a mile before you come to it, you pass on your right Pen-y-Parc Hill, on the top of which is a Roman encampment, afterwards occupied by the famous Owen Gwynedd, during his struggles against English encroachments; and it was here he pitched his tents after his “fine retreat before Henry the Second, whom he here kept at bay.”  The curious may visit it from the village, inquiring for Park Meirch, where the old battles were fought.  And close to this place is Dinorben, an ancient manor-house, from which is the title of Lord Dinorben, whose residence, Kinmel Park, is a little beyond, and close to the village.  About six years since the mansion was destroyed by fire; but has now been rebuilt in a style of princely elegance, and has once more become the home of that hospitality for which the respected proprietor is famous.  The park is finely wooded and well stocked with deer.  The scenery from the house is rich, varied, and beautiful; the gardens and grounds are extensive, and tastefully laid out.  His royal highness, the Duke of Sussex, for several years before his death, annually spent some weeks at Kinmel in the shooting season.

The church at St. George is a neat structure, and has recently been restored by Lord Dinorben, the patron.  In the church-yard is a costly stone mausoleum, in the Gothic style, erected over the remains of Lady Dinorben, a lady beloved for her virtues, and eminent for her charities.  The architect was Mr. Jones, of Chester: the design and workmanship are chaste and elegant.

Not far from Kinmel, towards St. Asaph, is Bodelwyddan, the modern elegant mansion of Sir John Hay Williams, Bart., one of the most lovely spots in Wales; and in the plain below is Pengwern, the hospitable seat of Lord Mostyn.

p. 13ABERYSTWYTH,
(Cardiganshire.)

[It may be necessary to apprise the reader, that though this work is professedly a description of North Wales only, it has been thought advisable to deviate from the letter of its title, so far as to include within its pages the above distinguished town, and that great and attractive curiosity, the Devil’s Bridge; both of which, situated in Cardiganshire, the North Wales tourist usually visits, the town being only 18 miles beyond Machynlleth, and the cataract the same distance from Llanidloes.]

Aberystwyth has long been esteemed a fashionable watering place; the gently sloping beach, the clearness of the water, and the salubriousness of the air, have all conspired to render it an inviting spot for sea-bathing; and within the last few years, the efforts of art have been sedulously employed in seconding the works of nature, by furnishing to its visitants excellent roads, superior accommodations, and suitable buildings for fashionable amusements.  Pleasant walks have also been formed in the environs.  The town, which owes its origin to the erection of the castle, is described by Leland as having been encompassed by walls, (the last remains of which were removed some years since,) and as being in his time a better market than Cardigan; and Camden, who ascribes the building of its walls to Gilbert de Clare, earl of Strongbow, states, that it was then the most populous town in the county.  Since that time it has materially increased, both in extent and importance, and may be still regarded as the most flourishing place in this part of South Wales, its population in 1841 being returned at 4916.  It is pleasantly situated at the lower extremity of the valley of Rheidiol, amid lofty hills, and on a bold eminence overlooking the bay of Cardigan, by which it is bounded on one side, while on the other it is environed by the Rheidiol, over which is a stone bridge of five arches, forming an entrance to it from the south.

The houses are in general well built, and of respectable appearance, several of them being large and handsome, especially such as are of modern erection, which are entirely of stone.  The streets are disposed with considerable regularity, and well paved and macadamised.  The inhabitants are supplied p. 14with water from the river Rheidiol, which is brought into the town on carriages in the form of small carts, drawn by one horse, each holding two barrels, and sold at a low rate.  About the commencement of the last century, it began to rise into notice as a bathing-place, and from a series of progressive improvements, is now one of the most frequented places of fashionable resort on this part of the coast.

The beach affords a pleasant and interesting walk; and the shore, consisting of lofty and precipitous rocks of dark-coloured slate, is worn by the action of the waves into caverns of romantic and picturesque appearance.  The beach is composed of fine pebbles, among which are found many valuable stones; the water in consequence is always peculiarly clear, and uncontaminated with any admixtures.  In sandy situations, the contrary is frequently the case.  The fine stones are picked up with great avidity by the numerous visitors residing here in the summer months, and afford ample employment to several lapidaries in the town.  Hot sea-water, vapour, and medicated baths are provided with every requisite accommodation; several bathing machines are in attendance, and from the convenient sloping of the beach, a facility of bathing is afforded at almost any state of the tide, within a very short distance of the shore.  For the reception of the increasing number of visitors, many additional lodging-houses have been built, of which the Marine Terrace, a handsome range of modern buildings suitable for private families, is situated on the margin of the bay, commanding a fine marine view.  The Belle Vue is a spacious and commodious hotel; in front of which is a fine promenade.  On the south-west of the Marine Terrace, is a gateway leading to a spacious castellated mansion, called the Castle-house, commanding an extensive view across the bay: it was originally built as a private mansion by the late Sir Uvedale Price, Bart. of Foxley hall, Herefordshire, and consists of three octagonal towers, connected by ranges of apartments, and having a light and elegant balcony on the side towards the sea.  Beyond this, on one side is the Castle Hill, crowned with the venerable ruins of an ancient fortress, and forming another favourite promenade, affording from different points various extensive, romantic, and interesting views of the sea, the neighbouring hills, and the surrounding country.

On the other side of the Castle Hill, separated only by the churchyard, are the new public rooms, handsomely built in the p. 15Grecian style of architecture, on ground given by W. E. Powell, Esq., of Nant Eös, from a design by Mr. Repton, at an expense of £2000, raised by subscription in shares of £10 each, and opened to the public in 1820.  The suite consists of a very handsome assembly and promenade room, a card-room and a billiard-room.  There is a good library in the new market-place; a new theatre has been built on the north parade, and was opened for the first time in the summer of 1833.  The church, dedicated to St. Michael, was built by subscription in the year 1787: it is a plain structure, situated within the precincts of the castle, and separated from the walks along the ruins of that edifice by a stone wall erected at the expense of the inhabitants.  A gallery was erected in the church at its western end in the year 1790, at an expense of £104 14s., which was defrayed by Mrs. Margaret Pryce.  The service is performed in the morning and evening in the English language, and in the afternoon in Welsh; there is likewise service on the evenings of Wednesday in the English, and on the Thursday in the Welsh language.

The augmented population of this place, and the increasing number of visitors during the season, having rendered the erection of another place of worship necessary, a church or chapel has been recently built upon a large scale by subscription, after a plan by Mr. Haycock, of Shrewsbury, in the modern Gothic style, at an expense of £3600, including a grant of £1000 from the parliamentary commissioners, and £400 from the society for the enlargement of churches and chapels: it was consecrated in September, 1833.  The parish church is situated at Llanbadarn, at about a mile distant from the town.  There is a peculiarity regarding the grave-stones at this place: they are generally fixed in a stack of bricks built up for the purpose, and white-washed, the tablet appearing in front.  The surface of the grave is usually paved with a kind of small marble stones, which are found in abundance on the beach.  There are also several places of worship for dissenters.  Aberystwyth likewise possesses the advantage of a chalybeate spring, situate at a very short distance east of the town.  This spring was discovered by a kind of accident in 1779.  It is highly spoken of, as containing valuable medicinal properties, and much resembling the Tunbridge waters; but it is always advisable that a physician should be consulted as to the season and extent of its use.  To complete the circle of attractions which this p. 16interesting place presents, the annual races are here rising into repute; these usually take place in August, in a field near Gogerddan, about three miles from the town.  Archery and cricket clubs have also been established, and are upheld with great spirit; and here the lovers of angling may be gratified with their favourite diversion.  The Ystwyth and the Rheidiol are in the immediate vicinity; the autumnal fishing for salmon and sewin is excellent; and within a day’s excursion, a variety of lake-fishing will afford capital sport.

Aberystwyth contains many interesting relics of antiquity, and was evidently in the “olden time,” a place of some renown, as well as a scene of some of the unhappy troubles which darkened the reign of Charles the First.

In queen Elizabeth’s reign a company of Germans reaped a large fortune in working the silver mines in the vicinity of this town.  Sir Hugh Myddleton, after them, was equally successful, and accumulated £2000 a month out of one silver mine at Bwlch yr Eskir, which enabled him (in 1614) to bring the new river to London.  He, again, was succeeded by Mr. Bushell, a servant of Sir Francis Bacon, who also gained such immense profits, that he made Charles the First a present of a regiment of horse, and clothed his whole army; he also furnished the king with a loan of £40,000, which was considered as a gift to supply his necessities; and when that unfortunate monarch was pressed, his devoted subject raised a regiment among his miners at his own charge.

On Pen Dinas, a very high and steep hill, near the bridge over the Rheidiol, is a large entrenchment, still in a good state of preservation, and where, Caradoc informs us, Rhŷs ap Gruffydd, in 1113, encamped his forces, which, by a manœuvre of the English, were enticed from the hill over the bridge, to besiege Aberystwyth castle, where they were surrounded and cut off almost to a man.  The tradition of the town attributes this entrenchment to the forces employed by Cromwell to besiege the castle.  Opposite this, on a hill at the extremity of the town, are two other entrenchments, in a bad state of preservation and destitute of the tumuli or barrows, often found contiguous to such vestiges in Wales.

Aberystwyth is a place of considerable trade; but the harbour, being a bar harbour, is of uncertain and often dangerous navigation, and frequently choked up, until the land freshes come down, after heavy falls of rain, and force a passage.  p. 17The trustees, acting under the harbour act passed in 1780, being empowered to raise the sum of £4000 for its improvement, upon mortgage of the dues, and seeing the necessity of doing something more effectually than the works they were occasionally enabled to erect by the expenditure of the annual revenues, which were constantly being swept away by the sea, determined upon employing that eminent engineer and hydrographer, the late Mr. Nimmo, to survey the harbour, and to give his report thereon.  The report having been published, by which it appeared that a sum of £10,000 was necessary to carry his suggestions into effect; a committee was formed, who issued a prospectus, soliciting subscriptions from those disposed to aid them in the accomplishment of so desirable an object, and the following munificent donations were immediately made: the Duke of Newcastle, £1000; the Earl of Lisburne, £500; Colonel Powell, M.P. £500; Pryce Pryce, Esq. M.P. £500.  The works have since been completed.

The walks and drives in the vicinity are numerous and engaging; and from the number of eminences by which the town is environed on the land side, views the most varied and interesting present themselves to the lover of the picturesque.  From the summit of Pen Dinas, he at once beholds three beautiful valleys, with the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidiol winding their devious course on either side beneath his feet.  On turning round, he is gratified with a magnificent view of the expansive bay of Cardigan, with its bold coast stretching out on either hand to the extremity of Cardiganshire on the southern side, and that of Caernarvon on the northern; the latter embracing within its range the rocky ridge of Cader Idris and the lofty peaks of Snowdon.  The prospect from the summit of Craig-lâs is equally beautiful and diversified.  The new line of road to Hereford and Shrewsbury, completed at an expense of £4000, along the opposite bank of the Rheidiol, to the Devil’s Bridge road, and nearly parallel with it, passes through some fine scenery, and the course of the river from the excellent new inn at Ponterwyd is wild and terrific, particularly about the spot called the Parson’s Bridge, half a mile therefrom.

The hotels and inns at Aberystwyth afford every comfort for the entertainment of visitors, and there is every facility of coach travelling to various parts of the country.

p. 18THE DEVIL’S BRIDGE,
(Cardiganshire.)

Pont-y-Mynach, or Pont-ar-Fynach, vulgarly the Devil’s Bridge, near the Havod Arms inn, is a single arch, about 30 feet in the chord, thrown over another arch of less than 20 feet, which spans a dark and tremendous chasm.  The under arch is said to have been thrown across by the monks of Ystrad Florida Abbey, about the year 1087; but the country people, thinking so bold an effort above the reach of those ghostly fathers, ascribed it to his Satanic Majesty.  The present bridge was built in 1753, at the expense of the county, over the original, which was left standing; and the railings were put up in 1814, by Mr. Johnes, of Havod.  It is a most romantic and extraordinary structure.

The scenery in this neighbourhood is inexpressibly grand and sublime—what Byron would call, “a blending of all beauties;” a combination of all those lovely charms and impressive wonders, which Nature has scattered with such exuberant prodigality throughout the mountains and valleys of Wales.

The Havod Arms inn stands on a most interesting site in this locality, and affords excellent accommodation to tourists.

Few persons, whether from North or South Wales, who visit the falls of Pont-y-Mynach, but will be desirous of seeing the celebrated seat of the late Mr. Johnes, at

Havod,

Which is about four miles distant.  The mansion was built, and the estate laid out in its present paradisaical state of loveliness, by the late Mr. Johnes, of whom it has been truly said, he made the barren wilderness around him to smile, and converted the worthless heath into waving woods, luxuriant corn fields, and pastures.  From October, 1795, to April, 1801, Mr. Johnes planted more than 2,065,000 trees, besides a great number of acres that he sowed with acorns.  Since this period the plantations have been extended on the same scale with equal spirit; from one to two hundred thousand trees being planted every year.

The mansion is built of Portland stone, in a somewhat novel mode of architecture, from designs by Mr. Baldwyn of Bath; it combines the distinguishing features of the Moorish and Gothic p. 19styles, with turrets and painted windows.  It is situated near the banks of the river Ystwyth, and beautifully environed by lofty hills, clothed with oak.  The interior of the house corresponds in elegance with the exterior.

A correct idea of the enchanting beauties of the scenery has been left on record by the elegant pen of Mr. Cumberland:—“Havod is a place in itself so pre-eminently beautiful, that it highly merits a particular description.  It stands surrounded with so many noble scenes, diversified with elegance as well as with grandeur; the country on the approach to it is so very wild and uncommon, and the place itself is now so embellished by art, that it will be difficult, I believe, to point out a spot that can be put in competition with it, considered either as the object of the painter’s eye, the poet’s mind, or as a desirable residence for those who, admirers of the beautiful wildness of nature, love also to inhale the pure air of aspiring mountains, and enjoy that santo pacé, as the Italians expressively term it, which arises from solitudes made social by a family circle.  From the portico it commands a woody, narrow, winding vale; the undulating form of whose ascending shaggy sides are richly clothed with various foliage, broken with silver waterfalls, and crowned with climbing sheep-walks, reaching to the clouds.  Neither are the luxuries of life absent; for, on the margin of the Ystwyth, where it flows broadest through this delicious vale, we see hothouses and a conservatory; beneath the rocks, a bath; amid the recesses of the woods, a flower-garden; and within the building, whose decorations, though rich, are pure and simple, we find a mass of rare and valuable literature, whose pages here seem doubly precious, where meditation finds scope to range unmolested.

“In a word, so many are the delights afforded by the scenery of this place and its vicinity, to a mind imbued with any taste, that the impression on mine was increased after an interval of ten years from the first visit, employed chiefly in travelling among the Alps, the Appennines, the Sabine hills, and the Tyrolese; along the shores of the Adriatic, over the Glaciers of Switzerland, and up the Rhine; where, though in search of beauty, I never, I feel, saw any thing so fine—never so many pictures concentrated in one spot; so that, warmed by the renewal of my acquaintance with them, I am irresistibly urged to attempt a description of the hitherto almost virgin-haunts of these obscure mountains.

p. 20“Wales, and its borders, both North and South, abound, at intervals, with fine things: Piercefield has grounds of great magnificence, and wonderful picturesque beauty; Downton Castle has a deliciously wooded vale, most tastefully managed; Llangollen is brilliant; the banks of the Conway savagely grand; Barmouth romantically rural; the great Pistyll-y-Rhaiadr is horribly wild; Rhaiadr-y-Wennol gay, and gloriously irregular; each of which merits a studied description.  But at Havod and its neighbourhood, I find the effects of all in one circle; united with this peculiarity, the deep dingles, and mighty woody slopes, which, from a different source, conduct the Rheidiol’s never-failing waters from Plinlimmon, and the Mynach, are of an unique character, as mountainous forests, accompanying gigantic size with graceful forms; and taken altogether, I see ‘the sweetest interchange of hill and valley, rivers, woods and plains, and falls, with forests crowned, rocks, dens, and caves,’ insomuch that it requires little enthusiasm there to feel forcibly with Milton—

‘All things that be send up from earth’s great altar
Silent praise.’

“There are four fine walks from the house, chiefly through ways artificially made by the proprietor; all dry, kept clean, and composed of materials found on the spot; which is chiefly a coarse stone, of a greyish cast, friable in many places, and like slate, but oftener consisting of immense masses that cost the miner, in making some parts of these walks, excessive labour; for there are places where it was necessary to perforate the rock many yards, in order to pass a promontory that, jutting across the way, denied further access; and to go round which you must have taken a great tour, and made a fatiguing descent.  As it is, the walks are so conducted that few are steep; the transitions easy, the returns commodious, and the branches distinct.  Neither are there too many; for much is left for future projectors; and if a man be stout enough to range the underwoods, and fastidious enough to reject all trodden paths, he may, almost every where, stroll from the studied line, till he be glad to regain the friendly conduct of the well-known way.  Yet one must be nice, not to be content at first to visit the best points of view by the general routine; for all that is here done has been to remove obstructions, reduce the materials, and conceal the art; and we are no where presented with attempts to force the untamed streams, or indeed to invent p. 21any thing, where nature, the great mistress, has left all art behind.”

To this lively delineation, we shall only add one sentence of the Rev. Mr. Warner, who, after visiting this spot, remarks:—“The whole together forms a scene so striking, that while wandering through its ever-changing beauties, we felt no inclination to tax Mr. Cumberland with enthusiasm when he declared that in ten years’ travelling through the Alps, the Appennines, the Sabine hills, and the Tyrolese; the shores of the Adriatic; the Glaciers of Switzerland; and the banks of the Rhine; he never saw any thing so fine—never so many pictures concentrated in one spot.”

The splendid library at Havod was adorned with a most valuable collection of books and manuscripts, which Mr. Johnes had, at an immense expense, brought together, many of which were unique and of the highest historical importance, including those of Sir John Sebright’s collection, in the Welsh language, together with some splendidly illuminated manuscripts of Froissart.  These, with several thousand volumes, comprising a complete Don Quixote’s library, with other works of equal rarity, which cannot be replaced, were unfortunately consumed by a fire which destroyed the mansion on March 13, 1807.  The origin of this calamity has never been satisfactorily ascertained, neither is it possible to estimate, with any approach to accuracy, the extent of the loss: it has been stated at £70,000.  However, Mr. Johnes determined to restore his mansion in the best manner he could, and another collection of books was soon made, founded by the Pesaro library, which Mr. Johnes had purchased in Italy, and was on its way to Havod at the time when the fire occurred.

This highly esteemed, accomplished, and public-spirited gentleman survived the destructive visitation about nine years, during which he was engaged in promoting improvements on his estate.  He died at Exeter, and his mortal remains were interred in the family vault at the new church built by himself within the precincts of Havod grounds.  His widow survived until October, 1833, when she also died at Exeter, and was buried in the same tomb with her respected husband and their only daughter, who died on the 24th July, 1811, in the 27th year of her age.  The family becoming extinct upon the death of the widow, the vault, after her interment, was completely arched over.

p. 22The whole of the magnificent estate of Havod was put up to auction by Mr. Robins, in the spring of 1831, and became the property of the Duke of Newcastle, together with the timber, the splendid collection of books and furniture, and the large cellar of choice wines, for which that nobleman is said to have paid about £62,000.  The noble duke expended a very large sum in enlarging and improving, and became a most munificent benefactor to the neighbourhood.  In 1843, however, it was again submitted to the hammer of Mr. Robins, but no sale was effected.  The estate has since been bought of His Grace by H. Bold Houghton, Esq.  The purchase-money is said to have been £150,000.

AMLWCH.
(Anglesea.)

This is a market town on the coast, chiefly supported by the copper mines, with which the surrounding district abounds.  About the year 1766, Amlwch had not more than half-a-dozen houses in the whole parish, but now it contains a population exceeding 6000.  It has a capacious harbour, cut out of the solid rock or slate, executed at the expense of the mining companies, capable of admitting thirty vessels of 200 tons burthen, where originally there was only a cleft or opening, too small to receive a single vessel.  There are large smelting works for copper erected near the harbour, the property of the mining companies.

In conjunction with Beaumaris, Holyhead, and Llangefni, this town returns one member to parliament.  The church, consecrated in 1801, is an elegant building, erected by the Parys mine company, at an expense of £4000.  The situation of Amlwch is most salubrious.

The immense treasures contained in the Parys mountain, which is in the immediate vicinity of Amlwch, and to which the town owes its prosperity, were unknown and lay neglected until about the year 1765, when one Frazer, a Scotch miner, came in search of ores, and gave encouragement to other adventurers.  Though he discovered copper ore by sinking shafts in the mountain, he was discouraged from proceeding p. 23by the influx of water.  Sir N. Bailey, grandfather of the Marquis of Anglesea, who had leased the lead mines at Penrhyn-dû, in Caernarvonshire, to the Macclesfield company, bound them to make a spirited effort to work the Parys mine.  This they did, but with so little success, that after some time they sent positive orders to the agent to discontinue his operations, and discharge the miners.  The agent, however, fortunately disobeyed the injunction; and as a last attempt, collected all his mining force to one spot, where he sunk a shaft, and within seven feet of the surface discovered a body of ore which was worked with great success for many years.  This happened on the 2d of March, 1768, whence St. Chad has ever since been a venerated patron of the Anglesea miners.

In the Parys mountain are two mines: of these, that upon the eastern side is called the Mona mine, the entire property of the Marquis of Anglesea, who works it, and also the smelting house at Amlwch.  The Parys mine is the joint property of the Marquis of Anglesea and Lord Dinorben, and is now worked by a company.  The stranger, in order to see the mines to advantage, should first furnish himself with a guide, to avoid danger, and follow the steps of Mr. Bingley, who thus describes his efforts to gratify his curiosity:—“Having ascended to the top, I found myself standing on the verge of a vast and tremendous chasm.  I stept on one of the stages suspended over the edge of the steep, and the prospect was dreadful.  The number of caverns at different heights along the sides; the broken and irregular masses of rock which everywhere presented themselves; the multitudes of men at work in different parts, and apparently in the most perilous situations; the motions of the whimsies, and the raising and lowering of the buckets, to draw out the ore and rubbish; the noise of picking the ore from the rock, and of hammering the wadding when it was about to be blasted; with, at intervals, the roaring of the blasts in different parts of the mine—altogether excited the most sublime ideas, intermixed, however, with sensations of terror.

“I left this situation, and followed the road that leads into the mine; and the moment I entered my astonishment was again excited.  The shagged arches and overhanging rocks, which seemed to threaten annihilation to any one daring enough to approach them, fixed me almost motionless to the spot.  The roofs of the work, having in many places fallen in, have left p. 24some of the rudest scenes that the imagination can paint; these, with the sulphureous fumes from the kilns in which the ore is roasted, gave it to me a perfect counterpart to Virgil’s entrance into Tartarus.  To look up from hence and observe the people on the stages, a hundred and fifty feet above one’s head; to see the immense number of ropes and buckets, most of them in motion; and to reflect that a single stone, casually thrown from above, or falling from a bucket, might in a moment destroy a fellow-creature—a man must have a strong mind not to feel impressed with most unpleasant sensations.”

The mines are still prolific in their production of copper ore, and afford a great revenue to their proprietors.—There are also alum works, and a green vitriol manufactory in the neighbourhood of these mines.  The principal inns at Amlwch are Ty Mawr and the Castle.  About four miles distant is Llysdulas, the hospitable seat of Col. Hughes, brother to Lord Dinorben.

BALA,
(Merionethshire.)

Bala, or the Outlet of the Lake, is a small neat town consisting of one long street, with two or three others crossing at right angles, and a population of about 2500.  There are two good inns here, the White Lion and the Bull’s Head, the former being an excellent posting house.  This town is noted for its trade in woollen stockings, woollen comfortables, and Welsh wigs.  Mr. Pennant remarks, that in his time, on a Saturday, their market-day, from two to five hundred pounds worth of these goods were disposed of; but this staple appears to have greatly decreased since that period.  Still, however, knitting is here an almost universal employment; and whether you walk in the town, or the country around, you will scarcely ever meet a female unemployed, even while they carry water, or other burdens upon their heads.

Near the south-east end of the town is a high artificial mount, called Tommen-y-Bala, supposed to be of Roman construction: in the summer time it is usually covered, in a picturesque manner, with knitters of all ages.  From the summit there is it fine view of Llyn Tegid and the adjacent mountains, p. 25which present a particularly grand and majestic aspect in this vicinity, successfully rivalling the glories of Snowdonia.  The quarter sessions for the county are held here; and also the spring assizes.  The town-hall is a plain building, standing in the principal street.  A chapel-of-ease was erected in 1811 by subscription: it is a plain structure, with a low tower, surmounted by a spire.  The parish church is situate at Llanycil, about a mile from the town: the service is performed there in the morning, and at Bala in the afternoon.  The Rev. Thomas Charles, Calvinistic Methodist, the founder of the Bible Society, resided here.  He was a great promoter of education and Sunday schools amongst his countrymen; and compiled a Welsh biblical dictionary in four volumes.

Bala Lake,

Llyn Tegid, or Pimblemere, (for this pool has these various names) is within a quarter of a mile south of the town, and is a fine expanse of water, with well-cultivated, sloping boundaries, clothed in many parts with verdant woods.

Bala and it fine lake (says Mr. Roscoe in his “Wanderings through North Wales,”) have attractions peculiar to themselves.  To appreciate them as they deserve, the traveller should first ascend the craggy summit of the neighbouring mountain, and gaze upon the rude glens beyond, through which the boisterous Twrch rushes in a succession of resounding falls.  It is by contrasting the wilder and fiercer tracts of the landscape, with its milder features round the quiet hamlet and lake, that we add fresh zest to the interchange of feelings ever open to the Cambrian traveller.  Bala lake is the most extensive in Wales, being nearly four miles in length, and three quarters of one in breadth, its banks consequently embracing a circuit of about nine miles.  Its greatest depth is forty feet; and the water is said to be so pure, that the nicest chemical tests can detect scarcely any foreign admixture.

Be this as it may, the lake has abundance of pike, perch, trout, eels, and roach, with shoals of a fish called gwyniad, so named from the extreme whiteness of its scales.  It is a gregarious fish, often found in the Alpine lakes, more especially those of Switzerland, and dies soon after it is taken.  Its weight rarely exceeds four pounds, and its flavour is by many persons considered rather insipid; a circumstance that by no means recommends the gallantry of the late Lord Lyttelton, p. 26when he assures his friends that it is so exquisitely delicate as to more than rival in flavour the lips of the fair maids of Bala themselves.  But, being so very good, and like the ladies of Bala, perhaps, sensible of their attractions, these fish have the shrewdness to keep out of harm’s way, as we are told, by remaining at the bottom of the water, where they feed on small shells and aquatic plants, from which scarcely any bait will induce them to emerge; they are, therefore, principally taken by nets.  The angler may always be certain that, while a cloud rests on Aran, he may save himself the trouble of fishing in the lake.  In former times the fishery is stated to have formed part of the possessions attached to Basingwerk Abbey, but has since fallen into the hands of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, who has pitched his tent, in the shape of a neat sporting-box, quite according to the Irish rule, ‘convanient to the spot.’

Though now so calm and beautiful,—reflecting all the quiet and clearness of the heavens upon its breast, as the swallow skimmed its glassy surface, and the wild-fowl sought their home in its little bays and creeks,—the aspect of Bala Lake, when the storm is up, and ‘the winter wild’ puts on his terrors, can assume a very different kind of beauty.  To see it when the autumnal winds ruffle its broad expanse with billows, or the clouds discharge their contents as fiercely as the torrent from the hills,—when the drifting rack and snow-storm mingle the last leaves of the year with the scattered beauty of the meads and gardens, the observer can no longer recognise the least resemblance in the characteristics of the two landscapes, the Bala of the opposite seasons.

Upon the north-east side, the water sometimes rises many feet above its usual level.  When the winds and the rains, as I was informed, ‘meet and combine the whole of their forces,’ it is a grand sight to see the lake overshoot its banks, and rush beyond into the valley of old Edeirnion.  Once, in the month of June, 1781, a part of the vicinity is believed to have been inundated by one of those singular occurrences, the bursting of an overcharged cloud, called a water-spout, which, however frequently beheld at sea, seldom visits the land.  It was attended by terrific lightning and continuous rain, which caused the Twrch—fed by torrents from the Bwlch-y-Groes hills—to overflow and sweep every thing before it.  The spoils of fields and villages, and even human life, marked the progress of the flood; and as far as Corwen the rising of the rivers suddenly p. 27burst on the ear of the affrighted people.  The scene round Bala is recorded by the old inhabitants as heart-rending and terrific.  The deep and dismal chasm, spanned by the one-arched bridge through which the stream of the llyn pours its flood down the wildest rocky falls, exhibited a magnificent sight, swelled by the mountain rains into one immense volume of foaming cataract, which again bursting from its black and caverned bed through the wooded glens beyond, rolled its unusual mass of burdened torrents to join the waters of the Twrch.  Along the course of the Dee, huge branches, and some of the large forest-trees themselves, which threw a gloomier shadow over the stormy scene, were uprooted by the maddening storm and launched into the yawning flood.  The lake rose with the impulse of the storm, till it assumed the aspect of a wild and restless sea, keeping stern music with the crashing of the neighbouring woods and the whistling of the blast, while, drowning the roar of the torrent, the thunder, ever and anon, startled the ear, and occasional flashes illuminating the sky exhibited for a moment the lurid and dreadful scene to view.

Bala is an excellent station for anglers, who are sure of good sport, and a delightful ramble on the banks of the lake.

The River Dee.

The name of the wizard stream is thought to have been derived from the Welsh word Dwfr-Dwy, that is, the waters of the two rivers.  Some centuries ago the Dee was held in superstitious veneration by the inhabitants of the country, from what were then believed the miraculous overflowing of its banks at times when there had been no preceding heavy rains: and from its being believed to have foretold some remarkable events by changing its channel.  History informs us, that when the Britons, drawn up in battle-array on its banks, had been prepared to engage with their Saxon foes, it was their custom first to kiss the earth, and then for every soldier to drink a small quantity of the water.  The name is certainly not derived, as many have supposed, from dû, black; for, except when tinged by the torrents from the mountain morasses, its waters are perfectly bright and transparent.  In Spenser’s description of Caer Gai, the dwelling of old Timon, foster-father of Arthur, the colour of the Dee is considered very different from black:

      p. 28“Lowe in a valley green.
Under the foot of Rawran mossie o’er,
From whence the river Dee, as silver clene.
His tempting billows roll with gentle roar.”

That lover of the marvellous, Giraldus Cambrensis, informs as very gravely, that the river Dee runs through Bala lake, and is discharged at the bridge near the town without their waters becoming mixed.  He, doubtless, means to say, that the river might be traced by its appearance from one end of the lake to the other.  Giraldus has the reputation of being very credulous.

The Dee, descending from Bala lake, passes under a small bridge, at the opposite end of which it enters, and from which the channel of the river is formed.  It then winds along the beautiful vale of Corwen, about four miles below which it washes the eastern side of Denbighshire, and passing the bridge at Llangollen, it very soon forms the boundary division between England and Wales.  Its chief tributaries are the Alwen, which has its rise in one of the lakes on the western part of the county; the Ceiriog, which descends from the slate mountains near Chirk; the Clywedog, which it receives below Bangor Is-y-coed; and the Alun, which rises in the mountains about Llandegla.  It flows northward to Chester, Flintshire, and the Irish sea.

Close to Bala, on the Corwen road, is Rhiwlas, the seat of R. W. Price, Esq.: the house is situated on an eminence, in the midst of extensive grounds, and forms an interesting object, being profusely decorated with an evergreen, which likewise adorns the lodge-gates.  A considerable stream, called the Tryweryn, which runs through the domain, adds much to the general beauty of this pretty retreat.

BANGOR.
(Caernarvonshire.)

Bangor, (from ban côr, the high and beautiful choir,) is a small but neatly built town, and the most ancient see in the Principality.  Its present population, 7232.  It has been much p. 29improved within the last few years, especially since the erection of the Menai Bridge, which has attracted numerous visitors anxious to see one of the finest works of human skill, though still inconsiderable in comparison with its importance in ancient times, when it was denominated Bangor Vawr, or the Great Bangor, probably to distinguish it from Bangor Is-y-coed in Flintshire.  The town is delightfully situated in a sheltered vale, between two high ridges of slate rock, at the mouth of the Menai Straits, of which it commands a beautiful prospect.

Bangor and its environs have the advantage of an almost inexhaustible diversity of walks, rides, and sea excursions; and in addition to these highly interesting facilities, several new roads and path-ways have recently been completed and generously thrown open to the public by the spirited proprietors of the Pen’r-allt estate, who disposed of that valuable property to various persons, for the erection of villas, ornamental marine residences, lodging houses, and public baths.

Garth-point, the eastern extremity of the Pen’r-allt property, a short distance from the city, where a ferry crosses to the Anglesea shore, is unrivalled for the sublimity, picturesque beauty, and variety of its surrounding objects, consisting of an immense expanse of seas, mountains, lowlands, and plantations.  To the left, on the Anglesea coast, are seen an extensive sloping wood and a pretty marine cottage, forming part of the domain of Baron Hill, the splendid mansion of Sir R. B. W. Bulkeley, Bart. M.P.; the town, castle, church, and bay of Beaumaris; and about five miles further, to the north-east, Puffin or Priestholm Island, with its tower and semaphore.  To the right, on the Caernarvonshire coast, the majestic promontory of Great Orme’s Head (abounding with copper ore) stands boldly forward, apparently isolated, its rugged front protruding like a rocky fortress into the sea, to guard the entrance to the Menai Straits; Little Orme’s Head, Conway Bay, Penmaen Bâch, Pen-dyffryn, the residence of Sir Chas. Smith; Penmaen Mawr, Bryn-y-neuadd, the seat of John Wynne, Esq.; Prince Llywelyn’s Tower, the Pass, village and church of Aber, the property of Sir Richard Bulkeley.  To the south-east of which appear, in pre-eminent height and grandeur, the cloud-capt Carnedd Llywelyn and Carnedd Dafydd, in “Snowdon’s Alpine range;” Penrhyn Castle, the superb mansion of the Hon. Col. Douglas Pennant, M.P.; Port Penrhyn with its numerous shipping; the spacious Penrhyn Arms Inn and pleasure grounds; Hirael p. 30quay and shore; forming altogether, in one expansive view, a glorious panorama of at least thirty miles in circuit.

At the egress of the river Cegid into the Menai, a commodious harbour has been formed, called Port Penrhyn, which is capable of admitting and securing vessels of three hundred tons burden.  The quay is upwards of three hundred yards long, and an immense tonnage of slates brought by railway from the quarries about six miles distant, is thence shipped to all parts of the world.  A neat stone bridge over the river Cegid connects the quay with the city.  The market at Bangor is held on Friday.

There are several excellent inns, where the traveller will find the best accommodations, as well as post-chaises and cars, with “good horses and careful drivers.”  The Penrhyn Arms Hotel, a short distance from the town, is really a princely establishment, on an extensive and admirable scale of management.  The Castle, Liverpool Arms, and Royal Oak inns, have also a good reputation.

The following extract from Dr. Johnson’s diary, when he visited this city in 1774, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, will exhibit the progress of improvement at Bangor in a very advantageous point of light:—“At evening (says he) the moon shone eminently bright, and our thoughts of danger (on passing Penmaen Mawr) being now past, the rest of our journey was very pleasant.  At an hour somewhat late, we came to Bangor, where we found a very mean inn, and had some difficulty of obtaining a lodging.  I lay in a room where the other bed had two men.”  What a contrast to the splendid accommodation now obtainable by tourists at this popular watering-place!  Within the last twenty years, the population has been quadrupled, almost all the town built or rebuilt, all the old roads altered or widened, and new ones formed in the direction of London and Holyhead.

The facilities for travelling are abundant:—In summer there are steam-packets everyday to and from Liverpool; and in winter, two or three every week.  The London mail passes through Bangor each way every day, also the Chester and Liverpool mail; and besides these, there are daily coaches to London, Chester, Liverpool, Caernarvon, Pwllheli, and Barmouth.

Three banks have been recently established at Bangor, one of which is a branch of the Chester bank of Messrs. Williams p. 31and Co., at the Cottage, the bottom of Waterloo-street; another, a branch of the North and South Wales bank, in High-street, nearly opposite the Market-place; and the third, a branch of the National Provincial, in the same street.  By the Reform Act, Bangor was made a contributory borough in returning a member of parliament for Caernarvon; W. B. Hughes, Esq. is the present member.

The Cathedral

stands on a low piece of ground near the centre of the town, and externally has but a humble appearance.  It was founded about 525, by Daniel, son of Dinothus, abbot of Bangor Is-y-coed, in Flintshire, under the auspices of Maelgwm Gwynedd, king of Wales, founder of Penmon, patron of Taliesin, and the most liberal prince of his time, though much abused by Gildas, who calls him Insularum Draco, because he resisted the innovations which Pope Gregory wished to introduce into the British church by means of Augustine the monk, and which gave rise to the denunciatory ode of Taliesin—

“Gwa ’r offeiriaid mud.”

The mother church suffered greatly at different periods during the civil commotion.  It was destroyed in 1071, but soon afterwards rebuilt; and in 1212, when King John invaded the country, having passed Conway, he halted at Aber, and sent part of his army to burn Bangor.  The city was destroyed, and Robert of Shrewsbury, then bishop of that see, carried prisoner to the English camp.  He was afterwards ransomed for two hundred hawks.  The prelate was, however, suffered to remain here, although incapable of performing his duty effectively, on account of his ignorance of the language of the people.  At his death, in accordance with his own request, he was interred in the market-place at Shrewsbury.  He was the original compiler of the wonderful legend of St. Winifrede, afterwards enlarged by Bishop Fleetwood.  In the year 1402, the sacred edifice was again reduced to ruin by the rage of Owen Glyndwr (who was infuriated by his wrongs and sufferings), and lay in ruins ninety years, when the choir was restored by Bishop Deane or Deny.  The body and tower now existing were built by Bishop Skeffington in 1532.

Some considerable improvements were completed in the cathedral in 1827, by the outlay of £2000 from the tithes of Llanddinam, in Montgomeryshire, appropriated by an act of p. 32James the Second, 1685, for the repairs of Bangor cathedral, and £2000 collected in different parts of the united kingdom, by the praiseworthy and indefatigable exertions of the Rev. J. H. Cotton, LL.B., then precentor and senior vicar, but now dean, the whole of which has been expended in the most advantageous manner, under his superintendence, and will remain a lasting monument of his zeal and perseverance.  Some years ago, the citizens of Bangor originated a subscription to this estimable dignitary, in acknowledgment of the many good services he had rendered to the city and neighbourhood.  The worthy dean, with his characteristic regard for the fabrics as well as the doctrines of the church, devoted the sum to the ornamenting the cathedral with a splendid painted window,—a lasting memorial of the respect and veneration in which he is held, and of his praiseworthy disinterestedness.

The bishopric owes the chief of its revenues and immunities to Anian, bishop of the diocese in the reign of Edward the First, who, being in high favour with that monarch, and having had the honour of christening the young prince, born at Caernarvon, afterwards Edward the Second, had, as a compensation for the temporalities confiscated in the reign of Henry the Third, various manors, ferries, and grants from the revenues of the Principality, allotted to the see.

Here was anciently a parish church, built in 975, by king Edgar, situated about 400 yards north-east of the cathedral, and called Llanvair Edward Vrenin.  Bishop Skeffington, in Henry the Eighth’s time, caused it to be taken down, and repaired the present church with the materials.  Here, likewise, near the sea shore, Tudor ab Gronwy, of Penmynydd and Tre’r Castell, in Anglesea, founded a house of Black Friars, and was interred there in 1311.  In an old monody to this individual are the following lines:—

For Tudor dead, the tears incessant flow,
And Bangor suffers in the general woe.

The free school was founded in 1557, by Dr. Jeffrey Glynn, upon the site of this building.  It has long enjoyed reputation as a training seminary for Oxford, Cambridge, and Trinity College, Dublin.  The environs are well cultivated and picturesque, and are interspersed with handsome residences, amongst which is that of the bishop’s palace.

On the summit of a steep rock, opposite Friars’ School, are to be traced the remains of an ancient castle, supposed to have p. 33been built by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, in the reign of Henry the Second.  Several pieces of scoria have been found on the spot, which leave no doubt that arrows have been manufactured there at some very distant period.  On the extreme height of the opposite hill, at the back of Friars’ School, are the remains of a British encampment, on an extensive scale, of more ancient date than the preceding.  These interesting objects will be found, on investigation, well worthy the notice of the antiquary.  It is conjectured, that the British encampment alluded to, communicated, to the southward, with Dinas Dinorwic, near Llandeiniolen, as that renowned British station is distinctly seen from this spot; and also with another to the east, called Braich-y-Ddinas, situate on the summit of Penmaen Mawr.

An elegant Roman Catholic chapel has recently been erected in the suburbs of the city, on the Caernarvon road.

Pleasant excursions may be made from Bangor to Conway, Caernarvon, Beaumaris, Amlwch, Plâs Newydd, Aber, Port Penrhyn, Priestholm or Puffin Island, Penrhyn Castle, the Llandegai slate quarries, and Snowdon.  In fact, the locality abounds with objects of natural beauty and historical interest.

Great Suspension Bridge.

Within about two miles from Bangor, near the spot where the old ferry was, stands that stupendous monument of human skill, the Menai Bridge.

The erection of this bridge was for several years in contemplation before it was finally determined upon.  In 1810 and 1811, several plans were submitted to a committee of the House of Commons, and particularly one in the latter year, by Mr. Telford, proposing a bridge of cast iron, the expense of which was estimated at £127,000; but the difficulty of fixing a proper centring, owing to the rocky bottom of the channel, and the depth and rapidity of the tide-way, caused this project to be abandoned.  In 1818, a new plan was presented by the same engineer, for a bridge on the suspension principle.  In developing this plan, Mr. Telford remarks, “The iron hanging bridge over the Menai to consist of one opening of 560 feet between the points of suspension; in addition to which there are to be seven arches, four on the coast of Anglesea, and three on that of Caernarvonshire, each 60 feet in the span, making the total length of the bridge 910 feet; the height above the p. 34level of high water line to be 100 feet.  The road-way will embrace two carriage ways, each twelve feet in breadth, with a foot-path of four feet between them.  The whole is to be suspended from four lines of strong iron cables, by perpendicular iron rods placed five feet apart, and these rods will support the road-way framing.  The suspending power is calculated at 2016 tons, and the weight to be suspended, exclusive of the cables, is 343 tons, leaving a disposable power of 1674 tons.

“The four sides of the road-ways will be made of framed iron work, firmly bound together for seven feet in height, and there will be a similar work for five feet in depth below the cables.  The weight of the whole bridge between the points of suspension will be 489 tons.  The abutments will consist of the masonry, comprising the extreme stone-work, the two piers, and the seven arches before mentioned: each of the two piers will be 60 feet by 40½ wide at high water mark, having a foundation of rock.  Upon the summit of the two main piers, will be erected a frame of cast-iron work, of a pyramidal form, for the purpose of raising the cables from which the bridge is to be suspended.”  The probable cost of erecting this structure Mr. Telford estimated at £60,000, or, allowing for any unforeseen charges, at most £70,000, about one-fourth of the calculated expense of the cast-iron bridge on the old plan.

The following particulars we extract from Dr. Pring’s Narrative of the Grand Menai Suspension Bridge, published immediately on its completion.  “The first stone of this national bridge was laid without any ceremony on the 10th August, 1820, by Mr. Provis, resident engineer.  On the 26th April, 1825, the first chain of this stupendous work was thrown over the straits of Menai, in the presence of an immense concourse of people.  At half-past two o’clock, it then being about half flood tide, the raft prepared for the occasion, stationed on the Caernarvonshire side, near Treborth mill, which supported the part of the chain intended to be drawn over, began to move gradually from its moorings, towed by four boats, with the assistance of the tide, to the centre of the river, between the two grand piers.  When the raft was adjusted, and brought to its ultimate situation, it was made fast to several buoys, anchored in the channel for that purpose.  A part of the chain, pending from the apex of the suspending pier on the Caernarvonshire side down nearly to high-water mark, was then made fast by a bolt, to the part of the chain laying on the raft; which operation was completed in ten minutes.

p. 35“The next process was the fastening of the other extremity of the chain on the raft to two blocks of immense size and power, for the purpose of hoisting it up to its intended station, the apex of the suspension pier on the Anglesea side.  When the blocks were made secure to the chain (comprising 25 tons weight of iron), two capstans, and also, two preventive capstans, commenced working, each capstan being propelled by thirty-two men.  To preserve an equal tenison in the rotatory evolutions of the two principal capstans, two fifers played several enlivening tunes, to keep the men regular in their steps, for which purpose they had been previously trained.  At this critical and interesting juncture, the attention of every one present seemed rivetted to the novel spectacle: the chain rose majestically, and the gratifying sight was enthusiastically enjoyed by all present in ‘breathless silence!’  At ten minutes before five o’clock, the final bolt was fixed, which completed the whole line of chain, and the happy event was hailed by the hearty acclamations of the spectators.  Not the least accident, delay, or failure, occurred in any department during the whole of the operation.  From the moving of the raft to the uniting of the chain, only two hours and twenty-five minutes transpired.  Upon the completion of the chain, three of the workmen passed along its upper surface, which forms a curvature of 590 feet; the versed sine of the arch is 43 feet.  The sixteenth chain, completing the whole line of suspension, was curried over on the 9th of July following.

