rr om the Library of ■Vank Simpson Ho. Ijf s, CONTENTS. i WRODCCITON PAGE vii ROUTES. %* The names of places are printed in black only in those routes where the places are described. SOUTH PAGE 1. Shrewsbury to Chester, by Phuabon and Wrexham — Holt — Gresford • — Great Western Rly 2 2. Whittington Junct. to Whit- church June., by Ellesmere —Rail 16 3. Rhuabou Junct. to Dolgclley, bv Llangollen , Corwen, and Bala Lake — Rail . .18 ' > a, Dolgelley to Barmouth— ■ Rail 30 4. Ch< ter to Bangor, by Flint, Phyl, Abergele, Conway, [Llandudno] Pennau n- ■utawk, and Abcr — Rail . 31 ; 5. Abergele to Denbigh, by Bettws and LAanfair Tal~ haiarn — Pedestrian . . 52 0. Conway to Llandudno and the Orme’s Head . . . 53 7. Bangor to Holyhead , by the Menai Bridges — Rail ; the Menai Straits . . 56 8. Bangor, by Menai Bridge, to Beaumaris, Penman , and Amlwch, the E. Coast of Anglesey 67 0. Gaerwen Junct. to Amlwch, by Anglesey Central Rly. . 7 ! 10. Chester to Ruthin and Den- bigh, by Haivarden and Mold — Rail .... 74 i ROUTE PAGE 11. Corwen to Rhyl, by Ruthin , Denbigh , and St. Asaph . 78 12. Conway to Bettws-y-Coed and Festiniog, by Trefriw , J.lanrwst, and Ascent of the River Conwy, &c. — Rail 88 12a. Bettws-y-Coed to Bangor, by Nant Ffrancon and the Slate Quarries ... 93 12n. Bettws - y - Coed to Fes- tiniog, by Dolwydcllan — L. & N. W. Rail ... 97 13. Bettws-y-Coed to Corwen, by Pentrevoelas .... 98 14. Bangor to Tremadoc, by Caernarvon and Afonwen Junct. — Rail — The Nan- tile Lakes 100 15. Caernarvon to Pwllheli, by Clynnog — Road . . . 105 1G. Pwllheli to Bardsey Island, by Nevin and Aberdaron . 108 17. Caernarvon to Capel Curig, by Llanberis , Bass of Llan - her is, to Gorphuysfa . .110 17a Ascent of Snowdon . . 115 18. Capel Curig, or Llanberis, to Beddgelert, by Nant Gwynnant 121 19. Caernarvon to Portmadoc, by Beddgelert, Pont Aber- glaslyn and Tremadoc. . 123 VI Contents , route page 20. Portmadoc, or Min fford d Junct. to Festiniog, (Diff- wys) by Tan-y-Bwlch and the Narrow Gauge Fly . — Moelwyn 129 21. Bala to Festiniog , by Rhyd- y-Fen and Maentwrog — Great West. Rail . . .131 21a. Festiniog to Penmachno and Tspytty Ivan . .133 22^ Festiniog to Dolgelley, by Trawsfynydd, the Vale of ‘ : f 0 the Mawddach, and Tyn-y - Grocs 134 22a. Dolgelley to Towyn, by Tal-y-Llvn and Machyn- lleth 138 23. Dolgelley to Pinas Maicddiey by Road, and to Cemmaes Road Junct. — Dinas Maw- ddwy to Bala .... 139 24. Caernarvon or Pwllheli to Dolgelley, by Criccieth, Portmadoc, Harlech , and Barmouth — Cambrian Rail 141 ROUTE 24a. Harlech to Dolgelley, Cum Bychan Lake and the Passes of Bwlch-y-Tyddiad or Dries Ardudwy 25. Dolgelley to Machynlleth, by Toicyn and Aberdovey — Rail; by Road to Llanidloes 25a. Towyn to Tal-y-Llyn, Cader Idris, and Dolgelley . 20. Osicesti'y to Machynlleth, by Llanfair and Mallwyd. 26a. Bala to Oswestry, by Llan- drillo, Llanrhaiadr and the Fall of Pistyll Rhaiadr — The Bennyns . 27. Oswestry to Aberyswyth by Llanidloes, Llanfyllin , Welshpool, Montgomery , and Newtoun — Rail . 27a. Oswestry to Llanfyllin, by Llanymyncch, and the Vyrnwy Lake Reservoir . 28. Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, by Welshpool, Newtown, and Machynlleth — Rail PAG* 147 149 153 154 159 162 171 172 Index . 182 INTRODUCTION. PAGE ' I. General Information for Travellers — Chief Objects of Interest — Inns and Hotels — Means of Con- veyance — Railways — Coaches vii II. Physical Features of North Wales xi III. Geology of North Wales xviii IV. Antiquities — Prehistoric Remains — Castles — 4 Churches * . . . . x^;v V. Glossary of Welsh Words xxx VI. Points of Interest for the Geologist xxxii VII. Comparative Heights of Mountains xxxii VIII. Chief Places of Interest, List of xxxii IX. Skeleton Routes xxxvi I. General Information for Travellers — Chief Objects of Interest — Inns and Hotels— Means of Conveyance — Railways — Coaches. The Handbook to North Wales is intended to "be a full and com- plete guide to all parts of that country. Yet a stranger on opening it is not unlikely to feel the want of a guide to the guide, a clue by which he may be enabled to use it successfully. The Traveller’s first question, what are the things best worth seeing in North Wales, and how may they be seen most easily ? may be properly answered, not by a mere enumeration of a list of places, but by a few words of advice derived from personal knowledge of the wild and beautiful scenery of the land of Arthur, Merlin, and Owen Glendower. By pointing out in succession the Centres commanding objects of chief interest in each district, the Traveller may decide for himself not only which way to bend his steps, but where to sit down for a few days in his Inn and make excursions ; or he may pass on from one centre to another, and thus combine them all into a Grand Tour of the Principality. Strangers from the North will most conveniently enter Wales at Chester, by Lond. and N. Western Rly. ; but if starting from Liverpool, they will find a steamer daily, in summer, to take them to Llandudno (in 3 hours) or to Beaumaris: those from the South can have no better approach than from Shrewsbury, taking the Gt. Western Rail- way by Rhuabon to viii i. General Information for Travellers . Introd. 1. Llangollen, in itself an unattractive town, though the lofty ruins of Dinas Bran give a dignity to the background, commands the loveliest scenery of the Dee valley, above and below ; E. to Chirk, the Viaduct and the xVqueduct; W. to Valle C/'ucis , the most elegant Gothic ruin in Wales, up the 1. bank of the Dee by Berwyn Stat. and above Llandysilio , the loveliest reach of the Dee in Llangollen Vale. Over and above this no more comfortable quarters are to be found in this country than at the Hand Hotel, Llangollen, under the care of good Mrs. Edwards. 2. Dolgelley, situated on the skirts of Cader Idris, a mountain yield- ing only to Snowdon in height, and hardly to him in picturesqueness of outline, is surrounded by lovely scenery and pleasant excursions to the Torrent Walk, Cymmer Abbey, the Precipice Walk, the ascent of Cader Idris and descent to Tal-y-Llyn, Tyn-y-Groes, and the waterfalls, and above all, the Estuary of the Mawddach between Dolgelley and Barmouth, better seen from the road along its N. shore, or from the long wooden bridge at its mouth, than from the Railway on its S. shore. This is a district to spend many days in. Unluckily the Inns are not of the highest order ; but besides two at Dolgelley, there is a small one at Arthog, overlooking Mawddach, and two at Barmouth, and the small Inn at Tyn-y-Groes, beautifully situated ,6 m. N. of Dolgelley ; so the visitor may shift his quarters and not be out of reach of Cader. 3. The West Coast from Barmouth to Tremadoc, traversed by the Cambrian Railway, commands exceedingly beautiful distant views inland of the mountain ranges, Rhinog Fawr, Diffwys, Llawllech, and especially of the group of Snowdon ; so that although this route is usually followed merely as the 'quickest transit between the region of Cader Idris and that of Snowdon, it may be worth while to make halt at Harlech for the sake of its romantic castle and its glorious views of the mountains. The Castle Hotel is fairly good, and there is a more homely and moderate Inn. 4. The 8nowdon District. The highest mountain in Wales is en- circled, as by a natural fosse, by a series of deep valleys ; on the N. by the Pass of Llanberis, the grandest and most solemn gorge in Britain, after Glencoe ; on the E. by Nant Gwynnant ; on the S. by Beddgelert and Aberglaslyn, all more or less distinguished as abounding in scenery of the highest order. Through these a good coach-road runs, and the circuit may be made in 7 or 8 hours by those who are in haste. The Summit of Snowdon can be approached from four different points in this circle ; from Llanberis, from which is the easiest ascent, Capel Curig (Gorphwysfa), from Beddgelert, close to which is the grand defile of Aberglaslyn, and from the Snowdon Ranger Inn and Rly. Stat. At all these places are Inns of first or second class. Those who reach the summit on a cloudless day " enjoy a scene impressively grand. Introd. i. General Information for Travellers. ix comprehending a large part of 1ST. Wales, the whole of Anglesey, a fair glimpse of part of Cumberland, the Irish Channel, and perhaps a misty outline of the Irish coast. But what filled us with most delight and admiration were numerous lakes, which, like sheets of ice or polished silver, lay reflecting the rays of the sun in the deep valley at our feet.” — Geo. Borrow. 4. The Menai Strait from Conway and Beaumaris to Caernarvon, that beautiful stretch of narrow sea dividing Anglesey from Caernarvonshire, has been compared with the more famous Bosphorus, the distant Snowdon range standing in place of Mt. Olympus. On the margin are Penmaen- mawr and Bangor ; behind which city opens out the grand gorge of Nant Ffrancon, near to the largest Slate Quarries in the world. On its margin stand the 3 most picturesque Edwardian feudal castles, Conway, Beaumaris, and Caernarvon, and it is crossed by those marvels of civil engineering, the Suspension and Tubular Bridges. As headquarters for exploring this district, the Penmaenmawr Hotel, at the Ely. Stat. close to the sea, the George Hotel, close to the Menai Bridge, near Bangor, and the Bulkeley Arms at Beaumaris may be recommended. 5. The Vale of Festiniog*, including the lovely course of the Dwyryd from its head waters to the sea, is not only in itself beautiful, but is approached by a miniature mountain Railway of narrow gauge, which is itself a curiosity, and is at once perfectly safe and equally comfortable. The views which it commands are superb. The traveller has the option of stopping either halfway at Tan-y-Bvvlch Hotel, close to Mr. Oakley’s beautiful place, or at Maentwrog Inn ; or of continuing through the slate quarries of Diffwys to Festiniog itself, where are Inns and water- falls, and picturesque views for the sketcher, to detain visitors. The Inns at Tan-y-Bwlch, Maentwrog, Blaenau (FT. W. Ely. Hotel) and Festiniog village are good. 6. Bettws-y-Coed is a quiet shady resting-place, one of the most ■agreeable in the Principality, surrounded by attractions for travellers. Although no mountain summits are visible from the village below, every height around leads to a fine view, or opens up a pleasant path, while the Junction of the Three Rivers, Conwy, Machno, and Lledr, 2 miles from the village, just under Telford’s grand Holyhead Eoad, presents a combination of natural features not to he surpassed in Britain for picturesque beauty. To the artist these are an endless delight. But besides the general view of this beautiful scenery from the high road we dwell on the individual points which go to compose it — the Ffos FToddyn, the Conwy Falls, and those of the Machno at Pandy Mill. Within a mile of Bettws the Lledr torrent unfolds its beauties above the Beavers’ Pool, while in an opposite direction another lovely stream, the Llugwy, descends in the Swallow Fall ; entering Bettws under its X i. Means of Conveyance — Railways — Coaches . Introd. ivy-clad bridge Pont-y-Pair : — Conway Castle is § hr., Gwydir is 4 m., Trefriw and its waterfalls 6 m. by Rail, Capel Curig and Nant Ffrancon Pass, and Lakes Ogwen and Idwal, 6 or 7 m. Hotels abound at Bettws ; the Waterloo, excellent ; Royal Oak (David Coxe’s quarters for many summers), and the Gwydir Arms may be named with praise. It will be observed that the above brief summary deals only with the most select scenery of N. Wales, that which may be regarded as charac- teristic of the country or peculiar to it. Thus it does not include the pretty vale of Clwyd, hitherto perhaps too much cried up, because its swelling hills more nearly resemble soft English scenes. The Lleyn promontory, also, the Land’s End of Wales, is passed over, because in that W. prolongation of the Caernarvonshire mountains they gradually decline in height, and present neither the commanding peaks nor the grand passes occurring in the E. part of the chain. The same with regard to the Isle of Anglesey, for the most part a flat and monotonous platform, little raised above the sea, except in the grand headland of Holyhead and the wave-beaten crags of the South Stack. Yet all these districts are fully described in the body of the Handbook in details sufficiently minute, it is hoped, to enable the traveller to explore them satisfactorily. Means of Conveyance — Railways — Coaches. A continuous belt of Railway encircles N. Wales, besides which several cross lines and branches, penetrating the mountains through and through, offer facile access to all the most interesting places. These lines are — 1. From Shrewsbury, N., to Chester, by Rhuabon and Wrexham. (Gt. Western.) 2. From Chester to Holyhead, by Flint, Rhyl, Conway and Bangor. (L. and N. Western.) 3. Bangor, by Caernarvon to Portmadoc. Cambrian Rly. 4. Tremadoc to Barmouth, by Harlech. Cambrian Rly. 5. Shrewsbury (Rhuabon) to Dolgelley and Barmouth, by Llangollen, Corwen, and Bala. (Gt. Western.) C. Oswestry to Aberystwyth, by Welshpool and Newtown, with branches to Llanfyllin to Dinas Mawddwy, to Machynlleth (Corris), Aberdovey and Barmouth. Cross Lines running N. and S. 7. Conway to Festiniog, by Llanrwst, Bettws-y-Coed, Dolwyddelan (L. and N. Western). Festiniog to Bala (Great Western). In trod. i. Information for Travellers . xi 8. Rhyl on the Dee to Corwen, by St. Asaph, Denbigh, and Ruthin. 9. Two short Railways from the W. coast of Caernarvon to Snowdon : d, to Llanberis on the N. of the mountain ; b, to Snowdon Ranger and Rhyd-du on the S. (Narrow Gauge Line.) 10. Portmadoc to Festiniog, by Tan-y-Bwlch, by the very remark- able Miniature Railway. 11. Chester to Denbigh and the Yale of Clwyd, by Mold (running E. and W.). 12. Bangor to Holyhead. 13. Gaerwen to Amlwch. 14. Wrexham to Buckley and Connah’s Quay. 15. Bangor to Bethesda. The Railway Companies, L. and N. Western and Gt. Western, offer inducements to travellers in Wales, by Circular and Tourist Tickets at reduced fares. See their summer Time-Tables and Programme. Inn Accommodation is abundantly provided for the Traveller in North Wales. Besides the Hotels in the larger towns enumerated in the following Routes, good wayside Inns of humble pretensions, but furnishing a clean bed and decent fare, will be found in most of the villages. Post-horses are furnished by the larger Hotel keepers, as well as Cars and Waggonettes general charge, with one horse, Is. a mile ; driver or postboy expect 3 d. a mile. Pedestkians. — There is no pleasanter way of exploring Wales than on foot, with occasional lifts along level ground in trains and coaches. We shall not insult the Pedestrian with instructions for his equipment. One hint only will we drop, viz., that the sheets of the admirable Ordnance Survey are a necessary companion for a Pedestrian in Wales rather than a luxury. They cost only 2s. a sheet ; they may be made portable by cutting each sheet horizontally into 3, and folding it outwards, of a size to lie within the leaves of a small 8vo. volume. II. Physical Featukes of N. Wales. North Wales, consisting of the counties of Flint, Denbigh, Caernarvon, the isle of Anglesey, Merioneth, and Montgomery, presents varied attrac- tions to the visitor, though none so powerful as the grand features of nature — the rivers, the mountains, and the sea. In Wales he may recruit himself in the tranquillity of the green valleys and salmon-haunted streams, by the waves that break under Penmaenmawr, or among the sheep- bells on the bare hill-side, on moorland solitudes so wild that a passing ii. Physical Features . Introd. crow makes an incident in the landscape, on the platform of Cader Idris, or where the Dee cleaves its separate way through the depths of Bala Lake. He will also find, if he pleases, many things capable of attracting -and employing serious inquiry, and none more so than the apparently barren hills themselves, teeming with mineral riches and with produc- tions of varied use, which increasing railway facilities make available for all parts of England. For examining the physical features of North Wales it will be best to divide it into 2 great portions, lying respectively N. and S. of an imaginary line drawn from Portmadoc to Llangollen through Bala and Corwen, comprising the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, Denbigh, and Flint in the N. section, with Merioneth and Montgomery to the S. A. Ihe first may be roughly subdivided into 2 large groups, lying E. and W. of the Conwy river. 1. Commencing from the river Dee, near Hawarden, in Flintshire, we find a tract of high ground, running parallel with and overlooking the estuary. This tract, which has its highest points about Halkin mountain, runs in a general direction from N.W. to S.E., and is remarkable for its rich and valuable mineral treasures ; to the W. of this broken region, and separated from it by the valley along which runs the Mold and Denbigh Railroad, rises the Clwydian range, a magnificent and continuous line of conical hills separating the vale of ■Clwyd on the E. from the adjacent county. They approach the sea near Discrth and Rhuddlan, and run nearly due S. to Llanarmon in Yale — th.it district which, according to the poet Churchyard, “ Hath hilles and mountaynes hye, Small valleys there, save where the brookes do ron.” r l lie principal eminence in this range is Moel Fammau (1845 ft.). S. of Llandegla the uniformity of the chain is broken, and an irregular block n (1857 it.), presenting many fine fea- ■ fiU up the gap between Wrexham and Llangollen. The range of hills at Minera and the picturesque escarpments of the Eglwvscg r-'cks at Llangollen are in reality the outcrops of this mass of limestone. The rivers - »f the N.E. group are few. On the E. coast are the Holywell a i \\ epre 1 rooks, while the circuitous Alyn, rising in the pretty valleys N al* , ii anders through the broken uplands of Flintshire, and fiually, 44 to Dec most inly deere,” joins that river near GresforcL - The w >nd of the N.E. group may be generally stated a3 occupying the country between the ( < the Del Bala. Although comparatively little visited, it contains scenery of a romantic character, especially towards the coast. Here it is marked by l*rupt escarpments of mountain limestone, such as the Great and Little In trod. ii. Information for Travellers. xiii Orme’s Head and the Llysfaen Mountain. To these succeeds a large tract of well- wooded region, abounding in lovely dells, the watercourses of the Elwy, Aled, and Alwen — the 2 first of which find their way into the Clwyd, the latter into the Dee. All of them take their rise in the Mynydd Hiraethog, a long desolate range to the S. of the more fertile district, which, with its outliers, occupies a large part of Denbighshire. Bronbanog (1572 ft.) and Moel Eithin (1660 ft.) are the highest points. The dreary slopes on the S. are crossed by the Great Holyhead road between Bettws-y-Coed, Pentrevoelas, and Corwen. Between them and the imaginary line from Festiniog to Bala is another irregular group, filling up the space between the source of the Conwy and that portion of the Dee which runs through the vale of Edeyrnion. Of this group Carnedd-y-Filiast (the cairn of the she-wolf) (2127 ft.) and Moel-y- Darail (1934 ft.) are the loftiest heights, and give birth to the Geirw and a few smaller streams flowing into the Dee. On the eastern side of the Hiraethrog the Clwyd takes its rise, and, after a short circuitous route, flows steadily, though it must be confessed rather sluggishly, to the FT.,, past Euthin, Denbigh, and St. Asaph, to join the sea at Rhyl. “Its banks are deep cuts in the deposited stratum of rich earth, with rare breaks down to fords or watering-places. Three days’ rain up the valley will not bring the water to the brink of these banks, or increase the depth of the river ; but a 4th wet day spreads it over acres of meadow, and a 5th marks the whole vale with a broad band of silver. The Elwy, on the other hand, has scarcely an acre of meadow to flood, but it becomes a torrent with a few hours’ rain, and roars along its stony bed, breaking out here and there, but nowhere spreading far, even if charged with a week of water-spout.” — Catlirall. The southern boundary of the N.E. division is the valley of the Dee, which, issuing from the lake of Bala, flows with “ silver clere ” tide through the lovely vale of Edeyrnion to Corwen, and on by Llangollen and Overton into the broad alluvial plains of Cheshire. B. The N.W. division is, with the exception of some isolated heights in Anglesey, almost entirely included in the county of Caer- narvon, and embraces the finest of all Welsh scenery, as offered in the ranges of Snowdonia, called by some the Arvonian Alps. Its eastern boundary is the river Conwy, which, rising in the desolate and high table-lands of Migneint, soon flows due N. past Bettws-y-Coed and Llanrwst to Conway. For the first 8 or 10 m. of its course the boundary of this mountain region is more imaginary than real, as at this corner the connection between the N.W., N.E., and S.E. districts is nearly unbroken, although on travelling further westward we find that the division is again well marked between the H. and S. by the valley of the Dwyryd’and the wide estuary of the Traethmawr. As 7-10ths of this xiv ii. Physical Features. Introd. district is the locale which attracts all tourists, it is better to subdivide it into groups formed by the principal masses of mountain, which are characterised by rugged precipitous escarpments and wild passes, in- stead of the wooded valleys and heathery slopes that mark the former j district. 1. Travelling westward, the tourist first arrives at a triangular block J of mountain, formed by Carnedds Dafydd (3427 ft.) and Llewelyn I ' (3469 ft.), which on the X. spread their wide shoulders to the coast at Aber, ending iu the mighty cliffs of Penmaenmawr. • From their recesses the Afon Porthllwyd, Afon Ddu, Llugwy, and some smaller streams issue to join the Conwy, which forms the boundary on the E. Southwards they are suddenly brought up by the wild and deeply-cut ]x\ss of Xant Ffrancon. The principal lakes of this group are Llyniau Dulyn, Melynllyn, Crafnant, Cwlid, Geirionydd, Llugwy, Ogwen, with others of less size. The mountain tracks to these are easily found with the aid of the Ordnance Survey, and there is not one of them but will repay the visit. 2. Immediately opposite and to the S. of this group is a far more precipitous and savage range, dividing it from Snowdon. This is the Glydcr Fawr (3275 ft.), the Glyder Fach (3235 ft.), and the Trifaen (3000 ft.), which are prolonged to the N. and N.W. by the side of Llanberis lakes, and on the W. side of Nant Ffrancon. It is in this | latter portion that the great Penrhyn and Llanberis slate-quarries are ! situate*!* The gloomy character of this group is well supported by its 3 boundary valleys, viz. Xant Ffrancon, Xant-y-Gwryd, and the pass of Llanberis, best seen in descending it. 3. Directly opposite and separated only by this pass rises the great Snowdon group, symmetrically placed almost in the centre of Caernar- I vonshire. As it is fully described in llte. 17a, a very brief mention is all that is here necessary. Its glories have ever been a fertile theme j with all the writers and poets of N. Wales : — 11 For Snowdony, a hill, impcriall in his seat, Is from his mighty foote unto his head, so greate, That were his Wales distrest, or of his helpe had neede, Hee all her flocks and heards for many months coulde feede.” Drayton's rolyolbion. From the centre of the group Moel-y-Wyddfa rises in a sharp peak to M the height of 3571 ft., se nding off its subordinate ridges of Moel Eilio (2870 ft.) and M<* 1-y-Cynghorion on the X.W., Llechog and Yr Aran I (2473 ft.) on the W., and Lliwcdd on the S.E. — the whole forming a triangular • r of which the base is Nant Gwynnant, and the sides ’ the Pass of Llanberis and the valleys of the Gwrfai and Colwyn re- 1 spectively. It is in this Alpine district that the most beautiful Lakes I IntrocL ii. Physical Features . xv are met with — Llyn Gwynnant and Llyn Dinas, Llyn Cwellyn, Llyn-y- Gader, Llyn Llydaw, and the lakes of Llanberis. Nant Gwynnant and the Glaslyn river cut off this range from 4. The S.E. district, which may in some sense be considered a con- tinuation of it. Here we have the great bulwark of Moel Siabod (2870 ft.), which is prolonged above the valley of the Lledr into an irregular though well-marked line of hills, terminated on the S. by the volcanic-looking peak of Cynicht (2372), and the more rugged Moelwyn (2566), in the eastern spurs of which mountain we find the large Festiniog slate-quarries. Still further, this range is again finely developed in the Manods and the Migneint hills, which give birth to the Conwy. 5. Immediately to the W. of Snowdon, and separated only by the valley of the Gwrfai, is another precipitous range, commencing on the Caernarvon side of Llyn Cwellyn, in 'the magnificent escarpment of Craig Cwm Bychan and Mynydd Mawr (2300 ft.), and thence running S. to Drws-y-Coed, where a deep pass runs up the Llyfni valley to the Nantlle lakes, to which a railway is now opened, and on to the head of the Colwyn. The continuity is carried southward by Mynydd Craig Goch (2358), and Moel Hebog (2850), which rises immediately from be- hind Beddgelert. From this point the mountains gradually decline in height until they finally end in the picturesque line of rocks overhang- ing Tremadoc. 6. The remaining hills of the promontory of Lleyn are comparatively isolated, though presenting as fine scenic effects as any of the preceding. From Clynnog a series of round-topped eminences run S. towards Pwllheli. They are Gyrn Goch (1823 ft.), Bwlch Mawr (1673), and Moel Penllechog. Separated from them by the pass of Llanaelhaiarn are the singular heights of Yr Eifl (1886), which, for their magnificent rock scenery and prehistoric remains, are worthy of being visited oftener than they are. Rising directly above Nevin is Carn Boduan, and a little to the S. the still higher Carn Madryn (1205), both of which, from their comparative isolation, present splendid panoramic views of the adjacent country. These are the highest points in Lleyn, although the genera] character of the promontory is that of elevated table-land, rising at Mynydd Rhiw to 1113 ft., and terminated all round the coast by tempest-riven rocks and precipices. 7. The only remaining portion of this division is Anglesey, which may be also described as a vast sheet of very uninteresting table-land, relieved here and there by rocky patches of mountain ; consequently Anglesey is not a beautiful county, except in some few favoured spots. The most important hills lie in the neighbourhood of Red Wharf Bay and the Parys Mountain, near Amlwch, which appears, especially in rvi n. Physical Features . Introd. distant views, of greater height than it really is, from the general uni- formity of the surface. The W. coast of Anglesey, which is seldom or never visited, contains coast scenery of a high order. At the extreme point of the island is the Holyhead Mountain, important in a pic- turesque as well as a commercial point of view. * C. The S.W. division may be bounded by the road from Festiniog to Bala on the N., and by that from Bala to Dinas Mawddwy and Mach- ynlleth on the E. and S.E. 1. The most prominent group commences at Maentwrog and runs due S. past Harlech to Barmouth, parallel with and close to the sea-coast. i j;-drwg (2100 ft.), Rhinog Yawr (24G3) and Yach, DifTwys (2412), and Llawllcch, are the principal heights, which, rising ruggedly above their fellows, impart considerable grandeur to this range. The exploring tourist will find in the recesses of these mountains some of the finest scenery in the country, particularly in Glyn Artro and Cwm Bychan. With the exception of the Artro, scarce any river flows from the W. sides ; but the opposite slopes, not so broken in character, give birth to the Eden and Camlan rivers, which, soon uniting with the Cain and Mawddach, flow towards Dolgelley through a valley remarkable for its rich beauty and the number of its waterfalls. 2. These two latter rivers rise in an irregular and confused mass of mountains, which, although of no great height on the W., gradually increase in size until they reach the watersheds of the Dee and the Wnion. Conspicuous in the southern portion of this district are Rho- bell (2469 ft.) and Benglog (1844). As we travel northwards towards Bala we find the same group becoming more wild and lofty, until it reaches its culminating point in the Arennig Fawr (2809) and the Arennig Fach, which form some of the most striking features in Merionethshire scenery. From thence as a central point several streams, though none of any size, flow in different directions : the Cynfael and the Dwyrvd to the W., the Cain to the S., the Lliw and the Tryweryn toward the lake of Bala ; and we may also include the Conwy to the N., although it belongs more particularly to the foregoing divisions. 3. To the W. of this group, and separated only by the narrow ravines of the Dec and Wnion, rise majestically Aran Fawddwy (2955 ft.) and Aran Benllyn, a continuation of the same mountain, which, com- mencing in narrow spurs at the S. of Bala Lake, soon becomes one of the most savage of Welsh mountains, as it overhangs the valley of the Dyfi, in which Dinas Mawddwy and Mallwyd arc situated. To the S. of the former place they again decline in importance as they approach Machyn- lleth, but to the W. they throw out a lofty range following the valley of the Cowarch, and soon uniting with Introd. ii. Information for Travellers . xvii 4. The Cader Idris mountain, which, like Snowdon, constitutes a group in itself. This glorious giant amongst hills takes a curious zigzag course to the S.W., and is characterised by the very limited extent of plateau at the summit and the fearful wall of precipices which it presents for the greater part of its course. It has 3 principal points, of which the Cader par excellence attains the height of 2914 ft. ; so that this celebrated mountain does not found its pretensions so much on its height, which is exceeded by 7 others in N. Wales, as on its singular and unique position, form, and character. Towards the S. W. it throws out a series of broad wild hills to the coast at Llwyngwril and Llanegryn ; but to the S., after passing the deep vale of the Dysyni, we find again a very lofty chain which fills up the whole area to the Dyfi and Machynlleth. On the slopes of Taren-y-gesail (2224 ft.) and Mount Faden (1864) are the important slate-quarries of Corris. Towards Towyn and Aberdovey these hills gradually sink into low ranges covered with woodland. D. The grand feature of the S.E. division is the Berwyn Mountains , which commence near Llangollen, and, winding to the S. W. past Corwen, Llandrillo, and Bala Lake, may be considered as terminating at the Pass of Bwlch-y-Groes. But as the road that runs up the pass is some 1200 ft. high, they may with more propriety be said to join the chain of the Arans. The character of these mountains is essentially different from most of those that have been hitherto discussed ; instead of the lofty peak and savage precipice, we have a more uniform line, with rounded shoulders breaking off on each side and overlooking pastoral glens. Nevertheless there are some very fine and rugged cliffs on the S.E. side above Llanrhaiadr which equal anything in the country. The principal heights in this range are Moel Ferna (2050 ft.), Cader Ferwyn •or Berwyn (2715), Cader Fronwen (2563), and Trim-y-Sarn (2027). With the exception of the Hirnant, but few rivers are given off on the N. ; but on the S. the Tannat, the Yyrnwy, the Twrch, and the Banw soon become important streams, and water a large extent of rich farm- ing country. In fact, the whole of the luxuriant champaign district as far as Welshpool, as well as the bleaker hills towards Carno, may be regarded as connected with the great chain of the Berwyns. 2. The valley of the Severn at once cuts off this district on the N. from the Breiddin hills (1199 ft.), that rise sharply up from out of the rich alluvial plains, and also from the Long Mountain (1330), which we may regard as the Welsh outskirts of a range of mountains occupying the borders of Montgomeryshire, Shropshire, and Radnorshire, in which latter county, near Newtown, they take the name of the Kerry Hills, and are prolonged E. to Bishop’s Castle, S.W. to Llanidloes, and S. towards Builth. N, Wales . 5 xviii hi. Geology of N. Wales. In trod. 3. The district to the W. of Llanidloes is entirely occupied by the unshapely mass of Flint ymmon, which, though properly a Cardiganshire mountain, enters sufficiently into N. Wales to influence some of its physical features very considerably. It is hard to say where to put a limit to the offshoots of Plinlymmon, though the valleys of the Clywedog and the Tarannon will probably serve best for the lines of demarcation. All the country between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth, Llanidloes and Llangurig, is occupied by it ; and from the centre of it, indeed so near together that a single walk may embrace them all, flow the Rheidol, Severn, Wye, and Llyffnant. In this resume of the Physical Geography of N. Wales there are, of course, numberless minor ranges and isolated hills, which it would be tedious to mention, but which will be found in detail under their respective routes. III. Geology of N. Wales. The labours of Sedgwick and Murchison, and after them of the Geolo- gical Survey, of Ramsay, Hicks, Hughes and Bonney, have correlated and brought into connection the apparently confused geology of North Wales. Commencing with the uppermost strata, we find : A. The Trias , or New Fed Sandstone , for the whole distance between Shrewsbury and Chester, skirting the N. Welsh coal-field in the neigh- bourhood of Ellesmere, Oswestry, Holt, and Wrexham. It in fact constitutes the most westerly portion of the great belt of triassic strata that runs from Liverpool and the fertile plains of Cheshire into Wor- cestershire and the S. It is also seen in the vale of Clwyd, commencing at a point between Ruthin and Llandegla, and running up to Rhyl, where it extends each way along the coast at the foot of the hills of Diserth and Abergele. The trias is separated from the coal-field by B. Permian beds, which skirt the coal-measures on the E. between Oswestry and Wrexham, as well as the northern border of the Shrews- bury field nearly as far as the Breiddin hills. They may be studied on the banks of the Dee, near Overton. C. The Coal-measures extend in a strip of no great breadth from a little to the S. of Oswestry to the mouth of the estuary of the Dee in Flintshire, and are overlaid on the E. by Permian and new red sand- stone, while on the W. they repose conformably on millstone grit and carboniferous limestone. In consequence of a great fault and upheaval of the last-mentioned rocks, there is a separation of the coal-field to the N. of the river Alun into the Denbighshire and Flintshire fields. Introd. hi. Geology of N . Wales. xis a. The former is about 18 m. in length and 4 in breadth, and may be divided into 3 series of nearly 3000 ft. in thickness. The upper series is comparatively worthless, being composed of sandstones, with a few thin beds of coal. The lower series, though of more value, is but little worked ; but the middle beds, about 800 ft. thick, comprise all the valuable coals. There are 7 principal seams. The commercial im- portance of these beds will be alluded to in the sequel. So far as yet studied, the fossil remains of the N. Welsh field seem to resemble those of the S. Welsh and Lancashire fields, in its fish, while, as in them, the lower beds are full of marine remains, as Aviculopecten and Goniatites, &c. b. The Flintshire fields are neither so extensive nor so productive ; but, geologically speaking, they are interesting, as evidently forming part of the Lancashire measures, the intervening portion being covered over by the new red sandstone. The principal coal-seams, 6 in number, corre- spond pretty nearly with those of Denbighshire, although they are somewhat thicker. c. The Anglesey coal-field is a very thin belt, stretching for 9 m. from near the Holland Arms Inn to Maldraeth Bay. The measures are overlaid unconformably by Permian beds, and repose on millstone grit and mountain limestone, which in their turn rest on crystalline or metamorphic schists. “The existence of this field is entirely due to an enormous fault, having at one point a downthrow on the N.W. of 2300 ft.” — Hull. The coal-measures, with their accompanying sand- stones, are 1309 ft. thick, and the seams themselves are 8 in number, ranging in thickness from 2 to 7 ft., the uppermost, or “ Glopux ” coal, attaining to 9 ft. d. There are two very small patches of coal-measures, one on each bank of the Menai, near Caernarvon. D. The Millstone Grit underlies the Denbigh and Flint fields on the W., constituting the broken uplands near Minera, Mold, Flint, and Holywell. The same occurs in the Anglesey field. It is succeeded by E. The Mountain Limestone , to which a great portion of the pic- turesque scenery in Denbighshire is owing. A tract of considerable breadth commences on the N. coast of Flintshire, near Diserth, and accompanies the coal-measures and grit, which it underlies, as far as Llandegla. Southwards of that point it becomes narrower as it curves round to the E. in the Eglwyseg and Trevor rocks. Although there is here an hiatus, yet the limestone again appears in a still nar- rower band, and runs past Oswestry to Llanymynech, where it forms the beautiful escarpment of Llanymynech hill. Beverting again to 12 xx hi. Geology of N. Wales . Introd. Diserth on the N. coast, we find that the Clwydian range of hills is formed of mountain limestone, which, turning sharp round to the S. of Eu thin, is found occupying the hills on the western or opposite side of the valley. Between Denbigh and S. Asaph they are strikingly de- veloped in the Cefn rocks, and are thence carried northwards to Abergele and Colwyn, seemingly ending in the massive promontories of the Great and Little Orme’s Heads ; yet, although separated by the bay of Beaumaris, evidently continued in the limestone of Bed Wharf Bay in the N.E. point of Anglesey. It is also observed forming a prominent belt on either side the Menai Straits on the E. from Bangor to a little below Port Dinorwic, and on the W. from Menai Bridge to Caernarvon. It is once more seen in Anglesey occupying a broad belt on the coast at Llanallgo and Moelfre Bay, from whence it runs S., gradually diminishing as it reaches and accompanies the coal-measures described before. Close to it, on the western border (the district immediately between the Clwyd hills and the limestone of the Mold district is occu- pied by a narrow prolongation of Wenlock shale), is a thin strip of F. Old Bed Sandstone , almost the only trace of it in N. Wales, which in this respect affords a marked contrast to S. Wales, where the old red is so largely developed. G. The Upper Silurian is observable over large areas in the counties of Denbigh and Montgomery. 1. The Ludlow Eocks are only visible in the strata of the Long Moun- tain, near Welshpool, and on the southern border of Montgomeryshire, in the Kerry Hills. From thence they cover a wide district extending to Eadnor, Hay, and Builth. 2. The Wenlock shale ranges from Conway and Abergele, on the N. coast of Denbighshire, over an irregularly-shaped area, to Llangollen. The picturesque country of the Elwy, Aled, and Alwen, lying between Llanrwst and Denbigh is of this formation, which near Llandegla sends up northward a thinner prolongation, lying unconformably between the carboniferous rocks of the Clwydian hills and those of Flintshire. It thus surrounds the vale of Clwyd like the rim of a basin. It is seen in large patches between Llanfyllin and the Banw river, and again between Llanfair, Guilsfield, and Welshpool on the N., and Montgomery, Newtown, and Bishop’s Castle on the S., and on the eastern side of the Severn running up and surrounding the Ludlow rocks of the Long Moun- tain, until suddenly brought up by the Shrewsbury coal-field. S. of Newtown a thin prolongation is carried on towards Eadnor Forest and Introd. hi. Geology of N. Wales . xxi Llandrindod Wells. It is remarkable that in all this district there are no bands of Wenlock limestone. 3. Subordinate to these rocks and on their western border is a belt of conglomerates and grits, known as Denbigh grits, which follows closely the valley of the Conwy, becoming more extended in the neigh- bourhood of Cerrig-y-Drudion. S. of Corwen, where the Wenlock shale disappears, the Upper Silurian rocks are still represented by these grits, which connect the shales of Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire, and accompany them all the way southwards to Newtown and Radnor- shire, themselves being underlaid by the Caradoc or Bala beds. The Denbigh grits are usually considered to be the sandy base of the Wen- lock formation, and consequently of the Upper Silurian series. 4. Next below come the Tarannon shales, which occupy an inter- mediate space between the Pentamerus or Llandovery rocks and the Upper Silurian, although some geologists differ as to which class they ought to belong to. “ They are of a hard, slaty character, in some places so pale or grey as to have been termed pale slates, in others of purple colour.” — Siluria. They are principally and best exhibited in the district fed by the Tarannon river, between Llanbrynmair and Llanid- loes. Fossils are rare. The Llandovery and Pentamerus rocks, which form so marked a feature in Caermarthenshire, are only seen to a small extent in the neighbourhood of Montgomery and Bishop’s Castle. 5. The remainder of the Lower Silurian rocks, including the Caradoc or Bala, Llandeilo and Lingula formations, are so intricately connected, that they will be best understood if described together. In that western portion of Montgomeryshire though which the great igneous (though stratified) chain of the Berwyn mountains runs, we find that their eastern slopes are occupied by the slates of the Llandeilo age, which are blackish, of great thickness, and at one spot contain a limestone full of the characteristic fossils of the formation. They are well exposed in the gorge of the Tannat above Llanrhaiadr. These slates pass with much uniformity underneath the shelly sandstones of Caradoc or Bala forma- tion, which are continued southwards into the vale of Meifod, and in a narrow strip along the Severn to Welshpool. “ These rocks in the valleys of the Vyrnwy and Tannat have been affected by a transverse slaty cleavage.” All this district is separated on the W. from the simi- lar rocks of Merionethshire by the Wenlock shales and Denbigh grits before mentioned. If the traveller will carefully study a geological map of N. Wales, he will perceive various patches of igneous eruptive rocks standing out from amidst the great Lower Silurian formation. Begin- ning from the N., he will be able to trace the great rugged Snowdonian range from Penmaenmawr to Moel Hebog, above Tremadoc. Singular as it appears, this range “ is composed of rocks which are the equi- xxii hi. Geology of N. Wales. lntrod. valents of the strata occupying the comparatively low-lying hills of the Bala district E. of Arennig.” In other words, the lavas and volcanic ashes of this great chain were erupted in the Caradoc or Bala epoch. They will be mentioned again when speaking of the igneous rocks. To the W. of the flanks of this range we have, then, emerg- ing from under these altered Caradoc strata, and much traversed by porphyries, Llandeiio beds, overlying the Lingula flags, beneath which again lie the great mass of Cambrian grits and slates which supply the quarries of Penrhyn and Llanberis. To the S. of Moel Hebog we have the same series repeated, with the difference that the Lingula flags at Tremadoc abut upon the great Merionethshire mass of Cambrian rock. Immediately on the E. of Snowdon is a narrow anticlinal axis of slate and sandstone, full of Caradoc or Bala fossils, which separates what may be called the great porphyritic basin of the Snowdon range from the minor basin of Dolwyddelan, of precisely the same age. “ The fossiliferous calcareous ash in this valley is of Bala age, and the great mass of felspar porphyry that lies below it between Dolwyddelan and Yr Arddu is clearly connected with the same set of volcanic causes that produced the thin volcanic beds underneath the limestone at Bala.” — Ramsay . The basin of Dolwyddelan is, in fact, an outlier of the Snowdon basin. Beverting to the map again, we see that to the E. of Tremadoc com- mences another singular chain of mountains, which extends in a wide crescent shape to the S., and is formed by Moelwyn, the Manods, the Arennigs, Bhobell Fawr, the Arans, and Cader Idris. Now, this great range of volcanic hills is of a considerably older date than the Snowdonian range. In fact, it was formed during the Llandeiio age, while the latter only dates from the Caradoc time. On the western flanks of these mountains we find the Lingula flags, which, emerging from this interbedded igneous series of Llandeiio age, in their turn immediately lie upon the flanks of the great Merio- nethshire Cambrian boss. “ Down the Bala valley and along the course of the river Wnion, towards Dolgelley, there runs a great fault — a downthrow — to the N.W. and oq its western side all the rocks of Cader Idris and the Arans arc repeated. Thus from Penmaen to the Arennigs we have a repetition of the interbedded felspathic traps and ashes of the Arans, and under- neath them the Lingula flags crop out beneath the W. sides of Arennig and the Cambrian strata of Dolmelynllyn and Trawsfynydd.” On the S.E. of Cader Idris and E. of the Arans are black slates of Llandeiio age far beneath the Bala limestone, which commences S. at Dinas Mawddwy, runs N. to Bala in broken lines, and from thence to Cerrig-y-Drudion, where it turns to the W. to Penmachno. This lime- stone is highly prolific in fossils similar to those found in Shrop- Introd. hi. Geology of N. Wales. xxiii vshire, but is so impure that it is never used for burning. The whole country to the S. of Cader Idris and Dinas Mawddwy is formed of Caradoc sandstone, which imparts to the mountain ranges that rounded and somewhat monotonous outline which is so characteristic of the Mont- gomeryshire hills. The greater portion of the promontory of Lleyn is composed of Caradoc and Llandeilo rocks, interrupted by large patches of eruptive igneous mountains. In Anglesey a large tract of Llandeilo beds commences on the S. flanks of the Parys mountain, and runs S.W. immediately to the coast on the opposite side of the island, sending off a narrow prolongation to the N.W. coast opposite the Skerries. The typical fossils are tolerably abundant along this line. 6. The Cambrian rocks are very well defined and occur in 2 large patches, one of which is met with running parallel with the eastern coast of the Menai Straits. On the N.E. it commences between Bangor and Carnedd Llewelyn, and terminates at the sea near Clynnog. 44 Between the Menai Straits and the E. flank of the Snowdon range we find huge buttresses of very ancient grit, schist, slate, and sandstone, having the same direction from S.S.W. to N.N.E., in which, though their sedimentary character is obvious, and though they have not been so much altered as in Anglesey, but one obscure fossil has been detected throughout a thickness of many thousand feet.’’ — Murchison. These rocks are the equivalents of the Longmynd or Bottom rocks of Shropshire, and their commercial importance will be duly estimated as being the locale of the Llanberis and Penrhyn slate quarries. The second great mass of Cambrian rocks runs from Maentwrog by Harlech to Barmouth, filling up all the district between the coast and the Trawsfynydd road. This is the Merionethshire anticlinal line of Prof. Sedgwick, which, rising in an immense dome, throws off Lingula flags in all directions. Besides these well-defined areas, there are also large tracts in Anglesey, and a smaller one extending along the Lleyn promontory from Nevin to Aberdaron, of altered metamorphic rocks, generally known as the crystalline schists of Anglesey. For a long time they were considered to be of even older date than the Cambrian ; but they are now recognised as the equivalents of it, 44 altered at one spot into chlorite and mica schist, at another into quartz rock, accompanied by most extraordinary flexures of the beds.” These are well shown at the S. Stack Rocks at Holyhead Island. 7. The researches of Dr. Hicks and others have led to the discovery in Wales of rocks even older than the Silurian or Cambrian; probably as old as the Laurentian of Canada, now believed to be the most ancient on the globe. Dr. Hicks classes into 3 divisions, and names them : a. The Dimetian, the oldest being gneissic and granitoid rocks, the lowest, h. Compact felspathic and quartzose strata, some of them xxiv in. Geology of N. Wales . Introch old lavas, called Arvonian. c. The Pebidian , green schistose rocks, associated with volcanic breccias. 44 The Pre-Cambrian rocks form nearly half of Anglesey. They occur between Bardsey Island and Xevin, on the W. side of the Lleyn Peninsula, and include the syenite near Festiniog, N. of Dolgelley and elsewhere. Their thickness is estimated at 18,000 ft. The so-called Mona marble, a beautiful green rock quarried near Holyhead, is a variety of serpentine. These Pre-Cambrian rocks are entirely destitute of fossils.” — Harrison , ‘ Geology of the Counties of England and Wales.’ 8. It only remains, lastly, to recapitulate the principal igneous rocks, whether eruptive or stratified. The Snowdonian range has been already mentioned as being principally of Caradoc age. 44 The strata, which constitute the lower part of Snowdon itself, and repose upon the older slates and Lingula flags, consist of dark bluish-grey slaty schists, representing the inferior part of the Llandeilo forma- tion. They are traversed by masses of eruptive rock, consisting of porphyry and greenstone, or compact felspar or felstone. In the next overlying accumulations are many Caradoc fossils, although the original beds alternate rapidly with volcanic dejections of ashes and felspathic materials.” — Siluria. Prof. Ramsay considers that most of the intruding bosses of greenstone, porphyry, and syenite, which traverse the rocks W. of the Snowdon chain and the great Merionethshire district of Cambrian rocks, &c., date about the close of the Lingula flag period, i.e. in the epoch of the Llandeilo rocks. The trap-rocks of Arennig, the Arans, and Cader Idris are of this date. A period of comparative repose succeeded, followed by those eruptions which produced the porphyries of Snowdon. “ All these Snowdonian porphyries,” he says, 44 are true lava-beds, accompanied by volcanic ashes of the same period.” Rhobell Fawr, near Dolgelley, is considered by Prof. Ramsay to be the largest mass of greenstone in Wales, 44 being more than 2 miles wide, rising in great broken and bare undulations to the very top, near which it is overlaid by a strip of highly porcelained slate.”* While examining the mountain- ranges of N. Wales, the geologist will keep his attention alive to the numerous traces of glaciers in the different valleys, which in many places are plainly visible in the shape of moraine heaps, blocs perches, roches moutonn&s, and stria- tions. In Rte. 17 will be found a lull account of these interesting phenomena, as observed by Prof. Ramsay and detailed in his interesting work on the 4 Glaciers of N. Wales.’ The Drift, too, is often to be seen, * For further details the tourist should consult Prof. Ramsay’s original Paper in the ‘Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,* vol. ix. p. 170; also a Panoramic Sketch of the Geology of Caernarvonshire and Merioncth- bliire, by the same author, in the ‘ Geologist,’ vol. i. No. 5. Introd. iy. Antiquities of N. Wales . xxy “ generally in its native state, consisting of clay, angular stones, gravel,, and boulders ; sometimes, as in Cwm Llafar, on the W. flank of Carnedd Llewelyn, arranged in terraces marking pauses in the re-elevation of the country. Shells were found by Mr. Trimmer on Moel-Tryfaen, near Nantlle, 1300 ft above the sea, in sand and gravel, and again at about the same height, 2 m. W. of the peak of Snowdon, on a sloping plain of drift charged with erratic blocks, one of which, of great size, is known as ‘ Maenbras,’ or the large stone.” For so much of the Geology of N. Wales as will serve the purpose of the general tourist, he may con- sult the Rev. W. Symonds’s ‘ Eecords of the Rocks.’ IV. Antiquities — Prehistoric — Old Stones — Castles — • Churches. North Wales is particularly rich in early British remains, more especially in the cromlech , of which upwards of 28 examples are to be found in Anglesey alone. The most common form is that of a slab or table-stone, placed upon 3 or more upright supporters, and the generally received opinion is that they were sepulchral, although a few antiquaries still consider that they were erected for sacrificial purposes. A feature worth noticing in the geographical position of cromlechau in Wales is, that they are almost always found on elevated table-land overlooking the sea, but comparatively rarely inland or amongst the mountains. For instance, we shall find that 9-10ths of the Welsh cromlechau are grouped on the table-lands of Anglesey, Merionethshire^ Caernarvonshire (Lleyn), and Pembrokeshire, nearly all commanding or contiguous to the coast. The most perfect specimens in N. Wales are at Plas Newydd^ Bryn Celliddu (evidently sepulchral), Bodowyr (the smallest known), Henblas (the largest), Llanallgo, and Presaddfed, in Anglesey ; Capel Garmon, near Bettws-y-Coed, Cefn Amwlch, Dolbenmaen, Bachwen at Clynnog, and several others on the same line of coast, in Caernarvon- shire ; and a group of at least 4 or 5 in the parish of Llanddwy we, near the railroad from Harlech to Barmouth. Many others have fallen victims to the utilitarian views of farmers and landowners, although the efforts of the Cambrian Archaeological Association have doubtless saved some from destruction.* Besides the cromlech, we meet with the bedd or grave , which admits of no doubt as to the purposes for which it was constructed. In many of them the only trace of its former tenant remains in the name, which has been handed down by tradition ; in some cases further marked by the addition of an upright stele or stone, or a * The Transactions of this Society abound in interesting information on the- Antiquities of Wales. xxvi iv. Antiquities of N. Wales. Introd. carnedd or heap of stones. Such examples may be found in the district of the Llyfni, near Clynnog, where an unusual number of heroes were buried. Jn other instances cistvaenau , or rude chests formed of stones, have been discovered, containing the funereal remains of the dead. These are found connected with carneddau or in a tumulus. As examples of the tomb may be cited that of Bronwen, on the banks of the Alaw, in Anglesey, from which a square cis tv aen has been removed ; Bedd Taliesin, near Aberystwyth ; Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy, or the Graves of the Men of Ardudwy, near Festiniog; Bedd Porius, near Traws- fynydd, &c. In contradistinction to the carnedd or cairn — which is nothing but a heap of stones piled up — is the barrow or tumulus , a large mound of earth usually heaped together either to commemorate some great battle, or, still more likely, to cover the ashes and serve as a vast funeral monument for those heroes who fell in the engagement. In some of these tumuli cistvaens have been found. As an instance of the sepul- chral tumulus we may mention the Gop at Newmarket, in Flintshire, and the Capel Towyn, near Holyhead. There are others which instead of being sepulchral, appear to have marked the site of some build- ing, as Owain Glyndwr’s Mount, near Corwen ; or the Tomen, which though generally looked upon as elevated mounds for defensive purposes, were also sometimes used as places of General Assembly or Moot Hills, as Tomen-y-Khodwy, near Llandegla, in Denbighshire ; Tomen-y-Bala, in Merionethshire, &c. Before quitting the subject of sepulchral memorials we must not omit the Inscribed Stones ,* upon which, with characteristic brevity, the name of the commemorated person is rudely sculptured. Many of these stones have been discovered in positions which they were evidently never intended to fill, such as water! ng-t roughs, gate- posts, lintels of windows in churches and farm-houses. The principal of these are Eliseg’s Pillar near Valle Crucis ; the stone at Llanrug ; the Lovemus stone at Llanfaglan ; the stones at Llanor, near Pwllheli; the stones at Llangian, in Lleyn, and at Llanvihangel- y-Traethau, near Harlech ; at Brondeg, in Anglesey ; the Catamanus stone at Llangadwaladr ch. ; the Culidorus stone at Llangefni ; St. Cadfan’s stone at Towyn; the Vinnemaglus stone at Gwytherin; the one at Llanerfyl, in Montgomeryshire. Other stones, which have some legend attached to them, are without any inscription, as Llecli Idris, near Trawsfynydd; Maen Beuno, near Welshpool, &c. Lastly, we have the Maen llir y or Long Stone, which was generally used to commemorate either some particular action or event, or else as a boundary-mark. * See Prof. Westwood’s “ Lapidarium Wallin ?.*’ — Clarendon Press. Introd. iv. Antiquities — Roman Stations. xxvii The dykes or roads of N. Wales are of great importance, and, as regards the latter, are tolerably numerous. Offa's Dyke was the great boundary-line, or line of demarcation, con- structed, as is generally supposed, by the king of that name. Some antiquaries, however, are inclined to think that it was raised at an earlier period, and was only adopted by Offa. At several points the line of the dyke is crossed by Roman roads. Commencing on the N. coast of Flintshire, near Prestatyn, it runs S. in the direction of Mold, Minera, Rhuabon, Chirk, Selattyn, Llanymynech, soon after which it crosses the Severn to traverse the Long Mountain. From thence it runs past Montgomery to the high grounds of the Clun Forest, tra- versing the counties of Radnor, parts of Hereford and Gloucester, wdiere it eventually terminates in the grounds of Sedbury Park, which over- look the Severn estuary. Running in a parallel line, though varying in distance from a few hundred yards to 3 miles, was Watt's Dyke , supposed by some to have been a second dyke constructed by Offa. It is neither so clearly made out nor so persistent as the former. It is probable that it commenced at the sea-coast near Basing werk Abbey, from whence it ran S., past Halkin, Hope, the gorge of the Alyn, Wrexham, Wynustay (which was formerly called Wattstay from this circumstance), and Oswestry, finally disappearing in the flats to the N. of the Severn. It has been conjectured with great probability that the ground between the two dykes was neutral. The Roman Stations were very important, and we are enabled to identify many of them accurately from their position, the roads leading to and from them, and the buildings and remains found at many of them. They were — Segontium, or Caer Seiont . . Llanbeblig, near Caernarvon. Heriri Mons Tomen-y-Mur, near Festiniog. Conovium Caerhun. Deva Chester. Bovium Bangor Iscoed. Rutunium Ruyton(P). Uriconium Wroxeter. Maglona Machynlleth or Pennal. Mediolanum Mathrafal, near Welshpool. Varae Bodfari. They are all described in the different routes, together with other places known to have been occupied by Roman forces, as Caersws, near Moat-Lane; Caergai, near Bala, &c. A Roman road can be traced in places (1) between Heriri Mons and Segontium, running past Beddgelert through Nant Gwynnant ; (2) between Heriri Mons and Canovium, by Dolwyddelan, where the Sarn Helen road may be plainly traced running down Cwm Penamnaen; and again (3) between xxviii iv. Antiquarian View. Introd. the same stations down the valley of the Mawddach as far as Dol- melynllyn. Another Eoman road may be followed from Canovium to Aber, through the pass of Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen (i.e.,the “ pass of the two stones,” one of which is destroyed, while the other remains erect) ; but it is not unlikely that it was, in still earlier times, a British trackway. A probable continuation of the Sarn Helen is traceable over Cader Idris to Pennal, near Machynlleth. A road is said to have been at times uncovered on the sandy coast of Anglesey, from the so-called station of Caerleb to the ferry of Moel-y-Don ; 4 or 5 roads are very distinctly marked from Caersws, radiating in different directions to the stations around : the one to the S. connecting the country of the Ordovices with that of the Silures, and running down to Caerfagu, near Penybont, in Eadnorshire. Traces of early mining-works are not so common in N. as in S. Wales, which probably presented in its iron greater induce- ments. Nevertheless, the Eomans have left their marks behind them, both in the copper-mines of the Orme’s Head, near Llandudno, and at Llanymynech, near Oswestry. Camps and earthworks are to be found throughout the whole of N. Wales, occupying nearly every available height, and testifying sufficiently to the offensive and defensive capabilities of the inhabitants. The largest and most perfect are Moel-y-Gaer, in Flintshire ; Caer Gybi, camp at Porthamel, and Bwrdd Arthur, in Anglesey ; Pen-y-Cloddiau, Pen-y-Gardden, Caer Drewyn, Pen-y-gaer near Cerrig-y-Drudion, and the camps on Moel Fenlli and the Chvydian Hills, in Denbighshire ; Castell Caer Seiont, Dinas Dinorwig, Caercarregyfran, Dinas Emrys, Dinas Dinlle, Tre’r Ceiri, Cam Madryn, Castell Odo, Porth Dinlleyn, in Caernarvonshire ; Ffridd Faldwin, Moat, Gaer Fawr, Caer Digol, in Montgomeryshire. A common feature in the earliest hill-fortresses is the occurrence of cyttiau , or circular huts, erected for the convenience of the garrison. Tre’r Ceiri, on Yr Eifl, is the finest example of these. Of Castles * there is a “ goodly store.” The finest and most perfect were erected by Edward I. to ensure a complete mastery over his Welsh con- quests, and, as a consequence, exhibit a strong likeness to each other in plan, the differences being chiefly in detail. Conway, Beaumaris, Caernarvon, and Harlech, are generally supposed to have been built by the same architect, viz. Henry de Elreton, and may rank as the 4 finest of N. Welsh fortresses. Besides these, there are Hawardcn, Ewloe, Flint, Diserth, Ehuddlan, Dinas Bran, Denbigh, Dolwyddelan, Euthin Bere, Criccieth, Dolbadam, Castell Lleiniog, Dolforwyn, and Montgomery; together with the still inhabited castles of Shrewsbury, Powys, and * The best guide to the castles of Wales is the laborious and accurate work of Mr. George Clark, 4 Medieval Military Architecture of England/ 2 vols. 8 to., 1884. Introd. xxix iv. Churches of N. Wales . Chirk. The finest examples of town- walls in the kingdom may he seen at Chester, Conway, Caernarvon, and a fragment only at Shrewsbury. Ecclesiastical. — N. Wales cannot boast any cathedral church at all equal to Llandaff or St. David’s, or even — to descend a step lower — to St. John’s priory church at Brecon. In fact, the 2 cathedrals of St. Asaph and Bangor are surpassed by many collegiate churches in size, grandeur, and detail. Nevertheless, they are both interesting, particularly the former, which, although plain, has a good effect from the massive appearance of the tower, which in that point is similar to the tower of Llanbadarn Vawr, near Aberystwyth. Both these have been restored. Of ruined ecclesiastical structures, the Abbey of Valle Crucis , with its delicate E. E. windows, is the gem of the country, both from its superior state of preservation and its exquisite situation. It has had, besides, the advantage of a careful restoration at the hands of zealous archaeologists. It would be well if the same boon had been extended to Basingwerk Abbey (12th cent.), which, though not to be compared with the former, yet presents many good examples of the architecture of that period. Of Cymmer Abbey, near Dolgelley, the remains are much smaller, though very suggestive and of Llanddwyn, near Anglesey, there is only the bare shell. The following churches will be found best worth visiting by the archaeologist. The numbers denote the route : Mont. = Monument. 4. St. John’s, Chester — double row of triforium arches. 1. St. Mary’s, Shrewsbury. 1. Abbey Church, Shrewsbury. 1. Old St. Chad’s. 1. Atcham — Norm, doorway. 1. Wroxeter — Mont. 26. Oswestry. 1. Rhuabon — Monts., fresco. 1. Wrexham — Tower, apse, Mont. (Perp.) 1. Gresford — Mon. tower (Perp.). 4. Northop — Tower, effigies. 10. Mold. 10. Cilcain — Roof. 11. Llanarmon — Mont.; chandelier. 11. Llanfwrog — Arcades. 11. Ruthin — Roof, brasses, Mont. 11. Llanrhaiadr — Window. 11. Efenechtyd — * Wooden font. 7. Cerrig Ceinwen — Font, 12th cent. 7 . Llanvair-y-C wmm wd — F ont, 12 th i cent. 1 2. Llanrwst — Gwydr Chapel (Perp.), Monts, and perfect roodloft. 11. Whitchurch — Monts. (Late Perp.). 3. Llangollen. 4. Conway — Roodloft and Monts. 21. Yspytty Ivan — Monts. 12. Llandegai — Mont. 19. Beddgelert — Old Priory Ch., (E. Engl.) 15. Clynnog — Roof, tower, St. Beuno’s Chap. 16. Aberdaron — E. window. 8. Beaumaris — Mont., carving, brass. 7. Newborough. 8. Llaniestyn — (E. Perp.), font. 7. Aberfraw. 8. Llanvihangel — Pulpit. 8. Llanallgo. 8. Llanwenllwyfo — Brass. 8. Llanddyfnan — Sculpture. 7. Holyhead — Sculpture. 7. Llangadwaladr — Windows. 7. Llangwyfan. xxx v. Glossary of Welsh Words . Introd. 7. Penmvnydd — Mont. 24-. Llanaber — E. Engl. 24. Llanddwywe — Mont. 25. Towyn — Norm. 25. Llanegryn — Screen. 25. Llanvihangel-y-Pennant — Monts. 3. Llanwchllvn — Mont. 4. Llanasa — Stained glass. 27. Kerry — Norm. Monts. 27. Welshpool — Mont. 27. Guilstield — Roof, rcstd. 26. Meifod — Norm, sculptd. stone. 27. Newtown — Old screen in Modern church. 27. Llanidloes — Roof, pillars of Mont. 26. Pennant Melangell — Screen. 26 . Llanyblodwel. 8. Penmon — Priory (church re- stored), Norm. 7. Bodelwyddan — Modem. 2. Hanmer — Roof, Mont. Together with churches we may associate holy wells and crosses. Wells are very common throughout the country, though in many cases they have fallen into neglect and disuse, so that the rules which guided the devotees are now traditionary. The religious estimation in which they were held is shown in the Holy Well of St. Winifred and the Ffynnon Wigfair, near St. Asaph, both good examples of Late Perp. architecture. Crosses are comparatively rare. Specimens occur at Newmarket (Maen Achwynfaen, 12th cent.), Fenmon, Llanvihangel, Ire’r Bcirdd, and Llanfair Mathafarneithaf, in Anglesey, Derwen near PiUthin, &c. Caernarvonshire and Anglesey abound inexamplesof old domestic archi- tecture, many farmhouses presenting perhaps the only traces of a good old Welsh family which has died out: Mostyn Hall; Pengwem, near Llangollen; Tower, near Mold ; Gloddaeth, near Llandudno ; Bodowen, Flas Penmvnydd, Plas Coch, and Henblas, in Anglesey; Corsygedol, near Barmouth ; Plas Mawr and the College at Conway ; Bodwrda, near Aberdaron ; Bodidris, near Wrexham ; Ithiwgoch, near Traws- fynydd. In the county of Montgomery are several fine specimens of the black and white timber-house of the lGth century, viz., Lymorc Hall, Trelydan Hall, and Llandinam Hall. V. Glossary of Welsh Place Names. With the Welsh language this Handbook does not propose to meddle ; yet a glossary of words which occur generally in the names of places will not be inappropriate, and the traveller will add, perhaps almost insensibly, to the sources of his interest and amusement, if lie carries with him a good Welsh dictionary, and the Church-service in Welsh, with the English on the opjjosite side. The children of Corner have spoken this *j»ecch from their beginning, and in the names of places it marks their j*asange yet through many lands. London (Llyndin), “the city of the wide water;” Dover (Dwfr), “the water;” Win- chester, “the white city,” and many others, are ancient British names. The first word in this short glossary (“aber”) we meet with across Introd. y. Glossary of Welsh Words. xxxi the Channel in Havre, with “ cefn ” in the Cevennes, with c< pen ” in the Apennines ; and the list might be extended greatly. Aber, a confluence or junction of a smaller river with a greater, or into the sea. Afon , a river. Allt, a steep cliff, ascent. Bach , or, by mutation, Fetch or Vach, small, little. Banau , eminences. Bedd , a grave. Bettws, a station in a vale, perhaps a mission station. Blaen, the head of a valley. Body a dwelling. Bryn , a hill. Bwlch, a pass or defile. Bychany little. Cader , a chair, a seat. Gaey an enclosure. Caer t a fort, a camp. Capely chapel. Cam , a heap, a cairn. Carnedd (pi. Cameddau), heap of stones. Carrey , stone. Cast ell, a fortress. Cefn , a back, a ridge. Clawddy a dyke, hedge, embankment. Clogwyn , a precipice. Coc/i, red. Coed, wood. Cors, bog. CroeSy cross. Ctom, a glen, dingle. Cymmer , confluence. Dinas, a fortified hill, a city. Pd/, a meadow by the side of a river. Drws, a door or pass. l)u , black. P.wr or Bwfr, water. Dyffryny valley. J Eglwys, church. Esgair, a leg. Favor or Vawr, great. Ffrwd 9 a spout of water. Ffynnon , well, spring. Gaer , same as Caer. Garth, a projecting spur. Gian , shore, bank. Glas, blue, green. Glyn, a glen. Gwern , a watery meadow, alder-trees. Gwyn, white. Gwyrdd, green. Hafot-tai, summer farms. Hafod, a summer residence. Hen , old. Hir, long. Llan , an enclosure, hence a churchyard or church. Llech , a flat stone. Llwyn , a grove. Llwyd, grey, brown. Llyn , a lake, pool. Maen, stone. Maes, field. Ma>jor, or, by mutation, Faicr, great. Melin, mill. Melyn , yellow. a bare head, a conical smooth hill. Morfa , a sea-marsh. Mynach, a monk. Mxynydd, a mountain. Nanty a brook, dingle. Newydd, new. Bandy , a fulling mill. Pant, a hollow. Pen, a head, top. Penmaen, rock end. Pentref, a hamlet. Pistyll, a broken waterfall. P/as, a hall, a country seat. Pon£, a bridge. Porthy a gate. Pmj//, a pool. Phaiadr, a rushing cataract. RhivOy an ascent. Rhuddy purple. P/ids, moist place. Rhyd, a ford. Sam , a causeway. Pal, the forehead. Tafam, tavern. Traethy a sand, seashore, strand. Tre , Trefy a town. Per, a tower. Ty (pi. Tax) a. house. Tyddyn, a farm. Y, Yr , the. Pm, in. Tn, in, at. Pm/s, island. Y spy tty, hospital. Ystrad, vale formed by a river. Revised by Rev. D. Silvan Evans. xxxu viii. Chief Places of Interest . VI. Points of Interest for tlie Geologist. ( Vide Introduction and Routes.') Introd. VII. Comparative Heights of North Welsh Mountains. Feet. Snowdon 357 1 Carnedd Llewelyn 3469 Carnedd Davydd 3427 Glyder Vawr 3275 Glyder Vach 3235 Trifaen 3000 Aran Fawddwy 2955 Cader Idris 3000 Moel Siabod 2870 MoelEilio 2870 Moel Hebog 2850 Arennig Vawr 2809 Cader Berwyn 2716 Moelwyn 2566 Aran 2473 Rhinog Vawr 2463 Diphwys 2412 Cynicht 2372 Craig Goch 2358 Mynydd Mawr 2300 Taren-y-Gesail .. .. .. .. 2244 Carnedd Filiast 2127 Craig Drwg 2100 Moel Ferna 2050 Moel-y-Darail 1934 Feet. Rhydd Hywcl 1898 Llandinam Mountain .. .. 1895 Yr Eifl 1866 Mount Faden 1864 Cyrn-v-Brain 1857 Moel Fammau 1845 Benglog 1844 Gyrn Goch 1823 Moel Morfydd 1767 Bwlch Mawr 1673 Moel Eithin 1660 Bronbanog '.. 1572 Penmaenmawr 1 540 Cader Dinmael 1452 Long Mountain 1330 Cam Madryn 1205 Breiddin Hills 1199 Mynydd Rhiw 1113 Llanelian Mountain 1110 Moelfre Isaf 1037 Carn Pen Tyrch 950 Garreg Mountain .. *.. .. 835 Orme’s Head 750 Gwaunysgor 732 VIII. Chief Places of Interest to the Tourist. Those which are best worth seeing are marked with asterisks. 1. Shropshire. Shrewsbury. Castle. ^School, old, now containing * # Antiquarian Museum, with the articles found at Wroxeter. *#St. Mary’s Ch. Timbered Houses. Drapers’ Hall. Market-house. * # The Abbey Ch., Pulpit, and Monastic Remains. Town Walls. Clive’s Monument. *The Quarry. Welsh and English Bridges. ♦Hill’s Monument and view from the summit. Atchain Ch. % ** Wroxeter Ch. and Roman city of Uriconium. Has church. Camp at Berth Hill. Whittington. # Castle. Park Hall. Ellesmere . Ch. *View from Castle Hill. Oswestry . Well. Ch. *01d Oswestry. Castell Brogyntyn ill Brogyntyn Park. Offa’s and Watt’s Dykes. Introd. viii. Chief Places of Interest . xxxm 2. Cheshire. Chester** Cathedral. Chapter H. Abbey Gateway. **St. John’s Ch. and Monastic Remains. St. Peter’s. Castle. Shirehall. ^Roodee and Grosvenor Bridge. * # Rows. ^Stanley Palace. Bishop Lloyd’s House. *God’s Providence House. Roman Bath. ** Walls. ^Phoenix and Water Towers. Guildhall. Museum. ^Eaton Hall. 3. Denbighshire. Llanyblodwell. Ch. Llangedwyn Hall. Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant. **Pistyll Rhaiadr. Camp at Dwyn Bryn Dinas. ** Chirk. Castle and view from Terrace. Viaduct and Aqueduct. Glen of the Ceiriog. Ruabon. # Ch. and Monuments. WVynnstay. ^Nantvbelan. Gar- dden Hill. Wrexham. ## Ch. Bangor. Holt Cas. Gresford. # Ch. ValeofAlun. Rofft Camp. Llangollen. Ch. ^Bridge. **Plas Newydd. Pengwern. ^Castell Dinas Bran. **Valle Crucis Abbey." Eliseg’s Pillar. Scenery of Eglwyseg Rocks and Cym-y-brain. ** Valley of the Dee. At Berwyn Stat. and Llandysilio Ch. Llandegla Ch. Bodidris. Llanarmon in Yale Ch. (chandelier). Rentrevoelas. Inscribed Pillar. * # Pont y Glyn. *Yspyttv Ivan Ch. Monts., Gilar. Plas Iolyn. Llanrwst. Cromlech at Capel Garmon. * # Ch. and Gwydir Chapel. High Bridge. Gwydir House and Grounds. Llanrhaiadr. # Ch. J esse window. Bachymbyd. Denbigh. ## Castlc. Burgesses’ Gate. Earl of Leicester’s Ch. * Whitchurch. Salusbury Tomb and Myddelton Brass. Re- mains of Carmehte Priory (the Abbey). St. Mary’s Ch., new. Grounds of Gwaenynog. *Ch. at Trefhant. Bw ; rdd Arthur, near Llansannan. Scenery of the Aled. ^Waterfalls. Llyn Aled. Ruthin. *Ch. Cloisters. School. Castle. Mill. Llanfwrog Ch. Efeneclityd Ch. Antiquities in Pool. Camps on Moel Eenlli. *View from Moel Eammau. Gwytherin . Ch. Box of St. Winifred. Inscribed Stones. Abergele. Ch. Camps, Kinmel Park. Gwrych Castle. Llysfaen Mount. Llanehan Well. 4. Flintshire. St. Asaph. ^Cathedral. ^Cefn Caves. Kist-vaens near Cefn. *Well at Wigfair. *Ch. at Bodelwyddan. Monument in Tremeircliion Ch. Rom. Catli. College. Camp at Bodfari. Talargoch Lead-mines. Rhuddlan. *Castle. Ch. Priory. Bodrhyddan. Diserth Castle. Siambr Wen. Rhyl. Sands. St. Thomas’ Ch. Towyn Cli. Gwaunysgar Ch. Newmarket Cross and Tumulus. Rantasa . Roman Catholic Ch. ^'Pharos on Garreg Mountain. Maen Achwynfan. Mostyn. *Hall. Downing. Point of Air Lighthouse. [N. Wales.'] c XXXIV lntrod. viii. Chief Places of Interest. Holywell. Ch. ••Well. •Basingwerk Abbey. Flint. Castle, llalkin Mountain. Moel-y-gaer. *Northop Ch. Ewloe Castle. * I£a warden Castle and Ch. **Mold Ch. Macs Gannon. •Tower. # Cacrgwrlc Castle. Hope Ch. (monument). ••Cilcain Ch. # llesp. Alyn. Penbedw. Caerirys. Roman streets. Overton. • Views over the Deo. Ch. and Cemetery Chap. Holt. Ch. and Castle. Haunter. Ch. Village and More. 5. Caernarvonshire. Cornea*/. Ch. Castle. Walls. *PlasMnwr. Tubular Bridge. Gy llin Ch. View from hill above Benarth. •Castcll Digamvy. Falls of the Porthllwyd and Afon Mu at Dol-y-garrog. Llyn Geirionydd. Caerhun. Cyttiau on Penmaen Bach. Macs*y Castcll. Llandudno. ••Great Ormo’s Head; drive round it. St. Tudno’s Ch. Gogarth. Bodysgallen. Gloddaeth. Penrhyn Chap. Llandrillo-yn-rhos. Ch. Pcnmaenmaicr. Castcll Caer Scion. Braich-y-ddinns. Aber. •• Waterfalls. Ancient road to Caerhun. Bryn newydd. Bangor. •Cathedral. *Penrhyn Castle. Port Penrhyn. *Viow from hill beliind the town. # Llandcgai Ch. and village. ••Penrhyn Quarries. ••J fenai Bridge. * # Tubular Bridge. Port Dinortcic. Caernarvon. ## Castle. •Twthill. •Walls. Inscribed Stone at Llan* rug. # Llanbcblig Ch. Site of Scgontium. Inscribed Stone at LLanfaglan Ch. Antiquities on banks of the Gwrfai. Clynnog. # Ch. S. Bcuno a Chap. Cromlech. Waterfall. # Dinas Dinlle. Xantllc. # Lakes. # Drws*y*Coed. Copper-mines and Slate- quarries. Picll/irli . •Beach. Carrcg-y-Wimbill. Coast scenery at Mynydd Cilan. •Llanengan Ch. and Screen. Inscribed Stone at Linn- gian. '■ Carn Madrvn. Carn Boduan. Bardsey Island. # Aber- daron old Ch. Bodwrdda. •Llangwnndl Ch. •Cefn Ymwlch Cromlech. Jtiecin. Porthdinllaen. ## Yr Kill. •Tro’r Ceiri. •Nant Gwrtheym. Altcrcrch. Ch. c ricrirth. •Castle. Dolbenmaen and Cromlechs. Trcmadoe. Peninorfa Ch. •Porttnadoc Embankment and Slate- wharf. View behind Goat Inn. llrddf/rlrrt . Ch. * # Pont Ahcrghudyn. •Mod Hehog. •Dina.- Kmrys. ••Llyn Dinas and Llyn Gwvnnant. •LlynCwollyn A* ant Mill. ** 8no ,r do*. ••Pass of Llanbcris. •Waterfall of Ceunant Mawr •Llanberi* old Ch. •Slate-quarries. •Dolbodam. Caer-carreg y-fmn. Camp*. •Nant Gwynnant. # Llyn Llydaw. Capri (\irig. *Morl Sinbod. Glvder Fnwr. Trifaen. ••Llyi Idwal. ••Llyn Ogwcn. ••Falls of the Ogwrn. Canirdd Davydd and Llewelyn. Xnnt Ffraneon. Bettws-y-Coed In trod. xxxv vxii. GMef Places of Interest. Pont-y-Pair. # # Bhaiadr-y - Wenol. # Ffos Hoddyn. *^View from Holyhead Boad. ## Falls of the Conwy. Falls of the Machno. Pandy Mill. # Lledr Valley. ^Dolwyddelan Castle. 6. Merionethshire. Convert. # Ch. (Effigy of Sulien ap Iorwerth). Moel Ferna. Caer Drewyn and Cefn Creini. Bug. Waterfall on the Trystion. **VaIe of Edeymion. # Llandderfel Ch. and Screen. Tan-y-Bwlch. ## Mr. Oakley’s G-rounds. ## Slate- quarries of Fes- tiniog. ^Moelwyn. ^Cynicht. # View from Festiniog Ch. Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy. ## Falls of the Cynfael. ## Bhaiadr Cwm. Castell Tomen-y-Mur. Maentivrog , # Bhaiadr Du. # Baven Fall. Bala. *Lake. Arennig Mountains. Llanuwehlyn Ch. and Effigy. Caergai. B/oman station. # Aran Mawddwy. ## Cwin Twrch. # Pennant and Yale of Dyfi. Yale of the Hirnant. Barmouth. ## Llanaber Ch. ## Scenery of the Mawddach, from Dolgelley Boad. Long Bailway Bridge. Panorama View. Harlech . * # Castle. Llandanwg Ch. ^Llanddwywe Ch. # Llanbedr. *Cors-y-gedol. # Vale of the Artro. ^^Bwlch-y-Tyddiad. *Drws Ardudwy. ^*Cwm Bychan. Antiquities on Llawllech. Llan- fihangel-y-Traethau Inscribed Stone. Dolgelley. *Cy miner Abbey. ^Torrent Walk in grounds of Caerynwch. ## Cader Idris. Valley of the Mawddach. ^Kannau. Precipice Walk. Tyn-y-Groes. ## Falls on the Cain, Mawddach, and Camlan. Bedd Porius. Bhiwgoch. Castell Prysor. ## Dinas Mawddwy. ^Mallwyd. ®*Tal*y-Llyn. ## Llyn-y-Cae. Llanvihangel-y-Pennant Ch. (monu- ment). Castell-y-Bere. # Craig Aderyn. ^Llanegryn Ch. Llys Bradwen. Camps near Llwyngwril. **Toivyn Ch. and Stone. # Aberdovey. Corns Slate-quarries. Pennal (Boman traces). 7. Montgomeryshire. Llanfyllin. Ch. Camps in the neighbourhood. Llantsantffraid Ch. # Meifod Ch. Bemains at Mathrafal (Mediolanum) ? Castell Caer Binion. Camps on Penyfoel. Ffridd, Sylvan. Guilsfield. Ch. and Camps, esp. Gaervawr. Welshpool. # Ch. ## Powys Castle and Park. Leighton Hall and Church. Buttington. Font in Ch. ^-Breiddin Hills and Bodney’s Pillar. Long Mountain. Caer Digol. Offa’s Dyke. Berriew. Maen Beuno. Montgomery. # Ch. and Castle. Ffridd Faldwyn Camp. # Lymore Park. Newtown. # 01d Ch. ^Screen in modern Ch. Kerry Ch. Castell Dolforwvn. Bettws Cedewain. Llaribrynmair. * Waterfalls. Scenery of Twymyn and Ial. Caersivs. ^Boman Station. Llandinam Ch. Llanidloes. * # Ch. Cefn Carnedd Camp. Source of the Severn *Plinlimmon; xxxvi ix. Skeleton Routes. Introd. ** Machynlleth. # Waterfall on Llyfhant. #Llyn Pcnrliaiadr. Llyn Bugeilyn. Llangynog. Berwyn Mountains. # #Pennant Melangell Cli. Scenery of the Tannat. 8. Anglesey. Beaumaris. ## Castle. ♦Church. ♦Baron Hill. ♦Llanfaes Cli. and remains of Prior}'. * # Pcnmon Priory. # Puffin Islund. Llaniestyn Ch. # Bwrdd Arthur. Pentraeth. Castell Lleiniog. ♦Lord Anglesey’s Monument. # Penmynydd Ch. and Monas- tery. * Antiquities at Llanidan. ♦ Cromlech at Plas Ncwydd. Llanddwyn Abbey. # Newborough Ch. Stone at Bron Deg. Llangefni Ch. ## Llangadwaladr Ch. (stained glass). Llyn Coron. *Bodorgan Gardens. # Aberffraw Ch. # Llangwyfan Ch. Holyhead. ♦♦Harbour of Refuge and Quarries. Port and Pier. ♦♦Telegraph Station. # Caer Gybi. ## Stack Rocks and Light- house. * # Ch. Stanley embankment. Towyn y Capel. Llanerchymedd. Ch. Rocking-stone at Llwydiarth. Llantrisant. Tomb of Bronwen. Cromlech at Presaddfed. Amlwch. # Port. ♦♦Parys Mountain. Copper* works and Mines. Llanbadrig. Llan Lleiana. # Coast Scenery at Cemmaes. Llan- elian Ch. and Well. # Llanwenllwyfo Ch. and Brass. Point Lynas Lighthouse. * # Llanaligo Ch. (grave of persons drowned in the wreck of the ‘Royal Charter’). # Moelfre Bay Cromlech. Llaneugrad. Pigeon-house. IX. Skeleton Routes. A. TOUR OF ONE MONTH, starting from Chester. 1. Chester : see Rows, Walls, Cathedral. In afternoon to Eaton Hall by road or water. 2. Rail to Holywell : see Well and Basingwerk Abbey ; go on to Rhyl : see Rhuddlan ; sleep at Rhyl. 3. Excursion to Denbigh by rail. Drive back to St. Asaph by way of Cefn, and, if time, to Abergele by Bodelwyddan. Take train in evening from Abergele to Llandudno. 4. Gt. Orme’s Head. Llaududno. Afternoon, see Castle and town of Conway. 5. By rail to Bettws-y-Coed. Explore its beautiful neighbourhood. (i. To Capel Curig by coach. Ascend Moel Siabod. 7. Llyn Ogwen, Llyn Idwal, Penrhyn Slate Quarries. From Capel Curig t he coach, en route for Bangor, will pass these places. 8. Bangor Cathedral. Penrhyn Castle and Llandegai Ch. Abcr. By rail to Bethcsda Slate Quarries. 9. Menai Bridge and Britannia Bridge. 10. Excursion to Beaumaris and on to Penmon Priory and Puffin Island. 11. Excursion by rail to Holyhead. In trod. ix. Skeleton Routes. xxxvii 12. Eail from Holyhead to Caernarvon — Castle and town. In after- noon to Llanberis. 13. Ascend Snowdon and down to Beddgelert. In evening excursion up Bant Gwynant or Drws-y-Coed. 14. Beddgelert : by coach to Port Madoc (passing Pont Aberglaslyn), and on by rail to Criccieth and Pwllheli. 15. To Kevin. Ascend Yr Eifl. Yisit Clynnog Ch., and in afternoon back to Caernarvon. 16. By coach from Caernarvon, by rail to Llanberis. By coach up the Pass, Capel Curig. Pentrevoelas, Corwen, and by rail to Llangollen. Ascend Dinas Bran. 17. By rail to Chirk and Bhuabon (Wynnstay) ; back to Llangollen. 18. Yisit Yalle Crucis and Llandysilio. By rail to Corwen. Through the Yale of Edeyrnion to Bala. 19. Bala by Bail to Trawsfynydd and Tomen-y-Mur to Eestiniog, Bhaiadr Cwm. Falls of the Cynfael. Slate-quarries. Tan-y-Bwlch, 20. Festiniog by Toy rail andMinffordd Junct. or Portmadoc to Harlech. Yisit Cwm Bychan ; in evening to Barmouth. 21. Barmouth to Dolgelley. Yisit Cymmer and Yajley of the Mawddach, 22. Ascend Cader Idris. Yisit the Torrent Walk. Precipice Walk, 23. Dolgelley to Tal-y-Llyn and Towyn. 24. Towyn to Aberdovey by rail. On by rail to Aberystwyth. 25. Aberystwyth, Devil’s Bridge. Hafod, if time. 26. Aberystwyth by rail to Machynlleth, and thence by the Cambrian Bailway to Cemmaes Boad, "whence there is a short branch line to Dinas Mawddwy, about a mile beyond M’allwyd, on the opposite side oftheDyfi. 27. From Dinas Mawddwy by rail to Welshpool. Powys Castle and Breiddin Hills, or excursion to Montgomery. 28. Welshpool to Shrewsbury. Yisit the Churches, &c. 29. Excursion to Wroxeter. In afternoon leave Shrewsbury. B. TOUB OF SEYEK WEEKS, commencing at Shrewsbury . 1. Shrewsbury. Yisit town. Afternoon to Wroxeter. 2. By rail to Chirk and Llangollen. 3. See Yalle Crucis Abbey and Plas Hewydd. Ascend Dinas Bran. 4. Chester. Cathedral, &c. Afternoon, Eaton Hall. 5. Excursion by rail to Mold. Yisit Ch. ; Tower. Drive or walk through Korthop to Flint, and back by rail. 6. Yisit Holywell by rail. Basingwerk. Mostyn Hall or Downing to Bhyl. 7. Excursion by rail to Kliuddlan. Diserth. St. Asaph and Denbigh. Yisit Cefn Caves en route. 8. By rail to Buthin. Ch. Cas. Derwen. Beturn by rail to Bhyl. 9. By rail to Abergele, Colwyn, and Llandudno. Great Orme’s Head. 10. By rail to Conway ; steamer to Trefriw, thence to Bettws-y-Coed. 11. Bettws-y-Coed. Conway and Machno Falls. xxxviii ix. Skeleton Routes. Introcl. 12. Penmaenmawr. Abcr Waterfall. In evening to Bangor. 13. Cathedral. Penrliyn Castle. Slate Quarries of Betliesda. 14. Excursion to Dinas Dinorwic and Pentir. 15. Excursion to Beaumaris via Menai Bridge. See Tubidar Bridge. Sleep at Beaumaris. 16. Excursion to Penmon. Puffin Island. Pentraeth. 17. From Menai Bridge by rail to Gaerwen Junction, and thence by rail to Amlwch. See Parys Mountain. 18. To Holyhead by rail. See the new Breakwater. The Head and S. Stack. 19. Visit Llangadwaladr Ch. Abcrffraw, Kewborough, Llangwyfan, and across the ferry to Caernarvon. 20. Caernarvon. Afternoon to Llanberis. Slate Quarries. 21. Ascend Snowdon and down to Capel Curig. 22. Capel Curig. Moel Siabod. Bettws-y-Coed. Fairy Glen. Dolwydd- elan as. 23. Visit Llyn Ogwen. Llyn Idwal. Ascend Camedd Llewelyn. Pass of Llanberis. 24. Kant Gwynant. Beddgelert. Ascend Moel Ilebog. 25 to 27. By coach to Portraadoc, ascend Moel y Gest, and on by rail to Criccieth and Pwllheli. 28. Excursion into Lleyn. Aberdaron or Cam Madryn. 29. To Kevin. Ascend Yr Eifl. Clynnog Ch. Sleep at Clynnog. 30. To Kantlle Lakes, from Pen-y-Groes Station, and thence to Beddgelert. 31. To Tan-y-Bwlch. Festiniog. View from Ch.-yard. Waterfalls. 32. Slate Quarries. Afternoon by Toy railway to Mintfordd J unct., and thence to Harlech. 33. Excursion to Cwm Bychan and Bwlch-y-Tyddiad. 34. Visit Llanaber. Barmouth. Llanelltyd and Dolgelley. 35. Visit Mawddach Valley. Waterfalls. Kannau. Precipice Walk. 36. Cadcr Idris. Torrent Walk. 37. By rail to Bala. Vale of Edeymion. Corwen. And by rail to Llangollen. 38. Valle Crucis. Castell Dinas Bran. Plas Kewydd. 39. To Oswestry. Llanfyllin. Llanrhaiadr. 40. Pistyll Rhaiadr. Llangynog. Pennant Melangell. Over the Berwyns to Bala. 41. By Bwlcli-y-Groes to Dinas Mawddwy, Mallwyd. 42. Mallwyd, and up the Ceryst to Tal-y-Llyn, Llanegryn, and Towyn. 43. To Aberdovey and Aberystwyth. 41. Aberystwyth. Hafod. Devil’s Bridge. 45. Plinliramon. 46. To Llanidloes. See Ch. By rail to Kcwtown. Visit Kerry by rail. 47. Visit Montgomery. Cas. Ch. Lymorc. Afternoon to Welshpool. 48. Breiddins. Powys Castle. Excursion to Guilsfield. 49. To Shrewsbury. The Sundays should be spent at Rhyl for St. Asaph, Bangor, Caernar- von or Llanberis, Beddgelert, Barmouth or Dolgelley, Bala, Welshpool. Intloct. ix. Skeleton Routes . xxxix C. PEDESTRIAN TOUR OF ONE MONTH, commencing at Hhuabon Station . 1. Arrive at Rhuabon. Walk to Llangollen. Visit Aqueduct and Castell Dinas Bran. 2. Walk to Valle Crucis. Climb the bill at the back, and follow the path to Craig Aderyn, and thence to the turnpike-road at Bwlch Rhiwfelyn, and on to Ruthin ; about 17 m. 3. Ruthin. Ascend Moel Fammau from Bwlch-pen-B arras, descending by Llangynhaval, and on to Denbigh ; 14 m. (rail to St. Asaph and back by Cefn, if time). 4. Denbigh to Llanrwst, through Llansannan and Grwytlierin, across the valleys of the Aled and Elwy ; 18 in. 5. Visit Llanrwst. G-wydir. Take coach to the Waterfalls and walk to Conway, or else walk to the Falls and coach to Conway, and on to Llandudno. 6. Walk to Penmaenmawr and Aber Falls ; about 19 m. By rail to Bangor. 7. Rest. 8. To Menai Bridge ; Beaumaris. In afternoon, walk to Penmon and Puffin Island ; 16 m. 9. Return to Bangor by ferry. Visit Penrhyn Quarries, and over Carnedd Filiast to Llanberis ; say 12 m. 10. Llanberis to Capel Curig. Ascend Moel Siabod. 11. See Rhaiadr-y-Wenol. Miner’s Bridge. Bettws-y-Coed. Dolwyddelan Castle ; and back to Capel Curig by the short route ; 18 m. 12. Ascend Carnedd Davydd. Visit Llyn Idwal, and over the lull to Llanberis. About 12 m. ; but very heavy work. 13. Ascend Snowdon, and come down to Beddgelert ; 11 m. 14. Rest. 15. Walk through Drws-y-Coed and Nantlle to Clynnog; about 16 m. In evening to Caernarvon, or else take the train from Pen-y-Groes. 16. Walk or take coach to Beddgelert. Ascend Moel Hebog, and down on the other side to Pwllheli. 17. Ascend Yr Eifl, and back by Nevin. 18. By coach to Tan-y-Bwlch. Slate Quarries. Waterfalls. 19. By Cwm Bychan to Harlech and on to Barmouth. 20. Rest. 21. To Dolgelley. Visit Waterfalls in Mawddacli Valley. 22. Cader Idris. Descend to Llyn-y-Cae and Tal-y-Llyn. 23. From Tal-y-Llyn to Machynlleth ; 11m. 24. To Mallwyd and Dinas Mawddwy ; 13 m. by car. But it maybe accomplished by rail via Cemmaes Road. 25. Ascend Aran Mawddwy, through Bwlch-y-Groes to Bala 5 20 111. 26. Over tbe Berwyns to Llanrhaiadr. See Pistyll Rhaiadr $ 16 m. 27. To Llanfyllin. Meifod. Guilsfield. Welshpool. 28. Rest. 29. Breiddin Hills to Shrewsbury. 30. Wroxeter. xl ix. Skeleton Routes* lntrod. D. ANTIQUARIAN AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL TOUR OF ONE MONTH. 1 . Chester Cathedral. Old Houses. Rows. St.John’s, Walls. 2. Mold Ch. Tower. Maes Garmon. Ewloe Castle. Nortliop Cli. Flint Castle. To Holywell. 3. Holywell. Basingwerk. Garreg Mountain. Tumuli at Orsedd. Macn Acliwynfan. Gop Tumulus. Diserth Castle and Ch. Go on to Rhyl. 4. Rhuddlan Castle and Priory. St. Asaph Cathedral. Trefnant New Ch. Ffynnon Wigfair. Denbigh. 5. Denbigh Castle, Priory, &c. Whitchurch. Llanrhaiadr Ch. Ruthin Ch., Cas., and Mill. 6. Camps on Clwydian Hills. Cilcain Ch. Llanrliydd Ch. 7. Llandegla Ch. Tomen. Eliseg’s Pillar. Valle Crucis Abbey. Castcll Dinas Bran. 8. Llangollen Ch. Corwen Ch. Pen trey oelas Inscribed Stone. (Yspytty I Ivan Ch.) Cromlech at Capel Garmon. Llanrwst. Pen-y-Gaer. [ 9. Llanrwst Ch. Bridge. Gwydir. Cromlechs. Caerhun. Conway. j 10. Conway. Llandudno. Antiquities on Orme’s Head. Castcll Diganwy. L 11. Antiquities on Penmaenmawr. Aber. 12. Bangor. Llandegai. Dinas Dinorwic. 13. Beaumaris Ch. Castle. Castle Lleiniog. Penmon. 14. Pcnmynydd. Antiquities on the Braint. Plas Newydd. Cromlechs. Newborough. 15. Llangadwaladr Ch. Aberffraw. Llangwyfan Ch. To Holyhead. 16. Caer Gybi. Holyhead Ch. Towyn-y-Capel. To Caernarvon. 17. Castle. Walls. Segontium. Llanfaglan. Inscribed Stone. 18. Clynnog. Tre’r Ceiri. Llanaelhaiarn Stone. Pwlllieli. 19. Llangian Ch. Llanengan Ch. Aberdaron Ch. 20. Llangwnadl Ch. Ccfn Amwlch Cromlech. Carn Madryn. Back to I Pwllheli. 21. Criccieth. Dolbenmaen. Beddgelert. 22. Excursion to Llanberis. Dolbadarn. 23. To Festiniog. Sam Helen. Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy. Heriri Mons. I Tomen-y-Mur. 24. Harlech. Bwlcli-y-Tyddiad. Drws Ardudwy. 25. Llanabcr. Barmouth. Dolgelley. Cymmer Abbey. 26. Llwyngwril Camps. Towyn Ch. Castell-y-Berc. 27. Pcnnal. Machynlleth. Aberystwyth. Llanbadam Vawr Ch. 28. Llanidloes Ch. Cacrsws. Site of Roman Station. 29. Montgomery Ch. and Castle. Camps. Welshpool. 30. Powys Castle. Mathrafal. Meifod. Oswestry. 31. Rhuabon Ch. Whittington. Wrexham. Grcsford Ch. Introd. xx. Skeleton Routes . xii E. A FORTNIGHT’S TOUR, arriving at Llandudno or Beaumaris from Liverpool by Steamer . 1. Llandudno. Conway Castle. Beaumaris. Baron Hill. Tubular Bridge. Menai Bridge. Bangor. 2. Penrhyn. Slate Quarries. Nant Ffrancon. Llvn Tdwal. Llvn Ogwen. Capel Curig. 3. Bettws-y-Coed. Rhaiadr-v-Wenol. Falls of Conwy and Macbno. Llanrwst. Gwydir. Ascend Moel Siabod. 4. Capel Curig. Pass of Llanberis. Ascend Snowdon. Caernarvon. 5. Caernarvon to Beddgelert. 6. Tremadoc. Tan-y-Bwlch. Slate Quarries. Festiniog. Falls. 7. Harlech. Barmouth to Dolgelley. 8. Mawddach Talley Waterfalls. Cymmer. Precipice Walk. 9. Cader Idris. Torrent Walk. 10. To Machynlleth, and from thence to Mallwyd. 11. Mallwyd to Bala and Tale of Edeyrnion to Corwen. Pont-y-glyn. 12. Llangollen. Berwyn Stat. Talle Crucis. Pont Cysylltau. ‘ E. A WEEK’S WALK THROUGH SNOWDONIA. 1. Llandudno. Conway. Aber. Tisit Waterfalls. Ascend Camedd Llewelyn. Descend to Capel Curig, or by Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen to Caerhftn. 2. Over Moel Siabod to Dolwyddelan, and cross by Llyn-yr-Adar into Llyn Gwynant, and to Beddgelert. 3. Snowdon. Descend to Llanberis. Evening to Caernarvon. 4. To Clynnog. Ascend Yr Eifl. Descend to Pwllheli. 5. By rail to Criccieth. Ascend Moel Hebog, and descend to Bedd- gelert. 6. To Tan-y-Bwlch. Ascend Moelwyn. Festiniog Waterfall. Slate Quarries. 7. Walk from Festiniog to Bala. Take rail to Rhuabon. G. TOUR OP ABOUT THREE WEEKS, BY RATT, OR COACH. The names of halting-places are in italics. Chirk. Rhuabon. Llangollen. Dinas Bran. Talle Crucis. Berwyn Stat. and back. Dolgelley. Cummer Abbey. Torrent Walk. Precipice Walk. Cader Idris. Ijn-y-Oroes Waterfall. To Barmouth ; by road on N. bank of Mawddach Estuary. Harlech Castle. Portmadoc. [N. Wales .] ^ HANDBOOK FOB NORTH WALES. ROUTES. * m * I he names of places are printed in black only in those routes where the places are described. ROUTE PAGE 1. Shrewsbury to Chester, by Rhuabon and Wrexham [ Holt - Grcsford] — Great Western Rly 2 2. Whittington Junct. to Whit- church Junct., by Elles- mere — Rail 16 3. Rhuabon Junct. tn Dolgelley , by Llangollen , Corucn , aud Bala Lake — Rail . . . 18 3a. Dolgelley to Barmouth — Rail 30 4. Chester to Bangor, by Flint , Rhyl , Abergele , Cunway, [Llandudno], Renmaen - manor , and Aber — Rail . . 31 5. Abergele to Denbigh, by Bettws and Llanfair Tal- haiarn — Pedestrian ... 52 6. Conway to Llandudno and the Orme' s Head .... 53 7. Bangor to Holyhead, by the Menai Bridges — Rail; the Mcnai Straits . . . . 56 8. Bangor, by Menai Bridge, to Beaumaris , Fenmon, and Amlwch, the E. Coast of Anglesey 67 9. Gaerwen Junct. to Amlwch, by Anglesey Central Rly. . . 71 10. Chester to Ruthin and Denbigh, by Hawarden and Mold — Rail 74 11. Corwen to Rhyl, by Ruthin , Denbigh, and St. Asaph . 78 12. Conway to Bettws-y-Coed , and Festiniog , by Trefriw, Llan- rwst. River Conwy and Rail 88 [A 7 . Wales."] ROUTE PAGE 12a. Bettws-y-Coed to Bangor, by Kant Ffraneon and the Slate Quarries .... 93 12b. Bettws-y-Coed to Festiniog, by Dolwyddelan — L. & N. W. Rail 97 13. Bettws-y-Coed to Corwen, by Pcntrevoelas .... 98 14. Bangor to Trcmadoc, by Caer- narvon and Afonwen Junct. — Rail — The Nantlle Lakes 100 15. Caernarvon to Pwllheli, by Clynnog — Road . . . .105 16. Pwllheli to Bardscy Island, by Kevin and Aberdaron . .108 17. Caernarvon to Capel Guriy , by Llanberis , Pass of Llan- beris, to Gorphwysfa . .110 17a. Ascent of Snowdon . .115 18. Capel Curig or Llanberis to Beddgelert, by Kant Gwyn- nant 121 19. Caernarvon to Portmadoc, by Beddgelert , Pont Aberglas - lyn and Tremadoc . . .123 20. Portmadoc, or Minfford Junct. to Festiniog (Diffwys), by Tan-y-Bwlch and theNarroio Gauge Rly. — Moelwyn . . 129 21. Bala to Festiniog , by Rhyd- y-Fen and Maentwrog — Gt. - West. Rail 131 21a. Festiniog to Penmachno and Y spy tty Ivan . . . .133 22. Festiniog to Dolgelley, by Trawsfynydd, the Vale of the Mawddach, and Tyn-y-Groes 134 13 2 Route 1 . — Shrewsbury to Chester . N. Wales. ROUTE PAGE 22a. Dolgelley to Towyn, by Tal-y- Llyn, Corys, and Machynlleth 138 23. Dolgelley to Dinas Mawddwy by Road, and to Cemmaes Road Junct. — Dinas Maw- ddwy to Bala . . . .139 24. Caernarvon or Pwllheli to Dol- gelley, by Criecieth, Port- madoc, Harlech, and Bar- mouth — Cambrian Bail . 141 24a. Harlech to Dolgelley, Cum Bychan Lake and the Passes of Bwlch-y- T ydcliad or Dries Ardudicy 147 25. Dolgelley to Machynlleth, by Towyn and Aberdovcy — Rail ; — by Road to Llanidloes . 149 ROUTE PAGE 25a. Towyn to Tal-y-Llyn, Cader Idris, and Dolgelley . . .153 26. Oswestry to Machynlleth, by Llanfair and Mallwyd . .154 26 a. Bala to Oswestry, by Llandrillo, Llanrhaiadr , and the Fall of Pistyll Rhaiadr-The Berioyns 1 59 27. Oswestry to Aberystwyth, by Llanidloes ( Llanfyllin ), Welshpool , Montgomery and Newtown — Rail . . .162 27a. Oswestry to Iianfyllin, by Llanymynech , and the Vyrnwy Lake Reservoir . 171 28. Shrewsbury \.o Aberystwyth , by Welshpool, Newtown, and Machynlleth — Rail . . .172 BOUTE 1. SHREWSBURY TO CHESTER, BY RHUA- BON A ND WREXHAM [flOLT-GEES- PORD] — GREAT WESTERN RAIL- WAY. Shrewsbury, capital of Shropshire, is a borough town sending 2 repre- sentatives to . Parliament. Pop. 24,000. (Inns : Haven, belongs to a Limited Co. ; — Lion ; George, comfortable; all good.) Wales may well be approached by the Severn-girded Shrewsbury, one of tho most beautiful and still among the most important of the frontier towns. Here converging railways place the traveller in immediate communication with all parts of the Principality, whose border he may cross forthwith, or skirt for a long distance, as liis taste directs or con- venience senes. The Railtcay Station , a handsome Tudor building near the Castle, stands in a picturesque position, and is entered by a bridge over the river which winds below it, with the spire3 of St. Mary and St. Alkmund crown- ing the height on 1. The square red tower seen rt. from the end of the platform is that of the Abbey eh. From the station the chief objects of interest in the town may be con- veniently visited in a short time. Quitting the station, under the Castle wall, and turning up the street, you first pass rt. the old Grammar School , see p. 5. Opposite it, a pic- turesquedialf-timbercd Gatehouse is the sole remaining fragment of the Council house, seat of the Lords President of the Marches of Wales. The Post Office stands at the corner of St. Mary’s Street, in which is St. Mary’s Ch., and pursuing it you descend Wylo Cop to the English Bridge, the Abbey Ch., and Stone Pulpit. If you continue straight on past the Post Office, aud take the first street on the 1., you reach tho Market Place . Slircwsbury is a corporate town, possessing various ancient charters from the time of William I. to James II., and continues to give the title of earl to the lineal descendants of thoi great John Talbot, who was brought 3 N. Wales. Boute 1 . — Shrewsbury — Church of St. Mary. to be buried at Whitchurch (Rte. 2) from the field of Chatillon. It is situated on a peninsula of rising ground, encircled by the Severn on all sides but the N., and locally termed “ the Island : ” in fact, so nearly do the windings of the river approach each other, that the isthmus is only 300 yards in breadth. The main entrances are by 2 Bridges on the E. and N.W., called respectively the English and Welsh Bridges. The former, reached by the street called Wyle Cop, erected in 1769, at a cost of 15,000^, is a handsome structure of 7 arches; it is remarkable for the height of the central arch, which allows the great volume of water brought down in rainy weather to pass. The Welsh Bridge, the “ reddie waye ” to Wales, has little remarkable. The Castle stands on the isthmus, and is conspicuous from its lofty position, “builte in such a brave plott that it could have espyed a byrd flying in every streete,” and from the deep red colour of the buildings, though its architecture, except in some of the outer walls, is modernised. The original was mostly destroyed in the Civil Wars. Its present proprietor is the Duke of Cleveland. It contains nothing remarkable. The turret in the garden, overlooking the river, andfirst meeting the eye of the stranger as he arrives at the station, was built by Telford, for Sir W. Pulteney, his early patron, and former proprietor of the place. It commands a prospect, embracing the blue ridges of the Wrekin ; the South Shropshire hills, along whose valley and sides went the tide of the last struggle of Caracta- cus, the beautiful Breiddin, “hills of the robbers,” in the mother tongue, but now tenanted by small farms, and surmounted by a pillar in honour of Lord Rodney’s victory, with the Berwyns and the Welsh ranges rising in terraces to the W Nearer to the N. and E. are the more modest eminences of Grins - hill, famous for its stone quarries, Hawkstone, and Haughmond, under which the battle of Shrewsbury was fought, rising from a rich and well- watered country. The Town Walls were first com- menced by Roger de Belesme, son of Earl Roger de Montgomery, and were afterwards finished by Henry III. to protect the inhabitants from the in- cursions of the Welsh. A small portion only remains on the S. side of the town, in good preservation, and forms a terrace walk, by which the Roman Catholic cathedral may be reached. Here also is a square Toiver of 2 stories with narrow loops of the same date, the only one remaining out of 20 which formerly strength- ened and defended the walls. The fortifications were for the most part destroyed in 1645, when the town yielded to the Parliamentary troops under Gen. My t ton. There are two very interesting Churches, particularly that of ## St. Mary , a noble pile of building in the centre of the town, whose lofty spire (220 ft.) serves as a landmark for many a mile around. It is a cruci- form ch., of various styles of archi- tecture, and consists of a nave of 4 hays, side aisles, chancel, transepts, 2 chantry chapels, and a vestry built 1884. The basement of the tower is Norm., as are also the S. and N. porches of the nave and the doorways of the N. and S. transepts, which are ornamented with lozenge and chevron mouldings. The E. Eng. style is visible in the beautiful lancet windows of the transepts. Those of the clere- story are Dec,, as are also the painted windows in the 8. chapel, filled with glass, and the large one of 8 lights at the end of the chancel. The spire is octagonal. Internally, semicircu- lar arches separate the nave from the B 2 4 Route 1. — Shrewsbury — St. Chad's — Abbey Ch. N. Wales. aisles, springing from elegant clus- tered columns. Similar arches open from the aisles to the transepts and also to the chapels. The ceiling is oak, beautifully fretted and carved with llowers and figures. The choir arch is surmounted by a sort of tri- forium. The Choir of 2 bays is early pointed, with an open arcade on rt. leading to S. chapel. In the nave is a decorated pulpit of Caen stone : its sculptures represent incidents in the life of Christ. One of the chief beauties of the ch. arises from the profusion and excellence of its old stained Glass. The large E. window (which once belonged to the Franciscan Friary, the gift of Sir John de Charlton, circ. 1350) represents the genealogy of Christ from the Root of Jesse, showing the patriarch reclining in sleep, while from his loins a stem ascends, enclosing in each of its branches a king or prophet belonging to the series, which numbers alto- gether 47 figures. There is a lancet window of old Gdrman glass on the N. side of the altar, with scenes in the life of St. Bernard ; and a 3- light window of the Crucifixion on the N. side of the baptistery. In the N. transept is a fine organ by Byfield, 1729, and a modern win- dow to the Rev. J. Blakeway, to whom a dec. altar- tomb has been erected close by. In the S. transept is a memorial window to Rev. W. Rowland, formerly vicar and a munifi- cent restorer of this ch. The Trinity Chapel contains a mutilated cross- legged knight on an altar-tomb of the 14th cent., supposed to be the effigy of one of the Leybumes, Lords of Berwick ; and a monument in marble by JE. 11. Baity to Dr. Butler, head-master of the school and Bishop of Lichfield. There is also one by Westmacott to Brig.- Gen. Curcton, who fell in an engage- ment with the Sikhs in 1848, within the tower, and a brass to olficcrs and men of the 85th Regt. killed in Afghanistan. In the baptistery are monuments to Hen. Stafford and wife, 1463, and to Admiral Benbow, a native of the town. St. Mary’s Church was originally collegiate, having a dean and 9 canons, and at its suppression the revenue was given by Edward YI. for the main- tenance of Shrewsbury school. A short distance S. is St. Aik - mund's Ch., of stuccoed brick, erected 1794, retaining only the tower and spire of an older ch. The small portion which remains of Old St. Chad’s was rebuilt in 1571, and is now used as a chapel for the cemetery, which contains the graves of some of the most distinguished Salopian families. New St. Chad's , on a height, built 1792, at the head of the Quarry Avenue, is chiefly remarkable for the very questionable taste of the archi- tectural details. The body of the ch. is circular, at the E. end of which is a Doric portico and tower, which might easily cause the building to be mistaken for a theatre or ex- change. It contains some stained memorial windows, and a monument to the memory of the soldiers of the 53rd (or Shropshire) regt. who fell at the battle of Sobraon. A short way beyond the English Bridge, and on the other side of the Severn, is the venerable Benedic- tine *Ahhey of SS. Peter and Paid, whose mitred abbots sat in the House of Peers before the Reforma- tion, in interest and beauty scarcely surpassed by St. Mary’s. The \V. or parochial portion forms the Ch.of the Holy Cross. It was formerly a large cruciform ch., having a central as well as the present W. tower ; but the E. portion was destroyed at the time of the dissolution of the monas- teries, while part of the clerestory fell at a subsequent date. The basement of the tower is Norm. ; the remainder being Dec. with a 5 N. Wales. Boute 1 . — The Abbey — Grammar School. magnificent Perp. window, sur- mounted by a ricb crocket and finial. Above it, and between the 2 bell- tower windows, is a niche containing the statue of a mailed knight, sup- posed to represent Edward III. On the N. side is a porch of 2 stories, with mullioned windows, nearly flat- arched. A great deal of restoration has taken place in this ch., par- ticularly at the E. end and in the S. aisle. The nave is separated from the side-aisles by 5 arches, 2 of which, adjoining the tower, are E. Eng., while the others are Norm., with very thick round pillars, and a course of smaller arches has been carried above them . The W. window is filled with armorial bearings of kings, nobles, and members of old Shropshire families. In the S. aisle are a mutilated mailed figure, head- less, on a basement of early pointed arches, supposed to be that of Roger de Montgomery, the founder of the abbey, who died as a monk of his own foundation in 1094 ; an elaborate tomb of a knight and lady, Wm. Charlton, 154(3 ; and a crossed- legged knight in mail, supposed to be Walter de Dunstanville, circa 1196. In the N. aisle an altar-tomb with 2 well-preserved effigies, painted, in the costume of James I.’s time (name Jones). A late altar-tomb has effigies of Sir Richard Onslow, Speaker in reign of Queen Elizabeth, and Lady ; in the N. porch, the figure of a judge of the time of Edward I ; a monu- mental statue in armour, with a long robe thrown back (I4tli cent.), besides others more or less interest- ing, which have been brought at different times from the churches of St. Giles, Old St. Chad’s, and Old St. Alkmund’s. The extensive Monastic Remains have nearly disappeared. The Chapter-house, which formerly stood to the S. of the ch., was celebrated as the house of assembly for the 1st English Parliament in 1283. In a builder’s yard opposite the ch. on S. is a very elegant # Stone Pulpit , probably used for reading to the brethren while at meals. It contains 6 E. Eng. trefoil arches, partly filled in by panels, on which are sculptured figures of St. Peter and St. Paul, &c. The Ch. of St. Giles , the oldest in Shrewsbury, was built early in the reign of Henry I., for the use of a Leper Hospital. It stands on the Acton Burnell road, and preserves, amongst modern additions, some Norm, work, and a good Norm. font. Shrewsbury has in all nine Churches. The Royal Free Grammar School , near the Castle, highly esteemed among the public schools of Eng- land, was founded in 1551 by Ed- ward VI., since whose time many persons of varied eminence have received their education here, from Sir Philip Sidney to Judge Jefferies, to say nothing of a rare list of scholars of later days. The lofty building is surmounted by a pin- nacled tower. It now contains a Museum, Reading Room, and Public Library. Shrewsbury School has been associated in modern times with the name of the late Dr. Butler, Bishop of Lichfield, an eminent Greek scho- lar, to whose learning and talent it is highly indebted for its position as a great public school. The new site of the school at Kingsland, on the rt. bank of the Severn, is admirable for its beauty and healthiness, whilst its interna arrangements and facilities for boat- ing and cricket are second to none in the kingdom. Its Chapel and detached modern residences for the masters have been built by Bloom- field, archt. The approach to it is over a fine Iron Bridge , planned by Mr. H;. Robertson, C.E., M.P. The Old School has been con- verted into a Museum , where, among other objects of interest, are pre- served the Roman remains from Route 1 . — Slircicsburjf Market Square. N. Wales. Wroxeter (see p. 8). Here also is the Public Library and Reading Room. J ust below the castle, and oppo- site the old school, is a picturesque timber-framed gate-house, known as the Council House , or Lord’s Place, now converted into private residences. Here Charles I., with his nephew Prince Rupert, took up their quarters, as also did James II. in 1687. It received its name from having been the hall of the Court of the Marches of Wales, which held its meetings in turns here, at Ludlow, and Hereford. The Market Square is surpassed for architectural interest in few English county towns, and is the focus of all the most important business. It contains Assize Courts and County Hall, from a design by Smirkc, Music and Assembly Rooms, and the old Market House , an interesting building, a very good specimen of Italian arcliitecture, with square mullioned windows, raised upon an open arcade. Over the W. front are the arms of Queen Elizabeth, and over the N. arch is a statue in armour of Richard, Duke of York, which formerly graced the old tower on the Welsh Bridge. A prominent object in the Market Square is the bronze statue of a Salopian worthy, Lord Clive , by Marocbctti, placed there in I860. Clive invested a large portion of his Indian gains in land in the county of Salop, of which he was a native, and represented the town 3 times in Parliament, and was elected mayor in 1762. The old Market has been desert cd for a large and more capa- cious one of red brick. Shrewsbury is rich in ancient houses, the principal of which arc Ireland's Mansion , a half-timbered gabled building, at the comer of the High-st., not far from the Market- place; a fine timber house of the 15th cent, in Butcher's Row (near St. Alkmund’s Cli.) ; the Draper's Hall , near St. Mary’s Ch., an Eliza- bethan building, with a fine old wainscoted apartment. Vaughan's Place (in College Ilill) retains a portion, erected in the 14th cent., in good preservation. Near St. Mary’s Ch., on the site of the Post Office, once stood the High Cross , where Dafydd ap Griilf- ydd, brother to Llewelyn, met his fate of hanging, burning, and quar- tering, after being dragged at a horse’s tail through the streets. Lord Hill's monument in the London road, £ m. beyond the Abbey Ch., commemorates another Shrop- shire hero — the hero of the Douro, Talavera, Yittoria, Waterloo, and finally Commander-in-Chief of the British army. The Doric column, 133 ft. high, was erected at a cost of nearly 6000/. in 1816, and is sur- mounted by a statue of Lord Hill. It is worth while ascending to the balcony at the summit for the sake of the view. The visitor should not omit the Quarry , a public walk of a beauty and extent that few towns can boast. It is a green lawn or prairie near St. Chad’s Ch., laid out with shrubberies and winding walks around a pond and fountain (the original Quarry), but bounded and intersected by stately lime avenues. It slopes down to the Severn (here crossed by bridge), and extends over more than twenty acres. Amongst natives of Shrewsbury may be mentioned Thomas Church- yard, the poet ; Admiral Ben bow ; and Charles Darwin, author of the Evolution theory, who was bom in the house on the out skirt of Shrews- bury, called Franktrcll. A striking peculiarity of th c streets of Shrewsbury is the retention of so many quaint and ancient names, and marking curious corruptions of ap- pellations that were once appro- N. Wales. Route 1 . — History of Shrewsbury — Battle. 7 priate. Wyle Cop = Watch Bank, it being a steep ascent from the river ; Dog-pole = Duck-pool, in the hol- low near St. Mary’s ; Mardol or Mardefol = Dairy Fold or Grazing Ground; Pride Hill, from an ancient family resident there ; Shop Latch = Shutte Place, the seat of an old Salop family; Murivance, an open space in front of the walls, &c. The visitor should not omit to pay attention to the famous cakes and brawn , the former of which, in par- ticular, have been in request since the days of Queen Elizabeth. The Simnel cake , eaten in Lent and on Mothering Sunday, consists of a quasi-mincemeat surrounded by a tough, yellow, uneatable crust. History . — The antiquity of Shrews- bury is considerable, and its British name (Pen-gwern, “ the head of the Alderwood”) indicates its position above the fertile meadow-lands which were then covered with trees and bushes. Its Saxon name “ Scrobes- byrig ” is evidently of the same deri- vation. Fortified by a loop of the Severn, it was the capital of the Powis princes between the destruc- tion of TJriconium and the time of King Offa. After the Norman con- quest it was the earldom of Boger de Montgomery, by whom the castle, commanding the only land approach to the town, was erected. Hither, to the Parliament adjourned from West- minster, came “ old John of Gaunt, time-honour’d Lancaster,” and Henry of Hereford, his “bad son,” — Here to make good the boisterous late appeal Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray.” In 1403 the battle between the forces of the same Henry of Here- ford, then King of England, and those of Hotspur and his confeder- ates, when Falstaff fought with Percy “ a long hour by Shrewsbury clock,” took place on the plain about 3 m. distant, under the skirts of Haughmond Hill. The spot is still called Battlefield. A handsome Perp. Church , re- stored in 1863, covers the spot where the King raised a small chapel over the pit where the dead were buried. It was one of the bloodiest battles on English ground since that of Hastings, King Henry losing 1000 men and the rebels 5000. Marching from the south, the King was just able to throw himself into the town before the rebels, 14,000 strong, under Hotspur, Douglas, and Worcester, came up. They were posted upon Bullfield Common, under Haughmond Hill, supported by the clnvalry and archers of Cheshire, but not joined by Owen Glendower, who had not yet ar- rived from the S. The King marched out of the N. gate to the attack, placing his son Harry in the van, who, only 15 years old that day, carried himself valiantly, and was wounded by an arrow. The King, knowing that his life was specially sought, clad three or four knights in armour like his own; three of them were slain. Douglas and Hotspur, the two stoutest knights in England, bore down upon the Royal Standard, which was struck down, and Sir Walter Blunt, who bore it, slain, along with Lord Stafford, High Constable. The fortune of the day had gone rather against the King, who, it is said, slew 36 men with his own hand, when, leading on his reserve for a fresh effort, he beheld Hotspur fall, pierced by a random arrow. “ Percy is dead ! ” exclaimed the King, in a voice heard all over the field, and the fortune of the day was decided. Douglas, wounded and taken prisoner, was released by Henry on the following day, but Worcester w T as hung, drawn, and quartered as a traitor in the market- place of Shrewsbury. Jdailiuays . — To London, 162J m. ; 8 Route 1. — Wroxeler. N. Wales. Birmingham, 42 ; Ruabon, 26 ; Llangollen, 32 m. ; Welshpool and Montgomery, 22 m. ; Oswestry, 20 ; Chester, 42 ; Welshpool, 20 ; Church Stretton, 12 ; Ludlow, 27 ; Hereford, 51 ; Crewe, 32 ; Wem, 11 ; Stafford, 29 ; Newtown, 34 ; Aberystwyth, 81£ ; Llanymynech, 18. [Many pleasant Excursions in the neighbourhood of Shrewsbury are described in the Handbook to Shrop- shire. The antiquary should visit Wroxeter, the site of the ancient Ur-iconium, 5 m. It can be reached either by rail to Upton Magna stat. on the Shropshire Union Rly., from whence it is 2 m. of rather intricate lanes, or by direct road thither (5 m.), crossing the Severn at 3 in. Atcham , where there is an exceedingly picturesque ch. close to the river-side. The lower portion of the tower is of good Norm. work. Atcham was the birthplace of Or- dericus Yitalis, the historian and chaplain of William the Conqueror. 4 m. 1. Attingham Halt (Lord Ber- wick). A charming landscape is produced by the junction of the Tern with the Severn near this house. The Tern is crossed by a handsome open balustraded bridge. 5 m. Wroxeter. Here is a fine old Norm, ch ., with later alterations ; in the interior are some unique altar-tombs of the 16th cent., the figures of which are remarkable for the freshness and vividness of the colouring. At the gate of the ch.- yard are 2 Roman pillars with highly ornamented capitals, discovered in the bed of the river, which flows close by. The remains of TJr-iconium arc to be found by the side of the Watling-st. road in a field a few hundred yards to the N., which has been excavated over an nrea of 2 acres, at the expense of the Shrop- shire Antiquarian Society. The ruins consist of a massive wall about 70 ft. in length, known as the Old Wall, to the S. of which is a series of courts and hypocausts, sup- posed to have been the public baths. In all the latter the supporting pillars of Roman bricks, as well as the flues, are in high preservation, and alf'ord a clear illustration of the methods by w r hich the Romans warmed their houses. In one of the hypocausts 3 skeletons were found, and a box of coins of the reigns of Tetricus, Yalens, Constantius, &c. [Shrewsbury to Ehuabon and Wrexham ( Gt . Western Ely.). The line at first runs through deep cuttings ; 1. 1 m. is Berwick Hall. 2 m. it passes between two meres, known respectively as Almond and Hencott Pools. These small meres are rather a peculiar feature in the country between Shrewsbury and Ellesmere. 4J m. Leaton Stat. 7i m. JBaschurch Stat. On Perth Hill , 1 m. to the rt., are some an- cient fortifications, surrounded by a circular vallum, the whole defended by a deep pool at the bottom of the eminence. The ch. contains some Norm, work in the tower and S. aisle. [2£ m. 1. Ruyton y one of the II towns thought by many antiquarians to be identical with the Roman sta- tion Rutunium. The chancel of t lie ch. has some Norman details.] 13J Rednall Stat, 16 m. Whittington Junct. for the Cambrian Rly. and Whitchurch (Rte. 2). On rt. are the ruins of the Ca*tle y held after the Conquer t by Earl Roger de Montgomery. It still possesses fragments of 8 towers (4 of which are attached to the keep), moat, and vestiges of other defensive works. It was the birthplace of Fulk Fitz- warine, whose ancestor, Guarine de Metz, one of K. John’s barons, won 9 N. Wales. Route 1 . — Watt’s Dyke — Chirk Viaduct. the castle as the prize of prowess in the tilting-ground along with Mallot, his daughter, from Peveril of the Peak. This Guarine was lord of Alberbury and sheriff of Shropshire. Park Hall, a timbered Elizabethan mansion, formerly belonging to the Kinchants, is near Whittington. Hail. — We here cross the Cam- brian Rly. to Oswestry, Rte. 26. 18 m. Gobowen Junct. for Os- westry (Rte. 26), Welshpool, New- town, and Aberystwyth (Rte. 27). After quitting Gobowen, the line speedily approaches the outskirts of the hills which have been for many miles Looming in the distance, and the country now becomes broken and varied. The ancient boundary — Watt’s Dyke — commences, or at least is visible for the first time, at Maesbury, about 3 m, S. of Oswestry, and runs northward into Flintshire, keeping tolerably parallel with Offals Dylce , which is plainly discernible on the high grounds in the parish of Selattyn , 3 m. W. of Gobowen. Its course is marked near Creignant by a tower built for that purpose by Mr. West. It is generally considered to have been a line of demarcation, for as a defence it must have been useless : “ There is a famous thing Callde OfFae’s Dyke, that reacheth farre in lengthe. All kind of ware the Danes might thether bring; It was free ground, and callde the Briton's strength. Wat’s Dyke, likewise, about the same was set ; Between which two both Danes and Britons met.” — Churchyard. Selattyn is the burial-place of J ohn Hanmer, Bishop of St. Asaph, temp. James I., who left doles to the poor here. A little beyond Rreesgwyn Slat, the railway crosses the valley of the Ceiriog, a tributory of the Dee, and the boundary between Shropshire and Denbighshire, the latter of which the traveller now enters. The site of the Castle is historically celebrated as being the theatre of a bloody fight between the English and Welsh in 1164. Dafydd, son of Owain Gwynedd, prince of N. Wales, encouraged by the successes of the South Welsh, made a raid upon Flintshire, carrying off many prisoners and cattle to the Yale of Clwyd, upon which Henry II. advanced a large army as far as Oswestry. The Welsh retreated to the Berwyn Mts., where Henry, in his turn, was so harassed that he was obliged to withdraw and march back to England. The scene from the Rly. train of the dingle of the Ceiriog is very pic- turesque, and is further enhanced by the engineering works by which the Ellesmere Canal and the railway are carried across it side by side. The Aqueduct, designed by Telford, con- sists of 10 circular arches, 65 ft. high, supported by pyramidal piers ; while the Rly. Viaduct , constructed by Mr. Robertson, the engineer of the line, has 12 arches of 45 ft. span, and is 101 ft. in length. Telford seems to have been the first who introduced spandrel walls into bridges in this country, in place of the former practice of cramming the spaces with earth and rubbish, which retained the water, and was liable to expand and burst the side walls. Here the canal bottom is made of cast-iron plates, fixed in masonry, which they hold together as ties. This aqueduct cost 20,898£ 21 m. Chirlc St at. About J m. rt, is the village ( Inn : Hand or Castle, a good, clean small house) near the Ch. (monuments). Behind it is the entrance to Rrynlcinalt , the grounds of which are open to strangers, provided with tickets from the Hand Inn. The house, a modern Gothic mansion (not shown), contains a portrait and 10 Route 1 . — ChirJc Castle. N. Wales. other relics of tlic Duke of Welling- ton, who spent here many of his early days, his mother, Anne, Countess of Mornington, being daughter of the last Lord Dungannon. The Trevor family belong to the once numerous sept or family of Trevors, descended, with many of other names, from Tudor Trevor, and have been settled here since the 15th cent. On the demise of the last Viscount Dun- gannon, in 1862, the estate passed to Lord Arthur Hill Trevor (son of the Marquis of Downshire) who as- sumed the name of Trevor. Sir John Trevor, Speaker of the House of Commons in the reign of William III., possessed, and probably created, most of this estate. About 2J m. W. of Chirk Stat. by road, 1^ m. by footpath, is Chirk Castle (E. Myddelton Biddulph, Esq.) situated in the midst of a very extensive and beau- tiful park, reaching to the foot of the Berwyn mountains. It is certainly among the most ancient inhabited houses in the kingdom, but unites the comfortable arrange- ments of a modem dwelling with the grandeur of a feudal castle. In plan, the castle is quadrangular, strengthened at the angles with huge round towers, and entered by a gateway in the N. front, which was formerly defended by a portcullis. The living apartments, which were restored and embellished by Pugin, arc of considerable size, and occupy the N. and E. sides of the quadrangle. On the opposite side is a long picture gallery, containing many good por- traits ; the most interesting of which are Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Mon- mouth, Duke of Ormond, and his son, Lord Ossory, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, keeper of the great seals, William and Mary, Duchess of Shrewsbury, Sir Thomas Myddelton in armour, and others of the same family ; Charles I., Sir Henry Vane ; some of Charles II.’s beauties ; Mrs. Jane Lane. There is also a remark- able cabinet, of great value, given by Charles II. to Sir Thomas Myddel- ton. Though the present building is much modernised, it was com- menced by Eoger Mortimer in the reign of Edward I. It afterwards passed into the hands of the Arundels, Mowbrays, Beauchamps, Dudley (the favourite of Elizabeth), and subsequently of Lord St. John of Bletsoe, from whom it was purchased in 1595 by Sir Thos. Myddelton, Lord Mayor of London, and brother of the famous Sir Hugh, the projector of the New Eiver scheme. During the Civil Wars it experienced many vicissitudes, amongst which not the least singular was its being besieged by its own possessor, at that time a Parliamentarian, who endeavoured : to dislodge a party of Koyalists en- j sconced there. Sir Thos. Myddel- ' ton ultimately changed sides, and in his turn was besieged and forced j to surrender; the repairs of that portion of the castle destroyed by j Cromwell amounting to 80,000?. . Adam’s Tower, the oldest part of the j Castle, built by Eoger Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, after murdering, j it is said, his ward Gruifydd ap ‘ Madoc, in order to obtain the estate, jj still retains its deep dungeon. The : view from the terrace will repay the visitor, who on a clear day is j enabled to descry from thence 13 j counties. The park, which is full ! of ancestral oaks, elms, and beeches, [ contains a large lake, on both sides \ of which Olfa’s Dyke can be traced. Strangers are allowed to see Chirk i Castle, Mon., Wed., and Friday. Distances. — Llangollen, 5 m. (Ete. 3) ; Ellesmere, 10. Between Chirk and Cefn the rly. is carried across the valley of the Dee on a remarkably beautiful and 11 N. Wales. Route 1 . — Aqueduct colossal * Viaduct oi 19 arches of 60 ft. span, at a height of 150 ft. above the river. The entire length is 1508 ft. For simplicity of design, and solidity, few viaducts in Europe can compare with this, the archi- tect and engineer of which was Henry Robertson, Esq., M.P. It was erected in 2 J years, and, without doubt, surpasses its neighbour, the aqueduct. 1. As the train slackens speed, a very charming View opens up of the vale of Llangollen, in which the river and the Aqueduct ofPont-y- Cysylltau , stretching across the valley 1. parallel with the rly, (see Rte. 3), with the majestic height of Castell Dinas Bran in the distance (Rte. 3) are pro- minent features. 24 m. Cefn Stat ., a busy place of smoking chimneys, stone quarries, coal and lime heaps and slags. Over- hanging the rly. on the rt. is the Waterloo Tower , situated within the precincts ofWynnstay, and erected by the late Sir W. W. Wynn to commemorate that battle. From hence a lovely walk along the valley of the Dee leads to Nant-y-Belan , “ the Marten’s dingle.” “ The steep banks are richly clad with light foliage, while the river runs along the bottom, now foaming over broken rocks, and presently flowing smooth and noiseless, and reflecting with a softened lustre the rich tints of the pendent trees and grassy knolls.” — Roscoe. A mausoleum was erected here by Sir Watkin to the memory of the Welsh officers belonging to the regiment known as the Ancient Britons, who fell in the Irish re- bellion of 1798. Both towers com- mand varied and exquisite views, which, however, are by no means improved by the clouds of black smoke sent forth from the collieries and iron- works on the 1. of the rly. In the distance appear the moun- tains above Llangollen, including Dinas Bran, part of the aqueduct of Pont-y- Cysylltau* of Pont-y-Cysylltau, and in front Chirk Castle. A road and foot- path lead through the woods along the margin of the Dee to New- bridge, 2^- m. distant. A consider- able population is employed in this district at the New British Iron - works, for whom a ch. has been erected at Rhos-y-medre. At Tre- fynant the beautiful terra-cotta manufactory is carried on by Mr. J. C. Edwards. The traveller here, and for a con- siderable distance N., skirts the E. border of the N. Welsh Coalfield , which, though very far inferior in size and value to its sister field in the S., is nevertheless practically inexhaustible as regards the supply and quality of the coal. 25 m. 1. Blasmadoc, residence of the late G-. H. Whalley, Esq., M.P., well known for his connection with the original enterprise of several Welsh railroads, and still better for his persistent advocacy of the Tich- borne “ claimant.” 26 m. Rhuabon Junct. Stat. Here the rly. branches for Llangollen, Corwen, and Bala (Rte. 3) (Inn, Wynnstay Arms, close to the park- gates). Though the village is but small, the population accumulated in the parish exceeds 15,000. It derives importance from its position near the centre of a coal-field of 47 square miles area, producing in a year near 2 million tons of coal, and from the proximity of many monworks and collieries, brick and tile works, potteries, &c. The tourist will appreciate the far more agreeable neighbourhood of the princely demesne of Wynnstay (Sir Watkin Herbert Wynn, Bart., de- scended from, and the represen- tative of, Sir William Williams, in the time of Charles II. Speaker of the House of Commons, and after- wards well known as Solicitor- General in the trial of the 7 bishops). 12 Route L — Shrewsbury to Chester — Wynnstay. N. Wales. Tlie Church of 3 aisles, close to the park-gates, contains some interesting monuments, principally of the Wynn family. The most noticeable are — that of Henry Wynn, 10th son of Sir John Wynn of Grwydir, in curious short skirts and square-toed shoes; a marble effigy in the S. aisle by Ruysbrach of Sir W. Wynn (killed by a fall from his horse in 1749), with a Latin inscription ; also a statue by Nollekens to Lady Wynn, daughter of the Duke of Beaufort ; and an altar- tomb near the com- munion-table on which are 2 re- cumbent figures of an armed knight and lady of the Eyton family, 1526, in the dress of the time of Henry VII., whose cause they supported at Bosworth. The place now known as Wynnstay was in early times the residence of Madoc ap Gruffydd Maelor, Lord of Bromfield and Yale, and founder of Valle Crucis Abbey. Subsequently, it was called Wattstay, from the fact of Watt’s Dyke running through the park and passing close to the house. The property came into the hands of the Wynns about 1670, by the marriage of the heiress of Eyton Evans with Sir John Wynn of Gwy- dir, and by subsequent marriages and female descents was established early in the last cent, in the present family of the Williams Wynns. The park, traversed by the river Dee, nearly 8 m. in circumference, has the reputation of being the largest in Wales, and presents many objects of interest, both from its natural beauties, its noble trees, and the im- provements introduced by modern landscape-gardening on a large scale. Its principal features arc a noble Avenue a mile long, leading from the Rhuabon Lodge ; the Bath ; grounds; and the Column, 101 ft. high with an internal spiral staircase (in the same part of the grounds) erected to the father of the late baronet by his mother, bearing on the base “ Filio . optimo . mater . eheu . superstes ; ” the Waterloo Tower ; and Mausoleum, at Nant-y- Belan, before mentioned. The old house (part of which dated back to the 15th cent.), contained some good pictures and curiosities, besides a valuable library in which were many interesting Welsh records and MSS. These were nearly all destroyed by fire on the night of 6th March, 1858. Wynnstay has been rebuilt in the Renaissance style. It contains family portraits by Vandyck, Kneller, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, as well as busts of eminent statesmen of the Georgian epoch. Here is preserved a large gold Torque , found on Cadir Idris. On an eminence about £ m. 1. of Ruabon is the camp and enclosure of Gardden , defended in many places by concentric dykes, and showing traces internally of ancient dwellings. OfFa’s Dyke passes it at a distance of about 200 yards. 1 i m. N.W. is Llancrclirugog Hall (T. Jones, Esq.), a very ancient family seat, the park extending to the large village of Jlhos Llanercli - rugog , the most populous part of the parish of Rhuabon. Distances. — Llangollen, 6 m. (Rte. 3) ; Wrexham, 5 ; Overton, 5 ; Bangor Iscoed, 6 ; Ellesmere, 10 ; Chirk, 5 ; Oswestry, 11 ; Gresford, 8 ; Chester, 17 m. (Rte. 4). [An excursion can be made through a pretty country to Overton , passing 3 m. Hose Hill , and Hrbistock Hall . A little beyond is the picturesque village of Hrbistock , w ith its ch.-yd. washed by the river Dec, which at 4 m. from Rhuabon is crossed by a stone bridge. 5 m. Overton possesses in itself little of interest, but is well worth a visit, if only to feast one’s eyes on the Dee, which at a considerable depth below winds round the vale ; its waters often spotted with salmon-fishers in 13 N. Wales. Route 1 . — Overton — Bangor Iscoed. their Coracles, the aboriginal Bri- tish boats made of wicker-work. The Britons appear to have taught their Roman masters the art of making wicker baskets, and to have introduced the name of Bascauda (Basgawd) into the classic Latin tongue. Martial tells us, “ Barbara de pictis venit bascauda Britannis and certainly no more curious appli- cation of the art than to the manu- facture of these boats (the same now as in the days of Caesar) can be found. They are exceedingly dangerous to those who are unaccustomed to them, and require a Welshman for their management as well as their manu- facture. In Overton ch.-yd. are 21 very remarkable old Yew-Trees, some very large. The view from the pretty cemetery is peculiarly beau- tiful. 2 m. N. of Overton on the Wrex- ham road is the once important place of Bangor Iscoed (. Inn : Royal Oak), by some supposed to be the Roman Bovium. Near this, in the green and fertile basin of meadows divided by the Dee, lies the site of the largest and most ancient monastery in Great Britain, traditionally stated to have been founded about the year 180 by Lucius, son of Coel, the first Christian king of Britain. Pelagius, the heretic, stigmatized in one of our 39 Articles, is also re- corded to have been a monk in this place, from whence he proceeded to Rome before his controversy with St. Augustine. The number of monks was said to have been 2400 previous to the destruction of the monastery by Ethelfrid, king of Northumberland, which took place after the battle of Chester, a.d. 607. Four stone coffin- lids of Norman date, and a British cross are spoken of by Pennant as found in the ch.-yd. The ch. has been restored. There is considerable beauty in its situation close to the river, which is here crossed by a narrow picturesque bridge of 5 arches, with recesses from the road- way over the piers for the protection of foot-passengers. From Bangor or Overton the Flintshire hundred of Maelor or Maelor Saesneg may be visited ; an industrious agricultural district, con- taining many dairy farms, where cheese of the finest quality is pro- duced. From Bangor to Wrexham it is 6 m. 1J m. from Wrexham is JErddig, the residence of Simon Yorke, Esq., a member of the Hard- wicke family. The W. front has been cased with stone, but the E. front and interior are unaltered. There is a profusion of oak panel- ling, and some very fine pictures, tapestry, &c. The gardens are in the Dutch style, and the extensive walks in the woods were laid out by Capability Brown. It is re- markable for the beauty of its situation on a wooded mound, at the base of which runs a murmuring brook. Philip Yorke, an ancestor of the present owner, was the author , of a learned genealogical work, ‘ The Royal Tribes of Wales,’ the heraldic devices of which are curiously em- blazoned on the walls of one of the apartments. Plas - Grono, in the Erddig grounds, w T as the birthplace of Apperley, the clever author of the ‘ Turf, Chase, and Road,’ better known as i Nimrod.’] 31 m. Wrexham Junct. Stat. {Inns: Wynns t ay Arms ; Lion). The ap- proach to this town is announced for some distance by the noble tower of the ch., which, from its great height and elevated position, is visible for miles. The town is noticed in the Saxon chronicles under the name of Wright elsham, and was granted to Earl Warren in the reign of Ed- ward I. This is almost all that is historically known, except that Le- 14 Boute 1. — Wrexham . N. Wales. land mentions it as containing “ sum mercliauntes and good bokeler makers.” It is now chiefly famous for its ale and zoedone. The Church , a very fine example of the Perp. style, was built about 1470, though the tower, one of the 7 wonders of Wales, was not completed until 1500. It is 135 ft. in height, is for the most part panelled as are also its buttresses and the bands or strings, and is sur- mounted by a balustrade from which spring 4 lantern-shaped turrets of rich open work crowning the but- tresses after the Somersetshire fashion. In the niches of the but- tresses are placed statues of 30 saints, among them that of St. Giles, to whom the church is dedicated. The cli. consists of a nave and aisles, N. porch, and polygonal apse at the E. end, all of fine proportions. The nave is separated from the aisle by octagonal columns, with moulded capitals and bases. The nave has a clerestory with two-light cinque- foiled windows. There is a fine open timber roof of low span, with rafters and moulded tie-beams, and knees supported by stone corbels, with angels bearing shields. An octa- gonal font of good proportions has been restored to the W. end of the nave from the garden of Acton House, where it had long served as an ornamental basin. The lofty arch supported by clustered columns admits a view of the W. window of 5 cinquefoil lights, with trefoil-headed mullions. The E. window of the chancel is pointed, of 5 cinque- foiled lights. The subject is the life of our Saviour in stained glass. The church was restored 1867, and the galleries removed, so that the effect of the lofty nave and apsidal chancel is very beautiful. In the chancel are a fine metal screen and brass lectern, 1524. Remains of mural paintings have been laid open over chancel arch and in N. porch. The monu- ment for which Wrexham ch. is particularly famous, by Roubiliac , to the memory of Mrs. Mary Myddelton, of Chirk Castle, is in the N. aisle. It represents a female figure starting from the grave at the sound of the last trump. There are two medallion monu- ments, by the same sculptor, to the Rev. Tlios. Myddelton and his wife. Hugh Bellot, Bishop of Bangor and Chester, 1596, lies in his robes on the S. of the chancel. There are monuments also to Sir Riclid. Lloyd, governor of Holt Castle for Charles I., and to Mrs. Peel, by Woolner. The church and ch.-yd. contain an unusual number of quaint epitaphs. In the tower is an exceedingly sweet peal of 10 bells, cast by Rud- liall in 1726. In excavating here was found a stone effigy of an armed knight with a couchant dog or lion, and the shield charged with a lion rampant, and the legend, “ hie jacet ap Howell,” now deposited in N. porch. Wrexham has the good fortune to possess, with its many churches and chapels, religious accommoda- tion for its 18,162 Inhab. It is a thriving and increasing town, partly owing to its situation on the borders of the Denbighshire coal-fields, and partly to the large mining popu- lation which find subsistence from the various collieries scattered about on the slopes of the hills to the W. Large Barracks for the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers have been erected outside the town on the Shrewsbury road. Mineral Railway to Brymbo and Mold. Distances. — Rhuabon, 5 in. ; Ban- gor Iscoed, 6 ; Holt, 5J ; Minera, 5; Mold, 11 ; Overton, 8 ; Ruthin, 16 ; Corwen, 20. [The district of Miner a, in the carboniferous limestone, about 5 m. W. 1., is remarkably rich in lead, zinc, copper, iron ores, besides 15 N. Wales. Boute 1. — Minera — Holt — Gresford . being placed at the outcrop of the coalmeasures and in the immediate neighbourhood of lime and slate quarries. 1 m. rt. of road to Minera and Ruthin is Brymbo Hall , an old mansion, said to have been designed by Inigo Jones, and formerly in- habited by an ironmaster of the name of Wilkinson, who had large works at Bersham, and cast here the ironwork of Southwark Bridge. On 1. is BlasBower^ the seat of the Fitzhugh family. Hence the road continues to Llandegla and Ruthin (Rte. 11). The road to Llandegla runs up a narrow gorge between limestone cliffs. It is a very pretty walk from Wrexham, through Bersham , 1 m., skirting Bias Bower estate, to Adwyrelawdd, 3 m.] [An excursion may be made from Wrexham to the little Denbighshire town of Holt , 5J m. E., at one period of its history of some importance, but now much decayed. The castle, of which there are but few traces, was built in Edward I.’s reign, by Earl Warren (a contemporary of Mortimer the founder of Chirk), and in the reign of Henry VII. was forfeited to the Crown by the attainder of Sir William Stanley, K.Gr., who, not many years before, had placed the crown on his head at Bosworth Field. In 1643 it was taken by Sir Thos. Myddelton and Sir W. Brereton. The situation of Holt, with its narrow old Bridge over the Dee, connecting it with Farndon in Cheshire, and its red- towered ch., is picturesque.] 32 m. rt. is Acton Bark (Sir R. Ac- ton Cunliffe, Bt.), historically noted as being the birthplace of Judge Jefferies, to whose family the property had belonged for a considerable time, though the present house is later than his day. Cowbridge, in Grla- morganshire, disputes the question- able honour with Acton Park ; but there is not the least room for doubting that he came from Acton. The lordship of Wem, in Shropshire, belonged to him at one time, he having bought it in 1684. He was created a peer as Baron Jefferies of Wem immediately afterwards. 34 m. Gresford (from Croes-ffordd, e the road of the cross ’), sweetly situated above the vale of the Alyn, which meanders gracefully through thick woods and rich pastures. The Church (Perp.), conspicuously placed on the rising ground to the rt., is both ancient and interesting; and, like Wrexham, is also a wonder of Wales, from the purity and tone of its peal of 12 bells. The interior contains some ancient monuments, particularly a sculptured stone in memory of Gronow ap Iorwerth ap Dafydd, 1320, one of the 6 sons of Ithel, who gave the land for the foun- dation of the ch. ; a mailed warrior of the date 1331, besides several others belonging to the family of Trevor of Trevalyn, who were de- scended from the same ancestors as that of Brynkinalt. Notice the elaborate carving of the Hood- screen and stalls, and bench-ends in the choir, as well as the images of Knights Templars, and that of Henry VII. on the tower, which is 90 ft. high, quadrangular, and very striking. There is also a moulding containing a grotesque chase of cats, rats, mice, dogs, and monkeys. The stained windows are said to be ancient. A yew tree in the ch. yd. is said to be 1450 years old, has a girth of 30 feet, and is 60 ft. high. A petrifying spring is one of the curiosities of the parish. Sami. Warren, Q.C., author of c Ten Thousand a Year,’ was born here 1807. There are pleasant walks in Wilder- ness Wood and along the banks of the Alyn. The rly. follows the course of the Alyn to Bossett Stat., to the rt. of 16 Route 2 . — Whittington to Whitchurch . N. Walks. which are Trevalyn House (Gen. Townsend) ; Trevalyn Old Hall , the Elizabethan seat of Griffith Bos- cawen, Esq. ; and Rossett village. From hence the character of the scenery changes, the outskirts of the hills being speedily left behind, as the traveller is rapidly borne along the flat alluvial lands of the Dee. Near the village of Dodleston the line enters Flintshire. The cli. con- tains the monument of Lord Chan- cellor Ellesmere. 41 m., at Saltney Slat, a Junction is effected with the Holyhead line. A populous settlement has grown up here since I860, consisting of work- men and their families employed in the large Rly.-works attached to the G. Western line, and also in loading and unloading of vessels, which come up the river to this point, Saltney being in fact the port of Chester. It lies in the bed of the ancient estuary of the Dee, on land recovered from the water by the River Dee Company, under power granted to them by Parliament, 1732. The line dividing the counties of Chester and Flint at this place is in fact the midline, or “ medium filum aquae,” of the ancient channel of the Dee. Crossing the rly. -bridge over the Dee, and gliding under the old walls, the traveller arrives at the ancient and time-honoured city of Cuesteii Junct. Stat. (Rte. 4). ROUTE 2. WHITTINGTON JUNCTION TO WHIT- CHURCH JUNCTION, BY ELLES- MERE— RAIL. This line runs from Whitchurch to Oswestry, and forms a connecting link between the Shrewsbury and Chester and the Cambrian Rlys., which cross one another at Whitting- ton Stat. It is therefore a direct route from Manchester to Llangol- len, Dolgelley, Aberystwyth, &c. 3 m. rt. Halston (E. Wright, Esq.), formerly seat of the Mytton family, one of whom, John Mytton, Esq., as sheriff of the county, had the task of receiving into custody Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, surrendered by the treachery of Humphrey Banas- tre, his steward. The famous General Mytton, who reduced so many Welsh castles for the Parliament, was a member of this family. The mad pranks of “ Jack Mytton,” the penultimate owner of the estate, made Halston somewhat famous in the first quarter of the 19th centy. There is a heronry at Halston. 7 m. Ellesmere Stat. ( Inns : Bridge- water Arms ; Lion), a pretty town of some 2000 Inhab., placed on the bank of a lake of 120 acres, which lies to the rt. of the Stat., and from whence its Saxon name Aelsmere was de- rived. The banks of this and the other 5 meres in the neighbourhood, of which the principal is Colmere (2£ m. distant), offer an attractive field for the botanist, being especially rich in ferns. The town was originally held by Earl Roger de Montgomery, and afterwards by the Crown, who made frequent grants of it, amongst others one to Prince David, formerly mentioned as executed at Shrewsbury. It afterwards passed into the hands of Lord Strange, and finally the Eger- N. Wales. Boute 2 . — Ellesmere —sManmer Church. 17 ton family. The late Lord Francis Leveson Grower, as one of the re- presentatives of the last Egerton, Duke of Bridgewater (the Canal Duke), took the name of Egerton and the title of Ellesmere. Its prosperity depends almost entirely on its markets for corn and agri- cultural produce, which are re- sorted to by dealers from Liverpool and Chester to supply the manufac- turing districts. Malting is the chief business, owing to the abun- dance and excellence of the barley of the neighbourhood. The site of the Castle is occupied by a bowling- green, which embraces a grand view into 9 counties, overlooking Chester and the Broxton Hills, Wrexham and the Caergwrle heights, Castle Dinas Bran and the Berwyns, the Breid- dins, Clee-hill, and the Wrekin. The Church has a Dec. nave, re- built in 1849, and a good E. win- dow. In a chapel S. of the chancel is the Oteley Chapel, with an altar tomb to Sir F. Kynaston and his lady, 1590. At the S. end of the mere is Oteley Parle, the modern Elizabethan mansion of Salisbury Kynaston Mainwaring, Esq. The Ellesmere and Chester Canal was an engineering work of Telford. 1 m. out of the town, passing Spy Bank, an artificial mouncl, is St. Oswald's College , a late Grotliic edi- fice, built 1885 — as a Middle Class School for 500 boys. It cost 27,00(F. Distances. — Shrewsbury, by road, 16 m. ; Oswestry, 8 ; Overton, 4. 10 m. Welshampton Stat., where there is a pretty memorial Church , erected in 1863, by Mrs. Mainwaring of Oteley. Here was buried Jere- miah, son of Mosesh, King of the Basutos, a S. African student at St. Augustin’s, Canterbury, who died whilst visiting at the vicarage. The line enters Flintshire near 11J m. Bettisfield Stat. Immedi- ately adjacent is Bettisfield Baric , an [A. Wales.'] ancient house, the seat of the Han- mers, also containing a considerable library and many family portraits and pictures. Close by this house is the watershed of Flintshire, the water flowing southward to the Severn, but N.E. and westward to the Dee. A little to the H. of Bettisfield is Gredingion he seat of Lord Kenyon, containing a library collected by the distinguished Chief Justice, founder of that family, and portraits of him- self and of liis contemporary Lord Tliurlow : and to the H. of this again is the village of Hanmer , mentioned by Camden in his c Britannia.’ The Church is of Tudor architecture, com- menced to be rebuilt in the reign of Henry YII., after the destruction of the old one in the York and Lan- caster wars. It contains magnificent carved oak ceilings, and various monu- ments of the Hanmer and Kenyon families. It is most probable that Owain Grlyndwr was married here, since his wife was Margaret, daughter of Sir David Hanmer, Knt., one of the judges K.B. in the reign of Richard II., resident here in his day, and ancestor of the present owners. In front of the cli. towards the S. extends one of the Meres which give so much beauty to this part of the country. The rly. next passes through the Fenn's Moss , or Whixall Moss, a large tract of peaty moorland, grown up on the site of one of the original woods cut down by King Edward I. to clear the country at the settle- ment of Wales, and cut through by Messrs. Savin & Ward in 1861, 15 m. Fenris BanJc Stat. 18 m. Whitchurch Junct. (Hand- book of Shropshire} . Inn : ^Victoria, a pleasant, clean, country Inn, and moderate. In the modern Cli. is the tomb of the great John Talbot, slain at Chastillon in France, 1543, and of others of the family. C 18 N. Wales. Route 3 . — Rhycibon to Dolgelley . ROUTE 3. RHUABON JUNCTION TO DOLGELLEY, BY LLANGOLLEN, CORWEN, AND BALA LAKE — RAIL. 4 trains daily in 2 lirs. to 2 lirs. 20 min. This route lies through some of the finest scenery in ST. Wales. The line from Shrewsbury to Rhuabon Junct. Stat. is described in Rte. 1. From this the Ely. is carried at a liigh level along the 1. side of the Dee Y alley. The old liigh road follows lower ground up the rt. bank, but commands finer views of the valley, and its two remarkable objects, the Viaduct and the Aque- duct , both prominent and graceful structures. The Ely. to Llangollen ascends an incline, passing the grounds of Plasmadoc to Acrefair Stat ., where there are the extensive Iron-works of the British Iron Company, and a considerable miningpopulation. This is the nearest point (about 1 m.) to the Pont-y Cysylltau Aqueduct, which carries the Llangollen branch of the Elles- mere canal at a height of 126 ft. across the valley of the Dee — a work of modem art not surpassed by any similar structure of antiquity, since, though inferior in length to many Roman aqueducts, it probably ex- ceeds any one in height, in elegant proportion, in scientific contrivance, and certainly in the quantity of water which it transports. It was built by Telford to convey the Ellesmere canal across the valley of the Dee, here 2600 ft. wide. This he effected by an earthen em- bankment 1500 ft. long, extending from the S. side of the valley and connected with the opposite side by 18 arches resting on light and lofty piers of sandstone and 2 abutments. These support a water-trough of cast iron, 1007 ft. long, tlirough which the canal passes. The width of the water- way is 11 ft. 10 in., of which the tow- ing-path, supported on iron pillars, covers 4 ft. 8 in., allowing the water to fluctuate beneath it, and greatly facilitating the progress of the boats ; it is 5 ft. 3 in. deep. The height of the piers above low water in the river is 121 ft.; up to 70 ft. from their base they are of solid masonry; above this they are built hollow with a cross inner wall, securing lightness and saving masonry. It was completed in 1805, 10 years after its commence- ment, and cost 47,018Z. An inscrip- tion on the S. side of the middle pier, near its base, records the particulars of its construction. The series of light and elegant piers, supporting cast-iron arches, stretching across this valley and meeting the crow midway in its flight, adds greatly to the effect of the scenery around. It has a very picturesque appearance from the high road. In order to form a just idea of the work, the traveller should cross the drawbridge and walk on the aqueduct, so as to look down from it over the tops of the trees upon the rushing and brawling Dee ; then returning, descend the bank and walk as far as the river, so ns to be able to appreciate the magnitude of the piers and the height of the canal. Sir Walter Scott described it as the most impressive work of art he had ever seen. The drive from lienee to Llan- gollen combines a series of lovely views, and has long been celebrated by tourists as being one of the most charming excursions in Wales. There is no doubt but that the Vale of Llangollen possesses nil the acces- sories of a perfect landscape, though a good deal depends upon the par- ticular lights under which it is seen. The traveller should by all means ascend the vale, if possible, in his N. Wales. Route 3. — Llangollen — Lias Newydd . route to the hill districts, as after the rugged heights of Snowdonia, the scenery here is necessarily tame and insignificant. The opinions of various writers differ most amusingly about the beauties of Llangollen, from the most extravagant encomiums, to Pennant’s assertion that theEglwyseg rocks are actually a disfigurement to the landscape. On the same side of the river are the Waterloo Toiver and the woods of Wynn stay (Rte. 1), sadly too near the smoky chimneys of Acrefair. The rly. next passes to 2J m. Trevor Stat., under a pro- montory of limestone rock, fringed with beautiful woods, high up amongst which is Trevor llall> formerly the seat of the Lloyds, a Montgomeryshire family, who ob- tained it by marriage with the heiress of the Trevors. It now is in the possession of Rice William Thomas, Esq. There is a small chapel near the house. The JEglioyseg rocks and the lofty eminence on which Castell Tinas Tran is perched, are here the principal features in the view, al- though they are better seen from the road on the S. bank of the Lee. The former is a very peculiar wall of carboniferous limestone precipices, which stretches from this point towards Llangollen, and then, turning to the N.W., merges in the range of Cyrn-y-brain, constituting in fact the geological boundary of the N. Wales coal-field. It is re- markable for the peculiarly formal and regular appearance of the strata, which makes it at once conspicuous beyond every hill in the district. 6 m. Llangollen Stat. at the river side, and just below the canal. Inns: Hand Hotel, one of the best in Britain, a pleasant house, open to the river and Dinas Bran, thoroughly comfortable, and very moderate, kind landlady, Mrs. Ed- j 19 wards ; — Royal Hotel, close to the Bridge, also good. Llangollen, Pop. 4638, a town of whitewashed houses with slate roofs, contributes nothing to the beauty of the valley ; while the Dee, on winch it stands, here crossed by a 14th- centy. bridge of 4 pointed arches, for part of the year runs through one only, leaving a bare slatey bed without water to cover it. It is shut in on the 1ST. by grand limestone cliffs, in front of which rises a conical outlier of Silurian slate, crowned by the castle of Dinas Bran. Though small, it is a busy, well-to-do place, famous in particular for its brewery, its flan- nels, and its harper. The Welsh ale and Welsh airs may be simulta- neously enjoyed at the Hand, in the hall of which hostelry a harper wel- comes the coming and speeds the parting guest with c Jenny Jones’ or 6 Ar hyd y nos.’ The town itself is soon exhausted, but the beautiful excursions in the neighbouring hills make it a pleasant centre for a stay of some days. The Churchy dedicated to a saint with the name of Collen ap Grwynog ap Clyddwg ap Cowrda ap Caradoc Freichfras ap Llyr Merini ap Einion Yrth ap Cunedda Wledig, who was buried in it ; though for the most part modern, it has a good Perp. roof and a Dec. S.W. door, near which are buried the well-known “Ladies of Llangollen,” along with their faithful servant, in one grave, marked by a granite monument with 3 sides. On rising ground, 10 m. walk above the Ch., is Plas Neivydd (General Yorke) a small co tt age ornee, once the retreat of the same two maiden ladies, Lady Eleanor Butler, a member of the Ormonde family, and the Hon. Miss Ponsonby, of the Bessborougli family. In 1779 they came hither together in the heyday of their youth and charms, influenced only by a romantic attachment to each | other, which never was sundered, 20 Bte . 3 . — Llangollen — Bias Neivydd — Linas Bran. Wales. and a fancied desire to retire from the world. Here they set up their tent and lived together, neither “ the world forgetting ” nor “ by the world forgot,” amidst their books and flowers. An assiduous correspon- dence carried on with their literary and fashionable friends kept them al- ways au courant of the latest gossip and scandal of the outer world, and as their hermitage lay on the Holyhead mail road, it allowed many a passing friend to drop in upon them, such as young Arthur Wellesley on his way to embark for Spain, 1808. The costume which they adopted, though it seemed singular to strangers, was only that of the Welsh peasant women,— a man’s hat, a blue cloth gown or riding-habit, with short hair, uncurled and grey (undyed). After a happy friendship of 50 years Miss Butler died, 1829, aged 90, and Miss Ponsonbyin 1830 at the age of 78. Their house, now converted into a sort of Museum, is covered inside and out with black oak carvings and panels, the spoil of many a Welsh church, screens and reredoses, intermixed with parts of old bedsteads, collected by the ladies themselves, to which many objects have been added by the present possessor. The veteran officer who now owns Plas Newydd, has not only zealously preserved it with all its quaint decorations within and with- out, but has greatly added to its curiosities in the way of old furniture, pictures, painted glass, and sculpture — those in ivory executed by him- self. He lias, in fact, converted the house into a Museum of Yertu, a sort of Welsh .Strawberry Hill, for the which, as well as for the singular beauty of the spot, Plas Newydd is well worthy of a visit. Visitors pay a fee of 6 about 1 m. on the old road to Chirk, now a farmhouse, was an ancient seat of the 14th cent, belonging to the Mostyn family, to whom it descended from an ancestor, Tudor Trevor, who built the original mansion. Hence a very charming walk may be taken over the hills to the little village of Glyn Ceiriog, 3 m. from Llangollen. A straight path from the Bridge and over the Canal leads across fields in i an hour to the top of the steep conical slate hill on which stands Castell Dinas Bran. Theruins, re- duced to shapeless masonry, with no mouldings left, are not picturesque, but they occupy a grand position, 600 ft. above the Bee, on the verge of a nearly absolute precipice, while on the other side a cleft in the rock becomes a natural moat. The Eglwyseg Cliffs , rising up from a deep valley, form a grand background, and E. opens out the broad valley of the Bee, looking over Trevor Hall to Bliuabon and the Ely. Viaduct, with various towers and chimneys grouped ; S. rises the Berwyn range. The name Binas Brau may mean either “ Crow’s Castle,” or the fortress of the Chief (Bran), or of Bran, a mountain stream. Its origin is involved in great obscurity. Indeed but little is known of it at any time, except that it gave refuge to Gruffydd a]) Madoc when he fled from his countrymen’s righteous anger in consequence of his having deserted to the side of Henry III. ; and lastly, that it sustained an attack under Owain Glyndwr. Distances. — Bliuabon, 6 m. ; Buthin, 15 ; Corwen, 10 ; Valle Crucis, 2 ; Llandysilio, 3. Excursions. — a. Valle Crucis Abbey, 1} m., the best preserved monastic ruin in N. Wales, is situated in a retired and picturesque glen, running N. out of that of the Bee. The rly. leaves it on the rt. The road to it runs up the 1. side of the Bee, and the pedestrian may find it pleasant to follow at first the canal towing-path. At 2 m. from Llangollen the road turns rt. out of that to Llandysilio, N. Wales. Boute 3. — Valle Grucis Abbeij. ascends a steep rise which brings you in sight of the abbey. The name, it has been happily suggested, comes from the valley here assuming the shape of a cross, in its ground plan, as may be seen by any one looking down on it from the hill above. The most picturesque and perfect portion is the W. front of the Church, (E. Eng.), a pointed doorway, show- ing the tooth-moulding, surmounted by 3 tall lancets, and a wheel-window above, in the gable. On the external face, just below the wheel-window, is the inscription, 4- ADAM ABBAS FECIT HOC OPUS I PACE QUIESCAT AMA. The Abbey was of moderate size, and its site and plan conform to the rule of the Cistercian Order, for whom it was founded about 1200 by Madoc ap Gryffydd Maelor, Prince of Powys. The Ch. consisted of a nave of 5 bays and 2 aisles, a central tower now gone, transepts with chapels in their E. aisles, and a shallow chancel, once separated from the nave by a rood-screen, lighted at the E. end by 5 lancets while 2 side lancets flanked the high altar. Se- veral inscribed tombstones and stone coffins and fragments of the tracery of a stone screen are preserved. On the S. side of the Ch. there remains the Chapter House , stone vaulted and resting on 4 piers, now cleared out, but long used as farm- offices. The upper story, the old Dormitory, has a vaulted roof. This Chapter - house opened into the Cloister, now swept away ; it was lighted by a singular Flamboyant window, still very perfect, outside of which is an elegantly groined recess. Down the quiet valley, behind the abbey, runs a purling stream, dammed up to form a fishpond for the monks. The ruins, which were cleared out 1835 by Lord Dun- gannon and Mr. Wynne, now belong to Rice Wm. Thomas, Esq., of Coed 21 Helen, Carnarvon, and are well cared for. About \ m. above the Abbey is the Pillar of Eliseg , erected, according to the original inscription, now defaced, early in the 9th cent, by Concen or Cyngen, in memory of his great-grandfather Eliseg, perhaps descended from Brochmael, prince of Powys. The modern inscription records that it was thrown down and mutilated during the rebellion, and replaced in 1779, as it at present stands, by Mr. Lloyd of Trevor Hall. It was once 12 ft. high. The broken shaft is now reduced to 6 ft. 8 in., and stands on a tumulus, which, when opened some years ago, dis- closed a sepulchral chamber and a quantity of bones. From the Abbey a road continues N. up the vale to meet the Ruthin and Wrexham road, at the Crown Inn, near Llandegla (Rte. 11), 8 m. from Llangollen. The scenery is very beautiful, especially in the neighbour- hood of the slate- quarries and the pass of Bwlch Rhiw-felin. Instead of returning to Llangollen, strangers should by all means follow the road up the 1. bank of the Dee, passing Berwyn Inn, Bryntisilio, and Llandysilio, as far as Glyndyfr- dwy Bridge (see p. 22). It is the prettiest part of the Llangollen valley. Excursion h . — Down the Deevalley to Telford’s Aqueduct, Pont-y- Cysyll- tau and the Rly. Yiaduct. Here again the pedestrian will find the most pleasant way is to follow the Canal as far as Trevor Stat. (see above); after inspecting the Aqueduct, the journey may be continued (changing at Rliuabon to Chirk Stat., whence Chirk Castle may be visited — Rte. 1). Excursion c. — The pedestrian may climb up to the Eglwyseg Bocks, a range of limestone cliffs, and follow the road to “ World’s End,” where it terminates in a romantic cul-de- sac, where lime-kilns abound. Eg- lwyseg Manor-House (T. Jones, of 22 N. Wales. Boute 3 . — Llangollen to Corwen. Llanerclirugog, Esq.), stands here, in the heart of woods and hills, one of the most ancient houses in Wales. Notice, outside, stone window (12th cent.) and huge chimneys. A carved oak bedstead, traditionally called “Prince Llewelyn’ s,” is preserved here. Llangollen to Corwen . — Rail and road. By far the finest scenery of the Dee Talley lies above Llangollen. The river there makes some sweeping bends, which neither the rly. nor Telford Road adhere to closely. The traveller therefore should make a halt at 2 m. Berwyn Stat ., reached after crossing the Dee on a viaduct. From tliis stat., charmingly situated on a height above the river, you look down upon it and the picturesque small Inn (an angler’s resort), and the chain foot-bridge leading to it. Llandysilio village has an old Church (restored) with a good wooden roof, and a little further on is L. Hall, the mansion of W. B. Robertson, Esq. Berwyn Stat. is about 1 m. from Valle Crucis Abbey (see p. 21). Here begins the Shropshire Union or Ellesmere Canal , whose head- waters are derived from the Dee by means of a weir, and are conducted G m. lower down through the Aque- duct of Pont-y-Cysylltau. Llangollen valley here has all the elements of extreme beauty ; the wind- ing Dee, very finely wooded banks, and a surrounding of high mountains very picturesque in form. But its charms are lost to those who pass through in the train. To appreciate them, follow the Telford road for a mile, passing Pla9 Berwyn, seat of C. R. W. Tottenham, then cross the Dee by footbridge, and ascend the hills behind Berwyn Inn. Here on a sunny slope above the 1. bank of the Dee stands Bryntysilio , the residence of Lady Martin ( Helen Faucit) and Sir Thcodoro Martin, K.c.B., the biographer of the Prince Consort and translator of Horace and Catullus. It stands on the choicest spot in the valley, which it overlooks from its terraced gardens and heathery knolls, as far up as Corwen, with the river and village Ch. below, and the mountain outline above of Mocl y Gamelin. On quitting Berwyn Stat. the rly. traverses a tunnel ; views are hid by trees. To enjoy the scenery, w T alk or drive up 1. bank as far as Glyndyfrdwy Stat. Bridge over Dec. 1. The railway passes rt. a mound 30 ft. high, covered with trees, called Owain Glyndwr's Mount , supposed to have been the site of one of his strongholds. It is certain that he owned a large portion of this district, and it is said that on one spot on the Berwyns, above Corwen, he was accustomed to seat himself and survey more than 40 square m. of his patrimony. His very appellation, Glyndw'r or Glyn- dyfrdwy, was derived from the “ Glen of the waters of the Dee,” as his real name w r as Owain ap Grylfydd. He w’as, as Shakespeare makes him declare, “ brought up in the English court.” He was a witness in the Scrope and Grosvenor controversy, and was a personal attendant on King Richard II., wlien that monarch was betrayed into the hands of Boling- broke. The river separated his domain from that of Lord Grey of Ruthin, who claimed the hills to the N. of the Dee as his property ; and although a law r suit settled the case in favour of Glyndw’r, Henry IV. so manifestly took the part of Lord Grey, that the quarrel was constantly fomented, and attacks and reprisals perpetually car- ried on, to the great destruction of life and property. Upon the at- tainder of Ow ain Glyndwr, the manor of Glyndyfrdwy was sold by Henry IV. to a 2nd son of Salis- bury of Bacliymbyd. Carrog Stat., another Dec bridge. . Wales. Boute 3 . — Comen — Llandrillo. 23 As the rly. ascends, the valley ecomes more open, shallow, and ime in scenery. 14 m., on the opposite hank of the >ee, is the pretty village of Llan - cntffraid , and the Grouse Inn. 16 m. Corwen Junct. Stat. Rte. 11) {Inns: Owain Glyndwr ; rown), a quiet little town, Pop. bout 3000, consists of one long fcreet, which derives its importance •orn its situation at the junction of Railroads to Llangollen, Buthin, and >ala. For fishermen, too, it is a apital station, but the general tourist /ill not find much to detain him. It 3 situated immediately at the foot f Moel Ferna (2050 ft.), the most Lortherly eminence of the Berwyn ange ; but though the valley is very >retty, it is rather monotonous and ar from attaining the beauty of jlangollen. Caer Drewyn , 1 m. listant, is a large fortified post on he 1. bank of the Dee, surrounded by circle of loose stones. On the >pposite side of the river, behind lotel and church, is Pen-Pigin , a ofty hill, from summit of which, narked by a flagstaff, there is a •apital view of the vale of Corwen in •etrospect, with the Eglwyseg hills tndCastell Dinas Bran in the distance, md far away to N. the familiar height >f Moel Fammau, near Denbigh. The Church , restored by Mr. Ferrey, 1871, who added the S. lisle, has a fine old roof, and con- ;ains, in N. chancel aisle, a monu- mental semi-effigy to Sulien, at one oime a vicar of Corwen. The upper md lower parts of the figure are n relief; the intermediate portion of the monument is flat, having the ecclesiastical vestments expressed by mcised lines only. In the cli. wall is in incised cross called the Sword of Glyndwr, and part of a fine ch.-yd. eross. There is in Corwen an Alms- house, founded in 1709 by Mr. Ey- ;on, for 6 widows of Merionethshire elergymen. Distances. — Blys. to Llangollen, 10 m. ; Buthin, 12 ; and Denbigh Bala, 12 — by Yale of Edeyrnion, 13; Pentrevoelas, 15 ; Cerrig-y-Drudion, 10 ; Wrexham, 21. At Corwen, Telford’s Great Holy- head Boad turns away from the Dee valley by Cerrig-y-Drudion and Pentrevoelas to Bettws-y-Coed and Bangor (Bte. 13). Pail. — Coriven to Pala and Dol- gelley. The rly. to Dolgelley follows the rt. bank of the Dee, the valley here known as the vale of Edeyrnion. In the Hafod quarries carboniferous limestone fossils abound. 21 m., at the village of Llandrillo Stat. {Inn: the Dudley Arms), a road on 1. ascends the glen of the Afon Dinam, to join at 3 m. that bleakest of all bleak mountain-roads, the Millirgerig, which crosses the Berwyns between Bala and Llanfyllin (Bte. 27). An excursion of about 9 m. may be made from Llandrillo to Pistyll Phaiadr Waterfall , above Llanrhaiadr Mochnant (Bte. 26 a). 22 m. the Dee is very closely ap- proached as the valley contracts, the railroad winding at the foot of a brow of great height covered with wood. 23 m. 1. Crogen (a seat of Earl Dudley). At 23| m. cross the Dee at Llandderfel Stat. Bridge. A little away from the river is the village of Llandderfel. The Church is a specimen of Late Perp., about the time of Henry VIII., and contains a good screen ; also a curious wooden horse in a recumbent position, known as St. Dervel’s horse, which, together with the saint’s staff, still preserved, used to be held in great veneration. On 1. is Fronhaulog (Dr. Bichards), and on the opposite bank Pale (H. Bobertson, Esq., M.P., a modern re- sidence on the site of the old house). From Llanderfel it is 10 m. to Llan- gynog. Soon after passing Llanderfel Stat. 24 Route 3 . — Bala — Bala Lake. the valley almost closes, and at Ca- lettwr it finishes with a nobly-wooded eminence, above which soars the vast mass of the Arennigs. 29 m, Bala Junct . Stat. is J m. distant from the town. Omnibuses thither, passing the lower end of lake, here dammed up by Telford’s weir made to regulate the supply of water to the Ellesmere Canal. It is a pleasant walk commanding one of the best views of Bala Lake, in- cluding Cader Idris, S.W., the Aren- nigs, W., and the Aran Hills, S. Bala lias another Stat. for the Eestiniog Rly. 28 m. Bala (Inns : * White Lion, very comfortable ; Plascoch, fair ; Bull). Bala is a regularly -built town of one long, broad street, with others intersecting it at right angles. Knitting is a favourite employment of most of the country folk, and the hands of the old women coming to market are rarely unoccupied. Bala shares with Dolgelley the assize business of the county of Merioneth. The town itself has no history at- tached to it. A Tomen , or tumulus, by the side of the road, at the en- trance of the town from the Stat., is supposed to be of Homan origin, but is probably a more ancient moot-liill , or place of assembly. It is accessible by a winding path, and the key is kept at a cottage near the Green. Christ Ch., on the Festiniog road, is a neat modern Gothic building. Bala possesses a good grammar- school, and a College for Calvinistic Methodists, established in 1837 in honour of the Rev. Thomas Charles, one of the most shining lights that Welsh Dissent ever produced, to whom a marble Statue , by a Welsh artist, lias been erected in front of the chapel. He was one of the founders of the B. and F. Bible Society. There are also two Inde- pendent Colleges, at which young men are educated for that ministry. This district has ever been a strong- N. Wales. hold of Methodism. It has been equally celebrated for the beauty of. its women. Lord Lyttleton declared “ that he saw here the prettiest girls he ever beheld ! ” Bala Lake. Bala is situated at the foot of Bala Lake, Llyn Tegid , or JPimhlemere, for by all these names is this fine sheet of water, the largest in Wales, known. The latter appellation is derived from Pum Plwyf, or the “ lake of the 5 parishes,” which border it. It is in length somewhat under 4 m., more tliaii -£ m. in breadth, and occupies a fair valley, whose direction is from S.W. to Jtf.E. The horizon is bounded by the summits of the^ Berwyns on the S.E., the Arennigs N.W., and their subordinate hills. It is a fine large sheet of water, but owing to the distance of the mountains and the gentle slope of intervening hills, its scenery is tame. It has a delta at either end. The circuit round its shores by road is a walk of 10 m., but at the S. end the pedestrian may halve the distance by taking the Rail (see below) at Llanuwclillyn Stat. On the S. the river Dyfrdwy enters the lake, and has been sup- posed to be identical with the Dee, which emerges from the lower end. The tradition states that the waters of the Dee do not mix with those of the lake — “ That when Dee in his course falnein her lap would lie Commixtrous with her store, his strearae slice doth deny. By his complexion prov’d, as he through her doth glide, Her wealth ajzain from his shec likewise doth divide.” — Drayton. A similar legend is told of the Rhone, in the Lake of Geneva, and various others. The depth of Llyn Tegid at Bryngoleu, about the middle, is 138 ft. Before Telford’s regu- lation weir converted the lake into a reservoir, the effect of a strong wind from the W. blowing contin* k-' CADER IDRIS DOLGELLY AND Barmouth. i afod-uchaf $ Keseilgwruyn^awr ^ ^ Ffridd-Hdu' ;/Hdidre-furinn ' iv.Tyn^y-cbinelv V&fpfr jtfir i Hi rhud( I V. s‘ < ' Jioedd ^Sf -y-mawddaci • aiitt-feefian Iryn-br! Pared-y-cefnhlrvj Mytiydd Gader ■fTy’n-y grai fon Morfa /nydd Mot Rhiw-gyriejJ^dd Tap-y Coffyl Ufolly’r O? ZT'/Mynydd- (f y-fronfraith , tgy-Cau !ralg Cwm- )lly’r Pennant TwW-yr*ogof t> a Statute Mile. N. Wales. 25 Boute 3 . — Bala to Dolgelley. uously was to raise the waters in the Dee. Hence Tennyson’s allusion in 4 Geraint and Enid ’ : — « Filled all the genial courses of his blood With deeper and with ever deeper love, At the South-west that blowing Bala lake Fills all the sacred Dee.” Alas for the Poet’s imagery ! at the present day the Shropshire Union Canal Co. has usurped, in part at least, the functions of the West wind in filling the bed of the Dee. The Grwyniad is a fish peculiar to these waters, and caught nowhere else in Wales. It is so called from the whiteness of it’s scales, belongs to the Salmonidse, and is a species of the genus Coregonus (C.fera). It is very wary, and keeps mostly to the deep waters. The lake affords capital trout of large size, perch from j to | lb., roach and eels, also some mag- nificent pike. The right of fishing belonged to the monks of Basingwerk Abbey, but now to Sir Watkin H. Wynn, Bart., who has a shooting villa, Gian Llyn, on the N. side : he is liberal in giving permission to fish. Boats on the lake are kept by the landlords of the White Lion and the Plas-coch. j Excursions from Bala. § a. To the Arennig Mountains, by Festiniog Bly. (Bte. 21), and to Dinas Maw- ddwy and Aran Benllyn (Bte. 23). b. To Bistyll Rhaiadr Waterfall (Bail to Llanderfel Stat. thence to Llangynog 12 m.) in the heart of the Berwyn chain (Bte. 26 a). On the N. shore of the lake, 2 m. from Bala, is RJiiwaedog (bloody brow), an old seat of the Lloyds, now belonging to Mr. Price of Bhillas, retaining its old furniture. The geology of this district is very interesting. “The sandstones, slates, and limestones are the ab- solute equivalents of the Caradoc shelly sandstone in Shropshire. The chief limestone of this group exposed in low hills near the town and lake of Bala is so impure that it is now never used for burning, and, dwindling away to the S.S.W., is lost among the slaty strata. The fossils are identical with those im- bedded in the flanks of Caer Cara- doc.” — Siluria. Railways to Festiniog 19 m. (Bte. 21), to Llangollen. Cor wen, 13 m.; Llyn Arennig, 6J ; Llandrillo, 8 ; Dinas Mawddwy, 18 ; Llangollen, 22 ; Tan-y-Bwlch, 22. Bala to Dolgelley , 18 m. — Rail. There are good carriage roads along either side of Bala Lake. The Bly. to Dolgelley runs parallel with that along the E. shore. On the opposite bank may be seen the village of Llanycil, and several country seats, including Gian Llyn, a shooting-box of Sir Watkin Wynn, Bart., who has a private station on the rly. Llanuwchllyn Stat. {Inn: Goat) In the Ch., rebuilt 1872, is a monu- ment of a knight in armour, 1370, whose duty it was to escort the Judges of Assize, and protect them from banditti in the mountains. In this parish, under Duallt hill, rise the Dee. 2 m. N. Caergos, site of a Boman Stat. 1. A road from this to Dinas Maw- ddwy, 13 m., and Mallwyd crosses the Aran Mtns. by the Pass of Bwlcli- y-Groes(Bte. 23). The rly. next ascends the bleak and dreary valley of the Dyfrdwy, the chief feeder of Bala Lake and of the Dee, taking its source from the summits of the Aran Benllyn, which rises on the 1. of the line, to a height of 2955 ft. The rly. reaches its sum- mit level and the watershed, where the streams part, E. for the Dee at Chester, and W. for the Bay of Barmouth at Drws-y-Nant Stat. f m. from this is an Inn well known to anglers. The ascent of Aran Mawddwy can be made from this. The valley of the Wnion is hence- forth followed through 9 miles of 2G Route 3. — Dolgelley — The Torrent Walk . N. Wales. romantically wooded country, with occasional glimpses of the fine out- line of Cader Idris, which is especially well seen near Bont Xewydd Stat ., near a bridge over the Wnion, and not far from (1.) Caerynwch (seat of Mrs. Richards), in whose grounds is “ the Torrent Walk” (see p. 27), and Dolserau (Chas. Edwards, Esq.), whilo the heights on the rt. are occupied by the Park of Nannau, seat of the Yaughans (see p. 27). Dolgelley Junct. Stat., close to the stone Bridge over the Wnion, lead- ing to the town. This stat. is shared bet ween the Gt. Western and Cam- brian Rlys. Inns: — there is great want of a good Inn — near the stat., Golden Lion ; — Ship, in the Market- place, small, but perhaps the best ; civil people. Dolgelley (the Dale of the Hazel Groves), Pop. 2800, the chief place in Merioneth, is a dull town of grey stone houses, but placed in the "midst of the most beautiful scenery in Wales, surrounded by mountains of great grandeur, the chief of them, Cader Idris, rising at its back. It is the centre of many charming excursions, to explore which may occupy several days. It con- tains nothing of great interest, unless the tourist be content to admire the County Gaol, the Shire Hall, the National Schools, and 4 or 5 large Dissenting places of worship. It has lost its one historic relic. An old rough stone, tumble-down house, that stood near the Ship Inn, known by tradition as Owen Glen - dower's Parliament-house. It was really the residence of Baron Owen, who was murdered by the Mawddwy banditti* The Church is a very plain modern building, attached to an old tower, its roof supported on wooden posts. It retains a stone effigy of a knight in hauberk and hood of chain-mail, in the fashion of 13th cent., Maurice son of Ynyr, an ancestor of the Yaughans of Nannau. Here is also a mont. to Baron Richards. Old Fuller quaintly describes Dol- gellcy as “having walls 3 miles high,” by which he implied that it was surrounded by mountains : also that men must enter it over the water and leave it under the water. The latter enigma is explained by there being a path leading out of the town which is carried under a water- trough from a mill. A considerable trade is carried on in the manufacture of a coarse kind of woollen cloth, which goes by the name of ‘ Welsh Webs;' this, together with currying and tanning, gives em- ployment to a good number of people. The woollen goods manufactured by ‘John Meyrick Jones,’ of this town, enjoy a reputation far beyond the limits of the Principality. The assizes are held here alternately with Bala. Railways . — To Bala and Llan- gollen (Chester and Shrewsbury), Rte.3 — to Barmouth (10 m.),Rte. 3 a, leading to Machynlleth, Harlech, Portmadoc, and Caernarvon (Rte. 3 a-24). Walks. — These are numerous, varied, and very pleasing. § a. The banks of the Aran stream descending from the hill at the back of the town, which turns the wheels of several cloth and fulling mills, past Pandy Mill, deserve exploring, and tho artist may find in it and the follow- ing many subjects for his pencil. Just beyond the bridge and Stat., on tho right bank of the river, a cartway strikes up the hill, close to tho Rly. Stat., which leads to a field-path, commanding lovely views of Cader Idris. If tho path be followed, you can descend by it to tho ruins of Cy miner Abbey l in the vale of Mawdd- ach (see Rte. 22). The Torrent Walk. About m. E. of Dolgelley, the Bala Rly. crosses a small stream which falls into Jihc Wnion near Pont Ncwydd Stat. A N. Wales. Route 3. — Nannau and the Precijoice Walk. well-kept path, carried on rude steps and terraces, up a shady glen about 1 m. long, is the Torrent Walk, through scenes picturesque, but not of the highest order. It is reached from Dolgelley by following the Machynlleth road and taking a cart- road on L, which leads to the mouth of the glen. The mountain stream tumbles among boulder stones, rocks, stunted oaks, and fern brakes, until it falls into the Wnion. It forms part of the grounds of Caerynwch, and as the owner liberally admits strangers, they are in duty bound to refrain from any trespass, such as rooting up the ferns or damaging the walk or seats. At the end of a mile there is an outlet into the high road near a lodge, about 1 m. from the Cross Foxes Inn (see Rte. 28), and about 2j m. from Dolgelley. Excursions . — § a. To Cymmer Abbey, in the Yale of the Mawddach (see Rte. 22), about 2f m. by high road, passing Hengwert, or 1J m. by footpath mentioned above, crossing bhe Rly. bridge and turning 1. up the bill across fields. Cymmer Abbey ls on the road to Tyn-y-Groes Inn , 5 m., and the Waterfalls , 3 or 4 more, rrossing the Bridge over Mawddach river at Blaneltyd, and ascending die valley by road on rt. bank (for description see Route 22). § A — To Nannau and the Precipice Wall. Stretching over the hill tops n the angle between the valley of the Wnion and that of the Mawddach, ixtend the wild park, woods, and leaths of Nannau , 3 m. N., the seat )f John Yaughan, Esq., inherited rom the late Sir Robert W. Yaughan, Bart. The road to it, turning rt. ifter crossing Dolgelley Bridge, is an iscent all the way, and, after passing die lodge and a rude arch, leads dir o ugh a natural dingle of forest- ;rees to the mansion, a modern edifice, built of very dark stone, but ts situation is fine, on the top of a lare precipitous hill. Here was once 27 the residence of Howel Sele, the relation, though bitter enemy, of Owain Grlyndwr. In the park, not far from the house, a sun-dial marks the spot where stood an oak of 27 ft. girth, which was destroyed by lightning in 1813, bearing the name of the Spirit's Blasted Tree , from the following legend : — The Abbot of Cymmer endeavoured to reconcile Owain Grlyndwr with Howel Sele, and for this purpose got them to meet together in Nannau Park. The interview, however, had a tragical end, for, whether by treachery, or in a moment of passion, Owain shot Howel to the heart with an arrow. The victim’s body he then hid in this hollow tree. Notwithstanding every search, Howel’ s body was not found for more than 40 years after. The spot even now is looked upon with dread by superstitious country- folk, who consider it to be the resort of evil spirits. It is men- tioned in Walter Scott’s c Marmion,’ and Lord Lytton has selected it as the scene of his romance of Arthur : — “ Of evil fame was Nannau’ s antique tree, Yet styled the hollow oak of Demonrie.” S. of the house the mountain called Moel Cynwch, towers above the vale of the Mawddach, and at its foot lies a small tarn, Llyn Cynwch, 3 minutes’ walk from the house. Leaving this lake on the 1. and crossing a stile, a path will be found leading (rt.) round the shoulder of Moel Cynwch. This emerges into the Precipice Walk , carried at a dizzy height above the Mawddach valley, over rock, turf, and screes, in places not more than 2 ft. wide, along the face of the precipice. The view from this is superb, N. over the Snowdon range, with Tyn-y-Grroes in the depth below. (It may be reached from this by a steep descent ; no path.) To the W . rises Rliobell, and 1. of it the estuary of the Mawddach gradually opens out — as 28 Route 3. — Coder Idris — Llyn-y-Cau. N. Wales. far as Barmouth railway bridge and the sea. To the S. Cader Idris ap- pears in its full length and height. The path is continued round the back of the hill to Cynwcli Pool and the archway and entrance lodge to the park, where carriages may be put up in a shed. Or the pedestrian may descend upon Llanelltyd Bridge and Cymmer Abbey (p. 137). The walk will occupy about 3 hrs., 8 m. from Dolgelley. Cars or ponies may be taken as far as the Lodge, or may be sent round to meet the travellers at Llanelltyd Bridge. § c. — The drive to Barmouth, 10 m. by road, is one of the most beautiful in Wales, and its beauties are hid from those who take the rly. train. The new Towyn road is followed as far as the wooden bridge over Mawdd- ach, at Penmaen Pool Stat. This shortens the distance to Barmouth by 1 m. (see Rte. 3a). § d. Cader Idris. The excursion par excellence , which every visitor to Dolgelley makes, is of course to the summit of Cader Idris (about 6^ m.), which towers directly over the town to a height of 2929 ft. (See Special Map.) “ Idris that, like warrior old, His batter'd and fantastic helmet rears, Scattering the elements’ wrath, frowns o’er his way A broad irregular duskiness .” — MU man. This magnificent mountain ridge runs in a direct ion from E.N.E. to W.S.W., presenting to the N. a rugged broken line of precipices 4 m. long. On the S. side the escarpments arc confined to the upper or eastern end, secondary and less broken ranges succeeding and filling up the large area between Towyn and Barmouth ; indeed the outliers of Cader Idris may be said to extend to the Dyfi. Guide's charge is 5*. ; ponies can be obtained for 11*., including a guide or boy to lead them. The same precautions about fogs and clouds extend to the ascent of this moun- tain that are detailed under the head of Snowdon, but to a very much less degree ; and if the weather is tolerably tine no moderate pedes- trian need fear to ascend alone. There are several tracks, any one of which may be followed ; but the most direct route is by the old or mountain road to Towyn for about 2 m. At 2 m. rt. is Llyn Gwernan (Inn), after reaching which a stile over the wall on the 1. gives access to a path, leading without difficulty to a small lake called Llyn-y-gafr. Above this arises a steep but easily climbed bluff to Llyn-y-yader , a very deep tarn placed at the foot of the Cader in a magnificent amphitheatre of cliffs, up which at first appear- ance there does not seem any hope of making a way. There is an echo here, which repeats in a mar- vellously clear manner. The way now lies up a very fatiguing and steep path of debris and broken stones, known as Llwybyr Cadnaw r or ‘The Foxes* Path,’ which ne- cessitates care and the free use of hands and feet. The guides usuallv descend this path instead of ascend- ing. Once upon the smooth turf again, it is easy walking to Pen- y-gader, the highest point of the range (said to be 2929 ft.), where there is a large Ordnance cairn and a rude hut of colossal stones built by the guides. It will not bear com- parison with the Snowdon huts, as the state of the interior is such that it would take the wildest weather to induce a visitor to tenant it for half-an-hour. The 2 other eminences are on each side the Cader ; they arc the Mvnydd Moel, near Dolgelley, and Tyrrau Mawr on the W. A few minutes* walking from the Cader will bring the pedes- trian to the brink of the cliff’s over- hanging IJyn-y-Cau, a tarn, shut in by the fearfully steep cliffs and a narrow corrie, which, though on ft smaller scale, is about the grande- 1 N. Wales. Route 3 . — Cader Idris. 29 bit of scenery on the mountain. Both this lake and Llyn-y-gader are said to nourish the Welsh char, or torgoch in their waters. A decent cragsman may carefully descend the gullies to the banks of the lake and make his way down to Tal-y-Llyn ; but the most general route for visiting it is from Minffordd or Ty’n-y- Cornel. The vieio from the summit of Cader Idris on a clear day is one from which it is very difficult to tear oneself. It is of course not so extensive as from Snowdon. To the IN’, the most conspicuous points are the promontory of Lleyn, with Carn Madryn and Yr Eifl (or Rivals) in bold jagged outline ; then come Moel Hebog and the peak of Moel-y- Wyddfa, a little to the 1. of which Anglesey is seen filling up the hiatus. To these succeed Moel Siabod, Moelwyn, and the Festiniog range ; the Arennigs, with the broad lake of Bala at their feet, backed up with the Clwydian range and Moel Fammau, in the extreme distance. Southwards we have the coast of Pembrokeshire, St. David’s Head, and the long line of Cardigan Bay; while more inland the long rounded ridges of the Montgomeryshire chains, including Plinlymmon and the Long Mountain, succeed each other like so many gigantic waves. At our feet we have Barmouth and the estuary of the Mawddacli, backed up by the lofty ridge of Llawlech and the Rhinogs, Trawsfynydd, and the valleys of the Eden and the Wnion. The views, like all Welsh mountain- scenes, depend very much on the weather and the lights and shades. The visitor, if fortunate, may obtain such a view as he will never forget, or he may have his walk for almost nothing. Geolo- gically considered, Cader Idris is an igneous rock, principally composed of amygdaloidal greenstone, “that slopes down the mountain towards Llyn-y-Cau. Under it are masses of felspathic trap and long lines of greenstone, interbedded with altered slate, forming the steep H. cliff of the mountain, and overlooking the high valley between the cliff and Llyn-y-gader, which is itself formed almost entirely of felspathic ashes and conglomerate, with interbedded lines of greenstone, the whole dip- ping under the igneous rocks of the cliffs.” —Ho,msay. The Lingula flags underlie these. The geologist who gazes from the summit of the Cader cannot fail to be struck with the difference of the view 1ST. and S. On the S. we have long rolling hills, with smooth swelling outlines, through which numbers of valleys have been excavated. These are the lower Silurian rocks of the Cara- doc or Bala age. To the N. are broken rugged outlines, jagged peaks, and serrated ridges rising sharply and definedly into the sky. These mountains have been formed of repeated interstratifica- tions of slate and felspathic traps and greenstone, which have been greatly disturbed and thrown into synclinals and anticlinals. The softer slate-beds have been worn away by denudation, while the harder igneous rocks have resisted the action and stand out in bold relief. The pedestrian who does not de- scend by the Foxes’ Path may be recommended to follow the shoulders, as they incline towards the Machyn- lleth road to the S.E. Yery beau- tiful views of Tal-y-Llyn are ob- tained by this route. After about Ij m. walking, a small tarn, Llyn Aran, is seen under the cliffs, from which the little river Aran runs direct to Dolgelley. As soon as prac- ticable the descent should be made, and the river followed through a very picturesque ravine ; the path brings you into the town, underneath the “runninge water” of which old Fuller speaks. The ascent takes from 3 to 4 hours. 30 N. Wales. Route 3 . — Dolgelley to Barmouth . ROUTE 3a. DOLGELLEY TO BARMOUTH. 94 m. rail; 4 trains daily in 1J to 2 In's. This railway belongs to the Cambrian Company, but uses the same stat. as the Gt. Western. It crosses, on quitting Dolgelley, the Wnion, a little above its junction with the Mawddacli, and continues along its S. side as far as Barmouth ; splendid views are obtained N. and S., but they arc better seen from the liigh road. Penmaen Pool Stat. A convenient bridge, built by the railway com- pany, crosses the river from the stat., replacing a ferry, and leads into the Mawddacli valley, as well as to Barmouth. Below this the river expands into a broad estuary, which, though nearly dry at low tide, presents the appearance of a broad lake at high water. Arthog Stat., near a small village. Inn : Arthog Hall Hotel, standing on a height near a wooded dell, up which runs a pleasant walk, entered from the hotel grounds, enlivened by pretty waterfalls. Views of Bar- mouth, the Estuary, and Diphwys Mountain, N. ; a part of the range of Cadcr Idris, S. [The ascent of Cader Idris can be made from this, passing an old house, Liya Bradwyn, and crossing the Towyn road about G m. from Dolgelley.] Between the broad estuary of the Mawddacli and the sea stretches the long Railway Bridge, of wood, except at the N. end, where it is of iron, and opens with a lift to allow vessels to pass. It is ^ m. long, and is pro- vided with a way for foot-passengers (toll 2 d.), as well as for the trains. Near its S. extremity is Barmouth Junct. Stat., where the Dolgelley line falls into that from Towyn, Machynlleth, and Aberyst- wyth to Harlech, 10 m., and Caer- narvon (ltte. 24). A change of trains is often necessary here, invol- ving a considerable delay. Dolgelley to Barmouth by Road is preferable to the railway, because it commands better views of the scenery, which is truly enchanting with fine weather and at high water. Instead of taking the old road past Dolgelley Bridge and station, it is better to quit Dolgelley by the Lower Towyn road, leading to the Bridge at Penmaen Pool Stat. Here the river Mawddach is crossed someway below its junction witli the Wnion, rt. Our rdrSad here turns 1., running along the base of well - 'wooded heights studded with pretty country seats with the river on the 1. About 5 m. from Dolgelley, high up on the hill above the Mawddacli Valley, rises the chimney of the Gold Mine of Vigra Clog an, the property of the Crown. The gold occurs in quartz lodes, traversing the Lingula Flags formation; but they arc sterile except in the neighbour- hood of intrusive rocks (diabase). The mine produced in 1860, 163/. ; in 1861, 6030/.; in 1862, 24,000/.; (6,181 oz., from 620 tons of vein stuff)* or an average of about 2,500/. per annum down to 1867. At present the yield is very small. At Bonddu is the Halfway House Hotel, and near it are the scats of S. Holland, Esq., M.P., Caerdeon and Bryntirion , W. J. Beale, Esq. The drive from this to Barmouth N. Wales. Monte 4. — Chester. 31 along a road partly terraced in the rock, admirably shaded with fine trees, overlooking the broad estuary of the Mawddach, backed by the range of Cader Idris, and terminating in the sea beyond the Ely. Viaduct, is not to be surpassed for beauty in all Wales. Barmouth Stat., about J m. from the Ely. Bridge. Inns : Corsygedol Arms ; Barmouth H., a large house near the stat. ; Lion (commercial). Post Office . — Letters to and from London 3 times daily. 'English Service on Sunday at St. David’s and at Caerdeon Ch. House Agent. — James Kynock, private hotel and restaurant, High St., may be consulted about lodgings. Barmouth (Welsh, Abermaw) stands in the angle between the estuary of the Mawddach and the sea, at the end of a high, slate promontory of the Llawllech hills. The small houses of the old town clustering, tier above tier against the cliff, are nearly elbowed out of sight by tall modern streets and villas, which occupy the foreshore. Its sheltered position, fine mountain views, with the Mawddach, a wide salt lake at high water, an expanse of sand at low, and a beach well suited for bathing, make it an attractive watering-place for winter as well as summer. Its great drawback is the plague of sand wafted from the shore, at times filling the air. The Eafiway Bridge across the estuary (see p. 30) forms an ad- mirable Promenade from which the view of the sea, the river, and sur- rounding mountains is well seen. Walks and Excursions . — The hills behind the town afford many, com- manding fine views ; the numerous footpaths are approached by stone steps from the centre of the town and from a lane behind the Corsy- gedol Arms. The Panorama Walk , a sort of natural terrace above the road to Dolgelley, and affording similar but more extensive prospects, is 2 m. distant, and is best reached by a steep lane at the end of Pork- ington Terrace. Prom it you may descend to the Dolgelley Eoad, and return to Barmouth, total distance 4«.j m. N.B. — The Drive along the Dol- gelley Poad , at high water, is one of the most lovely in Wales. Cader Idris, with its rugged outlines and deep czvmSj is the striking feature in the views. § b. To Llanaber , the Parish Ch. of Barmouth (see Ete. 24), 1J m. § c. To Corsygedol House (Ete. 24). EOUTE 4.’ CHESTER TO BANGOR, BY FLINT, RHYL, ABERGELE, CONWAY [LLAN- DUDNO], PENMAENMAWR, AND ABER. Chester Junction Stat., a spacious edifice, cost about 230,000Z. Rail- ways to Bangor, 60 m., and Holy- head, 84 m. (Irish Mail) ; to Liver- pool by Birkenhead, 16 m. ; to Liver- pool by Euncorn ; to Crewe, 21 in., and London, 187 m. ; to Warrington; to Manchester, 21 m. ; to Wrexham, 11 m. ; Ehuabon and Oswestry ; to Ehuabon, Shrewsbury, 42 m. ; to Whitchurch, Wem, and Shrewsbury ; to Mold, 13 m., and Denbigh; to Llangollen, 24 m. Inns: The Queen’s Hotel at the stat. belongs to L. & N. W. Ey. Co. ; G-rosvenor H.,in Eastgate ; both first class, but expensive. Post horses and waggonettes kept. 32 N. Wales. Route 4. — Chester — The Roics. Post Office in St. John’s Street. Lunch rooms and pastry cook, Bolland, Eastgate, Row. Chester (Pop. 36,788), a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, stands on the rt. bank of the river Dee, which nearly encircles it, on the high- way between London and Dublin, and is a centre of great thorough- fares to Liverpool, Manchester, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Ac. It is also one of the portals leading into N. Wales. It is a very ancient city, occupying the site of the Roman Leva , called also Castra Legion is, from the XXtli Legion, posted here, and it was styled by the Brttons, Caer Leon. Its ground-plan of four main streets meeting in the centre is the usual arrangement of Roman camps and towns. Besides being a place of commerce and traffic, and a seaport on the Dee, it possesses many objects of interest to the stranger in its ancient Walls which still surround the old town, and offer an agreeable circuit walk ; in the Rows and some old houses , as well as in its Cathedral and Norman Ch. of St. John outside the walls. The visitor to Chester, by taking a cab or the convenient Tram-car at the stat., will pass quickly through half a mile of monotonous modern suburb, and may be set down at the archway leading into the old town by the Eastgate. He will have the Cathedral on his rt., or he may con- tinue on to the crossing where the 4 streets meet. Northgate-street on the rt. will lead him to the Town- hall and W. front of the Cathedral. Bridge-street, running S., will con- duct him to the Castle and Grosvenor Bridge. Near the Crossing of the 4 streets, and especially in Watergate and Bridge-streets, there are some of the oldest and most picturesque houses, and here are to be seen *The Rows , the peculiar feature of the streets of Chester. These are covered ways formed by throwing open the front first floors of the houses in the 4 main streets, leaving only pillars to support them, and allowing the public free passage through them. They are lined with shops, which are the best in Chester. Beneath this covered way is another row of shops, on a level with the street. The most picturesque of the old timber-framed houses have carved gables and beams, some showing that particular style of ornamented plaster-work known as “ pargetting,” in which the patterns are raised or indented upon it. Many shops have been rebuilt in the same antique fashion. One of these old tenements is on the S. side of Watergate-street, and has carved on a beam “ God’s Providence is mine inheritance, 1652,” alluding to the time when the plague devastated the city, the inhabitants of this house being almost the only oiles who escaped. In the same street, lower down, is Bishop Lloyd's residence, 1615, of which the whole front is enriched with carvings of scriptural subjects and armorial bear- ings. Another ornamented house, known as the Palace of the Stanley family , 1591, is approached through a narrow passage nearly opposite Trinity Ch. In Bridge-street No. 117, are a Hijpocaust and remains of a Roman sweating bath, in a cellar under- neath the shop. It is minutely described by Pennant (‘ Tours in Wales,* Vol. I. iii. 12). A Gothic vault or crypt with an E. E. doorway was also discovered in 1830 in the same street. *The Cathedral stands in the angle between Eastgate and North- gate ; and the best view of it is from the city walls. The original ch. was in the 10th cent, dedicated to St. Wcrburgh. In its place was founded, about 1100, a Benedic- tine abbey which Instcd till 1541 PLAN OF CITY of Chester. To face page 32 ' . N. Wales. Route 4 . — Chester Cathedral . 33 when it became the cathedral of the see of Chester, founded by Henry VIII. and endowed with the abbey revenues, amounting to 1073Z. Though not ranking in size among the first class of English cathedrals, it is full of interest and has parts of great beauty. It was unfortunately built of a perishable quality of New Red Sandstone, which had become so thoroughly dilapidated in process of time, that few of the stones touched at the angles, and the masonry looked like a pile of cannon-balls. This is the justification of the very extensive restoration and repairs made under the care of Sir Gilbert Scott, and undertaken 1870-78 at the sugges- tion, and completed through the exer- tions, of Dean Howson. The faulty masonry has been replaced by sound stone from Runcorn quarries, and many other needful repairs have been made, besides much internal enrich- ment, at a total cost of 90,000Z. By the S. W. porch, or by the great W. door, approached from the Mar- ket-Place through the Abbot's battle- mented Gateway , the nave is entered by a descent of 2 flights of steps. It is 145 ft. long ; its main arcade (Dec., 14th cent.) supports a tall Perp. clerestory). The piers and walls at the W. end enclose parts of the original Norm. Cli., and other frag- ments are visible in the cloisters. The wooden roof of the central nave and the stone vaulting of its aisles are modern. Similar to the nave in style and date is the very long S. transept, formerly shut off from the eh., and used as the Parish Ch. of St. Oswald. The very short N. transept is closed by the Organ , raised on an elaborately carved Gothic loft, sup- ported by superb marble pillars brought from Italy, the gift of the Duke of Westminster, who, with other natives and landowners of Cheshire, contributed liberally to the restoration of this cathedral. [V. Wales.'] Behind the organ is the monument, a marble altar-tomb, with recumbent effigy of Bishop Pearson, author of “ The Exposition of the Creed,” one of the worthies of this cathedral. The N. transept and nave and aisles adjoining show interesting frag- ments of the Norm. Ch., and in the Vestry is a chest bound with elegant hammered scroll work of iron. The Choir of 5 bays is E. Eng. and part Dec. ; it is 78 ft. high and 123 ft. long. It owes much of its effect to the beauty of the tabernacle work and carving of the Stalls , which have been freed from the paint which covered them, and are not surpassed in any other cathedral. Ohs. the carving of Scripture subjects, show- ing considerable artistic skill, espe- cially near the Dean’s stall : the Stem of Jesse is a good sample of 15th-cent. work. The Bishop's Throne is a very creditable modern work, as is also the Pulpit , the gift of the Freemasons of Chester. The altar is composed of rare woods brought from the Holy Land; the table is a slab of oak from Bashan ; cedar from Lebanon, and olive-wood from Gethsemane, form the carved and inlaid panels, and the reredos is a mosaic from Murano, near Venice. The elaborate brass lectern is a votive offering from a lady of Chester. The choir aisles originally ended in apses, of which there are still architectural traces, and the line of the foundation wall lias been marked by black stones in the pavement. The S.E. apse was rebuilt in the ancient form which had been quite obliterated, by the Brassey Brothers as a memorial to Thomas Brassey, the rly. contractor, a native of Cheshire (b. at Aldford, nr. Eaton). In the S. choir-aisle near it is an altar- tomb said to commemorate the Emperor Henry IV. of Germany, but nobody can account for his being here : 3 stone coffins let into the I wall are supposed to be of abbots or D 34 Route 4. — Chester — St. John’s — Castle. N. Wales. abbesses. The Lady Chapel is a very elegant structure, and a good specimen of E. Eng., lighted by triplet lancet windows at the sides, and a window of 5 lights at E. end. Some fragments of the carved stone tracery of St. WerburgKs Shrine, part of which long served as a pedestal to the Bishop’s Throue, arc preserved in the S. elioir aisle. There is much modern painted glass, but nothing to extol. No one should leave the Cathedral without seeing the Chapter-house , also of the best E. Eng. style, entered from the Cloisters through a Vesti- bule, stone vaulted and groined, rest- ing on 4 reeded shafts, very elegant. The windows of the Chapter II. of triplet lancets have detached shafts. It contains the Chapter Library, and in it is appropriately placed a marble bust of the Rev. Charles Kingsley, for 3 years a Canon of Chester. The Cloisters are mostly Perp., one side has been rebuilt ; a few of the carrels or square cells where the monks sat to study or to copy MSS., remain. Along the N. Wall ran the Refectory , long used as a grammar school, and much altered, but retain- ing some E. E. arches, and especially the Lector's Pulpit and stair leading up to it — a very’ fine example of a rare feature, the like of winch also exists at Beauly, Hants. The antiquary and architect will be repaid by a visit to the old Ch. of St. John , just outside the walls, but easily reached from Eastgate St., or from the Grosvenor Park, which it closely adjoins. It is but a frag- ment (the nave) of a fine Early Nor- man Ch., of which the choir and transepts were destroyed, 1571, by the fall of the ceutral tower. A Saxon Ch., founded by Karl Ethel- red, is said to have occupied t hr* site. It is now reduced to a stately nave of 6 bays, the main arches resting on cylinder piers 5 ft. 0 in. in | diameter, supporting a double row of light-pointed triforium arches. In 1881 the massive detached tower at the W. end fell, and crushed a line porch in its fall. The frequent dilapidations of this building have been due to the same very friable red sandstone, the decay of which rendered the restoration of the cathe- dral so indispensable. At the E. end arc scanty ruins of the demolished chancel. This Ch. was restored by Hussey, and the late Marquis of Westminster con- tributed mainly to defray the ex- pense. A large part of the outer walls was rebuilt. A pleasant walk through Gros- venor Park leads fromlSt. John’s, by Park Road and City Road to the rly. stat. Trinity Ch. in Watergate, rebuilt 1SG9, contains the graves of Matthew Henry, the Commentator, a Noncon- formist, and of Parnell, t lie poet, Archdeacon of Cloghcr, d. 1718, whose family were connected with Congleton, in tliis county. The Castle , as it at present stands, is a modem* Grecian edifice, mis- named a castle. The building which preceded it was . originally Norman, the work of Hugh Lupus, or, per- haps, a Roman fortress. The wings are a military barrack, while the centre comprises the Shire Hall, Assize Court, and County Gaol. It is used for military puqioses, a dctaclmient of soldiers being usually stationed here, and a large store of arms is kept, the object of a foolish raid of t lie Fenians in 1867, which fortunately was frus- trated. Only one portion of the old building is left, a square tower, called Cicsar’s Tower, used as a powder- magazine, within which is a chapel with a vaulted and groined roof. From its commanding position on the Dee, the Castle is an important feature in Cheater views. In the space fronting the Castle is N. Wales. Boute 4. — Chester — The City Walls . an equestrian statue in bronze, by Marochetti, of Field-Marshal Visct. Combermere , a native of Cheshire. Beyond the Castle the Dee is crossed by the Grosvenor Bridge , re- markable for the wide span (200 ft.) of its handsome stone arch, and its ample roadway: the architect was the late Thos. Harrison (1832). It, or the adjacent City Walls , command a fine view of the Roodee or Boodeye, famous in the annals of horse-racing as being the ground on which the Chester Cup is run for. In 1540 a bell of silver, of the value of three and sixpence or more, was annually given by the Saddler’s Com- pany “ to him who shall run the best on horseback.” The course is about a mile round, and with the ancient town walls and the rising ground across the river girdling it in, it forms an amphitheatre, and affords, when the enormous mass of people gathers to see the races, perhaps the only sight capable to be com- pared with a Boman spectacle. But it is much too small for the stride and number of thorough-bred horses that are brought to run there, and bad accidents have occurred. The Cup race is run in May. The Cheshire Yeomany Cavalry are man- oeuvred here. The other public buildings in Chester are the Town Hall , modern G-othic, in Northgate - street, the Market House adjoining, and the Music Hall , built on the site of the chapel of St. Nicholas. Mysteries and pageants were at one time, as at Shrewsbury, a great feature in Chester life, and during Whitsun week a succession of brave sights was enacted for the delight of the specta- tors in the Bows. They were abo- lished by the Corporation in 1678. The * City Walls form a square, enclosing the inner and older town. They vary in height from 12 to 40 ft., and in their present state date from the 15tli and 16th cents., but stand 35 on Boman foundations. The old gates, destroyed in the 18th cent., have been replaced by modem arches that admit of a narrow but unin- terrupted circuit walk upon them of nearly 2 m., affording pleasing views of the cathedral and chief buildings of the town within and of the suburbs outside. During the Middle Ages the Gates were entrusted to the care of the heads of noble* families in the county, whose duty was to defend them from the “ Wild Welsh ” and other ene- mies. Thus the Watergate was entrusted to the Stanleys, Earls of Derby ; the Eastgate to the Hunger- ford’s, ancestors of Lord Crewe ; the Bridgegate to the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, while the citizens them- selves kept watch over the North- gate. The walls are accessible by flights of steps at convenient places. Starting from the Eastgate, near which there is the best vievi of the Cathedral, we come to Bhoenix Toiver , so called from its being marked with a phoenix, the crest of the Painters and Stainers’ Com- pany, the tower having been used as a chamber of business by various city companies. From the summit, Charles I. had the grief of seeing his army, under Sir Marmaduke Lang- dale, defeated at Bowton Moor, Sept. 27, 1645, by the Parliamen- tary force under General Pointz. The f Shropshire Union canal flows underneath, through a deep cutting in the new red sandstone. Between the tower and the N. gate remains of Boman masonry are visible. Continuing over Northgate we come to a curious watch-tower, called MorgarCs Mount , having a chamber below and a platform above, on which a battery and earthwork was raised during the siege in the Civil War with great effect against the besiegers. Near this may be -seen, rt., the Diocesan Training College. A little further and we come to Pember - D 2 36 Route 4. — History of Chester — Eaton Hall. N. Wales. ton's Parlour , a fragment of a tower repaired in the reign of Q. Anne. On the 1. rises the Infirmary. From this division of t lie wall the view extends to the hills of the Yale of Clwyd, the Valley of the Dee, and to Beeston Hills and Castle. At the N.W. angle is the Water Tower , projecting some little distance from the wall, and approached by a turret known as Bonwaldesthorne' s Tower , from which there is an open embattled gallery, having below it a circular arch, beneath which the tide flowed previous to the embankment of the Dee. The W ater Tower was erected in 1322, and still pre- serves the marks of the mooring- places for vessels. There is now a museum in it. The Chester and Holyhead Ely. i3 carried underneath t his angle of the wall. Crossing over "Watergate, the wall is carried across the roadway and skirts round the Eoodee (see above) to Grosvenor Bridge. The path next runs under the castle walls by the side of the Dee, here very picturesque, and traversed by the Old Bridge of 7 arches. Close to it are the Dee Mills, where once upon a time all the com in Chester was brought to be ground, a monopoly from which the noble owners derived vast wealth. Near to the Wishing Steps and Bridgegate is a Suspension Bridge , leading over to Queen’s Park ; and a little further on, after passing, rt., St. John’s Ch., the circuit is com- pleted at Eastgatc. History . When the Eoman Legions with- drew from Britain, Chester soon suf- fered from the inroads of the Saxons and Northmen ; and in 607 Ethelfrid, King of Northumbria, devastated the town, slew the king of Powys and his Hastily collected force, and, nt the same time, destroyed the Christian monaster}' of Bangor Iseoed (Etc. 1). Devastated by the Danes in 81M, it was rebuilt by Etlielrcd, Earl of Mercia, subsequently to which it is said that King Edgar made a trium- phal visit, his boat being manned by 6 subject kings, “whom lie (thus toucht with imperious affection of glory), sitting at the steme, com- pelled to row him over Dee to St. John’s.” William the Conqueror granted Cheshire as a County Pala- tine to Hugh Lupus, with as much land to be added to his Palatinate as he could win from the Welsh, and cognizance of all offences against the sword of Chester, like to that of offences against the crown at West- minster, with a distinct and separate parliament. A large portion, if not all, of the present county of Flint, was thus included in it, and is the only part of Wales surveyed in Domesday Book. Eight barons were created by the Earl Palatine, who held sway until 1237, when Henry III. united the earldom to the crown. His son Edward I. be- stowed it on his son Edward of Carnarvon, since which time suc- cessive Princes of Wales have been created by patent Earl of Chester. In the reign of Charles I. the loyal city was besieged and forced to surrender after a determined re- sistance by the inhabitants, who held out for the king until famine drove them to terms. The first charter was granted to Chester in 1128 by Eanulph, the 3rd carl. Chester, or West Chester, as it was called, was long a seaport among those of chief importance in the kingdom. Excursions. § a. 3$ m. from Chester is Eaton Hall, the magnificent scat of the Duke of Westminster. Admission to the park and gardens on stated days, and to the house during the absence of the family, by tickets, to be obtained in Chester. A broad road from Grosvenor N. Wales. Route 4 . — Eaton Hall. 37 Bridge leads up to the main entrance to the Park, a Gothic Gateivay , copied from that of St. Augustine’s, Canter- bury. It is about 3 m. thence, through the level but well-wooded park of 800 acres, to the Hall, a stately building of Gothic design (Waterhouse, Arch.) being the fourth which has stood on this site, where, it is stated, between 3 and 4 millions sterling have been expended at various times. It was built be- tween 1876 and 1881, and consists of an E. wing or dwelling-house for the family, connected by a corridor with a mansion of state for enter- tainment and guests. This is en- tered by a Gothic porch projecting from the body of the building, leading into a grand Hall rising through 2 stories, with lateral ex- tension. This is paved with Alex- drine mosaic, its walls resplendent with porphyry, serpentine, and ala- baster, the fireplaces marble, richly carved ; one of them surmounted by a sculptured relief of the Trial of Scrope and Grosvenor, for the right to quarter arms, “argent, a bend or.” On the S. side are the Library, 90 ft. long, with a memorial of Caxton in relief over the door, and the drawing-rooms, decorated with panels of birds, painted by Marks ; the roof of fan tracery (of basket-work, stuccoed), has been retained from the former mansion. The dining-room, lined with walnut- wood, contains family portraits by Gainsborough, Millais, &c. The Duke’s far-famed collection of paintings, the Grosvenor Gallery, is in London. Eaton contains a few works of art — Benj. West's Battles of the Boyne and of La Hogue ; various family portraits by Lely and others ; also some modern sculpture by Gibson, Westmacott. On approaching the hall a tall square Campanile attracts the eye ; this is attached to the very ele- gant modern Gothic chapel, which deserves great praise: as does also the Stable Court adjoining, a quad- rangle of red brick and timber-gabled roofs. The stable fittings are very perfect. In the middle of the court is an equestrian group by Boehm. The view from the Terrace Garden in front of the house commanding the Welsh hills, is very pleasing. The pleasure grounds and Binetum include many choice trees and a very pretty dairy. In the grounds is a Homan altar, found at Chester, in- scribed, “ Nympliis et Eontibus,” and a Greek altar, brought from Delphi. The Conservatories , ap- proached by a lofty arched glass corridor, are extensive and well kept. The Bacing stables and Stud-pad- docks are on the confines of the Park near Eccleston. § b. Excursion to Beeston Castle (9 m. from Chester by Crewe rly.), a ruined castle on the summit of a lofty rock of new red sandstone, commanding view over Dee and Mersey Estuaries. It is £ m. from Beeston Stat. (small Inn) ; 1 m. distant is the modern Beclcforton Castle , seat of Lord Tollemache (see Handbook for Cheshire'). Chester to Bangor . In the first 2 m. the rly. is carried past the city walls, the Boodee, and about 1 m. after crossing the Dee enters Wales, whence it keeps a direct N.W. course through a flat alluvial country. 1. the Bailway to Mold and Den- bigh (Bte. 10) diverges. 7 m. Queensferrg Stat. (Inn : Ha- warden Arms.) The rly. runs pa- rallel with the Dee, which, by an Act obtained in 1732, was em- banked, and by this means 50,000 acres were reclaimed for agricul- tural purposes. A portion of it is still called Zealand. Traffic is maintained across the ferry. Upon the ridge on the 1., 1J m., I the first rising ground above the Dee 38 N. Wales. Boute 4 . — Connalis Valley, stand the ruined castle of Hawarden (Harden), and the modern Gothic residence of the Rt. Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone. It is 7 m. from Chester and 2J m. from the Broughton Stat., of the Chester and Mold Rly. (see Rte. 10, where it is described more fully). [2 m. from Ilawarden on the Flint road are the ruins of Eivloe Castle, at the head of two lovely dingles. They are difficult to find, and, when found, to approach, from the dense thicket of underwood with which they are surrounded. One semi- round, one square tower, and some thick walls of the 13th cent., are all that is now left. In the adjoining wood of Coed Fwloe a great defeat was experienced in 1156 by a de- tachment of Henry II.’ s English army, while on its way to surprise Owain Gwynedd’s camp at Basing- werk. It was attacked by Cynan and Dafydd, the sons of Owain, while in the recesses of the dingle, and routed with great slaughter.] Connah's Quay Stat., a staith from which coal from Buckley is shipped. It will become a much more im- portant stat. w’hen the projected Junction is made with the Wirrall lily., which will cross the Dee near this, and open a direct communica- tion from Haw'arden and N. Wales to Birkenhead and Liverpool, through the Mersey Tunnel. Thus, by turn- ing the estuary of the Dee, the detour by Chester is avoided. The Rly. runs parallel with the wide estuary of the Dee. Here is the place where Milton’s “ Lycidas ” (Mr. King) was shipwrecked and drowned ; and here, at low' water, divided by an uncertain and danger- ous channel, stretch far out the sands known by the beautiful song in the novel of ‘Alton Locke : — “ 0 Mary, go and call the* cattle home, Across the sands of Dee," Quay — Flint. Seen when the tide is in, the Deo appears a magnificent river. 12£ m. Flint Stat. (Inns: Royal Oak ; Cross Foxes), Pop. 5321, a rather dilapidated assemblage of black houses and tall chimneys which form its lonely street. The population is employed in the vari- ous adjacent works and Coal Mines. A group of tall chimneys proclaims the presence of Chemical works ; the manufacture of alkali is carried on here. Hither the Romans brought their ores from Halkin to be smelted, the slag and dross of their hearths being still visible a little way out of the town. King Edward I. built the present Castle , the bill and accounts of which are extant in the Record Office. Flintshire was one of the Welsh counties created by him in the Royal edict commonly called tlie Statute of Rhuddlan. The Castle , an unattractive ruin on the shore, w T hile partaking of the general aspect of decay, betokens its early importance. It is an example of the castles of the time of Ed- w r ard I. The design consists of a square court abutting on the sea, with tow’ers at the angles, while the keep, a detached massive round tower, called the Double Tower, was connected by a drawbridge. The destructive action of the sea has caused some of the towers and a portion of w all to give way. Flint Castle has been immor- talised by Shakespeare as the scene of the meeting of the unfortunate Richard II. with Bolingbroke, a.d. 1399 : “ Go to the rude ribs of that ancient castle ; Through brazen trumpet send the breath of parle Into his ruin'd ears, and thus deliver : Henry of Holingbroke upon his knees Doth kiss king Richard’s hand.” The Earl of Northumberland, as- suming the character of a mediator, had persuaded the king to meet him near Conway, declaring that the sole N. Wales. Boute 4. — Flint Castle — Northop — Holywell. 39 wish of the Duke of Lancaster was to hold a free parliament and have his estates restored to him. During the ride, however, the king found himself surrounded by an unexpected body of men, under whose guard he was hurriedly conveyed to Flint, where, though at first received with pre- tended courtesy and loyalty, his de- position was soon effected. Boling- broke, entering the castle fully armed, his bascinet excepted, bent his knee for the last time before the king, who, uncovermg himself, addressed him — “ Fair cousin of Lancaster, you are welcome.” “ My Lord,” answered Henry, “ I am come before my time ; but your people complain that they have been governed too rigorously for 20 years. If it please God, I will help you to govern them better.” “Fair cousin,” replied Bichard, “ since it pleaseth you, it pleaseth me and he was conveyed next day to Chester on “two little nagges not worth 40 frankes.” Here, too, according to Froissart, the king’s greyhound Mathe changed masters, and took sides with Bolingbroke. The castle was held for Charles I. by Sir Boger Mostyn during the Civil War. He was compelled to yield in 1643 to Sir W. Brereton after a long siege, and the castle was dismantled in 1647 by order of the Parliament. Flint, with the towns of Mold, Holy- well, Bhuddlan, Caerwys, St. Asaph, Caergwrle, and Overton, as its con- tributary boroughs, spread over a wide district of country, returned one M. P. by the Beform Act. There are here some excellent parochial schools. The Church , which is modern, con- tains a monument executed at Borne to the memory of Mrs, Muspratt, but nothing else there is remarkable. [3 m. from Flint and Mold Stat. is Northop, h. e., a pretty village with one of the finest Perp. Churches in N. Wales, next to Wrexham. The tower, 98 ft. high, is of 5 stages. In the interior (restd.) there is excellent stained glass, some carving of the 17 th cent, under the pulpit, and 4 stone monumental effigies in niches in the N. wall of Edwyn ap Gronow, a chieftain of Tegengl, a Welsh prince, 1073 ; Ithel Vychan ap Bledd-Yach, a knight probably ol Malta, in plate armour, 14th cent.; and a canopied figure of a female supposed to be Leuci Llwyd, 1482. To the H.W. is Moel-y-gaer , a very perfect fortified British post. It occupies the S. extremity of the Hallcin Mount , the most important of the chain of hills which run H. and S. on 1. of the rly- A large number of silver and lead Mines have rendered this district very valuable to the owners, particularly to the Grosvenor family. Malkin Castle is a seat of the Duke of Westminster. The scenery on the road from Hal- kin or Northop to Flint (3 m.), embraces the expanse of the Dee estuary and the opposite Cheshire coast, dotted with villages and seats. The largest of the villages is the dreary watering-place of Parkgate on the opposite sandy shore.] 10 m. Magillt Stat., surrounded by numerous Lead-smelting , and' desil- verising works, for many years car- ried on by the firm of Walker, and valued at £90,000. The line runs so close to the water’s edge that the traveller gains a good view of the gradually widening estuary and the Cheshire coast, while on the 1. the sight of green hills somewhat relieves even the smoke of collieries and manufactories. 17. m. Molywell Stat., from which the town is distant nearly 2 m. On the brow of the hill, only a few hundred yardsfrom the stat., are the neglected though still beautiful ruins of Lasingwerk Abbey, looking sadly out of place amidst the in- trusion of chimneys, tramroads, and 40 N. Wales. Route 4 . — Basing icerk — Holywell . inclined planes, which dispute pos- session of the ground with it, causing every visitor to regret that what is left of these venerable buildings is not fenced oil‘ and kept in some decent order. The original founder of the abbey, which was called by the Welsh Maes Glas, or the cloister- field, is not known. A society of monks existed here previous to the year 1110, and the Cistercian rule was introduced by Ranulph,2nd Earl of Chester, in 1131. The present ruins are reduced to the S. transept, and part of the S. aisle of a cross church in E. Eng. Gothic. One pier and half an arch of the nave only remain. Above the refectory was the dormi- tory, in the S. portion of which 3 broad-splayed lancet windows still remain. W. of the refectory is an E. E. building with 7 lancet windows, probably part of a guesten-hall. Portions of the abbot’s lodging, bams, and a grange remain. Basing- werk Abbey was dissolved in 1535, when the revenues amounted to 150/. 7s. 3c7., but it was temporarily revived in the reign of Mary ; and even as late as 1647 was used by the Roman Catholics as a place of inter- ment. Along the E. side of the ra- vine, down which the brook rushes, may be occasionally traced Watt's Dyke , which had its N. termination at the sea-coast in this neighbour- hood. From lienee it ran southward through Northop, Mold, &c., to Wynnstay and the neighbourhood of Oswestry (Rte. 1). Holywell town is reached from the Stat. by a steep road, passing many factories and tall chimneys. A -footpath, passing near Basingwcrk Abbey, and ascending the ravine, clown which flows a copious stream derived from St. Winifred’s Well, hut now turned to the base use of moving the wheels of copper and paper mills and other works, leads to the upper end of Holywell. It is called the Strand Walk. Holywell (in Welsh, Trefinnon) (Inn: King’s Head, comfortable), a straggling though rather well-built town, and the most important in Flintshire, 7862 Inhab. From its being the centre of an immensely valuable mineral district, large num- bers of manufacturing establishments have been set up for smelting leud and copper, making shot, &c., though the trade of the town does not ap- pear to be in as prosperous a condi- tion as it probably was at the time of their erection. The only thing of interest in the town is the celebrated Well of St . Winifred , situated immediately below the cli., which, apart from the legendary and superstitious lore attached to it, is a really singular phenomenon on account of the enormous quantity of water sup- plied by it. Its peculiarities are that it never freezes, although in- tensely cold, and scarcely ever varies in the supply of water, the only difference after wet weather being a considerable discoloration of a whey ey tinge. It rushed out of the rock with such rapidity, that the basin, which would contain 200 tuns of water, was, when emptied, refilled in 2 minutes, proving that there was a continual supply at the rate of 100 tuns a minute. The supply is now re- duced to ubout 21 tuns a minute. The sweet-scented moss, or Jungermannia asplenioides, grows on the sides of the well, and the stones are coated with a vegetable production called by Linntcus Byssus Jolithus, which passes with the credulous for the stains of St. Winifred’s blood. The Chapel over the well is an exquisite specimen of late Perp. work, and was erected by Margaret, Countess of Richmond and mother of Henry VII. The groined arches which rise from the ]>olygonal sides of the well are particularly rich and graceful, and are adorned with figures and escutcheons of the Stanley family, N. Wales. 41 Boute 4 . — Well of St. Winifred. Catherine of Aragon, and others. The five angular recesses are, no doubt, intended to represent the five porches of the pool of Bethesda. 3000?. have been expended in the erection of Public Paths and im- proving the old building. The Baths now consist of the octagon well or basin ; invalids’ cold bath ; 2 plunge- baths, one of them 60 ft. in length ; and 4 hot, cold, and shower baths; also a douche-bath. In June 1870, a Hospice was opened for the recep- tion of the poor and afflicted who visit the well. The “Feast of St. Winifred” is celebrated in Holywell Bom. Cath. Chapel in June and November of each year, on which occasions some of the bones of St. Winifred, enclosed in a small box with glass top, areproducedandkissed by worshippers. The following is the legend of the Holy well. A beautiful virgin lived in the 7th cent., byname Winifred, the daughter of The with, a nobleman, and niece to St. Beuno, the same saint who founded the ch. of Clynnog in Caernarvonshire (Bte. 15), and who obtained leave to found a ch. on the estate of Thewith. Now Winifred entered the service of this ch. under the special protection of her saintly uncle, and while pro- ceeding one morning to fulfil her duties she attracted the attention of Caradoc, the son of King Alen, who endeavoured, but unsuccessfully, to obtain her consent to his suit. En- raged at his failure, the ungallant prince raised his axe and decapi- tated Winifred, whose head, rolling down the hill, stopped at the altar where the congregation were kneeling. Immediately a copious fountain gushed up : and the saint, snatching up her head, at once united it to the body, the place of separation be- ing merely marked by a white circle round the neck. As for Caradoc, he was stricken with death on the spot. It is added in Balph Higden’s £ Polyclxronicon ’ that Cara- doc’s sons and descendants were con- demned to bark like dogs, until such time as they should win the saint’s pardon. Winifred survived for more than 15 years, and, having received the veil from St. Elerius, became abbess of the monastery of Gwytherin, where she died in the odour of sanctity. Her bones were after- wards translated in the reign of Stephen to the abbey-ch. of Shrews- bury. The colouring matter on the stones was attributed to the stains of her blood, which gave to the w r ell several other miraculous properties. One of them, as Drayton informs us in his 4 Polyolbion,’ was, that an animal when thrown in was safe from being drowned — “ And of her holy life the innocence to showe, Whatever living thing into this well you throwe, She strongly beares it up, not suffering it to sinke.” The well belonged to the crown, being expressly excepted by name out of a grant of certain crown pro- perty, temp. James I. It is now the property of the Duke of Westminster, who leases it to the Corporation at a nominal rent. Large numbers of pilgrims have from early times flocked to this holy well : amongst them are many of royal blood, as William the Con- queror, Henry II., Edw r ard I., James II. (in hopes of obtaining the son who was soon afterwards born), and in more modern days the King of the Belgians and Cardinal Wiseman. Numberless Kx-voto offerings — the crutch that bore the tottering patient to the healing water, or the barrow on which he was wheeled — may be seen suspended on the wall, as is not unfrequently seen on- the Continent. The modern Church does not con- tain much of interest, save a headless effigy of an ecclesiastic holding a chalice. There are also a number of brasses with heraldic bearings and 42 Route 4. — Chester to Bangor — Mostyn. N. Wales. inscriptions to members of the Mos- tyn, Pennant, Edwards, and Panton families. It is situated so low, as regards the rest of the town, that the bell could not well be heard ; to re- medy winch defect, a man, called the “ walking belfry,” was sent round the town, at the time of service, wearing a leathern strap, at the end of which dangled a big bell : which as he walked struck against his knee, cushioned for the purpose. This singular prac- tice is now done away with, as the bell of the cemetery at the S.E. of the town now gives notice to the towns- men. The apparatus is, however, preserved in the ch. Distances. — Flint, 4 m.; Northop, 6J ; Caerwys, 5 ; St. Asaph, 10 ; Downing, 3£ ; Mold, 10. A very large Wheels wliich may be observed by the railway side between Holywell and Mostyn, belongs to the smelting works of Messrs. Eyton, where large quantities of silver are annually separated from lead-ores. 20 m. Mostyn St at. (Inn : Mostyn Hotel). Here is a Quay , from which vessels ply with coals from neigh- bouring collieries. Near it is Mostyn Hall , the residence of Lord Mostyn. This Elizabethan mansion, backed by fine woods, partly dating from the time of Henry VI., is approached by a fine old gateway and avenue of trees. The interior has been carefully re- stored, and the Hall rebuilt on the lines of the old one ; it is hung with tapestry. There are some family por- traits of the Mostyns: a Charles I. by Vandyck (?), and Sir Roger Mostyn and his lady by My tens. The Library contains a remarkable collection of MSS. and rare books. While Henry of Riclimond was lurking from place to place through the Principality, rousing the Welsh to take up arms in his favour, as grandson of their coun- tryman Owen Tudor, lie was nearly surprised at Mostyn Hall by a party of soldiers of Richard III. The room out of which he escaped by leaping from the back window, and the place of the hole through wliich he passed, are still pointed out ; but new masonry supersedes the old. Here is preserved a curious pedigree-roll of the family, and a remarkable golden torque , known as the Harlech torque ; also the silver harp of the Caerwys Eisteddfod (1568), and many bronze and old stone implements dug up in Wales. [1 m. S. of MostynS tat. is Downing , the seat of the Earl of Denbigh, but better known as the birthplace and residence of Pennant the antiquary and traveller, whose granddaughter married a Fielding. As the author of the ‘Tours in Wales,’ his name should be held in reverence by every tourist. The house was built in 1627, and bears on the front a Welsh inscription, signifying “ Without God there is nothing, with God enough.” Here is the fine Pennant collection of manu- scripts, books, and paintings, besides bronzes, celts, &c., and within the grounds is a stone L nscribed as fol- lows : — HIC IACIT MVLIER BONA NOBILI. From hence the tourist may reach Holywell, 3 m. — a delightful walk — passing Pant Asa , where a large Ca- puchin monastery, with school and or- phanage, have been founded by Lord Denbigh ; also a beautiful Roman Catholic Church (St. David's), built at the expense of Viscountess Fielding, who designed it for the use of the Church of England. The tourist may ascend by Whit- ford the Oarreg Mountain (3 m. from Mostyn), from the summit of wliich may be seen Snowdon, and Moel Siabod, the Great Orme’s Head ; and north, the Isle of Man, and the Cumberland Hills. . In a field on the N.W. side of this eminence is the Maen Achwynfan , or N. Wales. JRoute 4 . — Ta lacre— Disci i It . 43 Stone of Lamentation, a cross covered with the ornamentation usual from the 9th to the 12th cent. Its height is 12 ft., the head being circular, and the width at base 27 inches. The E. and W. sides of the cross are divided into 3 sculptured compartments. From hence a British (?) roadway, called the Sarn Hwlcin, runs due W. for about a mile, until it intersects Offa’s Dyke.] A considerable amount of coasting trade is carried on at Mostyn Quay , there being several collieries in the vicinity — among them Mostyn Col- liery. A coal shaft has been sunk in the quicksand of the Bee by Mr. Eyton, M.P. A steamer plies to Liverpool. As the rly. trends round to the N.W. the tourist gains views on the rt. across the estuary of Hillbre Island , on which there is a telegraph stat. The Point of Air lighthouse is an iron building standing on 9 pillars, showing at night a white light. 24 m. 1. Talacre , the modern seat of Sir Piers Mostyn, Bart., close to which are the valuable freestone quarries of Gwespyr , which supplied the stone for the Liverpool Custom- house. The famous Talacre Lead and Silver Mine has been worked for 800 years. [About 1£ N.W. is the ch. of Llanasa , the painted windows of which are said to have formerly be- longed to the Abbey of Basingwerk.] 26 m. Prestatyn Stat., from which place the tourist can, if more con- venient, visit Grarreg Mount and Downing, rejoining the rly. at Holy- well. Here the range of Clwydian Hills, 20 m. long, take them start, running S. as far as Llandegla. [3 m. 1. in the ch.-yard of New- market is a richly ornamented cross of the 14th cent. There is also, about i of a mile above the village, the remarkable tumulus of Copp ’ ar 9 leni , which has the reputation of being the largest but one in Great Britain, covering more than an acre of ground. It is said to have been raised by the conquerors of the Ordovices, and to have served as a mausoleum for Queen Boadicea. A local tradition states that it was made for the purpose of covering the ashes of those who fell in the engage- ment between her and Suetonius Paulinus. 2\ m. from Prestatyn (and equi- distant from Newmarket and Bhudd- lan, Kte. 11) are a few patches of wall, the scanty remains of the early Norm. Castle of Diserth , magnificently situated on a lofty scarped rock, but too much decayed to show what were the arrangements of the fortress. The defences on the E. side are the strongest, from there having been a deep fosse cut in the solid rock. It was fortified by Henry III. in 1241, and destroyed soon afterwards by the Welsh under Llewelyn. The view from it is superb. Diserth Church , a burial-place of the Conways in the 17th cent., con- tains part of a Jesse window at the E. end, said, as usual, to have been removed from Basingwerk Abbey, and also a mutilated cross, said to have been erected in memory of Einion, son of Birid Vlaidd, shot by an arrow at the time of the destruc- tion of the castle. The cli.-yd. is memorable for some fine old yew trees. Just below the castle rock is an ivy- covered oblong building, with 2 arms or transepts, called by the not uncommon name of Siamher TFen } or the White Chamber, the original use of which is obscure, though it was probably a chapel built over a holy well. The counties of Flint and Denbigh are celebrated for the number and efficacy of their sainted wells. Ffynnon Asaph , or the well of St. Asa, is 2 m. distant, in the parish of Cwm, and supplies a brook on which there is an extremely pretty cascade, with which, however, the diversion of the stream to t}ie 44 N. Wales. Route 4.- mine threatens to interfere, falling through a cylindrical hollow in the rocks overgrown with moss and ivy. Dr. Johnson, in the diary of his Welsh Tour, 1774, says, “ We went to see a cascade. I trudged unwil- lingly, and was not sorry to find it dry. The water was, however, turned on," and produced a very striking cascade. They are paid 100/. a year for permission to divert the stream into the mines. The river, for such it may be termed, rises from a single spring. The visitor will find it convenient for him to make his way from Diserth to Rhyl, passing 3J m. Talar Goch , a noted mine, which has yielded more ore than any other in Flintshire. Its annual produce was 2700 tons of zinc ore (value 12,000/.) and 900 tons of lead, yielding silver to the extent of 9200/. It is situated in the mountain limestone.] 30 m. Rhyl Junction Stat. (Inns: Westminster II., — Belvoir ; — Queen’s, all facing the sea ; on East Parade, and opp. Pier ; — Royal, — Mostyn). Rhyl, in 1830 a fishing village, deriving its name Yr hel , from its collection of sand banks raised slightly above the often flooded low level ground, has risen to the rank of a watering-place (Pop. G034), whither large numbers of visitors, principally from the Midlands, annu- ally resort, together with crowds of excursionists panting for a breath of sea-air. The iron promenade Pier, near which baths, &c., have been erected, is 700 yds. long. Consider- ing the barren and unattractive situ- ation, the builders of Rhyl have done winders, though nothing can compensate for the flat and mono- tonous marsh-land in its immediate neighbourhood. Rhyl, however, has its advantages in its pure air and firm sands, and last, but not least, the moderate charges of its lodgings when compared with those of its neighbours. A group of 12 or 15 — Rliyl. hotels between the Stat. and the pier forms the centre of the tow r n. Good lodging-houses on E . and W. Parades. In clear weather the views from the beach embrace the Great and Little Orme’s Head, Penmaenmawr, and Snowdon range in the far distance. The town stands 1 m. from the mouth of the Clwyd, which, after running for a few r miles through an alluvial district, expands into a small estuary, crossed by Voryd Bridge. A large tract of ground between it and the sea, originally a marsh, is pro- tected from the tides by an embank- ment nearly 8 m. long, and 80 ft. wide at the base. The land is now very valuable. The Yale of Clwyd Rly, from Denbigh runs in here (Rte. 11). Ty-ny-Rhyl, a mansion of the 16th cent., was for long the only house in the place. There is some carved woodwork in the hall made out of the bedstead of Griffith Lloyd, gentleman usher to Catherine of Ara- gon. Rhyl was, until 1844, a township of the parish of Rhuddlan, but w as then constituted a separate district, for which two churches have been provided, Trinity Ch. built in 1835, and St. Thomas’s, by Sir G. G. Scott, in 1862, which contains a beautiful alabaster pulpit, on a base of Caen stone, an E. window in honour of Bp. Yowler Short, and other painted glass. At "VV. end of the Parade are the Winter Gardens (admission 6c/.). There is a large Hydropathic esta- blishment and boarding-house. There are Convalescent Hospitals for men, w omen, and children, w hich are well managed. Excursions. — Rhyl is pleasantly situated at the mouth of the Vale of Clwyd , much praised for its mild beauty, here presenting only a fiat plain. Within it lie Rhuddlan Castle, 3 m. (Rte. 11) ; Diserth Castle, 3 J m. by road over Gladstone 45 N. Wales. Route 4. — Abergele— Pensarn — Gwryeh. Bridge ; St. Asaph Cathedral, 6 m. ; Denbigh Castle (see Rte. 11), 15 m. Steamers to Liverpool, 42 m., in 2 to 3 hours. Hailway to Rhuddlan Castle, 3 m.; Denbigh, Ruthin, and St. Asaph, 6 ; Conway, 15 ; Chester, 30 ; Abergele, 4 2 ; Bangor, 30 m. Crossing the estuary of the Voryd by a swing-bridge, and leaving 1. the line to Rhuddlan, St. Asaph, and Denbigh (Rte. 11), which runs up the Yale of Clwyd, our rly. still hugs the coast, which is gradually approached by a fresh chain of hills, the outliers of the range of mountains lying be- tween the Clwyd, Conway, and the upper basin of the Dee, and inter- sected by the Elwy, Alwen, and Aled rivers. 3 m. 1. are Kinmel Harlc (Id. R. Hughes, Esq.), and the beautiful spire of the modern ch. at Bodelwyddan (Rte. 11). 32 J m. Towyn Stat., near the fine modern Church and schools built by Mr. and Mrs. Hesketh, of Grwrych Castle. 34 and good head- quarters for anglers in Llyn Cor on. From hence the tourist may extend his walk to the singular E. Perp. ch. of Llangwyfan. It is situated on a small island (which the sea is fast demohshing), con- nected with the mainland merely by a narrow causeway, which is so fre- quently flooded as to render the regular performance of service im- possible. In former times “ the service was adapted to the state of the tide ; and when the wind blows briskly in the same direction the tide will set in earlier than expected, causing an indecorous breaking up of the devotions of the congregation.” [2 m. from Aberffraw and f m. 1. of Bodorgan Stat. is the Early Perp. ch. of Liang adivaladr, consisting of nave and chancel with N. and S. chapels attached, the latter erected in 1660. On the lintel of the S. doorway of the nave is an incribed stone of the 7th cent., which has been thus deciphered : “ Catamanus Bex Sapientissimus opinatissimus omnium regum.” It boasts a pecu- liarly beautiful stained-glass win- dow, of 3 lights, containing the fol- lowing subjects: — In the centre the Crucifixion, and a figure in royal robes, supposed to be King David. In the N. light the Yirgin Mary. In the lower compartment Llewelyn and his wife. In the S. light St. J ohn ; and below is Meyrick ap Llewelyn and his wife. 1 m. rt. is Bodorgan , the seat of Sir Greo. Gervis Meyrick, Bt., which at one time 63 was celebrated for possessing the finest gardens in Wales. Hearer the sea is Bodowen , a former mansion of the Owen family. Erom this the traveller must to a certain degree retrace his steps to the head of the estuary, unless, indeed, he fords the river (feasible at, low water) to New- borough , another wretched decayed village, which, like Aberffraw, boasted a royal residence. It, however, flou- rished when Aberffraw was virtually extinct, as it was made a borough by Edward I., and sent a member to parliament as late as Henry VIII. A curious trade is kept up here, that of manufacturing mats, nets, and ropes from the seaweed grass (Am- mopliila arenaria), the produce being taken to Caernarvon market. The botanist will find many uncommon maritime plants growing on the sandy shores in this neighbourhood, such as Buppia maritima, Silene maritima, Arenaria tenuifolia and A. peploides, Crambe maritima, Erigeron acris, Limbarda tricuspis, and Anthylhs Dillenii. The Church is Dec., consisting of nave and choir, forming a single aisle. It has a good font of 12th cent., and a good E. window. At the extremity of Newborough Warren is the island of Llanddwyn. But little is left of the Abbey , which, when intact, was a cruciform ch. 70 ft. long, of late Perp. style. There is only the E. end and part of the side walls of the choir remaining. “ Almost the whole of the island has been overwhelmed with a mass of sand, insomuch as the violent winds have blown from the opposite coast of Arvonia sand raised up by the force of tempests, and thro wn upon this shore.’ ’ — Rowlands . Notwithstanding the isolation of this spot, it was notorious for the intrigues that were carried on by the adherents of the Earl of Bichmond against Bichard, King of England, in which Dean Kyffin figures conspicuously. In the ch. of Llanvaii •y-Ctvm- Route 7 .—Anglesey — Holyhead . N. Wales. 64 mwd, 1J m. from Newborough, is a font of the 12th cent., ornamented with misshapen heads. Against the N. wall is an elaborate cross-fleury coffin-lid. Between this village and the ferry of Talyfoel is Maes-y-jporth , an ancient seat of the Lloyd family. From Bodorgan to the ferry is about 8 m.] [3 m. rt. of Bodorgan stat. is llenhlas , which belonged to the Lloyds, one of whom was Dr. Lloyd, Bishop of St. Asaph, one of the 7 com- mitted to the Tower by James II. Near Ilenblas are the remains of the largest Dolmen , or cromlech, in Wales. In Cerrigceiniven Ch. (re- stored in 1860) is an interesting circular font of the 12th cent., with 6 sculptured compartments, also a sculptured tombstone over the door.] 75 m. Ty-Croes Stat. On rt. are Llyn Badri g and the little ch. of Tal-y-Llyn ; on the coast, 1., are a cromlech and tumulus. Passing 1. the little E. Perp. ch. of Llanfair- yn-Neubivll , the rly. rejoins the Holyhead road at 81 m. Valley Stat. Inn [the nearest point from which to make an ex- cursion round the western coast of Anglesey, which contains an uri* usual number of cromlechs, camps, and erect stones. . The scenery, too, in many parts is bold and fine, though from want of any accommodation this portion of the county is fre- quented by few.] Shortly after quitting the Yalley Stat. an arm of the sea is crossed by the Stanley Embankment , f m. long, upon which the high road is carried also. A tremendous current rushes through the arches at the turn of the tide. On rt. is Penrhos , the seat of the late Hon. W. O. Stanley, M.P., situated in almost the only woods that Holyhead Island can boast. 84J m. Holyhead Terminus. (Inns: N. Western Railway Hotel, a large building, at the Harbour, close to the arrival and departure platforms ; Royal Hotel, in the town.) This poor-looking dull town, tacked on to a large Rly. Stat. and a commodious Harbour (in Welsh, Caergybi), situated on an island forming the W. extremity of Angle- sey, owes its importance to its being the point in Britain nearest to Ire- land, and therefore the chief packet station between the two countries. The traffic of passengers has now increased to 60,000 or 80,000 per annum. Its population of 8680 depend chiefly on the vast harbour, the rly. and station and works, the cattle trade, shipping, &e. The L. & N. W. Rly. Co., aroused by the vast augmentation of pas- senger traffic, sometime about 1873 de- termined to abandon the old Harbour and pier, upon which Government had expended 1,500,000/. sterling, and to establish a harbour and quays for their own use. These were completed and opened June, 1880. These works have been con- structed on a scale which not only meets present requirements, but leaves a wide margin for the further development of the Anglo-Irish traffic. The old shallow harbour basin, -only one side of which formerly was scooped out for the reception of steamers, has been banked in on both sides by a fine quay wall, and excavated to a depth sufficient for navigation at all states of the tide. Roughly speaking, it forms a tri- angle, the apex of which lies in the direction of the railway, and a bifur- cation of the line enables the trains to run on both quays, setting down passengers on the western side and taking them up on the eastern — that is to say, the arriving steamers transfer their passengers to the de- parting Trains on the Eastern quay, while the arriving trains trans- fer their passengers to the departing steamers on the W. quay.” — Times, N. Wales. 65 Route 7. — Holyhead — Harbour. All confusion is thus avoided, the passengers have these two sides of the harbour at its extreme end all to themselves, and their comfort will be promoted by both railway plat- forms being covered in. The harbour is 2000 ft. long and 600 ft. wide, with a water area of 24 acres. The Steam Packets employed are among the finest vessels afloat, steel built, of 1400 tons, capable of doing 16 to 18 knots an hour. They start and arrive 6 times in the 24 hours, making the passage from Holyhead to Dublin (Kingstown and 1ST. Wall), 64 m. in 4 hours. A Graving Dock has been built expressly for these vessels, whose bottoms and sides need constant scraping to clean off the rapid growth of sea-weed, which, if allowed to remain, would retard their speed 20 minutes in one passage. At the mouth of the harbour and connected with the mainland by an iron bridge is Ynys Halen , or the “ Salt Island,” from which a Pier , 1000 ft. long, begun by Rennie and Telford, runs E., faced seawards by massive embankments which protect the harbour from N.W. gales. At the entrance of the pier is a marble arch to commemorate the landing of George IV. in 1821, and at the end a lighthouse. On the opposite rocky side of the estuary is an Obelisk to the memory of Captain Skinner. The Church of St. Cybi , chiefly of the 15th or 16th cent., is an embattled cruciform structure, consisting of a chancel, nave, isles, and transept, with a square tower, surmounted by a low, flat kind of spire. The present edifice, exclusive of the chancel, ap- pears to have been begun about a.d. 1327-1377, and completed temp. Henry YII. It was restored under Sir Gilbert Scott at a cost of 6000?., of w r hich 4000?. were the gift of the late Hon. W. O. Stanley. There are remains of 3 chapels in [A 7 . 7 Vales.'] the parish of Holyhead; namely, Capet Lochwyd , Capel y Towyn , and Capel Gwyngenau .* The ground around Capel y Towyn , which stands on a mound of sand 30 ft. high, at the edge of the sea, contains many graves singularly arranged with the feet pointing to the centre. The sea has laid numbers bare. The walls of the churchyard on 3 sides are thought to be Roman. 1J m. from the town is the Har- bour of Refuge , a national work, begun 1845, and opened by the Prince of Wales 1873, 7860 ft. long, and an E. Breakwater 2000 ft. long ; with a packet pier of 1500 ft. the two forming a half moon and shel- tering a roadstead of above 300 acres of deep water. The breakwater is terminated by a head, on which is erected a lighthouse ; the foundation is a great rubble mound of stone 400 ft. wide at base, above which is built a solid central wall 38 ft. 9 in. high, surmounted by a prome- nade and parapet on the sea side. On the harbour side, at a lower level, 27 ft. above low water, runs a quay 40 ft. wide, formed by an inner Avail. The head of the breakwater, is a massive structure of ashlar masonry, 150 ft. long and 50 ft. wide. The engineers employed upon it were Mr. J. M. Rendle, and at his death Sir John Hawkshaw. It is believed to have cost at least 1,500,000?. A visit should be paid to the Quarries in the Holyhead Mountain , whence th e blocks of stone were conveyed by rail to the pier. Hence a rough mountain - path, passing a small granite block to the memory of Captain Hutchin- son, R.E., leads up to the Signal- station of the Holyhead Telegraph ; N.E. of which are seen the Skerries Island , called in Welsh, Ynys Moelrhoniaid (Seals Island). Just underneath the signal- station are the Ynys Arw , or North Stacks, which are hollowed into successive caverns F 66 Route 7. — Holyhead — The Stacks. N. Wales. by the action of the sea, the largest being called the Parliament House, from the noise made on entering by the sea-birds, wliich dwell here in countless numbers ; it is only ac- cessible by boats in very calm weather, and at half ebb-tide. Tliis wonderful cavern has been hollowed out of the contorted strata of schist- rock by the force of the waves. Grand receding arches, of various shapes, supported by pillars of rock, exhibit a striking and attractive scene. The promontory consists of lofty cliffs, of various heights, abounding witli huge caverns, that afford shelter for innumerable birds, such as pigeons, gulls, razorbills, sea-ravens, guillemots, cormorants, and herons. On the loftiest crag lurks the peregrine falcon. Prom the signal-station a r short steep climb leads to the summit of the HolyheajI Mountain, or Pen Caer Gybi , 709 ft. (2 m. from the town), where are traces of fortifica- tions, and a rude circular tower, supposed to have been a pharos or watch-tower, from which tower, very likely, the mountain generally is called in Anglesey, Mynydd Tier. . 'Excursion . — The most interesting one, on account of the grandeur of the sea-cliff scenery, is to the South StacJc , 3Jm. from the town, on the S.E. side of “ the mountain.” Fol- low the high road about 2 m., then turn rt., taking the telegraph posts as a guide until you come to the edge of the precipice, from which is seen the South Stack Lighthouse, standing on a rocky islet, whose cliffs of slate are wonderfully twisted. A zigzag path carried down the face of the cliff by 383 stairs, leads to a chain bridge which crosses the raging waves. It is a scene of great grandeur. The lighthouse stands 212 ft. above high -water. Many caves have been worn in the rock by the waves, and give shelter to sea-birds. There is a passage between the rock and the main, but so narrow that unless the water is perfectly smooth an experienced navigator might hesitate to attempt it, even in a boat ; and yet tlirongli this channel, flanked and fringed as it is with bristling rocks, a large cutter, one of the post-office packets conveying the mail from Dublin to the Head, passed in a heavy sea circa 1818. A remarkable feature in these rocks is the innumerable quantities of sea- birds — gulls, guillemots, razor-bills, cormorants, and even peregrine fal- cons — which breed here without fear or restraint, as they are not allowed to be shot, on account of the services that they render to vessels in foggy weather by surrounding them with loud cries immediately a gun is fired. If it is early in the season, it is a very singular sight to look over the sides of the Stairs and watch the long row’s of young birds, unable to fly, perched on the narrow ledges. As the eye gets accustomed to the rock, you can see thousands of fledglings at different levels, like little white specks, which but for their move- ments might be taken for stains on the rock. They are said to retain their position on these ledges by means of a gummy secretion. As regards the migration of the gulls, “ it is positively asserted by the hght- keepers, as an extraordinary fact, that they will return to the S. Stack during the same night on or about the 10th of February, and retire, with the ex- ception of those that, having been robbed on the main, had resorted to the island to renew their labours of incubation, about the night of the 12th of August. The keepers state that in the middle of the former night they are warned of their arri- val by a great noise, as it were a mutual greeting and cheering, adding that they look to their return as that of so many old acquaintances after a N. Wales. 67 'Route 8 . — Bangor to Beaumaris . long absence, announcing the winter to be over and spring approaching.” — Bjp. Stanley, EOUTE 8. BANGOR, BY MENAI BRIDGE, TO BEAU- MARIS, PENMON, AND AMLWCH, THE EAST COAST OF ANGLESEY. Omnibus plies over the Suspen- sion bridge (fare 2-s.) ; distance, 7 m. The Bangor and Holyhead Ely. (Ete. 7), after traversing the Tubular Bridge, has a stat. at Llanfair. Beaumaris may also be reached from Bangor by G-artli Ferry, f m. across by boat (fare 2d.), which lands you 2 m. from Beaumaris. 2 J m. Llanfair Stat ., on the Angle- sey side of the Straits (Ete. 7). A terraced road here turns rt., and though at first shut in by trees and high walls of numerous villas, at length emerges upon the open sea- shore and commands lovely views of the Carnedds and Grlydir mountains of Penmaenmawr, Great and Little Orme’s Head, £nd Puffin Island. 4Jm. Beaumaris {Inns: # Williams- Bulkeley Arms, facing the sea, very good, first-class, but expensive ; Sportsman). Beaumaris, county town of Anglesey, 2240 Inhab., returned 1 M.P. jointly with Amlwch, Holyhead and Llangefni, from 1832. It seems to have had no existence until the erec- tion of the castle by Edward I., who intended the town to be a commercial emporium for this part of Wales. For a long time it answered the purpose, and was the residence of a large number of well-to-do merchants. Its first charter dates from 1283 ; but its provisions were altered and enlarged by Elizabeth. Though commerce has long forsaken it, Beau- maris has enjoyed and still enjoys a steady and respectable watering- place reputation. Many families are annually attracted hither by the bra- cing air, the glorious scenery, and the economy of housekeeping ; and with such a prospect of sea, mountains, and shipping always before him, the visitor will run less risk of ennui than in most other watering-places ; and rides and walks around are both numerous and interesting. The town is clean and well built, and has a handsome terrace overlooking the Green , a large ojDen space of green sward close to the Bier. The prospect from hence embraces the promontory of the Orme’s Head, the front of Penmaenmawr, Aber, Bangor, and Penrliyn Castle, with the Caernar- vonshire mountains (except Snow- don) in the distance. At the N. end of the town, close to the sea, stands the Castle , a magni- ficent Edwardian ruin, built 1293, in the low situation of the “Beau Marais” (from which the place is named), and in that respect offering a great contrast to the bold sites of Conway or Caernarvon. It was placed so as to command a ready access to the sea, with which it is connected by a short canal. In shape it is a square enclosed within a regular octagon, both lines of wall being defended at intervals by huge drum and other towers. The entrance between 2 of these, deeply machi- colated, under a pointed arch provided with portcullis, makes 2 abrupt turns, so as to expose an enemy to a 68 Route 8. — Beaumaris — Baron Bill . N. Wales. cross fire from both walls before he could reach the inner court. Here, in front, raised upon another gate- house on the N. wall are the Grand Hall, with 5 large windows, and other State apartments. On the rt. side of the court is the Chapel, an elegant apsidal structure, Early pointed, with arcade running around it. A great portion of the circuit is traversed by galleries in the thickness of the wall. Within the daintily kept area is now a racket-court. Close to the outer entrance, and running towards the sea, is a nar- row wall, called by Mr. G. Clark “ a spur work,” * formerly carried over the moat by an arch. This was called the Gunner’s Wall, and was intended to overlook and protect the entranced supplies, &c. Considering the size and strength of the fortress, it is barren in historical events. In 1646 it was held for the king by Col. Sir Richard Bulkeley, until forced to surrender on honour- able terms to Gen. Mytton. Deeds of the time of Edward III. show that the land on which the castle stands belonged to certain families in Anglesey, who gave it in exchange for property in other places. The Church of St. Mary was built at the close of the 13th cent, (with the exception of the chancel, which is of the 16th), and has a nave with N. and S. aisles, chancel, and tower at the W. end, of which the upper part at least is modem. The piers of the nave arches are octagonal, and over them are small circular quatrefoil lights doing duty as clerestory windows. The roof of the nave is not the original roof, but one of the 15th century. Observe the heads on the carved woodwork and sedilia, which * Consult for this and other Welsh castles • Mediaeval Military Architecture of Eng- land, ’ by George Clark. 2 vols. 8vo. 1884; an admirable work. all differ from one another, and are of greater antiquity than the present chancel, having perhaps been re- moved hither from some religious house at the suppression of the monasteries. On the Miserere seats are figures with rustic dress, and some with implements of the period. The monuments are good : one of white marble, by Ternouth, in the middle of the chancel, to the wife of Sir R. B. Williams Bulkeley, daughter of Lord Dinorben ; one by Westmacott, to the Baron Bulkeley ; a monumental stone to Sir Henry Sidney, Sir Philip’s father, at the end of the chancel ; an alabaster altar-tomb in the vestry, of the date of the 15th cent., on which are the recumbent figures of a knight and lady, of the date of Henry VI. There is also a mural monument on the S. side of the chancel in memory of 5 knights who were con- nected with the Irish government in the 16th cent., and a good brass of the time of Henry VIII. to a member of the Bulkeley family. Baron Hill , the beautiful seat of Sir R. M. Williams Bulkeley, Bart., who is constable of Beaumaris Castle, is situated on a wooded hill over- looking the town, and surrounded by a park — open to tlier public. The charming grounds are closed to visi- tors, owing to abuse of the privilege by them in many instances. They occupy a range of terraces commanding lovely views, and are planted with choice pine-trees. Here is preserved the stone coffin of Joan, wife of Prince Llewelyn, daughter of K. John, who was buried at Llanfaes Priory. The present mansion is from designs by Wyatt in lieu of the former one erected in 1618 by Sir R. Bulkeley. Omnibus daily to Menai Bridge (4J m.) and Bangor. Steamers daily in summer to Llan- dudno, Liverpool, Caernarvon. N. WALE3. 69 Route 8 . — Penmon Priory. Excursions. — To Bangor, by G-arth Ferry, 4 m., by road, 7 ; to Tubular Bridge and Llanfair Ch., 6 ; to the Anglesey Columns, Plas Newydd, and the Cromlech ; to Penmon Priory, 4| ; Puffin Island, 5j m. § a. To Penmon Priori ) , Puffin Island , and Fednvharf Pay , 12 to 13 m. To Penmon , 4^ m., the road skirts the sea-side for a greater part of the way ; 1 m. 1. the Friars , a house be- longing to Sir E. ’Williams Bulkeley. Near it stood Llanfaes Priory , a religious house of some importance, founded by Llewelyn previous to the building of Beaumaris. What appears to have been the conventual building is now used as a barn, which displays some lancet windows of the 13th cent. The Church , which has a broach spire, was rebuilt in the Dec. style in 1845, replacing one of the 14th cent. Inside are armorial bearings of the Whyte family, the former owners of the estate. The Hamptons of PLenllys , “the old palace,” have built a modern handsome house. Here are preserved many objects of antiquity, including a bedstead that formerly belonged to Owen Tudor. 3 m. 1. Trosyr Afon (R. Williams, Esq.) ; and on the summit of a densely overgrown bank opposite is Castle Lleiniog , or Castell Aberlleinog (Capt. Mitchell), a square fort with a circular tower at each corner, founded by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, and Hugh, Earl of Shrews- bury, in 1098, when they invaded Anglesey and overran the country. A fosse surrounds the whole, and a hollow way is carried to the shore, at extremity of which is a large mound of earth to cover the landing. From hence a rather bad road runs close to the water’s edge, and passes the mountain limestone quarries which furnished the stone for the Britannia Bridge, to 4| m. Penmon Priory. By follow- ing the coast the pedestrian will cut off a mile. Penmon, for the beauty of its situation and its architectural features, is a very interesting spot. A religious establishment was founded here (Penmon signifies the head of Mona) as early as the 6th cent, by E inion Frenhin, who placed over it his brother Seiriol, a religious recluse, after whom Ynys Seiriol or Puffin Island was named. The ecclesiastics of this establishment were of the order of St. Augustine. The con- ventual ch., which had fallen into great neglect, and part used as a sheepfold, was restored 1854 in the most simple and judicious manner. It is a cruciform ch., as the missing N. transept has been rebuilt. The general style is Norm., with the exception of the chancel, which is of the early part of the 15th cent. Notice the Norm, arcades in the transept, also the deeply recessed windows of the nave, and beautifully sculptured arch with Norm, moulding. At rt. angles to the ch. is a farm-house, formerly the prior’s residence, to which the ruin- ous buildings of the refectory are attached. On a bank opposite the ch. is the ancient pigeon-house, with a domical roof of the time of Henry YIII. There is a very graceful and peculiar cross on the hill above covered with zigzag ornaments. The compartments represent the mockery of our Saviour by the soldiers, who are depicted with the heads of beasts. Crossing the down on rt. the tourist will descend opposite the Lighthouse , erected in 1838. It is approached from the shore by an iron bridge. He may then visit, in a few minutes by row-boat, Puffin Island , otherwise Ynys Seiriol and Priest- holm. Probably the first ecclesi- astical establishment was on this island, and was removed to Penmon 70 Route 8. — Puffin Island — Pentraeth . N. Wales. when it became of more importance. There still exists a rude oblong tower 40 ft. in height, with a low conical roof similar to the one #t Penmon, of which it was very likely a counter- part. Mr. Bloxam considers it the earliest Christian structure in the Principality, and of as early a date as a.d. 680. He bases this opinion on its huge unhewn masonry, its rude mouldings, and “ the pyramidal stone roof, which is perhaps not only the earliest type we have of a spire, but the earliest existing roof in the kingdom above ground.” He claims that it should be preserved as one of our national antiquities. Giraldus Cambrensis mentions a legend, that the island was invariably overrun with mice whenever the monks began to dijagree. Even now it is said to be unduly infested with the large Norwegian rat, which, together with puffins, rabbits innumerable, and the signal- station keeper, form the only population. The Puffin-auk or Alca Arctica also comes hither to breed in spring and summer, in great num- bers. The Mountain limestone of which Puffin Island consists is an outlier connecting that of Anglesey and Orme’s Head. On the dangerous shoals, Dutch- man’s Bank, which lies nearly due S., the c Rothesay Castle ’ was wrecked Aug. 17, 1831, when upwards of 100 persons lost their lives. It was in consequence of this sad event that the Lighthouse was erected. The tourist who can afford the time may very agreeably extend his wan derings to the E. side of Red- wharf Bay , and return inland to Beaumaris. The road skirts an elevated range of hill, passing the villages of Llargoed and Lla/nfihangel to Bwrdd Arthur , or Arthur’s Round Table (also called Dinas Sylwy), the largest camp in Anglesey. It shelves N. towards the sea, and is nearly surrounded by a deep fosse between 2 w r alls of stones placed edgeways. As is usually the case, the internal area contains traces of dwellings. There is a fine view from the summit both coastwards and inland, and a good general notion of Anglesey may be obtained from thence. The very small cli. oi Llanfihangel , which contains a movable pulpit, lies just underneath the E. slope. The road now descends the hill to Llanddona, beautifully situated, over- hanging the bay of Redwharf or, as it is locally called, Traeth Coch. In the Early Perp. ch. of Llaniestyn , m. S., is a font of the 12th cent., and a slab of the 14th supposed to commemorate St. Iestyn, the tutelar saint. The inscription is almost defaced. From Llaniestyn the road runs over high ground to Beaumaris, which it enters from behind the woods of Baron Hill, leaving on rt. the small lake of Bodgolched. § b. The eastern coast of Angle- sey will be best visited in an excursion from Beaumaris to Amlwch , 17 or 18 m. 1 m. rt. is the Union House ; 2J a road on 1. leads to Llandegfan , while a second road continues to Llansadwrn. 3J m. at Trevor is a cromlech on 1. of the road, and on rt. at different intervals are meini- hirion or erect stones. Further on we arrive at Mynydd Llwydiarth , a rugged chain of hills skirting the N. promontory as far as Penmon. On the S. slope is the small Llyn of the same name. 5jn .Pentraeth {Inn : Panton Arms), a pretty village on the banks of a rivulet which empties itself, 1 m. N., into Redwharf Bay. Bias Gwyn was for many years the residence of the Panton family, through whom it de- scended to Lord Vivian. The shores of Redwharf Bay are said to furnish some very rare varieties of shells. The cliffs are quarried for limestone, N. Wales. Route 9. — Gaerwen Junction to Amlwch. 71 which is shipped at JPorth Llongddu , where is a small Inn. If m. 1. of Pentraeth is Llandyf- nan. The ch., rebuilt in 1847, con- tains over the S. door a sculpture of the Crucifixion. A large maenhir stands in the adjoining field. 8} m. rt. is Llanfair-mathafarn- eithaf , the birthplace of Goronwy Owen, a celebrated Wesh poet. In the ch.-yard is a mutilated Cross. 9} m. 1. Llaneugrad , in which parish are an ancient manor-house and park, with an Elizabethan pigeon- house. The fine modern mansion here called Parciau is the residence of Wm. Williams, Esq. lOf m. rt. is the rude little ch. of Llanallgo , said to have been originally built in the 7th cent. The neighbouring ch. of Penrhos Llugwy has in its cli.-yard a rude inscribed stone said by some to commemorateSt. Macutus of the Roman Calendar, and by others one of a tribe of Irish invaders, named collectively Decced or Degaid. The ch.-yard is the receptacle of the corpses of the ill-fated passengers of the c Royal Charter ’ steam clipper, which was wrecked on the morning of 26th Oct., 1859. The ship struck on the sharp rocks of Moelfre about 3 A.M., and finally broke up between 8 and 9, when 465 persons lost their lives. In these 2 graveyards about 220 bodies were buried. There is a fine cromlech near Moelfre placed upon 7 supports. At 13 m. the river Hulas is crossed, the mountain limestone rocks giving place to those of the Llandeilo for- mation. The igneous rocks of the Parys Mountain are a very con- spicuous feature in the landscape. (Rte. 9.) 14 m. (rt. If m.) is Llysdulas , the seat of Sir Arundell and Lady Reave. The grounds of this mansion slope down to the water’s edge and com- mand magnificent sea-views. The restored ch. of Llanwenllyfo contains an elaborate brass of the 17th cent. 15 m. at Pensarn the road crosses the high ground between the Parys and Llaneilian Mountains, from whence it descends to 17 m. Amlwch (Rte. 9). ROUTE 9. GAERWEN JUNCTION TO AMLWCH, BY ANGLESEY CENTRAL RAILWAY. 18 m. Leaving the main line at Gaerwen Junct. (Rte. 7), the Angle- sey Central Rly. traverses the island pretty nearly in its centre. 2 m. the Holland Arms Stat., close to which is the Holland Arms , a com- fortable roadside inn ; f m. 1. is Plas Perw , and 1 m. rt. the old Perp. ch. of Llavfihangel Ysgeiflog. The rly. now crosses the wide and desolate marsh known as the Malldraeth Marsh , which, however, has been to a certain extent drained by the embankment of the tidal river running from Llangefni to the sea at Malldraeth Bay. The tra- veller will perceive from the few melancholy-looking collieries that a small strip of coal-measures occupies the E. side of this depression as far as the S. coast. 72 N. Wales. Route 9 . — Parys Mountain . 3 m. 1. is the ch. of Liang ristiolus, in which parish is the Henblas Cromlech , now fallen ; the upright stones which supported it are 10 ft. high. There is another with a men- hir near Dinas, to the W. of Henblas, close to which the road to Amlwch branches off to the rt., and 4$ m. the little town of Llangefni (Stat)., with a popula- tion of about 1800 {Inn: Bull’s Head). Its pleasant and central situation in the fertile vale of Cefni (which is here crossed by 2 bridges of 2 arches each) has contributed to raise Llangefni from a very small hamlet, which it was within the last efcntury,to a busy little market-town. The ch. contains nothing remarkable except a stone inscribed cylidori iacit secyndo. 1 m. from Llan- gefni is the old entrenched mansion of Tregamedd , of the time of Henry VII., now a farm-house, on the site of the residence of Ednyfed Yychan, the friend and minister of Llewelyn the Great in the 13tli cent. From liim was descended Owen Tudor in a direct line. The name of Tregarnedd was doubtless derived from an immense camedd or heap of stones for sepulchral purposes in an ad- jacent field. Distances. — Gaerwen,4Jm.; Llan- crchymedd, 7 ; Penmynydd, 4. The rly. now proceeds along the banks of the Cefni through an unin- teresting country to 7 m. Llangwgllog Stat. 11 m. Llanercliyrnedd Stat. {Inn: Bull’s Head). The Church has been restored in good taste; its principal feature is the tower, wliich has a deep military- looking parapet, similar to those of the Pembrokeshire churches. The bell-gable is curiously formed in the E. parapet. The town itself is famous for nothing but its cattle fairs, and formerly for Welsh snuff in humble imitation of Lundy foot. [3 m. E. is the little Perp. single- aisled ch. of Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd. There is an early cross in the ch.-yd. From hence it is from 4 to 5 m. to Moelfre Bay.] 12 m. rt. Llwydiarth , the beauti- fully wooded demesne of the Lloyd family. In the grounds is a famous Maen Chwyf or rocking-stone, called locally Arthur's Quoit. 14g m. Rhosgoch Stat. To the 1. rises the rugged eminence of Barys Mountain, the highest hill in Anglesey, riddled and quarried by the works of the Copper Mines , once the most productive in Britain. They are nearly exhausted, but copper is still obtained by draw- ing off the water saturated with copper from the mountain, and evaporating it and smelting the mud which remains. The process is worth seeing. The mine is said to be named from Robert Parys, Chamber- lain of N. Wales in the reign of Henry IY. From the traces of old workings, and the fact that a cake of copper weighing 29 lb. 8 oz. was discovered in the neighbourhood marked with a Roman stamp, it is probable that a search for minerals had been systematically entered into by that nation. The modem history of these mines, however, does not commence until 1762, when Sir Nicholas Bayley, grandfather of the 1st Marquis of Anglesey, began to work them in conjunction with the Rev. E. Hughes, father of the first Lord Dinorben. This mine, situ- ated in a volcanic rock, wliich in- trudes into the Caradoc Strata, produced, in the early part of the 19th century, 20,000 tons of copper per annum. From Parys a descent of 2J m. brings the tourist to 17$ m. Amlwch 2Vr;;iiww^(Rte. 8). N. Wales. Route 9. — - Amlwch — Llanfechell. 73 {Inns : Dinorben Arms; Castle ; better quarters at Bull Bay), a dirty though busy seaport of 2664 Inhab., de- pendent in some way for support on the copper- works. For the ac- commodation of the vessels engaged in exporting the copper, a har- bour has been excavated in the solid rock, which will receive vessels of 600 tons burden. For their pro- tection a breakwater was afterwards added. A good portion of the ore is smelted here, causing the usual amount of unpleasant smoke and dirt always to be found in the vicinity of copper- works. There is a modern ch., built by the Parys Company, at an expense of 4000 k ; also a very excellent library and reading-room. Distances. — Holyhead, 20 m. ; Llan- erchymedd, 6 J ; Menai Bridge, 18 ; Beaumaris, 17 (through Llanallgo) ; Llangefni, 13 ; Graerwen, 17. A steamer occasionally calls from Liverpool and Holyhead. A pleasant little watering-place has been set on foot at Bull Bay , 1 m. distant. A good Hotel and bathing establishment have been erected, and the pure air and fine sands attract visitors. [An excursion may be made from , Amlwch to the village of Llaneilian , 2 m. to the E. Adjoining the ch. j by a passage from the chancel, is a small chapel, called the “Myvyr,” ; or place of meditation, in which is | an old wooden altar of the 15th cent. ! fixed against the wall. “ During the wake all the people enter this box : and should they get in and out with ease, having turned round in it 3 times, they believe that they will live to the end of the year at least ; but if their dimensions be too large they give themselves up as lost.” — Nicholson. m ^ ie Well of Lilian , formerly much visited by pilgrims, is now nearly I i dried up. About f m. from the village I is Point JElianus , commonly called Point Lynas, upon which are a light- house and a signal-station, which, previous to the electric telegraph, communicated by semaphore with Holyhead and Puffin Island. From Llaneilian the tourist may proceed to Llanwenllwyfo (3 m.), and so on to Beaumaris.] [Another excursion can be made on the W. to Llanfechell (6 to 7 m.), through Cemaes (4 m.), the principal inducements being the beautifu coast-views, and an unusual number of early ston es and cromlechs. About 1 m. N. of Cemaes, where there are a small pier and wharf, is Llanbadrig ch., situated on a precipitous cliff overlooking the sea. It is said to have been founded by St. Patrick on his way to Ireland. Llanfechell is an important little village, owing to the quarrying in the parish of a peculiarly rich ore of serpentine marble, known as “ verd antique,” and considered by statuaries of high value. Llanfechell ch. is remarkable for its apparently defensive character, its rude Norman-like font, its three light east windows, and a coffin slab with a floriated 14th-century cross. Three pillars or meini-hirion, and certain tokens or remnants of a so- called cromlech, perhaps account between them for the name of the adjacent farm, which is Cromlech. Hence the return to Amlwch, about 4 in., may be made by way of Bodewryd.] 74 Route 10 . — Chester to Rutliin. N. Wales. ROUTE 10. CHESTER TO RUTHIN AND DENBIGH, BY HAWARDEN AND MOLD. Rail., 6 trains daily in less than 2 lirs. For the first 3 m. the Chester and Holyhead Railway is travelled upon, the Mold line diverging to the 1. opposite Sealand Mill. 5 m. Broughton Hall Stat. On rt., Tlose to the rly., is Broughton Hall, and 2 m. rt. the castle and wooded demesne of Hawarden (Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P.). On a height, overlooking the sur- rounding country, the first high ground rising to the W. of the valley of the Dee, stand the little town and castle of Hawarden, pro- nounced Harden (in Domesday Book ‘ Haordine’) ( Inn : Glynne Arms). In the park, which is varied and picturesque, stands the modem cas- tellated residence, of the last cent., with later additions, of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, containing his very select and extensive Library. Near the house, on the edge of a ravine, rise the keep and mined walls of the ancient Castle , of Edwardian age, consisting of a drum keep and a curious outwork called the Dungeon, but probably a Sallyport , from which the garrison could issue and outflank the besieger, and retire across a deep, walled pit, by a tem- porary plank bridge. From the summit of the keep is a very fine view of the Vale of the Dee, a still finer view from the terraced garden of the Rectory. The castle was surprised on the night of Palm Sunday, 1282, by the Welsh under David, brother of Prince Llewelyn, who seized in his bed its owner, the Lord Justiciary de Clifford, and carried him off prisoner, slaughtering many knights who were among the garrison. The castle was sequestered by the Parlia- ment after its capture by their forces under Gen. Mytton, 1645, and was dismantled. It was purchased by Serjeant Glynne (a friend of Crom- well), in whose family it has re- mained ever since. It was ori- ginally the seat of the barons of Mont Alt, whence the name of Mold and the family name Maude, and afterwards of the Stanleys, to whom it belonged for 200 years, until in 1651, the Earl of Derby, being taken by the forces of the Par- liament at the Battle of Worcester, was beheaded and the castle con- fiscated. Visitors are admitted to the park by entrance near the church. The Church , Early Eng., was re- stored after a fire in 1857 and again in 1878. It contains good memorial windows and a recumbent statue of the late Sir Stephen Glynne, Bt., and a marble reredos of the Last Supper, memorials of Mr. Glad- stone’s 2 brothers-in-law. It is kept in perfect order. Aston Hall , in the vicinity of Hawarden, belongs to Mr. Glad- stone. Tnieman's Hilly outside the town, to the W. of the ch., was an early British post. Distances. — Chester, 7 m.; North- op, 5 ; Flint, ; Queensferry, 2 ; Mold, 7. Broughton Hall Stat., i J m. The rly. ascends amidst the hills bordering the valley of the Dee. The level country soon begins to disappear, and the increasing gra- dients of the line show that we are approaching the hill-districts. 8 m. Hope Stat. 9 m. Hope Junct. [From this a rly. runs toConnah’s Quay and the mining district of Buckley (Rtc. 4) to the N., and on the S. to Wrexham, passing N. Wales. 1L m. Caergwrle Stat. on L, tlie village of Hope, formerly a place of some importance, to which Edward the Black Prince granted a charter. In the ch., close to which runs Watt’s Dyke, is a monument to Sir John Trevor of Plasteg, Comptroller of the Navy in the time of Elizabeth. 2§ m. Bridge End Stat. Close to this rise a ruined tower and broken walls, the scant remains of Caergwrle Castle (the camp of the giant Legion XX). It figures in the Wars of the Boses, but an older fortress once occupied the site. Pemains have been brought to light of a hypocaust, inscribed tiles, bricks, all tending to prove that Caergwrle was a subsidiary gar- rison to Chester. A small portion only of the castle remains, a broken tower, fragments of walls, and a ditch, on a well-chosen site — an isolated rock with a precipitous escarpment. Yestiges of a rampart of earth and stones bespeak a for- tress originally British, perhaps in- tended, in conjunction with Caer Estyn, to defend the passage into Wales. On the opposite eminence is the British post of Caer Estyn , beneath which the Alyn flows to- wards Gresford (Rte. 1) through a narrow and romantic ravine. Near the castle is Bryn lorkyn , an old mansion said to have been built from designs by Inigo Jones. 3^ m. Cefn-y-bedd Stat. 5^ m. Gwersyllt Stat., close to which is Gwersyllt Hall , occupying the site of an ancient house, burnt down in 1738, and noted for being the residence of Col. Shakerley, a distinguished royalist commander in the time of Charles I. He is said to have crossed the Dee in a tub, that he might make a short cut with a despatch to the king, who lay with his army at Rowton Heath. Near 75 this house is a curious petrifying spring in the bed of the river. 7 m. Wrexham (Rte. 1)]. 10J m. Badeswood Stat., from whence a branch rly. for minerals, 2\ m. in length, runs to the Coed Talon Ironworks on 1. m'. 1. is Hartsheath, once the residence of Col. War die, who gained such notoriety in the inquiry that was held on the conduct of the Duke of York and Mrs. Clarke. On the opposite bank of the Alun is Bias Teg , built also by Inigo Jones for Sir John Trevor in 1610. 11| m. Llong Stat. On 1. are the beautiful woods and mansion of Leeswood Hall. The number of collieries that now come into view prove to the visitor that he has arrived at the very heart of the coal district of Flintshire, of which 13 m. Mold Stat. ( Inn : Black Lion, C. good) is the capital (Pop. 5055). “ It has a rich and beautiful Perp. Church , with remarkably high and elegant piers and arches, and enriched spandrels.” — Biclcman. It consists of a nave of 7 bays, with aisles ; a panelled wood roof. Tt was restored by Gilbert Scott, who added a chancel as memorial to the Rev. Hope Wynne Eyton. The stained glass is modern and varied. That in the chancel is in me- mory of the late Dean Clough, Rev. Hope Wynne Eyton, and F. Charles Philips, Esq. A monumental statue to Mr. Robert Davies of Llanerch, with a bombastic inscription, in the corner of the S. aisle utterly obscures some carving of an arch or window. Richard Wilson, the landscape painter, the son of a Welsh clergy- man, is buried in the. ch.-yd. His tomb is near the N. door (d. 1782). At the top of the town, near the Ch., is an eminence called the Bailey Hill , but in old records Mons Alt us, Moaldes, or Mouhault, whence by Boute 10 . — Mold. 76 N. Wales. Boute 10 . — Mold to Denbigh. further corruption comes the name of Mold ; on the summit once stood a strong fortress, taken by storm by Owain Gwynedd in 1144, and again in 1322 by Sir Gruffydd Llwyd, who had risen in arms against the Eng- lish. It commands a good view. 1 m. to the W. is a spot called Maes- Garmon, or the field of Ger- manus, the scene of another battle in t he 5th cent., -when the Britons under Germanus,or Garmon, Bp. of Auxerre (from whom are named Llanarmon in Denbighshire, and St. Hannon’s in Radnorshire), gained the “ victoria Alleluiatica ” against the Saxons and Piets. “ On the appearance of the enemy, the Christian band, having been previously instructed by their leader, dashed forward with a loud shout of Alleluia, which so frightened the Pagans, that they fled and were put to the rout with great slaughter.” According to Bede and Fuller, the newly-baptized Christian army (re- cens de lavacro exercitus) drove in confusion the panic-stricken foe through the river Alun, “ lately the Christians’ font, now the pagans’ grave.” A stone column was erected here in 1736 to commemorate the event. 1J m. S. of the town is the resi- dence of Tower, the main feature of which, as its name applies, is a tall macliicolated and embattled Peel tower of the early part of the 15th cent., on one side of which is a dwelling-house of the time of Queen Anne. In the interior a circular turret staircase at the S.E. angle leads to the roof, and it has 3 doors within corresponding to the different stories. The battlements have loop- holes of equal-armed crosses. This tower was noted for a tragical oc- currence in 1465, when Reinalt ap Gryffydd ap Bleddyn hung Robert Byrne, the Mayor of Chester, from a staple in the wall, completing his crimes by fastening the men who had been sent to seize him inside the building, which he then set on fire. In Pennant’s time this residence belonged to the Wynnes, from whom it descended to the Wynne Eytons. Distances. — Nortliop,3m. ; Ruthin, 10 ; Caerwys, 10$ ; Denbigh, 17 ; Flint, 7 ; Cilcain, 4. Mold to Denbigh , 16 m. The rly. from Mold to Denbigh takes a winding course among the hills, ascending for about 3 m. the picturesque valley of the Alun, bor- dered by limestone cliffs, reminding one of the Jura on a small scale. Rhydymicyn Stat. (Inn : Antelope), a modern parochial district and Ch. From this the ascent may be made of Moel Fammau , the highest of the Clwydian Hills (5 m.), passing the village of Cilcain, whose Ch. has a fine Perp. roof. The summit, 1845 ft. high, crowned by the Ju- bilee Column erected in honour of George III. completing the 50th year of his reign, was partly blown down by a storm, 1862. The site commands such a view as is rarely obtained, on account of the comparative isolation of the range, and the immense extent of low ground which it overlooks. In clear weather it embraces from Cadcr Idris and Snowdon to Black Comb in Cumber- land on the N., and southward as far as the Wrekin, while the whole length of the beautiful vale of Clwyd is spread like a map at one’s feet. Moel Fammau consists of Wen- lock strata. [1 m. rt. a road leads to Northop, 3 m., passing the demesne of Soughton (J. S. Bankes, Esq.). The house is of curious architecture, altered on the model of a Portuguese convent by a former proprietor, a great traveller.] 4 m. rt. is the rich mining district of ITalkin Mountain , at the S. end of which is Mocl-y-gaer Camp (Rtc. 4). At Hesp Alun , a little to t lie S., tho N. Wales. 77 Boute 10 . — Nannerch — Caerwys. Alun, which makes a sudden turn upon itself, has an underground course for some distance, thus prettily alluded to by Drayton : — “ Then Alen makes approache — who, earnest to be there, For haste twice under earth her crystall heade doth runne.” 4J m. 1 .Ffynnon Leinir , the flowing well, was remarkable in Camden’s time for possessing a regular ebb and flow. The valley of the Churler, through which the railroad runs to Nannerch, is singularly romantic. 6 m. 1. Benbedw Hall contains in the grounds a circle and a tumulus, the former 100 yds. in circumference, and originally composed of 11 stones, of which five are still in situ. The Clwydian range of hills, which have bounded the horizon to the W., now rise up very steeply to the 1. The point a little S.W. of Penbedw is Moel Arthur , a strong British post, defended by 2 ditches of great depth. This range is a marked feature in the physical geography of N. Wales, and runs nearly due N. and S. from Diserth to Llandegla below Ruthin, without a single break occurring. Advantage was taken of this chain of seven forti- fied heights in early times by the Ordovices to protect themselves against the incursions of the Romans. On almost every one of the highest points a strongly fortified post was planted. The rly. is carried through a natural gap in the hills into the valley of the rivdr Wheeler. 7 m. Nannerch Stat. of the Mold and Denbigh Railway. The parish is partly in Flint and partly in Denbigh, near the source of the river Wheeler, called Ffynnon Sarah. The ch. con- tains a monument to Charlotte, wife of R. Mostyn, Esq., of Penbedw, and grand-daughter of Sir Kenelm Digby. 8 J m. rt. is the little mountain ch. of Ysceifiog. 9J m. Caerwys Stat. (Pop. 804), a place formerly of importance, and the probable site of a Roman station. This impression is favoured by its name, derived from ‘ Caer,’ a camp, and ‘ Grwys,’ a summons (h. e. to a place of judicature), by the arrange- ment of the streets, which cross each other at rt. angles in a similar fashion to that of the Roman station at Caerwent in Monmouthshire. The Church dedicated to St. Michael has two equal and parallel aisles and a solid military tower at the W. end of that to the N. Great cattle-fairs are periodically held here, well worth a visit from any tourist passing through the country. The country between Caerwys and New- market is marked by a greater number of Tumuli than any part of N. Wales. Maesmynan , the residence oi Llewelyn, the last native prince of Wales, is situated at the entrance ot a very romantic dingle. 13 m. Bodfari Stat. {Inn : Dinor- ben Arms) is a remarkably pleasant little fishing village overlooking the Clwyd at its junction with the Wheeler or Chwiler. It lies on the Roman road from Deva, or Chester, to Canovium (Caerhun). Urns, coins, and fragments of weapons have been found at Pont Ruffiths. Above it is Moel-y-gaer , another early for- tified post. Near Bodfari is Bryn - bella , a villa built by Mrs. Piozzi, and Nantllys{ P. B. Pennant, Esq.). From Bodfari it is 1 m. to the Dinorben Arms, and the rly. enters the Yale of Clwyd, and crosses it, passing on 1. Lleweni (Rte. 11), to reach 4 m. Denbigh Janet. Stat., Rte. 11 Mold to Buthin by Road. For the first 2 m. from Mold to Ruthin the country is bleak and barren, like most districts of the 78 N. Wales. Route 11 . — Concen to Iiliyl. millstone grit formation. Every now and then magnificent views are gained of the Clwydian range, conspicuous in which is the lofty Moel Fammau (1946 ft.). See above. 15J m. a stoep hill descends to the valley of the Alun, which winds through a sweetly pretty glen. At the bottom of the hill is an old- fashioned roadside inn bearing the singular sign of the Loggerheads, and the inscription “ We 3 Loggerheads be.’* Should the inquiring traveller seek to know why only 2 arc visible on the signboard, the landlord will speedily let him into the secret as to who is the 3rd. This sign was painted by Wilson, whose father was rector of the parish, and who lies buried in Mold ch.-yd. From this inn to the summit of Moel Fammau it is 3 m. The descent, 1} m., may be made to village of Cilcen or Cilcain (that is, the retreat on the Cain, a stream close by, 3 In., X. of the inn). Its Church contains in its S. aisle the most beautiful carved oak roof in the principality. The hammer- beams are terminated with carved figures of angels. During the restoration of the ch. a mutilated early Norman font was discovered, of unique de- sign. 23 m. Ruthin is in Bte. 11. The distance from Ruthin to Wrexham, by I.laiidegla (Rte. 11) and Minera (Rte. 1), is 18 ni. ROUTE 11. CORWEN TO RHYL BY RUTHIN, DENBIGH, AN'D ST. ASAPH.— BAIL. 5 trains daily in about 1 hour 25 minutes to Denbigh ; 25 minutes thence to Rhyl. From Concen Junct. (Rte. 3) a line of rail runs down the vale of Clwyd to join the Chester and Holy- head line at Rhyl. The Dec is crossed at Corwen. m. Gicgddeltrern Stat. 5 m. Dencen Stat. Derwen ch.- yd., which lies to the 1., contains a good Cross , and the ch. a handsomo rood-loft of the 15th cent. The rlv. quits the vale of Dec and enters that of Clwyd. 7 m. Nantchcgd Stat. and JYo/i/- chcgd Halt (Colonel Naylor Ley- land), a grand Jacobean house, en- larged 1876, at a cost of 20,000/. ; carved staircase. Near this, road, river, and rly. traverse a narrow gorge in the lime- stone. There are extensive lime- works near this. 10 m. Egarth Stat., at the end of a very picturesque little rocky pass. 2 m. rt. Llanfair Duffrgn Chrt/d, has an old ch. with fragments of a line stained-glass window (subject, the Crucifixion) and an altar-tomb of 14th cent. On 1. is the quaint little ch. of Efencchtyd , containing a wooden font and a good rood- loft, which is made use of as a singing-gallery. The name implies that there was a monastery here, the old-fashioned knocker on the door illustrates the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In the neighbourhood is Pool P'D BY BAIL. Ascent of the River Conwy. — A small Steamer starts from Deganway or Llandudno Stat., when the tide is flowing, for Trefriw, on the left bank of the river, 10 m. up. A little beyond the ferry and stat. of Tal-y-Cafn 1. (see below) the steamer brings to, near Trefriw. The steamer makes a very short stay there, returning with the ebb tide. Leaving Conway Castle and the town walls and the Chester and Holyhead Ely., a fine view is gained of the town and castle as we cross the broad estuary of the river. A bend in its course soon shuts out Conway from view, but the mountains Carnedd Llewelyn and others ap- pear rt. [Nearly opposite the mansion of Renarth , on the rt. bank of the river, is the village of Llansantffraid Gian Conway and rly. stat. 4 m. 1. arc seen the rly. stat. and ferry of Tal-y-Cafn. See below. 4J m. rt. Caerhun (H. D. Griffiths, Esq.), whose grounds contain the remains of the Roman station of Conovium> distant in the Itinerary 19 m. from Varis (Bodfari, Rte. 10) and 24 m. from Scgontium (Caernar- von, Rte. 14). The entrance gate, nearly opposite the mountain road to N. Wales. Aber, leads to the Churchy which stands on the site of the Roman stat. The ruins are a little behind the ch.- yard towards the river. There is an enormous holly near this ch.-yard, the stem of which is about 9 ft. in circumference. From hence a Roman road on rt. may be traced over the hills through the solitary pass of Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen to Aber. Down the wooded slopes forming the 1. bank of the river descend the streams rising in Llyn Dulyn and Llyn Ei- giau, which form the pretty cascades of Porth Lwyd, and a little further on the Falls of Dolgarrog ; but little is seen of them from the river. 1. Trefriw (pronounced Trev’rew’) {Inns : Bellevue, close to the landing- place ; Ship). At the mouth of a small glen, in whose upper branches lie the Llynns Crafnant and Geirionydd, stands the village, about a mile from the Pier, and landing-quay for tim- ber and slate. It is becoming a small watering-place, owing to its mineral springs (sulphurous and chalybeate), rising in an old mine- working, which are received and dispensed from a gable-roofed Spa - house, and have caused numerous lodging-houses to spring up. Trefriw is 3 m. distant from Llanrwst stat. (see below). Thetravellershould visit the 'Dolgar- rog waterfalls on the Afon Ddu river, 1J in. from Trefriw village, above the springs. They are worth seeing after rain ; 2 streams, one of them much the broadest, divide at some distance from each other. The rock down which the water is thrown is formed in horizontal ledges into deep clefts and chasms. The streams unite a little above the middle of the fall ; they rush thence in foam over the rocks. The Afon Ddu river, which is crossed by the road at Dolgarrog , rises in Llyn Cowlydy a long, narrow' sheet of w’ater about 6 m. up the mountains. N. Wales. Route 12. — Conwy River — Trefriw — Tal-y-Cafn . 89 On the top of the high hill over- looking Trefriw, 500 feet above the Conwy, hard to find, but well worth a visit, is the little Church of Llan- rhychwyn, the mother ch., it is said, of Trefriw, but one of the rudest and most primitive of Houses of God in Wales, in a grove of 7 yews. The rambler will find charming and numberless walks in this neigh- bourhood. a. Across themeadows to Llanrwst. b. Along the base of the hanging woods to Gwydir and Gwydir Uchau. c. Up the glen behind. Trefriw to Lake Crafnant , 2^ m. The lake is about a mile long, and from the ex- tremity of it a path strikes 1. over the mountain to Capel Curig, 7 m. d. The Falls of the Forth Lwyd are formed by a stream, which is crossed by the Conway road on a bridge, close to which a path strikes up the steep hillside. After passing some cottages, a gate on 1. leads to the falls, 3J m., the highest of which descends 50 ft. over the face of the rock. Tb e whole course of the stream is broken by slips of rock and piles of boulders, and lies partly through clefts and gorges. It is a wild walk upwards to Llyn Figiau , which the stream traverses — a most romantic scene, the bluff face of the rock over- hanging the water. 3 or 4 m. high the river takes its rise at the base of Carnedd Llewelyn. e. The glen which opens out be- hind Trefriw is traversed by a river formed by two streams issuing from Llyn Crafnant and Llyn Geirionydd , 2J m. Of both these lakes a fine view is to be had from the top of Cefn Cyfarwydd at the back of Tre- friw. The former is picturesque in the extreme, the latter was the abode of Taliesin, the father of Welsh poets. He is said to have been found on the shore of the lake, like Moses in the bulrushes, by a son of G-wyddno Garanhir in the 6th cent. Other localities claim him, but it is very likely that he lived here, as he refers to Llyn Geirionydd in one of his poems. A monument was erected by Lord Willoughby de Eresby to notify the place of Taliesin’s resi- dence ; but even this is said to be put up on the wrong side of the lake. The pedestrian may find some of the most splendid scenery in H. Wales by walking from Trefriw past the head of Llyn Geirionydd or Crafnant — ascending the pass and descending to Capel Curig — when Moel Siabod, Snowdon, and the Glyders all burst on the view in their majestic gran- deur. He need not descend again to Trefriw, but may make his way by the rude village of Llanrhychwyn and through the wood of Gwydir to 12 m. Llaivrivst. Conway to Fettws-y-Coed by Fail - ivay , 15 m., 7 trains daily, in 40 min. The train starts from the Llandudno Stat., on the Conwy embankment under the Castle, and skirts the estuary of the Conwy, a broad lake at high water, a wide stretch of mud and sand at low. Leaving on 1. the rly. to Chester, our line bends round to Gian Conway Stat. (Llansant- flraid). There is a fine Cromlech close to the line 5 min. 1. 7 m. 1. is Fodnoch (H. D. Pochin, Esq.). 8J m- Tal-y-Cafn Stat. (a small Inn). By crossing the Ferry here, over the Conwy, the traveller may visit the Roman station Caerhun , and the waterfalls of the Porth- lwyd and Avon Ddu, and the Lakes Dulyn (6 m.) and Cowlyd (described above under Trefriw), or may make the ascent of Carnedd Llew r elyn (8 m.), a grand feature in the view from the rly. The river now con- tracts in width. The Abbey (Lord Newborough) retains the name of that of Maenan , founded by Ed- I ward I., of which nothing remains. 1 Here is caught a delicate fish, the 90 N. Wales. Route 12. — Llanrwst — Gwydir. Sparling. The rich hanging woods of Gwydir, and the towering rock of the Falcon’s Craig, are fine features rt. on approaching 15 m. Llanrwst Stat., J m. from the town, 1 m. from Trefriw (Inns: Victoria, near the bridge, 2nd class ; Eagles). This town of 3688 Inliab. is in itself uninteresting, though pret- tily placed on the rt. bank of the Conwy, which is here crossed by a Bridge of 3 arches, having an incon- venient rise in the middle. It is said to have been built by Inigo Jones (N.B., he was born in London). The old Church , reached by a lane from the market-place, is charmingly situated on the bank of the river and shaded by yews. It is dedicated to St. Gncst or Rhystyd (i.e. Rest! tutns ), whence the name of the town. Within, it is low and of no particu- lar style, but contains a remarkably perfect and riel lly- carved Roodscreen androodloft, said to have been brought from the Abbey of Maenan, but looking as though made for the place it occupies. Attached to the eh., on the S., is the interesting Gwydir Chapel , built 1633 by Inigo Jones (much in the style (Perp.) of Lin- coln’s Inn Chapel), for Sir Richard Wynne of Gwydir, and serving as the burial chapel of that family for many generations. A marble tablet on the wall records their long pedi- gree : see also several late brasses ; one an engraved portrait of Sarah, wife of Sir Richard Wynne ; also a miniature effigy in marble of a swaddled child, Sydney Wynne. Against the S. wall is the singular monument of Mere- dith Wynne, flanked by 2 obelisks! On the floor lies the stone effigy in armour of Ilowel Cogtmor, and the open stone coffin of Llewelyn the Great, brought from Conwy Abbey. £ m. from the town, across the bridge, is Gwydir House, the scat of Lady Avcland. The grounds and house arc shown to visitors. It is a charming specimen of an Eliza- bethan mansion of the 16th cent. ; rooms low and not large, but snug and well preserved. A small part built by Sir John Wynne in 1555 still exists, the rest being an ad- dition of 1816. In the interior are some fine old-fashioned rooms, with ancient furniture, and walls either panelled or hung with leather stamped with gold. They contain much oak-carving of the period of Elizabeth and James I., and several elaborately carved oak four-post bed- steads of the date of Elizabeth. Among other curiosities is a screen said to have been worked by Mary Queen of Scots. Gwydir stands in a charming garden, suited to the style of the house, with bright parterres of flowers, clipped yews, formal hedges, and cypresses. Pictures of Sir John Wynne and Catherine of Beren are still preserved. Sir John also built another house on the rocks above, all of which is demolished save the Chapel. The Wynnes, who sub- sequently became the Wynnes of Wynnstav (Rte. l),held this property till the latter part of the 17th cent., when the heiress of Sir Richard Wynne married the Marquis of Lind- sey, and thus brought it into the family of Ancaster. The Baroness Willoughby, daughter of the Duke, married Sir Peter Burrell, afterwards 1st Lord Gwydir, and the estate has since remained in the present family of Gwydir. The views from the rocks above and the various parts of the grounds are very charming. There are also a waterfall and a picturesque lake. For Excursions from Llanrwst turn to Trefriw, p. 88. Conveyances from Llanrwst. — Rail to Conway, 12 m., and Bettws-y- Coed, 4 m., and Fcstiniog. Distances. — Trefriw, 1£ m. ; Cacr- hun, 7 J ; Llyn Gcirionydd, 4 ; Cupel Curig, 10; Pentrevoelas, 11 ; Rhaiudr- v-Wenol, 6^ ; Gwythcrin, 6 ; Bangor, 25 m. N. Wales. Route 12 . — Bethvs-y-Coed. 91 [ An excursion may be made by a pedestrian through a broken and ro- mantic country to Grwytherin, the site of an ancient nunnery and original burial-place of St. Winifred, and from thence by the valleys on Elwy and Aled to St. Asaph and Den- bigh (Rtes. 5, 11).] The Railroad to Bettws-y-Coed is on the rt. bank of the Conwy. The scenery rapidly improves in character, the vale becoming much narrower, and the woods on either side feather- ng down nearly to the water’s edge. Bettws-y-Coed St at., opposite the centre of the village, near the old Ch. Coaches start from this to Ban- gor by Capel Curig (Rte. 12a). Om- nibuses to the Hotels. Bettws-y-Coed ( Inns : * # Waterloo, well managed, perfectly comfortable, obliging landlord and landlady ; Royal Oak — the sign was painted by David Cox in one of his frequent sojourns in this Inn during 50 years ; Grwydir Arms). Bettws-y-Coed ( i.e . the Station in the Wood) is one of the most charmingly situated villages in Wales, a little above the junction of the Llugwy, flowing from the N., with the Conwy descending from the S. Its houses, neat Grothic Ch., and hotels stretch for nearly a mile along the old Holyhead road, here an avenue shaded by fine trees, from theBridge of Bont-y-Bair (the artists’ delight), spanning the rocks and clefts, through and over which the Llugwy leaps, just below a craggy fir- crowned islet, to the Waterloo Iron Bridge over the Conwy. The houses of Bettws look N. down the vale of Llanrwst, and are backed by a semicircle of precipitous hills clothed with rich woods, except along their bare craggy scars. Not a single high mountain-top is visible from the village, but by paths ascending above 1 these you may enjoy magnificen t views of the Snowdonian chain. Bettws has an old Church beyond the rly. stat., now deserted, and only remarkable for an effigy of Grrufed ap David Grock and its old yew-trees ; and a simple modern Grothic Church , whose elegant Font of Cornish ser- pentine, the gift of a lady in the neighbourhood, deserves notice. Ser- vice twice on Sunday, also on Saints days. Efforts are being made to increase the clergyman’s stipend, which is miserably small. Many neat cottages are scattered among the woods around the valley, none prettier than Tyn-y-Bryn , on an eminence above the Llugwy. It is sometimes let for the summer months ; another is Myria , on a platform of the wooded hills oppo- site, studded with choice coniferse, above the Conwy. The truly beautiful scenery in the midst of which Bettws is seated, and the good accommodation furnished by 4 or 5 Inns, render it an excel- lent resting-place for travellers, and a centre from which charming Fxcursions may be made : § a. A rough road leads up behind the modern ch., through the wood, to an upland moor, in the midst of which lies Llyn Flsie , a silent tarn amidst hillocks, from which a view of Moel Siebod may be obtained — dis- tance about 1J m. § h. To the so called Swallow Falls (Rhaiadr-y-Wennol), 2^ m. from Bettws. The Holyhead road by Bangor passes close to them, ascend- ing the rt. branch of the Llugwy. There is an Inn close to the Falls (see Rte. 12a). The pedestrian may cross Pont-y-Pair, and by a path on the left side of - the Llugwy, ascending to a tower, which com- mands a fine view, may make his way down to the Falls and Capel Curig road, passing the frail wooden Miners’ Bridge, distance 1J m. from Bettws. § c. Three mountain streams, the 92 Boute 12 . — Falls of Conwy and Machno. Lledr, the Machno, and the Conwy, form junctions within 2 m. S. of Bettws, and contribute largely by their scenery to the attraction of the district. No one should omit to walk or drive 3 m. along Telford’s Holyhead road, as far as the bridge, where the road to Penmachno branches off rt., for in this distance it commands the most picturesque views in N. Wales, overlooking the grand wooded and rocky gorges of the three rivers ; while in the back- ground the mountain Moel Siabod is the most striking feature. The road passes, but out of sight and far below, the Fairy Glen and Conwy Falls. The latter are reached by a road turning out of that to Corwen at the second milestone. See § d. § d. The above-mentioned gorge of the Conwy includes 2 very striking scenes, both of wliicli may be visited from the Corwen road (§ c). The Fairy Glen (Foss Noddyn), about 1£ m. from Bettws, is reached by crossing the Waterloo Bridge , of one elegant iron arch, constructed by Telford for the Holyhead road in 1815, and by taking the first turn rt. out of the Corwen road. This lower road runs up the rt. side of the Con- wy, but instead of crossing at Beaver Pool Bridge, ascend a lane to 1. through a gate, and in 200 yds. you reach a rude stair, leading down into The Fairy Glen , a rock chasm, where the Conwy forces its way among huge fallen blocks, and under clills worn in curves by the stones whirled round by the stream. It is a striking scene of rock, water, and foliage. §e. About £ m. higher up the Con- wy, but to be reached by taking the Corwen road to the second milestone, where the road to Penmachno turns rt., arc the very beautiful Falls of the Conwy. A wicket gate close to the bridge leads down the rt. bank to a deeper and more stupendous gorge, into which the Conwy and the N. Wales. Machno, leaping down, unite their waters. The grandeur of this deep and narrow ravine is much injured by the intrusion of a modern salmon- ladder. Regaining the road and crossing the bridge over the Conwy (Pont Newydd), and following the road about 5 yds., a cross-field path may be found to the Machno Falls , and to the very edge of the preci- pice, between the rivers, at whose feet their w r aters meet. This is close to Bandy Mill , which artists have so often delighted to portray. It is reached by a detour, to gain Pandy Bridge, but there are stepping-stones just above the fall, bringing you to the mill direct. A rough cart-road down the 1. side of the Conwy, very pic- turesque, leads from the Mill into the Lledr Valley and Bridge. It is about 2 m. from Pandy Mill to Bettws by this road. § d. Ascent of Capel Garmon. I 10 yds. beyond Waterloo Bridge a flight of steps between 2 walls leads to a rough and steep path, w’hich i brings you in £ an hour to the sum- . mit, commanding one of the finest views of the Snoivdon Range to be attained near Bettws, not including Snow T don itself, which is hid by Moel Siabod. The liill-top is marked by a cairn, and is accessible by a pony i or car to within 200 yds. There is a Cromlech near this, Tyn-y-Coed. Capel Garmon may also be reached by a steep carriage-road J m. 1. beyond Waterloo Bridge, or by follow’ir.g the Corw'en high road for about } m., when a lane, practicable for a carriage, ascends the hill on 1. It descends i into the Conwy Valley 2 m. short j of Llanwrst ; and the excursion may j be pleasantly extended by crossing the river by Llanrwst Bridge, and returning to Bettws (12 m.) past Gwydir and along the left bank of the Conwy, and over Pont-y-Pair. § e. To Llyn Ogwen, Llyn Id wall, and Nant Ffrancon Mill (ltte. 12a). ( § f. To Llanrwst Church and Coed to Bangor — Cajpel Curig. 98 N. Wales. Bte. 12a. — Bettws-y- Gwydir (p. 90), by rail or road, re- turning by road on 1. bank of Conwy under hanging woods). § g. To Festiniog, by the Valley of the Lledr and Dolwyddelan — Kail. Rte. 12b. Distances . — Llanrwst, 4 m.; Capel Curig, 6; Rhaiadr-y-Wennol, 2£ ; Dolwyddelan, 7J ; Festiniog (Ely.) Pentrevoelas, 7 ; Penmachno, 4| ; Corwen, 22 .§ ; Pont-y-glyn, 16 J m. Coaches daily in summer to Bangor, 20 m. ; to Llanberis — to Portma- doc, by Capel Curig, 5| m., Bedd- gelert and Pont Aberglaslyn. ROUTE 12a. BETTWS^YCOED TO BANGOR, BY CAPEL CURIG, NANT FFRANCON, AND THE SLATE QUARRIES. 20 m. One of the most interesting roads in Wales for grand and varied scenery. Coaches — daily, to and fro in summer. Rail, Bethesda to Bangor. The road from Bettws-y-Coed to Capel Curig passes in about a mile from Bettws the Miners' Bridge , a slim structure, steeply inclined, thrown across the river to some pro- jecting rocks. The road commands some glorious glimpses of river scenery, continuing closely along the rt. bank of the Llugwy to m. Dhaiadr-y - Wennol , or Swal- low Fall. The coach pulls up here in order that the passengers may run down the walks and visit the Fall. After rainy weather this may be con- sidered a fine cataract for breadth and volume, though not in height. A small fee, for keeping the paths in repair, is given to the landlord of the Inn adjoining the Falls. f m. above the Inn, the Llugwy is crossed by a picturesque bridge, Pont- y-Cyfing. The road, which, since leaving Bettws - y - Coed, has been gradually rising, now keeps the 1. bank of the stream past Tyn-y-Coed Inn, a comfortable and popular resort of artists. The dark summit Moel Siabod (pronounced Shabbod) becomes a marked feature in the landscape. Tan - y - Bivlch (not to be con- founded with a place of the same name near Festiniog) is a group of lodging-houses, with 2 little Inns, generally full of artists, who resort hither on account of the picturesque scenery round it. The Llugwy forms pretty rock-falls near a bridge, and its banks are well wooded. [A little further on a road turns 1. to Cajpel Curig , about 400 yds. off the Bangor road, on the way to Llanberis and Beddgelert. The Inn (Royal Hotel), a long straggling house, much frequented by travellers, is surrounded by a few trees, and stands in a bare district, near 2 small lakes, but commands the finest view of Snoivdon, for the ascent of which mountain this place is sometimes chosen, though it is 9 m. to the summit, 4 of them along the high road (see Rte. 17). 1 m. rt. from Capel Curig a track crosses the shoulders of the hill to Llyn Cowlyd amid some very wild and grand scenery. Thence you may follow the Afon Ddu to Dolgarrog and the Conwy (Rte. 12). Distances. — Bettws-y-Coed, 5J m.; Rhaiadr-y - W enol, 3J ; Llanrwst, 10 ; Llanberis, 10 ; Penygwryd, 4 ; Snow- don, 9 ; Griyder, 5 ; Moel Siabod, 3J ; Beddgelert, 12 ; Llyn Ogwen, 4 ; Bethesda, 9 ; Bangor, 14J m.] On regaining the Holyhead road there is a continued ascent through marshy ground, until the watershed is crossed dividing the Llugwy from the Ogwen. The traveller who has left the Snowdon valley on the 1. will 94 N. Wales Route 12a. — Lhjn Ogicen. soon have reason to rejoice in the magnificent scenery that is once more opening before him ; for, with the exception of the Llanbcris pass, he is now entering the finest gorge in the whole country. On the rt. is the enormous block of mountain of which Carneddau Dafydd and Llewelyn are the centres, while on the 1. a still more savage and precipitous chain inter- vening between Llyn Ogwen and Llanberis, the Glyders and Trifaen, seems as if about to close over the pass and entirely to block it up. [At a bridge where the Llugwy is crossed for the last time, the ascent may be made to Carnedd Dafydd or Carnedd Llewelyn — a steep and fatiguing pull, but one that is amply repaid by the splendid views. The Llugwy must be followed up to Gian Llugwy, whence strike up the shoulder of Craig Llugwy, and keep along the ridge until it divides. The one to 1. is the ridge of the Black Ladders, and on rt. is Bmlch-cyfnvy- drym (the Saddle-back Pass), a nar- row' ledge, £ m. long, which ends at the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn. On each side are tremendous abysses, the one to the E. containing a tarn, Jfynnon Llugtoy. “ The summit, which is 3169 ft. in height, is said to have been marked by a fortified camp of Llewelyn, who from this eminence beheld Bangor in llames at the hands of the army of King John, to whom he sent his daughter Joan with terms of peace.” — Lloyd. But little traces are left of it, though th# Ordnance surveyors have raised a memorial in the shape of an enormous cairn. Probably, fo.- extent, the view is equal to any in Wales, particularly to the N., in which Anglesey and the coast ap- pear at one’s feet. On the S. the most prominent points arc the Gly- ders, the strangely-indented head of Trifaen, and the Snowdon range be- hind them. A her lies to the N.W., and a descent can be made thither in 6 or 7 m. The llyns under Cefn-yr- Arryg to the N.E. are Melynllyn and Llyn Dulyn, which supply rivulet s to the Conwy. Should the tourist not w’ish to descend to Aber, ho can retrace his steps to the Black Ladders and visit Carnedd Dafydd (3427 ft.), below which there is a deep semi- circular cwm , containing the little Ffynnon-y-Llocr. From Braicli-ddu there is a practicable descent ^though very steep, to the shores of Llyn Ogw'cn, where it receives the Afon Lloer, exactly opposite the Trifaen. Or a good descent may be made directly into the valley of the Afon Lloer, joining the road about 3J m. from Capel Curig. This is shorter than descending by Braicli-ddu or returning by the Black Ladders to Craig Llugwy. The geologist should look out for evidences of iceberg or glacier action on the tlanks of the mountain.] 8 m. Llyn Ogwen is a narrow' sheet of water nearly 1 m. in length, occupy- ing the whole of the pass between Braich Ddu , a shoulder of Carnedd Dafydd, on the N., and the Trifaen and Glyder Vach on the S. The Holyhead road is carried along its S. margin. It is a favourite lake with anglers, though (perhaps from poach- ing) it is by no means as good as it used to be. Shore-fishing is nearly useless ; therefore the angler must hire a boat, which belongs to the hotels at Capel Curig or Bethesda (Douglas Arms). This practically puts the fishing into the hands of the landlords, and generally en- tails, besides the expense of a boat, the necessity of a car and driver. The lake belongs to Lord Pcnrhyn of Penrhyn Castle, and is open to all anglers. The Ogwen issues from the lake through a narrow savage gorge, called the Passof the Bcnglog, whence it is precipitated in a scries of falls for more than 100 ft. From the broken tf. Wales. Route 12a. — Llyn Idwal — Glyder Fach. 95 and disjointed character of the rocks it becomes rather a series of short Palls than one large cataract. At the roadside, close to the lake, is a Cottage furnishing refreshments and a bed at a pinch, close to a water Mill, at which hone stones are cut and fashioned out of the slate here quarried ; in an adjoining shed horses and traps can be put up. At this spot the traveller should turn aside to Llyn Idwal , the wildest and most savage of Welsh lakes, which lies in a deep crater a little higher on the mountain, f m. from the road, to the 8. of the W. end of Llyn Ogwen. A path at the side of the hone-mill, marked by flat stones laid upon the wet marsh, ascends the hill, and cross- ing several watercourses, leads in \ hr’s. walk to the Llyn. The rocks m either side consist of feldspath porphyry, and interbedded grit. The waters of the lake are dammed up by m ancient moraine, and there are many marks of ancient glaciers around. For gloomy grandeur it lias not its equal : “ bare rocks rising precipitously from it, darken its lalm surface.” On the W. side of the llyn, high up in the face of the precipice, exists an extraordinary chasm, called Twll JDdu , the Black Hole, or the LeviVs Kitchen „ It is a narrow deft in the rock, about 100 yards leep, fletween perpendicular cliffs of hack slaty rock, down which the water from Llyn-y-Gwm, on the moun- tain above, finds its way to Llyn [dwal. To climb into it requires a considerable amount of nerve and steady footing, as the rocks are fear- fully slippery, and a false step might lead to serious consequences. It is possible to scramble up the rocks on the left side of this cleft to a small tarn, Llyn-y-Cwm , at the base of G-lydir Fawr, and thence to descend nto the Pass of Llanberis, opposite the old ch. But no one should attempt this, or to approach Twll Ddu in misty weather without a guide. [A little to the E. of Llyn-y-Cwm is the eminence of Glyder Fawr, and connected with it by a range of precipices is the # Glyder Fach , the highest points in this range. The summit commands exquisite views over Llanberis and the lakes to the S.W., the peak of Moel-y-Wyddfa (Snowdon) being directly opposite. Immediately to the K. is Y Trifaen , a spur of the Glyder Fach. “ The summit of the Glyder seems as if it had been washed by a tremendous sea ; the stones (huge blocks, slabs, and obelisks) lie loose and strewn at hazard, as on some wild coast : rocks, bare, cloven, and jagged, lie crossing each other in different directions, while the huge pointed Trifaen, with its sflarp angular projections, height above height, seems like some huge monster; these and a magnificent natural carnedd of enormous blocks, fit crown to the grandest crag and block scene in Britain, are special attributes of the top of the Glyder Fach.” — Koscoe. It supplies an exciting scene in Kingsley’s 4 Two Years Ago.’ The Trifaen is remark- able for the two enormous rocks on its summit, which from the vale below appear like figures. Although this mountain is seemingly inacces- sible, it may be scaled without much difficulty on its western side. With the Cambrian rocks underlying the Boulder drift on its summit, it is full of interest to the geologist. In Cwm Bochlwyd y underneath the Glyder, is Llyn Fdchlwyd , one of the most perfect examples of a glacier lake in the district.] The river Ogwen issues out of the lake, and at once descends in the series of step-like falls, called Benglog, amid broken and fissured rocks into the romantic Nant Ffrancon , the Beaver Glen, about 3 m. long. 10 m. The Ogwen at the Falls, 96 N. Walks. Route 1 * 2 a . — Bethcsda Slate Quarries . is crossed by a bridge nt a sudden turn of the road, which immediately begins to descend the grand rale. An excellent terrace-road skirts the rt. of the vale, enabling the traveller to view at his ease the vista of moun- tains on each side. In Pennant’s time the journey through the vale was so formidable that he described it as the “most dreadful horsepath in V. ' The road keeps above and on the rt. bank of the Ogwcn, passing Oytcen Bank, the charmingly-situ- ated shooting-scat of Lord Penrhyn. A little to the 1. the huge accu- mulations of slate-rubbish, almost as sombre-looking as the cinder-heaps of the coal districts, betoken the proximity of the Penrhyn Slate Quarriegy the property of the Pennant family, which have been worked for many years on the very largest scale. The valley of the Ogwcn expands into a basin, surrounded by the grandest mountains, Camedd Dafydd, >’., and Y Glyder Fawr cnS. 15.J m. Bethesda Stat. (about a mile from the quarries and the /as, Douglas Anns), a slate village, or rather say a busy town, with shopsand chapels, a neat parish Church and parsonage, several schools, and a Hospital, all erected for the use of the quarry men. The sight and sounds hem are singular enough to a stranger. The whole side of the mountain is cut away in ledges or terraces, and dotted 1 wre and there at different levels by minute figures of workmen hack- ing at and detaching the slates. Here a busy group is seen carrying away a block to the workshops to be split ; then* a solitary quarry man liangs dangling by a rope, like a spider at the end of his web, sus- pended from the rock above, in the face of which he is patiently boring a hole to be filled with the charge oi gunpowder. On a sudden a horn winds with a long and peculiar note j tl»e busy workmen gradually dis- appear into holes and crannies, and, after the lapse of a few minutes, the horn again sounds, and from 20 to 50 blasts an' discharged in irregular and rapid succession from all sides and levels of the vast amphitheatre: mnsscs of slate nrc rent away, falling down the sides like an avalanche, and fragments are sometimes driven through the air into the quarry below. The present improved regu- lations as to fixed t imes of blasting, and the strongly-constructed sheds made for the men to take refuge in, have greatly diminished the number of casualties and the loss of life which formerly occurred, chiefly from in- attention to the warnings. The ex- plosion cracks the rock to a consi- derable depth, enabling the men to detach large pieces with their bars ; they are afterwards conveyed away on trams to the workshops to be split. The peculiar metallic sound emitted ns the slntes shoot down the steep inclines, the oft-recurring reverbera- tion from the blasting, the enor- mous sombre heaps of rubbish, the materials of which are ever restless, ever working, the Label of Welsh tongues shouting nnd vociferating, as only a Welshman can shout, the constant nnd ceaseless bustle — all combine to make it a picture full of interest. In the centre of the quarry rises a pyramid or conical pillar of greenstone, which having intruded itself into the midst of the slate, nnd being too hard nnd un- profitable to excavate, has Ijeeh left standing by the workmen. The slates, when dressed, are (wicked close, edges uppermost, in wooden t rnmenrs, and are thus taken down to Port IVnrhyn, a Unit 0 m., wliere tliev are shipped for exportation. The quarries and Bethesda are now connected with Ilangor by a I short Railroad which, within a mile | of the Stat. units the vale of tho Ogwcn, liere lined on each side by wooded hank*, and through a tunnel 97 N. Wales, j Route 12b. Bettws-y- Coed to Festiniog . enters that of the Cegin, by Tre- garth, and Felin Hen Stat. [This Ely. leaves on the rt. the model village of Llandegai , situ- ated on the Holyhead road, whose neat and well-kept cottages, each forming a part of a consistent design, cluster round the Churchy which stands on a slight eminence embosomed in trees and approached by a densely thick avenue of yews. It was restored by Lord Penrhyn, and contains a mural monument to Williams, Archbishop of York and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in the time of James I. Upon an alabaster altar-tomb rest the effigies of a knight and lady unknown. There is also a monument to Lord and Lady Penrhyn, by Westmacott, supported on one side by a female figure in the attitude of grief, and on the other by a slate-quarrier, bearing the implements of his pro- fession. At the entrance into the village is the fine Norm, gateway leading into Penrhyn Parle , described in Rte. 7. Llandegai was the scene of a fight, in 1648, between Sir John Owen, of Clenenney, and Col. Twistleton, at the head of the Parlia- mentary army, in which the former was taken prisoner.] The Bethesda Ely. joins that from Chester to Holyhead, between the 2 tunnels leading into 37 m. Bangor Station ( Inns : George Hotel, near the Menai Bridge ; British, near Railway ; Castle). See Ete. 7. [A 7 . Wales.'] ROUTE 12b. BETTWS-Y-COED TO FESTIN'OG BY DOLWYDDELAN — - BOND. AND N. WEST. RAIL. 12J m., 5 or 6 trains daily in 40 inin. This single line, very difficult of construction, costing more than J a million sterling, was made by the Lond. and N.-W. Ely. Comp, to open out the slate district of Fes- niog to the sea. From Bettws Stat. it is carried behind the Waterloo Hotel and Bridge, and up the 1. bank of the Conwy as far as the Beavers’ Pool and the junction of Lledr, where it commences the ascent of that lovely valley, terraced on the hillside high above the stream, which it crosses at 3 m. by a stately Viaduct of five arches, somewhat to the detri- ment of this, the most charming- part of the valley. The river here finds its way through narrow ravines of fallen rocks, while the vista is closed, at the upper end, by the striking outline of the mountains above Festiniog, of Siabod and of Snowdon beyond. 4 m. Pont-y-Pant Stat. (a small Inn), near a wooden bridge over Lledr, is a favourite spot with artists. The gorge is here succeeded by an open basin of meadows, with few trees, in the midst of which stands 5^ m. Dolwyddelan Stat., a village of scattered houses, chiefly slate- quarriers’ dwellings (Inns: Elen’s Castle, small but clean ; Benar View, \ m. from Stat.). T m. higher up the vale is Dolwyddelan Castle, a tall rough square tower, finely placed on a bold projecting steep, overhanging the H 98 liouie 13. — Bdtics-y-Cocil to Concet). N. Wales F.S. road, of groat thickness of wall, with a fragment of a second tower. The date of its erection is very uncertain. This castle was formerly the resi- dence of lorwerth Drwyndwn (the Broken Nose), father of Llewelyn the Great, who was born here. The claims of lorwerth to the throne of Wales were disallowed in conse- quence of his deformity. In the time of Henry VII. this district was tom to pieces by the quarrels of rival families and elans. “ To such lengths did they earn* their animosity, that Merodydd ap Ivan is stated to have purchased the castle as a place of defence within which to retreat from the violence of his own relations, al- though the immediate vicinity was beset with bands of robbers and out- laws. Meredydd built the present Church of Dolwyddelan, now modernized, which contains brasses of himself and wife, 1525, and a house called Penam - naen in the ctcm of the same name. The scenery at Dolwyddelan is re- markably fine, from its being so entirely surrounded by mountains, conspicuous amongst which the enor- mous mass of Moel Siahod towers high in the air. At the very head of the valley the Llcdr takes its rise in the recesses of Yr Arddu and Moel Llcdr, shoulders of that great “mob of mountains” pf which Moel* wyn is the chief. rt. The j>caks of Snowdon come into view for a moment. The valley of the Llcdr is crossed at Dolwyddelan by the Sam Urlen, a Komnn road which traversed this dis- trict, probably between Scgontium and llcriri Mona (Tomen y Mur). It may be plainly traced ascending the deep curve of Penam naen, and crowing the hills to the 8. With reference to this Homan road, the Kly. comp, have named the next stat. 7§ in. Roman Bridge Slat., though they have no authority but their own for attributing such an origin to any structure in the neighbour- hood. [There is a pleasant walk of C in. from this Stat. to Capel Curig, either following the line of the Roman road to Pont-y-Pant, or by the lakes ot Diwaunydd. Guide needed in misty weather.] The rly. here quits the Lledr valley and buries itself in u Tunnel nearly 5 m. long, blasted in the slate- rock, and emerges near the slate quarries of Pant yr Afon. 12J m. Blaenau Festiniog Stat ., about 1 in. from the village of Festiniog (see Rte. 20), and close to Diffxcgs Stat. of the Toy Rly. to Tan-v-Bwlch and Trcmadoc (Inns : N. Western Hotel, close to Stat.; Queen’s H.). See Route 20. A short line is carried across the summit of the vale of the Dwyryd, commanding a sweeping view down it, to 4 m. Festinioo Yillaae Stat . (see Rte. 20). ROUTE 13. BETTWS-YCOED TO CORWEN, BY PENTREVOELAS. 22 m. This is a part of Telford’s great Holyhead road, now deserted for tlu* railway. For the first 3 m, t lie scenery is splendid, the inter- mediate distance is over bare, treeless table-land, which improves only on nearing Corwen. Quitting Bettws- y-Cocd (Rte. 13) the road crossei the Waterloo Bridge of one iron arch, baht in tin- year of Waterioo. Tm been cry at first is on the higheft scale of beauty, and the traveller should stop on his way by all means to see the Fairy Glen, the Falls of the Conwy and Machno, and the N. Wales. Boute 13. — Fentrevoelas — Mynydd Hiraethrog. 99 junction of those 2 rivers, if he has not visited them from Bettws (see Ete. 12). The first part of the road runs up the Yale of the Conwy ; along a continuous ascent. [lm. 1. of Water- loo Bridge, on the high ground, is Cay el Garmon , in which parish, on the farm of Tyn-y - Coed, are a carnedd and cromlech.] The gorge of the Conwy, called Fairy Glen , is best approached by the lower road. rt. after crossing Waterloo Bridge, but it may also be reached by a footpath from the Holyhead road across the fields. At the 2nd milestone the road to Penmachno turns rt., and imme- diately reaches a bridge, just below which are the very picturesque Falls of the Conwy (described in Ete. 12), a scene of great grandeur. Near this there is a noble view of inter- i lacing rocky headlands and far-off ranges of hill beyond. At 6 m. the road, having reached a high tableland, commanding distant views of the Snowdon range looking back, takes leave of the Conwy (which turns suddenly as it flows from the S.W.), and reaches, 7 m., j Fentrevoelas — a small village more often resorted to by the angler than the tourist, as there is but little to detain any one. (Inn : Y oelas Arms, good and comfortable.) Voelas Hall, the seat of Col. Wynne Finch, a handsome modern house of slate and red sandstone, contains some good pictures and local antiquities, inscribed stones. Near it are an earthwork, the site of the post of Castell Coch, and an upright in- scribed stone, supposed to have been erected over the grave of Llewelyn ap Seisyllt, slain here in 1021. Three roads run in here — on the 1. from Llanrwst, on the rt. from Festiniog through Yspytty Ivan (Ete. 21), and a little farther on 1. from Denbigh. ■ From hence the road follows the course of the Merddwr (a small stream, flowing into the Conwy), on very high and bleak ground, to 9i m. Cerniogau , which, although now a single farmhouse placed in the midst of desolate, unproductive highlands, was, previous to the in- troduction of the locomotive, an im- portant hostelry and posting-house during the palmy days of coaching on the great Holyhead road. This is generally considered to be the highest ground on the whole of the route between London and Holyhead, and is the watershed between 2 great basins of the Conwy and Dee, into which the road soon begins to descend. [The ranges of hills which have ac- companied the road to 1. for the whole distance from Llanrwst are the Mynydd Hiraethog , a wild and bleak mountain- chain which inter- venes between the Dee and its tribu- taries, and the Elwv and Aled. The character of the scenery is not such as will repay exploration, al- though the valleys on the other side are full of beauty. About 5 m. N. of Pentrevoelas is Llyn Alwen , a considerable sheet of water, in which the Alwen takes its rise. It is pre- served by Col. Wynne Finch, of Yoelas, and contains large pike and perch. About 2 m. farther is Llyn Aled, giving birth to the Aled.] Notwithstanding the generally dreary aspect of the road, the views, looking back, of the Snowdon range which occasionally present them- selves will compensate for much. 12J m. Cerrig-y-JDrudion , “ The Stones of the Heroes,” is a primitive Welsh village near a rocky elevation, from which probably it takes its name (Inn, Lion). The high road leaves the village on 1., and passes 13 m. at some little distance on 1. the eminence of Fenygaer, a fortified post which tradition assigns to Ca- li 2 100 N. Wales. Haute 14 . — Bangor to Tremadoc . ractacus. c< After lie had been routed by the Romans he retreated to this castle for safety, but was, with his whole family, betrayed to the enemy by Queen Cartismandua, and sent prisoner to Rome. At 15 m. the road is joined by the picturesque little river Geirw , which flows joyously down to meet the Alwen. 16} m. Pont Glyn Diffivys , to the right of the high road, a striking and romantic scene. A deep chasm is crossed by a bridge of one arch of 50 ft. span, springing from two sheer and sharp rocks, beneath which the river rushes over a series of rocky slopes. Borrow calls it “ a kind of Devil’s Bridge flung over the deep glen and its foaming water.” 17 } m. 1. the Goat Inn , rt. Maes- mawr, the beautifully-wooded seat of Mrs. Kerr, a little beyond which the Geirw joins the Alwen. 19 m. Druid Inn. The road next passes Puy Park. 21 m. on a road to Ruthin (Rte. 11), is Bug, long the fine seat of the Vaughans, but on the death of Sir Robert Vaughan, it was bequeathed to the lion. C. H. Wynn, 2nd son of Lord Newborougli. It formed part of the property of Glyndwr, but on the forfeiture it passed into the hands of the Salusburys and the Vaughans like the rest. Owain’s knife, fork, and dagger are still preserved here. Within the grounds of Rug is a private Chapel of the Vaughan family, of the Jacobean type, bearing date 1637, and quaintly but handsomely decorated. The carving of the seats is good. At no great distance from it is a well, supposed to be Ffynnon Sulien. Between 2 and 3 m. to the N.W. of Rug is the eh. of Bcttws Gwerfyl Goch, which contains a very interesting screen. ROUTE 14. BANGOR TO TREMADOC, BY CAER- NARVON AND AFONWEN- — BOND. J AND N. WESTERN RAIL. — THE NANTLLE LAKES. 9 trains daily in } an hour to Cacr- 1 narvon. The line to Caernarvon diverges 1 from the Chester and Holyhead j Railway at Menai Bridge Stat., 5 minutes* 1 walk to the bridge (described Rte. 7) , and } m. from the George Hotel. The j rly. soon after leaving Bangor dives I into a tunnel, from which it emerges * near 3} m. rt. Treborth Slat, is a few hundred 1 yards from the Tubular Bridge 1 (Rte. 7). See rt. the entrance gate to Vaynol , 1 the finely-wooded demesne of G. Dull* % Assheton Smith, Esq., who inherited 1 it from the late Mr. Thomas Assheton Smith, the noted sportsman, a large I land-holder in this district, and the 1 proprietor of the Llanbcris slate- ] quarries. 4 J m. the rly. approaches close to m the Menai Straits at Port Dinonvic Stat. ( i.e . the Port * of the Northmen), a busy little harbour solely employed in the embarkation of the slates, which ure brought from Llanbcris by a rly. 7 m. in length. There is safe anchorage for about 120 vessels of 200 tons . Durthen. Here are Mod y don, and a little lower down Porthamel , the scene of the different “ trajectus ” of Suetonius, Agricola, and subsequently of Edward I.’s army (Rte. 7). 22} m. Corwcn (Rte. 3). N. Wales. Route 14 . — Caernarvon: Castle. 101 From this an excursion may be made to the Celtic remains of Dinas Dinorwic (4 m.). 61 m. Griffith's Crossing St at. On rt. the ch. of Llanfair Isgaer , close to the water’s edge, and Lias Llan- fair. On the opposite bank are the woods and mansion of Lias Llan- idan , the estate of Lord Boston. [The turnpike-road from Bangor keeps close to the rly., but being on higher ground and free from the necessity of cuttings and tunnels, it commands more beautiful views of the Menai and Anglesey. 3 9 m. Caernarvon Junct. Stat. (Pop. 10,258) {Inns: Boyal Hotel, close to the station ; Boyal Sports- man, in the town ; Castle ; Prince i of Wales). Independently of its own attractions, Caernarvon stands at the entrance of the Menai Straits and at the mouth of the Seiont , as it were, at the portals of the finest scenery in N. Wales, the very heart of which can be reached within a moderate walk, Snowdon itself being not more than 12 m. distant, j hour by rail to Llanberis. From the earliest times the metropolis of the Segontiaci, who were of such im- portance that Caesar received an embassy from them. Caer Seiont, near Llanbebleg, was subsequently occu- pied by Ostorius Scapula and Sueto- nius Paulinus, who, to keep their conquests from recapture, founded the camp of Segontium , which under the later Boman rule grew up into a city. The history of Caer Seiont, after the Bomans left the country, is a series of savage raids and in- cursions, in which the town was repeatedly pillaged and burnt. In 1098 Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, • endeavouring, though unsuccessfully, | to bring the Principality under his power, fortified this place. About this date the people bestowed upon it the name of Caer yn Arvon , “ the Fort in Arvon,” or the stronghold on Arvon’ s shore opposite Anglesey, a title which it has ever since main- tained. The year 1284 saw the first visit of Edward I., and the commence- ment of the erection of the Castle , one of the most important fortresses in Wales. It was iong the reputed birthplace of Edward II., the first Prince of Wales, in the Eagle Tower ; but from diligent examinations of the public records, it has been satis- factorily established that Edward II. could not have been born in it, for the very good reason that this part of the castle was not then built. Though founded in 1284, or even 1283, and as legend says finished in one year, it was not really finished until 1322. Subsequently Caernarvon underwent 2 sieges by Owain Grlyndwr in the 15tli cent., and one by the Parlia- mentarians during the civil wars under Captain Swanby, who took and garrisoned the fortress (1646). The Castle (4cZ. for admission) occupies nearly 3 acres of ground on the W. and N. W. of the town, on the rt. bank of the Seiont, and is in plan an irregular oblong, surrounded by high walls, surmounted at intervals by 13 polygonal towers, with light turrets rising from them. It is said to have been built partly from the materials of old Segontium, and partly with stone from Anglesey. The principal entrance or King’s G-ate faces the K. nearly opposite Castle-street, and is approached by a modern bridge over what was once the moat. Above this noble gate- way, which is flanked by a tower on each side, and was defended by 4 port- cullises, is a statue of Edward II.,* who completed the castle, dagger in hand, under a canopy. The interior was divided into 2 wards or Baileys, but, as the dividing wall or building has disappeared, it is chiefly marked * See Mr. George Clark’s ‘ Mediaeval Mili- tary Architecture of England,’ Vol, I., 8vo., 1884 , 102 Route 14 . — Caernarvon Castle . N. Wales. by a change of level, which is highest on the E. side. The Great Hall, kitchen, and chapel have been swept away. The S.W. tower is now repaired, nnd fitted up for the town Museum. The W. portion contains the state apartments, which occupy the S.W. angle, overlooking the mouth of the Seiont. They are spacious, and lighted with good traceried windows. At the extreme W. is the famous Eagle Tower , which commands atten- tion from its height and beauty. It has 3 slender angular turrets issuing from its top. It is the only one to the summit of which an ascent can be made, as the staircase has been safely repaired. It derives its name from mutilated figures of eagles on the battlements. A room, not 12 ft. long nor 8 broad, is shown in which Edward II. is supposed to have been bom, though we have already seen that that fiction is quite dis- pelled. The Eagle Tower was probably built by Edward II. him- self and finished in 1317, and the gateway, out of which he is said to have been exhibited by his mother Eleanor, 3 years later on, when he was of the mature age of 3G. As at Beaumaris, galleries (in tolerable preservation) run through the thick- ness of the walls, which are pierced with loop-holes. The view from the Eagle Tower is very fine. W. and N- are the Menai opening into a wide expanse of sea, nnd a large portion of the Anglesey coast with its sandbanks, its undulat- ing hills, nnd white villages. On the S. the Seiont runs through a pictur- esque dingle, of which the one bank is covered with the woods of Coed-Hclcn, and the other is lined with long quays bv the side of which numerous coast- ing-vessels are occupied in shipping the interminable rows of slates. To the W. rises Snowdonia in all its rugged variety, terminated by the steep cliffs of Yr Eifi and Carreg-y- Llam, which forms such a conspicuous feature in all the Caernarvon views. At the foot lies the town, with its walls, its busy streets, and quays. The tower on rt. of gateway is the Well Tow'er. The upper ward contains on 1. the Dungeon Tower, probably the one “in which the stout-hearted William Prynno — author of ‘ Histriomastix * — the per- secuted alike of Churchman and Independent, of Laud and of Crom- ] well — was imprisoned.** The granary is at the N.E. corner, the Black Tower on the S. side, and between the two is a gateway known j as the Queen’s Gateway, on a plat- 3 form raised above the rest of the ^ castle, which originally led into the town by an elevated causeway and drawbridge. On the outside there j is a very considerable drop, owing to the town- wall, upon an esplanade | of which the gate opened, being j swept away, together with the deep j fosse below. When viewed from the outside, 3 the castle perhaps raises the expec-J tations higher than are realised by a nearer examination, for, in spite of its elements of size and grandeur, it is but an empty carcase, and lacks the] more interesting details of Beaumaris and Conway. The same architect was employed, viz. Henry de Elreton. 4 The castle is Crown property, and was much repaired and strengthened j in 18*15 by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests under the architectural guidance of Mr. Salvin. 1 Passing N. betw’cen the Castle nnd the County Hall , the building with a portico, you reach The Esplanade^ extending outside the Town-wall by the margin of the Straits, as far as the docks and pier. Pursuing this breezy and cheerful walk you pass the Town Chapel, forming part of the wall, and the Ouildhall t rebuilt over a gateway in 1874. The Town Walls were about j m. in circumference, nnd extended from N. Wales. 103 'Route 14 . — Segontium. the Eagle Tower (where 2 small posterns gave admittance) directly 1ST. as far as a small turret called “ Twr*y-gloeh they then turned sharp round to the E. for a short distance, and again to the S., rejoining the castle near the Queen’s Grate. A large modern ch. has been erected near the Illy. Stat. In its main feature the town presents the straight arrangement of streets which bears that evident design always found in Edward I.’s towns. The other buildings consist of the North Wales Training Institution for schoolmasters ; the Guildhall , over the E. town gate ; the County Court-hall , nearly opposite the castle entrance. One of the finest views is obtained from the summit of Twt JEIill , an eminence at the back of the Royal Hotel, from whence the tourist can study, as from a map, the external outlines of the hill country. Besides the esplanade before mentioned, there is also a timber-pier and a long slate- pier by the banks of the Seiont. Immense quantities of slates, as well as a considerable amount of copper, are brought down from the vale of Nantlle by rly. The site of Segontium lies at Llanbeblig, about J m. outside the town on the Beddgelert road, which indeed runs right through it. Ex- cavations at this spot brought to light a Roman well or cloaca, where the vicarage now stands : also por- tions of a street and hypocaust, together with numerous coins of the reigns of Domitian, Maximus, Aurelian, Constantine, and Tetricus. The walls are in tolerable preserva- tion on 2 sides, about 10 ft. in height and 6 in thickness. Through them ran the causeway of Helen or “ Sarn Helen,” which led to the fortified post of Dinas Dinlle. The ex- cavations are now filled up, and the visitor will have some difficulty in tracing the external features of the defences. The total area of the station was about 7 acres. Many of the places in the vicinity bear the name of Helen, such as Bryn Helen, Sarn Helen, Efynnon Helen, Coed Helen, &c. They were so called in honour of the Princess Helena, daughter of Octavius, the Duke of Cornwall, and wife of Maximus, first- cousin of Constantine, who was born at Segontium. The old historic sites (so called Druidic) on the opposite shore of Mona, near Llanidan, are described in Rte. 7, and may be visited by ferryboat crossing the Strait. Distances. — Bangor byroad, 9 m., by rail, 9 ; Llanberis, 10 ; Snowdon, 12 ; Capel Curig, 18 ; Pwllheli, 20 ; Tremadoc, 20 ; Beddgelert, 13 ; Pont Aberglaslyn, 141 ; Clynnog, 10 ; Llyn Cwellyn, 7 ; Bettws Grarmon, 5 ; Yr Eifl, 14 ; Tubular Bridge, 10 ; Beaumaris, 13 ; Drws- y-Coed, 11 ; Menai Bridge, 8 m. Conveyances. — Rail to Chester, Bettws-y-Coed, Llanberis, Afonwen Junctn. with the Cambrian Line, &c. ; coaches to Capel Curig ; to Beddge- lert, Portmadoc. A steamer fre- quently makes excursions during the summer up the Menai, and sometimes as far as Llandudno or Moelfre Bay. A steamer also plies betwixt the Quay and the Anglesey coast. The Caernarvonshire branch of the Lond. and 1ST. West. Rly., by which the tourist proceeds S., crosses, 1st, the Seiont, and 2nd, the Grwyrfai, before a halt is made at 31 ra. Dinas Junct. Stat. oi the North Wales Narrow Grange Rly.; a line branches off to the foot of Snowdon by Bettws Garmon , Snow- don Banger (station for Beddgelert) see Rte. 19 ? and Rhyd-du Stat. 104 Route 14 . — Nantlle Pen-y-Groes Stat. Junot. [Here a branch rly., diverges to the Nantlle Lakes, slate -quarries, and the pass of Drws-y-Coed. The views, as the tourist approaches the 2 lakes, are fine, but the valley and lakes are sadly defaced by enormous masses of slate rubbish and by the scars made on the hill-side by quarries. The valley is a narrow amphitheatre, occupied almost en- tirely by the Llyniau Nantlle , two beautiful lakes, along the N. side of which the road and rly. are carried. The hills on either side, but more particularly on the S., are grand and precipitous, where the escarpments of Llwyd Mawr terminate in the black slaty cliffs of Craig Cwm Dulyn and Craig Cwm Silyn. From the W. end of the lakes, Snowdon is seen closing the pass, in one of its most beautiful aspects — a scene well known from the celebrated picture of Wilson, which was taken from a spot called Dolbebin, a little to the rt. Nantlle (9 m. from Caernarvon) is a quarry- ing and mining district, the scenery of which is undoubtedly marred by the heaps of rubbish, the smoke issuing from the cliimneys of the slate-works and the cottages of the workmen, of which there are a goodly number. Nothing, however, can sj>oil the cliffs of Drws-y-Coed , “ the door of the wood,” which over- hang the pass, as if to forbid farther progress. A fair road skirts the northern side of the gap, until the head of the pass is reached at Bwlch- y-felin, directly in front of which Snowdon rises with outstretched arms in all its magnificence. On crossing the head of the pass, Llyn Cwellyn, noted for its char, and the source of the river Gwyrfai, is opened out on the 1. ; on rt. is Llyn-y-Gader , a weird-looking lake, in the midst of desolate moors. The road ascends, passing copper mines under Y Gam, until it reaches a height of 750 feet above sea-level. In descending the Lakes — Afomcen. NT. Wales. opposite slope, see close to the road the little Llyn JDytvarchen , which once attained a celebrity far beyond its deserts for possessing a floating island, which, however, in reality, is nothing more than an erratic piece of turbary, whence its name, i.e. “ the pool of the sod.” A little further on the road joins at Pont - Rhyd-du (Rte. 19) the Caernarvon and Beddgelert road. 3 m. N. of Nantlle rises the buttress of Snowdon, called MoeL y-Trifaen , near the summit of which is an old sea-beach containing marine shells of Arctic type, at a height of 1350 ft. above the sea.] From Pen-y-Groes Stat. it is 6 m. to the fine ch. of Clynnog (Rte. 15). From Pen-y-Groes the line keeps due S., passing the village of Llanllyfni. A long incline is now ascended, skirting the western slopes of Llwyd Mawr, and the rly. then descends the valley of the Dwyfach to 11 m. Brynkir Stat. for Moelfra Slate Quarry. On the rt. are the noble masses of Bwlchmawr and Gym-ddu. 16 m. Chunloy Stat., to 1. of which is Gwynfryn, the seat of II. J. Ellis Nanney, Esq., and the village of Llanystumdwy, charmingly placed on the border of the Dwyfawr (Rte. 24). 17 m. Afonwen Junct. Hence a branch line, keeping near the sea- shore, runs by Abererch to 21 J m. Pwllheli , 4 m. W. (Rte. 15). The Cambrian Railway is con- tinued from Afonwen by Criccictli, 4 m., and to Tremadoc , Harlech, and Barmouth (Rte. 24). N. Wales. Route 15 . — Caernarvon to Pwllheli — Clynnog. 105 EOUTE 15. CAERNARVON TO PWLLHELI, BY CLYNNOG— ROAD. 20 Hi. The Ely. train may be taken as far as Pen-y-Groes stat,, whence it is a pleasant walk of 5 m. to Clynnog. Soon after quitting Caernarvon, the road to Pwllheli crosses (f m.) the Seiont, which flows through a very picturesque dingle. Et. on the coast, at the extreme point is Belan , a miniature fort and bathing-place of Lord JNewborough, guarding the en- trance of the Menai, and adapted for a summer bathing retreat. 2 m. at Pontneicydd the road crosses he Gwyrfai, which issues some miles ip from Llyn Cwellyn (Ete. 19). On t. is the ancient post of Dinas Di- loethni. There are traces of several orts in this neighbourhood. Prom lence an interminably straight road eads to Clynnog, passing on 1. Glyn - lifon , the magnificently wooded park >f Lord Newborough, into whose amily the estate came by marriage f the heiress of the Glynns with Ldios. Wynn of Boduan. Its beauties, owever, are screened from public iew by a high wall. This long road lay be circumvented by following he Nantlle road from Caernarvon, nd turning off at Pen-y-Groes to the t. by a by-road to Pontllyfni. 5 m. rt. the restored ch. of dandwrog. Overlooking the sea is Hnas Dinlle, a large station said > have been connected with Segon- um. Although probably made use by the Eomans, it was evidently British post, and is strongly irtified with a double range of escarpments. Its seaward front has suffered considerably from the action of the waves. 7^ m. the Llyfni is crossed near its mouth. m. 1. on rising ground is the cromlech of Penardd. The 4J m. of straight road are agreeably termi- nated by the pretty little village of 9| m., Clynnog (no tolerable Inn), whose fine old Church embosomed in trees (restored 1858), is cruci- form, and a magnificent specimen of L%te Perp., about the time of Henry VII. It consists of nave, chancel with sacristy, two transepts, and chapel, with a tower at the W. end, and a JPorch surmounted by a muniment -room leading into the nave. The tower is 74 ft. high, of 3 stages, and supported by but- tresses of 8 stages at each angle. The nave is entered from the porch by a flight of steps. It is 80 ft. long, and lighted by windows of 3 lights, of which the middle is ogee-headed. The chancel is separated from the nave by a beautifully carved j Rood- loft, under which is a row of sedilia of carved oak. There is also a good carved timber roof. Inside the com- munion-rails on N. is an altar-tomb, and above it a mural monument (date 1609) representing an adult figure with several smaller ones kneeling. The sacristy to the N. of the chancel lias a groined roof, and contains the chest of St. Beuno, formed out of a solid tree, for the reception of the offerings to the saint. Its solidity and triple locks have made St. Beuno’s chest pass into a proverb. There are also a mural brass (date 1633) in the N. transept, and an altar-tomb, dividing a pew underneath the reading-desk, to Col. Twistleton, 1667, who, in the civil wars, took Sir John Owen prisoner. At the S.E. angle of the chancel a circular staircase leads to the roof and the roodloft. From the tower porch a passage runs S. to 106 N. Wales. Haute 15 . — Yr Eijl — Tre'r Ceiri. St. Beuno’s chapel, which is thus, to a certain degree, cut off from the ch. It has probably been erected on the site of a much more ancient building. It is lighted by windows of beautiful design. The first ch. was founded by St. Beuno in 616, in the time of Cadwallon, son of Cadvan, King of Wales, who gave the land for the purpose, receiving in return a golden sceptre worth 40 cows. A legend is connected with St. Beuno similar to that of St. Teilo related in the ‘ Liber Landavensis,* viz. that the saint was buried here. The New Inn, at S.W. corner of the cli.-yard, is a very old house, probably coeval with the ch. The ■well of St. Beuno, a cursing well, like St. Lilian’s, and a wishing or healing well like St. Winifred’s, lies on the 1. of the road, a little past the ch., but, like most of the once sacred wells, is neglected and un- cared for. The ch. claims to be one of the finest in N. Wales. In a field overlooking the sea, about £- m. to the W., is the Bachwen cromlech, noted for its cup marks. The road from Clynnog soon be- gins to ascend, as it winds along the western slopes of the large conical blocks of mountain known as Gym Ddu , Gym Goch , and Mo el Pen - llechoy. These mountains are of the same group as Yr Eifl, or, as they are commonly called, The Rivals , which rise in such sudden abruptness on the rt. 13J m. the head of the pass is readied at the small village of Llanaelhaiarn , the ch. of St. Ael- haiarn, also possessed of a sacred well. Viewed from this spot, Yr Kill presents a magnificent escarp ment of frowning precipices, though on the S.W. and S. sides the ascent may be made with perfect ease. [A path from Llanaelhaiarn on the rt. runs at the foot of the cliffs, and through the pass of Bwlch-yr-Eifl y from which there is a lovely retro- spective view of Clynnog, the coast and bay of Caernarvon. On rt. is the smaller Eifl, no great height above the pass, but fearfully precipi- tous on the seaward side. The ac- cessories peculiar to the working of a copper-mine at the very head of the cliffs rather add than otherwise to the striking wildness of the scene. On the 1. Yr Eifl par excellence rises abruptly to the height of 1868ft., though on the E. side there is a lesser peak of only 1400 ft., which is the more interesting of the two, as it contains within its fastnesses, at about the distance of a mile and a half from Llanaelhaiarn, the early fortified town of Tre'r Ceiri (h. e. “ the town of fortresses ”) one of the most perfect and interesting examples to be found in the whole county. To ascend this mountain follow the high road to Nevin for a mile and a half, and then strike off to the 1. up the slope, until reaching a narrow green pathway. A modern wall of loose stones is the only diffi- culty to be surmounted. The con- figuration of the town follows that of the mountaip. “ It consists of seve- ral groups of cells or c cyttiau,’ sur- rounded by a wall enclosing up- wards of 5 acres, being more than 1 300 yards from E. to W. The inner I wall, which is very perfect, is in 1 many places 15 ft. high, and in some I 16 ft. broad, and has a parapet and I walk upon it. There are 9 groups! of cells of various forms — round, oval, I oblong, square, and in some in-1 stances a combination of hexagonal! chambers leading to a circular onc.”B — Arch. Cambr.* At the N. end is a* high artificial mound, probably de-V signed for a look-out post. The cii-L trances, three in number, arc on the! , western and weakest side. Tro’il Ceiri may have been a vast store! irl house for the plunder gathered fronAj the mainland by its seafaring occul * 1865, p. 256. Sec also Vol, for 1871, I 107 Route 15 . — Carr eg y Liam — Pwllheli . N. Wales. pants, or a last refuge of the Gael against the invading Cymry. His- tory is utterly silent respecting this important post — at all events a negative proof of its immense anti- quity. The view over the promon- tory of Lleyn to the S.W. is very fine, the whole outline of the coast, with its various cliffs and hays, being spread out as in a map. The conical hills rising abruptly in the centre are Carn Boduan and Carn Madryn. More to the S. are the little port of Pwllheli and St. Tudwal’s road, opposite to which is the coast of Cardigan Bay, with the Merioneth- shire hills in the background. For grandeur, and at the same time for a certain peculiar wildness, the view from Yr Eifl has not its equal. There is a tradition current that these mountains are magnetic, from which fact they have obtained the name of Llithfaen, or yr-hysfa ; EHciyr-fawr ^/Foel-goc krjrtdA- Blaer Ifppiau P/ Bwlch-y-py L. OOWEI y ROCfIL wy ilyder-fach VGlyder-fawr L 1 . 1 ; Dyffryi sgair-felen //Cora CeffyHu wyd y MVlSiabod ^wIcHRViiw-r-ycham 2ft| Y-FOEL Mynyd* WALT iUWAUNEBl) Jeunant- MpWM Uiwedd / iLYN- wYNANTj/, _ \LYN% %-GAD. id-uchai Cwm-’trwsyl W-£/U< .YR-AbAE LLYN&, SNOWDON SURROUNDING VALLEYS, / LLY.N-EYW] Houle 17. — Llanberis. Ill N. Walks. *arly fortified post of Dinas Dinorwic, an oval shape, and strengthened with a triple ditch. On rt. is Bryn Bras , the castellated modem seat ofWm. Dew, Esq. Overhanging the road is Caer Carrey-y-f ran , which is easily accessible from ' Viom-y-ylo-Slat ., from which there is said to have been a paved way to Llys Dinorwic. “A strong wall of cyclopean masonry was carried along the edge of the cliff ; the entrance faced to the W., and had a projecting bastion on eaeli side. The railroad now runs close alongside of the Seiont, which, issuing from Llyn Padam, flows into the Menai at Caernarvon. On the other side of it is’a Railway, which conveys t lie slates from Llanberis quarries to Port Dinorwic (Rte. 14), 7 m. 5} m. the mountains, which have been gradually drawing nearer, now come down close to the road, leaving but a small space between them and the W. shore of Llyn Padam. They are, in fact, the spurs of Snowdon, which is Been piercing the sky with its sharp peak. On rt. are the slate- quarries of Glyiij the property of Lord New borough. 12 m. Llanboris Terminus. Inns : Victoria, a large but comfortable house (60 beds) in a fine position ; nice garden ; near the mouth of the glen, up which runs the path to Snowdon. The Padam Villa Hotel, too, is a good house, as are also the Castle and Llyn Peris Hotels, the latter overlooking the lake of that name. Llanberis is a village of - 2000 Inhab., great part of whom work in the slate quarries, but it includes many handsome villas scattered along the shores of Lakes Padam and Peris, and lying at the N. foot of Snowdon. It has an old Church (f m. from the stat.) and a new one, 3 or 4 chapels, and a Hospital for quarry accidents. Llyn Padam, so named after the saint Padam or Patemus, who it is said had a cell in these parts, is the lowest and largest of the 2 lakes that fill up the valley. It is about 1J m. in length, though of moderate breadth. It is inferior in beauty to Llyn Peris , which is considerably smaller, but is surrounded by grand hills emanating from Mod Eilio and the Elidyrs, wliich descend to the very brink of the water. A broad expanse of green meadow intervenes between the 2 lakes, which are, how- ever, connected by a stream, crossed by a bridge and road leading to the quarries, and the hospital for quarry - men. On a rocky eminence at the back of the Victoria Hotel, and overlook- ing the lower end of Llyn Peris, rises the round tower of Dolbadarn , a very striking feature in the scenery of the valley from its isolated and commanding position. It is a remnant of a castle known to have been possessed by Maelgwn Gwy- nedd in the 6th cent. For 23 years it was the prison-house of Owen Gocli, immured here by liis brother Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, as a punish- ment for rebellion; and in the time of Edward I. it sustained a siege at the hands of the Earl of Pem- broke, when garrisoned by Dafydd, brother of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. It was designed to defend the pass into the interior of Snowdonia, and from its position at the mouth of the pass, it played an important part in defending the mountain districts, which were guarded on the other 'sides by Caernarvon, Dolwyddelan, Criccieth, and Harlech. It is a cylindrical tower of 3 stages, entered on the 2nd stage by a stair against the wall outside. It is of rude masonry, but from its wall stair, pointed arch, and general propor- tions, may be pronounced to be of E. E. or Dec. date. It has long 112 N. Wales. Route 17. — Llanberis: Geology. been in ruins, the tower only being left in Leland’s time. The lulls on the opposite side of the lake arc disfigured — indeed, utterly defaced — by the Slate-quar- ries of Li none ic , which, next to those at Penrliyn, are the largest and most important in Wales, employing nearly 3000 men. They are quarried out of the same formation — nay, out of the very same hill — whose oppo- site end is hollowed out by the Penrliyn quarries ; and in due time the two will meet, and the whole mountain will have been cut away like a plum-cake. The Llanberis quarries were commenced by the late Mr. Assheton Smith, of Vaenol, and are now the property of his heirs. “ The rock in these quarries has been worked to the depth of 300 perpen- dicular feet. The hillside is divided by 15 or 20 stages or steps, and the stranger’s attention is soon arrested by the constant rattle of slates sliding down the tips, mingled with the clang of the pick, interrupted from time to time by the loud ex- plosions of blasting. A horn is blown to give warning of the blasts, when the men shelter themselves in huts and holes. The blast brings down lumps of rock 50 to 100 tons in weight, which are broken up and distributed among the workmen in sheds, where they are split and fashioned by simple tools. Strangers, who if lelt to themselves would run risks from the explosion, arc conducted by a guide througli them. The roofing slates are split and dressed in numerous sheds, while the slabs are sawn and ground at )>owcrful steam and water mills in the neighbourhood. Convenient tramways, about 23 in. in extent, are laid along the various workings and quarry banks ; upon these smull waggons are run, into which the slates and slabs are loaded and taken to the inclines, whence they are let down by wire ropes to the rly. The slates are transported from the 1 quarry to the place of shipment, ] Port Dinorwic, by a separate rail- \ way skirting the N. shore of the | lakes and river Seiont. It is a ] singular sight to watch the quarry- ] men who live along the line of rly. I returning home by the aid of 30 | velocipedes, which ure placed on the 1 rly. and worked by the men them- I selves by means of a w indlass. Each * velocipede carries 8 persons, and, proceeding in the direction of the 1 port, deposits the labourer at the 1 nearest point to his dwelling.” — Life 1 of Assheton Smith. A path opposite the Victoria leads up a glen in ^ m. to the very pretty j Waterfall of Ceunant Mawr, 60 ft. I high. The ascent of Snowdon by this same path passes close to the j fall. See Route 17a. The original village of Llanberis is distant about 2 m. from rly. stat., i nearer to the entrance of the pass, with mountains towering around. The Church is a little to the rt. of the road, and is a picturesque building. It retains only part of a Perp. edifice, the rest being modern. | It has a good timber roof of the 15th cent., and bits of screen work. The ch. has been w’ell restored. Geology . The rocks on both sides of Llan- ] beris and Dolbadam exhibit in the faces of the cliffs flexures of the oldest I strata, viz. Cambrian rocks, the equivalents of the Longmynds. j “ Containing the best roofing-slates in the world, and subordinate courses of grit, with rocks of igneous origin intermixed, they are seen to fold over and plunge to the E.S.E., so as to pass under the great and massive succession of schists which constitute the distant heights of the Snowdon range. The unfossiliferous slaty rocks of Llanberis pass into the overlying strata, which, by their imbedded organic remains, are known N. Wales. Route 17.— The Pass of Llanberis. to be of Lower Silurian age.” — Murchison's Siluria. Not less interesting are the fre- quent and clear signs of glacier action all through the valley. “The rocks when unweathered are round and mammillated, and their smooth sur- face sometimes grooved by ice.” 'Excursions. — The first and chief of these is the Ascent of Snowdon, which may be made more easily from this than from any other point ; the distance being about 5 m., re- quiring 2 to 3 hrs. up and less than 2 down. Gfuides, 7s., and ponies, 5s., may be hired at the Victoria and other Inns (see p. 116). The Fass of Llanberis . — Coaches daily to Capel Curig, Bettws-y-Coed, and round Snowdon to Beddgelert and Caernarvon. The circuit, 40 m., is made in 8 to 10 hrs., stoppage included. This is undoubtedly the most desolate and the grandest pass, as it is also the loftiest carriage-road in Wales. Leaving behind Llanberis and its lake, it enters the black defile separating the Grlyder Fawr Moun- tain on 1. from Snowdon on the rt. hand. For nearly 4 m. the road is carried at the foot of precipitous mountains, which rise up on each side in cliffs some 2000 feet high. Stern black and rugged rocks bound the valley, those on the rt. being strewn with fragments fallen from the toppling crags above. A broad turnpike- road, as smooth as any in Eng- land, winds up with a gradual as- cent for the convenience of tourists. [Nearly opposite the old ch. a path may be found striking steeply up the heights on the 1., and leading over the shoulder of Grlyder Fawr (rt.), to the little tarn Llyn-y- Ctvm , whence there is a very steep descent by the side of the Devil’s [W. Wales . j 113 Kitchen to Llyn Idwal and Llyn Ogwen (Kte. 12 a)]. At 11^ m. the road crosses the river at Eont-y- Cromlech , “where bosses of felspathic porphyry rise like little hills in the middle of the valley.” On 1. is a large block of fallen stone misnamed a Cromlech. It was once called Ynys Hettws, or Hetty’s Island, from the circumstance of an old woman of that name taking up her abode in the angles formed by the blocks. She occupied herself during the summer by tending sheep and milking cows. [Opposite this spot rt. the deep ravine of Cwm Glas runs up into the very heart of Snowdon, ter- minating with the precipices of Crib- y-Ddysgyl. This was one of the most extensive glacier valleys, and many signs plainly betoken it to the observant eye, such as moraine heaps, boulders, and “roclies moutonnees.” The pedestrian should ascend this cwm , for at the extreme end of it lies an upland valley declared by Pro- fessor Kamsay to be unmatched for wildness in all Wales, “bounded on 3 sides by tall cliffs and mountain peaks, in the midst of which lie' 2 little deep, clear tarns, 2200 ft. above the sea, each in a perfect basin of rock, resembling on a small scale the Todten See and the lake behind the hotel of the Grrimsel.” This valley is separated from the lower part of the cwm by a steep escarpment of rocks, some 800 ft. in height. From hence the pedestrian may climb the ridge of Crib-y- Ddysgyl, and so to the summit of Snowdon.] Near the great Boulder stone the full grandeur of this pass develops itself, its character being wild desola- tion. The heights which bound it are nearly precipitous, dark or black, and almost herbless. Trees there i 114 Route 17 . — Gorphcysfa — Pen-y-Gwryd. N. Wales. are none. A continuous ascent leads up to 12 j m. Gorphwysfa , “the resting- place,” where a roadside Inn> with fair accommodation, and a group of cottages, at the axis of the watershed (1200 ft.), invites 5 minutes’ rest. The view both before and behind is perfect for severe mountain landscape — not a tree, not a token of cultivation, but wild, bare, rocky peaks rising one above the other until they are lost in the clouds. [Here the path turns off to ascend Cwin Dyli and Snowdon (p. 118), the route always taken by the guides from Capel Curig. The summit is about m. distant. No one should omit the short walk to Llyn Llydaw about i§ m. (see Rte. 17 a) in line weather, even if they do not ascend Snowdon ; from no point can a finer view of that mountain be had with less trouble. Glacier markings are plainly visible close to path going up Cwm Dyli. Gorphwysfa, the summit of the Tass of Llanberis, is a good starting- point for the ascent of Snowdon, 5 m. Tor the first 2 m. there is a good car road, passing some deserted Copper-Mines, to the margin of Llyn Llydaw , whence the magni- ficent view of Snowdon, mentioned above, is obtained, for the sake of which alone it is worth while to walk or drive thus far, in clear weather. For the rest of the ascent see Rte. 17a. From Gorphwysfa also the Great Glyder may be ascended. Its top commands the best near view of Snowdon.] No sooner does the road descend than a view opens over the valley of Nant-y-Gwryd, at the end of which the enormous mass of Moel Siabod fills up the picture. To the rt. tho lovely valley of Nant Gwynnant expands, showing signs of softer beauties that are very gratifying to the eye after so much desolation. 14 m. Pen-y-Gwryd Inn (Rte. 18), 1 6 m. from rly. stat. at Llanberis, j small and of no pretensions, but comfortable for those who do not . require superfluous luxuries. It stands at the junction of the road from Capel Curig with that from Beddgelert. It is a capital station for fishermen in consequence of its proximity to the Mymbyr lakes, Llyn Gwynant, Llyn Llydaw, and i several smaller ones. The host is a a good guide to them all, as well as to the neighbouring mountains. The | nearest lake is Llyn Cwmffynnon , about f m. from the inn, at the foot of the Glyder Fach. Though small, the fishing in it is good, char having j been introduced with success ; a boat is kept on the lakes. There is also fishing in the Gtoryd, the little river which runs down to the Mymbyr lakes. “ The angler, fond of bottom fishing, may soon fill his basket by merely keeping out of sight of the quick-eyed trout, and begin his pur- suit at less than 5 minutes* walk from the inn.” — Cliffe's Angler . Distances. — Llanberis, 6J m. ; Capel Curig, 4 ; Snowdon, 7J ; Bedd- gelert, 8 m. From Pen-y-Gwryd it is a gradual descent through the valley of Nant- y-Gwryd, to Capel Curig . The scenery is desolate and severe, un- relieved by foliage and cultivation, I although every now and then a farm- 1 house gives the appearance of life ; I but the farms in these upland regional are very different to the snug, wooded! homesteads of English counties, as! the most valuable part of them con-1 sists in extensive mountain pasturage! and sheepwalks. At the end of the! valley lie the Llyniau Mymbyr , twoii fine sheets of water, situated close toil U. V ;• . . , N. Wales. Bte. 17a. — Capel Curig — Ascent of Snowdon, 115 17£ m. Capel Curig Hotel (Royal), a comfortable Snowdonian resort, embosomed in almost the only trees in the district. These lakes, at one time full of fish, are now worth little to the angler, owing probably to the too free use of the net. One advantage possessed by this solitary Inn is the fine view it commands of Snowdon, which at favourable times is beautifully re- flected from the surface of its cheer- less lakes. It stands near the junc- tion of the roads to Bangor (Rte. 12a), to Bettws-y-Coed, to Beddgelert, and to Llanberis. For the ascent of Snowdon see Rte. 17a. Capel Curig is a central and excellent station for exploring Nant Ffrancon, Carnedds Davydd and Llewelyn, the G-lyders, Trifaen, Llyn Idwal, all of which are described in Rte. 12a. One of the most extensive views in the whole district is obtained from Moel Siabod , which rises a little to the S. of Capel Curig to a height of 2870 ft. On the N. and W. it is easily ascended, as on these sides it is rounded and covered with smooth turf until near the summit, which is broken and rocky ; but the E. face is grand and precipitous, with a crater- shaped escarpment, at the bottom of which lies the small tarn of Llyn-y-foel. It is easy to descend from the summit in a S.E. direction to Castle Dolwyddelan, and thence down the Lledr to Bettws-y-Coed. Coaches . — Daily in summer to Bettws-y-Coed ; to Bangor, by Nant Ffrancon; to Beddgelert and Caer- narvon ; to Llanberis. ROUTE 17a. ASCENT OF SNOWDON:— l. FROM LLANBERIS; 2. FROM BEDDGE- LERT; 3. FROM LLYN CWELLYN AND THE SNOWDON RANGER; 4. FROM CAPEL CURIG (GORPH- WYSFA). — THE SUMMIT. (SEE MAP.) Snowdon, with the vast numbers of subordinate peaks and shoulders that belong to it, occupies a very consi- derable area, of which Llanrug, Bettws Garmon, Beddgelert, Nant Gwynnant, Capel Curig, and Llan- beris may be taken as marking the outer limits. This, of course, will not include the district of Snowdonia generally so called, which extends from the Conwy to the Irish sea (Introd., p. viii.), but merely that portion of Snowdon proper which is divided from the rest by some distinctive valley or pass. The area within these points may be roughly estimated at from 10 to 12 m. H. to S. by 6 m. E. to W. The principal attraction in this enormous block of mountain is, of course, Moel-y- Wyddfa (“ the conspicuous sum- mit”), the loftiest eminence in England and Wales, which towers up to the height of 3571 ft. above the level of the sea. A bird’s-eye view looking down upon Snowdon would present somewhat the appearance of a starfish. From the central knot radiate 5 great arms enclosing deep combes, with lakes at their bottom, and sides rising like huge walls, very nearly precipitous. The different lines of ascent commence in these hollows, and gradually rise to and surmount the ridges connected with the summit, the steepest part of the ascent. Of these primary ridges the most northerly is (1) Crib-y - 116 Btc. 17a. — Snowdon: Ascent from Llanberis. N. Wales. Ddysgyl (the Toothed Dish), with the branch of Crib Goch to the E., and Clogwyn Du'r Arddu , a grand es- carpment in itself to the W. ; while between these 2 last the Llechog , or Llechwedd-y-Re (the rapid ascent), slopes down towards Llanberis. Be- tween the Clogwyn and Llechwedd is Cwm Brwynog , containing the tarn of Llyn Du’r Arddu. Cwm Glas lies between Crib Goch and Llechwedd, which is still further indented by the small supplementary valley of Cwm Glas Bach. The shoulder of Clog- wyn Du’r Arddu is prolonged N.N.W. into a series of heights, such as Moel- y-Cynghorion and Moel Goch , which are terminated over Bettws Garmon by the bluff slopes of Moel Bilio. (2) The ridge of Bwlch-y-Maen runs S.SAV. for a short distance, and soon subdivides into (i.) the Llechog , just opposite Drws-y-Coed, and (ii.) Bwlch-y-Llan , which is terminated above Beddgelert by the lofty peaks of Yr Aran. Between Clogwyn du’r Arddu and Llechog lies the deep Cwm Clogwyn , holding in its bosom Llyn Glas, Llyn Coch, Llyn-y-Nadrodd, and, a little lower down, Llyn-ffynn on-gwus. Between Llechog and Yr Aran lies Cwm Craigog , a valley of no great importance. (3) S.E. runs the ridge of Bwlch-y- Saethau (the pass of arrows), which does not sub- divide, but is prolonged into the jugged edges of Lliwedd , overhanging iS T ant Gwynnant. Between it and Yr Aran is Cwm-y-Llan t a “ corrie ” of enormous depth ; and on the N. side of Lliwedd is Cwm Dyli , the grandest of all the Snowdon valleys, containing ut its highest end the small tarn of Glaslyn , and lower down Llyn Llydatr. These are the main physi- cal features and divisions of the Snowdon mountains, which every tourist will find it to his account to master, as a knowledge of the geo- graphy of the different ranges adds immensely to the pleasures of the ascent. See the Map. The occasions are rare on which the visitor obtains a comjDlete Pano- ramic view from the top.* For the most part he has to content himself with peeps and glimpses caught through openings of the drifting clouds, and very often when the mist is stagnant around the summit he is denied even this, and is perhaps wet through by the rain. It is at all times very cold on the top, so that wrappers should be provided, especially for ladies. All the upward tracks from Llan- beris, Llyn Cwellyn, Beddgelert, and Capel Curig (or Gorphwysfa), are so broadly and plainly marked, that in clear weather any person of mode- rate experience in mountains could easily find his way up without a guide; but if there is the slightest chance of a fog (and fogs often come on in the most sudden and inex- plicable manner) the tourist should not start unattended, more particu- larly if it is the first time that he has ascended. By the same rule no night ascent should be made without a guide, as fatal accidents have hap- pened by neglecting this precaution. There is nothing about the excursion calling for any but moderate exertion, care, and nerve, which are requisites for everybody visiting any mountain district. During summer Coaches run daily, making the tour of Snowdon , from Caernarvon to Beddgelert, Pen-y- Gwryd, Gorphwysfa, and Llanberis, a circuit of 35 miles. 1. The Ascent fromLlanberis^obout I 5 m.) is the easiest, most accessible, and consequently the most frequented of any, several hundred excursionists • having been known to go up in one j day. Guides and ponies may be cn- * A Panorama , showing the names ami < altitudes of all the principal mountains as | seen from the summit of Snowdon, is pulv lished by W. J. Adams, 59, Fleet Street, ] Ixmdon, price 1*. 6 d. It will be found u useful companion on this excursion. jST. Wales. Itie . 17a. — Snowdon : Ascent from Beddgelert. 117 gaged at the hotel. The charge for the guide is 7 s., and 5s. for pony, a high price considering the distance. An additional charge of 3s. is made if the tourist descend by a different route. The pathway up the moun- tain is well marked throughout, and in summer is crowded with climbers. It opens directly opposite the Victoria Hotel, in the gulley or glen which en- closes the pretty Waterfall of Ceunant Mawr, 60 ft. high, which is passed, on rt., about \ m. from the hotel. Turning away from the Waterfall, the path runs S.E. along the slope of Llechog or Llechwedd, overlooking Cwm Brwynog , one of the largest, though least grand, of the 5 great glacier valleys that run down from Moel-y-Wyddfa. In this glen is an ancient stone (Maendu-yr-Arddu), concerning which a tradition was current that any person who slept a night upon it would awake either a poet or a madman. The stone, computed by Ramsay to weigh 5000 tons, is about \ of a mile N. of the Llyn Du’r Arddu. At the head of Cwm Brwynog is the small Llyn just named, lying at the foot of the tremendous cliffs of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu. As the tourist mounts Llechog, lovely views open up of the Llanberis lake, and of the country down to Caernarvon. At the summit of this shoulder a path turns off to the rt. to a copper-mine. From hence the path becomes steep and zigzag. Ere long the narrow ridge of Crib-y-Ddysgyl is reached, near the point where the Capel Curig (Grorphwysfa) route comes in. a .short detour to the 1. here, j and by ascending 100 ft. or so, the traveller may obtain a peep down into the terrific glen of Cwm Grlas, together with extensive views of the G-lyders, Mynydd Mawr, and a large expanse of country.] A sharp pull speedily lands the visitor at the topmost peak of Moel-y- W y ddfa. 2. The Ascent from Beddgelert in- volves an uphill walk along the turn- pike-road to Caernarvon (Rte. 19) for 3 m., until the tourist reaches Pitt’s Head. The whole distance is 6 m., and the charge for the guide is 7s., but to descend on the other side lO. The roadside walk up the valley of the Colwyn, which brawls by the side of the road, is pleasant enough, but is felt by most tourists to be rather a nuisance, and to fatigue one somewhat before commencing the real ascent. At times the stage-coach or omnibus may give them a lift. Turn off to the rt. at the farm- house of Ffridd Uchaf through which the track leads up broken and rough ground, though not very steep. The way soon becomes steep up the Llechog , and the grand scenery spread out often tempts the traveller to halt. Moel Hebog, Mynydd Mawr, Llyn Cwellyn, and Moel Eilio are the prin- cipal objects in front, while through the pass of Nan tile the sun gleams on the sea at Clynnog. To the rt. Anglesey and Caernarvon are visible, and to the 1. the eye wanders over Tremadoc and the coast of Harlech. Nearing the summit of Llechog, we suddenly look over the fearful cliffs of Cwm Clogwyn, a deep caldron or corrie, running N.W., and contain- ing several tarns, which can be visited in the route from Llyn Cwell- yn. At the top of Llechog we sud- denly emerge upon the very narrow and prolonged ridge of Bwlch-y-Maen, or, as it is calledby some, Clawdd Coch, the most exposed and critical point in the ascent of Snowdon — as for a few yards there is no fence or holding on either hand. It is about 8 ft. in breadth, and nearly \ m. in length, and divides Cwm Clogwyn and Cwm Llan, the cliffs of which descend on each side in fearful precipices. Many are the accounts and experiences of this famous pass. Bingley declares, “ that if a person held a large stone 118 Rte. 17a. — Snowdon: Ascent from Llyn Cwellyn . N. Wales. in each hand, and let them both fall at once, each would roll above a quarter of a mile, and thus, when they stopped, would be more than half a mile asunder.” The close proximity of these 2 immense gulfs is enough to make one look to one’s steps with no ordinary circumspect- ness. The path is, however, quite safe, and ladies may ride along it. Even in times of fog this spot is very grand — to see the whirlpools of vapour on both sides boiling and seething, until a gust of wind sud- denly makes a great gap, so as to allow the bottom of the cwm to be visible : but it is only for a moment; for before the eye has had time to fathom the depth and understand it, it is closed up, to open elsewhere. It seems as if you were at sea, with the clouds for ocean. “ A vast mist enveloped the whole circuit of the mountain. The pro- spect down was horrible. It gave an idea of numbers of abysses con- cealed by a thick smoke furiously circulating round us. Very often a gust of wind formed an opening in one place, at others in many ; at once exhibiting a most strange and per- plexing sight of water, fields, rocks, and chasms, in 50 different places.” — Pennant . The rapidity with which the fogs close up round the peaks and gla- cier valleys of Snowdon is a singular featuro ; for even on a fine clear day the summit will suddenly become enveloped : and it is this peculiarity which demands such care on the part of the tourist. 3. The Ascent from Llyn Cwellyn or Snowdon Ranger. Although this is not the grandest approach to Snow- don top, the opening of a branch rly. from Dinas Stat. (Rte. 19) to Rhyd- du Stat., beyond the Ranger Inn, lias caused it to bo much frequented (sec Rte. 19). The distance is 4 m. The Snoicdon Ranger is a small solitary Inn near the side of Llyn Cwellyn, 4 m, from the top. The path, a former copper-mine track, is carried over a large extent of some- what swampy ground, along the southern slope of Moel-y-Cynghorion (Hill of Council). From hence it gradually ascends to Bwlch-cwm- Brwynog, and gains the summit of the clifts of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu. In its course it passes on rt. a large erect stone, or Maenhras , which, though it appears as if it had been set up by design, is nothing more than an enormous erratic block brought down by the glacial drift. By this route the deep hollow of of Cwm-y-Clogwyn is passed on the rt. with its 4 small lakelets — Llyn Glas (Blue Lake), Llyn Cock (Red Lake), Llyn-y-Nadrodd (Lake of Adders), and Llyn Ffynnon-Gwas, or Servant’s Lake, so called from a farm-servant having been drowned in it while washing sheep. Llyn-y- Nadrodd contains no fish, probably from the existence of some mineral poison, but the others have trout, which are very shy and difficult to catch. 4. The Ascent from Gorphwysfa , (Rte. 17) 4£ m., is perhaps the most difficult, but by far the grandest of all. The distance from Capel Curig is nearly 9 m. The path quits the high road at Gorphwysfa y “the resting-place,” at the water- shed of the pass, where there is a small roadside Inn. The path, for 2 m. a car road, turns oif at once to the 1., and, climbing over some rough and rocky ground, passes the small Llyn Teyrn y where there are some deserted miners’ cottages. It soon enters the grandest valley of Snow- don, Cwm Dyli, and comes in sight of Llyn Llydaw, about 1J m. from Gorphwysfa. This beautiful Alpine pool is of the darkest green colour, and about 1 m. long. Its broadest end reposes under tlio lofty preci- pices of Lliwedd, lying at the height of 1527 ft. above the sea. “Around 119 N. Wales. Route 17a. — Summit of Snowdon . it rise the cliffs of Lliwedd, Crib Goch, and Pen-y- Wyddfa, seamed with veins of white quartz, that gleam like streaks of snow on the tall black rocks encircling the vast amphi- theatre, with scarred sides and ragged outlines.” This view of Snowdon is striking, and so easily accessible, that it is worth the while of those who do not mean to ascend to drive or walk thus far, not 2 m. from the high road, to enjoy it, weather being fine. Its beauty has been much shorn by an ugly embankment, made by the miners for the purpose of access to a copper-mine on the N.W. side of the pool, which, by this pro- ceeding, has been drained to a con- siderable extent, and lowered to a depth of 12 ft. The road is carried across the embankment, and then follows up a little river which issues from Ffynnon Llyn Glas, or Glaslyn, a small tarn on a much higher level, situated in a deep basin directly under the precipice of Moel - y - Wyddfa. The whole of this track has been made and used by the copper-miners, who have driven a level into the heart of the rocks just above the lake. Above this the path becomes zigzag and steep, and demands considerable care, and keeping Llyn Llydaw on the left, begins to mount upwards by the side of a stream. The ascent is very trying up to Crib- y-Ddysgyl, on the summit of which ridge the path joins that from Llanberis. Summit of Snowdon. The visitor who has arrived at the peak of Snowdon by any of these routes will be much mistaken if he comes prepared for mountain solitude, for Moel-y- Wyddfa in the season is one of the most crowded spots in Wales. The guides have erected 2 or 3 huts on the highest point, where re- freshments, such as eggs, cheese, tea, and bottled beer, may be obtained at tolerably reasonable prices, con- sidering the labour of getting them up. In foggy or wet weather it is no slight relief to find a dry room and blazing fire. A charge of 6s. is made for bed and breakfast, to those who wish to see the sun rise. Fortunate are they who have ascended on a cloudless day, for the prospect is one of almost boundless magnifi- cence. “In this great prospect the mountain tarns, which gleam upon you from the bosom of the hills, form the most remarkable feature. I counted 23 ; among them one, very far up its own mountain, gleamed out as from a brimming basin, over the Holyhead road, at least 1500 ft. above the neighbouring track of human traffic.” — Talfourd. The distant views embrace the mountains of Cumber- land, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, Penyghent and Ingleborough in Yorkshire, the Isle of Man, the hills of Wicklow with a good part of the Irish coast ; while nearer home we have the whole of Anglesey and Caernarvonshire at the feet, and we might almost say the whole of H. Wales. To the W.N.W. and W. rise Moel Eilio, Mynydd Mawr, the Glyders, Moel Siabod, Trifaen, Car- nedds Davydd and Llewelyn, Pen- maenmawr, and the Menai Straits, with the Clwydian hills in the dis- tance. To the S. is Moel Hebog, and W. are the pools of Nantlle, Drws-y-Coed, Gyrngoch, and Yr Eifl, with the sparkling sea beyond ; while to the S.E. the eye wanders over a perfect wilderness of mountains — Moelwyn, Cynicht, Moel Lledr, and the Manods above Festiniog, the Arennigs, the Berwyns, Aran Ben Llyn and Aran Mawddwy near Bala, Llawlleeh and the Bhinogs over Har- lech, Cader Idris near Dolgelley, the rounded hills of Montgomeryshire, with Plinlimmon and the Cardigan- shire hills in the far distance. Directly at the feet lie Llanberis, with its lakes, Llyn C welly n andLlyn-y-Gader, and the beautiful vale of JNant Gwynnant, 120 Route 17a. — Snowdon : while a stone might be thrown into any of the deep valleys underneath. From 25 to 30 lakes are visible alto- gether from the summit. The early name for Snowdon was Eryri, or Craig Eryri, which some have taken to mean the Rock of Eagles, and others the Snowy Moun- tains, a term which is not w r ell applied, as it is generally free from snow from May to November, al- though in late seasons drifts lie in the hollows considerably longer. Camden speaks of the Snowdon range as the British Alps, “Alpes, si placet, Britannicas merito hos montes appelles, nam prseterquam quod totius insula) maximi sunt, ctiam incisis undique rupibus, non minus quam Alpes, pnecipites.” Snowdon was made a royal forest by Edward I., and was then famed for its deer. It was, however, disafforested in 1649, though a ranger is still ap- pointed by the Crown. This by no means implies that the mountain was ever covered with trees, at least in historic times. The Ocology of the mountain is very interesting. It has been already seen that the rocks at Llanberis are the equivalents of the Longmynd or Bottom Rocks. To these suc- ceed dark bluish-grey slaty schists, representing the inferior part of the Llandeilo formation. “ In them, however, no clear fossil evidences have been detected. They are tra- versed by eruptive rocks, consisting of porphyry or greenstone.” — Siluria. At the summit of Snowdon are the Caradoc or Bala Rocks, “although the original beds alternate rapidly with volcanic dejections of ashes and felspathic materials.” Many typical casts of shells may be found here with very little search. “All these porphyries arc true Silurian lava- beds, accompanied by volcanic ashes of the same period. They are per- fectly interbedded with fossiliferous strata ; and it is worthy of remark Geology ; Botany. N. Wales. that the slates on which the por- phyries rest have been altered at points of contact by the overflowing melted masses, whereas the slaty beds that rest upon them, having been deposited on a cooled surface, are unchanged by heat.” — Ramsay. The observer, standing on the summit of Moel-y-Wyddfa, will be able to un- derstand the different courses which the glaciers took in flowing through their respective valleys, at the bottom of which he will mark the striations on the rocks above, besides the numerous blocs perches, roclies moutonnees, and moraine-heaps which are scattered about in even* direction. Botany. Snowdon offers a rare harvest to the botanical collector, though many of the more uncommon plants have become very scarce, owing to the repeated raids upon the Flora of the district by enthusiasts in the science and fern dealers. Bingley, who was an experienced botanist, enumerates the following: — Antliericum seroti- num, Saussurea alpina, Cerastium alpinum, C. latifolium, Saxifraga stel- laris, S. nivalis, S. oppositofolia, Lychnis alpina, Cyathea fragilis, Asplenium septentrionale, Pteris cris- pa, Mecanopsis cambrica, Viola al- pina, Geum rivale, Dryas octopetala, Saxifraga aizoides, Poa glauca, Fes- tuca rubra, Arenaria vema, Asple- nium viride, Oxyria digynus, Thalic- trum alpinum, Aspidium lonchitis, Polypodium arvonicum, Arabis his- pida, Rubus saxatilis, Juncus squar- rosus, Heliocaris ctespitosa, Schamus nigricans, Hieracium alpinum. Be- sides these there have been found Polygonum viviparum, P. phego- pteris, Habcnaria albida, Pamassia palustris, Lycopodium * alpinum, Woodsia alpina, and W. Ilvensis. N. Wales. Route 18 . — Capel Carig to Beddgelert. ROUTE 18. CAPEL CURIG OR LLANBERIS TO BEDDGELERT, BY PEN ■ Y ■ GWRYD AND NANT GWYNNANT. The high road from Capel Curig (Rte. 17) to Llanberis (6 m.) throws off, at the small but comfort- able Inn of Pen-y-Gwryd, another which leads due S. to Beddgelert (8 m.), descending the pretty valley of the Nant Gwynnant. It is tra- versed daily in summer by Coaches going to and fro. The view from the Inn, down Nant Grwynnant, is charm- ing. Soon after commencing the very steep and long descent, the road leaves on rt. the opening of the wild glen of Cwm Dyli, which, penetrating into the heart of Snowdon, sends forth the Dyli to join the Colwvn at Bedd- gelert. It takes its rise in the little tarn of Glaslyn, lying immediately under the summit of Snowdon ; and enters Nant Grwynnant, flowing over a series of cascades for about 300 ft. At 3 tj m. it falls into Llyn G-ivynncmt , the most exquisite of Welsh lakes, situated under the precipices of Lliwedd, and with -woods feathering down to the water at the lower end. It is about 1 m. in length, but with a shallow weedy bottom, full of flsh. The injudicious use of the net by the landlords of the hotels, has, however, considerably spoiled the fishing. The trout are fine and strong, and “ of 2 varieties, bright yellow, which when cooked cut red, and an inferior sort, of darker colour with white belly.” Cliffe states that from one net alone, in a single season, 15,000 dozen of trout were taken. There are several boats here, and amongst others one 121 belonging to the landlord of the Pen-y-Gwryd Inn. The old road, which diverges from ; Pen-y-Gwryd on a lower level, follow- ing the track of a Roman road, here joins the present coach-road. The traveller who is journeying from Beddgelert perceives from a considerable distance the long line or scaur faced by a wall, traversing the side of the mountain, which marks the road to Llanberis, reminding him of the zigzags in some of the grand roads over the Alps. Previous to arriving at Llyn Gwyn- nant is a track on 1. leading through Bwlchehediad into the valley of the Lledr and Castell Dolwyddelan, which is about 5 m. distant (Rte. 12). On the S. side of Gwynnant lake are 2 pretty villa residences. 5 J m.l. are the woods of Bias G-wyn - nant, opposite to which Cwmy Llan runs up N.N.W. under the very peak of Moel-y-Wyddfa, the peak of Snowdon, which in clear weather is seen peering down through the gap to greater advantage than perhaps from any other point. Nowhere in the Principality are the rude and giant masses of the British Alps more happily blended with the softer scenery of the fertile valley. After crossing the Glaslyn, 6 m. a smaller sheet of water, Llyn-y-Ddinas , opens out, con- nected with Llyn Gwynnant by the Glaslyn, which has become a toler- ably broad stream. It is of an oval shape, completely shut in by moun- tains, although it does not quite come up to Llyn Gwynnant in scenic effect. Yr Aran, another of Snowdon’s lof- tiest shoulders, towers over the W. bank. Towards the S.W. the scenery is peculiarly fine, including a part of Dinas Emrys, and terminated by Moel Hebog. The fishing is inferior. [Between the 2 lakes, on the S. side of Plas Gwynnant, a road to 1. follows the course of a small brook 122 N. Wales. 'Route 18 . — Dinas Emrys. which rises in the precipitous ranges of the Lledr mountains. The scenery, especially the views of Snowdon and its great glacier valleys, will well repay exploration ; and to the fisher- man there is an additional induce- ment in 3 lakes, Llyn JEdno y Llyn Llagi , and Llyn-yr-Adar. The former in particular is celebrated for its large red trout, which vary from 1 to 2 lbs., and have been caught as large as G lbs. They are, however, shy, and the fishing is dangerous on account of the rocks shelving rapidly into very deep water. On Llyn-yr-Adar are numbers of the black-backed gulls, which breed on an islet. From hence it is not very far (but difficult walk- ing) to the summit of Cynicht , a wild peak belonging to the Festiniog group (Rte. 19).] [After quitting the lower end of Llyn-y-Ddinas the road passes rt. under Dinas Emrys , a singular isolated rock clothed on all sides with wood, containing on the summit some faint remains of a building defended by ramparts. According to the legend, Yortigem, the British king, spurned by the Saxon Hengist, whom he had treacherously introduced into the country, when flying from his own injured subjects retired to the top of this insulated hill, where he com- menced a fort, which fell to pieces as fast as it was raised, until his wise men bade him sprinkle the fortress with the blood of a child born out of due course. Such a child was found in Merlin Ambrosius, who helped the king by more effectual means than bloodshedding, and proceeded to con- struct it conformably with his advice. It was here that the outcast king learned from the seer all the evils that destiny had in store for him; and here, deep in the rock, yet lie buried the golden throne and diamond sword of the enchanter. To liim Vortigem gave up his resi- dence, himself retiring to Nant Gwr- theyrn (Rte. 15), where he ended his days. Emrys is of course a corrup- tion of Ambrosius. “ For thou heardst wise Merlin first relate The destinies’ decree of Britain’s future fate, Which truly he foretolde proud Vortiger should lose, As when him from his seat the Saxons should depose ; And to that mlghtie king which rashly under- tooke A strong-wall’d tower to reare, those earthly spirits that shooke The great foundation still, in Dragon’s horrid shape, That dreaming wizard told ; making the moun- taine gape With his most powerfull charmes, to view those caverns deepe ; And from the top of Britt, so high and wondrous steepe, Where Dinas Emris stood, shew’d where the serpents foughte, The white that tore the red; from whence the Prophet wroughte The Britain’s sad decay then shortly to ensue.” Drayton's Polyolbion. From lienee the river runs in an exquisitely-wooded vale to 8 m. Beddgelert. (Rte. 19.)] Those who wish to shorten the journey to Caernarvon, can take the train to Snoivdon Danger , 7J m. from Caernarvon and 5J m. from Beddgelert. Caernarvon is in Rte. 15. 123 N. Wales. Boute 19 . — Caernarvon to Beddgelert. EOUTE 19. CAERNARVON TO PORTMADOC, BY BEDDGELERT, PONT ABERGLAS- LYN, AND TREMADOC— N. WALES NARROW GAUGE RLY. TO SNOW- l DON RANGER, RHYD-DU. A narrow-gauge passenger Ely. has been made from Dinas Junct., by Bettws G-armon and Llyn Cwellyn, to Ehyd-du Stat., beyond the Snow- don Banger Inn. Bail to Ehyd-du and omnibus to Beddgelert, 16 m. The coacli-road, on leaving Caer- narvon, crosses the Seiont river and the rly. to Llanberis (Ete. 17), and ascends a long hill com- manding views over Anglesey. It passes Llanbeblig , the mother church of Caernarvon. The Church , restored 1842, is a plain structure with Irish-stepped battlements. It con- tains some stained glass, and a beau- tiful alabaster monument, adorned with figures on the sides, to William Griffith, son of Sir William Griffith, and Margaret his wife. Llanbeblig is dedicated to St. Peblig or Pub- licus, a son of Maximus and Helena, and was given by Eichard II. to the nuns of St. Mary at Chester. 3J m. Dinas Junct Stat ., Ete. 14. Change here for North Wales Narrow Gauge Ely. considerable extent of bleak high ground is crossed, and at the road beyond Trefau Stat. the railroad rises above the valley of the Givyrfai , where the scenery becomes broken and varied. On rt. is the rocky eminence of Moel Smythau, nearly opposite which the bluff smooth heights of Moel Eilio tower over the village of Bettws Garmon Stat., so called from the militant missionary, whose name is associated with the British victory at Mold (see Ete. 10). Iron- stone has been worked on the sides of this hill ; and the entrance of the levels, and the incline down which the ore was brought, are visible. m. the scenery improves, and at Nant Mill , or Nant Melin, the tourist has one of the most lovely bits in Wales, which has been often transferred to the canvas of number- less artists. The Gwyrfai here rushes from Llyn Cwellyn at its N.W. extremity over its steep and rocky bed, while on the 1. bank a ruined mill is placed, as if on purpose to give effect. On the 1. are the thick pine-woods of Plas-y-Nant; and on rt. the tremendous precipices of Craig Cwm Bychan, and the black glen of Cwm Du, frown defiance over the lake. These rocks are the barren and perpendicular escarpment of Mynydd Mawr , which intervenes be- tween Llyn Cwellyn and the Nantlle Pass (Etc. 14) ; and although very fine over Drws-y-Coed, they are sur- passed in height and grandeur by Cwm Du. 7 m. Llyn Cwellyn is a plain sheet of water, about 1J m. in length, lying hi an elongated basin between the spurs of Moel Goch and Moel-y-Cynghorion on 1., and Mynydd Mawr (2300 ft.). At its N.W. end the cliffs of Craig-cwm- Bychan descend precipitously to the water’s edge, and one isolated rock in particular -was crowned with an early British fortress, called Castell Cidwm, “ the Wolfs Castle,” of which scarce a trace remains. It most likely obtained its name either from the savage aspect of the rocks, 124 Route 19. — Snowdon Ranger — Rhyd-dn . N. Wales. or from its being the veritable haunt of wild beasts in the days when Snowdon was still a forest. “ On the crest of Mynydd Mawr, which overhangs the waters of the lake, was the hold of a robber-cliief, who was said to have murdered the brother of Constantine the Great, by shooting him with an arrow as he was passing along the valley below with some soldiers, on the way to meet his mother, who, as she was joyfully advancing to the rencontre, was met near Tan-y-Bwlch by the messenger bearing the intelligence of the death of her son. ‘ Croes awr i mi ! ’ she exclaimed in her anguish (Oh ! adverse hour for me !) and to this day the spot which witnessed her distress is still called Croes awr.” The scenery of Llyn Cwellyn is rather of a melancholy character, owing to the absence of trees, and to the long barren expanse of hill that slopes down from Snowdon. 7 m. Snowdon Ranger Stat ., near the middle of the lake, a solitary but comfortable little Inn, “ the Snowdon Ranger ,” much patronised by anglers, and chosen by many as a favourable point from which to make the Ascent of Snowdon. The landlord acts as guide, and the distance is about 44 m. (Rte. 17a). The best point for fishing is at the head of the lake, where the water is shallow, and there is a grassy and weedy bottom. The lyn contains char (Welsh, “ tor- goch,” red belly), which are taken generally in winter and in deep water. The trout are plentiful, but indiscriminate netting is now for- bidden, the lake being carefully pre- served for anglers. There are boats which belong to the Inn, but, as Llyn Cwellyn is subject to violent squalls, fishermen who do not know the water should be particularly careful when the weather is inclined to be rough. The best flies are red spinner, mackerel, and drake’s wing. The mountain-views from the road are very fine, Moel-y-Wyddfa being a conspicuous object on the 1., and the ranges that guard the pass of Drws- y-Coed towering one over the other on rt. This spot inspired Wilson with the idea of his celebrated picture. 9J m. Rhyd-dn Terminus. 4 m. from Rhyd-du the ascent of Snowdon is often made. A bridle-road on rt. leads past Llyn Dywarclien, through the pass of Drws-y-Coed, to the lakes of Nantlle (Rte. 14).] 10 m. rt. of the coach-road, in a wild, barren table -land, is Llyn-y- Gader , “the Pool of the Chair,” a lake of no great size, on which there is a boat belonging to the hotel at Beddgelert. The trout are small, about J pound, and very plentiful, but, owing to the boggy shore, a boat is absolutely required. A little further on, at the top of the watershed, on rt., is a large rock or boulder-stone, named Pitt's Head , from a singular resemblance to the profile of that statesman. Nearly opposite this rock a path on 1. leads to Ffridd L T chaf farm- house, through which the track to Snowdon runs from Beddgelert (Rte. 17a). From hence the road runs rapidly down the valley of the Colwyn, the woods, which have been hither- to very scarce, now beginning to fringe the road. On the rt. Moel Hehog , the Hill of the Hawk, is a grand object, and rivets the atten- tion by its scarred and shattered sides. High up on the hills are seen mountain-farms, or Hafodtai, “summer-homesteads,” on the sheep- walks of which enormous flocks of sheep are pastured. The tourist will frequently have his attention struck by the melancholy sound of a horn, which is used by the inmates N. Wales. 125 Boute 19 .- of the farms to call the shepherds to their meals. The vale becomes deeper and more beautifully wooded, and at 13 m. unites with the ex- quisite valley of Is ant Grwynnant, at the pretty Welsh village of 13 m., Beddgelert {Inns: Goat Hotel, outside the village, a large house, very full in summer ; table- d’hote 5s. Less pretending are Prince Llewelyn, comfortable, and Saracen’s Head, in the village). Beddgelert, a large village beauti- fully situated in a green basin shut in by mountains and high precipices, is a great centre of tourist traffic. Coaches run from this round the base of Snowdon to Caernarvon ; to Llanberis, 14 m. (Rte. 17) ; to Tremadoc Stat., on the Cambrian Rly. It stands on the junction of the Colwyn with the Glaslyn river, under the towering heights of Moel Hebog, Yr Aran, and Craig-y-Llyn. The Church , in a corner near the river, is a mean rough building, with 3 pointed arches built up into the N. wall, showing that it forms part of an old cli., perhaps attached to a convent said to have been founded here. An excellent view of the valley may be gained by crossing 4 or 5 fields behind the Goat Inn. The spot of greatest interest here, which the stranger should not delay visiting, is the grand Pass of Pont Aberglaslyn, an easy walk of 1| m. from the Goat, down the valley, which, being traversed by the high road to Tremadoc, is described farther on (p. 126). The story of Prince Llewelyn and his greyhound G-elert is familiar to all, and under altered names occurs in the legends and folklore of many countries and nations, not only of Europe, but of Asia. On this spot, however, it has especially taken root, since it gives the name to it — “ The Grave of Gelert.” Llewelyn came to this place during the hunting - Beddgelert . season, with his child, who, left unprotected, was attacked by a wolf which had entered the house. On Llewelyn’s return from the hunt he was met by Gelert, wagging his tail, but covered with blood, “faucibus sanguinolentis.” Alarmed at the sight, and thinking that the dog had injured the child, the impetuous prince drew his dagger and slew his hound. But, on entering the house, the dead body of the wolf, lying within a few yards of the sleeping child, too late disclosed to him his fatal mistake and the fidelity of Gelert. To his memory, in grief for his good dog, he raised a tomb, and called the spot Beddgelert. This tomb is said to exist in a field close to the ch., without any authority but that of the landlord of the Goat, who felt compelled by the cravings of tourists to invent a grave. It may be reached by a path from the garden of the Goat, and is marked by a group of stones. The tradition has been preserved and prettily trans- ferred to verse by the late Hon. William Spencer : — “Ah, what was then Llewelyn’s pain ! For now the truth was clear ; The gallant hound the wolf had slain To save Llewelyn’s heir.” Coaches daily from Beddgelert to Llanberis 14 m., by the charming valley of Nant Gwynnant, Dinas Emrys, and Capel Curig (Rte. 18) : — to Portmadoc by Pont Aberglaslyn. Omnibus to Rhyd-du Stat., whence rail to Caernarvon (see p. 123). Excursions to Moel Hebog, &c., and to the top of Snowdon, 6 m. (see Rte. 17a, No. 2). The ascent may also be made by another path, following the Nant Gwynnant road as far as the turn to the Cwm-y-llan Quarries. Follow the quarry road as far as it goes, then climb straight up to the summit. Distances . — Snowdon top, 6 m.; Capel Curig, 12 ; Dinas Emrys, 1§ ; 126 Route 19 . — Moel Hebog- Llyn-y-Gader, 3 J ; Moel Hebog, 2 ; Pont Aberglaslyn, 1J ; Tremadoc, 7 ; Tan-y-Bwloh by old road, 10 m. [A most magnificent view is ob- tainable from Moel Hebog , one of the Snowdonian hills composed of Caradoc formations, which rises im- mediately behind the Goat to a height of 2578 ft. The ascent pre- sents no difficulties, although it is extremely rough and steep, and an active climber may ascend in a direct line from the hotel. There are two farms at the foot, for which the pedestrian had better steer, and from thence he may climb the shoulder. There is a very fine cwm on the N.E. side, but, generally speaking, although of a broken surface, Moel Hebog is "with- out those Alpine glens which are so characteristic of this district. The view extends up to Pen-y-Gwryd on the E., with Llyns G-wynnant and Dinas, and over the peninsula of Lleyn, the Bay of Cardigan, down to St. David’s Head on the W. and S. Moel Hebog is considered by the guides an unerring barometer as regards the ascent to Snowdon, to attempt which is useless "when the Moel Hebog is covered with clouds. Beddgelert to Pont Aberglaslyn and Tremadoc. From Beddgelert the road con- tinues along the rt. bank of the Glaslyn, which, from a cheerful mountain-stream, begins to assume the character of a rapid torrent. The hills on each side become more naked, wild, and precipitous, and at m. from the Goat approach each other so nearly as scarce to leave room for the river as it rushes through the Pass of *Pont Aberglaslyn , one of the most striking of all the North Welsh scenes. The road has been terraced, at great expense, out of the solid rock. This is undoubtedly one of the most grand and romantic defiles in N. Wales : — -Pont Aberglaslyn. N. Wales. “ Where the blue Glasllyn hurries her fleet course To wanton on the yellow level sands, On either side, in their ascent abrupt, The rocks, like barriers that in elder times Walled the huge cities of the Anakim, Upblacken to the sky, whose tender hue With mild relief salutes the o'erlabour’d sight/’ — Milman . The lover of the picturesque should -walk leisurely through the pass for about \ m. In a carriage he will be hurried too rapidly past the beauties of the scene. On the rt. rises a mountain precipice, probably 800 ft. high, towering over the road ; its rugged surface is tinged with a russet hue, barely modified by a scanty tint of green from the partial vegetation growing upon it, aug- mented, since the planting of the Tremadoc Estate, by fir trees, whose seed have been blown up the gorge by the wind into crannies of the rock, inaccessible to human foot. At its foot the Glaslyn rolls its clear waters, which have a singular beryl-green colour. It is as though the moun- tains, Craig-y-Llan on 1., and Moel Hebog on rt., had been split asunder to let the river — “the blue pool” — pass. This scene forms the great charm to the neighbourhood of Beddgelert. “ He led him on Till now the black and shaggy pass spreads out To a green quiet valley. . . . The stream Here curl'd more wanton, lightly wafting down The last thin golden leaves the alder drops. Like fairy-barges skimming the blue waves.” — Milman' s Samor. The geologist must look out in this pass for striations and glacier-groov- ings, a notice of which is given in the late Dr. Buckland’s own writing, to be seen in the Goat Hotel. At the Merionethshire, or lower entrance to the pass, an ivy-clad stone Bridge ol one arch crosses the river, carrying the road to Tan-y-Bwlch, which Iron, this is about 8± m. 8cwin and salmon arc in the habit N. Wales. 127 Route 19 . — Cyniclit — Tremadoc. i of coming up the river in consider- able quantities to the bridge, but poaching is carried on to such an extent that the sport is good for little. A pointed rock in the pass of Aber- glaslyn is shown as the Chair of Rhys Groch, a bardic partisan of Owain Gi-lyndowr, who lived to an immense age. See Sorrow’s ‘Wild Wales,’ Yol. II., p. 165. [The old road to Tan-y-Bwlch opens a short cut for pedestrians who wish to reach that place at once; carriages may take the road to Tan-y-Swlch by Pen- rhyn Deudraeth, which saves 3 m.] 1J m. 1. is Dolfriog. [. Ascent of Cyniclit. At 2 m. a bridle-road 1. runs up the vale of Nanty-y-Mor, at the bend of which the tourist should turn to the rt., and breast the slopes of the hill above Cwm Celli Iago, from which some sharp climbing will place him at the head of the cone at the summit of Cyniclit , which rises to the height of 2372 ft. It is an ascent rarely un- 11 dertaken, but it is well worth the : trouble for the sake of the magnifi- cent view. Snowdon lies to the N., with all its concomitant ranges, and to the S.E. is the mighty jagged mountain of Moelwyn, separated only by the deep Cwm Croesor.] The road from Pont Aberglaslyn to Tremadoc rises considerably above - the river, overshadowed by a long * range of rocks, which in fact keep l* company with it for the whole distance. Many of these have rounded forms and mammillated r . surfaces, with deep grooves engraven ;]i by ancient glaciation on the sides of : Snowdon, which left these marks behind in its descent towards the , sea. Looking back, a very beautiful ; view of Snowdon, Yr Aran, Cyniclit, . and Moelwyn is obtained. The river, l after its impetuous rush through the ■ pass, becomes broad, deep, and sedate — hi fact a tidal river — winding its way through an alluvial flat, which at once suggests the probability that the sea formerly came up very nearly to Aberglaslyn itself. 4 \ m. from Beddgelert, at the Grlaslyn Inn, a road and path turn 1. direct to Portmadoc, 7 m. After passing this, the road enters the wide level of Traeth Mawr , and the river empties itself into the sea at the H.E. extremity of Cardigan Say. Still hugging the shade of the slate-rock of Allfc Wen, which, with its precipitous sides lined with over- hanging brushwood, forms a pictur- esque feature, the tourist soon arrives at 20 m. Tremadoc. ( Inns : Madock Arms, better at Queen’s H., close to Stat. at Portmadoc or Sportsman, in the town). On the outside of the town are the hanging woods and groves of Tanyrallt, a pretty resi- dence built by the late W. A. Madocks, now Rev. Walter Hitching. Tremadoc is a neat village now rather deserted for Portmadoc. It stands on the W. side and a little above the plain of Traeth Mawr , which owes its reclamation from the sea entirely to the late W. A. Madocks, Esq., M.P. As early as 1625 the scheme of rescuing these tracts struck the attention of Sir J ohn Wynn of Grwydir, a very energetic and useful man in his day, who, unable to commence the specu- lation by himself, tried to induce Sir Hugh Myddelton, of Hew River celebrity, to join him. Sir Hugh, being at the time fully busy with his own undertakings, declined, and the plan therefore fell through, and re- mained untried until 1800, when Mr. Madocks, who had purchased Tanyrallt in 1791, with more success, reclaimed the land on the W. side of the river, thus gaining 2000 fertile acres. He then proceeded to convert the drowned lands within the Traeth by extending an embankment across 128 Route 19. — the arm of the sea, for which purpose lie obtained an Act in 1807 giving him possession of the whole range of sands from Aberglaslyn. The latter stupendous undertaking, how- ever, on which he expended a for- tune (100,000/.), has not been at- tended with complete success; since the wall, in spite of its thickness, i' not water-tight, and the sea pour- ing iu at high tides converts the greater part of the space behind it into a vast lake. At the further extremity of the dyke the river Glaslyn is crossed by a strong stone bridge, between the arches of which are stout flood-gates, closed at high- water to prevent the entrance of the sea, and opened as the tide recedes, to allow the accumulated waters of the Glaslyn, the recipient of all the numerous streams which pour into this extensive estuary, to discharge themselves. Its channel has been considerably enlarged, and its banks protected by smaller dykes, to restrain it from flooding the sur- rounding district. The length of the embankment is about 1 m., the breadth being 100 ft. at the base and 30 at the top, along which the road to Tan-y-Bwlch and the Festiniog Ely. are carried. Its benefits are not confined to shutting out the sea, and reclaiming the land ; they give, besides, an intercommunication from shore to shore, and obviate the danger to human life of crossing the sands. The total . ost of this great undertaking, by which 7000 acres were reclaimed, was over 100,000/. The road from Tremodoc to Port* modoc, 1 m., crosses the land barely recovered from the sea ; where boats were navigated in 1812 ; its sur- face is still mere sand, and it is in places 3 ft. lower than the level of high tide. Part of it was then a saltmarsh, upon which a few sheep ipund pasturage, and were liable to be driven by high tides to take refuge on the rocky eminences ■Port Madoc . N. Wales. rising out of the plain, which were once islets. Portmadoc Stat. (Inns: Queen’s II., near Cambrian Ely. Stat. ; Sports- man, P. II. ; conveyances may be hired here. Railways to Pwllheli and Caernar- von via Afon-wen (ltte. 14); South to Barmouth, &c., Harlech and Lol- gellcy. To Tan-y-Bwlch and the Slate Quarries by the Festiniog Narrow Gauge Railway from the Stat. at the W. end of the town, beyond the Sportsman Hotel (see Etc. 20). Portmadoc is a rising little port of 2000 Inhab., doing a large business in the exportation of Slates , which are brought down from Festiniog slate- quarries by rly. In the very heart of the town is Morfa Lodge , another seat of t lie late Mr. Madock, and now the residence of Airs. Breese, situated under a high ridge of rocks called Moel-y-Gest, which over- looks the sea, and from the summit of which is a splendid view of the Merionethshire coast. The tourist who is curious in slates should pay a visit to the wharf. The name of Treraadoc Slates was given by Prof. Sedgewick to the formation occurring near this town, and lying above the Lingula Flags. 2 m. on the Qricdeth road is the j village of Penmorfa , the Church of which contains a monument to Sir ] John Owen of Clencnney, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Llan- 1 degai by Col. Twist leton at the head of the Parliamentary army. After bis defeat be was brought up for trial in company with Lord Holland and Others, and sentenced to bo beheaded, I when it is recorded of him that hemade a low bow to his judges, and thanked 1 them for their unexpected clemency. I ( )n being asked wherefore, be replied I “that it was a great honour for liim I to lose his head in such good com-i pany, for that lie was afraid that lie I N. Wales. 129 Boute 20 . — Portmadoc to Festiniog. should have been hung,” which ready answer procured him a pardon. The geology of the country round Tremadoc is very interesting, and affords typical sections of the lower rocks. Here are seen the equivalents of the upper Longmynd rocks, which are immediately overlaid by the Lin- gula flags, the equivalents of the strata at the Stiperstones. Distances. — Oriccieth , 5m.; P wll- heli, 13 ; Caernarvon, 21 ; Tan-y- Bwlch, 7 ; Festiniog, 10 ; Penmorfa, 2 ; Pont Aberglaslyn, 6J m. ROUTE 20. PORTMADOC OR MINFFORDD JUNCT. TO DIFFWYS SLATE QUARRIES, AND FESTINIOG, BY TAN-Y-BWLCH. — NARROW GAUGE RAIL. 14 m., 6 trains daily, lj hr. up, 1 hr. down. This Miniature Railway is one of the curiosities of W ales, and deserves to be visited both on account of the peculiarities of construction, by which the diminutive Bogie-Fairlie engines, with driving wheels only 2 ft. 4 in. diameter, can draw heavy and long trains up an ascent of 700 ft. in 13 m., and traverse sharp curves of 6 or 8 chains radius round the shoulders of the hills and along the edge of preci- pices with perfect safety and at a high rate of speed. The Bogie principle consists in each pair of wheels moving on a central pivot, so that they can turn while the carriage above remains unbent. Owing to the narrowness of the gauge, only 2 ft., the passenger-carriages are in proportion, 6 ft. wide and 6 J ft. high, yet perfectly comfortable. The long train constantly assumes the line of the letter “ S ” in the rapid succession of curves and reverse curves following the contour of the hills. It is a nearly uninterrupted ascent all the wav. [W. Wales.'] The succession of views up and down the valley of Festiniog, owing to the commanding height at which the line is carried, are superb. The cuttings are only just wide enough to admit the trains. The Engineer was Mr. James Spooner, who devised the plan and the gauge, and applied to it the “ Bogie ” engine. The Rlv. cost only 6000Z. per mile. Portmadoc Terminus (Rte. IQ) is on the long Embankment stretching out into the sea, across the Traeth Mawr, near the Bridge and Sluices. Observe the magnificent view from this Stat. ; N., Snowdon, and S., Har- lech Castle (see Rte. 24). 2 m. at Minffordd Junct. Stat. it crosses over the Cambrian line, which has also a Stat. here (Rte. 24), so that passengers can change from the one to the other. The line is carried throughout along the slopes of the hills, on the rt. side of the valley of the Hwyryd, whose beautiful windings and reaches are well seen, as well as the distant sea and Harlech Castle. 3J m. Penryn Deudraeth Stat ., a small village in a lovely situation, near which rises the fine modern castel- lated mansion of Mrs. Williams. Road 1. to Beddgelert by Pont Aber- glaslyn. The rly. for some distance penetrates the oak woods of Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, passing directly above that beautiful house and its grounds. It next makes a great bend up a side valley to reach 7| m. Tan-y-Bwlch Stat . Omnibus to the Oakley Arms Inn , 1 m. down hill. Maentwrog Inn is 1-j m. off (Rte. 22). Pont Aberglaslyn is 8 m. distant. As the line skirts the edge of this precipice it command fine views of the sea, of Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, of the mountains at the head of the valley of Festiniog. Before and after this stat. the line is carried through tunnels, one 700 yds. long in Syenite. Tan-y-Bwlch is a mere hamlet K 130 N. Wales. Route 20.- the cliief building being the * Oakley Arms Hotel, very comfortable, close to JPlas Tan-y-Bwlcli , the beautiful seat of W. E. Oakley, Esq., situated on a ledge or terrace halfway up the lovely vale of the Dwyryd, between Tremadoc, on the sea, and Festiniog mountain village at its upper end. The Plas is a handsome modern Gothic mansion, nestling in fine woods, commanding lovely views. To the private grounds and walks, guests staying at the Inn have the privilege of access. The narrow rly. continues to ascend round the shoulder of Moel- wyn, leaving Festiniog behind, on the opposite side of the valley. Through a tunnel a barren upland is reached. Ht m. Tan-y- Grisiau St at. 630 ft. [The best starting-point for the ascent of Moelwyn is Tan-y- Grisiau, where a little stream descends from Cwm Ortliin. Follow the stream beyond the lake, keeping to the rt. of it, and climb the steeps of Moel-yr- Hydd, from which a rocky ridge leads to the summit, 2566 ft. above the sea. The way is broken and difficult, but only requires common mountain qualifications, and the top is reached in 1J horn* from the stat. The view of Snowdon is superb, also of the coast from Harlech to Criccieth Castles. The ascent up the western arm from the Bcddgelert road is practicable for a pony. On the E. and N. sides the face of the moun- tain is marked by deep cwms , the rocks on each side rising up in more jagged and broken form than is exliibited by any other mountain in Wales. Geologically speaking, all this group consists of porphyries and embedded ash thrown up at a time ol great disturbance during the deposition of the Llandcilo ilags. They are consequently of an older epoch than the embedded ashes of the Snowdon group, which belong to the Bala series.] — Diffwys. 13 m. Blaenau Festiniog Stat. is close to the slate quarries, and to the Stat. of Lond. and N. W. Kail to Bettws-y-Coed and Dolwydellan, Rte. 12 b, and to Bala. Here is the Railway Hotel built by the L. and N. Western Company. The Narrow Gauge line continues on to 14 m. Fiffioys (pronounced DifFoos) Terminus , close to which is the Queen Hotel, fair, and not far off a third Rly. Stat., that of the Great Western, whose line runs to Festiniog village (4 m.) and to Bala (Rte. 21). There are thus three dis-j unctions, and pas- sengers changing at the same spot ! Diffwys is a village at the head of the valley of the Dwyryd. It stands in a wilderness of shattered slate, under a semicircle of precipices partly bored through with slate quarries or mines, one of which was long worked by Lord Palmerston, and is now by his heirs. Several thousand men and boys find employment in the quarry ingjof slate in this district. The quarries differ from those of Penrhyn and Llanberis, inasmuch as they are in part underground, descending one story beneath the other, the roof being supported by piers of slate left standing, and following the dip of the strata. They deserve a visit, but strangers should employ a guide, not only to show the way, but to keep them out of danger from falling slates. It is a striking sight to look down into the dark depth of the mountain and see men working like mites at the bottom of deep pits, and rolling tramways in places crossing gaps on subterranean bridges. The Great Western Rly., Bala Branch, runs from Diffwys to Festi- niog village, 4 m., passing under the slopes of the two Manods, conspicuous mountains, between which is Llyn-y- Manod, a small lake (see Rte. 21). 4 m. Festiniog Stat. is described in Route 21. N. Wales. Rte. 21 . — Bala to Festiniog — Maentwrog . 131 ROUTE 21. BALA TO FESTINIOG, BY RHYD-Y- FEN, TRAWSFYNYDD, AND MAEN- TWROG — GT. WESTERN RAIL. Hail 22 m., 3 trains daily, in 1 hour 20 min. Bala is in Rte. 3. This line of rly., part of the Great Western system, opened 1882, as- cends for about 12 m. the valley of the Tryweryn, until at Festiniog it attains to 700 ft. above sea-level. It passes through a country somewhat dreary, first leaving rt. on the hill the mansion of Rhiwlas, seat of R. Price, Esq., embosomed in trees. 3J m. Frongoch Stat ., so called from a farmhouse. 8 J m. Arennig Stat ., near the ham- let of Rhyd-y-fen. Here is a clean little roadside Inn , from which may be made the ascent of Arennig Fawr , a mountain rising 2809 feet above the Stat., while Arennig Fach overhangs it on the N., forming one of the grandest mountain groups in Wales. Both mountains consist of the igneous porphyry upon which rest the fos- siliferous Bala limestone- strata. It is a walk of about 1-J hour to the top of Arennig Facli. The pedes- trian may make for the farm Amnodd Wen, whence a wall striking up the hill, will give the direction. The view from the top, extensive and beautiful, expands N. to Snowdon, the Carnedds and Glyders, Rhobell, Cynycht, and part of Cader Idris, and beyond Bala lake S.E. the Berwyns. About a mile from this stat. is Llyn Arennig, an extremely deep pool, whence Bala derives part of its water supply. The river Tryweryn runs between the two Arennigs. The s ummi t, level of the rly. is near Llyn Try- weryn, in a dreary district of moor- land, and a little farther on is the Viaduct over the Lladron brook, of 9 arches, 36 ft. span, and 104 ft. high. This leads down into the Yale of Cwm Prysor, passing rt. Castell Frysor , an old fort, now reduced to a frag- ment of wall upon a rocky eminence. The rly. next approaches within f m. of Trawsfynydd village, at which distance is 17 m. Trawsfynydd Stat. (a good homely small country Inn, the Cross Foxes (see Rte. 22), on the road S. to Dolgelley). Here the Rly. makes a bend to the N., passes rt. a green mound, which is Tomen-y-Mur , at the meeting of 4 Roman roads, and at the junction of the roads from Festiniog to Maentwrog, reaches 20 m. Maentwrog Hoad Stat., in a beautiful situation, 2 m. from Maentwrog (Inn: Grapes, very fair and quiet, and good fishing), a village in a very lovely situation under a high wooded bank on the Dwyryd, here crossed by a bridge leading to Tan-y-Bwlch, 1 m. distant (Rte. 22), and Flas Tan-y-Bwlch, Mr. Oakley’s beautiful seat. It derives its name horn a stone in the churchyard, dedi- cated to St. Twrog, who flourished about 610. Travellers who wish to explore the vale of Festiniog at leisure cannot do better than fix their quarters here. Maentwrog is about 2 m. distant from the Tan-y- Bwlch Stat. of the Tremadoc and Diflwys Rly. (Rte. 20), and stands at the junction of roads from Harlech to Festiniog. Rather more than J m. along the road from this to Harlech, the river Rhydfach passes under a broad bridge to join the Dwyryd. Up the Rhydfach glen a path runs for 1J m. to the waterfall of Hhaiadr Du (the k 2 132 N. Wales. Route 21 .- Black Cataract). Although the height is not great, it is a beautiful fall on account of the large body of water which is thrown over 3 black smooth rocks. Higher up there is the Raven Fall , deriving most of its beauty from the wild loveliness of the glen. A guide to these falls lives at a cottage near a lime-kiln. "Without a guide of some sort it is difficult to find one’s way from the Rhaiadr Du to the upper fall. A bridle-road to 1. leads to Harlech, the old road, indeed, which runs past Llyn Tecwyn and the village of Llandecwyn. This is the most convenient stat. for Tomen-y-Mur (Rte. 22). A steep incline is surmounted by the rly. to reach the heights of 22m. Festiniog Stat., after crossing the Cynfael a little above the flat rock called Hugh Lloyd’s Pulpit. The rly. is continued to Blaenau Festinioy Stat. (Diffwys). 23 m. Festiniog ( i.e . the Place of Hastening) is a wide- spreading town, devoted to slate, and a rural village 4 m. off perched on a hill at the head of the valley of the Dwyryd, in the centre of lovely scenery (Inns : # Pen- gwern Arms, J m. from the rly. stat. ; Abbey Arms) . Festiniog being placed on a hill, the high road makes a w ide circuit to reach it. The pedestrian may save 14 m. by taking a footpath across fields, traversing the stream of the Cynfael by a bridge near the water- falls. It is w'orth while to repair to the Churchyard for the sake of the beautiful view which it commands. The beauty of the valley looking down towards Maentw r rog and Port- inadoc is exquisite, the woods on either side hanging over the vale, through which the Dwyryd winds, while opposite are the jagged outlines of Moelwjn and its subordinate heights. Festiniog is noted for its water- —Festiniog. falls : a little dog at the Inn, on the mention of the word, wags his tail, and offers his services as guide. A path leads from the tow n across a farmyard and field to the w r ooded banks of the Cynfael , which rushes a deep channel opened in the Lingula Flags in a succession of romantic falls of much beauty but of no great height. “ In one spot the upper beds at the top of the gorge have slid upon the lower along their dip, so as to pro- ject over the stream like a corbel ; and advantage lias been taken of this to form a bridge by means of a slab of rock laid from the projecting mass to the top of the opposite bank. At another point several very large boulders are stuck fast in the chan- nel, and the stream flows beneath them.” Between the low r er fall and the bridge is a tall rock called Hugh Lhvyd’s Pulpit, the scene of a legend about a soldier, poet, and wdzard of the days of Charles I. and Charles II., who was accustomed to hold forth from thence. The parish of Festiniog numbers more than 6000 Inhab., chiefly settled on the Diffwys side of the valley, owing to the slate quarries of Lord Newborough, Mr. Oakley, and the representatives of Lord Palmerston. Festiniog claims to have been the birthplace of Rhys Gocli or Red Rhys of Snowdon, an aged bard contem- porary with Ow r ain Glyndwr. Railways. — To Diffwys and the Slate Quarries — thence to Bettw’s-y- Cocd, by Dohvyddelan Castle (Rte. 12 b); to Bala; — to Tan-y-Bwlch and Portmadoc (Rte. 20). Distances. — Tan-y-Bwlch, 3 m. ; Diffwys Slate Quarries, 4-^ ; Dol- w yddelan Castle, about 8. By Rail : Bettws - y - Coed, 15 m. ; Rhaiadr Cwm, 3 ; Bala, 19 ; Yspytty Ivan, 11 ; Penmachno, 10 J ; Llangynog, 32 m. Excursion . — Manod Mawr (2117 133 N. Wales. Boute 21a. — Festiniog to Penmachio. ft.), a round-backed rocky mountain, rises N. of Festiniog and E.of Diffwys, and may be ascended in about 1 \ hour from either place. Between it and the Manod Bach lies a small tarn — Llyn- y-Manod. The mountain is beset with many slate quarries, and some of the paths leading to them conduct also to the summit. The view com- mands a wide panorama of moun- tains, including Snowdon and Moel- wyn, while to the W. stretches the vale of the Dwyryd, opening into Tremadoc Bay. Just outside Festiniog is a road on rt. which runs across the Cynfael to join the Trawsfynydd and Dol- gelley road. 4J m., a little to the L, is an eminence on which were formerly a number of graves called Beddau-gwyr-Ardu divy (the graves of the men of Ardudwy) . In the time of Gibson, the editor of Camden’s ‘ Bri- tannia,’ there were at least 30 head- stones, of which now only 2 remain, with but few and faint traces of the Beddau, which were opened and de- stroyed by some curiosity-hunters deficient in archaeological reverence. A Roman road passes through the centre of this graveyard. The track of it comes down to the turnpike road from Festiniog to Bala, and is then lost sight of for a space. This road, which is, in fact, the famous Sam Helen — or, as Dray- ton calls it, “ Saint Hellen’s wondrous way ” — runs due N., crossing a little river at Rhyd-yr-Helen, or Helen’s Ford, and there breasts a very steep hill, on the other side of which it de- scends through the Cwm Penamnaen to Dolwyddelan (Rte. 12b). South- wards it crosses the hill to Castell Tomen-y-Mui\ or the station of Heriri Mons (Rte. 22), about ^ m. from Maentwrog Stat. This is a green mound within an oblong vallum or ditch. About 300 yards N.W., at the junction of 2 Roman roads, is an earthen amphitheatre, 114 ft. by 101 ft. The Helen or Helena com- memorated in these places was the wife of the Emperor Maximus, the same after whom so many of the works near Segontium were called. 6 m. 1. is Llyn-y-Morwynion , or the Maidens’ Lake, alluded to in the legend of the men of Ardudwy. On rt. is Rhaiadr Cwm , a romantic glen, through which the Cynfael makes its way, after falling over a series of deeply-cleft precipices. To see this portion of the stream to advantage the pedestrian should, after visiting the waterfalls close to Festiniog, follow it up past Pont Newydd, and so to Rhaiadr Cwm, the w'liole distance abounding in scenes of thoroughly Welsh and romantic cha- racter. ROUTE 21a. FESTINIOG TO PENMACHNO AXD YSPYTTY IVAN. b-i m. from Festiniog a road on 1. branches to the N. for nearly 2 m., when it divides on thel.toPenmachno and Llanrwst, and on rt. to Yspytty Ivan and Pentrevoelas. To Pen- rnaclmo it is 7 m. from Pont-ar-Afon Gam, although there is a shorter mountain lane of 9 m. from the for- mer village to Festiniog. The road is wild and solitary, passing over a large tract of mountain known as Migneint, which gives rise to the Conwy, Tryweryn, and other smaller streams. At 4J m. the valley of the Machno, whose scenery is compara- tively tame, is entered and the 1. bank of the river followed to 7 m. Renmachno , a prettily-situated village, the houses and 2 small Inns are curiously clustered in round the cli., in which are 4 inscribed stones. 134 Houle 22. — Festiniog to Dolgelley. N. Wales. It is a good station for anglers who do not mind roughing it, as it is the near- est village to Llyn Conwy , the source of river Conwy, between 3 and 4 m. to the S. At Penmachno the stream is crossed, and the road thence follows the rt. bank for 2J m. to join the great Holyhead road between Pen- trevoelas and Bettws-y-Coed. At the junction of the 2 roads are the Falls of the Mackno (Rtes. 12 and 13). [The 2nd road, equally moun- tainous and desolate, branches off to the N.E. at Ffynnon Eiddew, 2 m. from Pont-ar-Afon Gam, from which place to Yspyttv Ivan it is 7J m. At 3 m. the infant Conwy is ^crossed, soon after it has issued from Llyn Conwy, a rather large sheet of water, surrounded on all sides by barren hills. There is good fishing in it, although the number of turbaries or peat-bogs make it somewhat diffi- cult of access. “ It contains two per- fectly distinct species of trout, one of which, a dark, ugly fish, cuts as red as salmon.” — Cliffe. The road fol- lows the 1. bank of the river to 7J m. Yspytty Ivan , where in former days stood an £ Hospitium,’ or Refuge for travellers over that bleak country, founded by the order of the Knights of Jerusalem. Subsequently the village became the head-quarters of bands of robbers, who devastated the whole district until checked by Meredydd ap Evan, who had taken up his quarters at Dolwyddelan (Rte. 12,. The ch. contains 3 monu- mental figures commemorating Rhys Fawr ap Meredydd, Henry YII.’s standard-bearer at the battle of Bos- worth ; his son, Robert ap Rhys, chaplain to Cardinal Wolsey; and 3rd, Lowry, wife of the last-named. From Yspytty Ivan it is 2} m. to Pentrevoelas (Rte. 13.).] ROUTE 22. FESTINIOG, OR TAN-Y-BWLCH, TO DOLGELLEY, BY TRAWSFYNYDD AND TYN-Y-GROES. THE VALE OF THE MAWDDACH. CYMMER ABBEY. The Railway (Rte. 21) may be taken from Festiniog to Trawsfynydd Stat., but as the rest of the way must be travelled in a hired carriage or on foot, it may be better to secure one at once at Festiniog. The distance about 18 m. Maentwrog and Tan-y-Bwlchinthe Yale of the Dwyryd, which the Rly. leaves on the rt., are described in Rte. 21. 6 m. Traivsfynydd Stat. on the Bala Rly. {Inn: Cross Foxes, very comfortable, but homely, good cook- ing), a village situated on a hill, in the midst of rather desolate and bleak scenery. Here is the water- shed of the rivers flowing respectively towards the Traeth and Barmouth. The ch. was restored in 1855. In the place itself there is nothing to detain the tourist, but the angler and antiquary will both find plenty of occupation. The lakes in the vicinity partly belong to Sir W. H. Wynh, and partly to the Crown. They are generally small, but are nearly all tolerably full of trout, perch, and pike. To the E. the most accessible lakes are, Llyn Try- weryn (Rte. 21), Llyn-y-garn, Llyn- rhythlyn, noted for its singular breed of perch ; while on the W. are a number of small ones, situated near the summits of Diphwys and Y Graig Tlrlrwg. N. Wales. 135 Bonte 22 . — Ccistell Tomen-y-Mur. 'Excursions. § a. A bridle-road of about 2J m. in length leads E. to Cast ell Tomen-y - Mur, the Roman station of Heriri Mons, through which the Sarn Helen runs in its course from Cardiganshire to Conovium. It is of oblong shape, with rounded angles, about 500 ft. long, by 350 broad, and slopes down towards the S.E., so that the lower part is partially protected from the west winds. On the N.E. side were two entrances. It derives its name, Tomen-y-Mur, 4 Tumulus in the W all,’ from a large mound within the camp, possibly sepulchral in its first inten- tion, but included by the Romans in the defensive works, which had their first origin in the hint it gave of a commanding look-out. Near the camp has been found an amphi- theatre, with two entrances opposite each other, 114 ft. in diameter, the thickness of the mound being 21 ft., and the height from 10 to 12 ft. It stands near the Rly. about £ m. from Maentwrog Stat. In 1884, Canon Thomas discovered E. of this con- siderable remains : a large square pro- tected by a vallum, and earthworks. § b. 4 m. up the valley of the Afon Prysor is Castell Prysor , a ruined me- diaeval fort, placed on a rocky emi- nence. A portion of rude wall is all that remains, a great part having been thrown down some years ago by the country people in search of treasure. “ It is supposed that this fort was suddenly fortified on an emergency ; urns aiid Roman coins * have been found in the vicinity.” — Cliffe. The road is continued to the head of Cwm Prysor, and near Llyn Try- weryn joins the Eestiniog and Bala road (Rte. 21). Erom Trawsfynydd a singularly straight road descends to Dolgelley, 15 m., through the valley formed by the Eden, Cain, and Camlan rivers, which, joining about 2-3rds of the way down with the Mawdd- ach, flows under that name to Barmouth. This valley is espe- cially lovely, the principal features being long ranges of hills, at the base of which the rivers flow in deep and richly-wooded dingles. The hills on the E. form an irregular group, thrown off on the N. by the Arennigs, and on the S. by Rhobell Eawr. Numbers of narrow dells and ravines open out, each with its tributary streamlet, and many of them offering great attractions in the shape of waterfalls, which are remarkably beautiful and abundant in this part of North Wales. One of the most beautiful of these streams is the Maivddach , the upper portion of which can be reached by climbing Rhobell Vawr, and descending on the N.E. side. The views on the road to Dolgelley are striking, and Cader Idris is often a grand feature in the back- ground ; but from the confined and contracted valley the pedestrian will, perhaps, find it rather monotonous, and will hail with relief the ope nin g into the vale of the Mawddach, at Llanelltyd. The strata of the moun- tains on each side of the vale of Eden consist of Cambrian grits, throwing off from the central boss the Lingula flags. “ The instructed eye can readily see on the cliffs of Rhinog Fawr and Craig Ddrwg the great terraced lines of hard grit dipping westward ; and on the opposite hand the same Cambrian strata dipping E. in the broken slopes of Craig-y- Penmaen. Erom bottom to top the masses of strata succeed each other, like as it were the concentric coats of an onion.” — Ramsay. J m, The pedestrian will take lane to 1. and soon find himself on the pavement of the Roman road, Sarn Helen , which he will follow along the ridge, down to Pont-ar-Eden. The rocky ramparts, Ardudwy, on rt. form a grand mountain background. 