“The general opening of the bridge took place on Monday, January 30th, 1826.  The royal London and Holyhead mail coach, carrying the London mail-bag for Dublin, passed over at one o’clock, a.m. and the first carriage that passed was that of Augustus Elliott Fuller, Esq., one of the commissioners, drawn by four beautiful greys; the first stage coach was the Pilot, a Bangor and Caernarvon day coach; the first London stage coach was the Oxonian.  These were followed by the carriage of Sir David Erskine, Bart., late proprietor of the ferry, drawn by four elegant greys, decorated with ribbons, and by several gentlemen’s carriages, landaus, gigs, cars, &c. and a long train of horsemen.  Numerous flags were flying; and cannons, stationed on each side of the bridge, were discharged at intervals during the day.

“The dimensions of the bridge are as follows:—The extreme length of the chain, from the fastenings in the rock, is about 1715 feet; the height of the road-way from high water line, is p. 36100 feet; each of the seven small piers from high water line to the spring of the arches, is 65 feet; the span of each arch is 52½ feet.  Each of the suspending piers is 53 feet above the road; the roads on the bridge consist of two carriage-ways of 12 feet each, with a foot-path of four feet in the centre; the length of the suspended part of the road from pier to pier is 553 feet; the carriage-road passes through two arches in the suspending piers, of the width of 9 feet by 15 feet in height to the spring of the arches.  To counteract the contraction and expansion of the iron from the effects of the change of the atmosphere, a set of rollers are placed under cast-iron saddles on the top of the suspending piers where the chains rest; the vertical rods an inch square, suspended from the chains, support the sleepers for the flooring of the road-way, the rods being placed 5 feet from each other.  The chains, sixteen in number, consist of five bars each; length of the bars 10 feet, width 3 inches by 1 inch, with six connecting lengths at each joint, 1 foot 4 inches by 8 inches, and 1 inch thick, secured by two bolts at each joint, each bolt weighing about 50 pounds; and the total number of the bars in the cross-section of the chain is 80.  The total weight of iron-work is 4,373,281 pounds.”

The pen and pencil of genius have frequently been employed to delineate the Menai Bridge, and whatever difference of taste may have prevailed in determining the character of the various sketches, all writers have been unanimous in their admiration of the intellect which could devise, and the skill which could erect this magnificent and astonishing structure.  The approach by water has been thus described:—“When, on entering the straits, the bridge is first seen suspended as it were in mid air, and confining the view of the fertile and richly wooded shores, it seems more like a light ornament than a massy bridge, and shews little of the strength and solidity which it really possesses.  But as we approached it nearer, whilst it still retained its light and elegant appearance, the stupendous size and immensity of the work struck us with awe; and when we saw that a brig, with every stick standing, had just passed under it—that a coach going over it appeared not larger than a child’s toy—and that foot passengers upon it looked like pigmies, the vastness of its proportions was by contrast fully apparent.”

Another tourist gives the subjoined outline, while surveying the attractive object on the spot:—“Having landed by means of boats on the Anglesea side, we proceeded to the bridge, p. 37the visiting of which is a new era in the lives of those who have not before had that pleasure, and is a renewed luxury to those who have seen it again and again.  Our party walked over the bridge slowly, because there was something to be admired at every step;—the effect of a passing carriage; the vibration caused even by a hand applied to the suspending rods; the depth to the level of the water; the fine view of the straits in both directions; the lofty pillar erected in honour of the Marquis of Anglesea; the diminutive appearance of persons on the shore; the excellence and strength of the workmanship; the beauty of the arches over the road through the suspension piers, and the echo in them; all conspired to delight and to detain us.  Many of our party then went down the steep bank to the foot of the bridge, from which point, certainly, the best view is to be had of the whole structure, inasmuch as by being in contact, as it were, with its proportions on terra firma, a better idea can be formed of its real, and indeed wonderful dimensions.  We actually lingered about the spot careless of time, or of aught but the scene we were contemplating.”

From the Suspension Bridge to Beaumaris, the road is exquisitely beautiful: it follows the line of the winding and indented shore of the Menai: now commanding an extensive view of the noble bay, and its lofty encircling mountains—now entering the woods of Baron Hill, scarcely protected from the precipice, the base of which is washed by the waves, which are heard chafing against the rock below—again it emerges from the woods, and the whole glorious panorama bursts on the sight: the beautiful town of Beaumaris lying at your feet, whilst the Ormeshead, Penmaen Mawr, the Nant Francon mountains, and the more distant range of Snowdonia, with Penrhyn Castle and Bangor, terminating with nature’s great rival, the Bridge, form a prospect of remarkable beauty and sublimity.

The Menai Straits, which separate Anglesea from the main land, although bearing the appearance of a river, are formed by an arm of the sea; the navigation of which is peculiarly dangerous at particular times of the tide, and in stormy weather.  At each extremity, during the flood, it has a double current, from the concussion of which, termed Pwll Ceris, it is perilous to encounter it; and so tremendous are the storms with which the straits are occasionally disturbed, that before the erection of the Menai Bridge, a tempestuous day has been sufficient to suspend p. 38the intercourse of England with Ireland, the high road to which, via Holyhead, lies through Anglesea.  Within the range of the coast, a distance of about fifteen miles, there are six ferries; the first of which, to the south, is Aber-Menai, nearly opposite Caernarvon, and the sixth, and widest at high water, is between the village of Aber and Beaumaris.

Nicholson, in his Cambrian Guide, says, “There appears but little doubt of Anglesea having been once connected with the main land, as evident traces of an isthmus are discernible near Porthaethwy ferry; where a dangerous line of rocks nearly crosses the channel, and causes such eddies at the first flowing of the tide, that the contending currents of the Menai seem here to struggle for superiority.  This isthmus once destroyed, and a channel formed, it has been the work of ages, by the force of spring tides and storms, gradually to deepen and enlarge the opening.”  In support of this hypothesis, the author of Beaumaris Bay quotes the following historical facts:—“In the year 61, the Roman infantry, under Suetonius, crossed the Menai on a bridge of boats, to Pant-yr-Ysgraffiau (the inlet of the skiffs) under Porthamael, while the cavalry forded it below Llanidan.  Edward the First also crossed the strait in the same manner at Moel-y-don, but suffered severely from an unfortunate attack, on the return of the tide; several of his leading warriors now lying in the chapel of the Friary, near Beaumaris.”

Railway Bridge across the Menai.

In the original prospectus for the construction of the Chester and Holyhead railway, it was proposed to carry the line across the suspension bridge which has just been described; the engines to be detached from the trains at each end of the bridge, and the carriages to be conveyed over by horses.  The government very properly objected to an arrangement which would have been in all respects a great public inconvenience.  It was then proposed to cross the Straits in the vicinity of the Britannia rock, a little to the southward of the suspension bridge, by a bridge of two cast-iron arches supported on piers of masonry.  This project was opposed by the trustees of the Caernarvon harbour, as a dangerous interference with the free navigation of the Straits, which had always been of a difficult and intricate character.  A long and anxious investigation of this matter ended in a proposal by Mr. Robert Stephenson, the eminent engineer to the p. 39railway company, to construct a mode of transit, which should be perfectly unobjectionable.  In May, 1845, that gentleman explained to a committee of the House of Commons, to whom the Chester and Holyhead Railway Bill had been referred, that the engineers sent down by the Board of Admiralty to Bangor having reported that the proposed two-arched bridge would be injurious to the navigation, and recommended one of a much greater width, and of a flat surface, without any arch; he (Mr. Stephenson) had been under the necessity of preparing himself to carry out those suggestions.  He was apprehensive that owing to the expansion and contraction of iron, in a position where the ends, as in an arch, are jammed down on immovable piers of masonry, the fabric of an iron arch of such great width might not be free from danger; and a suspension bridge would not be safely available as a railway for locomotive engines.  He had therefore come to the conclusion, that a tube or tunnel, of wrought iron, large enough for the passage of trains, would be the most feasible plan, embracing safety for the navigation, and creating no delay to the transit of the railway carriages over the straits.  The tube would be 900 feet in length, supported at the centre in a pier of masonry, about 100 feet high, erected on the Britannia rock.  The ends would not be jammed, as in the case of an arch, but left free, so as to admit of expansion in the metal arising from the change of temperature.  The practicability and safety of this novelty in engineering science, were attested by several witnesses of competent skill and ability; and the plan was ultimately sanctioned by Parliament.  The pier of masonry to be erected on the Britannia rock, which lies about mid-way across the stream, is to have four sides, each of 50 feet width; the water-way on each side of the pier to be 450 feet wide; the height and shape of the Menai suspension bridge to be maintained in the construction of the proposed tunnel, with the same clear headway for the free passage of vessels navigating the straits.  At a meeting of the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company, in August 1845, the report presented by the board of management contained the following passages:—

“With reference to the magnitude, as well as the novelty of the work, your directors deemed it essential that the plan of crossing the Menai Straits, proposed by Mr. Stephenson, the company’s engineer, should be subjected to the test of experiments.  Those experiments have been in progress for some p. 40time, and are now nearly completed.  The results as at present shewn are extremely satisfactory, confirming most strongly the soundness of the principle, and giving the most perfect confidence to your directors, with regard to the proposed stupendous structure, that its erection will be easy, and that its security will be complete and lasting.  So satisfied is Mr. Stephenson with the comparative strength, durability, and economy of this new method of bridge-building, that he purposes adopting it also for the crossing of the river at Conway.”

In the spring of 1846, contracts for the erection of this novel bridge over the Menai were entered into; the works are now in progress; and this singular triumph of engineering skill will afford another extraordinary instance of the achievements of railway enterprise; and add another to the many wonders of nature and art, which abound throughout this attractive district of the Principality.

Penrhyn Castle,

The magnificent seat of the Hon. E. Douglas Pennant, M.P. for Caernarvonshire, is within an easy walk of Bangor.  The present castle is said to have been built on the site of a palace of Roderic Molwynog, prince of Wales, who began his reign in 720, and long continued in possession of the Welsh sovereigns.  This ancient demesne has been a favourite subject of the British muse from the earliest times.

Abode of native chiefs, of bards the theme,
Here princely Penrhyn soars above the stream,
And phœnix-like, in rising splendour drest,
Shews on its wide domain a regal crest;
Here Cambria opes her tomes of other days,
And with maternal pride, the page displays—
Dwells on the glorious list, and loves to trace
From Britain’s genuine kings—her noblest race.

The estate came into the family of Pennant, partly by the purchase of the late Lord Penrhyn’s father (John Pennant, Esq.), and partly by his own marriage with Anne Susannah, daughter and sole heiress of the late-General Warburton, of Winnington, in Cheshire.  By this matrimonial compact, the two moieties, which had for some time been divided, became united: and his lordship having no issue, the immense estates devolved upon the late George Hay Dawkins Pennant, Esq., whose daughter married the present respected possessor.  The lady with whose hand so wealthy a dowry was bestowed, died p. 41in the year 1842, and in January, 1846, the Hon. E. D. Pennant married Lady Louisa Fitzroy, the accomplished daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Grafton.  Lord Penrhyn made very considerable alterations in the mansion; and his immediate successor, whose public spirit well accorded with that of his lordship, and whose generous munificence endeared him to the surrounding district, was long engaged in rebuilding it, in a magnificent style, so as to render it one of the most complete edifices in the kingdom.  It is erected in the boldest style of castellated architecture, of Mona marble, and displays a magnificent range of buildings, crowned with lofty towers, of which five are circular; the keep, and another of the principal towers are square, with angular turrets.  The internal decorations correspond with the grandeur of the exterior; the mantle-pieces and other ornaments being made of Mona marble, which admits of a very high polish: the furniture is also extremely elegant.  The situation is most picturesque and imposing, and commands a glorious, extensive, and diversified prospect of marine and mountain scenery.  There are several lodges forming entrances to the park, all elegant in their design, and lofty in their elevation; the principal one, which is near the junction of the London and Chester roads, being a stately and beautiful specimen of the architecture of the whole.  A grand massive substantial gateway, on a corresponding plan, has been completed; together with a handsome park wall, thirteen feet high, and seven miles in circuit.

There is an elegant chapel near the castle, for the accommodation of the family; and on the beach are handsome and commodious hot and cold baths.  The stables are upon a noble and extensive scale.  The building has a handsome façade, fronted with patent slate, and the pilasters which divide the stalls, as well as the mangers, are of the same material.  Indeed, this very valuable article appears to be converted, on the Penrhyn demesne, to every possible use.  The park is fenced with narrow upright slate slabs, cut in imitation of palisadoes, and fixed by pins to oaken railings, which find their support in posts formed of cubic slate.

In this mansion is still preserved a hirlas, or drinking horn of the hero, Piers Gruffydd, perhaps the only elegant specimen of that kind of utensil, elucidatory of ancient manners, at present existing.  It is a large bugle, of an ox’s horn, ornamented with enchased silver, and suspended by a chain of the same p. 42metal, having the initials of his own name and family engraved at the end.  Piers Gruffydd owned Penrhyn estate in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and joined the fleet of Sir Francis Drake, in a vessel which he purchased and equipped at his own cost.  He was afterwards in the gallant action with the Spanish Armada.  In the royal court of Cambria, there were legally three sorts of horns for the purpose of public or private libations.  The first was y corn ydd yuo y brenin, or the one solely appropriated to the king’s use; second, corn cyweithas, by which the domestics of the palace were summoned to duty; and third, corn y pencynydd, committed to the custody of the chief huntsman.  On grand occasions, the domestics of the palace were permitted to drink out of the sovereign’s horn; and the chamberlain or high steward, on such occasions, furnished handsome potations of the generous metheglin.  The contents of the horn at these times assumed the name of the sacred potion, similar to the wassail bowl, or the apostle’s cup, in use among the Saxons.  Ulphus, when he conveyed certain lands to the church at York, is said to have quaffed off the contents of such a vessel, drinking a health, Deo et sancto Petro (to God and St. Peter).  On festive days, the imperative custom was to empty the horn at one tip, and instantly blow it, as a testimony that it had been thoroughly drained.

The improvements made by the late Lord Penrhyn in this very interesting parish and its flourishing neighbourhood were most comprehensive and important.  The aspect of the country has, in fact, been thoroughly changed; and profitable employment found for thousands of the working population.  About forty years ago, this part of the country bore a most wild, barren, and neglected appearance; but it is now covered with handsome villas, well-built farm-houses, neat cottages, rich meadows, well-cultivated fields, and flourishing plantations; bridges have been built, new roads made, bogs and swampy grounds drained and cultivated, neat fences raised, and barren rocks covered with woods.

Slate Quarries.

The slate quarries at Cae Braich-y-Cefn (about six from Bangor), in the vicinity of Nant Francon, the most considerable in Wales, are the property of the family of Penrhyn Castle.  The rock has been opened at vast expense, and the quarries are worked with great judgment and enterprise.  There p. 43are more than 2000 persons continually employed; and it is computed that about two hundred tons of slates are daily conveyed down to Port Penrhyn, whence they are exported to various parts of the kingdom, to Ireland, and to America.  These quarries were discovered so far back as the time of Queen Elizabeth.  In 1740 the slates were all of one size, and very small.  But when Lord Penrhyn took the quarries into his own hands, about 1782, his lordship cleared the rubbish, which had been accumulating for ages, and opened these quarries in a judicious and scientific manner.  His lordship also constructed an iron railway from the quarries to Port Penrhyn, a distance of six miles, which is said to have cost £170,000.  The weekly wages now paid to the workmen engaged in these quarries amount to about £1700.

On the arrival of a visitor, he should, if possible, obtain permission to accompany one of the overlookers of the works in his round, rather than trust to the casual guidance of any idler who may be found lurking about with the intention to profer assistance; as the sole object of the latter is to procure payment, without giving himself much trouble in pointing out the wonders of the place.  Should he be successful, the intelligent and communicative spirit of his guide will amply repay the difficulty he may have experienced in finding him.

He will be conducted to every ledge of the mountain, up an inclined plane, till he reaches the summit, and will have an opportunity of seeing the whole process of the slate manufacture.  In one place he will discover the workmen aloft, suspended by ropes against the precipitous side of the rock, busily employed in splitting down every projecting shelf of the blue steganium; in another, persons employed in the laborious occupation of boring for the purpose of filling the orifice with gunpowder, to rend the rock from the immense mass to which it is attached; others occupied in removing the rubbish, of which so many years’ labour has produced a wonderful accumulation; and numbers in splitting the detached masses, and cutting them into a variety of sizes, denominated duchesses, countesses, ladies, &c. which names were bestowed by General Warburton about the year 1765.  This process is executed with astonishing rapidity.  Then may be heard the alarum shout, betokening that a fusee is lighted and will soon explode, warning those employed in the vicinity to secure themselves from danger; and in a few moments, the explosion itself rattles through the extensive p. 44levels with terrific grandeur.  It cannot be expected that accidents amongst the workmen are of rare occurrence; on the contrary, they too frequently happen, for scarce a week passes without some poor fellows meeting with severe bodily injury; but this is solely attributed to their own negligence of the proper precaution.

Portions of the mountain are farmed by individuals, who pay a price consonant with the value or quality of the substratum, and employ workmen to remove and fit it for exportation; when they receive so much per thousand, in the same ratio, for their labour.  There is a strong spring of water at the top of the mountain, which is conveyed by a large wooden pipe to the bottom, and there rendered serviceable in turning an immense cutting mill.  A few hundred yards distant, also, are several mills of this description, where large pieces of rock are cut into grave-stones, and into the requisite sizes for roofing houses, and for the use of schools, &c.

St. Ann’s chapel, near the quarries, was erected and liberally endowed by the late Lord Penrhyn; and Lady Penrhyn left a sum for an organ, and a suitable stipend for the organist.—Within a short distance of the slate quarries is the charming cottage of the late Lady Penrhyn, called

Ogwen Bank.

It is now used by Mr. Pennant’s family as an occasional resort on paying a morning visit to the quarries, or other objects of curiosity in the neighbourhood.  The style is florid Gothic, and shows great taste in the design.  The centre contains an elegant room, the front of it forming a segment of a circle; the wings contain a coach house and stabling.  Over the river Ogwen is a bridge corresponding with the architecture of the house.  This beautiful cottage is hid from the road by the trees and plantation; Llwyd calls it “the Eden of the Mountains.”

Before quitting this remarkably interesting vicinity, we take leave to quote the following description from the graphic pen of Miss Costello:—

“From Bangor the lofty towers and turrets of Penrhyn Castle are conspicuous in the scenery, and have a very grand and imposing appearance, more so than any modern erection of the kind I ever saw.  The building stands on a commanding height, and from its elevation has a magnificent view of Beaumaris p. 45Bay, and all the wide sweep of the sea, Puffin or Priestholm Island and a great part of Anglesea, the fine bold rock of the Great Orme’s Head, said to have once been dedicated to Serpent worship, and the range of the Caernarvonshire mountains.

“So stately, so massive, and so stupendous is this castle, that it scarcely seems the work of a modern architect; and if there had been more simplicity observed in its construction, it might well pass for a genuine Roman castle.  The enormous profusion of ornament with which the doors, windows, staircases, halls, and ceilings are covered, betray the effort made to render that complete which would have been more so with less pains.  The involved pillars, the redundant zigzags, the countless grotesque heads, of all sizes, grinning from all heights, the groves of slender columns, the circular arches, the semi-pointed arcades, form a maze of architecture such as never could have before, in any age, appeared on one spot.

“To wander through the wondrous halls of Penrhyn is like struggling along in a bewildered dream, occasioned by having studied some elaborate work on the early buildings of the Saxons and Normans.  The eyes are dazzled and the mind confused with the quick succession of astonishing forms; but the result is rather wonder at the imagination or close copying of the artist, and at the enormous wealth which could repay such an exertion of skill, than admiration of the beauty created.  Mona marble and fine stone furnish materials for all these sculptured treasures, and slate enters into much of the adornment; for close by are the famous slate-quarries, which have produced the enormous sums expended on this erection.  In order to shew what can be done with slate, various articles of furniture are placed in the rooms occupying the places usually filled by carved wood and marble; chimney-pieces and tables of polished slate are seen, but the great triumph is a bedstead, beautifully carved, which, though far from elegant, is yet exceedingly curious.

“The library and drawing-rooms are very fine, and have even a comfortable appearance: all the house is gorgeously decorated, and all its laboured splendour announces such immense riches, that it seems as though the gnomes who work gold and silver in the neighbouring hills had all been made slaves of some potent lamp or ring, and had worked incessantly for years in the construction and adornment of the most gigantic mass of architecture that ever was beheld.  There are, however, very p. 46few specimens of the higher order of art; a few portraits are to be found in one room, which are curious.  In particular I was struck with a likeness of the celebrated Anne Clifford, of Cumberland, when a child: she is dressed in a stiff black dress, all over buttons and ornaments, and from under her arm peeps a hideous little dog.  As, in her memoirs, she dwells a good deal on her own beauty, one cannot but smile at this comment on her vanity, for, unless the artist did her great injustice, she must have been a singularly ugly child.  Two portraits of the Countess of Derby are remarkable: one has a child’s doll lying on a table near her, and in the other she is represented holding a feather fan, and covered and half smothered with elaborate ruffs which seem to bristle up in every part of her attire.

“The famous hirlas horn, belonging to an ancient Cambrian prince, the treasure of the castle, we had not an opportunity of seeing, as we found it was carefully locked up from public view.  It held the same place as the Saxon wassail bowl, and it was customary that those who had the honour of drinking from it should empty the horn at one draught, and then blow it, to prove that they had performed the feat expected of them.  One of the most picturesque objects on the way to the famous slate quarries, is the little mill of Coet Mor, whose wheel is turned by a rushing stream breaking wildly over heaps of rocks.

“The slate quarries of Penrhyn are situated near Nant Ffrancon, at a spot called Cae Braich-y-Cefn, and are exceedingly curious, and even picturesque.  We were conducted over them by a very loquacious Irishman, the only person of his nation employed in the works, all the others being Welsh.

“Most of these places, where enormous labour produces enormous wealth, are to me displeasing to contemplate; but there is nothing here that conveys an idea of over-tasked workmen, no horrible underground toil and dark dungeon-like caves, where human creatures are condemned, like souls in penance for some hideous crime, to drag heavy weights and chains through frightful chasms, and delve and dig for ore in spaces not large enough for them to stand upright; here are no deadly vapours, no fatal gases mortal to humanity, all is wide and open in the pure light of day, high, and broad, and healthy.  The mountain is cut into ridges of slate, and here and there the projecting edges have formed themselves into graceful shapes: in the very centre of the quarry rises a beautiful conical pillar of slate which the admiration of the workmen has spared, now p. 47that their labours have brought it to the shape which it bears.  It is a great ornament to the area, and it is to be regretted that in time it must fall, as the slate of which it is composed happens to be of the purest kind.  The huts of the workmen scattered over the quarry have a singular effect, and the wild aspect of the men accords well with their abodes.  The thundering sound produced by the occasional blasting of the rock is very grand, as it rolls and echoes amongst the caves, and along the heights; and the grey masses glowing in the sun, and reflecting the sky through their rents, have an imposing aspect.”

In July, 1844, the King of Saxony made a tour through England and Wales; a narrative of which, written by His Majesty’s Physician, Dr. Carus, has been published in the present year (1846).  From that journal of the royal travels, we extract the subjoined passages—which may serve to show the impressions made upon the mind of an intelligent though somewhat prejudiced foreigner, by the more striking objects of interest in this locality.

“As the road approaches Bangor, it runs near the sea, and brings us close to the end of one of the most extraordinary structures of modern times—the vast iron suspension bridge which forms the junction between the mainland and the island, universally known and celebrated as the Menai Bridge.

“The drivers were ordered to stop, and we dismounted, in order to pass over and examine this splendid work, and endeavour to gain as accurate an idea as possible of its nature and size.  The coasts of Wales and Anglesea at both sides of the strait, are rocky, and about 100 feet high, and the breadth of the channel by which they are separated, is about 1600 feet.  The object was to connect the two coasts by a bridge, and it has been fully attained.  Two very stout columns of solid masonry are built in the water, one on each side, over the summits of which are stretched the immense chains, from which the bridge itself is suspended.  The channel between the columns is about 600 feet wide, and over this stretches the horizontal line of the road-way, which is supported and made fast by means of about 800 strong iron rods.  Each of the sixteen chains which constitute the suspending power, is stated to be 1714 feet long, and consists of large massive links, joined and bound together by strong iron bolts.  These chains pass over the tops of the supporting columns, on moveable iron p. 48rollers of great strength, and are thus in a condition readily to accommodate themselves to the changes of temperature, without risk.  The greatest difference in length between the strongest summer heat and most intense winter cold, is said to amount to sixteen inches.  The work was begun under the direction of Mr. Telford, in the year 1819, and finished in 1826.  Such is the general idea of the whole structure.  When seen from the side, it is very difficult immediately to form a notion of the magnitude of the work; and besides, the simplicity of the outline gives at first an impression of very moderate extent.  The feeling is very much the same as that with which strangers are impressed on the first view of St. Peter’s in Rome.  They find it extremely difficult to believe that a structure of such magnitude is before them.  And as the banks on both sides are very uniform, it requires to be compared with some other object—such as that of a large ship sailing through beneath, in order to gain a correct notion of its real magnitude.  On viewing the bridge, and passing over it, through its long uniform alleys of ever-recurring iron rods, another observation forced itself upon my mind.  This immense work, which in all its parts is regulated by the principle of utility, is totally deficient in all the charms of beauty.  It cuts the landscape like a black uniform line, concave on one side, and perfectly horizontal on the other; and when viewed closely, the columns by which the bridge is supported, are wholly destitute of every description of architectural or sculptural ornament.  Those perpetually recurring iron rods, which follow one another in monotonous rows, only serve to suggest the feeling of despair to which a painter must be reduced in any attempt to delineate the structure, and to give any thing like an accurate drawing of this tedious iron lattice-road.  True, it may be very difficult to combine the demands of taste with the strict principles of utility in such an undertaking, where the grand object is strength.  There is, properly speaking, a genuine English, dry, pedantic character usually exhibited in such structures as this.  And, after all, what style should art here apply in order to introduce the charms of beauty into a work of this character?  Neither the Egyptian nor Grecian style is at all appropriate to works in iron—the Gothic is quite as little applicable to such a purpose—and I have already remarked that in addition to these three, there can be as little pretension to introduce a fourth, really distinct from them, as to add a new kingdom to p. 49those of the recognised mineral, animal, and vegetable ones.  This makes the task of the architect a very difficult one to accomplish.  It is for them to see how the difficulty is to be met.

“Having passed over the bridge to the Anglesea side, we descended to the shore, and took a boat, in order to have a view of this immense structure from beneath.  By far the clearest idea of the vastness of the work is thus obtained, by viewing it from the green sea, which flows beneath with a gentle southerly current; the true magnitude and proportions of the bridge are then most deeply impressed upon the mind; but even here, no idea of beauty is suggested.  Other bridges, with their various arches and ornamental buttresses, may, and frequently do present objects of great beauty to the eye.  This, however, is, and must always remain, a great mathematical figure.

“After having thus examined the bridge from all parts of the river, we descended into the vast cavern on the Anglesea side, in which the ends of the chains are made fast in the rocks far under ground.  The whole is planned with great ingenuity and skill.  The rock, which forms the resisting power, is armed, as it were, with huge masses of iron, containing deep mortices, into which the bolts that bind the ends of the chains are made fast.

“In this manner, therefore, the sixteen powerful chains are fastened in the deep rocks on both sides of the strait; and assuredly, no human power or weight can be well conceived sufficient to tear them from the depth in which they are anchored.  Even the long Macadamized bridge itself presents such a degree of stability, as to be very little moved by the carriages which pass over its surface.”

* * * *

“On the morning of the 13th, (July, 1844,) the birthday of my dear mother, I enjoyed a beautiful view of the little port of Bangor, from the garden terrace of the hotel, from which a view is obtained of the northern opening of the Menai Strait, of the bay of Beaumaris, and the more distant mountains of Wales.  The weather, too, was tolerably fine in the morning; but at the time of our departure it had become cloudy, and it was raining hard when we arrived at the remarkable and extensive Penrhyn slate quarries, which are of great importance to the whole of Wales.  They are situated about six miles to the N.E. of Bangor, on the slope of the hill, and have been p. 50particularly rich and productive for the last fifty years.  When one arrives at this quarry from below, it presents the appearance almost of a crater open towards the front, along the lips of which, twelve or fourteen terraces run, one above another, each of which is from forty-five to fifty feet high, and upon which the works of blasting and digging are carried on by about 2000 workmen.  The stone is of a reddish-brown; sometimes, also, greyish slate, of fine grain, which splits well into plates, and takes a fine polish.  The mass never contains organic remains, but is frequently traversed by strata of quarry or limestone, in which crystals of some metals, principally copper and iron, occur.

“The manner in which these quarries are worked is the following.  On the galleries, or terraces, large masses of slate are first detached by means of powder, and then roughly hewn into shape.  There are laid along each of these terraces tram-roads formed of rails loosely laid down, upon which the masses of slate, in waggons with suitable wheels, are thrust along by men to the little houses situated on the declivity of the mountain, at the extremities of the galleries.  Here they are split into smaller plates; and it is curious to observe how regularly the slate splits into fine and still finer plates, down to the thickness of three or four lines.  Several pieces are allowed to retain a thickness of an inch or an inch and a half, and are used for tables and flagstones, the thinner ones for covering roofs, &c.  The manner, too, in which they are squared, being cut out at once by a sort of hatchet, according to a line made by means of a ruler, is very curious.  The plates thus formed are distinguished by very amusing names.  Thus the largest are called queens, the next princesses, then duchesses, ladies, and so on.  The enormous quantity of slate produced may be estimated from the facts, that a railway has been constructed specially from these quarries to Penrhyn harbour, at an expense of £170,000, which every week takes down between 500 and 600 tons, or about 12,000 cwt. of slate; and that the yearly net produce has sometimes brought in as much as £60,000 to the owner of the quarry, the Hon. Douglas Pennant.

“The quarrying itself is attended with considerable danger.  The workmen, when a portion of the rock is to be blasted from the upper part of a gallery, are obliged to bore the hole, suspended in mid-air by ropes, to load the hole so bored, to set fire to the match, and then to place themselves beyond the p. 51reach of the explosion.  They are also exposed to the chance of accidents from the falling of portions of the sharp slate; and it was carious, even yesterday—on which, being pay-day, the work was not regularly going on—to hear now and then the explosion of the blasting of some part of the rock, at the same time that it was almost difficult to pass along the galleries, without falling over the little railways or some of the sharp pieces of stone.  The manner in which Queen Victoria was received here, on her visit some years ago, must have produced a curious effect.  As soon as she arrived, 1300 explosions were heard from all parts of the quarry, having been all previously prepared for this purpose.  After having (the greater part of the time in the rain) inspected all the parts of this immense quarry, and, besides, a saw-mill, for cutting up the thicker plates of the slate, we returned towards Bangor, and visited Penrhyn Castle, the property of the Hon. D. Pennant.  In olden times, a castle belonging to Roderic Molwynog, grandson of Cadwallader, stood on this spot.  It was rebuilt in the time of Henry the Sixth, and has been quite lately renewed (under the direction of a London architect, of the name of Hopper) by the father-in-law of the present possessor.  It is a remarkable and splendid building, such as could only be completed with a revenue like that proceeding from the quarries.

“On entering the park, the castle is seen on a wooded height, grey, like Windsor, with large towers and high turrets, without any apparent roof, quite like an old fortress.  Through the castle-gate we entered the court-yard, ornamented in the Norman style: but this style is much more splendidly and grandly exhibited in the entrance-hall, from whence staircases conduct to the upper rooms.  Every thing here is in the Saxon style of building; the columns with their curious ornaments, and the upper parts covered with arabesques.  Tall stone candelabra and a splendid chimney-piece, all in the same style, increase the magnificent appearance of the hall; the windows with their round arches are filled with stained glass; the staircase winds over arches supported on columns, and beside Norman statues; in a word, the whole sight is grand and imposing.  The internal arrangements of the whole place, the drawing and dining rooms, the library, the bed-rooms, are all on a similar scale of magnificence; several wainscotted with beautiful carved oak: the furniture and beds all harmonising with the prevailing style of the building.  We remarked a curious object in the p. 52state bed-room (almost all such castles appear to have such a state room, with a bed in it); namely, a bed, of which the whole of the bedstead and the posts which supported the canopy were made of the finest black slate, beautifully polished and manufactured.  This reference to the principal foundation of the wealth of the possessor, appeared to me to show his gratitude rather than his taste.  It may easily be supposed, however, that other curious objects were to be seen here; among these, we were shewn one of those curious drinking horns, formerly general in this district, as also in Scandinavia.  I was sorry that we entirely lost the view from the continued rain; for this view, both towards the sea and towards the mountains, must be of a very splendid description.”

BANGOR IS-Y-COED,
(Flintshire.)

Bangor Is-y-coed stands in a detached part of the country, on the banks of the Dee, over which is a good stone bridge of five arches, from the vicinity of which a beautiful landscape is presented.  This place is celebrated as the site of the most ancient monastery in Britain, founded, as old writers assert, by Lucius, the son of Coel, and first Christian king of Britain, prior to the year 180.  Lucius formed it into a university, for the increase of learning, and the preservation of the Christian faith in this realm; and it produced many learned men even in that early age.  At the arrival of Augustine about 596, on a mission from Pope Gregory I. to convert the English Saxons to Christianity, this monastery appears to have been in a very flourishing state.  The monks at Bangor were independent of the Romish church; and in a conference between St. Augustine and its governors, the imperious missionary demanded of them that they should keep the feast of Easter at the same time that the Papists did; that they should administer baptism according to the ceremonies of the church of Rome; and “preach the word of life with him and his fellows.”  In other things, he said, they would be allowed to retain their ancient customs, insolently concluding, that “if they would not accept of peace with their brethren, they should receive war from their enemies.”  They p. 53refused obedience to his injunctions, and resolutely maintained the original rites of their church.  Shortly after this period followed the dreadful massacre of the monks of Bangor.

Not long after this event, the monastery became neglected, and went entirely to decay.  William of Malmsbury, who lived shortly after the Norman conquest, asserts, that even in his time, there remained only some relics of its ancient magnificence: there were, he says, so many ruined churches and such immense heaps of rubbish, as were not elsewhere to be found.  Leland says of it, in the time of Henry the Seventh, that its site was in a fertile valley on the south side of the Dee; but that the river having since changed its course, then ran through the middle of the ground on which it stood.  The extent of its walls, he affirms, was equal to that of the walls round a town; and the two gates, the names of which had been handed down by tradition, had been half a mile asunder.  Within the memory of persons then living, the bones of the monks, and pieces of their clothes, had been ploughed up, in the cultivation of the ground.

BARMOUTH OR ABERMAW,
(Merionethshire.)

The town of Barmouth is seated near the bottom of some high mountains, many of the houses being built on the steep sides; and viewed from the sea, it resembles a fortress of some strength, hanging immediately over the sands.  The town stands near to the sea, at the mouth of the Maw or Mawddach, and takes its name of Barmouth, i.e. Abermaw or Mawddach, from that circumstance.  At high water, the tide here forms a bay above a mile over, but the entrance is rather hazardous, on account of the sand-banks.  This is the only port of Merionethshire, but its commerce is not very extensive.  The chief manufactures are flannels and woollen stockings; and of these Mr. Pennant observed sixty years ago, that £40,000 worth of the former have been exported in a year, and £10,000 worth of stockings.

The parish church is distant about a mile and a half from the town, but in 1830 a chapel of ease was opened here for Divine service, which is principally performed in English.  A p. 54national school has recently been erected at the outskirts of the town, on the Harlech road, from an excellent design by Mr. Jones, of Chester.  There are also chapels in the town occupied by the Wesleyans, the Calvinists, and Independents.

The town is generally well filled with fashionable bathers in the summer season, for whose convenience, accommodation, and amusement, the inhabitants have made ample provision.  There are two excellent inns: the Cors-y-gedol Arms, where post chaises and cars, as well as guides to Coder Idris, and the lakes and waterfalls, may be obtained; and also the Commercial Inn, with stabling and coach-houses.  During the summer months, stage-coaches leave and arrive every day in the week, except Sunday, from different places, including Liverpool, Shrewsbury, and Caernarvon.  There is a mail every day to and from the latter place, passing through Harlech, Tan-y-bwlch, Tremadoc, and Beddgelert.  A four-horse mail-coach between Chester and Barmouth has lately commenced running daily.  There are several good shops; and for the accommodation of visitors, circulating libraries have been established.  Here, also, are two baths, a billiard-room, and a bowling-green.  The lodging houses are excellent.  The town, and the turnpike-roads throughout the district, have lately been greatly improved, and are still improving.  The population is about 2000.

“The beach,” says Mr. Bingley, “is one of the most delightful walks I ever beheld.  The wide river Mawddach winds among the mountains, forming many and elegant promontories.  These rise to great heights on each side, some clad with wood, and others exhibiting their naked rocks, scantily covered with purple heath.  The summit of the lofty Cader Idris is seen to rise above the other mountains, in the back ground.”  From Barmouth a delightful excursion may be made along the banks of the Maw, or in a boat up the river, for about eight miles.  The beach also affords a beautiful drive of six miles.  From this place a projecting causeway, called Sarn-Badric, runs 15 miles into the sea, which tradition says, though her evidence alone is but slight authority, once surrounded one hundred cities.  The upper part is perceptible at low water.

In the neighbourhood of Barmouth are several gentlemen’s mansions and other pretty residences, of which Bryntirion, the property of Charles Henry Harford, Esq., was the most beautiful: it was destroyed by fire about the latter end of 1840, and has not yet been rebuilt.

p. 55The Rev. Mr. Newell, in his Scenery of Wales, observes that while at Cors-y-gedol Arms, at Barmouth, he was introduced to a Welsh harper, whose performance he did not seem much to admire.  Mr. Newell then adds, “It is a curious circumstance that we owe Gray’s Bard to a Welsh harper—blind Parry, Sir W. W. Wynn’s harper.  In a letter from Cambridge, Gray says:—‘Mr. Parry has been here, and scratched out such ravishing blind harmony, such tones of a thousand years old, with names enough to choke you, as have set all this learned body a dancing, and inspired them with due respect for my old bard, his countryman, whenever he shall appear.  Mr. Parry, you must know, has set my ode in motion again, and has brought it at last to a conclusion.’”

The angling stations are, Arthog Chapel, three miles distant, and Llyn Bodlyn, four miles from Barmouth; Llyn Irddin and Llyn Geirw, near to the town; and Llyn Raithlyn, in the neighbourhood of Traws-fynydd.

BEAUMARIS,
(Anglesea.)

Beaumaris, a most respectable and well-built town, in Anglesea, is a corporate borough, where the assizes for that county are held.  The town and liberties are included in the parishes of Llandegvan and Llanvaes: the whole occupying a district nearly semi-circular in form, and presenting to the Menai a bold rocky cliff of three miles, and an indented beach of more than two.  This place, like many others on the Welsh coast, has lately become a most fashionable resort for bathing visitors, for which it is admirably adapted, the sands being firm and the water clear.  In 1805, hot baths were erected here, and accommodations of the first class abound.

The church, formerly called “the Chauntry of our Lady of Beaumaris,” is considered as a chapel of ease to Llandegvan.  It is situated on an eminence in the centre of the town, and consists of a nave, isles, and chancel, covered with lead, and embrasured; having a ring of six bells, a clock, and an organ, all the gift of the late Lord Bulkeley.  In the chancel is a p. 56beautiful monument of a knight and his lady, in white alabaster, recumbent on an altar-tomb.  Mr. Llwyd says, they represent Sir Richard Bulkeley and his lady; the former was appointed Chamberlain of North Wales, and was in great favour with Queen Elizabeth.  In the church, a white marble monument, executed by Westmacott, in memory of the late Lord Bulkeley, who died June 3, 1822, stands on the left side of the altar: this beautiful piece of sculpture represents Faith directing the view of the dejected widow towards the bust of her husband and to heaven.  Also a beautiful monument of a female kneeling in an attitude of devotion, on a pedestal, by Ternouth, to the memory of Charlotte Mary, first wife of Sir R. B. W. Bulkeley, Bart., and daughter of Lord Dinorben.  There is likewise a tablet to the memory of David Hughes, erected in 1812, by some persons who had been educated in the Free School of which he was the founder.  There are also several other monuments and tablets, but not possessing any peculiar attraction.  On a plain stone near the east entrance into the church is the following quaint inscription to the memory of Meredith Davies:—

Who has been our parish clerk
   Full one and thirty years, I say,
Must here, alas! lie in the dark
   Bemoaned for ever and for aye.

Near to the church is the Free School, founded in 1603, by David Hughes, Esq., who also endowed alms-houses for six poor persons, to whom he granted annuities; the late Lord Bulkeley added four to this number; they are situated about a mile from the town, near the entrance of Baron Hill Park.  Near the castle are the shire hall, and other suitable offices, where the assizes are held.  The town-hall is a good building, comprising the assembly-room and a suite of civic apartments.  A custom-house and a national school are also included among the public institutions of Beaumaris.

The Williams Bulkeley Arms Hotel is a magnificent establishment, and most admirably conducted.  The Commercial and Liverpool Arms Inns are also houses where good accommodation may be had.  The market-days are Wednesday and Saturday.  Population, 2299.

Beaumaris enjoys a most beautiful and sublime prospect, with the distinguishing peculiarity, that the eye at the same time rests on a noble expanse of the ocean, and an extensive p. 57range of some of the loftiest mountains in Wales.  A grander or more interesting scene it is impossible to imagine.  From the spacious piece of ground called the Green, which, landward, is enclosed by the hotel, a splendid range of houses called Victoria Terrace, and the old Castle, this enchanting view is seen to the best advantage; seaward, at full tide, it presents to the eye an infinite variety, in numbers of trading vessels, yachts, and smaller pleasure boats, constantly passing close to the beach, whilst at low water the sands afford many delightful and extensive drives.

“Ever charming, ever new,
When will the landscape tire the view?”

The Castle.

Beaumaris castle was the last of the three great fortresses erected by Edward the First, to hold in awe his new and unwilling subjects on both sides the Menai.  For this purpose he fixed upon a flat near the water side, with the view of surrounding it with a fosse, for the double purpose of defence, and bringing small craft to unload their cargoes under its walls; part of which canal, called the Llyn-y-Green, was till lately remaining; and the large iron ring, to which the vessels were fastened, is still in its place at the great east gate.

Within the present ruins of the castle is an area or square, of 190 feet, with obtuse corners; on the right is the chapel, an admirable piece of masonry, and the only entire room in all Edward’s buildings; its stone arched roof having saved it at the general dilapidation.  Opposite to the south-east entrance is the great hall, 70 feet long and 23 broad, with a range of five elegant windows, and forming a front (its turreted angles excepted) that has rather a modern appearance; and though, upon the whole, a fortress of prodigious magnitude, yet its low situation, and the great diameter of its Moorish towers, cause its ample proportions to appear of less height and extent than is really the case.  This castle is reputed to be the scene of the massacre of the bards by Edward the First, who does not appear to have felt secure in his newly-acquired dominions so long as this influential order remained to raise the song and string the lyre to deeds of patriotic resistance.  The same system of persecution seems to have been acted upon after the death of the bardicide; for in the reign of Henry the Fourth, Rhŷs Gôch, speaking of Gruffydd Llwyd, says—

“The best of bards is interdicted.”

p. 58Within the area of this ancient castle, in the month of August, 1832, was held a splendid Congress of Bards, or Eisteddfod, under the munificent patronage of Sir R. B. W. Bulkeley.  It was attended by most of the nobility and gentry of the neighbouring counties; and the meeting derived peculiar importance from the presence of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and her illustrious daughter, then Princess Victoria, now the Queen of these realms.  During several months of that summer, the royal party had honoured the Principality with their residence, fixing their domicile for the time at Plâs Newydd, the elegant seat of the Marquis of Anglesea.  A grand regatta in the bay followed the literary and musical contests in the castle; and the evenings were agreeably enlivened with splendid concerts, balls, and other festivities.

Baron Hill.