136 Route 22. — Tyn-y-Groes. 7 m., rt., a little distance from the road, is an erect stone (Maen-llwyd) ; and at 8 m. a road 1. leads into the valley of the Cain to 1 m. Llech Idris , a maenhir about 10 ft. high, called after the giant Idris. Near it is Kedd Pori us, “the grave of Porius,” on which is an inscribed stone, con- taining, it is said, the earliest Chris- tian inscription known in Wales. According to Gibson, in his additions to Camden, the inscription ran — PORIUS 1IIC IN TUMULO JACIT HOMO PLANUS FUIT. On the hill-side, near the junction of this by-road with the main road, is Khitc-yoch , a curious old mansion- house, formerly belonging to the family of Lloyd, descended from Llywarch ap Bran, one of the 15 tribes of North Wales. It passed by marriage into the Gwydir family, and thence into the Wynns of W ynnstay. A portion of the house is of the beginning of the 17th cent. A little before the road crosses the Eden at Pont-dol-Gefeiliau, 11}, the pedestrian may breast the hill on his 1., and descend on the other side to the waterfalls of Pistyll Cain and Khaiadr Mawddach. By so doing lie will save a long walk up the river from Tyn-y-Groes. From the falls he can follow the path through the wood, and join the road again at Tyn-y-Groes. At 13 m., a little below the con- fluence of the Eden and Mawddach, the Camlan river flows in at Pont- ar-Camlan. A path to the rt. of the road leads up for more than } m. to Khaiadr Du, a very fine double fall of about 60 ft. It is within the grounds of Dolymclynllyn (C. K. Williams, Esq.), and is formed of the dashing waters of the Garfa, a mountain torrent which rushes by separate channels or fissures in the rocky bed in a downward course of 50 feet, amidst a fringe of dark trees | N. Wales. on either side, from one black pool into another. 13} m. Tyn-y-Groes , a neat little Inn overlooking the river (Oakley Arms), tenanted during the summer principally by anglers and artists. It is also resorted to on account of the 2 pretty 'waterfalls in its vicinity. A little above the inn is a wooden foot-bridge over the Mawddach, which the visitor should ascend on the E. or 1. bank, keeping along the base of the blull* hill of Penrhos. From Tyn-y-Groes to Khaiadr jllawddach is at least 3 m. This fall occurs a little above the junction of the latter river with the Cain. It descends about 60 ft. over a rock, “ the strata of which lying in pa- rallel lines, several degrees inclined from the horizon, give the scene a singular and crooked appearance.” — Pinyley. Cross the Mawddach, and the next fall is soon in sight, Pistyll Cain , which, as far as height goes (over 150 ft.), is by far the best of the series, though it is only seen to ad- vantage after heavy rains, and though it may be conceded that Khaiadr Mawddach is the more picturesque. The strata are horizontal on the face of the rock, looking like a scries of steps. The visitor should ret uni on the opposite bank to that by which he came. In the liill-sides above the Mawddach there are several copper- mines, which at different times have yielded, besides copper, noinconsider- able quantity of gold. The principal mines in tins district are Cwm Eiscn, the Turf, Tyddyng Gladws, and Dol- frwynog. From the latter in par- ticular it has been extracted in extra- ordinary richness, 11} oz. of gold having been obtained from 100 lbs. weight of quartz. The metal occurs in veins and cross courses parallel and at right angles to t lie Cambrian rocks, which run N. and S. The amount yielded in general does not appear to pay for t lie search and ex- '. Wales. 137 Boute 22 . — Gymmer Abbey . action. The hills, which were at le time very beautifully wooded, ive been laid bare by the axe in the ost ruthless manner. 15 m. Thel. bank or E. side of the iawddach, which has now put off 3 impetuous mood and has become peaceful river, rises in a lofty and eep escarpment, extending more Lan a mile. It deserves notice, jcause along the face of it, at a ■eat height, runs the JPrecipice r al1c , within the grounds of Nannau ohn Vaughan, Esq.), overshadowed r the peak of Moel Orthrwm or ffrwrn (see Rte. 3). As the road descends towards e village of Llanelltyd (so called mi its eh. dedicated to St. Illtyd, tiicli serves for the needs of a wide- read parish) , one of the most ex- usite and charming views in Wales >ens upon the tired wanderer. The awddach enters the broad vale Inch bears its name, and offers a riking contrast to the narrow ngle through which it has hither- been flowing. In front rises the picturesque and ecipitous range of Cader Idris from i mighty head, sending down onerous subordinate corries and oulders, clothed with wood down the very edge of the water, while e softer banks of the river, or rather fcuary, are dotted with many etty residences and villas. At the opening of the valley our ad, separating from that to Bar- outh, turns 1., crossing the Maw- iacli on a stone bridge, close to Lanelltyd village, where another ad turns 1. to Cymmer (properly anner) Abbey. A more lovely spot r the site of a religious house can- >t be imagined, and, if only for isting the eyes upon the landscape, visit to this Abbey would well pay. An establishment for monks the Cistercian order was founded re by Meredydd and Grruffydd, sons of Cynan, about 1198. Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, is known to have been a great benefactor. The abbey stands on the edge of the Hengwrt grounds in a meadow' above the junction ( c Cymmer’) of the Wnion with the Maw'ddacli, a short furlong from the Llanelltyd bridge, 2 m. from Dol- gelley. The enclosure, now a farm- house, is entered by an old avenue of limes. The abbey, never large, boasts but scant remains. The lower story of the W. tower is standing, with diagonal buttresses at its angles. The west door is a modern opening. The N. and S. walls of the Ch. are almost entirely w r anting. The nave and choir, continuous and without aisles or transept, are 110 ft. long by 17 wide. In the E. end are three long lancets. Above are the traces of three other openings. In the S. w r all is a pointed piscina with rude mouldings, and next to it a large tomb-recess, piercing the wall, and having a late four-centred arch. Beyond this are three pointed Nor- man sedilia. Beyond is the cloister- door of the same age, with a pointed arch. At the W. end are three good equilateral arches with chamfered, ribs and octagonal piers, opening into a sort of aisle shut out from the rest of the Church, but running up to the E. end as a lean-to. At the W. end rises a tower, and near it the Abbot’s Hall or Guesten House, still in- habited, and some other abbatial buildings. At Llanelltyd the road joins the Barmouth road. A little after passing the gate on 1. which leads to the abbey, is Hengwrt , a very beautifully situated residence of the late Sir Robert Vaughan, who on his death bequeathed it to 3 sisters (Misses Lloyd) for their lives. It adjoins the property and grounds of Nannau. The collection of MSS. known as the Hengwrt MSS. is famous amongst antiquaries, and has been removed 138 N. Wales. Route 22a. — Dolgelley to Towyn. to Peniartli (Rte. 25). By the high road which ascends the rt. bend of the Wnion, the tourist arrives at 184 m. Dolgelley, entering the town by a bridge over the Bala and Barmouth Rly., close to the Station, and by another over the river Wnion (Inns : Ship ; Lion). This centre of lovely scenery, at the foot of Cader Idris, is fully described in Rte. 3. Is ear the Ship Hotel stood the old house of Baron Owen, popularly known as the Parliament House. Here Owain Glydwr is said to have assembled a parliament in 14-04, when lie formed an alliance w r ith Charles, King of France. Old Fuller quaintly describes Dolgelley as having walls 3 miles liigh, by which he implied that it was surrounded by moun- tains : also that men must enter it over the water and leave it under the water. The latter enigma is explained by there being a path leading out of the town which is carried under a water trough from a mill. A considerable trade is carried on in the manufacture of a coarse kind of woollen cloth, which goes by the name of * Welsh webs ;* this, to- gether with currying and tanning, gives employment to a good number of people. Distances. — Corwen, 30 m. ; Ma- chynlleth, 1GJ ; ditto, by Towyn, 34 ; Abcrdovey, 24; Towyn, 20, but by hill road 1GJ ; Barmouth, 10 ; Harlech, 20 ; Trawsfynydd, 13 ; Tan-y-Bwlch, 1S.J; Fcstiniog, 18; Pistyll Cain Waterfall, 84 ; Cader Idris, 5 ; Tor- rent Walk, 2 ; Tal-y-Llyn, 8 ; Cyra- mer Abbey, 2; Dinas Mawddwy, 10 m. ROUTE 22a. DOLGELLEY TO TOWYN, BY TAL-Y- LLYN, CORRIS, AND MACHYN- LLETH. — ROAD AND RAIL. The road ascends out of the Wnion valley by a continuous rise for 14m., passing 1. the lower entrance to tho, Torrent Walk, skirting upwards the wood in which it lies, as far as the exit from it, a little short of the Lodge of Caerynwch, Mrs. Richards, j to whom it belongs, and very near to 3J m. The Cross Foxes Inn. Here the road to Dinas Mawddwy brandies 1. from that to Towyn, which, fol- lowing the brook of the Torrent Walk, now crosses an op£n marshy tract, creeps along under the stem precipices of Cader Idris, and through the grand Pass of Bwlch Llyn , be- tween 2 high beetling black preci- pices on rt. Craig-y-Llam, the Rock of the Leap. The little tarn close to the road-side on 1. is Llyw Trigraienyn , or the Lake of tho Three Grains, from 3 large stones which lie near it, detached from the rocks above. The legend is, that the giant Idris, finding some pebbles in his shoe, took them out and Hung them to their present position. A most exquisite view now opens out over the lovely Tal-y-Llyn, the re< sort of innumerable anglers ant artists, attracted by the beauty am variety of the scenery. Here the road divides — one brand runs along the N. shore of Tal-y Llyn, a pretty sheet of water 1 m long and 4 m. broad, shut in b; rocky crags. It discharges its water under the Bridge of Pen-y-Bont near which are two little Inns— Tyn Cornel H., where boats or 189 Wales. Route 23 . — Dolgelley to Dinas Mawddwy. Dt, and Pen-y-Bont H. Aber- ynolwyn Stat. (Bte. 25) is 3 m. tant. 3 m. The road to Machynlleth, er approaching very near to the ;e, turns sharply to the L, and nding in zigzags over the brow of bill descends into the valley of the rris or Corys. The mountains x>ugh which this little river runs ) valuable for their slate-quarries, ny of which have been opened, 'ing employment to a large number quarrymen, and causing a long- etching populous village to grow . “ The vein is of an intense blue our, and is so dense, strong, and fable, that it was selected for the )fs of the National Gallery and ler large structures.” Railway from Corris to Machyn- h, 5 trains daily, conveys the tes, to Aberdovey (Bte. 25), to shipped. LOJ m. Aber Corris , where a ch. 3 been built for the accommodation the workmen. Prom hence the Iroad traverses the vale of the das, through river and woodland nery of great beauty, although of y different character from that it passed through. 1 J m. Corris St at. at Braich Goch. onfell , on opposite bank of the er, is the seat of J. Morris, Esq. 11 m. Esgair Geiliog St at. Esgair . M. Lewis, Esq,). 13 m. Llwyngwern Stat. (E. Ford, q.). The river Dovey is crossed a bridge of 5 arches before entering 16 m, Machynlleth Stat., by the hitidion Bridge (see Bte. 28). Machynlleth (pronounced Mahun- th) is a town of little interest (Pop. 00), of unusually wide streets, in open country far from the high >untains, on the 1. bank of the •vey, here crossed by a bridge of 5 “hes. In the Market-place is a »dern Clock - tower. The only forical event to record here is the ■ronation of Owain Glyndwr in 1403 as Prince of Wales, at a Par- liament of his supporters here con- vened. Bias Machynlleth, seat of Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry, is en- tered from the town, and near the Lodge gate is a very pretty Gothic Church , built 1881. There is little cause to detain the traveller here. There are Bailivays to Montgomery and Shrewsbury (Bte. 26) ; to Aberyst- wyth (Bte. 28) ; to Towyn, Barmouth, Harlech, and Tremadoc (Bte. 24). The rly. from Machynlleth de- scends the 1. bank of the Dovey to G-landovey Junct., where it divides, rt. leading to Towyn and Barmouth (Bte. 24), L to Aherystivyth (Bte. 28). BOUTE 23. DOLGELLEY TO DINAS MAWDDWY BY KOAD, AND TO CEMMAES ROAD JUNCT. — DINAS MAWDDWY TO BALA. 10 m. to Dinas ; 7 to Cemmaes. As far as Cross Foxes, see Boute 22 . The road then ascends a pass under the cliffs of Craig-y-Bwlch (rt.) to (6 m.) Bwlch Oerdrws, a long and steep rise up to top of the Pass. On this ascent there is a very fine view towards Dolgelley, Barmouth, and Cader Idris. Its people for the most part find em- ployment in the slate quarries. The road then descends the valley of the Ceryst, passing 7 m. Pennant, ■where there is a waterfall. 9 m, rt, 140 N. Walk Route 23 . — Dinas Maicddwy. a little stream flows in from a romantic amphitheatre of mountains called Craig-Maes-y-Glasiau, in the centre of which is another very good cascade, and on entering the village, on 1. is the flue mansion erected by Sir Edmund Buckley, Bt. 10 m. Dinas Maicddwy {Inns : Buckley Arms II., close to station ; and at Mallwyd, 1 J m., the Peniarth Anns — Rte. 26), a singular village- town, remarkable for its situation. It is placed on the shelf of a very steep mountain, which rises to a con- siderable height on the 1., and over- looking the Dyfi, which flows at the base, in the shape of a bow, at its confluence with the Cerist. This position can scarcely be surpassed in beauty, commanding as it does the 3 vales of the Cerist, the upper and lower Dyfi. To judge by the present mean appearance of the village, the tourist would scarcely imagine that Dinas Mawddwy was one of the 5 independent lordships of Wales which were exempt from paying tribute to the prince, and that it maintained all the state of a corporation and mayor, t lTe latter official being still annually elected. [ Dinas Mawddwy to Bala is 16 m. of most wild country, through the upper part of the vale of Dyfi, and down by Cwm Cynllwyd. The peaked summit of Aran Mawddwy forms a grand background as the tourist pro- ceeds up the narrowing vale ; and witli its jagged outlines, and savage cinns and precipices, presents a very different aspect to what it, together with Aran Benllyn, shows on the W. side, overlooking the Dolgelley road. At the foot of Aran Benllyn is a small lake containing trout. 1 m. There is a pretty cascade at Aber Cowarch, where the river Cow- arch joins the Dyfi, having its rise in lien Gwm, a grand semicircular 4 corrie * beneath the summit of t' Aran. An easy, though rather loi ascent, may be made from Aber Co arch, by breasting the slope Moel-yr-Hydd, and following t brow of a hill to Dyrysgol, fro whence a narrow ledge, somewli similar to the Black Ladders of Ci nedd Llewelyn, leads to the summ 2955 ft. above the sea. On eitfc side the ledge the visitor looks doi into fearfully deep crown , the one \ the S. giving rise to the Cowarch, a that on the N. to the Dyfi, whi issues from Creiglyn Dyfi, a sra lake, singular in possessing no fii but a large stock of lizards, thou trout are caught a quarter of a m from it. There is an unusually lai cairn on the summit of the mounta which was raised by the peasants the neighbourhood on hearing tl Cader Idris was 6 ft. higher than t Aran, which they determined shot not be excelled on the score i height. They might have spaj their trouble, however, as the A j is the highest by 41 ft. The vit are extremely fine, partieidai towards the Is ., embracing the Snj don and Festiniog ranges in distance, with the Arennigs, the 1 wyns, and lake of Bala nearer ho: In the S.W. is the Cader Idris rai while Plinlymmon’s mighty b fills up the landscape due S. j little to the Is. is the peak of A Benllyn, a continuation of, i scarcely lower than, Aran Mawdd From it the mountain descends i succession of shoulders down to I lake, or Llyn Tcgid (Rte. 3). 4 m. is the retired little villag Llan-y-Mawddwy , the Church which, embosomed in fine yew-ti (one of the largest in "Wales) dedicated to Tydceho, whose j (“Gwcly Tydceho”) is to be ij at Pennant. A little farther \ on a rock, are 5 holes of the si of a cross, suid to be the imp® Wales. Route 24. — Caernarvon to Dolgelley. 141 the saint’s foot. There is a terfall on the Pumryd, which ws from B wlch-y- Glasgod on the . of Llan-y-Mawddwy. At 7 m. 3 watershed of this wild moun- n road is reached at Bivlch-y- roes , the Pass of the Cross, where former times a crucifix called to 3 mind of the pious pilgrim the opriety of returning thanks for ving surmounted the perils, for- irly more than Alpine, of this ;rn region. The road, which at is spot is in the 2 counties of erioneth and Montgomery, now pidly descends the gorge of the rrch, which at 10 m. is joined by rapid mountain stream issuing >m Cwm Croes. The Twrch has en noted for many severe floods, lich, rushing down the narrow vale, ve spread destruction on reaching e lowlands. At 12 m. we reach | Llanuwchllyn St at., on the rly. an Bala to Dolgelley (Rte. 3).] From Dinas Mawddwy to Mach - illeth, 12 m., the Rly. passes down e least interesting part of the valley. To the S. of Dinas Mawddwy the iradoc beds set in, whilst the Bala nestone crops out in the river Dyfi. lie traveller can take the rail, which Hows the course of the Dyfi river, etween Dinas Mawddwy and Aberangell Stats., 1 m. on 1., is ie charming village of Malhcyd &te. 26) . Aberangell is situated at ie junct, of the Angell branch with ie Dyfi. Passing 1. Aberhiriarth Hall, the ae reaches 6 m. Cemmaes Stat., and at Cent - aes Hoad forms a junction with ie Cambrian system from Whit- mrch to Aberystwyth and N. Wales (Rte. 28). Between Cemmaes and Mallwyd and Cemmaes and Machynlleth the river is a favourite resort of anglers for salmon and sewin, the autumn months being the best time for sport. ROUTE 24. CAERNARVON OR PWLLHELI TO DOL- GELLEY, BY CRICCIETH, PORT- MADOC, HARLECH, AND BAR- MOUTH — CAMBRIAN RAILWAY. Continuous rly., following the cdast line, 3 or 4 trains daily in about 2J hrs. From Caernarvon to Afonwen Junct., this rly. is described in Rte. 14. 1 1 m. from Pwllheli is the village of Abererch. On 1. is the ch., a pic- turesque ivy-covered building, with a remarkably long N. aisle and a bell-tower. m. Aronwen Junct., rt. runs the line to Pwllheli, 1. to Criccieth. Grand views open out along the shore of Tremadoc Bay. 6 m. the Dwyfach and Dwyfawr rivers are crossed at the village of Llanystumdwy , a sweetly- situated little spot, with a modern ch., Dec. in style. On 1. is Grwynfryn (H. J. Ellis Nanney, Esq.). 8 m. Criccieth Stat. {Inns : G-eorge ; White Lion), a small modern water- 142 Eoute 24 . — Caernarvon to Dolcjelley . ing-place, having good and well- situated houses. Between the stat. and the sea, rise the ruins of a Castle on a tongue of high rock running out into the sea. These are now en- closed by Lord Harlech, and the key may be obtained at Castle House, close to the entrance gate. The prin- cipal apartments were in the round towers flanking the main entrance, the space enclosed by the walls of the building being an irregulartrapezium. This gateway, with its 2 rather mas- sive towers, and a few fragments of wall, are all that is now left of it. It is said to have been built by Edward I. in 1286, but it is more likely that he only repaired it. The views from the mount, as well as from the whole of the route between Pwllheli and Criccieth of the opposite coast, are extensive and beautiful. Indeed, for quiet folk Criccieth is a desirable watering-place, for the sake of its pure air, and facilities for pedestrian or rly. excursions. From hence the rly., partly shut out from the sea by intervening heights, but commanding grand views inland of the mountains Moel Wyn, Moel Hebog, and the pointed Cynicht, runs to 13 m. Portmadoc Junct. Stat., after passing 1 m. 1. the villages of Penmorfa andTremadoc (see Bte. 19, where some account of the reclaimed land of the Traeth Mawr and Em- bankment of the sea are given). A steamer occasionally plies from Portmadoc to Bardsey Island (see Bte. 16). From Portmadoc the line crosses the Traeth Mawr, and enters the pro- montory of Pcnrhyn, running along- side the Traeth Bach. The Miniature or Toy Illy, from Portmadoc to Tan-y-Bwlch and Festiniog (Bte. 20) runs some dis- tance parallel to the Cambrian. Minffordd Junct . Stat. From this N. Wale admire the splendid views of Snov don, not surpassed in N. Wale Here the slates from Festiniog a collected, and waggons filled wit them cover acres of ground. T1 stations of the 2 lines are close t< gether. Tan-y-Bwlch Hotel is 4 r distant from this by road an Maentwrog Inn, 3J m. 16 m. Penrhyn Deudraeth Sta Here the Cambrian Bly. Stat. adjoir that of the Festiniog Miniature El; (Rte. 20). Deudraeth Castle is tl seat of Mrs. Williams. On quittir this stat. the train crosses the e tuary of the Traeth Bach. [On 1. lies the village of LlaW\ clecmyn, perched high up on tl mountains about midway between lakes, Llyn Tecwyn Uehaf and Isa. The scenery of these lakes is we worth exploring. They are full t fish, but are so much poached by tl quarrymen as to spoil all sport. A the tourist is now entering the di trict of Ardudwy, it will be well 1 acquaint himself with the features < the immense block of mount air running from Maentwrog to Ba mouth, and separating the Harlcc country from all the eastern po: tions of Merionethshire. Althoug they all constitute the same grou without a single break, they ar called by different names accordin to the most prominent points. B< tween Llandecwyn and Harlech ar Craig-ddrwg and Diffivys , to the i of which are the Rhinogs and LletM while the long ridge running fron hence to Barmouth has the gcnenl appellation of Llawllech. From tlu height above Dilfwys may be seen i fine prospect of the Caernarvon shia promontory of Lleyn, of the Bay < Cardigan, Cader Idris, and othe mountains. The whole of the groui are full of lakes, which give birth o cither side to numerous small stream^ The geology of this district is ver J interesting, though it can only 1 [. Wales. j Route 24 . — Harlech : Castle . 148 irndied on a large scale. The great lass of these rocks is formed of •ambrian grit, which rises in a dome r boss, the Merionethshire anticlinal f Prof. Sedgwick. The centre of his anticlinal is a little to the N. of flawllech, from which the rocks dip teadily.] The river Dwyryd is crossed by he rly. on a long, low wooden ridge. It descends from the Yale f Eestiniog. A wondrous view of lountains in the direction of Snow- .on, Cyniclit, Moelwyn, is enjoyed rom the rly., which soon makes a harp bend S., skirting the shore of haeth Bach. 18 m. Tal-y-Sarnau Stab, is close o the village so called, traversed by he high road from Harlech to lacntwrog and Festiniog. On 1. is Grlyn Coivarch , an Eliza- cthan house belonging to Lord larlech, and the residence of Mr. jawford. A little higher up is laes-y-Neuadd (the seat of John 'I’anncy, Esq.), the grounds of which xlend along a high bank of rock, nd command most splendid views ver the Traeth and the Snowdon ange. The rly. traverses the coach-road verlooking the extensive alluvial lat of Morfa Harlech , which has >een drained and cultivated, and con- ains some good farms. 21J m. Harlech Stat. lies on the ow alluvial flat, out of which the Jastle rock rises, like a wall, close to j he Sally Postern or Water Gate. It s a work of no little difficulty to urmount the very steep hill leading q> to town and Castle, especially with uggage. {Inns: Castle, admirably flaced on the height close to the Jastle, a good house, but make your argain ; Blue Lion, of a humbler rade, but good.) Harlech, though an ancient place nd the county-town of Merioneth, is but a village of 750 Inhabitants, remarkable solely for its grand Castle,* but charmingly situated, commanding one of the most splendid sea- views in Wales, including Snow- don, the whole of the coast of Lleyn, with its conspicuous heights of Carn Madryn, Carn Boduan, and Yr Eifl. It is a thriving place, with a Ch. built 1814, 4 chapels, schools, &c. Whatever early fortress or strong- hold may have occupied this com- manding height in Celtic or Roman days, the present Castle is of the time of Edward I., and from the designs of Henry de Elreton, the architect of Caernarvon Castle, to which, however, it is inferior in everything save situa- tion. More than the usual amount of hard blows was the lot, at different times, of the castle of Hardlech, or Hardelagh, as it was called. In 1404 it was taken by Owain Glyndwr, who, a few years later, was ousted by Prince Henry. During the Wars of the Roses, the brave governor, Davydd ap Ifan, afforded an honourable asylum to Margaret of Anjou, Queen of Henry YI., and the Prince of Wales, after the battle of Northampton. It is recorded of this governor, that, on being summoned to surrender by Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, he replied that he had held a fortress in France until all the old women in Wales had heard of it, and now he intended to hold Harlech till all the old women in Erance heard of it. Eventually, after a long siege, the brave defenders were forced to capitulate, and the whole district was then at the mercy of the King, Edward IY. During the Civil Wars Harlech was alternately gained by Royalist and Parliamentary armies, and was finally invested by Gen. Mytton in 1647 . A constable is still appointed by the Crown The castle occupies a bold projecting platform of rock, standing out from the coast-line of * See George Clark’s ‘ Mediajval Military Architecture of England/ 2 vols., 8vo., 1884. 144 Route 24 . — Harleeli Castle . N. Wales. Merioneth above t lie alluvial plain of Morfa Harlech. Five centuries back, when the Traeth was an estuary, Harlech, like Criccieth now, was ap- proached, and probably got its sup- plies, by water. The sea has now re- tired fully ^ m. from the foot of the precipice, which rises 200 ft. above the sea-level, and in hall view of the highest mountains of N. Wales, Snowdon, Moel Hebog, Cynicht, and Moelwyn. It is an Edwardian castle, quad- rangular and concentric. In the centre of the E. or land side is the gate-house, a rectangle, being two half-rounds to the E., flanking the entrance, and two drum towers to the W., capping the angles. The entrance passage is about 50 ft. long, and within were three portcullis grates. Two of the grates were worked from a small chapel, the elegant E. window of which is above the main entrance. In the arches overhead are seen the holes whence hung the sheaves for working the grates. The inner ward, 210 ft. square, is enclosed by 4 curtain walls 40 ft. high by 12 ft. thick, and capped at the angles by bold drum towers, from the two western of which spring loftier stair turrets, also circular. The hall and some other buildings occupied the W. of the court, with windows looking seaward. The prin- cipal chapel, 18 ft. by 12 ft., is built against the N. wall, and had a good E. window. The Eastern curtains on each side the gate-house are curious. That to the S. contains two tiers of mural garde- robes opening from the gate-house; and others, projected outwards from the N. wall, have fallen down. The inner ward stands within a nar- row outer ward, also quadrangular, liaving six low drum bastions at the angles: on the S. face a half-round segmental bastion corbelled out : in the centre of the north face two half- round bastions flanking a postern; and on the E. face, which has a salient, two round turrets also cor-' belled out, which flank the main entrance. This ward is very narrow, about 8 to 12 ft., except to the sea, 'where there is a broader platform. It is surrounded by a light parapet wall. At the main entrance thisi ward is traversed by a bridge pit, apparently covered by a bridge drop- ping from the outer gatew ay imvardeu The two gateways are opposite and not 30 ft. apart. The parapet of the outer ward crowns a wall, which on the E. and S. faces is the scarp of the ditch. This defence, broad and deep^ is quarried in the rock on the E. and S. sides, and runs out upon the natural slope at either end. A mo- dern causeway, carrying the mail] approach, evidently represents an original bridge, either of stone, with a bridge pit replacing the crown ol an arch, or of timber. The postern opens on a shelving platform of rock covering the NJ front, and commanded by a curtail] which descends from the N.E. has tion towards the end of the ditch, From the postern, a road led roum the N.W. angle of the wall along tin seaward front to the S.AV. angle where it descended to a strong gate way, containing a drawbridge, beyon< which an open gallery protected b> a looped parapet led along and dowi the face of the clilf to a duly fortifier water-gate, at the sea-level. Till gallery' is further defended by tw< blocks of masonry, probably on© parapeted, and stepped into th face of the rock above. The entrance passage is the onl vault in t lie place ; all the floors wer of timber. There is much analogy' bctweei this castle and Caerphilly, both i general plan and in certain detail*! but the defences of its water-gate ar quite peculiar. No well has bee discovered : possibly leaden pipc| N. Wales. 145 Haute 24:.—Pensarn — Cors-y-Gedol. conveyed water underground from the adjacent heights, and a stream may have been conducted from the hill behind, to fill the moat. — G. C. Taken as a ruin, Harlech lacks the beauty of detail found in Con- way or Beaumaris. It is altogether smaller, ruder, and more simple in plan than any of the other Edward- ian castles, neither is it so well kept. When the survey was made in Henry YIII.’s reign, there were two drawbridges leading towards the sea, and extensive outer works lead- ing to the way from the marsh. At various times antiquities have been exhumed near Harlech, and amongst them a celebrated gold torque, which was purchased by Lord Mostyn, and is now preserved at Mostyn Hall. The siege which the castle underwent in the 15th cent, gave rise to the celebrated air of the ' March of the Men of Harlech,’ one of the most stirring and characteristic effusions of Welsh musical genius. Just underneath the castle, and ex- tending to a considerable distance northward, is the singular level known as Morfa Harlech , or Harlech Marsh, which has evidently been created by the gradual retiring of the sea, which once washed the castle rock. Conveyances . — Bail to Barmouth, and Dolgelley, and Pwllheli. Distances. — Tan-y-Bwlch, 10 m. ; Cwm Bychan, 5 ; Drws Ardudwy, 10 ; Bwlch-y-Tyddiad, 7 ; Llanbedr, 3 j Llanaber, 8 ; Barmouth, 10 m. [An Excursion may be made to Cwm Bychan (5 } m. from Llanbedr) by crossing the ridge of hills imme- diately behind Harlech, and striking into the road from Llanbedr up the valley of the Artro. A lane runs straight up the hill, on the summit of which there is a bridle-road to L, which take, and thus reach Cwm Bychan, m., in less time than by going into the glen. [JV, Wales,'] It is a delightful walk from Har- lech, commanding fine sea-views the whole way. A grand range of moun- tains intervenes between the sea and the Yale of the Mawddach; their names from JST. to S. are Craig Ddrwg (above Harlech), Bhinog Eawr and Fach, Moelfre, and Diffwys, all 2000 to 2400 ft. high.] About 2 m. from Harlech is the old Parish Church of Llandanwg , fast falling to decay, but which might be repaired for 80Z. It is only 50 feet long, choir and nave one chamber, with different roofs. 23J m. Eensarn Stat., whence the conchologist should visit Mochras , a tongue of land about 1J m. distant, divided from the mainland by the estuary of the Artro. Many rare and beautiful shells have been picked up here after rough weather at sea. In the village of Llanbedr {Inn : Yictoria), 1 m. from Pensarn Stat., is a Maenhir , and near it a fragment inscribed with spiral ornaments. On the rising ground on 1. of the road is a cromlech. Probably in no district in Wales are there so many of these old stone memorials scattered about as in the next 2 m., there being no less than 6 in fair pre- servation on the slopes of the hills running down from Lletlir. From Llanbedr Excursion may be made to the Pass of Drws Ar- dudwy (Bte. 24a). 26J m. Dyffryn Stat. 2 m. from this, part of the way through a long avenue bordered with limes, is Cors-y- Gedol (Edw. E. Coulson, Esq.), the ancient family-seat of the Yaughans, who were descended from Osborn or Osber, an Irish nobleman, who ob- tained possession of territory in Merionethshire. The existing man- sion is chiefly modern, but the ceiling of the great hall, like that at Grwydir, is said to be not later than Henry the YIII.’s date. In L 146 Ronfe 24 . — Sam Badrig — Llanaber. N. Wales. the house is preserved some old furniture ; a bedstead taken from a wrecked vessel, one of the great Armada squadron, and fine paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt , Reynolds , Hogarth (the Strolling Players), Turner , See. The house is shown in the absence of the family. The gate- house, like that at Gwyn, near Harlech, is said to be after a design by Inigo Jones, as is also the Cors-y- gedol chapel in the parish church. The situation of the house is exposed and very lofty, but commanding splendid sea-views over Cardigan Bay. Near the lodge on the 1. is a Cromlech , known as Coetan Arthur, or Arthur’s Quoit, said to have been thrown by that hero from the sum- mit of Moelfre. The impressions of his fingers are visible on the stone. The Ch. of Llanddwywe has a chapel containing the tombs of the Vaughan family, now extinct. [The Ysgethin river, which flows into the sea near Llanddwywe, may be followed up for about 3 m. pass- ing Llyn Irddyn , a lake of some size on the W. slopes of Llawllech. On the W. shore are remains of a British towm, which probably had a connection with the fortified emi- nence of Craig-y-Ddinas. Near it is Camedd Hengwm, the burial-place in all probability of the town, with two large cairns, the latter containing six kistvaens. The whole of this rather dreary range abounds in a singular manner with cairns, circles, camps, cyttiaus, and erect stones. 2 m. above Llyn Irddyn is Llyn Bodlyn, a fine sheet of w'ater, lying under the crags of Diffwys, the highest point of Llawllech (1900 ft.). Llyn Jhilyn is a small pool, with good fisliing, at the very head of the river, under the rocks of Crib-y-Rhiw. It is by far the finest, as regards scenery," of all this group. The southern portion of the range of Llawllech is crossed by the old mountain road to Dolgelley.] A very singular and prominent feature in all the sea-views in this district is Sam Badrig or St. Patrick’s Causeway, a narrow' ridge of rock and pebble, which extends out for a distance of 21 m. from the shore, and is about 24 ft. in breadth. At ebb- tide upwards of 9 m. are left dry, and for a long line beyond the eye can trace the foam which marks its dangerous course. It is very similar to the Sarn-y-Bwlch, near Towyn (Rte. 25), and Sam Cynlelin at Aberystwyth, and bears the same legend, viz., that it was one of the gigantic embankments raised in the 6th cent, by Gwyddno Garanhir, to protect the Lowland Hundred fromi inundations of the sea. By thei drunken carelessness of Seithenyn, who was the appointed custodian of these dykes, the w r aters rushed in and destroyed for ever this fertile and populous district, which numbered more than 12 fortified towms. The legend that a submerged country lies underneath the sea has been wrought into a lively story by the late T. L Peacock, imder the title of the * Mis- fortunes of Elphin.’ The Sam however, has been pronounced by Professor Ramsay to be a natura formation. This particular Sam il said to have been so named from it* being used by St. Patrick as a dry footpath in liis journeys to and fron Ireland. 29J m. rt. the small seaside Churn, of Llanaber. This beautiful E. E. ch of the 13th cent, was for manv year in ruins, or in such a state of deca as to preclude the holding of divin service in it. It was restored froi designs by Mr. Boyce, 1860 an 1881. The exterior is plain ; consists of nave witli clerestory 2 side-aisles and chancel, with single lancet for the E. wrindo'* All the beauty of ornament an tf. Wales. Bte. 24a.- — Harlech noulding has been reserved for ihe interior. The visitor should particularly notice the exquisite S. loorway. There is also a singular •hest which was used for the recep- ion of votive offerings. Against the nside wall, at the N.W. door, is an nscribed stone, marked, with the words c MONEDO C^LEXTI EIGI, brought from Ceilwart, where it iong served as a foot-bridge over a stream.’ 31J m. Barmouth Stat., described in Rte. 3a. ROUTE 24a. HARLECH TO DOLGELLEY, CWM BYCHAN LAKE, AND THE PASSES OF BWLCH-Y-TYDDIAD, OE DRWS ARDUDWY. A pleasant pedestrian journey of 6 or 8 hours, practicable also on a pony. The Cambrian Ely. may be taken as far as Pensarn Stat., near Llanbedr village, where the Victoria Inn is a good starting-post (see Rte. 24). Here a trap may be hired as far ( as Dolwreiddiog. As the winding road descends the hill into the valley of the Artro, the tourist passes the farmhouse of Gerddi JBluog , the birthplace of Archdeacon Prys, author of the me- trical version of the Psalms. About | m. S. of the town gtre the Circles of Muriau G-wyddelod. Prom Har- lech the road descends the hill to iii m. Llanfair , and at 12 m. approaches the little estuary of the Artro. The ch. at Llanfair contains some modern stained glass. The tourist should not fail to remark the to Dolgelley — Cwm Bychan. 147 exquisite scene looking back from Llanfair to Harlech, justly con- sidered one of the most beautiful views in N. Wales. About i m. rt., close to the sea- shore, is the ruined ch. of Llandanwg, which is fast falling into decay. The interior is still worth a visit, and might at a small expense be restored sufficiently to resist the destructive action of the elements for a long time to come. 13 m. on the banks of the Artro is the pretty little wood-embosomed village of Llanbedr , next to Tal-y- Llyn, the best fishing station in Merionethshire. The Victoria is a snug roadside Am, and, for an exploration of the romantic scenery of Grlyn Artro and the passes, will suit the traveller better than Harlech. Near the road are two curious pillar stones, and lying beside them an incised stone of great interest. The road to Cwm Bychan follows the rt. bank of the Artro up to its source in the lake, about 44 m. At 1 m. the river is joined by the Nant- col , up which runs the path to Drws Ardudwy. The road thence winds along a lovely valley at the foot of the Rhinog Eawr, to Dolwreiddiog, 1 the rooty Meadow,’ the farthest point practicable for cars. This is a solitary old Welsh mansion belonging to a family of the name of Lloyd, who, it is said, have held uninter- rupted possession since the year 1100. This ancient family, which is de- scended from Owain Grwynedd, had the honour of sending a chief with Rhys ap Meredydd toBosworthField. A small mountain river runs into the Artro, having its source amongst the hills of Craig Ddrwg, in Llyn JSiddew , one of a group of lakes which are worth visiting for the wild scenery surrounding them. Llyn JSiddew Maivr is the largest of the group ; it holds out a good promise of sport, “the trout being small, but of excellent quality.” L 2 148 N. Wales. Boute 24a. — Between Llyn Caerwych (very large trout) and Llyn Dywarchen a mountain road passes, running from Harlech, N.E., and crossing the pass between Craig Gwynt and Diftwys to Trawsfynydd (Rte. 22). Close to the road is Bryn Cader Fawr> a British camp. The lake of Cimn By chan is situated very finely in a narrow wild glen, shut in on all sides but one, from which the Artro issues. Towering above it is a precipitous mass of rock called Craig-y-Saeth, ‘the rock of the arrow,’ believed to be so called from the fact of the ancient sports- men watching the deer from hence. It is of great height, and the escarp- ment is so sudden that from the surrounding hills it is a prominent feature, and to the pedestrian who is crossing the hills at his own sw'eet w ill is a capital landmark. The lake itself is about J mile long, and although of grand feat ures t he absence of w r ood gives it a sullen and melan- choly character. The fish, like the lake, are shy and sullen. Mr. Cliffe recommends fishing on the S. side, near and under Craig-v-Saeth. The path is carried on the head of the glen, and then turns sharp round again, climbing the hill partly on large flat stones through a nar- row rock portal at the top of the JiwIch-y-Tyddiad , one of the cele- brated entrances into Ardudwy through the lofty range of moun- tains that shut it out from the re- mainder of the county. The scenery is really grand here ; on either side are the desolate, dark-coloured ridges of Craig Wion and the Rliinog Fawr, which rises on rt. above the pass to a height of 24 G3 ft. Apart from this scenery this pass is famous for its flight of stone steps, or rather a pavement of unt rimmed slabs of slate or of flagstone, laid in order upon the turf, which, though some- times disconnect ed, arc carried with surprising regularity to the very Cum By chan. summit. A kind of low parapet \ flanks these stairs on one or both sides. They are generally attributed , to the l’omans, though they may be more safely classed with ‘ Ancient i British ’ vestiges. It is something to feast the imagination upon, w hen I ascending this pass, to think that 1 these very steps may have been! trodden by the Roman legions ini their w ay from Heriri Mons to the I coast districts of Mervinia. At a considerably higher level on 1 each side of the pass is a lake, — on the I 1. Llyn-y-Morwynion, c the Maidens* 1 Lake on the rt. Glywllyn , * the 1 Bright Lake,’ which has the merit | of being the best sporting lake of all ] the Harlech series. Though very small, it contains very large trout, of a bright golden colour. “Sandpipers frequent this lake in the breeding season. These beautiful little birds I are so tame and fearless as to pass within a few r inches of your feet at j the very edge of the water whilst you are fishing on the shore .” — Rotes of an Angler. On the E. side of the pass there is a wide and dreary expanse of mountain, sloping down towards , the valley of the Eden. The path, " however, soon becomes faint and . slushy, and the pedestrian will have . to use his “bog-trotting powers'* * more than is pleasant. Keep straight 1 across past the isolated farms, from , which a sort of road leads across the Eden at Pont-y-Oribbh, and soon joins the Trawsfynydd and Dolgelley ‘road (Rte. 22). The latter half of this excursion i is not to be recommended. Pass of Drws Ardudwy. The pedestrian may vary the route very pleasantly by rounding the steeps of Rliinog Fawr, keeping that moun- tain on the right hand, just where a view opens of Cader Idris, and re- entering the mountains by the parallel pass of Dries Ardudwy , another na- tural portal between the mountains 149 N, Wales. Route 25 . — Dolgelley to Machynlleth . of Rhinog Fawr and Rhinog Fach, the scenery of which is nearly is grand as the other. The same kind of staircase is also visible here, but the steps are not so numerous. The pass is stony beyond measure ; nowhere else does such a mass of boulders obstruct the way. A little brook enters the pass on the S. from Llyn Howell , a small tarn, magnifi- cently situated amongst the precipices of Llethr, and presenting in its rugged and crater- like aspect features like those of Llvn-y-Cau (Rte. 25). The trout in this lake are said to be deformed. From the head of the pass the road descends Cwm Nantcol (wrongly called Afon Artro in the Ordnance maps) to follow downwards the course of the Artro by Pen-y-Bont to Llanbedr. At the head of the brook, close to the roadside, is the farmhouse of Maes-y-garnedd, which has the questionable honour of having nursed the regicide Colonel Jones, brother-in-law of Cromwell. Up to this spot a car can drive. A winding road descends the side of the Nanteol, past its junction with the Artro, down to Llanbedr. The distance from the Pass of Ardudwy to Tyn-y-Groes (Rte. 22) is about 14 m. ROUTE 25. DOLGELLEY TO MACHYNLLETH, BY TOWYN AND ABERDOVEY— RAIL. BY ROAD TO LLANIDLOES. From Dolgelley the Rliuabon, Cor- wen, and Bala Rly. (Gr. W.) runs to Penmaen Pool (2 m.) and thence on the S. bank of the Mawddach estuary to Artliog and Baemottth JiTNCT.,8m. (Rte. 3a). There are 2 roads to Towyn besides that of the rail. The upper or mountain road ascends to the foot of Cader Idris, and, turning over the spur of Craig Cwm Llwyd, is carried over very bleak and exposed ground to Llanegryn, where the other road joins it. This latter, although longer, is the one recommended to be fol- lowed, as it is a better road, and af- fords magnificent coast and sea view r s for the greatest part of the way. 1 m. 1. are Brynygwin and Bryn Adda , both of which residences command the exquisite scenery of the Mawddach and the opening of the vale above Llanelltyd. From hence the road gradually rises, keep- ing on a much higher level than the one on the N. side of the estuary. This latter, however, has the advan- tage in point of beauty, as it is over- looked by Cader Idris in all its rugged grandeur, while on this side the tourist is too overshadowed to see much of it. 6J m. Artliog Stat., a small chapel and hotel (Rte. 3a). The rock and wood scenery here is very beautiful and diversified. 1 m. to L, between the 2 roads is Llys Bradwen , the remains of a palace or residence belonging to Ednowain ap Bradwen, chief of one of the 15 tribes of N. Wales in the time of Grrufiydd ap Cynan, in the 11th cent. The ground-plan is that of an oblong building of about 30 yards square. A little higher up is Llyn Cregenan, lying at the foot of Tyrrau Mawr. At 9 m. the road ascends the cliffs immediately opposite the watering- place of Barmouth. For the next few miles the sea-views over the Bay of Barmouth and the long Rly. Bridge offer a very pleasant contrast to the mountains with which the tourist has been surrounded. Bailivay to Towyn. 12 m. is Lltvyngwril Stat., a large wretched-looking village in the parish 150 N. Wales. . Route 25 . — Llanegryn — Towyn. of Llangelynin. There are several antiquities to reward the patient archaeologist on the mountain to the N. and S.E., in the shape of tumuli, cairns, meini-hirion, and a British camp named Castell-y-gaer. The parish eh. of Llangelynin is 2 m. to the S. on the old coast-road to Towyn ; it is now deserted, and a new eh. has been built at Llwyngwril to supply its place. 16 in. Llanegryn , the Cliurcli of which village is remarkable for a singular Norm, font, and a very beautiful Roodloft said untruly to have been brought from Cymmer Abbey. Llanegryn was restored by that excellent landowner and archaeo- logist, the late W. W. E. Wynne, Esq., of Peniarth , which stands on the rt. bank of the JDysyni , about 1 m. from the ch., and is remarkable for its interesting collection of his- toric MSS., including the St. G-raal, Black Book of Carmarthen, Book of Taliesin, and other antiquities, such as a real old Welsh harp brought from Hengwrt. Rail to Towyn. Cambrian Rly. Before reaching Towyn the Dy- syni is crossed. It very soon be- comes an estuary, and expands into a considerable pool beforo it enters the sea. It is supposed that a district along this coast has been at one time submerged, as traces of forest trees have been at intervals exposed at low water. There is, moreover, a long causeway named Sarn-y-bwch , “ the Buck’s Road,” which, like Sarn Bad- rig and Sarn Cynfelin, is supposed to have been a remnant of the Can- tref-y-g#aclod or Lowland Hundred. Tliis Sr -n is known to extend sea- wards for a distance of 5 m., though there is little doubt that it is the natural ridge of rock and not any artificial formation. Bleak and exposed as these coast-hills are, it is evident that they were strongly defended by their inhabitants, fron^ the number of camps and forts so abundantly scattered about. Besides those already mentioned, there is a chain of camps on the hill to the N. of the mouth of the Dysynni, as also a mound, Tomen Ddreiniog, about } m. below the bridge. At Pont Vathew, 18 m., 1. is a road which i leads direct to Craig Aderyn, and which should be followed by the tourist from Towyn who does not care to visit Llanegryn Ch. By so doing he will save at least 2 m. 19 m. 1. is an erect boundary stone called Croes Eaen. 20 m. Towyn Stat. (Inn : Corbet Arms), a cleanly, dull town on the j sea, about J m. from the sands, wliich j from their fineness and extent induce I a considerable number of people, principally of the middle class, to i 4 visit it for sea-bathing. Another re- commendation to Towyn is the 1 D economy of living, which is said to 1 jj be as reasonable as in any place in the i g kingdom. The antiquary will be , j delighted with the Church of St. , Cadfan (part restd. 1881), perhaps 1 r) the oldest in N. Wales, an interesting building with an Early Norm. nave, j It is cruciform, of considerable size, ^ including nave, chancel, side-aisles, and transepts. The nave is separat ed from the aisles by immensely massive ^ piers of rude nibble work supporting ^ round arches. Above is a clerestory. The patron saint, St. Cadfan, is said to have come from Armorica in the 6th cent., and retired to Bardscy Island. A very singular inscribed I stone, known as St. Cadfan’s stone, or pillar, is placed within the Ch. It is about 7 ft. long, and is inscribed on all 4 sides with debased Minuscule Roman characters of from the 6th to the 9th cent., its chief interest con- sisting in t lie fact that it exhibits a genuine sample of the Welsh language centuries earlier than the oldest I 151 N. Wales. Route 25 . — Aberdovey — Glandyfi. MSS. There has been much dis- cussion about this stone. Translated into English, the inscription runs as follows, according to the sides — ** Beneath the mount of Cynvael lies Cad van, where The earth extols his praise. Let him rest without a blemish. The body of Cyngen, And between will be Marciau (or Marks).” There are some other monumental effigies in the ch., a knight of the 14th cent. (Griffith ap Adda of Dol- goch, near Towyn) and an ecclesi- astic of 15th cent. Adjoining it is a well dedicated to St. Cadfan, the water of which is considered a specific in scrofulous and cutaneous diseases. A little Gothic Church has been built at Bryncrug as a memorial to Mr. Wynne of Peniarth. Hallways. — Rail to Aberdovey, 4 m. ; Machynlleth, 14 ; Pwllheli, 43J m. To Abergynolwyn, 6J m., a narrow-gauge railway reaching the flanks of Cader Idris and ending 3 m. short of Tal-y-Llyn lake (see Rte. 25a). Distances. — Dolgelley by coast- road, 20 m. — by mountain-road, 16J — by Tal-y-Llyn, 24 ; Tyn-y- Cornel, 16 ; Llanegryn, 4 ; Craig Aderyn, 6 ; Aberystwyth, across the ferry, 15. The Ely. S. of Towyn runs near the seashore, here fringed by sand- banks and brackish pools, at the foot of wooded hills. It reaches the ]ST. end opening of the estuary of the Dovey, J m. wide and stretching 6 m. inland. Aberdyfi or Aberdovey Stat. (Inn : Dovey Arms), a very pretty and pleasant little watering-place, much frequented by those who prefer quiet and seclusion to bustle. The Corbet Arms, overlooking the sea, built as an Inn, has been let to some Jesuits expelled from France 1880. The town consists of one long strag- gling street close to the water. The scenery on either side of the estuary is of a lovely character — wooded banks backed up by high ranges of mountains. A good deal of business is done at the port, which is the shipping point for some lead-mines and the slate-quarries of the Corris mountains (Rte. 22). There is a ferry of a little more than a mile across the estuary of the Dyfi, which here divides N. and S. Wales, and for a considerable distance forms the boundary-line of Merionethshire. Distances. — To Aberystwyth, by ferry, 11 m. ; Machynlleth, 10 (direct road) ; Towyn, 4. [Excursions to Aberystwyth, cross- ing the ferry and joining the rly. at Ynyslas, or else by going round by Glandyfi Junct.J From Aberdovey the Rly. makes a circuit, running parallel with the coach-road for about 4 m. along the side of the river, and after parting company with the road, keeps close to the estuary of the Dovey, which it crosses on a drawbridge at 29 J m. Glandyfi or Glando'vey Junct. Here the Rly. from Bar- mouth to Aberystwyth (Rte. 28) meets that from Machynlleth (4 m. distant, see Rte. 22a), and Oswestry. The alternations of overhanging rocks and woods, together with the ever-varying reaches of the river, make it a lovely drive the whole way from Aberdovey to 29| m. Fennal , a pretty village a little beyond the junction of the Aberdovey and Towyn roads. There is a tomen or mound in the grounds of Talgarth Hall, the beautiful seat of C. F. Thruston, Esq. Cefn Caer farmhouse is built on the site of a Roman Stat. where a hypocaust has been laid bare, and at various times coins of Domitian and Tiberius have been found ; there are traces of a 152 Roman road towards the river. Three Roman roads indeed seem to have led hither, one S.E. from Llanio, in Cardiganshire, one N.E. from Caersws, and another along the Dysyni valley by Tal-y-Llyn. Probably Pennal was the actual site of Maglona, which is generally ac- credited to Machynlleth. The road after following the rt. bank of the river, crosses it at Pont- ar-Dyfi, and proceeds to 34 m. Machynlleth St at. {Inn : The Lion). The town and neighbour- hood of Machynlleth are described in Rte. 28. From its central situa- tion the tourist will be enabled to diverge by rail to Aberystwyth, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Aberdovey, Towyn, and Dolgelley. The route by rail from Machynlleth to Llanidloes is given in Rte. 27. The road to Llanidloes, 19 m., is one of the wildest and most bleak in the whole county, run- ning for miles on the bare sum- mits of the ranges of hills which intervene between Plinlymmon and the Arans. For the first 5 m. the way lies up the picturesque valley of the Diflas, from which it turns ofi* at 37 m. to enter upon a weary, desolate career over the mountains. 41 m. a road on rt. leads into the lulls for about 1J m. to Glaslyn — around pool with a peculiarly bright gravelly bottom. There are no fish in it, owing probably to the existence of a mineral poison. A little farther on is Llyn Burjeilyn , “the bottom covered in many parts with weeds, and very shallow; the water of a pitchy blackness, from the peaty bed in which it lies, and islanded here and there by masses of rock.” — Mrdirin. This lake used to swarm with leeches, which, when it was stocked with trout, disappeared. It is some- times visited by anglers from Ma- chynlleth, but . the distance and N. Wales. situation preclude it from being j much resorted to. The trout are ; good, cut red, and are of a black, inky colour ; but they must be cooked directly, as they will not bear keeping (unless packed in moss). j The lake is preserved, but leave of ! fishing is granted through Mr. * ■; Thomas, Chemist, Machynlleth, or i Mr. Evans, of the Lion Hotel. 2 1 About 1 J m. from Llyn Bugeilyn ► i foe is the Blaen ITafrcn, the source of I r the Severn, which, in the commence- \ tfl ment of its career, issues from a 4 small spring on the N.E. side of ilie Plinlymmon. Drayton thus alludes for to it : — 4 | j|. “ Plinlimmon’s high praise no longer mine J defer ; ® AVhat once the Druids told, how great those the floods should be I gj That here (most mightie hill) derive them- j , selves from thee ; That all the Cambrian hills, which high’st ] 5 their heads doe beare, i ^ With most obsequious showes of lowe sub- jected feare Should to thy greatness'stoupe ; and all the brookes that be Doe homage to those floods that Issued out of thee ; To princelie Severne first.” The large mass of hill to the 1. is that of Tarannon , the river of the same name, which rises in the moun- tains between Llanbrynmair and Llanidloes and W. of Newtown, in- tervening. The rocks of which this district is composed have given the name to the Tarannon shales, which occupy a position between the Llandovery or Pentamerus rocks and the upper Silurian. “ The Tarannon shales, occasionally of hard slaty character, and of various colours — in some places so pale a grey as to have been termed pale slates — have been shown by Messrs. Forbes and Aveline to form a geological band of great persistence, which, beginning in small dimensions near Llandovery, expands in its course through Radnor and Montgomery. It is largely and Route 25. — Macliynlletli . 153 Route 25a. — Towyn to Tal-y-Llyn, ST. Wales. Nearly exhibited about New Bridge >nd at Tarannon, between Llanbryn- nair and Llanidloes. Fossils are •are, and those which occur do not ibsolutely determine whether the )ed should be classed with the upper ulandovery rocks or with the Wen- ock formation.” — Siluria. 42 m., massing a dropping well, the road irosses the bend in the river Twymyn, i little way down which there is a ine waterfall 130 ft. in height. 42J n. rt. is tlie square entrenched camp )f Pen-y-Grrogbren. 45 m. a small roadside Inn, with -lie insinuating sign of e Stay a Little.’ 48 m. A shorter cut rt. will lead jy the Van Lead Mines and the 3amp of Pen-y-Clyn, both on 1., to lie point where, crossing the Severn it its junction with the Clywedog, he tourist enters, 53 m., Llanidloes (Rte. 27) . ( Inn : Crewytlien Arms.) ROUTE 25a. TOWYN TO TAL-Y-LLYN, CADER IDRIS, AND DOLGELLEY. A narrow-gauge Ely. runs from Towyn S. of the Dysyni Valley and parallel with it. Its stations are Rhydyronen, Brynglas, Dolgocli, 7 m. Abergynolwyn Terminus, The distance from Towyn to Tal-y- Llyn is 10 m. The road up the vale of the Dysyni may be followed up to its head, which is remarkable for its beauty. The road on the northern side of the stream should be taken as far as Pont- y-garth opposite Craig-y-Deryn ; there cross and keep all the way on the 1. bank. Craig-y-Beryn , “ the Rock of Birds,” is a very striking feature in the vale, a lofty, somewhat isolated rock, with a precipitous escarpment, the resort in the season of numberless cormorants, hawks, wood-pigeons, &c. The effect is best when viewed from the lower end of the valley. There are traces of a fort on the summit. At Pont Ystumanner, a road turns sharply round to the rt. following the course of a stream (called the Dy- synni by some) which takes its rise in Tal-y-Llyn. The archaeologist should keep up the vale for 1 m. to Llanvihangel-y- Pennant {Inn : Pen- iarth Arms), a secluded little village nestling in a cwm, that rises in the heart of Cader Idris. The eh. contains an interesting Norm. font. Tyn-y-Bryn , in this parish, was the birthplace of Dr. Owen Pughe, the Welsh lexicographer. On a small eminence near the road are the scanty remains of Castell - y - Bere, a destroyed pre-Edwardian fortress, the buildings of which appear to have covered the whole of the sum- mit of the hill, and to justify the belief that it was the largest castle of its day in N. Wales after Beau- maris and Caernarvon. Adapted to the outline of its rocky base, it appears to have had its chief apart- ments at either end, and a round central tower. Little is known of it, save that it was visited by Edward I., since whose time it is believed not to have been occupied, probably because it did not present military advantages The road from Pont Ystumanner to 7 m. Abergynolwyn Stat. (Inn : Tyn-y- Cornel) is very pretty, running at the foot of Gramallt, a long pecu- liarly-shaped mountain that termi- nates in a narrow point just over the latter place. The visitor may return at once by rail 154 ■ Route 26. — Oswestry to Machynlleth. N. Wales. to Towyn, but, as Tal-y-Llyn is only 2i m. distant, it is generally included in the excursion. This is considered by many the most charming lake in Wales, although in point of size it is exceeded by several. It is but li m. long and £ m. broad, being in fact “ an expansion of the narrow vale ; the waters from the surrounding mountains being confined and dam- med up at the lower extremity, where they run off in a rapid stream at Penybont. The lake was celebrated for the rapid growth and the amazing fecundity of trout, and has been, therefore, flogged from morning to nisht. Now, piscator may think him- self fortunate if he gets a brace of trout in a day. The depth in general is not great, and the bottom is covered with moss and weeds, which is the principal cause of the fish thriving so well. May and June are the best months. At the W. end of the lake, close to the bridge and Church, are the Tyn-y-Cornel Royal Hotel, and Pen- ybont Hotel. At the former boats may be hired, charge 2s. 6d. a day, both comfortable and unpretending hostelries in much repute amongst anglers. A little below Minffordd, near the E. end of Tal-y-Llyn, a small stream runs in from Llyn^y-Cau . The best way of visiting this glorious tarn is by following the course of the brook about 1.J m. The only lake to com- pare with it in N. Wales is Llyn Idwal. It lies in a very deep hollow, surrounded on all sides but the out- let by the intensely rugged and steep precipices of Cader Idris — “ On every side now rose Rocks, which In unimaginable forms Lifted their black and barren pinnacles In the light of evening, and its precipice. Obscuring the ravine, disclosed above 'Mid toppling storms.” — SheUey. The lake is of small size, but is all the more striking on that account ; its depth is 360 ft. Trout are abundant, of better quality than 1 those in Tal-y-Llyn, but the lake is little fished, on account of the diffi- cult walking to get to it. Like Llyn- J y-G-ader, it is said to nourish the ] torgoch, or Welsh char, in its watered On the return from Llyn-y-Cau the \ tourist may cross one of the shoulders i of Craig Ammarch and descend Cwm j Ammarch back to Tal-y-Llyn. From] thence he should take the direct! road to Abergynolioyn Stat. 4£ m.,| from whence it is a pretty run of 7 m. by rail to Towyn, calling at Rhyd-yr-Onnen Stat. ROUTE 26. OSWESTRY TO MACHYNLLETH, BY | LLANFA1R AND MALLWYD* There is no public conveyance on' this route. The Cambrian Rly. runsj a little S. of it vi& Welshpool, Mont-' gomery, and Newtown (Rte. 27). ! The Great Western and Cambrian Rlys. both have stations at Oswestry j which closely adjoin one another, the former being the direct route between) Shrewsbury and Chester (Rte. 1). Oswestry Stat. ( Inns : * Wynn stay . Anns, very comfortable; the Queen’d Hotel). Oswestry is a pleasant, busy Shrop- J shire town of some 9000 Inhab., situ- < ated amidst prettily- wooded bills in the district lying between Watt’s N". Wales. 155 Route 26 .- md Offa’s Dykes — the former, indeed, passing close to the N.E; outskirts. Though within the Shropshire bor- der, its neighbourhood to Wales Tives it much of the character of a Welsh town; and Welsh may be heard spoken here on a market-day. Formerly called Maserfield, it derived ts subsequent name of Oswestry from the northern King Oswald and the adjunct e tre ’ or town. The like conjunction of a Saxon proper name with the British ‘ tre,’ a township, may be observed in lugestre, the vill of Inge, a manor near Stafford, now belonging to the Earl of Shrewsbury. Oswald wa3 King of Northumber- land, and was slain here in battle in 612, while endeavouring to dispossess Penda, king of Mercia, of his terri- tory. As he had been a benefactor to many monasteries, he was, of course, canonised, and the well erected to the memory of St. Oswald still remains a little distance from the ch., and almost within the precincts of the Grammar School to the W. It was formerly well guarded by a castle which stood on an eminence to the N., and walls, in which were 4 gates, known as Black-gate, New-gate, Willow-gate, and Beatrice- gate. The Church is a venerable-looking building outside, occupying the site of a conventual establishment : “ it was much injured during the siege in 1644, when the Boyalists demo- lished the tower, which stood without the town-walls, to avoid the risk of annoyance from its summit,” and the Parliamentary force broke into it on the N. side. It would seem, however, that this demolition was but partial, as the “ greate tourrid steeple 99 still forms a picturesque object, and has been respected in the restoration of the Church b j Street, who has retained th e original ground -plan and pre- served the style and character of the arches and windows, whilst levelling the pews and galleries and lowering - Oswestry . the pavement of the interior. To Dr. Johnson “the Church seemed to be an edifice much too good for the present state of the place.” — Boswell . There are still some in- teresting timber houses in the town, which maintains the character given it by Churchyard : — “ This towne doth fronton Wales as right as lyne, So sondrie townes in Shropshiere doe for troth, As Ozestri, a prettie towne full fine, Which may be lov’d, be likte, and praysed both. It stands so trim, and is maintayned so cleane, And peopled is with folke that well doe meane, That it deserves to be enrouled andshryned In each good heart and every manly mynd.” About 1 m. to the N., a little on the rt. by the Railway to Go- bowen, stands Old Oswestry , other- wise called Caer Ogyrfan, a fine British post, defended by a triple rampart of unusual height and dis- tinctness. The entrances to N. and S. are extremely well defined. The total fortifications covered a space of between 40 and 50 acres, exclusive of the area, which is about 16. A local tradition inclines to the belief that the ancient town stood here, and has gradually travelled away to its present position. There is another less well-defined entrenchment, called Castell Brogyntyn , of a circular form and surrounded by a dyke, supposed to have been erected by one Brogyn- tyn, a natural son of Owen Madoc, Prince of Powys. It is situated on the W. border of the park of Brogyntyn , the beautiful seat of Lord Harlech. Oswestry is a corporate town, and holds sessions for its own borough, at which a Recorder presides. It possesses a handsome town-hall, good markets, a literary institute, a House of Industry outside the town, and a grammar-school, founded in Henry IY.’s time by one David Holbache. Offals ByJce and IVattfs JDyhe both run near Oswestry. 156 Route 26 . — Oswestry to Machynlleth — Meifod. N. Wales. The ruins of Whittington Castle (Rte. 1) are 2 m. N.E. Distances. — Llanrliaiadr - yn - Mochnant, 11 m.; Pistyll Rhaiadr, 18 m., best reached from Llanfyllin Rly. Stat., 14 ; Chester, 21 ; Elles- mere, 11 m. Railway. — To Chester, Whit- church, and Shrewsbury. To Welshpool, 16 m. ; Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. (Rte. 27). 2 m. rt. a road which very soon crosses Offa’s Dyke runs to Llan- rhaiadr - vn - Mochnant, 14 m. (Rte. 26a). At Trcfonen, 2J m., OfTa’s dyke falls into the road for a short distance. 5 m. the Shrewsbury, Llanrliaiadr, and Bala road here crosses at right angles. On 1. is the picturesque escarpment of Llanymynech Hill , whence (and from the quarries of Porthywaun) enormous quantities of mountain - limestone are extracted. Copper seems also to have been worked here by the Romans, who have left traces of their excavations in a large cave or Ogo, at the end of which, in 1761, were foimd several skeletons, together with some tools and coins of the reign of Antoninus. The Dyke is earned along the W. brow of the hill, which is worth ascending for the sake of the beauti- ful view, particularly towards the Berwyns. [From this a road of 9 m. runs along the N. bank of the Tannat to Llanrliaiadr, passing II m. Llany - hlodwel , the ch. of which was restored and an octagonal tower erected by the late Rev. John Parker, one of the first of Welsh archaeologists, who pos- sessed an unique collection of draw- ings relative to the architecture and ccclesiology of the country. 5 m. Hanged wyn Hall, a seat, of Sir II. W. Wynn, Bart. Some of the family are buried in the ch.-vard. From hence a road crosses the Tannat to Llanfyllin, 4J m. 6 m. rt. is a large camp known as Llwyn Bryn Dinas. 8 m. 1. is an erect stone on rising ground above the road. At Llansantffraid , 8J m., where there is a stat., the Llanfyllin branch of the Oswestry and Welshpool Rly. (Rte. 27) is crossed, and the road is carried S.W. up the vale of the Yymwy to 14 m. Meifod (Lion and Xing’s Head Hotels), an angler’s resort, and a place of considerable importance in the ecclesiastical polity of Powisland, taking its name, ‘maifod,’ or ‘summer residence,’ from the residence there, ! after the destruction of Pengwern, of the Princes of Powys, whose castle was at Mathraval, and their burial- place the Ch. of St. Tysilio. The Church is large and interesting, having 2 aisles, with a battlemented tower at the W. end of the nave, of the date of the 13th cent. A Norm, arcade was brought to light during ; its restoration 1871, supposed to have belonged to the Church of St. j Tysilio, and to a date anterior to 1154; the second of three churches, it is said, within the same enclosure J A coffin-lid of the 10th or lltli cent* is built into the W. of the wall near the S. aisle.. The cli.-yd. is remark- able for its size, enclosing an area of five acres. Meifod is thought by some anti-f quarics to have been the site of the Roman station Mediolanum, others consider it more probable that the locality was at Matlirafal , 2 m. from the village, where once a castle existed belonging to the Princes of Powys. On the wooded eminence on rt. of the road is an oval en- trenchment known as Bryn Saethnu. A little before arriving at Matlirafal the road crosses the river Bechaiu It is, in fact, the Vymwy, wliicli at this point takes that name, the 2 N. Wales. Route 26. — Meifod — Llanfair Cann Office. 157 streams which here unite to form that river being called respectively the Bechan and the Einion. The former again bears the name of Vyrnwy some miles higher up, and takes its rise on the southern slopes of the Berwyn mountains, flowing S.E. through a romantic but rather desolate country. The Einion, w-ith its affluents Twrch, Banw and Nant- yr-Eira, rises in the high grounds to the E. of Mallwyd and Dinas Mawdd- wy. As a fishing river the Yyrnwy was formerly so celebrated, that it was called the 4 amnis piscosus.’ “ It is an early trout-stream, and in high- est order from the 3rd or 4th week in March to the end of April. Sal- mon come up in large numbers, and grayling and other fish abound.” — Cliff e. The conversion of the Vyrnwy waters into a Liverpool reservoir (see Bte. 27 a) will probably deprive it of its attraction to anglers. 17 1 m. Llangynyw , above which is the circular camp of Pen-y-Castell. [18 m. 1. a road runs to Welshpool, 6J m., crossing the Einion, and pass- ing 1. Cyfronydd, the seat of Captain Pryce.] 20 m. Llanfair Caer JSinion (Inns : Groat ; Eagle), a neat little town, suitable to the requirements of the angler in the Vyrnwy and neighbour- ing streams. It obtains its specific name from the Castell Caer Einion, about 5 m. to the E. The ch., 1868, which retains the south door and open oak roof in chancel and nave of the original edifice, appears to nave been a daughter ch. of Meifod, and contains the tomb of a knight recumbent in chain armour with his ilting helmet, and an inscription on bis belt. Distances. — Welshpool, 7 m. ; Os- westry, 20 ; Newtown, 11. [4} m. to the S.W., on the banks A the BhiWjis L lanllugan^ where once stood a nunnery of some importance. Few traces of it remain.] Now commences a long ascent up the valley of the Banw, previous to ar- riving at the watershed which sepa- rates the rivers of Montgomeryshire from the Dyfi and Merionethshire. 25 m. Llanerfyl , a parish whose Church takes its name from St. Erfyl, cousin to St. Cadvan. In the ch.-yd. under a grand old yew-tree, stands the only Komano-British inscribed stone in the county. A carved shrine, a handsome Tudor altar-table, and some painted panels remain from the old Ch. Overlooking it on 1. Gardden , a circular rampart, en- closes an area of about 70 yds. [A long line of hill extends to the S., called Mynydd Drum, on the summit of which are 3 small lakes.] Here the road crosses the Banw, and runs along its N. bank to 261 m. *Cann Office , a good com- fortable Inn and posting-house, with garden attached, and patronised by anglers. On the opposite side of the river is Llangadfan. The ch. is de- dicated to iSt. Cadfan, the patron saint of Towyn, whose well has been partially filled up by the new road from Cann Office to the ch., which is modern, except its old Perp. win- dow in the E. end. A great riot took place here in 1645, when Vava- sour Powell came to sequester the benefices of the clergy in Mont- gomeryshire, on which occasion the rectory was burnt down. Nanl-yr- Lira, a considerable stream, here flows from the hills on the S. About 3 m. up the valley is Moel-y-Ddolwen , an oblong camp of 100 yds. in length. It is evident from the number of early fortified posts that great store was set upon this district by the in- habitants ; and the frequent car- neddau, many of which have been opened and found to contain ‘cist- vaens, 5 bear token of burials, most 158 N. Wales. Route 26.- probably of those who had fallen in tight. [From Cann Oflico a road on rt. runs to Llanfyllin, 11 in., crossing the Vymwy at Pontllogel. Near it is Lhcydiarth Hall , a mansion formerly belonging to the Vaughan family, now to ‘Sir H. W. Wynn.] At 28 m. near Garthbeibio , 4 the Headland of Peibiaw, a mythic personage,’ the road crosses the Twrcli, a stream descending from the outlying ranges between the Arans and theBcrwyns. From lienee begins a weary, desolate ascent of bleak mountain road, enjoyable only in fine, clear weather, when the distant ranges of Plinlymmon are conspi- cuous objects in the S. The water- shed and head of the pass is reached at Bwlch-y-fedwen, 31 J in., when the traveller, impatient to reach scenes of cultivation, commences his descent, and enters Merionethshire. Between this point and Mallwyd, near the woods of Dugoed Mawr, is a spot on the road called 4 Llidiart-y- Baron' or the Baron’s Gate, from the murder there of Lewis Owen, Vice-Chamber- lain of N. Wales, by the survivors of the Redheaded Banditti of Dinas Mawddwy, who had been dispersed or hanged by his instrumentality. The mother of some of these robbers had imprecated vengeance on the judge, and as lie went along this desolate track to Montgomery assizes, he was waylaid, and pierced through and through w ith some thirty arrows. At 34} m. the Tafolog river flows in from the S., and adds its waters to the stream which has accompanied the road from the head of the pass, both together entering the pastoral vale of Dyfi. 36} m. Mallwyd, the paradise of artists, who, tempted by the variety of lovely scenery around, and by the very comfortable accommodations of the Peniarth Arms Inn, are frequent visitors. The situation is as charming as can well be imagined. “Placed - Mallwyd . between the salient angles of 3 abrupt mountains, which form a grand natu- ral amphitheatre, Camlin rising with rude majesty immediately opposite, and the conical Aran lifting up its head, with its different cwms , are reflected with varying tint and shade in the waters of the Dyfi.” — Evans. The ch.-yard is celebrated for its yew's, one of which has a girth of 23 ft. Suspended over the cli. porch arc two gigantic bones, locally attributed to a whale. There is a very picturesque waterfall at Pont-Fallwyd , a little distance from the village, on the road to Dinas Mawddwy (Rte. 23). From Mallwyd the road pursues a lovely course along the eastern bank of the Dyfi, although the scenery is not to be compared with that of the mountains higher up. As a fishing river the Dyfi has fallen off; and, indeed, in the summer is frequently so dry that there is scarce water enough for the purpose. For this defect it makes up with such startling rapidity after rainy weather that its bounds are overflowed, and great damage done to the lands on either side. 41 m. Cemmaes Road Junci ., where a Rly. branches to Dinas Mawddwy (Rte. 23), before arriving at which on rt. is Aberhiriarth Hall . At 42 m. 1. the waters of the Dyfi are increased by those of the Twy- myn, and the road is joined by the mail-road from Shrewsbury to Abe- rystwyth. 48 m. Machynlleth St at. (Rte. 22 a) N. Wales. Route 26a. — Bala to Oswestry — The Berwyns. 159 EOUTE 26a. 3ALA TO OSWESTRY, BY LLAN- DRILLO, LLANRHAIADR, AND THE FALLS OF PISTYLL RHAIADR. — THE BERWYNS. About 35 m. Bala Stat. in Rte. 3. The Falls of the Rhaiadr lie on the S. side of the Berwyn chain, which must be crossed to reach them. The quickest way is to take the train from Bala to 4J m. Llandrillo Stat. (Rte. 23) (Inn : Dudley Arms). From this point the pleasant valley and river Dee are left behind. A road turning S. from them must be followed up a narrow glen. It climbs the steep and wild ranges of the Berwyns. These moun- tains, which, for more than 30 miles, constitute the division between the counties of Merioneth and Mont- gomery, the boundary-lines being carried along the summits, form part of the great backbone of N. Wales. The general group commences between Machynlleth and Dinas Mawddwy, to the N. of which it has a tendency to divide, the range to the W. culminating in the Arans, and on the E. in the Berwyns. The whole of these mountains, with the Arennigs on the W., form an enor- mous basin, of which Bala Lake is the centre. Notwithstanding their immense extent, but few rivers of any importance take their rise in the Berwyns, although there are a multi- tude of small streams dividing the secondary ranges into little valleys. The 2 principal rivers are the Tan- nat and Yyrnwy, both flowing E. or S.E. towards the Severn. The highest points of the mountains are Cader Berwyn, or Ferwyn, 2716 ft., and Cader Fronwen to the N., over- looking Llandrillo and the vale of Edeyrnion. The road is carried up the side of the valley of the little river Calettwr, meeting a road to Llandrillo, 3^ m. The highest pass of the Berwyns, Miltir Glerig, is now crossed, and the road enters the head of a narrow vale that joins that of the Tannat, this portion of it being a Roman road is called Milltirgerig, “ the stony mile.” The formation, of which the great mass of the Berwyns is composed, is of the age of the Llandeilo rocks. On the eastern flank, black slates, identical with Llandeilo formation elsewhere, may be seen to be over- laid by calcareous flagstones, well exposed at Llanrhaiadr. “The masses, more or less calcareous, have a thick- ness of 400 or 500 ft., and are laden in their lower part with Asaphus ty- rannus, encrinites, and corals.” — Siluria. All these strata pass at an angle of about 25° underneath the Bala or Caradoc sandstones. The descent down the pretty dingle of the Rliiwfath opens out a pleasing change of scenery. 38J m. Llangynog (New Inn, good), a small Montgomeryshire village which has obtained some im- portance from the lead-mines in the parish. A very large one, Craig-y- mwyn, was opened in 1692 and worked for many years, yielding an annual revenue of 20,000Z. a year it, is said, to the Powys family. The concern was stopped by an irruption of water, but was again commenced by a company who have worked it with varying success. The mine is about 2 m. from the village, in the range of hills which intervene between the valleys of the Tannat and Rhaiadr. There are some other mines nearer Llangynog, as also some slate-quar- ries. The situation of this village is ICO Route 26a. — Pennant Melangell — Llanrhaiadr. N. Wales. picturesque in the extreme — at the confluence of the Tannat and the Rhiwarth, above which on the N. the enormous hill of Craig Rhiwarth towers precipitously, an equally lofty though less abupt range sheltering it on the S. Llangynog obtains its name from the British saint and martyr Cynog, put to death in the 5th century. Llanrhaiadr Waterfall may be reached from this by a rough moun- tain path in 4 m. Distances. — To Llanfyllin Stat. (Cambrian Rly.) 8 m. To Bala, 12 £ ; Oswestry, 19A [Tennant Melangell , 2J m. which place the tourist should visit, on account of its singular Church . It is a long building, divided into a nave and chancel by a wooden screen, and has at the western end a tower, restd. 1879. A more ancient edifice probably stood here, as in the S. Wall are the capitals of 4 Norm, shafts built into the wall, but turned upside down. The most in- teresting feature, however, is the earned Woodwork , representing the legend of St. Monacella, the figures ingeniously grouped in compart- ments, supposed to be formed by recesses in the foliage of the forest. The tale runs that St. Monacella, or Melangell, who was the daughter of an Irish monarch, had vowed celibacy, and, in consequence of her father wishing her to marry one of his noble- men, fled hither, and dwelt in strict retirement, not even seeing the fnee of man for 15 years. One day Brochwcl Yscythrog, Prince of Powys, being out hunting, was sur- prised to find in the depths of the forest a virgin of great beauty engaged in devotion, whilst the hare which he had been pursuing fled to her for refuge, and boldly faced the dogs. They did not dare to pursue her, neither could the huntsman with- draw' his horn from his lips. Brocli- wel heard her story, and gave to God, and to her, land to be a sanctu- ary for all that fled there. St. Mona- cella forthwith became the patron saint of hares, “ and till the last cent, so strong a superstition prevailed, that no person would hill a hare in the parish ; and even later, when a hare was pursued by dogs, it w as firmly believed that if any one cried, ‘ God and St. Monacella be with thee!’ it was sure to escape.” — Ten» nant. The whole of this pretty le- gend is told on the carving, which ! was formerly painted over with bright colours, now r faded. The figures occur in the following order. On the 1. is Broclrwel on horseback, the huntsman with the horn stuck to his lips, St. Monacella, the hare running for protection, the hounds pursuing. In the ch.-yd. are 2 mu- 1 tilated recumbent figures of a chief-' tain and lady of the family of R hired] Flaidd, lord of Pennllyn and Pen-*j nant.] From Llangynog the road fol- lows the rt. bank of the Tannat, which speedily increases in volume as the'; vale becomes more open. Soon afteij passing a very picturesque defile tliei river is crossed at Penybont, the road on rt. keeping straight on through the villages of Llangedwyn and Llany- blodwell, while ours, inclining N.E., leads to 40 m. Llanrhaiadr ym Mochnant (1) . e., “ the ch. of the rushing stream ”) (inn: Wynnstay Arms), a small though prettily situated village on theRhaiadr, an affluent of theTannat, which flows down from the Cataract.^ Except for the scenery in the neigh- bourhood there is nothing to detain the tourist. It has an old Church, restd., and a Market House on pillars. Llanrhaiadr is celebrated for two of its incumbents ; Dr. Morgan, Bishop of Llandair, and subsequently of St. Asaph, in 1601, was the first T. Wales. 161 J Route 26a. — Pistyll ffliaiadr . •anslator of the Bible into Welsh. >r. Robert South was also sometime I car of Llanrhaiadr. [4 m. above Llanrhaiadr is Pistyll haiadr, the most lofty and pictur- que cataract in North Wales. The >ad leads up the 1. bank of the haiadr, the stream which forms le halls, through a wild and savage en, in the Llanderb slaty strata, sing from the E. flank of the Ber- vns. The waterfall occurs about | m. from the head of the glen, and upwards of 240 ft. in height. For about 2-3rds of this space the ater slides down the flat face of a iked rock ; it rages then through a itural arch, and, passing between prominent sides, falls into a basin.” lie Rhaiadr flows down a line of ult, the beds on the E. side ing raised higher than those on “ After walking about a mile with e cataract always in sight, I emerged )m the glen into an oblong valley tending from south to north, hav- g lofty hills on all sides, especially l the west, from which direction e cataract comes. I advanced ross the vale till within a furlong this object when I was stojyped ' a deep hollow or nether vale into tiich the waters of the cataract mble. The water comes spouting er a crag of perhaps 200 ft. in itude between two hills, one S.E. d the other nearly N. The uthern hill is wooded from the p, nearly down to where the cata- ;t burst forth ; and so, but not so ickly, is the northern hill, which ars a singular resemblance to a •g’s back. Groves of pine are on e lower parts of both ; in front of grove low down on the northern 11, is a small white house of a pic- resque appearance. “ I directed my course towards e house in front of the grove. I med down the path which brought [A. Wales7\ me to the brook which runs from the northern glen into the waters dis- charged by the Rhyadr, and crossing it by stepping-stones found myself on the lowest spur of the hog-backed hill. A steep path led towards the house. I followed the path which led round the house downward to a tiny bridge of planks, a little way below the fall. I advanced to the middle of the bridge, then turning to the west looked at the wonderful object before me. “ There are many remarkable cata- racts in Britain and the neighbour- ing isles, even the little Celtic Isle of Man has its remarkable waterfall; but this Rhyadr, the grand cataract of North Wales, far exceeds them all in altitude and beauty, though it is inferior to several of them in the volume of its flood. I never saw water falling so gracefully, so muc h like thin beautiful threads, as here. Yet even this cataract has its ble- mish.” — 6r. Borroiv. In former days, and down to the time of Borrow’ s visit, the fall was crossed by an ugly black bridge or semicircle of rock, under which the water, after reaching the bottom, passed. He adds : “ This unsightly object has stood where it now stands since the day of creation, and will probably remain there to the Day of Judgment. It would be a desecra- tion of nature to remove it by art, but no one could regret if nature in one of her floods were to sweep it away.” — Borrow' s ‘ Wild Wales' This unsightly object has been swept away by a flood, and Borrow’s wish is accomplished. The river takes its rise in a small tarn, Llyn Caws , which lies in a deep cwm at the foot of Cader Berwyn. The cliffs can be scaled with some little difficulty, and the Cader ascended. It is 2715 ft. in height.] An easy descent may be made on the N. side to Llandrillo Stat. (Rte. 3). M 162 N. Walks, Route 27 . — Oswestry to Aberystwyth. From Llanrliaiadr there is a choice of roads to Oswestry : a hilly road to the N., about 12 m. ; or, following the Tannat nearly as far as Llany- blodwell, 14 m. Llanfyllin Stat. of the Cambrian Ely. (Rte. 27a) is about 10 m. from the w aterfall. 52 m. Oswestry Stat. ( Hotel : Wynnstay Arms, excellent). (Rte. 26.) See Handbook to Shropshire. ROUTE 27. OSWESTRY TO ABERYSTWYTH, BY LLANIDLOES, WELSHPOOL, MONT- GOMERY, (LLANFYLLIN) AND NEW- TOWN (PLINLYMMON) — RAIL. Oswestry (Rte. 26) is connected with Llanidloes and South Wales by a rly., vi& Montgomery, Newtown, and" Moat Lane Junct., which runs due S. nearly parallel with Offa’s Dyke, on tliel., and having on thert. the coach-road to Llanymynech. 3 m. Llynclys Stat., near which is a small lake. (6 m. from this is Llangcdwyn Hall, Rte. 26.) On 1. is the village of Morton. The rly. is here crossed by a tram road which conveys a large quantity of lime from the mountain-limestone quar- ries of Porthywaun to a wharf on the Ellesmere Canal. The abrupt hill of Llanymynech rises with pre- cipitous escarpment on rt., and forms a striking feature in the landscape. It possesses valuable limestone quarries. There are caves in this mountaii which are of considerable extern (p. 156). They were worked by the Romans. 5J m. Llanymynech Junct. Stat [from wdience a branch Rly. is givei olf to Llanfyllin and the Lake Virnwv (Rte. 27a)]. [From Llanymynech a direct lin to Shrewsbury, 18 m., existed dowj to 1879, called the Lotteries , Shrews bury , and North Wales Rly. Th stats. were Maesbrook, Kinnerlcj Nesscliif, Shrawardine, Cross Gate* or Ford, Hanwood Road, and Re Ilill. This line is now disused an closed.] Llanymynech is a pretty villa# situated on an eminence on tl Vyrnwy, w hich is here crossed by handsome stone bridge. After passing this station, an running a little way parallel wit Olfa’s Dyke, w r e leave to the rt. tl pretty modem Church of Llandysili which replaces a 7th cent, structu by an edifice of decorated charact from the designs of Mr. G. E. Strec 7 m. Four Crosses , Stat. for Llai dysilio ; a road on rt. leads to Lla santffraid, 3 m., underneath i eminence occupied by the camp Brynmawr. [A road on 1. joins t Welshpool and Shrewsbury rof passing Llandrinio , 2 m., the eh. which has a Norm, font and an and a carved pulpit of Elizabeth date ; Alberbnry, 7 m.] Our line now* enters the hro alluvial valley of the Severn , will runs from Welshpool in a very s pentine, and it must be confessed very sluggish stream. Conspicuc far and wide on the 1. rise up 1 isolated Breiddin Hills , the m northerly of which is crowned b;B pillar in honour of Lord Eodnfl* This district is also traversed by W ff. Wales. 163 Boute 27 .- Vlontgomeryshire Canal, which prior o the days of railways was an im- Dortant communication between the Dee, the Mersey, and the Severn. Vtuch of the land lying alongside of :he banks of the river is continually subject to inundations, which in the ast cent, created terrible havoc. They have, however, been to a con- lderable extent obviated by embank- nents and sluices, made at the cost )f 26,000Z. 12 m. Pool Quay Stat. From this here is a ferry across the Severn to Prewern at the foot of Moel-y-golfa. Up to this point the Severn is lavigable for barges. A considerable trade is carried on here in the exporta- tion of barytes. An abbey known as Strata Marcella, or Ystrad Marchell, formerly existed about J m. further on. Some of the carved stones of it have been built up in the porch of the ch. it Pool Quay. It was founded by Owain Cyfeiliog in 1170, for monks of the Cistercian order, but all traces lave disappeared, save in the no- menclature of the localities around. An embankment, which runs north- wards, is still known as Tir-y- Mynach, or c the monks’ bank.’ A very pretty Ear. Eng. ch. has been erected at Pool Quay by the Earl of Powys. Between Pool Quay and Welshpool there is a junct. (Buttington) for Shrewsbury. The country on rt. becomes prettily broken and varied as the tourist approaches 1.6 m. Welshpool Stat. Junct., with Shrewsbury line (Rte. 28) {Inns : Boyal Oak, very comfortable, and a good posting-liouse ; The Bull, good), a thriving, well-built town of 5211 Inhab., in reality, though not in name, the capital of Montgomery- shire, containing the Assize courts for the county, also being the depot for the militia. James II. granted it a charter, the jurisdiction of the corporation extending from 4 to 6 m. — Welshpool. all round the town , Both the general tourist and the archaeologist may spend a day or two in Welshpool very profitably in exploring the district around. The old Church is situated on high ground a little N. of the Hotel. It has a massive tower, and large nave, formed by including the S. aisle. The chancel, part of the original ch., contains a good Dec. E. window. The roof is panelled and of Early Perp. style. A curious effect is produced by the chancel arch not being in the centre of the ch., owing to the extreme breadth of the nave. In 1871 this ch. was restored under the direction of Mr. Gr. E. Street, B.A., the chancel being remodelled, the floor of the nave lowered, the porch thrown into the ch., an open roof of pitch pine sub- stituted for the flat ceiling, and new Decorated windows introduced on the S. side. There is a handsome ala- baster tomb with recumbent effigy in chancel, by Bichardson, to the memory of the late Earl Powys, “ Conservator Episcopates Asaphensis,” and also a golden chalice given in 1662 by Thomas Davies, a former governor of the English colonies on the African coast, as a thank-offering for preserva- tion of health. The inscription winds up with the following hearty de- nunciation on any sacrilegious per- son who should attempt to steal it : — “ A quo usu, si quis facinorosus eundem calicem in posterum alienaret (quod avertat Deus) Dei vindicis supremo tribunali pcenas luat.” Close to the town (on the other side of the canal) is a small Tomen or mount, which probably guarded the passage of the Severn. It now forms part of the bowling-green. The great attraction, however, of Welshpool is the magnificent park and building of Castell Coch or Poivys Castle , 1 m. S.W., the seat of the noble family of Powys. The M 2 164 N. Wales Boute 27 . — Bowys Castle. Church at the top of the mam street, a little above the entrance gateway of the park, was built on coming of age of the present Earl. As the centre of the old district of Powys- land, a fortress has existed here from a date as early as the beginning of the 12tli cent., when Cadwgan first began to erect a castle, which was completed by subsequent princes of Powys. Owain ap Gruffydd, holding it under protection of King John, incurred thereby the displeasure of Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, who dis- mantled it. It, however, came again into the possession of Hawys, daughter of Owain Gwenwynwyn, who mar* ried Sir John Charlton, afterwards summoned to Parliament as Baron of Powys, from whose family it after- wards passed into that of the Greys, by marriage with the heiress of Edward, Lord Powys. By purchase, in the reign of Elizabeth, it next belonged to the Herberts. The castle, as it at present stands, was much altered and modernised, under Sir Robert Smirke’s direction. Externally it is of red sandstone, and occupies a commanding situa- tion on the summit of a natural plat- form made by the edges of strata of the Caradoc sandstone, upturned into a nearly vertical position, and descending in steps so as to form natural terraces. Alterations in the interior were probably made about the time of James I. and Elizabeth, though the walls, according to Mr. Parker, may be of the 13th cent. There is a gallery of the latter part of the 16th cent., into which open several state bedrooms, one with a very fine bedstead of carved oak, and another still retaining the cha- racter of its fitting up for Charles II., who occupied it. In the drawing- room and library are portraits by Cor- nelius Janssens and other masters. The tapestry in the dining-room re- presents Antony’s taking leave of Cleopatra. Many other objects of great interest are shown — a Byzan tine cup belonging to Mary of Mo dena, ancient weapons, sculpture relics from Herculaneum, curiositie from India, and a rare library. The Pari 7, which is reached by gate out of the main street of th town, is free to everybody to ente and lounge about at his own will — i fact, a free park for which the towns men of Welshpool cannotbe too thank ful to the noble owner. Several of th old oaks in it are of gigantic propor tions, especially one on the right, a the tourist draws near the castle The castle is approached tlnoug] the outer offices. The grounds wer laid out by the landscape-gardene Capability Brown, who, in his an xiety to obtain an uniform level actually proposed blowing up th picturesque rock on which th castle stands. The views from th terraces, five in number, and base* on the solid rock, are exquisitel beautiful, especially that lookin through a long vista of trees on t« the distant peaks of Moel-y-gol£ and the Breiddin Hills. An excellent mode of visitin j Powys Castle for non-pedestrians i to charter a fly or car to take then through the park to the castle, an* then round through the moden domain of Mr. Naylor, of Leightor rich in modern improvements farms, mills, inclines, sawing-esta blishments, and so under the Church at Leighton back to Welshpool The bridge across the Severn i crossed in this route. Rail to Shrewsbury, 18 m. ; Oswes try, 16 ; and Aberystwyth, 14. Distances. — Montgomery, 8 m. Guilsfield, 3 ; Llanfair Caer Einion 7 ; Breiddin Hills, 6 ; Bcrriew, 4J Meifod, 7. [An excursion may be made t* Guilsfield, an extremely pretty villag lying amongst wooded hills near! 3 m. distant, and 4 m. from Mcifo< (Rte. 26). It has a fine old Church Wales. 165 Route 27 . — The Long Mountain . j ^stored (1879) by Street , and is one i f the finest fabrics in the county. i ^he whole district between this and leifod (Rte. 26) is remarkable for the t umber of camps and intrenchments • /hich appear to crown almost every l ummit. The most important of . Iiese is Gaer Fawr , in very good 4 (reservation, overlooking the road if. to Oswestry. Between the vicar- ge and the stream are vestiges of an ncient moat. The pedestrian may \ xtend his wanderings over hill and ale through a very lovely country o Meifod, between 4 and 5 m. farther, r take a very beautiful walk past - lie fine old timbered mansion of • relydan Hall up to the Rhall and , lie heights once occupied by the tii emesnes of the Abbey of Ystrad tii larchell, overlooking the Severn.] [The road to Llanfair Caer Finion .- aves Welshpool at the western ex- t ‘emity, passing immediately outside le town Llannerchadol. On 1. are t, le woods and swelling hills of Powys j ark. 4 m. a road rt. runs up to leifod. A road on 1. leads to v lerriew, there to join the road to . j Jewtown, passing J m. the village of 31 - astell Caer Finion. On Penyfoel t tood a fortress erected in 1155 by 3 iinion, one of the sons of Cunedda Wledig, King of Wales. It was in ; 165 taken and destroyed by Owain . t; yfeiliog, and no traces now remain. . * .he ch. was rebuilt in 1866, except ,v ie spire. 7 m. Llanfair (Rte. 26).] . Prom Welshpool the rly. runs to fewtown through Montgomery, to hicli town it is a pleasant ex- ursion of 8 m., following the New- pwn road for 1J m. The traveller •len branches off to the 1., crossing (j ie Severn at Kilkewydd bridge, or ■j e may leave the town and cross the :if y er at Leighton Ford. By this (vj itter route he may visit the gardens ,i nd grounds of Leighton Hall , the eat of John Naylor, Esq. Amongst the pictures in the house is the original of Martin’s ‘Joshua com- manding the sun to stand still.” The tall spire of the modern E. E. Church built by Mr. Naylor is a conspicuous feature in the landscape. These 2 roads join at 4 m. at the Heath Inn, close to Offa's Hylce , which is distinctly to be traced running parallel with the road as it descends from the Long Mountain , a range of hills -which have a course N.E. between this point and the Breiddin Hills. In appearance they are rather monotonous and formal, being composed geologically of the lower Ludlow shales, which gene- rally show the effects of denudation in their rounded outlines. Several ancient roads and tumuli will re- ward the search of the antiquarian, who will find on the summit the fine earthwork of Caer Digoll (the Beacon Ring), 1330 ft., consisting of a lofty bank surrounded by a broad ditch. It is circular, and had one principal opening towards the S. Here was fought the last con- tested battle for Welsh independence in 1294, on which occasion the Welsh were commanded by Madoc, cousin of Llewelyn. If the day is fine a visit to this height will well repay the tourist by the extensive views that it affords. Perched high up on the S.W. slope is the little mountain ch. of Wolston Mynd or Trelystan, which is an old timber- framed edifice with wattled work to fill up the in- terstices; restored. 4 m. a road on 1. branches off to Chirbury, 3 m. Remains of a Priory and Conventual Church here. 4J m. Nantcribba Hall , formerly a seat of Yiscount Hereford, but now the property of Mr. Naylor of Leighton. The antiquary should visit the Moat , a projecting mass of trap, about 40 ft. high, sur- 166 N. Wales Route 27. — Montgomery. rounded by n deep trench, and only accessible by one narrow path. In the last cent, a square building, with circular bastious, existed on the summit. On rt. a road branches to New- town, joining the Welshpool road and passing Forden church. 2 m. in the tlat between the road and the Severn is Caer y erroneously called Caerllos, which is believed to have been a Roman stat. 8 m. Montgomery Stat. 1 m. from the town and Severn (Inns: Green Dragon ; Wynnstay Arms ; Chickens), a pleasant sleepy town of 26U5 Inliab., many of them persons of moderate means, who prefer the comforts of life without the bustle of large cities. It has not always been a sleepy place, however, for few posts have been so stoutly battled for in all the turbulent history of the Marches. It was originally called Tref Faldwyn, or the town of Bald- win, a lieutenant of the Marches in the time of the Conqueror. The Castle is registered in Dooms- day by the name Montgomery under the Lordship of Earl Roger. It was garrisoned by William Rufus, and, after having been taken and destroyed by the Welsh, was granted by t lie Crown to Baldwin de Boilers, 112J, and was rebuilt by the Earl of Shrews- bury. Twice again was it demolished by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, and twice restored by Henry III. It was at one time held by the ancestors of Ix>rd Herbert of Cliirbury, who made it their principal residence. During the Civil War it was garrisoned for the king by I»rd Herbert, but I ' ' '■ Sir Thomas M\ ddrl- ton, who, having been compelled to bent a retreat towards Oswestry, was obliged to leave the castle. Lord Byron then attacked it, and Sir Tfiomas, having returned with rrin- . . . . . . i i . i Royalists were signally defeated, The fortress was then dismantled. The scanty ruins, 1J m. from th Rly. Stat., are magnificently situ ated on a projecting tongue or ridg of rock, with deeply-scarped side* and command a noble view. Th masonry probably dates from th reign of Henry III., 1224. What re mains are fragments of coarse ashlei It was composed of 3 distinct plat forms or courts, separated by 4 dee fosses cut in the rock. What littl is now left is fast going to decay. On an eminence, separated by deep hollow on the western side, j the fine British camp of Efrid Faldwyn, of an oval form and pr< tected by two ditches. Probabl this was the site of Baldwyn's Caetlj At any rate the visitor should nr fail to ascend it for the sake of til very lovely view. The Church contains some god lancet -windows and E. E. piers, an a fine timbered roof. It is of cruo form plan, the N. t ransept, surmount* by a modem tower, and known \ the Brockton transept, was built l the Prior of Cliirbury. The S. trai sept, known as the Lymore chanct contains a monument to Riche father of Lord Herbert of Chirbur with his elligy in armour, colours and a skeleton below ; also elligi of the Mortimer family, about t) time of Richard II. The ch. lu a good carved screen. The ch.-v is locally famous for the so-callfl * Robbers’ Grave,* indicated by bare cross visible amidst the su rounding venture. One NewU is said to have been buried tlicr after being hanged for highwi robbery and murder. At bin eoi viction he prayed Heaven to atlir the injustice of his sentence by n» suffering the grass to grow on h grave. The story has been told l Mr. Mostyn Price, of Gunley, and 1 Judge Hahhurton. ri’i. _ a e i„ II. N. Wales, 167 Boute 27 . — Bennant — Kerry. md, according to Leland, “ Great uines of the waulle yet appeare, and the remains of 4 gates, thus called : Kedewen Grate, Chirbury Gate, Ar- thur’s Gate, and Kerry Gate.” In the N.E. part of the town is the site of Black Hall, the birthplace of the pious and learned George Herbert. 1 m. on the road to Churchstoke is Dymore Park. The house is a good specimen of the domestic archi- tecture of the 16th cent., and contains all the original panellings and wain- scots. It is at present unoccupied, but the old-fashioned walled gardens, with their remains of the old- fashioned topiary art, and with their quartering^ well defined by espalier apples, are a satisfaction to the eye. The whole of the E. side of the park is bounded by Offa’s Dyke, which here divides Montgomeryshire from Salop, England from Wales. Distances. — Welshpool, 8 m. ; Newtown, 9 ; Chirbury, 2J ; Aber- mule, 4 ; Corndon Hill, 5 J. Excur- sions may be made from Montgomery to Chirbury, with its interesting ch.; to Marrington Hall (a fine timbered house) and Dingle, to Corndon Hill , with its famous bed of 'Trilobites, near Middleton, and to Church- stoke. An extension Ely. line is proposed from Montgomery to Bishop’s Castle, 12 m. S. From Welshpool the rly. runs S., passing 20 J; m. For den Stat. [Rt. is the picturesque village of Berriew , a little above which there is a pretty water- fall on the river Rhiw, which here joins the Severn. 2 roads branch off from hence, one to Castell Caer Einion, 3J m., and the other along the 1, bank of the Rhiw to Mana- fon. Between the turnpike-road and river is an erect stone, known as Maen Beuno. Close to Berriew is Vaynor, a beautiful residence which once belonged to the family of Devereux (Viscount Hereford), from whom it was alienated. Major Corbett -Winder now owns it.] 25£ m. rt. Above the Severn, surrounded by 'trees, stands Pennant , a seat of the Buckley Williams family. On the wooded eminence above Dol- forwyn Hall are the slight remains of Dolforwyn Castle, occupying the site of a British camp. It was a quadrangular building, of no great strength, erected about 1420. This is said to be the scene of the legend of the death of “ Sabrina fair,” whom “Her stepdame Gwendolen Committed her fair innocence to the flood” on “ the Virgin’s Meadow ” (Dol Forwyn). Her fate has been the theme of many poets — Milton, Drayton, and Dyer among them. Rocky Dolforyn, Sabrina’s early haunt, ere yet she fled The search of Gwendolen, her stepdame proud, With envious hate enraged. About 2 m. further W. is the pretty village of Bettws Cedewen, the ch. of which has a steeple built in 1531, by the vicar, John Meredyth. Thech. was attached to the monastery of Strata Marcella. 251 hi. Abermule Junct. Stat. [A short branch Rly. runs from Abermule J unct. up the valley of the Mule to Kerry , 3f m., a pretty village, presumably so called from the 6 ceri,’ or mountain ash, which are said to have abounded in those parts, and situated at the foot of the Kerry hills, an extensive and rather desolate block of mountains, which, together with Clun Forest, occupy a consi- derable district between Newtown, Clun, and Bishop’s Castle. The Church , restored 1875, contains a good marble monument in memory of one Richard Jones, who founded 168 Route 27. — Newtown — Llanidloes. N. Wales. a school here. There are several ancient works in the parish. 4 The Moat ’ is the residence of the vicar.] The railway, road, and canal now follow the course of the Severn through a prettily undulating country to 30 m. Newtown Stat. (Inns : Elephant and Castle ; Bear s Head, indifferent), a modem manufacturing town (Population, 6974), where the visitor from the north of England will recognise the familiar sound of the clogs of the weavers as they leave the factories. A large business is done here in fine flannels, “the market for which was formerly held at Welsh- pool ; but a feud arising between the two places, in consequence of an elec- tioneering contest, the manufacturers determined to remove the market to Newtown, which was accordingly done on the 6tli Sept., 1832.” A large building lias been erected at a cost of 4000/. for the purpose of holding this market. Mr. Pryce Jones’s Welsh Ware - house has a world-wide renown. The old Church having fallen into decay, is replaced by a modern ch., in which are preserved the old carved wooden rood-screen and font, which fortunately have not shared the same fate as the ch. itself. The screen is of 14th cent, work, and its measurements belie the theory that it came from Abbey Cwmhir. A little outside the town is New- town Hall, formerly the seat of Sir John Pryse. Newtown is the birth-place and burial-place of Kobert Owen (1771, d. 1858), the social reformer, founder of New Lanark. Rail to Builth, 32 m. ; Llanidloes, 13J ; Oswestry and Machynlleth, 30 ; Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, 32 m. Distances. — Llandrindod Wells, 24 m. ; Kerry, 3; Bishop’s Castle, 15; Welshpool, 14; Llanfair-Caer- Einion, 10 ; Carno, 11 ; Builth, 32 ; Abbey Cwmhir, 15 m. [About 1 m. on the Builth road is a picturesque waterfall, about 80 ft. in height.] The rly. to Llanidloes keeps along the S. or rt. bank of the Severn, which, however, it crosses before it reaches Llanidloes. 34£ m. at Moat Lane Junct. (Rte. 28) the line is joined by the Machyn- lleth Rly. for Aberystwyth (Rte. 28) . The scenery, which has been pastoral and soft, becomes bolder at 37 i m. Llandinam , romantically situated on the brink of a cliff over- hanging the river, and at the foot of a range of hills which rise to the height of 1895 ft. The ch. possesses a singular wooden belfry. On rt. is a hill called Cefn Carnedd, which is surmounted by a very extensive camp about 200 yards long, commanding the entrance of the upper vale of Severn on the rt., and of the Carno on the 1. It may be ascended from Caersws or Llandinam, perhaps most easily from the latter. 43 J m. Llanidloes Stat. (Inns: Trewythen Arms ; Queen’s Head). From here the Mid Wales Rly. runs via Rhayader to Builth, Brecon, and Llandovery, thus completing an uninterrupted chain of communica- tion between N. and S. Wales. Llanidloes, a busy place of 9239 Inhab.jis, likeNew'town,an emporium of the flannel trade, although in situation it has very much the ad- vantage over it. The Severn, whicli throughout its course is called by its ancient Welsh name of nafren by the natives, is here joined by the Cly- wedog. The source of the Severn, with which the traveller has kept “ gentle fellowship ” for so long a distance, is only 11 in. from the town. The only object worth in- spection is the Church , which is one N. Wales. Route 27. — Plinlimmon . 169 of the most original and beautiful in the Principality. The aisle is separated from the nave by 6 pointed arches, supported by piers, having the capitals ornamented with carved palm-leaves. The roof is of carved >ak, the hammer-beams being finished >ff with winged figures holding -hields. There are 17 of these figures m each side, of which the 2 eastern- most are of females, while the re- mainder represent ecclesiastics. In 1839 Llanidloes was the scene >f a Chartist riot, which culminated n a body of weavers and miners, vho had been collected by concert >y a man blowing a horn, attacking, apturing and wrecking the Trewy- hen Arms Inn. Though defended by he mayor and 50 special constables, he mob prevailed and released their ellow-rioters who had been made risoners. At the end of 5 days, uring which the mob held the own, they were put down by military nd without bloodshed, peace re- cored and 32 culprits taken and ried at the assizes. A pleasant walk may be taken up ie pretty valley of the Clywedog. About 3 m. N. of the town is Llyn Ibyr, a pool of about 100 acres in xtent, situated on the high ground verlooking the vale of Tarannon nd the village of Trefeglwys. Trout, erch, and pike abound in it. Conveyances . — Rail to Oswestry nd Machynlleth, 19 m. ; also to nilth and Brecon. Distances. — Newtown, 13J m. : langurig, 5; Rhayader, 15 — old >ad by St. Harmon, 12 ; Macliyn- eth, 19 ; Trefeglwys, 4 m. [An excursion may be made up the evern to its source, and from thence > the summit of Plinlimmon , I )out 14 m. ; but the best ascent from Dyffryn Castell, on the Rliay- ler and Aberystwyth road ; neither ' them should be made without a , ude, on account of the dangerous bogs that exist. The bridle-road on the N. or 1. bank should be followed to Blaen Hafren, almost at the head of the valley, where the infant stream rolls over a lofty ledge of slate rock. Perhaps of all the loftier Welsh mountains few repay the toil of ascent so little as Plinlimmon Y con- sidering its height of 2463 ft. Pro- perly speaking, it consists of 3 moun- tains, which may be considered the centre of a large group spreading into subordinate chains. From near the summit spring the 5 rivers of the Rheidol, the Llyffnant, a tribu- tary of the Dyfi, the Ystwith, the Wye, and the Severn ; the sources of the two last being scarcely 2 m. apart. “ To princelie Severne first ; next to her sister Wye, Which to her elder’s court her course doth still apply. But Rydol, young’st and least, and for the other's pride, Not finding fitting room vpon the rising side, A lone vnto the west directive takes her way, So all the neighbouring hills Plinllimmon obey.” — Drayton. The pedestrian may vary his excur- sion by descending the course of the Gwy or Wye until it crosses the turnpike-road at Pont-rhyd-galed, and from thence to Llangurig.] Our route to Aberystwyth (29 m.) here quits the Rly. and the Severn, and crosses the hills into the valley of the Wye. 48 i m. is the village of Llangurig , most charmingly situated in the vale of Wye, which has even in this its spring-time lost much of its early impetuous character. From hence the traveller may proceed up the valley of the Wye, of which he takes leave at 53J m., but still ascends by the course of the Afon Tarenig, its tributary, as far as what was the Plinlimmon Inn, now in decay and nearly deserted, beyond which, at a place called Steddfa Gurig, the 170 lioutc 27 . — Llanbadam Faicr . N. Walks. narrow ridge forming the summit level is crossed, lien* the tourist enters a different valley (whose waters How in an opposite direction to those of the Wye), bounded by mountains whose rugged outline declares them to be composed of slate. Ever}' now and then the apjx’aranee of a solitary building, with its fast -driving water- wheel and heaps of dirty refuse, proclaims that lead abounds, and that this is the district of mining ad- vent urers. 69| m. Cast ell DyjJ'/yn, where there is a solitary and forlorn post- house, a road to the L strikes ofF to the Derils Bridge , 3 m., in Kte. ‘28. 611 m. Pont Ertryd (Inn: Goger- ddan Arms). It is wortli while to stop and look at the falls of the Rhoidol, in a wild rocky gorge close to the road, but at a considerable depth below it. About 50 yds. before reaching the river a rough cross-road strikes over the hill, and in about 1 m. fails into the old post-road to the Devil’s Bridge at Yspytty Cynfyn. For more than 3 in. from Pont Erwyd the road ascends, bare moor and hills surrounding it on every side ; but on arriving at t lie summit of Oefn Brwyno, » rapid descent takes place all the way to Aberyst- wyth. From here magnificent views are to be obtained over Cardigan Bay, partuularly if the visitor hap- pens to arrive at sunset. 67 m. on 1. an* the Coginan lead* mines, some of the most extensive in Cardiganshire, and which, as well ns the Lisbunic mine* in Cwm Ystwith, are the most available and t lie best worth the inspection of the visitor. The appearance of the numerous large wheels, situated one above the otlier at different levels— the sombre grey hue of the jagged hills — the long, low sorting-houses, and the noise of the stamping-machines, — all combine to throw a mysterious effect over the scene. At the village of Capel Bangor the road joins company with the Rheidol, which forms, for the rest of t lie way, an agreeable feature in the landscape, which it enlivens with its sinuous windings. 73 m. 1. the village of Llanhadarn Fa ter is passed, famous for the Church of St. Padam or Patemus, a saint of great renown, and friend of St. David and St. Teilo, who founded a monas- ter}' here in the time of the holy Dubritius. The existing Ch. is n cruciform structure of about tin 12th cent., chiefly remarkable for it? venerable and massive tower, rising from the centre and supported b} 4 massive piers. There is a good doon wav of the 12th cent, forming tin entrance into the S. side of the nave and on the north side of the ch. ar» traces of buildings, apparently a par of the old monaster}*. Llanbadan was visited by Archbishop Bald win and Giraldus Cambrensis ii 1188, nt which time the monastery had, as we an* told by the latter, < lay-abbot — an evil custom of th period both in Wales and Ireland In the interior of the ch. art' moult incuts to the families of Jones c Nanteos, and Pry so of Gogerddar Lewis Morris, the Welsh antiquaH is buried in the chancel. In th eh. -yd. are two very ancient scul| tured stone Crosses. 7 I m. . Ihrrysttcyth Stat. (Etc. 28 N. Wales. 171 Route 27a. — ■ Oswestry to Llanfyllin. ROUTE 27a. OSWESTRY TO LLANFYLLIN, BY LLANYMYNECH. THE VYRNWY RESERVOIR. A branch of the Cambrian Ely. 15 m. ; 5 trains daily, in 1 hr. 20 m. As far as 6 m. Llanymynech Stat ,, to be found in Rte. 27. Ely. ascends the valley of the Yyrnwy to Llansantffraid Stat. The Churchy dedicated to St. Ffraid or Eride, ex- hibits a few details of the 13th cent., although the greater part is of the 17 th. Its font is of N orm. character, an ogee-pointed window and the re- mains of a double piscina in the S. wall are of the Dec. period ; those of the roodloft belong to the Perpen- dicular. There is a wooden steeple at the W. end standing on a massive timber framework, and supporting a pretty little spire. From hence the line follows the pretty valley of the Cain to Llanfechain Stat. Ch. very early Norm. 9 m. Llanfyllin Terminus , pro- nounced Thlanvutlin (Inn: *Wynn- stay Arms), a pretty Welsh townlet which boasts of a charter given by Llewelyn ap Grruffydd in the time of Edward II., and “ is governed by a high steward, recorder, 2 bailiffs, 14 burgesses, a town- clerk, and 2 serjeants-at-arms.” The Ch. dedicated to St. Myllin of the 7th cent., whose well still exists, has given place to an Uninteresting brick building of the 18th cent., but is celebrated forits peal of bells, founded by Eudhall of Gloucester. About 6 m. N. of this is Llan- rhaiadr, 4J m. from which is the Great Waterfall of Pistyll Rhaiadr (see Ete. 26 a). About 9 m. from this, in the heart of the Berwyn mountains, a grand engineering enterprise was commenced 1880, the formation of an artificial Lake 4 m. long, with an area greater than that of Bala Lake, to furnish a water supply to the city of Liverpool. To this end the water springs of the Yyrnwy and other streams rising on the sides ot Carreg-y-Beg, Moel-y-Cerrig, Allt-yr- Eyras, and others, forming the water- shed between Montgomery and Me- rioneth, are gathered and arrested behind a dam 1255 ft. long, 60 feet high, built of 2 walls of masonry filled in with concrete, on founda- tions sunk 50 ft. deep, so as to reach the Caradoc beds. This dam is inserted into the heights on either side, which here approach, forming a throat to the valley or narrow opening at its S. end. In the portion of the valley thus flooded stood the village and Church of Llanwyddyn, now covered by a great depth of water. A new Church is to be built. The embankment rises 100 ft. above the old river bed, and the new Vyrmvy Lake (Yerniew) will have an area of 1115 acres, and its surface will stand 800 ft. above the sea-level. The land on which the lake is formed belonged to Earl Powys. The outlet for the water is at the S.E. end, through the Hirnant Tunnel , driven through the rock for 2£ m. An Aqueduct , 67 m. long, partly above partly underground, will convey it by Oswestry, where is a reservoir and filtering bed, to Malpas, and it will enter Liverpool through pipes carried under the Mersey from the terminal Prescot reservoir. The engineers are Mr. T. Hawksley and Mr. Gr. F. Deacon. Three and a quarter mil- lions sterling is the estimated cost of the undertaking. 172 Route 28 . — Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth . N. Wales. ROUTE 28. SHREWSBURY TO ABERYSTWYTH, BY WELSHPOOL, NEWTOWN AND MACHYNLLETH — RAIL. The rly. to Welshpool traverses the line of the Rea Valley, which is considerably to the S. of the coach-road, and passes through Han- wood, where a branch diverges to Plealey, Pontesbury, and Minsterley, 9 m. from Shrewsbury. The main line continues through Yockleton, Westbury, and Middletown, passing through a much less interesting country than the coach-road, which crosses the Severn at Welsh Bridge, and through “ the auncient streate cal’d Franckarell many a day.” 1 j m. rt., at the hamlet of Shelton , the road diverges to Oswestry. An old oak formerly stood here, from the branches of which Owain G-lyndwr is said to have reconnoitred the English army before the battle of Shrewsbury. 3 m. 1. Onslow Hall , once the residence of Speaker Onslow. [5J m. a road on rt. runs to Llan- fyllin and Bala (Rte. 21), passing 9 m. Allerbury , close to which is Loton , the beautiful seat of Sir Baldwin Leighton, Bart. The deer- park extends for a considerable dis- tance up the slopes of the Breiddin Hills, which for the whole way from Shrewsbury have been most con- spicuous features in the landscape. At 11 m., where the Severn was for- merly joined by the Vyrnwy,on rt. is a singular conical mound, called Belan Bank , probably raised to guard the passage of the river, which is crossed by a narrow bridge at 13 m. the village of Llandrinio. Soon afterwards the road joins the Oswestry and Welsh- pool road at Four Crosses (Rte. 27).] 6 m. 1. Cardeston> 7 m. rt. Bowton Castle . The road now begins to leave behind the plea- sant flats of Shropshire, and to ascend the slopes of the Breiddin Hills. 10 h m. rt. the village of Woolaston , near which there are a few early re- mains in the shape of tumuli and a moat. The Breiddin Hills, the steep, wooded sides of which tower over the road, are a singular group, rising to the height of 1199 ft., though they appear more, in con- sequence of their isolation. The most precipitous peak is that of Moel-y-golfa, nearest Welshpool: it is divided from the other heights by deep ravines. The farthest or most northerly summit, overlooking the Severn, is crowned with Rodney's Biliary erected to commemorate the victory obtained by that admiral over the French fleet in 1782. At the foot of the magnificent wood- covered escarpment stands the vil- lage of Criggiony with its picturesque little red sandstone ch. This hill answers better than any other to Tacitus’s account of the last battle of Caractacus and Ostorius Scapula. On the hill which rises behind the Pillar there are traces of an ancient fortress, as also of a considerable en- campment at Cefn-y-Castell, behind Moel-y-golfa, which last peak ought to be ascended. The view is very charming, particularly towards the N.W. and W., looking over Oswestry and the red hills of Llanymynech, the wooded, parkish country about Meifod and Llanfyllin, backed up by the noble ranges of the Berwyn9. To the E. the eye glances over the rich champaign flats of the Severn, with the spires of Shrewsbury in the distance. Southwards the most pro- minent feature is the Long Moun- tain, with its monotonous outline. 173 Wales. Uoute 28 . — Breiddin mils — Caersws. G-eologically considered, these moun- ains are interesting, as marking a line of eruption, ranging from S.W. bo N.E. They are “a mass of por- phyritic and amygdaloidal green- stone, which, in its protrusion, has carried up included portions of slaty •ocks, and has thrown off pebble jeds and Upper Silurian (of the Long Mountain) to the S.E. and Lower Silurian to the N.W.” — Siluria. They possess also singular attrac- tions for the botanist. 16 m. 1., at junction of a road which runs past Leighton modem Church ind Hall (J. Naylor, Esq.) (Rte. 27) 0 Montgomery, is the humble ch. of Buttinqton , which contains a curious ont, resembling the capital of an Marly English column. 18 m. Welshpool Janet. ( Hotel : loyal Oak) is described, together vith Montgomery and the road to Newtown, in Rte. 27. From New- own the road on the S. or rt. )ank of the Severn is taken. 38£ m. Moat Lane Janet, [the c Moat” is a British earthwork, or noated mound, only second in iu- erest to Cefn Carnedd, amongst the >utlying works about Caersws]. Its lame maybe a corruption of “ Moot,” 1 place of meeting. 1 m. beyond, the “sandy-bot- omed Severn is crossed at Caersws Sltat.y a celebrated Roman station, >laced in the centre of a valley nto which 4 streams converge, the levern, Tarannon, Ceryst, and larno. It is said to have ob* ained its name from a great queen, lamed Swsan, “ who waged war gainst a prince who reigned over tribe to the S. of the Severn. One lay, seeing the enemy on the Llan- linam Hills, she marches her men ver the river, and gives battle to he enemy. The prince, from the ligli ground, succeeds in repelling the Caersws soldiers ; and the spi- rited amazon, seeing a defeat inevit- able, rides up and requests to be put to death, and to be buried •with her brave men. The prince replies, ‘ No ! thou art too brave to die at our hands ; I grant thee a pardon.* ” The Roman castrum may still be seen, lying 300 yards N. W. of the Severn, and covering an area of about 7 acres. The road to Aberystwyth passes through a part of it. The vallum rises several feet above the natural level of the ground adjoining. Though deline- ated on the Ordnance Map as rectan- gular, the comers of the camp arc now considerably rounded. Three Roman roads at least converged to Caersws, an evidence of its import- ance in Roman Britain. The ex- cavations in 1854-5, conducted by the Rev. D. Davies, then curate of Llanwnog, and recorded in the ‘Archseol. Cambr.* for 1857, re- move all doubt of its having been a Roman camp. Coins of Vespasian, Domitian,Postumus, Trajan, Severus, &c., were found ; tiles with inscrip- tions thereon ; fragments of Samian ware ; pottery, drains, and villas were brought to light. These discoveries may well stimulate further inquiry, and encourage the theory that Caersws is the Mediolanum of Tacitus. On the neighbouring hill- sides or tops are British camps, e.g., Cefn Carnedd, looking down on Caersws from a distance of about two miles, and commanding, with its entrenchments (measuring 650 yards by 200), the entrances to the Severn valley on the one hand, and that of the Camo on the other. The posi- tion of Cefn Carnedd with respect to Caersws may be compared with that of the British Pen-caer-Helen, in Caernarvonshire, as regards the Ro- man station of Caerhun on the Con- wy. 1 * * * * 6 The Moat,* too, on the S. of the Caersws valley is a singular earth- work, consisting of three parts, a coni- 174 Route 28. — Shrewsbury to Aberystwith. N. Wales. cal mound, with a surrounding fosse, and a rectangular camp with an outer ditch. Almost opposite the moat on the other side of the valley is a hill called G-wyn Fynydd, with an elongated British camp upon it, close to which passed the Roman road to Deva, or Chester. At Treeastell, a mile and a half from this camp, in the direction of Aberliafesp, and at Wyle Cop, near Llanwnog church, are other remains of camps and stations. The whole country round Caersws will repay examination. It is certain that the Romans knew of and worked the lead mines in the neighbourhood of the present Van and Dylife mines ; and one of their roads took the direction of the pre- sent Van railway, with the same object of conveying lead ore from the mountains of those parts to Caersws, where it was perhaps smelted. It is not unlikely that ancient Roman Caersws owed its existence to these lead mines. Caersws appears to have been an important place subsequent to the Roman era, as Leland mentions of it, “ In Arustli there is no pretty town, nor any market but Llanidloes; yet at poor Caersws hath been both a market and borough privilege.” From hence the fine is carried up the valley of the Carno, a pretty stream, with well-wooded banks, though offering no special beauties to detain the tourist. The rly. and the road keep company for a consi- derable distance. 41 J m. Pontdolgoch Stat., and 45i m. Carno Stat., a high and rather exposed village, where the Knights of Jerusalem are said to have possessed a religious house. Close to the ch.-yd. is the entrenchment of Caer-y- Xoddfa, the ‘fortress of re- fuge.* A great battle is said to have been fought on the mountains near Carno, in 049, between N. and S. Wallrans ; but it appears doubt fid whether the event took place here, or on the mountain of Carno over- looking the Vale of Crickhowell, in Breconshire. From Carno the rly. inns through a wild country, with heavy gradients. Near Taler ddig, in the glen of the Ial, the Rly. is carried through a rock-cutting 113 ft. deep. Here is the summit level of the Cambrian Line, 700 ft. above the sea. This valley i affords some very pleasing scenery, j particularly at one spot, where there is a natural arch (? a semicircular curve in the rock strata) in the rock ; also a good waterfall, called Nant Ysgolion. 6 m. near the confluence of the ; Ial, the Twymyn, and a 3rd brook which flows from the N., is the Wynnstay Arms , a convenient station I and a comfortable hostelry for the! angler or artist. This is a good point from whence > to visit the waterfalls at the head of the Twymyn, the uppermost of which, Ffrwd Fawr, is fine after much rain,j having a perpendicular descent of 130 ft. They are about 6 m. from, the Wynnstay Arms. A rapid descent of 3 m., partly along the edge of a precipice, leads to 51 J m. Llanbrynmair Stat. The parish of Llanbrynmair (the chi of which is 1J m. S. of the inn) is very extensive, and contains, amongst the bleak hills to the N.E. of the Plinlimmon range, several lead mines. In this parish was bora Dr. Abraham Rees, editor of the Encyclopfedia known by hi9 nameJ Here the valley of the Twymyn joins that of the Dyfi. 51} m. Cemvnaes Road Junct. S/at Inn: Dovey Valley Hotel at Stat We here enter the Vale of Dovey.! famous for picturesqueness, and foi the sport it affords to the angler. A Railwaij branches hence tc Dinas Mawddwy 7 m. (Rte. 23) ascending the Dovey. Our Rly. run^ s. Wales. 175 Route 28 . — Machynlleth , or 2 m. along it. On the opposite ank of the river is the ch. of Llan- mn, which is 75 ft. in length. A Lttle higher np the stream is the armhouse of Mathafarn , the for- aer residence of Dafydd Llwyd, celebrated seer and bard in the 5th cent. “ Henry YII., when Earl f Richmond, passed the night here a his route from Milford to Bos- rorth.” One of the largest silver irs in all Wales may be seen here. 1. Penegoes was the birthplace of Wilson the painter, who lies buried n the ch. of Mold. 17 m. Machynlleth Stat. {Inn : jion) (see Rte. 25), is a good speci- nen of a quiet Welsh town. It lumbers 2026 Inhab., is cleanly, well milt, and situated in the centre of t charming neighbourhood ; its wide itreets planted with rows of trees, ike a French Boulevard, but for the ittraction of tourists it has no lights to show. It lay3 claim to mtiquity, being generally supposed ;o have been the Maglona of the Romans, where a lieutenant was Rationed in the reign of Honorius ; it all events, if there was not a station here, there was one at Pennal, 1 m. on the Aberdovey road. In Maengwyn-st. was formerly the spa- cious arched porch of an ancient ouilding known as the Parliament House ; where, in 1402, Owain Grlyndwr convoked a National As- sembly, by whom the ceremony of coronation was performed, and Owain acknowledged as Prince of Wales. ‘ At this meeting Sir David Gam, a Breconshire gentleman, and Owain’s brother-in-law, was present, under the pretence of uniting in its object, but really with very different views. He had plotted the death of his countryman and prince; but the scheme was discovered when on the point of being executed. David was seized and imprisoned, and would instantly have met with condign punishment, had it not been for the intercession of some of Owain’s best friends and partisans.” Has Machynlleth , on the S. side of the town, is a seat of the Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry. Near the entrance lodge is an ele- gant Gothic Church , built in 1882 by Lord Londonderry. Flannel-making is the great em- ployment of the town and neigh- bourhood, though slate-quarries and some lead-mines, the produce of which is shipped at Derwenlas, on the Dyfi, contribute to its pro- sperity. Machynlleth stands high as a fish- ing station, the Dyfi, or Dovev, be- tween Cemmaes and the town, yield- ing some fine sport, which is carefully looked after by the Dyfi Angling Association. Llyn Bugeilyn, 10 m. S.E., by a very bad road, is also a likely spot, as well as Llyn Pen- rhaiadr, 6 m., which possesses the additional attraction of magnificent scenery in approaching it. The latter lake can best be visited from Machynlleth, either by taking the Aberystwyth road to Pont Llyf- nant, and then following the glen up to its head, or by a much shorter route across the country due S. The Llyfnant , which here divides N. and S. Wales, rises in Llyn Penrliaiadr, and soon forms a very fine waterfall at Pistyll-y-Llyn, dashing over the naked rocks from a great height. By the side of the precipice is a narrow wind- ing path, which may be followed to the lake, which is situated on very high ground to the N.W. of Plin- limmon. The whole of this region is associated with Owain Glyndwr and his chosen band, who betook themselves into the fastnesses of the surrounding mountains. About 1 m. to the E. of the lake is Bwlch Hydd- genn, a spot where the Flemings were routed by him with considerable slaughter. Tal-y-Llyn (Rte. 25) is Aberystwyth . N. Wales. 176 Boute 28 . — halfway, 10 m., between Machynlleth and Dolgelley, both the road and Ely. to Corris, following a great part of the way the course of the pretty river Dulas, and passing at 5 m. the slate quarries of Corris (Rte. 22). Rail to Shrewsbury, 61 m. ; Aberystwyth, 20; and Pwllheli, 57 m. Distances, — Dolgelley, 16 m. ; Aberdovey, 10; Pennal, 4; Mall- wyd, 12 ; Cemmaes, 7 ; Dinas Mawddwy, 14; Wynnstay Arms, 11 ; Llanidloes, 19 ; Llyn Bugeilyn * 9 ; Llyn Penrhaiadr, 6 ; Newtown, 30 ; Oswestry, 48. The rly. to Aberystwyth runs by the S. bank of the Dyfi, which soon expands into an estuary. It passes Derwen Las , a small shipping-port for slates and lead-ore, and Pont Llyffnant , a little beyond which a road on 1. runs up the stream to the waterfall and Llyn Pen Rhaiadr, about 6 m. Glandyfi Castle is beautifully situated on a range of rock overlooking the Dyfi and the sea. 65 £ m. Glandyfi Junct ., where the main line for North Wales is given off (Rte. 25). Our line now skirts the coast to 70 £ m. Ynys Las Stat., where there is a ferry to Aberdovey. 73 J m. Borth Stat. There is a very good hotel here (Cambrian), and it is a quiet resting-place for those who prefer tranquillity to the more frequented watering - places. The sands extend 4 m., with consider- able width at low water, and are firm and smooth. They skirt a vast fen- like marsh called Cors Fochno. 75£ m. Llanfihangel Stat., on the hill above which is an ancient fortifi- cation, referred to in Welsh history as Castcll GwallterjOrWaltcr’s Castle, so named from Walter L’Espec, one of the Norm, invaders. The earth- work and outlines are very distinct. 77 m. Bow Street Stat., just above which there is a large encampment at Yr Hen Gaer. 81 J m. Aberystivyth Stat. The road from Machynlleth passes Glandyfi Castle, and 6 m. JEglwys Pack, 8 m. it then skirts the demesne of Park Lodge, and passes through the hamlet of Tre’r Ddol, to the rt. of which ex- tends the flat alluvial surface of the partially drained Ynys Fochno. £ m. rt. is the ch. of Llancynfelin. 69 g m. on rising ground, called Pen- sarn Ddu, 1. is Tre Taliesin, supposed on good authority to have been the burial-place of the bard. The cairn, in the centre of which is the cistvaen, or grave, is about 135 ft. in circum- ference. Taliesin, it should be re- membered, was a foundling, discovered in the fishing weir near Borth by Elphin the son of Gwyddno, after the sea had swept away his inheritance, and the weir was his sole means of livelihood. 2 or 3 m. farther up the mountain are some Druidical circles, also a British fortress at Moel-y-gaer, 11 m. The river Lery is crossed at the hamlet of 13 m. Talybont ( [Inn : Gogerddan Arms). 1 m. rt. is the beautifully situated ch. of Llanvihangel-geneu’r- glyn. At Rhyd-y-pennau the road from Aberdovey through Borth falls in. Another large encampment is to be found at Yr Hen Gaer, on a hill overlooking 14 J Bow-str. 5 m. the little river Clarach is crossed, leaving on 1. Gogerddan , the ancient seat of the Pryse family. 1. 1 m. short of Aberystwyth, see the Church of Llanbadarn Fawr (see below). 18 m. Aberystwyth Stat. {Inns: Queen’s ; Bellevue, both facing the sea ; Lion). T^is popular watering- place is prettily situated on the sea- shore, between the hills at the mouth of the Rheidol, which, after passing Wales. 177 Route 28 . — . inder a bridge of 5 arches, here mites itself with the Ystwith in an irtificial channel, both together fall- ing into the Bay of Cardigan. The union of the 2 rivers was effected n order (by strengthening the cur- rent and increasing the volume of water) to scour out the harbour. It s a sort of Welsh Brighton, resorted fo in the summer-time for sea- bathing, and abounds in lodging- liouses, of which the best are to be found on the Terrace, a crescent facing the sea and following the eurve of the beach. In front of it ire the bathing-machines, and hot salt-water baths are provided near it hand and in the town. The beach shelves down very rapidly ; ind as the tide comes in at times vith great force, bathers should be cautious not to advance too far, lest liey should be caught in the draught ; it such times it is dangerous to ittempt to swim. The beach is re- narkable for the quantity of pebbles o be found on it — such as corne- ians, onyx, &c. ; the searching for which is often the principal occupa- ion of visitors, who, particularly after a storm, wander up and down with bent backs and downcast eyes. The harbour having become ob- structed by the formation of a bar it its mouth, a Pier has been constructed, projecting on one side 300 and on the other 100 yds. into the sea. One chief object of this pier or mole, which extends in a N.N.W. direction towards Bardsey Island, is bo protect the outfall of the united rivers, Bheidol and Ystwith, from the swell of the ocean. On a lofty rock overlooking the sea, at S. end of the Crescent, stand the mins of the Castle , originally founded by Gilbert de Strongbow, a greedy and unscrupulous Norman baron, who received a licence from his master, Henry I., founded on the charter of “the strong hand,” to seize as much [A, Wales. r Aberystwyth . as he could of the lands of the Welsh chieftain Cadwgan ap Bledd- yn, Prince of Powis ; and the result was that, by the aid of a superior force, he dispossessed him of all Car- diganshire, and secured it to himself by building strong castles. The ex- isting remains, consisting of a gate- way, a tower about 40 ft. high, with an arched doorway grooved for 2 portcullises on the N.W., and frag- ments of other towers and walls, are probably of the time of Edward I., who built a castle here after granting peace on very harsh terms to Lle- welyn ap Gryffydd. Mr. Bushel, the fortunate proprietor of the neighbour- ing lead and silver mines, established here a mint, with permission of Charles I., to pay his workmen by coinage of bullion drawn out of mines within the Principality. He after- wards showed his gratitude by lend- ing the king 40,000/., by clothing the whole of his army, and by raising, at his own expense, a regiment among his own miners. The pieces thus coined are marked with the Prince of Wales’s Feathers, bear dates be- tween 1638 and 1642, when the Mint was transferred to Shrewsbury, and are common in the cabinets of collec- tors. The castle was besieged by the Parliamentarians during the civil war, and was bombarded by Crom- well from the neighbouring height at Pendinas — such, at least, is the local tradition. It is much more probable, however, that the castle was first mined and then blown up, the huge fragments still visible strongly nega- tiving the Pendinas theory. From the time of its capture its present decay may be dated. The Castle hill and the ruins are planted, and rendered accessible by agreeable public walks. Adjoining the castle are the Public Rooms and the ch., of which all that can be said is, that it offers suitable accommoda- tion. Between the castle and the pier stands the University College , N 178 Route 28 . — The an imposing structure, the centre of which is the Castle House, erected by Nash for Sir Uvedale Price, whilst the more modern portions were de- signed by Mr. J. P. Seddon, ori- ginally for a monster hotel. In the environs of the town, on the banks of the Rheidol, and ap- proachable by a pleasant inland walk alongside a mill-dam, is Plas-crug, a ruined castellated house, said to have been the residence of Owain G-lyndwr ; and near it is a chalybeate spring, whose waters are said to resemble in their properties those of Tunbridge Wells. Good Walks and fine Views may be gained by climbing to the top of Constitutfon Hill, or Craig-lais, at N, end of the terrace beyond the Queen’s Hotel. It is traversed by agreeable walks, and there is a path stretching N. along the cliffs as far as Borth Sands, 5 m., overlooking the Estuary of the Dovey, and com- manding very fine views. Fen Dinas , N.E. of the town, crossing the bridge over the Rheidol and passing under the Rly. Dlanbadarn Church, m. out of the town, contains monuments of the Pryses of Gogerddan, the Jones of Nanteos, also some good carved screen work. In the ch.-yd. are 2 old stone crosses. Railways to North Wales, Caernar- von, Bangor, Dolgelley, Shrewsbury, and South Wales. Distances. — Llanidloes, 28 m. ; Newtown, 41 ; Welshpool, 54 ; Lon- don, 226 ; Liverpool, 115 ; Rhay- ader, 33; Kington, 60; Hereford, 80 ; Devil’s Bridge, 12 ; Machynlleth, 18 ; Oswestry, 66 ; Ruabon, 68 ; Aberayron, 16 ; Lampeter, 29 ; Caer- marthen, 51 ; Cardigan, 23 ; Aber- dovey, 11 m. [A beautiful excursion can be ' Devils Bridge. N. Wales. made to the Devils Fridge , 12 m. The public conveyances which run! in summer time from the Queen’s and Belle Yue Hotels, usually take j the road on S. side of the Rheidol Yalley, and return on the N. side by way of Yspytty Cynfyn (post) and Pont Erwyd. The round is about 27 m. By private conveyance a more pleasing route may be taken, via Hafod (post ) , though this increases the distance 8 m. The road at first is extremely steep and hilly, occasionally affording exquisite peeps into the valley of the Rheidol. The Devil’s Bridge Hotel (large and comfortable) is finely situated, overlooking from a height of 300 ft. the leafy glen of the Rheidol, while! immediately below the house runs the narrower gorge of the Mynach,. which here joins the Rheidol, filling; the air with the roar of its waters. The Devil’s Bridge (‘ Pont-ar-Fy- nach,’ or the ‘Bridge on the My- nach,’ as it is called by natives, though they, too, sometimes call it Pont-y- Gwr-Drwg, or the ‘ Bridge of the Evil One ’) is not more than 30 yds. from the house on the road to Rhay- ader, and might easily be passed without exciting attention, so com- pletely is the narrow gorge which it spans choked up by trees and shrubs. It consists, properly speaking, of 2 bridges — a lower one, now a mere curve of rude masonry, built, it has been surmised, in the 11th or 12th cent., by the monks of Strata Florida Abbey, whence comes its Welsh ; name ; and a more modem arch im- mediately over it, of about 30 ft. span, built in 1753, at a height of 120 ft. above the torrent, which is barely perceived among trees and rocks, working its way through the dark abyss below. There is a similar i double bridge on the Pass of St. Gothard among the Alps ; the modem and upper arch having been made, as is the case here also, to avoid the inconvenient descent to N“. Wales. 179 Route 28 . — The Devil's Bridge. the lower and older one, which in both instances, from the boldness of its construction, has been attributed by the wondering peasantry to the architecture of the Devil, the Satanic Pontifex Maximus. The falls of the Mynach are in :he grounds of the Hotel Company, who charge Is. for each visitor, which frees him as often as he likes to go. The falls of the Rheidol may be visited with more difficulty by another path. The best way to see the bridge is to cross it, and, taking a path to the rt., descend to the water’s edge. Immediately under the bridge the ^orgo is reduced to a mere crack in the slate rock, over which, to all appearance, a man might stride. The torrent in descending towards t rushes and boils among the hard ’ocks — “ The fall of waters, rapid as the light, The flashing mass foams, shaking the abyss ” — and, by the aid of the small stones vhich it v r hirls along with it, has ^cooped out the sides into grooves, jiving to the bed of the stream the ippearance of a succession of huge •aldrons. The original rent must lave been formed by some great con- cision of nature, since no power of vater, in the present state of the jlobe, is capable of effecting it. Most engravings of this bridge re- )resent in one and the same view he waterfalls also ; but in this the icence taken by the painter is as reat as that allowed to poets, since rom no point accessible at present an the bridge be seen at the same ime as the falls, owing to a bend in he ravine. The falls may be seen >y taking another pathway on the 1. f the high road, about 30 yds. be- ond the bridge, which leads by a ude staircase cut in the splintery ock through the underwood to a romontory projecting between the Rheidol and Mynach, just above their junction ; ascend by the path in front of the hotel, which commands beautiful views of the falls individu- ally. In times of flood, when the channel is full, the stream presents a magnificent spectacle, descending amidst rocks and rich foliage in a succession of leaps, respectively 18, 60, 20, and 110 ft. high. The 4th descent is to the fall of the Rheidol, opposite the hotel, in which the cataract is 70 ft. in height; the roar of waters, together with the narrow- ness of the ravine, the exquisite foliage on all sides, and the towering mountains which close it in, all com- bine to make a rare picture. The ravine and stream at the foot are crossed by an iron suspension-bridge. For this descent it is advisable to engage a guide, as it is always dif- ficult, and after rains dangerous. On the hill opposite the bridge is an ancient fortification called Castell fan Grwrach. About If m. on the Rhayader road is the little ch. of Yspytty Cynfyn (from its name formerly an liospitium), in the churchyard of which are 3 Druidical stones; and about ^ m. on the 1., in a deep and gloomy defile, is the Parson's Bridge , which the tourist should not neglect to visit, for its very wild and pic- turesque beauty. A handrail is thrown from rock to rock and secured by chains, while the Rheidol foams underneath, confined between two projecting rocks. From the Parson’s Bridge the ravine may be ascended on the opposite side, and the path followed to Pont Erwyd (Rte. 27), and thence an alternative route may be taken, along the other side of the Rheidol to Aberystwyth.] [The Devil’s Bridge is a most convenient point from which to make an excursion to Hafod, 5 m., Strata Florida Abbey, 8 m., and N 2 180 N. Wales. Boute 28 .- Plinlimmon Mountain, 9 m. The visitor who only wishes to go a9 far as Hafod should arrange to return to Aberystwyth by the new road along the Ystwith to Llanavan. For rather more than 3 m. the old Rhay- ader road is followed, through the Arch built by the late Col. Johnes to commemorate the Jubilee year of the reign of George III. From lienee a rapid descent for a mile will bring the tourist to Hafod , a princely estate, where the beauties of nature and art have been mingled in a rarely happy manner. Like many large estates and show-places, Hafod lia9 known many vicissitudes, and changed owners several times. The property, originally a wild and barren glen, in 1783 came into the hands of Col. Johnes, who, at once seeing the improvements of which it was susceptible, from that time devoted the remainder of his life and fortune to that object. The bleak hills were planted with the almost incredi- ble number of 3,000,000 trees, be- sides many acres that were sown with acorns ; and with what success the densely-wooded hills and valleys all roimd attest. A large Gothic mansion in the bad taste of the time ■was erected by Mr. Baldwyn, of Bath, in which Col. J ohnes accumu- lated valuable treasures of art and literature, including paintings and a library unique for its collection of MSS., among which were illumina- ted MSS. of Froissart. While col- lecting these rarities, he printed at his private press translations of Froissart and Monstrelct’s Clironicles. In 1807 the whole house, with nearly all that it contained, was burnt to the ground, at a loss to the owner of 70,000/. Nothing daunted by this calamity, he set himself to repair the damage, had his house rebuilt by Nash, a great portion of whose work still exists, and made a fresh collec- tion of books and MSS. Col. J ohnes, however, died in 1816, in straitened —Hafod. circumstances, after which the estate, having been taken into Chan- cery, fell into sad decay until 1841, when the Duke of Newcastle bought it for 62,000/. In 1845 it was resold to H. Hoghton, Esq., for 94,000/., whose improvements included the bell- tower, erected in the Italian style by Mr. Salvin. The contrast between the old house of Nash, with its puerility of design, and the Italian roofs and terraces of the new portion, is very striking. It was re- sold to Mr. Chambers in 1857 for 102,000/., and again by him, in 1871, to some speculative capitalists in lots, one of which, of 400 acres, in- cluded the Devil’s Bridge. The Ystwith flows through the grounds, amidst constantly varying scenes, and numerous tributary brooks rush down the hill-sides in cascades ot every height, which a judicious thinning of timber has opened to view. The principal object of attrac- tion in the grounds is the Piran Fall , which, although of no great magni- tude, is very romantic, the visitor being made to approach it through a tunnel in the rock ; there are also several other very pretty falls in the grounds. The Church , called in Welsh Fglwys Neivydd , is charmingly placed on the hill-side, not far from the entrance lodge. It contains one of Chantrey's finest sculptures, an elaborate monument to the memory of Miss Johnes, in white marble, representing the parents standing at the death-bed of the daughter. There is a good painted window in the S.W. transept, which was brought to this country from Hol- land. On a commanding wooded knoll, not far from the ch., is an obelisk erected by Mr. Johnes to the memory of the Duke of Bedford. The visitor will do well to leave Hafod by the southern entrance, near which the Ystwith is crossed at the picturesque little hamlet of N\ Wales. Boute 28 . — Lisburne Lead-Mines. 