On an eminence behind the town stands this charming residence of the late Lord Bulkeley.  At his death, it descended to his nephew, Sir R. B. W. Bulkeley, Bart. M.P., by whom it is now occupied.  It has recently been rebuilt and modernised, and is delightfully situated on the declivity of a richly-wooded hill, commanding a fine prospect of all the northern mountains of Caernarvonshire, of the bay of Beaumaris, and a vast expanse of sea.  This place has been in possession of the Bulkeley family from the date of the second charter of the corporation of Beaumaris, procured in the reign of Elizabeth.  The house was originally built in the reign of James I., for the reception of Henry, the eldest son of that monarch, when on his way to Ireland.  But his untimely death so much affected Sir Richard Bulkeley, the owner, that he gave up his original and magnificent plan, and used the part only that was then completed for his family seat.  The old house was greatly enlarged and improved by its late noble possessor.  The extensive grounds are finely wooded, and laid out with great taste and judgment.  The gardens have been extended and beautified, and the liberal owner generously allows them to be thrown open for the accommodation of the public.  Sir R. Bulkeley is deservedly esteemed for his efforts to improve the agriculture of his native county, by the introduction of modern and scientific culture.

At a short distance east of the house, in a sylvan recess, is the stone coffin of the Princess Joan, consort of Llywelyn ab p. 59Iorwerth, Prince of Wales in 1105.  It had originally been deposited in the subjacent monastery of Llanvaes, and, on the dissolution of that religions establishment, was placed to receive a watering brook, like that of Richard III. at Leicester, after the fatal battle of Bosworth field.  In 1812 it was discovered, in its ignoble uses, by Mr. R. Llwyd, author of Beaumaris Bay, after being lost for 290 years, when it was removed to its present situation by the late Lord Bulkeley.

A few hundred yards distant from Baron Hill is Henllys Lodge, the residence of Captain Lewis Hampton, containing a valuable collection of curiosities, which any respectable person is at liberty to inspect.  Contiguous to it is The Fryars, the residence of the late Lady Williams, relict of the late Sir R. Williams, Bart., of Nant, Caernarvonshire, and mother of Sir R. W. Bulkeley, Bart.

Six miles from Beaumaris is the village of Pentraeth, delightfully situated in the vicinity of Red Wharf.  Near it are the mansions of Plâs-gwyn, the seat of Lord Vivian, who married Miss Panton, the heiress and grand daughter of the late Jones Panton, Esq., and thus became possessed of this fine property, which he has greatly unproved; Rhiwlas, the seat of the Rev. Gethin Williams; and Red Hill, the seat of — Sparrow, Esq.  The neighbourhood is worthy of a visit, being the direct road to Amlwch.

The church at Pentraeth was thought worthy of an engraving by Mr. Grose, the antiquary.  The Panton Arms is a good country house of entertainment.  Not far from Pentraeth, and near the sea-side, is Tre’r Castell, formerly the residence of Marchudd, founder of one of the royal tribes of Wales.  It is now an ancient castellated mansion.  It was also the residence of Sir Tudor ap Goronwy, who did homage to Edward the second, when Prince of Wales, at Chester.  On this domain is supposed to have been fought, in 818, the “sore battle of Llanfaes,” between Egbert, King of the Welsh Saxons, and Merfyn Frych, King of Wales.  From this place Queen Elisabeth received annually a large supply of metheglin or mead, a favourite Welsh beverage.  Close by is Castell Aber Lleiniog, where are the vestiges of an ancient fort, founded by Hugh Lupus and the Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury, when they took possession of Anglesea.  The neighbourhood, in fact, is rich in scenic beauty and historical associations.

p. 60Beaumaris Bay,

Which stretches itself before and on each side of the town forms a well-sheltered harbour, and in stormy weather affords security to vessels of considerable burthen.  The depth of the water near the town is six or seven fathoms even when the tide is out; but this deep channel scarcely extends more than a quarter of a mile in width.  All the rest of the bay, for several miles, is left dry at low water, and has the name of Lavan Sands.  Among the intelligent natives an opinion is prevalent that these sands once formed a habitable hundred of Caernarvonshire, and were first overflowed during the sixth century.

The sea of the Menai occasionally produces very singular fish.  That called the Beaumaris Shark sometimes appears; a curious species of mussel; and creatures of forms that astonish the fishermen;—

“Strange things come up, to look at them,
The monsters of the deep.”

This may perhaps account for the marvellous legend, preserved in “The Triads of the Isle of Britain,” concerning “the Palug Cat of the Menai.”  A remarkable whale was captured in this Bay in the spring of 1846, and sent to Liverpool for exhibition.  The whole shore throughout the district is said to be “a mine of fish.”

Llanvaes Abbey.

About a mile from Beaumaris, near the seat of the widow of late Sir Robert Williams, Bart., and not far from the shore, are yet to be seen, in the walls of a barn, the poor remains of the house of Franciscan friars, founded in the thirteenth century by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, still called by the above name.  At the dissolution, the establishment maintained eight friars, of whom two only were allowed to be Welshmen, when the convent and its possessions were sold: they are at present the property of Sir R. B. W. Bulkeley.

Penmon Priory.

Two miles north of Llanvaes Friary, stands this ancient and decayed ruin, consisting at present of little more than the ruinous refectory and part of the church.  This was a priory of Benedictine monks, dedicated to St. Mary, founded in the sixth century, and re-endowed in the thirteenth by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.  p. 61At its suppression by Henry the Eighth, the revenues were valued at £48 per annum.

Priestholm, or Puffin Island,

A small island, divided by the narrow channel called the Sound from the eastern extremity of Anglesea: its British name, Ynys Seriol, is derived from the residence of St. Seriol upon it in the sixth century: the compound name of Priest-holm originated in its being the occasional retreat of the religious of the neighbouring priory of Penmon.  It is also called Puffin Island, from its being annually resorted to by these birds for the purpose of breeding.

This island will afford a day of sport to the disciple of Colonel Hawker—or of information to the industrious antiquary—or amusement to a pic-nic party; and indeed, to all visitors in search of health, pleasure, or the picturesque, who may be sojourning at Beaumaris.  It is nearly a mile from the shore, to the edge of which it slopes in verdant turf on each side from its lofty central eminence.  In shape it resembles a lemon, extending a mile in length and half a mile in breadth.  Near the centre are the ruins of an old square tower, supposed to have been a portion of a religious house, once subordinate to the priory of Penmon; which, from “the odour of sanctity” thrown around it by popular tradition, attracted many devotees, and penitents, and dying persons, to its sacred shrine, either as the subjects of pilgrimage or prayer, or to obtain interment within its holy walls.  Giraldus says, “the island was inhabited by hermits, living by manual labour and serving God.”  The superior reputation which this monastery enjoyed, induced the Welsh princes, Llywelyn and David, and (after the conquest of the country) Edward the First, to grant to it the revenues of Penmon.  Prince Owen Gwynedd, who lies buried here, was the founder; and its sanctuary became the refuge at once of the oppressor and the oppressed, in that lawless age to which it belonged.  Little remains to attest the presence of the crowds of devout men that thronged it, or of the noble, the wealthy, or of the poor, that once were interred in its consecrated cemetery.  A colony of rabbits has usurped their territory; and swarms of cormorants, stormy petrels, curlews, and puffin auks, and, even though but comparatively seldom seen, peregrine falcons hasten to these shores in the summer months, to breed and nurture their young.  There is a small house on the island p. 62for the man who attends a signal staff erected here in 1826, to form part of the telegraphic communication between Liverpool and Holyhead.

A pleasant aquatic excursion may he made from Garth Point to Puffin Island, passing through the picturesque bay of Beaumaris, the distance being nine miles.

A melancholy interest attaches to this neighbourhood from a most calamitous event which occurred in the bay of Beaumaris, on the night of the 17th August, 1831.  On the morning of that day, the Rothsay Castle steamer left the pier-head, Liverpool, for Beaumaris, the number of passengers and seamen being between 120 and 140 souls.  After passing the floating light, stationed about 15 miles from Liverpool, the sea became very rough and the wind adverse; and some of the passengers, apprehensive of danger, in vain urged the captain, Lieutenant Atkinson, to return.  Between the Great and Little Ormeshead the vessel was beating about for three hours, and soon after passing the latter, night had come on, the sea running high, and the tide ebbing.  It was near twelve o’clock when she arrived at the mouth of the Menai Strait, about five miles from Beaumaris.  When opposite the tower on Puffin Island, suddenly the steam got so low that the engine would not keep the vessel on her proper course; and she struck on what is called the spit of the Dutchman’s Bank, where she remained immovable till she went to pieces.  At least one hundred persons are known to have perished, and twenty-one were ascertained to be saved.

A strict investigation into the causes of this dreadful calamity was subsequently instituted, from which it appeared that the vessel itself was unfit for the station; that there were no guns on board to make signals of distress; that the captain and mate were in a state of intoxication during the time of peril; that there had been great mismanagement and obstinacy on the part of the former, and criminal negligence in omitting to furnish the vessel with necessary apparatus for such an emergency.  The most praiseworthy activity is ascribed to the gentry and other inhabitants of Beaumaris, as well as the boatmen belonging to the bay, in rescuing the surviving sufferers, and providing places of decent sepulture for the dead.  On this subject, the following testimony, from the pen of Lieutenant Morrison, of the Royal Navy, who has published a Narrative of the unfortunate wreck, is truly valuable:—“The meritorious efforts made by Sir Richard Bulkeley, Bart. and other gentlemen of p. 63the neighbourhood, to insure respect to the remains of the unfortunate sufferers, I believe to have been attended with perfect success.  Indeed, I saw numerous valuable and portable articles which had been saved, and lodged in the hands of the authorities of Beaumaris, and which might have been very readily abstracted by the finders, to whom they offered great temptation.  I was never among the inhabitant of North Wales before, and I must observe that the very excellent conduct of the lower orders on this occasion forms a strong contrast to that I have witnessed on the coasts of Devonshire and the south of Ireland.”

The many accidents in this bay at length induced the corporation of the Trinity House to erect a lighthouse on the south-westerly point of the island, at a part called Trwyn-du, or Black Point, which was finished in the course of the summer of 1838.  It is a splendid work of art in the bell form; and contains more courses of masonry under low-water mark than the celebrated Eddystone lighthouse.  The light is thrown out to sea by means of a strong reflector erected on the opposite or Anglesea coast.  It is worthy of attention, and visitors will find it a pleasant sail from Bangor and Beaumaris.

From April to October, first-class steam-packets regularly arrive from Liverpool every afternoon (except Sunday) about five o’clock at the Bangor Ferry inn (which has lately been much improved and enlarged), and return the next morning between eight and nine o’clock, calling each way at Garth Point and Beaumaris.  And we may here add that this is the cheapest and most interesting marine excursion which can be enjoyed from Liverpool.

BEDDGELERT,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Beddgelert, a village most charmingly situated in a beautiful tract of meadows, at the junction of three vales, near the conflux of the Gwynnant and the Colwyn.

The church is erected on the site of an ancient priory of Augustine monks, with which a convent for nuns was also incorporated.  Part of the arches and clustered columns which supported the nave of the priory are still visible in the wall of p. 64the church, and there are other remains which prove the original religious establishment to have been of considerable extent.  In 1194 it was endowed with lands by Llywelyn the Great; and it is recorded that in those days the prior had fifty cows and twenty-two sheep.  In 1283 it suffered from fire, and Edward I. repaired the damages.  In 1535 Henry VIII. bestowed it on the abbey of Chertsey, in Surrey; and in 1577 it was made appurtenant to that of Bisham, Berks.

Moel Hebog (the Hawk Hill) rises boldly from the vale in front of the village, which takes its name—Beddgelert, or the Grave of Gelert, from an affecting tradition, which has been made the subject of an admirably pathetic ballad by the Hon. W. R. Spencer.  Miss Costello gives this romantic legend with her wonted taste and effect:—

“King John had given to Llywelyn the Great, not only his daughter Joanna in marriage, but as a prize little inferior, a fine greyhound, of superior breed and great beauty, who was wont to take the lead in all his expeditions, and to bring down the game in gallant style.  The usual season of the chase arrived, and the prince, his wife, and children had repaired to the hunting-ground in this valley: one day Llywelyn set forth, and had not gone far when he discovered that Gelert, his favourite hound, had lagged behind; he called him in vain, and, out of temper and impatient, he continued his way, and occupied himself in his sport, still, however, dwelling with vexation on the absence of his constant companion.  On his return, as he was about to enter his dwelling, he was met by Gelert, who leaped upon him and shewed every demonstration of delight.  The prince angrily drove him off, and, as he did so, remarked that the jaws of the dog were covered with blood, that blood was on the floor and on the walls—a strange foreboding of evil stole over his mind: his infant son had been left in the cradle—no attendant was near—he tracked the crimson stairs—they led him to the spot where his child reposed—the cradle was overturned, the infant gone, and a pool of blood was at his feet.

“Llywelyn allowed himself not a moment’s time for reflection—Gelert was fawning beside the couch of his murdered child—his fangs were red with gore—he could not doubt but that the wretched animal had torn the sleeping babe, and drawing his sword, he plunged it into the body of the hound.  At this instant he heard a cry—he darted forward, removed the confused heap before him, and, struggling beneath, he beheld his p. 65child uninjured, his tiny hands resting on the body of a gaunt wolf, which had been killed by Gelert in his defence.

“What was now left for Llywelyn but remorse and late repentance?—he erected a tomb over the remains of the faithful dog, and the spot is called ‘the Grave of Gelert’ to this day.

“There is a Welsh adage which alludes to this legend, ‘he repents as much as the man who killed the dog’—and this would naturally lead one to imagine that the sad tale were indeed true; nevertheless, the same is told in many places, and seems originally to have come from the far East, where almost all beautiful stories had their birth.

“It is said to be engraven on a rock in Limerick; it is told in an old English romance; it is repeated in France; and it is the subject of Persian drama!”

Some chroniclers assert, that Prince Llywelyn founded the church of Beddgelert to commemorate the preservation of his son, and as some atonement for slaying his preserver, the faithful hound.

In a field contiguous to the churchyard, is a large stone, which is said to mark the spot where Gelert was buried.  Near the stone is a building, now used as a cow-house, which is reputed to have been the residence of the prince.

There is an excellent inn here, the Goat, recently enlarged and improved, not inferior in accommodation to any in Wales.  The Caernarvon and Tan-y-Bwlch mail coach passes twice a day through the village.  Behind the old public house opposite is an interesting view of a solemn dell.  The eye, in surveying this chasm, is relieved now and then by spots of verdure, patches of heath, thinly-scattered sheep, and the beautiful curvature of the mountain.  In the Welsh annals this region is styled the Forest of Snowdon.  A guide to the many objects of interest in the locality may be procured at any time at the Goat inn.  When Mr. Nicholson traversed this part of the country, the name of the guide was William Lloyd, who was also the village schoolmaster, and who thus explained his occupation in a placard stuck upon the door of the inn:—“William Lloyd, conductor to Snowdon, Moel Hebog, Dinas Emrys, Llanberis pass, the lakes, waterfalls, &c. &c.”  The name of the present guide is Richard Edwards.

On the road towards Aber-glaslyn, a stone is pointed out by the name of the Chair of Rhŷs Gôch o’r ’Ryri, the famous p. 66mountain bard, contemporary with Owen Glyndwr.  He was of the house of Havod-garegog, at the entrance into the Traeth Mawr sands, whence he used to walk, and sitting on this craggy seat, composed his poems.  Among others is a satire on a fox, for killing his favourite peacock.  He died about the year 1490, and was interred in the holy ground at Beddgelert, escaping the vengeance of the English, for inspiring his countrymen with the love of liberty, and animating them by his compositions into a long and gallant resistance to the galling yoke.

The neighbourhood of Beddgelert abounds with objects worthy of the tourist’s attention; and of several of these we will now add a few particulars.

Nant Gwynnant.

Turning to the right hand on crossing the bridge leading from the inn, you follow up the course of a stream that waters one of the most beautiful valleys in Wales.  On the left, about half a mile up the valley, is a lofty wood-clad rock, called Dinas Emrys, the fort of Ambrosius, or Merlin Emrys, a magician who was sent for to this place from Caer Merddin (Carmarthenshire) by Vortigern, who was king of Britain from 449 to 466.  It was to this place that Vortigern retired, when he found himself despised by his subjects, and unable to contend longer with the treacherous Saxons, whom he had introduced into his kingdom.  It is probable that this insular rock afforded him a temporary residence, till be removed to his final retreat in Nant Gwrtheryn, or Vortigern’s Valley, not far from Nevyn, in the promontory of Lleyn.  Speed says that Vortigern married his own child by Rowena, daughter of Hengist, the Saxon prince, and had by her one son.—On passing round the foot of another beautiful isolated rock,

Llyn Dinas

(The Pool of the Fort), a lake about a half to three-quarters of a mile in extent, is spread before you.  It is entirely surrounded by lofty mountains, the tints of which being of a deeper and browner shade than the generality of Welsh hills, gives a peculiar richness to the confined valley.  The road runs close along the shore, overhung by one of the magnificent buttresses of Snowdon: to the right the eye stretches across the lake to the hills which rise from the water’s edge, above which a second tier of mountains appears, the great chain which separates you p. 67from the vale of Ffestiniog.  The river which feeds the lake winds through the verdant and undulating grounds which spread themselves, a miniature park, between the cottage and the lake.  A romantic pass, affording space for the river and road only, leads to a valley totally different from, though not less beautiful than that of Llyn Dinas: the valley forms a bowl among the hills, the bottom is a small grassy plain, here and there dotted with trees, through which the river winds; the sides are magnificent mountains: it is beauty sleeping in the lap of terror.—On the left, the eye is led to

Cwm Llan,

among the deepest recesses of Snowdonia.  The immediate boundary of the valley is succeeded by heights rising successively above each other.  Immediately above this deep and gloomy gorge towers the monarch of hills, sublime and terrific in his precipitous height, yet presenting in its conical summit, its cairn and landmark, a graceful object, filling up the mountainous gap, the sides of which form a suitable frame to this noble picture.  You follow up the course of the stream, through the same enchanting scenery, the road gradually ascending, till you catch through the plantations on the left a view of

Llyn Gwynnant,

stretched below at your feet.  This lake and valley are deeply set among the loftiest mountains of Wales or England, and form one of the loveliest pictures in this country.  Two or three gentlemen’s residences render this valley cheerful, without destroying its character of seclusion.

Shortly after leaving the lake, the most striking view of Snowdon presents itself; you look across the valley on a huge precipice, over the edge of which, through a wide sweeping dip in the hill, a very picturesque waterfall, Rhaiadr cum Dyli, is projected.  Plain indications of its source,

Llyn Llydan,

a highly elevated mountain lake, are apparent; above this rises a dark perpendicular wall of rock, towards the summit of which craggy and sharp ridges run up, and at the junction the towering peak of Snowdon rises: shortly after, you join the road from Capel Curig to Llanberis.  Let no inconvenience induce the tourist to relinquish this route.

p. 68In the vale of Colwyn, and nearly two miles from Beddgelert, is a small pool, about the size of a good horse-pond, called

Llyn-y-Dywarchen

(Or the Pool of the Sod), first celebrated by Giraldus Cambrensis, in the account of his journey through Wales in the twelfth century, as containing a floating island.  This is still in existence, but not more than eight or nine yards in length, and evidently appears to be a detached piece of the turbery of which the bank is composed.  There is a small willow-tree growing upon it, and it is carried to and fro by the action of the wind and water.  Sometimes it remains near the side of the pool for a considerable while, and it is so large and firm as to bear cattle on it.  When it has been dislodged by the wind, a few sheep have often been borne by it to the other parts of the bank.—Within two miles of Beddgelert is situated

Pont Aber-glaslyn

(Or the Bridge of the Conflux of the Blue Pool); it is also called by the inhabitants the Devil’s Bridge; on which account it has sometimes been confounded with the bridge of that name near Havod, in Cardiganshire.  In approaching this spot from Beddgelert, the rocks on each side become incomparably grand.  The road winds along a narrow stony vale, where the huge cliffs so nearly approach as only just to leave width sufficient at the bottom for the road, and the bed of the impetuous torrent that rolls along the side of it.  Here these lofty rocks, which oppose nothing to the eye but a series of the rudest precipices, “raised tier on tier, high piled from earth to heaven,” seem to forbid all further access, and to frown defiance on the traveller.

The bridge crosses the Glaslyn, and unites the counties of Merioneth and Caernarvon.  In the span it is thirty feet, and from the water to the parapet forty feet high.  There is excellent fishing in this river; it abounds with salmon and trout.  Some years ago, there was a noted salmon leap a few yards above the bridge, and in the course of an hour, twenty or thirty fish have been seen attempting to spring over the barrier, but it is now broken down and fallen into decay.  The salmon come up the river in the latter end of the year, sometimes as early as the beginning of October, in order to deposit their spawn on the sandy shallows, and are here very plentiful.  The p. 69fishery belongs to the Wynn family.  When the tourist has passed the bridge, and proceeded about one hundred yards on the Tre-Madoc road, he will then see the view to perfection.  The elegant and venerable arch clothed with ivy—the foam of the little waterfall almost beneath—the majestic rocks to the right, combining to form one of the finest pictures in Wales.

It was probably from this place that Giraldus Cambrensis asserted of Merionethshire, that “it was the roughest and most dreary part of Wales, for its mountains were both high and perpendicular, and in many places so grouped together, that shepherds talking or quarreling on their tops, could scarcely, in a whole day’s journey, come together.”

There is very good fishing in this neighbourhood, at a lake called Llyn-y-Dinas, about two miles from Beddgelert; the fish are good for the table, of the weight of about half a pound; however, trouts of five or six pounds weight have been taken.  There are two boats kept by Robert Roberts; the flat-bottomed one is considered the better and safer for angling.  Another lake appears, somewhat smaller, called Llyn Gwynnant, which has been injured by being netted, but still affords fair sport for the angler.

BETTWS-Y-COED,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Bettws-y-Coed (or Station in the Wood), a small village, pleasantly situated on the Shrewsbury and Holyhead road, not far distant from the junction of the Llugwy and the Conway.  The church stands in a little cemetery in the centre of the vale, enclosed by a few stately forest trees, and forms a venerable and interesting object.  It contains an old monument in memory of Griffith, the son of David Gôch, who was a natural son of David, brother to Llywelyn, the last prince of Wales.  He died in the fourteenth century, and is here represented by a large armed recumbent figure in a recess in the north wall.  On one side of the figure, there is yet left this inscription,—“Hic jacet Gruffydd ap Davyd Gôch: Agnus Dei, misere mei.”  Within a mile distant is a bridge, consisting of a single arch of iron, of 105 feet in the span, and called the Waterloo Bridge from the circumstance of its having been erected in the same year in which the battle of Waterloo was fought.  It carries the Holyhead road over the Conway.

p. 70Near Bettws-y-Coed is also Pont-y-Pair, a most singular bridge, flung over the Llugwy, consisting of four arches, placed on the rude rocks, which form most durable piers.  These rocks are precipitous, and in high floods exhibit to the passenger most awful cataracts below the bridge.  The scenery beyond, composed of rocky mountains fringed with woods, is very striking.  The river Conway affords good salmon and trout fishing.  The remarkably picturesque character of this district is particularly attractive to artists who delight to make sketches from scenes of natural beauty and grandeur.

CADER IDRIS,
(Merionethshire.)

These distances are computed from the summit of Cader Idris.

The mountain of Cader Idris, in height the second in Wales, rises upon the sea-shore, close upon the northern side of the estuary of the small river Disynwy, about a mile from Towyn.  It proceeds with almost a constant ascent, first northward for about three miles, then for ten miles further runs E. N. E., giving out from its summit a branch nearly three miles long in a south-westerly direction, parallel to the main ridge.  It is very steep and craggy on every side, but the southern descent, especially to the border of Tal-y-llyn lake, is the most precipitous, being nearly perpendicular.  Its breadth bears but a small proportion to its length, a line passing along its base, and intersecting the summit, would scarcely equal four miles and a half; and in the other parts it is a mere ridge, whose base hardly ever exceeds one mile in breadth.

Cader Idris is the beginning of a chain of primitive mountains, extending in a N. N. E. direction, and including the Arrans and Arrenigs.  It is much loftier and more craggy than the slate and secondary mountains which surround it.  Dolgelley is the place from which the ascent to this mountain is usually made.

Several tourists of literary eminence have made the ascent of Cader Idris, and have left on record graphic and animated descriptions of the sublime views which its summit discloses.  Mr. Roscoe says—“The following morning promising a fine day, I determined upon making an excursion over Cader Idris.  This mountain is one of the most lofty in Wales, and forms a part of p. 71the great chain of hills which runs nearly parallel with the coast for many miles, in connection with the Arrans and the Arrenigs, and more inland, towards Corwen, with the Berwyn range.  Proceeding over the hill which leads to Towyn, I reached a small lake, and turning to the left, commenced the ascent.  After great labour for three or four hours, and consequent fatigue, I reached the summit; and the pool Llyn-y-Cae shewed itself, situated among high rocks, whose weather-beaten cliffs overhang the water; but thick mists, wafted from the sea, prevented an extended view.  Mr. Aikin has enriched his narrative with a description of this grand and picturesque scene he witnessed, the following extract from which leaves nothing to be desired:—‘We were now above all the eminences within a vast expanse, and as the clouds gradually cleared away, caught some grand views of the surrounding country.  The huge rocks which we before looked up to with astonishment, were now far below our feet, and many a small lake appeared in the valleys between them.  To the north, Snowdon and its dependencies shut up the scene; on the west, we saw the whole curve of the bay of Cardigan, bounded at a great distance by the Caernarvon mountains, and nearer, dashing its white breakers against the rocky coast of Merioneth.  The southern horizon was bounded by Plinlimmon, the bay of Swansea, the channel, peeping through the opening of the Brecon mountains; and on the east, the eye glanced over the lake of Bala, the two Arrenig mountains, the two Arrans, and the long chain of Berwyn mountains, to the Breiddin hills on the confines of Shropshire.  Dimly, in the distant horizon, was beheld the Wrekin, rising alone from the plain of Salop.’

“At the foot of the mountain is the little village of Tal-y-Llyn, which borrows its name from the church at the head of the lake, not unmeetly denominated by the people ‘the Charming Retreat.’  The church, a simple antique building, is dedicated to St. Mary.  The parish extends about eight miles, embracing in its circuit a large portion of the mountainous chain.  The whole vicinity, wood, and hill, and lake—stirred by the winds, or clothed with the yellow hues of autumn—wore a highly picturesque yet dreary aspect; and I took great delight in exploring a number of bold, romantic streams and falls, all within the limits of this interesting district.  Tal-y-Llyn (the Head of the Lake), with its little church, dedicated to St. Mary, stands at the west end of the pool, in a long valley p. 72lying below the lofty ranges of Cader Idris.  Looking north-east, the vale is contracted by the mountain bases, with their sides broken into a thousand crags, some sharp and conical, and others overhanging, as if ready to fall upon the heedless traveller, who wends his way beneath their shadows.  Pen-y-Delyn (or the Harp Rock) is there, bearing a resemblance in its figure to that instrument, with its indented and perforated summit, ready to receive the first breath of the morning, and to herald the rising beam of the great luminary with the fabled music of Memnon; and Llam-y-Ladron too, (or the Thieves’ Leap), the Tarpeian Rock from whose fearful top, it is said, the ancient Britons used to cast their felon brethren.”

Of the heights of Cader Idris, of Arran Vowddwy, and of the Arrenig Vawr, says Mr. Pennant, I am enabled to give a very exact account, by the assistance of the ingenious Mr. M. Hughes, of Bala, who assures me that the Pen-y-Gader is 2858 feet above the level of Dolgelley-green; Arran-Vowddwy, 740 above Llyntegid; and the Arrenig, only 20 yards short of Arran; that the fall from the lake to Dolgelley-green, is 180 yards; so that the real difference of height between the Cader and the Arran is only thirty yards.  Two graves, where human bodies were deposited, have lately been discovered at the foot of Cader Idris, under two immense carnedds.

Within the last few years, for the accommodation of visitors, a cottage has been erected on the summit of the mountain, by Richard Pugh, who resides at Dolgelley, and who acts in the capacity of a guide.  This has proved of great advantage to visitors, who were not unfrequently assailed by the teeming shower, without an opportunity of shelter; and who had no spot for temporary refreshment while waiting for the dispersion of misty clouds in order to enjoy the exquisite prospect.  Here parties or individuals may have all convenient refreshments.  The road up the mountain on the Dolgelley side has lately been much improved, so as to enable ladies and gentlemen to ride up to the very top with the greatest ease and safety, which cannot be done on the other side of the mountain without great danger.  The charge of the guide for conducting a party to the summit is five shillings, and the same sum is paid for each of the ponies employed in the ascent.

For angling stations, see Dolgelley and Tal-y-Llyn.

p. 73CAERGWRLE,
(Flintshire.)

Caergwrle was once a flourishing town, but has dwindled into an insignificant village.  Its parish church is about a mile distant.  There is good reason for believing that Caergwrle was a Roman station, probably an outpost to Deva.  Camden discovered here an hypocaust, hewn out of the solid rock, six yards and a quarter long, five yards broad, and somewhat more than half a yard in height.  On some of the tiles were inscribed the letters, “Legio xx.” which seem to denote the founders.  This is further corroborated by the name of the place, “Caer gawr lleng,” (the camp of the great legion), Cawr lleng being the name by which the Britons distinguished the twentieth legion.

The castle stood on the summit of a high rock.  Its present remains are very inconsiderable; they are, however, sufficient to indicate that it never could have been a fortress of any great importance.

Hope, [73] or Queen’s Hope,

Is an inconsiderable village, little more than a mile from Caergwrle; it also has the remains of a castle, at which Eleanor, queen of Edward the First, made some stay on her way to Caernarvon.—Within a short distance are the mansions of Bryn Yorkyn and Plâs Têg.  Caergwrle and Hope, in conjunction with Flint, Caerwys, Rhuddlan, Overton, and Holywell, send a member to Parliament.

Angling station:—the river Alun.

CAERNARVON.

Caernarvon is the capital of the county, and is one of the largest and best towns in North Wales.  It name is properly p. 74Caer yn Arvon, which signifies a walled town in the district opposite to Anglesea.  Ar Vôn or Ar Môn implies opposite to Mona.

“Caernarvon (we adopt the interesting and elegant description of Mr. Roscoe,) is built on a peninsula, formed by the Menai on the west and north sides, and by the Seiont on the south.  It was formerly enclosed by walls, defended by a chain of round towers, which on three sides are still nearly entire.  In former times there were but two gates through which the inhabitants passed, but other openings have been more recently made to form communications with the suburbs, which are rapidly extending.  The town-hall is over one of the ancient gates of the town.

A terrace, extending from the quay to the north end of the walls, offers a delightful promenade, and presents a variety of interesting objects around the port, which is daily rising into greater importance by receiving and dispensing the fruits of industry and commerce.  This terrace, Mr. Bransby observes, possesses the powerful recommendation of being always clean, and of soon becoming dry after heavy and continued rain.  From this walk to behold the sun on a calm summer evening, as he goes down ‘in a paradise of clouds’ behind the Anglesea hills, is to witness one of the most lovely and glorious spectacles in nature.  On an eminence called the Twt-hill, near the Uxbridge Arms Hotel, is a most extensive and varied panoramic view, including part of the Snowdonian range,—the isle of Anglesea, with its plains, farms, and villas, backed by the mountains of Holyhead and Parys,—the swelling Menai,—and the blue and spacious bay, with the sea stretching far beyond.

The harbour and the pier have both undergone very great improvement, and ships of considerable burthen can now come up alongside the quay.  An extensive trade is carried on with Liverpool, Dublin, Bristol, Swansea, &c., besides a lucrative coast trade, exchanging the invaluable mineral substances of this part of the Principality for timber and other articles.  Slates are brought here as to the general depôt from the quarries about Llanberis and Llanllyfni; and the country people of all ranks resort hither, as the best and cheapest market, from a considerable distance.

The market-house, erected by the corporation, the Uxbridge Arms Hotel, by the Marquis of Anglesea, a number of excellent inns, among which stand foremost the Goat Hotel and the p. 75Sportsman, with hot and cold baths, and a billiard-room, render the modern town as pleasant and commodious a place of residence as the most fastidious nabob,—to say nothing of hardy Welshmen and pedestrian ramblers,—could possibly desire.

Caernarvon is resorted to as a bathing place, and by invalids seeking health and amusement, for a temporary residence.  There are here the advantages of a genteel neighbourhood as well as salubrious air; and the rambler in quest of romantic scenery frequently makes this town his head quarters.  Besides many pleasant walks and rides in the immediate vicinity, within the circle of a dozen miles are the Menai Straits as far as Bangor, Llanberis, Snowdon, Plâs Newydd, and Beddgelert, offering not only inducements to those in search of the picturesque, but affording a source of continued gratification to the botanist, mineralogist, and antiquary.

The parish church of Caernarvon is at Llanbeblig, and stands in its loneliness at the distance of half a mile to the south-east of the castle wall.  It is a structure of great antiquity, and contains the altar-tomb of Sir William Gruffydd (a member of the Penrhyn family) and Margaret, his wife.  The knight mailed in armour, and the lady in the full dress of the age, are sculptured in white marble, and lie side by side.  English service is performed at a chapel of ease at Caernarvon, close to the castle; but in this venerable little place the service is conducted in Welsh.  The churchyard exhibits the peculiarities which give a touching interest to some of the burying places of the Principality.  Flowers of all colours, but especially snowdrops, violets, and pale primroses, display their beauty and expend their perfume on the graves of children, and maidens ‘that die unmarried,’ while branches of the box, arbutus, and laurel, with shrubs of a firm and sombre hue, mark the resting places of the more matured in this ‘City of the Silent.’

For its ample and magnificent feudal structure,—almost terrible to the eye,—Caernarvon is indebted to the first Edward, who raised this colossal castle—as if in derision of the poor tenure of all sovereign power—near the ruins of the great Roman station.  Soon after his conquest, Edward began the stupendous pile, which served less to overawe the Welsh than for a magnificent ruin and a modern wonder.  The remains of Segontium furnished part of the materials, bright grey limestone, of exceeding durability, was brought from Twr Celyn, in p. 76Anglesea, and grit-stone, for the windows and arches, from Vaenol, between Caernarvon and Bangor.

Vast, irregular, and more shattered than its exterior grandeur would lead us to suppose, this giant-fortress stretches far along the west of the town, its broad spreading walls being surmounted, at intervals, with octagonal towers.  The extent of the courts, the gateways, and the towers, bear equal witness to those noble proportions which astonish the modern architect, as from its Eagle-turrets he commands the whole of its magnificent area, and the wide sweeping circuit of its walls.

Opposite the massive Eagle tower, in which the unfortunate Edward the Second was born, is the Queen’s Gate, [76] which had two portcullises that communicated with a drawbridge across the moat.  Over the embattled parapet are seen the turrets rising majestically above the solitary ruins, bounded on two sides by the water; the third bears traces of a large ditch; on the north-east side is a deep well, nearly filled up, with a round tower contiguous to it, apparently the ancient dungeon.  The exterior, and especially the main entrance, has an air of p. 77forlorn grandeur, blended with massy strength, which must at all times excite admiration and awe in the beholder.  The area within is irregularly oblong, and was divided into an outer and inner court.  The external walls of the castle, enclosing an area of great extent, are nearly as perfect as when they were built, and of considerable height and thickness.

The state apartments appear to have been spacious, commodious, and handsomely ornamented; the windows wide, and enriched with elegant tracery.  The form is polygonal, though the exterior of the edifice presents a complete square.  The floors and staircases are considerably injured—in many places wholly demolished.  A gallery extended round the entire fortress, to serve as a means of communication in times of danger, and during a siege.  It lay close to the outer walls, and was provided with narrow slips, adapted for stations, from which to annoy an enemy with arrows or other missiles as occasion might require.  But its time-worn and ivy-covered bulwarks are now fast yielding, like the interior, to the assaults of time.  Some years ago the Eagle tower, struck by lightning, was split down several yards from the summit, giving it still more the aspect of a splendid ruin.

It was evening, as I before said, when I first caught sight of the castle.  The sun’s disk had sunk below the horizon, but his refracted rays still played upon that imaginary line ‘which parts the day and night,’ casting an attenuated melancholy grace over the crumbling fortress.  I lingered amongst those ruins till the last vestige of light was withdrawn, except such as is bestowed by a clear blue firmament emblazoned with burning stars.  As I gazed, the phantoms of history passed rapidly before my mental eye, with an order and truth like unto the facts treasured in her pages, and with a realizing illusion that converted me into an actual spectator of the scenes.  From the topmost point of the Eagle Tower a prophetic voice seemed to issue, dispelling the delusion that in those days clung to the hearts of the stricken Cambrians, that their own-loved Arthur would again appear to raise up their fast-falling nation to its former glory.  I saw the stern conqueror buckling on his armour, after the Easter festival, resolute to conquer or exterminate the defenders of that ancient land.  I heard the wailing of that dark and stormy night of Palm Sunday, when the strong hold of Hawarden fell before his victorious sword.  I tracked the line of march his countless legions took through p. 78the deep forest, reaching, in ancient times, from the confines of Cheshire to the mountains of Snowdon, leaving Flint and Rhuddlan still frowning in their perilled rear; and I looked upon the picture of that onslaught at the bridge of Moel-y-don, when an English knight was seen buffeting the waves of Menai, and alone escaped to tell the tale of national vengeance.  The panorama shifted, and another pictured page discovered that gallant prince, the last of his race who held the sceptre of the Cymri, slowly retreating before his haughty foe into the mountain holds hard by,—dispirited, though not despairing,—cursed by the priest whom Edward brought to curse him,—deluded by the soothsayer, whose prophecy bore ‘a double sense,’ too fatally fulfilled in his own person,—deserted by many of his friends, and his affianced wife basely held a captive in the hands of his enemy.  The scene then moved; the undaunted hero still struggled with his fate, once the sovereign of the whole land, now only lord of the five baronies of Snowdon,—goaded by the insults of his mean conqueror,—maddened into open war,—betrayed by his base confederate lords,—and perishing alone and defenceless in the solitary recesses of a wood.  Such was the strange eventful story; and that castle which marked the triumph of the conqueror, and the subjection of the people—which heard the infant cries of the first English prince of this cheated land—which opened wide at midnight its gates to troops of warrior-knights belonging to an alien country—which rung again and again with the rude revelry of that barbarous age, when the pageant and tournament of Nefyn was ended,—and which in the days of its strength, passed into the hands of foes, and friends, and fratricides,—that castle in its gaunt ruins, yet remained as the monument of these records, and the tomb in which past ages silently slept.”

A rail-road has lately been formed from Llanllyfni to Caernarvon, a distance of more than nine miles, for the purpose of conveying the copper ore and slates to the quay.

A most interesting part of the Menai Straits is connected with Caernarvon.  Tourists may enjoy boating in perfection, either on the Tal-y-Foel ferry, the new ferry at Barris, to which a good road has recently been made, through the lands of the Marquis of Anglesea, by his free permission; or to Aber-mania, at the mouth or gap of the straits, and then to Llanddwyn, where are the remains of an old abbey.  On the opposite side the gap to Aber-mania is St. David’s Fort, a marine residence p. 79of Lord Newborough, well worth a visit, and where the domestics shew the greatest civility.  A few miles to the northward, on the east coast of Caernarvon bay, is Dinas Dinlle, an old Roman station of artificial formation.

Caernarvon is remarkable for having been the first town in the principality that enjoyed the privilege of a royal charter, which was granted by Edward the First.  The government of the place was rested in a mayor (who is always constable of the castle), two bailiffs, a recorder, burgesses, &c. before the passing of the municipal reform act; now it is under the provisions of that act.  In conjunction with the boroughs of Conway, Criccieth.  Nevin, Pwllheli, and Bangor, Caernarvon returns a member to parliament.  The member in the present parliament is W. B. Hughes, Esq.

There are two banks, viz. Messrs. Williams & Co. commonly known as the old bank, and which is in connection with the banks of the same firm at Chester and Bangor; and a branch of the North and South Wales bank.  Coaches pass several times each day between this place and Bangor, and the mail leaves every morning for Pwllheli through Clynog; and for Barmouth, through Beddgelert, Tremadoc, Tan-y-bwlch, and Harlech.

Caernarvon castle is now undergoing considerable repairs, under the authority of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests.

It is more than probable, that the town of Caernarvon had its origin in the Roman city of Segontium, about half a mile distant, and that it is not, as many have supposed, indebted for its name to Edward the First; for the fort in Arvon, or in the hundred opposite to Anglesea, as the name indicates, would apply with equal propriety to the ancient city as to this more modern fortress.  The town, however, there is no doubt, was the creation of Edward, and it was most probably formed from the ruins of the old station.  The site of the ancient city of Segontium lies about half a mile south of Caernarvon, the ancient Roman station mentioned in the Itinerary of Antonius.  This appears to have been the principal station that the Romans had in North Wales, all the rest being only subordinate stations.  It received its name from the river Seiont, which rises in the lower lake of Llanberis, passes under the walls, and discharges itself into the Menai near Caernarvon castle.  Its form was an oblong; and it appears originally to have occupied about six acres of ground.  Not far hence was the fort which belonged p. 80to it: this was also of an oblong figure, and stood upon about an acre of ground.  The walls are at present about eleven feet high, and six in thickness, and at each corner there has formerly been a tower.  A chapel, said to be founded by Helen, daughter of Octavius, Duke of Cornwall, and a well which bears her name, are amongst the ruins still pointed out.  The chapel was standing little more than a century ago.  The old Roman road from the station of Dinas Dinorwic, in Llanddeiniolen, to Dinas Dinlle, on the shore of Caernarvon bay, lay through Caernarvon.  Both stations are worth the attention of the antiquary.

CAERWYS,
(Flintshire.)

Caerwys, formerly a market town, with the parish of the same name, contains about 1000 inhabitants, being situated on the high road leading from Holywell to Denbigh, through the beautiful Vale of Clwyd.  Caerwys has the most considerable fairs for cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses, in all the country, though its markets have long since failed.  The market-house still remains, but it has been converted, time out of mind, into a dwelling-house.  It is close to the cross; to the S. W. the arches are yet plainly to be seen, though filled up; and the remains of an erect south dial are yet distinctly to be seen in the south wall.

A few hundred yards to the west, is a most beautiful dingle, known by the name of Maesmynan Wort, offering a pleasant ramble to the admirer of nature and the botanist.  Near the place where the brook, which runs through this dingle by Maesmynan House, empties itself into the Wheeler, was formerly the residence of Llywelyn ab Gruffydd, the last native prince of Wales: a cottage, now called Pandy, shews the place where the prince resided.

Among the towns of the Principality, this was formerly a place of great renown, but its glory has faded away, and nought remains to evince its ancient consequence but its name.  This is a compound of the two words, Caer, a city, and gwŷs, a summons, notifying its having been a place of judicature.  The assizes for the county were held in the town of Caerwys till p. 81about the middle of the seventeenth century, when they were removed to Flint; the goal is yet remaining, though converted into a dwelling-house, called Yr hên Gaol.  This still continues to be one of the contributory boroughs for the return of a member to parliament.  Mr. Pennant, upwards of fifty years ago, describes Caerwys as a “town mouldering away with age.”  The chief boast of this town was its being the olympia of North Wales, the theatre where the British bards poured forth their extemporaneous effusions,

“In thoughts that breathe, and words that burn;”

and where the honoured minstrels awakened

“Their harps to soul-enchanting melody,
And gave to rapture all their trembling strings.”

Here were held the ancient Eisteddvodau, or congresses of bards and minstrels, where judges presided, appointed by special commission from the Princes of Wales previous to the conquest, and from the Kings of England after that event.  These arbiters were bound to pronounce justly and impartially on the talents of the respective candidates, and grant degrees according to merit.  The bards were formed into a college, the members of which had particular privileges to be enjoyed by none but such as were admitted to their degrees, and licensed by the judges.  The last commission granted by royal authority for holding this court of Apollo seems to have been in the 9th of Elizabeth, when Sir Richard Bulkeley, knt. and certain other persons were empowered to make proclamation in the towns of North Wales, that all persons intending to follow the profession of bards, &c. should appear before them at Caerwys on a certain day, in order to give proofs of their talents in the science of music, and to receive licenses to practise the same.  The meeting was numerous, and fifty-five persons were admitted to their degrees.  From this period, these meetings were discontinued at Caerwys and throughout the Principality: the minstrel ceased to be considered a venerable character in England, and our monarchs looked, probably, with equal contempt on the bards of Wales.  Thus neglected and despised, the Eisteddvodau dwindled to nothing, and reposed in oblivion for many years.

Towards the close of the last century, some spirited Welsh gentlemen, who had the honour of their national harmony and literature at heart, determined to revive a meeting likely to p. 82preserve and encourage that music and language, the excellence of which has for ages been enthusiastically admired by their countrymen.  In the spring of 1798, their resolution was carried into effect; and an Eisteddvod was held at Caerwys, the ancient place of meeting.  Since this period, Eisteddvodau have been frequent in different parts of the Principality.

CAPEL CURIG,
(Caernarvonshire,)

Capel Curig is most beautifully situated on the London and Holyhead road.  From its vicinity to Snowdon and other mountains of note in this part of the Principality, and to several of the first lakes in North Wales, it has been for a long time much frequented by tourists; and since the diversion of the great Holyhead road through Nant Ffrancon, and the erection of a spacious hotel here by the late Lord Penrhyn, has become a place of fashionable resort, and during the summer season is visited by many families of distinction.  A new line of road from this place to Caernarvon, through the pass of Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon, has lately been opened, affording a more direct communication with the interior of the counties of Caernarvon and Merioneth.

In this vale there is a lovely variety both of wood and water.  The name is derived from its chapel, dedicated to a Welsh saint called Curig, situate a short distance from the inn.  He is mentioned in an old Welsh poem, which, however, only intimates his order, and nothing more is at present known of him.

Capel Curig is situated in a district abounding with mineral wealth.  A great quantity of calamine has been obtained here, and in the vicinity is found the broad primitive rock called serpentine.  Near a place called Bryn Gwaliau, between Capel Curig and Llanrwst, there are some remains of a Roman edifice, a great part of which has been removed for building materials: one of the apartments was found by Mr. Lysons to be sixty feet by twenty in dimensions, and another eighteen feet six inches square, in which latter were several short square pillars of stone, similar to those of the hypocaust near the Feathers hotel in Chester.

p. 83Behind the inn at Capel Curig westward are two lakes connected by a stream, on which a boat is kept, and frequently employed by visitors in aquatic excursions.  At the foot of the lake there is an ancient rustic bridge, from which, as well as from the lake, is a fine view of old Snowdon and his proud associates.—At a short distance from the hotel southward, rises the mountain of

Moel Siabod,

Whose height is 2878 feet: it is exceedingly precipitous, especially on that side towards Bettws-y-Coed, and the summit is thickly strewed with loose fragments.  From this commanding station is a most magnificent view of the mountains of Snowdonia, of nine different lakes, and “ocean’s dim immensity.”  The distance from the inn to the summit is about three miles and a half.—Beneath Moel Siabod, towards the east, and about five miles from Capel Curig, is

Dolwyddelan Castle,

Said to have been built about the year 500.  It is situated on a high rock, inaccessible on one side, and consists of two square towers, one 40 feet by 25, the other 31 feet by 20, and a court in the middle.  This old ruin, entirely enclosed by mountains, built probably by some of the princes of North Wales, though its original founder and the time of its erection are unknown.  Iorwerth Drwyndwn made this castle his residence, and his son, Llywelyn the Great, is said to have been born at this place.  It was a fortress of considerable importance to the Welsh, but a few decaying relics now serve to mark the site of its former power and grandeur.  Recent investigations render it probable that this was the last stronghold in North Wales that held out against Edward the First.  In the royal roll of expenditure of that period, appear items of payments to an earl, a knight, and a squire, for bringing news to the Queen, at Rhuddlan, where the army of reserve was stationed whilst Edward was pursuing his successes in the Snowdonian mountains, of the reduction of this fortress; and the date corresponds with the close of the resistance and capture of David, the brother of Llywelyn.  The village of Dolwyddelan stands within about a mile of the castle, and consists of only a few small cottages.

Three miles and a half from Capel Curig, on the left of the road toward Bettws, is the celebrated cataract of

p. 84Rhaiadr-y-Wennol,

(Or the Waterfall of the Swallow.)  The scenery around this truly beautiful and picturesque fall, formed by the little river Llugwy, is truly grand; the water at the top is in one body, but soon becomes broken into many streams, dashing impetuously over large masses of rock, which impede its progress, down a rugged chasm of sixty feet wide at the broadest part, The high banks of the ravine are wooded, the trees hanging beautifully over the torrent, and the ground is richly carpetted with mosses and various wild flowers.  From the upper part of the wood, near the head of the fall, there is a very good view of the descending flood; a path from the high road leads to the fall, and a little wicket gate has been placed in the wall on the road side, for the convenience of visitors who may wish to obtain a view of this sublime scene, which, although contiguous to the road, is so obscured in the wood, that the traveller will almost certainly pass it unawares, unless he makes timely enquiry: it may, however, be discovered by a summer-house which has lately been built on the top of a mountain directly over the fall.

About four miles from Capel Curig, on the Bangor road, is situated

Lake Ogwen,

From whence issues the river Ogwen.  This lake is well stocked with excellent trout of a peculiar colour and flavour, surpassing in these respects all fish found in the Caernarvonshire lakes; they are of a bright yellow cast in the water, though when eaten they have a fine salmon colour; they are easily taken with the fly.  The surplus water of this lake discharges itself at the western end, through a chasm in the rocks, tumbling in three noble cataracts down a height of about one hundred feet, called the Falls of Benglog, which are concentrated into a bed in the luxuriant and beautifully green meadows of

Nant Ffrancon,

(Or the Beaver’s Hollow), so called from having been the resort of those animals.  This is a romantic and tremendous glen, destitute of wood, and even of cultivation, except the narrow slip of a meadow which lies along its bottom.  The fantastic piles of rocks which compose its sides, rise abruptly from their p. 85base, and stretch their barren points into the clouds.  The Holyhead and London road passes through the whole extent.

In 1685, part of a rock, forming one of the impending cliffs, became so undermined by wind and rain, that loosing its hold, it fell in several immense masses, and in its passage down a steep and craggy cliff, dislodged some thousands of other stones.  The largest piece of the falling rock continued its motion through a small meadow, and rested on the further side of the river Ogwen.  In the winter of 1831, another part of the rock gave way, when upwards of one thousand tons fell from near the summit of Benglog, a little below the Ogwen cataracts; part rolling straight across the road, fell into the valley and river at the bottom; while another part having acquired a less momentum, rested on the road; the intercourse of travellers was for some time impeded, although one hundred miners were engaged in clearing the surface of the road.  A gentleman from the vale of Llanrwst had just passed along in his carriage, on his way to Bangor, when the terrific sound of the dissolving mountain fell upon his astonished ear.

The mountains at the upper end of this vale form a scene singularly grand; on each side the hollow appears guarded by a huge conical rock, Trivaen on the right, and Braich-dû on the left.  These, with the Glyder-vach and the Glyder-vawr, and some other mountains, fill up the distance, and apparently close the vale.

Near this place, beside a little gothic cottage, is a small hone quarry, Y Trivaen, which received its name from three tall stones standing in an upright position on its summit, and from below had the exact resemblance of three men.  Of these only two remain.

One mile from Ogwen lake, in a deep valley, lies a dark pool, called

Llyn Idwal.

The gloomy horrors of the surrounding scenery exceed even those of Ogwen; the encircling cliffs are overhanging, broken, and dark; in one part the whole mountain is rent asunder, and the chasm of Twll dû (or the Black Cleft) gapes between the terrific masses.  The solitude of Cwm Idwal proved favourable to the perpetration of a deed of blood, and it was here that young Idwal, the infant heir of Prince Owen Gwynedd, was treacherously assassinated, by order of his foster-father Nefydd, to whose care his father had consigned him.

p. 86Miss Costello gives the following description of this romantic region:—

“We were not induced to linger very long in the slate quarries, being more desirous to make ourselves acquainted with the undisturbed nature which invited us on the way to Capel Curig.

“The Vale of Nant Ffrancon is wild and stupendous in the extreme; it is an extensive marshy valley, filled with peat, whose black masses are piled in all directions in stacks; numerous alleys filled with the water which drains from it, are cut through the turf on whose surface the graceful cotton plant waves its feathery and snowy tresses, covering the swampy ground, and lending it beauty; numerous water flowers of bright colour give some life to the scene, which would otherwise be inexpressibly dreary.  Huge masses of crumbling rocks bind in the narrow valley, and assume the strangest and most grotesque shapes, as though the visions of the Welsh bard, Davydd ap Gwilym, were realized, and

“‘There were in every hollow
A hundred wry-mouthed elves.’

“Indeed, the famous and dreaded family of the Ellyllon, who are fond of coming forth in mist and rain, seemed to have pursued and overtaken us just as we had nearly reached the gloomy, dark, and secluded lake of Ogwen.  The clouds grew darker, and rolled in heavy masses through the valley, and down the sides of the hills—a chill and hollow wind rose and whistled fearfully along the pass—large drops of rain began to fall, and we thought there was no escape from one of those storms so frequent in these regions; but the spirits sulked themselves into good humour, and did not force us to choose the usual alternative of travellers who fall into their power, for they are said to insist on their taking the uncomfortable choice of three methods of continuing their journey: to go with them ‘above the wind, mid wind, or below the wind:’ the first is to be whirled above the tops of the mountains at more than rail-road speed; the last to be hurried along, through brakes and briars, against stones and amongst bogs; and the middle way, generally preferred by those who have experience in the freaks of these elves, is to accompany them at a moderate distance in the air just clearing every obstacle.

“We contrived to gain the shore of lake Ogwen unmolested by all the imps and demons, who seemed to have come on the wings of the blast from their modern retreat on the pedestals p. 87of Penrhyn Castle, to visit the haunts where they dwelt in days of yore, before every rock was attacked for its mineral wealth as it is now.  On the borders of this solemn lake, however, the miner’s hammer is unheard; all is solitary grandeur and gloomy sublimity: mountains are piled on each other, and appear to crowd together round the lake, pressing its dark waters into a small space, deep and generally still, though ruffled when we saw it, by the rushing wind that swept through the hollow of Nant Ffrancon.

“The river Ogwen issues from this lake, and the accumulated waters which its rocky basin is unable to contain force their way through a chasm in the rocks, and fall with tremendous force in three cataracts, called the Falls of Benglog.

“Solemn and silent as Ogwen appears, it is less fearful and solitary than another dark lake situated high up amongst the mountains in the vicinity, called Llyn Idwal, where, in the early times of Welsh history, it is recorded, that Idwal, the infant heir of Prince Owen Gwynedd, was drowned by the hand of his foster-father, when

“‘No human ear but Dunawt’s [87] heard
Young Idwal’s dying scream.’

“The cliffs that encircle this lake are split into a thousand fearful shapes, and a mighty chasm yawns between, called Twll dû, which is said to be the abode of the unquiet soul of the murderer and the howling and exulting demon who torments him for his hateful crime—a crime

“‘Most foul, strange, and unnatural.’

“No bird will ever dip his wing in that lake, nor pause near its waters.

“Nothing can exceed the horror of this spot: the breach in the black rock is like that produced by the Sword of Roland in the Pyrenees, but no cheering prospect of far lands opens through: here all is dark, fearful, and tremendously appalling.

“The Twll dû is sometimes called the Devil’s Kitchen; the waters of the lake rush impetuously through its chasm.  In memory of the tragedy acted here, the fish, of which there was formerly a profusion, were all deprived, according to received tradition, of one eye, the left being closed: as there are now no p. 88fish in the lake, it is impossible to verify the truth of this legend.

“This neighbourhood is the chosen abode of demons and strange monsters; and once upon a time, it is said, that a hunter pursuing the chase in the valleys between these mountains saw suddenly, perched on a rock, an extraordinary animal, such as had never before been beheld.  It was hunched like a buffalo, and was covered with tufts of hair which shone like gold.  The daring hunter pursued it over every obstacle, till he had nearly reached the Twll dû, when he overtook and slew it; but he gained little by his exploit, for the animal bellowed so loud that the rocks split in all directions; and neither the huntsman nor his prey was seen afterwards.

“The pretty inn at Capel Curig is built of slate, walls and roof and flights of steps, all of a shining grey, contrasting oddly with its gay garden of roses which lies beneath.  From this garden is a fine view of Snowdon and its lake, with mountain scenery of great sublimity on all sides.  The graceful bridge over Gwyryd is a beautiful object in the distance: while Snowdon, Moel Siabod, and the three sister lakes linked together, which extend along this charming valley, lie all before the eye.”

CERIG-Y-DRUIDION,
(Denbighshire.)

This is a pleasant village, so named from its being supposed to have been the abode of the Druids.  In Camden’s time it was famed for some druidical remains.  These ancient relics have long since been removed; they consisted of cromlechs and kist vaens, or stone chests.

At Pen Gwerwyn, a hill about a mile to the east of the village, are some inconsiderable remains of a castle, of which tradition says that it once belonged to Caractacus.  We are told that when he was routed by the Romans, he retreated to this castle for safety; but was, with his whole family, betrayed to the enemy, and sent prisoner to Rome, where he delivered that celebrated speech which is so familiar to all students of British history.

p. 89CERNIOGAU MAWR,
(Denbighshire.)

Cerniogau Mawr is a hamlet of three or four small houses, in an elevated situation, on the London and Holyhead mail-road.  Five miles on the road to Llanrwst is Gallt-y-Gwy, a terrace of more than two miles long.  To the east appears the beautiful deep vale of Llanrwst, with Conway in the termination.

CHESTER.

Although this city is not strictly within the cognizance of our publication, yet its close proximity to North Wales, and the advantages which it offers as a starting point from which a tour of the Principality may be commenced, warrant us in devoting to it a passing notice.  Chester abounds with objects of interest to the traveller; and its many antique relics of bygone ages never fail to excite the admiration of those who take pleasure in the quaint architecture, or historical memorials of former times.

Its old walls, its antique rows, its curiously carved and gable-ended houses, its venerable cathedral, its solemn towers, its abbey gates, the ruined Priory, and the time-worn church of St. John, may be enumerated among the more prominent vestiges of its antiquities.  While its noble castle, its unrivalled Grosvenor Bridge, and the elegant lodge at the entrance of Eaton Park, are among the modern attractions which the tourist will examine with interest and delight; but to the description of which we shall not in this place devote a fuller notice, as they are more particularly alluded to elsewhere.

CHIRK,
(Denbighshire.)

Chirk is pleasantly situated on the northern bank of the river Ceiriog, which, flowing through a small vale of great beauty, here separates the counties of Denbigh and Salop, and of course Wales and England.  It is a very neat and clean village, and contains some highly respectable houses, and several p. 90substantial and well-built cottages, having been greatly improved within the last few years by the late Mrs. Myddelton Biddulph, who, on coming into possession of the Chirk Castle estates, pulled down several dilapidated buildings, and erected others of modest and uniform appearance for her tenants, on more eligible sites.  The Holyhead road, on both sides the village, has been widened and altered within the last few years, so as to avoid the irregularities and windings in its course.  There are some coal mines in this parish, extensive lime works, and several large iron forges, which employ a great number of hands.  The village has a good church, and in the yard are several remarkably old yew trees.

Chirk Aqueduct.

The Ellesmere canal enters this parish from Shropshire, and is conveyed across the vale of Chirk and the river Ceiriog by means of an aqueduct, two hundred and thirty yards long, consisting of ten arches, the piers of which are sixty-five feet high, and then immediately enters a tunnel two hundred and twenty yards long.  On emerging from this subterranean passage, it proceeds on its course through the parish, and then enters another tunnel, soon after which it is carried over the vale of the Dee by the stupendous aqueduct of Pont-y-Cyssylltau.  About one mile and a half to the west of the village is

CHIRK CASTLE,

proudly situated on an eminence, backed by the Berwyn mountains.  It is a venerable quadrangular embattled structure, defended by a low massive tower at each corner, and another in the centre of the north front, where is the principal entrance, under an arched gateway guarded by a portcullis, into a square area of considerable dimensions, round which the various apartments are ranged: on the east side of this area extends a low embattled corridor, leading into the principal apartments, which were greatly altered, modernised, and embellished by the late Mrs. Biddulph, within the last few years; but the old entrance to the hall is by a flight of steps on the north side of the area.  The picture gallery, at the south end of which is the chapel, is 100 feet in length by 22 in width, and contains some good portraits and other paintings.

Chirk castle is supposed to have been built in the year 1013, and was an extremely strong fortification.  The front is about p. 91250 feet; and two persons abreast may parade the battlements with ease.  It was besieged by the parliamentary forces, and considerably battered by the cannon of Cromwell.  The repairs cost £80,000.

The park is extensive, and disposed with picturesque effect, the inequalities of its surface, and the declivity of the hill extending behind it and towards the north, having afforded a favourable scope for the arrangement of the trees and plantations.  Near New Hall, which is described as an old seat of the Myddeltons, rebuilt many years ago as a farm-house, and surrounded by a moat, at the entrance into the park from Llangollen and Wrexham, stands a pair of iron gates, of the richest, most delicate, and exquisite workmanship, designed and executed by a common blacksmith.

The summit of the castle commands a wide expanse of great beauty and magnificence, offering to the naked eye an uninterrupted view into seventeen different counties.  The river Ceiriog runs on the west side of the castle, through a deep and picturesque valley, remarkable in history as the scene of a sanguinary conflict in 1165, between the forces under Henry the Second and those of the Welsh under their brave Prince Owen Gwynedd, when the latter obtained a decisive victory, and compelled the Saxon monarch to seek safety in a retreat to his own territories.

In this neighbourhood are many ancient fortifications, the most noticeable of which is part of Offa’s dyke, thrown up as the boundary between the ancient Britons and the Saxons in 763.

This fine estate has been in possession of the Myddelton family since the beginning of the seventeenth century; the present possessor is Colonel Robert Myddelton Biddulph, Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire, paternally descended from the Biddulphs of Ledbury, in Herefordshire.

One mile below the village of Chirk is also

Bryn Kinallt,

the elegant seat of Lord Dungannon.  It is delightfully situated on an elevation, and surrounded by extensive and beautiful plantations.

p. 92CLYNOG,
(Caernarvonshire.)

This beautiful village is situated on the turnpike-road, about equidistant between Caernarvon and Pwllheli.  It has a remarkably fine gothic church, the tower of which rises very beautifully from among a verdant cluster of noble trees.

St. Beuno, the reputed uncle of St. Winifred, erected the church and a grand mausoleum, now called St. Beuno’s chapel, which communicates with the church through a dark vaulted passage of six yards.  In this chapel the remains of the pious founder, who lived in the seventh century, were deposited, and here also was his saintly niece interred.  Her effigy in stone, mutilated like an Egyptian mummy, is still to be seen at this sacred edifice.

About a hundred yards from the church, adjoining the turnpike-road, is St. Beuno’s well, eight feet square, inclosed by a wall eight feet high.  This well was much famed for healing the sick, and particularly for curing the rickets in children.  Within the last fifty years, however, the well has ceased to attract so many devotees, though no doubt can exist as to the sanative virtues of its waters.

In the south-east corner of the church, near the altar-table there is an old wooden chest, belted with iron, and fastened to the floor, called “Cŷff Beuno” (Beuno’s chest), which was originally placed there to receive the offerings of money from the devotees of the saint, who repaired there for comfort and healing.

Between Clynog and Caernarvon is Glynllifon, the seat of Lord Newborough.  It was recently destroyed by fire, and is now rebuilt.—Near the coast is Dinas Dinlle, a Roman station, 30 acres in extent, supposed to have been artificially raised by the soldiers of Agricola.

Rhaiadr Dibyn Mawr is a waterfall among the mountains, distant about two miles from Clynog.

p. 93CONWAY,
(Caernarvonshire.)

This is one of the most interesting and picturesque towns in North Wales.  The approach to the town from the Denbighshire side of the river is remarkably interesting, and presents a fine view of the noble castle and the beautiful suspension bridge, with the adjacent mountain scenery, forming a glorious panorama of surpassing loveliness and sublimity.  The pearl fishery of the Conway, which even yet, though shorn of its former importance, affords employment to several poor families, was celebrated in the time of the Romans.  Pliny says that Julius Cæsar dedicated in one of the temples of Rome a breastplate set with British pearls, probably from this fishery.  And in comparatively modern days, one of these pearls, presented to the Queen of Charles the Second by Sir R. Wynne, was honoured with a place in the royal crown, where probably it yet shines, in testimony of the loyalty of the Welshman.  The British pearls are found in a shell-fish, called by Linnæus myd margaritefera, the pearl muscle, peculiar to stony and rapid rivers.

The port of Conway is a dry harbour, frequented by a few coasting vessels; and the river is navigable up to the village of Trefriw, which is about twelve miles from its mouth.  A quay extends along the east side of the town wall.  The principal inns are the Castle and the Newborough Arms.

The castle, built in 1284, under the eye of Edward the First, by the architect, it is supposed, whom he employed in the erection of Caernarvon, is very justly regarded as one of the most beautiful fortresses in a country distinguished for the splendour and magnificence of its military structures.  Though more extensive and better preserved, it somewhat resembles the castle of Falaise, in Normandy.  Its base, however, is less wooded, and there is no brawling streamlet leaping, as there, from rock to rock, at its foot; but instead, a broad, majestic river, and a creek full at high water, swoop round two of its sides.  The other two face the town.  Within the walls are two spacious courts; and the external line of the fortifications p. 94contains eight lofty towers, each with a slender turret, singularly graceful and elegant in form, springing from its summit.

The great hall on the right measures 130 feet long and 30 broad, and is lighted by six lancet-shaped windows, opening out upon the creek, and three pointed windows, of exquisite tracery, looking towards the ample court.  Eight Gothic arches, four of which remain entire, supported the roof of this magnificent apartment.  A lofty Norman arched window at each end, and two broad carved fire-places, completed the architectural decorations and appearances of the hall.  The spacious hall was the scene of the Christmas revelries to which Edward and his queen invited the English nobility and their high-spirited dames, while the monarch was forging the chain that was for ever to enslave the prostrate Principality.  The walls, on all sides, are covered with a green drapery of luxuriant ivy, and a meadow of grass lies in the open area of the courts.  The warder’s duty is supplied by a whole tribe of crows, whose solemn parley is heard the instant a stranger’s foot approaches the domain they have usurped; and the ivied walls are nearly alive with blackbirds, and birds of all colour, whose notes resound for the live-long day throughout these otherwise deserted ruins.  Two entrances, both contrived for security, led into the fortress; one by winding narrow stairs, up a steep rock, from the Conway, and terminating in a small advanced work before one of the castle-gates, covered by two round towers—the other towards the town, protected by similar works, with the addition of a drawbridge over a broad moat.

Notwithstanding its grandeur and importance, this castle makes no great figure in history.  Soon after its erection, the royal founder was besieged in it by the Welsh, and the garrison nearly reduced to an unconditional surrender by famine.  Finally, however, they were extricated from their perilous situation by the arrival of a fleet with reinforcements and provisions.  In 1399, Richard the Second, then in Ireland, commanded the troops, raised in his behalf against the haughty Bolingbroke, to assemble at Conway, and their numbers were considerable; but the vacillation and feebleness of purpose of that monarch induced many of them to abandon him on his arrival; yet the remainder was still sufficient to have made head against the usurper, had not the king, who feared to fight his own battles, basely abandoned his followers, and rushed blindly into the snare laid for him by his enemies.  During the civil wars, p. 95Conway Castle was at first held by Archbishop Williams for the king; but the warlike churchman, being superseded by the fiery Rupert in the command of North Wales, went over in dudgeon to the republican party, and personally assisted the gallant General Mytton in the reduction of the castle.  While the republic flourished, this noble fortress was suffered to retain all its ancient grandeur undiminished; but on the restoration, a grant having been made of it, by the Stuart, to the Earl of Conway, its new possessor ordered his agent to remove the timber, iron, lead, and other valuable materials, and send them to Ireland, ostensibly for his master’s service, though it is generally supposed they were intended for his own use.  A suitable fate attended this desecration of one of the finest structures of antiquity, the vessels which conveyed the materials being wrecked, and the whole of the property entirely lost.

This ancient castle is the fictitious scene of the drama of the Castle Spectre, and of The Bard of Gray.

The suspension bridge, by Mr. Telford, is constructed on the same principle as that of the Menai, though on a smaller scale, and presents an appearance singularly elegant, lying at the foot of the antique castle, and surrounded by scenery of the most picturesque description.  It is 320 feet in length between the supporting towers, and 18 feet above high-water mark.  The chains on the western side pass upwards of 50 feet under the castle, and are fastened in the granite foundations on which it is built.  On the farther side they are bolted into an insular rock, which rises in the bed of the river, and forms the strait through which the gushing waters pass on their way to the sea.

The piers of the bridge, and the toll-house at the western extremity, are built in strict keeping with the architecture of the castle.  An embankment, formed of hard clay, faced with solid masonry of stone, and stretching from the insular rock to the western shore of the county of Denbigh, a length of 671 yards, with a breadth of 30 feet, and an extreme elevation of 54 feet, exhibits one of the finest and firmest chaussées in the world.

The church, though ancient, contains scarcely anything worthy of notice, except the following inscription, engraved on a stone in the nave of the building, which, though found in Pennant and other tourists, is so curious as to deserve repetition: “Here lyeth the body of Nicholas Hookes, of Convey, gentleman, (who was the forty-first child of his father, Wm. Hookes p. 96Esq. by Alice, his wife,) the father of twenty-seven children, who died the 27th day of March, 1637.”  In the market-place is an old building called Plâs Mawr, which was erected more than two centuries ago.  It is deserving the notice of the antiquarian.  The town is surrounded by a very thick wall, strengthened by twenty-four towers, most of which remain in tolerable preservation.

Miss Costello seems to have been thoroughly enraptured with Conway, of which she says, “I think no description, however enthusiastic, can do justice to one of the most romantic and interesting spots that exists perhaps in Europe.  Although the modern bridge, which carries the road across the river to the castle walls, looks, as it is of course, of a very different date from the antique structure, yet there is something so singular, so beautiful, and so aërial in a suspension bridge, that it can scarcely be thought out of character with the Moorish-looking towers and turrets to which it leads, which are as light and graceful as itself, in spite of their immense strength and power.  With all the legends of supernatural buildings with which Wales abounds, it would not be difficult for the imagination to conceive that the Genii threw these delicate chains over the wide space that divides the castle from the opposite rocks, and thus obtained a triumph over the giant who kept the fortress.  Both near and at a distance it has a beautiful effect, and is even more graceful than the surprising work over the Menai Straits.

“The castle, although on the shore of the broad river, which is here, at high water, half a mile wide, stands on a lofty rock, which forms the strong foundation of the fabric, and defends the town, which must however have been well capable of defence in itself, to judge by the huge walls which surround it, and which are still entire, and the enormous towers placed from distance to distance along their whole extent.  The shape of the town is fancifully said to resemble a Welsh harp, to the form of which it really has much affinity; and as there are no suburbs nor a single straggling house beyond the allotted precincts, it is plainly defined and has a peculiarly striking aspect, quite unlike that of any other town I ever saw.

“In all lights and from all points the castle looks well: but the best view of it is perhaps from the opposite shore, where all its towers, and battlements, and minaret turrets, come out in great relief, particularly with a sunset sky behind them, p. 97when they stand forth most gorgeously.  With the river full of water, and the sun going down red and glowing, as we saw it the first evening we arrived, nothing can be conceived more magnificent than the scene:

“‘Seem’d all on fire that castle proud,’

“with crimson and golden flames issuing from the lofty, dark walls.  But when we beheld it in the morning, shining white, with the blue sky for its background, we could not decide at which hour it was most admirable; and again, whether by the light of a brilliant moon the mighty fortress, whose rents and defacements the favouring shade concealed, did not appear after all to the greatest advantage. * * *

“We were so delighted with the extreme beauty of the castle, and the quiet of this simple place, that we remained there ten days, in order to enjoy frequent strolls amongst the ruins, and visit some of the most interesting places near.”

We fully concur in the glowing encomiums which have been passed by the most intelligent tourists on the locality of Conway, which is doubtless one of the most attractive and interesting spots in the Principality.

From Conway, Mr. Bingley, the celebrated author, made an excursion round

Creiddin,

a commot or hundred of Caernarvonshire, situated upon the side of the river opposite to Conway, and forming a considerable promontory into the Irish Sea.  After crossing the river, and proceeding along the shore for about half a mile, the first object of attraction is

Diganwy,

or Dinas Gonwy (or the Fort on the Conway), called by the common people, “Y Faer dre,” and by the English, Gannoc.  The ruins of the ancient castle are situated on the summit of two small hills, near the shore.  At a short distance is a circular watch-tower, said to have been built some time in the latter part of the seventeenth century.

Mr. Bingley next crossed the flat, and under the S.W. side of Llandudno rock, passed the shell of a large mansion, which some centuries ago was a palace belonging to the Bishop of Bangor; thence along the steep and slippery sides of the elevated down of Llandudno, for about two miles to the end of p. 98the promontory.  Here the rocks are for the most part perpendicular, of amazing height.  Many rare plants are found in this district.

About a mile from the N. E. side of the promontory is Llandudno church; and at a short distance is Eglwys Rhôs, celebrated as the last refuge of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, who fled hither to avoid the vâd velen (or yellow fever) which raged over a great part of Europe.

Not far distant is Gloddaeth, one of the seats of the Hon. E. M. Ll. Mostyn, built by his ancestor, Sir Roger Mostyn, Bart. in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.  The walks of Gloddaeth are remarkably beautiful.  The house was famed for its library of ancient manuscripts, chiefly Welsh, which has been removed to Mostyn Hall.  At the distance of a mile is Bodysgallen, the seat of Miss Mostyn.  It is a place of great antiquity; the situation is commanding, and finely shaded by venerable woods.  Archbishop Williams, a native of Conway, who succeeded the illustrious Lord Bacon in the office of Lord High Chancellor of England, died at Gloddaeth, A.D. 1650.

Another excursion made by Mr. Bingley was up the vale of Conway, leading on the road to Llanrwst.  Having passed the village of Gyffin, he found the vale of Conway to afford many very interesting prospects.  Caer Rhun (the Fort of Rhun) lies at the distance of five miles.  It is a charming little village, on the western bank of the river, surrounded with wood.  To this site has generally been assigned the ancient Roman Conovium.  In the summer of 1801, the late Rev. H. D. Griffith had many apartments cleared, where were discovered several broken vases, dishes, &c.  From the road, near the bridge, called Pont Porthlwyd, about eight miles from Conway, high up the mountain on the left, is a waterfall of very considerable height, called in the neighbourhood Rhaiadr Mawr (the great waterfall.)  Mr. Bingley ascended along a winding path, which conducted him to the bed of the river, near the station, whence he saw it to the best advantage.  The water runs from a pool among the mountains, called Llyn Eigiau.  He pronounces this waterfall the grandest and most picturesque of any he had seen in North Wales.

For angling station, see Llanrwst.

p. 99CORWEN.
(Merionethshire.)

Corwen (the White Choir) is a small market-town on the London and Holyhead road, situated at the foot of the Berwyn mountains, on the bank of the Dee.  The population (2199) is principally employed in agriculture.  There is a good inn here, exhibiting the gigantic features of Owen Glyndwr, the renowned and formidable opponent of Henry the Fourth.

Within the church, under an arch on the north side of the altar, there is a very ancient coffin-lid, in high preservation, bearing the following inscription, “Hic jacet Jorwerth Sulien, vicarius de Corvaen; ora pro eo.”  There is also a fine cross fixed in a circular stone to the west of the steeple.  The name of Corwen, corrupted from Corvaen, is probably derived from the cross: cor, signifying a circle, and maen, which is changed into vaen when joined with cor, is The Stone or Cross in the Circle.

The house of the celebrated Owen Glyndwr was situated in this parish, but not a vestige of it is now left: the site is marked by a clump of fir trees, on the left of the Llangollen road, about three miles from Corwen.  At Rhug, within a mile and a half of the town, stands the elegant seat of Colonel Vaughan.—Rhagatt, the mansion of Edward Lloyd, Esq., is also situated in the parish, and within two miles of the town.

The roads in this district are excellent; the Shrewsbury and Holyhead mail runs through the town.  There are also two good lines of road hence to Bala; that by Llandrillo leads through the vale of Edeyrnion, which is one of the most beautiful in Wales, the road very excellent, with scarcely a hill in its course; the other by the Druid, 12 miles, commands a very fine view of Bala lake, and the surrounding hills.  There is likewise a very good road, 12 miles, to Ruthin.

Upon the Berwyn mountains, behind the church, is a place called Glyndwr’s Seat, whence is a most charming and extensive prospect, which may be reached without fatigue.  The rich and delightful vale of Corwen expands beneath, with the Dee in the centre.  Here Glyndwr might view nearly forty square miles of his own land.

p. 100Near to Corwen is the site of an ancient British encampment, called Caer Drwyn; it is on the summit of a hill, and protected by a circular wall, about one mile in circumference: and within are the ruins of a circular fort.  It is supposed to be one of the chain of posts from Dyserth to Cynwyd, and formed in olden times a stronghold.  Owen Gwynedd occupied it in the days of Henry the Second.

The tourist remaining at Corwen, who has any relish for angling, may readily obtain all the necessary tackle in the town, at a low charge, and will find good fishing between Corwen and Llan-St.-Ffraid bridges, two or three miles, and at Llandrillo, about five miles from Corwen.

This district was visited by a most desolating flood, caused by heavy rains, in the summer of 1846.

CRICAETH,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Cricaeth, a little borough town, contributory to Caernarvon, with 811 inhabitants, is very irregularly built.  Except the remains of its small castle, it contains nothing which can claim the attention of the traveller.  This ruin stands on a rising ground, at the end of a long neck of land, jutting into the sea.  The entrance into it is between two round towers; the others being all square.  Edward the First is said to have founded this castle; and it was once the residence of Howel-y-Fwyall, who captured the king of France at the battle of Poictiers.  It is stated that the Welsh warrior struck off the head of the king’s horse with a battle-axe, and then secured the monarch.  The event is thus recorded by one of the native bards:—

         “Pan roddodd
Y ffrwyn ymhen Brenin Ffrainc.”

The Black Prince made Howel constable of this castle, granting him a guard of eighty yeomen at the royal charge, and a mess of meat to be served up daily before his pole-axe.

The church, dedicated to St. Catherine, is a spacious structure, but in a very neglected state.

From the eminence on which the castle stands, is a beautiful view across Cardigan bay towards Harlech, where is seen its fine old castle, backed by the high and distant mountains of Merionethshire.

p. 101DENBIGH.

Denbigh, the capital of the county, is situated on the declivity of a craggy hill, in the vale of Clwyd.  This place was originally named by the Welsh Castell Caled-Vryn-yn-Rhôs (the Castle on the Craggy Hill in Rhôs), from the prominent situation of the castle in the ancient territory of that name.  By the parliamentary returns of 1841, the population was 3405.  The two principal inns are the Bull and the Crown.  Denbigh was formerly accounted a place of great importance, while its castle and walls were entire; and, about the middle of the sixteenth century, it was thus celebrated by Churchyard, the poet, in his “Worthies of Wales:”—

Denbigh, now appeare, thy turne is next,
   I need no gloss, nor shade, to set thee out;
For if my pen doe follow playnest text,
   And passe right way, and goe nothing about,
Thou shalt be knowne, as worthie well thou art,
The noblest soyle that is in any part;
And for thy seate, and castle do compare,
With any one in Wales, whate’er they are.

The town is picturesquely situated on the side of a steep hill, and the noble ruins of the castle on its summit greatly contribute to its venerable appearance.  Denbigh consists of three principal, and several smaller streets and lanes, and is well paved and lighted, but only scantily supplied with water, which is brought from several springs, each at some distance from the more respectable portions of the town.  This inconvenience is much increased during a continuance of dry weather, at which time the wells occasionally become exhausted, excepting that termed the Goblin Well, situated at the foot of the hill on which the castle is built; this is so copious as to supply a considerable portion of the town, but the labour of carrying the water up the steep ascent is very great.  Connected with this spring is a cold bath.  The environs abound with beautiful and richly varied scenery.  The land in the vicinity is rich, and in a high state of cultivation; and in the neighbourhood are numerous splendid seats and elegant villas, inhabited p. 102by opulent families, who have selected Denbigh for their residence on account of the advantages of its situation.

The ancient parochial church, dedicated to St. Marcellus, and now in a very dilapidated condition, is situated in the open valley, at Whitchurch, [102a] about a mile from the town, from which place the rectory was transferred by act of parliament to Denbigh, which was made the head of the parish.  In the porch of this church are two monumental brass effigies, in a kneeling posture, of Richard Myddelton, [102b] of Gwaunynog, governor of Denbigh Castle in the reigns of Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth; and of his wife Jane, both of whom were here interred.  In the body of the building there is an ill-executed mural monument to the memory of the learned Welsh antiquary, Humphrey Llwyd, of Foxhall, near Denbigh, who is represented as kneeling beneath a range of small arches, and in Spanish costume.  There is also a large altar-tomb to the memory of Sir John Salusbury and his lady, the former of whom died in 1578.  A neat mural monument in the western wall has been erected, by the Gwyneddigion Society in London, to the memory of Thomas Edwards, of Nant, commonly called Twm o’r Nant, the celebrated “Cambrian Shakspere,” who died on the 3rd of April, 1810, at the age of 71, and was interred in the churchyard.

All the parochial duties are now performed at the chapel of St. Hilary, within the walls of the castle, with the exception of funerals, which still take place at Whitchurch, there being no cemetery attached to the former.  The inhabitants, early in 1838, realized a handsome subscription to erect a new church, so as to be more convenient, in a contiguous part of Denbigh parks, the site of which was liberally offered by Captain Mostyn, R.N.  The first stone was laid on the coronation-day of our beloved sovereign, Queen Victoria.  There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Calvinists, and Wesleyan Methodists.  The town also contains a free grammar-school for twenty boys; a blue-coat charity school, on the foundation of which are twenty-four hoys; a national school, in which eighty-six boys and one hundred girls are educated.

p. 103Denbigh has a good town-hall, a dispensary, a reading room and a Welsh literary society.  Its chief manufactories are gloves and shoes; the market is held on Wednesday and Saturday.  There is also a branch of the North and South Wales Bank here.  Denbigh is the chief of the contributory boroughs that send one member to parliament: the present M.P. is Townshend Mainwaring, Esq., of Marchwiel.

It is a remarkable circumstance that no specific provision for the insane poor has been made in any part of North Wales, although the melancholy records of those afflicted by the loss of reason, prove that the Welsh are no more exempt from that severe visitation than the mixed races known as Anglo-Saxon.  This circumstance excited the attention of the philanthropic Mr. Ablett, of Llanbedr, who has most generously presented twenty acres of land, in the immediate vicinity of Denbigh, for the site of the building and grounds of an institution to be called the North Wales Lunatic Asylum, and a subscription amounting to upwards of £6000 has been realized.  The estimate for one commensurate to the wants of this part of Wales, is from £12,000 to £15,000, and it is proposed that the rest of the fund shall be contributed by the counties, in whom the management of the institution shall be vested.

The Castle

is situated on the summit of the Caled-Vryn, an isolated limestone rock, rising abruptly to the height of two hundred and forty feet from the western boundary of the Vale of Clwyd, and incloses an area of considerable extent; the principal entrance is on the north, under a lofty and magnificent arch, which is nearly entire, and flanked by two large towers, now in ruins; above it is a niche, in which is a robed figure of the founder, Henry Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in a sitting posture; the whole of the rooms and towers are in a state of the utmost dilapidation.  The citadel is surrounded with walls, a mile and a quarter in circumference, which inclose the whole of the ancient town: the principal entrance is on the north-west, and is defended by two majestic towers, which are nearly entire; from these the walls extend round the brow of the hill, on the most elevated and precipitous parts of which numerous lofty towers have been erected, forming together one of the strongest bulwarks in the kingdom.  Within these walls are the ruins of the church or chapel, founded by the Earl of Leicester; and the chapel of St. p. 104Hilary, formerly appropriated to the use of the garrison, and now the parochial church.

The walls inclose a considerable area, now covered with grass, in which horses and cattle are depastured.  Within the walls of the fortress are numerous cottages, which materially diminish the interest commonly excited by such extensive ruins; and on the south-west front of the castle, and on the boundary wall on this side, are an extensive terrace and bowling-green, commanding one of the richest and most delightful views of the fertile Vale of Clwyd, embracing the whole of the eastern portion of this beautiful and finely varied tract, terminated by the ocean at Llandudno bay, and on the south by the whole range of Clwydian mountains, with their numerous camps and tumuli.  On this delightful spot the congress of bards and minstrels, called the grand Eisteddfod, was held on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th days of September, 1828: it was honoured by the presence of his royal highness the Duke of Sussex, and most of the nobility and gentry of the surrounding country.  The bowling-green, in the midst of the ruins, is well worth a visit; it is laid out with considerable taste.—Within two miles of Denbigh is

Gwaunynog,

which was visited by Dr. Johnson, during his residence with Mrs. Piozzi: the estate was at that time in the possession of his friend, the Rev. Dr. Myddelton.  In the hall is still retained an easy chair, in which Dr. Johnson was accustomed to sit.  On the grounds, a short distance from the house, in a very retired situation, overhung with trees, is a monument to his memory, bearing the following inscription:—

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.
OBIT 13 DIE DECEMBRIS,
ANNO DOMINO 1784,
ÆTATIS 75.

And on the other side, on a marble tablet,—“This spot was often dignified by the presence of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., whose moral writings, exactly conformable to the precepts of Christianity, give ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth.”  Over a door of a cottage on the estate are the following lines, the composition of the learned lexicographer:—

p. 105Around this peaceful cot, his humble shed,
If health, if confidence, if virtue tread,
Though no proud column grace the gaudy door,
Where sculptured elegance parades it o’er;
Nor pomp without, nor pageantry within,
Nor splendid shew, nor ornament is seen;
The swain shall look with pity on the great,
Nor barter quiet for a king’s estate.

1768.

Near to this place is the village of Henllan, about two miles from which is Llanefydd, leading to the Aled and Elwy vales.

DINAS MOWDDWY,
(Merionethshire.)

Dinas Mowddwy is an inconsiderable town, in the parish of Mallwyd, pleasantly situated on the shelf of a rock called Craig-y-Ddinas, near the margin of the small river Cerrist, at its conflux with the Dovey, and on the road from Dolgelley to Mallwyd, at the junction of three vales, each of which is inclosed by lofty mountains: it consists chiefly of one street.  The principal building is the “Plâs,” or mansion, being the manor house of the lordship of Mowddwy, which from an early period belonged to the Myttons of Halston, but was lately purchased by a Mr. Bird, of Birmingham.

Slates, of an inferior quality, are dug from the adjacent rocks, for the use of the neighbouring country.

DINORWIC (PORT)

Is situate about half way between Bangor and Caernarvon, and is the shipping place for the Llanberis quarries, belonging to T. Assheton Smith, Esq., of Vaenol.  Upwards of one hundred tons per day are loaded at the wharf, and the railway by which they are conveyed is an object of considerable interest.

DISERTH,
(Flintshire.)

The church of this village stands in a romantic situation, overshadowed with several large yews.  There are some good p. 106paintings in the south window, and in the chancel is inscribed, “Sir John Conway, 1636.”  The yard contains some singular tomb-stones; two in particular have a semi-circular stone upon their tops: also an ancient cross, adorned with wreaths, and another with some traces of a human figure, now inserted into the situation as a style.  The latter is supposed to be the remains of Cross Einion, which was erected on the spot where Einion, son of Risid Flaidd, was slain, at one of the sieges which the castle sustained.

The castle, called sometimes Gerri Castle, (or Castell y Graig,) stands on the summit of a high lime-stone rock, at the distance of half a mile from the village; its remains consist of a few shattered fragments only.  In a field a little to the south, is a ruinous building called Siamber Wen, (the White Hall,) said to have been the house of Sir — Pounderling, a valiant knight, who was constable of the castle, and whose tomb is still to be seen in Dinmeirchion church.  Cwm church, about a mile distant, is surrounded with hills, and commands a view of the Vale of Clwyd.

From the top of one of the hills that surrounds the village issues a water, forming a beautiful cascade, which rises from a small well, culled Ffynnon-asa, (or St. Asaph’s Well,) in a dingle in Cwm parish.  The height of the cascade is 17 yards, concealed between two arches of the rock, behind which it has worn a passage.

DOLGELLEY,
(Merionethshire.)

Dolgelley (the Dale of the Hazel) is the principal market town in Merionethshire, where the assizes are held alternately with Bala.  It is situated in a wide and fertile vale, upon the river Wnion, over which is a stone bridge of seven arches, erected in 1638, but thoroughly repaired and enlarged some years ago.  The town is surrounded by high and, in many parts, wooded mountains.

There are many well-built houses, including a good range, fronted by shops, called Eldon Row, the property of Sir Robert Vaughan; but in general the houses are erected with such extreme p. 107irregularity in regard to each other, as to convey but a mean idea of the projector’s good taste.  The principal building is the county hall, situated near the river; it is a neat stone edifice, erected in 1825, at an expense of £3000.  The court room is handsomely fitted up with necessary accommodations for the officers of justice.  In the hall is a splendid portrait of Sir R. W. Vaughan, Bart. painted by Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A.

The county gaol, situated at the outskirts of the town, is a semicircular edifice of stone, built in 1811, at an expense of nearly £5000; it includes also the house of correction, and comprises three day rooms, and four airing yards, and will admit of a classification of the prisoners into five divisions.  Part of the building in which a parliament was held by Owen Glyndwr, is still standing among a group of old houses, having the post-office in front, near the Ship Inn, and is called Cwrt Plâs yn y Drêv (the town hall court).

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a neat structure built of lime-stone, in the Grecian style of architecture, having a handsome tower and large nave.  There is an ancient monument of an armed knight; he is represented as clad in close mail, wearing a helmet and neck guard, with a sword in his hand and a dog at his feet, and a lion passant gardant on his shield, on which is inscribed, “Hic jacet Mauric, filius Ynyr Vychan.”  There is also a handsome monument lately erected to the memory of Baron Richards, who was a native of this parish.  In 1836, a neat monument was also erected to the memory of the late Rev. John Jones, A.M. Archdeacon of Merioneth.  Service is performed here in the English language, on every alternate Sunday, in the afternoon.  The celebrated antiquary, Robert Vaughan, of Hengwrt, was buried in this church.