181 Pont-rhyd-y-groes {Inn : Bear). By his hamlet and Cross wood (Traws- 3oed, the nearest Bly. stat. 7 m.), he ;an, if he choose, return to Aberyst- wyth, 15 m.] On the opposite ascent are the Lisburne lead-mines, employing a targe number of people. Two of the most important veins of ore m Cardiganshire, the Fronfraith and the Glog Las, are worked here, pro- ducing in 1857 about 3000 tons of lead. The veins, from 4 to 6 ft. in thickness, run E. and W., sending 3ut thinner veins from the main lodes, the traces of which are con- stantly to be found in the beds of the brooks and ravines on the sides of the hill. Unless the visitor be a geo- ogist, an inspection of the interior :>f a lead-mine is scarcely worth the trouble, as at the very outset a com- plete mining dress has to be donned, md a long distance of wet dreary Dassages to be traversed before he irrives at the scene of operations. Having descended a fatiguing num- ber of steps by ladders, crept into the hole where the miners are at work, and become accustomed to the rapours of powder-smoke, he will find that the lode does not possess much of the glittering appearance that a specimen of lead-ore in a cabinet presents. [From the Lisburne mines the tourist who does not wish to proceed to Strata Florida can return to Aberystwyth through Llanafan. A rivate road, open to visitors, has een formed by the mine-owners on the southern bank of the river, which joins the old Aberystwyth road at Pont Llanafan. Many fine bits of river-scenery occur, particularly at Craig Colon - menod , or the Doves’ Rock, a very high perpendicular rock, appearing to stand out in the very course of the stream. At Pont Llanafan the river is crossed by a road which leads on the 1. to Ystrad Meirig and Tregaron. Some romantic scenery and a waterfall are to be found in a dingle which accompanies this road a little to the W. From Llanafan , the ch. of which contains an ancient silver Com- munion-dish, presented by the Earls of Lisburne, a ride of 10 m. will bring the traveller to Aberystwyth, V Trawscoed Stat. distant 7 m. from Devil’s Bridge; on the rt. bank Crosswood (Welsh, Trawscoed), the beautiful park of the Earl of Lis- burne, the principal landowner of the district. On the opposite side of the river is Birchgrove. 2 m. farther the road quits the valley of the Ystwith, and ascends high ground to Aberystwyth, passing on rt. Nanteos , the seat of Col. Powell.] The ruins of Strata Florida Abbey (founded circ. 1194) are 6 m. S. of Hafod. The old Abbey house is now a common farm-homestead, and within the precincts of the Abbey stands a small church. Of the original buildings, a fine western doorway and a bit of w r all near the E. end alone remain. The Strata Florida Railway Stat. is 3 m. W. of the ruins, and 15 m. from Aberyst- wyth. (See Handbook for South Wales.) ( 182 ) INDEX. ABER. A. Aber, 51 Aberangell, 141 Aber Cowarcli waterfall, 140 Aberdaroii, 109 Aberdovey, 15 1 Abererch, 141 Aber-Fawr waterfall, 51 Aberfifraw, 62 Abergele, 45 to Denbigh, 52 Aberglaslyn, Pont, 125; Pass of, 126 Abergynolwyn stat., 153 Aberhiriarth Hall, 158 Abermaw, 31 Abermule junct. stat., 167 Abersoch, no Aberystwyth, 176; new pier, 177; rums of castle, 177; former mint, 177; convey- ances and distances, 178 ; excursion to Devil’s Bridge, 178 Acrefair, 18 Acton Park, 15 Afon Ddu, waterfall, 88 source of river, 88 Lloer, 04 Portli Llwyd, waterfall, 89 lYysor, 135 Tarenig, 169 Afonwen junct., 104 Agricola, his sudden app ar- ance in Britain, 51 ; place of his landing, 62 Air, Point of, lighthouse, 43 Alberbury, 162, 172 Aled, river, 45, 52, 99, 100 Alun, river, 15, 75, 77, 78 A l wen, river, 45, 99 Amlwch, 72 Amphitheatre, British, 53 Anglesey, 58-73 column, 61 Antiquities of N. Wales, xxv Aqueduct across Dee, 18 Aran, river, 29 Aran Benllyn, 25, 140 Aran Mawwddy, 25, 140 Ardudwy, graves of men of, Hi BEACON. Ardudwy, mountains of, 142 geology of, 142 Arennig, mountain, 24; stat., Hi Fach, 13 1 Fawr, 131 Arthog stat., 30 Arthur’s Quoit, 72, 146 Artro, river, 145, 147 Asaph, St., 84; see founded, 84; vicissitudes of, 84; bishops, 84 ; cathedral, 85 ; deanery and palace, 85 ; ex- cursions, 85 , Holy well near, 86 Aston Hall, 74 Atcham, 8 Attingham Hall, 8 B. Bachweri cromlech, 106 Bachymbyd, 81 Bagillt stat., 3 9 Bailey Hill, 75 Bala, 24; antiquities, 24; Methodism, 24; lake, 24; geology of, 25 ; distances, 25 to Festiniog, 131 to Oswestry, 159 Bangor, 56 ; cathedral, 56, 57 ; distances, 57 to Beaumaris, Penmon, and Amlwch, 67 to Holyhead, 56 to Tremadoc, 100 Iscoed, site of, 13 Banw, river, 157 Bardsey Island, 109; ruins of abbey, no Barmouth, 31 ; distances, 31 Junct., 30 Baron Hill, 68 Bascliurch stat., 8 Basingwerk abbey, 39 Battle of Camo, 174 of the Ceiriog, 9 Coed Ewloe, 38 Llandegai, 97 Mold, 76 Morfa khuddlan, 87 Shrewsbury, 7 Battlefield, 7 Beacon Bing, 165 BODVEL. Beaumaris, 67; castle, 67; church, 68 ; Baron Hill, 68 ; conveyances and distances, 68 Beavers, glen of, 95 Bechan, river, 156 Bedd, or grave, xxxi Porius, 136 Beddau-gwyr- Ardudwy, 133 Beddgelert, 125; story of Llewelyn and his hound, 1 125; excursions, &c., 125; ascent of Snowdon from, 1 1 7 Beeston Castle, 37 Belan, 105 Bank, 172 Benarth, 88 Benglog, Pass of, 94 Berriew, 167 Bersham, 15 Berth Hill, ancient fortifica- tions on, 8 Berwyn stat., 22 Berwyns, mountains, 159 ; geology of, 159 Betbesda, 96 Bettisfield, 17 Bettws Abergele, 52 Cedewen, 167 y-Coed, 91 to Bangor, 93 — to Corwen, 98 to Festiniog, 97 Garmon, 1 2 3 Beuno, St., legend of, 41 well of, 106 Birch grove, 18 1 Birds, sea, at N. and S. Stacks, 66 mode of taking their eggs, 66 BlaenauFestiniog stat. ,98, 132 Blaen Hafren, 152 Bodegroes, 108 Bodelwyddan, 86 Bodfarl, 77 Bodowyr cromlech, 62 Bodorgan stat., 62 Bodowen, 63 Bodrhyddan, 87 BodysRallrn, 53 Bonddu, 30 Boduan, 108 Bodvel Hall, 108 index. BONT NEWYDD. Bont Newydd stat., 26 Bont Uchel, 80 Borth, 176 Bow Street stat., 176 Braich Du, 94 Braich-y-Ddinas, 50 Braint, valley of the, 62 Breiddin Hills, 162, 172 Bridge End Stat., 75 Bridges . suspension, at Con- way, 46; tubular, at Con- way* 4-7 i suspension, at Menai Straits, 58 ; tubu- lar, at Menai Straits, 59; Devil’s, near Aberystwyth, 179; Parson’s, 179 Britannia Tubular Bridge, 59 Broughton Hall, 74 Brown, Capability, his garden at Powis Castle, 164 Brymbo Hall, 15 Bryn Adda, 149 Brynbella, 77 Bryn Bras, ill Bryn Cader Fawr, 148 Bryn Dulas, 46 Bryn-gwyn, 62 Bryn-y-gwin, 149 Brynian Hill, 5 3 Brynkinalt, 9 Brynkir, 104 Bryntysilio, 22 Bryn Iorkin, 75 Bull Bay, 72 Bushel, Mr., his mint at Aberystwyth, 177 ; raises a regiment for Charles I., 177 Butler, Lady Eleanor, her re- treat at Llangollen, 19 Butting ton, 173 Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen, pass of, 5 1, 88 Cyfrwydrym, 94 Drws Ardudwy, 148 yr-Eifl, pass of, 1 oh y-fedwen, 1 56 ■ y-groes, 141 Hyddgenn, 175 Llyn, pass of, 158 y-Maen, 116, 117 / Oerddrws, 139 • y-Tyddiad, 148 Bwrdd Arthur, 53, 70 c. Cader Idris, 28; ascent of, 28; view from the sum- mit, 29 ; geology of, 29 Cadfan, St., stone, 150 Caer, 16& Carreg-y-fran, 111 Digoll, 165 Drewyn, British post, 23 Estyn, British post, 7 5 CASTELL DYFFRYN. Caerdeon, 30 Caergwrle, 74; Roman re- mains at, 74 Caerhun, 88 Caer-leb, 62 Caernarvon, ioi ; history, 101 ; castle, 101 ; Eagle Tower, 102 ; walls and gates, 102; public build- ings, 1034 view from Twt Hill, 103; site of Segon- tium, 103 ; distances and conveyances, 103 to Capel Curig.no to Dolgelley, 141 to Portmadoc, 1 23 to Pwllheli, 105 Caer-y-Noddfa, 174 Ogyrfan, British post of, 155 Seiont, 101 Caersws, Roman Station, 173 ; legend of Queen Swsan, 173; antiquities, 173; Ro- man roads from, 174 Caerwys, cradle of the Eist- eddfodau, 77 Caerynwch, 27 Cain, river, 78 Calettwr, 24 ; river, 1 59 Camlan, river, 135 Camps, ancient, xxviii, 12, 38, 45, 62, 109, 146, 150, 155, 157, 162, 166, 168, &c. Cann Office, 157 Capel Bangor, 170 Capel Curig, 93, 115; dis- tances, 93 ; ascent of Snow- don, 118 to Beddgelert, 121 Garmon, 92, 99 Llochwyd, 65 Trillo, 55 Caractacus, betrayal of, 100 Cardeston, 172 Carn Boduan, 108 Fadryn, 108 Pentyrch, 107 Carnedd Dafydd and Llew- elyn, 51, 94 Carno, river, 174 , village, 174 , battle of, 174 Carreg y Liam, 107 Carrog stat., 22 Castell-y-Bere, remains of, 1 53 Brogvntyn, 155 Caer Einion, 157, 165 Caer Seion, British town of, 49 Cidwm, 123 - — Coch, 163 ; site of, 99 Dinas Bran, 20 Dyffryn, 170 183 COGINAN. Castell Edris, semicircular dyke at, 62 fan Gwrach, 179 Mawr, 45 Odo, 109 Prysor, 135 Tomen-y-Mur, 135 Cathedrals— Asaph, St., 85 Bangor, 56 Chester, 32 Cefn Caer, 151 caves, 85 stat., 11 y-bedd, 75 Carnedd, 168 y-Castell, 172 Cyfarwv dd, 89 Ogof cavern, 45 Cefni, vale and river, 72 Cegid, river, 58 Ceiriog, river, 9; battle oil its banks, 9 Cemaes, 73, 141, 158 Road junct., 174 Cerniogau, 99 Cerregceinwen, 64 Cerrig-y-drudion, 99 Ceryst, river, 139, 173 Ceuuant Mawr waterfall, 112 Charles I. at Shrewsbury, 6 ; at Denbigh, 82 Chester, 32; form of the city, 32 ; walls, 35 ; Phoenix Tower, 35 ; Water Tower, 36; Rows, 32; ancient houses, 32; cathedral, 32; churches, 34; St. John’s, 34; castle, 34; bridge, 35; Roodee, 35; history, 36; railways and distances, 36 to Bangor, 37 to Ruthin, 74 Chirk stat., 9 ; castle, 10 ; village, 9 Churler, valley of the, 77 Chwilog, 104 Cilcen, or Cilcain, 78, 80 Circles, Druidical, 43, 50, 61, 77, 80, 146, 157, 176 Clarach, river, 176 Clogwyn du’r Arddu, 116,118 Clun forest, 167 Clwyd,river, 44, 45, 7 7,80,81,84 Clwydian hills, 77, 80 Clynnog, 105; its ancient church, 105 ; legend of St. Beuno, iq6 ; cromlech, 106 Clywedog, river, 81, 153, 169 Coal-measures of Nor thWales, xviii Coed Coch, 52 Ewloe, battle of, 38 Talon ironworks, 75 Coginan lead-mines, 170 184 INDEX. COLLIERIES. Collieries, 75 Colwyn, 46 ; valley of the, 117 Connah’s Quay stilt., 38 Conovium, Roman station, 88 Conway, 47 ; suspension and tubular bridges, 46; castle, 47 ; church, 48 ; neighbour- hood, 49 ; conveyances, 49 ; distances, 49 to Bangor, 49 to Bettws-y-Coed, 88 to Llandudno, 53 Conwy river, 88, 91, 13 3 ; source of, 1 33 , falls of, 92 Yale of, 92 Copp *ar 'leni, tumulus, 4; Copper- works of North Wales, mines, 72, 136, 156 Corns Railway , river, 139 , slate-quarries of the, 139; railway, 139 Cors-y-Gedol, 145 Corwen Junct. stat., 23 ; relics of Owain Glyndwr at, 23 ; distances, 23 ; railway, 23 to Rhyl, 78 Corys, 139 Cowarch, river, 140 Craig-y-Deryn, 153 Colommenod, 181 y-Ddinas, 61 ddrwg, 142 llyn Dyfi, 140 y-Llam, 138 y-Saetb, 148 Creuddyn, 49 Criccieth, 141 Criggion, 172 Crogen, 23 Cromlechs, xxv, 61, 64, 71, 72, 7 3, 92, 99, 105, 106, 109, 145 , 146 Cross Foxes Inn, 138 Crosswood, 1 81 Crown Inn, 80 Cwm Bochlwyd, 95 Brwynog, 116, 117 — — Bychan, 145, 148 — Clogwyn, 1 17 ; its lakes, 117 Dyli, 121 Glas. 113, 116 y-glo, 1 1 1 Llan, 117, 121 Cynfael, river, 132, 133 Cynicht, 122; ascent of, 127 Cymmer Abbey, 137 Cyrn-y-brain, 80 Cysylltau Aqueduct, 18 D. Dafydd, Carnedd, 51, 94 Darwin, Charles, birthplace, 6 Dee, valley of, 10, 22 DYSYNI. Dee, river, 12, 18, 22, 23, 80 viaduct, 11, 18 Deganwy stat., 53 ; castle, 53 Denbigh, 81 ; castle, 81 ; churches and public build- ings, 82 ; distances, 83 ; excursions, 83 Deneio, 108 Derwen, 78 Derwen Las, 176 Devil’s Bridge and water- falls, 178, 179 Diffwys junct. stat., 130 Difias, river, 152 Dinas junct. stat., 103 Dinlle, 105 Dinoethni, British post, 105 Dinorwic, British post, hi — - Emrys, 122 Mawddwy, 140 Dinorwic, slate-quarries of, 112 Diserth, castle of, 43 ; church, 41 Dodleston, 16 Dolbadarn, 11 1 ; round tower of, III Dolforwyn castle, 167 Dolfriog, 127 Dolgarrog, 88 Dolgelley, 26, 138; manu- facture, 26, 138; convey- ances and distances, 138 ; railways, 26; walks, 26; excursions, 27, 138 to Barmouth, 30 to Dinas Mawddwy, 139 to Towyn, 138 Dolwreiddiog, 147 Dolwyddelan, village and castle, 97 Dovey, river, 139, 151 Downing, 42 Druid Inn, 100 Drws Ardudwy, 148 Drws-y-Coed, 104 I)rws-y-Nant stat., 25 Drwyndwn, Iorwerth, resi- dence of, 98 Dulas, river, 71 Dulyn, river, 88 Dwfrdwy, river, 24; valley, 25 Dwyfach, river, 141 Dwyfawr, river, 141 Dwygyfylchi, 49 Dwyryd, river, 130, 132, 143 Dyffryn, 145 Dyffryn Aled, 52 Dyfi, river, 140, 141, 151,158, 169, 175 Dyganwy stat., 53 ; castle, 53 Dysyni, 150 FRONHALLOG. E. Eaton Hall, 36 Eden, river, 135, 148 Edeyrn, 108 Edeyrnion, vale of, 23 Edward I., in the Snowdon district, 120 Edward II., reputed birth- place of, 101 Efenechtyd, 78 Eglwys Each, 176 Fair, 109 Rhos, 53 Eglwyseg rocks, 19 ; Manor- house, 21 Eifl, yr, 106 Eilian, well of, 46, 73 Einion, river, 157 Eira, river, 157 Eliseg, pillar of, 21 Ellesmere, 16 canal, 9; aqueduct of the, 9 Elwy, river, 45, 52, 84, 85, 86 Epilepsy, 80 Erbistock, 12 Erddig, 13 Esgair, 139 Ewloe castle, ruins of, 38 Eyarth stat., 78 F. Fairy Glen at Bettws-y-Coed, 92.99 Fenn’s Moss, 17 Fenn’s Bank stat., 17 Festiniog, quarries of, 130? vale and town of, 132 to Penmachno and Ys~ pytty Evan, 133 to Dolgelley, 134 Ffraw, river, 62 Ffynnon Asa, 43 Ffynnon Fair, holy well of, 86, 109 Ffynnon-Leinir, 77 Ffynnon-y-Lloer, 94 Ffynnon Llugwy, 94 Fitzmaurice, Hon. T., eccen- tricity of, 84 Flint, 38 ; castle, 38 Forden 167 Foss Noddyn, 92 Four Crosses, 162 Foxes’ Path, 28 Fronfell, 139 Frongoch stat., 13 1 Fronhaulog, 23 GAER FAWR. G. aer Fawr, 165 •aer wen junct., 62 — to Amlwch, 71 am, Sir David, plots the death of Owain Glyndwr, 175 amallt, 15; ardden, 12, 157 arreg, mountain, 42 arth, 69 arthbeibio, 158 arthewin, 52 eirw, river, 100 elert, story of the hound, 125 fili, Gynan, 80 eology of North Wales, xviii ^ologist, points of interest for the, xxxii sorge, St., 86 ^rddi Bluog, 147 bson, John, birthplace, 49 andovey junct., 139, 151 an Conwy stat., 89 andyfi, 151, 176 !anywern, 81 aslyn, 116, 119, 121, 126, 152 oddaeth, 53 ossary of Welsh words, xxx yder Fawr and Fach, 95 yn, slate-quarries of, m yn Cowarch, 143 yndwr, Owain, his mar- riage, 17 ; mount of, 22 ; derivation of the name, 22 ; his lawsuit with Lord Grey of Ruthin, 22; his manor sold by Henry IV., 23 j relics of, 23 ; murders Hy- vvel Sele, 27 ; takes Harlech 'astle, 143 ; ousted by Prince Henry, 143; crowned at Machynlleth, 175 yndyfrdwy stat., 22 ynllifon, 105 ywllyn, 148 bowen stat., 9 >ch, Owen, his prison, 111 •garth, 54 gerddan, 176 Id mines, 30 ; locale of its iiscovery, 136 rphwysta, 114, 118 idington, 17 3sford, 15 iffith’s Crossing stat., 101 uffydd, Dafydd ap, his exe- cution, 6 INDEX. 185 HOLYHEAD. Gryffydd, Owain, real name of Owain Glyndwr, 22 Guiisfield, 164 Gulls, regularity of their mi- gration, 66 Gwaenynog, 83 Gwersyllt, 75 Gwespyr quarries, 43 Gwrych castle, 45 Gwryd, river, 114 Gwyddelwem, 78 Gwydir House, 90 Gwydtyn, semicircular dyke at, 62 Gwynnant, 121 Gwyniad fish, 25 Gwyrfai, river, 103, 105; val ley of the, 123 Gwytherin, 52, 91, 107 H. Hafod, 180; collection of MSS. at, 180 Halkin mountain, 39 ; mining district of, 38, 76 Halston, 16 Hanmer, 17 Harbour of refuge at Holy- head, 65 Harlech, 143 ; castle, 143 ; tis vicissitudes, 143 ; an- tiquities found near, 145 ; the marsh, 145; convey- ances and distances, 145 ; excursions, 145 to Dolgelley, 147 Hartsheath, 75 Ha warden, 38, 74; castle, 74; distances, 74 Heights, comparative, of North Welsh mountains, xxxii Henblas, 64 Cromlech, 72 Hengwrt, MSS., 137 Henllan, 84 Henrylll. at Castle Dyganwy, 53 VII. at Mathafarn, 175 , Matthew, his grave, 34 Herbert, George, birthplace of, 167 Heriri Mons, Roman station of, 135 Hesp Alun, 76 Hillbre Island, 43 Hirnant, tunnel, 171 Holland Arms stat., 71 Holt, 15 Holyhead, 64 ; harbour, 64 ; Salt Island, 65 ; obelisk, 65 ; church of St. Cybi, 65 ; harbour of refuge, 65 ; quarries, 65 ; telegraph, LLANASA. 65; Skerries Islands, 65; North Stacks, caverns in, 66; Holyhead mountain, 66; South Stack, 66; the “ Stairs,” 66 ; suspension- bridge, 58 ; lighthouse, 66 ; caverns of the S. Stack, 66 ; sea-birds, 66 ; migration of gulls, 66 ; mode of taking the eggs, 66 Holywell stat., 39; town, 40 Hope junct., 74 ; village, 75 Hotel accommodation, xi I. Ial, river, 174 Idris, giant, legend of, 138 Ifan, Davydd ap, his defence of Harlech castle, 143 Inscribed stones, xxvi, 63, 79 99, 108, 147, 150 Interest, places of, xxxiii Iron manufacture of North Wales, works, 11 J. Jefferies, ~ Judge, reputed birthplace, 15 Johnes, Col., his improve- ments and collections at Hafod, 180 Johnson, Dr., at Gwaenynog, 83 Jubilee Tower, 76 K. Kentigern, Bishop of Glas- gow, founds the see of St, Asaph, 84 Kerry, 167 Hills, 167 Kinmel Park, 45, 86 L. Lavan Sands, 51 Lead-ore in North Wales, mines, 38, 43, 88, 159, 170, 174, 181 Leaton stat., 8 Leeswood Hall, 75 Leighton Hall, 165 Lery, river, 176 Lisbume, lead-mines of, 181 Llanaber, 146 Lanaelhaiarn, 106 Llanafan, 181 Llanallgo, 71 Llanarmon in Yale, 80 Llanasa, 43 186 LLANBADARN. Llanbadara Fawr church, 170, 178 Llanbadrig, 73 Llanbeblig, 12 j Llanbedr, 145, 147 Llanbedrog, no Llanberis, iii; geology of, 1 12; slate-quarries, 112 , Pass of, 11 j • , ascent of Snowdon from, 116 to Beddgelert, 121 Llanbrynmair, 174 Llanycil, 25 Llancynfelin, 176 Llandanwg, 145, 147 Llandderfel, 23 Llanddona, 70 Llanddulas, 45 * Llanddwyn, 63 Llanddwywe, 146 Llanddyfnan, 71 Llandecwyn, 142 Llandegai, 52, 58, 97 Llandegfan, 70 Llandegla, well of, 80 Llandinam, 168 Llandrillo, 2 3, 159 yn-Ilhos, 55 Llandrinio, 162 Llandudno, 5 3 ; excursions from, 55; distances, 55 Llandwrog, 105 Llandysilio, 22, 59, 162 Llanedwen, 61 Llanegryn, 150 Llaneilian, 46, 7* , cursing-well of, 46 Llanelltyd, 1J7 Llanelwy, 84 Llanengan, no Llanerchrugog Hall, 12 Llanerchymedd, 72 Llanerfyl, 157 Llaueugrad, 71 Llanfaelrhys, no Llanfaes Friary, 69 Llanfair stat., *60, 67, 147 Caer Einlon, 157 Dyffryn Clwyd, 78 Llanfairfechan, 51 Llanfair Isgaer, 101 mathafarn-eithaf, 71 yn-Neubwll, 64 pwll-gwyngyll ch., glesey, 61 Talhaiam, 52 Llanfechan, 17 1 Elanfechell, 7* Llanfibangel ch., 70, 176 Ysgeifiog, 71 Tre'r Beirdd, 72 Llanfwrog, 80 Llanfyllln, 171 Llangadvati, 157 INDEX. LLEWELYN. Llangadwaladr, 6 3 Llangedwyn, 156 Llangefni, 72 Llangelynyn, 149 Llangerniw, 52 Llangoed, 70 Llangollen , vale of, 18, 22 , town of, 19 ; its patron saint, 19; ladies of, 19; neighbourhood, 20; dis- tances, 20 to Corwen, 22 Llangristiolus, 72 Llangurig, 169 Llangwnadle, 109 Liang wyfari, 6j Llangwyllog stat., 72 Llangybi, 107 Llangynhafal, 80 Llangynnog, 159; lead-mines and slate-quarry, 159 Llangynyw, 157 Llanidan, 62 Llanidloes , 168 ; church, 168 ; conveyances and distances, 169 Llaniestyn, 70 Llanllugan, 157 Llanllyfni, 104 Llan-y-Mawddwy, 140 Llannerchydol, 165 Llanor, 108 Llanrhaiadr, 81 Llanrhaiadr-yn-Moclmant, 160 Llanrhychwyn, 89 Llanrhudd, 79 Llanrw.st, 90; conveyances and distances, 90; excur- sions, 90 Llansadwrn, 70 Llansannan, 52, 8j Llansantffraid stat., 23, 88, 156, 171 Gian Conwy, 88 Llantysilio, vale and village, 22 Llanuwchllyn, 25, 141 Llanvair-y-Cwminwd, 64 Llanvihangel, 176 y-Pennant, 153 Llanwenllyfo, 71 Llanwnog, 17* Llanwrin, 175 1- Llanyblodwel, 156 Llanychan, 80 Llan-y-cil, 25 Llanymynech hill, 1 56 ; junct. stat., 162 Llanystumdwy, 141 Llech Idris, 1 3$ Llechog, 117 Lledr, river, 92, 04 1 Lleiniog, castle, 69 ; Llewelyn, residence of, 6j LLYNIATJ. Llewelyn and his hound Ge- 1 lert, story of, 125 , Carnedd, 51, 94 Llewelyn’s kitchen, 51 Lleweni, 8 3 Lleyn, 107 Llidiart-y-Barwn, 1 58 Llong stat., 75 Lloyd, Bishop of St. Asaph his birthplace, 64 Llugwy, river, 91, 94 Llwydiarth, 72, 157 Llwyngwril, 149 Llyffni, river, 105 Llyffnant, river, 169, 175 * Llyn-yr-Adar, 122 ar-afon, 51 Aled, 99 Alwen, 99 — — Aran, 29 Aren nig Fach, 13 1 Fawr, 131 Badrig, 64 Bochlwyd, 95 Bodlyn, 146 Bugeilyn, 152, 175 y-Cau, 28, 154 Caws, 1 61 Llynclys, 162 Llyn Conwy, source of, 1 33 Coron, 62 Cowlyd, 88, 9* Crafnant, 89 Cregenan, 149 Cwellyn, 104, 12 3; as cent of Snowdon from 118 y-Cwm, 95, 11 3 Cwmffynnon, 1 14 Cynwch, 27 y-Ddinas, 121 Dulyn, 146 Du’r Arddu, 116 I )ywarchen, and its float ing island, 104 Ebyr, 169 Edno, 122 Eiddew, 147 Mawr, 147 Kigiau, 89 Elsie, 91 y-Gader, 28, 104, 124 Geirionydd, 89 1 Gwernan, 28 Gwynant, 114, 121 Howell, 148 Jdwal, 95 ; former gb ciers and moraines of, 95 1 Irddyn, 146 Llagi, 122 Llydaw, 114, 116, 118 -Manod, 1 jo lorwynion, ijj, 148 Llyniau Mymbyr, 114 Nantlle, 104 INDEX, 187 LLYN-YR-OGO. yn-yr-Ogo, waterfall, 53 — -Ogwen, 94 — Padarn, hi — Penrhaiadr, 17 5 — Peris, 1 1 1 — Tecwyn CJchaf, 142 Isaf, 142 — Tegid (Bala Lake), 24 ; tradition concerning, 24 ; inundation of, 25 ; fish of, 25 — Teyrn, 118 — Trigraienyn, legend of, 138 — Tryweryn, 13 1 ys Bradwen, remains of, 149 — Eurian, 55 ysdulas, 7 1 > r sfaen Hill, 46 ggcrheads Inn, 78 ng Mountain, 165 ton, 172 more Park, 167 M. chno, river, 92, 1 33 -, falls of, 92 chynlleth, 139, 152, 175; tat., 175; Owain Glyndwr rowned at, 175 ; flannel nanufacture, 175; neigh- •ourhood, 175; convey- mces and distances, 176 docks, Mr., his improve- nents in Traeth Mawr evel, 127 doc, Gruffydd ap, his re- uge, 20 telor, Madoc ap Gruffydd, ounder of Valle Crucis Vbbey, 21 ielor Saesneg, 1 3 en Achwynfan, 42 - Bras, 1 18 enan, 89 entwrog Road stat., 13 1 esmawr, 100 les-Garmon, battle of, 76 esmynan, 77 es-y-Neuadd, 14 3 es-y-porth, 64 glona, site of, 152, 17 5 dldraeth, river of the, '62 - marsh, 71 llwyd, 158 nod Mawr, 132 nods, mountains, 130 rgaret of Anjou at Har- ech, 145 thafarn, 175 thrafal, 156 Avddach, river, 27, 30, 31, 35 , 136 MYTTON. Mediolanum, Roman station, 156 Meifod, 156 Meini Hirion, 50 Melynllyn, 94 Menai Straits, 58 Bridge stat., 58 Suspension Bridge, 58 tubular bridge, 59 Menai Bridge to Amlwch, 67 Merddwr, river, 99 Minera, mining district of, 14 Minffordd junct. stat., 129, 142 Moat, the, 165, 17 3 Moat Lane junct., 168, 17 3 Mochras, 145 Moel Arthur, British post, of 77 y-Ddolwen, 157 y-don, 58, 62, 100 Fammau, 76 Fern a, 2 3 Moelfre, 51 Moel-y-gaer, British fortress at, 39* 176 y-gaer, British post of, 77 y-Gamelin, 22 y-ciw, 89 y-golfa, 172 Hebog, 124, 125 Siabod, 97, 115 y-Trifaen, 104 y-Wyddta, 115 Moelwyn, 130 Moelydon, 100 Mold, 75 ; battle near, 76 ; distances, 76 Monacella, St., legend of, 160 Montgomery, 166 ; castle, 166 ; British camp, 166 ; church, 166; distances, 167 Montgomeryshire canal, 162 Morfa Harlech, 143, 145 Morfa Rhuddlan, battle of, 87 Morton, 162 Mostyn, 42 Hall, 42 Quay, 43 Mountain ranges of North Wales, xii Mountains, comparative heights of, xxxii Mule, river, 167 Myddelton, Sir Hugh, 82 Mynach, river, 179 Mynydd Hiraethog, 99 Llwydiarth, 70 Mawr. 123 Mytton, Gen., takes Shrews- bury, 3 ; Ruthin castle be- sieged by, 79 ; takes Den- bigh castle, 82 ; conquers at Llandegai, 97 ; invests Harlech, 143 OSWESTRY. N. Nanhoron, no Nannau, 27 ; legend con- nected with, 27 House, 137 Nannerch, 77 Nant-y-Belan, 11 Nantcol, 147 cribba Hall, 165 eos, 181 Ffrancon, 95 clwyd, 78 yr-Eira, 157 glyn, 83 y-gwryd, valley of, 1 14 Gwynnant, vale of, 114 Gwytheryn, 107 Nantlle, 104 Nant Mill, 123 Nant Ysgolion waterfall, 174 Nevin, 108 Newborough, 6 3 Newmarket, 43 Newtown, 168; flannel ma- nufacture, 168 ; ancient church, 168 ; conveyances and distances, 168 Hall, 168 North Wales: Physical fea- tures, xi ; geology, xviii ; antiquarian view, xxv ; communications, travel- ling, x ; glossary of Welsh words, xxx ; points of in- terest for the geologist, • xxxii ; comparative heights of mountains, xxxii ; chief places of interest, xxxii ; skeleton routes and tours, XXXV Northop, 38 O . Objects of interest, chief, vii Offa’s Dyke, xxvii, 9, 155, 162, 165, 167 Ogwen, river, 51, 93, 94, 9 5 Ogwen Bank, 96 Onslow Hall, 172 Orme’s Head, Great and Little, 54 Oswald, St., King ofNorthum- bria, his death and canoni- sation, 155 Oswestry, 154 ; derivation of its name, 155; St. Oswald’s well, 1 55; Old Oswestry British post, 155; distances and conveyances, 156 to Aberystwyth, 162 to Llanfyllin, 171 to Machynlleth, 154 188 INDEX, OTELEY. Oteley Park, 17 Overton, 12 Owen family, seat of, 8j , Sir John, condemned and pardoned, 128 , Robert, his birthplace, 168 P. Padarn, St., 170 Padeswood, 75 Pale, 2? Pandy Mill, 92 Pant Asa, 42 Pant-yr-Afon, 98 Parc-y-meirch, 86 Parkgate, 39 Parnell, poet, his grave, 34 Parson's Bridge, 179 Panvyd, 109 Parys mountain, copper- mines of, 72 Pearls in the Conway, 49 Pedestrians, xi Penbedw Hall, British re- mains at, 77 Pen Caer Gvbi, 66 Pen Dinas, 177 Pendyffryn, 49 Penegoes, 175 Pengwem, 20, 87 Peniarth, 150 Penmachno, in Penmaen Bach, 50 Penmaenmawr, 50 Penmaen Pool Stat., jo Penmaen Rhos, tunnel of, 46 Penmon Priory, 69 Penmorfa, 128 Penmynydd, 62 Pennal, 151 Pennant, his residence at Downing, 42 Melangell, 160 ; singular church and legend of St. Monacella, 160 yr, U9 Penrhos, 64 Penrhos Llugwy, 71 Penrhyn castle, 57 Slate-Quarries, 96; mode of working, 96 promontory, 142 Deudraeth, 129, 142 Pcnsam, 45, 71, 145 Pentraetb, 70 l’entrevoelas, 99 Penybont, 154, 160 Pen-y-Castell, 157 Pen-y-Ddinas, British for- tress, 54 Pen-y-gader, 28 Penygaer, British post of, 99 Pen-y-Groes, 104 TORTH LLONGDDU. Pen-y-Gwryd, 114 Perthi-Duon, cromlech at, 62 Pen-Pigin, 2j Physical features of North Wales, xi Pimblemere (Bala Lake), 24 Piozzi, Mrs., at Gwaenynog, 8j ; her residence at Bryn- bella, 84; her birthplace, 108 Pistyll, granite-quarry near, 107 Pistyll Cain, waterfall, ij6 Pistyll-y-Llyn, waterfall at, 175 Pistyll Rhaiadr, waterfall, 161 Pitt’s Head, 124 Plas Berw, 71 Plas Bodidris, 80 Plas Coch, 61 Plas Gwyn, 61, *70 Plas Llanfair, 61, 101 Plas Llanidan, 101 Plas Machynlleth, 139, 175 Plas Madoc, 1 1 Plas Mawr, 48 PlasNewydd, seat of Marquis of Anglesey, 61 Plas Newydd, residence of the “ ladies of Llangollen,” 19 Plas Penmynydd, 62 Plas Power, 15 Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, ijo Plas Teg, 75 Plas-y-Nant, 12 ; Plinlimmon , 169 Point ASlianus, 7; Ponsonby, Miss, her retreat at Llangollen, 19 Pont Aberglaslyn, 125 Pont-yr-alltgoch, 86 Pont-y- Cysyll tau aqueduct , 18 Pontdolgoch, 174 Pont Erwyd, 170 Pont- Fall wyd waterfall, 158 Pont Glyn Diffwys, 100 Pont-y-Gromlech, nj Pont Llyffnant, 176 Pontnewydd, 105 Pont-rhyd-y-grocs, 1 8 1 Pont-rhyd-du, 124 Pont-rhyd-galcd, 169 Pont Ruffvd, 84 l’ontrythalt Stat., no Pontygwidel, 52 Pont-y- Pair, 91 Pont-y- Pant Stat., 97 Pool Park, antiquities at, 78 Pool Quay, 16 j Port Dinorwic, 100 Port Penrhyn, 57 Porthamel, 62, 100 Porth-Dinlleyn, 108 Porth Llongddu, 70 RHUDDLAN. Porth Lwyd, 89 Porth Nigel, no Portmadoc, 128, 142 to Festiniog Quarriei, 129 Post horses, xi Powys Castle, i6j P recipice Walk, 27 Preesgwyn stat., 9 Prestatyn, 4} Prynne, Will., imprisoned It Caernarvon, 102 Prys, Archdeacon, 147 Puffin Island, 55, 69 Pwll-fanog, 61 Pwllheli, 107 ; port, 107 ; dis- tances and conveyance, 108 to Bardsey Island, 108 to Dolgelley, 141 Pwll-y-crochan, 46 Q. Queensferry, 37 Quellyn stat., 124 R. Railways, x : Great Western; 2 ; Whitchurch and Os- westry, 16; Holyhead, 56; Anglesey Central, 71 Chester and Holyhead, 74: Corwen and Rhyl, 78 ; valr of Clwyd, 78; Cambrian. 141 ; Shrewsbury an( Welshpool, 172; Minford . Diffwys and Ffestiniog “ Toy ” Railway, 142 Raven waterfall, 132 Rea valley, 172 Red nail stat., 8 Redwharf bay, 70 Remains, Roman, 8, 62, 75 88, ioj, 105, IJ5, 174 Rhaiadr, river, ij2, 160 Cwm, i}j Du, waterfall, 131, ij6 Mawddach, waterfall 1 16 Mawr, waterfall, 5 1 y-Wenol, 9? Rheidol, river, 169, 170, 17* 179 Rhewl, 80 Rhlw, village, no , river, 157; waterfall c the, 167 Rhiwarth riv., 160 Rhiw-gocb, 1 j6 Rhosgoch Stat., 72 Rhos Llanerchrugog, 12 Rhuabon junct. stat. an village, 11, 18 to Dolgelley, 18 Rhuddlan, suit., 86 ; castle 0 RHUG. 86 ; ruins of priory, 87 ; village, 87 ; battle near, 87 hug, 100 ; relics of Owain Glyndwr at, 100 ; Jacobean chapel, 100 hydfach, river, 13 1 ,hyd-y-fen, 13 1 hydymwyn stat., 76 hyd-y-pennau, 176 hyd-yr-onen stat., 154 hyl Junct. stat., 44 ichard II. at Flint, 39 ; place of his capture, 45 ; at Rhuddlan castle, 87 ,oderic the Great, residence of, 62 odney’s Pillar, 172 ;oman Bridge Stat., 98 ;oman roads, xxvii ose Hill, 12 lossett stat., 15 ; village, 16 owlands, Rev. H., birth- place, 61 .owton Castle, 172 ,oyal Charter, wreck of the, 7 1 Ujthin, 79; castle, 79; church, 79 ; cloisters, 79 ; distances, 80; excursions, 80 utunium, supposed site of, 8 ;uyton, 8 S. alt Island, 65 altney, 16 arn Badrig, legend concern- ing, 146 — y-bwch, 150 Helen, 97, 133, 1 35 — Hwlcyn, 43 — Meyllteyrn, 108 tegontium, 101 ; site of, 103 ieiont, river, 101, 102, 105, no, 123 'elattyn, 9 tele, Howel, murdered by Owain Glyndwr, 27 ^evern river, 8, 162, 165, 167, 169, 172, 173; source of, 152, 169 hakerley, Col., 75 5 helton, 172 Shrewsbury, 2 ; early history, 7 ; bridges, 3 ; castle, 3 ; walls, 3 ; churches, 3 ; mo- nastic remains, 5; school, old and new, 5 ; ancient houses, 6 ; public buildings, 6; monuments, 6; railways, 7 ; battlefield, 7 ; distances, 8 Shrewsbury to Chester, 2 to Aberystwyth, 172 INDEX. TANNAT. Siamber Wen, 43 Silver mines in North Wales, 38 Skeleton routes and tours, xxxvi Skerries. Island, 65 Skinner, Capt., obelisk to his memory, 65 Slate-quarries of North Wales : at Penrhyn, 96 ; of Glyn, in ; of Dinorwig, 1 12 ; near Llangynnog, 159; of the Corris, 139 Snowdon, 1 15; its physical features and divisions, 115 ; ascent of, from Llanberis, 116 ; from Beddgelert, 117 ; from Llyn Cwellyn, 1 1 8 ; from Capel Curig, 118 ; hotels on the summit, 119 ; views from, 119; present and former state of the dis- trict, 120; geology of the mountain, 120 ; botany, 120 Ranger stat., 103, 122 Soughton, 76 Spirits’ Hollow Tree, legend of, 27 Stacks, North, 65 ; South, 66 Stanley embankment, 64 Stations, Roman, xxvii, 8, 9, 13. 77,88, 101, 135, 151, 156, 173 , 175 Steddfa Gurig, 169 Stone circles, 43, 50, 61, 77, 80, 146, 176 Strata Florida Abbey, 18 1 Strata Marcella, former abbey of, 163, 165 Strongbow, Gilbert de, seizes the lands of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, 177 Suetonius, place of his land- ing, 62 Swallow waterfall, 91 Swsan, queen, legend of, 173 Sychnant, glen of, 49 T. Tafolog, river, 158 Talacre, 43 Talar Goch lead-mine, 44 Talerddig, 174 Taliesin, poet, residence of, 89; his supposed burial- place, 176 Talybont, 176 Tal-y-Cafn, 89 Tal-y-foel, 62 Tal-y-Llyn, 154 Tal-y-Sarnau, 143 Tannat, , river, 156, 160 189 TY-NY-RHYL. Tan-y-Bwlch, 93, 127, 129 to Dolgelley, 134 to Machynlleth, 1 54 Tan-y-grisiau, 130 Tarannon, hill, geology of, 152 vale, 169 ; river, 173 Tern, river, 8 Thrale, Mrs., 8j. See Piozzi Tomen-y-fardre, tumulus, 80 Tomen-y-Rhodwydd, tumu- lus, 80 Torrent Walk, 26, 138 Tourist, chief places of in- terest to the, xxxii Tower, residence near Mold tragical occurrence in, 76 Towyn, 150; St. Cadfan’s Stone, 150; conveyances and distances, 151 to Tal-y-Llyn, Cader Idris, and Dolgelley, 153 Traeth Bach, 142 Mawr, 1 27, 142 Travelling in North Wales, x Trawscoed stat., 181 Trawsfynydd, 134 Treborth, 100 Trefeglwys, 169 Trefl'nant, 84 Trefonen, 156 Trefriw, 88 Tregarnedd, 72 Tremadoc, 127; geology of the country around, 129 ; conveyances and distances, 129 Tremeirchion, 84 Tre’r Ceiri, early fortified town of, 106 Ddol, 176 Driw, 62 Tre Taliesin, 176 Trevalyn, House, 16; Old » Hall, 16. Trevor family, 10 stat. and hall, 19 Trifaen, 95 Trosyr Afon, 69 Trueman’s Hill, 74 Tryweryn, river, 13 1 Tudor, Catherine, story of her marriages, 83 , Owen, birthplace of, 62 Tudweiliog, 109 Tumuli, xxvi Twll Ddu, 95 Twrch, river, 141 Twymyn, river, 152, 158 ; waterfalls of, 174 Ty-Croes, 64 Tyn-y-Bryn, 91 y-Coed, 99 y-Cornel, 15 1 y-Groes, 27, 136 Ty-ny-Rhyl, 44 190 INDEX. UR-ICONIOI. U. Ur-iconium, remains of, 8 V. Valle Crucis Abbey, 20 Valley stat., 64 Vanner Abbey, 1 77 Vaughans ancient family seat of, 145 Vaynol, 100 Vaynor, 167 Viaduct, railway across the Dee valley, 11, 18 Vigra mountain, gold-mine of. ?o Vitalls, Ordericus, birthplace, 8 Voelas Hall, 99 Vortigem, last resting-place of, 107 ; his retirement on Dinas Emrya, 122 Voryd river, 44, 87 Vyrnwy, river, 156,157, 171, *172 lake. 1 71 WILSON. W. Wardle, Col., residence of, 75 Waterfalls, 51, 57, 88,92, 95, 99 , " 2 , U2, I? 5 , 158, 161, 108, 174, 179, 180, 181 Waterloo Bridge, 92 Tower, 1 1 Watt’s Dyke, xxvii, 9, 40, 15 * Welshampton stat., 17 Welshpool junct., 167, 177; church, 167 ; conveyances, 164 ; distances, 164 Wheeler, river, 84 Whitchurch (Shrops.), 17 Whitchurch, Denbigh, 82 ; junct., 17 Whitford, 42 Whittington junct., 8 junct., to Whitchurch junct., 16 I Wilson the painter, birthplace of, 175; his grave, 75 Y TRIFAEN. Winifred, St., well of, 40 legend of, 41 Wnion, river, 25, 178 Woolaston, 172 Wrexham junct. stat., 17 Wroxeter, 8 Wye, river, 169 Wynn, family of, 12 Wynnstay, 11 ; arms, 174 Y. Ynys Halen, 65 Hettws, 1 17 y-mocii, 58 Seiriol, 69 Ynvs Las, 176 Yr'Eifl, 106 Yr Hen Gaer, encampment at, 176 Ysceifiog, 77 Ysgethin, river, 146 Yspytty Cynfyn, 179 Ivan, 1 74 Ystwyth, river, 177, 180, 181 Y Trifaen, 95 THF. END. ?/nrnox: rmnrrw* mr w. rmvm axt> aoxa, uhiteo, xtanfoiw Mnr.r.T A>n cmaimxo moM. PREFACE. Vithin the last fifty years, South Wales has gradually •ecome so opened up by roads and railways, that almost very part of it is now easily accessible to the tourist. The ole exception is the district between Haverfordwest and : t. Davids, and the sea-coast thence to Aberaeron. The same cause has tended so largely to the development f mining and manufacturing enterprise, that the face of the ountry is, in many districts, completely changed, and many f its natural characteristics are being swept away. It is one onsolation, though this will be cold comfort to the tourist, hat the people are growingly prosperous. The Editor had done his best to correct mistakes, and o indicate changes by enquiries made on the spot, and by pplication to local residents, whose kindly assistance as /ell as that of several friends and archaeologists he grate- ally acknowledges; but, as inaccuracies will creep in, he equests that any notice of such may be kindly sent to him, d the care of Mr. Murray, 50a, Albemarle Street. 1889. Introduction v ROUTES. %• The names of places are printed in Black type only in those routes where the placet are described. Route Page 1 Chepstow to Swansea, by Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, and Neath 2 2 Swansea to Milford Haven, by Llanelly, Caennarthen, and Haverfordwest . . 37 3 Hereford to Chepstow, by Ross and Monmonth . . 52 4 Newport to Hereford, by Pontypool Road and Aberga- venny ...... 68 5 Newport to Monmouth, by Usk and Raglan . . .76 6 Newport to Brynmawr, by Pontypool and Blaenafon . 81 7 Newport to Nantyglo and Ebbwv&le, by Crumlin and Aberbeeg 83 8 Newport to Nantybwch, by Tredegar 86 9 Newport to Brecon, by Bar- goed, Dowlais, and Taiybont 87 10 Pontypool Road to Swansea, by Quakers’ Yard, Aberdare, and Neath 92 11 Abergavenny to Merthyr, by Brynmawr and Tredegar . 99 12 Monmouth to Brecon, by Abergavenny and Crick- howcl 102 13 Brecon to Neath, by Devyn- nock ...... 114 14 Cardiff to Rhymney, by Caer- philly ir. 15 Cardiff to Merthyr, by Pont- y-pridd 12' 16 Hereford to Brecon, by Hay and Talgarth . . . . 12( 17 Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Three Cocks, Builth, Rhay- ader, and Llanidloes . .13" 18 Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Kington, Radnor and Rhay- ader 13: 19 Craven Arms to Caermarthen, by Llandrindod, Llando- very, and Llandeilo . .14 20 Swansea to Ystradgnnlais 15' 21 Swansea to Llanelly and Llan- deilo, by Pont-ar-dulais . 15‘ 22 Caermarthen to Aberyst- wyth, by Lampeter . . 15‘. 23 Caermarthen to Cardigan, by Pencader 17* 24 Caermarthen to Pembroke, by Whitland and Tenby . 17 25 Haverfordwest to Aberyst- wyth, by 8t. David’s, Fish- guard, Cardigan, and Aber- aeron 18 INTRODUCTION. I. Physical Features II. Geology III. Manufactures and Products .. 17. Communications .. Y. Antiquarian View YI. Social View VII. Glossary of Welsh Words as occurring in the con- struction of Welsh Names .. III. Points of Interest for the Geologist. . IX. Skeleton Routes . . X. Additional Information about Dowlais PAGE V vii xiv xix XX xxiv xxviii xxx xxxi xxxvii I. Physical Features. ew countries are more diversified than S. Wales, or present greater ntrasts and variety in scenery. All the requisites of perfect land- ape, — mountains (though seldom rising to the grand), desert moors, ooded hills, smiling valleys, broad rivers, and rushing torrents, — all fer themselves in turn to the view of the traveller. The mountain .nges may he divided broadly into 4 groups, each forming the charac- ristic feature of a quarter of the country, and each giving rise to one more of the principal rivers. 1. The S.E. Division , comprising roughly the district between bergavenny and Llandeilo on the N., Newport and Kidwelly on the — The space between these towns is almost entirely filled up by one tassive group, which in fact constitutes the coal-basin of S. Wales, )unded on the N. and E. by the valley of the Usk, and on the W. i that of the Towey. The principal eminences in this range are the lorenge (1908 ft.), Mynydd Llangynider, Brecon Beacons (2910 ft.), lermarthenshire Beacons (2598 ft.), the Fan Lisgaer, Talsarn, ribathj’and Trichrug, the northern slopes of which give rise to the sk and its tributaries, the Senni, Tarell, &c. About 1J m. nearly ue E., and within the county boundary, is the Fan Brechelmorig, Breconshire Beacon, 2631 ft. (This is 12 m. W. of the Brecon eacon = 2910 ft.) On the southern slopes, however, a different rangement prevails ; and instead of a tolerably uniform line of old d sandstone and mountain limestone hills extending E. and W., lofty id narrow ridges containing coal-measures are thrown out in a general rection to the S. or S.W., most of them running nearly to the sea- Introd vi I. Physical Features . coast. In consequence of this the valleys change their direction to dm N. and S., the country is more broken and romantic, and the stream? narrower and more impetuous. The most noticeable of these ridges are Cefn Crib, Cefn Gelligae (1574 ft.), Mynydd Llangynidr, Merthyr, Mynydd Llangeinor, Craig-y- Llyn, Cefn, Mynydd March Howel, Cefn Drim, and Mynydd Care Goch, from whence emerge the Ebbw, Rhymney, Tafif with it feeden Rhondda and Cynon, the Llynfi, Ogmore, Afon, Neath, Tawe, Lloughor. and Gvvendraeth rivers. It must not be forgotten, too, that the Usk. after flowing due E. from Trecastle to Abergavenny, turns abruptly t< the S. to fall into the Bristol Channel at Newport. 2. The S. W. Division , which we may imagine to be bounded b) Cardigan and Llandovery on the N., Pembroke and Caermarthen or the S., is chiefly marked by the Preseley Hills (1754 ft.), running from E. to W. and dividing the county of Pembroke into two parts. From thence a range of high ground continues to Llandovery, occupying the district between the Cothi, Towey, and Teifi. The principal streams arising from these hills are the Cothi and Gwili, joining the Towey near Caermarthen; the Taf and the Cleddau, which fall into the Bristol Channel at Milford Haven: besides the Gwaine and Nevern, which fall into the sea at Fishguard and Newport respectively. 3. The N.E . Group may be again subdivided by the Wye, which runs through the centre of it in rather a circuitous course. Between the great valleys of the Usk and Wye are the Black Mountains and Hatterill Hills, an immense block of mountains, of which the principa heights are Pencader (2630 ft.), Pen-carreg-calch (2250 ft.), and Penallt Mawr (2361 ft.), with the outliers of the Sugarloaf and Scyrrid : while further to the W. are the ranges of Cefn Llyddlo, Mynydd Epynt. and Bwlch-y-groes, together with the high grounds round Llanwrtyd known as the Forest of Esgob and Drygarn. These mountains give birth to the tributaries of the Usk and Wye : of the former, the Grwyney, Honddu, and Yscir; of the latter, the Monnow, Yrfon, Chweffru, CJaerwen, and Elan. The district N. of the Wye is wild and isolated, consisting chiefly of Radnor Forest and its outliers, which embraces the whole of Radnorshire and includes the picturesque scenery in the neighbourhood of Builth and Bhayader. The Edw. Ithon, and Marteg are tributaries to the Wye from these highlands, though the most northerly portion is watered by the Temc, Lugg, and Arrow, which flow in an easterly direction through the fertile plains ol Herefordshire. 4. 'The N. IK. Division is the wildest of the whole, comprising or the S. the extensive chain of mountains between the Towey and tin Teifi, or m other words between Llandovery and Tregaron. Although extending over a very large area, they nevertheless affect a S.W- bearing, a similar though smaller chain running in the same directior between the Teifi and the sea. The most lofty eminences in thi> group are the Tregaron Mount (1754 ft.) and Craig Twrch nen ntrod. vii ii. Geology . ampeter. The sources of two of the finest rivers in S. Wales, the ’owey and Teifi, are to he found in these hills, and that of the Aeron 1 the parallel range of Mynydd Bach. All these are separated by the Ystwyth from the H. Cardiganshire lountains, amongst which Plynlimmon (2463 ft.) is the most con- picuous ; indeed, physically speaking, these latter would seem to be -laced by the deep valleys of the Ystwyth and Rheidol within the atalogue of H. Wallian hills. Besides these principal groups, there re of course many less important heights, which are alluded to or escribed in the respective routes. II. Geology. For the study of the Lower BocTcs there is no more interesting country han the southern portion of the Principality, which offers frequent nd instructive series. Of course a summary cannot attempt to take n detail the minutise of such an important and widely-spread subject ; or them the geologist is referred to the 4 Memoirs of the Geological iurvey,’ vol. ii., which contains a most valuable article by the late ir H. De la Beche on the Formation of Rocks in S. Wales ; the 2nd dition of 4 Siluria,’ by Sir R. Murchison ; and various articles in the Geological Transactions ’ and 4 Geologist Magazine.’ 1. The most recent formation in S. Wales, excluding the alluvial nd drift deposits (the latter of which may be observed at Pentyrch nd Hen sol near Llantrissant), is that of the Lias. A large portion of /hat is called the Yale of Glamorgan is composed of Lias -rocks, resting n different localities on different bases, and overlying this district in i rather irregular manner. Though absent at many points, the Lias nay be described in general terms as extending from near Cardiff to ^yle, where (and from this place to Bridgend) it reposes on the Triassic narls. From the mouth of the Ogmore to Cowbridge it is found esting on upturned and disturbed Carboniferous Limestone, and spread- ng out in a somewhat peninsular form past Colvvinston to Ewenny. 4ear Southerndown (Rte. 1) and Dunraven it is well seen, lying lorizontally on the upturned mountain-limestone, and again at the ntrance of Cowbridge from Bridgend. At Llanblethian, a little to he S., ihe Carboniferous Limestone rises up abruptly, being enfolded >n all sides by the Lias. Hear Peterston-super-Ely it is observed rest- ng on the Old Red. A good locality for studying these rocks is on the N7 side of Barry Island, where they, together with the Hew Red marls, ire tilted up by a fault. Detached outliers are found to the E. of Newport, resting upon the Old Red and capping the knolls on the rt. )f the rly. at Llanwern, Lliswerry, and Bishton. The best points for -he geologist and collector are Llanwern, Maindee near Hewport, Penarth Head, and Lavernock Point near Cardiff, where the Lias rests >n the Rhcetic or Penarth beds, as they are called in the Ordnance Maps Survey (see a very able paper by Mr. Etheridge, 4 Cardiff Hat. History Soc. Transactions,’ vol. 3, pt. 2), Southerndown, and the coast generally. viii 11. Geology , Jntrod. There are also some tolerably good quarries between Llandaff and St. Fagans, though, as a rule, Lias fossils in S. Wales are not abundant. 2. The Triassic series are not largely exposed, but may be examined in sections where they are found covered by Lias, such as Penarth Head. Superficially they form the level grounds in the neighbourhoods of Caldicot and Mathern, as also small patches at Peterston near St. Fagans, Coity, and from thence to Pyle. 3. The Dolomitic or Permian Rocks are considerably developed, and may generally be found occupying the slopes of the mountain-lime- stone hills. Small isolated patches are seen near Chepstow and Mathern, but the great bulk of this formation is in the district of Llandaff, Radyr, and St. Fagans, from whence a broad line, often interrupted either by a covering of Lias or a protrusion of Carboniferous Limestone, occupies the southern slopes of the hills for more or less of the entire distance to Kenfig Point. The most important and interest- ing locality for studying these rocks is at Llantrissant, Llanharan, and Llanharry, in connection with the luematite workings carried on at these places (Rte. 1). Permian deposits will also be found at Bonvilstone, Cowbridge, Coity, and along the southern slopes of Newton Downs. The dolomitic conglomerate at Newton Nottage has produced the dinosaurian footprints known as Brontozoum Thomasii. This is the only locality in Europe where they have been found. Splendid impres- sions can be seen in the Free Museum, Cardiff. 4. The Carboniferous System is extensively and beautifully observed in the great S. Wales coal-field, which is perhaps the most perfect and regular coal-basin in the whole world. In shape it is, strictly speaking, that of a pear, with the smaller end towards the W., its greatest length being from Pontypool to Kidwelly, about 70 m., while the greatest breadth is about 25 m., from Merthyr or Hirwain to Cardiff. The Pembrokeshire field is not included in this measure- ment, differing a good deal in the arrangement of beds and quality of coal, and being separated by a considerable interval of Old Bed sand- stone. The basin is bounded on the N., E., and N.W. by a tolerably uniform belt of mountain limestone and millstone grit, and on the S. partly by the waters of the Channel, beneath which, indeed, many coal- measures run, and partly by the interlacement of Liassicand Dolomitic rocks just described. a. The Mountain Limestone on the N. extends from the Blorenge Mountain near Abergavenny, in a nearly straight line toLlandeilo, where it bears off S.W. to the sea-coast at Kidwelly, the average thickness being somewhat over 500 ft. There are also two conspicuous outliers, viz. Pen-carrcg-calch near Crickhowel and Carreg-Cennen (on which the famous castle is built), giving proof of the immense amount of denudation that has taken place. From their superior height and rugged escarpments, the limestone hills of the N. crop present infinitely finer scenery than those on the S., which, as we have seen, are often obscured by Permian and Liassic deposits. From Poutypool south- wards to Risca, aud thence westward to Caerphilly and Pentyrch, the [ntrod. n. Geology . ix imestone is uninterrupted ; but S. of Llantrissant it becomes consider- ibly covered up by the Dolomitic conglomerate, although large surfaces ,,re exposed between Cowbridge, Penlline, and Llanharry to the N., Imd to Caerau on the E. It is again well seen between Bridgend and 3t. Bride’s, as also forming the heights of Newton Down. Proceeding vestward, these rocks are found to be increasing in thickness, as shown n the magnificent coast-range of Mumbles and the cliffs of Gower Rte. 2), which attain a depth of about 1500 ft. Finally they reap- pear in S. Pembrokeshire, forming the S. border of that coal-field. .It uust not be inferred from what has been said, that the Pembrokeshire leld does not belong to the main basin, either geologically or geogra- phically, but it is thought more convenient to describe it separately ; :he mountain limestone, however, may be treated of at once. Like hat of S. Glamorganshire, it appears at intervals, forming narrow >ands across the country. One, very thin, extends from the coast near ^mroth to Haverfordwest ; a second from Tenby to Pembroke, through md parallel to which the old red sandstone of the Ridgeway rises up ; ind a third comprises the splendid coast-range of St. Gowan’s Head ind the Stack Rocks. The geologist will be at no loss to obtain sections ither here or in any other portion of the field ; nor, generally jpeaking, will he fail in obtaining good typical fossils. The best ocalities may be briefly pointed out: Llanelly, Llangattock, Trefil lear Tredegar, Castle Morlais, Penderyn, Dinas Craig, on the N. crop ; Jaerphilly, Castell Coch, Llantrissant, Mumbles, Worm’s Head, Tenby, ind Caldy Island, on the S. border. The rocks on the N. are univer- sally worked to supply the furnaces of the ironworks ; but on the S. he discovery of the hsematite ores at Pentyrch and Llantrissant has 'iven them an additional value. /3. The Millstone Grit may well be studied over the whole of the ST. crop of the S. Wales basin. It lies over the mountain limestone, and orms a table-land with a southerly inclination, from which most of he rivers of the coal-field take their rise., to run due S. to the Bristol Channel. The junction of these beds with the mountain limestone is narked by a quartzose conglomerate, locally called pudding-stone. On he S. crop the millstone grit soon disappears near Pentyrch. There ire, however, beds at Bishopston in Gower (Rte. 2), known as the Black Shales of Gower, which attain a considerable thickness. Their i position is somewhat obscure, but it is not improbable that they belong partly to the millstone grit series and partly to that of the (locally lamed) Farewell Rock, which is almost universally found in this basin underlying the coal measures and lying on the millstone grit. It is so 1 called because the colliers consider that there is no coal worth working in this rock, though in some places rather valuable seams are found. Along thelwhole of the N. crop this Farewell Rock series is remarkable for being the horizon of a marine-shell bed (coal and ironstone), which was traced by the writer for upwards of 60 m. It may be examined at Beaufort, Rhymney Gate, Pont-Neath-Vaughan (Rte. 10), and Cwm Amman (Rte. 21). x ii. Geology . Introd. y. The Coal Measures are of the greatest thickness near Neath, where the lowest strata are 700 fathoms below the outcrop of the upper ones in the hilly districts. They can he best examined on the N. crop, for the reason that the “ basseting ” or inclination towards the crop is of a more gentle character than it is on the S., where the beds emerge at a very steep angle of inclination. The area of the coal-field is estimated at about 640,000 acres, the thickness of the workable coal differing in different places, viz. at Merthyr about 55 ft., on the N.E. crop 35, and on the S. outcrop upwards of 100 ft. The lower measures are best seen in Monmouthshire, Breconshire, and N. Glamorganshire, and the upper measures in the centre of Glamorgan and Caermarthenshire. Although the basin is so uniform externally, it is by no means so in its interior arrangements, as there is an enormous saddle or anticlinal line running E. and W. from Newbridge in the valley of the Ebbw, to Pontypridd, Maesteg, and Llanelly in Caermarthenshire. A little S. of this is another smaller anticlinal axis, and between the two a deep trough. The upper measures in E. Glamorgan and Monmouthshire comprise the bituminous coals used for domestic cooking and gas purposes, while the lower measures are those which have been pre-eminent as the smokeless steam coal of S. Wales — the first quality for maritime purposes in the world. In the centre of Glamorganshire the veins are much more disturbed, and the upper measures are worked in the Rhondda and Ely valleys, as also at Llanelly in Caermarthenshire, where the very highest beds of the whole series are to be found. The middle coal-measures, known as Pennant Grits or sandstones, form a marked feature over the whole of the basin, as they almost invariably cap the long narrow ridges of hill which run from the millstone grit table due S. In the N.E. portion of the district they are comparatively worthless, only a few thin veins being found; but they attain greater importance near Swansea, being upwards of 2000 ft. in thickness, and, according to Sir W. Logan, containing in the Town Hill 12 seams of coal. One of the most interesting features in the basin is the chemical change that takes place in the coal, making enormous differences both in its value and practical uses. This change is the conversion of bituminous or free-burning coal to anthracite or stone-coal, and is so gradual in its operation that it is difficult to fix the precise spot where it commences. It is first observed to any extent at Rhymney, and gradually increases westward towards Merthyr and the Taff valley. Beyond Hirwain, at the ironworks of Onllwyn, it is so far completed that the coals which at Rhymney were all bituminous are now all anthracitic, and this peculiarity obtains through the Swansea valley to the very extremity of the coal-field. With regard to the cause geologists are not agreed, some consider- ing it to be purely chemical and still in operation, others with more probability regarding it only as a result of past igneous action arising from the proximity of trap rocks to the coal-measures. The chief chemical difference consists in the great increase of carbon — the Introd. xi ii . Geology. bituminous coal of Ebbwvale in the E. of the field containing about 35 per cent., while that of the Swansea valley has 93 per cent. Apart from the value of the various coal-measures to the different ironworks, the seams which are of the greatest commercial importance, are the steam coals of the Aberdare and Rhondda valley, which from their cleanly and smokeless qualities are used in vast quantities by the Admiralty. The geologist can frequently obtain good fossils of the carboniferous era. Ferns are plentiful in many localities, particularly in the N. crop, while several seams furnish shells (marine or brackish water), and fish remains (vide articles in ‘ Geologist ’). The Pembrokeshire coal or culm field is wholly anthracitic and extremely contorted. It would seem that the lateral pressure which acted over the whole of the coal-field came from the S.W., and produced its greatest effect on that portion of the country, gradually weakening as it diverged from the centre. There are some valuable collieries at Bonville’s Court, Saundersfoot, and Kilgetty near Tenby, besides some small ones at Nolton in the northern field, which is surrounded on either side by a Silurian and trap rocks. The iron-ores, which are associated with the coal-beds, are described n Article III. 5. The Old Red Sandstone occupies a considerable area, for the most part surrounding the coal-basin on all sides but the S., and comprising a large portion of Breconshire, Monmouthshire, and Herefordshire. This area, however, has been subjected to enormous denudation, for the effects of which we may take as an example the valley of the Usk, in which the softer marls have been worn away, leaving the upper and harder beds of conglomerate comparatively untouched, and standing prominently forward. “ Thus the country towards Leominster, Bromyard, and Hereford is chiefly formed of the marl series with its corn-stones, while the Black Mountain heights, such as Pencader, Penalltmawr, &c., and the Vans of Brecon, are crowned by hard sand- stones and conglomerates in slightly inclined beds, the remains, no doubt, of those which once covered the marls to a greater extent northward.” To the E. of Pontypool the Old Red is interrupted by the Silurian elevation of Usk, which stretches from near Raglan to some few miles below the town of Usk (Rte. 5). On the S. of the coal-field these rocks are visible between Newport and Cardiff, from whence they range westward, passing beneath a higher arch of car- boniferous limestone near Cowbridge. A narrow strip of Old Red is observable at the W. of the coal-field, separating it from the Silurian rocks ; and, again, in S. Pembrokeshire, alternating with bands of Silurian and Carboniferous rocks. The lower- marls and Cornstones have, to a certain extent, disappeared as they travel westward. In Breconshire and Herefordshire, bands of corn- stones are frequently met with, and have proved, especially in the latter county, very productive of Old Red fish remains. The following are the best localities for the geologist : — For Cornstones and Browns tones, Introd. xii |i. Geology. near Abergavenny ; the Scyrrid ; Pontrilas ; Bwlch between Crickhowel and Brecon ; the Daren above Crickhowel, where are to be found the equivalents in position of the Dura Den Bed in Fifeshire ; the Vans ; the Sawdde near Llangadock, where there is a junction with upper Ludlow rocks; between Freshwater and West Angle Bay; Caldy Island and Hook Point, in Pembrokeshire, where the Old lied is seen to overlie the Silurian strata. 6. The greatest portion of S. Wales is occupied by the Silurian rocks , which are so characteristic of the country as to have given name to the Silurian system, the most important and perfectly elabo- rated system of modern geologists. a. The Tilestones , which form the uppermost layer of the whole system, and are a transition between the Silurian and Old Red rocks, are visible “along the whole of the eastern frontier of the Silurian rocks” (particularly from Kington to the Trewern Hills on the Wye), and furnish many beautiful typical fossils. The geologist should not fail to visit the localities of Bradnor Hill near Kington (Rte. 18), and Horeb Chapel in Cwm Dwr, between Trecastle and Llandovery (Rte. 13). (3. The Ludlow rocks , Upper and Lower, constitute a large area, extending from Knighton and Presteign in a S.-westerly direction, and, in fact, comprising the greatest portion of the county of Radnor. The upper rocks may be traced along the eastward slopes of Bradnor and Hergest Hills, near Kington, and from thence to the Trewern Hills, near Clyro on the Wye. From thence a narrow prolongation is thrown out into the very heart of Breconshire. Both Upper and Lower Ludlow are finely exposed in the escarpments of Mynydd Epynt and Bwlch-y-groes, where they rise from underneath the Old Red in a rapid anticlinal flexure at Alt-fawr and Corn-y-fan. Their junction with the Old Red can be w r ell seen at Cwm Dwr, and on the banks of the Sawdde, near Llangadock. From thence to the mouth of the Towey these rocks gradually become a thin band, every- where surmounted by Old Red. It is remarkable that the middle division, or Aymestry limestone, soon thins out after leaving Ludlow, and in Radnorshire entirely disappears. The ravine of Water-break- its-neck, near Radnor (Rte. 18), shows good successions from the Wenlock limestone, through the Ludlow rocks up to their junction with the Old Red. They are again visible in S. Pembrokeshire at Lampeter Velfrey, near Narberth, and forming cliffs on the sea-coast at Marloes Bay to the N., and Freshwater to the S. of Milford Haven. The Usk valley of elevation, too, must not be omitted, where the Ludlow rocks rest upon Wenlock limestone, and are very fossil iferous. The Ludlow beds are developed to a thickness of about 400 feet at Penylau and the village of Runmey, near Cardiff. At Tymawr quarry, near there, the first specimens of fossil wood were found which showed definite woody structure, and the finest specimens of PacJiytheca sphxrica ever found are from the same quarry; this is the earliest known fossil fruit. About 200 yards west of Rumney Church a quarry in the Wenlock limestone abounds with beautifully preserved coralSf Introd. H. Geology . xiii ! tinged a delicate pinkish red, the Matrix so red that the Geological Survey mapped them at first as Old Eed sandstone. The thickness of the Wenlock beds is here about 550 feet. y. The Wenlock limestone “thins out entirely in Badnorsliire, and is scarcely to be recognised in the counties of Caermarthen, Brecon, and Pembroke ; its place being only marked in the cliffs of Marloes Bay, near Milford Haven, by some fossils, and a small quantity of impure limestone immersed in grey and sandy shale.” The lower member of this series, the Woolhope limestone, is observed at Corton, near ; Presteign, to be subordinate to a black shale, which rests on Pentamerus grit. The Wenlock series is a very prominent feature in the Usk valley of elevation. 5. The Upper Llandovery Bock is observed in Badnorshire at Corton, in the form of the Pentamerus bed just alluded to, as also on the western ! slopes of the hill of Old Badnor, and again to the W. of Builth, resting unconformably on Llandeilo flags. The best spot, by far, for examining these Llandovery rocks is in the tract extending from the river Sawdde to the N.E. of Llandovery, and particularly in the heights of Noeth Grug, where both zones are observed conformable in one united mass, and with clear relations to the superior and inferior strata. 6. The Caradoc or Bala formation comprises the vast area of slaty and schistose rocks in the counties of N. Caermarthen and Cardigan, in which occur the lead-mines of Nant-y-Mwyn, and the gold-mines of Gogofau, near Llandovery (Bte. 19). On the 1. bank of the Towey, and especially at Cilgwyn Park, a good succession may be seen of Llandeilo flags, surmounted by beds full of Caradoc fossils, and gradually ascending into the Pentamerus beds of the Llandovery rocks. The same rocks are again observed, though to a small extent, S in Pembrokeshire, at Lampeter Yelfrey, and Sholeshook, near Haver- fordwest. rj. The Llandeilo formation plays an important part in the district which extends from Builth to Llandegley and Llandrindod, and again at Llanwrtyd Wells, at all which localities it is abundantly associated with igneous rocks. They are best developed in the neighbourhood of Llandeilo (Bte. 19), where they emerge from beneath the Caradoc series. In Pembrokeshire the beds are not of so calcareous a character as they * are in Caermarthenshire : here they are found at Lampeter Yelfrey, as also forming a portion of the cliffs at Musselwick Bay near Haverford- west. The best localities for obtaining fossils are Wellfield, near Builth, Llandeilo, Golden Grove, and Mount Pleasant near Caermarthen. Below these rocks the scantily fossiliferous beds, the Lingula flags, are observable only at Whitesand Bay, near St. David’s Head, in which the Lingula Davisii occurs. Here also are small patches of Longmynd, or Cambrian formation. Igneous rocks, though not so abundant as in N. Wales, are to be met with in many districts, as the eruptive rocks of Stanner near Kington (Bte. 18), Carneddau Mountains near Builth, Esgair Davydd, and the hills round Llanwrtyd, the island of Skomer, and portions of the coast of the neighbouring mainland, as well as the xiv hi. Manufactures and Products . IntrocL wild picturesque cliffs of St. David’s and Strumble Heads. To the geological student touring in S. Wales, Mr. W. S. Symonds’ ‘Records of the Rocks ’ will prove an invaluable travelling companion. III. Manufactures and Products may be classed under four heads— viz. Coal, Iron , Copper , and Lead . 1. Coal. — The geological formation of the South Wales coal-field, the arrangement of the measures, and the changes from bituminous to anthracite coal, are described in pages ix-xi ; it therefore only remains to give a brief summary of its commercial importance. The value of the coal of the district having apparently been recognised later than that of the ironstone, the principal output of the collieries, for many years, was applied to the manufacture of iron, notably at such centres -*>■ as the works of Hirwain, Aberdare, Cyfarthfa, Dowlais, Rhymnev, Tredegar, Sirhowy, Ebbw Yale, and Nantyglo. The extraordinary superiority of the Welsh coal over any other known fuel has, however, been so steadily demonstrated within the last thirty years as to obtain for it an almost complete monopoly for marine purposes, and to turn the attention, not only of the iron producers, but of fresh capitalists to the development of these steam coals. An idea of the rapid growth of the trade in these coals will be obtained from the following table of shipments from Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport, to foreign parts, in 1877 and 1887, respectively, 1877. 1887. Cardiff . 3,681,084 tons 7,532,640 tons. Newport . 611,156 „ 2,293,276 „ Swansea • . 653,630 „ 869,019 „ 4,945,870 10,694,935 The exports, coastwise, and the vast inland trade by rail have also increased in a corresponding ratio. The total number of collieries in the district is about 500, and the annual output therefrom about 25,000,000 tons. The valleys supply- ing up to the present, the special class of coal, which has thus made S.° Wales pre-eminent, are those of Aberdare, Merthyr, Rhondda, Rhymney, Ebbw Yale and Nantyglo ; while the recent developments westwards in the Ely, Ogmore, and Garw Valleys prove that the same, or a similar quality, extends in that direction. The physical features which render the Welsh coal superior to any other are its freedom from smoke, high evaporative power, rapidity in lighting, and small yield of ash, all of which adapt it for the firing of such boilers as are at present used. So long as the supply can be main- tained, little effort will probably be made by the invention of suitable boilers* to utilize the vast resources of anthracite in the western portion Hi ji :.?] , ntrod. hi. Manufactures and Products . f the coal field, which, with the exception of a limited quantity exported 0 France, is in little demand at present. Of late years the small coal f many of the large collieries has, after washing, been converted into oke with a certain admixture of the coking coal from the upper veins, nd, in the case of certain of the more bituminous steam coals towards lie south of the Rhondda Valley, excellent coke is made of the small oal alone. 2. InoN. — The principal ironworks are situated on or towards the orth crops of the coal-basin, or else at a locality, such as Maesteg, rhere the lower measures are raised near the surface by an anticlinal ne, or axis. The perpendicular depth of the coal and iron bearing strata 1 11,000 feet in the northern, and 8000 feet in the southern trough, ’he ironstone is found interstratified with the coal measures, and gene- illy accompanying them, in the form of “pins,” or thin bands, •eqnently highly coloured with peroxide-layers of greater thickness ccurring in rock, and round nodules of ironstone disseminated at un- qual distances through beds of shale and rock. These nodules are ene rally rich in percentage of iron, containing sometimes in the inter- ices small brilliant crystals and sometimes impressions of plants. The reat practical division of the ironstones is into argillaceous or clay onstones, and carbonaceous or blackband ; the constituent substances f the latter being carbonate of iron, carbonaceous matter, alumina, and lica, with a trace of lime. Brown haematite iron ore — hydrated ^squioxide of iron — is also found in the mountain limestone of the >u them outcrop at Pentyrch, but has been little worked. It is advisable to give a brief account of the mode of manufacture, though, for particulars, the traveller is referred to Dr. Percy’s work i Iron and Steel. The three materials necessary for the reduction of ore and the pro- uction of pig-iron are coal or coke, ironstone or iron ore, and limestone, he coal is usually, though not always, converted into coke by burning in ovens, and in some cases is coked in long heaps in the open air. he ironstone, which may consist of the argillaceous nodules, blackband, hematite, or, in fact, any variety, is roasted before it is taken to the irnace, for the purpose of getting rid of the carbonic acid, earthy latter, and impurities necessarily found with it; while the water is /aporated without being decomposed, for were the raw iron ore to be ibjected to the intense heat of the furnace, the water and acid would Die instantly decomposed, the oxygen would unite with the iron, and ■art of it would oxygenate the sulphur, which would have the effect of roducing iron quite unworkable from the great quantity of oxygen in )mbination. Like the coking of coal, this roasting causes the mass to »se greatly in weight, commonly about 35 per cent. Of late years the native argillaceous ironstone and blackband of the outh Wales coal field has been superseded by the gradual adoption of ie brown hsematite iron ores of Spain, which, from about the year 372, have been imported in vast quantities to Newport and Cardiff and Applied to all the iron-works of the district. The richness and cheap- xvi hi. Manufactures and Products . Introd. ness of these, as compared with that of the local iron-stones and the iron ore of Dean Forest, have led to the almost entire closing of the mines of the latter, and the exclusive use of Spanish ore and some of the richer red haematite ores of Cumberland. Over 1,000,000 tons of Spanish ore are imported annually to the ports of Cardiff and Newport alone. The ore and the coke being thus fully prepared, are taken to the top of the furnace, into which they are thrown in certain “ charges ” or proportions, together with one of limestone, the object being to present ; to the metal of the ore sufficient fuel, at a great heat, to take up the | oxygen, and also that the limestone may serve as a flux to facilitate the • separation by uniting with the earthy portions of the ore. The furnace is a large cupola-shaped building about sixty-five feet j high, with openings at the top and bottom, the latter of which is called , the hearth or fireplace, and the former the tunnel-head. The interior, jj though hollow, is not even ail the way up, but contracts a little above ' the hearth and again near the top, the greatest width being termed I, “ the boshes.” The furnace is kept alive by the blast, blown in at a f certain temperature by a steam-engine, which finds admittance at the hearth by means of tubes or pipes called “ tuyeres.” The charge is put ? in at the top and exposed to the action of the fire for eight hours, at the | end of which time the metal is reduced and collected into a dam or reservoir at the bottom of the furnace. As soon as it rises to the level of the dam an opening is made, and 'l the molten iron runs out in a fiery jubilee, lighting up the nooks and t crannies of the casting-yard with wonderful effects that only a Rembrandt [ could paint. Before it is tapped, channels or moulds of sand are madef for it to run into, and when cold, it is taken up under the well-known * name of “pigs,” the principal channel being dignified with the name off the “ sow.” The pig or cast-iron is in the state of a carburet of iron ; f the ore having been an oxide, the hydrogen and carbonic oxide formed -, during the progress of combustion remove the oxygen from the ore,' which thus becomes carburetted. The slag or scoria? which have accumulated during the reduction arei allowed to flow into a tram, from which they are emptied when cold in square vitreous-looking masses, giving the place in which they are depo-i sited the aspect of a burnt-out volcano. Even this refuse, however, has been turned to account, for it is used for the foundation and metal- j ling of roads, &c. ; indeed an association called the Patent Slag Company was formed (though it was not a commercial success) for working it u\ into articles of domestic use, such as bottles, tables, &c. At many works the gases escape from the top of the furnace, causing, by theii combustion, a magnificent body of flame; but in others the top of the furnace is closed by an appliance known as the cup and cone, and the waste gases conducted to the boilers (and also used in heating the aii prior to its entering the furnace) of the blast engine, thus effecting v double economy. An important item in the smelting of iron is the blast, which may itrod. in. Manufactures and Products . xvii used in two ways — with hot or cold air. Until 1830 the cold blast is in universal employment, but since then the former has gained ound, for the reason that a cold current of air passed into the furnace great pressure cools the fuel below the temperature necessary to feet the union of the carbon of the fuel with the oxygen of the air ; it the hot air is forced upon it in a condition favourable to its uniting imediately, causing instant and vivid combustion. The usual tem- ■rature of the hot blast ranges from 1000° to 1400° Fahr. Cast iron a carburet of iron, which, when wrought, is decarburetted, becoming ore tenacious, and having the property of welding at a great heat, ais process, however, is become almost, if not entirely, obsolete, nee the perfection of the Bessemer process, and the production at ch cheap rates of steel rails, a revolution in the iron trade set in, and ithin the last 15 years all the principal iron-works of the district ive been remodelled and applied to the manufacture of steel. The ice of steel rails soon became less than those of iron, and at the present me practically no others are used. The production of steel depends upon the reduction in the proportion carbon in cast iron to the requisite point. This is effected under the essemer process by conveying molten cast iron into a large vessel led with fire-clay, or other refractory substance, and which is called e “Bessemer Converter,” capable of holding about 10 tons. By eans of tuyeres, a blast of atmospheric air is passed through this olten metal, the chemical effect of which is to drive off the" carbon ntained in the mass. The proper proportion of carbon required is en supplied in the form of spiegeleisen, a special variety of cast iron ntaining a large proportion of carbon as well as manganese, which tter is also an important ingredient in the manufacture of steel., he spiegeleisen is introduced in a molten state, and as soon as it is loroughly diffused, the converter is tilted, and the molten metal poured to a ladle, from which it is again cast into sand-moulds in the form steel ingots. The following table will show the number and make of the furnaces South Wales in 1740 : — Breconshire . . 2 ; making 600 Glamorganshire .2; „ 400 Caermarthenshire . . 1 ; „ 100 Monmouthshire . 2 ; „ 900 \ 2000 As long as charcoal was used for smelting, there was no occasion for ty great blast power ; consequently the earliest means in use was a dlows worked by hand or water. But when the coal became available e blast was obliged to be increased, the earliest contrivance beino* a rcing-pump or a steam-engine. The number of coal furnaces then adually increased, so that in 1788 the number of tons of iron turned it in Breconshire and Glamorganshire was 8200. In 1790 the laro-e 18. Wales.-] h xviii Manufactures and Products. Introd, and powerful engines made by Watt came into requisition, whereupon the trade increased, and the number of furnaces amounted in 1796 to 25, and in 1806 to 39, producing 78,000 tons per annum. During the past century, and especially since the advent of railways, and the general application of steam-power to every branch of industry, the iron trade of South Wales has naturally made enormous strides, culminating, as above stated, in the larger make of steel, the following being an approximate list of the converters in work in the district with capacities ranging from 6 to 10 tons each : — Cyfarthfa . . . .2 Blaenavon . . . .2 Dowlais . . . .6 Ebbw Vale . . . .6 Rhymney . . . .5 Tredegar . . . . . 2 23 The number of blast furnaces in operation and the total make of pig! iron yearly in the South Wales district is shown approximately in the following table : — Furnaces in blast. Glamorganshire. . 20 Monmouthshire . .21 41 1 Iron ore Pig iron Coal used. made. used. 660,000 350,000 650,000 800,000 440,000 900,000 460,000 790,000 1,550,000 3. Copfer. — The copper trade of S. Wales is far from being of the same importance as the iron trade, which is extended over the whole coal-field, while the former is limited to a small portion of it. There , is also this difference, that iron is a produce of the district in which it is worked, whereas the copper has to be brought to this country to be smelted, partly from Cornwall, partly from Chili, Valparaiso, and Australia. The principal works are in the neighbourhood of Swansea, Neath, Aberavon, and Llanelly, though the ore is mostly sold at the former town at public “ ticketings.” Of late years the total yearly quantity of copper ore, regulus, and old copper for re-manufacture, j imported into the S. Wales ports is over 100,000 tons. The process of preparing the copper does not present the bustle and activity, nor the glare and brilliancy, of an iron-work. The visitor who glides over the i bridge over the Tawe at Llandorc will be at once struck with the pecu liarly melancholy, lurid scene that presents itself whenever the thick vapours roll away. The ore is first of all put into a reverberatory furnace to be calcined and exposed to an intense heat, in order to disengage the sulphur and other volatile impurities. The calcined and cooled ore is then trans- ferred to a second furnace, in which the metallic oxides and earthy^ matters float on the surface of the metal, and arc skimmed off as slag Trod, IV. Communications. xix e melted copper being allowed to flow off into a pit of water, where becomes granulated in cooling. Of such value is the metal con- iered, that even the slag is taken back to the yard and carefully oken up to see if any particles of copper are left behind ; if this is e case, it is again melted. As a great deal of sulphur is still to be and in the metal, it is again melted in a third and fourth furnace, d then run into pigs, which are taken to the roasting furnace ; the lphur, which hitherto has been retained in just sufficient quantities protect the metal from oxidization, being now eliminated as rapidly possible. The last process is refining, after which the copper is idy for the market in any shape that may be required. The smoke d vapour which is disengaged from these works is of the most useous and disagreeable kind, and apparently most pernicious to getation, as the traveller cannot but notice in looking up the Yale of i we. It does not, however, appear to affect human life or health, as e workmen and those who dwell in the manufactories appear to enjoy th in a remarkable manner. The chemical constituents of the vapour e sulphurous acid, which is most abundant and penetrating, sulphuric id, arsenic, both in the metallic form and as arsenious acid, and •oric compounds, perhaps in the shape of hydrofluoric acid. The copper-smelting trade (putting aside all conjectures as to Eoman Brkings, &c.) was first begun in Cornwall in 1670, but the absence coal, and the expense of bringing it thither, soon caused the trans- iting of the works to Clifton near Bristol. A Mr. Coster was part vner and manager of this establishment, as also of one at Eedbrook the Wye. Subsequently the trade was removed to Aberavon, where still exists, as it has done at Swansea, from an early part of the last ntury. 4. Lead. — The principal mines where this valuable ore is worked e in the slaty Lower Silurian rocks in Caermarthenshire and Cardi- nshire. Traces of lead, and sometimes remains of old workings, are und also in the southern carboniferous limestone-range of the coal- id ; but little or none is obtained at present. Tokens of mining are •parent everywhere near Aberystwyth, particularly on the road to ynlimmon and near the Devil’s Bridge. 5. Patent Fuel. — There is also a large manufacture of patent fuel, hich is principally carried on at Swansea and Cardiff. It consists of preparation of culm and tar, compressed by machinery into the form a brick, and is largely used for shipping purposes. About 500,000 ns are yearly exported from Swansea and Cardiff. IY. Communications. To meet the requirements of the manufacturing districts, of late Bars a large number of railways and canals have been constructed, and Wales is now intersected by the former as copiously as any English »unty. The canals, which in the early part of the century were most the only means of conveying the traffic of the manufacturing b 2 xx y. Antiquarian View. Introd. districts, are now almost entirely superseded by the railways and j docks. The rlys. consist of— 1. The trunk line of the Great Western Co. between Gloucester and Milford Haven (Rtes. 1 and 2), which is joined I by (2) the Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester (Rte. 3). 3. The Forest of I Dean Rly. at Awre. 4. The Bristol and South Wales branch of the j G. W. R. via the Severn Tunnel (Rte. 1). 5. The Great Western narrow-gauge from Hereford to Newport, now considerably shortened betwixt Pontypool and Newport by an improved rte. via Caerleon ; (Rte. 4). 6. The Monmouthshire lines to Ebbw Yale, Nantyglo (Rte. 7), and Blaenafon (Rte. 6). 7. The Sirliowy and Tredegar line (Rte. 8). j 8. The Newport, Dowlais, and Brecon (Rte. 9). 9. The Taff Yale' (Rte. 15). 10. The Rhymney line (Rte. 14). 11. The Llynfi Valley at Bridgend and to Porthcawl (Rte. 1). 12. The Great Western by the Yale of Neath from Pontypool Road to Neath (Rte, 10). 13. The Neath j and Brecon (Rte. 13). 14. The Swansea Valley (Rte. 20). 15. The | Central Wales from Craven Arms to Swansea and Caermarthen \ (Rte. 19). 16. The Oystermouth rly. (Rte. 2). 17. The Llanelly rly. f to Llandovery (Rte. 21). 17. The Caermarthen and Cardigan as far as ' Llandyssil and the Whitland and Cardigan (Rte. 23). 18. Manchester | and Milford (Rte. 22). 19. Tenby and Pembroke (Rte. 24). In addition j to these there are — 20. The Hereford, Hay, and Brecon (Rte. 16) ; the Kingston and Eardisley, connecting the Kington and Leominster rly. J with the H. H. & B., and leading to an extension line from Kington to j New Radnor, as well as to a branch from Titley to Presteign. 21. The | Mid-Wales (Rte. 17), which, with the Central Wales, places South 1 Wales in connection with the north of England; and 22. The Aber-1 gavenny and Merthyr (Rte. 11). Both the great systems of the j London and North-Western and the Great Western thus have access I to the Welsh works, collieries, and shipping ports, and places them in j direct communication with the principal markets. V. Antiquarian View. Of the many interesting antiquities with which South Wales abounds,! the most striking and characteristic are those primeval remains of the ^ early inhabitants, such as Cromlechs and Inscribed Stones. As in] many parts of Devon and Cornwall, traces of the Celt are frequently I evident, and sometimes in a very perfect state. The stone circles art I occasionally to be found, though seldom of any great size. They con-1 sist of a number of stones disposed around a central pillar, in a ring oil varying size, and were doubtless connected with the rude worship oil the early inhabitants. Good examples are at Carn Llechart in the I Swansea Valley, on Cefn Bryn, Gower, the Preseley mountains, at Beddl Taliesin near Aberystwyth, and on the mountain above Trecastle, &c. I Cromlechs are numerous, although few are very perfect, owing t< j the destructive tendencies of the ignorant fanners, who have frequently I itrod. xxi v. Antiquarian View. ' oken up the slabs to serve for wall-copings or gate-posts. The crom- oh was foimerly thought to be used in the sacrificial rites of the ruidic priests, but it is now generally allowed that they were sepul- u*al monuments, designed to mark the resting-place of some great arrior or chieftain. The greatest number of cromlechs, as well as iose in the best preservation, are met with in Pembrokeshire, which, rhaps from its comparative isolation, abounds more than any other irt of South Wales in primeval remains. The principal ones in this funty are Newport, Llech-y-Drybedd on Tre-icert farm near Nevern, 3ntre-Evan, Longhouse near Trevine, Mathry, St. Nicholas, Llanwuda, rellys, and Ffynondruidian, the last four in the peninsula of Strumble ead (Rte. 25). There are others at St. Nicholas, Dyffryn, in Glamor- :.nshire (Rte. 1), St. Lythans, on the same estate, Dolwilym, near lanboidy in the W. of Caermarthenshire, besides Arthur’s Stone ( n jfn Bryn, Gower (Rte. 2); in Herefordshire, near Moccas Court tte. 16); and in Monmouthshire, at Newchurch, between Caerwent d Usk. In this category may be included the Buckstone * near onmouth (Rte. 5), which, though no cromlech, but a natural curiosity, is an object of high veneration. Another Rocking-stone, the Maen lwyf, in Glamorganshire, near Ponty-y-pridd, is by tradition reckoned uidical. The “ Maen-hir ” (plural, meini-hirion), or upright stones, are very mmon all over South Wales. Whether they were used to denote rial-places, or scenes of battle, or some particular event, does not •pear clear ; the supposition that they were placed as boundaries pears improbable, as they are commonly found on the most barren nges of hills. In similar localities the cairns or “ carneddau ” are et with, studding the summits of the mountains with their grey aps of stones. The cairns and the tumulus or “ barrow ” un- . ubtedly mark the places of interment of warriors or chiefs, whose rying-places were thus rudely perpetuated to posterity. There are veral tumuli on the Preseley hills, and also on the Ridgeway between mby and Pembroke. Most of the Welsh tumuli have at different nes been opened and found to contain a “Kistvaen ” or stone chest, which is an urn filled with ashes. South Wales is particularly rich in inscribed stones , which were used [ denote not only the place of interment, but also the name of the tried person. In some cases, too, sculpture has been added to the me. They date from the Roman era, and continued in use for some ne subsequent to it. The antiquary who is interested in inscribed ones and crosses should consult the papers of Mr. W estwood in the ^rchseologia Cambrensis.’ The following are the principal stones worth visiting. In Brecon- ire, the Maen Llia on the Brecon and Ystradfellte road (Rte. 10), and iar it the sculptured stone of Dervacus or Maen Madoc ; the Maen-y- orwynion or Maiden Stone, at the Gaer near Brecon (Rte. 13) ; the ulptured stone at Llandevailog near Brecon ; in Llanspyddid church- 'ee Nicholls’ ‘ Forest of Dean,’— a very instructive little book, by a late worthy clergyman. XXII Ini rod y. Antiquarian View. yard ; at Llanynis near Builth ; in the wall of Defynnock church in the wall of Ystradgunlais church (Rte. 20) ; the Victorinus Stone a Bwlch ; in Glanusk Park ; the Catacus Stone in Cwmdu church wall those of Peregrinus and Valens at Tretower; and the Turpilian Ston- at Crickhowel (Rte. 12). In Glamorganshire are the stones on tin Geliy gaer Mountain near Merthyr Tydfil ; that of A r then in Merthyi church wall (Rte. 15) ; the Ogham Stone at Kenfig (Rte. 1) ; and tin Brancyf Stone at Boglan church near Port Talbot ; besides some other in the vicinity of Aberafon. In Cardiganshire — in Llanarth church nea; Aberaeron (Rte. 25), and the Virgin’s Stone near Lampeter. In Caer marthensliire — the Eidon Stone at Golden Grove. Pembrokeshire — a Caldy Island, at Cilgerran church, and that of Sagrannus at St. Dog : mael’s Priory. In connection with them may be mentioned the whee sculptured crosses at Margam Abbey and Llantwit churchyard Glamorganshire. Of a different type, but of a much more beautifu , kind, are the slender elevated crosses in St. Donat’s, Carew, am , Nevern churchyards. British roads and boundaries are few, although it is very probabl that many of the Roman roads followed the course of the British track ways. The Via Flandrica or Fford Fleming is the best define* i example, extending from near Roch Castle to the village of Amblesto in Pembrokeshire. Offa’s Dyke is in many places very perfect, an can be well examined in the neighbourhood of Knighton, and fror \ thence by Kington to Bridge Sollars on the Wye. It is unlikely tha i it served any other purpose than a line of demarcation. Many of the Roman stations of South Wales have had their positio I definitely fixed, while some are still rather conjectural. Blestium Bur riu m Gobannium .Magna Tibia Amnis Bannium Nidum Bovium was Monmouth. (?) „ Usk. „ Abergavenny. „ Kenchester. „ Cardiff. (?) „ Gaer, near Brecon. ,, Neath. „ Cowbridge (?) Bulljcum was Builth. Leucarum * „ Lloughor. Maridunum „ Caermarthen. Menapia ,, St. David’s. Loventium „ Llanio,nr.Trcgaroi Ad Vicesimum „ near Ambleston. ■ Isca Silurum „ Caerleon. Venta Silurum „ Caerwent. There were also Roman stations at Llanfair-y-bryn, near Llandover and Caerfagu, near Rhayader. Traces of the Via Julia, which ra between Aqua Solis (Bath) and Menapia, are visible at Caerwcn Caerleon, near Tredegar Park, Newport, and in Pembrokeshire, betwee Menapia and Roche Castle. The actual point of crossing the Brist Channel has always been a source of dispute amongst antiquaries, bi the probability is that it was close to the New Passage and at Caldec* Pier, where it was protected by the camp at Sudbrook. The Sar Helen or Sam Lleon, connected Nidum with Bannium, the station i Llanfair-y-bryn, Loventium, and eventually Deva (Chester). It ca be traced on the hills above Rheola, in the Vale of Neath, and froi thence to the Maen Liia near Ystradl’elltc ; again at Llanfair-y-bryi | ntrod. y. Antiquarian View. xxm nd crossing the hills near Lampeter to Llanio. A road is also visible rom Caerfagu up the vale of the Cly wedog to Abbey -cwm-hir, and from hence through the pass of Bwlch-y-sarnau to Caersws. The Roman owns of Caerleon and Caerwent are described in Rte. 1, and a mine |>f information about them is to be found in Mr. J. C. Lee’s 4 Isca » ' 5 ilurum.’ Traces of roads are also to be found at Cayo, and from thence o the Gogofau mines, which, it is well known, were worked by the tomans for gold (Rte. 19). Camps are numerous in every part of the country, for there is scarcely i height that does not possess some tokens of defence or intrenchment, showing how fiercely and repeatedly the ground was disputed inch by mch. The following are the principal camps that may be examined: Monmouthshire — Sudbrook near Chepstow, Coed-y-Bunedd, Gacr Fawr, and others near Usk; in Herefordshire — Caer Caradoc, Gaer, Wapley Hill, Croft Ambury, and Coxwall Knoll, in the neighbourhood of Knighton and Kington ; Dinedor, Kenchester, and Eaton Bishop near Hereford, Doward near Monmouth, and Mouse Castle near Hay ; Bre- conshire — Craig Hywel on the Table Mountain, Crickhowel, Miarth near Glanusk, Slwch near Brecon ; in Caermarthenshire — at Carn Goch near Llandeilo ; in Glamorganshire — Harding Down (very perfect) in Gower; and in Pembrokeshire, at St. David’s Head and Dinas Head. The British and Roman forts at Penlan, close to St. David’s, should also be visited. The Mediaeval remains are numerous, though, perhaps, not so much so as might be expected, considering the extent of the country. As they are described more or less in the respective routes, it will be sufficient here to show, under general headings, the various kinds of antiquarian buildings. They may be divided into — 1. Military — such as the Castles of Pembroke, Cilgerran, Llawhaw- dden, Llanstephan, Kidwelly, Aberystwyth, Chepstow, Newport, Calde- 1 cot, Raglan, White Castle, Caerphilly, &c., with a long list of others in more or less preservation. Some of them, however, such as Manor- beer, must be looked upon more in the light of a castle residence than as an exclusively military building. 2. Monastic — such as Tintern, Monkton, St. Dogmael’s, Strata Florida, Ewenny, Neath, Llanthony, and Talley abbeys. 3. Ruined chapels — as St. Gowan’s, St. Tecla’s, the Nun’s, and St. Justinian’s chapel near St. David’s. 4. Domestic remains — a. Ecclesiastical, as Moynes Court, Lamphey, St. David’s Palace, Llanddew. (3. Secular, as St. Fagan’s, Fonmon, St. Donat’s Llantwit Town-hall, Derwydd, Devannor, Porthaml, 1 Gwernyfedd, Porthmawr, and Court Bryn-y-Beirdd, &c. 5. Ecclesiastical — as Llandaff, St. David’s, and Hereford Cathedrals. 6. Parochial. — The churches in South Wales are barren of interest, considering the number of them ; and although isolated cases happen where the parish church affords evidence of former grandeur, yet it is xxiv Vi. Social View . Introd. as a whole that this class of edifice will b3 found most interesting to the student. A strong family likeness runs through the churches of different portions of the country, as in Monmouthshire, where the Somersetshire type most prevails; or in Gower and Pembrokeshire, which are remarkable for their rude military buildings. It has been remarked by Mr. Freeman that twelve out of the sixteen churches of Gower have towers evidently built for defence. The churches best worth the attention of the tourist are — Monmouthshire . *1. St. Woollos, Newport. 1. Chepstow. 1. Mat hern. 1. Magor. 1. Christ Church. 1. Caldecot. 1. Caerwent. 12. Abergavenny. 4. Grosmont. 3. St. Thomas, Monmouth. 5. Mitchel Troy. 5. (Jsk. Caermarthensh it e. 19. Llandeilo. 2. Caermarthen (St. Peter's). 2. Kidwelly. Radnorshire. 19. Pilleth. 18. Presteign. Cardiganshire . 18. Llanbadarn Vawr. 22. Llanddewi Brefi. 23. Cardigan. Herefordshire . 4. Kilpeck. 16. Madley. 18. Kington. Breconshire. 12. Crickhowel. 12. Partrishow. 12. Tal-y-llyn. 12. Brecon. St. Mary's. Christ's College. Priory. Glamorganshire. 1. Lantwit. 1. St. Donat's. 1. St. Bride's. 1. Coy church. 1. Coity. ^Ewenny. 1. Newton. 2. Swansea. 2. llston. 2. Llangenydd. Pembrokeshire. 24. Tenby. 24. Pembroke. 24. Gumfreston. 24. Carew. 24. Penally. 24. Manorbeer. 24. Hodgeston. 24. Cheriton. 1. Haverfordwest. 24. Llawhawden. 25. Nevern. 23. Cilgerran. YI. Social View. Wlii A glance at the map, or a very short consideration of the physical featuies of South Wales, will make it obvious that, as regards climate, agriculture, &c., many variations must be met with. Even in the same * The numbers denotes the Routes. ntrod. Vi. Social View . XXV ounty, and often in a very small area, surprising differences of tem- erature exists ; the high grounds and mountain-ranges presenting the ppearance of severe winter, while the sheltered lowlands along the coast re luxuriating in a mild and spring-like atmosphere. Indeed in some istricts, as South Pembrokeshire, the climate is seldom rigorous, even 1 the depth of winter — evidence of which is seen at Stackpole Court, here plants, which require in other parts of England the protection of greenhouse, flourish well in the open air. It is this fortunate circum- lance that makes Tenby such a valuable place of winter residence for he invalid. The agricultural products of the country are of course to a reat extent influenced by its external features, although the science of inning has immensely improved within the last twenty years, and one much to remedy the natural disadvantages of the soil. Agricul- ural associations have been formed in almost every county ; and the (forts of the large landowners to better not only the condition of the soil, ut the social position of their tenants and labourers, have met with reat success. The richest and best lands are generally to be met with the alluvial valleys of the large rivers, as the Usk, Wye, Towy, eifi, &c. The valley of the Usk may be said to be the most fertile, nd to produce some of the finest crops. The lands on the slopes of the ills, and in the smaller tributary valleys, are of course more backward nd less prolific ; the hills themselves, though useless for produce, being ery valuable for sheepwalks. Immense flocks of sheep, as well as rge numbers of horses and ponies, are pastured on them, forming, in le mountain-regions of Cardiganshire and Caermarthenshire, the prin- pal resource of the farmer. The vast population which occupies the lineral districts, offers a never-failing market for the farmers for many iles round ; those who are near enough supplying the more imme- iate agricultural produce, while those of Cardiganshire traverse the juntry with their light carts filled with salt butter and bacon. Until itely the mining population was a great deal too busy in the bowels of le earth to think of what might be done on the surface ; but within tie last few years a great saving must have been effected by the en- osure of large quantities of waste land, on which good though rather ite crops are grown. Even Merthyr, smoke-blackened and coal-grimed s it is, possesses its Agricultural and Horticultural Association, the fleets of which have been in many instances to cover the desolate- coking “ tips ” and rubbish-heaps with rows of potatoes or cabbages, he character of the mining section of the Welsh population has onderfully improved in recent years, which must be a source of mgratulation to those who remember the lawlessness and ignorance hich characterised Chartism, and the fearful riots to which it gave irth. Of course, where the amount of labour is so enormous, mis- 1 nderstandings will often arise, wdiich, if not adjusted, cause strikes ad bitter feelings between master and man ; but even these latter, nfortunate as they are, are seldom marked by appeals to physical >rce. This improvement must be ascribed principally to education ad the force of public opinion, which amongst this class of people is xxvi vi. Social View. Introd. a powerful motive. It must be confessed that Dissenters have been the principal agents in humanizing and softening the mass ; the Church of Wales having been, for many years, deplorably backward in seeking her llocks. But now throughout the whole of the country a very great change is apparent : the number of churches and schools has very much increased both in the dioceses of Llandaff and St. David’s, and a more earnest spirit is apparent both amongst clergy and laymen. The improved tone which has grown up so rapidly has also, to a great extent, reached the large employers of labour, who indeed are the responsible parties for bringing together such vast masses of people ; but while noble examples of liberality can be quoted, there are still some ironmasters who are far from being imbued with care for the require- ments of the men that they employ. Serious crime is a rare thing in South Wales, particularly in the agricultural districts; and even in the manufacturing towns, when we come to consider that the population is by no means all Welsh, but includes large numbers of persons from Somersetshire, Wiltshire, Ireland, &c., the judicial courts are remark- able for their freedom from grave offences. It would be well if the seaport towns could say the same, though in their favour it should be urged that, apart from the usual mixed and floating population of a seaport, there is a large influx of foreign sailors. The Welsh are a kindly, generous, and impulsive race, often gifted with a lively imagination and poetic temperament. Associated with these is a strong love of music, the cultivation of which in many dis- tricts is and has long been carried to a surprising pitch. Geraldu. 4 Cambrensis says of them : " They do not sing in unison, like th< inhabitants of other countries, but in different parts; so that in 8 company of singers, which one frequently meets with in Wales, a many different parts are heard as there are performers, who at length unite with organic melody in one consonance. ... In the northeri; parts of Britain beyond the Humber, and on the borders of York, the inhabitants use in singing the same kind of symphonious harmony but with less variety, singing only in two parts. . . . Neither of the two nations has acquired this peculiar property by art, but by long habit, which has rendered it familiar and natural; and the practice i- now so firmly rooted in them that it is unusual to hear a simple and single melody well sung. Their children from their infancy sing ii the same manner.” Nobody can hear the national Welsh airs, ^uch a ‘ Ar hyd y nos,’ 4 The March of the Men of Harlech,’ and 4 Llwyn On, without being struck with their great originality or pathos. In man} parts of the principality, meetings or congresses of Welshmen, callei Eisteddfodau or Cymrygyddion ,* are occasionally held, at whicl prizes are offered for the best performances on the harp, or the bes piece of poetry. The principal object of these meetings is to keep U] the Welsh literature, which otherwise would be in some danger o becoming extinct; whether they really have any such results seem questionable, though at least one book of European reputatio: • Pronounced Cumruguthiun. ! Introd. vi. Social View. xxvii (Stephens’ 4 Literature of the Kymry ’) has been produced under their auspices in the present generation ; but at all events they serve as useful fields for local genius, and also for preserving the germ of nationality which is such a distinguishing feature in Welsh character. \ Travellers should resort to these meetings, where they will hear good | Welsh music, and see traits of Welsh character. In South Wales the use of the English language is certainly growing, i to the detriment of the Welsh, but the process is a very slow one, and | there are many powerful counteracting influences. The publication and diffusion of books, magazines, and newspapers in Welsh has enormously increased. Seventeen weekly newspapers are published in Welsh, with a total circulation of 120,000 ; and one monthly magazine has reached a circulation of 37,760. The total circulation of magazines in Welsh exceeds 150,000 a month. Of books published in Welsh the majority are translations or collections of sermons, but there are signs of a revival of original literature, and several novels, said to be of remark- •, able merit, have lately appeared. There is no doubt that the recent i establishment of three university colleges in Wales has greatly stimu- lated the intellectual life of the people. In addition to the liberal l education which they themselves offer at the very lowest terms, they j have opened a way to Oxford and Cambridge of which scholars of the fj humblest social rank, but of rare gifts, have eagerly availed themselves. I With regard to the question of language, it may be added that the ii services in 2853 out of 3571 chapels of tbe four leading Nonconformist .i denominations in Wales are conducted entirely in Welsh. There are I not very many districts where the tourist will not be able to make : , himself understood, except perhaps in the remote and hilly portions of |J Caermarthenshire and Cardiganshire — districts where the red flannel gown and the high-peaked hat may even now be seen, and where the [ ’ perplexing answer of “ dim Saesoneg ” as frequently as not is given in i answer to the stranger. In the border counties English is universally | spoken as well as Welsh, which is the case also throughout the mineral , basin, where most of the children are able to speak the two languages, j South Pembrokeshire, however, and the peninsula of Gower, are almost ) exclusively and wholly English, not only in dialect and expression, but in the very names of the villages. This peculiarity is owing to the colonization of the former, in the 12th century, by the Flemings, and i of the latter from Somersetshire; and the immigrants have handed I down, from generation to generation, characteristics which have never yet been destroyed or effaced by contact with the Welsh. Many old customs and superstitions. have become obsolete within the - : last twenty years, in consequence of increased education and facilities of intercommunication with the rest of the country. We may mention the 44 Ply gain,” i.e., 44 the return of morn,” 44 the dawn,” the 44 early light,” which was formerly very common in some of the churches of the Principality (particularly that of Crickhowel) on | Christmas morning, and is still carried on at Llanover, near Aberga- venny, and at Cadoxton, near Neath. At six o’clock the church was xxviii vii. Glossary of Welsh Words. Introd. brilliantly illuminated, while Christmas carols were sung. It is almost a pity that a custom so innocent and so pleasing should have fallen into disuse. A very pretty habit was formerly prevalent at Tenby on New-year’s morning, when children knocked at the doors, and, having obtained admittance, sprinkled the articles of furniture with water, at the same time singing the following quaint verses : — 1 Here we bring new water from the well so clear, For to worship God with this happy new year. Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine, With seven bright gold wires and bugles that do shine. Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her toe, Open you the west door, and turn the old year go. Sing reign of fair maid, with gold upon her chin, Open you the east door, and let the new year in.”* Of all the Welsh superstitions, that of the fairies was for long most rooted and wide-spread. Glamorganshire appears to have been the head-quarters of this favourite idea ; and many are the stories and legends of the “little men in green” devoutly believed by many a peasant. The same belief obtains in Monmouthshire also. The Yale of Neath in particular was tenanted by fairies ; and there are doubtless many living in the vale now who would be loth to trust themselves in certain spots at night-time, for fear of intruding upon their haunts. The Welsh notion of fairies is, that they are the souls of persons who were not good enough to enter Heaven, nor bad enough to be sent to Pandemonium. They therefore remain on the earth, taking a benevo- lent interest in good actions, and equally disliking anything mean or underhand. VII. Glossary of Welsh Words as occurring in the construction of Welsh Names. Abcr, the fall of a lesser water into a greater, a confluence. Aforiy river. Aeron , fruits, brightness. Alj power, very, most. Allt, a woody cliff. Ar, upon, bordering on. Aran , a high place, an alp. Bach and Bgcha n, little ; Fach and Fychan. Ban y lofty ; pi. Banau , eminences. Bedd, a grave. BcttvcSy a statioD, a place between hill and vale. Blacn , an end, point, the head of a vale. B6J , an abode, dwelling. Braich , arm. Brig , summit. Bron y breast, a slope of a hill. Bryn , a mount, hill. Bu , an ox. Biclch , a defile, pass. Cady host, battle. • The tourist who Is interested in obi local customs, will find those of Tenby described at length in an interesting little book published by Mr. Mason, the librarian. Introd. vii. Glossary of Welsh Words. « Cader , chair, stronghold. Cae, field. A Caer , a fort, city. . Cantref, a division of a county, Hun- dred. : Capel y chapel. Carrey, stone. Cam , heap of stones. Carneddy ditto ; pi. carneddau. Cast ell , fortress. Cefn, back, ridge. Cily a retreat ; pi. cilian . Clav:ddy dyke, hedge. Clogwyn, precipice. Cock, red. Coed, a wood. Cors, a bog. Craig, rock ; pi. creigiau . Croes, a cross, a turn. Crag , a mound. < Cwm, a dingle. ■j Cymmer , a confluence. Dau, two. De, south. Dol, a meadow. s ! Dinas , a city or fortified post. Drws, a door, a pass. Du, black. Dwr, water. Dyffryn, a valley, j Eglwys, church. Epynt, an ascent. Erw, acre. Esgair , long ridge. Fach and Fychan , vid. Bach. , Favor, vid. Mawr. Ffin, limit. Ffordd, passage. Ffynnon , a well. Flur, bright hue. 1 Gaer, same as Caer. Gallt, vid. Allt. Garth , a buttress hill, a cape. Gelli, grove. Gian , a shore, brink. Glees, blue, green. Glyn, a glen. Gwaelod, the bottom. Gwaen , a plain. Gwern , a watery meadow. Gwydd, wood. Gwyn, white, fair. Hafod, a summer residence. xxix Hen, old'. Heol, a street. Hir, long. Is or Ys, lower. Isaf, lowest ; Uchaf, highest. Elan, an enclosure, churchyard, and hence generally used for the church itself. Llech, a flat stone. Bluest , encampment. Llwyd, grey, hoary. Llwyn, wood, copse. Llyn, lake. Llyr, water, the sea. Llys, a palace. Maen, stone. Maes , field. Mall, bad, rotten. Mawr , same as Fawr , great. Melin, mill. Moel, bald, same as Foel. Monad, isolated situation. Morfa, sea-marsh. Mynach , monk. Mynydd, mountain. Nant, brook. Neuadd, a hall. Newyddy new. Or, edge, side, rim. Pant, hollow. Pen , head, top. Pen-maen, the stone end. Pentref, village, suburb. Pistyll, a cataract. Plas, hall, place. Pont, bridge. Porthy gate. Pwll, ditch, pool. Rhayader , fall, cataract. Rhiw, ascent. Rhos, a moist plain. Rhudd, purple. RJiyd, ford. Sam, causeway. Tafarn , tavern. Tal, the front, head, tall. Tarn , spreading. Tir , earth, land. Tomen , mound, Traeth, a sandy beach. Tre, Trefy house, a small town. Tri, three. Troed, foot of a hill. XXX viii. Points of Interest for the Geologist . Introd. Trwyn, nose. Ttclch , knoll. Twr, tower. Ty, house, mansion ; pi. Tax. TJchaf, highest ; see Isaf. Yy the. Ym, in, by. Yn, into. Ynys, island. Yspytty (hospitium), a place of refresh- ment. Ystrady a vale. Ystuith, flexible. The traveller who wishes to learn the Welsh language is recom- mended to study Spurrell’s Grammar and Dictionary, as being the most easy and concise. VIII. Points of Interest for the Geologist. Pendrth Heady near Cardiff , for Triassic marls overlaid by Rhceticor Penarth beds and Lias. Rhcetic beds. Barry Island. Southerndown, Lias limestone resting on upturned Carboniferous limestone. Llandaffy Permian, and Drift of the Taff Valley as far as Pentyrch . Llantrissanty Dolomitic conglomerate overlying the haimatite deposits. Castell Cocky Limestone rocks. Coal-measures at Macsteg. Anthracite coal at Cwm Amman . Marine coal shells at Rhymney Gate, near Merthyr . Fish remains, marine shells, and ferns at Beaufort and Ebbw Vale. Limestone rocks of Goxei' and Worm's Head. Black shales at Bishopston. Bone caves of Bacon Hole and Paviland, Gowlr. Limestone rocks at Tenby. Junction of ditto with Old Red at Caldy Island. Contorted strata of Limestone of S. Pembrokeshire. Cornstones at Pontrilas , Herefordshire. The Scyrrid Hilly near Abergavenny. Cornstones of Birich , between Crick - hoxccl and Brecon. The Daren near Crichhowel , and Pen • carreg-calch. Bradnor Hill Tilestones at Kington. Tilestones of Clyro Hills , near Hay. ' Horeb Chapel tilestones, Ctcm Dxr, Trecastle . Ludlow rocks of the Epynt and B trick - y-groes Hills. The (Jsk valley of elevation. Ludlow Rocks at Penylan, near Cardiff. The Wenlock limestone and Pentamerus bed at Corton, near Presteign . Nash Scar. The eruptive rocks of Starmery &c. The Llandeilo rocks, near Builth ( Well- field), and the trap of the Caimeddau Hills. The lower Silurian rocks of Llanwrtyd. The Llandovery beds at Noeth Crug (Llandovery). The Gogofau gold-mines. Valley of the Sawdde , near Llangad - dock. Cilgwyn, near Llandovery . Llandeilo. Mount Pleasant, Caermarthen (Lower Silurian). Purple fossiliferous slates of St. David's. Treffgam Hills. The Sam Cynfelin , near Abcrysticyth • Lisbume and Goginau lead-mines. nirod. ix. Skeleton Routes. xxxi IX. Skeleton Routes. A. CHIEF PLACES OF INTEREST, ARRANGED ACCORDING TO COUNTIES. Those best worth seeing are marked with an asterisk. . Monmouthshire. Chepstow. * Castle. Portwall. Ch. Tubular Bridge. *Piercefield Grounds. Mathern Ch. and Palace. Moyne’s Court. *Wynd- cliff Hill. Bannagor Rocks. *Tintern Abbey. Monmouth. *St. Thomas’s Ch. *Bridge-gate. Town Hall. *Kymin Hill. *Buckstone. Stanton Ch. Doward Hill and Camp. *Symond’s Yat. *Coldwell Rocks. *St. Briavel’s Castle. Troy House. Trelech Ch. and Stones. Mitchel Troy Ch. Treowen Manor-house. Raglan. * Castle. TJsk. *Castle. Ch. Silurian Rocks at Llanbadock. Llangibby Castle. Camps at Coed-y-Bunedd and Gaer-fawr. Cromlech at Newchurch. Porthskewit. Sudbrook Chapel and Camp. *Caerwent. *Calde- cot Castle and Ch. Dinham, Llanvair, Troggy, Penhow, and Pencoed Castles. View from Pencae-mawr. Magor. Ch. Newport. View from *St. Woollos Ch. *Castle. Docks. *Caerleon. Amphitheatre, Castle Grounds, and * Museum. Malpas Ch. Pontypool. Park. Tin-works. Trevethin Ch. Blaenafon Iron- works. *Crumlin Viaduct. *Twm Barlwm Hill. Brynmawr. *Nantyglo or *Ebbwvale Iron- works. Blaina Works and Ch. Scenery of *Ebbw Valley, Clydach Valley, and *Pwll-y-cwm Waterfall. Abergavenny. *Ch. Castle. *Scyrrid and *Sugar-Loaf Hills. Blorenge Mount. White Castle. *Cwmyoy and Llanthony Abbey. . Herefordshire, as far as relates to the Wye Tour. Hereford. *Cathedral. Town Hall. Castle Green. Blackfriars. Dinedor Hill. Holme Lacy House. *White Cross. Madley Ch. Kenchester. Ross. *Ch. View from * Royal Hotel. Wilton Castle. * Goodrich Court and * Castle. Welsh Bicknor Ch. The Wye from Goodrich to Monmouth. Pontrilas. Vale of Monnow. Ewias Harold Ch. * Abbey dore Ch. Garway Ch. and Dovecot. *Grosmont Ch. and Castle. *Sken- frith Castle. *Kilpeck Ch. Kington. *Ch. Bradnor Hill. Offa’s Dyke. Wapley. . Breconshire. Crickhowel. *Ch. Castle. *Camp on Table Hill. *Porthmawr Gateway. *Llangenau Ch. Valley of the Grwyney. Partrishow Ch. *Tretower Castle. Cwmddu Ch. View from Bwlch Pass. Turpilian and Victorinus Stones. *Llangorse Lake. Tal-y- llyn Ch. Valleys of Dyffryn Crownan and Glyn Collwng. Brecon. St. Mary’s Ch. *Priory Ch. * Christ’s Coll. * Castle. xxxii ix. Skeleton Routes. Introd. The Gaer. Maen-y-Morwynion. The *Beacons. Llanddew Palace. Inscribed Stones at Llandevailog Ch. Llanspydidd Ch . 1 Devynnoek. Ch. Yale of Senni. Penwylt. Scwd Hen Rhyd Fall. Hay. Ch. Castle. *Cusop Valley and Black Mountains. Mouse Castle. Cromlech at Moccas. * Clifford Castle. Gwemyfed Manor-house. *Bronllys Castle. BuiUh. Park Wells. Aberedw Ch. *Pwllddu. *Cwm Bedd Llewelyn. Llanwrtyd. *Vale of Yrfon. *Llanddewi Abergwessin. 4. Glamorganshire. Cardiff. *Bute Docks. *Castle. St. John’s Church. Llandaff. * Cathedral. Bishop’s Gateway. Sully Castle. * Barry Island and Castle. *St Nicholas* and St. Lythan’s Cromlechs. Fonmon. Llantrissant. Iron Mines. View from Ch. Cowbridge. Beaupre. *Llantwit Ch. and Town Hall. *St. Donat’s Castle, Ch., and Cross. Southerndown. Ogmore Castle. *Ewenny Priory. St. Bride’s Ch. Merthyrmawr Crosses. Bridgend . *Coity Ch. and Castle. Newton Ch. Coychurch. *Margam. *Aberavon Works. Neath. Castle. * Abbey. *Neath Valley. Resol ven. *Pont Neath Vaughan. * Waterfalls on Hepste, Mellte, and Pyrrdin. *Porth yr. Ogof. Ystradf elite. Maen Madoc, and Maen Llia. Swansea. *Castle. Ch. *Museum. *Docks. *Copper Works. Ynispenllwch Tin Works. Pontardawe Ch. Carn Llechart. Yniscedwin Iron Works. Ystradgunlais Ch. Gower. *Oystermouth Castle. Mumbles Rocks and Lighthouse. *Caswall Bay and * Coast Scenery. Pwllddu Point. *Bishops- ton Valley and Ch. *Ilston Ch. *Bacon Hole Bone Cave. Pennard Castle. *Cefn Bryn. *Artliur’s Stone. *Penrice Castle and Ch. *Oxwich Castle. Paviland Caves. *Worm’s Head. Rhosilly. Llangennith Ch. * Harding Down Camp. Llanmadoc Bone Cave. Weobley Castle. Lloughor Castle and ^Bridge. Taff Vale. *Castell Coch. * Caerphilly Castle. ^Pontypridd Bridge. *Rhondda Valley. *Craig-y-Llyn. *Aberdare. *Merthyr Ironworks. Dowlais. *Pontsarn Waterfall. *Morlais Castle. 5. Caermarthenshire. Llanelly. Copper Works and Docks. Kidwelly. Ch. and *Castle. *Llansteplian Castle. Llaughame Castle. Caermarthen. *Ch. Obelisk. Whitland Abbey. *Cwm Gwili. Cynfil. Abergwili. *Dryslyn Castle. Llandrilo. Orongar Hill. *Llandeilo Ch. *Dynevor Castle. *Carreg Cennen Castle. Court Bryn y Beirdd. Source of the Lloughor. *Camgoch. Llangadock. *Talley Abbey. Llandorery. Vale of Cothi. *Gogofau Mines. Cynvil Ch. Llanfair-y-Bryn Ch. *Capel Ystrad Ffin. Twm Shon Catti’s Cave. Vales of Doeithiau and Pysgottwr. 6. Radnorshire. Rhayader. Vales of *Pllan and *Clarwen. Road to *Builth. ntrod. ix. Skeleton Routes . xxxiii Llandrindod . *Cefnlys Castle. * Abbey Cwm Hir. Devanner. Camps in Cwm Aran. Stanner Rocks. Radnor. *Water-break-its-neck. Penybont. Old Radnor Ch. Pil- # leth Ch. Knighton. Camps at *Caer Caradoc and Coxwall Knoll. Presteign Ch. . Cardiganshire. *Upper portion of the Wye. Plinlymmon. *Falls at Port Erwyd. ^Parson’s Bridge. *Devil’s Bridge. *Goginau Mines. *Llan- badarn Yawr Ch. Aberystwyth. *Castle. PlasjCrug. *Craiglais. Vale of Clarach. *Sarn Cynfelin. Cwm Ystwith Mines. *Hafod. *Eglwys Newydd (*Chantrey’s Monum.). Lisburne Mines. Llanavan. *View from Ffairhos. Ystrad Meirig School. Strata Florida Abbey. *Lakes of the Teifi. Tregaron. Cardigan Ch. *St. Dogmael’s Abbey. *Kenarth Bridge. Cil- gerran Castle. Newcastle. *Castle. Lampeter. College. Llanvair Clydogau Mine. *Llanddewi Brefi. *Llanio. Vale of Aeron. Aberayron. New Quay. Castle Nadolig. Llanrhystyd. I. Pembrokeshire. Narberth Castle. *Tenby Church; * Castle. Caldy Island. *Saundersfoot. St. Catherine’s. *Gumfreston Ch. Carew Ch., *Castle, and Cross. ^Penally Ch. Lydstep Caves. *Manorbeer Castle and Ch. *Stackpole Court. Cheriton Ch. *St. Cowan’s Head and Chapel. * Coast to Stack Rocks. * Pembroke Castle. *Monkton Priory. Castle Martin and Warren Ch. *Lamphey Court. *Hodgeston Ch. Upton Castle. Benton Castle. *Pater Dockyard. *Milford. * Haverfordwest and St. Mary’s Ch. Picton Castle. Slebech. *Llawhawden Castle. Broadhaven. Roch Castle. View over St. Bride’s Bay. Newgale. *Solva. *8t. David's Cathedral, College, and Palace. Nun’s Chapel. Whitesand Bay. Penlan Fort. *St. David’s Head. Carn Llidi. Penberry. *Trevine Cromlech. * Fishguard . *Coodwick. *Spot where the French landed. Cromlechs near Strumble Head. Preseley Hills. *Dinas Head. Newport Castle and Cromlech. *Nevern Ch. and Cross. *Pentre Evan Cromlech. B. SKELETON TOUR OF ONE MONTH through the Southern portion of South Wales. !>ays. 1. London to Tenby (by rail) via Whitland. 2. Tenby Castle. Ch. Walls. Penally. If tide admits, visit Lydstep. Excursion to Caldy, or drive to Saundersfoot. 3. Excursion to Manorbeer, Stackpole Court, Cheriton Ch., St. Go wan’s Head, Stacks, and sleep at Pembroke. IS. Wales.-} c xxxiv ix. Skeleton Tours . Introd DAYS. 4. See Monkton, Lampliey, Carew, Pater, and sleep at New Milford. 5. Visit Milford, and by train to Haverfordwest, St. Mary’s Ch. ; L omnibus serves, to St. David’s in afternoon. (It is a glorious wall for a pedestrian, who must take care on reaching Newgale to follow the road and not cut across the marshes.) 6. St. David’s. Cathedral, College, Palace. If time, visit St. David’i Head or the Nun’s Chapel near Caerfai. (The tourist shoulc endeavour to spend Sunday here.) 7. Cromlech at Trevine, and on to Fishguard (there is no conveyance) Visit Goodwick and Carreg Gwasted. 8. Excursion to Preseley Hills. The pedestrian had better not return t Fishguard, but descend to Newport. 9. Dinas Head, Newport Castle, Nevern Ch. and Cross, Cromlech a Pentre Evan ; Cardigan. Visit Cilgerran. 10. In morning visit St. Dogmael’s Priory. By coach to Newcastle Emlyn, and Llandyssil, and on by rail to Caermarthen. 11. Visit Llanstephan and Kidwelly, and back to Caermarthen, or on t Llanelly. 12. From Caermarthen to Llandeilo by rail, or from Llanelly to Llandeil by rail. Visit Dynevor Park, Carreg Cennen Castle. 13. Carn Goch, Llandovery. Excursion either to Gogofau or up th Valley of Towey to Capel Ystrad Ffin. 14. To Swansea by rail. Visit Castle, Docks, Museum, and by omnibu to Oystermouth Castle and Mumbles. 15. By Swansea Vale Railway to Ystalyfera and walk on to Ystradgunlais If time permit, visit Waterfall of Scwd Hen Rhyd. If the touris prefer, he can spend this day in an excursion to the Bone Caves c Gower and the Worm’s Head. (There is no conveyance.) 16. To Neath and Vale of Neath. Get out at Glyn Neath Station, an visit the Waterfalls. The first train ought to be taken to allow c this. In the evening take the last train to Merthyr Tydvil. 17. Visit Iron- works, Pontsam, and Morlais Castle. In afternoon by ra to Brecon. 18. Visit Priory Church ; ascend Beacons. 19. To Crickhowel : coach ; or the rail can be taken as far as Talybont Visit Crickhowel Castle, Ch., and Llangenau Valley, and in evenin to Abergavenny. 20. From Abergavenny by rail to Pontypool, and from thence by CrumlLi and Quakers’ Yard to Cardiff. Visit Docks. 21. Visit Llandaff Cathedral ; if possible, let it be Sunday. 22. By TafF Vale Rail to Castell Coch and from Walnut-Tree Bridge t Caerphilly. 23. From Cardiff to Cowbridge by rail (if driving, visit St. Nicliola Cromlech), and thence by Llantwit Major, St. Donat’s, Ogmore, an Ewenny Priory, to Bridgend. 24. From Bridgend to Newport. Visit St. Woollos, or else, if time permit] Caerleon. In afternoon by train to Usk and Raglan. 25. From Raglan to Abergavenny (a magnificent drive), and on by rail t Hereford. (A pedestrian may get out at Llanvihangel Station, vis’ Llanthony Abbey, and be back in time for the last train to IlerefordJ Conveyances must be obtained at Abergavenny, as there are uone t Llanvihangel. ntrod. ix. Skeleton Tour8. xxxv ATS. 26. Visit Cathedral, and, if on proper days, Holm Lacy ; in after- \ noon to Ross by rail. 27. From Ross to Monmouth by coach or water. Visit Goodrich Court and Castle, Symond’s Yat, and Buckstone. 28. Monmouth to Chepstow by water. Visit Tintern and Wynd- cliff. >9. Chepstow Castle. Mathern, Caerwent, and Caldecot. From Porthskewit Station. ’>0. Chepstow to London, &c. [This tour, including Sundays, will be about 33 days.] C. A TOUR OF SIX WEEKS. 1. From London to Kington by rail, via Ludlow. 2. Kington to Rhayader by post. Excursion up Vale of Elan. 3. Excursion to Abbey Cwm Hir, Llandrindod, and Cefn Llys Castle. 4. -By rail to Builth, Hay, and Brecon. 5. Visit Priory, Castle, the Gaer, Beacons. 6. Post to Llandovery and by rail to Llandeilo. Visit Dynevor Park and Carregcennen Castle. 7. From Llandovery by rail to Llanwrtyd Wells and Builth. (A pedestrian may start early, go up to Capel Ystrah Ffin, cross the mountains to Llanwrtyd, and on by rail to Builth in the evening.) 8. From Builth to Aberystwyth by rail. 9. Visit Castle, Llanbadarn Vawr, Constitution Hill, Clarach Vale, &c. 0. By omnibus to Devil’s Bridge, visit Hafod, and sleep at Devil’s Bridge. 1. By rail to Strata Florida Abbey (if time, to Llyn Teifi), and on by • rail to Tregaron. 2. From Tregaron by rail to Loventium, Llanddewi Brefi, Lampeter and Caermarthen. 3. Caermarthen to Tenby by Whitland ; on way visit Llawhawden Castle. L Tenby. >. Manorbeer and the coast. ). Monkton, Pater, &c. 7 . Haverfordwest, St. David’s. 3. St. David’s. ). Fishguard. >. Newport, Nevern, &c. 1. Cardigan, Cilgerran, rail to Caermarthen. 2. Kidwelly. >. Swansea and Vale. w* ^Gower. 5. Neath. Abbey. Margam. 7 . Bridgend. Dunraven. 3. Vale of Neath Waterfalls ; in evening to Merthyr to see its Ironworks. 9. Merthyr to Abergavenny by rail. Visit Ch. , Castle (if time, ascend Sugar Loaf). In evening to Crickhowell (post). c 2 Wye Tour. xxxvi ix. Skeleton Tours. Introd DATS. 30. Back to Abergavenny, and by rail to Pontypool, Crumlin Viaduct, t Quakers’ Yard, and so to Cardiff. 31. Llandaff. 32. Caerphilly and Rhymney Valley. 33. Penarth and coast. 34. To Newport by rail. Visit St. Woollos Ch., Castle, Docks. Excur sion to Caerleon. 35. To Pontypool, Usk. Raglan by rail. 36. Raglan Castle. White Castle. To Hereford. 37. Hereford. Cathedral. Kilpeck Ch. (St. Devereux Station), Ross. 38. Ross to Monmouth. If time permit, excursion to Grosmont Castle. 39. Monmouth to Chepstow. Tintern, Wyndcliff. 40. Chepstow Castle. Mathern. From Porthskewit to Caerwent am Caldecot. 41. From Chepstow to Gloucester, &c., or by steamer to Bristol. D. PEDESTRIAN TOUR THROUGH THE HEART OF WALES, which may he added to or substituted for any of the days' routes mentioned before. Arriving at Pontypool from Hereford or Newport. 1. From Pontypool across the Crumlin, Sirhowy, Rhymney, and Tai Vales. A not very long walk, but fatiguing, owing to the heigh and number of the hills to be crossed. 2. From Pontypridd to the head of the Rhondda valley, across Graig-y Llyn to the Lamb and Flag in Neath Valley. About 26 m. 3. Visit Waterfalls and Scwd Hen Rhyd, returning by Ystradgunlais t Ystalyfera, where take train to Swansea. 4. Swansea to Worm’s Head, Gower. 20 m. Sleep at Pitton Farm house. 5. Return to Swansea, visiting the remaining places not seen the da. before. 6. Take train to Aberafon ; walk through Cwm Avon to Maesteg, and ir through Glyn Corrwg into Vale of Neath. A good day’s work. I possible, try and catch the last train to Merthyr. 7. From Merthyr by Castle Morlais up the Valley of the Lesser Taff t Beacons, and down to Brecon. 8. Walk to Llandovery, and in afternoon visit Llandeilo, &c., returnin to Llandovery. 9. Start early, and walk up the Towey to Capel Ystrad y Ffin. Visi Twm Shon Catti’s Cave, and thence up the Vale of either th Doeithiau or Pysgottwr to Tregaron. This is a long walk, solitaiy and requires a fine day and a good map. 10. From Tregaron to Strata Florida, Llyn Teifi, and sleep at Ilafo* Arms. 11. Visit Parson’s Bridge, Falls of the Rheidol at Pont Erwyd, am ascend Plinlymmon. In evening, train to Aberystwyth. 12. By train from Aberystwyth to Llanidloes, and walk to Rhayader. 13. Up the Vale of Elan and Clarwen to Drygarn mountain, and descent by the Vale of Yrfon to Llanwrtyd Wells, and by rail to Builth. 14. From Builth to Hay. [ntrod. x. Dowlais Iron Works. xxxvn 15. From Hay, across the Black Mountains, to Llanthony Abbey, and down the Honddu to Llanvihangel Station. These routes may of course be altered or interpolated with others in every possible way. E. A COAST WALK OF A FORTNIGHT. 1. From Cardiff, by Penarth Head, Aberthaw, Barry Island, to Llantwit (a very poor inn). 2. By St. Donats, Southemdown, to Bridgend, from whence take the train to Swansea. 3. To Mumbles, Caswall Bay, Pwllddu Point, and up Bishopton Valley to Gower Inn. 4. By Paviland to Worm’s Head (sleep at Pitton Farmhouse). 5. Back to Swansea or Gower Road Station over Harding Down and Cefn Bryn. Take train to Kidwelly. 6. Take train to Ferryside, cross ferries at Llanstephan and Llaugharne, and follow coast to Saundersfoot and Tenby. 7. Round by Manorbeer to Bosheston (?). As there are no inns in this district, the pedestrian must endeavour to put up at a farmhouse. 8. To Pembroke and Milford. 9. Milford to St. David’s. 10. To Fishguard by St. David’s Head. 11. To Cardigan. X. Additional Information about the Dowlais Iron Works. The Dowlais Iron and Steel Works occupy the narrow valley of the Dowlais a little below its junction with the Morlais. Both streams rise within the northern limits of the coal-basin, the Dowlais just within md upon the lowest measures, the Morlais between them and the lime- done. The town of Dowlais covers the triangle between the two streams, extending northwards from their junction at Gellifaelog. The base of dris triangle is formed by the Ivor Works, a part of those of Dowlais. The Penydaran Works stand upon the brook below Dowlais, but are now closed. Dowlais and Penydaran hold under Lord Bute upon the common of Gelligaer, south-east of and above their works. The Peny- laran coal-field was purchased by the Dowlais Company, and the works liave long been closed. The tenure of the Bute minerals is of high antiquity. Lord Bute represents in law, though not in blood, the old Norman Lords of the Honour of Cardiff, who conquered Gelligaer from the Welsh, and held it for centuries at the sword’s point. It was granted, with other seignorial 'ights, by Edward VI., to Herbert, maternal ancestor of Lord Bute. Lord Windsor, who was the Penydaran landlord, and is a large coal owner in Merthyr and Aberdare, represents the far older, but the con- quered possessor. His not very remote ancestress was the heiress of xxxviii x. Dowlais Iron Works. Introd. the ancient and wealthy Glamorganshire family of Lewis of the Van, from whom nearly the whole tract between the Taff and the Rhymney was wrested, but who have retained to the present day the other por- tions of their extensive property. Their district of Morlais is full of traditions and local names commemorative of Ivor Bach, the Roland of the Glamorganshire Paladins, to whose memory manufacture itself in this nineteenth century has paid an unconscious tribute in the name of the Ivor Works. The mineral wealth of the Merthyr district was long unavailable, and probably unsuspected. The iron ores of the South and West, of Monmouth, Somerset, and Sussex, were rich in quality, superficial in position, and lay surrounded by forests, then the only source of fuel. It was not until towards the seventeenth century that pit-coal was applied to the smelting of iron ore, and it was by tedious, difficult, and irregular steps that it came into general use. The commercial spirit of England, quickened in some degree by the intelligent and industrious Protestant artisans banished by Louis XIV., began with the eighteenth century to pervade every branch of industry. Dud Dudley’s process for smelting iron by means of coal was brought into general use, and in the adjacent counties of Stafford and Salop, Dudley, Wednesbury, and Bridgenorth, became the seats of an iron manufacture sufficiently profit- able to direct attention to other coal-fields. Of these one of the earliest was Merthyr Tydfil. In 1748, 10th March, the Hon. Thomas Morgan, of Ruperra, took a lease, dating from 1st May, but not finally executed until the 1st Nov. 1749, for 99 years, of the toll -house and fair of Marchnad-y-Waun, 20 acres of land about it, and the minerals of the manor of Senghenydd-super-Caiach, including the commons of Blaen Rhymney and Gelligaer. Whether Mr. Morgan worked these minerals is unknown ; probably he did not, but certainly he induced others to do so, for, before 1759, he had assigned his lease to the nucleus of the Dowlais Company, represented then by Mr. Lewis, of Newhouse, and a partnership, with a subscribed capital of 40007. ; and when, in November, 1762, the original lease was sur- rendered, the re-graut was on the plea of the great expense to which the applicants had gone, the furnace which they had erected, and the considerable quarries of stone which they had opened. The new lease was for the remainder of the old term. The old rental had been 237. per annum, with an additional property, of which a sub-lease fell in. The new lease was for an advanced rent of 57., upon which rent of 317. the Dowlais minerals were worked until the recent expiration of the lease. The new lessees were all members of the partnership of 1759. They retained tlieir original division of the property into 16 shares, Mr. Lewis being the principal holder. After various changes, and the admission and retirement of various small partners— one of whom was Robert Thompson, uncle to and founder of the fortunes of the late Alderman of that name — Mr. John Guest, of Brosely Ironworks, ap- Introd. x. Dowlais Iron Works. xxxix peared in 1782, 19th August, as a partner, and by their skill and assiduity he and his descendants gradually increased their interests in the con- cern, until, at the expiration of the lease. Sir John Guest held 10 shares, his nephew, Mr. Hutchins, 1 share, and the Rev. W. P. Lewis, grandson of the original lessee, 5 shares. Shortly after the renewal of the lease, Sir J. J. Guest became the sole lessee, having purchased out the other interests, and so died in 1 1852, leaving the works in trust, under which management they are still carried on. It is remarkable that the two original lessees — the Adventurers, as ithey were called — Mr. Morgan and Mr. Lewis, should have appeared in such a capacity. Both were men of fortune, members of county families celebrated for antiquity of race and attachment to Welsh customs, but not celebrated for the acquisition of wealth in any kind of trade ; frequent and excellent as knights and sheriffs, but quite unknown as ironmasters or manufacturers. Possibly, they found the capital, and had wit to see the probable future value of the property. But, whatever the lessees may have thought of their property, the lessors had clearly no opinion of its value. The lease fixes no dead- rent, no royalty upon the minerals, makes no provision for their extended workings, imposes no fine upon their being sub-let or wasted, makes no stipulation for any outlay of capital. The whole manor, from the Caiach’ northwards to the county border, about 16 miles long, was leased without any limitation! It is, indeed, probable that for many years the property was not productive, and it did not produce extraordinary profits to any of the original lessees ; but even the second generation found it lucrative, and before the termination of the lease there were years in which the profits were much above 3000 times the rent. The negotiations for the renewal of the lease lasted through many years. It is said that Lord Bute had a presentiment that he should not live to sign the new lease, and it is probable that the anxious and warm j discussions on the subject shortened the lives of both lessor and lessee. jLord Bute died suddenly a few days before he was to have affixed his I signature ; and when, some time afterwards, the lease was sent to Sir j John Guest to be executed, he too lay on his death-bed and died with- out having been able to attend to it. The renewal passed between trustees on each side. Although the firm bore the designation of “ Guest, Lewis, & Co.,” or “ the Dowlais Iron Company,” Sir John Guest, even while only one of several partners, was long and justly regarded as its real representative. From the death of his uncle in 1815 to his own death in 1852, a period of 37 years, he was its active and sole manager. When he took the management Dowlais may have numbered about 1000 people, and the works produced from 5 furnaces about 15,000 tons annually of pig-iron. Sir John Guest found Merthyr a mere village; he did more than any single man to leave it a populous town, larger than, and as opulent as, many cities, and the head of a borough which from the xl x. Dowlais Iron Works. Introd. time of its enfranchisement he represented in Parliament. During his life he was the only Merthyr ironmaster who provided a place of worship for his people or a school for their children, and he well deserved the eulogium inscribed upon his tombstone at Dowlais. Upon Sir John’s death and the marriage of his widow, Mr. G. T. Clark became the sole trustee. With him was then associated Mr. | Bruce, now Lord Aberdare, who for some time took an active share in the business. Under the trust the coal leases were renewed and ex- tended, the Penydaran coal-pit was purchased, the Bessemer-Mushet | steel-making processes introduced, and the works more than doubled their producing power. They were for many years the only Welsh works in which steel rails were made, and they introduced the novelty of ship-plates. In 1888 the works produced — tons. of finished steel . . 199,146 „ iron . . . 15,591 In a few years the local iron ore failed to meet the demand. They imported ore from Barrow, from Northamptonshire, and finally from Bilbao, whence at this time their principal supply is drawn. Under the influence of severe competition the distance of the works from the port became a serious disadvantage, and in 1888 the trustee accepted a large lease of ground on the Bute Dock site at Cardiff, upon which smelting furnaces and rolling mills are now rising. The Dowlais Company, whilst thus expanding its operations, has not neglected duties of a different character. The schools, the largest in Britain, numbered, in 1888, 2044. ; : HANDBOOK FOR SOUTH WALES. ROUTES. The names of places are printed in italics only in those routes where the places are described. aOUTE PAGE 1 Chepstow to Swansea, by Newport , Cardiff \ Bridgend , and Neath 2 2 Swansea to Milford Haven , by Llanelly , Caermarthen, and Haverfordwest . . .37 3 Hereford to Chepstow, by Ross and Monmouth . . 52 4 Newport to Hereford , by Pontypool Road and Aber- gavenny 68 5 Newport to Monmouth, by Usk and Raglan. . .. . 76 6 Newport to Brynmawr , by Pontypool and Blaenafon . 81 7 Newport to Nantyglo and Ebbwvale, by Crumlin and Aberbeeg 83 8 Newport to Nantybwch, by Tredegar 86 9 Newport to Brecon, by Bar- goed , Dowlais , and Talybont 87 10 Pontypool Road to Swansea, by Quakers' Yard , Aberdare , and Neath 92 11 Abergavenny to Merthyr, by Brynmawr and Tredegar . 99 12 Monmouth to Brecon , by Abergavenny and Crickho- wel .... 102 ROUTE PAGE 13 Brecon to Neath, by Devyn - nock 114 14 Cardiff to Rhymney, by Caer- philly 117 1 5 Cardiff to Merthyr, by Pont-y- pridd 120 16 Hereford to Brecon, by Hay and Talgarth . . . .126 17 Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Three Cocks, Builth, Rhay- ader , and Llanidloes. . . 133 18 Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Kington , Radnor , and Rhayader 138 19 Craven Arms to Caermar- then, by Llandrindod . e Llandovery , and Llandeilo , 144 20 Swansea to Ystradgunlais . 156 21 Swansea to Llanelly and Llandeilo, by Pont-ar-dulais 158 22 Caermarthen to Aberystwith , by Lampeter 159 23 Caermarthen to Cardigan, by Pencader 170 24 Caermarthen to Pembroke, by Whitland and Tenby . .173 25 Haverfordwest to Aberyst- wyth, by St. David's , Fish- guard, Cardigan, and Abe- raeron 184 [S. Wales.-] B 2 S. Walk. Route 1 . — Chepstow to Swansea. ROUTE 1. FROM CHEPSTOW TO SWANSEA, BY NEWPORT, CARDIFF, BRIDGEND AND NtATH. ( South Wales Railway.) $ Chepstow Stat., from its position on the borders of Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, and its accessi- bility, is the most convenient place from which to commence a tour of South Wales. It is on the main line of rly. from Gloucester to Mil- ford, is easily approached from Bristol by rail (vid Porthskewit) or steamer, and is at the gates of the beautiful scenery of the Wye. A Wye Valley hue from Monmouth to Chepstow is also available. On emerging from the deep cutting of mountain limestone on the Glou- cestershire side of the river, a fine view of the town is gained, as the train glides over the Tubular Bridge, a bold conception of the late Mr. Brunei, though, in itself, scarcely harmonizing with the rest of the scene. It blends the principles of Telford’s suspension and Stephen- son’s tubular bridges, and consists of two superstructures divided into four spans, the whole being 600 ft. long. The tubes are supported at intervals upon the chains by vertical trusses, and are about 152 ft. above low-water mark ; the river piers being sunk to a depth of 50 ft., until they rest on the mountain limestone. This bridge was opened in 1852. Chepstow is situated altogether on the W. bank of the Wye, about 2^ in. from its confluence with the Severn, and, viewed from the opj>o«ite side, presents a most picturesque appear- ance ; the most striking feature being the ruined castle, forming, as it were, part of the steep limestone cliffs, which descend to the water’s edge in bold escarpments. The counties of Monmouth and Gloucester are here connected (in addition to the rly. viaduct) by a handsome road bridge of 5 arches, erected in 1816. At the upper end of the principal street is a stone gate, part of the ancient fortifications : but more perfect specimens exist in the Walls , flanked at intervals by towers which surround the old Port, commencing a little below the bridge, and extending by the W. gate round the whole town, almost back to the bridge. They are well seen from the rly., soon after quitting the station on the Monmouthshire side. The Church, once conventual, and belonging to the Benedictine Priory, is mentioned as early as 1168 in the Bull of Pope Alexander III., and was founded either by the Norm. Baron, William Fitz-Osborn, or by his sue- j cessor, Earl Richard Fitzgilbert, ; ancestor of the Clares. It is dedi- ! cated to St. Mary, and is the sole survivor of four churches in Chep- stow. It has undergone an unusual number of alterations, but still con- tains a considerable portion of Nor- man architecture. At the W. end, under an ugly modem tower, is a circular portal richly adorned with chevrons and zigzag mouldings.^ This, together with the 3 round^f headed windows above it, is a counterpart of the doorway of St. Georges at Boscherville in Nor- mandy. A central tower is said, on the authority of Coxe, to have existed, and to have fallen in 1720, but this is not confirmed by older writers. Great alterations, however, were made in 1837, by the throwing out of a new chancel, for the develop- ment of which one of the bays of the nave was sacrificed. The nave is ancient, and its row® of circular arches are supported on massive square piers, somewhat like 5. WALESi Boute 1 . — Chepstow Castle . 3 hose of St. Albans. Over these rches are triforia, consisting of pertures pierced in the wall, and a ange of E. Norm, clerestory win- ows. The triforia differ somewhat n the N. and S. sides. “ A little attention ascertains the ruth, that among the accumulations f successive periods of barbarism here lies concealed the nearly per- ect nave of no contemptible Norman linster. ” — E. A. F. Here is a lonument to Henry, 2nd Earl of Vorcester, bearing his marble effigy nder a canopy supported by Corin- iiian pillars. Under a slab in the lancel is interred Hen. Marten, the 3gicide, who died 1680, aged 70. By far the most interesting object i Chepstow is the Castle, of great itent and in tolerable preservation, ghly picturesque in form, and ost striking in its situation on a eep platform of rock, on one side ashed by the Wye, and, on the her, separated from the town wall 7 a deep dingle, that is prettily othed with greensward and timber, id forms a natural dry moat to the rtress. The entrance on the E. side, cing the bridge, is by a gate-house inked with circular towers, still taining its ponderous doors, not deed original, but old, coated with on-plates, and cross-barred within, be entrance vault is grooved for e portcullis, and pierced with the ual apertures for stockades. The ound-plan of the fortress is an 'egular parallelogram, covering acres, divided into 4 courts, each th its separate defences, one being e formidable river- cliff, on the ge of which the N. wall is built, the Domesday Book, it is spoken as Castellum de Estrighoiel, or riguil, but the British name was sgwent, and the Saxon, Cheap- )we. Though a castle was built re by the Norman, Fitz-Osborn, rl of Hereford, in the 11th centy., ■ d though portions of that struc- re may still be seen in the keep, most of Chepstow must be looked upon as the work of the reigns of the three Edwards, with addi- tions even of later date. It be- longed to the Clares, upon whom the castle and estates were bestowed by the King upon the attainder of Roger de Britolio, 3rd son of Fitz- Osborn. Dugdale relates a curious anecdote of this Roger, 4 ‘ though he frequently used many scornful ex- pressions towards the King, yet was the King pleased, at the celebration of the Feast of Easter, in a solemn manner, as was then usual, to send to this Earl Roger, at that time in prison, his royal robes, who so dis- dained the favour, that he forthwith caused a great fire to be made, and the mantle, the tunic, surcoat of silk, and the upper garment lined with precious furs, to be suddenly burnt ; which being made known to the King, he became a little dis- pleased and said, * certainly he is a very proud man, who hath thus abused me, but by the brightness of God he shall never come out of prison so long as I live. ’ ” The King kept his oath, and the proud lawless- Earl ended his days in confinement. The castle came through Isabel, daughter and heiress of Richard Strongbow, Earl of Striguil, Chep- stow, and Pembroke, by marriage to the Marshalls, and eventually, also by marriage, to the Herberts, from whom its present owners, the Somer- set family, acquired it. On entering the first court on rt. are the offices, including the kitchen, marked by its wide chimneys, and, below it, a chamber excavated in the rock, an opening in which overlooks the river : this is called a dungeon, but was more probably a cellar. On the 1. is a very fine drum-tower, where the regicide Hen. Marten, the wit, and one of the few convinced Re- publicans of the Revolution, was confined for 20 years. He died on the 9th Sept. 1680, and was buried originally in the chancel of St. B 2 4 Route L — Chepstow : The Wye. S. Wales, Mary’s Ch., but a later vicar, not brooking that the bones of a regi- cide should moulder so near the altar, had them removed to a passage between the nave and the N. aisle. Here also was imprisoned Jeremy Taylor on a charge of complicity with a Royalist insurrection. In an upper story is an oratory of singular beauty, lighted by a pointed window on the E. There is some ball-flower moulding in this apart- ment, together with a piscina near the S. window. The 2nd court is converted into a garden, and beyond it rises the original Norm, keep, the nucleus and oldest part of the whole work, though much altered, and pierced with pointed windows. In the original wall are courses of bricks and tiles, possibly taken from some Roman works. There are some good details in the clustered columns of the windows. The chief apart- ment within was evidently the hall, with pointed arches and elaborately carved windows. Its length is 90 ft. , and its breadth 30 ft. Behind the last, or western court, is another entrance, defended by drawbridge, moat, portcullis, &c., even more strongly if possible than the main entrance, but of inferior work and later date. The castle was several times taken and recovered by the two parties in the civil war, and was even at one time beseiged by Cromwell in person, who, pressing forward to quell the insurrection at Pembroke, left it to be reduced by his lieutenant. Col. Ewer. The Royalists, when nearly starved, pre- pared to escape down a rope into a boat on the river, when a Puritan soldier, discovering this, swam across and cut the boat adrift. The castle was then taken by assault, 1645. It was again besieged in 1648, when the commander of its little garrison, Sir Nicholas Kemys, was killed with 40 of his men. Afterwards the castle, with the park of Chepstow, together with the Chase of Wentwood and several estates belonging to the Marquis of Worcester and others, ■ amounting in value to 2500 1. per, annum, were granted by Parliament to Oliver Cromwell. At the llestora-j tion the castle and lands were: given back to their rightful owners, and have remained in their possession ever since. The hills around Chepstow afford excellent views of the beauties of! the surrounding country, and show in a remarkable degree the characH teristics of the scenery of the car- boniferous or mountain limestone. On the W. , Hardwick, an old seat of the Thomas family, purchased and improved by the late Bp. Coplestoue, commands an admirable view of Chepstow, the venerable fortifica- tions of the old Port, and the moutl of the Wye. On the other hand, bj crossing the bridge and mounting the hill, a beautiful landscape i gained, having for its principa points, Piercefield (late the residence of H. Clay, Esq.), the rocks on th< W. Bank of the Wye, and the Wynd cliff. The Wye is navigable for larg< vessels up to Chepstow Bridge, th* tide rising higher here than at almost any other point on the coast o Britain. It is usually 40 ft., but not unfrequently, after a prevalent! of winds which drive the sea int< the Bristol Channel above its meai level, it has reached an elevation o 50 ft., and once in January, 1768 to 70 ft. This is probably owinj to the jutting out of the rocks n Aust and Beachley. At the entrance of the river is ai islet, upon which are the ruins o an ancient chapel, said to have beei built in the year 47, and common!;: called St. Tecla’s or Treacle chapel one of the old “ Free chapels ” whicl were independent of any parochiij jurisdiction. William of Worceate' calls it “ Cape 11a Sancti Teriacij Anchorite.” This St. Tecla, the first BritWj 3 . Wales. Boute 1 . — Beachley — Mather n. 5 it ; emale martyr, was the daughter of i me of the petty reguli of Gwynedd, ,vho being enamoured of a religious ‘ ife, abandoned the rude splendour ff her father’s court, and retired i ifter the manner of those primitive imes, to this lonely seabeaten rock, for purposes of prayer and medita- tion. She was not, however, long permitted to enjoy her solitude un- molested, for one of those roving bands of piratical Vikings, who infested this coast, swept down upon the lonely isle and murdered its occupant. The pious spirit of an ifter age reared the memorial chapel, whose scanty remains may yet be traced upon the summit of the rock. The ch. of Llandegla, in Denbigh- shire, is dedicated to this saint, and aer well, in -the same parish, long 3njoyed a wondrous reputation for its 3ures of epilepsy, or, as it is termed oy the Welsh, ‘ ‘ Clwyf Tecla, ” or St. Tecla’s disease. Llandegley, in Rad- uorshire, dedicated to the same saint, das a holy well, of special virtue in cutaneous disorders. From Beachley, near this spot, is a ferry to the opposite coast, called the Aust or Old Passage (formerly the Trajectus Augusti), the distance being about 1 J m. The coaches from Wales to Bristol used to cross at this ferry, at which, in old times, many fatalities from drowning oc- curred. Following the road to Chepstow from Beachley, on rt., is Sedbury Park, the seat of the late G. Or- ! merod, Esq. , the learned historian of I Cheshire, and of his son, Archdeacon Ormerod, a scholar and antiquary, who did not long survive him, and through whose grounds Offa’s Dyke, which commences in the parish, may be easily traced. The general belief is that this dyke, which ex- tends from the mouth of the Wye to that of the Dee, was simply a line of demarcation, though it is a happy suggestion that it was a frontier barrier connecting a line of camps, and capable of being used on an emergency for defensive purposes. To the N. of the Dyke are lofty precipices, conspicuous from the railway, f Between these Severn cliffs, and an ancient beacon on the plain adjoining a Roman potter’s kiln was discovered a few years ago ; and in 1859, intrenchments of what seems to have been a summer camp (castra sestiva) connected with Caer- went and the Passages. Draining operations have already produced much Roman pottery and other remains. Cars can be obtained at Chepstow for excursions to Tintern, 5 m. (Rte. 3) ; and boats are kept for the same purpose, for which advantage should be taken of the ascending tide. As the traveller leaves Chepstow Stat. he skirts the banks of the Wye for a short distance, and gains some pretty peeps through the open- ings in the mountain limestone cutting. 