This place has long been noted for the manufacture of coarse woollen cloth or flannel, called webs, in which a considerable number of persons are at present employed.  There are several good inns, the Golden Lion, the Angel, and the Ship, at all of which guides may be obtained to Cader Idris and the waterfalls.  There are also three banks here: the old Dolgelley bank, a branch of the North and South Wales, and a branch of the National Provincial.—About three miles from Dolgelley, on the Machynlleth road, is Caerynwch, the seat of Richard Richards, Esq. M.P. for this county.

The town is seen to the greatest advantage at the distance p. 108of about two miles, on the Machynlleth road; but, like in other Welsh towns, is only pleasing at a distance.  The prospects from a spot called the Bowling-green are singularly fine.  The threatening summit of Cader Idris, the northern ascent to which appears nearly perpendicular, lends its mountain sublimity; a train of subordinate inequalities, stretching their rugged eminences along its base.  But if the town affords so little to gratify the curiosity of the inquisitive tourist, its neighbourhood abounds with objects of the most interesting character.  Sir H. Hoare asserts, that he “knows of no place in the Principality whence so many pleasing and interesting excursions may be made, and where nature bears so rich, varied, and grand an aspect, as at Dolgelley.”

A new road leading from Dolgelley to Towyn was recently opened, by which the very hilly and dangerous route through Llanegryn is entirely avoided.  It passes by Penmaen Pool, Abergwynnant (the mansion of Sir H. Bunbury), Garthangharad, Arthog, Ynysfaig, and Henddol, through the village of Llwyngiul, where there is a very comfortable inn, called the Garthangharad Arms.  From the bridge by Abergwynnant, a most magnificent view of Cader Idris presents itself; and in going along the sea-coast opposite to Barmouth, there is a delightful view of Cardigan Bay, Bardsey Island, and the Caernarvonshire mountains.  The variety, beauty, and extent of prospects on this road are not surpassed in any part of the Principality.  The highway from Barmouth ferry comes into this road by Ynysfaig.

The waterfalls in this vicinity are interesting attractions to the tourist: these are Rhaiadr Dû (the Black Cataract); Rhaiadr-y-Mawddach (the Fall of the river Mawddach); Pistyll-y-Cain (the Fall of the Cain).  The first is about five, the two latter about eight miles from Dolgelley, and all of them near the high road leading towards Maentwrog.  These falls may be classed among the most magnificent and picturesque cataracts of the Principality.

Y Vanner, or Kymmer Abbey,

Stands in its mouldering desolation about a mile and a half from Dolgelley, and half a mile from Llanilltyd, near the banks of the Maw.  The ruins may be visited by the pedestrian, in his way to the waterfalls.  The abbey was founded in 1198, by Meredith and Griffith, lords of Merioneth.  The monks p. 109were of the Cistercian order, and the abbey was dedicated to St. Mary.  Part only of the church of this monastery is left, and the refectory and abbot’s lodgings are built into an adjoining farm-house.

Within a few hundred yards of the village of Llanilltyd, in this parish, on the right of the road from Dolgelley, stands Hengwrt, the property of Colonel Vaughan, of Rhûg, formerly the residence of Robert Vaughan, Esq. the eminent antiquary, author of British Antiquities Revived and other learned works.  The library here contains the largest collection of Welsh MSS. in existence.  It was principally from the MSS. in this library that Aneurin Owen, Esq. compiled his able Digest of the Old Welsh Laws.

Nassau Park.

About two miles from Dolgelley, is an ancient seat, formerly belonging to the Nannau family, but now the property and residence of Sir Robert Williames Vaughan, Bart.

The grounds of Nannau are entered under a fine gateway, the house being a mile distant from the entrance to the park; which for picturesque beauty and the calm grandeur of rural scenery, is not surpassed by any domain in the Principality.  Some romantic traditions also confer additional interest on this charming scene.  In the higher part are the remains of a British post, called Moel Orthrwm (or the Hill of Oppression), having probably been held by some notorious tyrant of the olden time.  Here also once stood an immense oak, blasted and hollowed by time, in which, according to popular belief, Owen Glyndwr inhumed the fresh-bleeding corpse of his treacherous cousin, Howel Sele, who had been bribed to make an attempt upon his life, where it remained concealed for forty years.  In Pennant’s time, the trunk of this patriarchal tree was twenty-seven feet and a half in circumference; it was in the last stage of decay, and pierced by age into the form of a Gothic arch.  Its end is thus described by Sir Richard Colt Hoare: “During a visit to Sir Robert Vaughan, in the summer of the year 1813, this aged tree, mentioned by Mr. Pennant, attracted my notice; and in the morning of the 13th of July, I made a drawing of it, on one of the most sultry days I ever felt; the succeeding night was equally hot, and on the same night this venerable oak fell to the ground.”

The gardens at Nannau are very extensive, and laid out with excellent taste: they contain a number of choice exotics, and p. 110an inspection of them proves a source of never-failing gratification to every lover of horticultural pursuits.

Angling Stations.

FFESTINIOG,
(Merionethshire.)

Ffestiniog is a small but increasing village, standing on eminence at the head of the beautiful vale of Maentwrog.  The population amounts to 1648, principally employed in the slate quarries, about four miles from the village.  The church is built in the ancient style of English architecture, and dedicated to St. Michael.  A gallery has recently been erected at the west end, containing seventy-two free sittings.  There are also several dissenting places of worship, with Sunday schools attached.  A national school for the parishes of Ffestiniog and Maentwrog, was opened in 1830, in a neat building erected a short distance from the village on the Maentwrog road.  Mrs. Oakeley, of Tan-y-Bwlch, has lately built and endowed a chapel of ease near the quarries.  It is intended for the convenience of the inhabitants of the houses that have been built in the vicinity of the quarries, which are upwards of four miles distant from the parish church.

There are two good inns, the Pengwern Arms, and the Newborough Arms; at the former, cars and post horses may be obtained; there is likewise attached to it a very comfortable boarding-house, kept by Miss Owen.  There is a branch of the North and South Wales bank here.  The roads in this neighbourhood have, of late, been much improved.  A rail road it now completed for the conveyance of slates to Port Madoc, a distance of about fourteen miles.

p. 111The scenery of Ffestiniog closely resembles that of St. Helena, and particularly Sandy Hook Cove.  The vale which gives celebrity to this village has been eulogized by many distinguished travellers.  Mr. Pennant calls it the “Tempê of the country.”  Mr. Warner observes, “that it comprehends every object that can enrich or diversify a landscape.”  Mr. Wyndham affirms, that “it affords as rich studies for the painter, as the neighbourhood of Tivoli or Frascati.”  And Lord Lyttelton, who visited the place about the year 1756, is still more lavish in his encomiums.  More recent travellers have been equally enthusiastic in their admiration of this pleasant locality.—About half a mile from Ffestiniog are the

Falls of the Cynvael.

One of these is about three hundred yards above, and the other three hundred yards below a rustic stone bridge, three quarters of a mile distant.  The upper fall consists of three steep rocks, over which the water foams into a deep black basin, overshadowed by the adjoining rocks.  The other is formed by a broad sheet of water, precipitated down a slightly shelving rock, about 40 feet high.  After the water has reached the bottom of the deep concavity, it rushes along a narrow rocky chasm, where rolling amid the shaggy rocks, it glistens among the scattered fragments, and falling from slope to slope, gains a smoother bed, and steals among the mazes of the vale.  In the pools below these falls, there is excellent fishing, the trout and salmon being very numerous.  Between the lower cataract and the bridge is a tall columnar rock, which stands in the bed of the river, called Pulpit Hugh Llwyd Cynvael (or Hugh Lloyd’s Pulpit.)

There are few vales which afford such delightful prospects.  Many of the high mountains bounding its sides, are shaded by oaks, and the serpentine Dwyryd steals placidly along the bottom through rich cultivated fields.  This river, at the bottom of the valley, receives the tide, and expands into a wide lake-like channel, called Traeth Bychan, where it flows through the sandy estuary of Traeth Bach, and into Cardigan bay, the sea at a distance closing the view.

The village of Maentwrog is delightfully situated near the middle of the vale.—About four miles distant, among the hills, is

p. 112Cwm-orddin Lake.

This and several other lakes are notable for the excellent sport they afford for angling.  Of these, a gentleman who is fond of this diversion, and who has visited those parts, has kindly furnished us with the following information:—“The fish in Cwm-orddin Lake (says he) rise more eagerly to flies than any I ever saw.  The fish are rather small, and not good for the table.  The two best stations for angling, are, first, where the boat is kept; second, the head of the lake.  Throw among the weeds, fearlessly, as they always come away with a pull.

Llyn Morwynion,

Contains excellent fish, both in size and quality, but they are very shy: it is about two miles from Ffestiniog, near the Capel Curig road.—No boat.

Llyn Maonod,

About two miles and a half from Ffestiniog, contains most excellent trout, far less shy than those of Morwynion.  No boat.—There is a small lake just below the summit of Moel Wyn, which may be tried by any one wishing to combine a fine extensive view with sport.  No boat.—Llyn Conway is at times difficult of access round its banks, being marshy.  No boat.—There are two or three lakes on the right of the road to Bala.  My opinion is, that without a boat the angler will do little on a lake.  I would recommend, therefore, a very long rod when you must fish from shore.  There is good salmon fishing in the river that runs past Maentwrog.  In the beginning of June, I found the sand fly excellent for the lakes.”

FLINT,
(Flintshire.)

Flint is a borough, market-town, and sea-port, and a parochial chapelry in the parish of Northop, and is the ancient capital of the county: it contains a population of 2860 inhabitants.  Although it cannot be identified with any Roman station mentioned in the Itineraries, it was nevertheless either of Roman or Roman-British origin, as is proved from the circumstance of its even now occupying a rectangular entrenched area, p. 113like that of a Roman place of defence, and by the discovery, at various times, both here and in the neighbourhood, of Roman coins, fibulæ, &c., while at the same time it is traditionally related that a very large town existed here at an early period.

The town is situated on the shore of the estuary of the Dee, opposite to Parkgate, to which ferry-boats ply daily from Flint.  It consists of four principal streets, crossing each other at right angles; the buildings, however, are very inferior in appearance.  The town-hall, and gaol where the county prisoners are kept, are tolerable structures, but the assizes are held at Mold, six miles distant.  Close to the town are extensive collieries, in which several hundred men are constantly employed, and 1,500 tons of coal are raised weekly: rail-roads have been constructed to convey the coal to the wharfs, whence it is sent coastwise to Chester, and to various parts of North Wales.  The principal exports, in addition to the vast quantity of coal, are the produce of the lead works in the vicinity, consisting of lead in pigs, bars, sheets, and patent pipes; red lead, litharge, and silver.

For the convenience of persons who visit Flint, hot baths have been constructed, and are provided with every requisite accommodation.  The Royal Oak and the Ship may be considered inns of the second order.  The government of the town was vested in a mayor, the constable of the castle (appointed by letters patent), two bailiffs, a recorder, and twelve capital burgesses, assisted by a mace-bearer, and other officers, elected annually, until the municipal Reform Act superseded the charters.  It is one of the contributory boroughs, which, in conjunction with Caergwrle, Caerwys, Overton, Rhuddlan, St. Asaph, Holywell, and Mold, return one member to parliament.  There are daily ferry-boats plying between Flint and Chester, at the low rate of six-pence for each passenger.

The Castle.

The remains of this ancient structure stand upon a rock in the marsh at the bottom of the town, and so near the river, that at high water the walls are washed by the tide.  It has been a square building, with a tower at each angle, considerable remains of every one of which are yet left.  The tower at the south-east corner, which is called the Double Tower, is much larger than the others.  In its outward diameter it measures p. 114forty feet; it is formed by two concentric walls, each six feet thick, having a gallery eight feet wide included between them, and leaving a circular area of about twenty feet in diameter, into which there was an entry from the gallery by four doors.  This appears to have been the keep.  The interior of the castle is a square court, containing about an acre of ground.  In the curtain on the west side, there are yet left several windows with pointed arches.

Antiquarians are undecided as to the founder of Flint castle, some asserting that it was commenced by Henry the Second, and completed by Edward the First; while others affirm that it was entirely the work of the latter.  It was alternately in possession of the Welsh and English princes during the various vicissitudes which distinguished the wars of that period; and in 1399 was the scene of the betrayal of the unfortunate monarch, Richard the Second, by Percy, Earl of Northumberland, into the power of his ambitious rival, Bolingbroke, the “aspiring Lancaster.”  Under the insidious pretence that Bolingbroke, who was waiting for the king at Flint, desired only to have his property restored, and that the kingdom should have a parliament, Northumberland met Richard at Conway, where he had gone after his return from Ireland; and they were journeying together, when, among the recesses of the mountains near Penmaen Rhôs, the latter observed a band of soldiers.  Alarmed for his safety, and now fearful of the snare that was laid for him, he attempted to return; but Percy, springing forward, caught his horse’s bridle, and forcibly directed his course.  They dined together at Rhuddlan castle, and arrived on the same evening at Flint.  The next day, “after dinner, (says Stowe) the Duke of Lancaster entered the castle all armed, his basinet excepted.  King Richard came down to meet him; and the duke, as soon as he saw the king, fell down on his knees, and coming near unto him, he kneeled a second time with his hat in his hand; and the king then put off his hoode, and spoke first: ‘Fair cousin of Lancaster, you are right welcome.’  The duke, bowing low to the ground, answered, ‘My lord, I am come before you sent for me; the reason why I shall shew you.  The common fame among your people is such, that ye have for the space of twenty or two-and-twenty years, ruled them very rigorously; but, if it please our lord, I will help you to govern better!’  The duke then, with a high sharp voice, bade bring forth the king’s horses, and two little nagges, not worth fourtie p. 115franks, were brought forthe: the king was set on the one, and the Earl of Salisbury on the other; and thus the duke brought them from Flint to Chester;” whence, after a night’s rest, they were marched to London, and made a public entry into the metropolis, under those moving circumstances which are so exquisitely narrated by Shakspere in his tragedy of Richard the Second.

In the civil wars, Flint castle was garrisoned for the king, by Sir Roger Mostyn, and was defended with great bravery, but was at last surrendered to General Mytton.  In August, 1646, it was ordered to be dismantled, with Hawarden and several other fortresses, and has since fallen into utter decay, though its ruins present towards the sea a somewhat imposing appearance.

GRESFORD,
(Denbighshire.)

Gresford is a beautiful village, situated on the western side of the road from Wrexham to Chester, near the head of a romantic valley, which opens into the Vale Royal of Cheshire, a tract of country remarkable for the richness of its soil, the beauty of its scenery, and the diversified views which it presents.  The little vale of Gresford was one of the most lovely in the Principality; but the fiery dragons of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway have now invaded its tranquil retreats, and marred the picturesque charms of this locality.

On one of the richly wooded eminences overlooking the vale, stands Gresford Church, a truly noble and admirable specimen of ecclesiastical architecture, in the late perpendicular style, which was probably built during the latter part of the reign of Henry the Seventh.  No tourist, who has the least taste for ecclesiology, should neglect to examine this sacred edifice, which exhibits in its construction a combination of beauties that never fail to command the eulogiums of the intelligent and discriminating.  Its appearance is also much enhanced by the scenery around it, and those only who are familiar with the vicinity can feel how admirably the church harmonises with the country.  Its melodious peal of bells was once reckoned among the seven wonders of North Wales; but wonders p. 116since those days have become more plentiful, and some people say the peal is actually deteriorated.  In the churchyard is a remarkable yew tree, 30 feet in girth, which botanists say is more than 2000 years old.  This tree attracts even as much notice as the church itself.

Deeply sheltered in the vale, is Gresford Lodge, the elegant seat of Mrs. W. Egerton.  Upper Gwersyllt Hall, on the banks of the Alyn, was the residence of Colonel Robinson, a distinguished partizan of the unfortunate Charles the First, who was interred in Gresford church in 1680.  Lower Gwersyllt was occupied by another zealous adherent of that prince, Jefferey Shakerley.

From the top of Marford Hill, on the road towards Chester, is a most magnificent and extensive view of the vale of Cheshire, the “old city,” and the river Dee.  In the immediate vicinity of the village, is an eminence called the Rofts, formerly a British camp, treble-trenched, having at one corner a lofty mount or keep.

Angling station.—The river Alyn.

HANMER,
(Flintshire.)

This village, which forms a detached portion of Flintshire, takes its name from a spacious mere or lake, in form resembling a human hand, on one side of which the village is pleasantly situated.  It stands on the road betwixt Wrexham and Whitchurch.  The lake occupies a space of 73 acres, on one side of which stands the family mansion of Sir John Hanmer, and on the other the seat of Lord Kenyon.  In the church is a handsome monument, erected in 1806, to the memory of Lord Chief Justice Kenyon, who was born at Gredington, in the vicinity.  There is another monument in honour of Sir Thomas Hanmer, who was Speaker of the House of Commons in the reign of Queen Anne.

Hanmer is distinguished by the Welsh, as being the birthplace of their celebrated bard, Davydd ab Edmund, who at an Eisteddvod, held at Caermarthen, in 1451, won the bardic chair, and through his superior eloquence obtained the sanction p. 117of that congress to his twenty-four canons of Welsh poetry, by which the “science” has, in a great measure, been governed ever since.

HARLECH,
(Merionethshire.)

Harlech, or Harddlech, is an inconsiderable place, situated upon a barren rock, containing four or five hundred inhabitants; it is the county town of Merionethshire, and all elections for a representative in parliament take place here.  Its name is derived from its situation, originally called Twr Bronwen, and afterwards Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ap Tagno, who resided there about 877.  Harlech castle stands on a rocky eminence, close by the marshy tract between the hills and Cardigan bay, bearing it is said a strong resemblance to the Turkish castle of Belgrade.  It consists of one large square building, each side measuring about 70 yards, having a round tower at the several corners, crowned with turrets now nearly defaced.  The walls, now clad with ivy, are lofty and of great thickness, from the summit of which a most splendid and sublime prospect may be commanded, including a vast extent of marine and mountain scenery.

According to ancient history, this castle was built by Maelgwyn Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, about 530, and Edward I. founded the present fortress upon the ruins of the old building.  It was completed in 1283.  In 1404, this castle, with that of Aberystwyth, was seized by Owen Glyndwr, during his contest with Henry IV.  They were both retaken, about four years afterwards, by an army which the king despatched into Wales.  Margaret of Anjou, the haughty queen of Henry VI., after the king’s defeat at Northampton, in 1460, fled from Coventry, and found an asylum in this fortress.

In the civil wars of Charles I. Harlech castle was the last in North Wales which held out for the king.  Near this place is a curious antique monument, called Coeten Arthur, or King Arthur’s Quoit, which is a large flat stone, lying horizontally, supported by two others.  The supporters are about twenty inches square, two of them are eight feet high, and the incumbent p. 118stone, inclining to an oval, is eleven feet in length.  Col. Vaughan, of Rhûg, is constable of the castle.

In the winter of 1694, this neighbourhood was greatly alarmed by a kind of fiery exhalation, or mephitic vapour, which arose from a sandy marshy tract of land, called Morfa Bychan (the little marsh), across the channel, eight miles towards Harlech, and injured much of the country, by poisoning the grass in such a manner as to kill the cattle, and to set fire to hay and corn ricks for near a mile from the coast.  It is represented to have had the appearance of a weak blue flame, which by any noise, such as the firing of guns, or the sounding of a horn, was easily extinguished.  All the damage was done invariably in the night, and in the course of the winter not less than sixteen hay ricks and two barns, one filled with corn and the other with hay, were burnt by it.  It did not appear to affect anything else, and the men could go into it without receiving any injury.  It was observed at different times during eight months.  The occasion of this singular phenomenon has never been satisfactorily accounted for.

In 1692, a golden torque, which is now placed amongst the admirable collection of Welsh antiquities at Mostyn, was discovered near Harlech.  It is in the form of a wreathed bar of gold, highly polished, twisted, and flexible.  It is hooked at both ends, and about four feet long.

From Harlech an excursion may be made to Cwm Bychan (the little hollow), about four miles distant.—One mile from the town may be seen a circle of stones, thirty yards in diameter, probably one of those druidic circles in which were held the gorseddau, or bardic meetings.  Cwm Bychan is a grassy dell, about half a mile in length, surrounded by desolate scenery.  On the right, at its entrance, is the small pool called Llyn y Cym Bychan, from the edge of which Carreg y Saeth (the Rock of the Arrow), towers in dreary blackness; yet the landscape extends hence in great magnificence.  Descending into the hollow, past an ancient mansion, and ascending on the other side, a deep mountain hollow occurs, called Bwlch Tyddiad.  Passing upon this rocky cleft beyond the higher mountains, a fine prospect of all the country eastward suddenly opens, bounded by the majestic Cader Idris, the two Arrenigs, and other ranges of commanding grandeur.

Out of the track, two miles south of Harlech, is a cromlech, in a farm called Gwern Einion; and on the side of the hill, p. 119where the road passes, in the recesses of a wood, is a considerable cataract.  Between the cromlech and the town of Harlech is another druidic circle.

At the ebb of the tide, part of a long stone wall, which runs out into the sea from Machran, a point of land a few miles south of Harlech, may be seen.  It extends in a W.S.W. direction for nearly twenty miles, and is called Sarn Badrig, or Sarn Badrwyg (the Shipwrecking Causeway), an astonishing work, being throughout 24 feet thick.  Sarn y Bwlch runs from a point N.W. of Harlech, and is supposed to meet the end of this.  The space between is said to have formed, several centuries ago, a habitable hundred of Merionethshire, called Cantref Gwaelod (the Lowland Hundred).  Those walls, as it is supposed, were built to keep out the sea.

The principal inn is the Blue Lion, where post chaises may be had, and a guide procured to conduct the tourist to the many objects of attraction in the neighbourhood.  The parish church having become very dilapidated, a new one, more conveniently situated, has been built, on a site given by the late Sir R. W. Vaughan, of Nannau.  It was consecrated in 1841; the expense of its erection being defrayed by subscriptions, aided by grants from the Incorporated Society for building and repairing Churches, and from the Bangor Diocesan Church Building Society.  The service is occasionally performed in the English language.

Angling Stations.

HAWARDEN,
(Flintshire.)

This prosperous little town, pronounced Harden, consists of one continuous street, more than half a mile long, and has a neat and cleanly appearance.  The British name was Pennardd p. 120Halawg, or Pennardd-y-Lâg, corrupted probably from Pen-y-Lwch (the head-land above the lake), the surrounding marshes having been once covered by the sea.  It has a weekly market and the population of the parish is rated at somewhat above 6000 inhabitants.  The Glynne Arms is the principal inn where the traveller may be comfortably accommodated.

Extensive collieries are worked in this parish, and there are also several large brick and tile works, besides numerous potteries for the manufacture of the coarser kind of earthenware.  An extensive foundry is carried on at Hawarden by Messrs. Williams & Co., and has become celebrated for the manufacture of steam-engines, iron steam-boats, and other works of mechanical science which modern enterprise has brought into active requisition.  The river Dee, or Chester channel, passes within about two miles of the town, and thus affords every facility of water conveyance.

The living is a “peculiar,” in the patronage of Sir S. R. Glynne, and of which the Rev. H. Glynne is the rector.  Its value, according to the “Liber Ecelesiasticus,” is £2844.  The church, dedicated to St. Deiniol, is an ancient and spacious structure, with a square embattled tower.  It was thoroughly repaired in 1764, and the chancel was almost entirely rebuilt in 1817, at an expense of £1400, jointly defrayed by the Hon. and Rev. George Neville Grenville, then rector, the late Lord Amesbury, and the inhabitants.  Various restorations and improvements have also been effected by the present rector.

Hawarden has likewise the advantage of an endowed grammar school.  The parish is very extensive, and besides the church just noticed, contains three others; all in admirable condition, and remarkable for the exemplary order and efficiency with which the services of our holy liturgy are solemnized.  There is one at Broughton, another at Buckley, which has lately been repaired and beautified; and a third at Pen-y-mynydd, which is an elegant and perfect specimen of architecture.  It was built at the cost of Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart. M.P., and was consecrated in 1843.  With each of these churches, commodious schools are connected; and indeed, the ecclesiastical establishments, within the peculiar of Hawarden, are worthy of all praise.  Hawarden Park, one of the most charming and picturesque of the many noble domains scattered through the Principality, is remarkable for the extreme verdure and softness of its grass, the majestic stateliness of its trees, the calm solitudes p. 121of its glens, and the combined loveliness and sublimity of its landscape scenery.  It is also a spot of much historical interest; as within its territory, stand the ivy-clad ruins of an ancient castle, which, in past ages, was a fortress of great importance.

Little more than fragments of the former towers and keep remain; indeed, a considerable portion of the ruin was itself obscured by heaps of rubbish, till the late Sir John Glynne had them removed, and the foundations laid open to view.  It was constructed in a pentagonal form; on one side was a spacious gateway, and on the other a kind of barbican.  At one angle was situated the keep or citadel, a circular tower still nearly entire, and which forms one of the most picturesque objects that strike the eye on first approaching ‘its ancient solitary reign.’  Other portions consist of the relics of the vast mouldering walls—of massive donjons,—and, in one part, of a long flight of steps, at the bottom of which was a door and a draw-bridge, crossing a ravine to another division of the castle, embracing, most probably, the prison, thus fearfully secured.

On all sides it was surrounded by deep chasms and fosses, and, from its extensive plan and broad foundations, it has the appearance of having been erected at different periods—of having been sometimes defaced and at others restored, according to the vicissitudes and fortunes of war.

Dating soon after the Conquest, it came into possession of Roger Fitzvalerine, a son of one of the adventurers who followed the Norman Conqueror.  It was subsequently held, on the tenure of seneschalship, by the family of Monthault, of the Earls of Chester, and finally annexed by Henry the Third to the crown.  After this it came into the possession of Prince Llywelyn, and was stormed by his brother David.  On the subjection of the country, Hawarden was granted to the house of Salisbury, and afterwards to that of Stanley.  From Thomas, Earl of Derby, it descended to his second wife Margaret, Countess of Richmond, and mother of Henry the Seventh.  In 1495, that monarch is stated to have honoured the castle with a visit, to enjoy the pleasures of the chase; but his real motive was to ingratiate himself with the Earl her husband, after the ungrateful act of executing his brother Sir William Stanley, to whose assistance he was mainly indebted for the crown.  The estates continued in the family till the execution of James Earl of Derby, in 1651; and, not long after, they were purchased p. 122by Sergeant Glynne, from the Commissioners of Sequestration.

It was at Hawarden that the ambitious Earl of Leicester, after securing the persons of the King and his son Edward, entered into that fatal league with Llywelyn which compelled Henry to surrender the sovereignty of Wales, with the homage of its baronial suffrages, which were transferred to the Welsh prince.  In the last struggle for independence, it was surprised by David, his brother, on the night of Palm Sunday, and the entire garrison put to the sword.  This prince had acted with equal perfidy towards Edward the First, his benefactor, and towards Llywelyn.

From the now broken towers of Hawarden, there is a vast and most magnificent prospect, embracing a wide sweep of country, from the Vale Royal of Cheshire to the estuaries of the Dee and the Mersey.

The modern mansion of Hawarden Park, the seat of Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart. M.P., Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire, is a stately structure, erected by Sir John Glynne in 1752.  In 1809 it received some magnificent additions, and then assumed the form of a castellated edifice, with antique-looking windows and turrets.  The pleasure-grounds are beautiful and extensive.

To the west of Hawarden church, in a field near to the turnpike-road, is an artificial mount of earth, which Mr. Pennant conjectures to have been a small camp.  Tradition says, it was raised as a fortification, to prevent Henry the Second from advancing by this pass into Wales, in 1157.  The prospects therefrom are delightfully grand, comprehending a view of Chester and the entire course of the silvery Dee from the old city to the Irish channel.—About two miles from Hawarden stands

Buckley Mountain.

which has now become the thriving seat of a large population engaged in the collieries; and in the manufacture of earthenware, draining tiles, and fire-bricks; all of which are held in high repute, and consequently command an extensive trade.

Ewloe Castle

is distant from Hawarden about two miles, and stands a quarter of a mile to the right from the turnpike-road leading thence to Northop.  This interesting and lonely ruin does not discover p. 123itself by lofty towers, but will require some trouble to find it, as it is concealed on the east, west, and south, by the adjoining grounds, and embosomed in trees to the north, without any visible way of approach, save up the streamlet, which passes at its foot, and discharges itself into the estuary of the Dee, about two miles and a half below.  Pennant designates this structure a small fortress, but from its present appearance it seems better calculated for the retirement or resort of a gang of desperate marauders, than for any military purpose.  The towers are now finely overgrown with ivy, and command the view of three wooded glens, forming a gloomy solitude.  The time of its erection is involved in some obscurity.—In the woods, near this place, called to this day,

Coed Ewloe,

part of the flower of the army detached by Henry the Second, in 1157, from his camp on Saltney, was surprised and defeated by David and Conan, the sons of Owen Gwynedd, sent by their father with a strong party from his camp near Basingwerk.  They suffered the enemy to march along the straits of the country, till their forces were entangled in the depth of the woods and the steeps of the narrow valleys.  The attack was fierce, sudden, and unexpected: the slaughter dreadful; and the pursuit carried even to Henry’s encampment.  This proved to the English but a prelude to a second defeat.  The king, with intent to repair the disgrace, marched forward with his whole army; and at Coleshill, near Flint, suffered himself to be entrapped into the same dilemma which his detachment had before experienced.  His forces were again defeated, and several of his chiefs, with numbers of his men, slain.  Henry de Essex, hereditary standard-bearer, and a man of approved valour, was seized with a panic, and throwing down the standard, cried out the king was killed.  The route would have been general, if the king had not valiantly rallied his forces, and repulsed the Welsh; but in the end he thought it prudent to withdraw his army, and encamp in a more secure situation.  He afterwards attempted to cut off the retreat of Owen Gwynedd by marching along the shore, and placing himself between him and the mountains; but the sagacious prince, penetrating his views, retired to a plain near St. Asaph, still called Cil Owen (or Owen’s Retreat), and thence to a strong post, called Brin-y-Pin, defended by great ramparts and ditches.

p. 124HOLT,
(Denbighshire.)

A small village, on the west bank of the Dee, was once a market town, and a place of some consequence; yet, even in its decayed and delapidated state, it has for its governor a mayor and two bailiffs.—The two villages of Holt and Farndon are separated only by the river, and communicate by a bridge of ten arches, built in 1345.  The Dee at this place divides England from Wales; Farndon being in Cheshire, and Holt in Denbighshire.

HOLYHEAD,
(Anglesea.)

This place, which is of very remote antiquity, derives its Welsh name, Caer Gybi, implying the fortress or city of Cybi (pronounced Kubby), from its situation on a small island at the western extremity of Anglesea, called Ynys Cybi, for many years the residence of a British saint of that name, who is said to have been the son of Solomon Duke of Cornwall.  Its population in 1841, was 3869 inhabitants.

Owing to the very extensive intercourse which now subsists between Great Britain and Ireland, the town has, within the last few years, rapidly increased in extent and improved in appearance.  From its advantageous situation, it has been selected as the principal station of the post-office packets, for conveying the mails to Dublin; and among other improvements, a new line of road has been constructed under the walls of the town, along the margin of the traeth, or sandy estuary, which forms the harbour, extending more than a mile along an artificial embankment, from the entrance of the town to the commencement of the pier.  This pier extends from the small island, called Ynys Halen, or Salt Island, in an east south-easterly direction into the sea, and is 360 yards in length.  It is connected with the main land by a handsome iron bridge of one arch, dividing the centre, and each part turning on a swivel to afford a passage on either side.  Beyond this bridge are the p. 125engineer’s house, the custom house, the harbour-master’s offices, and the depôt for the post-office stores: further on is a grand triumphal arch, built by subscription of the gentry of the county of Anglesey, to commemorate the circumstance of the royal squadron having anchored in Holyhead bay, on the night of the 6th of August, 1821, and the landing of his majesty George IV. on the following day.  The grand terminus of the Chester and Holyhead railway will be on the site of the present pier, and it has been resolved by government to make a packet station and harbour of refuge, equal to the wants of the whole Irish channel, and upon a most extensive and magnificent scale, from designs made by the celebrated engineer, Mr. Rendel.  When the railway and harbour improvements are completed, the transit between London and Dublin will be accomplished in thirteen hours.

The triumphal arch, which was opened in August, 1824, is a chaste and elegant structure of Mona marble, brought from the Red-wharf Quarry, and consists of a central carriage way, separated on each side by two handsome pillars of the Doric order from a footway, enclosed by a wall ornamented at the extremities with antæ of correspondent character, the whole twenty feet high, and supporting a boldly projecting cornice, surmounted by three diminishing tiers of masonry, forming a platform.  Over the carriage-way, on each side, is a large entablature, respectively bearing inscriptions in Welsh and Latin, commemorative of the event.

The lighthouse is built entirely of hewn stone, and without any other timber than what was necessary for the door cases and window frames.  It consists of three stories, the ceilings of which are groined, and the gloves are of smooth stone: its base is six feet above high water mark, and is protected from the sea by a stone glacis.  The tower, which is circular, is thirty-three feet in height to the gallery, and the lantern, which is ten feet higher, is lighted with twenty brilliant lights of oil gas, having reflectors plated with silver, and displaying a strong white light, which, being at an elevation of fifty feet above the level of the sea, affords a safe guide to vessels approaching the harbour.  The whole of these works were completed at an expense of about £130,000, and a graving dock was constructed at an additional expense of £12,000.

The post-office establishment at this place consists of six steam packets of 230 tons burden, which sail regularly from p. 126this port and Kingstown, keeping up a constant intercourse between the two countries.

No manufactures are carried on at this place: several attempts have been made at considerable expense to explore the mineral treasures with which the parish was supposed to abound, but nothing of importance has yet been discovered, except veins of Mona marble, called “verd antique,” which have been worked to some extent.  The trade consists chiefly in the building of coasting vessels, the repairing of all the post office steam packets belonging to the several ports of England and Wales, and the making of ropes and cables.  The market is on Saturday.  The North and South Wales bank has a branch here.

The church, dedicated to St. Cybi, is a spacious cruciform structure, principally in the decorated style of English architecture.

The promontory called the Head, by which the harbour is sheltered from the westerly winds, presents a singular aspect, its sides towards the sea forming in some parts immense perpendicular precipices, while in others they are worn, by the continued action of the waves, into caverns of magnificent and romantic appearance.  Of these, one called the “parliament house,” is accessible only by boats at half ebb ride, and consists of a series of receding arches, supported by massive and lofty pillars of rock, displaying an interior of picturesque beauty and sublime grandeur.  Some of these caverns afford shelter for gulls, razor-bills, herons, cormorants, and other birds; and the loftiest crags are frequented by the peregrine falcon.  The eggs of these birds are in great request as a delicacy for the table; and some of the hardiest inhabitants are employed in the hazardous task of procuring them for sale.

There are several ancient military forts in the neighbourhood, whose appearance indicates them to be of Roman origin.  At a small distance westerly is a large hill, having several natural and artificial curiosities.  Within about 200 yards of the top are the remains of a strong wall, which seem to have belonged, as well as the churchyard walls, to a place of defence against the frequent incursions of the Irish.  To the W. S. W. of the top, and nearly under it, in a situation awfully romantic, are the remains of a chapel.  From the top of this mountain there is a most extensive view, comprehending the Isle of Man, the hill of Howth on the Irish coast, and parts of the Highlands of Scotland.

p. 127Many gold Roman coins of the time of later emperors were found a few years ago in Holyhead mountain; and in 1835, in removing some old walls at Ty Mawr (Great House), the property of Lord Stanley, of Alderley, were found several spear heads, axes, and rings, of bronze, with red amber blades, which from the form and the nature of the materials, appear to be of Phœnician origin.  At Trefigreeth, another farm belonging to the Stanley family, situated within a quarter of a mile of the London and Holyhead road, about one mile from the town, is a small but perfect cromlech.  A larger one, in great preservation, may be seen at Presadwaedd, about four miles from Holyhead.  And at Tywyn-y-Capel, about two miles from Holyhead, on the old post road, and close to the sea, is a very singular mound, on the top of which, a few years ago, were the remains of a small chapel.  The mound is artificial, being formed of sea sand.  It is filled with graves.  The coffins are formed of rude flat stones, and are placed in rows above each other.  They contain the remains of persons of both sexes.  The sea every year makes encroachments upon it, laying open the graves and strewing the shore with bones.  Tradition is silent as to the origin of this singular place of burial.  It is worth the investigation of the antiquary.

The South Stack Light-house is connected with the harbour, and materially contributes to facilitate its access.  It is erected on the summit of an isolated rock, three or four miles westward from Holyhead, and separated from the main land by a chasm 90 feet in width.  This splendid structure was raised in the year 1808.  The elevation of the summit of the rock on which it is erected, is 140 feet above the level of the sea at high water mark; the height of the tower, from the base to the gallery, is 60 feet; and the lantern is 12 feet high from the gallery; making the total elevation of the light 212 feet above high water mark.  The light is produced by twenty-one brilliant lamps, with powerful reflectors placed on a revolving triangular frame, displaying a full-faced light every two minutes, which, in clear weather, is distinctly visible at a distance of ten leagues.  Latterly there has been an addition of three red lights placed at the rock, which are more distinctly visible in foggy weather than the light-house lights.  The rough sea caused by the strong tides, about the head, rendered the communication by boat very precarious.  In order to obviate the danger, a passage was contrived by means of two p. 128ropes thrown across the gulph, along which the individual was drawn in a box or cradle, by the assistance of pulleys affixed at each end.  This plan was superseded by a bridge of ropes, which was used some years after, though always considered unsafe, on account of the constant wear of the ropes.  In 1827, a modern suspension chain bridge was thrown over the sound, the span of which is 110 feet, the chains being firmly bolted in the rock on each side, and carried over two massive stone pillars erected for the purpose.  The chain supports a platform of timber five feet wide, and 70 feet above high water mark.  The bridge is attained by descending the Holyhead mountain in a zigzag direction, by a flight of 380 steps.

On the rocks south of the harbour of Holyhead, and commanding the town, an obelisk has been erected by public subscription to the memory of the late Captain Skinner, formerly master of one of the post-office packets on this station, who lost his life by being washed overboard in 1833.  He was very generally respected, and had been a commander on this station for many years.

To the N. E. is the Isle of Skerries, on which there is also a light-house.

There are several good inns at Holyhead, the principal of which is the Eagle and Child Hotel.

For romantic wildness and stern grandeur of aspect, no place can surpass this portion of the iron-bound coast of Anglesea.

HOLYWELL,
(Flintshire.)

Holywell, called by the Welsh Trêffynnon, (or the Town of the Well,) is an improving and pleasantly-situated place, on the great road from Chester to Holyhead; the town and parish containing a population of 10,834, with a crowded market on the Friday.

But before going into any topographical particulars, we must introduce our readers to the legend of the miraculous well of the famous St. Winefred, as put into an agreeable narrative by Miss Costello:—

p. 129We stopped at a remarkably good inn, and lost no time in going down the steep hill at the bottom of which the pretty little chapel over the fine well is situated.  Nothing can be more secluded and pleasing than its position by the side of the handsome church with its low churchyard, all placed in a deep hollow, so removed from the upper town, that the bells summoning to prayer cannot be heard above, and a ringer is accustomed to go about the town with the large bell slung round his shoulders, and a cushion on his knee, against which the bell beats as he walks, and proclaims his holy errand.  This old custom, doubtless of considerable antiquity, is still kept up, and we are glad that, being there on a Sunday, we were able to see the perambulating belfry.

Margaret, the mother of Henry VII., erected the graceful chapel whose fretted roof is the boast of Holywell, but one had existed long before her time; for the miracle of St. Winefred happened, according to the monks of the Basingwerk, to whom the world is indebted for the legend, early in the seventh century, and is thus told:

Winefred, a beautiful and devout virgin, lived in the reign of an imaginary king, and was of noble birth, and the niece of a man whose sanctity had already made him conspicuous, and who was known as the good Beuno.  A prince of the country, whose name was Caradoc, saw the fair damsel, and loved her; but his passion was not so pure as her goodness ought to have inspired.  Even then there was a chapel at the foot of the hill, where, while Beuno was at the altar praying with certain of the inhabitants of the neighbouring town, amongst whom were the parents of Winefred, to the astonishment of all, a head rolled and bounded into the sacred inclosure, and stopped at the altar.  Beuno stooped to raise up the head, and observed that where it had rested, instead of the pool of blood which was there but an instant before, a stream of crystal water had sprung up.  His amazement was increased when he found that the beautiful features and golden hair of the head he gazed upon were those of his beloved niece.  He hastened from the spot, and mounting the hill, discovered her mutilated body lying prostrate, and the cruel prince Caradoc flying with a drawn sword in his hand.  The truth became clear to him at once.  Winefred had fled from the importunities of the prince who, pursuing, had wreaked his vengeance on her by cutting off her head.  The saint, for such Beuno afterwards p. 130became, immediately with devout prayers joined the severed head to the body, when, to the awe and delight of all beholders, the virgin arose, as if from sleep, uninjured and lovely as ever, nor was there a trace left of the accident but a slight white mark, like a thread, round her throat.  Beuno cursed the caitif prince, “who melted away as wax melts before the fire.”  Winefred lived fifteen years after this event; she founded a monastery at Gwytherin in Denbighshire, of which she became the abbess, and died there.

Before the event of her decapitation, it seems the valley was particularly dry, so much so as to bear the name of Sychnant, [130] from that circumstance; therefore it was most fortunate that the head of the pursued damsel should have rolled where it did.  Not only did the spring attest the miracle, but the very moss and stones around have properties that enforce the belief.  The moss emits an odoriferous smell in testimony of the saint’s purity, and the stones at the bottom are stained with her blood, and keep their tint to this day.  It is true that some naturalists, who had not the same motive for keeping the world in ignorance as the monks of Basingwerk had, have proclaimed that the moss is only a sweet-scented plant called Jungermannia asplenoides, and that the crimson stains on the stones are produced by a vegetable named Byssus jolithus, by no means uncommon, thus characterised by Linnæus: “the Byssus easily betrays itself by giving the stones, to which it adheres, an appearance of being smeared with blood.  If rubbed, the plant yields a smell like violets.”

Fortunately, all the botanical and other students of the days of St. Winefred were monks, who knew well how to keep their own counsel, and turn their knowledge to their own advantage.

Our fair tourist proceeds to narrate some of the “miracles and lying wonders,” which are said to have occurred during the removal of the devout virgin’s corpse from Gwytherin to Shrewsbury; and then comes a conclusion, which we suppose the devotees of the saint of the Holy Well will regard as nothing less than “flat blasphemy.”  “After all this,” observes Miss Costello, “it is mortifying to find that the blessed St. Winefred never existed at all, nor was more than an Undine, a thought, a name, a fairy of a fountain! for Gwenvrewy, as she is called in Welsh, signifies the white hill water, or the p. 131white gushing stream, meaning the overflowing well which Nature formed without a miracle.”

As our province is rather to describe the well itself, than to bandy arguments about the lady whose name it bears, we may briefly state that it is one of the most remarkable springs of water in the kingdom.

The well is an oblong square, about twelve feet by seven.  The water passes into a small square court through an arch, under which the Roman Catholics used to swim as an act of penance.  The quantity of water thrown up is not less than eighty-four hogsheads every minute.  This water has never been known to freeze, and scarcely ever varies in quantity, either in drought, or after the greatest rains.  Though this stream has little more than a mile to run before it arrives at the sea, a great number of mills, forges, and other works are kept in motion by it, three of which are placed abreast.

The sacred well is the object of many pilgrimages, even in this day, and several modern miracles are related of the influence of its waters.  Pope Martin the fifth especially enjoined such pilgrimages, and the monks of Basingwerk were furnished with pardons and indulgences to sell to the devotees.  James the Second visited the well in 1686; and Leopold, king of the Belgians, in 1819.

Apart from all superstitious notions, its waters doubtless possess many sanative properties.

The authoress of the new romance of “Llywelyn’s Heir,” says with reference to this charmed place: “We would recommend any strangers to the spot to visit it, should an opportunity offer, and judge with their own eyes of the lightness and beauty of the tall pointed arches and the flying buttresses that adorn the exterior; and to decide whether the interior is not even more worthy of notice.  The well, into which the miraculous stream pours forth its astounding body of water, is polygonal; the columns that rise above it are singularly beautiful, and after many serpentine wanderings, meet and form a canopy worthy of the water-king, who doubtless frequently holds there his court.  The legend of the saint, and beautiful carvings in stone are scattered around; but they appear to have been placed there to do honour to the house of Stanley, and not to the saint—by no means an astonishing circumstance, for the saint had been long dead, and was probably tired of working miracles; and the Stanleys were living, and willing to bestow p. 132munificent gifts, of which this building and the chapel above it remain memorials to this day.”

The church, dedicated to St. Winefred, and rebuilt in 1769, is a rather spacious structure of Grecian architecture, 68 feet long by 56 wide; consisting of a nave with north and south aisles, with a chancel, in which is a window embellished with modern stained glass.  It has also two large galleries over the aisles, and the whole is calculated to contain about 3,000 persons.  Remains of the ancient edifice are still seen in the remarkably plain pillars on each side of the nave.  It contains several monuments and tablets, and amongst them one by Westmacott, erected to the memory of Paul Panton, Esq.

Under the chancel are the vaults of the Mostyns of Talacre, the Pennants of Downing, and the Pantons of Bagillt; in the chancel is a neat cenotaph, in memory of Mary, mother of the late Edward Pennant, Esq.  On the wall, at the end of the same aisle, is a flat stone with twelve quarterings, copied from those over the chimney-piece in the dining-room at Mostyn.

In rebuilding the church, the headless figure of a priest was found in his sacerdotal habit, and with a chalice in his hand.  He is supposed to have been Thomas, second son of Thomas ap David, abbot of Basingwerk.  This headless trunk is often exhibited to the wondering as the image of the blessed St. Winefred!  The service is alternately English and Welsh, and at night there are English lectures.  Holywell contains several meeting-houses for the various denominations of dissenters.  A new Roman Catholic chapel has lately been erected.

The environs, which are studded with numerous handsome residences and gentlemen’s seats, abound with richly diversified scenery; and from the higher grounds are obtained extensive and varied prospects over the surrounding country, which is rich in picturesque beauty.  The air is salubrious, and the opportunities of cold and sea-bathing, render it not only a pleasant place of permanent residence, but also of occasional resort for invalids, for whose comfort every accommodation is provided, with the benefit of good medical advice, and the advantage of numerous pleasant rides and walks in the immediate neighbourhood.—There are several good inns in the town, the principal of which are, the White Horse, King’s Arms, King’s Head, and the Red Lion.

For many ages, the copious stream of St. Winefred served only to turn a corn-mill belonging to Basingwerk abbey, and it p. 133was not till the year 1777 that Holywell began to emerge from obscurity, when Mr. Smalley introduced the cotton manufacture, and erected a mill on a principle similar to that of one built at Cromford, by Sir Richard Arkwright.  Soon after this, Mr. Smalley was joined by an opulent company from Lancashire, and erected, in 1783, a larger mill, now called the upper mill, which worked 12,218 spindles; the same company, in 1787, built the lower mill, adapted to the working 7492 spindles, and in 1791, the crescent mill, in which 8286 spindles were kept in motion.  These mills were applied to the spinning of cotton thread, of which 26,098lb was produced on an avenge weekly, furnishing employment to nearly one thousand persons.  A great part of that trade has now left Holywell, and the buildings are applied to other branches of manufacture.

There are, upon the same stream, several extensive copper mills, for rolling sheet copper, the manufacture of every description of copper vessels, copper bolts used in ship-building, and copper cylinders: there is also a mill for drawing copper wire, &c.  Besides these, there are a large iron foundry, a paper mill, and zinc works.

The district immediately around Holywell, is pre-eminently distinguished for the richness of its mineral treasures, and particularly for its mines of lead and calamine, which appear to have been worked from the earliest period, and continue still to form an almost inexhaustible source of wealth.

Basingwerk Abbey,

(Or Maes-glâs), called also Greenfield Monastery, is beautifully situated in a meadow, about a mile east of Holywell among rich meadows, commanding a fine view of the Cheshire shore, with a profusion of spreading sycamores, and groves of ancient trees on all sides.  Its time-worn and crumbling ruins are, from some points of view, highly picturesque.

The little at present left of the abbey is scarcely sufficient to indicate its former extent.  The church, which stood on the east side, is totally destroyed.

Near to the abbey, a castle formerly reared its towers, but of this scarcely a vestige remains visible.  Close to this spot also runs the celebrated Watt’s Dyke, which terminates at the Dee below.  It is clearly traced hence through Northop, Hope, Wrexham, and the grounds of Wynnstay, to Maesbury, near p. 134Oswestry, where it ends.—About three miles north-west of Holywell, is

Downing,

The seat of Viscount Fielding, who married, in June 1846, Miss Pennant, the heiress to the estate.  The present house was built, probably on the site of an older mansion, in 1627, but has lately undergone great improvements.  This hall was the birth-place and residence of the celebrated author, Mr. Thomas Pennant, whose antiquarian and topographical researches form an important contribution to the historical records of the country.  The walks are agreeable and diversified, particularly in the immediate vicinity of the mansion, which is approached by a rural path, winding through a beautiful and well-wooded dingle.  Much taste is displayed in the landscape gardening and horticultural arrangements of this little paradise.—About a mile and a half north-west of Downing, on the summit of a lofty hill, stands

Mynydd-y-Garreg,

An ancient circular building of great height, in form not much unlike a windmill.  It is a pharos, or Roman light-house, erected by that people to conduct navigators to and from the Deva.  It is tolerably entire, and built of lime-stone, bedded in hard mortar.  The antiquary will not begrudge a walk to examine this ancient relique bequeathed to us by the conquerors of the world.—Two miles north-west of Downing, lies the ancient structure of

Mostyn Hall,

The property and residence of the Hon. Edward Mostyn Lloyd Mostyn, M.P., nephew of the late Sir Thomas Mostyn, and heir apparent of Lord Mostyn, of Pengwern.  The house is approached by a magnificent gateway, called Porth Mawr, erected at the termination of a venerable avenue of forest trees, leading to one vestibule of the mansion, which stands in a small but beautiful and well-wooded park, about half a mile from the estuary of the Dee.  The mansion is worth the attention of the tourist and antiquary.  It is of the Elizabethan age, though built upon the site of a former house erected in the reign of Henry the Sixth.  In the spacious hall are several specimens of armour and implements of warfare previous to the introduction of fire-arms.  The rooms are literally crowded p. 135with family portraits, by the old masters, the principal of which are Sir Roger and Lady Mostyn.  There are several fine portraits of Charles the First, including an original by Vandyke.  In the dining-room, the sideboard is formed of one piece of plank, quite a curiosity; it is nearly six feet wide, and twelve feet long; and is hewn, not sawed.  The tapestry parlour is beautiful.  The mansion is noted for the maintenance of English hospitality after the manner of “the olden time.”

During the time that Henry, Earl of Richmond, was secretly conspiring the overthrow of the house of York, he passed concealed from place to place, in order to form an interest among the Welsh, who favoured his cause on account of their respect to his grandfather, Owen Tudor, their countryman.  While he was at Mostyn, a party attached to Richard the Third arrived there to apprehend him.  He was then about to dine, but had just time to leap out of a back window, and make his escape through a hole, which to this day is called the King’s Window.  Richard ap Howel, then Lord of Mostyn, joined Henry at the battle of Bosworth: and after the victory, received from the King, in token of gratitude for his preservation, the belt and sword he wore on that day.

There are many curious objects of antiquity at Mostyn, including a golden torque found at Harlech; a silver harp, in the possession of the family since 1568; the Mostyn pedigree; and the largest private collection of Welsh manuscripts in the Principality.  The Gloddaeth library and manuscripts, as well as similar literary stores from other mansions of this family, have been brought here; for the reception of which, the hon. proprietor has erected a library worthy of the collection.

To the treasures of Mostyn has also been added a splendid candelabrum valued at one thousand guineas, presented by the political friends of the Hon. Mr. Mostyn, who, on the day of the presentation, October 31, 1843, entertained the subscribers, amounting to several hundreds, in a manner worthy of the best days of the ancient, princely, loyal, and hospitable house of Mostyn.

LLANASA,
(Flintshire.)

The village of Llanasa is situated in a pleasant valley at the northern extremity of the county, on the south-western p. 136shore of the estuary of the Dee.  The church has two east windows, in the more ancient of which is some fine stained glass, brought from Basingwerk abbey.  The church-yard contains some curious tomb-stones.—In the neighbourhood are several genteel residences, and about two miles from the village is

Talacre,

the seat of Sir Pyers Mostyn, a branch of the family of the Mostyns of Mostyn.  The old house was built in the time of James the First; but when the late baronet came into possession of the estate, it was razed to the ground for the purpose of building another mansion on its site.  The first stone of the new house was laid by Sir Edward Mostyn, on the 31st day of July, 1824.  When the shell was completed, part of it was burnt down by an accidental fire on the night of the 11th of September, 1827; but it was soon rebuilt, and finished in a magnificent style.  The house is an old English mansion, of truly handsome appearance, erected after a design and under the superintendence of Mr. T. Jones, architect, of Chester.—Within a short distance of Llanasa, and situated on an eminence near the confluence of the Dee with the Irish Sea, is

Gyrn,

built by the late John Douglas, Esq.  It is a building in the castellated style of English architecture, having several lofty and elegant towers, from the summit of which the view is very extensive, commanding the surrounding hills, and those of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire; the Isle of Man, Beeston Castle, Chester, and Liverpool, are also discernible; and, in the opposite direction, a small part of the Snowdonian chain may be observed.—About a mile from Llanasa, is

Golden Grove,

the admired residence of Edward Morgan, Esq., erected in 1578; but it has been considerably improved and enlarged within the last forty years.  The house occupies a sheltered situation among the hills, whence the prospect is extensive and pleasing.

p. 137LLANBERIS,
(Caernarvonshire.)

This village, situated on the road between Caernarvon and Capel Curig, derives its name from the dedication of its church to St. Peris, a British, or, as some affirm, a Roman saint, who had been a cardinal of Rome, and is said to have resided in this celebrated spot with Padarn, an anchorite about the sixth century, who had a cell or small chapel, in a meadow between Dolbadarn castle, and old Dolbadarn inn, now called the “Snowdonia.”

The church, situated in a deeply sequestered glen about half a mile above the upper lake, is a small, low structure, of the most primitive character.

Near the church is the well of St. Peris, formerly famed for its miraculous efficacy in the cure of diseases, and therefore a place of resort with pilgrims and devotees.

The parish of Llanberis is very large in extent, and is divided into two districts or townships, viz. Nant-ucha’, alias Nant-Peris, and Nant-isa’, alias Nant-Padarn, and comprises several of the loftiest mountains in the Principality, besides numerous natural objects worthy the research of the curious.

The village of Llanberis is romantic in the extreme.  It lies in a narrow grassy glen, surrounded by immense rocks, whose cloud-capped summits are seldom visible to the inhabitants below.  All the parts immediately surrounding the village were formerly covered with wood; but, except some saplings from the old roots, there are at present very few trees left.  In the memory of persons lately living, there were great woods of oak in several parts of these mountains.  In the tenth century the whole country must have been nearly covered with wood, for one of the laws of Howel Dda (Howel the Good) directs that “whoever cleared away timber from any land, even without the consent of the owner, he should, for five years, have a right to the land so cleared; and after that time it should again revert to the owner.”

The Pass of Llanberis presents a scene of wild grandeur and fearful sublimity, of the most impressive and majestic character.

p. 138Amidst the vast ranges of these British Alps, are two beautiful lakes.  The upper one at Llanberis, called also Llyn Peris, is about a mile in length, and nearly half of one in breadth; the depth is said, in places, to be one hundred and forty yards.  The other, called Llyn Padarn, is about a mile and a half long, but so narrow as to assume rather the appearance of a river than a lake.  Between these, a communication is formed by a stream, and out of the lower issues the river Seiont, which, after flowing in an irregular diffused manner, discharges itself into the Menai at Caernarvon.  At the foot of the lower lake is a rural and picturesque stone bridge, leading to a most perfect Roman station, called Dinas Dinorwic, partly natural and partly artificial.  It is in fine preservation.

Dolbadarn,

(Or Padarn’s Meadow), so called from Padarn, a British saint of obscure note.  Since the opening of the new line of road from Caernarvon to Capel Curig, Llanberis has become the principal resort of parties visiting Snowdon.  In addition to the spacious and comfortable inn at Dolbadarn, a new and more commodious house, the Royal Victoria Hotel, has been erected at the expense of T. A. Smith, Esq., near Dolbadarn castle, for the accommodation of the increased number of visitors whom this truly interesting district draws together in the summer months.  The hotel is in a most eligible situation, at the junction of the two lakes, and within a few hundred yards of Dolbadarn castle, about two miles from the village of Llanberis, on the road from Caernarvon.  Every facility for ascending Snowdon is here provided.

The castle, standing near the junction of the two lakes of Llanberis, is the only one that remains in the narrow passes of North Wales.  As it was impossible for an enemy to climb the chain of mountains, which are a guard to Caernarvonshire and Anglesea, and as there were five narrow passes, the British secured each with a castle: this was the central one.  Owen Gôch was here confined upwards of twenty years, for having joined in a rebellion against his brother Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last prince of Wales.  It seems to have been long in ruins, for in Leland’s time there was only part of a tower left.  The key of the castle is kept at the Victoria Hotel, and may be had by tourists on application.

p. 139The view hence is remarkably splendid, embracing the lakes, which extend nearly three miles, the various interesting objects by which they are surrounded, and the immense chains of rugged mountains that bound the vale.  The view from the lake is also finely picturesque.

About half a mile south of the castle, at the end of a deep glen, there is a tremendous cataract, called

Ceunant Mawr,

(The Waterfall of the Great Chasm.)  It is upwards of sixty feet in height, and is formed by the mountain torrent from Cwm Brwynog, which rushes through a cleft in the rock above, and after coming in a direct line, suddenly takes a turn with the broad stratum of the rock, and thus descends aslant, with a thundering noise, into the deep black pool below.

On the declivity of the mountain, and nearly opposite Dolbadarn castle, on the eastern side of the lake, are extensive slate quarries, the property of Thomas Assheton Smith, Esq., situated high among the rocks.  The mode of conveying the slates down the almost precipitous descent, to the margin of the lake, was formerly singularly awkward, and apparently very dangerous.  The carts, each conveying about one ton of slates in winter, and two in summer, were drawn down a serpentine path by one horse in front, and one hooked on behind, to counteract the rapidity of motion which otherwise would endanger the whole.  From the lake the slates were carted in great quantities to the Menai, whence they were shipped to Ireland, Liverpool, America, &c.  To avoid this great labour and danger, a railroad has been made from the quarries down to the shipping place at Velin Heli, on the Menai, a distance of about nine miles.  By this road, the slates are conveyed down, at an average, it is said, of about 100 tons daily throughout the year.  At this place of activity, generally designated by the name of “Dinorwic Slate Quarry,” above a thousand men are usually employed.

On the opposite side of the lake, and nearer to Caernarvon, at a place called Glyn Rhonwy, is another quarry, the property of Lord Newborough, worked by from 150 to 200 men; and the slates are conveyed by carts to Caernarvon.

This little valley can also boast of its mineral treasures.  A valuable copper mine is situated on the side of the upper lake, p. 140about half a mile from the village.  A stream of water, for the use of the mine, is conveyed along the mountain on each side, and over the road, just at the head of a lake, by means of a wooden conduit, supported by piers.  The ore obtained is, in general, what is termed rich, on an average worth from £20 to £25 per ton; but the value consequently varies with the price of copper.

About two miles above Llanberis church, on the Capel Curig road, there is an immense stone, that has once been precipitated from above, called

The Cromlech. [140]

This stone is of some thousand tons weight, and many times larger than the celebrated mass of rock in Barrowdale, called Bowdar Stone.  It lies in a place called Ynys Hettws (Hetty’s Island); and two of its sides meeting at an angle with the ground, it was once used as the habitation of an old woman, who in summer resided in the vale to feed and milk her cows.  The enclosures are yet nearly entire, and are sometimes used as a sheepfold.

Gorphwysfa,

(The Resting Place), the top of the ascent between Llanberis and Capel Curig, four miles from the former, overlooks the glorious prospects before noticed.  It also commands a view into the mountain pass which joins Nant Hwynan and the vale of Capel Curig.  The vale of Llanberis is narrow and almost straight, nearly filled with two lakes, connected by a canal called Bala ’r Ddeulyn (the Junction of the two Lakes), celebrated (previous to the opening of the copper mines) for the abundance of the red and golden char.  These fish are still caught in the lakes, though not so plentifully as formerly; the char is taken about the middle of September.

Angling Stations.

p. 141LLANDEGAI,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Near to the grand entrance to Penrhyn Park, are the much admired church and little village of Llandegai, hidden from the immediate view by a high wall, extending some yards in the front.  The parish is more than fifteen miles in length, from the shore of the Menai straits far into the mountainous regions of Snowdon, including a wide district, abounding with almost every species of mineral treasure.  The scenery of the neighbourhood is beautifully picturesque and impressively grand, comprehending on one hand a vast amphitheatre of mountains, and on the other a fine view of the Menai Straits.

The church is one of the neatest in the Principality, in the form of a cross, having a tower in the centre.  Its style is Gothic, and it is supposed to have been erected about the reign of Edward the Third.  Within the church is a mural monument to the memory of John Williams, lord keeper of the great seal in the reign of James the First, who died at Gloddaeth, and was interred in this church in 1650.  He is represented in his episcopal dress, kneeling at the altar.  There is also an elegant marble monument erected to the memory of the late Lord and Lady Penrhyn, executed by Westmacott.  On one side it is supported by a female peasant, deploring the loss of the deceased, and on the other by a quarry-man, holding an iron bar and a slate knife, earnestly reading the inscription which commemorates his benefactor.  Beneath are smaller figures, the first representing a boy feeding his goats on the mountains, emblematical of the state of the country when his lordship commenced his improvements; the second, two boys working in a slate quarry, emblematical of industry; the third is, one boy teaching another to read the Bible, emblematical of religious education; and the fourth, three boys with sickles in a wheat field, denoting plenty.  Lord Penrhyn died in 1806.

The following is a translation of the somewhat curious Latin inscription on the monumental record of the renowned Archbishop and Lord Chancellor Williams:—“Sojourner, read, and in these few words, particularly observe that which you would p. 142not expect to find in this obscure chapel.  Here lies buried John Williams, the most renowned of prelates, descended by his father’s lineage from the Williams’s of Cochwillan, and by his mother’s from the Griffiths of Penrhyn, whose great parts and eminence in all kinds of learning raised him first to the deanery of Sarum, and afterwards advanced him to that of Westminster by the favour of King James.  At one and the same time he was the most intimate favourite of and privy councillor to that great king, lord keeper of the great seal of England, and bishop of the see of Lincoln, whom Charles the First honoured with the archiepiscopal mitre of York.  He was thoroughly versed in all sciences—a treasury of nine languages—the very soul of pure and undefiled theology—an oracle of political tact—the very acmé and ornament of wisdom, whether sacred, canonical, civil, or municipal.  His conversation was engagingly sweet—his memory more tenacious than human—a repository of all species of history—expended in magnificent edifices the sum of £20,000,—an exemplary pattern of liberality, munificence, generosity, hospitality, and compassion for the poor.  In those lamentable times which followed, being worn out with the things which he saw and heard, when, by reason of the fury of the rebels, he could no longer serve his king nor his country, having lived 68 years, on the 25th of March, which was his birthday, with strong faith in Christ, and steadfast allegiance to his king, he most devotedly resigned his soul to God, dying of a quinsy.  It matters little that so small a monument, placed in this obscure spot, preserves the memory of so great a man, since years and ages shall never cease to celebrate his virtues.  He died 25th March, A.D. 1650.

“Pass on, traveller, it is enough, your curiosity is gratified.”

The ancient family residence, Cochwillan, is within a short distance of the church, and remains in much the same condition as when, “broken by the storms of state,” the good prelate here sought his final resting-place on earth.

LLANDUDNO,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Llandudno old church is situated near the promontory of Ormeshead, which forms the eastern boundary of the entrance p. 143into Beaumaris Bar.  It has the appearance from the sea of a dilapidated cow-house.  A new church has been erected on the side of the promontory, where the inhabitants principally reside.  There are here several very valuable and extensive copper mines.  The cliffs towards the sea are lofty and abrupt; and the whole scene wild and romantic in the extreme.

On the centre of the mountain is a rocking stone, called Crŷd Tudno (or the Cradle of St. Tudno); and on an eminence are the ruins of a large square building, of which the walls, apparently constructed without mortar, lie scattered in various directions.  On the highest part of the promontory, and near the Great Ormeshead, a signal staff has been erected, communicating with Llysfaen on the east, and Puffin Island on the west, forming thereby a post of communication between Liverpool and Holyhead.  These hills and the neighbouring woods of Gloddaeth abound in rare and curious plants.  The rock just above the village of Llandudno is the only habitation in Britain of the cotoneaster vulgaris, which grows here abundantly.

The parish of Llandudno contains six hundred and sixty-two inhabitants.

LLANEDWEN,
(Anglesea.)

Llanedwen is a small village where Henry Rowlands, the learned author of Mona Antiqua Restaurata, was interred.  He was instituted to the vicarage of this place in October, 1696, and died 1723.  He lies under a black slab of Anglesea marble, in the south part of the church.

LLANELIAN,
(Anglesea.)

This is a small village on the eastern coast of Anglesea.  The church, dedicated to St. Elian, is supposed to have been founded by the patron saint about 540; and adjoining to it is a small chapel, of very ancient foundation, measuring in its interior twelve feet by fifteen, called Myfyr, the confessional.  A curious closet of wood, of an hexagonal form, called St. Elian’s closet, is yet left in the east wall, and is supposed to have served both p. 144the office of a communion table, and as a chest to contain the vestments and other utensils belonging to the chapel.  Near to the door is placed Cyff Elian (Elian’s Chest), or poor-box.  Superstitions devotees out of health send their offerings to the saint, which are put through a hole into the box.

At Point Lynas, near this place, a light-house of considerable dimensions has been erected.

LLANERCH-Y-MEDD,
(Anglesea.)

Llanerch-y-medd is a considerable town, with a market on Wednesday, deriving its importance chiefly from its proximity to the Parys mountain, on the northern side of Anglesea.  Here are the leading fairs for Anglesea oxen, and the south country dealers attend to make their purchases for the Kent and Sussex pastures.  An establishment has been opened in this town for the manufacture of snuff, in imitation of the celebrated Lundy Foot, of Dublin.  There is a small but comfortable inn here.

Within one mile of the town is Llwydiaeth, the hospitable mansion of W. P. Lloyd, Esq.  At a small distance is a rocking stone, held in great sanctity by the bards as a druidical remain.

LLANERVUL,
(Montgomeryshire.)

This interesting little village is pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Banwy, and at the lower extremity of a narrow vale of about seven miles in length.  The Cross Foxes Inn affords good accommodation.  The situation of the village, being on the turnpike-road from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth and Dolgelley, causes it to be much enlivened in the summer season, by coaches passing through, conveying travellers to the bathing places at Aberystwyth and Barmouth.

The parish, extending nearly eight miles in length, and about three in breadth, is divided into six townships, comprising p. 145a population of about 1000, chiefly employed in agriculture.  The lands are but partially enclosed and cultivated, the hilly parts affording only pasturage for sheep, young cattle, and Welsh ponies, during the summer; but the soil of the lower grounds is tolerably fertile, and when properly cultivated, is capable of producing grain of every kind.  Within this parish, on the mountains, are several lakes of considerable extent and depth, and some of them containing great abundance of fish, chiefly trout and eels.

The most ancient manor-house in these parts is Neuadd-wen (the White-hall).  This was formerly the seat of Meredydd ab Cynan, brother of Gruffydd ab Cynan, Prince of North Wales, who served the Princes of Powys, and was termed Lord of Rhiw-hiriaeth, Coedtalog, and Neuadd-wen.  Some genealogists say that he was Meredydd ab Cynvyn, and brother to Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, Prince of Powys.  The estate of Neuadd-wen was divided and subdivided according to the custom of gavel kind, until the time of Evan ab Owen, the last of the line of Meredydd ab Cynan, whose two daughters were married, the one to the Llwydiarth family, the other to that of Newtown Hall.  In a heap of rubbish, at the back of the present farm-house of Nauadd-wen, were found pieces of free stone, with mouldings, which appeared to be the ruins of an arched window.  The building seemed to have been Gothic, according to the taste of the eleventh and twelfth century.  It is probable that the name of Neuadd-wen was given to the new structure, for there is a tradition that its former appellation was Llŷs Wgan, which is corrobarated by the fact, that a rivulet near the house is still called Nant Wgan.

Adjoining Neuadd-wen lies the capital farm of Llysyn, formerly the estate of Ieuan ab Bedo Gwyn, descendant of a cadet branch of the family of Neuadd-wen.  This estate was afterwards purchased by the Herberts, and made the residence of some branch of that family, ancestors to the present Earl of Powys.  The name of Llysyn seems to be a contraction of Llŷs-dyddyn (the Court-farm).  Probably, the Princes of Powys had here a court of judicature.

This parish contains the vestiges of several tumuli, forts, and ramparts, such as those at Moel-y-ddolwen, Gardden, Rhôs-y-gallt, &c.; but the most singular vestige of antiquity here is that of the Roman causeway, called Sarn-Sws, or Sarn-Swsen, which leads from the old Roman station of Caer-Sws, p. 146near Llanidloes, to Chester; or as some will have it, from Caerllëon-ar-Wysg, in Monmouthshire, to Caerllëon-ar-Ddyfr-dwy, or Chester on the Dee.  This road enters the parish of Llanervul on the hills of the Drum, and thence descends through the farms of Cae’r-Bacha, Cynniwyll, &c., and crosses the river Banwy below Neuadd-wen, and then up Craig-y-gô, whence it proceeds through the parish of Llanvihangel; and Dr. Worthington says it might be traced through the parish of Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant, at Street-Vawr, near Coed-y-Clawdd, over Rhôs-y-brithdir, to Pen-y-Street, and thence to Llamiwrch, &c.  In some places the pavement may be found a little below the surface.

The church of Llanervul is dedicated to Urval Santes, a female saint, whose pedigree is not known: some suppose that the ancient tomb-stone in the church-yard was erected to her memory, but the inscription by no means corroborates that supposition.

Mrs. Priscilla Forster, a descendant of the family of the Herberts of Llysyn, bequeathed £300 for the instruction of the poor children of the parish: this sum was invested in the purchase of a farm near the village, now considered worth £35 per annum, which is appropriated agreeably to the intentions of the benevolent testatrix.

LLANFAIR, [146]
(Anglesea.)

This village is celebrated as the birth-place of Goronwy Owen, of whom a Welsh author has said that “he was the greatest genius either of this age, or that ever appeared in our country; and perhaps few other countries can boast his equal for universal knowledge.”  He was born in 1722, had the rudiments of his education at the grammar-school of Bangor, whence, in 1741, he went to Oxford.  Four years afterwards he received holy orders at Bangor, and became curate to the Bishop at Llanfair.  He successively held the curacy of p. 147Donnington, near Shrewsbury, and Walton, near Liverpool: but having only a slender income, and being disappointed in his hopes of preferment, he emigrated to America.  The taste, manners, and morals of the Virginians were offensive and disgusting to this son of sorrow.  He lost by death his wife and children, all but one boy; and he himself, while but comparatively a young man, sank to the grave under the pressure of accumulated misfortunes.  To a perfect acquaintance with the Latin and Greek languages, he added a knowledge of the Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, and Syriac.  His Latin odes have been universally admired for the purity of their language, and for the elegance of their expression.  As a Welsh poet he ranks superior to all since the days of Dafydd ap Gwilym.  Those parts of his works which have been printed are considered as perfect models of Welsh poetry.  It has been lately stated that a grandson of the bard is now living in the United States, and is a member of the congress.

LLANFAIR,
(Montgomeryshire.)

Llanfair, or Llanfair-Caer-Einion, a small market town pleasantly situated on the declivity of an eminence, rising from the south bank of the small river Banwy, which falls into the Vyrnwy, and on the turnpike road leading from Welshpool to Machynlleth and Dolgelley, containing 2687 inhabitants.  It has a church dedicated to St. Mary, an ancient structure; and five places of worship for dissenters.  The Vyrnwy abounds with such a quantity and variety of fish, as justly to entitle it to the name of amnis piscosus.  The inhabitants of this place are said to excel in the practice of spearing fish.

Angling Stations.

p. 148LLANFYLLYN,
(Montgomeryshire.)

A market town of some note, situate in a fertile valley on the banks of the river Cain, surrounded by lofty hills.  The market is held on Thursday.  Population, 1955.

In the centre of the town stands the church, which was erected when the excellent Dr. Beveridge was bishop of the diocese; it is a neat brick building, dedicated to St. Myllyn.  The peal of bells surpasses any in the county.  Here are three endowed schools; and a good town hall was built in 1775.

Bôd Fach, near this town, the seat of Lord Mostyn, was once the residence of his paternal ancestors, the Kyffins.  The markets and fairs of Llanfyllyn are well attended, particularly for the purchase of Welsh merlins, which are brought here for sale in great numbers.

LLANGEFNI,
(Anglesea.)

This is a small but neat market town centrally situated in the island.  The markets and fairs are of considerable importance.  It is one of the contributory boroughs; the present M.P. being Col. Paget.  There is a neat church under the hill, and the town is romantically situated.  The principal inn is Pen-y-bont.

Tregarnedd, now only a farm-house, but once the residence of Ednyfed Vychan, an able chieftain to Llywelyn the Great, is in this parish.

About three miles distant on the Llanerch-y-medd road is Tregaian, the residence of Vice-Admiral Lloyd.  Not far off is Maen Rhos Rhyfel, where Owen Gwynedd obtained a signal victory over an invading army of Erse, Manksmen, and Normans.  The population of Llangefni is 1753.

p. 149LLANGOLLEN,
(Denbighshire.)

The name of this place is derived from the dedication of its church to an ancient British saint named Collen, whose lineage runs thus, in names almost unpronounceable by Saxon tongues—St. Collen ap Gwynnawg ap Clydawg ap Cowrda ap Caredog Freichfras ap Llyr Merim ap Einion Yrth ap Cunededd ap Wledig.  The town, which is beautifully situated in a deep narrow valley, enclosed by lofty mountains, and watered by the noble stream of the Dee, appears anciently to have been protected by the neighbouring fortress of Castell Dinas Bran, situated on the summit of a vast conical hill in its neighbourhood.  The houses are in general old or rather mean in appearance, though occasionally interspersed with some modern handsome dwellings; and there is excellent accommodation for the numerous visitors who frequent the neighbourhood during the summer season.  The pure air and mild temperature cause a number of families to adopt this locality as a permanent retreat.  The Hand, the King’s Head and Royal Hotel, are the two principal inns.  Population, 1500.

Here is a stone bridge over the Dee, consisting of four pointed arches, erected in the year 1345, by John Trevor, Bishop of St. Asaph, and which was anciently regarded as one of the wonders of North Wales.  The scenery of the neighbourhood is pre-eminent for its grandeur and sublimity, and for its picturesque and romantic beauty.

The church is an ancient structure, with small pretensions to architectural beauty, except some fine carvings on the roof and other parts of the interior.  The view from the churchyard is remarkably pretty, embracing the bridge, the weir, and Crow Castle.  The talented and self taught clerk, Mr. Jones, may be consulted by writers with profit, as a person of considerable attainments and general information.  The church services are alternately in the Welsh and English language.

The market is held on Saturday, and is well supplied with butcher’s meat, but very little corn is sold.  By the late act p. 150for amending the representation, Llangollen has been made a polling-place in the election of knights for the shire.

Llangollen Vale,

a district long celebrated in prose and verse for its varied beauties, is bounded on each side by lofty mountains of imposing grandeur.  It is certainly a charming and romantic spot; and though not so grandly impressive, or so surpassingly beautiful as some of the other Welsh valleys, its lovely features become more attractive on a familiar acquaintance.  A remarkable range of lime-stone hills, called the Eglwyseg Rocks, adds a singular variety to the landscape.  It is almost needless to observe that “Llangollen, that sweetest of vales,” is the scene of the home of “Jenny Jones,” whose charms are sung in Charles Matthews’ popular ballad.—In this vale, and within a quarter of a mile from the town, stands

Plas Newydd,

the famed retreat of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby, better known, probably, as the two recluses of Llangollen Vale.  These two females, delighted with the scenery around Llangollen, when it was little known to the rest of the world, sought here, about the year 1778, a philosophical retirement from the frivolities of fashionable life, and selected and improved a dwelling that commands a fine mountain prospect, which obtained the name of Plâs Newydd.  This elegant little cottage is situated on a small knoll, and surrounded by very tasteful grounds.

The peculiar style in which these ladies decorated their retreat has been much discussed.  A palisade, ornamented with antique and grotesque figures carved in oak, enclosed the front; and the doors and windows were decorated with carving of the same material.  The rooms were tastefully adorned with drawings.  A carriage drive, open to strangers, crosses the lawn immediately in front of the cottage.  Lady Eleanor Butler died June 2, 1829, at the advanced age of 90, and Miss Ponsonby, Dec. 9, 1831, aged 76: both were interred in the churchyard of Llangollen.  To their memory is erected a monument of unique and elegant structure.  It has three sides, on each of which there is an appropriate epitaph; one for Lady Eleanor Butler, another for Miss Ponsonby, and the other for their youthful servant, Mary Carrol, who had accompanied p. 151them from Ireland, the country of their birth, to this delightful retirement.

The whole property was consigned to the hammer in 1832, and was purchased by two other maiden ladies, viz. Miss Lolly and Miss Andrew, who seemed inclined to emulate the retirement of its former possessors.

There are many other genteel villas and country residences, within a convenient distance of the town, deserving of notice.

Castell Dinas Bran

is situated on a high and somewhat conical hill, about a mile from Llangollen.  The building has been about a hundred yards long, and fifty in breadth; and it formerly occupied the whole crown of the mountain.  From its extremely elevated situation (being about 910 feet above the surface of the Dee at Llangollen bridge), it must have been a place of vast strength.  On the side which is most accessible, it was defended by trenches cut through the solid rock.  The present remains consist of nothing more than a few shattered walls.  There is a well of pure water on the top of the hill.

The views hence on every side are very grand.  Towards the east stretches the whole vale of Llangollen, through which the Dee foams over its rocky bed; and beyond the vale is seen all the flat and highly cultivated country that extends for many miles.  Just beneath lies the town of Llangollen, and towards the west is the vale of Crucis, with its back-ground of lofty mountains, whose dark sides are agreeably varied with wood and meadow.  This fortress, from the style of its architecture, is evidently the work of the Britons; but by whom built, or when demolished, is a matter of mystery.  Old Churchyard, who visited it in the sixteenth century, calls it “an old ruynous thing.”

Vale Crucis Abbey,

or, as it is called by the Welsh, Monachlog Llan Egwestl, about two miles from Llangollen, and one mile and a half from Castell Dinas Bran, on the right of the road towards Ruthin, is a grand and majestic ruin, affording some noble specimens of ancient Gothic architecture.  There are still remaining of the church the east and west ends, and the south transept.  Several pillars and arches also remain as interesting memorials of this exquisite relic of a past age.

p. 152The cloister on the south side, which a century ago, was only a shell, is now converted into a dwelling-house, the residence of the person who farms the adjacent lands.  Three rows of groined arches, on single round pillars, support the dormitory, which is now a loft for containing corn, approached by steps from without.  The area of the church is overgrown with tall ash trees, which hide from the sight some part of the ruin, but contribute greatly to its picturesque beauty.

Vale Crucis was a house of Cistercian monks, dedicated to the Virgin Mother.  It was indebted for its foundation, about the year 1200, to Madoc ap Griffith Maelor, Lord of Bromfield and Dinas Brân, who, after various successes, and acquiring much booty by the reduction and ruin of English castles, dedicated a portion of his booty to the service of religion.  He was interred here.  At the dissolution the revenues appear to have amounted to about £200 per annum.  A short time ago, the burial place of the monks was accidentally discovered, in the garden at the back of the farm-house, where many of their remains were found, which must have been there in an undisturbed state for six hundred years.

Pillar of Eliseg.

The Vale of Crucis is indebted for its name to this cross or pillar, which is to be found in a field near the abbey, and just opposite to the second mile-stone from Llangollen.  This pillar is very ancient.  The Rev. John Price, Bodleian librarian, (uncle of Dr. Price of Llangollen,) a great antiquary, wrote to Mr. Lloyd, of Trevor Hall, respecting this long neglected pillar, and at his suggestion it was placed in the position it now occupies.  It appears to have been erected upwards of a thousand years ago, in memory of Eliseg (the father of Brochwel Yscythrog, Prince of Powys, who was slain at the battle of Chester in 607), by Concenn or Congen, his great grandson.  The inscription is much defaced, so that it cannot be satisfactorily traced.  The shaft was once above twelve feet long, but having been thrown down and broken, sometime during the civil wars, its upper part, only about eight feet in length, was left.  After these commotions, it was suffered to lie neglected for more than a century.

Post Cysylltau, or Cysylltau Aqueduct.

From Llangollen, most tourists visit this stupendous work p. 153of art.  It is a wonderful effort of ingenious contrivance, and affords a convincing proof of the incalculable capability of human energies when directed by science.  This aqueduct was constructed for the purpose of conveying the Ellesmere canal over the river and vale of the Dee.  It was commenced in 1795, from designs by Mr. Telford, and completed in ten years.  Its direction is from north to south, crossing the Dee at right angles; and it forms, in connexion with the exquisite scenery surrounding it, a noble and magnificent picture.  To view it to the best advantage, the stranger must descend on one side of it, into the valley beneath; he will then be impressed with its stupendous character.  Though the aqueducts of the Romans were superior in length, in other respects they were inferior to this modern structure.

The tourist may proceed along the high road towards Chirk, four miles from the town, where a turning to the left will conduct him to Pont Cysylltau Aqueduct; or crossing the bridge at Llangollen, ascend the hill to the canal, and walk along its banks till he arrives at the aqueduct.  The high road is preferable, as it commands some engaging prospects.

The aqueduct, in length 1007 feet, consists of nineteen arches, each 45 feet in the span, with the addition of 10 feet 6 inches of iron work in continuation at each end.  The supporting piers are stone, of a pyramidal shape, measuring at the base 21 feet by 14 feet wide; but diminishing upwards to 12 feet by 7 at the top; and their height about 116 feet.  Over this immense arcade is extended a trough, or large open caisson, made of cast iron, 11 feet 10 inches broad, by which the water of the canal is conveyed over the river 1009 feet to the opposite level.  Two iron plates are screwed together from centre to centre of each arch; and along one side of the canal is a towing path, four feet in breadth, with a handsome iron balustrade, as a defence for man and horse.  The elevation collectively will stand thus:—

At the southern end is an embankment of earth, 1500 feet p. 154in length, and seventy-five feet in height nearest the abutment of the arches.  The whole undertaking is said to have cost £47,069 : 6 : 7.

On the centre arch is the following inscription:—“The nobility and gentry of the adjacent counties, having united their efforts with the great commercial interest of this country, in creating an intercourse and union between England and North Wales, by a navigable communication of the three rivers, Severn, Dee, and Mersey, for the mutual benefit of agriculture and trade, caused the first stone of this aqueduct of Pont Cyssyllte to be laid on the 25th day of July, MDCCXCV, when Richard Myddelton, of Chirk, Esq., one of the original patrons of the Ellesmere canal, was Lord of the Manor, and in the reign of our Sovereign George the Third; when the equity of the laws and the security of property promoted the general welfare of the nation, while the arts and sciences flourished by his patronage, and the conduct of civil life was improved by his example.”

The antiquarian will find some interesting remains in this neighbourhood worthy of investigation.  Amongst them is a square tower, very strongly built, in advance of and at the foot of the hill on which Crow Castle stands.  For many years it has been appropriated as part of a farm-house, called ‘The Tower.’  The walls of the original building or tower are very thick; and in one corner of the quadrangle there is a winding stone staircase, now concealed by a bookcase.  The probability is that this old tower was an advanced station belonging to the castle.  There are also vestiges of a nunnery or monastery at a place called Pengwern.

About six miles from Llangollen, on the Ruthin road, is a curious old building, called Rhydidris, near Llandaglan.  The site, the extensive stabling, and the antique curiosities in the house, raise the probability that it has been garrisoned, and also been a military station of great importance.

The Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Company intend to run a branch from their main line at Ruabon to Llangollen.

Angling Stations.

p. 155LLANGYNOG,
(Montgomeryshire.)

Llangynog (the church of St. Cynog) is a small village, situated in a pleasing slip of fertile land, above which rises a stupendous rock of coarse slate.  The river Tanat, which runs through this village, is celebrated for its delicious trout.  The upper end of the vale is bounded by two vast precipices; between them juts out the rude promontory of Moel ddu Vawr.  On the north side of this valley is the house of Llechwend-garth, the occasional residence of the late Thomas Thomas, Esq. of Downing, near Holywell, whose daughter married H. Davies Griffith, Esq. of Caer-Rhûn, Caernarvonshire, who, in consequence, became possessed of this estate, and was in 1835 high sheriff of the county of Montgomery.  The new inn affords tolerable accommodations.

At Craig-y-Mwyn. somewhat more than two miles from the village, in 1692, a vein of lead ore was discovered, so valuable as to yield to the Powys family a clear revenue of at least £20,000 a year.  It had been worked to the depth of about one hundred yards, when on a sudden the water broke in with such continuous power, that the proprietor was compelled to abandon the undertaking.  About the commencement of the present century, however, the mine was leased by a company, who drove a level beneath it, in order to draw off the water, and continued the working of it for some time; they occasionally found masses of pure ore, weighing from 70 to 1001b. each.  After some time the works were again discontinued, until a few years ago, when the old shaft was reopened, and the operations proceeded with considerable success.

At Craig-y-Gribin, in this parish, are some quarries of excellent blue slate, of strong and durable quality.

LLANHAIARN,
(Caernarvonshire.)

This is a small village, situated near the west coast of the promontory of Lleyn.  Its church, standing on an eminence, p. 156forms a good land-mark.—Between this place and the sea, the lofty range of the Rival (or Yr Eifl) Mountains, which form conspicuous objects from Caernarvon and other parts of the country.  Upon the first of these eminences, about a mile from Llanhaiarn, is Tre ’r Caeri (or the Town of Fortresses), which Mr. Pennant describes as “the most perfect and magnificent, as well as the most artfully constructed British post he ever behold.”  The only accessible side was defended by three walls, which appear to have been very lofty.  The area is irregularly shaped, and near the centre is a square space surrounded by the fragments of habitations.

LLANIDAN,
(Anglesea.)

Llanidan is a little village, near the shores of the Menai, not far from the spot where the Romans landed, headed by Suetonius Paulinus, who murdered the Britons by thousands.  It is called, by Rowlands, Maes Mawr Gad (the Great Army’s Field).  It lies three hundred yards from the Menai, and consists of about twenty acres.  The Romans entered the water about two hundred yards south of Llanfair-is-caer church, where the shore is flat, the water shallow, and only three quarters of a mile wide.  At low water, and at neap tide, most of the bed is dry.

After the death of Nero, in the year 67, the natives, after six years of thraldom, threw off the Roman yoke, the Druids returned and assumed their authority and property, which they held till the year 76; when Agricola crossed the Menai, nearly a mile farther north, landed at a field yet called Pont or Pant-yr-Yscraffiau (Bridge of Boats), where the same tragedy was re-acted in this and the two adjoining fields.

The locality abounds with an interesting variety of druidical remains.  Lord Boston has a residence and a park here: the house is a clumsy building, but the situation is most pleasant.

p. 157LLANIDLOES,
(Montgomeryshire.)

Llanidloes (the Church of St. Idloes) is pleasantly situated near the Severn.  The population of the whole parish is 4261, including 2562 inhabitants of the town, who are principally employed in spinning and weaving of flannels, the manufacture of which has been established in this town from a very early period, and has continued materially to increase; the softest and most durable texture is made here.  The principal inn is the New Inn, an excellent and well conducted establishment, where post-chaises and other vehicles may be had; the Queen’s Head, Red Lion, and the Crown, are also respectable houses, where travellers may be well accommodated.  By the late Reform Act, this town was made one of the contributory boroughs of the county.

The church was originally founded towards the close of the fifth or at the beginning of the sixth century.  Of the original building the towers only remain.  The present structure was built about 200 years ago.  In 1816, the chancel and south wall were rebuilt; at the same time the church was renewed; and a set of new bells was hung in the tower in 1824.  As is usual in all the Welsh towns, there are places of worship for various dissenting congregations.  The market-day is on Saturday.

A few years ago, a handsome stone bridge of three arches was erected over the Severn, at a considerable expense; and a new and excellent line of road was opened from hence to Rhaiadr, which makes a direct and regular communication between North and South Wales.  Lord Mostyn is lord of the manor; a court leet is held once a year, at Michaelmas, when officers are appointed, in whom the government of the place is vested.  In the vicinity of the town are several handsome residences, the property of opulent individuals.

Within eight miles of Llanidloes, in the parish of Llanbrynmair, are two fine waterfalls, near to each other, of which the principal, called Ffrwd Vawr, is very grand, especially after heavy rains; the water having a perpendicular descent of more than one hundred and thirty feet.

p. 158Plinlimmon.