2 m. on rt. is Mathern, called by Leland “a preatty pyle in Base Ventland,” a pleasant sunny spot, containing the remains of the ancient palace, of quadrangular form, inha- bited by the Bishops of Llandaff, until 1706. It is now a farmhouse, but still shows in its tower, gateway and mullioned windows, traces of its former grandeur. The Ch. is old and possesses a nave with aisles, chancel, and lofty square tower ; in the interior are some E.E. arcades, and a tablet to the memory of Prince Tewdrig, with an inscrip- tion by Bishop Godwin. Tewdrig was King of Gwent and Morgan wg, and was slain at the battle of Tintern, a.d. 600. A stone coffin was discovered by Bishop Godwin, as he tells us in his account of Llandaff Diocese, containing his f Noticed in the Geological Trans, vol. i., and also in Archceol., vol. xxix., with a map. 6 Haute 1 . — PortlisJcewit. S. Wales. almost perfect skeleton — a ghastly fracture in the skull revealing plainly the cause of death. Not far from Mathern is Moyne* s Court (in old documents called Monk’s Court), built by Francis Godwin, Bp. of Llandaff, 1601*1617, but previously the seat of the De Moignes. It is conspicuous for a very picturesque gateway, flanked by slender side towel's. Although, from its name, it was evidently a religious house, belonging to Ma- thern, it was afterwards the resi- dence of Richard Hughes, a relation of Bp. Godwin. In the walls of the courtyard are 2 defaced Roman inscriptions, declared by Coxe to commemorate the restoration of the Temple of Diana by Postumius Varus . A little further on the rt. of the rly . , is the Park and old mansion of St. Pierre, for many centuries the seat of the family of Lewis, an early offshoot from the Morgans of Trede- gar, when surnames were yet un- fixed. The house, though old, has been modernized, but retains a Gothic gateway with flanking towers of the 16th centy. In the interior is a portrait, believed to be that of Henry Marten, the regicide. The ch. is a plain, single-aisled building close to the house, called in old documents “ Sancti Petri ecclesia.” 4} m. Porthskkwit Jt’NCT. — The steam ferry-boat has now been re- placed by the tunnel which passes under the Severn about 1£ m. from the Junction. It has brought S. Wales much nearer to the West of England, and also affords the shortest route to Liverpool, Man- chester, Leeds, and the North. Fast trains by this route have recently been established by the G. W. R. in conjunction with the L. k N. W. R. The tunnel is one of the most im- portant engineering works of modem times. Its total length is 4 m. 624 yds., of which 2j in. are under the estuary of the Severn. At high- water spring tides the rails through the tunnel are at one point 150 feet below the surface of the water. The tunnel was opened for goods traffic on September 1st, 1886, nearly four- teen years from the time of beginning the works, and the first passenger train from London to S. Wales passed through it on July 1st, 1887. The time occupied in running through the tunnel is about seven minutes. Overlooking the Channel are the remains of Sudbi'ook Chapel, and a British camp defended by triple ramparts. Porthskewit, called in the Welsh Triads one of the three site in the isle of Britain, was the site of a palace built by Harold, of which no traces remain. The village lies to the rt. of the rly., and is prettily situated. The ch. (restored) is a plain building, consisting of nave and chancel with tower at the W. end and S. porch. [1J m. from Porthskewit is Caldi- cot Castle (J. R. Cobb, Esq.), the towers of which are well seen from the rly. on rt. soon after leaving the stat. It is a good specimen of military architecture, consisting of a Round Keep (13th cent.), situ- ated on a moated mound, and con- taining a vaulted subterranean dun- geon, basement, and 3 stories above ; in window recess of 2nd floor was an oratory. From the keep on S. and E. runs a shell, with horse-shoe towers 30 ft. high at intervals, em- bracing 1J acre. At the E. the shell is j»artlv destroyed. The whole is surrounded by a second moat. In centre of S. curtain is a Square Gate- | house (Dec.) with high roof, between 2 flanking latrine towers : this, the most striking portion of the castle, is fitted up by the owner as an occa- sional residence ; it contains lofty guard rooms, the state chnml>oni f I and the remains of a chapel j one B. Wales. Boute 1 . — Caerwent — Newchurch. 7 i flanking tower has a parapet sup- ported on sculptured corbels, carry - ' ing pointed arched machicolations. 1 Opposite is the Postern Tower. Be- tween the gatehouse and the S.E. tower are 4 large and widely-splayed X Dec. lights, of which 3 are divided , by transoms. Several of the hearths 1 have herring-bone work of tile- i stones. The whole building is remarkable for the excellence of its masonry, ft Caldicot is the most westerly place , mentioned in Domesday. It was ft originally held by Durand the Sheriff, and subsequently by 10 successive Humphreys de Bohun, from whom it passed by marriage to Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, and was annexed to the Duchy of Lan- j caster by Henry VIII. The owner will allow inspection by persons in- I terested in mediaeval work who send in their names. No picnic or large I parties admitted. The Ch. (restored) is unusually large, having a side aisle, nave, chancel, and a bold ' tower. The windows are good, and there is an example of the cinquefoil in the chancel. The service here is choral, and admirably performed by i a surpliced choir. Between Caldicot and Shirenewton is the ruined chapel of Runs ton, a I religious establishment of some note, attached to Mathern. 1J m. to the H. of Caldicot, on a rising ground amidst a broad valley, is Caerwent, the Venta Silurum of the Homans, and an important gar- rison of the 2nd Augustan Legion, situated on the Via Julia, which ran from Caerleon (Isca Silurum) through * Caerwent, either to Strigulia (Chep- ' stow) or to Caldicot Pill, there to cross the Channel. Of this road i traces are still visible in the neigh- i hour hood of the village of Crick. In : Leland’s time ‘ ‘ there yet appeared pavements of old streates, and yn i digging they founde foundations of greate brickes. ” Considerable frag- ments of the ancient walls of Caer- went exist, on the plan of a paral- lelogram, although much overgrown with trees and shrubs. They en- closed an area of 40 acres, 500 yards long by 400 wide, and included a Roman villa with hypocausts, baths for private use, and all the flues and appurtenances thereof. The masonry is tolerably perfect on the W. and S. sides, on which are 2 bastions, built up against the wall, but not incor- porated with it. Where the facings have been removed, the zigzag or herring-bone form of building is ob- servable. Many Roman remains have been found here, particularly 2 tesse- lated pavements, fragments of which are still to be met with in the orchard ; besides portions of columns, statues, and coins of the reigns of Severus and Gordian III., as well as of Gallienus, Constantine and other Emperors. Bodkins, pins, spindle - whirls, cups and bowls of Samian ware, and other indications of civi- lized life, have been discovered here also. The road to Newport intersects the place at right angles. The Ch. has probably been built out of the materials of the Roman city. It has a porch with a rich doorway and a remarkable series of E. E. arcades with rather flat arches, in the S. wall of the chancel. About 4 m. to the N. of Caer- went, upon the farm of Gaer Llwyd and in the parish of Newchurch, may be seen a very perfect crom- lech, the only one in the county. The upper stone is about 12 ft. in length by about 3J in breadth, and the supports vary in height from 4 to 5 ft. The slight trench around the whole may well be part of the embankment or barrow, supposed to have been thrown up over these pre- historic sepulchres. In the neigh- bouring parish of Llangwm is a large British camp called Gaerfawr. At the distance of 1J m. to the E., upon Golden Hill, is another, called Bryn 8 Route 1 . — Llanfair Castle — Newport. S. Wales. Eurag, and 1 m. to the N.E. of Gaerfawr is yet another, said to be Danish, called Cwrt-y-gaer. This last is circular. There are some inconsiderable re- mains of other fortresses in the neighbourhood. 1J m. to the N. W. of Caerwent is Dinham Castle, of which there are but few vestiges, overgrown with wood. Llanfair Castle, 2 m. from Caer- went, is prettily situated on the road to Usk across Went wood Forest. It possesses a square and 2 round towers, blended with a farmhouse. On the stile at the entrance of the churchyard is the following quaint inscription : — “ Whoever hear on Sonday Will Practis Playing at Ball, It may be b ■ Fore Monday The Devil will Have you all.” Proceeding 3 m. on the same road, the tourist will arrive at Troggy or Striguil Castle (so called in the Ord- nance map, though the only “ Stri- guil ” Castle known in the records of the realm is Chepstow), E. of the r. Usk, and at the foot of Pen Cae Mawr, from whence there is a fine view of the vale of Usk. An oc- tagon tower with arched windows is all that is left. On the road to Newport, 3 m. from Caerwent, stands the well- known wayside inn of the Rock and Fountain, and opposite to it Penhow Castle, which, like Llanvair, has been turned into a farmhouse. A square embattled tower forms the princii>al remains. This was for many centuries the residence of the St. Maur or Seymour family. Pencced Castle lies between Pen- how and Magor, 2 m. from each, overlooking Caldicot level, and is an old mansion of the date of Henry VIII., built from the materials of the castle, and possessing a gateway with a circular arch, flanked by two j narrow pentagon turrets, a round embattled tower, and parts of the " ancient wall. It was long the seat of a branch of the Morgan family. J It is evident that these and the J many other petty castles with which \ this part of Monmouthshire is thickly f studded, were built for the protec- 1 tion of Wentwood district, probably j by the retainers and tenants of the i] Bohuns and the Clares.] As the train glides over the flat * marshes of Caldicot Level, on the | 1. is the Bristol Channel, bounded ; by the mountain limestone ridge be- I tween Bristol and Alveston, and on ] the rt. the prettily-wooded range of g Wentwood Forest. Caldicot Level is an extensive lowland tract defended from the inroads of the sea by a series of huge walls and dykes, which are under the control of an annually appointed “Court of Sewers” held at New- | port. 10 m. Magor Stat. Here is a large handsome ch. (restored), hav- ing an E.E tower with Perp. altera- tions. 14 in. Llanwern Stat. On rt. is the plain little ch. of Llanwern and Llanwern House. The suburb of Maiiulee is now i passed, and the train glides over the railway bridge recently constructed across the Usk to $ Newport (Rte. 4), a flourishing port on the rt. bank of the Usk, about 4 m. from its confluence with the Severn. The tide rises to a ! height of 40 ft. It enjoys a largely j increasing traffic, owing to the great exportation of coal and iron from j hence, its position being at the point where the busy and densely populated valleys of the Usk, Afon, Kddw, and Sirhowy rivers converge, . Wales. Boute 1 . — Alexandra Docks: Castle. 9 Cardiff, thanks to the late Lord -ate, had many years the start of Newport, but at last, under the wading of Sir G. Elliott, supported y the influence of Lord Tredegar, he powerful ground landlord, the dexandra Dock was formed and the own has rapidly increased. Newport has the advantage of ossessing communication by 6 rlys. , iz. , the South Wales to London nd Milford, the Great Western (by n improved route via Caerleon) to lereford and the North of England, he Monmouthshire , now in the ands of the Great Western , to the 'onworks in the neighbourhood, the irhowy to Tredegar and the London ad N orth- W estern system, the Brecon nd Merthyr , which gives connection ith the Mid- Wales and the Ponty- ridd, Caerphilly, and Newport unning into the Rhondda valley, •ristol also is accessible by the Severn ’unnel Railway. A canal runs to ’ontypool, Abergavenny and Brecon, hile a second accompanies the Vestern Valleys Railway up to -rumlin. Steamers ply daily to Bristol in from 2 to 3 hrs. , according 0 tide, and to Cork once a week, "or the accommodation of large ves- els which were prevented approach- ag the town from want of water, a xrge and commodious dock was pened in 1842, at an expense of 00,000Z., and having an area of 4J cres. A still larger one, possessing n area of 7f acres, was opened in 858, the old dock not being of ufficient extent for the rising com- laerce of the port. In 1868, the Alexandra Docks Vere commenced on a scale ade- quate to the requirements of the lace. They cover 28 J acres, and vere opened on the 12th of April, 875, and a further extension is now 1 progress. A fine view of the town nd St. Woollos Ch., backed up by he Blorenge and Twm Barlwm fountains, is to be obtained from the docks, which are situated in the district of Pillgwenlly or Pill. With- in the last few years the well-built suburb of Maindee has grown up on the opposite side of the river. Pop. about 45,000. The town of Newport itself is much improved of late years, and now possesses several modern build- ings of taste and interest, viz., the Town Hall, Free Library, new market, &c. The archaeologist may pleasantly pass a day or tw T o in ex- ploring the neighbourhood. The Castle stands upon the rt. bank of the Usk, between the bridge and the railway. Its river front is perfect ; but almost all the rest, save some scanty walls and a couple of towers, is either destroyed or con- cealed by the building of a modern brewery. The present ruins are late Perp. , with round-headed arches, well worthy of attention. It was founded by Robert Fitzhamon, the conqueror of Glamorgan, in the latter part of the 11th centy. ; for the double purpose of defending the passage over the river, and to aid him in maintaining his recently ac- quired lordship. But the present building is the work of the Stafford family, who inherited the manor from the De Clares. The Ch. of St. Woollos is interest- ing, both from its noble situation on Stow Hill, and its architecture. “No better or more typical Norm, interior on a moderate scale can be desired.” It consists of a nave, two aisles, a chancel, and a quasi- military tower. The principal fea- ture is the E.E. chapel of St. Mary, which contains some mutilated mo- numents, and is connected with the nave by a beautiful Romanesque door adorned with the Norm, orna- ments of billet and chevron, and having this peculiarity, that the inner order rests upon a pair of large detached columns. The Ch. was restored in 1858, The view 10 Boute 1. — Newport — Caerleon. S. Wales. from the ch.-yd. commands the river LTsk, and the levels of Caldicot and Wentloog from Magor to the Rhyunney ; the Bristol Channel, and the counties on its opposite shore. Some very scanty remains of a house of White Friars, consisting chiefly of fragmentary portions of the N. transept of the chapel, and a portion of an ambulatory, may be seen in a low, dirty district leading out of Commercial-street, called “ Friars Fields.” Newport is famous for the attack made on the night of the 4th of Nov. 1839, by the Chartists, under the leadership of J ohn Frost. The Mayor, the late Sir Thomas (then Mr. ) Phil- lips, gallantly read the Riot Act from the windows of the Westgate Hotel, until a wound in the arm compelled him to desist and order the soldiers to fire on the mob, a proceeding which effectually dispersed the rabble. He received, what in his case was the well-deserved honour of knighthood, for his conduct on that occasion. Traces of the conflict are still to be seen in the pillars of the old porch which have been re -erected in the vestibule of the new Hotel. Amongst the seats in the vicinage are : — Tredegar Park, The Friars, Llantarnam Abbey, Malpas Court, and St. Julian’s, once the residence of Lord Herbert of Cliirbury. At Goldcliffe, 3 m. from Newport, near the mouth of the Usk, are the slight remains of a priory, founded in the early part of the 12th centy. The cliff itself contains near its base a course of mica — which, glit- tering in the sunlight, evidently obtained the name Goldcliff. 1J m. from the town, near the Caerphilly road, is a very perfect camp, said to be Roman, and called “ the Oacr/* Upon the Wentloog Level (2 m. distance) is another encampment, believed to be Saxon. [3 short m. up the rt. bank of j the Usk, is the once famous city >j of Caerleon (the Isca Silurum of i Antoninus), where the 2nd Angus-!] tan Legion was for years in gar- rison, once the capital of S. Wales, and the seat of the metropolitan see, but now a decayed village. J Giraldus Cambrensis describes its; theatres, temples, and palaces, though in a declining state, as far back as the 14th centy., in a pom-' pous and doubtless considerably! exaggerated style, which is not | borne out by Henry of Huntingdon, who, half a century before, wrote! that the walls were then scarcely to be seen. Its chief remains of an- tiquity are a Roman amphitheatre, which was probably" open, and like that still preserved almost intact at Dorchester, and outside of and opposite to which is a field (outside the walls) still called the ‘ ‘ Bear- House-Field,” a souvenir of the animals then kept for the sports of the amphitheatre ; a bank of earth heaped up in an oval form 16 ft. high, called Arthur’s Round Table ; , some fragments of Roman wall, . though not so perfect as at Caer- went ; and an artificial mound 300 yds. in circumference. This mound * is held to be an addition to the Roman works, and has all the cha-, racter of a Saxon Burh, such as is seen at Cardiff and, until their removal, were to be seen at Here- I ford and Gloucester. The Roman remains found here I from time to time are most mime- 1 rous. They have been figured and | drawn by the late J. E. Lee, Esq., of the Priory, whose monograph, I entitled ‘ Isca Silurum,’ is worthy of the fullest examination by an- I tiquaries. A local Museum has I been erected here by the instru- I mentality of the Caerleon Antiq. Ass., which will well repay inspe* j tion. “Though not in themselves I very important, these early relics of the first introduction of civilization j 11 3. Wales. Route 1 . — Gaerleon: Church; Camp. nto the extremities of our island )j Roman conquest must surely be nteresting to any reflective mind. The mutilated records of the occupa- tion of this remote station by the 2nd Augustan Legion — the comme- noration of the rebuilding of their earracks — the restoration of their ,emple — the monuments of their jfficers, shewing them to have been established here with their wives md families — the votive tablet in- cribed to Fortune and happy events >y the bride and bridegroom , and epulchral inscriptions of widows and hildren to deceased husbands and >arents — the fragments of their lousehold utensils — the needles and ibulae of the ladies — the remains of heir villas in the town and suburbs, vith their tesselated floors and >aths — the camp which exercised heir discipline, and the amphithe- tre which witnessed their sports, — 11 these bring before the mind’s eye vivid picture of the circumstances f the times which first destroyed he insulated separation of Britain rom continental Europe, and ad- aitted her within the sphere of the ivilized world.” — (IE. D. C '.) The bove extract gives a lively and, xcept in one clause, an accurate ketch of the objects of interest in he museum. It is now quite es- ablished that the votive tablet to fortune and “Bonus Eventus ” was owed by two husbands, and erected >y their wives or widows. The museum contains, besides, ome very curious votive and sepul- hral inscribed tablets, stone coffins, tc., &c., an important collection of arthen materials (Samian ware, pot- ery, cinerary urns, lamps, mortars, amp-moulds, antejfixa (or roof-orna- nents to answer the purpose of para- bricks, tiles, tesselated pave- aents), glass and enamel ornaments, •one and ivory carvings, objects in >ronze and iron, rings, seals, coun- ers, chairs, calculi, ligulae or ladles, £c., in addition to remains from the Roman villa that came to light during the excavations in the Castle grounds by the owner, the late Mr. John Jenkins, in which an interest- ing series of baths, flues, and drains was laid open. A considerable number of sepul- chral stones were discovered at Bulmore, a beautifully situated hamlet, rather more than a mile from Caerleon, on the old road to Caerwent, and on the 1. bank of the Usk, proving that it was the resi- dence of some family of note. In Caerleon-ultra-Pontem, burial urns have been found ; and, in fact, the whole neighbourhood teems with Roman remains. The Church (restored) is Norman, and contains some good examples of round-arched architecture. A very interesting tesselated pavement was discovered during the restoration, as well as the fact revealed, that the site of the modern ch. was occu- pied by a building of much greater antiquity. On one side of an arch a painted Greek cross was found, of vivid colouring, which, however, faded away considerably on exposure to the air. Some fragments of inscrip- tions, mentioned by Coxe, but long lost, were found at the same time in pulling down a house in the ch. -yd. In the neighbourhood of Caerleon are several Camps, viz. , at the Lodge Farm, 1 m. N.W. ; at Penhow, on the road to Usk ; and at St. Julian’s Wood. The camp at the Lodge has been called by ancient antiquaries Belingstocke, and supposed to have been the castrum sestivum of the 2nd Augustan Legion. It was of an elliptical shape, with double ram- parts, and with a western entrance, defended by a tumulus. It was probably a British fortress prior to its being made a Roman camp, and is said in the ‘ Myvyrian Archaeo- logy ’ to have been built by “ Belli, 12 Boute 1. — Caerleon — Marshfield. S. Wales. ■ the son of Dyvymval Moel Mud, and its way to Ebbwvale and Nantyglo 3 to have been called Caer Llion.” (Rte. 7). Underneath the Lodge Camp is Pilbach Farm, where villas, inscrip- tions and a tesselated pavement were found ; and to the E., on the banks of the Afon Llwyd, is Pont Sadwrn, where stone coffins, with glass ves- sels and a so-called lachrymatory, were discovered. In British times Caerleon still held an important place, as being the nrchiepiscopal see of the holy Dubri- tus, sometime Bishop of Llandatfi, whose successor, St. David, after- wards moved his cathedral into the wild solitudes of Menevia (St. David’s). The suburb on the oppo- site side of the Usk is still called Ultra Pontem, on the hill above which stands with fine effect the old tower of Christchurch, which lias a fine peal of bells. In the in- terior is the monumental stone of St. Colmer, upon which persons were accustomed to repose all night on the eve of Trinity Sunday, in the hoi>e 8 of being released from their infirmities. There are extensive tin-works at Caerleon, near the con- fluence of the Afon river with the Usk. Between this place and New- port, by the roadside, is j St. Julian's , now a farmhouse, but once the alnxle of Lord Herbert of Cherbury. The armorial bearings of his predecessors, whose heiress he married, remain over the entrance.] Soon after leaving Newport, is on the rt. Tredegar Park, the resi- dence of I/ord Tredegar. The house, a large red-brick building, the work of Inigo Jones, is situated on a flat, but on the edge of a prettily undulating ]»ark, through which the Ebbw river flows. The approach is by avenues of noble chestnuts. One room, called the Oak -room, floored with planks made from a single tree, is 42 ft. by 27. The Western Valleys Railway runs through the park on Lord Tredegar, whose sire, the : first peer, was formerly known in Wales as Sir Charles Morgan, repre- < sents in the female line the great 1 Monmouthshire family of Morgan, and thus inherits very large estates \ in Glamorgan, Monmouth, Brecon, * and London. He is also landlord of | the well-known Tredegar works. The traveller is now in the ancient t j province of Nether Gwent, and the line, crossing the Ebbw, is carried across a large alluvial marsh, the continuation of the Caldicot Level, known as the Wentloog Level. These flats extend as far as Cardiff, on an average about 2 to 3 111 . wide, and are defended from the sea by a lank 1 of very high antiquity. On the rt. the old red and limestone hills, which form the S. border of the South Wales coalfield, are a prominent feature, and it is evident that they were at one time the barrier cliffs against the sea, which washed their bases and covered these alluvial lands. 22 m. Marshfield Stat. [On rt. (2 m.), is St. Mellon’s, 1 fine old church of the 14th centy., j built on the ruins of a former Nor- man edifice. It possesses a peculiar lopsided chancel, and has met with full commemoration in a jaj>er by Mr. Freeman, in the 3rd vol. of the 3rd series of ‘ Arch. Cambr.’ 1 } m. N.W. of St. Mellon’s, on flu* opjM>site side of the Kbyniney, is Cefn Mabley (Col. Kmiys-Tynte), a curious old house of that family. Further N. of Cefn Mabley if Bu- perra (lion. F. Morgan), reputed, on very slender evidence, the work of I Inigo Jones. It commands an ex- I tensive view of the .Severn and $o- ■ mersetshire hills. There is a moated ■ mound in the jark. and another not ■ far oft’ at Castleton ] ?. Wales. Route 1 . — Cardiff. 13 Soon afterwards the Rhymney iver is crossed, the boundary be- ween England and Wales, Mon- nouth and Glamorgan. The tra- eller now leaves the villlage and ch. >i Rhymney on rt., and obtains a ^ood view on 1. of Penarth Head and he forests of masts betokening the ipproach to $ Cardiff (Caer-tifF, from Tibia Amnis, or perhaps “ Caer ” “ Dyf,” h. e . TafF), the old county town of Glamorgan, a distinction now shared -vith Swansea. It stands on the 1. bank of the TafF, 2 m. above its opening, in common with the Ely, under the headland and roadstead of Penarth. Cardiff is now by far the most important town in the Principality, ind, in spite of. serious natural dis- advantages as a harbour, has become one of the first commercial ports in the world, over 25,000 vessels enter- ing and clearing from the port each year. Cardiff, in regard to exports, surpasses both London and Liver- pool, and is only slightly surpassed by New York. In the rapidity of its growth, the cosmopolitan charac- ter, and, one may add, the public spirit and enterprise of its inhabi- tants, it nearly resembles the Wes- tern cities of America. Pop. in 1801 . „ in 1851 . „ in 1881 . 1,018 18,351 85,378 Now (1889) the population is estimated at 125,000, that is to say, an increase of 50 per cent, since the last census ! The rateable value of the town has more than doubled itself in the last ten years, and there is at present no sign of any check to this prodigious growth of population and wealth. This development is due to its being the principal outlet of the mineral produce, coal and iron, of the TafF, Rhymney, and their tributary valleys, brought hither by its canal and railways, and attracted by its magnificent docks. The Glamorganshire Canal, from Merthyr and Aberdare, opened 1794, communicates with the sea by a sea-lock 103 ft. long and 13 ft. deep on the sill, at the TafF. This, having been found in- sufficient, was reinforced in 1840 by the TafF Yale Railway, by which a great portion of the coal and iron traffic is now carried (Rte. 15). The Rhymney Railway, opened 1858, leaves Cardiff upon the TafF Vale rails, and diverges from it at Walnut- tree Bridge to pass into the valley of the Rhymney (Rte. 14). The Bute Docks , opened in 1839, were com- pleted in 1859. This noble work was projected by the late Marquis of Bute, who, with a prescience only rivalled by that of the great Duke of Bridgwater, staked his whole estate upon the undertaking, and lived to see about half of it completed. Since his death the works have been carried on, still at the expense of the estate, in the first instance by trustees and subsequently by his son, the present Marquis, and have been completed at an outlay of probably not less than a million sterling. The West Dock, the one first opened, has sea-gates of 45 ft. opening ; depth on the sill at springs 28 ft. 8.^ in., at neaps 18 ft. 7J in. ; and a lock ' 152 ft. long by 36 ft. broad : the area of basin is upwards of 18 acres, and the length of quays 8000 ft. The East Dock has gates of 55 ft. opening ; depth on sill 31 ft. 8| in. and 21 ft. 7 in. ; with an outer lock 220 ft. by 55 ft., and an inner lock 200 ft. by 50 ft. The area of this basin is 46 acres, depth 25 ft., breadth 300 ft. and 500 ft., and length of quays 9100 ft. Encouraged by the success which has attended the Bute Docks, a com- pany was formed to create the rival establishment of the Penarth Har- bour and Docks, covering an area of 26 acres at the mouth of the Ely. To these have been added the Roath 14 Houte 1. — Cardiff: Castle . S. Wales. Basin and Dock (45 acres) and the Barry Basin and Dock (87 acres). The exports in coal from Cardiff, which in 1851 amounted to 740,159 tons, had grown in 1888 to the enor- mous figure of 8,750,000. Cardiff is the depot of the smokeless coal for the navy. The effect of all this trade has been a corresponding increase of Cardiff. Not only has a complete town sprung up about the docks, but crowded suburbs have risen towards It oath and Maindy, at Penarth, Can- ton, and along the road to Llandaff. In 1801 there were 327 houses in Cardiff, in 1888 there were said to be 17,500. In the breadth of its streets, and the comparative cleanliness and openness of its thoroughfares, it is certainly far ahead of Swansea or Newport. As a contrast to the present busy activity, it is interesting to recall a view of the town towards the close of the last centy : — “The port was held to be in ex- treme activity, when the comparatively scanty supply of iron was brought down from the hills in waggons, each carrying two tons, and attended to by a man and a boy. Even Mr. Bacon’s contract guns in the American war were thus conveyed for embarcation to the side of the Gwlad Quay, which, from that circumstance, was for some time afterwards known as the ‘ Cannon Wharf,’ though that name has long been lost ; and it is a proof of the growth of the town since that time, that the guns used to be proved from the street before this quay against the earth-bank of the south wall across the end of the street, there being no houses beyond the then gate called Porth-Llongy. Coals were at the same time brought chieHy from Caerphilly Mountain, in bags weighing from 100 to 130 lbs., on horses, mules, and asses, with a woman or lad driving two or three of them. This was principally done in tine weather, for it was customary to avoid the inci- dental delays of frost, snow', or bad weather, by bringing in the winter stock at a particular time, and this provident collecting was called a Cym- morth, from a Welsh word signifying 1 help or assistance.” — Smyth . Until of late years Cardiff only possessed 1 ch. (that p of St. Mary’s, mentioned by Speed as being in danger, having been washed away by the Taff in 1607) : a later St. j Mary's, built in 1842, deserves but little notice. St. John’s, the parish ch. of the greater part of the old town, is situate in Church-street, which is at right angles to High - street, and is [within an easy walk of the G. W. R. Stat. and the Castle. It has a noble Perp. tower of great i height, with handsome open battle- ments and pinnacles, which form a conspicuous object in the surround- ing scenery. The W. door is de- corated with a nail-head moulding ; and within are 2 curious altar -tombs, with effigies and canopies, in honour of Sir William and Sir John Herbert ; the ruins of whose seat, the White Friars, are still seen in the Sophia Garden, one of the various public parks of the town of Cardiff. The Castle (Marq. of Bute). It has always been supposed that Cardiff (Caer Tibia) was the site of a Roman station, but of this, till quite recently, there was no material evi- dence. The main feature of the Castle is a broad and lofty earth- bank, forming nearly three sides of a rectangular area expanding into ft mound at its S.E. angle, and con- taining near to its N.W. angle ft large conical flat-topped mound, de- tached from the bank and with its own "moat — in fact, a Saxon Burh. The earth Ranks were also moated outside. On the W. and contiguous half of the S. side, where the hank is wanting, it is replaced by a wall 40ft. high and 10ft. thick, quite plain and without buttresses, and , Walks. 15 Boute 1 . — Cardiff Castle. ie mound is covered by a polygonal -ell keep of late Norm. date. Upon le wall at the entrance to the court a square tower of E. E. date, called uke Robert’s tower, from an absurd, jtion that the eldest son of the mqueror, who was a prisoner at irdiff, was here shut up. In the ntre of the W. side is the main ock of the Castle buildings, many Dec. date, though with a later ulted cellar. The fine octangular wer is the work of Rich. Beau- amp Earl of Warwick, who became >ssessed of the Castle by marriage th the heiress of the Despensers. Formerly a strong wall, lying N. id S., crossed the court and con- ;cted Robert’s tower with the ound and keep, crossing the inner ird which was walled, and leaving e E. part of the court as an outer ird protected only by the earth- nk and moat, and probably a jckade upon the former. In this ter ward stood the Shire Hall, a apel and lodgings occupied by the incipal tenants who held of the istle by military service, and here sided when on duty. The cross ill has long been destroyed and the ep-moat filled up, but Lord Bute s disinterred the foundations of e wall, reopened the moat and laid re the piles of a draw-bridge, the istle-well and the base of the ?ht of steps which give access, to e keep. These have been carefully stored. Other additions, as a wer at the S.W. angle, have been ide and the interior much embel- hed by the present owner. The tail is by Burgess, and is much mired. Looking to the figure of the earth- nks, it was evident that the place i ts after a Roman pattern, but as e Romans usually walled their per- ment stations, and seldom threw up rthworks of such size, it was sup- ped that these were designed on >man lines, or by men who had me knowledge of Roman castrame- tation. The mound was evidently Saxon, and probably of the 8th cent. Recently, however, in digging foun- dations for a new N. gate to the town, Lord Bute cut into the adja- cent bank, and within its centre came up the lower 10 or 12 ft. of a ruined wall 10 ft. thick, having poly- gonal buttresses, and in fact a very evident Roman work. The enigma was thus solved. The Roman station was on the site of the Castle and was walled. On the departure of the Romans, probably during the Welsh and Saxon struggles, the wall was ruined. When the Saxons got the upper hand they did not rebuild the wall, but buried it in a bank of earth and threw up a Burh. The same thing may be seen at York, and would probably appear at Ware- ham, Tamworth, and Hereford, all places where there were heavy earth- works on a rectangular plan and where there is or was a Burh. When the Normans came, they, like the Romans, preferred walls to earthworks, but they utilized the Burh by placing upon it a shell keep, but cut away the W. and half of the . S. bank, replaced them by a wall, and by an addition within made an almost impregnable inner ward. The subject is full of interest, and the recent discovery far surpasses . any- thing of the kind that has hitherto been found. ‘ 1 The Castle of Cardiff, though not unknown to border fame, has been the theatre of no great historical event. ... its claim to more than local interest rests upon the character and fortunes of the great Barons whose inheritance and occasional residence it was from the 11th to the 15 th cent., from the reign of Rufus to that of Hen. VI.” — C. T. Clark. It was won for the Normans about 1090 by Robert Fitz Hamon, lord of the Honour of Gloucester, and was by him made the “ Caput” of the territory of Morgan and Glamorgan which he and his fol- 16 Route 1. — Cardiff- -Penarth. S. Wales lowers had wrested from the Welsh. About this conquest much legendary matter has been written and is still current : but it is plain that, what- ever the immediate pretext, it was part of a settled policy which was carried out all through S. Wales about the same time. The heiress of Fitz Hamon conveyed the castle with the seignory of Glamorgan to Robert Consul, bastard son of Henry I., and probably the builder of the Norm, portion of the Castle. Through their grand-daughter the Honour of Gloucester and the Castle of Cardiff passed to the great house of De Clare by whom it was held for nearly a century. Another heiress transferred it to the Despensers, who had possession for another century. This line ended in an heiress with whom the Castle passed in the be- ginning of the 15th cent, to the Beauchamps and through Anne, daughter of the “ King Maker,” to Richard III. After his death it re- mained, with a short interval, in the Crown, until Edward VI. sold it with its manorial rights to William Herbert the 1st Earl of Pembroke of that name, through whose heirs it has devolved upon the present owner. During the civil war it was alter- nately in the possession of either party. Staunchly loyal, it held out for the king tilhtreason from within opened the gates to Cromwell, who hanged the traitors. In 1642 the Marquis of Hertford recovered it for the king, but it was shortly retaken. In 1647 Colonel Prichard, a Round- head, refused to surrender it to the Royalist, Major - General Henry Stradling. The ramparts are most tastefully planted with creepers and evergreens, and the public are freely admitted. A short distance E. of the castle are the scanty remains of the Friar ;/ , long the seat of the Herberts. They are situated within and to the rt. of the entrance-gates of a pretty garden and walks, known as the Sophia 1 Park, which have been made on th< W. side of the river, just across tlu ■ bridge, by Lady Bute, for the us* I of the townspeople. A statue of th< i late Lord Bute nearly faces th» Castle gateway. Cardiff possessed some handsome buildings — such a. 1 j the Town Hall , a Library and Mu 1 seum, &c. In 1883 after a strenuous contesi^ with Swansea, Cardiff was selectet 9 as the site for the University College of S. Wales and MonmouthshireJ The College was opened in 188«i in temporary buildings not far fron i the Taff Yale and Rhymney Rly Stats. It is governed by a roya charter and receives a Government grant of £4000 a year. The numbe of students matriculated since 1881 is 520 ; in the session 1888-89 th* number in attendance was 164. Tb College is particularly strong in it scientific and technological depart ments. In consequence of a muni ficent gift of the Drapers’ Com pan; a chair of mechanical engineering i about to be founded. The fees fo all the College lectures may be eoflU pounded for by the student at th extraordinary low figure of 10/. A year. The College Library contain a unique collection of books in Weis) or on Welsh subjects numbering nearly 20,000 vols. $ Penarth should be visited, eithe by omnibus or steamer from tb dock, which plies to and fro twice o thrice in every hour, partly for th fine scenery of Penarth Head an partly for the Docks , which have bee executed at a very heavy outlay, an are connected with the Taft’ Val Rly. by a line 4 in. in length, th junction taking place beyond Llani daft*. A very pretty Church has bee I built at Penarth by the late Barone * Windsor, at a cost of 8000/. It I E. pointed, of cruciform shape an , foreign type, with a tower and saddh back roof, 90 ft. high. The desigt- 17 . Wales. 'Route 1 . — Ely: Llandaff Cathedral. ere by Butterfield. From the high •ound beyond the ch. the visitor oks over the Bristol Channel upon r eston and Clevedon, and the Flat- )lmes and Steepholme are conspi- ious midway in the waters. Leaving Cardiff station, the rail- ay crosses the Taff and the alluvial its of Leckwith, having Penarth ead to the 1. and Canton , with its 3W ch. , to the rt. 31 m. Ely Stat. 1 m. on rt. is andaff Cathedral, whch has gra- ially but steadily risen from the in and desolation of ages. It is bleed upon the rt. bank of the Taff, d at the foot of a steep slope, upon d above which stands the ancient, it fast increasing village, the ,ular city of Llandaff, and centre the parish, with a population of 96 at the last census. The situa- 'ii is one of uncommon beauty, le broad river ripples over a pebbly d, fringed with overhanging ai- rs, and winds its way across the •tile meadows that first attracted e Norman spoiler. The sheltering 11 boasts several fine trees, while side is thickly studded with ives, and its crest is crowned r the old-world village street, th the ruins of the Bishop’s forti- d palace, and its cross, probably e spot where the crusade was eached in 1187 by Archb. Bald- n, the Papal Legate, attended by 3 chaplin, Giraldus Cambrensis, chdeacon of Brecknock, in the time William Saltmarsh, Bishop of andaff. As in the vicinity of St. aph, so in that of this S. Welsh thedral, villas are springing up der the shadow of the church, and ■3 town of Cardiff is drawing ngerously close to the pleasant es and meadows that surround the thedral city. Llandaff is a place of high antiquity, d, putting aside the tradition of [S'. Wales. ] the building of its earliest church by the shadowy British King Lucius, who is said to have applied to Pope Eleutherius to send over missionaries circa 180 a.d., it was certainly the seat of one of the earliest British Bishoprics. The first Bishops were Dubritius, the apparent founder of the See, who resigned some time before his death, which is variously attributed to 512 and 522 a.d. (even 612 a.d. by the chronicler in the 1 Liber Landavensis, ’ but this date is difficult to reconcile with other events), and Teilo or Eliud, said to have died 540 a.d. The dedication of the earliest church at Llandaff is a matter of some doubt. The three earliest Bishops, Dubritius, Teilo and Oudo- ceus, were considered the three patrons of Llandaff, but in accordance with the custom of the Welsh Church, the church and diocese of Llandaff usually bore the name of its prin- cipal founder S. Teilo. According to the earliest records gifts to the church appear to have been made to “God and S. Teilo,” on whose tomb solemn oaths were taken. With regard to the existing Cathe- ' dral, Bishop Urban is said to have built it in honour of “the Apostle Peter and the holy confessors Du- britius, Teilo, and Oudoceus ; ” but in a grant of an advowson later on to the chapter it is called the church of SS. Peter and Paul [Browne Willis, p. 163], and so its dedication is now generally considered to have been. S. Teilo’s remarkable sanctity was attested (‘ Liber Landavensis ’) by the miraculous triplication of his mortal parts. Three churches, viz. Llandaff, Llandeilo, and Penally, near Tenby, having each laid claim to the honour of receiving the saint’s bones, agreed to settle the point by praying him to reveal the secret ; whereupon, with a policy which cannot be too much admired, three distinct but exactly similar bodies appeared to the supplicating C 18 S. Wales. Route 1 . — Llandaff Cathedral. churches, each one of whom bore off his remains in triumph. Accord- ing to some writers, however, Llan- daff was not created a separate bishopric until after St. David had removed the archiepiscopal see from Caerleon, in which tradition repre- sents him as succeeding Dubritius, to Menevia, when Teilo, who was afterwards canonized, was conse- crated its first bishop. The first Bishop under Norman influences, known as Urban, but probably a Welshman from his name Gwrgant, consecrated 1108, commenced the present cathedral in 1120, which was completed by his successors down to Bishop Marshall. The church which Urban found existing was very small, and its entire length cum porticu (perhaps an eastern apse) did not exceed 40 ft. In the Early English period the ch. was extended west- ward as far as the present W. front ; the chapter-house, also E. E., having been built somewhat later. The Lady Chapel was added about 1265- 87, and was of the first Dec. period, whilst the remodelling of the presby- tery, and the walls of the aisles, in choir and nave, belong to the second. The Perp. N.W. tower was built by Jasper Tudor, Henry YII.’s uncle. — King . Bishop Godwin writes : “At the end of the 7th centy. so much riches had been bestowed on Llan- daff, that, if it enjoyed a tenth part of that which it Idul been endowed with, it would be one of the richest churches in Christendom. ” There is doubtless some exaggeration in this statement, but at any rate the see was utterly impoverished at and soon after the Reformation. Holin- shed says : “ Ccrtes it is a poore bishoprickc, and (as I have heard) the late incumbent thereof being called for not long since by the Ixird Presi- dent in open Court, made answer, ‘ The Taffc is here, l#ut the land is gone.*** At the end of the 17th centv. the gToss value of the Bishop's revenues was 230/. according to Bishop Beau, who adds that aftei deductions there was “ nothing mon of them than would defray th* charges of the quantity of vinegar. \ pepper, salt, and fire spent in my house,” and the prebends he esti-* mated as worth 21. apiece. About 1717 the S. tower was “open within from the top to the bottom. In | 1720 part of the N. tower follower suit, and by 1723 the ruin of tkq west end was complete. About tha* period a proposition was entertained of moving the see to Cardiff. The only remaining portions o Bishop Urban’s Norm. ch. now stand ing, are the massive Norm, arcl dividing the presbytery from th» Lady Chapel, a Norm, wall, an< portions of two Norm, windows cu into by the present decorated piers It is to the small size of this ch. tha much of the singularity of the pri- son t building is owing, for since thi time it had never been rebuilt. I has been lengthened, widened, an- heightened, but the early Norm. cl. formed the nucleus round which th later additions rose. The 18th centy. saw Lland in its worst and most lamentabl state of neglect and decay — its aisl« were roofless, grass grew in th nave and the ivy over its window® the climax being reached when \ severe storm blew down the S.V tower and a great portion of th nave. The choir service, which 1» f«>r some time ceased to l>e chofH was then removed into the lad Chapel. In 1730, however, the sin of 7000/. was collected for the pu |h>hc of preventing the whole biiik ing from going to ruin ; and, muki the guidance of Mr. \\\x*d, a Rat architect, the Cathedral was mndiw assume an aspect t>ctween a dissflj ing chapel and a lecture -room, j quasi- Italian temple occupying prs, bvtery. choir, and part of the n*v, The Cathedral was spared tl I crowning insult of a new West fitr to match (of which a sketch is giw , Wales. ®p. 10 of Mr. King’s e Handbook to A, Welsh. Cathedrals ’), by a provi- lilitial failure of funds. In 1836, Rev. H. Douglas, the then ;centor, gave up his salary as a nmencement of a fund for the toration in a legitimate manner ; 1 at the appointment, by the lesiastical Commissioners, of an Bruce Knight (the office ring been vacant since the death Brother Esni, the last Dean, in 20), the works were vigorously ;un in 1844, and carried on still re in earnest by his successor, an Conybeare, who utterly effaced > Italian temple. The restoration s entrusted to Mr. Pritchard, the cesan architect, who was in the her portion of the work associ- d with Mr. Seddon ; and it must allowed, that it has been carried with great caution and good te. Between 1846-57, 9000Z. was tended in the restoration of the ly Chapel, presbytery, clerestory, ting the choir and nave, and in interior work ; while those por- as of the building which it was intended then to renovate were liciously secured and strength- (1. The opening of the Ca- dral for public worship and for >ral services, which had been ■used since 1691, gave a fresh ■petus to the subscription list, .*]l by the energy and eloquence of ■ late Dean Williams further im- :$ vements were carried out. The I lian wall which Mr. Wood’s bad nte had placed across the nave removed, the W. front restored, western bays and the side |4'es rebuilt, and the chapter- 31 ise brought into its former con- eal was made by the Dean for 4 rebuilding of the S.W. tower 1 h its spire, according to the ori- f al plan, and the restoring of the W. tower of Jasper Tudor with crowning pinnacles. * This ex- cise of 8000?. was met by fresh Route 1 . — Llandaff Cathedral . 19 subscriptions, and a grant from the Commissioners of 5000?. ; and the whole was finished in 1869. The apathy and carelessness of former bishops and chaplains, as well as of the wealthy inhabitants of the county, have been nobly redeemed, and Llandaff Cathedral is now the pride, instead of the disgrace, of the diocese. As it at present stands, the u Church on the Taff,” as the name imports in English, consists of nave, aisles, choir, Lady Chapel, chapter- house, and two towers at the W. end. As the whole body of the ch. is open, a beautiful effect is produced from the W. door — a fine round- headed E. E. door with a central pendant, and a figure of a bishop, said to represent St. Teilo, in a vesica in the tympanum. The W. front, which in its general arrangement is very like the Cathedral of St. Remigius or Rheims, in France,* as it was before a restoration of recent date, is an exquisite specimen of the Pointed style. Mr. King likens its design to that of the W. (front of Rip on Cathedral, which is much larger and grander, but inferior in grace and variety of arrangement. In the 2nd story are a central and 2 smaller side windows, which, with their intermediate piers, are faced by an arcade of 5 lancet arches, resting on their shafts and set off with E. E. moulding. The top story presents an early Pointed arcade, rising to the centre, so as to correspond with the gable, in which is an image of Our Lord in glory, with the right hand upraised in benediction, the left supporting the Book of Life. A very similar figure in bronze may be seen on the old cover of the ‘ Liber Landavensis, ’ now in possession of P. B. Davies- Cooke, Esq., Owston Park, Don- caster. The Lady Chapel is con- structed in the variety of early Dec. which the late Dean Conybeare de- nominated Tangential from the style c 2 20 Rouie 1 . — Llandaff Cathedral. S. WaleJ of the windows, viz. , lancets of two lights, supporting a circle on the backs of their arches. Unlike the rest of the Cathedral, the Lady Chapel has a stone vault. The nave and W. half of the choir are pure but peculiar E. E. , belong- ing to the first half of the 13th centy. ; the pier shafts have a slightly elliptical section, and the foliage of the capitals is liliaceous. The S.W. and N.W. doors in the aisles may be referred to about 1160, and are fine specimens of late Norm., the former being most rich in de- coration, and having a moulding re- sembling an Etruscan scroll ; the latter is surmounted by a dog-tooth moulding, and is a valuable example of the E. E. feature combined with decided Norm. Both from style and position, it is improbable that these doors belonged to the old Norm, ch., which did not extend so far, but terminated one bay W. of the present choir arch. The smaller portals east- ward in each aisle are Decorated. The chapter-house, attached to the S. side of. the ch., is of the Transition style from Norm, to E. E., and con- sists of 2 stories, the lowest of which has a vaulted roof, springing from a cylindrical column ; it is lighted by narrow trefoil windows. The upper story has been rebuilt in an octan- gular form with an octangular coni- cal roof, crowned with a figure of the Archangel Gabriel. The arch from the choir into the Lady Chapel is a splendid Norm, example, and was the work of Bishop Urban, who presided over the see in 1120. It will be worth while to compare it with the arch from the choir into the ambulatory beyond it in the neighbouring cathedral of Hereford, which may have in- fluenced the builders of Llandaff, begun shortly after Hereford was completed. The side walls of the choir or presbytery are also Norm., although pointed arches of the 12th centy. were afterwards added ; and in tl | S. wall a curious appearance is pr 9 sented by an interpolated point/ arch intersecting an original Nora- window. That the same additioi were made to the N. wall was cle from the fact that, during the r storation, a Norm, stringcourse w discovered running along it. Tl presbytery, or choir, presents J most beautiful, appearance from tl chasteness of the execution and f richness of the carving, particular conspicuous in the Norm, arch - front of the Lady Chapel, with i rich exterior moulding consisting j circlets dotted with round studs ai enclosing eight flower-petals turn inwards ; in the reredos of Ca stone, with side shafts of polish marble, behind the high altar, t arches of which have been filled 1 three original pictures represents David as king and shepherd, and t Nativity, by Dante Gabriel Rossett and in the sedilia, with their high enriched canopies. The font < signed by Seddon, representing su jects from the history of Noah, a the pulpit, with designs by Woolr of Moses, David, John the Bapti. and S. Paul, are well worth attentic The mediaeval reredos, which v found on removing the stucco of t Italian temple, being too far go for repair, has been carefully p served in the N. presbytery aisle. The wood carving of the Bisho throne, and the stalls for the chap and choir, are extremely good a well worthy of careful examinatM The organ, a fine one, by Gray a Davidson is placed on the N. of t choir. It is decorated with woi and figures illustrative of the Bei dicite. There are some good nionumW in the ch., though sadly mutilat* The reputed tomb of Teilo, the effi now existing thereon being of ca decorated character, is by the srdil on the S. of the presbytery. Beft this tomb it used to be the cust^ fl Wales. Route 1 . — Llandaff Cathedral. 21 j people making purchases of land, ■Living gifts to the church, to swear J their bargain. This tomb was (jmed in 1736, and a contempo- ] eous record was found on the Ml in 1850, stating that certain j cs were found therein. That of St. britius, whose relics were replaced li Urban, was placed by tradition Hirly opposite that of Teilo, but the i«gy, possibly of even date with the ■ber, is now placed in the 1ST. aisle, Here are also to be seen those of whops Bromfield, 1393, and Mar- Mil, 1496 ; an emaciated figure a a winding-sheet ; Sir William Bthew of liadyr, ancestor of the Me Earls of Llandaff, and his wife ■18-30. Also a beautiful modern Mnument to Henry Thomas, Esq., | Llwynmadoc, in Breconshire, for years Chairman of Glamorganshire arter Sessions. The design is by chard, the figures by Armstead. U the extreme E. end we find the ■abs of Sir David Mathew, standard- ■irer to King Edward IV., and of Christopher Mathew, a knight of antic stature, and his wife, 1500. H n the S. aisle is an effigy of a fib op unknown, a large slab with freated cross and much worn in- iption in Norm. French, and at the reme E. end an effigy of Lady Aud- Pj in a long robe, and close muffler, •h two monks bearing escutcheons her feet. In the Lady Chapel on I N. side of the altar is the effigy jjlishop William de Bruce (variously frit), 1287, and on the wall a Brass jij memory of Bishop Copleston, I :9. V curious painting on boards, jich formed part of Bishop Mar- ill’s throne, was discovered during p restoration, and placed in the hhop’s palace. It represents the | ‘gin ascending through the starry narnent supported by angels, ne play on musical instruments, ile one holds an escutcheon with ■ ' arms of the Bishop and See. e Bishop is • on the right, with a scroll proceeding from his mouth bearing the words, “0 Virgo scan- dens, sis Marshall coelica pandens.” And further, in order to preserve some memorial of the vicissitudes of the past, the wooden pilasters and cornices of the Italian temple were placed in the Bishop’s Library, and in the garden the two urns which adorned its W. end, with a Latin inscription by Bishop Ollivant, as well as the original cross from the W. gable, and other relics. The N.W. tower is said to have been built by Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford, who received from Henry VII. the lordship of Glamorgan, and died childless 1495. It is Perp. , and crowned with an open-worked parapet with rich pinnacles, like that of St. John’s, Cardiff. Three of the angles have turrets of uniform design, and the fourth, in which is the stair- case, has a short spire. The S. W. tower was the last and almost the most important work of the whole restoration ; for as nothing of the old one, blown down in a storm, remained, the architect had to create as well as build a new one. It is of Dundry and Campden stone, and consists of a massive tower with buttresses at the W., S.W., and S.E. angles, terminating in open canopies with pyramidal roofs, each canopy containing a figure, viz., St. Peter, St. Paul, and the late Dr. Ollivant, during whose episcopate the finishing stroke was given to the work. Connecting the tower with the roof of the S. aisle is a range of arches, filled with seated figures of the Apostles. The tower and spire rise to a height of 195 ft. 7 in. The tower is 104 ft. in height, and is of 3 stories, the uppermost being the belfry, the windows in which are flanked by niches filled with figures representing all nations. “Above the arches of these windows protrude in watchful attitude the heads of those men who have most distin- guished themselves in the conver- 22 * S. Wale Route 1. — i % — Sully Island. sion of the nations over the types of which they are placed.” The modern stained-glass in the Cathe- dral is of various merit ; that of Morris and Marshall attracting de- servedly the most attention. It is much to be desired that the wealthy county of Glamorgan should put a finishing touch to this great restora- tion by subscribing for a new West window, the completion of the figures in the canopies of the stalls, the building of the fleclie to break the length of roof, together with a few lesser details. A large sum is also required to make the ancient W. end thoroughly secure, for the present (1889) condition of the supports of the old N.W. tower is such as to cause great anxiety. A single shaft raised upon steps, composed in part of Dundry stone, and in part of that of St. Donat’s, marks the grave of Dean Conybeare, and an Irish cross of new Radyr stone that of Bishop Ollivant. On the picturesque slope above the cathedral stood formerly the 13th centy. Campanile, or Bell-tower, of which but fragments remain. Hard by, the new Deanery and Canons’ residence have been built. One residentiary house at present suffices for the four canons, three months about. Similar modern houses have been built for the officiat- ing clergy, for the schools, and for the Probate registrar’s office. A valu- able and extensive library was for- merly attached to the cathedral ; but the books and MSS. having been removed, with many other treasures of equal value, for security to Car- diff Castle during the civil war, were wantonly destroyed by the fanatical Puritan soldiery upon the fall of that stronghold. The Chapter, how- ever, is now in lossession of the greater part of the library of the late Bp. Ollivant. At the end of the village are the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace, said to have lieen spoiled by Owain Glvndwr. The gatehouse is tolerably perfect, and is the entrant to the Bishop’s residence and gardei The chapel was erected in Bp. Oil vant’s time by Christian. The villas contains vestiges of several anciei buildings. A girls’ College, namcj I/oicell's Charity , erected in a coi manding situation on the Cardiff roa« j affords maintenance and education! 30 foundationers, besides 30 payii i boarders and day scholars, frcr moneys bequeathed m the reign rl Henry VII. to the Drapers’ Compai- to provide marriage portions for tl testator’s female descendants. The is a similar building at Denbigh, ! giving the same advantages to Noil Wales. Some way from Ely st. on Lecl with Hill above the r. or westei 1 bank of the river Ely, is the anciei ch. of Landough. Close around Llandaff are Pool wood (Col. F. E. Hill), Fairwat (E. W. David, Esq.), and the m and conspicuous mansion of J. 1 Insole, Esq., a large colliery propri tor. A mile to the N.W. is Rady once the seat of the ancient fami of Mathew. [8 m. on 1. of Ely St. is Sul House (Lord Wimborne). The la eminent geologist, Dean ConybcaTj was for many years resident rect- of Sully. Sully Island is of small area, co I tuning probably* the smallest can \ in Britain. In the church, whl is much modernised, are the mon ments of the family* of Tliomai *1 Llwyn-madoc, and an E. E. piscinl Near it is a fragment of the castl also of E. E. date. At Cogan Pill, between Sully at i Cardiff, is an old house, the *eat the Herberts of Cogan. 1 m. 1., on a hill, is Caerau Clmrc standing in the enclosure of n cam whence its name is derived* Son have placed here the ‘•Tibia Amni * 23 H. Wales. "Route 1 . — St. Fagan’s — St. Nicholas. >i the Itineraries, though it seems ^ iifficult to understand why it should lot have been at Cardiff. Beyond, l m. further, is Court-yr-alla (Lieut. - lol. Rous), corrupted from Court- 5 /T-raleigh, it having long been a eat of the Raleighs of Nettlecombe. ■ Sear it are the ruins of Dinas Powis Castle, built by Iestyn ap Gwrgant ire. 1000 a.d. They are the pro- perty of the Bev. H. T. Lee, of the Vtount.] 33 m. St. Fagan’s Stat. On rt. he castle, church, and village crown i steep bank, at the bottom of which vms the Ely (Afon-lai, slow river). The Castle (Lord Windsor) was puilt in the 12th centy. by Sir Peter le Vele, and the present picturesque ligh - gabled square house placed vithin its court by the Gibbon amily, from whom it came to the je wises of the Van, of whom the >resent owner is representative. The hurch and village were almost re- )uilt by the late Hon. R. H. Clive, vhose son, the Hon. Robert Wind- sor Clive, the father of the present Lord Windsor, died in the midst of pompleting his sire’s good work of •estoration here. The designs are py Street, and the painted glass is 7ery good. At the battle of St. Fagan’s the Welsh insurgents,, presbyterians and .'oyalists, to the number of 8000, vho had risen to resist the growing power of the Independents, were lefeated with great loss (1648) by Col. Horton, when many out of the pest Glamorganshire families were ailed. [2 m. 1. Coedriglan, the seat of the iate Rev. J. M. Traherne, whose col- ections for the history of Glamorgan ire reported to be very extensive. 3J m. 1. Wenvoe (R. Jenner, 3sq. ), a modern house, built by the Thomas family on the site of an old :astle. 7 m. 1. Barry Castle and Island, the former in ruins. The latter is accessible at low water, and presents a fine sandy bay and some good sec- tions of the magnesian and ^mountain limestone, &c. 8 m. 1. Porthkerry (the Romilly family), above a valley of exceeding beauty, opening out into the sea. 4 m. 1. Lyffryn (A. C. Bruce Pryce, Esq.) ; and at St. Nicholas, hard by, is a cromlech, sometimes called Cas- tell Corrig, and considered to be the largest in Britain. The capstone of this cromlech at its utmost length is 22 ft. 9 in. by 15 ft. 3 in. wide, and 3 ft. 6 in. thick, supported at the E. end by 3 props : the 1st measuring 5 ft. 5 in. in height by 2 ft. 9 in. wide ; the 2nd, 3 ft. 5 in. by 6 ft. 8 in. wide ; the 3rd, 3 ft. 4 in. by 4 ft. 10 in. The W. end is supported by one prop, 11 ft. 8 in. wide by 2 ft. 10 in. high, and the N. end by one prop also, 13 ft. 8 in. wide by 5 ft. high. The remains of the original mound are still visible. There is a second cromlech known as St. Lythan’s Cromlech, or Maes y Felin, f of a mile off on the opposite side of the road to Dyffryn Lower Lodge, of very remarkable dimensions. Mr. Lukis, in a paper of the 1 Arch. Cam- brensis’ for 1875 (p. 171 foil.), gives them as follows : Height to top of cap- stone, 11 ft. 8 in. ; length, 14 ft. 8 in. by 10 ft., and 2 ft. 6 in. thickness. Height of S. prop, 9 ft. 11 in. by 11 ft. 6 in., and 1 ft. 6 in. in thick- ness. The N. prop is 9 ft. 10 in. high, by 10 ft. wide, and 1 ft. 9 in. thick. The western prop is 7 ft. 6 in. high by 4 ft. 8 in. thick, and has a circular hole near the top. A third cromlech is near Cotterell : the names of places in the neighbour- hood favour the Druidical theory. Thus Dyffryn Golych is the Valley of Worship, Cotterell a corruption of Coed-yr-IIoel, &c. These cromlechs, with Arthur’s Stone in Gower, repre- sent the chief prehistoric monu- ments in Glamorganshire. At St, 24 Route 1. — Fonmon — Llantrissant. S. Wales. Lythau’s is a curious little ch., with monuments to the Button family. 9 m. 1. Fonmon Castle (0. H. Jones, Esq.) was built by Sir John de St*. John soon after the conquest of Glamorgan. The keep, a rec- tangular building 45 ft. high, and 25 ft. north and south, by 43 ft. east and west, appears to be late Norman and part of the original building. It is enclosed on two sides and part of a third by additions, probably of E. E. and E. Dec. date. The prin- cipal additions on the north are of the 17th centy., and were not erected with a view to defence. — [G. T. Clark, Med. Milit. Arch.] It was purchased about 1655 from the St. Johns of Bletsoe by Col. Philip Jones, the celebrated Parliamentary commander, ancestor to the present owner. Philip Jones was second of the Commissioners “for the Celtic propagation of the Gospel in Wales,” and was raised by Cromwell to his House of Peers, and made comp- troller of his household. In the castle may be seen lortraits of Crom- well and I reton, and of Mr. Robert Jones, great - grandfather of the present owner, by Sir J. Reynolds. Fonmon was often visited by John Wesley, whose chamber is still pre- served and honoured at Fon tigary, an adjacent farm - house. Oliver Cromwell’s great grandfather, Sir Richard Williams, whose mother was a sister of Thomas Cromwell the 41 Hammer,” was a native of the neighD airing parish of Llanishen. at tie* mouth of the Cowbridge river, celebrated for its hydraulic lime, ob- tained from the lias |>ehhles on its Ijeoch. Near it also are the ruins of Denmark, Castletoo, and K. and IF. Orchnnl Castles ; these two latter were, however, rather fortified houses than castles, and were Isiilt by some Flemish horticulturists, who, in the yeign of Henry I., long supplied the King’s garden with fruit and trees from here.] Leaving St. Fagan’s, on the 1. .ire ruins of St. George’s, and on r. of Peterston Castles. 36 m. Peterston Stat. [On rt 1 ni. is Cottercli (late Admiral Sir G. Tyler) and St. Nicholas Churcki and Rector)*. 2 in. 1. Bonvilstone (R. Bassett,! Esq.), and 1 m. farther the disparked I and ruined house of Llantrythtd , the I old seat of the Mansels, BassettH and Aubreys.] Passing 1. the fine but compara- tively modern (viz. 1723-25) casteH lated mansion of Hensol (late Row- land Fothergill, Esq.), which en- closed the old house of Judge Jen- kins, ancestor of the Earl of Shrews- bury, who is Earl Talbot of Hensol, and not far from Miskin Manor, r modern mansion on an ancient pro- perty, and Tal-y-gam, the residence of G. T. Clark, Esq., the well-knowi antiquary, the traveller arrives a» 40 m. Llantrissant Junct. A branch line from the Tuff Vain here crosses the South Wales Ely. U| Cowbridge. [1 m. on rt. are the haematite irorj mines of Cornel and M irifndy, il l which the ore is worked o]>en-casl| like a quarry. Leland says in hiil ‘Itinerary,’ “There are two fain I parkes by south of Llantrissant, no* I unimpalid and without doere. Then! is yren now made in one of then] parkes, named Glinog.” The din] coverv of these deposits has not] affected materially (as it was finril thought they would) the iron-wolH of the South Wales liasin. 2 m. to the N. is the quaint t<«wil of Llantrissant (the Church o| Three Saints), finely situated oil a range of hills, hnd presenting ll pieturi’sque and rather continental appearance. It is, however, a dirtjj 25 S. Wales. Route 1 . — Cowbridge — Beaupre. little place, a nearer inspection of which will scarcely repay the tourist, save for the view from the Graig, above the churchyard, which em- braces a large extent of country, in- cluding nearly the whole of the Ely valley. The ch. is Norm. There I are traces of a considerable camp on I the hill to the rt. Here also is the i ruin of an Edwardian castle, which in the division of lands by Fitzhamon fell, with Caerphilly, to Einion ap Collwyn. It is mentioned by Leland as having in his time two wards, and the inner dyked. 2 m. N. of the town is Castellau House (Mrs. Smith), formerly be- longing to the Traherne family.] From Llantrissant Junct. there is a branch rly. to Cowbridge, 6 m., passing, 3J m., Ystrad Owen Stat., where there is a ch. and a mound hard by, which has the appearance of having been intrenched. $ Cowbridge is a pleasant little town, principally known for its gram- mar school, endowed by Sir Leoline I Jenkins, Secretary of State in the reign of Charles II., and connected with Jesus College, Oxford. The endowment is small, but the college has spent 5000L or 6000Z. upon the buildings, and has made considerable exertions to raise the character of the school. It is said that Pelagius and Judge Jeffreys — questionable men both — were natives of the town, al- though Acton Park, near Wrexham, was clearly the birthplace of the latter. The Church (which is a chapel of ease to Llanblethian) is singular, having a north aisle to the chancel, and a south one to the nave. In the chancel, which is divided by an old oak screen, are return stalls, in which the masters and boys of the grammar-school sit and have their special service. On the W. chan- cel wall is a tablet to the memory of Benjamin Heath Malkin, LL.D., the author of a by no means con- temptible history of South Wales of the last generation, and there are some old monuments in the body of the ch. to the Jenkinses of Hensol and others. Cow T bridge was formerly called Pontvaen, and was thought by some to be the site of the ancient Bovium, but the mass of evidence seems to point to Boverton as the true site. Cowbridge was anciently fortified, and the walls, buttresses, and a gate- way remain nearly perfect on the S. side. An interesting, though circuitous, excursion can be made from here through Llantwit and Ewenny to Bridgend. 1 m. 1. of the town is Llanblethian, occupying a fine situation, overlook- ing the town and vale of Cowbridge, of which it is the mother church. Here is the ruined castle of St. Quentin’s, of which little remains save the gateway, grooved for a port- cullis, and some fragments of the outer curtain. The keep was in the centre, but is quite effaced. On the opposite hill is Peniline Castle (the seat of J. Homfray, Esq.). The keep retains some Nor- man herring-bone work. The drive towards Peniline gives a good idea of the neighbourhood, and may em- brace, in returning, Llanblethian, St. Quentin’s, the Old Mill, and the College, as well as Cowbridge Ch. Peniline Court (Dr. Salmon) is at the back of the hill on which the castle is situated. A little to the S. of Llanblethian is the castellated mansion of Llan- dough (Mrs. Stacey), and to the * 1., in the valley of the Thaw, are the remains of Beaupre (pron. Beauper) House (Mrs. Bassett), the ancient seat of< that family, the only one now remaining, in the male line, of the original Norman settlers. Beaupre was purchased in the reign of Henry II. by Sir Philip Bassett, 26 Boutc 1 . — Llantwit Major : Church. S. Wales. Lord. Chief Justice, a descendant of John Bassett, Chancellor to Fitz- hamon. It is a curious mixture of Greek with Gothic architecture, the ornamental portions of which were executed by a native artist named Richard Twrch, a common mason, temp. Edward VI., who acquired some fame as an architect, though the porch at Beaupre is the only acknow- ledged specimen of his workmanship existing. m. the ancient town of Llan- twit Major, where a very famous school of divinity existed, said to have been founded by Bp. Germanus about the middle of the 5th centy. St. Iltyd, or Iltutus, upon whose institution the name of the place was changed from Caer Wrgan to Llan-Iltyd, and to whom the ch. is dedicated, was appointed to pre- side over the college, — a post which he is said to have retained for more than 90 years. The school became one of the most celebrated of its age, but was sadly shorn of its influence when, at the time of the Norm, con- quest, Robert Fitzhamon transferred a large portion of its revenues to the abbey at Tewkesbury. It still ex- isted, however, up to the time of the Reformation, when a finishing blow was given to its prosperity by the transfer of its remaining endowments to the Chapter of Gloucester Cathe- dral. St. Iltyd, independently of his being a sound theologian, was no contemptible handicraftsman, and the kind of plough invented by him, and still called after his name, may be seen in use in some of the remoter districts of Wales to this day. Llantwit boasts among its scholars Gildas, the historian, St. David (?), Paulinus, Archbp. Samp- son, with whom ended the arclii- episcopal jurisdiction of St. David’s, Talhaiam, and Taliesin “ Pen- beirdd,” the chief of bards. Many of the abbots of Llantwit were bishops of Llandaff, and the brethren of Llantwit monastery are J said to have had for their habitations 400 houses and 7 halls. The Church is the most interest- 1 ing relic. What is called the new ,i church, which is apparently the ■ older of the two, is of the time of the 13th centy., and possesses a nave, aisles, and chancel, with a , good rood - screen, in which are i vacant niches, said to have con- I tained images of the 12 apostles. ] In the S. aisle is a wall niche, the decoration of which consists of a vine climbing up its sides and twist- I ing round 14 crowned heads. At tbe top is the Saviour’s with the crossed nimbus. The lower part I with the figure of Jesse is in the W. building. The niche (13th j centy.) may have contained a figure j of the Virgin. The capitals of the ■* S. side are of E. E., though there I have been alterations down to the i Perp. period. The font is Norm. I There are also some mural paintings I in the church ; our Saviour and Mary Magdalen on the N., and the I fall of man on the S. of the chancel. I The western portion (part of the original plan) is called the ‘ ‘ Old Church,” though more than a centy. later than the eastern, and this name Mr. Freeman thinks it got from , having been originally the parochial 1 church , but having at the Dissolu- I tion been deserted for the larger ch. I of the monks, which thus became 1 the new church of the parishioners 1 — C. A. J. In this adjoining old ! church are some extremely old and I curious tombs — particularly a coped I stone with a row of lozenge-shaped I compartments down the middle, an i arabesque ornament on one side and I a series of interlaced rings on the j other. The inscription on the side is “ Ne petra calcetur que sub jacet I ista tuetur. ” This stone was brought 1 here in 1730 from a placed called I “ Great House,” where a chapel had j formerly existed. At the W. of the S. Wales. Route 1 . — Boverton — Dimland. 27 old church are the remains of the Lady Chapel, about 40 ft. in length. Some interesting stones stand in the ch. -yd. , one of pyramidal form, pro- bably Runic, on the S., and the shaft of a cross (the head destroyed by the Roundheads), erected by Bishop Samson in memory of St. Iltyd, bearing an inscription which has been thus deciphered : ‘ ‘ Crux Iltuti, Samson redis, Samuel excisor. Samson posuit hanc crucemproanima ejus.” Dr. Carne identifies this Samson with the Archbp. , who went over and died at Dol, in Brittany, and whose rescue of Indual (query “ Juthakel,” below), is recorded in the ‘ Liber Landavensis.’ The other stones — which were disinterred and raised to their present site through the exertions of the eminent bard and antiquary Iolo Morgan wg — seem also to have formed the shafts of crosses, one of which bears an in- scription relative to Juthakel, King of Glamorgan, and Artmael, King of Gwent. The inscription upon the other refers to its having been set up by Howell, Prince of South Wales,?' upon his absolution by the Church for the murder of his brother Rhys. Adjoining the W. chapel, is what may have been the sacristan’s house, with 2 later monuments of Henry VIII. ’s date. It would seem that one represents a Lady Hopkins, though an attempt to read an imper- fect inscription has led to a lady with a young child being mistaken for a prince, a female for a male. The cos- tume cannot be doubtful. To the N. ox the tower is a slab to the memory of Michael Voss, who died in 1534, aged 129. There are also crosses in the churchyard and village. The other antiquities in Llantwit are the Castle, or rather a castellated house, and the Town -hall, built by Gilbert de Clare, a picturesque old building, with a flight of steps to it, and gable bell, with an inscription. The so-called bell of the saint in the town-hall, is much later than supposed, though its legend, “ Sancte Iltute, ora pro nobis,” connects it with the church and its famous school in sentiment. In the ‘ Annals of the Welsh Counties,’ by Dr. Nicholas, it is stated that Dr. Nickol Carne, of St. Donats, the owner of Llantwit, offered as a free gift 6 acres of land, embracing the very site of the ancient building, for the site of a University Coll, for South Wales, at the time when that scheme was in embryo. Nothing is to be seen inside. Considerable remains of Roman villas have quite recently been discovered at Llantwit, and afford further evidence of the settle- ments of that people along the great maritime road, and of the friendly terms on which they lived amongst the conquered Welsh. 1 m. to the S.E. is the village of Boverton, thought by some to be the Bovium of Antoninus, though others place it at Cowbridge. This was for some time a residence of the Lords of Glamorgan ; the castle and manor, however, reverted to the Crown in the reign of Richard III. Henry VII. granted the lordship of Glamorgan and its appanages to Jasper, Duke of Bedford, who afterwards lay con- cealed at Boverton until his friends had succeeded in obtaining pardon for the murders that he had committed. As a mark of gratitude to his tenant, Griffith Voss, who had warmly in- terested himself in the duke’s behalf, he granted him a life interest in the estates. The manor of Boverton is now the property of Lord Wimborne. The fortified manor-house still exists in a ruinous condition. 1 m. Dimland, a seat of I. N. Carne, Esq. On the coast, about 2 m. apart, are two camps, probably Roman ; one of these, about J m. from Llantwit, is called the Castle Ditches, and consists of a triple line of very lofty embankment about 100 yds. in length. 28 Route 1 . — Tressilian — St. Donat's. S. Walks. At Tressilian (Dr. Carne), a little beyond, and about J m. from the road between St. Donats and Llant- wit, a good many caves are ac- cessible in the cliffs, in one of which tradition asserts that marriages were celebrated. There is also a curious ebbing and flowing well. 1J m. St. Donat’s Castle, com- manding a beautiful view over the Channel, while the church nestles snugly in a wooded dingle, running down to the shore. The castle, built by Sir W. Stradling, and for 6 cen- turies the seat of that family, and now the property of I. N. Carne, Esq., D.C.L., is an extensive and interesting castellated building, which the owner is carefully re- storing, and bringing gradually back to its pristine characteristic features. The gateway is curiously carved, and there are singular medallion circles over it and over the doors in the quadrangular court, which is battle- men ted, each merlon being pierced with an eyelet. There is a good oriel window in the court, and the state apartments contain much fine wood-carving by Grinling Gibbons, and other artists of his time ; one of these rooms has a very elaborate copper ceiling, richly carved ; and the wainscots and panels which have been required to reclothe the dismantled walls of these, have been purchased with the utmost taste and discrimination. Archbishop Usher resided here for some time as a guest during the troubles. In the old picture gallery, which was burnt on the night when the last of the Stradlings was “waked,” if we may use an Irish expression, there .are distinct traces of a secret chamber on the side facing the S., and of a fireplace in that chamber. This is held by the owner classic ground, on account of its learned sometime tenant, the fugitive archbishop. The church contains the Stradling chapel, in which are some curious paintings on panel of the 16th centy. relative to that family ; also a monument to Sir Thomas Stradling, who is supposed to have died issueless in 1738, aged 28, and the last of his race, who had possessed the castle for 700 years. This Sir Thomas was run through the body at Montpelier by a certain Tyr whitt in a brawl arising out of a love affair, and his body was brought home to be buried some six months after his death. The stories current about the corpse being a substituted corpse, which the old nurse ascertained by a test best known to herself, may be fanciful, but we believe that the present owner is on the maternal side the lineal representative of the Stradlings, the paternal line being quite extinct. The ch. -yd. is a de- lighful little nook, and carefully tended. The visitor should remark the cross, one of the most elegant in Wales, the subject on the head being the Crucifixion. The ch. is early Norm. , with some later changes. On the opposite bank are the ruins of a watch-tower, said to be erected for the purpose of giving intelligence to the lord of St. Donat’s of wrecks, for which, and for the fearful prac- tice of wrecking, this coast had ob- tained an infamous notoriety. The view from the library and from the old picture gallery, looking over a series of hanging gardens down upon the sea, is very perfect ; and in few places can such a pleasant blending of sequestered sylvan scenery and >' wooded dingles, with a maritime | prospect, be so quickly realised. In these gardens the myrtle grows in. the open air into a goodly shrub. 1 J m. Monknash ; where are mins of a monastic barn and buildings, I which formerly belonged to the % priory' of Ewenny. A ch. marks the spot on the rt. of the road from Bridgend to Llantwit. Near Marcross is a cromlech, called the Old Church, and the S. Wales. Boute 1 . — Dunraven Castle — Merthyr Mawr. 29 fragments of a castle may be seen in the same neighbourhood. 2 m. on 1. is Dunraven Castle, the in part modern seat and inheritance of the Earl of Dunraven, occupying a romantic situation on a rocky pro- montory called Trwyn y Witch (or the Witch’s Nose), projecting into the sea, at a height of 100 feet above it, between two deeply indented bays. Near it formerly stood stood the Castle of Dundrivan (Castle of the Three Halls), where, according to tradition, Caradoc formerly kept his summer court. FitzSimon bestowed the castle and manor upon William de Londres, and he gave them to Sir Arnold Butler, one of whose female descendants conveyed them by mar- riage to the father of that Walter Vaughan v ho, if we may give credit to the story, was in the habit of alluring vessels to the coast by put- ting out false lights, that he might profit by the wrecks driven ashore, to which he was entitled as lord of the manor. In the very midst of his crimes, however, he lost his own three sons in one day, and a fourth, the eldest, short] y afterwards, and, looking on this event as a judgment from heaven on his iniquities, he sold the estate to the family of Wyndham and retired to Tenby, where he died, and where his tomb may be still seen in the church. Some curious caverns are worn by the sea in the rock beneath the castle. Through one of them, called the Wind Hole, the sea is forced at times in lofty jets. On the opposite side of the bay is the watering-place of Southern- down, containing a few lodging- houses and a pretty good inn. The coast is about 300 ft. high, and is interesting to the geologist from the horizontal stratification of the lias limestone, giving the cliffs a most peculiar appearance. Fossils are plentiful, especially Ammonites and Gryphsea incurva. There are dan- gerous currents off the shore at Southerndown, which have been the cause of several losses of life to bathers. 1 m. St. Bride’s Church (Early Norman, with later additions), re- stored in 1853, contains an incised slab and richly carved altar-tomb to the Boteler family of Dunraven, with the effigy of a knight, legs crossed, armed with a hauberk, and chausses of mail, and wearing a long surtout, open in front. There is a good Norman font, and two pairs of squints of different dates. A stone coffin is placed under the N. wall in the churchyard. Passing over Ogmore Down, where the mountain limestone reappears, and skirting the wooded valley of Ewenny Park, the traveller arrives at (2 m.) Ogmore Castle, a very re- markable example of a small square Norman keep, with the fragments of the curtain which enclosed the outer court, prettily situated at the junction of the Ogmore and Ewenny, which is here crossed by a bridge of stepping-stones. Not much is left of the castle except the keep. Looking towards the sea, the view is intercepted by the enormous sand-hills which infest and advance upon the coast nearly as far as Briton Ferry. At the western end of the Down, under a hill, is a curious and abundantly-supplied spring, 15 ft. wide by 3 in depth, called by the country-people “Schwyl,” which, upon issuing from its fount, divides itself into two streams, one of which contains soft water, the other hard. On the opposite side of the Ogmore is Merthyr Mawr (J. C. Nicholl, Esq.), in whose grounds are two fine sculptured crosses, In the restoration of the ch. here several incised stones and slabs, of various dates, w T ere placed under the E. wall ; among them a Paulinus stone and a- pillar-stoup. Follow- 30 S. Wales. Route 1 . — Ewe ing the course of the Ewenny 1J m., the visitor arrives at the ancient and venerable priory of Ewenny, adjoining which, and forming part of the buildings, is the seat of Col. Turbervill. It was an old mo- nastic edifice, founded by Morice de Londres, some times after the Conquest, for monks of the Bene- dictine order. The church and all the conventual buildings were surrounded by strong walls, many of which still exist ; the principal gateway was defended by a port- cullis, and is in good preservrtion. The Church is probably the best specimen in Wales of a fortified ecclesiastical building, of the union of castle and monastery in the same structure. It was a cross ch. with chapels opening into the N. side of the presbytery and E. side of the S. transept, but the chapels with the N. transept have long been removed. The tower is of very mas- sive construction, with battlements pierced with cross eyelets and buttresses of enormous thickness. The nave, now used as the parish church, is shut off from the rest, and has a blocked arcade of pure Norm, on the W. wall. The choir and presbytery are the finest ex- amples of Norm, in the Principality. The roof is a fine specimen of Romanesque vaulting. Over the 3 western liays is a barrel vault, but the eastern bay has groined cellular vaulting. ' The pavement was formed of ancient glazed tiles, curiously em- blazoned with coats of arms and de- vices, and there are tombs of the founder, Morice de Londres, Roger de Remi, and some of the Carne and Turbervill families. The priory is placed on the Rank of the Ewenny, which here runs through an exten- sive marsh. Morice de Londres gave his new ch. to the Abbey at Gloucester in 1141, and the date of his tomb is circ. 1150. The river Ewenny lias long been famous for being the habitat of a nny — Pencoed . salmon-like fish of delicious flavour, locally termed the “ gwyniad,” from the silvery brightness of its scales. The gwyniad varies in weight from J lb. to 1 lb., is in season during April and May, and is said to be peculiar to this river. [On the road between this and Cowbridge, 3 m. from the latter place is a tract of common called the Golden Mile, from a tradition that the Welsh chief Iestyn ap Gwrgant here paid down the sum in gold for which he had engaged the ser- vices of the Norman Fitzhamon, his 12 knights and 3000 men, to defeat his enemy Rhys ap Tewdwr. 2 m. from Ewenny is Bridgend.] From Llantrissant Junction the rly. runs through a wooded district, with occasional coal-works. At Llan- harry, too, a bed of iron-ore was found, with remains of Roman work- ings and pottery, showing that that people was well acquainted with the resources of this district. 45J m. Pencoed Stat. To 1. 2 m. is St. Mary Hill, celebrated for its annual horse fair, to which dealers from all parts of England resort, and a little beyond it is Coychurch, the ch. of which is worth visiting, as forming with Coyty and Ewenny an unusually fine trio of churches for S. Wales. Coychurch was probably a model for the builder of Coyty, from which it differs in having aisles and buttresses. The building is Transitional style from E. E., with a semi-military central Perp. tower, choir, and presbytery, resembling Coyty. The trefoil lancet windows of the presbytery and E. end of the S. transept, with pointed labels, are noteworthy, as are also the clerestory windows on the S. side only, cinque- foiled openings, the large pointed and quatrefoil windows in a lozenge- shaped rear- arch at the W. end of each aisle, and the W. doorway. A sedile and piscina, with a triangular 31 j. Wales. Route 1 . — Bridgend — Coyly Castle. anopy above its sill, are on the S. side >f the chancel, and an ambrey on he N. Two curious effigies of the ate 14th centy., and a rude 15th- enty. effigy of Thomas Evans, rector, 1 ire now placed in the N. transept. 1 This ch., which may be seen in a norning’s drive from Bridgend, after Ooyty Ch. and Castle, and before Ewenny, has lately undergone care- ful restoration. In the ch. -yd. are bwo crosses of interlaced pattern, be- sides the usual ch. -yd. cross. I 49 m. Bridgend Junct. with the Llynfi Valley Rly. $ Bridgend is a neat thriving place, on the Ogmore, Which divides it into two portions, Old and New Castle. In the latter listrict, on a wooded eminence over- looking the town, are the church and vicarage and the remains of the New Castle, consisting of a Norm, door- way and court. What is left of the Old Castle may be seen converted mto a barn, at a farm about J m. from the town. Both the Ogmore and the Ewenny were amongst the best rivers in the principality for sal- mon and sewin, but constant whip- ping has ruined the fishing, and even the most skilled angler may fish all day without obtaining any sport worth mention. 1J m. from the town, on the road to Tondu, is the County Lunatic Asylum, and about 1 m. to the E. of it, at Paregwylt, a second asylum, recently erected. 2 m. from Bridgend on rt. are Coyty Church and Castle. The for- mer, which was judiciously restored in 1859, is a fine cruciform edifice of the 14th centy., with a Dec. tower, containing a massive groined roof. ( Some of the windows are geometri- cal, others Dec. The ch. consists of a nave, transepts, choir, and presby- tery ; the choir under the tower. The door to the rood-loft is ap- proached by a staircase against the W. wall, and supported by two half arches. Beneath these is a stone bench and recess, on which now rest two diminutive monumental figures from the chancel. Under the E. window of the S. side of the presby- tery are 3 cinquefoiled recesses, the easternmost containing the piscina, the westernmost prolonged so as to form a proper sedile. An elabo- rately-carved chest with saddle-back top, and with the emblems of the Passion on the exposed side, stands against the chancel wall, but its use is doubtful. There are two sets of squints in this church, as in some other of the district. There are several monuments ; one of them rejoicing in the following inscrip- tion : — “ Awake, dvll mortals, see yr. dvbious stay, Frail is ovr make and life soon posts away ; Myriads of chances take away ovr breath, And mvltifacious ways there are to death ; Beneath one lies estemd for life and age. By thvnder forcd to qvit this wordly stage ; Tremendovs death, so svddenly to be From life’s short scene moved to eternity.” The Castle is an extensive and fast-decaying ruin. It consists of a circular enclosure rising above the exterior ground, and about 48 yards in diameter. On the N.W. side is a rectangular court 68 yards by 43. The whole is surrounded by a broad ditch. To the E. and facing the ch. -yd. is the principal gatehouse, a quadrangular structure with two upper floors, probably built in the time of Richard II., though the windows are of much later date. To the E. of the N. gatehouse, of which only the foundations remain, stand the fragments of a larger building, 37 ft. by 40, probably the keep, in the basement of which is a chamber vaulted in eight cells' with pointed arches. The first floor contains two vaulted chambers ; the second and third stories were roofed with tim- ber. The round tower is an interest- ing feature. It is 18 ft. in diameter, and projects 22 ft. into the ditch, 32 Route 1 . — Tondu — Porthcawl. S. Wales. being connected with the main building by a neck of wall. It con- tains a basement and two upper floors. The domestic buildings were ranged along the whole S. side of the court. * ‘ The Lordship of Coyty is re- garded by the Welsh as an honour of high antiquity, the estate and seat of a royal lineage, and the inheri- tance of one of the sons of Jestyn, the last native lord of Morgan wg.” — G. T. Clark. After the conquest of that country it was granted by Fitz- hamon to Sir Pagan, or Payne, de Turbervill, who is said to have mar- ried the heiress of the old Welsh lords. His descendant Sir Gilbert, who married a daughter of Morgan Gam, a descendant of Jestyn, and who was in possession in 1207, was perhaps the builder of the Castle, the oldest parts of which are later than Norman. Coyty Castle passed from the Turbervills into the families of Berkrolles, Gamage, Sydney, and Wyndliam, and now belongs to the Earl of Dunraven. [A very pretty excursion can be made from here to Maesteg, 9 m., by the Llynfi Valley Rly., a little line made originally as a tramroad to accommodate the mining valley of the Llynfi, and to bring down the produce to Porthcawl for shipment. Two trains a day start from Bridg- end, calling at 5 m. Tondu Junct., where the Porthcawl branch is joined. Tondu, a busy mining village, contains the once flourishing iron-works of the Brogdens. The valley of the Llynfi is full of charming and picturesque scenery', and at the head of it is Maesteg, a large isolated mining town. It is shut in entirely by ranges of hills, which, higher up the valley at Gli/ncomrrf f become more precipitous and wild. From hence the traveller can cross the mountains between Glyncorrwg and the Vale of Neath, a fatiguing though beautiful walk, or else proceed from Maesteg, across the hills to Cwm Afon, and rejoin the S. Wales Rly. at Aberafon, 7 m. W.] [Another excursion may be made to Newton Nottage and Porthcawl, 5 m. S.W. The Neath road is fol- lowed, through the village of Lales- ton, 1J m., as far as the turnpike, where a lane turns off to the 1. , pass- ing Tythegstone Court, the seat of the Knight family. Newton Downs, along which a Roman road may be traced, afford extensive views over the Channel. The village of Newton is wretched and tumble-down, almost devoured by the encroaching sand- lieaps, but the church has a good carved stone pulpit, representing the Flagellation of our Saviour, ap- proached by a passage in the N. wall of the nave with two branches, one on the 1. to the pulpit, the other, rt., to the rood-loft ; and there is an in- scribed stone in the churchyard, near which is a well which flows only when the tide is out. Poly- bius mentions a like phenomenon at Gades. Newton and its neighbour- hood form the scene of a large por- tion of Mr. R. D. Blackmore’s ‘ Maid of Sker.’ Tymawr, or Nottage Court, where Queen Anne Boleyn is said to have been a guest, is a quaint old Elizabethan house, which was restored by the late Rev. H. Knight. Porthcawl is a small harbour, the terminus of the Llynfi Valley Rly., and the outlet of the produce of the Maesteg iron -works. A great deal of money has been spent of late years in making the port safe. One or two lodging-houses and good Lathing are to be found there. 3 Quitting Bridgend, the line runs up a steep incline between Stormy Down on the 1. and the millstone grit of Cefn Cribwr on the rt., imrne* S. Wales. 33 Route 1 . — Pyle — Maryam Abbey . | Lately upon which, at a steep angle t >f inclination, the coal-beds repose. | There are numerous collieries at I Bryndu and Tondu on rt. 53 m. Pyle Stat., celebrated for its I excellent building-stone. Here the Llynfi Valley Railway is crossed on its way from Maesteg to Porthcawl. In Pyle churchyard is a fine cross. 3 m. on 1. is Kenfig, once an important town, where Fitzhamon leld a castle, which was destroyed by an overwhelming inundation >f the sea in the middle of the L6th centy. A faint soupyon of its ormer grandeur remains in the Rape of a chest of ancient charters ind records, carefully secured by Free keys, in charge of the corpora- ion. A portion of the castle and iome ruins of the ancient ch. may be raced amongst the sandhills. In irder to prevent the sand from being down further inland, the tenants of arms adjoining the shore are com- piled by strict covenants to plant mnually a certain quantity of the irunclo arenaria, whose roots bind he sand together. The old ch. has >een submerged by the sand-deluges ; >ut a fragment of the ancient castle projects above the sand. The present I h. has an early and curious font. Che lake at Kenfig, which, although lose to the sea, never imbibes any nuriatic properties, is traditionally aid to occupy the site of a great city. There is a curious upright stone t this place, inscribed both with Itoman letters and Ogham charac- ^rs, and about | m. from the ch. is 1 mother, much larger, but without my inscription. 2 m. on rt. is Margam Abbey, he seat of C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., LP. and Lord-Lieut. of the county. Che house is a modern edifice, de- igned chiefly by its owner : its prin- cipal features are 2 facades and a S. Wales * tower, beautifully situated on a rising ground, backed by a hill 800 ft. high (Mynydd Margam), and covered from top to bottom for about 2 m. with a noble oak wood. The sea-air, however, has exercised considerable influence in keeping down the heads of the trees to a uniform level, none overtopping the rest, so that, at a distance, it looks like a huge clipped hedge. The abbey was founded 1147 by Robert Earl of Gloucester (Fitzhamon’s son- in-law), for monks of the Cistercian order, and was sold at the Dissolution to Sir Rice Mansel, of Oxwich Castle, an ancestor of the present owner. The male line of the Mansels of Margam became extinct in 1750. The chief portion remaining is a clustered column of the chapter- house, the beautiful groined roof of which was suffered to fall in 1799. There is an inscribed stone and wheel - cross in the church- yard. The W. end of the abbey has been preserved in the present parish church, which contains monuments of the Bussy, Talbot, and Mansel families. The circular door at the W. end — its moulding resting on pilasters with knots or bands, re- peated in other parts of the building — deserves notice. Giraldus Cam- brensis visited this abbey in 1188, after Ewenny ; and the Duke of Beaufort, as Lord President of Wales, was welcomed at Margam in 1684. The modern mansion possesses in its details much originality and beauty, and contains several antique statues, ancient furniture, and some fine paintings by the old masters— among them St. Augustine with the Virgin and Child, by P. Veronese; a Vandych ; some Canalettis , &e. The orangery, within the grounds, is celebrated for its fine trees, many of which are 20 ft. high. They were sent over to England by a Dutch merchant as a present to Queen Mary, consort of William III., but D 36 Route 1 . — Neath Abbey — Crymlyn Bog. S. Wales. the British forces headed by the sons of Caradoc ap Iestyn (whose lordship extended from the Tawe to the Afon) here attacked the Norm, lords with great spirit, and put them to rout so completely, that all who escaped the sword fled for an asylum to the various castles of Gower. 3000 men are said to have been slain in the conflict. In 1231, Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, and Morgan Gam, en- raged by some act of injustice perpe- trated by Hubert de Burgh upon the invaders, laid siege to the castle and burnt it, exterminating many of the inhabitants, and setting fire to their houses. The line, after quitting Neath Shit., makes a great bend, passing on 1. the beautiful ruins of Neath Abbey, defaced by the smoke and coal-dust of the neighbouring ex- tensive copper works. Though now so unsightly and contaminated with black stains, it was originally a struc- ture of great extent and magnificence, and is described by Leland as ‘ ‘ the fairest abbey in all Wales.” It was founded in 1111 by Richard de Gran- ville of Bideford (one of the com- panions of Fitzhamon) and his lady Constance, for Grey friars, and finished in 1129. The architect was one Lalys, who also built Margam, and whom de Granvil brought with him on his return from the Holy Land. The famous bard, Lewis Morganwg, who flourished in the be- ginning of the 16th centy., gives a laboured and glowing description of the glories of this splendid structure. Here the unfortunate Edward II. took refuge after escaping from Caer- philly, and, it is probable, found sanctuary here for some time. From thence, too, he sent envoys, of whom the chief was “ Our Beloved in Christ the Abbot of Neath,” to treat with his rebellious queen and subjects. But ere long, Edward being anxious to again join his adherents, entrusted himself to the guidance of a faithless monk, who betrayed him at Llantris- sant, and his fate soon afterwards was consummated beneath the blood- stained towers of Berkeley. The ruins, which are extensive, are chiefly E. E. and E. Dec., besides later buildings by Sir P. Hoby, erected about 1650. There is a curious crypt called a re- fectory. At the Dissolution this abbey was granted to Sir Richard Williams, an ancestor of Oliver Cromwell ; and passed, later on, to the Hoby family. Even in its desolation, Neath Abbey still looks imposing, though the state of the ruins reflects little credit on their owner. In a field adjoining the house of Court Herbert, recum- bent beneath a rude, cross-inBcribed stone, may be seen the well-sculp- tured effigy of an ecclesiastic, holding the model of a church. 1 m. to the N. of the abbey in the Clydach valley is Dyffryn, the mo- dern seat of Howell Gwyn, Esq. To the S., on the rt. bank of the Neath, Tennant’s Canal runs from Aberdylais to Swansea, and the Neath and Swansea Branch of the Great Western lily. (Rte. 10) runs parallel with the canal past Crymlyn Bog. This extensive swamp of Crymlyn was in ancient times the boundary between the kingdoms of Morganwg and Dyfed, and was at the time pro- bably 'more like one in appearance than at present. Immense IkhIs of the white water-1 illy (Nymph.ra alba) occupy the bog, and in the season give it quite a brilliant appearance. Crymlyn is said to derive its name from a seat of Druidical worship on its borders, and has been interpreted as meaning the Lake of Homage or Adoration, from “ Crym,” to bow. A low pro- montory jutting out into its waters is still called Btknc yr Altar, or the Altar Mount. According to local t ni- di t ion, the ancient lake of Crymlyn occupies the site of a great city, and it is still a favourite resort of the fairies, who have magnificent palacei 37 S. Wales. Route 2. — Swansea to Milford Haven . hidden away in the depths, from whence strains of more than mortal music occasionally ring up through the dark waters to human ears. Conan, grandson of Rhys ap Tewdwr, King of Dyfed, was drowned here upon his return from the great battle of Hirwain Wrgan in the 11th centy., which was fatal to that prince. A pool in the bog is still known as Pwl Conan, or Conan’s Pool. The remains of an ancient chapel, called Capel St. Margaret, may still be seen on the farm of Penissa Coed, adjoining Crymlyn, where an annual hiring fair was held until the chapel fell into ruins, when the fair was removed to Neath. The high hill of Mynydd Drim, to the W. of the Tawe, intervenes between Neath and Swansea, caus- ! ing the railway to be carried up a steep incline, at the summit of which is Llansamlet Stat. , 70 m. It as rapidly descends into the Vale of Tawe, which hereabouts, and all the way to Swansea, exhibits an unparalleled scene of desolation, to which a beautiful contrast is offered on the rt. by the distant hills at the head of the Swansea valley. Tlie soil is naturally un- fertile. The deleterious influence of the fluoric or arsenical acids from the copper-works arrests the stunted vegetation, so that there are no trees, and instead of grass a dry yellow sickly growth of chamomile barely covers the ground. To the traveller who crosses the Llandore bridge at night, the livid glare from the numerous chimneys, the rolling, fleecy, white clouds of smoke which fill up the valley beneath him, the desolate -looking heaps of slag on . either side, might well recall Dante’s line — “ Voi che entrate, lasciate ogni speranza.” The extensive village to the rt. is Morriston, begun in 1768 by the Mr. Morris from whom it gets its name, where the workmen and col- liers reside who are employed in the adjacent works. The Tawe is crossed by a viaduct of 95 ft. span. The river accompanies the railway on the 1., lined with the numerous buildings belonging to the Upper Bank, Hafod, Middle Bank, and White Rose Copper-works. At Llandore Junct. the main line proceeds to Llanelly, while a short branch conveys the tra- veller to 75 m. Swansea (Rte. 2). ROUTE 2. FROM SWANS7A TO MILFORD HAVEN, BY LLANELLY, CAERMARTHEN AND HAVERFORDWEST- J Swansea, which contests with Cardiff the metropolitan supremacy of S. Wales, is situate on the rt. bank of the Tawe (whence its Welsh name of Abertawe), at its mouth, which by means of piers of masonry projecting from either side, forms a convenient harbour opening into the bay of Swansea. It has greatly increased in size, inhabitants, and prosperity, in the last 50 years, within which time the vast resources of the coal-field in the midst of which it is situated, and to which it owes its good fortune, have been explored and brought to bear. Yet it is not a hundred years ago that the first great coal-owner who substituted coal-waggons for the old sacks and packhorses employed to transport his coals to the quay, was threatened by the people with prosecution * ‘ for turning the beer in 34 Abbey — Aberafon. S. Wales.' Route 1 . — Maryam the vessel in which they were shipped becoming a total wreck upon the neighbouring sands, its cargo was claimed by the owner of Margam, Lord of the Manor ; and, when he offered to resign them after the Restoration, he was requested by the King to retain them as a gift. There is a gigantic bay-tree here, SO ft. high : indeed, trees and shrubs of all sorts seem to attain unusual vigour in the mild climate of the Vale of Glamorgan, which permits even the myrtle and arbutus to flower in the open air. Immediately behind the abbey rises a lofty spur, upon which may be traced the remains of a Roman encampment called Pen-y-Castell. The site of the camp, as well as the glen beneath, are well worthy of a visit. In the wood not far from the carriage -drive are the ruins of a small chapel or oratory, which formed an ap- pendage to the abbey. Another dependency was Eglwys Nunydd, or Nun’s ch. , about 2 m. S. of Margam, now converted into : farmhouse. The ruins of yet another chapel, which seemed to have been placed there for the benefit of travellers who were either about to cross, or who had already crossed the dan- gerous ford over the Afon, stand near the high road to Aberafon. Several monumental stones occur in this neighbourhood, among the most remarkable of which are the Maen-y- Dythyrog, or lettered stone, which stands upon the bare hill-top, about 2 m. from the abbey near a large “ agger,” and is in all probability sepulchral. This stone is about 14 ft. in height, and bears the following inscription : u Bodvacus liic jacet filius Catotis, Imi pronepos mternali domo.” A singular belief obtains among the country people, to the effect that whoever reads the inscription will die within the year. Another stone is thus inscribed : “ Senatus populusque Romanus ve- romanus duo (query, “ clivo ”) Tito, divi Vespasiani, F. Vespasiano, Au- gusto.” Passing the Taibach Copper- works, the train arrives at 61 m. Aberafon Stat., or more properly Port Talbot, the shipping port of the coal, copper, iron ore, steel and tin-plates from the neighbouring works, more especially the busy manufacturing district of Cwm Afon. 2 m. on rt., where are situated the I Iron and Steel Works of the Cwm 1 Afon Works proprietors and the Tin- plate Works of the Copper Mines I and Tin-plate Co. , Limited. A more, 3 busy, and at the same time pic- I turesque, place, can scarcely be con- i ceived. A handsome church, with a lofty , \ spire, shows that Cwm Afon is not ut- terly devoted to Mammon. On the summit of Foel stands the colossal t chimney, to which a flue is carried a along the slope of the mountain for ^ 1100 yds. It is 180 ft. high and 3 15 wide, and cost 4000Z., its object i being partly to detain those particles § of metal which, in the ordinary way, | are carried off by the smoke, for which 4 purpose it is accessible by doors, and 1 partly that the enormous mass of I copper-smoke vapour might not be I allowed to settle in the valley, so as I to be prejudicial to the health of the i ■ population. At Pontrhydyven is a I fine water-wheel, set in motion by a stream brought from the opposite | side of the valley by a stone aque- duct 460 ft. long. The Rhondda and Swansea Bay j Railway runs up the valley of the i Afon, and is open as far as Cymmer, I whence a tunnel about 3000 yds. j long is now being driven through t the mountain to Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley, to which place it is i expected that the line will be open before the end of 1889. The rock of Craig-afon presents a singular effect, seeming as though it were blocking up the entire valley. Beyond Port Talbot the line skirts S. Wales. Boute 1 . — Briton Ferry — Neath . 35 the shoulder of well- wooded hills, commanding a fine view over the mouth of the Neath, the Mumbles, and bay and town of Swansea, the 1 site of the latter marked by the dense ! clouds of white copper-smoke ever- lastingly hanging over it. On rt. is Baglan House , the resi- . dence of the Earl of Jersey, once the resort of the poet Mason. A portion of the coping of the churchyard wall is formed by the “ Brancvf ” in- j scribed stone. (See ‘ Gent. Mag. , ’ July, 1861.) 64 m. Briton Ferry, the port of Neath, situated at the mouth of the river. Large docks have been formed, and a mineral railway made to convey the produce from Glyn I Corrwg and the valley of the Upper i Afon down to this port, so that Briton Ferry is fast becoming an important town. The greater part I of the place belongs to the Jersey family, who had a villa here. The church is quaint and pretty. This was one of the grand scenes of the old Welsh tourists, and not without good reason, for even within the memory of by no means aged persons, it was one of the loveliest spots in the United Kingdom. Steep hills, clothed to the very summit with giant oaks, a curving bay, where the hanging boughs dipped in the waves, a broad river majestically moving seawards between bold wood- crowned bluffs, a tiny church almost hidden by trees, a perfect gem of a churchyard, and a climate so mild that many of the more tender exotics flourished in the open air, — these were some of the charms of Briton Ferry, which have been obliterated by the creation of the existing busy but singularly dirty little town. The mansion house and estate comprising 40,000 acres at Briton Ferry, was for many generations the property and seat of the Mansels, but it afterwards passed to the Vernons. Lady V ernon bequeathed it to the younger brother of the Earl of Jersey, at whose death it fell to the grandfather of the present Earl. The estate has now been reduced in size to about 8000 acres, occupying a continuous tract from here to the Swansea valley, but it is still very valuable on account of the minerals which underlie nearly the whole of it. Vernon House is now a lunatic asylum. 67 m. Neath Junct. $ Neath, supposed to have been the Nidum of Antoninus, is prettily situated near the mouth of the river and Vale of Neath, or Nedd, which here opens out to a con- siderable breadth. It enjoys much prosperity, placed in a coal-district by the resources of which many iron, tin, and copper works are set going. A canal from Abernant brings coal and fire-clay. The Vale of N eath Bail- way (Rte. 10) is also an important feeder to the S. Wales line, by which communication is given to Merthyr, Hirwain, Aberdare, Pontypool, and the North of England. Another line (Rte. 13) places Neath in connec- tion with Brecon and the Mid-Wales district. A steamer runs to Bristol twice a week. In the town are slight remains of the castle, which belonged to Iestyn Ap Gwrgant, and which was burnt in 1231. The parish church is poor, but contains an ancient tower and some hatch- ments of the family of Mackworth of Gnoll. On the hill above the town stands Gnoll, once a seat of the Mackworths, but now the property of C. Evan Thomas, Esq. In 1888 a Music Hall and Council Chamber, with municipal offices, were erected on ground given to the Cor- poration by the late Howel Gwyn, Esq. The Hall will hold 1500 people, and will shortly be furnished with an organ, the gift of Mrs. Gwyn. Several sanguinary battles have been fought in the neighbourhood, between the natives and their Norm, oppressors. In the reign of Stephen D 2 38 Route 2. — Swansea: St. Mary's Clmrcli; S. Wales. their cellars sour by the jolting of his heavy carts.” The smelting and refining of copper is, and has been since the time of Queen Elizabeth, the staple trade of Swansea and the chief source of its prosperity ; the ore being all brought from a distance, not merely from Cornwall and Devonshire, but across the Atlantic and round Cape Horn, from Cuba, the W. coast of South America, and Valparaiso. About 21,000 tons of copper are made at Swansea in the year. It is also the seat of many other industries, chiefly met- allurgical. It is the centre of the great tin-plate production of Eng- land and the world. There are also large zinc works, nickel, cobalt and lead works, and the largest silver works in England, besides various chemical industries. The Docks occupy a considerable space in the heart of the town, but were long found to be inadequate to the grow- ing requirements of the trade. After much delay, a large floating- dock was opened in 1859, formed by the side of the harbour in the Burrows, and a still more magnifi- cent one was added in 1882. These great works have been executed under the administration of a body of harbour trustees. This body has expended in the execution of their trust more than a million and a quarter of money, and have an annual income exceeding £80,000. On the eastern side of the mouth of the harbour the Swansea and Neath Canal has its terminus. A canal also runs up the Swansea valley for a distance of 16 m. Nearly in the centre of the town, at the back of the post-office, but so hedged in with buildings that it is very difficult to see, stand the remains of the Castle, consisting of a tower surmounted by an open gallery, and supporting a very elegantly-carved open parapet of arches — supposed by Lcland and others to have lx?en built by Bishop Gower about 1330, since it agrees in style with portions of his palaces at Lamphey and St. David’s. This parapet subserved military uses as well as the purpose of ornament. A castle was origi- nally founded here in 1113 by Henry de la Bellemonte, otherwise Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, who introduced into it a garrison of Eng- lish and Flemish colonists settled in the peninsula of Gower. In the reign of Edward IV., the heiress of William Herbert, Earl of Huntingdon, then the possessor, con- veyed it by marriage to Sir Charles Somerset, an ancestor of the Beaufort family, still Barons of Gower, in whose possession it has remained ever since. It was frequently taken and retaken during the Civil Wars. In 1646 it was ordered that “ Swanzey Castle be disgarrisoned and slighted,” but Major-General Llaugharne, the recusant Parlia- mentary leader, having managed to get hold of it, strengthened and repaired the defences, and regar- risoned it for the king. After Llaugharne’s defeat at St. Fagan’s (1648), Cromwell marched here and remained for some time. The Pro- tector conferred a new charter upon the town, which rejoices in a greater number of similar deeds than any other town in the kingdom. The two earliest charters are supposed to be those granted by King John, long believed to have been lost, but which still exist in the Record Office, and another by William De Breos, who claimed the sovereignty of Gower. A portion of the building is used as a store-room for the militia. In the parish Church of St. Mary, a singularly ugly structure, which, with the exception of the chancel, dates from 1739, when the old ch. fell down, — among other monuments, is that of I>ady Elizabeth Gordon, a lady of royal connexion, and daughter of the Earl of Huntley, who was given 39 S. Wales. Route 2. — Royal Institution — Gower . ■ in marriage by the King of Scotland f to the pretender Perkin Warbeck ; she afterwards married Sir Matthew > Cradock, a Welshman, and High Steward of Gower. Their tomb lies N. of the chancel in the Herbert , chapel, and consists of an altar- tomb of Bath oolite, bearing their 4 effigies. The lady, however, is not buried here, but at Fyfield, in Berks. There is also a fine Brass to the memory of Sir Hugh Johnys, of Llandymor Castle, in Gower. The inscription is as follows — “Praye for the soule of Sir Hugh Johnys, Knight, and Dame Mawde his wife, which Sir Hugh was made Knight at the Holy Sepulchre of our Lord Ihu Crist, in the city of Jeru- i salem, the xiiij day of August, the i yere of oure Lord Gode MCCCCXLJ. And the said Sir Hugh had co’tynuyd in the werris the long tyme before by the span of fyve yers, that is to say Ageynst the Turkis and Sarsyns ( in the f’ tis of Troy, Greece, and Turkey, under John, yt time Em- peroure of Constantynenople, and aftir that was Knight Marshall of ffrawnce under John duke of Som’set by the speice of ffyve yers. And in likewyse aftir that was Knight Marshall of England under the good John Duke of Horfolke, which John gyave unto hym the manno’ of Landymo’, to hym and to his heyr for ev’rmore, uppon whose soullies Ihu have mercy.” Upon the label issuing from the lady’s mouth is “ Fiat mi a d’ne supra nos.” The church of St. John is built on the site of an ancient chapel of the Knights of Jerusalem. There are some vestiges of an old religious house, St. David’s Hospital ; the charter of its foundation dating from 1332. The Royal Institution of South Wales is a handsome Grecian build- ing, with a portico, erected in 1840 by a local society for the promotion of science and literature. It pos- sesses a theatre, library, and museum of natural history and geology, in which is an interesting and unique collection of bones of mammoth and other animals found in the lime- stone caves of Gower ; also a series of coal-plants from the district. Swansea Theatre was associated in its early days with the acting of both the Keans, Macready, and C. Mathews,' all of whom trod these boards. Here, too, Pugin painted the scenery. — (Jfrs. S. C. Hall.) The Town Hall is a fine building in the Corinthian style, in front of which stands a monument of the late J. H. Vivian, Esq., M.P. There is also an excellent public library with an art department con- taining some valuable engravings and other works of art. Swansea was formerly resorted to as a bathing and watering place ; but fashion has been driven away by commerce, and all the pro- menades have been swallowed up by the docks, so that many bathers have preferred to retreat to the Mumbles — added to which, the town is not always pleasant as a resi- dence, owing to the copper-works, which fill the air with the fumes whenever a N.E. wind blows. Gower , the poet, is supposed to have been a native of Swansea, although he really belonged to a Suffolk family. Beau Nash , the celebrated master of the cere- monies at Bath, was born in Goat Street, 1673, in a house now removed. Savage, the unfortunate poet, resided here. [One of the most interesting ex- cursions in the Principality can be made from Swansea into the penin- sula of Gower, interesting from its scenery, antiquarian remains, and the character of its inhabitants, who are usually said to be descended from a Flemish colony settled here by Henry I., but some authorities judging from some pecularities of 40 Route 2. — Singleton — Mumbles. S. Wales. language have held them to be immi- grants from Somersetshire (Arch. Cambr.y 1861). Even at this lapse of time the Gowerians have kept themselves tolerably aloof from their Welsh neighbours, and preserve their distinctiveness in customs, dress, and language. The rly. which leaves Swansea from the station in Rutland Flace, follows the curve of Swansea Bay, so that the tourist enjoys fine sea views all the way to Mumbles. At St. Helen's (Col. Morgan) a road to rt. branches inland, past the pretty church of Skettv, to the Gower Inn, 5J m. over Fairwood Common. 1J m. is Singleton, the seat of Sir II. Hussey Vivian, Bart., M.l\, where art has been happily blended with nature in the management of the grounds, which yield to none in the Principality for beauty. The mansion is Elizabethan, with a pin- nacled tower, and superseded a former building, called the Marino. Here there is a collection of anti- quities, Roman and Etruscan, and a fine spacious orangery. To the back of Singleton is Parkwern (Sir H. H. Vivian, Bart., M.P.) ; on the high ground to the rt. is Sketty Park (Sir J. Armine Morris, Bart.) ; and higher up Hendrefoilan (L. L. Dillwyn, Esq., M.P.). 2J m. rt. Clyne Park (Graham Vivian, Esq.). • 3J m. The pretty Norton village, where fuchsias and myrtles glow at the cottage doors, and beyond which the old ruin of Oystermouth Castle breaks in upon the view, finely placed on an eminence over- looking the bay, and backed up by an immense cliff of limestone. It has been partly restored by the Duke of Beaufort, under the anti- quarian mq>erinteiidencc of G. G. Francis, Esq., of Swansea. The plan of the castle is irregular, its general figure being an isosceles triangle. The gateway has been flanked by two towers, which have been removed at some early period, so that the inner and concave seg- ment forms now the outer wall, and thus throws forward the gateway. What may be called the keep is certainly the oldest part of the building. This is placed at the N.E. angle, is quadrangular, of 3 stages, heavily buttressed, with re- cessed chambers in the buttresses The upper story is the chapel, which still retains five large decorated windows, with mullions partially renewed, as well as the remains of some frescoes. It is all of the same date, E. Dec., and the additions are not much later. This castle is curious for its domestic details. It was probably built by Henry de Bellamonte, the builder of Swansea Castle, to serve as a link in the border chain of castles. Near it is the cli. , with a fine embattled tower, and some Perp. windows. A little beyond is the village and watering-place of $ Mumbles, which has considerably increased since the formation of the docks spoilt the bathing at Swansea. The easiest way to reach it is by omnibus or branch -rail way, as the high road is fatiguing, and not along the coast. | It is snugly situated underneath the high escarpment of mountain-lime- stone cliffs which terminate seawards in two rocky islets, on the furthest of which stands the Mumbles Light- house, and almost immediately un- der which is the first in order of the interesting Gower caves, accea-j sible at low water. Much stone is obtained from the quarries and sent to Swansea. The Bay, which is thought by many to bear a strong resemblance to that of Naples in its outline, and indeed was considered! by W. S. Landor to be equal if not superior to it in beauty, is seen to advantage from here, and is singu- a larly graceful. Ancient record*! point to a considerable extent of WALES. Route 2. — Lilliput — Bacon Sole, i vood which has been submerged by he sea, a fact borne out by geologi- ;al appearances, such as the discovery if trunks of trees, hazel-nuts, &c., t low water. The sea has made great encroach- ments here within living memory, nd not so many centuries back the igh road to Bristol ran along a tract ow constantly covered by the waves, .'he Mumbles roadstead , as affording perfectly secure shelter to shipping n all winds, except those from the J.E., is very important as a harbour f refuge, and many hundred sail re occasionally detained here whilst r aiting for more favourable weather, 'he oyster fishery is valuable, and i ffords employment to a number of essels and many men. At Lilliput, close to the village f Norton, Sir W. Logan found a 3am of coal cropping out on the 3a- shore with only a thin covering l sand. 2 m. W. of the Mumbles is $ Cas- all Bay, an extremely pretty bit of larine landscape. Here are some jipious springs of delicious water, ivered at high tide. The pedestrian lould walk along the cliffs from the umbles by Langland’s Bay and r hiteshell Point, where the coast is ae and rugged. At the former bay the marine villa of the Bev. Gf. H. avenport. 1^ m. Pwlldu Head, a splendid ! ass of limestone, forming a well- town sea-mark, and the finest 3adland in the whole peninsula. ] he pretty woodland glen should 3 followed to Bishopston, 2 m. s is usual in limestone strata, veral geological curiosities are to ; met with, as enormous pits or pressions, and the disappearance the river, which runs underground | r more than a mile. The rocks this dingle are known to geolo- I sts as the Black Shales of Gower, shopston Church has an embattled 41 tower, and, together with the schools, forms a pretty object at the head of the glen. An old tenement, called Culver House, is held by tenure of service of “Grand Serjeantry” at the King’s coronation — a claim acknowledged by the Court of Claims in the time of William IV. Bishopston formerly belonged to the Bishops of Llandaff*. The Rev. E. Davies, the eminent an- tiquary and author of the ‘ Mythology of the Druids ’ and other works, was long rector of this parish. 2 m. inland is the primitive Gower Inn, built by the late Mr. Penrice, of Kilvrough, for the accommodation of tourists, for whom no other exists in the peninsula, save what a farm- house may afford. It is charmingly placed at the junction of two or three glens, well wooded and each with its accompanying streamlet. The best way to reach it from the coast is to strike off at Pwlddu Bay by the path up the dingle. The land- lord of the Gower Inn is, or was till recently, no contemptible florist. It is a lovely walk of two miles to Ilston Ch. (remarkable for its saddleback roof), and also to the Green Combe. Near the Inn are Landgrove Farm and the Court House, where traces of Flemish (?) architecture are sfill visible. The wooded demesne opposite is Kilvrough (T. Penrice, Esq.). The geologist should not omit to visit the Bone Cave of the Bacon Hole, on the coast, about 1 m. from the Gower Inn, where a guide should be procured. It is almost in a straight line with Pennard ch. tower, in the ch.-yd. adjoining which is a curious epitaph : “ Whom God consorts with sacred right and love, Death cannot separate marrow * from the dove.” This cave was systematically blasted * Marrow here == mute or companion. 42 Route 2 . — Pennard Castle — Oxwich. S. Wale,?' to obtain the bones which were found in successive layers : 1st, alluvial earth, containing recent shells and bones of ox, red deer, roebuck, and fox ; 2nd, bear, ox, and deer ; 3rd, mammoth, rhino- ceros, hysena, wolf, bear, ox, and deer ; 4th, mammoth, badger, and polecat. Below this, and upon the limestone floor, were shells of Clausilia nigricans, Littorina littor- alis, bones of birds, and arvicola. The mammoth bones are deposited in the Swansea Museum, and are remarkable for their size, one tusk being 2 ft. round and 5 ft. 5 in. long. All these different layers were separated by deposits of sta- lagmite, the only traces of man being some pieces of British pot- tery. Other caves are to be found along the cliffs, such as the Mitchin Hole, Bosco’s Cave, &c., all of them more or less ossiferous. Pennard Castle is commandingly placed, overlooking a ‘ ‘ pill,” doubt- less at one time occupied by the sea. Little remains but a bold gateway with rude flanking towers of Edwardian times ; but the whole neighbourhood has been inundated by -sand, which, tradition asserts, was blown over in one night, but which has evidently been the work of four or five centuries. The bo- tanist will find Draba ciizoides grow- ing on the walls of this castle about the month of August. Samphire and “ the Ulva porphyra,” whence laver- bread is made, are gathered on the rocks hereabout, and sold in Swan- sea market. Traces of the foundations of what must have been a considerable town may be made out amongst the sand- hills. A neighbouring hamlet is still called the South Gate , and an adjoining farm the North Toivn. On Penmaen Burrows is the very small old church of Penmaen, buried like Old Kenfig and Newton Not- tage by the sand at some distan period, and exhumed in 1861. Soon after passing the moden Penmaen Church, Oxwich Bay, th finest in Gower, opens out. Th ruins of Penrice Castle, and th modern mansion of C. E. M. Talboi Esq., M.P., Lord Lieutenant of th count}", stand embowered in wood a the W. angle of the bay. This old ruin 1 ‘ is inferior only t Caerphilly, Cardiff and Coyty, intb area contained within its walls an 1 is second to none in its strong, con manding and picturesque position. ( G . T. Clark). The round tower ■ probably the oldest part of the buih ing, and the recent excavation q some fragments of Norm, work su] port the theory that it was erectf at the end of that period, thoug f round towers of that early date & i very rare. In the reign of Hen. V the Castle came by an heiress of tl ■ > Penrices to the Mansels from who 'r the present owner is descende< passed to the Mansels, whose heire f conveyed it by marriage, in 1750, * the ancestor of the present owner, i Penrice Church should be visit* m for the beauty of its situation. The n is a Norm, wall and arch, mask $ with plaster, between the nave ar if the chancel, a S. porch of early De and a S. door of early Eng. date. Oxwich Church and Castle stai i on the promontory of the sar a name, which bounds the bay on t. i W. Inside the former is an alta fl tomb to Sir Rice Mansell, a memb I of the family which founded t I castle, and removed to Margam the reign of Henry VIII. The latt is more of a military residence- th a castle, and is in part “a lar Perp. mansion, carried along at t j complete elevation of a tower, t walls of which are dotted rath < irregularly with a number of squai i headed windows of two lights, a I single-light windows with depress . heads.” A great part of Oxwi f Wales. Route 2. — Port Rynon — Llangenydd Church . 43 (j tie is converted into a farm-house, \j i domestic work in it of dubious acuity. Tradition asserts that an a I iy took place here, respecting a ylok, between Sir George Herbert a: Sir Rice Mansel, in which Lady j le Mansel was killed by a stone. f i walk of 2 m. will bring the i seller to Port Eynon, a fishing- i age, formerly renowned for smug- ^ s. The cliffs become bold and ] cipitous, and the walk from hence 1 the Worm’s Head, 5 m., is as fine { nything in South Wales. At Pavi- ] d are two bone-caves, described 1 Dr. Buckland in his work ‘ Di- ) ise Reliquianse, ’ and approached ! non-pedestrians from a farm a .1 le before reaching Paviland, I ween the road and the coast. 'I them were found recent shells ;|i bones of elephant, rhinoceros, , r, fox, hyaena, wolf, horse, deer, j rats, and birds, besides the leton of a female (probably val with a British camp on the j amit), fragments of ivory, orna- ! nts, and coins. These caves are Iy difficult of access from the is, but the necessary path can be find by inquiring at a farmhouse ir. Worm’s Head, 20 m. from Swan- , is the most westerly point of 3 peninsula, consisting of two | ky headlands running out for a le, and separated from the main- id and each other by causeways, iich at low water are left bare j the tide. The traveller should deavour to time his visit so as to enabled to\ walk across, which a be done during a space of 5 h. ie rock scenery is fine and bold, e outer point being 200 ft. above | e sea. A curious noise is emitted )m the Blow-hole, caused by the flowing out of the rock beneath, to which the waves rush, driving e air before them till it escapes '' the external orifice. In stormy eather the Worm’s Head is a dan- gerous headland, and many a fine ship has been lost on this coast. The ‘ City of Bristol ’ steamer was wrecked in Rhosilly Bay in 1840. The best mode of seeing the Worm’s Head to advantage is to put up with the rough and ready accommo- dation at Pitton farmhouse, or the ‘ Ship ’ at Rhosilly, and so get a whole day for it. In the early part of the 17th centy. a homeward-bound galleon went ashore in Rhosilly Bay. Most of the crew perished, and the survivors sold the wreck for a small sum to a person named Thomas, who resided at Pittor. This person, being una- ware of the value of his purchase, allows the sands to t drift over it and almost cover it from view. One of the Mansel family, however, having discovered the nature of the cargo, forcibly broke into the wreck and carried off much spoil, though the illgotten treasure did little good, for he is said to have died miserably abroad. After this the galleon be- came entirely engulfed in the sand, and nothing more was recovered until about 75 years ago, when, after a great storm, a number of doubloons and dollars, bearing date 1631, were found strewn about the sands. In 1833 about 120 ft. of the ship was exposed, and a systematic attempt was made to recover the treasure. About 300 people were at work on this 4 Eldorado,’ and were well re- paid for their exertions. In 1834 she was again visible for a short time, and a large number of Spanish dollars found. The quaint, weather-beaten little village of Rhosilly is placed at the head of the bay, and at the foot of the downs. A comfortable lodging can be obtained at the house of a farmer at Pitton. 3 m. from Rhosilly is Llangenydd Church, the largest in Gower, hav- ing a side tower and a blocked Romanesque arch on its eastern 44 Route 2 . — Harding Doicn — Penllergaer. S. Wal face ; its importance is referable to its marking the site of an old priory and college, that of St. Cenydd, from whom its name is derived ; and 2 m. beyond is Llanmadoc, m. from which, on the coast, is another bone -cave known as Spritsail Tor. Near Llanmadoc is Cheriton, which has a Norm, church of some interest. Cheriton ch. tower stands between nave and chancel, and has neither aisles nor transepts. On Llanma- doc Down above the village is a large British camp, seemingly adopted later by the ltomans. There is a large British camp upon the rock above the Paviland caves, and 1 m. from Rhosilly, on the downs, is another. On the return to Gower Inn the tourist should visit Harding Down and the well-preserved remains of the camp on its summit ; and from thence should proceed to Reynold- stone, near which is Stouthall where is one of the largest ossiferous caves in the kingdom. From hence the ridge of Cefn Bryn, an elevation of old red sandstone, runs like a back- bone through the peninsula, flanked on either side by the mountain lime- stone. Numerous cairns and Drui- dical circles are to be found on it, particularly the famous cromlech of Arthur’s Stone, mentioned in the Welsh Triads as ‘ ‘ the big stone of Sketty, ” and one of the wonders of Wales. It consists of an enormous mass of millstone-grit, 14 ft. long, 7 ft. deep, 6 ft. 6 in. at greatest breadth, and weighs 25 tons, ap- parently resting on nine upright supi>orters, but resting really on four, the whole rather sunk in a basin nearly full of rough stones. These, according to tradition, are frag- ments which Arthur stnick off in his detestation of idolatry’. A huge flat piece, about 30 ft. in circum- ference and about 3 feet thick, broken off from the upper stone, and weighing some 8 or 10 tons, lies near it. Cairns and tumuli around mark this as only a porti of a greater work. It is situated the N. slope of Cefn Bryn, and t tourist should keep along the br< of the hill until the turnpike fr< Swansea to lteynoldstone intersec ' the turf road, then turn to the r for a few hundred yards, and aga to the 1. over the shoulder. 2 m. to the N. is Webley Castle large structure in fair preservatioj placed on the bank of the estuai of the Burry river, and a little the W. of it are the scanty reman of Llandymor or Bovehill Castl which belonged to Sir Hugh J ohny whose monument is in Swan* church. Here also is a strong i trenclnnent, called Manselfold, pr bably ian outwork to Webley. T1 view from the summit of Cefn Bn is one of the finest in the count embracing the whole of Gower, wit the Bristol Channel and Devonshn coast, on the S. ; Tenby, the Cae marthenshire hills and coast, tl town of Llanelly, the Swansea va ley, and the Brecon Beacons to tl W. and N. The distance from Pei maen at the foot of the hill, t Swansea across Fairwood Common is 7 m. There is an interest! ltoman-British camp at Cil Ivor Hit near Llanrhidian, said to have bee raised by Ivor Cadivor, a chieftain d Morgan wg, 1110.] 78 m. Gower RoadStat. There il also a station here for the Central Wales Rly. (L. and N.W.), froiil whence the traveller can proceed t Llandeilo, Llandovery, and Crave | Arms, en route for Manchester an j the North. A short branch also il given off on 1. to Penclawdd, a littl I fishing- village oil the const, wher coal is shipped from the neigh bourinfl collieries. 1J m. rt. Penllergaer, the l*eau| tiful seat of J. Dillwyn Llewellyn ! Esq. . Wales. Route 2. — Llouglior — Kidwelly. 80 m. Lloughor, commanding the ; rry of the Lloughor (Llwchwr) ver, once an important place, the Licient Leucarum, and 5th stat. on I le Via Julia, but now a miserable ; ttle village. A ruined square fpwer is all that remains of the listle, built probably by the Nor- lan Henry de Beaumont on a site hich the Romans had occupied ; i [id the borough and sanctuary have disappeared like the greatness £ Kenfig. The railway, as well 3 the turnpike road, crosses the rjstuary of the Burry river by a ridge more than J m. long. On le other side the river are the [pytty copper works (a corruption of ospitium). ! The line now runs through a flat id marshy country to the busy )rt and manufacturing town of Llanelly (83 m., Rte. 21), where a ranch railway in connection with !>!ie Central Wales system passes off > Llandeilo Yawr and Llandovery. ; has risen into considerable com- tercial importance from the mineral easures in its vicinity, and its ?ady access to the sea, which ren- i * ers it an outlet for a large part of . ie S. Wales coal-field. Nearly the hole town depends for its prosperity Ipon the tin-works, copper- works id collieries. There are also chemi- i il, and lead and pottery works, large docks have been formed in mnection with the G.W. Railway, hence great quantities of anthracite >al are exported. The chimney of ; ie copper-works is 320 ft. high, and a conspicuous object for miles 'ound. The Church is a fine old adding in the centre of the town, ith an embattled tower, the base ■ which is much broader than the !>p. There are also five or six lurches in the borough and district 1 1 erected in the last few years. A ew Congregational chapel has a Aire 100 ft. high. On the hilly pound to the N. is Westfa. 45 The railway from hence is carried over a long embankment, close to the water’s edge, passing on the rt. Stradey (C. W. Mansel Lewis, Esq.), 87 m. Pembrey, a small port where a considerable amount of coal is shipped, brought from the Gwen- draeth valley by rail. The copper works belong to Messrs. Elliott’s Co. The village is placed at the foot of Mynydd Pembre, remarkable for its fine views over the sweep of Caer- marthen Bay, the peninsular of Gower, and the Bay of Swansea, with the distant hills of Somerset and Devonshire beyond. 92 m. $ Kidwelly Stat. This town, which formerly enjoyed some prosperity, but is now almost de- cayed, owing to the port having become sanded up, stands on the Gwendraeth Fach, | m. rt. of the stat. It contains a number of old houses, which appear to date as early as the 1st and 3rd Edw. ; but its chief lion is the Castle, which, though a ruin, is tolerably perfect, and of considerable extent, on the rt. bank of the river, which separates it from the town, and from 80 to 100 ft. above it. In plan it is, like Caerphilly, of the Edwardian or con- centric type, forming nearly a semi- circle of which the main ditch is the curve and the river the chord. The Inner Ward has 4 round towers, about 44 ft. high, and 4 curtain walls with rampart- walk and parapet enclosing a quadrangle of about 80 yds. square. The principal entrance to the inner ward was through the S. curtain. The chapel tower is a curious structure built into the E. curtain, and containing a ground floor and two upper floors, the higher of which was the chapel, and is on a level with the ramparts. The Hall, 60 ft. by 25, and the retiring room, occupied the whole E. side of the quadrangle. The kitchen was in the SiW. corner opposite the hall. The 46 Route 2. — Ferryside — Llaughame. S. Wali Outer Ward consists of a great and lesser gatehouse, curtain walls, several towers and offices. The great gatehouse is a massive building 80 ft. broad, 50 deep, and 62 high. There are dungeons to the rt. and 1. of the entrance, and on the 1st floor a state room 40 ft. by 17. The outworks are divided into N. and S. platforms by a branch of the main ditch. The main part of the build- ing is probably of the date of Hen. III. or Edw. I. The great gatehouse is early Perp., probably 1380-1400. [See G. T. Clark, Milit. Arch.] The whole presents many attractions both to the artist and antiquary, who will both find their account in a day spent here. The castle is said to have been founded by William de Londres, one of the knights who assisted Fitz- hamon in the conquest of Glamorgan, and the founder of the castle of Ogmore in that county. In 1135, while Gruffydd ap Rhys was in N. Wales, Gwenllian his wife led an army into Kidwelly. She fought a pitched battle with Maurice de Londres, was defeated, and put to death. Her eldest son also perished in the battle, and her second son was taken prisoner. The castle was for a long time a possession of the Duchy of Lancaster, but is now the property of the Earl of Cawdor. The Church is a handsome building, though previous to its restoration it grievously suffered from mutila- tion and neglect. It possesses a tower and lofty spire, nave of an unusually large span, viz. 33 ft. in the clear, transepts and chancel with a wood roof, forming altogether a simple and uniform cross, and carved piscina. It is of Dec. date. In the interior are some mutilated effigies, and in a niche over the doorway is an original statue of the Virgin and Child. 96 m. Ferryside Stat. , celebrated for its extensive cockle-fishery, and, | as a watering-place, much frequent by the good folk of Caermarth \ and neighbouring towns. It ovtj looks a large expanse of sand at t mouth of the Towy, and stands < posite to the headland and ruin castle of Llanstephan, which kee guard from on high over the litij village snugly embosomed in t ‘ trees by the water’s edge. Acre the river there is a ferry. The vit of the sands and Caermartlien B from the hill at sunset is one not ' be forgotten. The wails of Lla stephan Castle are of consideral extent, and, at a distance, have . imposing appearance, though th are a mere shell. It is not ve j clearly established who was t founder of this castle, some cl tributing it to Uchtryd, Lord I Merioneth in 1138 ; but we find it j 1138 in the possession of the Nc I mans and Flemings, from whom j I was retaken in 1143 by Meredy ■ and Cadell, the sons of Gruffydd .1 Rhys, Prince of South Wales, w j held it for many years, despite t j desperate and frequent efforts maJ by the strangers to regain it. Afte-I wards it had many vicissitudes, ai in 1257 was besieged and taken l| Llewelyn ap Iorwerth from t) | English, who were then in possess of it. In the woods beneath stands tl|J Plas, the seat of Sir Jas. Hamilto |i Bart. [3 m. beyond Llanstephan, ai 3 m. to the S. of St. Clears, is till decayed port and town of Llaug arne, on the rt. bank of the moutH of the Taf, across which is a fen*;'] Here is a Norm, castle (W. Norton! Esq.), besieged for three weeks III Cromwell, which is inhabited ar j not shown to strangers. It is aai to have been built originally in tl I 11th centy., and at first calkfl Abercorran Castle, from the CoraJI river which, near it, empties itse M into the sea. In the ch. is a set <-■ Boute 2. — Iscoed — Caerniarthen. 47 S. Wales. I priest’s robes given by Sir Guido de i Brian, who bequeathed lands to the parish, and rebuilt the castle, which had been destroyed by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, in 1215. The ch. and ch.-yd. here are interesting and well kept. There are some venerable yew-trees in the latter. From hence to Tenby it is a beautiful walk of about 15 m. through Marros and Amroth, where many rare kinds of shells may be found. The geologist | will find in the limestone rock at Coygan, 1£ m. on the coast, a bone- i cave which has yielded Hyaena, Rhinoceros, Elephant, Horse, Deer, &c. Llaugharne is much sought ■ after for a residence owing to its healthiness, its quiet, and the great cheapness of living. About 1 m. from the town is an ancient building, supposed to be monastic, called Roche’s Castle.]. From Ferryside the railway keeps close to the Towy, in the course of i which beautiful peeps are obtained of the fertile and well-wooded ! country on both sides. On rt. is Iscoed. It was the seat of Sir T. Picton, from whence he went to join the campaign of 1815. : On the rt. is also Penbryn, the seat of Mr. Lewis Morris, the dis- : tinguished poet, beautifully situated amidst extensive woods. Passing through a short cutting in the old red sandstone, the traveller arrives, at 102 m., Caermarthen Junct. , whence ra- diate so many rlys. that Caermarthen is now placed in immediate connec- tion with all parts of the country. $ Caermarthen, the Maridunum of Ptolemy, stands high on the rt. bank of the Towy, affording lovely views of the vale. “ To Maridunum, that is now by change Of name Cayr Marrddin call’d they took their way.” — Spenser. It is traditionally said to have been the birthplace of the prophet Merlin (whence, according to some, the origin of the name), and was long considered the chief seat of Government iby the Welsh princes, before they removed to Dynevor. When the sovereign power was transferred to England, the Ex- chequer and Mint were retained here, until the separate jurisdiction was abolished. It is the county town, and pos- sesses considerable historical interest. In the Town-hall are portraits of Sir T. Picton, by Shee; of Sir W. Nott, and Mr. Jones, of Ystrad, M.P., by Brigstocke. The parish Church, St. Peter’s, which has been restored, contains a monument of Gen. Nott ; one to Bishop Farrar, who was burnt in the market-place in the reign of Mary ; and a mutilated but remark- ably fine altar-tomb to Sir Rhys ap Thomas, K.G. (died 1527), who commanded the Welsh under Henry at Bosworth, and his wife, Eva, daughter of Henry ap Gwilym of Court Henry. There is another to Anne Lady Vaughan, with a curious inscription. The effigy of Sir Rhys is in armour and Garter robes. At the W. end of the town stan ds the Obelisk to the memory of the gallant Picton, replacing a monument by Nash, which was pulled down in 1846. There is also a statue of Nott, the hero of Ghuznee, and the son of a Caermarthen innkeeper, in ISTott- square, on the spot where the Market-cross formerly stood ; and a rather poor monument, in Lammas Street, in memory of the officers and men of the 23rd Welsh Fusi- liers who fell in the Crimea. The banners of the same regiment hang up in the chancel of St. Peter’s Church. To the E. of the town is the Parade ; and beyond it, the Pond-side, a lovely walk, looking up the vale of Towy towards Merlin’s 48 Route 2. — Llangunnor Church — Whitland. S. Wales. Hill and Abergwili ; and near it is a fragment of the priory. The scanty remains of the castle are in- corporated with the county gaol. It was taken by Owain Glyndwr ; it was garrisoned for Charles in the civil wars, but had to yield to the Parlia- mentarian forces under General Laugharne, and was finally dis- mantled by Cromwell. In the suburbs are barracks for 1500 soldiers, and 4 m. on the W. of the town is the Training School for South Wales, a very handsome building, erected by the Welsh Education Committee in 1847 at a cost of 8000?. On the 1. bank of the river is Llangunnor Church, a primitive little building, with some fine old yew-trees, and a superb view of the Towy. Sir R. Steele occasionally resided at Ty-gwyn, now a farm- house, in this parish, which he had acquired by marriage with one of the Scurlock family, in whose vault at St. Peter’s Church, Caermarthen, he was buried. At the house since converted into the Ivy Bush Hotel, he composed his ‘ Constant Lover ’ and many other dramatic pieces, and he died in King-street. A plain mural tablet in Llangunnor church (erected by a Pembrokeshire squire) records in somewhat stilted and ex- aggerated language Steele’s con- nection with that parish. The Quay extends for some dis- tance to the rt. of the bridge ; but the number of vessels belonging to the port is not large, as the naviga- tion of the river is difficult and devious. 110 m. St. Clears, a little port on the Ts\f, at its confluence with the Gynin. The site of the Norman castle is marked by a tumulus. It is mentioned by Giraldus Cam- brensis in his ‘ Itinerary,’ and was captured by Llewelyn ap lor worth in 1214. I® slit i About 2 m. distance, upon the opposite side of the estuary at Llanfihangel Abercowyn, are 3 re- , markable tombs, well worthy of inspection. They are traditionally 1 said to have been those of 3 holy palmers who wandered thither in great distress, and being fearful of dying of want, slew each other, the last survivor’s strength not being equal to the task of pulling the stone over him, and it remains in the oblique position in which lie left it. The peasantry believe that as long as these stones are kept from moss and weeds, no venomous creature can exist on the peninsula. \ i: ft .11 i ir i: 111 : ':t! 3J m. on 1. of St. Clears is Llaugharne. 1J m. 1. Llandowror. fl 116 m. Whitland Junct., where the Caermarthen and Tenby line ! branches off to Tenby and Pembroke, J in connection with the Central J Wales system (Rte. 24). Another I rly. along the Taf to Cardigan | was completed in 1886. 2 m. I rt. is Whitland Abbey, the seat of f the Hon. W. Yelverton, who has j erected a modern house on the site 9 of Alba Lauda, or Ty Gwyn ar Tdf, 1 the White House on the Taf. This I monastic house, said to have been | founded about the 5th centy. by I Paulinus, was afterwards occupied I by the Cistercians, a colony of whom I went hence, at the invitation of * Cadwallon ap Madoc, to build and I found Abbey Cwmhir in Radnor- |l shire. Wharton ascribes its origin I to Bernard, Bishop of St. David’s, j] 1115-1147. But little remains of 1 the ancient building, save some a portions of clustered pillars. The fl situation on the Tftf is extremely 1 pretty. It was at this place that Howell 1 dda, or Howell the Good, convened 1 49 S. Wales. Route 2. — Narberth Road — Haverfordwest . that assembly of nobles and eccle- | siastics (1282) of his principality, which “abrogated and consolidated ” the existing laws into a code ; still known as Howell the Good’s ; Code. Whitland was a favourite resi- dence of the Cambrian legislator, and • here he erected that house of white wattles, of which such fre- quent mention is made by the old chroniclers. 122 m. Narberth Road Stat., dis- tant from Narberth 3J m. (Rte. 24). The Preseley Hills form a fine • background to the landscape on the rt. The tall tower of Templeton ch. stands out in the distance to the left. i (See Rte. 24.) J 129 m. Clarbeston Road Stat. From hence the line is carried it through a more picturesque part i of the country, as it follows the 1 1 circuitous windings of the Cartlett ({ brook to 134 m. $ Haverfordwest (Rte. 25), finely placed on a hill overlooking the i waters of the western Cleddau, i navigable as high as the bridge for i ! | small craft. It is a clean, well- i built town, and presents an appear- ance of liveliness, partly owing to its excellent markets, and pleasant public walks, and partly to the ; number of persons who have made it their residence from motives of * retirement and economy. The name of Haverford (fiord) bears testimony i to the frequent incursions, and even 1 settlements, of the Danes along this coast. Those of Stackpole, 1 Gateholm, Stockholm, Skomer, Musselwick, Ramsey, Strumble, Swansea, on the same coast, are clearly of the same origin. Little remains of the castle except the keep, built into the solid rock, and a strong outer wall of connecting towers, which is occupied by the county gaol ; it had, however, its . [S. Wales.-] place in history from the days of its founder, Gilbert de Clare, first Earl of Pembroke, until it was demolished in 1648 by order of the Parliament, the Mayor and Corpora- tion only demurring to the tax of providing the gunpowder, a tax for which was accordingly levied on the whole county. It was visited by Giraldus and Archbishop Baldwin, and besieged by Owain Glyndwr. St. Mary’s Church is one of the finest in S. Wales, and should not be for- gotten by the visitor. It possesses a clerestory, an unusual feature in Welsh churches. The nave is re- markable for the beauty of its roof- carving, and is separated from the side aisle by pointed arches resting upon clustered pillars, with grotesque sculptured capitals. A lofty arch separates the nave from the chancel, which has a very finely-traced E. window. Indeed, each window de- serves careful notice. The end of an old chancel-stall represents St. Michael victorious over the dragons, and there is in the W. end of the ch., removed from the chancel, a recumbent effigy of a pilgrim to the shrine of St. Jude, with satchel and scallops. St. Martin’s Church appears to have been an appendage to the castle, and is an old building, with a long nave and chancel, and a S. aisle. There is also a ch. of St. Thomas within the precincts of the town. Outside the town, on the river’s bank near the rly. bridge, is the ruin of a priory of Black Canons of the Order of St. Augustin, covering a large area. The ch. was cruciform, with a central tower, supported by 4 handsome pointed arches. Haverfordwest has all the steepness and narrowness of a typical Welsh town. In the neighbourhood are Glanafon (Xavier Peel, Esq.) ; Withybush (W. Owen, Esq.) ; and Cottesmoor (E. T. Massey, Esq.). 5 m. to E. is Picton fcastle (the seat of Rev. J. H. A. Phillips), E S. Wales, 50 Route 2. — Haverfordwest. strikingly placed, a little above the confluence of the 2 Cleddaus, which are here of considerable breadth. This is one of the very few Norman castles remaining in the kingdom which ‘ ‘ have never been forfeited, never deserted, never burnt,” and has been inhabited by a line of suc- cessive proprietors since the time of William Rufus. Built by William de Picton, a comrade of Arnulph de Montgomery, it passed by marriage from his descendants to the Wogans, and in like maimer from the Wogans to the Donnes. Jane Donne, heiress of Sir Richard Donne, carried it as dower to Sir Thomas Philips of Cilsant in the reign of Richard III., with whose posterity, direct or indi- rect, it has since remained. It stood a sharp siege during the Civil Wars, when Sir Richard Phillips, the then owner, garrisoned it for the king. Some, architecturally speaking, bar- barous additions and alterations have been made at the western end, but, with this exception, the structure is substantially the same as that which William de Picton founded 7 cen- turies ago. At the further end of the very beautiful walk leading to Slebech, shaded by magnificent oaks and overhanging the river, is an en- campment called the Castle Lake. Close to Picton is the fine demesne of Slebech (Baron de Rutzen), an ancient commandery of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jeru- salem (commemorated by the bard, Lewis Glyn Cotlii, in the Wars of the Roses), wherein is still preserved a sword used at the installation of the Knights of St. John. Upon the summit of the hill, close to the Haverfordwest road, is the E. Eng. (new) ch. of Slebech, ambi- tious but singularly out of place. In front, and stretching for many miles, is the ancient forest of Canas- ton, which, although the trees are of small size, gives the visitor more thoroughly the idea of an ancient forest than any other in the county. At Newhouse are the ruins of a castylfet, which wits probably erected by the Cilnilston family upon their first settlement in Wales. Upon the western verge of the forest, and not far from Newhouse, is a strong intrenchment, worthy of a visit. Some traces of Roman mining operations are visible in some parts of the subordinate wood of Minivear, and some ingenious persons have contended that they sought here for gold upon the supposition that Mini- vear is a corruption of “ Mwyn Awr,” or the gold ore. In the county of Pembroke, as far N. as Haverfordwest, the Welsh language is not spoken ; its inha- bitants being supposed to be the descendants of a colony of Flemings, who, driven from their owp country by a fearful inundation caused by a rupture of the sea-dykes (1105), were settled here by Hen. I., along with the Norman conquerors of the country. Haverfordwest was pro- bably the central position of this colony for trade and defence of their territory. On the accession of Hen. II., the settlement was reinforced by the Flemish mercenaries who had served under Stephen, and were banished hither by the new king. Engaged in constant feuds and open warfare with their Welsh neigh- bours, they retained their own man- ners and customs as well as lan- guage for ages, and it is remarkable that the line which divides the English and Welsh languages gene- rally was, until lately, distinct and defined — as distinct and defined as 650 years ago. The cottages of the peasants are frequently built of a comi>ound of straw and clay, called “clom,” similar to the Devonshire “col,” and display peculiarities of structure, more esj>ecially in the form of the chimneys, supposed to be derived from their Flemish an- cestors. 51 ( % Wales. "Route 2. — Milford — New Milford. [At 129 m., Johnston Junct., a hort branch is given off to J Milford. The town of Milford is splendidly i ituated on the rt. side of the laven, about 6 m. from its mouth, etween two small creeks opposite y that of the Irish Post-office and acket establishment, by which trade r as reduced to stagnation, and many ouses shut up. A brighter future, owever, is dawning upon it : the nequalled capabilities of the Haven re again being recognised. A well- ppointed service of Irish steamers as been organised from the ter- linus of the S. Wales Railway, and great chain of railway communica- ion completed to Manchester and be northern manufacturing districts. ,s a harbour, Milford Haven has ot its equal in the whole world ; for is capable of anchoring in safety be entire fleet of England. There a handsome ch. erected at the E. of be town by Mr. Greville, on a spot 'hich was designed to be the centre. G contains a vase of red Egyptian orphyry, brought to this country y Dr. Pococke, and inscribed to the lemory of Nelson ; it was intended p serve as a font, but was pro- ounced too heathenish. There is iso the twisted vane of the main- last of the French admiral’s ship L’ Orient,’ blown up at the battle : the Nile. Sir William Hamilton buried here. The estuary of Milford Haven retches for 10 m. inland, varying i breadth from 1 to 2 m., having 5 bays, 10 creeks, and 13 roadsteads, affording anchorage to the largest ships. The tide, passing up through its ramifications into the very heart of the county, washes the towns of Pembroke and Haverfordwest, situ- ated at the extremity of two of its forks. It is well sheltered from storms by undulating hills around, which being destitute of trees, and only scantily clad with vegetation, present a desolate rather than a picturesque aspect. A vessel may safely run in without anchor or cable, as there are from 15 to 19 fathoms of water in most parts. Its importance was appreciated at an early period, and is attested by his- torical events which have occurred here. From Milford Haven the fleet of Hen. II. set out to conquer Ire- land, and here the French invading army, 12,000 strong, sent over to co- operate with Owain Glyndw T r against Hen. IV., effected their landing. Here Henry, the Earl of Richmond,, afterwards Hen. VII., disembarked with a scanty retinue of followers from Brittany ; but being received with open arms by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, and a chosen body of Welsh troops under his command, set forth to win a crown at Bosworth. Dale Castle (J. A. P. Lloyd Philipps, Esq.), near the creek where Richmond landed ; St. Botolphs, Butter Hill (G. Roche, Esq.) ; Castle Hill, the old seat of the Grevilles, and other pleasant residences, dot the coast- line between Milford Haven and St. Bride’s Bay. Fortifications have been added by the Government at Scoveston, Pop- ton Pt., South Hook Pt., West Blockhouse Pt., Dale Pt., Stack Rock, and Thorn Island.] 144 m. is $ Hew Milford, the terminus of the South Wales Rly., situated directly opposite Pater and Hobbs Point. The railway runs j down to the water’s edge, where bag- 52 Route 3. — Hereford to Chepstoib . S. Wales. ! 1 gage and goods are transferred to the Irish steamers. The distance from London is 285 m. Steamers con- vey the traveller to Hobbs Point, formerly the point of departure for the Irish mails, to Pembroke Dock, immediately opposite (Rte. 24). ROUTE 3. FROM HEREFORD TO CHEPSTOW, BY ROSS AND MONMOUTH. The River Wye.' Hereford (Rte. 4) is quitted by the Great Western Rly., which con- nects it with Gloucester. Until ] 869 this portion of the rly. was on the broad-gauge system, and it is worthy of notice that the conversion to the narrow-gauge between Here- ford and Gloucester was performed in four days, a distance of 30 m. The line runs in loving fellowship with the Wye as far as Ross, where the tourist has the choice of con- tinuing his journey either by land or water. Soon after leaving the Barrs Court Stat., it crosses the Wye at Eign, and passes, 2 m. on 1., Rother- was, the seat of C. T. Bodeuham, Esq., an old-fashioned red - brick house, built about the time of James I., who is said to have stopped here for a night and enjoyed the hospi- tality of Sir Roger Bodenliam. The Bodenham family, which has been located here since the marriage, in the reign of Edward III., of Thomas Bodenham with Isabella, daughter of Walter dc la Barr, suffered severely • - „; r lnvaltv in the civil wars. Old Ray in his proverbs (1678) cites ' this one as belonging to Hereford- j shire, “Every one cannot dwell at , Rotheras,” — “a delicate seat,” he explains, “of the Bodnams in Here- 1 fordshire.” On the rt., and, indeed, A partly tunnelled under by the Rly., 1 is Rinedor Hill, from whence a lovely view is obtained of the sur- j] rounding country, causing it to be ’ a favourite summer’s walk with the 1 townsfolk of Hereford. On the j summit is a Roman camp, supposed H to be that of Ostorius Scapula, In H token of which it is still called !j Oyster Hill by the vulgar. Soonl after passing Rotherwas, a fine range ■ of hills backs up the landscape on j the 1. , gradually approaching the ] river towards the S. The villages 1 of Mordiford and Fownhope lie at j the base of these hills, which are j classic ground to the geologist and ] were the scene of a considerable! I portion of Sir Roderick Murchison’s I labours. The E. Eng. ch. of Fownhope, with Norm, details, restored 1853,1 and having a central Norman tower, I with modern wooden spire, 50 ft. high, contains memorials of a branch U of the Lechmeres, who have been I located at the Court, a timber man-1 sion of the 16th cent., since the reign jl of Elizabeth. 2 m. N. is Sufton Court (R. Here-jj ford, Esq.), built of Bath, stone,!] 1790, from designs by Smirkr ; the H grounds were laid out by Jirpton. I Below it is Old Sufton, a curious I timber house of the 15th centy.,| now occupied as a farmhouse. The 1 estate has been enjoyed by the an- cestors of the present owner since !j 1230, and held by the homage ofy presenting the king with a pair ofl gilt spurs when he passed across thejj river Lugg, which unites with the Wye below Mordiford, a parish de- fl riving its name, as well as its local I myth of a |h> morions dragon whichl Boute 3 . — Holme Lacy — Fawley . 53 S. Wales. was depicted on the exterior of the ch. , from the stagnant marsh formed by the junction of the Lugg and Wye. The visitor can cross the Wye by a bridge of 3 arches to 4 m. Holme Lacy Stat. On rt. is Holme Lacy House (Sir Henry Scudamore Stanhope, Bart.), one of the finest seats in the county. The building has 3 fronts with pro- jecting wings, the N. and E. fronts being 200 ft. in length, while the S. front is 150. In the interior are some splendid apartments, especially the saloon, which is decorated with beautiful wood-carvings by Grinling I Gibbons. There are also some family portraits, paintings by Holbein , Van- dyck, and Sir Peter Lely , and a head of Lord Strafford, copied in crayons from Vandyck by Pope. The gar- dens are extensive, and present a (I singularly perfect specimen of the topiary art, with their trimmed yew-tree hedges, and alleys answer- ing alleys ; whilst the beds preserve the best features of the old English flower-garden. In the Park adjoin- ing, as well as in the pleasure- grounds, are many noble trees ; in- ! deed, the oaks in Price’s Walk are among the finest in the country. The “ Monarch Oak” girths 21 ft. 10 in. at 5 ft. from the ground ; the “Trysting Oak,” 27 ft. 5 in. at 3 ft. from the ground ; and there is at Holme Lacy a Wellingtonia, planted in Nov. 1855, which at 16 years old was 27 ft. high, and at 5 ft. from the ground was 3 ft. 6 in. in girth. The gardens are shown to the public on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m., during July, August, and September. The estate came into the i possession of the Scudamore family in the reign of Edward III., by the : marriage of Lady Clara Lacy with Thomas Scudamore. The greater portion of the house was rebuilt by the 2nd Viscount Scudamore, after the style of a French chateau, and the approach to it from the S.W. led into a spacious quadrangle occupied by the stables and offices. Great alterations, not it would seem for the better, w T ere made by the late baronet on succeeding to the title. Of this family, John Scudamore was an esquire of the body to Henry VIII, ; Sir James, knighted for his bravery at the siege of Calais, is noticed by Fuller as “a man famous and fortu- nate in his time;” and the “Sir Scudamore ” of Spenser’s ‘ Faery Queen,’ John, 1st Viscount Scuda- more, Ambassador to France 1634, suffered severely for his loyalty during the Civil Wars. To him the county is indebted for the im- provement of its orchards and its breed of cattle. The Church, in the Norm, style, is situated near the river, and con- tains some family monuments, in- cluding one of the Duchess of Nor- folk, who died in 1820. Near the parsonage is a remarkable pear- tree, covering a large space, and yielding at periods 14 hogsheads of perry. The line now runs under the B allin gham hill, a heavy work of 1200 yds. 3 m. 1. is Caplar Hill, wooded to the water’s edge. On its summit is a double -intrenched Roman camp, in a very perfect condition. A con- siderable portion of the stone for building the Cathedral of Hereford was quarried here. In April, 1773, a remarkable landslip occurred here of 5 acres of land, which not only re- moved stones of considerable weight, but carried trees in an upright and undisturbed position. The Wye is again crossed and a tunnel of 530 yards entered, at the other end of which is 8 m. Fawley Stat., in a deep red sandstone cutting The Court, now a farmhouse, is a good specimen of an Elizabethan mansion, with an embattled parapet, now the pro- 54 Route 3. — Aramstone — Ross: Church; S. Wales. perty of Col. Money Kyrle. Sir John Kyrle resided in it temp. Charles 1. Fawley is a chapclry of Fownhope. Aramstone (Wyndham Smith, Esq.), oil rt., was a seat of the Woodhouae family, erected early in the last centy. Cross the Wye for the third time. On rt., 1 3 m., is Harewood. late the neat of Chan d 08 Wren Hoskyns, Esq. In his jHHjm of ‘ Elfrida,’ Mason assigns this locality for the forest which once occupied this district and con- tained the castle of Earl Ethel - wold, who was assassinated in 968 by King Edgar. Harewood, which became the property of the Hoskyns family by purchase in 1651, had a chapel attached to it, which is men- tioned by Silas Taylor. This has given place to a l>eautiful E. Eng. ch. erected in 1864. In the grounds are a fine oak, a Spanish chestnut of fine dimensions, and some beeches 100 ft. high. Near it is Llanfrawther. a retired pjMit in which a noted Rritish semi- nar}* flourished under Dubritius. On the high ground to the 1. is Perrystone, a modem mansion erected by the late George Clive, Esq., on the site of the old house purchased by him from Colonel H. Morgan Clifford. Ferry's tone is in the farish of Foy. Crossing the Wye for the fourth time, and ]>n*sing rt. Bridstow E. Eng. Church, restored 1861 ; Mora- ft"n, and Dadnor (A. Amiitage, Esq.), the rly. reaches 12 m. 3 Bo*§ Stat. Rom is a market town of 6< 00 Inhah., with very steep streets, pleasantly situated on an eminence rising fn»m the 1. bank of the river. 14 Through the midst of the valley runs the Wye, which seems in no wav to quit the country ; but, like a hare which is unwilling to leave her habitation, makes a hundred turns and doubles. " ] It is the point from which travel- lers start to explore the beauties of the river, for which pleasure boflfl§ are in readiness. Gray and Gilpin wrote this lovely scenery into cele- brity, and Lord North, when Pre- mier, made the tour in 1776. John Kyrle, Pope’s ‘ Man of Ross,’ a plain country gentleman, born in 1637, I at Dymock, and educated at Balliol, Oxford, to which College he gave a tankard, resided here, and was buried in the ch. 1724. His merits, though great from his acts of benevolence and usefulness, have probably been . surpassed by many to fame un- known, “ Carent quia vate sacro." I Pope, by the way, is said to have composed his ‘Man of Ross’ at Pen- gethley, in the parish of Heutland, * near Ross. The Church, in Dec. and Perp. styles, whose * heaven -directed spire he taught to rise,’ and to the tower of which he gave the great bell, <*> cupies a conspicuous j»ositiou. The E. window of the chancel contains very good stained glass, inserted about the reign of Henry VII. 'Hie spire was seriously injured by light- ning in 1852, but has l*>en rebuilt with great care and success *, its i height is 208 ft. Several of the | elm-trees planted by Kyrle survive, while some that were cut down have sent forth under the walk vigorous shoots, which grow within I the building. He was buried tinder a blue stone in front of the alter, and a tablet on the wall wax affixed in 1776, through a bequest for that I purpose by lady Ihipplin, bis kins- woman. His fireside chair is placed I in the chancel. A church 1«cll, cost at Gloucester by Rudhall, in 16P2, I l tears Kyrlc’s name. He threw* hi* silver tankard into the furnace, at the casting, after drinking to hi* king and country. Amongst the monuments are theet j «»f William Rudhall. Hcrjeaut-et4*W, j 55 Route 3. — Prospect; Wilton Castle. S. Wales. and his wife (temp. Henry VIII.) : their effigies exquisitely sculptured in Italian marble, in the costume of Henry VII. Also a large mural monument to William Rudhall and his wife Margaret (1609), in a kneel- ing position and Elizabethan dress. John Rudhall (1636), holding his wife by the hand ; and for the last heir male of the family William Rudhall (1651), an officer in the Royalist army, who stands erect in marble, arranged in the costume of a Roman general, with a modern sword. This well-executed piece of statuary was erected as a pledge of affection by a maiden lady, Maria Suron. There is a white marble bust of Mr. Westfaling, d. 1814, by Theecl (with a Latin inscription from the pen of Bishop Luxmoore), on a pedestal in the form of an altar ; in front is a bas-relief of Charity in- structing children. Among the memorials in the ch.- yd. is a slender E. Eng. cross by G. G. Scott, to a daughter of Geo. Strong, M.D. ; it rises 20 ft. from the ground, and the shaft consists of 4 clustered columns pointed by an enrichment of dog-tooth mould- ing. In the N.E. corner are remains of a decayed cross, marking 315 burials from the ravages of the plague. On the brow of the hill over- looking the Wye, and adjoining the ch.-yd., is the Prospect which be- longed to Kyrle, and was his favourite walk. There is a convenient private access to it from the grounds of the Royal Hotel. Here stood the Con- duit which was supplied with water from the rain by an engine at his expense. “ From the dry rock who ha le the water flow ? ” “ He feeds the almshouse, neat yet void of state ; There age and want sit smiling at the gate,” refers to the Rudhall hospital, which stood at a corner of the ch. -yd. The “ Prospect *’ has been partly enclosed in the grounds of the hotel, which caused serious riots in 1869, a large portion of the inhabitants declaring that it belonged to the public. The old market house, in which the Man of Ross ‘ ‘ divided the weekly bread,” is disused, and a commodious building erected on another site. The house — now a chemist’s shop — occupied by John Kyrle is in the market-place ; and that in which Charles I. slept was in Church Lane. At Ross the traveller may bid adieu to the locomotive, and journey either by the turnpike road or water ; in either case following a route pro- bably unrivalled for that peculiar style of scenic beauty that results from the mixture of rich and well- cultivated grass-land with abrupt cliffs, lofty hills, and woods descend- ing to the water’s edge. At the bottom of the descent the Wye is crossed by an old bridge of 5 arches, defended by Wilton Castle, the shell of which remains as a picturesque ruin at the water’s edge on the rt. First erected in the reign of Stephen to defend the ford, and rebuilt temp Elizabeth, it was partially demo- lished during the Civil Wars. It belonged to the Lords Grey de Wilton until 1555, when Edward Lord Grey, being a prisoner in France, was compelled to sell this and other estates to raise the sums demanded for his ransom. It was purchased in the reign of Elizabeth by the Hon. Charles Brydges, cup- bearer to King Philip, second son of Sir John Brydges, first Baron Chandos, with whose descendants it continued until the reign of George I., when, in 1722, it was sold by the Duke of Chandos to the Governors of Guy’s Hospital. It is quadrilateral, with 2 round towers at the S. angles ; those to the 1ST. being triangular. On the E. side is a semicircular bastion. 5G Route 3 . — Pencraig Court — Goodrich Castle . S. Wales. ‘ ‘ The oldest portion of the existing remains is the S.W. tower, but the Castle was doubtless remodelled in the 15th centj\; and the windows which escaped destruction in the Civil War show plainly that the building at that time was rather a castellated mansion than a military fortress.” — Robinson: ‘Castles of Herefordshire. ’ The piers of the bridge erected in 1559 are massive. The arch nearest Wilton was broken down in 1644, by Col. William Rudhall, to impede the advance of Massie’s forces. j m. At the turnpike, the road to Hereford is on rt. ; that to Monmouth on 1., running close alongside of the river, and affording good views of its graceful windings. At one point the picturesque spire and turrets of Goodrich Court are well seen, and beyond it the nigged outline of Goodrich Castle, the last fortress, except Pendennis, which held out for the king. On the rt. of the road the cliff is prettily draped with wild brier and eglantine falling from above. 15 J m. Pencraig Court (Rev. W. Holt-Beever), commanding a fine view ; and J m. beyond, on the sum- mit of the hill, is Goodrich Court, the seat of George Moffatt, Esq. , at the entrance of which is a handsome lodge with an Edwardian arch, drum towers, and high shingled roof. A drawbridge is crossed to the door- way, guarded by a portcullis, and flanked by two round towers. The house, a modern one, was built in the same Edwardian style by Sir Samuel Meyrick in 1828—31, to form a de- positor)" for his curiosities, amongst which the arms and armour (now in the South Kensington Museum) were unrivalled in any private collection in Europe. The same attention is paid to the arrangement of the an- tique furniture as to the exterior appearance of the mansion. Visitors are admitted on certain days, about which enquiry should be made beforehand. In the great drawing- room are portraits of Lord Howard of Effingham, who commanded the English fleet against the Armada ; Anne of Denmark ; Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. In the private * apartments are a carving in wood . by Hans Schaiifelin ; miniature portraits of Henry VIII. and Anne of Cleves, Holbein ; Luther and wife, L. Kranach. The oak ceil- 1 ing of the library was executed \'« in Italy, and brought from the v>' Government House at Breda. There i are also portraits of Charles II., r Louis XIV., and Nell Gwynn, by i Lely. The Doucean Museum, con- I. taming a val uable collection of Greek, I* Roman, Egyptian, and Oriental * antiquities, bequeathed by Francis a Douce, Esq., to the late Sir S. I Meyrick, was removed by Col. Mey- j rick when he sold Goodrich Court. Separated by a dingle, and on an eminence to the 1., overhanging the river, is Goodrich Castle, the beautiful situation of which at once I arrests the attention. Externally the most striking feature of the ivy-clad ruins is the gate-way, showing beneath its arches the lofty ft window of the opposite tower. The d' plan of the castle was a parallelo- gram, flanked by round towers at the angles, and the entrance is carried through a narrow passage 50 ft. long, constructed for a number of successive portcullises. On the W. side is the Edwardian banqueting hall, and on the S., festooned with ivy and clematis, the keep, wrongly said to be Anglo-Saxon, though certainly the most ancient part of the castle. Adjoining the entrance, and parallel with the passage on ita left side, was the chapel (temp. Henry VI. and VII.), and close by it an octagonal watch-tower. A small fort, erected by one Godric, seems to have been the origin of Goodrich, whose principal history, however, took place in the Civil Boute 3 . — Whitchurch — Ganerew. 57 8. Wales. War, when, in 1646, it held out gal- lantly under Sir Henry Lingen for the king against a Parliamentary army, under Col. Birch. The three- ;toried Norman keep is said to have been built by Macbeth, an Irish com- mander, as a ransom for himself and son, who were made prisoners in the fortress. It was successively the residence of the Marshalls and De Valences, Earls of Pembroke, and the Talbots, until, in 1606, it passed with a co-heiress to the Greys, Earls of Kent, with which noble family it remained until the reign of George II., when it was sold to Admiral Triffin, of Hadnock, near Mon- mouth, to whose granddaughter, Mrs. Marriott, widow of Major Jharles Marriott of the Fort, Mon- nouth, it now belongs. Goodrich Castle specially deserves a visit, )oth from its excellent preservation md its situation. The keys are kept n a cottage in the village. About i quarter of a mile from the castle vre the faint vestiges of an Augus- inian Priory, founded by Sir itichard Talbot in 1347. From the S.W. window there is i charming view of the vale of the Wye,— ‘ the delight of my eyes and the very seat of pleasure .” — Gi ay. vitli Ross in the distance, backed Ijap by the wooded outline of Pen- fard Hill ; in the foreground are Walford church and village, and on the rt. the woods of Bishopswood. In Goodrich church (which is double lisled) is preserved a chalice pre- sented by Dean Swift, whose grand- lather was the loyal and much- mduring vicar of the parish at the ime of the rebellion. The Dean’s connection with the locality has oeen celebrated in the following •emarkable lines : — “ Jonathan Swift Had this gift — By fatheridge, brotheridge, And by motheridgp, To come from Gotheridge.” On 1. are Rocklands (J. M. Her- bert, Esq.), and Goodrich House (Rev. J. Herbert). The Marquis of Ripon derives his title of Viscount from this parish. Just below is Huntsham Ferry, where Henry IV. , hastening to Mon- mouth to see his Queen, who was near her confinement, was met by a messenger announcing the birth of his son Henry and the safety of his wife. In gratitude the King be- stowed the ferry upon the person and his descendants for ever, a grant which still exists. 6 m. $ Whitchurch, picturesquely situated in a deep hollow, with a small church by the river-side, is a village lying in the midst of a district famous for its beautiful scenery, and rich in attractions for the angler, the botanist, and the geologist. On Little Do ward Hill, which lies to the W. of the Great Doward, is an early British camp of large dimensions, comprising nearly 20 acres within the inner vallum. The outer vallum is constructed to the point where the hill rises very abruptly from the river, and approach appears to be impos- sible. On the brow of the hill, overlooking the Wye, huge masses of rock stand out in rugged bold- ness, and the view of the river winding beneath the deep gorge of well-wooded rocks is very fine. On the opposite side is “ Symond’s Yat,” on which Ostorius is supposed to have stationed his forces. Here, according to Gibson’s ‘ Camden, ’ were found “broad arrow-heads, and a giant skeleton, which, if still on view, would establish the modern ‘deterioration’ theory.” 8 m. Ganerew. [To the rt. is Sellers Brook (Mrs. Marriott) and (2£ m.) Buckholt Mt., on the S. spur of which is a strong British 58 Route 3. — Monmouth — The Wye Tour . S. Wales. camp, overgrown with underwood. 4 m. are the ruins of Pembridge Castle, the residence of Sir Richard Pembridge, 1375. The remains are surrounded by a moat, having on W. side a terrace 25 ft. in width, defended by a banquette of earth, and are in a comparatively perfect condition. In the Civil Wars it was garrisoned for the King, and taken by Massie in 1644.] On 1. is Wyaston Leys, the charming seat of Mrs. Bannerman, situated on a steep slope at the bend of the Wye, and commanding unrivalled views both up and down the river. On the top of the hill, in the park, is an ob- servatory of iron trestlework, 70 ft. in height, with an open winding staircase, commanding exquisite views of the Wye and the Bristol Channel. The great Doward may be as- cended by the pedestrian from the Monmouth end of the village of Whitchurch, though it is rather a rugged and toilsome march. To re- pay him when he has accomplished it are several “bone-caves,” similar to that known as King Arthur’s Cave on the western slope, which have been explored by Mr. W. S. Symonds and Prof. Boyd Dawkins, and have been found to contain the bones of the hyaena and the cave lion, the reindeer, mammoth, and the tichorhine rhinoceros. Several rare plants flourish on this hill, e.g., the Fly and Bee orchis, Carex mon- tana, Aquilegia vulgaris , Arahis stricta, Geranium sanguincum , G. lucidum , and a rare bramble, com- memorated by Mr. E. Lees, and called Iluhus ballidus. From a resting-point at about J m. from the nearest cave, the tourist catches a splendid view of Monmouth and the Wye. 10J m. Monmonth. Another route may be taken from Ross, on the left Rank of the Wye, towards Lydbrook, past Whythall, a picturesque old manor-house, occu- pied by Cromwell during the siege of Goodrich Castle, and ascending to the forest by Kiln Green and Bundle Hole. By this route the traveller passes Walford and Bishops wood, . which will be noticed in the account of the Rly. and the Wye tours from Ross to Monmouth. The Wye Tour.— The tourist by water from Ross loses companionship j with the road at Goodrich Court, I and sails down the current of “devious Yaga,” which indeed be- I comes so meandering, that the i distance from hence to the Leys, i which by road is only 4 m. , is not ( much less than 12 by water. Passing Goodrich Court and < Castle, the boat reaches Kerne Bridge, just above which on the rt. is a barn, the remains of Flanesford Priory, founded by Richard Talbot in 1347. A road j here crosses the river from Ross to Monmouth on the 1. bank, passing through the pretty village of Wal- ford. In their progress down the river, visitors will see small fishing- boats called coracles, made of tarred canvas strained over a wicker frame in shape like the half of a walnut- I shell. They are very light and | portable, weighing about 12 lbs., j very fragile, holding only one person, I and a rub against a stone in shooting I a rapid generally causes mischief. They are used also on the Usk and the Dee and the Teifi. The scenery now becomes more j diversified, the Wye flowing between 1 beautifully wooded hills. About j J m. below the bridge on 1. is the villa of Hazlehurst (Miss Phillip#^ * and lower down Bishopswood House (W. Partridge, Esq.). In the di ► tance is the spire of Ruardean Church. On a considerable eminence, the river winding with snakelike turn- ings on each side of it, is CourtfieM 59 S. Wales. Route 3. — Lydbrook — Wyaston. (Col. Vaughan), occupying the site | of a house of the Countess of Salis- bury, where Henry V. is said to have been nursed ; and in Welsh Bicknor Church, on the rt. bank, is a monu- I mental effigy supposed to have been that of the king’s nurse, but declared by the late Sir Samuel Meyrick to be of the time of Edward I. The Countess of Salisbury’s husband had inherited the Manor of Welsh Bick- nor from his mother Katherine, daughter of William de Grandison ; and she was a widow in 1397, and died in 1414. The ch. of Welsh Bicknor is quite modern, and in the Norm, and E. E. styles. At Lydbrook, on the 1. bank, nearly opposite Courtfield, the tourist is in touch with a branch of the Midi. Blwy. Co., which will take him to Bristol and the North, crossing the Severn by Severn Bridge. Dropping down the stream, the tourist next arrives at Coldwell Rocks, which present a combination of river scenery as fine as any in Britain. The rt. bank is guarded by a range of high precipitous lime- stone rocks, overhung with under- wood and traversed by deep gullies, while on the opposite side the de- licious hill of Rosemary Topping affords a magnificent and beautiful contrast. At the termination of this range of crags the Wye takes a ■ sudden bend and a sweep of such unexpected length, that the distance across the neck of the peninsula, where the tourist can rejoin the river, is only 600 yards, while its windings extend for more than 4 m. To save time, the visitor is recom- mended to send the boat round by Huntsham Ferry and Whitchurch, and. ascend Symond’s Yat, or Gate, a high hill, occupying the interval between the bend. From the sum- mit (540 ft.) a view is gained un- rivalled for beauty and variety. On the rt, are the romantic rocks of Coldwell, with the river running in a deep gorge below ; on the 1. is another reach at New Weir, hemmed in by the steep sides of the Great Doward, while in the distance the eye ranges over the villages, woods, and hills, for miles and miles. “ But Wye (from her dear Lug whom nothing can restrain In many a pleasant shade her joy to enter- tain) To Ross her course directs, and well her name to show, Oft windeth in her way, as back she meant to go. Mseander, who is said so intricate to be Hath not so many nooks or crankling winds as she .” — Drayton On the 1. from Symond’s Yat, are the Bicknor Walks, extending for a mile or more towards Bicknor Court’ and the village of English Bicknor, and looking down for the whole of the way on the silver winding Wye. Except in the steep ascent, the character of these walks is not unlike that of the Torrent Walks under Dolgelly. [The scenery is equally beautiful at New Weir, where formerly existed a salmon weir. This fish was once so plentiful, that the ap- prentices of Ross and Monmouth are said to have had a clause in- serted in their indentures to the effect that they should not be obliged to eat it more than three times a week. On the rt. bank is the lofty encampment of the Great Doward, jagged with many quarries and perforated by mining galleries supposed to be Roman. One is called King Arthur’s Hall. Another turn of the river brings the tourist in front of the Little Howard Hill, on which is a British camp, still retaining traces of ramparts. At its foot, sloping down to the river, is the park of Wyaston, formerly the Leys , soon after which the river again joins fellowship with the turnpike- road. Soon after passing the L#ys the river enters Monmouthshire, 60 Route 3. — Dixton — Monmouth . having Hadnock and its woods on the 1., and Newton (Major Tyler) on the rt.] 9£ on 1. Dixton, a small ancient church with a low broach-spire. The cli. here is so close to the river bank that in the heavy floods of 1759 and 1798 the inundation is said to have burst through windows, and torn up the pulpit, seats, &c. The vicarage is on the opposite bank of the Wye. Here may not unfrequently be seen that old - world institution — the “ coracle.” [The wooded hill above, on the opposite bank, is the Kymin, from the summit of which is a glorious panorama of the country round for many a league. Walks have been made through the plantations to a pavilion and a temple, built to record the naval victories obtained by the English during the American war. It was erected in 1800, and the frieze is decorated with medallions of British Admirals. From hence a short but beautiful walk through Bewdley or Beaulieu Wood will bring the visitor to the Buckstone, one of the most celebrated Rocking- Stones in England, which has, how- ever, been recently thrown out of place by the foolish horse-play of some visitors. It is situated on a conspicuous eminence of Staunton Hill (954 ft.), the circumference being about 53 ft., and the apex of the i>oint about 3 ft. in diameter. It is said to have derived its name from being the usual spot for hearkening to the hounds, when in pursuit of deer through the forest. The stone itself is of old red conglomerate, and it is most probable that it has been detached from the underlying rock by natural causes. 8taunton Church is of late Norm, character, with E. E. and Dec. alterations. It possesses an ancient stone pulpit and a font apparently fashioned out of a Roman altar. The stone pulpit S. Wales, j i is reached by a staircase conducting , j also to the rood-loft, and is said to have been built up for many years , to hide it from the Puritans. This church has been well and thoroughly restored. There is a maenhir in this j parish.] There is no doubt that the Ro- \ mans were here, the very name of ; | Stane Town, or the Town of the 1 j Stone Street, implying it : and in corroboration there are traces of a 1 ■ Roman road leading up the Kymin II from the river - bank, besides in- j trencliments near the cli. and heaps i of slag or cinders. 10 J m. $ Monmouth, so called is from its situation at the confluence | of the Monnow with the Wye (Rte. 5). 1 1 The entrance to the town, which is l] said to have been on the site of the I Roman Blcstium, is rather striking. ;j On the 1. is the parish church, I with a handsome Dec. tower and | spire, while in front of it, a Perp. I oriel window and panelled wall re- ( main as fragments of the Priory, and |j known as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s i study. On the rt. the road is seen I almost to overhang the Monnow, \\ the market-house standing quite on j the edge of the cliff. The market- !] place, ambitiously called Agincourt j Square, contains, in front of the j| town-liall, a statue of Henry V., on |j which is an inscription recording I his birth in the town, Aug. 9, 1387,— “ Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, ('uplain i Gower ; ” so that the waters of the Wye may j not wash the fact out of the me- j mories of the modern Fluellens. | Here too is said to have been l>oni j Geoffrey of Monmouth, or Geoffrey I ap Arthur, sometime archdwicon of j his native town, consecrated Bishop . of St. Asaph in 1152, and wi iter or i compiler of a romantic chronicle pf j England. Route 3. — Monmouth — Stow Field . 6l 5 8. Wales. The portcullis, which henceforth, I for many miles, will be seen every i now and then, will remind the tra- I veller that he is now within the vast iiereditary possessions of the house )f Somerset ; and if he stay at this 8 particular Beaufort Arms, he may dis- , cover that there still “is salmons” in the Wye. The main street is broad, and the houses strike one with an air of ancient irregularity that is highly respectable. The road to Raglan crosses the Monnow by an old bridge, upon which still remains the Welsh or Bridge Gate, with two side passages, under which i Henry V. doubtless often passed. This is the only one of the four gate- £ ways of the town still remaining. Just outside on the 1. is the ancient tnd highly - enriched late Norm. Chapel of St. Thomas, which has i been imperfectly restored. Only a J small fragment of the great hall )f the castle remains. It is rather igainst the identification of Mon- ti mouth with the Roman Blestium ; that few or no Roman relics have I ever been found : it is certain that if it was afterwards a Norman walled ij town, of which the only gate left .1 is the Bridge Gate just described. In 1644 Colonel Kyrle, who had originally sided with the Royalists, ' purchased the favour of the Parlia- ment by betraying Monmouth to General Massey ; it was yielded to him by treachery on the 20th Sept. There was sharp fighting shortly afterwards in the immediate neigh- bourhood. The town possesses an almshouse and grammar school (which has of late years produced a Senior Wrangler), founded by William Jones, a native of the neigh- bouring village of Newland, who amassed a fortune in London in the reign of James I. From Monmouth a light carriage will take the tourist to Huntsham Ferry, which he can cross and then ascend Symond’s Yat, and afterwards visit Goodrich. The expe- dition can be performed in 6 or 7 hours* In 1874 a branch of the G. W. R. was opened from Ross to Monmouth, which is much to the convenience of the ordinary traveller, though the lover of the picturesque may do better by performing the double journey by road and by river. The line starting from the G. W. R. Stat. passes on the S. of the town under the Chase Woods, and at 3 m. Walford (Welchford). Whyt- hall, a 15th-centy. timber-house *(J. Stratford Collins, Esq.), and Walford Court, once the residence of the Kyrles, but now a farmhouse. Col. Kyrle, the “stony-hearted rebel,” who married a sister o£ Waller, the Parliamentarian General, was buried here, and his helmet is still preserved in Walford Ch., an early structure, containing monuments to the Strat- fords. Bishopswood (W. Partridge, Esq.) is a modern mansion in the Elizabethan style, which was par- tially destroyed by fire in 1874. A brook, which empties itself into the Wye, here divides Gloucestershire from Herefordshire. 4 m. Kerne Bridge Stat. On the opposite bank of the Wye is Gooderich village. Hazelhurst (Miss Phillips). The rly. now crosses the river, and runs by a tunnel under Coppet Wood Hill to 5 m. Stow Field Stat. On the 1. Court Field (Col. Vaughan), and Welsh. Bicknor Ch. Here a mag- nificent viaduct carries the Severn and Wye line to what is called Lyd- brook Junct. and Stowfield. Near the Lydbrook Tinplate-works, where there is a magnificent viaduct carry- ing the Severn and Wye line over to the junction at Stowfield. Of this viaduct the measurements are as follows : the central span is 150 ft. ; the two end ditto, 120 ft. ; on the S. side are three arches 30 ft. each ; N. side, two arches, 24 ft. ; width of 62 . Route 3. — Ruardecin — Bicjsicear House . S. Wales. pins, 30 ft. ; length, 600 ft. ; turn- pike road to the rail, 104 ft. ; width over masonry, 16 ft. 4 in. ; at the ironwork, 12 ft. to the centre of girders ; depth of girders, 12 ft. 9 in. ; total cost about 15,000Z. [3£ m. Ruardean Ch., of early date, with a curiously sculptured tympanum on the S. door of St. George on horseback, in a fantastic costume of the 12th centy. East-Bach Court (Rev. Edward Machen). English Ricknor Ch., on an emi- nence above the Wye, contains many good monumental tablets, and two stone effigies.^ It has a pretty ch. -yd. , and a block of almshouses erected as a memorial of Mrs. Machen of East- bach, who died in her 97th year. Bicknor Court (Sir J. Macleane). Bicknor House (Mlss Davies.)] Symond’s Yat Stat. 8 m., 1£ m. from E. Bicknor. 10 m. Monmouth Stat. Crossing the Wye, the tourist per- ceives that Monmouth is situated in the centre of a wide basin, sur- rounded on all sides by undulating hills of great beauty. 1£ m. on rt. bank of the river, at no great distance from the point where the Trothy becomes a tribu- tary of the Wye, on a wooded emi- nence is Penallt Church, and behind it, in the middle of a common, stands a large oak-tree, having a stone seat at its foot. ‘‘When a corpse is brought by, on its way to the place of interment, it is deposited on this stone, and the company sing a psalm over the body. Psalmody over the corpse signifies the conquest of the deceased friend over hell, sin, and death. Here is an evident continuation of the oak and stones of Druidic and Celtic customs altered into a Christian form.” — Jioscoe. Near Penallt is Troy House, a seatr of the Duke of Beaufort, deriving its name from the little river which flows through the grounds (ltte. 5j. 24£ in., at Redbrook, are exten- sive tinplate works, '"'supplied with fuel from the coal-mines in the Forest of Dean, which extends for many miles on the 1. bank of the < Wye. Barges crowd the quays, and |j the loading and unloading of thb* S staple of Redbrook varies here the , . solitude of the river. The hill on the 1. is Highbury, the site of an an- cient British encampment. A brook runs through the village, separating 1 the counties of Monmouth and Glou- 1 cester. [At Newland the visitor will find a large church, which has been re- I cently restored, with a fine tower j of the Somersetshire type. In the I ch.-yard is an altar- tomb with the I effigies of Jenkin Wryall, Forest I Ranger, 1457 a.d. In Newland is a hollow oak measuring 40 ft. in cir- 1 cumference, though now only 20 ft. j in height, one of the largest in the | kingdom. Coleford is about 3 in. from Red- I brook . — Handbook for Gloucester*- I shire.'} 4J m. a pretty Gothic cottage, ] called Florence, stands close to the j roadside on the 1., shrouded in laurel* I and other evergreens. Catching a view of Whitcbrook on the opposite bank, the road con- | tinues along the 1. bank of the Wye, until at 5£ m. it is carried across to the rt. bank by a handsome iron bridge, spanning the Wye with a single arch, to which point the tide flows in high springs : a little below this on 1. is Bigswcar House, a seat j of the Rookes, descended from the admiral who captured Gibraltar. Here are preserved some curious an- cient tapestries. The hills behind it are crowned with the village church , % Wales. Route 3 .- — St. BriaveVs — Tintern Parva. 63 nd ruined castle of St. Briavel’s,* tamed (but erroneously) from St. * Bride’s well on the outskirts, be- leath a Gothic arch. The Ch., tartly of Norm, architecture, very ncient, was restored in 1861, and nuch spoilt thereby — the monu- nent to the Warren family being ;ompletely destroyed. The mould- ngs of the transept aisles are termi- / lated by snakes’ heads, similar to hose at Glastonbury. The clerestory windows and the mouldings of the .rches on the S* side of the nave are imilar tb those of Malmesbury. The : nodern tower commands a fine view, 'he great gateway of the castle, ffiich, according to Giraldus Cam- V >rensis, was built by Milo Fitz waiter, ilarl of Hereford, in the reign of m ienry I. , is defended by two round v owers, formerly used as a prison for ■ iebtors. One of the rooms contains box for a turnspit and an old himney-piece, with the Royal arms n the back of the grate in ancient jl vork. The castle was once occupied y the Lord Warden of the Forest f Dean, and the Constables of t. Briavel from the reign of King ohn to that of George III. seem to lave been noblemen of high rank, i'he principal features of interest in J i t are the beautiful decorated chim- ey shaft, surmounted by a horn, he badge of the Constable of the forest, and an E. Eng. fireplace, till very perfect. [2 J m. on rt. , is Trelech, so called rom a group of monolith stones, ocally associated with Harold, near he village, though not improbably >f a much greater antiquity. If the lerivation is tri Uech , there were pro- bably never more than three stones lere. To the S.W. of the ch. is a umulus, said to have been the site f a castle of the Clares. The Church ^ E. Dec., and in the ch.-yd. are * See Nicholls’ ‘ Forest of Lean ’ for the -Jost complete account of that district and f St. Briavel’s Castle * some curious gravestones with flo- riated crosses ; also a sundial, on which are engraved the three curio- sities of Trelech, viz. the stones, the tumulus, and a well.] 7J m. Near a bend in the river, where quays and boats give fresh evidence of active trade, is situated the pretty little village of Llandogo, its cottages rising one above another, interspersed with gardens and or- chards, and backed by woods. A new E. E. ch. was built in 1861, in place of the primitive structure dedi- cated to St. James, in a dell at the foot of a mountain glen. At Coed Ithel are some walls of Cyclopean character and a smelting furnace, of possibly Roman date, in excellent preservation. On the hill-side to the 1. is the small fall of Cleddau Shoots, which, however, is only worth visit- ing in rainy weather. 10 m., on 1. bank, is Brockweir, a very little wharf, at which a good deal of business used to be carried on, but the rly. extension has consider- ably damaged the traffic by barges, and the ship-building trade is en- tirely at an end. The tide rises 19 ft. Here is a colony of Moravians planted, in 1832, by Lewis West, their minister. To the S. of Brock- weir, by a winding mountain-path may be reached “ Offa’s Chair,” a token and trace of the famous Clawdd Ofla, or Offa’s Dyke, which commenced at Tidenham, in Glou- cestershire. 10 i m. Tintern Parva. Its church, defaced by modern alterations, and paved with stones cut out of the monumental flagstones of monks and abbots from the abbey, contains some fragments of Norm. work. The ancient porch still remains. A little above it, at the road-side, stand the scanty remains of the Abbey Hospital and the man- sion of the Abbot of Tintern, con- G4 Route 3 . — Tintern Abbey. S. Wales. taining the foundations of a spa- cious chamber and a portion of an E. Dec. window. It is said to have been sacked by the soldiers of the Parliament. 11 m. Somewhat encroached upon by the high road, which is carried within a stone’s throw of its vene- rable walls, stands Tint era Abbey, occupying a narrow strip of level ground on the margin of the river, encircled by hills which form a thickly-wooded amphitheatre around it ; and although the solitude is broken and the seclusion some- what destroyed by the neighbour- ing tin and iron works, the beauty of the situation and the elegance of the building triumph over this, and Tintern remains the most romantic Cistercian ruin in Britain. In dis- tant views, the four arms of the cross of the church, each terminating in a pointed gable, seen in perspec- tive, have a peculiarly good effect. It gains, however, upon a nearer approach, when the elegant forms of the pillars and arches, ‘ ‘ the' beauty of composition and delicacy of exe- cution which distinguish it above most other Gothic edifices in this country, can be examined and appre- ciated.” Its architecture exhibits a transition from the E. E. to the Dec. style, and the portions of carv- ing still preserved, the fragments of bosses, keystones, &c., exhibit foliage of most varied fancy and elaborate execution. Although the roof is gone, and one or two pillars have fallen, the walls are entire, and the stone, well -chosen and durable, has l>een little injured by the weather. Even the mu 11 ions of the windows remain tolerably ]>erfect, and the view of the distant hills and woods seen through them is very pleasing. The length of the church is 228 ft. , of the transepts 150 ft., and its height 70 ft. in its central arches. The height of the E. window is 64 ft. “This window, with its one tall mullion ramifying at the top, and leaving the large open spaces beneath ll to admit the distant landscape, is one chief feature of Tintern.” — Gilpin. It is neatly kept by persons ap- 1 pointed by the Duke of Beaufort, j to whom it belongs, and is carpeted with velvet turf, beneath which, in the S. aisle of the nave, a fragment of the original pavement, composed 1 of glazed tiles, bearing the arms of the Bigods and the Clares, has been found. Although the abbey was founded in 1131 for monks I of the Cistercian order by Walter de Clare, the existing church, com-| menced by and carried through! by his successors, the Clares, Mar-i shalls, and Bigods, was not com- pleted till 1287, or 156 years later.) It was suppressed at the dissolution of the monasteries, and granted! by Henry VIII. to Henry Earl of Worcester, from whom it has de- scended to the Dukes of Beaufort. Here is a broken cross-legged figure of a knight in chain -armour, thought to be either Richard dc Clare (called Strongbow), the con-| queror of Ireland in the reign of Henry II., or Roger de Bigod. j There is also the tomb of an eccle- siastic, bearing carvings of a cross and several fish. An ornamented but mutilated doorway led into the cloisters, beyond which, to the N .' of the nave, are remains of monastic buildings. In the centre, the refec-l tory was provided with a pulpit, in the] W. wall, from which homilies were read during meals, as at the Abbey] of Shrewsbury’ ; on one side was the I kitchen, communicating with it by I buttery-hatch through the wall, and I on the other the dormitories. Au almonry hatch communicates from the refectory with the cloister, to which there is the most direct accea* by way of the water-gate, for the surrounding i»oor and for visitors,] who made use of the adjacent fernj In 1847 the remains of an HodOn tium or smaller convent for the entertainment of strangers, were 65 S. Wales. Route 3. — Plumber's Cliff- — Llancaut. V j discovered in the orchard during the progress of some excavations. It was a spacious and lofty chamber, with a vaulted stone roof, supported on stone pillars, the massive bases of which still remain. On the opposite bank of the river a pleasant walk up Plumber’s Cliff, and through the woods leads to the “ Devil's Pulpit from whence a fine view is obtained of the Wye, and not far off, a peep of the Severn. The name and the legend bespeaks a jealousy on the part of his Satanic Majesty highly complimentary to the watchfulness of the monks of Tintern. Offa’s Dyke, designed as a partition between England and Wales, crosses the tongue of land between the two rivers, and ter- minates on the Severn near Tiden- ham. Though obliterated by cul- tivation, traces of it may be dis- covered on the common near this. The village is situated in a hollow, whence descends a small stream, made useful in turning the machinery of some forges and iron-works about 1 m. to the rt. They are famed for the manufacture of horse-shoe nails and iron wire. The first mills for wire -drawing in Great Britain were established here in the reign of Elizabeth by a colony of Flemings and Germans, about 1565, before which time all the wire made in England was forged by the hand. Be- yond Tintern the river develops a more distinctly tidal character and aspect. The traveller will soon perceive that the river is again entering into the rocky limestone district. A hill on the 1., on which the cliffs first show themselves, presents an appearance as though it had par- tially let fall its mantle of foliage to expose a bit of its bare rocky side. The high road slopes gradually upwards from behind the abbey, carried along the shoulder of the hill and at the foot of the pre- cipice, on a sort of terrace. A little way along it one of the best distant IS. Wales. ] views of the abbey may be enjoyed. The rugged cliffs on the 1. are called Bannagor Crags ; those on the rt., rising gradually, attain their greatest height in the Wyndcliff, 35 m., the summit of which displays one of the most remarkable and beautiful views in England. From the water-side the ascent is both long and steep, and those who travel in boats had better make a distinct excursion thither from Chepstow by land, or ascend more gradually from the village of St. Arvan, a mile nearer Chepstow. At a distance of 2 m. from Tintern, and 3 from Chepstow, the road reaches the Moss Cottage, a pretty lit- tle summer-house, built by the Duke of Beaufort to accommodate visitors, who may obtain some homely re- freshment here, but usually bring their provision- basket with them. The face of the hill above it, though almost precipitous, is thickly clothed with wood, among which are a great number of yews. Zigzag walks, neatly made, and eked out with fre- quent flights of stone steps made of rude slabs of slaty rock to overcome the steepness, wind upwards among the trunks of the trees, the broken fragments of which offer frequent and grateful seats to the weary. About two -thirds of the way up, a passage is offered by a natural fis- sure or grotto in the rock. The summit, surmounted by a tuft of trees, is at a height of more than 800 ft. above the Wye. Over the tops of the trees the spectator looks down upon the road, and, far below it, on the river, w T hich at this point makes an extraordinary bend in the shape of a horseshoe or loop, washing the foot of the Wyndcliff. This very tortuous course encircles a small peninsula, occupied by the fafm of Llancaut, whose chequered patchwork of fields and lines of paths and hedgerows are so com- pletely displayed at his feet, as to resemble a map ; indeed, the owner can scarcely need a land survey of F G6 Route 3 . — St. Ar van's — Piercefield. S. Walks, liis estate, which lies open to every- body’s view. On the rt., just where the Wye disappears, close to the towers of Chepstow, rises a long scar of white cliff, a part of the wall called the Twelve Apostles, stretch- ing nearly across the middle dis- tance behind Llancaut peninsula. And now comes the striking and peculiar feature of the view : above the tops of this range of precipices appears a wide stretch of the estu- ary of the Severn, with vessels and steamers upon it, villages and churches beyond it. This view extends on the rt. down to the islands of Flatholme and Steep- holme at the mouth of the Bristol Channel. Berkeley Castle and Thorn- bury Church are to be seen to the northward, and there is a glimpse in the far background of the Black Mountains. The view is said to comprehend nine counties. It is difficult at first to persuade one’s eye that the broad streak of water rising thus high up against the horizon is on a level, or at least only a few inches lower than the deeply-sunk, serpent-like river in the abyss below. An oblique path runs from the top of the Wynd- cliff to Tintern, as does a similar path to St. Arran’s, by which the necessity of descending to the Moss Cottage is avoided. The tourist by water, after turning his back upon the Wyndcliff, skirts the peninsula of Llancaut on the 1., and on the rt. the rocks and woods of Piercefield, the banks of the river closing into a gorge walled with lofty precipices. The high picturesque buttresses on the rt., with tufts of trees shoot- ing out of the crevices between them, arc the Twelve Apostles, while a 13th is named St. Peter’s Thumb, and another the Lover’s Leap. 14 m. St. Arvan’s — A road on rt. branches off to Monmouth over the high grounds of Chepstow' Park Wood. [On the opposite side of the Wye, about 1 m. 1., is Llancaut Chapel, a building of primitive style, containing a leaden font of early date and curious workmanship. It stands on a mural peninsula, en- closed by the bold rocky eminence of the Bannagor and Tidenham crags. This secluded spot was the scene of a most sanguinary conflict in 1642, when it was occupied by a party of Royalists under the inde- fatigable Sir John Wintour, in order to fortify it and keep the passage of the Wye. Before their position was secured, they w*ere attacked during the period of high w r ater by a supe- rior force of the enemy, and of 180 Royalists scarcely 20 escaped, among whom was Sir John Wintour himself, who fought his w'ay through the enemy to the Tidenham rocks, and, being closely pursued by their dra- goons, galloped in desperation over the shelving precipice, escaped un- hurt on the ground below T , and got aw r ay by sw'imming the river. Tho place of this successful achievement is still pointed out as “Wintour’s Leap.” There may have beeu some confusion between this leap and its hero’s escape in a boat, after Col. Massey had defeated a second attempt to fortify the passage.. Sceptics aver that the precipice is too abrupt for any to leap and live. Offa’s Dyke commences in this parish.] On rt. a road leads to Usk, 11 in., over part of Wentwood Forest, pass- ing, 2 m. on 1., Itton Court (E. Curre, Esq.). 15 m. on 1. Piercefield (Mrs. Clay) stands in an unrivalled situation, overlooking the Bristol Channel and the opposite Gloucestershire! hills. Tho grounds are extensive and varied, but were laid out in the day when the beauties of na- ture were considered as secoudaij* to those of landscape-gardenings I Wales. "Route 3. — Redbrooh — Tiddenham. 6 ? hich developed themselves in grottos i nd other architectural monstrosi- ies. They were formed by Valentine vlorris in 1753, but his lavish expen- iture compelled him to part with I he estate, and he died a ruined man I n 1789. It subsequently became [ he property of Mr. Wells, and has i hanged hands again and again, lear the entrance to the park is the ite of the former priory of Kyne- lark, attached to the conven- !* ual church of Chepstow, 16 m. (Rte. > ), whose venerable castle, over- I anging the river, and apparently i >rming part of the precipice, is a I b closing scene to the prodigal if eauties of the Wye. The distance om Ross to Chepstow by water is : jout 38 m. I1 A third route from Ross to Chep- ,ow was opened by the continu- ion of the Great Western line om Monmouth to Chepstow, on ov. 1, 1876, under the name of the Wye Valley Rly.” A [short con- ecting line from the Monmouth ay Hill Stat. (on the opposite side f the Wye Bridge, and close to le town) to the Troy Stat., some- hat to the 1. of the Monnow ridge, conveys the traveller to le terminus at the Monmouth end ; id hence the line pursues the 1. ink of the river Wye at a high 1 vel past Wyesham, and opposite enalt, to 2J m. Redbrook, a place of con- f derable traffic by the waterside ee p. 62 supra). Passing thence by Whitebrook, l the opposite bank, it runs 3 m. ,f lward to Bigswear Stat., 5J m., which is [ ’i the rt. bank of the river, the ‘idge of Telford spanning it for P issengers to St. Briavels and the f orest on the 1. (see p. 63). Passing next by Llandogo to the . of rail and river, and also by rockweir, the line arrives at 8 m. Tintern Stat., near the village of Tintern Parva ; soon after leaving which, and crossing a handsome girder bridge, it enters the so-called Tintern Tunnel, and catches, on emerging from it, the finest view of the celebrated Abbey hitherto disclosed to the tourist. From no other point is its cruciform cha- racter so remarkably displayed, and the difficulty is to satisfy the gaze before, after a rapid glance at the Bannaghor rocks ahead, the rocks of Piercefield, the Twelve Apostles and Wyndcliffe across the river, and Nightingale Valley, whose denizens must run a risk of disturbance, on the 1. of the rly., the passenger is whisked into the Denhil Tunnel, 700 ft. above the sea, bored at the height of 150 ft. above the river, and through crags of the height of more than 500 ft. The Denhil Tun- nel is f m. long, pierced through a solid mass of carboniferous lime- stone ; and, after quitting this, the train proceeds over the high ground at the highest parts of Tiddenham, with a splendid view of the Severn estuary, the Aust Passage and Cliff, and the underlying country of Glou- cestershire to the 1., and occasional glimpses of the over- Wye scenery to the rt. , until in due course it reaches at 13 m. Tiddenham Stat. The ch. here is E. Eng., with Dec. portions, and has an Ang.-Norm. font, with a curiously moulded Norm, leaden bason of earlier date than 1100 a.d. From Tiddenham Stat. the line descends by a sharp incline towards Chepstow, commanding fine views of the Severn estuary and its sur- roundings to the 1., until a little out of Chepstow it forms a junction with the S. Wales section of the G. W. Rly., and runs into its stat/ 1 at Chepstow. F 2 03 IioUte 4. — Newport to Hereford. S. WAtE9.il.' destinations, containing steam-coa 1 for the London market, or for load I ROUTE 4. FROM NEWPORT TO HEREFORD, BY PONTYPOOL ROAD AND ABER- GAVENNY. (Great Western Railway.) Leaving the High Street Station, Newport, a branch of the G. W. R. now runs by Caerleon, Pontnewydd, and Panteg, to Pontypool Road, in an average space of \ hr., passing, about Caerleon, some pretty pastoral scenery, and here and there playing hide-and-seek with “trade’s unfeel- ing train.” On rt. is Llanfrechfa Grange (F. Mitchell, Esq.). 5 m. at Pontnewydd are the tin- plate works of the Messrs. Conway ; there are others at Pontrhyd-y-run, a little further on. Soon after- wards the line draws nearer to the mountains, which, losing their rather monotonous outline, break up into groups, between which mountain streams, with their primitive purity somewhat tarnished by the refuse of tin-works and collieries, rush down the wooded glens to join the A foil. The Monmouthshire rly. to Pontypool and Blaenafon soon after- wards parts company with the Great \Yestem, and the traveller arrives at 8 m. the busy Pontypool Road J uNCT., where much of the traffic from the Monmouthshire and Gla- morganshire collieries and iron- works converges rn route for Staf- fordshire, Ixnidon, and the North. Trains may be seen here in progress of making up for their various ing vessels at Liverpool. Fron hence is given off the important branch, which cuts lengthways through the coal-basin, and goet across to Quaker’s Yard, Aberdare, Merthyr, the Vale of Neath, and Swansea (Rte. 10). Here, also, passengers change foi Usk, Raglan, and Monmouth (Rte. 5). Close to the station are tin Pontymoile works, belonging to tin Ebbwvale Company, and Panteg tin-plate forge (Messrs. Strick), a well as steel-works, 1. Panteg is i rly. stat. On 1. are seen the beau tiful hanging woods of Pontypoo! Park (E. Hanbury Leigh, Esq.' (Rte. 6). Little Mill, 9 m., is the poinl whence the Usk and Monmouth rly diverges on the rt. On 1. is a pretty wooded chain of hills, forming tin lower shoulders of the Blorenge, tin huge mass of which, together witl the peak of the Sugar-loaf and tin abrupt escarpment of the Scyrrid 0) Holy Mountain, form a most charm ing view to the N. Underneath the hill (which i crowned by a look-out, or Folly belonging to the Pontypool Park), is the little sequestered ch. of Llan fihangel Pontymoile ; and furthei on Wocdfield ( — Eawrence, Esq.). Near Little Mill, on 1., close to tin line, is the Monmouthshire Reforma- tory School, and further on, thougl not seen, is Goytre, thereat of Col Byrde. 11 J m. Nant y deri Stat. (“ Brool of the Oaks ”), 2 m. from which, Ot rt., the Usk is crossed by a chip suspension-bridge. On the opi*>sit« Link of the river is Brynderwen, tin pretty seat of the Rev. W. Bruce, placed at the foot of a wooded liill crowned by the encampment 0: Coed y Bunedd, 1440 feet in cir cu inference. 3. Wales. 69 Boute 4 . — Newport to Hereford. The view from the summit, and ndeed from the turnpike-road from [Jsk to Abergavenny, is most lovely, particularly towards the W., which ommands the whole range of the Ilorenge, the sharp cone of the yjgar-loaf, and the more massive scyrrid, backed up by the distant putlines of the Black Mountains. In rt. is Pantygoitre (A. D. Ber- •ington, Esq.), and Llanvair Grange Mrs. Little), 14 m. rt. At Penper- jwm Stat., the line crosses the Usk lot far from the primitive -looking hurch of Llangattock. 1^ m. on 1. s Hanover Court (Lady Llanover), nd a little further on is the village f Llanellen, a sweet little spot .estling snugly under the slopes f the Blorenge. From hence a icturesque and varied 2 m. brings :ie traveller into the heart of lie Yale of Usk, at 18 m. Aber- avenny. (Rte. 12.) Passing t the back of the Lunatic Vsylum, from whence the views p the Usk towards Crickhowell re very fine, the railway soon oins the Tredegar and Merthyr ne of the London and North- western system at Abergavenny unct. (Rte. 11), and enters the alley, formed on the 1. by the utlying shoulders of the Sugar - iaf, 1856 ft. highland on the rt. y the Scyrrid Fawr, 1498 ft. high, r the great fissure. It is commonly ailed the Holy Mountain, and de- erves mention from the curious aperstitions connected with it, i erived from Romish times, and ot yet eradicated from the minds i f the Welsh peasantry. It receives I ts name from a fissure caused by a andslip dividing it into two un- 1 qual parts, and produced, accord- ig to the popular legend, by the j arthquake at the time of the rucifixion. Near the top once ;ood a small chapel, dedicated to t. Michael, and the resort in irmer times of large multitudes, hiefly Roman Qatholics of the lower classes, who repaired hither on Michaelmas eve on a pilgrim- age to the saint. Not very many years ago it was customary with the Welsh farmers and peasantry to send from a considerable distance for sack- loads of earth out of the fissure of the Holy Mount, which they sprinkled over their stables, pigsties, and even houses, to avert evil, especially re- serving portions of it to strew over the coffins and graves of themselves and their relatives. The view from the summit of the Scyrrid is magni- ficent, comprising a panorama of great extent — Newport, the Bristol Channel, and Somersetshire hills to the S., Hereford, the Woolhope range, Gloucester Cathedral, May Hill, the Rowley and Clent hills, and the Malverns to the E., with, on the N., the Church Stretton mountains, the Clee hills, the Stiperstones, and, on a very clear day, the Berwyns in Merionethshire. At the foot on the Abergavenny side is Llanddewi Ch. and Court (W. B. Partridge, Esq.). From Abergavenny Junct. it is a continuous incline up the valley of the Gavenny to Llanvihangel Crucorney. Opposite the junction is Maindiff Court (C. Bailey, Esq.). 21 m., on the 1., the line passes the quaint little ch. of Llantilio Per- tholey, with its irregular ground- plan. A curious deed is preserved here in the original desk, under three locks, containing a grant of pasturage and other liberties in the forest of Moyle, from Jasper, Duke of Bedford, as Lord of Aber- gavenny, to the parishes. On the opposite bank to the rly. is an old farmhouse — the White House, or Tygwyn, the former residence of the Floyer Family ; and further on under the Sugar-loaf, is Triley Court (T. P. Price, Esq., M.P.). Passing 1. the steep slopes of Bryn Erw , the train reaches Llanfihangel Crucorney private stat. 21 m. On rt. 70 Route 4 . — Llanthony Abbey. the fine timber denotes the situation of Llanfihangel Coart (the seat of the Hon. W. P. Rodney), chiefly re- markable for its magnificent avenue of Scotch firs, which are considered the finest in the kingdom, and for which, some sixty years ago, the Government 'offered 10,000/. The house is ancient, but the gable end facing the avenue and the terrace front were added, 1559, by the then possessor, Rhys Morgan, to the older building. It passed to the Arnolds, and thence to the Harleys, in the reign of Queen Anne, and from them to the present owner. 2 m. nearer Hereford, by road, is Campston Hill (an ancient encamp- ment) and Campston House (now a farmhouse), where Charles I. rested a night in passing through Mon- mouthshire. [Llanfihangel is the nearest stat. t*» $ Llanthony Abbey, about 6 m. distant on the 1. ; but as no convey- ance can be obtained at the village, it would be better for the non -pedes- trian visitor to start from Aberga- venny or even Hereford. Another route is from Talgarth, on the H.H. and Brecon line. The way lies up the valley of the brawling Honddu, and, not far from the station, passes through an avenue of fir tnxw planted by Jacobite residents in the neighbourhood. Some farm- houses of the name of Upper and Lower Stanton (Static Town) seem to |ioint to the Roman mad fmm Abergavenny (Oobanniutn) to Old Castle and Magna ( Kenchester). The views which greet the tra- veller at even* step are lovely, par- ticularly at Cwmyoy. 3 m., when? the mountains are almnet grand in their sudden curves and precipitous escarpment*. The eye ranges over long reaches in the Vale of Kwias. which becomes more secluded and solitary at every step, and impresses one strongly with the fitness of the locality for a conventual establish- S. Wale rnent. Llanthony. properly call ; by the Welsh “ Llonddewi Naif Honddu,” or the Church of David « the Honddu, stands in the Vale : Kwias, deep and silent in the lies of the Black Mountains, in the > angle of Monmouthshire, “the low. 1 karts of the hills and the walk itself,” as in the description 4 Giraldus, “ enrich ed with pleaad meadow*s, interspersed with con fields, and now and then enliven* with woods and coppices.” Th priory of Austin canons appeaio i be in point of style transitional fro. Norm, to K.K., and advancing inti W. front into fully developed K. 1 “ Except in the W. front it real conies nearest to the style of S David’s, being less advanced th that of Llandaff, but as all the prim pd arches are pointed, the generj effect has a nearer resemblance \ that of the last-mentioned cathedral — Freeman. The ruins show it i have been cruciform, with a centr ami two W. towers. The 3 loir stages of the latter, and the low stage of the W. front ri»nnccth| them remain tolerably |»erfect. T1 ruins are now the pmj>orty of U representatives of the late Walt Savage I .and or, who resided n* the abbey for some time. The * side of the nave, including fra* met)U of the triforium, remains ; b» the S. side is gone, as are also bo* aisles ; (tortions of the transept hew ever are standing, and a j»art of 0 central tower and choir. The or tral tower must always have b* very massive, and this impress!** enhanced m»w that its ui»|x»r port* is destroyed, and it only reach* little below the ajs»x of the no ami tli.it only on the W. and i aide. S. of, ami connected wi* the S. transept, is the (’liaplr lion**, now* ruined, an oblong n* with a |*olygonal K. end ; and Jot 1 ing the two is an oblong chambj 21 ft. by 11 ft., vaulted and gidoj and iu good preservation. At W 71 Boute 4 . — Llanihony Abbey. : S. Wales. S.W. comer of the quadrangle lay the Prior’s house, which, with the adjoining tower of the ch., forms the inn. A fragment of the lid of a tomb of E. E. date is supposed to have covered the bones of Walter, titular Earl of Hereford, who was buried in the Chapter-house. The whole length of the church was 212 ft., and of the transepts 96 ft. The breadth including the aisles — 50 ft. It appears from a very creditable plate given by Wyndham, in 1780, that at that time the whole nave, ex- cept the roof, remained ; and that the E. window was of Dec. date, no doubt an insertion in the place of lancet windows like those of the W. end. In 1800 the views given by Coxe were drawn, in which 2 stories of the central tower, clear of the roof, remained, and at the W. end, a triple window and 4 ranges of pointed arcades. The W. front fell in 1801-3, and much of the S. aisle and nave in 1837. The conventual building covered 7 acres enclosed within a wall. The ruins of the refectory remain, but the hospitium is a barn. There is also a curious vaulted sewer, and a vivarium or fishpond E. of the church. Leland states that this priory was originally a cell of the patron saint of Wales, in favour of which conjecture the name is the only tangible evidence. Southey, with a licence exceeding that of Laureates, affirms, “ Here was it, stranger, that the patron saint Of Cambria pass’d his age of penitence, A solitary man ; and here he made His hermitage, the roots his food, his drink Of Honddu’s mountain stream.” In 1100, in the reign of Henry I., William, a Norm, knight and retainer of De Lacy, who conquered the dis- trict of Ewias, retired hither to lead the life of an anchorite, and was joined, in 1103, by Ernisius, chap- lain to the “good Queen Maud.” Their joint ch., dedicated in 1108 to St. John the Baptist, is probably the Norm, parochial chapel of St. Da- vid’s, still standing, as does the priory, in the parish of Cwmyoy. Enriched by the De Lacys, and favoured by Henry, Maud, and the celebrated statesman and church-builder Roger Bishop of Sarum, 1107, a monastery was founded, of which Ernisius be- came 1st prior. Walter of Glouces- ter, Earl of Hereford and Constable of England, ended his days here in a monastic habit. Robert de Betun, miraculously called, became 2nd prior, and brought great store of sanctity, and some of worldly fame and pelf, to the house. In 1131 he became Bishop of Hereford. In the government of Robert de Braci, 3rd prior, the convent, being sorely beset by the insurgent Welsh, took advantage of a gift of lands from Milo Earl of Hereford, and the monks migrated to Gloucester in 1136, where they built and occupied a 2nd Llanthony near that city. The 4th prior was William of Wycombe. Clement, the 5th prior, ruled be- tween 1150-70, and made great ex- ertions to move the conventual esta- blishment back to Ewias. As it is evident that the present building is not earlier than his priorate, some have concluded it to have been wholly his work, constructed with a view to bring back his flock, and enable them to dwell in safety. After his death, however, the priory seems to have fallen into neglect ; and in the reign of Edward IV. a royal licence finally merged Llan- thony of Ewias in her daughter of Gloucester, alleging as a reason the turbulence of the people, and, proh pudor ! the irregular lives of John Adams the prior and his 4 canons. A particular interest attaches to this establishment on account of the con- temporary histories [of Prior Betun (1131), Prior William of Wycombe (1137), and one of its monks (from 1103 to 1203). It was also described by Giraldus Cambrensis (1188). An 72 Route 4 . — Pandy — Longtown. excellent historical account of the priory, with copious extracts from chronicles, was published by the Rev. G. Roberts, in the ‘ Arclueologia Cambrensis, ' vol. ii. , and also an architectural paper by E. A. Free- man, Esq., in the 3rd series of the same, vol. i. pp. 82-109. Mr. Free- man regards the approximate date of Llanthony Priory as 1200, and sees no evidence against a rebuilding, which architectural science renders certain, at that date. He suggests that it was probably rebuilt when the relations of the two foundations became finally settled, and the Mon- mouthshire Llanthony a distinct, if subordinate, foundation. Llanthony is a capital starting point for excursions amid the Black Mountains. The road continues up the valley for 4£ m. to the mountain village of Capel y Ffin, from whence a path across the escarpments of the Black Mountains leads to Hay (Rte. 16), about 14 m. from Llanthony. Near Capel y Ffin a monastery has been erected (1870), on a site where two valleys meet, of singular beauty, by the Rev. Mr. Lyne (Ignatius). Visitors are shown the church, and are offered refreshments by the hospitable brethren. Between the Priory* and Cwmyoy a path to 1. goes over the hill at Dial-garreg to Partrishow (Rte. 12) and Crick - howell, 7 m.] 24 m. Pandy Stat. On 1. are Tmri/n (J. Lilbum Rosher, Esq.), npprttfiched through a fine avenue of Hootch firs, and the farmhouse of Alt-yr-ynys, formerly a seat of the Cecil family, ancestors of the Mar- quises of Exeter and Salisbury. For some miles onwards the rly. runs in close proximity to the river Mon* now, and here and there some pretty views are to lie hail. Along its further bank runs a well-kept pri- vate road, which is still available (anomalously) to those who clioooe S. Wales. to pay toll for using it. [The Hat- terill, or Black Mountains, here \ sweep off to the 1. towards Old Castle and Longtown, two villages, each 3 possessing the fragments of a castle, i Old Castle is remarkable for having \ once been the residence of Sir John j Oldcastle, the martyr of the Lol- j lards. Longtown, or as it was called in 1 earlier times Ewyas Lacy, Castle, i was once an important link in the armed chain of fortresses erected I along the frontiers of England to j keep the rebellious Welsh within 1 their limits. It was the original I seat of the Lacys in the Marches I of Wales ; and passed by marriage 1 through the families of De Verdon, I Despenser, and Beauchamp, to the I Nevilles, Earls of Abergavenny, I whose property it still is. The keep I is thought to have been built prior I to the Conquest. Of its ruin, enough remains to disclose its original form. An outer wall, composed of mould I and stones, raised at least to the I height of 20 ft. , enclosed about I 1U0 yards square, in the N.W. angle of which, on a keep somewhat higher than the wall, stood a circular j tower, of which the greater portion remains. The walls are very thick, 1 being composed of hard stone dug I up in lamiiuc, not much exceeding 1 a common file in thickness. The I area enclosed within the outer wall ] was equally divided by a ditch I brought to the level of the ground j on the outside from N. to H. The 1 part towards the W. was also divided in the contrary direction by a strong wall, through which a communica- tion was oj>ened between the inner I and outer courts by an arched gate- 1 way, having circular pillars of great strength projecting on each side.] Passing rt. the little modest ch. 3 of Llangua, occupying the site of an alien Priory of Black Monks, and ! Monmouth Cap, once a celebrated j inn, and now, after several inuta- j 73 4 ■ ). Wales. Boute 4. — Pontrilas — Abbey Dore Church . tons, a farmhouse, the traveller rrives at 29 m. Pontrilas Stat. , a little to 1. f which is Pontrilas Court , a fine Id Elizabethan mansion, which has >f late years been from time to time et as an hotel, much frequented by .nglers ; at present it is kept as a )oarding-house for angling parties. The Dore, Kent, and Monnow are mongst the best trout streams in he country. The scenery in the neighbourhood is of a broken and ovely character. [An excursion can be taken on 1. ip the Golden Valley, so called from lie river Dore, which runs through t. This is, however, a curious mis- lomer, as the Dore is, in reality, tothing more than “dwr,” the old iritish name for water. 1J m. Ewias Harold, a very pic- uresque village of historical inte- est. In the wall of the small E. E. h., which has a massive tower of wo stages, the uppermost lighted by in E. E. window of three lights, was .'ound the heart of a lady enclosed in i casket, which must have reposed here for upwards of 500 years. It was usual, during the middle ages, .0 place the hearts of founders and nenefactors in this kind of reliquary, -'lear the ch. is the site of the ancient Castle, of which Leland writes : — : ‘ The fame is that it was builded by Harold before he was kynge ; and when he overcame the Welsch men, Harold gave this castell to his bas- tard. Great part yet standynge, and a chapel in it. There is a vil- lage by the castell, called Ewis Harolde.” In the Domesday surveys the Castle of Ewias is said to be held of King William by Alured de Merleberge. The name of Harold is held by Mr. Fowle and Mr. Robin- son to point to Harold, son of Ralph, sometime Earl of Hereford, but dis- placed by the Conqueror. Symonds, the antiquary, who visited Ewias Harold in 1645 with a detachment of the royal army, speaks of the castle as in the main ruinous and gone. Certainly it is so now. 2J m. Abbey Dore Ch., an interest- ing edifice amidst fields and woods, at the S. extremity of a fertile valley watered by the river Dore. The monastery, of which the ch. is the only relic, was founded by Robert of Ewias and son of Harold, Lord of Ewias, for monks of the Cistercian order. All the conventual buildings were destroyed, with the exception of one small gable and some ruined walls. The nave of the ch. is also gone, except one arch ; but what remains is very fine. The style throughout is E.E., and of that beautiful type in which the capitals are usually found with a square abacus, and the foliage still retains a Norm, character. The existing portions of the ch. consist of the transept, choir with aisles, and 5 chapels to the E. of it. At what was once the intersection of the nave and transept, are 4 lofty arches of great span. E. of each transept are 2 arches, one leading into the choir aisle. The choir consists of 3 bays, each containing a large lancet window. The most beautiful and characteristic part of the ch. is to the E. of the choir, where is a double aisle, divided by 4 clustered columns and lighted by lancet window's. These chapels and aisles are vaulted, as were also the choir and transept, although these latter have now a flat w r ooden roof. There are several piscinae and ambreys worth notice, and some hinges of beautiful work- manship on the door in the N. aisle of the choir. In the N. wall is the small effigy of a supposed boy bishop (13th cent.), though it has been suggested that it perhaps indicates that here is buried the. heart of Bishop John Breton of Hereford of that date. In two of the E. chapels are some altar-tombs of later date 74 Route 4. — Rowlstone Church — Garway. S. Wales. than the ch., with figures of knights in chain-armour. The tower is ab- normally placed in the S.E. angle of the choir, which is 84 ft. long, 32 ft. broad, and 46 in height. The com- munion table is a remarkable slab, 12 ft. long and 4 broad, said to have been the slab of the original high altar, and to have been rescued from a dairy to which it had been trans- ferred. Above the altar are windows filled with painted glass of a very superior kind, and under it are some coloured paving-tiles with raised patterns. The rich screen dividing the chancel and nave exhibits the arms of England, the see of Here- ford, and John, Viscount Scudamore, by whose liberality the transept was new roofed and the building repaired. On the return to Pontrilas, a de- tour on the 1. may be made of 1 b m. to the interesting little Ch. of Rowlstone. The nave is Norm., with a curious tympanum over the doorway (temp. Henry II.), repre- senting our Saviour seated, sur- rounded by an elliptical amide, sup- ported by angels. The chancel arch has several figures, two of which have their heads downwards, sup- posed to represent St. Peter cruci- fied. The continuation of the moulding of the arch down to the jambs, both here and at the door- way, without any break, is an Irish and Welsh feature. The ch. was dedicated to St. Peter, and it is be- lieved that this is referred to by the sculpture of several cocks. In the chancel are two extraordinary pieces of iron-work, considered by archeeo- logists to be intended for candelabra. These are attached to the N. and S. walls of the chancel, and are orna- mented with cocks, rude fleurs-de- lis, and sockets for candles. It has been conceived that their original position was on the top of the screen. In the ch. is a Bible in Welsh, printed in 1588. [On rt. about 1} m. arc Kent- church village and Court (the resi- dence of Col. Scudamore), a castel- $ lated mansion, from designs by 1 4 Nash, replacing a quaintly irregular \ house, of which one tower remains, and situated in an extensive deer- park on the western slope of Garway Hill. In the interior is a portrait of J ohn of Kent, who is much associ- ' ; ated with this district. The Scuda- 1 mores have been seated here since * I at the 14th centy., and a Sir John - Scudamore married a daughter of I si Owain Glyndwr, who is supposed to " have been identical with the mys- I in terious John-a-Kent or Gwent. The I tr court is approached by a long elm lii avenue. The walls of the church Iti are covered with memorials of this oi family. S I si The village of Garway has some I si interesting remains. The tower of t the ch. is detached, and stands at a considerable angle to the nave, to the N. corner of which it is joined li by a short passage. The chancel I arch is Norm., the shafts having e plain capitals. The outline of its i soffit is cut so as to form a series of : small projecting trefoils, affording ] a somewhat Saracenic look, which ! accords with the associations of the Knights Templars with Garway, J where they established a Preceptory a in the 12tli centy. The old altar forms part of the chancel pavement, and there are some good early crosses in slab. The Dovecot is a curious and almost unique building of the 14th centy. It is entered on the S. by an arched doorway. Ac- commodation was provided for 500 doves. In the 14th compartment from the floor are certain crosslets and marks pertaining to the order of the Hospitallers, who succeeded the Templars in the occupation of Gar- way. In the compilation of John Stillingfleet, in 1433, it is enume- rated as “totam terram de lange careway,” or Elan Garway. It w not mentioned by Leland or Camden, but by Silas Taylor, who wrote au S. Wales. Route 4. — Grosmont — St. Devereux. 75 account of Herefordshire during the Protectorate, and mentions that there were “ stately ruins and re- ligious houses.” There was formerly a tradition that the ch. was used as a prison in Border fights, and the belfry for condemned malefactors. 1| m. further are Grosmont vil- lage and castle, situated on an emi- nence on the rt. bank of the Mon- now, in a most picturesque position at the foot of the Graig Hill. That it was originally a place of importance is evident from the traces of causeways issuing from the village, and also from a market being still kept up. The Church, of Transition Norm., is of unusual size, consisting of a nave, aisles, tran- sept, and chancel, with an octagonal tower and spire. It is cruciform in plan with a central tower. The chancel has been rebuilt on the old lines of its first erection in 1261. In the nave is a gigantic recumbent effigy of a knight, left by the sculptor in an early stage of his work. The celebrated necromancer, John of Kent, is said to have been buried here. Of the castle, once the favou- rite residence of the Dukes of Lancaster, the remains are not very extensive, consisting principally of a gateway, and baronial hall lighted by 5 windows. It is surrounded by a large moat. There is also a beautiful Dec. chimney-shaft of the 14th centy., similar to the one at St. Briavel’s Castle (Rte. 3). The fortress was invested by Llewelyn, but was relieved by Henry III., on whose arrival the Welshmen “ saved their lives by their legges.” Gros- mont was one of the chain of forts along the line of the Welsh Marches, between Skeiifrith and Oldcastle. 1 m. S. of Grosmont is the Graig hill, which, although of no very great height, is a striking object in Monmouthshire landscapes, on ac- count of its isolation ; and on the other side of it is Skenfrith Castle, a fortress of a trapezium form, sur- rounded by a curtain wall with towers and a circular keep, which is unconnected with the curtain. The tower, about 40 ft. high and 36 ft. in diameter, stands on a low artificial mound in a low and marshy position. The walls are in good condition but the upper stages are ruined. The Castle was a place of strength before it was adopted by the Norman inva- ders, who converted it into the S.E. point of the celebrated Monmouth- shire Trilateral, Grosmont and Whitecastle being the two others. “ Three castles fayre are in a goodly ground, Grosmont is one, on hill it buildc-d was ; Skenfrith the next, in valley it is found, The soyle about for pleasure there doth pepe. "Whit-Castle is the third, of worthie fame, The country round doth bear Whit-Castle’s name ; A statelie seate, a lofty princelie place, "Whose beauty gives the simple soyle some grace. ’ ’ — Ch i 1 rchyard. Skenfrith was a position of great importance so long as the Border warfare lasted, but after the settle- ment of the country by Edward I. seems to have fallen rapidly into ruin. It belongs to the Duchy of Lancaster. From hence to Mon- mouth (Rte. 3) it is 7 m., passing on 1. Hilstone House (Mrs. Hamil- ton).] Directly after leaving Pontrilas on rt. is a charcoal factory, where also pyroligneous acid is extracted. On 1. is Kender Church, recently restored, which has a good wood roof, on the summit of a small elevation. 1 m. distant is Wormb ridge Ch., which contains monuments to the Clive family. 32 m. St. Devereux Stat. On an eminence on rt. are the scanty re- mains of Kilpeck Castle (of which all that remains is a part of the wall which enclosed the keep, and a part of the old moat) and Church, the S. Wales. 76 Route 5 . — Ncioportto Monmouth . latter one of the purest and most interesting specimens of Norm, architecture that is to be found in Great Britain. Mr. Freeman notes Irish influence in the peculiar inter- laced {witterns of the ornaments of the jambs of the S. door and W. windows. It was founded, together with a priory, now destroyed, by Hugh Fitzwilliam, and in 1134 was made over to St. Peter’s Abbey at Gloucester. Its most remarkable features are the chancel, which is in the form of an apex ; the corbel table all round the building, which includes upwards of 74 designs of heads, human figures, and beasts ; and the doorway, which is deco- rated with zigzag, nailhead, and star mouldings, and has on the tym- panum a representation of the Tree of Life without the figures of ani- mals as supporters. The wall in the immediate neighbourhood is covered with elaborate ornaments. The church was most scrupulously restored in 1848 by the late Mr. Cottingham. 1 m. from Kilpeck on the rt. are Mynde Park (T. Symons, Esq.), Bryngwyn, and Lyston (J. Rankin, Esq.), and the long ranges of Saddlebow and Orcop Hills. On 1. 2 m. is Whitfield (Rev. Archer Clive), once the residence of Mr. Booth, the eminent conveyancer. The mansion and park have been much improved by the present owner. Here lived for many years in the pursuits of literary culture and the exercise of charity, Mrs. Archer Clive, the author of ‘ Paul Ferroll.’ There are some very re- markable trees, both deciduous and coniferous, the taxodium, silver firs, and Sal is burin esj>ecially. 35 in. Tram Inn Stat., near which on 1. is Allensmore (E. Pateshall, Esq., M.I\), and the E. Eng. eh., which contains some Norm, work, a little {tainted glass of the 15th centy., and some good monuments, much injured. Soon afterwards the spires of $ Hereford rise in the distance, and the railway makes a sudden curve to the rt. by a loop line, which connects it with the Hereford and Gloucester Rly. [For description of Hereford, see Handbook for Herefordsh ire. ] ROUTE 5. FROM NEWPORT TO MONMO’JTH, BY USK AND RAGLAN. From Newport to Pontypool Road Junct., see Rte. 4. From the latter station the train proceeds as though to Abergavenny, but turns to the rt. at Little Mill, from whence the railway runs to Usk imme- diately across the Usk Silurian valley of elevation, which like that of Woolhope in Herefordshire (Rte. 3) protrudes in a pear-sha{)ed dome through the Old Red Sandstone. Passing rt. Cefn Ila(E. Lister, Esq.) and 1. Beechhill (G. Relph, Esq.), situated most charmingly on a wooded hill overlooking the river, the tourist reaches 4 m. £Usk, a pleasant, sleepy little town, exquisitely placed on the 1. bank of the river of the same name. Usk is a well-known locality for anglers, the number of salmon that are caught here, in favourable states of the water, being very large. Overhanging the town, above the Abergavenny road, are the ivy- clad ruins and round tower of the Castle, which adds verj' much to the beauty of the villa of F. Mqcdonqell, S. Wales. 11 Boute 5. — TJsk — Esq., which stands below it. It formerly belonged to the Clares, and subsequently to Edward IV., Richard III. (who are said, but erroneously, to have been born here, though it was a favourite resort of Richard, Duke of York, their sire), Henry VII., and William Earl of Pem- broke, from whose female descen- dant’s son by her husband Thos., Viscount Windsor, it passed by purchase to the Duke of Beaufort. It sustained numerous devastations at the hands of Owain Glyndwr. The ruins consist of a shell, enclos- ing a court, and some outworks to the W., formed by two walls strengthened at their junction by a round tower. At the end of the S. wall is a grand pointed gateway grooved for a portcullis ; and an extant chamber of the castle shows an arched window, and a fireplace with a more recent chimney. The Church is a large embattled struc- ture, formerly attached to a priory of Benedictine nuns, and contains, affixed to a screen, a brass plate with an inscription, on the reading of which antiquaries are divided. * Usk was doubtless a place of some antiquity, and is supposed to have been the Burrium of the Romans ; there are besides an unusual number of camps and ancient fortifications in the vicinity — the chief of which are Craig-y-gaercyd, about 2 m. to the N.W., close to Llancayo ; Court- y-gaer, near Wolves Newton ; Gaer- fawr, between Usk and Chepstow (Rte. 1) ; Campwood, 2J m. on the Raglan road, and Coed-y-Bunedd upon the hill above Clytha. Near the gaol also have been found Roman querns and remains of pottery. [About \ m. from the town, on the Caerleon road, is Llanbaddock ch. 3 m. rt. is Llangibby Castle (William Addams Williams, Esq.), said to have been built by Inigo * For copy and probable trsn/L/on, see Haines, ‘ Mon. Brasses/ p. 243. ■Raglan Castle . Jones, and the ancient seat of the Williams family. On an overgrown hill at the back of the house are the scanty remains of the old Castle, of which the outer walls can be traced. It was formerly called Traygrug, and was possessed by the Earls of Gloucester, of the line of Clare. Tredonnock church (4J m.) contains a Roman inscription to a soldier of the 2nd Augustan legion. On the opposite hill is Bertholey, a seat of the Batemans.] Over the Usk is a picturesque stone bridge of five arches, from which there is a de- lightful prospect of the hills towards Abergavenny. The Usk and Olwey are famous for the good fishing they afford. From Usk the railway continues its course up the valley of the Olwey, through a pleasant undu- lating country, to Llandenny Stat., 7 m., and passes 1. Cefntilla, the estate and residence of Lord Raglan. This house was the headquarters of Fairfax during the siege of Raglan Castle. 9J m. is Raglan Stat., at which the visitor to $ Raglan Castle must quit the train. In the centre of the village is the Church, an uninterest- ing building of debased Perp. In- side are the monuments of the Somerset family, comprising those of William, 3rd Earl of Worcester, 1589 ; Edward, 4th Earl, 1628 ; and Edward, 2nd Marquis of Worcester, author of ‘ The Century of Inven- tions,’ 1667. About i m. from the village are the ruins of the Castle, standing upon rising ground, yet well-nigh hidden within a grove of venerable trees. The entrance gateway is placed be- tween two angular towers, remarkable for their bold triple machicolations, resembling those of an Italian castle. The present Raglan was not begun before the reign of Henry V. : it therefore exhibits one of the latest forms of the feudal castle passing 78 S. Wat .is. Bowie 5 . — Raglan Castle. into the taodorn Btyle of fortification. Its grey towers, planted with the angles pointed outwards, are an approximation to the bastions of modern fortresses. On the 1. of the entrance rises the hexagonal keep, a noble and lofty pile of masonry, called the “ Yellow Tower of Gwent.” It stands outside the main castle on the south side, and is con- sidered to be older than the rest of the building. Each of its six sides measures 32 ft., the walls of red sandstone being 10 ft. thick and five stories high. It stands within an outer circuit of low curtains and bastions within a broad moat. One side of it was blown up by order of Cromwell, but the staircase remains, and from the top a good view can be gained of the surrounding country, including on the E. the Kymin Hill above Monmouth, and on the W. the Blorenge, Scyrrid, and Sugar Loaf beyond Abergavenny. It was within the moat that the ingenious author of ‘The Century of Inventions,’ Lord Herbert, erected some curious waterworks, which on one occasion, at the beginning of the Long Parlia- ment, were made to play upon certain troublesome Puritans who had en- tered the castle to search for arms — my lord being a papist — “ by which, when the several engines and wheels were set going, much quantity of water, through the hollow’ convey- ances of aqueducts, was to be let down from the top of the high tow’or. ” It is not improbable that this was “the stupendous water-commanding engine ” which formed the last article in the ‘Century of Inventions,’ and which contained, in fact, the germ of the steam-engine. After the Restoration such an engine was erected by the Marquis at Vauxh&li, where it was seen by Cosino de Medici in 1669. In 1663 the marquis obtained a patent for 99 years for this engine ; but if the Raglan engine, erected “ at the beginning of the Long Par- liament,” was really the same, this gives a much earlier date to the invention. — See ‘Apophthegms of the Marquis of Worcester.’ The drawbridge which connected this tow er w ith the rest of the castle has been destroyed and replaced by a bridge of planks. This keep-tower is supposed to have been added by the first marquis in the reign of James I. or Charles I. The rest of the edifice v^us probably built by Sir William i&p^Thomas and his son, the friend and favourite of Edward IV., created by him Earl of Pem- broke, the first of that title of the name of Herbert, from whose family it passed to the Beauforts by the marriage of Sir Charles Somerset,! their ancestor, with Elizabeth,# granddaughter of the Earl of Pern-, broke. The entrance-gateway, before de- scribed, leads into the first court, now’ carpeted with greensward and surrounded by ivy -mantled walls and towers. At the further end, opj>o- • site the gate, was the kitchen, occu- pying the low’er story of a penta- gonal tower, and provided with a wide fireplace. Below it is a sort of cellar, called the Wet Larder. On the rt. is the breach made by the batteries of Sir Thomas Fairfax, from one of which. 4, and from an- * other 2 mortars, carrying grenade*, oi)ened upon the walls at a distance of 60 yds. The memorable siege of 1646 by the forces of the Parliament deserves a more detailed notice. It was provoked, no doubt, by the de- termined “ malignancy ” of the loyal old marquis, who had twice giveu an asylum here to Charles I. after Naseby, in 1645, had entertained Prince Charles subsequently, and was a thorn in the sides of the Parliamentarians in Monmouthshire.! It was commenced in the spring of that year by Sir Trevor Williams and Col. Morgan, but 2 months later was taken in hand more warmly and skilfully by Fairfax, who, having ». Wales. 79 Route 5.— Raglan Castle* ' finished his work over the kingdom xcept this castle,” marched from >ath in August with all the material ecessary for c ‘ reducing the garrison ) the obedience of the Parliament.” he veteran Marquis of Worcester, hen in his 84th year, had already lade enormous sacrifices of men ad money in the cause of his un- irtunate master, and had equipped ad maintained at his own charge ti army of 1500 foot and 500 horse, rough to little profit, since they were luted without striking a blow before l-loucester. He now, with his aughter-in-law the Countess of ' lamorgan, his 6th son, Lord Charles, is chaplain Dr. Bailey, and a few rusty friends, underwent all the pri- ations of a siege, and with a garri- m amounting at first to 800 men, oldly determined to resist to the ist the attack of the enemy. For bove 2 months the defence was laintained with unflinching bold- ess and determination. Several immonses to surrender were firmly ifused. To one of these, made by Jol. Morgan, and backed by what e would have had the marquis elieve was “a true copy of his Ma- isty’s warrant to several garrisons i yield upon terms,” he replied, “ Truly, sir, it is not in the power of lan to make me think so unworthily £ his Majesty : that to one, in the pinion of the world, that hath given imself and family so great a demon- oration and testimony of his and their aith and fidelity towards them, that e would not please so much as to ame his name or Raglan, I entreat ou give me leave to suspend my elief . And for your second summons, - makes it too evident that it is de- bed that I should die under a hedge, he a beggar, having no home left to ut my head into, nor means left to nd me bread. Wherefore, to give ou answer, I make choice (if it so lease God) rather to die nobly than ) live with infamy.” At length the near approach of the )vered ways of the enemy’s engi- neers, now acting under the vigorous orders of Fairfax, the effects of the cannonade, the dimunition of the garrison from 800 to about 400, and the dearth of powder and provisions, compelled the marquis to listen to terms. The parliamentary general granted favourable conditions, and on the 19th of August the garrison marched out with flying colours, after a siege of 10 weeks. The Par- liament, however, refused to ratify the articles granted by Fairfax. The aged marquis, already on the verge of the grave, was despatched to Lon- don and committed to the custody of Black Rod. He survived his mis- fortunes less than half a year ; and Raglan, shattered by the siege and further demolished by its captors, has never again been made habitable ; though after the Restoration the estates, shorn of their beauty, and diminished in value, were recovered by the family. The chief cause of its destruction, however, was the depredations of the peasantry, who for years resorted to the castle as to a quarry, and built out of it their houses, barns, and pigsties, until when the Duke of Beaufort inter- fered to preserve what remained of it, 23 staircases had thus been de- molished or removed. The ruins are now under the custodianship of Raglan Somerset, Esq., the warder, who is most zealous, not only in keeping it in order, but in ferreting out and restoring interesting little details of architecture. On the 1. hand, or W. side of the first court, stands the great hall, in the Tudor style, still distinguished by its large Oriel window, but within, reduced to bare walls, with remains of a large fireplace on One side and the arms and motto of the first mar- quis and last occupier of this castle (“ Mutare vel timere sperno ”), now nearly effaced. The buttery-hatches, by which provision -dishes were con- veyed to the banqueting-board, still 80 Route 5 . — Raglan Castle — Dingesioic. S. Wales. remain in the end wall. Side by side with the hall is the chapel, almost entirely stripped, except two caryatid figures, perhaps part of a chimney-piece. These two apart- ments divided the 1st court from the 2nd or Fountain Court, so called from a fountain, adorned with a statue of a white horse, of which no traces remain. On one side of it is the grand staircase and entrance (in the style of James I. or Charles I.) which led to the state apartments. Those in the N.E. angle of the court, still marked by “ King Charles’s win- dow,” were occupied by the un- fortunate Charles I. during his two visits here, when a wanderer after Naseby in June and Sept. 1645. On his 2nd visit he received the news of the base surrender of Bristol by his nephew Rupert, the final blow to the royal cause. The long series of services of the house of Somerset to the cause and person of Charles were but ill-requited by his son. The old marquis had expended nearly 60,000L in equipping armies for the king to an extent which scarce any other nobleman in the country could have accomplished ; he had seen his castle demolished by his enemies, his estates and re- venues, to the amount of 20,000L a year, confiscated, and he died a prisoner. His son, and successor in the liiarquisate, Edward Somerset, the author of the * Century of Inven- tions,’ and the first person who had a vision of the great discovery of the steam-engine, was bom at Raglan, and after many years spent in the service of Charles I. accompanied his successor in his exile, and, by un- dertaking for him a dangerous mis- sion to England, incurred a long imprisonment in the tower. At the Restoration, he received back his estates in an impoverished condition, but was compelled to surrender an extraordinary patent for a duke- dom granted to him “in preju- dice of the peers,” and never could obtain the smallest indemnification for the sums which he and hi.- father had expended in the cause ol the Stuarts. Under a considerable portion of the buildings, on the W. side of the Fountain Court, run subterranean chambers, which ro- mantic tourists regard as dungeons,* but they are nothing more than cellars, sewers, or sinks. A gate^ tower leads out of this second court upon the terrace, pointed out Charles I.’s Walk, and commanding a pretty prospect. Here were plea- sure-grounds and fish-ponds ; and it is not improbable that a consider- able lake, formed by damming uj the rivulets, contributed to the strength of the castle on this side.. The ancient deer-parks are now en- closed. Raglan Castle is a famous locality for picnic parties, many of which come from a very long distance ; it is also the head-quarters of the Raglan Archers (who meet here 3 times a year, and have a very com- fortable permanent tent), as well a* a favourite rendezvous of archil ologists. 13 m. Dingestow Stat. On rt., } in., is Dingestow Church, close to which are slight traces of the castle, a former residence of the Earl of Pembroke in the 15th centy. Dingestow Court (S. R. Bosanquet, Esq.) is an old mansion of the date of 1623, enlarged and refronted in stone in Elizabethan style abol 1846. It was once the residence Of the Jones family and afterwards of the Duberlys. About 1 m. to the back is Treowain, once the chief seat of the Herbert® of Llanarth, dating from about the 1 1th centy. ; but the present house was built (it is said by Inigo Jones) early in the 17th centy. The front has lx?en lowered a story, and a coa-< tinuous roof substituted for the gables. It has a beautiful porch, i over the entrance of which is a S. Wales. Boute 6 . — Newport to Brynmawr . 81 shield of the Herbert family, with 9 quarterings. In Henry VI. ’s reign it was held by the King, and called the Manor of Wonewastow. It then belonged to a family named Le Gallys, or Wallis, from whom it came into that of Huntley by mar- riage, and has since descended to the Herberts. The porch seems to be an after- thought. The windows are square - headed and divided by mullions and transoms. Above the doorway is a compartment decorated with cary- atid figures and Ionic columns, in the centre of which are the quarter- jmgs of Jones of Treowen, Corbet, Milo Fitzwalter, Bernard N ewmarch, A.p Adam of Beverstone, Ynywr y Gwent, Huntley, Hastings, and Wal- is. In the interior is a carved and panelled oak screen, and a good stair - :ase of solid oak. On 1. 14 \ m. is Wonastow Church biid Court, the latter, an old manor- touse of the 16th centy., garrisoned or the King in the Civil Wars, but urrendered by treachery ( — Prit- hard, Esq.). 15 m. Mitchel Troy. The Church, v r hich is on the rt., is Dec., and s r ith the old yews, has a picturesque ppearance. The churchyard, which s entered by a lich-gate, contains slender cross of great antiquity, irved with mystic characters. In he wall of the S.W. angle of the ower is an inscription supposed to efer to the founders, and in the iterior a handsome Communion- ible, brought from Italy. Crossing the little river Trothy, a rt. is Troy House, the seat of ie Duke of Beaufort, a respect- ole mansion with a huge roof, ad an interior remarkable for its mcious apartments, costly paint- igs, and antiquarian curiosities, laced under the shelter of a hill, ad by the side of the Trothy, from hence it derives its name. It is I [£. Wales.'] said to have been built by Inigo Jones, and contains some family portraits of the Herberts, Somer- sets, &c. , including Lord Herbert of Cherbury when a boy, and the Mar- quis of Worcester, the defender of Raglan ; also two old oak chimney- pieces, one curiously carved with scriptural subjects, and of the earlier half of the 17th cent. A cradle, said to be that in which Henry V. of Monmouth was rocked, and a suit of armour worn by him at Agincourt, were at one time shown ; but they seem to be of a more recent date. There is a good specimen of Eliza- bethan ceiling and cornice in one room, and a panelling of the time of James I. in the adjoining one. A letter is extant written by Charles I. to the contemporary owner of Troy, in which he likens that residence to its namesake on the Simois, making mention of its diverse attractions, especially its fruit-gardens. On a hill overlooking the rly. on 1. is Gibraltar (A. Rolls, Esq.). 16 m. Monmouth Stat. (Rte. 3), 1 m. from the town. The line is now extended to Ross, and, according to the original intention, to Coleford and the Forest of Dean. ROUTE 6, FROM NEWPORT TO BRYNMAWR, BY PONTYPOOL AND BLAENAFON- For the rly. between Pontypool and Pontrhydyrun Stat. , by the Monmouthshire line, see Rte. 4. G 82 Route 6. — Pontypool — Abersychan. S. Wales. Soon after passing the latter stat. , the Great Western line to Aberga- venny and Hereford is given off to Pontypool ltoad, the Blaenafon rly. keeping to the 1. up the valley to the busy iron town of $ Pontypool, 8J m., which in point of situation yields to none in Wales. Few towns have so improved in appearance of late years, a fact probably owing to the long personal residence of the late Lord - Lieut, of the county, C. Hanbury Leigh, Esq., at Pontypool Park, who, with a noble munificence, presented the inhabitants with a very handsome Toicn-hall, of Italian architecture. The streets and shops have in con- sequence much improved, though the former still retain a good deal of the characteristic iron-work dirt about them. Iron and tin-works em- ploy a large population, and Ponty- pool has the credit of being one of the very earliest seats of the iron trade, which was commenced in 1560 by an ancestor of the Lord-Lieut., one Rich. Hanbury, a goldsmith of the city of London. As coal was not then used in the smelting of iron, he employed charcoal, to obtain which many hill-sides, now bare, were de- spoiled of their timber. It is said that, at the time of Mr. Hanbury’s undertaking, the whole of the mineral property was let for 9s. 4 cl. This town also attained Celebrity in the reign of Charles II. for the manufacture of japan ware by Mr. Allgood, which obtained a great sale under the name of Pontypool ware. “ Hardware from Birmingham and Pont-y-pool ” is spoken of in the works of a modern poet ; and to this old staple of the town may be re- ferred the proverb, ‘ 1 As round as a Pontypool waiter.” This trade, how- ever, has long been extinct. The Park (T. Capel Hanbury, Esq.) is pleasantly situated on the rt. of the town, from which it is separated by the river, and the beauty of the lawns and woods which surround it on every side proves that iron-work smoke is by no means fatal to vege- tation. The house contains some family portraits. It is a charming walk, up the hill-side, skirting the park to the Folly, on one of the slopes of the Blorenge which com- mands a magnificent view, extending over the Bristol Channel into Somer- setshire and Devonshire. Other beautiful excursions may be made to Crumlin, 5 m. (Rte. 10), or along the ridges of the Mynydd Maen to Twm Barlwm mountain, which over- hangs Risca, and is believed to have been the site of an early British court of assize. The visitor should also ascend the wooded hill to the rt. (crossing the Afon) to Trevethin ch. , the mother ch. of the district, restored in 1847. It contains a baptistery for adults ; and in the ch.-yd. are some rather quaint epitaphs. The view is ex- quisite. The walk may be extended to any length on the brow of the hill, and a descent may be made upon Abergavenny by Llanover or Llan- ellen villages. The distance would be about 7 or 8 m. 9J m. Pontnewynydd Stat. On 1. are iron forges, which have been at a stand for some years. It is a charm- ing walk up the valley of Cwmddu on the 1. — a deep sequestered dingle that runs far into the heart of the Llanhilleth mountain. 10 J m. Abersychan Stat. Here are the large Jiritish works, belong- ing to the Ebbw Vale Company, which employ a large number of people. Although in a naturally splendid situation, Abersychan is a dirty place, and the mountains of slag quite alter the face of the country. Still on the 1., at the head of the streamlets of the Syclmn and the Ffrwd, are beautiful little glens, almost shut in by the hills, and well S. Wales. Bonte 7 . — Newport worthy of being explored by the lover of mountain scenery. On the high ground above Aber- sychan are the Golynos iron-works, and the Varteg coal- works. 12 1 m. CwmavonStat. The valley is very narrow here, only affording room for the river and the rly. 15 m. Blaenafon Stat., the termi- nus of this portion of the Monmouth- shire Company’s lines, known as the Eastern valleys. Blaenafon has now become a very large place, de- pendent entirety on the iron and steel works, which are carried on on a most extensive scale. The greater part of the town and the old furnaces are on the E. bank of the Afon, but the most recent and important part of the establishment is on the W. side, where large mills and furnaces have been erected. The Blaenafon iron has always been in good reputation in the market, from its capability of bearing strain. A road of 6 m. runs over the Blo- renge to Abergavenny, passing Garn- dyris, where the old mills and forges were once carried on. From hence there is one of the finest views in South Wales, looking up the Vale of Usk to Crickhowell and Llan- gynider. But it is a still wilder walk by the mountain road to Llan- ellen, passing at the head of Cwm Llanellen, so sequestered and iso- lated that it might be in the wilds of Scotland, instead of close to a great manufacturing district. From Blaenafon new works, the London and North-Western Railway Company have a branch line run- ning over the mountain by Garn- erw, and joining the Merthyr and Tredegar line at Brynmawr Junct. (Rte. 11). to Nantyglo and FMwvale . 83 ROUTE 7. FROM NEWPORT TO NANTYGLO AND EBBWVALE, BY CRUMLIN AND ABERBEEG. The great iron districts at the head and in the valleys of the Ebbw Fawr and Fach (Great and Little Ebbw), are placed in communica- tion with the shipping port of New- port by the Western Valley lines of the Monmouthshire Company. They are seldom visited by tourists, who do not know what they miss ; and although almost every step of the way is marked by collieries, iron-works, tin-plate forges, coke-ovens or manu- factories of some kind, nothing can rob the mountains of their rugged sides, or of the beautiful foliage that dresses them, and descends with trailing branches to the very banks of the river. Soon after quitting Newport, and getting on 1. a distant peep of the docks and the Somersetshire coast near Clevedon, the line runs through Tredegar Park, the seat of Lord Tredegar (Rte. 1), a good view being obtained of the house, which was built by Inigo Jones. The Park Mile, as it is called, yields his lordship a handsome sum annually for tolls. The Park is beautifully wooded, and there are many charming little bits of river and woodland scenery. 3 m. Bassaleg Junct., where the Rhymney and Brecon line (Rte. 9) is given off, placing Newport in connection with the Mid- Wales sys- tem. Bassaleg Ch. is a venerable old building on 1. with an embattled tower. There are some ancient earthworks on the hill above, and G 2 84 Boate 7 . — Tydee — Crumlin. • S. Wales. the site of Rogerston Castle, very near the line, and the tin-plate works of the same name. To the rt. , within the precincts of Tredegar Park, is the old camp of Maes-y- gaer, worth a visit from the an- tiquary. 4 m. Tydee Stat. There are tin- plate works on the 1. Passing 1. Pontymister tin-plate works, the train reaches 6J m. Risca Junct., where the Tredegar and Sirhowy Rly., a line of 15 m., through a valley rich in minerals (Rte. 8), is given off, placing Newport in connection with the London and North-Western sys- tem at Nantybwch. Close to the rly. on 1. is a pretty Dec. ch. Risca is a thriving place, dependent on tin- plate and chemical works, quarries, and collieries. Risca stands on the N.E. bank of the Ebbw, near its confluence with the Sirhowy, under the S. extremity of Mynydd Maen. Soon after leaving the stat. the traveller passes on 1. the Risca Col- leries, one of them being the ill- fated pit at which the lamentable explosion took place in 1860, when 142 colliers were killed from the combined effects of fire and choke- damp. The ventilating apparatus here is very fine, but unfortunately these pits require it all, the coal being of a particularly fiery character. There is a charming view up the Sirhowy valley on 1. as the train approaches 8 m. Cross Keys Stat. 9 m. Chapel Bridge Stat. is over- shadowed on 1. by the Mynyddys- llwyn Mt., and on rt. by Twin Bar- lwm, a mound or tumulus sur- rounded by a ditch, and a favourite excursion and picnic locality from Pontypool and Newport. 10 J m. Abercarn Stat. On rt. are the Abercarn tin-plate works and the extensive collieries of the Ebbw- vale Company, which are of great - depth and very complete in all their arrangements. In the woods to rt. J is Abercarn House, a seat of Lady Llanover. The valley here takes a sudden curve, from which the Crum- I lin bridge appears as though it were ; hanging across like a cobweb, so i delicate and fairy-like do its lines ' contrast with the dark hills beyond. 11 1 m. New Bridge Stat. A road on 1. leads over the hill to Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, and Hen- goed. 12 J m. $ Crumlin Stat. The Western Valleys line here passes | under the most lofty railway bridge I in England, over w T hich the Great Western Rly. is carried to Aberdare ! and Swansea from Pontypool Road (Rte. 10). The village of Crumlin is rapidly increasing, owing to the large engineering works of the Messrs. \ Kennard, where were made Crumlin * Bridge and many other large rly. - bridges, particularly in Spain. On 1. is Crumlin Hall, the modern resi- dence of Martin Kennard, Esq. From Crumlin, after viewing this great achievement of engineering skill from below, the tourist may | join the Great Western, although he must bear in mind that there is a very steep hill to climb to the stat. There is a fair hotel for refreshments on the Western valleys. Beautifully wild walks are to be had in all directions, and parti- cularly up to the Llanhilleth Mt., where is the solitary little ch. of Llanhilleth. It is a very fatiguing^ walk to the summit, but the view will well repay, particularly to the N. and W., looking towards the Breconshire Beacons. From Crumlin the valley speedily > narrows, and the rly. turns and twists with rather perilous fre- quency. 15 m. Abkubeeg Junct., where the S. Wales. Route 7. — Blaina — Ebbio Tale. 85 two valleys of the Ebbw meet, and near which the Beeg, which gives the place its name, hurries into the Ebbw — a most charming bit of scenery. Ascend the glen of the Beeg to the mountain of Cefn yr Arrail, a lovely walk. There is a colliery at Aberbeeg, punk for a con- siderable depth to the Tillery vein of coal. [To Nantyglo, which gets its name from a stream here joining the Ebbw, the train ascends the valley of the Ebbw Fach (Little Ebbw) on rt. to 17 m. Abertillery Stat. Here is a populous village, dependent on the collieries and the tin-plate works. On rt. , at the entrance of the Tillery Valley, are the ch. and schools. In the Tillery Valley, a sequestered and pretty place, is another popu- lation, employed in the collieries of the Tillery and the South Wales Colliery Companies. 20 m. Blaina Stat. There are large and important ironworks here, which suffered sadly in the panic of 1866, and were only resumed in 1869. The Church, which super- seded the old one, burnt down in 1854, is a fine Norm, building, from designs by Norton. It contains an apsidal chancel, which is rather too dark and heavy for the interior. Passing rt. Coldbrook Vale works, an appendage of Blaina, the traveller reaches 21 m. Nantyglo Stat. Here are the large iron-works of Messrs. J. and C. Bailey, from which immense fortunes have been made by that family. On 1. is Nantyglo House (Crawshay Bailey, Esq.).] To Ebbwvale the rly. ascends the 1. valley, or that of the Ebbw Fawr. It resembles the other in all its features, except that it is less spoilt by works and habitations, and pre- sents in some spots the most charm- ing little glimpses of scenery. The vale is narrower, and the river more impetuous, better wooded, and de- cidedly more picturesque. 18 m. Cwm Stat. On 1. is the residence of A. Darby, Esq. , manager of the Ebbw Vale works, in a beauti- ful situation, were it further from the smoke. 19 m. Victoria Stat. The Vic- toria works are a portion of the Ebbw* Vale Company’s works, which give employment to a large popula- tion in this valley. The w r orks em- brace every improvement of modern times, including the Bessemer steel process. A very handsome new ch. was built some years ago, and con- secrated in 1869. There are also several large and commodious schools, and a good literary in- stitute, vdiere the geologist will find a collection of coal ferns and fossil fish and shells fronr the neighbour- hood. The Abercarne Pit, v T hich belongs to this Company, was the scene of a dreadful explosion in 1878, when upwards of 260 lives were lost. The terminus is reached at Ebbw Vale Stat., 21 m. The London and North-Western Company have a short branch from here to Beaufort Junct., so that the tourist, after in- specting the Western Valley and the Ebbw Vale, can either go to Tre- degar to sleep (Bte. 8), or by train to Abergavenny. 8G S. Wat.es. Iloilte 8 . — Newport to Nantybwcli. Route a EROM NEWPORT TO NANTYBWCH, BY TREDEGAR. ( Sirhowy Railway . ) By this little line Newport is placed in connection with the col- lieries and works of the Sirhowy Valley, and with .the London and North-Western system at Nanty- bwch Junction. It leaves Newport by the Western Valleys Stat., and uses the same line to Risca (Rte. 7), there crossing the Ebbw (which runs with the Sirhowy River into the Usk below Newport) by a long viaduct. It then passes the Risca collieries, be- longing to Mr. Rhodes (Rte. 7), and turns to the 1 up the valley of the Sirhowy, one of the least known and the least frequented of all these mountain glens. There are so com- paratively few collieries in it, that its picturesque beauties are scarcely injured. 9 m. Nine Mile Point Stat. On rt. is the Mynyddysllwyn mountain, and on its summit the weather- beaten and isolated ch. of Mynyd- dysllwyn, which, notwithstanding its singular and out-of-the-way position, is the mother-ell. of a very large district — built in the days when population was scattered and consisted only of a few farmers and shepherds. Now, ironworks, forges, collieries, and railway stations are thick on the ground, and Mynydd- ysllwyn remains like an ancient watchtower, recalling the past. 13 m. Tredegar Junct., whence passengers by the Sirhowy Rly. can travel E. or W. by the Great Western. The upper part of the valley is more populous, and contains a great number of valuable collieries, prin- cipally supplying red-ash house-coal to Newport and for shipment to Ireland. 14§ m. Blackwood Stat., a large and straggling village entirely in- habited by colliers. A little higher up, on the opposite side of the valley, is Penmaen Ch., a pretty modern building, in the building of which the late Sir Thomas Phillips was chiefly instrumental. His school, established for the children of his collieries, is at Court-y-bella, a little higher up the valley. 16 m. Argoed Stat. On the mountain to the 1. stands Bedwellty Church, the mother-church of large districts, which have risen up with their teeming populations within the last half-century. It has a square tower, low pointed arches, and short, massive columns. Bed- wellty Place, lower down the vale, once a seat of the Morgans, and Penllwyn House on the W. bank of the Sirhowy, have been long con- verted into farm-houses. The thickly inhabited iron -work towns of Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, and Sir- howy, but too thinly provided with church-accommodation, are all with- in the parish of Bedwellty, which extends for 7 or 8 m. in each direc- tion. Documents were discovered in the cathedral of Llandaff, to the effect that one sermon a month should be allowed to be preached in the ch. of Bedwellty on the applica- tion of the inhabitants of the parish. The valley now narrows again, the river running at a considerable depth below the rly. ; on rt. is the long wooded range of Cefn Mamraoel, separating the Sirhowy from the S. Wales, 87 H oute 9 . — Newport to Brecon. j Ebbw valley. Prom the summit magnificent views of the surrounding country can be obtained. To the N. the long, high table-land of millstone grit and limestone, with the old red sandstone mountains of the Vale of Usk beyond, Pen-carreg-calch and the Cader, the Beacons overtopping all, on the left, and the Scyrrid, Sugar-loaf, and between them the far-distant Malverns on the rt. ; to the S. the ridges in the neighbour- hood of Newport and Caerphilly, the blue Channel and the faint hills of Somersetshire, form a panorama at once varied and extensive. “In the direction of Merthyr, wave after wave of mountains rises up to the eye of the spectator, separated only by the alternations of light and shade, and the heavy masses of smoke which rise from the valleys, telling of the tens of I thousands who are gaining their liveli- y hood in the bowels of the earth. It is I a grand and beautiful contrast, and to a lover of nature there is a peculiar pleasure in being, as it were, isolated from the world below, and reflecting » on the vast changes that these old hills have undergone. Here is a cairn, the i restingplace, perhaps, of some old British warrior ; there is a steam- f engine, every beat of which brings i civilization nearer and widens the distance between the present and the i past. It is even in man’s recollection when these valleys, now so crowded with human life and industry, were untrodden, save by the shepherd, or by people who, as Archdeacon Coxe ex- presses it in his Travels, ‘ ventured into the wilds of Monmouthshire for the purpose of searching for grouse.’ ” — G.P.B. 22 m. $ Tredegar Stat. Here are the large ironworks which formerly belonged to the Homfrays, by one of whom they were commenced in 1800, and till lately to Mr. Rowland Fothergill of Hensol, giving employ- ment to a large and growing popu- lation. With the exception of Nantyglo, Tredegar certainly bears the palm of being the dirtiest and most unpleasant town in all the iron districts of South Wales. The streets are intersected by tramroads, along which many little skeleton engines, dangerous alike to life and traffic, are perpetually bringing coal to the furnaces. In the market- place is a tall, ugly clock-tower, the gift of a former manager. Higher up the valley is, 23 m., Sirhowy Stat. , and the Sirhowy Works, the property of the Ebbw Vale Co. Except for the size of the furnaces, there is nothing re- markable about them. The short piece of line beyond Nantybwch, completes the communication be- tween Abergavenny (London and North-Western Rly.) and Cardiff, and by certain trains of the London and North-Western Rly. there are through carriages from Liverpool to Cardiff. 24| m. Nantybwch Junct. with the London and North-Western, by which the traveller can proceed to Abergavenny or for Merthyr to Dowlais Top stat., whence omnibuses leave the station for Merthyr daily. From Dowlais Top it is a walk of 5 m. to Merthyr. BOUTE 9. FROM NEWPORT TO BRECON, BY BARGOED, DOWLAIS, AND TALYBONT By the Western Valleys rly. New- port has direct communication with Merthyr, Brecon, and the Mid- Wales system. The scenery is in places of a very high character, and 83 Route 9 . — Bedwas — Darrein. the tourist who wishes to see the various features of the scenery of the South Wales coal basiu cannot do better than travel by it. The line quits Newport by the Western Valleys stat., using the same rails to 3 m. Bassaleo Junct. (Rte. 7), when the Brecon and Merthyr, Rhymney and Newport Rly. turns to the 1. up a very picturesque gorge, passing 4$ m. Rhiwderin and Church Road Stat. to 8 m. Machen Stat. Here are the tinplate works of the Messrs. Woodruffe. On rt. is the Machen Mountain, a fine wooded mass of hill separating this valley from that of Sirhowy. Ruperra Castle (Hon. F. Morgan), (Rte. 1.) is about 2 m. to the S., within the coiuity of Glamorgan. 1 1 m. Bedwas Stat. Here the rly. turns sharp round to the rt., and ascends the Rhymney valley, leaving on 1. the distant towers of Caerphilly Castle, which are a fine and pro- minent object in the landscape (Rte. 14). On the opposite side of the valley, running parallel, is the Jlhymney Jilt/., between Cardiff’ and the Rhymney ironworks. Passing 1. Ystrad Ch. and Court, the pretty seat of Mrs. Thomas, the tourist arrives at i:*i m. Maes-y-cymmer Stat., where the Great Western Rly. crosses the line by a very lofty viaduct to Hengoed, on the other side of the valley. 17$ in. PengamStat. On the high ground rt. is an old farmhouse Called Pin m Urfiirellti/, the former residence of a col lateral branch of the Morgans of Caerleon (see Rte. 8. fupm). On 1. is a handsome school erected from the funds of a charity left to the parish of Gelligaer. The scenery here is of a charming description, notwithstanding the in- S. Wales. trusion of several collieries, which, . however, do not interfere as much as might be expected. The quaint old bridge — the river, now rushing over its rocky bed and now forming clear deep pools — the woods feather- ing down to the water’s edge — and the overlapping of the hills as the valley winds, present a picture, over which the artist might well be tempted to linger. On the higli ground to the 1., on Mynydd Gelligaer is the white I tower of Gelligaer Church (restored), i which overlooks many a ridge of hill and many a narrow valley. As the name implies, this was the site of a Roman encampment, and there are traces of a Roman road leading j to the village, besides several monu- mental stones on the Gelligaer moun- ! tain. [From Pengam a branch line is given off, keeping the same side of the valley to 21 m. Whiterose Stat., where is a considerable population employed in the new Tredegar steam coal pits. 24 m. Rhymney Works. It must be mentioned that this is not a con- venient line to travel to Rhymney, as the terminus is situated at the Maerdv, nearly 1J m. (of the very dirtiest walking) from the town.] The main line crosses the Rhyra- \ ncy river, and the Rhymney rly. at 19 m. Bargokd Junct., whence it ascends the beautiful and sequee- ^ tered valley of the Bargoed Rhyin- ney river, teeming with mineral i produce in the sha|>e of steam ? coal, llctl irrllt if Church (Rte. 8) is on the hill to the rt. of Barg»>ed, fl overlooking the Rhymney and the Sirhowy valleys. 21 m. Darran Stat., soon after | which the rly. approaches the head of the valley, ami emerges on the wild and desolate table-land of the Waun Hill at 3. Wales. Boute 9 . — Vochriew — Pontsarn. 89 27 m. Vochriew Stat. Bleak and savage as this district is, a large population has been gathered to- gether, who are employed in the Vochriew collieries of the Dowlais Company. A residence here in the winter season must be trying, as he height is at least 1300 ft. above the sea. Near 27 m. Dowlais Top Stat., he turnpike road, the old coaching road between Abergavenny and Swansea is crossed. [28 J m., at Pant Junct., a short branch on 1. runs to Doulais Stat. Dowlais is one of the largest steel- naking establishments in Great Britain. The aspect of the works it night is a sight not to be for- gotten, and the beacons are lighted ip with their glow for miles round. They were brought to their present perfection by the energy and perse- verance of the late Sir John Guest, vho ranked as one of the foremost ron-masters in the country. Under hr John’s care the sanitary and social condition of the people, who lumber at this work about 20,000, vas considerably raised, after having jeen for many years in a state of leglect and degradation horrible to contemplate. A handsome building m the rt. has been erected to his nemory, to serve as a library and nstitution. Close to the furnaces, vnd almost touching them, is Dow- ais House, the residence of G. T. Clark, Esq., the managing trustee, vho is well known to archaeologists is a distinguished antiquary ; and s deserving of all honour for the vigorous part he has taken in the ocal government of Dowlais and VTerthyr. The works are now about ,o be removed to Cardiff — an opera- ion which is expected to occupy hout 10 years and to cost about >,000,000Z. For a further account >f the works and their history the reader is referred to the Introduc- tion. From Dowlais a long hill of 2 m. leads to Merthyr (Rte. 15).] At Pant a magnificent view breaks upon the tourist. Instead of the wild and dreary hill-side, marked only by grey boulders or tracts of bog, he is suddenly brought to the verge of a precipice, on which the rly. runs, overlooking the valley of the Taff. To the S. are the rugged escarpments of the Morlais limestone quarries, crowned on the summit of the hill by Castell Morlais, while the river runs in a deep gorge below, almost hidden by trees or projecting rocks. 34 m. Pont-sticill Junct. [The traveller should go by the branch rly. which runs hence to Merthyr, for the purpose of seeing the bold scenery on the way, and the fine railway works which have placed Merthyr in direct communication with Mid and North Wales. From Pont-sticill, where a bridge of one arch crosses the lesser Taff, and where the scenery is of a charming character, the line enters a deep limestone gorge, on the opposite side of which is the solitary and picturesque little restored ch. of Vaynor. Close to the village is a tumulus, and there are other cairns in the parish. 1J m. Pontsarn Stat., below which is the romantic little fall of Pontsarn. The river, nearly concealed by large masses of rock, falls into a deep basin, which is crossed, over a chasm of 30 ft. deep, by a rustic bridge, erected over two rocks of equal height, having no more than 18 ft. between. Above it towers the lofty limestone cliff, at the top of which Morlais Castle is perched, appearing at a much greater height than it really is. The remains are extremely dilapidated, consisting of some portions of ruined towers, in 90 Route 9. — Cefn — Torpantau. S. Wales one of which a chamber was cleared out in 1846. It is about 90 ft. in circumference, having a groined roof, supported by a central pillar. The situation is grand and com- manding, and the view to the N. , up the valley of the lesser Taff to the Beacons, is very fine. It is thought by some antiquaries that Morlais was never completed : at all events it appears to have been built by the Normans as part of a system of border castles, intended to overawe the turbulent hill -people or to cut off* the retreat of foraging parties from the north, in the same way as Castell Coch and others were con- structed further south. Local tradi- tion ascribes it to Ivor Bach, a cele- brated chieftain in the 12th centy., but it is more likely that it was built to protect the country against his aggressions. In the reign of Edward I. the castle was the scene of a remarkable legal dispute be- tween the Crown and the lords of the Welsh Marches. It was for long the property of the family of Lewis of the Van, who were the descend- ants of Ivor Bach, and eventually passed by marriage to the Windsor family, to whom it now belongs. In the lime-rock a little above Pont- sarn is a cave, or hollow, called Ogof Rhyd Sych, or Dry Ford Cavern. The rly. now winds along the glen, having on 1. the woods of Cyfarthfa (W. Crawshay, Esq.) and the iron- works to 2 m. Cefn Stat. Cefn, or Cefn- Coed-y-Cymmer (“ the ridge of the wood of the confluence,” alluding to the junction here of the two streams — the TafF fechan and TafF fawr) is a dirty suburb of Merthyr, although not in the same county, the border between Brecon and Glamorgan l>eing passed imme- diately beyond. A little below, the united streams rush over a shelf of rock towards Cyfarthfa. A long and handsome viaduct now carries tin rly. across the TafF into the Vale oi Neath station at $ Merthyr, (ltte. 15.] From Pont-Sticill Junct. the main line ascends the beautiful valley oi; the TafF Vechan to 32 m. Dolygaer Stat., passing l.| the little ch. of Capel Taf Vechan Close to the stat. is the large arti , ficial lake of Pentwyn, formed b\l the embankment of the TafF for the purpose of supplying Merthyr with water. But, except just at the fool of the lake, there is nothing to lea one to suppose that it is not a natural sheet of water ; and the view looking up it, with the Breconshire Beacon* at its head, is as fine as anything ii the country. It is a great place fo: Merthyr excursionists, boats beinj. allowed on the water for fishing am rowing. The scenery gets wilder as the toj of the valley is reached, the rly passing the shoulder of the Beacoi ranges by a tunnel, a little beyom which may be seen visions of tin goat, now so uncommon in S Wales. 34 m. Torpantau Stat., probably one of the highest in the kingdom Here another magnificent view opera out, of a different character, as th< line descends the alpine valley oi Glyn Collwng. On 1. are som< waterfalls descending from the re cesses of the Beacons, and belot them are a few scattered farms am the solitary little ch. of Capel Glyi Collwng, with a primeval yew in tin churchyard, shut in on every side b) lofty hills, fringed with trees up U about half their height, and divide! by numlierless little tributary glen* and defiles. Far in the distance an the vale of Usk and the blue l inger of Radnor Forest. Capel Olyn Col lwng stands upon the lesser Taff. Jj To ascend the Beacons from thi* 91 . Wales. Route 9. — Talybont — Brecon. de, the tourist should leave the train : Dolygaer and follow the stream i the Taff to its very source, from hence a steep but practicable imb will land him at the summit, 910 ft. But, by getting out at orpantau and skirting the top of lie mountain to the rt., a very harming and singular walk is ob- lined to Dyffryn Crownan, a bold ul-de-sac of horseshoe shape, the recipitous walls of which are formed y mountain limestone (much quar- ed for the ironworks), below which he junction of the old red sandstone in be plainly seen all round. The cenery here is extremely romantic, nd by pursuing the tramroad on the to Pen-rhiw-Calch, and ascending He shoulder of the hill above, the jurist obtains views of both valleys t one glance, he standing as it were n a narrow wall of hills between, ’his is well worth the trouble of lie walk, particularly as Dyffryn Jrownan is known to none, save few residents in the vale of Usk. Vhilst the pedestrian is exploring he Beacons, the ancient moraines ii Cwm Llwch should not be over- joked. The rly. now rapidly descends the alley of Glyn Collwng, at the foot f which (1.) is Cui (Mrs. Jones Villiams), and 40 J m. Talybont Stat. , from whence there are roads to Brecon nd Crickhowell (8 m.) on either Lde the Usk. The one to Crick - owell is remarkably fine as it asses between Buckland, on 1., nd Llanthetty, on rt., just under lie steep wooded sides of the Tor r oel. On rt., under the mountain, is Auckland (J. P. Gwynne Holford, Isq., also of Cilgwyn, Co. Caer- larthen), a house whose only beauty 5 in its situation, which can scarcely e surpassed. The private drive for mile along the Usk is very fine. »y the roadside stands an inscribed stone, called the Victorinus Stone, near Skethrog, in the parish of Llansaintfread. It is said to be a Boman monumental pillar. At Newton, or Skethrog, were born, in 1621, Henry Vaughan, the Silurist, and his twin brother, Thomas Vaughan, the astrologer and mysti- cist, who wrote under the name of Eugenius Philalethes. The latter was for some time vicar of Llan- saintfread ; the former practised medicine, and wrote his divine poetry at Newton, near his favourite Usk. The rly. now crosses the Usk, pass- ing close to Llansaintfread Church, a humble edifice, somewhat eclipsed by an ostentatious tomb to Col. Gwynne Holford, quite out of keep- ing with the church or scene. There was formerly a curious epi- taph in this church, running as follows : — “ As I was so are yee, As I am you shall be ; That I had that I gave, That I gave that I have ; Thus I end all my cost, That I left that I lost.” The side of the Allt hill is now skirted, and a distant view of the Lake of Llangorse (Rte. 12) obtained, as the rly. joins the Hereford, Hay, and Brecon line, together with the Mid-Wales Ely., at 43 J m. Tal-y- LLYN JUNCT. (Rte. 16). 