Within the limits of Llanidloes parish is partly included the lofty mountain of Plinlimmon, (or, more properly, Plumlumon, the five-peaked mountain) which is the highest in the several chains, of which it forms the centre: and from this place the ascent to its summit is usually made, being only seven miles distant from the town, whence guides from the principal inns are provided.  From the highest point is obtained a fine prospect of vast extent, comprehending on the south, the hills of Cardiganshire and Radnorshire; on the west, Cardigan bay and St. George’s channel; on the north, Cader Idris and part of the Snowdon range of mountains, separating the counties of Caernarvon and Merioneth; on the north-east, the Breiddyn hills, in Montgomeryshire; and on the east, part of the counties of Hereford and Salop.  This mountain derives a considerable degree of interest from its giving rise to the rivers Severn, Wye, Rheidiol, and Llyvn-nant; of which the former is secondary only to the Thames in commercial importance; whilst the Wye and the Rheidiol surpass all other rivers in Britain for the picturesque beauty of their scenery.

The Severn, here called by its ancient British name of Havren, rises on the northern side of the mountain, in a stony chalybeate spring, and is speedily joined and increased by other springs rising near to its source, and by several mountain torrents, before it reaches Llanidloes.

The Wye rises from two powerful springs on the south-eastern side of the mountain, and after a long circuitous course, falls into the Severn near Chepstow.

The Rheidiol has its source in a pool called Llyn Llygad Rheidiol, and falls into the sea at Aberystwyth.

The Llyvn-nant issues from a pool called Glâs Llyn.

About twenty years ago, Llyn Llygad was entirely without fish.  Two gentlemen, one of whom was the late Captain Jones, R.N., of Machynlleth, were grousing on Plinlimmon, when the conversation turned on the peculiarity of this lake being entirely destitute of the finny tribe, and the possibility of stocking it from a neighbouring rivulet.  A staff net was procured, and some dozens of small trout caught in the river Rheidiol were thrown into the lake, which at that time swarmed with millions of horse leeches.  Some of the trout, when placed in the pool, lay upon their sides faint and exhausted: and strange as it may appear, the rapacious leeches p. 159attached themselves to the sick fish, and actually devoured them.  Others of the trout were vigorous; these and their progeny have enforced the lex talionis with a vengeance; and while the fish abound, not a leech is now to be seen.

At Melin Velindre, on the route to Plinlimmon, is a romantic cataract, and near a sheep farm, called Blaen Havren, the Severn rolls its waters over a lofty ledge of slate rocks, in which gullies have been found of picturesque shapes.

About two miles from the town, on the south-east, is a spacious pool, called Llyn-ebyr, extending over a surface of nearly one hundred acres; it abounds with pike, eels, and perch, and affords excellent fishing; it is frequented by wild fowl; and during the summer season it is the resort of parties of pleasure, for whose accommodation boats belonging to gentlemen in the vicinity are kept on the pool.

Angling Stations.

LLANRHAIADR,
(Denbighshire.)

Llanrhaiadr (the Village of the Cataract), on the road between Ruthin and Denbigh, is situated on a small eminence in the fertile vale of Clwyd.  It derives its name from a spring at a short distance, called Ffynnon Ddyfrog, where once was a bath and chapel, dedicated to St. Ddyfrog.

The church is a very interesting and handsome structure.  On the east window is a painting of the genealogy of Christ from Jesse, executed about 1533.  In the church-yard is a curious inscription to John ap Robert, whose pedigree is traced up to Cadell, king of Powys.

The scenery, both to Denbigh and Ruthin, is all the way extremely beautiful.

p. 160LLANRHAIADR-YN-MOCHNANT,
(Denbighshire.)

This is a small village situated at the extremity of the county, in a deep hollow, surrounded by mountains.

Dr. William Morgan, the first translator of the Bible into Welsh, was vicar of this place.  He was promoted to the bishopric of Llandaff, and in 1601 to that of St. Asaph, where he died in 1604.  This valley is called Mochnant, (the Vale of the Rapid Brook) at the extremity of which, distant from the village about four miles and a half, is

Pistyll Rhaiadr,

(The Spout of the Cataract) reputed to be the largest waterfall in Wales.  The little river Rhaiadr here falls down an almost perpendicular black crag, of 240 feet in height.  For about two-thirds of this space, the water slides down the flat face of a naked rock; it rages thence through a natural arch, and, passing between two prominent sides, falls into a basin.  It then passes though a well-wooded dell, forming a boundary line which separates the counties of Denbigh and Montgomery, and after assisting to form some pretty scenes, falls into the Tanat.  Near to the waterfall is a neat inn, built in the Gothic style, by Sir W. W. Wynn, where the stranger may meet with tolerable accommodation.

LLANRWST,
(Denbighshire.)

This town is pleasantly situated on the western bank of the river Conway, which here forms the boundary between the counties of Denbigh and Caernarvon, in the spacious and beautiful vale of Llanrwst, environed by majestic and well-wooded hills, the land at the foot of which is plentifully watered and remarkably fertile.  The town consists principally of small houses and shops, with a population of 3905 inhabitants.  It p. 161has a market on Tuesday, and a branch of the North and South Wales bank.  The Eagles is the principal inn; but a good house of public entertainment is sadly wanted here.

The bridge over the Conway, leading to Gwydir, is an elegant structure, built about the year 1636, from a plan by the celebrated Inigo Jones, at an expense of £1000, defrayed conjointly by the two counties which it connects.  It is an extraordinary fact that a vibration of the bridge may be caused by any person standing above the middle arch and forcing himself rather smartly against the parapet.—Excellent roads have lately been made, communicating with the London, Holyhead, and Chester roads, and also with Denbigh and St. Asaph, the improved state of which has induced a considerable increase of visitors, during the summer months, to view the picturesque and much admired scenery of this neighbourhood.

Llanrwst was formerly noted for making harps; at present the spinning of woollen yarn, and the knitting of stockings, constitute the principal branches of trade.  In the market-place stands the town-hall, a substantial structure, rebuilt in 1842.

The original church, dedicated to St. Grwst, was a small edifice, situated close to the margin of the river, and built about the year 1170; and was supposed, from its style of architecture, to have been erected in the fifteenth century: it contained a screen of beautifully carved oak, brought here from the abbey of Maenan, which was used as a gallery for the singers.  A new church has, however, been built on its site; and adjoining it, on the other side, is Gwydir chapel, a handsome square castellated edifice, the interior of which is decorated with a profusion of carved work; it was built by Sir Richard Wynne, from a design by Inigo Jones, in 1633, as a burial place for his family, the deceased members of which had previously been interred in the chancel, and contains many elegantly engraved brasses, exhibiting portraits of several of this family.  On the eastern wall is a slab of white marble, recording the pedigree of the founder, and tracing his ancestors to Owen Gwynedd, prince of North Wales.  On the southern wall is a mutilated monument to the memory of Sir John Wynne, Bart., a learned antiquary, and an indefatigable gleaner of materials for the illustration of Welsh history.  In the centre of the chapel, upon the floor, lies the stone coffin of Llywelyn the Great, who died in 1240, and was interred in the p. 162abbey which he had founded at Aberconway, thence removed to Maenan, and from that place, at the dissolution, the coffin was brought to the old parish church of Llanrwst, where it remained obscured by rubbish, until placed in its present more appropriate situation.  The same attention has likewise been paid to another piece of antiquity placed near it, a recumbent armed effigy of Howel Coetmor, grandson of Davydd, brother to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd; he was the owner of the Gwydir estate, which was sold by one of his descendants to the family of Wynne.  There are in the parish eleven places of worship for dissenters.  A new church, called by the inhabitants the English church, has lately been erected about half a mile from Llanrwst.  It is a neat and commodious edifice.

Gwydir.

This ancient mansion, about half a mile distant from the town, beautifully situated amidst extensive woods of oak, which clothe the rocks projecting between the rivers Conway and Llugwy, near the foot of a lofty precipice called Carreg y Gwalch, or the Rock of the Falcon, was erected by John Wynne ab Meredydd, in 1555, and comprised an extensive, but somewhat irregular pile of buildings, ranged in a quadrangular style, and consisting of an inner and outer court.  A great part of this edifice was taken down in 1816, since which time the present structure, though on a much smaller scale, has been built.  A small portion of the former mansion still remains, and is fitted up in an antique and elegant style.  That part which was built by Meredydd still remains, and contains some magnificent rooms, in which are several articles of furniture made from the druidical oaks of ancient times, and the cradle which nurtured Sir John and Sir Richard Wynne is still to be seen.  The pleasure grounds are laid out with great taste, and contain a good collection of plants.  Mary Wynne, afterwards Duchess of Ancaster, the last of this great race, conveyed the property to that family, and Lord Willoughby d’Eresby now possesses it in right of his lady.

Vale of Llanrwst.

This delightful vale, which is neither so widely extended as the Vale of Clwyd, nor so contracted as that of Llangollen, is regarded by the admirers of picturesque scenery, as exhibiting p. 163the most varied assemblage of beautiful features which the pencil could delineate.  Mr. Burke has pronounced it “the most charming spot in Wales.”  The prospect of the dense woods and towering hills which enclose it on each side, is enlivened by the sparkling waters of the sportive Conway, which present an animated scene, either of small vessels arriving at the village of Trefriw, or of the diminutive boats, called coracles, used in fishing for salmon and smelts, considerable quantities of which are caught in their respective seasons.  At Mayne, within a mile of Llanrwst, is a spring of high repute, and frequently used with great effect as a cold bath.

In the valley called Nant Bwlch yr Haiarn, near Gwydir, is a cataract which falls about 100 feet, called Rhaiadr-y-Parc Mawr.  The quantity of water, however, is seldom large enough to produce much effect.  About two miles and a half from Llanrwst, on the Conway road, is the small but beautiful village of

Trefriw,

situated on an eminence commanding a delightful and extensive view of the Vale of Llanrwst.  Near and above this lovely spot is the celebrated lake of Geirionydd, on the banks of which lived the illustrious bard Taliesin, called by his countrymen, by way of distinction, “Taliesin ben Beirdd,” the chief of the bards.  About a mile from Llyn Geirionydd is the mountain village of Llanrhychwyn.  Lord Willoughby d’Eresby has erected a monument which his lordship intended should identify the spot where the poet resided.  Here, in a sort of hollow, formed on the summit of a mound, are still to be seen some remains of an ancient habitation.  The river Conway is navigable from its mouth to Trefriw, for vessels of 60 tons burden, which bring coal, lime, timber, and grocery, for the supply of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, and carry back the produce of the slate quarries and mines of the adjoining parishes.  Five miles S. E. of Llanrwst, is

Gwytherin,

a small village, very poor and primitive indeed, once celebrated as the burial place of St. Winefred, but the pilgrimages to it are now few and far between.—Three miles to the north stood the Abbey of Maenan; but a large old house built out of its ruins now occupies its place.

p. 164Angling Stations.

MACHYNLLETH,
(Montgomeryshire.)

Machynlleth is an ancient well-built town, superior to most in North Wales for cleanliness and respectability, the streets being remarkably spacious and regular in appearance.  It is situated on the road leading to Aberystwyth from Shrewsbury and North Wales, about a quarter of a mile from the southern bank of the river Dyfi.  The township contains a population of 2482.  It is the centre of the woollen manufactory in this part of the country, where also some tanning business is carried on.  The Eagles is accounted the principal inn, and the Unicorn Arms, in the middle of the town, has obtained a good repute for excellent accommodation.  The name of this town signifies the place of the river Cynllaeth, which was the ancient name of the Dyfi or Dovey, in the valley of which it stands.  It is the supposed Maglana of the Romans, where, in the reign of Honorius, a lieutenant was stationed to awe the mountaineers.

Here Owen Glyndwr summoned the nobility and gentry, of Wales in 1402.  Amongst the number, Sir David Gam attended with the design of murdering Glyndwr, but the plot was discovered, and Sir David was seized.  He would have p. 165suffered instantaneous death, had not some powerful friends interfered, through whose intercession his sentence was mitigated to confinement at Machynlleth, where he continued some time.  But Sir David was scarcely set at liberty, ere he began to manifest a turbulent disposition; which so exasperated Glyndwr, that he burnt his house in resentment, uttering to Gam’s servant the following extemporaneous stanza:—

Os gweli di wr coch cam,
   Yn ’mofyn am Gyrnigwen;
Dywed ei bod hi tan y lan,
   A nod y glo ar ei phen.

David, however, escaped this meditated vengeance by flying into England, where he continued in favour at the court of Henry the Fifth.

In the august assembly called Owen’s parliament, Glyndwr exerted his first acts of royalty, being then acknowledged as the Prince of Wales, and proclaimed and crowned.

Machynlleth has a neat and commodious church, which has recently been rebuilt.  The town-hall or market-house was erected in 1783, by Sir W. W. Wynn, grandfather of the present owner of Wynnstay, who is lord of the manor, and holds courts leet twice in the year.  The county court is held alternately here and at Montgomery, and the petty sessions for the hundred are held here occasionally.  There are places of worship for Independents, Calvinists, and Wesleyan Methodists; and a national school liberally endowed.

The new line of road from Machynlleth to Towyn is exceedingly picturesque and beautiful, particularly that part of it lying between Penal and Aberdovey, which is cut out of the solid rock, and was opened in 1827; it passes along the northern bank of the Dovey, and affords most delightful views of the opposite coast of Cardiganshire, with the sea in the distance.

p. 166MAEN-TWROG
(Merionethshire.)

This is a small village, situated in the most romantic part of the highly picturesque vale of Ffestiniog, on the southern bank of the river Dwyryd.  It derives its name from a large stone, still remaining in the church-yard, called Maen-Twrog, erected to the memory of a British saint, who died about the year 610.  The church was rebuilt on the site of the ancient structure in 1814, and is a neat stone edifice with a square embattled tower.  The Rev. Edmund Prys, Archdeacon of Merioneth, one of the most eminent poets of his time, was rector of this parish: he translated the metrical psalms used in the Welsh churches, and assisted Bishop Morgan in translating the Bible.  He died in the year 1623, and was buried in Maen-Twrog church.  Nothing can exceed the beauties of the little vale in which the village is built; the well-wooded hills are moderately high, and scattered with pleasing effect.

There is a comfortable inn here, where neat cars may be had.  A Sunday school was lately erected, at the expense of Mrs. Oakley.  Within sight of the village, and about a quarter of a mile distant, on the opposite side of the river, is

Tan-y-Bwlch,

that is, Below the Pass, which is one of the most beautiful and celebrated places connected with the range of Snowdonian mountains.  It takes its name from being situated at the brow of a hill, where it overlooks the vale of Ffestiniog; and from Plâs Tan-y-Bwlch, the residence of the late W. G. Oakley, Esq., which is delightfully and romantically situated.  The prospect from the terrace of this mansion is most splendid and interesting, embracing the glorious scenery of the vale of Ffestiniog, the river Dwyryd in all its meandering windings, the range of Merionethshire mountains in the distance, the majestic castle of Harlech, and the lake-like intervening views opening into Cardigan bay.

p. 167The Oakley Arms, an elegant hotel, is conveniently situated in the centre of the many attractive objects of this romantic district.

Several Roman antiquities have lately been found near this place, consisting of coins, urns, and inscribed stones, some of which are in the possession of Mrs. Oakley, and of J. Lloyd, Esq. of Pen-y-Glanau, who has also an extensive collection of antiquities, found in different parts of the Principality.

About two miles on the Harlech road, up a woody valley, are two most interesting waterfalls, on the Velin-Rhyd river, one called the Rhaiadr Dû, or the Black Cataract, and the other the Raven Fall.  From the former the water rushes down a steep channel for about one hundred yards, and is thence thrown with great force over three rocks, each of which takes a different direction from the others: the depth of the fall is about forty feet.  The latter is not more than a quarter of a mile distant, and in equal in beauty and grandeur.  It consists of six different falls, each of which, about thirty feet in extent, is beautifully picturesque, and, as seen from the base of the rock over which the river descends, has a sublime and romantic appearance.  There are also several other falls of minor interest on the streams that water the vale.  At a cottage near the bridge, which the tourist will cross before he leaves the main road from Maen-Twrog, a guide to the falls may be obtained.

After the natural beauties of this lovely district, the object of the greatest attraction is the Ffestiniog railroad, for the conveyance of slates from the Ffestiniog quarries to Port Madoc, which is cut through rocks nearly the whole length of fourteen miles, and forms an inclined plane the whole distance, the fall of which is equal to one in one hundred and twenty, and the descent from its commencement to its termination is a most delightful ride, through an infinite variety of sublime and interesting scenery.  For the accommodation of tourists and visitors, a carriage, connected with the Oakley Arms Hotel, has been placed on the line.

The quarries with which the railway is in connexion produce the best and most valuable kind of slate.  They belong to Lords Newborough, Palmerston, and Powlett; Mrs. Oakley; S. Holland, J. Greaves, W. Turner, and Thomas Casson, Esquires.

p. 168MALLWYD.
(Montgomeryshire.)

This is a little village, placed between the salient angles of three abrupt mountains, Arran, Camlan, and Moel Dyfi, in a small valley surrounded by many delightful scenes, through which runs the river Dyfi, or Dovey.

The falls of the Dovey at Pont Fallwyd, about half a mile distant, are particularly romantic and beautiful.

The church is a very humble Gothic structure.  The churchyard is remarkable for several large yew trees, one of which measures twenty-two feet in girth, and forty feet in height.—Mallwyd has a good inn, where post chaises may be procured.

MOLD,
(Flintshire.)

The ancient British name of this place, (Yr Wyddgrûg), signifying a Lofty and Conspicuous Hill, and also the Roman name of Mont Altus, of like import, were derived from a high mound on the north-western side of the present town, now called the Bailey Hill, a commanding eminence, partly natural, and partly artificial, upon which a fortification appears to have been erected at a very early period, but whether by the ancient Britons, or by the Romans, is not accurately known.  It is seated in a pleasant valley, watered by the river Alyn; consists principally of one long spacious street; and in 1841, with that part of the township immediately adjoining, contained 10,653 inhabitants.  By the late Act for amending the representation, Mold has been constituted a borough, contributory with Flint and the other boroughs in the county, in the return of a member to Parliament.

In the environs are numerous handsome seats and elegant mansions.  The principal inns are the Black Lion and Leeswood Arms hotels.  To the former a spacious assembly room has lately been added, and many agreeable balls are there given.  The parish abounds with mineral wealth; the western p. 169district is rich in lead ore, which is generally found imbedded in limestone, or chirtz; but the operations are much impeded by the subterraneous stream of the Alyn, which here flows under ground for the space of upwards of half a mile.  Numerous tumuli are found in various parts of the parish.  In October 1833, some workmen, digging in a field near the town, discovered a human skeleton, having at its feet an earthern pot, which apparently contained ashes; and on the breast, with other metal, a large plate of gold, much ornamented, valued at the sum of £70: the trustees of the British Museum became the purchasers of these antique relics.

In the neighbourhood are various works for smelting lead, and an extensive cotton mill.

The county assizes are held in Mold.  A new county hall has been erected in the old English style of architecture, from a design by Thomas Jones, Esq., architect, of Chester.

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and said to have been erected in the early part of the sixteenth century, is a spacious and handsome structure, consisting of a nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel, with a lofty square embattled tower, enriched with sculpture and crowned with pinnacles, which though of more recent erection, precisely correspond with the general design.  The interior of the church is embellished with architectural details and sculptured monuments.  Among numerous monuments worthy of examination, is an elegant one to the memory of Richard Davies, Esq., of Llanerch; and against a pillar of the nave is this singular epitaph, composed by Dr. Wynne for himself, and placed there during his life:—“In conformity to ancient usage, from a proper regard to decency, and a concern for the health of his fellow-creatures, he was moved to give particular directions for being buried in the adjoining churchyard, and not in the church; and as he scorned flattering of others while living, he has taken care to prevent being flattered by others when dead, by causing this small memorial to be set up in his lifetime: God be merciful to me a sinner!”  In the burial ground are deposited the remains of Wilson, the celebrated painter, styled “the English Claude.”  There are places of worship for various denominations of dissenters.  A branch railway from Mold, to form a junction with the Shrewsbury and Holyhead lines, at Saltney, near Chester, will soon be constructed.

Of the ancient castle not a vestige at present can be p. 170discerned, and its very site is completely covered with thriving plantations.  The Bailey Hill, on which it stood, though at present difficult of ascent, was rendered still more arduous by the erection of strong ramparts and the formation of a deep moat: from the summit of this hill a fine view of the surrounding country is obtained.  About a mile west of Mold is a noted spot of ground, called

Maes Garmon,

Or the Field of Germanus.  Soon after the final establishment of Christianity in this part of the Principality, about 448, a severe conflict took place here, between the combined forces of the pagan Saxons and Picts, and the native converts, of whom thousands had been just previously baptized.  The latter calmly awaited the approach of the enemy at this place, under the command of Bishops Germanus and Lupus, the former of whom, having given his troops orders to repeat after him the word “alleluiah,” led them on to battle.

This triumphant shout, uttered by the whole army, struck such terror into the hearts of the pagans, that they fled on all sides; numbers perished by the swords of their pursuers; and many, attempting to escape, were drowned in the adjacent river.  This celebrated victory, which took place in Easter week, has been distinguished by historians with the appellation of “Victoria Alleluiatica;” and the memorial of it has been perpetuated by the erection of a pillar, in 1730, on the spot where St. Germanus is said to have stood.  Modern researches of antiquarians have raised a doubt as to the locality of this remarkable event.  One mile and a half on the Chester road runs

Offa’s Dyke,

The ancient and famous boundary between Wales and England, extending from Basingwerk, in Flintshire, to Monmouth.  When the Romans made their inroads into this island, many of the Britons retreated into Wales, at which time the rivers Dee and Severn divided the two countries: all to the east was England, and to the west Wales.  This division continued about 600 years, when the ambitious Offa, coveting the fertile lands of his neighbours, raised a quarrel and an army.  He drove the conquered westward among the mountains, seized their property, formed this vast dyke, and ordained that neither Englishman nor Welshman should pass the new boundary.

p. 171The Tower.

On the right of the road leading towards Caergwrle, and about a mile from Mold, is an old structure, which presents a singular specimen of the style of domestic architecture during the ages of lawless violence in which it was erected: it consists of an ancient square tower of three stories, and appears to have been designed as a place of fortified habitation.  During the wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, it was inhabited by Reinallt ab Gruffydd ab Bleddyn, who was constantly engaged in feuds with the citizens of Chester.  In 1495, a considerable number of the latter came to Mold fair, and a fray arising between the hostile parties, great slaughter ensued on both sides; but Reinallt, who obtained the victory, took the mayor of Chester prisoner, and conveyed him to his mansion, where he hung him on the staple in his great hall.  To avenge this affront, a party of two hundred men was dispatched from Chester to seize Reinallt, who, retiring from his house into the adjoining woods, permitted a few of them to enter the building, when, rushing from his concealment, he blocked up the door, and, setting fire to the house, destroyed them in the flames: he then attacked the remainder, whom he pursued with great slaughter: and such as escaped the sword, were drowned in attempting to regain their homes.  The staple on which the mayor was hung still remains fixed on the ceiling of the lower apartment.

Moel Fammau.

On the right of the road to Ruthin, about five miles west of Mold, is this conspicuous eminence, rising 1845 feet above the level of the sea.  Upon the summit of this mountain, the gentlemen of the country entered into a subscription, and erected in 1810, a jubilee column, to commemorate the fiftieth year of the reign of George III.  The first stone was laid by Lord Kenyon, on the 25th October, in the presence of more than 3000 people.  The monument was executed from designs by T. Harrison, Esq., of Chester, and consists of a rough stone building of pyramidal form, about 150 feet in height, and 60 feet diameter at the base.  A square block of stone in the centse marks the division of the two counties, Denbighshire and Flintshire, and four parishes.  From this elevated spot may be seen parts of Staffordshire and Derbyshire; the p. 172Wrekin, in Shropshire; Snowdon and Cader Idris, in Wales; and Black Comb, in Cumberland.  The view is exceedingly grand and extensive, combining every variety of natural scenery; and as the mountain road has lately been repaired, and a room for visitors with a shed for horses erected on the summit, it forms a convenient and interesting spot from which to contemplate the beauties of Wales.  The jubilee column has also been repaired by public subscription, to which Lord Kenyon was a liberal contributor.

Kilkain.

This village, which lies about four miles from Mold, on the bridle road to Denbigh, is remarkable for the finely-carved roof of its church, which at the dissolution of monasteries was brought from the abbey of Basingwerk.

MONA INN,
(Anglesea.)

Mona Inn, formerly called Caeau Môn, is an excellent hotel, situate midway between Bangor and Holyhead, on the new line of road between those places.  Post chaises are kept here.  About nine miles beyond the Mona Inn the mail road crosses the Stanley Sands, by means of an embankment 1300 yards in length, and upon an average of 16 feet in height.  In the fields of the inn the geologist will find a curious red rock, containing jasper, which will cut glass like a diamond, and which also polishes beautifully.

MONTGOMERY,
(Montgomeryshire.)

This town, the capital of the county, is romantically situated, partly on the summit, and partly on the declivity of a hill, rising from the southern bank of the Severn, and under the shelter of a mountain of a mountain of loftier elevation.—The town-hall p. 173stands in the middle of the town, the area underneath being used for the market: the upper part is divided into two handsome rooms, erected at the expense of Lord Clive, the larger of which is used for assemblies; the smaller, for the business of the quarter sessions.  On the left of the road leading to Shrewsbury is the new gaol, built by the county at an expense of £10,000.  In 1841, the population returns gave to this town 1208 inhabitants.  The Dragon has the reputation of being the principal inn.

The town was anciently built and fortified with a castle, by Baldwyn, lieutenant of the Welsh marshes to William the Conqueror, and then called Tre-Faldwyn, i.e. Baldwyn’s Town; but Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, in 1092, entered Powys-land, and took his place, which he fortified anew, built the castle (according to Doomsday-book), and called it after his own name.  The church is a handsome cruciform structure, and contains an ancient monument to the memory of Richard Herbert, Esq., father of the celebrated Lord Herbert of Chirbury.

The ruins of the castle crown an eminence to the north of the town, the approach to which is easy; but on the opposite side, the rock upon which it is built rises almost perpendicularly.  A seat belonging to the Earl of Powys, called Leymore Lodge, stands about half a mile from the town, on the road to Bishop’s Castle.

Mynydd, or Cefn Dygoll,

Is celebrated for having been the spot where the national independence of the Welsh was finally prostrated.  After the death of Llywelyn, the northern Welshmen set up Madoc, his cousin, who assembled a great army, and after several victories at Caernarvon, Denbigh, Knockin, and on the marshes, the hero of the Principality was here overthrown, in 1294, by the collected power of the Lords Marshers, after a fiercely contested battle.

NEVYN,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Nevyn is a small market town, situated on the western coast of the county, with a population of 1726 inhabitants.  It is p. 174only remarkable as the place where Edward the First, in 1284, celebrated his conquest of Wales by tournaments and feasts.  The coast in the neighbourhood is bold and rocky, and the surrounding scenery altogether of a mountainous character.  The church is a neat building, erected in 1824.

On a narrow head-land, jutting into the sea, about a mile from the town, is Porth-yn-Llëyn, supposed, from remains of strong entrenchments, to have been a port frequented by the Romans.  It forms a natural bay, in which there is safe anchorage in all winds, for vessels of the largest tonnage.

NEWBOROUGH,
(Anglesea.)

Newborough is on inconsiderable village, containing 895 inhabitants, deriving its name from having been constituted a free borough by Edward the First.  It was originally a place of great importance, being the capital of the island, and was for many years the residence of the princes of North Wales, who had a palace here, where, or at Aberfraw, on the opposite side of the Malldraeth sands, they occasionally fixed their seat of government, as the exigences of that turbulent period might require.  At the time of the first conquest of Wales by Edward the First, this place appears to have been the chief town in the island, as well as the seat of justice for the whole comot of Menai.  In the reign of Henry the Seventh, upon a representation to that sovereign, the assizes and other county business were removed from Beaumaris to Newborough.  Having, however, declined from its former importance, in the third year of Edward the Sixth, the assizes, sessions, and general county business were removed back to Beaumaris, where they have been continued ever since.

NEWMARKET,
(Flintshire.)

This village is situated about three miles to the right hand of the great Chester and Holyhead road, and within three miles of the estuary of the Dee.

p. 175The church is a small structure of modern date, standing within a spacious cemetery, in which are some fine lofty trees.  On the south of the church, and not far distant from the principal entrance, stands a tall and very beautiful stone cross, the upper part finely sculptured in high relief.  Here is built one of the charity schools, founded and opened in 1726, by Dr. Daniel Williams, a dissenting minister, with an annual endowment of £8, a charity which he extended to every county in North Wales, distinguishing that of Wrexham, the place of his birth, by an annual salary of £15.

The conjecture of the learned antiquarian, Mr. Pennant, that from the numerous tumuli and other sepulchral memorials visible in the neighbourhood, it was the scene of the slaughter of the Ordovices, by the Romans under Agricola, seems to be well founded.

Near the village is a hill called Cop ’r ’leni, on the summit of which is a most enormous carnedd or tumulus, formed of lime-stones.  It covers nearly an acre of ground, and is in height from 20 to 30 yards.  The most probable conjecture is, that it was erected over the remains of some distinguished warrior or chieftain, slain in battle, and in later times served as an observatory to discern the approach of an enemy, for which purpose it is well calculated, as it commands an extensive view both of the neighbouring encampments, and the estuaries of the Dee and Mersey.

A short distance from this place, on the brow of another hill, is Bryn-y-Saethau, or the Hill of Arrows, probably from being the station of the archers in the engagement: close to this is Bryn-y-Lladdfa, or the Hill of Slaughter, a name peculiarly appropriate to the site of a battle; a little below again is Pant-y-Gwae, or the Hollow of Woe.

Between Newmarket and Mostyn, about one mile and a half distance from the former place, there is on an elevation a singular monument, denominated Maen Achwynfan, or the Stone of Lamentation and Weeping, on which are cut some very curious figures; the height of the stone is twelve feet, and two feet four inches wide at the base; the form is that of an ancient obelisk.

A short time since one of the tumuli or barrows was opened in the presence of Mr. Morgan, of Golden Grove, and the Rev. Henry Parry, vicar of Llanasa, and was found to contain a quantity of bones and boars’ tusks, the latter in good preservation.  p. 176An urn, nearly two feet in height, was struck upon, but through the precipitancy of the workmen employed on the occasion, was unfortunately broken to pieces.

NEWTOWN,
(Montgomeryshire.)

Newtown, or as it is called by the Welsh Tre’-Newydd, is situated on the banks of the river Severn, on the road from Welshpool to Aberystwyth, and contains 3990 inhabitants.—The principal inns are the Boar and the Angel.  Very little is known either of the origin or the early history of this place, which within the last fifty years, from the celebrity of its flannel manufacture, has risen into importance.  A spacious hall has recently, been erected, from a design by Mr. Penson, in which the market for the staple commodity of the place is held, each alternate Thursday.  Many factories have been established, which afford employment to more than two thousand persons.

A substantial bridge of stone over the Severn, called the Long Bridge, was completed in 1827, at a cost exceeding £4000: it consists of three arches of more than sixty feet span; the arches and the parapets being of grey free-stone, and the spears and spandrils of blue stone, found in the neighbourhood.  A stone bridge of one arch was built in 1803, over the town brook, on the road to Welshpool, which, by way of distinction, is called the Short Bridge.

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient structure.  In the interior are some marble monuments, chiefly to the family of Price, of Newtown Hall.  The environs abound with pleasing and romantic scenery, and a fine view of the town is obtained from the summits of the hills on the north and south sides.  At the distance of about a mile and a half on the road to Built, there is a picturesque and beautiful spot, which is much resorted to by strangers; from the summit of a shelving mass of rock, eighty feet high, a stream of water rushes with impetuosity, forming in its descent a fine cascade, which winds at the base through a richly wooded glen.

p. 177Angling Stations.

NORTHOP,
(Flintshire.)

This is a large and pleasantly situated village, in a fertile part of the country, surrounded by numerous seats and elegant villas.  The Welsh name is Llan-Eurgain, from the dedication of its first church to St. Eurgain, daughter of the Prince Maelgwyn Gwynedd, and niece of St. Asaph, the second bishop of the see, which from him derived its name.

The church, which has a noble tower, erected in 1571, stands on a small eminence, and is an irregular building, embattled in the front, and supported by clumsy buttresses.  The interior length is 113 feet, and the breadth 38½ feet.  There have been three dedications of Northop church; the first to St. Eurgain; the second to St. Mary; and the third to St. Peter.  There are several remarkable monuments in this church.

The parish of Northop contains about 6000 acres of land, nearly the whole extent of which is in cultivation.  The population of the parish in 1841 was 3566.

Coals are found in the lower parts of the parish, and some of the works have been extensively carried on for many years; large quantities are conveyed by iron rail-roads to Connah’s Quay, and there shipped for Chester, Liverpool, and Dublin.  Lead ore is found, though not in great abundance, in the township of Caer Allwch.

OSWESTRY,
(Shropshire.)

This town, though not situated in Wales, is so contiguous, that it is frequently visited by travellers, either on commencing p. 178or terminating their tour, Oswestry lying on the great line of road from Llangollen to Shrewsbury.  The town occupies the declivity of a range of hills, which skirt it on the western side, and command an extensive view over the fertile plains of Salop.  The streets are well paved and lighted: the old buildings of timber and brick have been succeeded by respectable modern edifices; and the town, which has long been stretched beyond its ancient boundaries, is still progressively increasing in extent and importance.  The population of the parish by the last census was 8843.

OVERTON,
(Flintshire.)

This is a neat little village, delightfully situated on the banks of the Dee, over which river is a handsome stone bridge of two lofty arches, connecting the counties of Denbigh and Flint, on the road from Chester to Shrewsbury.  The surrounding scenery is beautifully picturesque.  The village, with its venerable church, forms a pleasing and highly interesting feature in a charming landscape.  In the churchyard are several fine yew trees.  The site of the ancient castle occupies the brow of a lofty promontory overlooking the river Dee; and in the park of Gwernhaeled are the remains of a large circular camp, with an ancient tumulus.  In this vicinity is the elegant seat of F. R. Price, Esq. Bryn-y-Pys.

Angling Station.—The Dee up to Llangollen.

PENMAEN MAWR,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Penmaen Mawr is an immense hill, and so denominated from being the last of the long chain of mountains which cross the country.  This gigantic rock, along which the road from Chester to Holyhead passes, exhibits a fine contrast with the adjacent fertility, by its sterile grandeur.  This place was once the dread of the neighbourhood, the immense promontory affording only a narrow zig-zag path along the shelf of its p. 179frowning side for the terrified traveller to pass.  Under his feet were loose masses of rugged stones, impeding his progress; beneath, a hundred fathoms down, the roaring ocean foaming against the perpendicular base of the mountain; and over his head, the impending precipice, threatening by its shivering aspect to overwhelm or hurry him headlong down the craggy steep.  The danger, from the declivity of the mountain, with the crumbling nature of the strata, increased with his progress, and, in several difficult parts of the road, one false step must have inevitably proved fatal.

From the numerous accidents that occurred, it was long an object of melancholy consideration to the inhabitants in the vicinity: the winter evenings were often spent in relating the alarming tales of the perils and disasters attendant on passing Penmaen Mawr.  Modern science, however, has made travelling in this fearful district both safe and attractive.  By order of the Parliamentary Commissioners, a new road was opened in 1827, by the celebrated Mr. Telford.  And a capacious tunnel has been constructed for the Chester and Holyhead Railway, through the adjoining mountain of Penmaen Bach, which seemed to defy every attempt to pierce its gloomy recesses.

On the summit of a lull called Braich-y-Ddinas, rising out of Penmaen, are the ruins of a castle, the fortifications of which were capable of containing 20,000 men; the remains of walls are still standing, and a well that supplied the garrison is constantly full of water, furnished principally by the condensed vapour of the mountain.  This was considered the strongest post possessed by the Britons in the district of Snowdon.  It was deemed impregnable; and here the reduced bands of the brave Welsh army were posted, pending the negociation betwixt Edward I. and Llywelyn.

PENMORFA,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Penmorfa, or the Head of the Marsh, is a small wood-clad village, romantically situated on the western bank of Traeth Mawr, but is so much out of the way of tourists as to be seldom visited.  The church is small, and dedicated to St. Beuno, p. 180having within a small monument to the memory of Sir John Owen, a general and supporter of Charles I., who, being taken prisoner at a battle near Bangor, was condemned to die by the Parliament; but through the intercession of Ireton, he was liberated after a few months’ imprisonment.

PENMYNYDD,
(Anglesea.)

Penmynydd is situated on the eastern side of Anglesea, near the great post road from Bangor to Holyhead, six miles from the Menai Bridge.  It is celebrated as being the native place of Owen Tudor.

PENTRE VOELAS,
(Denbighshire.)

This is a small hamlet on the great London and Holyhead road, with a very comfortable inn.  About four miles distant are the Conway waterfalls.  A new road has lately been formed hence to Denbigh, and another to Ffestiniog.

PLAS NEWYDD,
(Anglesea.)

Plas Newydd (the New Mansion), anciently Llwyn Moel (the Grove on the Hill), one of the principal groves in Anglesea, sacred to druidic worship, once the magnificent seat of the Marquis of Anglesea, but now occupied by T. Assheton Smith, Esq. of Vaenol.  Caernarvonshire.  It is beautifully situated on the curve of the Menai, protected on three sides by venerable oak trees, and about one hundred yards of the strait, with a fine lawn in front, sloping to the edge of the water, and defended from the encroachment of the sea by a strong parapet embattled wall.

Here the noble proprietor had the distinguished honour of entertaining his late Majesty George the Fourth, on his visit p. 181to Ireland in 1821; and also, at the invitation of the Noble Marquis, who was then exercising his official duties as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and her illustrious daughter, the Princess (now Queen) Victoria, took up their residence for several weeks in the summer of 1822, during the time of holding the Eisteddfod at Beaumaris, where they visited and occasionally resided.

Opposite the stables, behind the house, stands the most complete cromlech in Anglesea, perhaps in Britain; and the domains abound with most interesting vestiges of antiquity.

A short distance from Plas Newydd, is Mr. Saunderson’s beautiful cottage, in the formation and embellishment of which that gentleman has displayed peculiar taste; and about half a mile to the west, within the park, is Plasgwyn, the seat of the lute Rev. Henry Rowlands, and also Llanidan Hall, the seat of Lord Boston.

On Craig-y-Dinas, a rock on the side of the London and Holyhead road, about midway between the Menai bridge and Plas Newydd, stands the Anglesea Column, erected to commemorate the exploits of the noble marquis.  The first stone was laid June 18, 1816, being the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo; and the pillar was completed September 8 in the following year.  Its height from the base is 100 feet, and the summit of the hill on which it is built rises 260 feet above the level of the sea.  It forms an interesting and commanding object in the romantic scenery of the neighbourhood.

PONT-Y-GLYN,
(Denbighshire.)

Pont-y-Glyn (the Bridge of the Precipices) is situated on the great Holyhead and London road, between Corwen and Cerniogan Mawr.  The woody glen, at the head of which stands Pont-y-Glyn, with its prominent rocks, nearly obscured by the surrounding foliage, forms a lovely picture.  On a sudden turn of the road, stands the bridge thrown over a chasm.  Beneath is the rugged and precipitous bed of the river, where, among immense masses and fragments of rocks, the stream foams with violent impetuosity.  The cataract is not lofty, but from its being directly under the bridge, where it is seen p. 182dashing among the dark opposing rocks, with the addition of the pendant foliage from each side, the scene is finely picturesque and elegant.  The bridge rests upon the two nearly perpendicular rocks, and appears to be 50 or 60 feet above the bed of the stream.  The view thence down the hollow is truly sublime.

PWLLHELI
(Caernarvonshire.)

Pwllheli, or the Salt Water Pit, is a pleasant market-town and sea-port, the population of which is about 1500.  The market is held on Wednesday and Saturday.  The Crown and Anchor, where post-chaises may be had, is accounted the principal inn; the Ship and Ivy Bush are respectable.  The town, which is well built, has become a place of some resort for bathing.  The parish church, which is situated about half a mile to the north of the town, is small and dilapidated.  A new church, dedicated to St. Peter, was consecrated by the Bishop of Bangor September 16th, 1834.  It is a neat and chaste edifice, capable of accommodating a large congregation.  Two banks have branches here, the North and South Wales and the National Provincial.

The town-hall, erected in 1818, is a neat substantial edifice, the lower part of which is appropriated on market-days as shambles, and the upper part contains an excellent assembly room, and a room in which the petty sessions are held.  The commerce consists entirely in the importation of coal and of shop goods from Liverpool, for the supply of which to the surrounding country Pwllheli forms a great depôt, and is esteemed the cheapest place for living in North Wales.  This is one of the contributory boroughs which, with Caernarvon, returns a member to parliament.—The surrounding scenery comprehends many pictures of grandeur and of beauty; and a view from the town, embracing the whole extent of the Snowdon mountains, the Merionethshire hills, and Cardigan bay, is truly magnificent.  Several improvements are in progress at Pwllheli.

p. 183RHUDDLAN,
(Flintshire.)

Rhuddlan contains, with the chapelry of Rhyl, 2415 inhabitants.  The town lies in a flat, on the eastern hank of the river Clwyd, about two miles from its influx into the sea.  The river is here a little extended in width, so as, at high water, to admit vessels of 50 tons up to the bridge.

Rhuddlan was formerly a place of considerable magnitude, but no traces of its former importance are left, except in the ruins of its ancient castle.  Edward the First annexed to it the privileges of a free borough, to facilitate an intercourse between the Welsh and English, for the purpose of allaying the rooted enmity and the unhappy jealousies that had for centuries rent the two countries.  In all his proceedings, this monarch exhibited strong features of policy.  He had been early taught that when stratagem would supply the place of men and treasure, it was at least wise, if not always just, to adopt it.  Hence originated the statute of Rhuddlan, and hence was his infant son proclaimed Prince of Wales.  This statute, which was passed in parliament assembled here in the year 1283, contains a set of regulations for the government of Wales; it also recites many curious particulars relative to the Welsh customs previous to Edward’s conquest, against which it was in a great measure directed.

Betwixt the town and the sea is a large marsh called Morva Rhuddlan (the Marsh of Rhuddlan), where, in the year 725, a dreadful battle was fought between the Saxons, under Offa, king of Mercia, and the Welsh, in which the latter, after an obstinate conflict, were defeated with great slaughter, Carodoc, king of North Wales, and many of his principal chieftains, being among the slain.  Such of the Welsh as escaped the sword of the enemy, perished in the marsh, from the influx of the tides; and all who were taken prisoners were inhumanly massacred, without regard to age or sex.  In commemoration of this disastrous event, was composed the well-known Welsh air of “Morva Rhuddlan,” which is much admired for the plaintive sweetness of its melody.

The bridge at Rhuddlan consists of two arches, built or rebuilt p. 184in 1595, with an impression of the arms of Hughes, Bishop of St. Asaph, upon one of the battlements.

At a private house is shewn part of the building where Edward the First held the parliament which passed the statute of Rhuddlan, in 1283; the observation of the tourist will be directed to it by the following inscription on the building:—“This fragment is the remains of the building where King Edward the First held his parliament, A.D. 1283, in which was passed the statute of Rhuddlan, securing the Principality its judicial rights and independence.”

Rhuddlan Castle

is built of red stone, nearly square, and has six towers.  The principal entrance appears to have been at the north-west angle, betwixt two round towers; the two opposite to these are much shattered, but the others are in a better state of preservation.  There is some difference of opinion as to the period at which this castle was erected.  Two celebrated historians, Powel and Camden, attribute it to Llywelyn ap Sitsyllt, who reigned in Wales at the commencement of the eleventh century, and made it the place of his residence.  In 1063, three years before William the Conqueror came to the throne, Rhuddlan castle was in the possession of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, prince of North Wales.  It was in that year attacked and burnt by Harold, the son of Godwin, Earl of Kent (afterwards King of England), in retaliation for some depredations committed by the Welsh on the English borders.  It was subsequently the scene of many interesting historical events.

In 1399, the castle was seized by the Earl of Northumberland, previous to the deposition of Richard the Second, who dined here, in company with the Earl, in his way to Flint, where he was treacherously delivered into the power of his rival, Bolingbroke.

In the civil wars, Rhuddlan was garrisoned for the King, but was surrendered to General Mytton in July, 1646, and in the December following was ordered by the parliament to be dismantled.—It is at present the property of the Bodryddan family.

Angling Station.—Cwm, three miles from Rhuddlan.

p. 185RHYL,
(Flintshire.)

Rhyl is situated at the termination of the Vale of Clwyd, near the mouth of the river from which that beautiful valley takes its name, and is much frequented as a bathing place during the summer months, for which purpose, both from its immediate contiguity to the sea, and the extent and firmness of its sands, it is admirably adapted.  There are excellent and commodious hotels, with smaller inns and lodging houses, intermingled with several neat cottages, occupied for the summer residences of some of the wealthy neighbours.  There are machines for the accommodation of bathers, and hot and cold baths, supplied with sea water, to which are attached billiard and news rooms, and a spacious bowling green.

A church has been erected, capable of containing 500 persons, in which there is Divine service in the English language every Sunday.  Steam-packets ply regularly from Rhyl to Liverpool three times a week, and occasionally from Rhyl to Beaumaris, affording its visitors an opportunity of seeing some of the magnificent scenery of the Welsh coast.  Cars may be obtained at any time from the principal inns, and there is an omnibus on the Voryd side, which runs regularly from Abergele, to meet the packets.  Extensive and important local improvements have lately been effected, to add to the attractions of Rhyl as a marine residence.

The shore presents no very striking scenery; still the antique castle of Rhuddlan, in its sober hues, and the dark range of Clwydian hills, stretching far into the distance, afford a scene of no ordinary beauty.  To the south is seen the bold promontory of the Great Ormeshead, beyond which is Puffin Island; and when days are bright and skies are clear, the distant hills of Cumberland may be dimly seen, losing themselves beyond the waters of the Irish Sea.—Provisions of all kinds are cheap; and milk, vegetables, and poultry, are abundantly supplied by the neighbouring farmers.  The lover of angling may find an opportunity of enjoying his favourite amusement, as the Clwyd and Elwy, both celebrated trout streams, are within one hour’s walk.

p. 186RUABON,
(Denbighshire.)

Ruabon, or Rhiw-abon, is a village containing about 1300 inhabitants, situated on the road from Oswestry to Wrexham and Chester.  The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an interesting and venerable structure, in which are several splendid marble monuments.  There is one by Rhysbrac, to the memory of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, who was killed by a fall from his horse, on the 26th of September, 1749, aged 41 years; the figure is in a graceful attitude, as in the act of addressing an assembly.  An elegant Latin inscription, the composition of the late Dr. King, of St. Mary’s Hall, Oxford, enumerates in eloquent detail his mental abilities, social qualities, and public and private virtues.

There are likewise two monuments by Nollekens, one to the memory of the late Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart., and the other to his wife, Lady Rennetta Williams Wynn.  The latter represents that amiable lady in the character of Hope, standing and reclining on an urn.  The countenance, attitude, and drapery, are exquisitely fine.  The figure stands on a pedestal, on which, in high relievo, is a coiled serpent, hieroglyphical of eternity; and within is an inscription indicating that her ladyship was third daughter of Charles Noel, Duke of Beaufort, and died July 25, 1769, at the early age of 23.  The church was thoroughly repaired in 1772, at the expense of the first Sir Watkin, who presented an organ and a small but elegant font of white marble, on the occasion of the baptism of his eldest son, the late baronet.  Dr. David Powel, the Welsh historian, who was instituted to this vicarage in the year 1571, was interred here.

In the neighbourhood are numerous iron works and collieries.  The British iron company has very extensive works at Acrevair, in which several hundred men are constantly employed.  There are considerable coal works at Cefn-Mawr, a large and populous village on the northern bank of the Dee, near an elegant bridge thrown over the river, called New Bridge.  The Eagles or Wynnstay Arms Inn is a respectable house.  Ruabon is one of the principal stations of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway.—A short distance from the inn is

p. 187Wynnstay.

This extensive park, which is twelve miles in circumference, is entered from the village by a plain but handsome gateway of modern erection, opening into a straight avenue, nearly a mile in length, composed of lofty trees of ancient growth, in which venerable oaks, stately elms, beeches, and chesnuts, are intermingled; and at the extremity of which is the mansion, the hospitable residence of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart., beautifully situated on a fine and extensive lawn, gently sloping to a noble and picturesque lake.  The older portion of the building contains the domestic offices and general departments for the accommodation of the household.  The modern part, erected by the first Sir Watkin, and enlarged by the late baronet, is spacious and substantial structure: the interior comprises several noble apartments, embellished with some excellent family portraits, by Sir Joshua Reynolds and some of the best masters, two full length paintings of Charles II. and his Queen, and several other pictures of merit.

The park is enriched with some of the noblest trees in the Principality, and comprehends much variety and beauty of scenery: there are handsome lodge entrances into it from various parts of the surrounding district.

At a short distance from the hall, situated in charming pleasure grounds, is a cold bath, near which stands a handsome fluted column, erected after a design by the late Mr. James Wyatt: it is one hundred feet high, ornamented on the faces with festooned wreaths of oak leaves, and at the angles with eagles, finely moulded in bronze; the capital is surmounted by an entablature supporting a circular platform, surrounded with an iron balustrade, to which there is an ascent from the interior by a flight of spiral steps, and having in the centre a circular pedestal, twelve feet high, on which is placed a massive vase of bronze, enriched with goats’ heads.  Over the door leading to the ascent, is a tablet bearing the following inscription:—“To the memory of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart. who died on the 29th of July, MDCCLXXXIX. this column was erected by his affectionate mother, Frances Williams Wynn;” and on the north side, in letters of copper, is the inscription—“Filium optimus.  Mater, eheu! superstes.”  Near this column is a fine sheet of water, bounded by Watt’s Dyke, which here intersects the park, and from which the mansion p. 188originally derived the name of Wattstay, changed by Sir John Wynn, to its present appellation.

Near the southern extremity of the woods is a cenotaph, erected by the late Sir Watkin, from a design by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville, to the memory of his brother officers and soldiers who were slain during the rebellion in Ireland in 1798: it stands on an eminence overlooking a deep ravine, called Nant y Bele (the Dingle of the Marten), through which the river Dee urges it rapid course along a narrow channel, richly fringed with impending woods.  From this spot there is a most magnificent prospect, embracing a vast extent of the counties of Caernarvon, Denbigh, Flint, Chester, and Salop, Chirk Castle and its noble park, the whole of the beautiful vale of Llangollen, including the stupendous aqueduct of Pont-y-Cysylltau, and the majestic ruins of Castell Dinas Brân, with the stately range of mountains in the distance.

A gay archery fête of the British Bowmen, attended by 300 of the aristocracy of the kingdom, was held at Wynnstay in 1846.

Angling Station.—The Dee.

RUTHIN,
(Denbighshire.)

Ruthin (Rhudd-ddin or Rhuthyn) is beautifully situated on the aclivity of an eminence in the picturesque Vale of Clwyd, at the base of which and through the lower part of the town flows the river from which the vale takes its name, at this place an inconsiderable stream, serving only to work some mills in the neighbourhood.  The parish contains 3333 inhabitants.  The appearance of the town is pleasing, and the neighbourhood is embellished with numerous gentlemen’s seats, and commands much varied scenery.  The principal inns are the White Lion and Cross Foxes.

The government of Ruthin is vested in a municipal corporation.  It is one of the contributory boroughs, with Denbigh, Holt, and Wrexham, to return a member to parliament.  Ruthin has been made a polling-place in the election of knights of the p. 189shire; and from its central situation, it has been selected, in preference to the town of Denbigh, for holding the assizes for the county: the quarter sessions are held alternately here and at Denbigh.  The town-hall, situated in the market-place, was built in 1663, and is used for holding the courts leet and baron.  Prior to the erection of the county-hall, the quarter sessions were held there.  The county-hall is a modern structure, fronted with white stone, and, with the county gaol and house of correction, also situated here, is highly creditable to the skill of the architect, Mr. Turner.

The church is an interesting and ancient structure, with a fine roof of carved oak, panelled, richly sculptured, and apparently of the time of Henry the Seventh.  The church was changed into a collegiate chapter A.D. 1310, by John de Grey, who formed an establishment of several regular canons, and endowed it with valuable lands and numerous privileges.  The apartments of the canons were connected with the church by a cloister, of which a remaining portion has been converted into a residence for the warden.

The town contains an endowed free grammar school, a national school supported by voluntary subscriptions, and places of worship for various dissenting congregations.—The present rector is the Venerable Archdeacon Newcome, author of Memoirs of Dr. Goodman, Dean of Westminster, and Dr. Godfrey Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, and also of some local histories.

The ancient castle occupied the declivity of a hill, fronting the Vale of Clwyd towards the west, and, from the extensive foundations and remaining portions of the walls, appears to have been a structure of great strength and magnificence: the remains consist chiefly of fragments of the towers, dungeons, and ruined walls.  This fortress was built by Edward the First, who in 1281 gave it, with the hundred of Dyffryn Clwyd, to Reginald de Grey; from the family of Greys it devolved to Richard Earl of Kent, who sold it to Henry the Seventh.  It was afterwards granted to Dudley Earl of Warwick, by Queen Elizabeth.  After the restoration, the castle and its dependencies were purchased by Sir Richard Myddelton.

The elegant castellated mansion erected by the Hon. F. West, within the ruins of the old castle, forms a beautiful feature in the prospect of the town.  The architect having blended the ancient and modern parts with harmonious effect, the structure displays great taste on the part of the projector.  From various p. 190parts of the site are several rich and extensive prospects.  No tourist should omit a visit to Ruthin Castle, which abounds with objects of interest to the student of British history.

Near the town-hall is a rude block of lime-stone, called Maen Huail, on which, it is said, the celebrated Prince Arthur beheaded his rival Huail, brother to Gildas the historian.  Ruthin mill, a curious ancient edifice, having on the apex of the eastern gable a red stone cross, is supposed to have been originally the chapel of the cell of White Friars, mentioned by Leland as formerly existing here, but of which no records are preserved.

Dr. Goodman, Dean of Westminster, one of the translators of Archbishop Parker’s Bible, and principal promoter of Bishop Morgan’s Welsh translation; Edward Thelwall, tutor to Lord Herbert of Chirbury; Dr. Parry, Bishop of St. Asaph; Dr. Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester; Sir Eubule Thelwall, Knt., principal and second founder of Jesus College, Oxford; and Sir Thomas Exmewe, Lord Mayor of London in 1517, were natives of this place.

Vale of Clwyd.

This beautiful valley, called by the Welsh Dyffryn Clwyd (the Vale of the Flat), commences three or four miles south of Ruthin; enclosed by mountains, whose brown and barren summits form a fine contrast to the verdant meads and luxuriant fields beneath, which as far as the eye can reach present a most pleasing picture.  Towns, villages, and mansions, thickly studded over the country, tend still more to enliven the cheering scene, which is exceedingly beautiful and attractive.

This vale is the most extensive of any in Wales, being about twenty-four miles in length, above Ruthin to Rhuddlan, and varying from five to seven miles in breadth; it contains the three considerable towns of Denbigh, Ruthin, and St. Asaph.  There are several of the adjacent heights whence the vale may be seen to advantage; such are the Bwlch Pen-Barras, on the old road to Mold, about four miles from Ruthin, and that part of the new road by which the traveller descends into the vale, commencing about three miles from the latter town; but the best station for an extended view, is the eastern ridge of the mountain, between Dymeirchion and Bodfari, about three hundred yards from Bryn Bella.  The view presents a most enchanting panorama of natural scenery.

Angling Station.—The Clwyd.

p. 191ST. ASAPH,
(Flintshire.)

St. Asaph, commonly called Llan Elwy, derived its origin and name from the erection of a church on the bank of the river Elwy, about the middle of the sixth century.  The city is beautifully situated on the gentle aclivity of an eminence, washed on the eastern side by the river Clwyd, and on the west by the Elwy, which unite at the distance of about a mile to the north.  The parish contains 3338 inhabitants.  Over the Elwy, at the extremity of the principal street, is a handsome stone bridge of five arches; and over the Clwyd is a fine bridge of more modern erection, within a quarter of a mile to the east of the cathedral church.  The White Lion and the Mostyn Arms are the principal inns.  St. Asaph has been added to the other boroughs of this county, now eight in number, which unitedly return one member to parliament.

The approach from Holywell to St. Asaph is commodious and picturesque.  The view of the city is peculiarly striking; its elevated situation on an eminence near the termination of the rich and fertile Vale of Clwyd, crowned on the summit with the cathedral, and having the parish church at its base, makes it a conspicuous object from every point; and the luxuriant groves of trees in which it is deeply embosomed, give to it a romantic appearance.  The surrounding scenery, which abounds with objects of interest and beauty, is seen to great advantage from the heights of the city and from the grounds in the immediate vicinity.

The cathedral consists chiefly of the structure raised by Bishop Anian, the second of that name, about the year 1284, and after its demolition by Owen Glyndwr, it was restored by Bishop Redman, towards the close of the fifteenth century, with the exception of the choir, which was rebuilt about the year 1770, by the Dean and Chapter, with funds which had been vested in their hands as trustees for that purpose.  It is a cruciform structure, principally in the decorated style of English architecture, with a low square embattled tower, rising from the intersection of the nave and transepts, and having at p. 192the north-east angle a staircase turret: the exterior is of simple but good design; the buttresses are few and of very bold character, and the arch of the west door is plainly moulded: the east end is ornamented with a window, which is said to be a fac-simile of the east window in Tintern abbey, in Monmouthshire, and in 1810 was filled with beautifully stained glass, at the expense of the Dean and Chapter, aided by the contributions of the gentry in the neighbourhood.  The “good Bishop Beveridge” was consecrated to this see in 1704.

The interior of the cathedral contains some interesting monuments; an altar-tomb, with a recumbent figure in episcopal robes, is said to commemorate the munificent prelate, Davydd ab Owen, who was interred here in 1512; and near the west door is a painted tomb, with an inscription to the memory of Bishop Isaac Barrow, who died in 1680.  There is a monument of white marble, to the memory of Dean Shipley, by Ternouth, erected by subscription about the year 1829, at an expense of £600, consisting of a full-length figure of the Dean in his canonicals, in a sitting posture; and also a neat altar-tomb monument to the memory of Bishop Luxmore, who died in January, 1830, from a design by T. Jones, Esq. of Chester.  Among other objects of interest to admirers of taste and genius, we may mention a mural tablet to the memory of that charming poetess, the gifted Mrs. Hemans.  The choir is neatly fitted up, and the general appearance of the interior remarkably gratifying, from its appropriate solemnity and the excellent order in which it is kept.  A new organ was erected a few years since.

The episcopal palace, situated at a short distance to the west of the cathedral, was rebuilt upon a more extensive scale and in an appropriate style, at the expense of the late Bishop.  The deanery, about a quarter of a mile from the cathedral, and on the west bank of the river Elwy, was also rebuilt by the present Dean.  Dr. T. V. Short is the present Bishop of St. Asaph.  The parochial church, dedicated to St. Asaph and St. Kentegern, is situated at the base of the eminence, of which the cathedral occupies the summit; it is a small edifice without a tower, and is supposed to have been erected about the year 1524.  There are places of worship for Independents, and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists.

The views in the neighbourhood are delightfully picturesque and varied.

p. 193There are numerous elegant mansions within the parish; among the most conspicuous are—Kinmel, the seat of Lord Dinorben; Bodelwyddan, the seat of Sir John Williams, Bart., one of the handsomest residences of North Wales; Pengwern, that of Lord Mostyn, built about the beginning of the last century; Cefn, that of Edward Lloyd, Esq.; and Bronwylfa, the residence of Colonel Sir Henry Browne, erected in the year 1660, and enlarged in 1816.  In this last mansion are some valuable trophies taken during the late war, amongst which are, Napoleon Buonaparte’s travelling map and book of roads of the French empire, in splendid morocco cases, emblazoned with the imperial arms, taken from his library at Fontainbleau, by Sir Henry, in 1815 and a French field-marshal’s baton, two feet three inches in length, covered with purple velvet, ornamented with golden bees, and surmounted with an imperial crown, taken in Silesia, in 1812, by a division of Blucher’s corps.

In the township of Cefn Meriadog are some magnificent natural caverns, extending for a considerable distance into the limestone rocks; in some parts of those the roof is more than forty feet in height, and near the river Elwy the base of the rock is perforated by a lofty natural arch, 21 yards in length, and 36 feet high, through which is a road capable of admitting a wagon loaded with hay.  Various fossil remains have been found in these caverns, which have been considered by Professor Buckland as worthy of a personal scrutiny on the spot.

Angling Station.—Bodfari, four miles from St. Asaph.

SNOWDON,
(Caernarvonshire.)

A chain of the highest mountains in Wales extends across Caernarvonshire, from Bardsey Island to Penmaen Bach, near Conway bay, gradually rising from each extremity towards the centre, which is occupied by Snowdon.  The name of this mountain was first given to it by the Saxons, and signifies a hill covered with snow; but the Welsh call all this adjacent range Creigian-yr-Eyri (the Eagle’s Cliffs;) for it is not true, as has been asserted, that snow may be found upon it through the whole year.  The temperature at the summit is generally very low, even in summer.  In July, just after sunrise, the thermometer has been observed at 34 deg. and in August at 48 deg. early in the afternoon.

p. 194The perpendicular height of Snowdon is by late admeasurements 1190 yards above the level of the sea.  This makes it, according to Pennant, 240 yards higher than Cader Idris.  Some state Whernside, in Yorkshire, to be the highest mountain in South Britain, and more than 4000 feet.  Helvelyn is 3324 feet, Benlomond 3262.  Mont Blanc rises 15,680 feet; the American Chimboraco is 20,909 feet, the highest ground ever trodden by man; and the mountain of Thibet above 25,000 feet, the highest at present known.

The air on the top of Snowdon is sharp and bracing, and like that in all other mountain districts, is salubrious and congenial to health and longevity.  It is seldom that persons who have taste and leisure visit this part of Caernarvonshire without ascending to the top of our British Alps; and those who make a tour from motives of curiosity would think the omission almost inexcusable.  An important consideration for the tourist is the point whence he should commence the ascent for the towering summit of this majestic mountain.  Dolbadarn, Llyn Cwellyn, Beddgelert, and Llanberis, all put in their claims for eligibility as a starting-place, and at each of these stations trusty guides may be engaged.  We are inclined to the opinion that the Victoria Hotel at Llanberis is the spot from which the most easy and convenient ascent may be effected.

It may readily be imagined that every resting point in climbing this commanding eminence must reveal, amidst the magnificent scenery of so romantic a district, views of surpassing grandeur and beauty: and such indeed is the case to an extent which the most vivid imagination can scarcely conceive.  The enthusiastic author of “The Beauties, Harmonies, and Sublimity of Nature,” gives the following glowing description of the prospects from the summit:—

“After climbing over masses of crags and rocks, we ascended the peak of Snowdon.  Arrived at its summit, a scene presented itself magnificent beyond the powers of language!  Indeed, language is indigent and impotent when it would presume to sketch scenes on which the Great Eternal has placed his matchless finger with delight.  Faint are thy broad and deep delineations, immortal Salvator Rosa!  Powerless and feeble are your inspirations, genius of Thomson, Virgil, and Lucretius!  From this point are seen five-and-twenty lakes.  Seated on one of its crags, it was long before the eye, unaccustomed to measure such elevations, could accommodate itself to scenes so admirable; the whole appearing as if there had been a war p. 195of the elements, and as if we were the only inhabitants of the globe permitted to contemplate the ruins of the world.  Rocks and mountains, which, when observed from below, bear all the evidence of sublimity, when viewed from the summit of Snowdon, are blended with others as dark, as rugged, and as elevated as themselves; the whole resembling the swellings of an agitated ocean.  The extent of this prospect appears almost unlimited.  The four kingdoms are seen at once: Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland! forming the finest panorama the empire can boast.  The circle begins with the mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland; those of Ingleborough and Penygent, in the county of York, and the hills of Lancashire forefollow; then are observed the counties of Chester, Flint, Denbigh, and a portion of Montgomeryshire.  Nearly the whole of Merioneth succeeds; and drawing a line with the eye along the diameter of the circle, we take in the regions stretching from the triple crown of Cader Idris to the sterile crags of Carnedds David and Llywelyn.  Snowdon, rising in the centre, appears as if he could touch the south with his right hand, and the north with his left.  ‘Surely,’ thought Colonna, ‘Cesar sat upon these crags, when he formed the daring conception of governing the world!’  From Cader Idris, the eye, pursuing the orbit of the bold geographical line, glances over the bay of Cardigan, and reposes for a while on the summit of the Rivals.  After observing the indented shores of Caernarvonshire, it travels along a line of ocean, till, in the extremity of the horizon, the blue mountains of Wicklow terminate the perspective.  Those mountains gradually sink along the coast till they are lost to the eye; which, ranging along the expanse, at length, as weary of the journey, reposes on the Island of Man, and the distant mountains of Scotland.  The intermediate space is occupied by the sides and summits of mountains, hollow crags, masses of rocks, the towers of Caernarvon, the fields of Anglesea, with woods, lakes, and glens, scattered in magnificent confusion.  A scene like this commands our feelings to echo, as it were, in unison to its grandeur and sublimity: the thrill of astonishment, and the transport of imagination, seem to contend for the mastery, and nerves are touched that never thrilled before.”

But it is not always thus.  Earthly pleasures are often greater in the anticipation than the enjoyment; and ardent hopes are subject to occasional disappointments.  Bright as the day may be, mountain mists will sometimes intervene, and p. 196passing clouds suddenly draw a curtain over these glorious revelations of Almighty Power.  Take, for instance, the narrative of the King of Saxony’s ascent up Snowdon in July, 1844, his Majesty’s excursion being made from Beddgelert:—

“Early this morning, according to our previous design, we made the ascent of Snowdon: the appearance of the weather was by no means encouraging, the sky was lowering, and the clouds hung deep around the mountain top.  Still there was no rain, many signs of a favourable change, and we took our chance of the advantages in our favour and set out.  We made early preparation for our journey, and, at seven o’clock, mounted a light carriage, accompanied by a skilful guide.  We followed the road towards the foot of the mountain, as far up its flank as it was accessible to any description of carriage.  We commenced the ascent.  Our path lay for some distance over wet pasture and spongy meadows; after which, the path became steeper, and occasional masses of bold projecting rocks occurred.  We were not the only travellers, whom the day tempted to try their good fortune on the summit of the highest mountain in England.  Some ladies, mounted on ponies, rode sometimes before and sometimes behind us, and several parties followed them on foot.  The summit of the mountain lay concealed in clouds; the rocks stood forth bold and black from the green of the Alpine meadows, on which the beautiful yellow anthericum ossifragum grows in great profusion, and a cold wind blew from the ravines which skirted our path.  A young Alpine lark, only imperfectly fledged, fluttered along the ground before our feet; our guide easily caught it with his hands, but the old ones flew around, uttering such painful screams, that I induced him again to put the poor panting little creature upon the grass, behind a large block of stone.  When we ascended a little further, the view to the westward became partially free, and we saw the sea, the isle of Anglesea, and Caernarvon Castle.  As we ascended, however, the clouds again closed around us, and finally we found ourselves completely enveloped in the penetrating fog of these moist goddesses.  The ascent also in many places now became difficult; the wind blew cold along the side of some rocky walls, or from the depths of some neighbouring ravine; the thick fogs continued to roll more densely along the mountain sides; but fortunately, so far, they did not thoroughly penetrate our clothes with their moisture.

“Still onward, from height to height! deep ravines lay at our side, the bottom of which, filled with thick fog, yawned horribly p. 197below.  Vegetation now almost wholly disappeared, except merely a few rare Alpine plants, and on every side of us rose lofty crags of black chlorite slate.  Having taken some repose after the efforts of the ascent, behind a projecting rock which sheltered us from the wind, we again set forth, and in about a quarter of an hour (two hours in all) we reached the pinnacle of the mountain—4348 feet above the level of the sea.  View there was none!  We found refuge in a small wooden shed, erected for the protection of travellers from the rain and wind, in which the host kept up a welcome fire.  The man presently prepared a singular brown mixture, which he sold for coffee, and furnished some grayish oatmeal cake as an accompaniment.  There were no spirituous liquors of any description to be had, because the occupier, with no small degree of self-satisfaction, gave us to understand that his wooden hut was to be regarded as a Temperance Inn.  Not far from this mountain hotel, which I must state to be the first imperfect house of accommodation we had yet met in England, was a small stone hut, in which the rest of the travellers, together with their ponies, had found a harbour not much better than our own.

“Having spent some time upon the summit, dried ourselves, and ranged about among the craggy rocks and through the fog, we found our visit was in vain—no hopes of the weather clearing were longer entertained, and we prepared to proceed on our descent.  Before we had descended far from the summit, the clouds presented occasional breaks, and we were able to snatch partial views into the beautiful deep valleys which lie between the converging ridges of the mountain; and on one occasion the clouds rose like a curtain, and revealed to us a splendid prospect of the sea.  In these occasional glimpses, we perceived for a moment that the declivities of the mountain were enjoying the full beams of the sun, and immediately we were again closely enveloped in our foggy mantle of clouds.  There was a continual play of currents of air and waves of fog with the earth.  Such phenomena furnish highly interesting subjects of contemplation to those who have greater leisure for their contemplation than we ourselves had.  Of such extraordinary atmospheric phenomena, however, it may be said, they show the life of the clouds, but cloud the image of life!  If, however, the observation of such phenomena be made the chief object of a whole excursion, they will be found to have something in them unsatisfying.  The unconscious life of nature always falls in value in the eyes of him who has thought upon p. 198and experienced the mighty movements and impulses of the mind and feelings.  As I have already said, what signify earth, and suns, and planets, if there were no eye to see, no intelligence to give them life?

“Having proceeded somewhat further on the descent, our guide prepared to follow a different route in our return, through a deep precipitous valley, in which the king immediately acquiesced.  The task, however, was by no means easy; it involved the necessity of going straight down a sharp declivity of the mountain, at least 1000 feet high, and very sparingly covered with moist earth and tufts of grass.  We were obliged to aid ourselves as well as we could by the firmness of our tread, taking a zigzag course, and by the appliances of our hands and sticks, at length reached the bottom in safety.  The path, however formidable to us, would, undoubtedly, not have presented many difficulties to a well-trained Alpine hunter; to those, however, who are not accustomed to such clambering, it must be regarded as making a severe demand upon the exercise of their muscular power, and as a species of training which, when successfully completed, must always result in good.  Even on reaching the valley, there was no path, and we were obliged to make our way over stock and stone, through bog and brook, till we came to a lower and a smoother region.  During our descent, we were obliged to endure the alternative of heat and cold, of sunshine and rain; at length we reached some mines, at which rude paths began to appear, and presently after found ourselves at our carriages, and drove by another road again back to Beddgelert.  On this road, too, we enjoyed the sight of some splendid mountain scenery.  The weather had now become clear and sunny, while the top of Snowdon still lay thickly enveloped in masses of dark clouds.  A small lake lay stretched out before us in the vale, full of picturesque beauty, and noble mountains beside and beyond, rose and towered one above another.  I heartily envied an artist who had established his studio on the edge of a mountain brook, and appeared to be diligently engaged in his work.  What a pleasure it must be, to be engaged in an attempt to give a faithful delineation of such noble forms!  About half-past two we reached the hotel at Beddgelert, and our mountain excursion was at an end.”

Let us be very earnest in impressing upon the minds of all tourists one important injunction,—never ascend Snowdon without a guide.  It is unwise and perilous, even in the brightest weather, to make such an attempt.  A melancholy instance p. 199of this venturous spirit occurred in the autumn of 1846, when the Rev. H. S. Starr, of Northampton, ascended the mountain without a guide; and doubtless perished in some of its bogs or precipitous defiles, as from that period till now, no trace of this unfortunate clergyman has been discovered.

For Angling Stations, see Llanberis.

TAL-Y-LLYN,
(Merionethshire.)

This is a very picturesque little village, about half way between Machynlleth and Dolgelley, deriving its name from the church, at the head of a beautiful lake, appropriately called Llyn Mwyngil, (The Lake of the Charming Retreat,) from the west end of which issues the river Dysyni, taking its course to the sea through Towyn Marsh.  The scenery is remarkably romantic, and is rendered more so by the lakes which are within the limits of the parish.  That of Tal-y-llyn is small but beautiful; its greatest breadth is not more than half a mile, and its length between one and two miles.  Its northern boundaries consist of rich pasture land, while on the south a high green hill, covered only with short herbage, in fact a mere sheep walk, rears itself to the clouds, and extends the whole length.  Its only piscatory productions are trout and eels; the latter attaining a good size, and finding a safe protection in the deep coat of moss which covers the bottom.  Of the trout there are two species, the large lake trout and the common river trout, the latter finding their way into the lake by two or three streams which feed it from the mountain; these never attain any considerable size, but the others, being indigenous to the pool, grow to a large size.  The finest, which are caught with a fly, vary from half a pound to between one and two pounds; one weighing more than 12lb. was found a few winters ago, frozen under the ice.  The lake is the property of Colonel Vaughan, who purchased it for no other purpose than that of affording his friends the enjoyment of angling therein.  The stranger, who is perfectly unknown to the generous-hearted Welshman, is equally welcome to participate in the sport, without the formality of begging a day’s fishing, or even intimating his intention to the proprietor.  A new and commodious inn, near the village, was built last year by Colonel p. 200Vaughan: it affords good accommodations, and the charges are very moderate.

Beside the lake already mentioned, there is another under the summit of Cader Idris, called Llyn Cau, (the Pool of the Chasm,) from its being situated under vast cliffs; it is about a quarter of a mile long, and nearly of equal breadth, and has the appearance of the crater of a volcano, at the head of the chasm, through which a stream runs from the lake, and forms a fine cataract, close to the ancient house of Dolydd Cau, and then unites with another river, which meanders along the level vale below, to the upper end of Llyn Mwyngil.  The vale in which it is situated is so contracted, as to leave, for a considerable part of its length, only a very narrow road on each side of the lake, from the clear surface of which are reflected its precipitous declivities.  Towards the extremity of the vale, the lake contracts gradually into the form of a river, rushing with much force through a stone arch into a very narrow pass, having on one side the church, and on the other a small cluster of houses, which form the village, embosomed in trees, and assuming a romantically beautiful appearance.

At the distance of a mile or two from the church, the hills almost meet, and present a sterile and rugged aspect; they are broken into numberless crags, of which some are vertical and sharply pointed, but the greater number project horizontally, and impend with threatening gloom over the vale beneath.  One of these precipices, from its resemblance in form to a harp, has been called Pen y Delyn; and another, from a tradition that it was formerly the practice to throw thieves from its summit, has been denominated Llan-y-Lladron (the Thieves’ Leap), a practice corresponding with that related of the Tarpeian rock at Rome.

Angling Station.—The Lake: good fishing.  A boat.

TOWYN,
(Merionethshire.)

Towyn is a market-town beautifully situated at the distance of about a mile from the sea-coast, near the mouth of the river Dysyni, in a small but pleasant vale.  The return of the population for the town and parish is 2694 inhabitants.

p. 201During summer, the place is much frequented for sea-bathing, by persons who prefer retirement to the bustle of a more fashionable watering place.  Valetudinarians are also attracted hither by St. Cadvan’s Well, much celebrated for the cure of rheumatic, scrofulous, and cutaneous disorders.  The ride over the sands to Aberdovey, a rising place about four miles distant, is very pleasant.  A beautiful line of road to that interesting village has been constructed, and is continued from that place to Pennal, abounding with picturesque scenery, and commanding views of Snowdon, Arran Mowddwy, Cader Idris, and Plinlimmon.

Towyn is one of the places at which the poll is appointed to be taken in the election of the parliamentary representative of the county.  The church, dedicated to St. Cadvan, is an ancient cruciform structure, in the Norman style of architecture, containing some curious old monuments, which the inquisitive stranger ought not to leave unnoticed.

On a steep hill near the town are some remains of an ancient castle of great strength; the fortifications comprehend the entire summit of the eminence: one of the apartments, thirty-six feet in diameter, was hewn out of the solid rock, Craig-y-Deryn (the Bird’s Bock), situated in the vale of Dysyni, about three or four miles from Towyn, is in the highest degree wild and romantic.  A small but picturesque waterfall may be seen at Dôlgôch.

At a small distance from the town is Ynys-y-maengwyn, a noble mansion, pleasantly situated in grounds tastefully laid out, and embellished with flourishing plantations and timber of ancient growth, among which is an evergreen oak, considered to be the finest tree of its kind in the kingdom.  The garden is very extensive, and contains many rare trees and plants.

The angler will find excellent amusement in the Dysyni, which, after rolling through a rude assemblage of rugged mountains, flows through the fertile vale of Towyn, passing first by Peniarth, a seat belonging to the Wynn family, and then by Ynys-y-maengwyn, and finally entering Cardigan bay, about a mile eastward of Towyn.  This is an excellent river for salmon, and it contains some remarkably dark and deep pools, more especially near Peniarth, where the river winds close by the house; the angler will also find good sport farther up the mountains.

Angling Station.—The river, up to Tal-y-Llyn.

p. 202TRAWS-FYNYDD,
(Merionethshire.)

This village is situated on the road from Dolgelley to Tan-y-Bwlch, in an exposed and mountainous district.  The church is an ancient structure of the old English style of architecture; the parish is of vast extent, being above ten miles in length, and eight in breadth, consisting chiefly of barren mountains, used only as sheep-walks.  At this place a guide may be had to the waterfalls of Pistyll-y-Cain and Rhaiadr-y-Mawddach, distant about three or four miles.

On the road side towards Ffestiniog is Llyn Rathlyn, a small lake, noted for a singular variety of perch, having the lower extremity of the back-bone strangely distorted.  The celebrated Humphrey Lloyd, who was consecrated Bishop of Bangor in 1673, was born at Bôd-y-Vuddai, in the parish of Traws-fynydd.

TREMADOC,
(Caernarvonshire.)

Tremadoc is a market-town and sea-port of very recent origin, and is a signal instance of the triumph of perseverance over apparently insurmountable local difficulties.  It derives its name from its enterprising founder, the late Wm. Alexander Madock, Esq.  This gentleman, having projected a plan for regaining from the sea a portion of the land on the western side of the wide sandy estuary called the Traeth Mawr, purchased the estate of Tan-yr-Allt, in the immediate vicinity, in 1798, and in 1800 succeeded in recovering a tract of nearly two thousand acres of rich land, then forming Penmorfa Marsh, which now produces excellent crops of wheat, barley, and clover, to which he gave the appropriate name of Glandwr.

Encouraged by the success of his first attempt, Mr. Madock was induced to undertake the more arduous enterprise of reclaiming the whole of the Traeth Mawr; and for this purpose he obtained in 1808 an act of parliament, vesting in him and his heirs the whole extent of these sands, from Pont Aberglâslyn, p. 203at their head, to the point of Gêst, at their lower extremity.  Notwithstanding the numerous unforeseen obstacles which threatened to frustrate the undertaking, Mr. Madock succeeded in constructing across the mouth of the Traeth Mawr, at the eastern extremity of Cardigan bay, an embankment of earth and stones, nearly one mile in length, from north to south, varying from 100 to 400 feet in breadth at the base, and diminishing gradually to the summit, which is 100 feet high from the foundation.  By means of this embankment, a line of communication has been formed between the counties of Caernarvon and Merioneth, and a tract of more than 2700 acres of land was recovered from the sea, besides a vast extent of adjoining land, which was before overflowed by the tides, but which is now, by draining, rendered susceptible of cultivation.  This arduous enterprise was completed in 1811, at an expense of more than £100,000; and, including the lands previously recovered, not less than 7,000 acres have been gained.

The town is situated by the side of a lofty mountain, on the western side of Traeth Mawr, on a portion of the tract first recovered from the sea, and is built in the form of a square quadrangular area, having in the centre a lofty column, round the pedestal of which there is a flight of twelve steps.  On the eastern side a commodious market-house has been erected, above which is an assembly-room.  Mr. Madock also built, at his own expense, a handsome church, in the late style of English architecture, with a lofty spire, which forms an interesting object as seen from the sea-coast.

Tan-yr-Allt, the seat of the late W. A. Madock, Esq., is a spacious modern mansion of elegant design, situated on a rock overlooking the town.  Morfa Lodge, and Tuhwnt-i’r-Bwlch, erected also by that gentleman, are handsome villas in the immediate vicinity of the town.  Captain Parry, R.N. of Llwyn-on, Denbighshire, has also a seat called Aberdunant, between this place and Beddgelert.

With a view to promote the commercial interests of the town which he had founded, Mr. Madock, in 1821, obtained an act of parliament for improving the navigation of this part of the bay on which it is situated, and thus rendered it accessible to vessels of three hundred tons burden: commodious quays and wharfs were also constructed.

The last improvement carried into effect was the erection of Port Madoc, about one mile from the town, where many good houses have been built.  The principal exports are slates, from p. 204the Ffestiniog quarries, and copper ore, which is brought from the neighbouring mines.  The chief imports are timber, coal, and lime.  A rail-road also runs to this place from the quarries and mines in the neighbourhood.  The road from Tremadoc to Beddgelert commands to great advantage the scenery of the Merionethshire side of the Traeth, and affords a delightful ride to Pont Aberglaslyn and its vicinity.

WELSHPOOL,
(Montgomeryshire.)

This town is called Welsh, to distinguish it from a town of the same name in Dorsetshire, and Pool, from its proximity to a piece of water called Llyn-du Pool, now within the inclosure of Powys park.  The town, which Leland describes as being in the reign of Henry the Eighth, “the best market in Powys,” still retains that character, in addition to which it may justly be regarded as the modern capital of the county, and, with the parish, contains 4626 inhabitants.  The town has a cheerful and prepossessing appearance.  The flannel manufacture is carried on here, but upon a less scale than at Llanidloes or Newtown.  A considerable trade is carried on in malt, and there are likewise several large tanneries.  Welshpool is made contributory with Llanidloes, Llanfyllyn, Machynlleth, Montgomery, and Newtown, in returning a member to parliament.  The assizes for the county are held here.  The town-hall is a commodious building of brick, in the centre of the principal street.

The church, with the exception of the chancel and the tower, was rebuilt in 1774.  It is in the early style of English architecture, with a lofty square embattled tower, and its interior accommodation was enlarged by the addition of galleries in 1824.  Amongst the communion plate, there is a chalice of fine gold, holding one quart, and valued at £170; engraved on it is a Latin inscription, stating it to have been presented to the church of Pool, by Thomas Davies, Governor-general of the English colonies on the western coast of Africa, in gratitude for the preservation of his life during his residence in that unhealthy clime.

p. 205Powys Castle,

the seat of the Earl of Powys, is a stately but irregular pile of building, venerable for its antiquity: it is pleasantly situated in a well-wooded park, at the distance of a mile from the town, on the right of the road leading to Montgomery, and occupies a commanding site on a ridge of rocks overlooking a vast extent of richly diversified country, the greater part of which was formerly subject to its lord.  The views from its extensive and richly wooded park are remarkably interesting and beautiful.

Angling Stations.

WREXHAM,
(Denbighshire.)

Wrexham is a large and well-built town, whose population, including the parish, was returned in 1841 at 12,981 inhabitants.  From its extent and importance, it has sometimes been denominated the metropolis of North Wales.  The town is pleasantly situated at the junction of the Shrewsbury.  Welshpool, Oswestry, and Chester roads, and in the centre of the mining and manufacturing districts of the eastern part of Denbighshire.  Races are annually held early in October, on a course a little north-west of the town, on the right of the road to Mold.  Wrexham is one of the principal stations on the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway.

No particular branch of trade or manufacture is carried on in the town; but the parish, which is about twelve miles in length, abounds with mineral wealth, and extensive works of various kinds are carried on in different parts of it.  The principal inns are the Wynnstay Arms and the Lion.  Markets are held on Thursday and Saturday, the former being the chief market day.  There are several fairs held annually for cattle; but the principal one is that which commences on the 23d of March, and continues for fourteen days.  For the accommodation of the various dealers attending it, five extensive areas are fitted up with shops and booths.  A new and handsome p. 206market-hall has also been lately built, and cheese fairs established.  Wrexham is contributory with Denbigh, Holt, and Ruthin, in the return of a parliamentary representative.

The church, dedicated to St. Giles, is a spacious and noble Gothic structure, deservedly regarded as one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the Principality.  It was erected in the year 1472, the tower not being finished till 1506, as appears by a date on the building.  The exterior is elaborately embellished with sculpture; and the tower, which is very lofty and highly enriched, consists of several successive stages, panelled throughout, and decorated with numerous statues of saints in canopied niches: from its elevation, and the light open-work turrets by which it is crowned at the angles, it forms a conspicuous and interesting object in the surrounding landscape.  It has a remarkably fine carved roof: and a noble altar-piece, designed by Mr. Jones of Chester, and worked in stone by Mr. Blayney of that city; the east window being filled with beautifully stained glass by Mr. Evans, of Shrewsbury.

In the chancel is an altar-tomb, on which is a recumbent effigy of Dr. Bellot, successively Bishop of Bangor and Chester, who died in 1596, and was there interred.  Nearly opposite to this tomb is an interesting monument, by Roubilliac, to the memory of Mrs. Mary Myddelton, of Chirk Castle, representing a female rising from the tomb in all the freshness of youth and beauty, at the sound of the last trumpet which is to summon the dead to judgment.  At the corner of the aisle is also a monument by Roubilliac, to the Rev. Thomas Myddelton and Arabella his wife; and there are monuments to Wm. Lloyd, Esq. and his son, the Fitzhughs, the Pulestons, the Longuevilles, Sir Foster and Lady Cunliffe, and other families in the neighbourhood..

About a mile from Wrexham, on the right of the road leading to Chester, is Acton Park, the residence of Sir R. H. Cunliffe, Bart., a spacious mansion, delightfully situated in extensive grounds, richly diversified with picturesque and romantic scenery, and commanding pleasing views of the town and adjacent country.  Acton was the birth-place of the notorious Judge Jeffreys, who obtained so bad an eminence in the reign of James the Second.

p. 207INDEX.

MAP.

[The book contains a large map which unfortunately is too big to scan entire.  It’s provided here as four parts.—DP.]

North-West Wales (top)

North-East Wales (top)

North-West Wales (bottom)

North-East Wales (bottom)

FOOTNOTES.

[0]  The largest stone arch before known is Vielle Briode, which crosses the river Allien, in France, whose span is 183 feet, being 17 feet less than the Chester bridge.  It was erected in 1454, by Grenier.

[8]  From Aber, rivulet—Gele, woody, secluded; a name very characteristic of the place, as the rivulet running through it issues out of deep wood ravines above the town.

[10]  The silurian rocks to the west of Abergele, have recently been brought under the notice of the Geological Society by Mr. J. E. Bowmall.  That gentleman, in an able paper presented to the society, states that his attention was first directed to these strata by the Rev. J. Price, of Llysfaen.  They occur immediately south of the narrow belt of carboniferous limestone which skirts the coast from the Great Ormeshead to the point of Ayr, and the estuary of the Dee.  The section described by Mr. Bowmall presents the following series of beds in descending order, many of the fossils discovered in them being identified with those found in the Ludlow formation of Shropshire:—1.  Carboniferous limestone.  2.  Light coloured loam enclosing rounded pebbles of greenish, slightly micaceous sandstone with shells.  3.  Bed of the same sandstone.  4.  Red marl of considerable thickness, with imbedded angular and waterworn pebbles, and numerous fossils.  5.  Arenaceous conglomerate, consisting partly of the pebbles of the underlying limestone.  6.  Thin beds of compact reddish limestone, sometimes very arenaceous, and containing a few fossils.  7.  Blue clay.  8.  Blue clay slate, occasionally enclosing layers of organic remains, and forming the geological base of the country.

[12]  There is a tradition current in this neighbourhood, that Oliver Cromwell was concealed at Kinmel, when Carter (his general) lived there; and there is a spur of extraordinary dimensions still hung in the above church, which is called Oliver Cromwell’s spur.

[73]  Called by the Welsh, Estyn.

[76]  So called from the circumstance of Eleanor (daughter of Ferdinand the Third) the consort of Edward, who was brought, through the inclemency of a hard winter, to bear a prince for the Welsh,—having first entered the castle through this gate.  At this time the castle was entirely insulated, on one side by artificial means: the moat was destroyed by being filled up two or three centuries ago, which somewhat detracts from our estimate of its former impregnable character.

‘Edward had annexed Wales to the kingdom of England, but the Welsh were displeased with this usurpation, and determined to yield no obedience to any prince but of their own nation and language.  Edward thought of an expedient for cozening them.  He ordered Eleanor, in the depth of winter, out of England to Caernarvon Castle, there to lie in.  Edward then summoned all the barons and chief persons throughout Wales to meet him at Rhuddlan, to consult about the welfare of their country.  He told the Welsh nobility that they had often wished for a prince of their own country, who might rule over them.  They promised to allow of such an appointment, and to obey such a personage.  Edward then mentioned his own son Edward, recently born, maintaining the terms of the engagement to have been strictly complied with, for his son was born in Wales, could speak no English, and his character irreproachable.  Though born in 1284, it was not before he had reached his 16th year that Prince Edward received the reluctant fealty of his deluded subjects.  The eldest sons of the English monarchs have subsequently been styled Prince of Wales, and, independently of birth, been created so by letters patent.’—Nicholson.

[87]  Dunawt was the son of Nefydd Hardd, one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales: to him Prince Owen Gwynedd had intrusted his son to be fostered, according to the usual custom.

[102a]  The common Welsh name is Eglwys-wen, and the translation is a vulgarism.

[102b]  Richard Myddelton was the father of Sir Hugh Myddelton, who brought the new river to London.

[130]  Sych, i.e. dry, and nant, a hollow, a brook.

[140]  The term Cromlech, used to signify a Druidical altar, cannot be property attached to this stone: it being quite improbable that it ever was used to such purpose; but the continued action of the elements has placed it as it is.

[146]  There being several parishes of this name in the Principality, this is distinguished by the adjunction of Mathavarneithav.

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