47 m. Brecon (Rte. 12). The turnpike road from Merthyr to Brecon (16 m.), although seldom travelled now, is well worth the trouble. Above Cefn-Coecl-y-Cymmer the valley narrows for a mile or two, and on the rt. the limestone moun- tain of Cefn-Cil-Samus rises steeply from the road, below which, at a considerable depth, the river is seen. Near the 4th m. is a fine view up and down the valley, and the road is now wholly upon the old red sandstone, having passed the nor- 92 Route 10. — Ponti/}KH)1 Road to Strcmsca. S. Walf. them edge of the coal -basin. The vale now o]>eus considerably, and is tolerably well wooded. 4 m., at Capol Nant-ddu, where the Taff Vawr enters the vast mineral basin which stretches 100 miles from E. to W., the scenery becomes wilder and very decidedly of a mountain character. The Nant-ddu (Black Brook), and a little higher up the Crw, descend in long deep valleys, at the head of which are seen the summits of the Beacons. 0 in. 1. a road branches across the mountain to Penderyn and Hinvain. in m. at Pont-ar-Daf the road crosses the infant Taff, which rises about 1 m. higher in the glen of Com-ddu under the Beacon. A short distance further on is the Storey Arms Inn, where the travel- ler may bait his horses, and, as far as bread and cheese go, refresh him- self. From hence a gentle ascent of 1J m. leads to the summit of Com-ddu, 10 minutes’ walk from which is the principal Beacon, 2910 ft. above the sea, forming the highest mountain in South Wales. Com- ddu and the Big-van are each formed by the meeting of 3 valleys, and their figure is therefore triangular. The leaser Taff rises on their S.E., the greater Taff on their 8.W. side, while to the N. the valley of the Tarel anti others arc tributary to the Uslc. The northern escarp- ment is very steep, and in some places precipitous, and the head of the valley Ixdow, with its little mmintain-tam of Llyn-cwra-llwch, fabled to be unfathomable, is gloomy and grand. The view, in fine weather, is very extensive, embrac- ing the (luOMl fi»r a great distance, with most of Breconshire and the Vale of l*sk, and on the W. a large number of the C’aermarthenshire hills. The formation is of Old Bed sandstone, — “And from the small angle of d: the continuation of the beds formir the summits of the Vans is only n fe feet beneath the carboniferous lion stone near Merthyr, (ireat denud: tions have evidently been effects and, standing on the Vans and lookin northward, the imagination reafl tills up the sea to the needful level, main line of coast ranging with it hays and promontories K. and W. hr neatli, islands with steep cliffs occo? ring in the direction of the Blac Forest and of the Cader and otb* mountains near Abergavenny.'*—/' la Brche, From the Storey Arms the m*» descends the valley of the Tarsi and, passing on rt. Ffrwd-gwreck the charming seat of the late Col Pearce, in which grounds is pretty waterfall, enters Breoo? (Hie. 12). ROUTE 10. UtOM PONTYPOOL ROAD TO SWAN SEA, BY QUAKERS’ YARD. ABER DARE. AND NEATH. (< trrai Wfftrrn Railway.) From PoKTTPOOL HoaD .IrJjCI. the line take* a westerly directidh ikOMUtig Polity tnoilo Forgo and Park to 1 m Pontypool Town Sul It then under the Monro* shire Kly. and enters the tieauljH Cwm Olyn. I hilb * >ii each ai*le of which rise ’dj Wales. Boute 10 . — Crumlin — Llancaiach. 93 eeply to a considerable height, m. from Pontypool, on 1., are the mains of the Crumlin Pools, once rge and picturesque sheets of ater, but now considerably shorn their size and beauty. The one, >wever, is still deep, and was the ene of a terrible calamity, in 1868, { the upsetting of a boat containing picnic party and the drowning of veral young people. At the end of the defile the rly. nerges into the valley of the Ebbw, id crosses it by the famous Crumlin ridge, the loftiest of the kind in fitain. The village of Crumlin (Rte. 7) jis immediately under the bridge, pm whence the view both up and vvn the valley is of the most lovely Laracter. The visitor looks down ion the foundry, the white cottages the workmen, the small station of e Western Valleys Pail way, and e rushing stream of the Ebbw, all Garnished to Liliputian size ; while wer down is Crumlin Hall, the odern residence of Mr. Kennard, whose works the construction of e viaduct was carried on. The liole of the view is shut in by eep hills, rising directly from the iter’s edge, and clothed with wood the very summit. The bridge itself, designed by W. Kennard, Esq., is one of the ost splendid engineering works in ■eat Britain, and consists of 10 'enings, each of 150 ft. span and 0 ft. high, the piers being a series cast-iron pillars fastened together diagonal braces. The length of >nwork is 1500 ft., or, including asonry, 1658 ft. The materials nsumed were 2479 tons 19 cwt. of >n, 81,294 cubic ft. of wood, and ,361 cubic ft. of masonry. It took years to build, and was opened ' traffic in 1857. The cost of the Lolewas 62,000L, or 41Z. 7s. per ft. r a trap-door at each end, leading a wooden subway, the visitor can walk along the whole length and thus gain a clear idea of the immense number and size of bolts and pillars required for its construction. At various times, rumours have gone forth as to the stability of the bridge, but the trials made by the rly. company, in presence of the inspector of railways, of running number^ of heavy engines and trains of coal over it, seem to have settled the question satisfactorily. The cost of this structure was as moderate as its design was magnificent ; and the engineers were Messrs. Liddell and Gordon, who also erected the Rhymney Viaduct on this line (see beloiv). The best view of it is from a stile on the road to Llanhillen Hill. At the end of the bridge is 5 m. Crumlin Stat. Crossing a short interval of table- land, the train arrives at 7 m. Tredegar Junct. with the Sirhowy Rly. to Blackwood and Tredegar (Pte. 8). The next valley is that of the Rhymney. The rly. crosses the Newport and Brecon line just above ' Maesycymmer Stat. (Rte. 9), and is carried over the valley by a very lofty stone viaduct (169 ft. high) to 8^ m. Hengoed Junct. with the Rhymney Rly. (Rte. 14) to Rhym- ney and Cardiff. The scenery is pretty and broken for a mile or two, but becomes bleak and barren at 11 m. Llancaiach Stat. , where there is a junction with the Newport, Dowlais and Brecon line. A large number of extensive faults cross this portion of the coal-field ; one in particular of 100 yds., run- ning S.E. ; so that the coal, which is worked by level at Tophill colliery, is obliged to be worked by a deep pit at Llancaiach colliery only a few hundred yds. distant. At one of the old farm-houses in this parish it is said that King Charles II. passed a night. 94 Route 10 . — Mountain Ash — Aberdare. S. Wales A picturesque winding dell, with some beautiful peeps of the Taff valley on the 1., brings the traveller to 13 m. Quakers* -yard Junct. with the Taff Vale Rly. (Rte. 15), which line is used by the Great Western Company from here to Merthyr. Quakers’ Yard derives its name from a burial-ground of that sect. Al- though a place of so vast conuner- mercial development, the scenery of the valley for 3 m. or more is very striking. Another viaduct carries the rly. across the Taff, and a long tunnel is entered, piercing the mountain into the valley of the Cynon (a tri- butary of the Taff, rising at Pen- deryn, on the confines of Glamorgan, in Brecknockshire), a little before arriving at 16 m. Mountain Ash Stat. A very large population has grown up here within the last few years, in consequence of the great development of the steam-coal trade, which derives its supplies from the Navigation Collieries of Messrs. Nixon and those of the Powell Dyffryn Co. (Limited). The Navigation pit is one of the finest in the South Wales basin. It is 18 ft. in diameter inside the walling, and divided into four com- partments, two of which are for the drawing of coal, one for sending the workmen up and down, and the fourth for the drainage. Notwith- standing the great depth of 370 yds., a carriage containing 2J tons of coal can be wound up in one minute, and the whole colliery is estimated to supply more than 1000 tons a-day. The mineral property extends over an area of 7 m. long by 3 m. in width, covering from 4000 to 5000 acres of this 4 -foot coal. The reader may therefore form a slight estimate, from this one case, of the bound- less resources of the coal-field. In quality this coal is smoKeless, which, ever since 1840, has been more o less sought after for the working o steamboats. The French Govern ment lias been using it exclusivel; for some time past, being convince* of its great superiority over otlie kinds. It is also employed in thi country by the Admiralty, tli Peninsular and Oriental, Royal Mail Cunard, and other mail-packet com panies. Pass on 1. the Dyffryn, the seat o the Right Hon. Lord Aberdare ; an« Aberaman, a mansion belonging t the Powell Duffryn Coal. Co. 19 J m. Aberdare Stat., situate* at the junction of the Dare with th Cynon river. $ Aberdare is a flourishing iron work town, which has risen from l small village with wonderful rapidity] Forty years ago the population wa only a few hundreds, whereas now i- is upwards of 37,000, most of whon are dependent on the numerous col lieries and ironworks. The Aber dare furnaces and mills, until th« failure of the Company, belonged t. Wales. Boute 11 . — Abergavenny to Merthyr. r aughan), second only to Aber- ,ergwm in the singular beauty f its situation. Here also is a beau- iful little memorial church, erected osite side of the valley at Abergar - vad, not far from the “ Stag ” public- ouse, is another fine fall, worth isiting after rain. Between Resolven and 35 m. Aber- ylais stat. on rt. is Ynisygenvn (J. L 1 . Dilwyn Llewelyn, Esq.), the an- ient seat of the Llewelyns of Pen- lergare, now tenanted by Hon. H. 1. Bruce. The mill and cascade at Vberdulais were a general theme of tdmiration amongst the old Welsh murists, but the mill has long since >een incorporated with the tinplate vorks of Messrs. Williams and Co., nd the cascade hidden amongst the buildings of the same establishment. From hence to Neath the valley apidly extends. On 1. is the Gnoll Charles Evan Thomas, Esq.) (Rte. 0, and on rt., 1 m. from Neath, the Ihurch of Cadoxton, which contains imongst its parochial curiosities the pedigree of the family of Williams, mgraved on sheets of copper, and )ccupying 4 long pages. Also a paint epitaph to a Mrs. Rose Wil- iams, in the form of an acrostic. A little to the N.W. of Neath is Dyffryn, the modern mansion of the I ate Howel Gwyn, Esq. Cadoxton is one of the few churches in the Principality where the custom of delivering a “ Plygain ” on Christ- mas morning is kept up. (See Intro- duction, page xxvii). 37 m. Neath Stat. (Rte. 7). 38 m. Neath Abbey Stat. 40§ m. Briton Ferry Road Stat. 44 m. Swansea (Rte. 2). ROUTE 11. ABERGAVENNY TO MERTHYR, BY BRYNMAWR AND TREDEGAR. This route is performed by a branch of the London and North- Western Rly., which runs from Abergavenny as far as Nantybwch, the remainder of the line not being completed. The rly. quits the Great Western at Abergavenny Junct., and passing the Lunatic Asylum, reaches 1 m. Abergavenny (Brecon Road Stat.). It then crosses the Usk on a higher level than the high road, and winds round the foot of the fine mass of the Blorenge. 2 m. looking back from Llanfoist (Llanfoist House, C. Bailey, Esq.) is a lovely view of the Scyrrid and the Sugar Loaf, with the town of Aber- gavenny. H 2 S. Wales. 100 Route 11. — Govilon — ClydacJi. 3 m. Govilon Stat. Here are ware-works — also a pretty modern ch. Aberbaiden is the residence of Capt. Scott, and Llanwenartb of J. Humfrey, Esq. The rly. rapidly rises to a con- siderable height to 4J m. Gilwern Stat. From hence there is a superb view of the vale of Crickliowell, with the town in the distance, the Daren, the Cader, the Grywney Valley and the Black Mountains. At this point the tourist leaves the valley of the Usk and enters the gorge of the Clydach, which rises in mountains to the S.W., and, rushing torrent-wise, forms the waterfall of Pwll y Cwyn, at the bottom of which an aqueduct carries the Brecon and Newport Canal at a height of 80 ft. above the stream. The rly. is carried over a picturesque ravine by a lofty via- duct to 6 m. Clydach Stat. On 1. are large limestone quarries. The rocky glen of the Clydach, which is not unlike parts of Matlock, is at once highly picturesque and enlivened by active industry ; and in its sides are mines and quarries of iron, coal, and limestone, on which formation the rly. now emerges, before entering the coal-measures, upon which it remains for the rest of the route. At intervals are seen large iron fur- naces, forges, and rolling - mills, placed at a great depth below the line. White streaks or single dots along the hill-sides indicate the houses of the colliers and forgemen, as they are grouped in rows, or planted singly. The Clydach forges were set going by Mr. Jayne. The limestone on both sides of the dingle (about 500 ft. in thickness) is ex- tensively worked to supply the iron- works of Nantyglo, Blaina, and Beaufort, to which places it is con- veyed by means of locomotives. The tourist should get out at Clydach (which is in Brecknockshire) and descend the hill to the bed of the river to visit the falls of the Clydach, singularly picturesque, al- though not of very great height. The principal one, Pwll-y-cwn, or the Pool of Dogs, has worn some singular caldrons in the rock. Tra- dition avers that the body of a mur- dered woman was discovered there eaten by dogs. Ascend the 1. bank of the river to the tramroad, and icalk up it to Brynmawr. The scenery in this part of the dell is enchanting. Quitting Clydach Stat. the rly. still keeps at a considerable height above the road, which is seen on rt., climbing the Blackrock Hill. The line passes through two tun- nels, and is carried over some bold ravines, revealing transient glimpses which would rejoice an artist. At the head of the glen (whence the view towards the N. is peculiarly grand) the trees disappear, and vege- tation grows scantier as the traveller approaches 9 m. Brynmawr Junct., with the Blaenafon line, opened in 1869 (Rte. 6). He would naturally anticipate that at this height (1200 ft. above the sea) population would greatly diminish, but the reverse is the case. This upland district of bleak and barren moor, swamp and bog, 70 years ago a sheep-walk, destitute of human habitation, is now converted into a teeming hive of human beings. From hence to Merthyr, town suc- ceeds to town, almost like a con- tinuous street, the princii>al objects on which the eye rests being tram- ways and railways, machinery for raising coal, and “tips,” the raw unsightly heaps of rubbish ejected from the coalpit mouths, inter- spersed with pools and tanks formed by damming up the streamlets, while at intervals of 2 or 3 m. the 3. Wales. Eoute 1 1 Brynmawr — Trefil. 101 Toups of colossal chimneys, cones, nd blackened walls and roofs, with heir accompaniment of smoke and lame, announce that the visitor is pproaching an ironwork. Were I here no other appearances, those of he inhabitants would be sufficient. Iroups of colliers with features un- iistinguishable from coal-grime, and -vomen, from the nondescript style jf their garments, apparently of the picene gender, with cheeks bronzed rom exposure to the weather, and :>are ancles of Amazonian proportion, .re met at every step. The impulse given to the iron- rade by the construction of rail- I oads in Great Britain and other : ountries was nowhere more felt han in this district. Wages rose iigh (as indeed they always are, . hen compared with those of agri- : ultural labourers), and masters I a ade enormous fortunes. Within he last few years, however, com- etition has told immensely on the >. Wales trade ; the number of ollieries and furnaces everywhere rected, and the discovery of new res and new fields, particularly n S. Yorkshire, Cleveland, North- ( mptonshire, and Somersetshire, had v onsiderably diminished the profits f the trade even before the late > >eriod of general depression had set i. Since then, the iron-trade in >. Wales may be said to have utterly ollapsed, and in those cases where he means or the enterprise to turn jo the manufacture of steel have ■een wanting the works seem to ave been permanently closed. T ntil within the last 30 years, the l >opulation was left to increase with o adequate provision for its in- duction, temporal or spiritual, 'he wealthy owners, who derived trge fortunes, seemed to overlook ie responsibilities and obligations lat they had incurred by bringing ich large masses of people together, ad, as a consequence of this blame- ole neglect, ignorance, disorder, and disaffection were rampant ; and were it not for the endeavours of the Dis- senters, religion and morality would have been almost wholly unknown. Fortunately for S. Wales, however, a healthier and better spirit has been rapidly growing amongst all classes : schools, chapels, and churches have been extensively pro- vided, while the work-people have done much to raise themselves in the social scale, and yield to few in the same rank of life in intelligence, industry, and morality. Brynmawr is a large ironwork town, principally composed of those employed in the Nantyglo works. A neat ch. has been erected just out- side the town and close to the station, although the great bulk of the people patronise the chapels, which abound. [1 m. 1. is the town of Nantyglo. The road thither runs through the Nantyglo ironworks (which lie about mid-way), the property of the Bailey family, who have acquired from them much of their enormous wealth. Here is a station of the Western Valleys Railway. (Rte. 7.) 11 m. Beaufort Junct., from whence a short branch of 2 m. is given off on 1. to Ebbw Vale Works. Beaufort Ironworks form a long straggling street of about 1 m. in length, of exceeding dirtiness, and affording nothing whatever to inte- rest the tourist. The rly. is now carried over the Cwm Carnol, a pretty little dingle, by a lofty viaduct, having on 1. Cefnmaiur House. A good distant view is obtained of Ebbwvale. 12 m. Trefil Stat. 13 J m. Nantybwch Junct., with the Sirhowy Rly. (Rte. 8), by which the traveller reaches Tredegar. The remainder of the route is performed 102 Soule 12 . — Monmouth to Brecon. S. Wales. by an omnibus, which leaves the station daily for Merthyr. 14 J m. At Rhymney Gate the Rhymney river separates the coun- ties of Brecon, Glamorgan, and Monmouth. 2 m. 1. are the Rhymney Iron- works (Rte. 14). The road now traverses the bleak and barren Waun Common, in winter one of the most severe and shelterless roads in the kingdom. Frequent piles of stones by the roadside mark the sites of little huts, erected by squatters, who were under the impression that if they could raise their dwelling in a single night they obtained a legal right to the soil. The Lord of the Manor, however, differed from them, and they were speedily ejected. At the top of the hill the road passes under the Newport and Brecon Rly. (Rte. 9) close to Dow- lais Top 8 tat. It then descends a long hill of 2 m. through the dismal streets of Dowlais to Merthyr. (Rte. 15.) ROUTE 12. FROM MONMOUTH TO BRECON, BY ABERGAVENNY AND CRICKHOWEL. For route from Monmouth to Raglan, 8 m., see Rte. 5. 9£ m. Cross Bychan, from the high ground of which the traveller obtains a noble view of the valley of the UBk. The long ridge of the Scyrrid Fawr and the tall sharp cone of the Sugar Loaf are seen from 6 to 10 in. on the rt., while in front and more to the 1. is the huge shapeless mass of the Blorenge. ! [A road to the rt. leads to Mon- mouth, through Bryngwyn (Arch- deacon Crawley), Tregaer, and Din- gestow.] 11 m. rt. Clytha (W. Herbert, Esq.). The house, a handsome freestone building with an Ionic portico, is seen through the trees. It contains some good Italian pictures but it is not shown. The building on the 1. on the hill, called the Castle, is a family mausoleum, erected in 1790 ; the view from it of the Vale of Usk is magnificent. [A road to the 1. leads to Usk 1 6 m. (Rte. 5), passing, 2 m. 1., Coed-y-Bunedd, an ancient encamp- ment on a wooded hill ; Brynderwen. the seat of the Rev. W. Bruce ; and 5 m. Llancayo ] Just before arriv- ing at Clytha, the road passe* through a deep cutting in the uppei Silurian rocks which constitute the extreme or outer covering of the Usl valley or elevation, so well known to geologists. At the bottom of the hill the old red sandstone reappears/ 11 J m. at the Swan, a road-side inn, the Usk first shows itself, anc on the rt. [a road leads to LlanartI Court (John A. Herbert, Esq.), th< handsome seat of an old Monmouth shire Roman Catholic family. 4 m. 1., near the corner of a roar to Abergavenny, through Llanvapley is Cillwch, an old farmhouse, for merly the seat of the Progers family 5 m. Llantilio Crosseny Park (Si H. Jackson, Bart.) and Church, ven prettily situated close to the mansion It is a spacious building, principal!.' Dec., with later work in the largi chapel on the N. side of the presby tery. The chancel is se]>arat«| from the nave by an arch of sue! depth and thickness as to be really t 103 S. Wales. Boute 12. — Bochfield — Penjpergwm. passage. In the ghurchyard is an altar-tomb, erected by Col. Clifford to the memory of his son. Llantilio was once the residence of a younger branch of the Powels, and on the ex- tinction of the male line it came by marriage into the family of Lewis, and then to its late owner, Colonel Clifford. To the N. of the park are vestiges of an old fortified house, said to have been the residence of Sir David Gam, and called Old Court . On an eminence 1J m. to the N. is White Castle, 5J m. from Sken- frith and 5 m. from Grosmont, and forming the western point of the Monmouthshire Trilateral. It ap- pears never to have had a keep, but was a fortified area consisting of a lofty curtain wall, mural towers, and gatehouse ; capable, however, of con- taining a large force, which was pro- bably accommodated in timber-sheds built against the inside of the walls. It is surrounded by earth-works and ditches of remarkable strength, which have been commonly attributed to its Welsh lords, though the best modern opinion assigns them to the reign of King John, in which the Castle was probably built. Like all the Border castles, which were not the residence of some powerful noble, it fell quickly into ruins after the settlement of the country. Still further to the north rises the Craig Hill, an isolated wooded eminence, and a very conspicuous feature in Monmouthshire land- scape. The road from Llantilio continues to Monmouth, 7J m., passing the little village of Llanvihangel Ystern Llewern, and 4 m. the Hendre, the seat of John Allan Rolls, Esq. To the S. of the house is the site of the Abbey of Grace Dieu, founded by John of Monmouth in 1229. 5J m. Rockfield (General Sir John Garvock). 7J m. Monmouth.] Proceeding on the high road to Abergavenny is 12 m., rt., Llansaintfraed (Major Herbert). The ch. is one of the most diminutive in the country. 13 m. a road on 1. runs to Usk, crossing the river a little distance off. On the opposite bank is Panty- goitre, formerly the seat of the Morgans, and now of A. D. Berring- ton, Esq. ; and the interesting Church of Llanfair Kilgeddin, of late 14th cent, style, well restored in 1876. The walls are enriched with some remarkable illustrations of the Canticle “'All ye Works of the Lord, Bless ye the Lord,” designed and executed by Mr. Heywood Sumner. The work is of great artistic merit and is also interesting as an instance of the revival of the method, known as “ sgraffito,” which is said to have been used in the Catacombs of Rome. The keys of the church may be obtained from the Rectory, which is opposite the side gate of Panty- goitre. 14 m. the King of Prussia, a well- known roadside hostelry. 14 m. 1. is the ’primitive Church of Llangattoc, situated on the bank of the Usk, on the other side of which, under the shadow of the Blorenge, is Llanover, the seat of Lady Llanover, situated in a small but beautifully wooded park. The gardens are worth seeing. Llanover Church still retains the custom of the “plygain” on Christmas morn- ing, which is usually attended by a large congregation. From Penpergwni Stat. (on 1.) the Great Western Rly. runs parallel to the turnpike-road. 16 m. rt. are the fine old woods and a glimpse of the old house of Coldbrook, the ancestral seat of F. Hanbury Williams, Esq., and once the residence of the famous Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, “ the polished courtier and the votary of 104 S. Wales. Route 12. — Abergavenny : Church ; wit and pleasure.” He was British ambassador to Berlin and St. Peters- burg in 1744, and was one of the chief ornaments of the Court. The house contains some carvings and family portraits. From hence the road runs down a gentle incline into the old town of 17 m. $ Abergavenny (Rte. 4). The road enters between the castle on the 1. and the Priory on the rt., behind which are seen the tower and Perp. window of the old priory - church. Abergavenny (the Goban- nium of Antoninus) is chiefly re- markable for the beauty of its situa- tion in the Vale of Usk (the garden of Wales), at the junction of the small stream the Gavenny — “The brook that cbristeneth Abergeney.” Drayton. It is surrounded on every side, says Churchyard, “ by mountains broad and high, And some th'ck woods to please the gazer's eye ” — the chief mountains being the Scyrrid Fawr and Fach on the rt., the Blo- renge on the 1., and the Sugar Loaf, with its shoulders of the Deri and the Itholben, at the N. of the town. Though in the old parts of the town many of the streets are narrow and inconvenient, great improvements have been made of late years by the public spirit of the inhabitants. An excellent supply of water has been obtained, and an efficient system of drainage carried out. A Town Hall (having a large ;issembly-room) has been erected, with capacious covered market adjoining, and a large cat- tle-market lias also been provided. The Church (St. Mary’s) has been severely handled in former times, and altered by modern churchwar- dens in a lamentable manner. It was originally the chapel of a Bene- dictine priory, founded in the be- ginning of the 12th cent. There are no appreciable remains of the original Norman chapel, and the present structure seems to belong to the early part of the 14th cent. This ch. was cruciform, with a cen- tral tower, E. of which was the monks’ choir, with 24 stalls, 12 on each side, of carved 14th-centy. oak, still remaining. Choir and chancel are of great length. The transepts were extended eastward by the erection of aisles opening into the choir ; and these aisles have been used as burial-places, first of the lords of Abergavenny, and then of the nobles of the district ; the S. aisle having acquired the name of the Herbert, and the N. that of the Lewis chapel. The monuments in these, though greatly mutilated, and marred by ill-advised repairs, are yet of great interest, and well worth inspection. They are chiefly in the form of altar-tombs, or tombs in recesses, having recumbent effigies lying upon them ; and they form a striking series of monumental effigies from the 13th to the 17th centy., displaying the various changes in the arms and armour of the knightly warriors, and exhibiting a consecu- tive series of illustrations, not only of armour but also of costumes, whether of knights or ladies. Few churches contain so regular a series of these. In the centre of the Herbert chapel stands the tomb of Sir William ap Thomas (ob. 1446) and his wife, Gladys (daughter of Sir David Gam, and widow of Sir Roger Vaughan), the parents of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pem- broke. The figures are of alabaster. Under the arch between the chapel and choir is the alabaster altar-tomb of Sir Richard Herbert pf Coldbrook, and his wife, Margaret. He was 2nd son of Sir William ap Thomas, and was beheaded in 1469, after the Battle of Banbury, with his elder brother, the Earl of Pembroke. Between the main piers under the archway betwixt the Herl>ert chapel and the choir is the tomb of Laurcuce S. Wales. Botite 12. — Abergavenny : Castle . 105 de Hastings, Lord of Abergavenny (ob. 1348). In the lower part of the recess of a window is the recumbent figure of a knight in armour, sculp- tured in freestone, said to repre- sent Sir William de Hastings, half- brother of the last-named (ob. 1349). In a recess of S. wall of the Herbert chapel is the alabaster monument of Sir Kichard Herbert, of Ewyas, from whom are descended the earls of Pembroke and Carnarvon, and the Marquis of Bute. He died in 1510. Against the pier of the arch between the choir and N. aisle is a female figure on an altar-tomb, said to be Eva, wife of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny. She died in 1230. At the foot of this is another fe- male figure, less defaced, and said to be Eva de . Cantelupe, Baroness of Abergavenny in her own right. She was daughter of the last-named, and died in 1256. Both tombs are earlier than the ch. There is a well-carved figure in oak of a young knight in armour, which at present lies in the Lewis chapel, supposed to be George de Cantelupe, Lord of Abergavenny, who died 1273. There are also interesting monuments to Sir David Lewis, Judge of the High Court of Admiralty (ob. 1584), and Judge Powell (ob. 1635). In the Herbert chapel are the remains of a Jesse tree, perhaps one of the most perfect extant ; an emblematical representation of the genealogy of our Lord from David, formed by a tree growing out of the body of the sleeping Jesse. On the branch are represented, by small statues amidst the foliage, the dif- ferent personages from whom he is descended. Churchyard, in the margin of his poem (1587), says, “ In this church was a most famous worke in manner of a genealogy of sings, called the Boote of Jesse, vhich work is defaced and pulled lown in pieces.” It is supposed hat it may originally have formed -he reredos of the high altar, and | part of the screen between the choir and the Lady Chapel. It is most likely that it was pulled down at the Reformation. All that remains is the grand figure of Jesse, the stem of the tree issuing from his left side and grasped by the left hand of the figure, above which it is cut short off. It is in good pre- servation, and a very fine sample of bold oak carving of the 15 th centy., if not earlier. The Castle,— “ Therent Norman tower that overhangs The lucid Usk,” — a shattered and shapeless ruin, on a mount near the S. extremity of the town, was founded by the Norman Hammeline de Baladun soon after the Conquest, and, during the long period of struggle between the Welsh and their imperious and tyrannical masters, the Lords Marchers, was re- peatedly the scene of bloody deeds and murders. Giraldus observes 4 4 that it was dishonoured by treason often er than any other castle in Wales.” In two instances it is as- serted by the Welsh historian, that their chieftains were invited under pretence of friendship and the ad- justment of differences within these walls, and while seated unarmed at the board were assassinated by their Norman entertainers in defiance of the laws of hospitality. The lord- ship passed in time from the house of Braose to Cantilupe, Hastings, Beauchamp, and Neville, with which last noble house it has remained since the reign of Henry VI., the title of the Earl of Abergavenny being derived from this castle. The ruins are now partly occupied by a private house, and the enclo- sure within the walls is converted into a garden. A public terrace walk runs along the outside and commands a charming view. The town was once famous for its manufacture of flannel, and after- 106 Route 12. — Abergavenny: wards for that of wigs made of bleached goat’s hair, but both these sources of industry have departed. As a commercial town, Abergavenny derives most of its importance from the markets, which are largely at- tended by customers from the hill- districts. There is excellent fishing to be obtained in the Usk under certain regulations. The only modern public buildings in Abergavenny worth notice are the Lunatic Asylum, which is placed in a commanding situation overlooking the town and valley ; a handsome structure in the early Pointed style, erected in 1850 at a cost of 40,000L, for the reception of lunatic patients of the joint counties of Monmouth, Brecon, and Radnor, and since then much enlarged ; and the Town Hall, of grey stone and Gothic style, with shops and a spacious market on the ground floor. There are also neat almshouses and a church erected by Miss Rachel Herbert in 1S39. A bridge of 7 arches carries the Merthyr road across the river, and close beside it, but on a higher level, the railway bridge of the Merthyr and Tredegar line is taken, pro- ducing a curious but not unpictu- resque effect. Beyond it, the Blorenge (1908 ft.) is a mass of old red sandstone capped by carboniferous limestone, and mill- stone grit, and is the cornerstone of the (N. crop of the S. Wales coal- field, which here turns to the S. to Pontypool and to the W. to Merthyr. Much beautiful scenery is to be found in the woods and dingles at its base, and in particular at the curious amphitheatre called “the Punchbowl,” evidently formed by a landslip. The view from the sum- mit on a fine day is very beautiful. It may be ascended most easily by keeping to the 1. round the Punch- bowl, an excursion of about 4 hrs. A carriage may be taken half the distance, or the ascent may easily Blorenge— Rentre. S. Walks. be made from the Govilon Stat. (Rte. 11.) The Sugar Loaf mountain (1954 ! ft. ) is frequently ascended on account j of the view from its summit, which is accessible to within 100 yds. by a I light carriage, an excursion of about j 4 hrs. On foot the ascent is most' conveniently made over the Rhol-j ben, the central of the three hills to the N. of the town. The walk may be varied by descending over the Derni, the hill to the right as you ascend over the ltholben. The Scyrrid Fawr (1601 ft.), or Holy Mountain, is described in Rte. 4. It may be ascended by walking or driving 3 m. on the Ross road, and turning to the 1. The descent may be made from the N. end to the Llanfiliangel Stat. Leaving Abergavenny, on the 1. are the Union House, the rly. and turnpike road to Merthyr. The handsome grey stone mansion to the left is The Brooks (Capt. T. Hill). The tourist now skirts the hill-side along the 1. bank of the Usk. The tops of the mountains are barren and craggy, but their slopes are check- ered with plantations and enclosed fields dotted about with white cot- tages. The low ground is chiefly very rich meadow, which, however, frequently suffers in floods of the river. 18 m. rt. Pentre (Mrs. Wheeley). 19 m. 1. Llanwenarth Church, with j a Perp. tower, and beyond it, on th» other side of the Usk, the villas of Abcrbaidcn and Ti/maicr. The two! portions of the parish are still known as Llanwenarth ultra and citra Usk. ! To the rt. is Llanwenarth Graig, * wooded shoulder of the Sugar Loaf. | 21 m. a stone on the roadside ! marks the boundary' between Kng- land and Wales. On rt. is Sunny* bank (Mrs. Parkinson), and im- mediately beyond it the village of 10 ? S. Wales. Route 12. — Court-y Llangwryney, where the little river Gwryney joins the Usk, which hard by is crossed by a neat lattice -girder bridge, erected in 1859 for the con- venience of the residents on either side the river. On rt. 1 m. is the village of Llangenau. 22 m. rt. Court-y-gollen (Yen. Archdeacon Davies), in whose park stands an upright stone, 13 ft. high, probably Druidical. The small and graceful Gothic structure on the 1. is a modern farm-house. On the opposite side of the river, well sheltered by a wooded bank, stands Dan-y-park, the well -timbered seat of Mrs. Crawshay, once the property of Mr. Skrine the traveller, and afterwards of Mr. Kendall. The tourist, if fortunate in his season and day, will understand why this part of the Usk is so extolled. The woods feather down to the water’s edge ; the river winds in graceful curves, and rippling rills from the mountains water the banks and pro- duce a rich profusion of wild-flowers. Many neat and pretty villas are scattered about, giving the place an aspect of trimness and smiling pros- perity ; and the valley looks equally well in the bright green of spring or the golden tints of autumn. 23 m. $ Crickhowel called by Leland “ a pretty townlet upon Usk,” though the epithet is applied rather to the situation than the. town itself, which, however, has much improved within the last few years. At the E. end, near the Abergavenny road, stand the ivy- clad ruins of the Castle, said to have once occupied a space of 8 acres in all, the structure itself with its keep, bailey, &c., covering 2 acres 1 rood and 14 perches, but now reduced to the fragments of a square and round tower. It was one of a small group of castles designed to check the in- cursions of the Welsh of Brecknock and Radnor through the dangerous - gotten — CrichJiowet. pass of Bwlch and the valley of the Rhiangoll. The Church, restored in 1864, from designs by Mr. C. West , is a cruciform E. E. structure consisting of nave, chancel, and two transepts with a central tower surmounted by a shingled spire founded in 1303 by Lady Sibyl de Pauncefote, but much metamorphosed by the addition of 2 plain aisles. The two transepts are called respectively the Gwernvale and Rumsey Chapels ; there are 2 fractured monumental effigies, in recesses of the wall of the chancel, of a cross-legged knight, perhaps Sir Grimbald de Pauncefote, and a lady supposed to have been the foundress ; and a marble monument to Sir John Herbert of Dan-y-Castell and his lady, 1666. The chancel was restored in 1883. The view from the churchyard, looking up the Yale of Usk, is very lovely. Near the W. extremity of Crick- howel stands a picturesque per- pendicular Gothic gateway, origi- nally attached to an old house of the Herberts, built in the reign of Henry YII., and called Porthmawr, but previously Cwrt Garw, forming the entrance to the residence of P. Davies, Esq. Through it is seen a landscape of extreme beauty, in- cluding views of Glanusk Park (Sir J. R. Bailey, M.P.), Glanwysk Villa (Mrs. Miles), and Gwernvale (Mrs. Lloyd). A long bridge leads across the Usk, to Llangattoc, 1 m. 1., with a fine old church and picturesque church-yard. Near it is Llangattoc Park (J. Evans, Esq.), a beautifully wooded domain of the Duke of Beaufort. In the cliffs of the mountain lime- stone of the hill above, which frown over the village, is a curious cave, which penetrates into the rock for some distance, and was formerly called Eglwys Faen, or the 1 e stone church,” a large vaulted chamber abounding in stalactites. It w T as probably used as a place of conceal- 108 " Route 12. — Llancjenau-^-Gwernvale . S. Wales. ment. It is said that on the table- land of the mountain above was fought a great battle, in 728, be- tween Ethelbald and the force of Glamorgan. The remains of a warrior were discovered under a cairn about 30 years ago. Crickhowel receives its name from an ancient British camp, nearly triangular in form, which crowns the summit of the Table Mountain, or Crug Hywel, about 2 m. to the N.E. of the town. It has been attributed to Hywel ap Rhys, Prince of Gwent, who made war with the lord of Brecon, and probably used this as his frontier intrenchment. Smollett, in ‘ Humphrey Clinker, * mentions “Crickhowel flannels,” which were formerly in high re- pute ; but they are no longer manu- factured. [A very pretty excursion can be made to Llangenau, 2 m., where the famous well of St. Cenau formerly enjoyed the repute of miraculous powers, and amongst other proper- ties possessed that of giving the mastery of a house to the first of a new married couple that drank of it. St. Cenau is evidently the same saint as St. Keyne, who also has a well in Cornwall, to which the same miraculous powers are attached. Hence the following incident is re- lated by a Cornish Benedick : — ** I hasten’d as soon as the wedding wa3 done, And left my wife in the porch, But i’ faith, she had been wiser than I, For she took a bottle to church.” — Carew. The church is one of the most picturesque little buildings in the county, situated close to the bank of the babbling Grwyney, in a very deep dell, overshadowed by hanging woods. On the opposite side are Penydarren (J. Doyle, Esq.), and lower down the pretty villa of Tyn-y-vro. The whole of the walk up the dingle to Llanbedr, 2£ m. E. of Crickhowel, is most lovely, and I presents an endless variety of wood, I water, and hill. The two streams I of the Greater and Lesser Grwyney make the scene more attractive. 6 m. further, in a dell to the 1. of ri the Sugar Loaf, is Partrishow Church (from Parthau-yr-Ishow , “the parcel I of I show ” the patron saint ; or a j 1 corruption of Merthyr I show , Ishow j the Martyr) a little, primitive, se- questered spot, buried in the heart of the mountains, with scarce a house in sight. It is very small, consisting j only of a chancel and nave, but is ; remarkable for a roodloft of Irish oak (temp. Henry VII.) of great delicacy and beauty of execution. 1 and for two stone altars at the E. end of the nave. There is also a chantry at the N. end of the church with a j separate entrance, and a large stone 1 altar with incised crosses. There ' is a good open roof of timber frame-work, and a very ancient font, with the legend ‘ In tempore Gyni- llyn Meilir me fecit. ’ Cynhyllyn ' was the son of Rhys Goch, Lord of the district in the reign of Henry I. . It is however in a very dilapidated A condition. In the valley below the ch. is a bridge over the Grwyney, J called Pont-yr-Esgob, or Bishop’s I Bridge, from whence Baldwin, Arch- 1 bishop of Canterbury, preached the I Crusade in company with Giraldus I Cambrensis. From hence a bridle- j path may be followed to Llanthony Abbey (Rte. 4), about 6 m. On the return to Crickhowel, about 1 m. | from the town, near the roadside, at a farm called Tyn-y-lad, was formerly an inscribed stone, with tills inscrip- tion : — TVRPILLI IZ IACIT TVVERI TRILVNI DVNOCATI. It has been recently removed to Glanusk Park. The road to Brecon is carried on past scenes of surprising beauty. 24 m. on 1. is Glannant (Miss S. Wales. Boute 12. — Glanusk Park — Dinas . 109 Bevan), on rt. Gwernvale (Mrs. Lloyd), and across the river, under the wooded slopes of the Llangattoc Hill, is Glanwysk (Mrs. Miles). On the rt. the rugged escarpment of the Daren mountain stands well out. 26 m. 1. is Glannsk Park, the handsome seat of Sir J. Russell ; Bailey, Bart., a modern Elizabethan ! structure in a lovely park, with a 3-arclied bridge and a castellated lodge, all in very good taste. Just above the bridge, in a most en- i chanting situation, on the bank of : the river, and commanding splendid views of the neighbouring hills, is i Penmyarth Church, erected by the late Sir J. Bailey as a family mau- soleum. In the park is the famous Turpilian stone, which was trans- ferred hither from the hill above Crickhowel. The Latin of the in- ; scription is of the faulty character I which is common in ancient Welsh- Latin. [A little way on the Crickhowel side of Glanusk, a road to rt. goes to Talgarth, 10 m. 1J m. on 1. Tretower Castle, now | reduced to a single round keep-tower, 1 and some fragments of walls, stands ; on the 1. bank of the Rhiangoll about 1 m. from its junction with the Usk. It consisted of a triangular enclosure, | with two round towers at the N. and ! S. angles and a keep at the W. The two sides are each about 60 yds. in length, and the base about 80 yds. The keep is of peculiar interest to archaeologists because it affords a J rare example of a rectangular Norm, keep which has been gutted and replaced by an E. E. round tower. Among local castles it most resembles Bronllys in character and date, though it has some good E. E. fire- places. The stones of Vaiens and Peregrinus, described in ‘ Arch. Cambr.,’ 1851 (p. 227), have been built into the walls. Owain Glyndwr nearly destroyed it in 1403, but it was afterwards hastily repaired ; and as soon as the neighbouring castle of Dinas was destroyed, Tretower re- turned to its former insignificance. In Tretower Court, long the mansion of the Vaughans, from whose stock sprang the Silurist (Henry Vaughan), are some good specimens of Perp. domestic architecture, the mansion being of the 15th centy. The great hall is now a barn, but other apart- ments still retain them fine original roofs. Some additions to the old mansion have a defensive character. 3 m. Cwmddu, a pleasing little village, situated amidst most roman- tic scenery, and celebrated as the residence of the Rev. T. Price (Carnhuanwc), a man well known for his poetic imagination and ardent love for the Celtic remains and customs of his country. The church is a spacious building, with an em- battled tower, and has a stone built into it, by Mr. Price, with the in- scription CATACVS HIC JACET FILIVS TEGER- NACUS. Another early incised stone is built in the S. wall, with an engraved cross of elegant design, and 2 escutcheons, that to the rt. supposed to belong to one of the De Sully family. This ch. has a rich and well-preserved rood- screen, forming a lining to the wall at the E. end. A barbarous flat ceil- ing hides the original roof. A little below the village is Gaer, the site of a Roman station, by the side of which the Via Julia passed from Isca Legionum to Maridunum, or Caermarthen. Numerous coins of the Low r er Empire, as well as frag- ments of bricks, have been found here. On the Pentir Hill there is a large camp partly of British and partly of Roman formation. 7 m. On a steep, conical hill on rt. , above the road, is Dinas, the mere 110 'Route 12. — Llangynider — Llcmgorse Lake. S. Wales. outline of a castle, and “ minus almost to the hard ground ” even in Leland’s time, probably of the age of Edward I., and retaining some curi- ous traces of an excavation or well, like that at Morlais, near Merthyr. The castle was attacked and taken by Etlielfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great ; but it was only garrisoned at the time by 33 women, all the males having taken the field with their lord, Hwgan, Prince of Brecknock. It was afterwards dismantled to prevent it falling into the hands of Owain Glyndwr. From here the road winds at the foot of Mynydd y Troed to Talgarth, 3 m. (Rte. 16), and joins the Brecon and Hay road.] From Glanusk the road runs at the base of the Myartli, upon which is an old British encampment. On the other side of the hill overlooking the beautiful defile of the Usk is Gliffaes (W. H. West, Esq.). At the foot of the Bwlch mountain a road to 1. leads to Llangynider, a small but beautifully situated village, in the neighbourhood of which are some of the finest bits of scenery in S. Wales, particularly at Dyffryn Crownant and Buckland Mill (Rte. 9). The road now rises, and winds considerably, until at 28 m. it reaches the summit of the Bwlch Pass, and descends the slope of Mynydd Buckland into the Vale of Brecon. Looking towards Crick- howel the view is almost grand ; on the 1. are the enormous mass of Penallt Mawr, Pencareg Calcli, and the Daren, with the Sugar Loaf ending the view, while the rt. is occupied by the Myartli in the fore- ground, and the long ridges of the Llangynider and Llangattoc moun- tains behind. Here the traveller, looking at his map, becomes aware that he has crossed a great mountain ridge, extending N.E. and S.W., from the S. side of which rise most of the streams of Monmouth and Glamorgan, though the main rivers of the Wye and the Usk rise beyond it, and traverse it by the two deep valleys of Builth and Crickhowel, upon which therefore the Norman castles were thickly planted, as were, on even higher summits, those of the earlier Welsh. The great valley N., and at the foot of the scarp, is that of the Upper Wye and Upper Usk, whose courses are marked by the towns of Hay on the one and Brecon on the other, with Talgarth between them. The tra- veller who visits Breconshire, will find his account in mastering this piece of Welsh geography. There is a fine view, from the other side of the Bwlch, of Llan- gorse Lake, or Llyn Safaddan, to which a road leads on rt. from the turnpike, passing 1. the ruins of Blaen-Lyfni Castle, supposed to have been the residence of Hwgan, Prince of Brecknock, in the 10th centy., and fortified by the Normans in order to guard the important pass of Bwlch. About 1321 Blanlyfni Castle fell into the hands of Peter de Montfort. In Leland’s time the castle was deserted and decaying, as was also “the borough town,” which adjoined it. The lake, which lies 2 m. to the rt., is about 5 m. in circumference, and abounds with most beautiful scenery, although of rather a melancholy character. The river Llunwy or Lleveny passes through it, and runs north to join the Wye. It ranks as the second lake in Wales, after Bala. In 1235 the monks of Brecon obtained per- mission from the Priory of Llan- tliony to fish in it 3 days a week and daily in Lent, provided they used only one boat. A tradition of a sub- merged city, to, be seen at times below the waves, is attached to it. " Structures irdiflcii Sa»pe vidcbls inib! Sub lacu ; cum sit ffelidus Mirus auditur sonitus.” Another legend about it is that on k Wales. Route 12. — Talgarth — Brecon. Ill ; he coming of the rightful prince of jbhe land the birds about the lake will recognise him by singing, j This lake is much frequented for the sake of its perch and pike- j fishing, and in winter for its wild- fowl shooting. In 1869 a u crannoge ” was dis- covered off the island here by the Eev. E. N. Dumbleton, M.A. On the 1. bank is Treberfedd, the seat of R. Raikes, Esq., and the beautiful little church of Llangasty Tal-y-Llyn, restored in very good ) taste. It is dedicated to St. Gfastyn, the tutor of Cynog, son of Brechan. It possesses a fine peal of -bells, j which have a peculiarly charming J effect when heard from the lake. The road at the E. of the lake passes through the village of Llan- gorse, the church of which has a j good cradle roof, to Talgarth, 8 m. from Bwlch. The tourist can, if he chooses, proceed from Llangorse Lake direct to Hereford or Brecon, by rail, from Tal-y-Llyn Junct. (Rte 9), near Llangorse village.] Descending the Bwlch Hill to Brecon, a fine view is gained on 1. of Buckland (J. P. Gwynne-Holford, Esq. ) ; Talybont village and stat. (from whence the traveller can pro- ceed to Merthy, Rte. 9) ; and on rt. of the latter, the ch. of Llansaint- fread (Rte. 9), close to which the road passes over the Merthyr and Brecon rly, which is seen in the dis- tance on 1. ascending the lovely valley of Glyn Collwng. 38 m. Llanhamlach Church, shaded by magnificent yews, and close by Peter stone, ' the property of Sir J. R. Bailey, Bart. At Manest Court, on rt. , is Ty-iltid, the remains of a “ Kistvaen ” of pre- historic times. 35 m. 1. The Usk is here crosssed by 2 bridges, one carrying the road which leads from Brecon to Taly- bont and Crickhowel, and the other the Brecon and Pontypool Canal. 1 m. 1. are Llanfrynach Church, and Maesderwen (the seat of William De Winton, Esq.). A Roman villa was discovered near Llanfrynach. 35 J m. 1. Dinas (John Lloyd, Esq.), charmingly placed in a bank of wood, below which is the race- course. The approach to $ Brecon, 37 m. is extremely pretty. On rt., at th^ entrance of the town, are the stat. and the Barracks. Brecon, called by the natives Aberhonddu, is one of the most picturesque and beauti- fully situated towns in the princi- pality ; it is seated on the Usk at the point where two smaller streams, the Honddu and Tarel, pour into it, and the wide amphitheatre of hills and mountains around, broken in outline by the convergence of so many valleys opening towards this centre, is strikingly picturesque. The main feature in this panorama is represented by the twin peaks of the Beacons, or Vans (Rte. 9), the most elevated mountains in S. Wales, rising in great sublimity about 5 m. to the S. of the town, to a height of 2910 ft. These peaks are called by the Welsh <( Arthur’s Chair.” A bridge of 7 arches over the Usk connects the town with the suburb of Llanfaes on its S. side. There are 3 principal streets, leading re- spectively to Abergavenny, Caermar- then, and Hay, the latter being called the Struet. The Castle Hotel occupies the site of the ancient fortress, by which the Norman, Bernard Newmarch, in the reign of Rufus, secured the possessions, which he had gained by his sword, from the Welsh prince of Brecknock. The castle contained a considerable area, with two watchtowers at each angle. At the S. angle on an elevated mound is the keep, or Ely Tower, where Morton, Bishop of 112 Route 12 . — Brecon: Castle. S. Walks Ely, plotted with the Duke of Buckingham against Richard III. Its form was an oblong parallelo- gram, 100 yards long by 80 wide. The castle is built out of the ruins of the old Roman tower situated 3 m. higher up the Usk, and New- march made this lordship liis re- sidence, and the capital of his march. It afterwards belonged to the great baronial families of Braose and Boliun Earl of Hereford. It stands on an eminence in an angle between the rivers Honddu and Usk ; and the waters of the Honddu appear to have been carried round it to fill the moat. The scanty ruins remaining consist of 2 square towers in the garden of the hotel, not older than the time of Edward III., and of a lofty mound, on which stood the keep. Within the walls of this castle, the union of the rival houses of York and Lancaster, and the scheme for dethroning Crookback Richard, and inviting Henry VII. to take his place, were concocted between Stafford Duke of Buckingham, its owner, and Morton Bishop of Ely, com- mitted as a prisoner to his care by Richard. The result of the con- ference held in the Ely Tower of Brecknock Castle was, that the bishop was allowed to esfcape to Henry of Richmond, in Brittany, and that the duke lost his head at Salisbury. The mound, on which the keep stood, is enclosed within a garden, now separated by the road from the rest of the ruins. The greater part of the castle was pulled down at the Great Rebellion by the townspeople, to prevent its being fortified or garrisoned by either of the contend- ing parties, and thus involving the place in the miseries of a siege. On a height a little to the N. of the castle, on the rt. bank of the Honddu, stands the Priory Ch. of St. John, originally the chapel of the Priory, founded in the reign of Henry I. by Bernard Newmarch seized with compunction for tht deeds of violence by which he ha< obtained his possessions, and willing to disgorge a part of his booty tc the Church, in the hope of securing peace to his soul after death. B\ the management of the baron’s con fessor, a monk of Battle in Sussex, the priory of Brecon was made de- pendent on that abbey. But little of the original edifice can be de tected in the existing church, a large cruciform structure, partly shrouded with ivy, and shaded by venerable yew-trees. The whole building has been well restored in two instalments, so to speak ; the latter completed in the present year by Sir G. G. Scott , whose report to the Restoration Committee remarks that ‘ ‘ stern and massive as is the external form of this ch., and mode- rate as is the amount even of internal ornament, the quality of the archi- tecture is as good, as well studied, and as refined as could be found in any building of the period in this, or perhaps in any other country.” The chancel and transepts are chiefly in the E. E. style, lighted at the E. end by 5 lancet windows. “ It was doubtless commenced at the close of the 11th centy. ; but probably the nave might not have been com- pleted till towards the middle of the 12th. The choir, transepts, and presbytery, rebuilt during the 13th and the 14th centy., gradually trans- formed the Norm, nave into a Dec. building.” — E. A. P. A wooden screen separates the choir from the chancel. The eastern portions, in- cluding chancel, transept, and cen- tral tower, are of the earlier style of Pointed architecture, but in its more advanced form (date 1220 to 1230). The tower is singularly massive, re- minding the visitor strongly of the tower of Llanbadarn Vawr, netf Al>erystwith (Rte. 18), and of other fortress-like towers of churches in S. Wales. The S. transept was anciently S. Wales. Route 12. — Brecon: Churches , &c. 113 called by the Welsh “the Chapel of the Red Men ; ” meaning the Nor- i mans, for whose use it was appro- priated, while the Welsh occupied the other side. The chancel is of 4 bays in length, and was meant to be [; vaulted, to judge from the vaulting- shafts. The side bays contained fine triplets, and the E. end a window of 5 lancet lights of great depth. On , each side of the chancel were origin- ally two small chapels opening into I each transept, which at a later [ period w r ere considerably altered, those on the N. being thrown into one large chapel, whilst on the S. me chapel disappeared, and the f other was altered, and a vestry added Uo its E. end. The latest restora- tion has embraced the vaulting of the chancel, the windows of the N. chapel, and the bringing both the oransept roofs to the original pitch. There is a curious Norm, font, deco- ded with monsters’ heads. In the estoration remains of sedilia and a triple piscina (on a large scale) were liscovered. There are several monu- mental effigies of interest : the most emarkable representing the Cruci- fixion, the Virgin, and St. John, vith angels in the angles above, lelow are 4 kneeling figures of the persons in whose memory the stone vas placed. Portions still remain of the Priory I vails and of an embattled gateway. ; The Priory House, contiguous to he churchyard, belongs to the Mar- ti juis Camden. King Charles I. , . b fugitive after the fatal battle of 'faseby, was received here by Sir * lerbert Price, on the 5th of August, : 645 ; and George IV. passed a night lere in 1821, after his return from reland. The Priory Wood is a lofty grove, i overing the steep slope at whose ase runs the Honddu. There are * leasant walks beneath the shade £ the fine trees and along the water- 'de ; and another promenade, called be Captain’s Walk, along the banks IS. Wales.-] of the Usk, under the old town walls. St. Mary’s Church is situated in the very heart of the town, and was enlarged in 1858. It was originally a Norman building, the traces of which are visible only in the N. aisle, but it appears to have been enlarged about the 1 4th centy . The tower is a good Perp. “of the Somersetshire type, about 90 ft. in height, and containing a peal of 8 bells.” The College of Christchurch, be- fore the Reformation a convent of friar-preachers, was converted into a seat of learning, under a dean (the Bishop of St. David’s) and 19 pre- bendaries, in the reign of Henry VIII., and is the oldest grammar- school Foundation in Wales. The charter of Henry VIII. assigns as its intent and purpose the remedy of the ignorance of the English language among the inhabitants of S. Wales. As a school, the Brecon College is taking a high stand amongst educa- tional establishments, and a hand- some range of buildings has been erected for the necessary accommoda- tion. The chapel of the college, in the suburb of Llanfaes, a small ancient building of E. E. style, but repaired and modernised soon after the Re- storation, contains an antique stone cross, brought from the Aubrey Chapel, which stood close at hand, and was attached to the ancient church of St. Nicholas, destroyed by the Parliamentary Commissioners in the Civil War ; the monuments of Bishop Bull and of several other bishops of St. David’s, who lie buried here (a fact which might be urged as a plea for the founding of a see of Brecon with the priory church as its cathedral), together with one. of Richard Lacy and his wife, bearing their recumbent effigies in the cos- tume of the time of James II. 1 114 Route 13 . — Brecon to Neath. S. Wales St. David’s Church, in the district of Llanfaes, fell down in 1852, but was rebuilt in the Early Pointed style in 1859. The cemetery is re- markably pretty, and commands fine views. In 1755 Mrs. Siddons was born here, at the Shoulder of Mutton, a public-house in High Street, now dignified by the name of “The Siddons’ Wine Vaults,” while her parents were on a professional tour. The trade of Brecon consists in wood, leather, and coal, and is as- sisted by a canal to Abergavenny and Newport. The town has been much benefited by the 2 rlys. w’hich run into it, and place it in direct communication w T ith London and the North, and the South Wales coal -basin to Merthyr and Neath. The ascent of the Beacons occupies about 3 hrs. (Rte. 9). ROUTE 13. FROM BRECON TO NEATH, BY DEVYNNOCK. (Neath and Brecon Railway ). This line, opened in 1868, offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the Principality, in the valley of the upper Usk, and amidst the ranges of the Breconshire and Caer- marthenshire Beacons. The rly. follows pretty closely the course of the Usk, having on 1. the suburb of Llanfaes and the County Gaol, severed by Glyn Tarel, u] which w T inds the road to Merthyr A little way up is Ffncd-grcch (thi heirs of Mrs. Pearce), in w T hos« grounds is the very pretty little waterfall of llhydgoch. 2 m. Llanspyddid Church, Earh Dec., and surrounded by venera bl< yew T -trees. The name is a corrup tion of “ Llan-y-Spitty,” from ; “ Hospitium ” supported here b Malvern Priory. In the cliurchyan is a tomb traditionally said to belong to Brychan Breichiniog. To the rt 1 m. is Pennoyre , the handsome sea of the representative of the lab Sir Anthony Cleasbv, a Baron of th* Exchequer. The road up to it run between two hills, each with it camp. On Fenniwood is one, sai< to occupy the site of a British city afterwards appropriated by th< Romans. At Pen-y-crug, to the N. is a strong oval camp defended b; a triple intrenchment, and another less interesting, on a hill opposite called “Shvch,” with a twofoU rampart. Gold and silver coins o the time of Nero have been foun< here. 3J m. on the 1. bank of the Usk at the confluence of the Yscir, i Aberyscir Church, planted roimr with yew, opposite to which, on tb 1. bank of the Yscir, near its junc tion with the Usk, and N.W. o Brecon, is the Gaer, a rectangula camp, supposed to be identical w’iti Bannium, or Gaer Benni, a Britisl town, which preceded Brecknock and was adopted as a station b; the Roman general Ostorius Sea pula. The Norman conqueror o Brecknock transferred its stones b build his castle low’er down th* Usk, where the county town nov stands. Several ramparts still exist and the foundations of walls ii places from 3 to 6 ft. high, partly overgrown with underwood, hav« withstood the depredations of iua» B. Wales. Boute 13. — Aberbrdn — Trecastle. 115 and the wastes of the elements. From hence a Eoman road leads N. past the megalith called Maen-y- norwynion (the Maiden Stone), with sculptured figures still in good pre- servation, in reality a monument to a Roman legionary and his wife ; and still further N. a Maenhir — a me- norial connected with Celtic tradi- tions. From Bannium the Sarn Helan ran via Builth Rhayader and Montgomeryshire to Chester, and the Via Julia by 3 branches, all uniting it different points with the great Lilian trunk road, which passed vvestward by Caerwent, Caerleon, Jardiff, and Carmarthen, to St. Davids. 4J m. Aberbran Stat., at the con- luence of the Bran with the Usk. 3n the rt. bank, a little further on, s the little church of Capel Bettws, md Penpont (Penry Williams, Esq. ), - modern Italian house, in a lovely xark along the Usk, and close to the ‘Pont,” whence it takes its name ; md J m. beyond is Abercamlais Archdeacon Garnon Williams). Near this is the parish of Trallong, n which was found the famous Igham bilingual stone, with the nscription, “ Cunocenni filius Junoceni jacit hie ; ” where the Dgham letters give the same as the Roman. The celebrated Owain Iolo aoch is said to have been buried in i field in this parish. At Senni Bridge the line, leaving )n rt. Glanusk (Rev. F. Hort), turns f Devynnock, which in Norman Jrnes had involved the superinten- lence of a constable, were of suffi- • cient importance for ‘ ‘ the deer, woods, underwoods and timber-trees to be reserved ” by an Act of Parlia- ment. There is now not a tree to be seen, and the fences are of stone. Close to Pont Senni is a farm- house, which bears the name of Castell Ddu, or Black Castle, from a fortress no longer existing, where formerly the Constable of the sur- rounding forest resided. [From hence an excursion can be made, still up the valley of the Usk, to Trecastle and Llandovery, by the former mail road from London to Caermarthen. Beyond Gian Usk the road crosses the Usk by a bridge of one bold arch, much resembling Pontypridd (Rte. 15), and then gra- dually ascends the hill on the 1. bank to 3 m. Trecastle, a large village in the parish of Lly wel, having on rt. , and to the N. of the turnpike -road, the mound and rather extensive earthwork of the castle, which was founded by Bernard Newmarch. The road and the river, after 38 m. of company, now separate, the latter, now a mere brook, rising about 6 m. S.W., and within j m. of Llyn-y-fan-fawr, a deep, fishless, mountain tarn, seated under the highest peak of the Caermarthen- shire Beacon, or Van, also some- times called the Black mountain. This mountain, a very picturesque object, is cleft in two by a deep and narrow fissure, through which runs the boundary line of the county. The W. summit lies in Caermarthen- shire, and the E. , or Trecastle Beacon, in Breconshire, rising 2596 ft. above the sea-level. A view more extended and in- teresting than any in Wales, with the exception of that from Snowdon, may be obtained from this mountain upon a clear day. There is abundance of fish in the lesser lake, but anglers who wish to try it must take tents, 116 Route 13 . — Llywel: provisions, and all other accommo- dation with them. 4 m. rt. Llywel Church (restored), with a fine old tower. Between Llywel and Trecastle once existed a considerable lake, over which the Gwyns, who resided at Trecastle in great splendour, were rowed to ch. at the former place in an awned barge. — IFoorf’s ‘ Rivers. ’ The road here slowly ascends the back of a second escarpment, di- viding the counties of Brecon and Caermarthen,and here called Mynydd Bwlch-y-groes ; it then winds past Horeb Chapel, round the base of the Black Mountain, through the ro- mantic glen of Cwmdwr, and de- scends to the side of a small stream, the Gwydderig, a tributary of the Towey. 7 m. Halfway. On 1. is a small obelisk, erected to commemorate the turn-over and destruction of the mail-coach over a steep of 130 ft., the driver and passengers escaping unhurt. After passing Velindre (E. Jones, Esq.) the valley expands, and in the midst of meadows that vie with lawns in softness and hue, the road approaches $ Llandovery, 12 m. (Rte. 19).] From Devynnock the rly. ascends the valley of the Treweren by a very steep gradient, and near its head crosses the shoulder of the moun- tain into the head of the Croi valley, then under the steep slopes of the Fan Gehirach (2382 ft.), where it crosses the watershed of the Tawe and its tributaries. A wilder or more desolate scene can scarcely be imagined. Passing rt. the little vil- lage and ch. of Capel Colbren at the head of Glyn Tawe, the train arrives at 19 m. Penwylt Stat., built of the limestone of the neighbouring hills, and affording an easy mode of exa- mining the shells and fossils im- bedded therein. The tourist should Church — Trevberen . S. Wale \ get out here for the purpose visiting the waterfall of Scwd H( R-hyd, nearly 3 m. to the S. T1 mountain views on each side a remarkably fine, the approxima I height of this level above the s» ; being 1250 ft. The fall, one of tl I finest in S. Wales, occurs a little the W. of the village of Capel Co! bren. Here the Llech tumbles ov< the rock at a height of 100 ft allowing the visitor to pass drysho under the fall. Sir W. Logan di covered some erect fossil coal tree of the class named Sigillaria, in tl bed of the river. In the primith little church of Capel Colbren is , curious old tombstone, and close l are remains of a Roman road. Fro: hence the Cribarth mountain forn a striking object in the scenery. 23 m. OnllwynStat. Ifthetouri comes from Neath, this will be tl best stat. from which to visit tl waterfall. Here are ironworks seat* on the anthracite veins of coal. From hence, too, the tourist mi walk through the desolate region < the Ban wen, and explore the Pyrdd river, with its falls (Rte. 10). The rly. here descends the vallt of the Dulais, to 27 J m. Crinant Stat. 33 m. Neath Junct. (Rte 1). j. Wales. Boute 14. — Cardiff to Rhymney . 117 ■ ROUTE 14. ROM CARDIFF TO RHYMNEY, BY CAERPHILLY. Quitting Cardiff from the Rhym- ey Stat. in Crockherbtown, the ne soon passes, 1 ., Llandaff, and oing off to the right, after passing •lanishen Stat. reaches the cross alley to Caerphilly, whence there j a magnificent view looking up the 'aff vale towards Pontypridd and the diondda Mountains. On 1. is Dyffryn Erw (E. Wh- ams, Esq.). 10 m. $ Caerphilly, situated at lie very eastern edge of Glamorgan- hire, behind a ridge of hills which n the S. separate it from Cardiff 1 m.), and on the W. from the ’aff vale. To the former town there ; a direct road over the limestone ills and past New House. The vil- ige itself is poor and straggling, nd the houses approach rather near o the walls of the old Castle, which 3 the most extensive as well as one f the most interesting ruins of a ludal fortress to be met with in lie country, though on the whole, rom its level position and the r ant of vegetation, less fitted to mploy the pencil of the artist than he pen of the antiquary. It has not been the scene of any reat historical event. It was in its rigin a purely military work, and eased to be of importance as such pon the settlement of the Princi- pality by Edward I. The castle is described by Leland nd others as standing on marshy round, partly surrounded by a aere or lake. At present its walls re washed on the S. and S.E. sides y Nant-y-Gledyr, a tributary of the Ihymney ; but there is evidence hat anciently its waters were not uerely employed to fill the two moats which surrounded the for- tress, but were also, as at Kenil- worth, spread over a considerable tract by damming them up, thereby increasing the strength of the place and the difficulty of approaching it. The main entrance on the E. side of the castle was by a raised causeway (now converted into a garden) and pier of ma- sonry, detached in the middle of the moat, the gaps on each side of the pier being crossed by draw- bridges. The gatehouse, flanked by two turrets and surmounted by a tower 60 ft. high, was guarded by portcullis and stockades, and protected by loopholes in the turret walls. On the lower story are re- mains of a small fireplace and oven, apparently for heating pitch, lead, &c. , for the annoyance of besiegers ; here also was the apparatus for raising the drawbridge. This part of the moat is now generally dry, owing to the stream having been turned away from it. There is a postern gate to the rt. of the gate- house. The usual entrance for visitors is on the S. side of the castle opposite the tete-de-pont. It will be observed that an abyss or chasm about 29 ft. deep and 5 wide sepa- rates the gatehouse from the long wall or curtain stretching N. from it on the rt. This is called in some ancient accounts the “ North marish ground.” By help of this gap and of a wall (now levelled with the earth) carried from the gate- house to the inner moat, this long rampart and outwork was divided from the rest of the edifice, so that, even if it were taken, the body of the place would be still safe and cut off from it. The communica- tion between it and the gatehouse was kept up by drawbridges or planks of wood easily removed. This curtain, flanked towards the moat by 3 buttress-towers, stretches N. 360 ft. ; a gallery of wood ran along behind it, allowing the gar* 118 Route 14. — Caerphilly : Castle. S. Wale rison to man the defences, and it terminated in another postern, flanked by 2 buttress-towers and provided with portcullis and draw- bridge. This long curtain at pre- sent looks unfinished, but it was never intended for more than an outwork ; and when the castle was in a state of defence, the ground behind it was flooded and converted into a lake. The opposite and cor- responding curtain or wing ex- tended to the dam and sluices, by which the river was arrested, so as to form this inundation. This dam, being the keystone of the water defences, was strongly guarded by flanking towers on each side and by a tete-de-pont on the opposite side of the stream. Those who dismantled this castle let out the waters of the lake, by blowing up a large part of this curtain and wall, 15 ft. thick, including 2 but- tress-towers ; the rivulet now flows through the gap, being crossed by a rude wooden bridge, which rests on one of the broken frag- ments of masonry, serving instead of a pier. To return to the great gatehouse. Standing within its portal on the N. are the foundations of the wall, which, with the chasm before mentioned, separated the N. curtain from the body of the place ; on the S., the ruined low r er story of the castle mill, set in motion by a rivulet from the stream ; and W. the quad- rangular body of the castle itself. It was also insulated by a moat, now dried up and covered with greensward, except where encum- bered by ruins. It was surrounded by an outer wall with gates on the E. and W. sides, approached by drawbridges, within which stood lofty gatehouses and the fchief buildings of the place, overlooking the outwork and leaving narrow ter- races between. The outer gate on the E. side has been crushed by the ruins of the inner gatehouse, which has been separated by a j explosion in two parts — one ha ■ remaining upright and tolerabl perfect, w r hile the other lias falle in fragments towards the moat. 1 w r as originally provided w T ith gate? portcullis, stockades, and holes i its roof for pouring hot metal or pitc on the heads of assailants, and on th first floor is a large room with wide fireplace. Passing through thi gatehouse, the visitor enters the inne court or bailey of the castle, wliic in its original state must have bee very imposing. In front rises th western gatehouse, tolerably perfect on the 1. is the Great Hall, havin rich windows and a doorway witl ogee -shaped arches and decorate* ball-flow r er ornaments in the mould ings ; the corbels w r hich suppor its wooden roof are of triple-clu* tered columns. A close examination of the w T alls, however, leads to th impression that there w r as an earlie roof before that wdiich these corbel supported, The present or thin roof was placed on them anew b the Marquis of Bute, in the yea 1871, when he entertained here th Cambrian archaeologists. E. of th hall is the chapel. From the side of th hall, opposite the fireplace, proceed a wide passage slanting downward to the moat, here of great breadth and proved by the mark on th walls to have been about 12 ft deep. The passage is curiousb vaulted by a series of arches hanginj one below the other like inverts* steps : at its lowor entrance was place for storing boats. The moa or lake is now fine green-sward Between the E. gatehouse and th hall are the offices : the kitchen called the Mint, and provided wit fireplaces with thick walls, had one a vaulted roof. There is great did culty in identifying the rest of th offices ; one is provided with an ovei and open tank. The inner bailej was defended at the angles by K lofty and very thick bastion-towci* 119 S. Wales. Route 14 . — Caerphilly Castle — Ystrad. upon which the chief violence of the demolishes of the castle has been expended, so that they have all been more or less overthrown. One of these in the S.E. corner, on your 1. hand as the inner court is entered, is* the leaning tower, 80 ft. high, and projecting 9 ft. over its base. It must have been mined and blown up with gunpowder ; but the cylin- der of masonry, 10 ft. thick, was so solid, that even its parapet remains perfect ; and although it is split in twain by the explosion, it has only slit downwards, sinking for some depth into the earth and leaning over : the rest of the tower, to- wards the court, has been broken in pieces. At the W. end of the hall are the state apartments. Gal- leries in the thickness of the wall, looped towards the outside, run round a part of the castle, and are still accessible, though the removal of every fragment of iron and most of the freestone has led to the de- molition of many staircases, and the sills, mouldings, &c., of the doors and windows throughout the build- ing. On the W. side of this bailey rises the W. gatehouse, having on rt. an apsidal chamber with a pointed roof. The gatehouse conducts to the back entrance of the castle, which was strongly defended by an outer gatehouse. The side walls of this latter are now broken through, and it is approached by a drawbridge over the moat, the hollow pier for sustaining which remains. This led to the hornwork, an irregular poly- gon of earth. A dam or ridge of earth extended from this hornwork along the N. side of the castle and separated the moat from the lake beyond it ; the water was admitted from the moat into the pond through a sluice in this dam. In addition to these works, composing the fortifica- tions of the ancient castle, there rises on the N.W. angle, detached therefrom, an eminence crowned with a more modern fort or re- doubt, evidently thrown up after the discovery of gunpowder, pro- bably during the wars of the Great Rebellion, to which period the blow- ing up of the towers may be as- signed. Its shape is an irregular quadrangle, with rude bastions at the 4 corners surrounded by a fosse. The Castle of Senghenydd, pro- bably of very rude structure, may have stood on or close to this site ; but the existing building may be safely attributed to Gilbert de Clare and to the year 1270 or thereabouts. The W. gatehouse, however, is said to be later, and perhaps the whole exterior line of defence to the E. The Castle was never the residence of any great baronial family, though its name often occurs in connection with the unhappy race of Despencer. It now belongs to Lord Bute. Near Caerphilly, and partially built of its materials, is the Van, long the seat of the ancient Gla- morgan family of Lewis, but which passed out of the male line by an heiress, to the Earls of Plymouth, and from them again through an heiress to Lord Windsor. 1 m. from Caerphilly is Pwl-y- pant, the picturesque cottage of the late W. Williams, Esq. 15 m. Ystrad Stat. The vale of the Rhymney here narrows con- siderably, and presents a pleasing contrast to the broad amphitheatre of hills in which the castle of Caerphilly is situated. Ystrad Church, on rt. , is a pretty building, in good taste, partly erected by the late Rev. Geo. Thomas, whose resi- dence — the Court — is but a short distance on the rt. 16 m. Hengoed Junct. with the Great Western Rly. (Rte. 10), which is carried across the vale by a lofty viaduct, the tall narrow arches forming a prominent feature in the scenery. 120 Boute 15 . — Cardiff to Merthyr. S. Wales. On the opposite side of the valley, running parallel, is the Newport and Brecon Rly. (Rte. 9.) 17 i m. Pengam Stat. Imme- diately on W. are the Gelligaer schools and chapel. 19 m. Bargoed Stat. The New- port and Brecon Rly. here crosses the Rliymney Rly. on its way up the Bargoed Rhymney valley to Dow- lais. 21 m. Tir Phil Stat. Here are large coke ovens, and on the oppo- site side of the valley is the colliery of New Tredegar. 23 J m. Pontlottyn Stat. , a suburb of Rhymney. 24 J m. Rhymney Iron Works (Inn : Castle), the property of a joint-stock company, who have en- deavoured in their construction to engraft some fine art even upon iron- works, the furnaces being built in a massive Egyptian form. From hence ther traveller may proceed to Merthyr by road or may join the London and North-Western Rly. at Nantybwch Stat. (Rte. 11.) ROUTE 15. CARDIFF TO MERTHYR, BY PONT-Y- PRIDD. (Taff Vale Railway .) Cardiff (Rte. 1). The terminus of the Taff Vale Railway is situated in Crockherbtown, close to the New- port Road, but the trains run and the line is measured from the Docks, 1J m. distant. It was opened in 1841, and was constructed under considerable engineering difficulties, overcome with great skill by the late George Bush, Esq., engineer to the Company. The Taff and its tributary valleys include some of the finest scenery in S. Wales, and much that for sunny, smiling beauty is unsurpassed in Britain. The Taff owes its charm to the extremely unequal breadth of its valley, and to its sudden and unexpected windings. The Rly. has several sharp curves, some steep gradients, and at one point a con- siderable incline, and a tunnel upon its course. The canal between Cardiff and Merthyr cost 100,000J., and was opened 1798. There are 40 locks upon it, and it rises nearly 600 feet. 4J m. Llandaff Stat. (Rte. 1) : on approaching which the lofty spire of the cathedral and the groves and summer-house in the Dean’s garden are seen about 1 m. on the 1., with the neat little church of liadyr. A little beyond the stat. is the junction of the tidal line, which runs down to the harbour and docks of Penarth, joining the Ely Valley Rly. S. Wales. Boute 15. — Castell CocJi. — Taff's Well. 121 The whole of this part of the line is upon a loose drift of sand and i large stones plentifully spread over the valley of the Taff. On the rt. is the Heath (G. Thomas, Esq.). J m. further on the rt. is a fine wooded bank, at the base of which sweeps the river supplying Melin- griffith Tin-plate Works. 6J m. The Pentyrch Works stand j just within the picturesque pass of Castell Coch, overshadowed on the 1. by the Lower and immediately beyond the Great Garth, 981 ft. i\ above the sea. To the rt. of the stat. is Greenmeadow (H. Lewis, Esq.), a branch of the Lewises of the i Van, an ancient Glamorganshire family, tracing back through Ivor [ Bach of Castell Coch to Gwaethfoed, [j Lord of Cardigan and Cibwyr in the I! 10th centy. At the Pentyrch Iron- works the iron is manufactured to supply the tin-plate works of Melin- griffith. The situation of Castell Coch, so called from the red tint of the material with which it is built, is I admirable, overhanging the pass on a precipitous escarpment of moun- tain-limestone. Facing the Taff, and commanding a view of the Channel beyond Cardiff, it was a most im- portant post. Its plan w r as that of a triangle, a round tower at each angle, of which the one on the N.W. is in the best preservation. In style it is probably E.E., about the reign of Henry III. It was the key of the upper country. ‘ e A beacon-fire upon the headland of Penarth, answered here and on the opposite Garth, would be repeated from the summits of the distant mountains of Brecon and Caermartlien, and would at once spread the tidings of invasion over the whole of the southern coast.” — G. C. Castell Coch is supposed to be the site of Ivor Bach’s original castle. Through this pass Owain Glyndwr is supposed to have descended when he burnt the episcopal palace of Llandaff, and ravaged Cardiff. “ The vale of Taf was necessarily the scene of many of the great transactions of war, as it now is of those of peace, between England and S. Wales, and the pass and fortress of Castell Coch form the boundary and key between the country of the mountain and the plain. From hence, in the words of a yet extant triad, may be seen the length and breadth of 4 that beautiful country, the land of the courteous and gentle people, where the wives are honoured and the walls white.’ Up this pass sped that Saxon band who, fearing not God nor regarding man, placed the celestial crown of martyr- dom upon the temples of the maid of royal birth. Here stood 4 Aneurin of the flowing eulogy, chief of Bards,’ and poured forth his animating strains, while his half-clad and ill-armed countrymen waged bloody but unsuc- cessful war against the iron-clad bands of the invader.” — Westm. Review. It was from hence that issued Ivor Bach (Little Ivor), upon that des- perate raid on Cardiff which nearly resulted in the wTesting of the country from the hands of the Norman spoilers. A curious belief obtains amongst the peasantry of the neigh- bourhood, that a huge chest, filled with treasure and guarded by gigan- tic ravens, is here hidden. The Castle belonged to the great family of Clare, and is now the property of the Marquis of Bute, who has caused it to be restored, in strict accord- ance with what has been ascertained of its original structure, and it is now habitable. 7 m. Walnut Tree Bridge Junct., whence the Rhymney Ely. takes its departure on- the rt. to Caerphilly and Rhymney (Rte. 14). 8 m. 1. is Taff’s Well, so called from a tepid medicinal spring which bubbles up in the bed of the river, and which is constantly employed 122 S. Wales. Route 15. — Pontypridd . as a bath for rheumatic patients. It is about 4 ft. in diameter, and has a wall around it 2 ft. high. To the W. the coal-measure sandstones of the Garth Hill, and on the E. the corresponding height of Craig-yr-Alt, are well seen. A road runs hence, on rt., to Caerphilly, 4 m. The line is now completely within the coal-field, symptoms of which begin to be ap- parent everywhere in the number of collieries and levels in the hill-side3. The curves are very sharp, and in some places the line runs along a narrow shelf on the mountain -side 100 feet above the river. 12 in. Treforest Junct., opposite which, on 1., is the residence of T. Crawshay, Esq. , and on the rt. ,are his tin-plate works and the pretty little church of Glyn Taff. [A branch of 10 m. runs in here from Llantrissant and Cowbridge (Rte. 1), accommodating an out-of- the-way district of the S. Wales coal-fields. It passes the mining village of Llantwit (Stat.), and then across elevated ground to (6 m.) Llantris- sant, soon after which it crosses the Gt. Western at Llantrissant Junct.] $ Pontypridd, 13m., has become a considerable place, the rising pros- perity of which is due to the number of collieries opened in the neighbour- hood and in the lthondda valley, which joins the Taff Vale on the 1. Not far from the Stat. is the well- known bridge of Pontypridd (or Bridge of the earthen Hut), “a single arch spanning the Taff, 140 ft. span, and 35 ft. height, completed 1 755 by a self-taught country mason, William Edwards, whose history is related at length in the ‘ Pursuit of Knowledge, ’ v. ii. p. 353. He under- took, in 1746, at the age of 27, to build a bridge over the Taff, at a spot where the river is broad and its banks low, and completed a very light structure in three arches, giving security that it should stand for 7 yrs. Within 3 yrs. , however, a flood occurred of extraordinary height, which carried down trees, hay, &c., before it in such quantities that they were caught by the piers and formed a dam, behind which the water accu- mulated to such a height that the bridge at last gave way under its pressure. Edwards then conceived the bold design of spanning the river with a single arch of the present dimensions (the segment of a circle of 170 ft. diameter), and com- pleted it. But the lowness of the approaches and the want of natural abutments of firm rock rendered it necessary to load the spring of the arch on either side with a great mass of masonry, and before the parapets were finished, the pressure on the haunches drove up the crown of the arch and it fell in. Unshaken in courage, he renewed the attempt upon the same scale, but lightened the masonry by perforating it with 3 cylindrical tunnels, 9, 6, and 3 ft. in diameter, an anticipation of the principle of our tubular bridges. This expedient succeeded. The bridge has stood unshaken since 1755, and the cylindrical apertures have given an air of great lightness and elegance to the structure. The Rialto at Venice is 98 ft. in span ; one of the arches of the Ro- man bridge of Narni is 142 ft. ; and an old bridge over the Allier, in the Department of Haute Loire in France, 181 ft. But in 1750 no arch in Eng- land had much more than half the intended span of Pontypridd, and the existence of works of which the architect could never have heard, detracts nothing from the boldness of his undertaking. His success se- cured to him high reputation and much employment during the re- mainder of his life, and he brought up one of his sons in the same pro* : S. Wales. jRoute 15. — Hafod — Treherbert. 123 I fession ; indeed, a large proportion of the best and handsomest bridges in Wales were constructed in later years by the two Edwardses, father and son. Owing to its extreme steepness, however, as well as narrow- ness, it is almost impracticable for carriages, so that another bridge was made near it in 1857, to the great detriment of the picturesqueness of the first. Underneath the bridge Echo is said to repeat a word nine- fold. On an eminence facing the river, stands the Maen Chwyf, or rocking- stone, “where the bards and minstrels from time immemorial oc- casionally congregate in order to con- fer the different degrees of bardism on aspiring candidates.” There are at Pontypridd large chain and cable works, belonging to Messrs. Brown and Lenox, wher^ the chain-work at Brighton pier was fabricated. The whole of the neighbourhood is very pretty, and a day may be well spent in rambling over the hills that sur- round it. [A beautiful excursion may be made up the valley of the Rhondda, the largest of the Taff’s tributaries, which contains some of the most charming scenery in S. Wales. Of late years, however, the seclusion and romance of the vale have been much broken by the search after its mineral treasures, and a rly. tra- verses it up to the very head. 2 m. Hafod Stat. Here are some rapids, which, when the river is at all full, are worth stopping to look at. 3J m. Porth Stat. Hear this is Cymmer ; a rather populous village, situated, as the name implies, at the confluence of the Rhondda Fach with the Rhondda Fawr. Cymmer will ever be remembered with grief and woe by hundreds in Wales, for it was the scene of one of the most widely-spread calamities that this district has ever known. On the morning of July 15th, 1856, 114 colliers were swept into eternity at one fell swoop by an explosion of firedamp in a pit belonging to Messrs. Insole. There was not a house in Cymmer that had not a corpse in it, and scarcely a married woman who was not made a widow by that ter- rible calamity. But, unfortunately, such occurrences are not uncommon in this neighbourhood, the explo- sion at Ferndale Colliery in 1868, in the Rhondda Fach, being even more destructive. The pedestrian will do well to as- cend the valley of the Rhondda Fach for about 2 m. and then cross the hill to the 1. at Pen Rhys — so called be- cause Rhys mustered his forces here prior to his defeat at Hirwain — and rejoin the road at Gelli-dawel. 4J m. Pandy Stat. 8 m. Ystrad Stat. Ystrad-y-Fodwg is a lonely and primitive little village, the only one in the whole vale, with a small church by the river-side. The val- ley is rather wider here, and there are a few good farms ; the hills, however, become more precipitous and bold, particularly on the 1. at Craig - yr - Afon and Craig - Ogwr, where there is a grand amphitheatre of mountain, as fine as anything in the scenery of the coal-basin. The tourist in the Rhondda valley and its surrounding hills should go provided with a full flask and sand- wich-box. The terminus of the branch is reached at 11 m. Treherbert Stat. At Cwmsaebraen the glen is still wilder and narrower, and quite alpine in character. Here is a large colliery belonging to the Marquis of Bute, who owns almost the whole of the minerals underlying the valley, and derives a large revenue from the royalties of the various mines. 124 S. Wales. Route 15. — Ty-newydd — Aberdcire. Ty-newydd, a little higher up, is an old Welsh farm-house, for many generations the residence of the family of Edwards, who was a far- mer as well as bridge-builder, and whose present representative still holds it. The pedestrian can ascend the opposite mountain at Cwm Selsig and cross over into the defiles of Glyn Corrwg ; a difficult and fatigu- ing walk, and one not to be under- taken without the aid of an Ordnance map. “Above Cwmsaebraen the glen be- comes wilder and the road steeper and less cared for. The Rhondda sparkles beneath like a silver stream, and at the very head of the dingle the waterfalls can be discerned leaping over the rocks. Huge blocks of stone lie around in confusion, and it is evident that the traveller has left for a time the regions of civilisation and com- merce and is fairly alone with nature. The aspect of this glorious scene must be strangely different in winter-time, and the cairns by the roadside are memorials of the severity of the weather, by which sundry poor way- farers have lost their lives.” — G.P.B. From the top of the mountain a magnificent view is gained over the vale of Neath and Aberpergwm to the 1., with Hirwain and the Aber- dare valley to the rt. Far in the distance, range after range of hill rises up until the Beacons close the view, while just at the foot of the steep escarpment of Craig-y-Llyn, the lakes of Llyn Fawr and Llyn Fach snugly repose. The pedes- trian can walk from here over Bwlch- y-Lladron (Robbers’ Pass) to Aber- dare, or clamber down the precipit- ous gullies of Craig-y-Llyn to Glyn Neath Stat. in the Vale of Neath (Rt* 1(>).] 16} m. Aberdare Junct. Here the valley of the Cynon joins the Taff, and up it a branch-line and a branch-canal are carried, to Aber- dare. The whole of this neighbour- hood is exceedingly pretty. A plea- sant walk of about 2} m. may be had by ascending Craig-yr-efan on the rt., and from thence to Llan- fabon, a small mountain village. [Branch-line to Aberdare, 8 m. 2} m. Penrhiw Ceibr Stat. 4 m. Mountain-Ash Stat., to the rt. of which rises the eminence of Twyn-bryn-bychan, from whence, on a fine day, the view extends from the Beacons on the N. to the Bristol Channel and Somerset hills on the S. Just below it, on the Taff Vale side, is Daren-y-cig-fran, the scene of a great landslip, which has left a precipitous scarp, and lies in broken heaps below. The scaur is crowned with beech- and oak-wood, and the view both up and down is wide and beautiful. For account of the Navigation and Duffryn Collieries, see Rte. 10. The line now runs at a little distance from, and parallel with, the Great Western Rlwy. (Rte. 10.) 4} m. on rt. Duffryn, the seat of the Right Hon. Lord Aberdare. 6 m. Treaman Stat., near which is, to 1., Aberaman, an Italian man- sion, formerly belonging to Craw- sliay Bailey, Esq. On 1. are Abera- man Ironworks, well known as the subject of an important litigation. The pedestrian may follow the course of the little river Amman, and cross over into the valley of the Rhondda Fach. 8 m. Aberdare Stat. (Rte. 10.)] The line from Aberdare Junct. ascends a rather steep incline, and is then carried over the Taff on a stone viaduct built on a curve, the scenery on each side being of a wild and very picturesque character to 18 pi. Quakers’ Yard Junct, S. Wales. 125 Route 15 . — Merthyr Tydfil. with the Great Western Rly. The little village, so called from having been the site of a burying-place for the Society of Friends, is beautifully situated in a curve of the valley, shut in on all sides by hills. Near Quakers’ Yard the Taff is joined by the Bargoed Taff from the E., and the waters of the Cynon on the W. 22J m. Troed-y-rhiw Stat. The valley here widens considerably, -and, although its mountains are not less high, they are not seen to such advantage. . On rt. of the Stat. are the Plymouth Ironworks, the pro- perty of the Plymouth Iron Com- pany. They are neatly constructed and well arranged. Passing under the viaduct of the Yale of Neath Rly., the train arrives at 24 J m. $ Merthyr Tydfil (Rte. 9). “ The ancient history of the Merthyr district gave little promise of its pre- sent wealth and population. Tydfil, the sister of Rliun Dremrudd, was the daughter of Brychan, the Celtic Christian prince of Garthmadrin. Pagan Saxons from Loegria burst into the peaceful valley, carried fire and sword into its recesses, and ruthlessly slaughtered the virgin with her kins- folk. A future age erected a church to the memory of the event, and the village took the appropriate name of ‘Tydfil the Martyr,’ or ‘Merthyr Tydfil.’ Such is a legend of the Cam- brian martyrology, and the foundation of the history of the district, ‘of which,’ as old Fuller observes, ‘every man may believe his proportion.’ ” — Westminster Rev. The present town, which, with the neighbouring works of Penydarren, Cyfarthfa, and Dowlais, has an enor- mous population, has arisen in the last 60 years from an inconsiderable village, by reason of the vast manu- factories of iron that have sprung up in that period. Merthyr, though becoming a little more like a civilised and well-or- dered town, has no public buildings of any interest. The parish church is an extremely plain building ; in the outer wall is an inscribed slab of old red sandstone, the inscription of which is considered to represent “Arthen,” a brother of St. Tydfil. St. David’s new church is a neat building, erected in 1846. Merthyr is said to have been the first parish in the Principality in which a Dis- senting congregation was formed (circ. 1620). The celebrated Va- vasor Powell was taken up while preaching here, and put in prison at Cardiff. There are now not less than 30 different Dissenting com- munities, though the Church is re- presented by energetic and eloquent pastors. The Penydarren Works are situ- ated just outside the town on the N. They were once the property of the late Alderman Thompson and Mr. Forman, but have long been closed, a serious loss to the town and trade of Merthyr generally, and still more so to the many hundreds of work- men who were employed here. Peny- darren House, an old seat of Mr. S. Homfray, is now used for the pur- poses of an excellent proprietary middle-class school. About 2 m. on the road to Abergavenny is Dowlais (Route 9). Merthyr can boast of being the place where the first locomotive steam-engine was ever launched, in 1805, by Messrs. Vivian and Treve- thick. It was tried on the . Taff Vale line, or rather tramway, as it was then, on which it ran pretty well as far as Pontypridd, from whence, however, no inducements could pre- vail upon it to stir. For a general description of the iron manufacture, see Introduction , p. xiv. 1 m. on 1. are the Cyfarthfa Works, the property of Mr. Crawshay, se- cond only to Dowlais in magnitude, and on the whole the best adapted 126 Route 16 . — Hereford to Brecon. S. WaleSj for a visit. About 1765 Mr. An- thony Bacon received from Lord Talbot, of Hensol, a lease for 99 years of the mineral ground, about 8 m. long by 4 broad, at the rate of 200Z. per annum. He erected a furnace at Cyfarthfa, and supplied Government with cannon until 1782. The works passed through several hands into the ownership of Messrs. Crawshay and Hill, the former of whom commenced life as a sharp Yorkshire lad, went to London to seek his fortune, and began by sweeping out the warehouse of his master, dying in 1868 worth four millions — one of the many instances which this country has afforded, of shrewd, hardwork- ing men who have won their way up to fortune and independence by their own exertions. To the 1. , the road to Aberdare and Swansea stretches up the side of Mynydd Aberdare. Immediately above the works on the rt., stands Cyfarthfa Castle, the residence of W. Crawshay, Esq. It is in a good position, backed up by wooded hills, and its general appearance, for a modern castle, is not amiss. The round tower is very good indeed, and the grounds are neatly kept. The broad terrace in front and the extensive greensward carry away the tourist, as he gazes on them, from the grime and blackness of the surrounding region. From here the ton list may visit the waterfall of Pontsarn and Mor- lais Castle (ltte. 9). ROUTE 16. FROM HEREFORD TO BRECON, BY. HAY AND TALGARTH. ( Hereford , Hay, and Brecon Railway . ) There are two ways of reaching Hay from Hereford: — 1st, by rly., 2nd, by turnpike road on 1., rt. bank of the Wye, by which the traveller will have to post or walk, as there is no public conveyance. By Rail . — The Stat. is the Barton, and the Brecon Rly. soon leaves the main line, turning to the 1. 3 m. on 1., at Sugwas, was once a palace of the bishops of Hereford ; fragments of it are incorporated in the present mansion, erected in 1792, when the chapel was taken down. The manor is the property of the Governors of Guy’s Hospital. The cli. of Stretton Sugwas has a Norm, doorway, with a sculptured tympanum of Samson pulling a lion’s jaws asunder, and a singular wooden tower. There are also some en- caustic tiles, and a good oak rood- screen. In the rectory grounds is an elm, which girths 21 ft. 2 in. at 5 ft. from the ground. 4J m. Credenhill Stat. On the hill (715 ft. at the summit) on the rt. are the remains of an ancient British encampment, enclosed by a double and precipitous ditch, con- taining about 50 acres, with 3 en- trances, and overlooking the Roman stat. at Kenehester (Magna Castra). In the Ch . is a series of windows showing the development of Dec. tracery, from the simple uncuspcd lancet to the reticulated window of 127 S. Wales. Route 16. — Kenchester — Moorhampton * the 14th centy. In one of the , chancel windows are two figures in old stained glass of Bishop de Braos (1214) and Thomas de Cantilupe : (1275). “The Prophet Elm,” in Credenhill Park (F. W. Herbert, Esq.), has a clear hold of 40 ft., and girths 14 ft. 11 in. On 1. 1 m. is Kenchester, occupy- ing the site of the Roman station I 1 Magna Castra, mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus, which stood upon the ancient Watling Street. The form of this station is an irregular hexagon, inclining to a parallelogram ; the area 21 acres, now divided into two enclosures, is raised at least 4 ft. above the level of the adjacent country, and was surrounded by a wall, the founda- tions of which may yet be traced. Roman coins and a few remains have been found here. On 1. New Weir (Captain J. H. Griffiths), situated on a steep ascent above the river, which, indulging here in one of its beautiful curves, affords, from its serpentine course, extensive and picturesque views. Guy’s Hospital possesses in Here- fordshire about 30,000£. per annum in land, and has a large estate in , this neighbourhood. A little further on, overhanging the road, is the small Early Dec. church of Bridge Sollars. At this spot is the commencement of Offa’s Dyke, distinctly visible the whole way to Mansel Gamage, and from thence due N. to Upperton. The traveller frequently gains fine views on the 1. of the high hills which ' contain the sources of the Monnow and other tributaries of the Wye and Usk. 2 m. N., a little to the W. of Credenhill Camp, is the interesting Ch. of Brinsop. In the aisles are windows of good E. Dec., and on the N. wall is a sculpture of St. George’s triumph over the Dragon. In the chancel are monuments to the Danseys, who resided for at least 3 centuries at the Court, — a house surrounded by a deep moat, and a valuable example of early 14th-centy. work. The fine timber roof of the hall, now used as a granary, is well worth inspecting. The Court was rented early in this centy. by Mr. Hutchinson, a brother-in-law of the poet Wordsworth ; and a tree planted by the latter and his predecessor in the Laureateship, Southey, is still shown there. The monumental slab of Lady Douglas Dudley, grand- daughter of the notorious Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and wife of Captain William Dansey of Brins- op, is preserved in the neatly-kept churchyard. Westmoor is a flag station for the use of Foxley (Rev. G. H. Daven- port). This estate was acquired (temp. Charles II.) by Mr. Baron Price on his marriage with a co- heiress of the Rodds of Rodd and Foxley. He erected the present mansion in 1717, and died 1732. By his grandson, Sir Uvedale Price, author of a well-known ‘Essay on the Picturesque,’ the grounds and plantations were greatly improved, and a charming ride of 1J m. was formed through a luxuriant wood to the point of Lady Lift, from whence a view is obtained, deservedly ad- • mired. The park abounds with stately oaks, elms, and fine conifers. The public are allowed the privilege of access on week days during the summer months. 9 m. Moorhampton Stat. OffcCs Dyke may be seen in an unaltered state, 20 yards south of the stat. The Ch. of Yazor on rt., rebuilt by Sir Robert Price, aiid enlarged by the late Mr. Davenport, contains monuments to Mr. Baron Price, Sir Uvedale, Sir Robert Price, and other members of that family. There are some richly-carved wooden stalls and painted windows by Warrington . 128 Route 16 . — By ford — Eardisley. S. Wales. 2 m. S. is Garnons (Sir H. G. Cotterell, Bart.), an embattled man- sion, erected in 1816, from designs by Atkinson , well placed in a thickly - wooded park overlooking the Wye, across which, at Byford, is a ferry, conveying horses and carriages to the Madley side. In the gardens of Garnons the modern style of garden- ing is brought to a high state of perfection. In the Ch. of Mansel Gamage is an elaborately sculptured sepulchral stat. of 13th centy., and tablets to the Cotterell family. 3 m. 1. is the striking church of Staunton-on- Wye, and between it and the river are Monnington ch. and village, with its long avenue of Scotch firs, known as Monnington Walk. The “Monnington Oak” is a noble tree 31 ft. in girth. Monn- ington was formerly the residence of a powerful family of that name, one of whom married a daughter of Owain Glyndwr, who, according to tradition, died here and was buried in the churchyard, a.d. 1415. No memorial marks the place of his sepulture, but in 1680 a grave sup- posed to have contained his remains was discovered. The body was * 1 whole and entire, and of goodly stature.” The upper stone was care- fully replaced and the earth cast upon it. — llarl. MSS. Brobury Scar is a prominent ob- ject here. Its principal beauty con- sists in the bold and abrupt manner in which it rises to a considerable elevation above the river. It is reached by Monnington Walk, which is also the direct route, after crossing a private iron bridge over the Wye, to Moccas, the estate and mansion of the Rev. Sir G. H. Cornewall, Bart., whose ancestor obtained it in the reign of Charles I. by marriage with the heiress of the Vaughans. The finely timbered park has the largest weeping-oak in England, be- sides several famous oaks, e.g. the Club Oak, 94 ft. in height, and i 19 ft. 5 in. in girth ; the Tall Oak, A 118 ft. in height, 18 ft. 7 in. in girth ; J and the “Moccas Oak,” dating back |] to the Henrys and the Edwards, and ] having a circumference of 36 ft. at J 3 ft. from the ground. The curious Norm. Ch. here, built of travertine, 1 and recently restored in excellent i taste, is worth a visit. It has an < early Norm, font, and an eastern j apse. Moorhampton is the nearest stat. I to Weobley, 4 m. N. {Handbook for I Herefordshire). 11 m. Kinnersley Stat. The Castle j (Thomas Reaveley, Esq.) is of the reign of James I., built by the Dela- beres, and has had numerous owners, j The Church (E. E.) has portions of Norm, and Dec. work. The oak ] reredos is quite a curiosity. The centre is occupied by 3 small figures of our Lord, the Virgin, and St. John. The tower is semi-detached on the N. end of the W. side, and is a well-proportioned structure, sur- i mounted with a plain saddleb.ick j roof. The view from the top of it amply repays the trouble of the I ascent. 2J m. rt. Sarnesfield Court (M. C. Salvin, Esq.), a seat of the Monn- ington family from an early period. ] There is a famous old oak here, ' known as the Sarnesfield oak. 2 m. 1. close to the river is Letton Court (Rev. H. Blissett) opposite Bredwardine. 14 m. Eardisley Stat. whence a line is now open to Kington, with intermediate stations at Almeley and Lyonshall. J m. rt., the village of Eardisley. Here the family of Basker- ville was seated from the reign of William I. to 1640. A small por- tion of their once well-fortified castle remains to the W. of the ch., in- 129 S. Wales. Route 16. — Almeley — Mouse Castle. : sulated by a triple moat, in clearing out which helmets and spear-heads have been discovered. The Church (restored at the cost of W. Perry Herrick, Esq.) consists of a nave, N. aisle, and low embattled tower, having an Anglo-Norm. font curiously sculptured. Coke, Bishop of Here- ford, ejected by the Parliamen- tarians, died at his paternal seat of Lower Moor (Gen. Coke) in this parish, 1646, and was buried in the chancel. J m. from the church is the Eardisley oak, a fine old tree with an immense head, wider than that of the Cowthorpe. The trunk is 18 ft. high and 30 ft. in girth, and it covers altogether a surface of 324 ft. in circular extent. — Loudon. 2 m. N. is Almeley, the ch. of which is of the 14th centy. The clerestory windows are large, and contain good Dec. tracery. Newport House (the representatives of the late Gurney Pease) was a seat of the Foleys for nearly 2 centuries. 17 m. Whitney Stat. On 1. Whit- ney Court (T. Dew, Esq.). No ves- tiges remain of the traditional castle of the Whitneys, a leading family in Herefordshire from before the Cru- sades to the end of the Civil Wars, wherein Sir Robert Whitney, a de- voted Loyalist, sacrificed much of his estate in the service of the King. The Wye is crossed by the rly. and by a wooden bridge, carrying the Hereford and Brecon turnpike. On 1. is Meerbach Hill, conspi- cuous' for the bold roughness of its scenery. At its foot is Middlewood (Col. Dalmaine). 18 J m. rt., between the road and the Wye, are the scanty remains of Clifford Castle, the reputed birth- place of Fair Rosamond. The walls cover a natural knoll, isolated by a deep ravine. This fortress is said to have been founded by William Fitz- Osborn, Earl of Hereford and one of [S. Wales.'] the companions of the Conqueror, and was during 2 centuries the ba- ronial residence of the Lords de Clifford, and afterwards of the Giffards, one of whom married the heiress of Walter Giffard, grandson of Walter de Clifford, father of Fair Rosamond. Of this family was Anne, Countess of Dorset, Pem- broke, and Montgomery, the very determined lady who had been ‘ ‘ bullied by an usurper and neg- lected by a sovereign,” but who would not submit to be “ dictated to by a subject.” The present ruins, however, show no trace of Norman work, and are probably not earlier than the reign of Hen. III. Clifford Church has a large and not ill-pro- portioned tower, which has a rather modern aspect. The rest of the building is modern Norm. ; the roofs, however, have been preserved ; that of the nave being barrel-ribbed, and filled up with plaster, and that of the chancel open work and pretty good. The threshold of the N. door is a good coffin-lid, with a carved cross in a circle. In the chancel is a very fine boldly- designed and well- executed effigy of an ecclesiastic, full-sized and full-length, robed and tonsured. The church stands almost alone on a hill, three -fourths of a mile from the castle and village. On the opposite side of the Wye is Cahalva(W. S. Broadwood, Esq.). The construction of the rly. here was of a laborious and expensive nature, as it passes between the river and the steep knoll on which stands the castle, the ruins of which may be seen from the carriages. 20 m. On 1. is the Moor, the seat of J. Stallard Pennoyre, Esq., over- hanging which is Mouse Castle, an eminence of considerable height. The summit is embraced by an in- trenchment 50 yds. in diameter. This small area is defended by an embankment of earth thrown up 4 yds. perpendicularly, and by a deep K 130 Boute 16. — Hay — Madley. fosse, which, towards the E. , presents on the inner side a solid wall of natural rock, based by the clearing of the fosse, so as to expose an up- right front of stone 8 ft. high, with a gradual descent of 8 ft. more to the bottom of the ditch. The de- clivity on all sides is very rapid. Although the smallest, this is the strongest camp in the county. The Moor is in the parish of Hardwick, at the vicarage attached to which the venerable antiquary of Hereford- shire and historian of the Marches, the Kev. John Webb, passed his later years. 21 m. Hay Stat. The turnpike road from Hereford to Hay, on the S. bank of the Wye, is very interesting and full of quiet beauty. 2 m. rt. is the wooded demesne of Belmont (F. R. Wegg Prosser, Esq.), bounded by an imposing length of deep water, a favourite resting-place for the Wye salmon. Here also is the R. C. Priory erected by Mr. Wegg Prosser, from designs by Pugin in Dec. style. The length of the cli. is 113 ft. The tracery of the windows and mouldings is most elaborate, and both exterior and interior of the building are adorned with carvings and various devices. A monastery, with accommodation for 40 Bene- dictine monks, is connected with the ch. by a cloister 40 ft. long. Its library contains the valuable MS. collections for a history of Hereford- shire of the late R. B. Phillips of Longworth, as also a valuable series of topographical works. 3£ m. rt. Clehonger Ch., contains in the Aubrey Chapel recumbent effigies in armour of Sir W. Pcm- bridge, K.G., and one of a female; also tablets for Herbert Aubrey, 1671, and others. Belmont was erected in place of the old mansion S. Wales. of the Aubreys, burnt towards the close of last century. 4£ m. Cagcbrook (Mrs. Yorke) and Lower Eaton (J. Pulley, Esq.). On rt. is Eaton Bishop, the ch. of ; which has some Norm, and Dec. 1 work, and a staiued-glass E. window, ‘ supposed to have been originally in - the chapel at Sugwas in the 15th centy. Bishop Cantilupe’s name | is traditionally associated with the | chapel and manor of Eaton Bishop. In this parish is a large British camp, enclosing an extent of 30 acres, fortified with single works, except towards the S.W. It appears | to have been only a temporary j station. The Roman road, called Stone Street, runs, in good preserva- I tion, between the churches of Madley j and Eaton Bishop. m. is Madley, an extensive parish, with a very fine church, j principally of Dec. character, but ! containing some late Norm, features ■ and a Norm, font : it has a polygonal apse, under which is a fine octagonal crypt, with a central shaft and good I groining. The windows are mostly | of 2 lights, showing the first and j middle Pointed styles much inter- I mixed ; but one, at the E. end of a small chapel, is a large one of 5 ; lights. At the W. end is an em- I battled E. E. tower, surmounted by a \ high turret, called by the inhabitants ‘ * Jacob’s Chair. ” In the chancel are remains of stalls, with desks and i miserere seats, and on the rt. of the 4 altar are sedilia of Decorated cha- I racter, ornamented with the ball- 1 flower. The font is a remarkable 1 specimen, and claims a rank of earlier date than the church : it is hollowed out of a large block d 1 pudding-stone, resembling in size and form that at Kilpeck, though having one circular column. The bells were brought in 1638 from the dissolved abbey of Dure. 131 S. Wales. Itouie 16 . — fibber ion Court — Say. 9J m. Tibberton Court (R. H. Lee Warner), a large brick-built mansion on an elevated site, once a seat of the Brydges family. The library contains a complete collection of the Elzevir classics. 11 m. is the village of Blackmere. 12 m. rt. Moccas Court (Rev. Sir Geo. Cornewall, Bart.), which stands on an easy ascent near the river. The parish church is a curious structure, with an eastern apse w T hich retains its semi-domical vaulting, and con- sidered to be the oldest in the county. On an eminence adjoining the park is a large and peculiar kind of British cromlech, called King Arthur’s Table. The incum- bent stone, now broken in the middle, is elliptical in form, 1 8 ft. in length, 9 ft. broad, and in thickness 2 ft. It was originally supported by 11 upright stones, some of which are fallen ; other stones are scattered round, and there is also a small mound near it. Arthur’s Table is easily approached by the pedestrian from the village of Bredwardine ; i and in a field to the 1. , as he ascends, he may tarry to inspect a mistletoe oak. 14 m. the Wye is crossed by a bridge at Bredwardine, the Norm. Ch. of which parish has been enlarged and much altered. A curious Norm, font, and 2 mounted figures, remain in tolerable preservation. On the S. side a, good Dec. window has been inserted. The remains of the castle, which stood near the ch., and ad- joining the vicarage, are reduced to the slopes of the outer defence. The road now winds at the foot of Meerbach Hill. 19 m. Hardwick, where a ch. was built, mainly through the instru- mentality of J. Stallard Pennoyre, Esq. , whose seat, the Moor , is passed on rt. 21 m. $ Hay, so called from the Norman-French “ haier,” to enclose, is a small quiet town, picturesquely situated on the rt. bank of the Wye, in a rich agricultural district. The remains of the Castle “the which,” according to Leland, ‘ ‘ hath been some time right stately,” are repre- sented by a Gothic gateway and wall, placed on an eminence over- hanging the town. It was built in the time of Henry II., and de- stroyed in the border wars by Glyn- dwr in 1403. On its site now stands an ivy-covered manor-house, with gables and tall chimneys, the re- sidence of the Rev. W. L. Be van. The Church, a rather plain building, restored in 1867, is romantically situated on the bank of the river at the W. end of the tovm, separated by a deep ravine from a mound and square platform, the remains of an ancient fortification. Amongst the Communion plate is an ancient silver chalice dedicated to ‘ ‘ our Lady Paris of the Haier.” The scenery in the neighbour- hood of Hay is very beautiful, par- ticularly on the S., where the Black Mountains end in an escarpment of great height, at the foot of which are some pretty dingles, such as Cusop, which is w T ell worthy the attention of the pedestrian, and was the favourite abode of a water-colour painter, Lindsey. It is about 11 m. from Hay over the mountain to Llanthony Abbey (Rte. 4). The land- scape to the S.W. is worthily closed by the towering summits of the Bre- conshire Beacons. The country on leaving Hay is very charming, and the prospect on the 1. affords an imposing view of the lofty Hatterell range, or Black Mountains, rising 2000 ft. above the level of the sea, and sweeping for many miles above a broken wooded foreground. On the rt., on the Radnorshire side of the river, is Clyro Court, the K 2 132 S. Wales. Route 16. — Glasbury — Pencader. seat of Walter M. Baskerville, Esq. ; and on 1. Oakfield ( — Edye, Esq.). 24 m. Glasbury Stat., a pretty English-looking village, with a mo- dem Norm, church in good taste. Radnorshire and Breconshire are here connected by a wooden bridge across the Wye, a moiety of which is kept in repair by each county. On the high ground above the Wye on rt. is Maeslough Castle, the modern mansion of Walter de Winton, Esq. Gilpin described the situation on which the present house stands as ‘ ‘ the finest of its kind in Wales.” 1 m. to the 1. , on a cross-road from Hay to Talgarth, is Tregoyd, the seat of Viscount Hereford, and near it Gwernyfed (Col. Wood), an an- cient Elizabethan mansion, where Charles I. was entertained by Sir Henry Williams on the 6th of Aug., 1645, on his way from Brecon into Radnorshire. The courtyard is flanked by 2 round towers. In this neighbourhood is also Llanthomas , the seat of the Rev. W. Jones Thomas. 26 m. $ Three Cocks Junct., whence the tourist proceeds by Mid- Wales Rly. to Builth and Aberystwyth (Rte. 17). Above the inn and in the grounds of Gwernyfed are intrenchments of British con- struction, called the Goer. The rly. to Brecon passes 27 £ m. on 1., Porthhaml, containing a fine embattled entrance -tower. On rt. is the small village of Bronllys, the Castle of which is re- markable for its round tower, sup- posed by some to be fabulously ancient and built by the Phoenicians, but in reality only a keep of the 13th centy., erected after the model of the round tower of Pembroke Castle. It consists of 4 stages, *the lowest of which was approached by a trap- door from the first floor. The walls are 10 ft. thick near the base, and decrease to 8 ft. The diameter of the chambers is 18 ft. The pro- prietor (Mr. W. L. Banks, F.S.A.), has given a very lucid account of the castle, of which there are but few remains except the tower, in the ‘Arch. Cambr.’ for 1856. At Bronllys, about 1450 a.d., is said to have flourished one Bedo Bronllys, i a bard who collected the poems of his predecessor, Davydd ap Gwil- | lym. The church possesses some small Norm, windows and a de- tached campanile. I 28 J m. 1., nestling under the sha- dow of the Black Mountains, is $ Talgarth Stat., a borough by prescription, without privilege, juris- diction, or municipal officers, but placed in an interesting vicinity. ■ The Church, consisting of 2 aisles, is superior to most in the country ; the fine square tower contains 6 bells, and solidity rather than ele- gance prevails. Till recently, after an odd fashion hereabouts, the upper half of the tower was white- washed. - About 3 m. to the S.E. is Pen- cader, or the Cradle Mountain, 2545 ft. above the level of the sea. It may be ascended by following a lane from Talgarth up the dingle to Pen-twyn and Cwm-y-nant, which is of rare beauty. Or the route may be reversed. From Talgarth a walk of 3 m. will bring the tourist to Dinas Castle (Rte. 12), whence a pass leads into the Vale of Usk to Crickhowel, 9 m. Tal- garth with Dinas commanded of old the mountain pass to Crick- howel and the E. of the Vale of Usk. f The parish of Talgarth, once the seat of the ancient family of Gunter, includes, 1 m. on the Llangorse road, Trevecca House, founded in 1752 by Howel Harris, a disciple of Whitfield, for Cal v inis tic Dis- senters, who lived in common, on a S. Wales. Route 17 . — Hereford to Aberystwyth. 133 system similar to that of the Mora- ; vians. The community at one time numbered 150 persons, who culti- | vated land and worked at various trades ; but, although raised by the i untiring zeal of the founder, who devised estates to trustees for the continuance of the system, few per- sons can be induced “to be happy by a certain regulation, to forego the pursuit of their own objects after their own manner, at their own peril, and for their own ad- vantage.” Selina, Countess Dowager of Huntingdon, resided at Trevecca- isaf, and made Tredustan Court an establishment for teachers of the Whitfield Methodist Connexion. 31 m. Trefeinon Stat., close to which is the primitive little ch. of Llandevailog Tr’er graig. 33 J m. Tal-y-Llyn Junct. with the Dowlais and Newport line. (Rte. 9). On 1. is Llyn Safaddan, or Llan- gorse Pool (Rte. 12), the Clamosum of Giraldus, ‘ Itin. Cambr. ’ i. 2, about 5 m. in circumference. It was frequented by the monks of Llanthony, who had leave of fishing, the lake abounding in perch, trout, eels, and pike, the latter sometimes attaining the size of 30 or 40 lbs. Passing through a tunnel, a fine view is obtained, on 1. of the Usk, ! Llanhamlach Ch., and Peterstone, with the distant Beacons — one of the finest rly. views in S. Wales. 37 m. Brecon (Rte. 12). ROUTE 17. HEREFORD TO ABERYSTWYTH, BY THREE COCKS, BUILTH, RHAYA- DER, AND LLANIDLOES. {Mid- Wales Railway .) From Hereford to $ Three Cocks Junct. , 26 m. The Mid- Wales Rly. , which commences at this point, places Aberystwyth in close and intimate communication with all South Wales and South-western parts, passing for nearly its whole course through some of the most picturesque districts in the Principality. After leaving the junction, the line soon crosses the Wye to the E. or 1. bank, and keeps close to it for many miles, obtaining the most charming river views imaginable. 28 J m. Boughrood Stat. From Boughrood Stat. the easiest rte. is taken for Pains Castle, which, ac- cording to the 1 Annales Cambrise ’ (p. 78), was a noble castle built of stone and mortar, apparently on the remains of a former and less sub- stantial fortress in the reign of Henry III. The mound and earth- works remain, and show tokens of the former strength of the position. After leaving the stat., pass Bough- rood Ch., turn off at a blacksmith’s shop, and ascend the hill as far as Penrhos Farm. Thence follow the road through the new enclosures, and the track to the W. of the clump of trees on the Begwns. Another rte. is from Glasbury, turn- ing off at Woodlands, and so by the back of Maeslough. Pains Castle seems to have been frequently be- 134 Route 17. — Boughrood — Aberedw. S. Wales. sieged, both by the Welsh and the Marchers. Boughrood Castle (Rev. Hugh Bold) is a square modern house near the site of an ancient fortress. On the opposite bank are Llyswen, where formerly a palace of the Welsh princes existed, and Llangoed Castle (Sir J. R. Bailey, Bart.), a most attractive spot, from the mag- nitude and position of its fine woods, which extend for 2 J m. sloping down to the Wye. 32J m. Erwood Stat. At the vil- lage, which is on the opposite bank, is * ‘ a small hostelrie, where a pedes- trian tourist who can rough it, may sometimes sleep.” Anglers are apt to congregate here and at Aberedw. On an inconsiderable elevation to the rt., called Garth Hill, are the remains of a British camp. The tourist should get out at Er- wood, and visit the Craig Pwll Ddu, or the Rock of the Black Pit, about 1 m. from the station. “ The little river Bachwy has worn a very deep and gloomy channel in its descent from the mountains. Savage rocks, slightly fringed with brushwood, impend over the river, and one of vast size projects so abruptly across the glen, as apparently to close it. Here stood the castle of the Black Rock, of which little else than the name remains, but the surrounding peasants devoutly believe that it is the favourite resort of the fairies. Curious legends are circulated in this secluded neighbour- hood. According to tradition, one of the ancient Welsh princes kept pri- soners in a castle on the summit of the rock, from whence they were not un- frequently hurled into the tremendous pool below. There is a difficult pas- sage round the foot of the Black Iiock to a singular waterfall about 40 ft. high, surrounded by accessories which very greatly heighten its grandeur. You feel astonished, but hard'y pleased, in this wild aud gloomy hol- low, and value sunshine when you leave its agitated caldron far below. There is a smaller waterfall lower down.” — CJiffe. In the ch.-yard of Llanstephan, 1 m. to the 1. , are some magnificent yew-trees, one of which is 22 ft. in girth. Between Boughrood Stat. I and Llanstephan is a long stretch of the river, where it runs along the line of a fault connected with the upheaval that caused the contorted rocks of Craig Pwll Dliu, and whence Sir R. Murchison gained his first idea of what grew into his Silurian system. 36 J m. Aberedw Stat. Near which the Edw falls into the Wye. Here ‘ was the hunting-seat of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, the last native Prince of Wales. The site of a defensive position (wood or stone), much hid- den by foliage, occupies the sum- :j mit of a mound, partly natural, at the entrance of the highly pictur- esque glen of the Edw. Lower down are faint vestiges of a castle, said to have been built by Ralph de Bas- kerville. The church stands on an eminence above the castle, round ; which the Edw flows, and opposite to a lofty range of rocks partially ! concealed by trees. An excavation, in the rock retains the name of “Llewelyn’s Cave.” The local le- gend is that he chose this cave for his hiding-place ; but the usually fl received story that he marched to Aberedw to meet the English, and being surprised by superior forces • of the enemy, whom the men of Aberedw had treacherously acquaint- ed with his movements, retreated : in the opposite direction towards Builth, militates against this story. 1 The unfortunate prince was killed in | 1282, in a dingle 3 m. N. of Builth, 1 by a party of Herefordshire men, aud J buried at Cwm Bedd Llewelyn on the Yrfon (lite. 19), where a farm- 1 house is still called Cefn-y-Bedd, i.e. \ “ the Ridge of the Grave.” Between Aberedw and Builth the S. Wales. Route 17. — Builth. 135 I stream of the Dihonw flows in on i the opposite side. 40 m. Builth Wells Stat. $ Builth, the ancient Bullseum, is a picturesque little town situated on the Wye, across which a bridge of 6 arches connects the counties of Brecon and Radnor. The town con- i sists of 2 parallel streets, forming irregular terraces on the side of a i steep declivity. The only remains S of the Castle are a fragment of the . N. wall, of unusual thickness ; it was l destroyed by a fire, together with a i large portion of the old town, in 1692. The castle came by marriage with the daughter and heiress of Milo Fitzwalter, Earl of Hereford, to Philip de Braose, whose grandson, I Reginald, enlarged and strengthened ; it against the Welsh. It remained i in possession of the Braose family for some time, but in 1260 Sir Roger Mortimer was castellan for the Crown. The gallant Llewelyn wrest- l ed it from Mortimer and held it until his death, which the refusal of “ the traitors of Builth” to admit I him into his own castle greatly ac- celerated. The loss of the fortress was considered of such importance that Mortimer was arraigned for it, but, after a tediously protracted trial, was honourably acquitted. Scarce a trace remains of the Nor- man fortress that once surmounted earthworks which still tell of pre- Norman occupation, and which re- semble, as Mr. G. T. Clark has observed, those at Wigmore, Rich- ard’s Castle, and elsewhere. Its site is on the E. edge of the town, about 100 yards from the river. It has a considerable view to the N., and is within an easy ride of Pain’s Castle and other fortresses of the middle Wye and Usk. It stands on a bank falling steeply towards the north of the river, and, though higher on all sides than the adjacent ground, is approached by an ea^y ascent from the S., on which side was its en- trance. The castle occupied a nearly circular plot of ground, being about 180 yds. N. and S. by 190 E. and W.— (G. T. C., ‘ Arch. Cambr.,’ vol. iv., 4th series.) The air of this locality is con- sidered very salubrious ; and the mineral springs at Park Wells, about a mile from the town, attract, during the season, many visitors, for whose accommodation a Pump-room has been erected. The waters flow from three springs, saline, chaly- beate, and sulphureous, said to be perfectly distinct, though originating within a few feet of each other. The ch., which is in process of re- storation, is comparatively modern, but has an ancient tower, with a vaulted stone roof, and which may have been used for defensive pur- poses. In it is an effigy of John Lloyd of Towyn, gentleman of the Body-Guard to Queen Elizabeth, and son of Thomas Lloyd, Lord- Lieutenant of Brecknockshire. He is stated on his tablet to have been the first Sheriff and Justice of the Peace that ever dwelt in this lord- ship after the division of Wales into shire-bounds. The hands of the effigy are turned downwards, not clasped erect on the breast as in earlier examples. Builth is a very popular fishing station for anglers ; trout and salmon being found in great abundance in the Wye and Yrfon ; the Chweffru, Edw, and Dihonw, are also good fishing streams. The salmon-fishing fur- nishes excellent sport in April and May. There are some very pretty seats in the neighbourhood. On the wooded hill to the E. are Wellfield (E. D. Thomas, Esq.) and Pencerrig House, the property of Miss Thomas, of Llwynmadoc. Both estates abound in fine timber. The former has several well-known rare coni- fers ; the latter some magnificent 136 Route 17. — Builth — Aberdauddwr. S. Wales. oaks. In the grounds of the latter is a picturesque lake. Above Builth, on the banks of the Wye, is Glan- wye, the charming seat of Lady Bailey. There are also beautiful excur- sions to Llandewi-r-’cwm, 2 m. S., and to Cefn-y-bedd, between the Yrfon and Cliweffru rivers (Rte. 19). From Builth Road Stat. (2 m. to the N.) northwards to Craven Arms, Llandrindod ; and southwards to Llandovery, Llandeilo, Caermarthen, and Swansea. From Builth the line (passing, rt. , Llanelwedd Ch. , and Llanelwedd Hall (H. G wynne Howell, Esq.)), continues along the bank of the Wye to, 42 m., Llechrhyd, or Builth Road Junct., where the Central Wales Rly. crosses the Mid Wales in its course from Craven Arms to Caermarthen. Llechrhyd is remark- able for a supposed Roman camp, within a much larger circular British intrenchment. Traces of the original trackway still exist. The Roman work — earth - works which may have served as a halt- ing-place between Bannium and the nearest stat. to the N. — has been considerably interfered with by the construction of the rly. and its plat- form. Glanwye (Lady Bailey). The route here becomes one of the most romantic in S. Wales, traversing an extremely picturesque country, in which fine woods, precipitous moun- tains, and a river ever changing in its aspect, are the principal elements. Crossing the Ithon, which flows from the Montgomeryshire hills to join the Wye at this spot, the rly. reaches 45 m.. Newbridge on Wye Stat., where a bridge crosses the river at Llyadinam I/all, the seat of the Rev. H. Venables. At 43 in. pn the rt. the high j»eak of Dotcvan Hill overhangs the river, which, from this spot to its very source, is environed by mountains almost from the water’s edge. The rly. runs on a terrace above the Wye to, 49 m., Doldowlod Stat. Doldoiclod is the seat of J. W. Gibson Watt, Esq., whose ancestor, James Watt, the famous engineer, purchased the pro- perty at the beginning of this centy. The pedestrian is recommended to get out at this stat. and walk the 5 m. to Rhayader, by the bank of the river. 50 m. 1. Pen-lan-oleu (the Rev. Nelson Lingen), situated at the foot of the huge mass of Rhiw Gwraidd. J m. further on the opposite bank, * 1 the small village and tiny ch. (re- stored in 1874) of Llanwrthwl look out from a mountain nest of wood and heather upon the broad river below, whose course runs through woods, only allowing occasional peeps of the opposite towering hills, also belted with avenues and groups of fine trees.” — Roscoe. 52 m. At Aberdauddwr an ex- quisitely lovely scene presents itself. On rt. the grand woody crag of G iva - staden mountain rises boldly from the Wye, which here receives on its rt. bank the waters of the Elan, after winding round the base of the Com GafaUt. “ The scene con- stantly varies as we view the two vales of the Wye and Elan in different positions, ever lovely, ever new ; while on the rt. the huge crags maintain their stern, harsh features, gradually deepening in tone from clearly-seen rocks and heather in the foreground to the dim yet rich purple of the distant peaks.” From hence a beautiful road along the N. side of Gwastaden brings the tourist to the romantic little town of Rhayader. 52 in. $ Rhayader Stat. Its Welsh name, Rhaiadr Uwy, signifies “the 137 p. Wales. Route 17 . — Rhayader — Pant-y-dwr . cataract of the Wye ; ” but the light fall whence it was derived ,vas nearly destroyed, by widening ,he channel and removing the rocks n order to build a bridge over the fiver, in 1780. The town itself, vhich shares with Presteign, Knigh- on, Knucklas, and New Radnor, the privilege of returning the M.P. for Radnorshire Boroughs, although in a situation of great beauty, possesses tew objects of interest ; but the tourist and fisherman will reap their toward in exploring the vales of the Wye, the Claerwen, the Elan, and he Marteg. [A very beautiful excursion may )e taken to Cwm Elam, 5 m. , passing oy the little church of Llansaint- read Cwmddaudwr, in which parish ire tumuli and a barrow worth visit- ng, and at 1 m. from thence, a road ■o the right, leading to Khydoldog, he seat of General Sladen, E.H.A., he situation of which commands a dew of great beauty and extent in he direction of Builth. Crossing the summit of Cefn Craig-y-Foel, which Mr. ClifFe thinks is only surpassed )y one other mountain in Wales 'or warmth and beauty of colour, he tourist drops suddenly into the Vhle of Elan, opposite the park md mansion of Cwm Elan (R. L. Lloyd, Esq.), “the paradise of the listrict, created, like Hafod, out of )are and cultureless land. ’ ’ It was )riginally formed by a Mr. Grove, vhose daughter Harriet was Shelley’s iarly love, and who many years ago mrchased 10,000 acres of land, and )lanted largely. Bowles in his poem >f ‘ Combe Elian ’ thus celebrates he vale : “ Pass the hill, And through the woody hanging, at whose feet The tinkling Elian winds, pursue thy way.” [he views higher up the vale are r ery striking, particularly about a nile from the house, where the iyer dashes underneath an alpine bridge. This spot, which overlooks a black and seemingly bottomless pool at the foot of the torrent, is named Pontrhyllfan. On returning to Rhayader, the visitor should keep along the banks of the Elan, winding round Craig-y-foel, opposite which the Elan is joined by the Claerwen, which rises in the hills between Rhayader and Tregaron. A little above the junction of the two rivers is Nantgwillt, the residence of Robert Lewis Lloyd, Esq. ; and some- time in the occupation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was visited here by Peacock, the novelist, in 1812. The mountain scenery in the Nantgwillt and Cwm Elan valleys is perhaps the most beautiful and romantic in S. Wales. Still higher are the lead-mines of Dalrhiw and Nantycar. From hence a good pe- destrian may cross the mountain by the lofty Drygarn, and descend by the vale of the Yrfon to Llanwrtyd Wells. (Rte. 19.)] Excellent fishing is to be obtained in some of the many lakes in the wild and hilly district of Ellenith, which stretches W. from Rhayader to Tregaron, and S. to Llandovery. The trout in these lakes are capri- cious ; and sometimes a basket of 30 lb. may be obtained, whilst at others the take is nil. The most accessible lakes from Rhayader are — Llyn Rhyddnant, Helygen, Cwyngy, Cer- rig Llwydion Uchaf and Isaf, and Fyddin. From Rhayader the rly. ascends the high ground of Moel Hywel, de- scending into the valley of the Marteg, near the village of St. Har- mon. 59 m. Pant-y-dwr Stat., where the Marteg flows in from the rt. , and the high-road comes point blank upon the railway with a dangerous abrupt- ness. It is a wild country all the way to 63 m. Tyiwch Stat., where th? 138 JEtoute 18 . — Hereford to Aberystwyth , by Kington . S. Wales. valley of the Afon Tylwcli is entered near the village of Capel Banhaglog. 66 m. Llanidloes Junct., with the Cambrian System, by which the traveller proceeds to Moat Lane Junct. ; thence to Machynlleth and Aberystwyth (Rte. 22). See Hand- book for N. Wales . ROUTE 18. HEREFORD TO ABERYSTWYTH, BY KINGTON, RADNOR, AND RHAYADER. From Hereford to Kington the traveller must proceed by the Here- ford and Shrewsbury Rly. to Leo- minster Junct., whence a short branch is given off to Kington. $ Kington used to be a favourite starting-place for tourists to Aberyst- wyth, whither a coach ran daily. Though there is now no public con- veyance, the route should be tra- velled for the sake of its exquisite scenery ; and, thanks to the S. Wales County Roads Boards, the roads are very fairly good. Kington is a prettily situated little town, sur- rounded by hills, that immediately on the N. being called Bradnor Hill, on the summit of which are the remains of a quadrangular camp commanding a most extensive view. Leland was unable to determine whether this earn]) was British, Roman, or Saxon, whilst some anti- quaries attribute its existence to the Druids. The Church, though much modernised, contains many portions deserving inspection, par- ticularly a fine alabaster tomb in the S. aisle, to the memory of Thomas Vaughan and his wife Ellen of Hergest Court, in the 15th centy. To the S.W. of the ch.-yd. is the old Grammar School with its quaint gables. It was founded by Dame Margaret Hawkins, the widow of the circumnavigator, and daughter of Charles Vaughan of Hergest, sometime lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth. The first head- master of this school was Christo- pher Harvey, M. A., the author of the “Synagogue,” often appended to “The Temple” of George Herbert. The building was designed by John Abell, the same who built the ancient market-houses at Hereford, Leominster, and elsewhere. Mrs. Siddons made her first appearance on any stage in a barn-theatre in this town. Her father and mother were the managers ; and her brother Stephen Kemble’s name appears among the births in the parish register. 1 m. S. is Hergest Court, an an- cient mansion, situated in a fertile plain on the bank of the river Ar- row, for ages the residence of the powerful family of the Vaughans, who were, with their relative Sir David Gam, distinguished for their bravery at Agincourt. The private chapel, a spacious stone building near the house, is now used as a granary. 3 m. N.E. on the road to Presteign is the rural village of Titley. The Court, situated on rising ground, was rebuilt in 1776. It has an extensive and well -stocked deer-park, and on the demise of Lady Coffin Greenly, 1839, passed to Louisa, wife of Admiral Sir Thomas Hastings, at whose death it came into the possession of Charles 'William Allen, Esq., who assumed the sur- name of Greenly. Here was aq 139 S. Wales. Route 18. — Presteign — Old Radnor. ancient priory subordinate to the • Abbey of Tyrone in France. On the suppression of alien priories, it was given by Henry V. to Winches- ter College, and still belongs to that establishment. In this parish is Eywood, the paternal estate of Ed- ward Harley, Auditor of the Imprest and brother of the Lord Treasurer, who enlarged the mansion. It is placed in a well-wooded locality, { surrounded by an extensive range of I pleasure-grounds, containing some i| good-sized lakes, and was the princi- I pal residence of his descendant, i j Lady Langdale, who by will gave her i freehold property to R. D. Harley, 1 Esq. , the representative of a distant 1 branch in Shropshire. Tiiley is a 1 & 'tat. on the Leominster and King- 1 ton Rly. A rly. was opened in 1847 from | Titley, via Lyonshall and Almeley, | to Eardisley Stat. on the Hereford ij and Brecon line (Rte. 16). [7 m. is $ Presteign, or Llanand- i| ras, to all intents and purposes the l| capital of Radnorshire, and a pleasant ij little town, situated on the Lugg, which separates it from Hereford- shire. The Church consists of nave, ij chancel, aisles, and a square em- j battled tower, and contains some tapestry representing the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, a fine stained glass window, a good brass, and some monuments to the neighbour- ing families. Here too is a leper window, as at Ludlow. As the county town, Presteign possesses a Shire- hall and Jail. In the dining-room of the Judges’ lodgings, adjoining the Shire -hall, are portraits of Lord Ormathwaite ; Sir Frankland Lewis ; his son and successor, Sir G. Corne- wall Lewis ; Richard Price, Esq., sometime M. P. for Radnor ; and the Venables (father and son), between them for 40 years Chairmen of the Radnor Quarter Sessions. To the W. are pleasant walks on an elevated position, called the Warden, the site of the former castle, commanding extremely pretty views of the sur- rounding country. Many beautiful seats are in the neighbourhood, the principal of which are Boultibrook, 1 m. on the Knighton road (Sir Harford Brydges) ; and Knill Court (Sir John Walsham, Bart.), between Presteign and Radnor, which con- tains in its exquisite grounds the restored ch. of Knill, where Sir Samuel Romilly lies buried. Offa’s Dyke runs close by, crossing the wooded hills of Herrock and Knill Garraway in its course to King- ton. Between Knill and Presteign is the bold rock of Nash Scar . Wapley Hill Camp, 3 m. to the S.E., is a perfect and interesting British camp, with mounds and ditches fivefold on all sides but the north. Its length is about 572 yards, and its utmost breadth about 330. There is every reason to believe that it was one of the strongholds unsuccessfully held against the Ro- mans by Caractacus.] The first part of the road from Kington to Radnor lies through an exceedingly pretty valley bounded by high hills planted with woods, in which larch predominates, and having something of the character of parts of the Black Forest in Germany. At 2^ m. a stone marks the boundary of Herefordshire and Radnorshire, and consequently of England and Wales, after which the turnpike road, turning abruptly to the FT. , passes, at a little distance on the 1. Old Radnor, or, as it was called, because perched on a rocky height, Pen-y- Craig, or Crug, with its vene- rable Church, containing a beautiful carved roof and oak screen, an ancient font, some handsome monu- ments to the family of Lewis of Harpton, and in particular to the late Sir George Cornewall Lewis, 140 Route 18.— Old and New Radnor. S. Walks. Another curiosity of old Radnor Ch. is the fine example of an organ- case of the liner pattern, of the date of 1605. It has been recently re- stored through the exertions of Lady Lewis, and fitted with an organ worthy of so perfect a framework. The font is of porphyritic stone, said to be the same as the four stones in the neighbourhood of Harpton ; but an bisection of those stones shews them to be unhewn boulders from the volcanic rocks of Hanter or Stanner, a couple of miles to the south. Such boulders would scarcely admit of being dressed even so rudely as is the Old Radnor font. At Old Radnor Charles I. supped and slept at a yeoman’s house on the 6th of August, 1645, having come that day from Gwemefyd, near Hay. The hill of Old Radnor, and the three neighbouring heights of Stanner, Hanter, and Worzel, pos- sess high interest for the geologist. They consist of trap or greenstone, resembling the rare hypersthene rock of Corulsk in the isle of Skye. Soon after passing Old Radnor — which is the site of Cruker Castle, visited by Giraldus Cambrensis and Archbp. Baldwin in 1 1 88- — Harpton Court, the seat of Rev. Sir G. Frankland Lewis, Bart., appears at the extremity of the vista formed by a fine broad double avenue of limes. About § m. to rt. of the road are four upright stones of great antiquity, not far from a farm-house called the Knap, to the N. of which is a round tree-clad tumulus. The four stones enclose a space of 13 ft., and vary from 6 to 4 ft. in height, and 1 1 to 15 ft. in girth. It is prolable that, as the supjKirts of a large covering stone, their purj>oHe was sepulchral. Passing on rt Downton Hall (Sir K. C'ockbum, Bart.), and the Conic- wall Lewis Memorial Cross, the tra- veller arrives at 6 m. New Radnor, an instance of a town, sufficiently imj»ortant to have given its name to the county (which was created in the reign of Henry VIII.), having dwindled away to a mere village. The business of the county has been long ago trails- | ferred to Brest eign, as being more suited from position and import- ance. “The mount on which the castle stood, and fragments of the walls which surrounded the town, | are still to be seen ; but the whole | was destroyed by Glyndwr in 1401, who at the same time beheaded the garrison of 60 men in the castle yard.” — F. L. Considerable re- mains of the Castle were exposed in erecting the Lewis Memorial Cross, and another site had to be chosen. New Radnor gives its name to a group of contributory boroughs, like those of Montgomeryshire, of which the remaining five are Presteign, Knighton, Knucklas, Rhayader, and Cefn-y-llys. The Welsh name of this place, Maes-y-ved, meaning “the imbibing meadow,” is derived from the circumstance of the small stream the Somergill, being absorbed in dry weather by the gravelly soil of the Vale of Radnor ; but it reappears on reaching a bed of clay. Giraldus Cambrensis commences at this place his ‘ Itinerary,’ written while he followed in the suite of Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, who in 118S undertook a mission to preach the Crusades in Wales. The country round New Radnor is ex- ceedingly hilly and wild, many of the principal summits rejoicing in rather curious nomenclature, such * as the Kron and the Wimbles to the N. of the town, and Smatcher to the S. The valley again contract* and appears blocked up by a pic- turesque conical hill, called the Mynd, near which, up a narrow gully on the rt., is situated an inte- nding cascade, called Water-break* a its-Neck, descending from a height of 70 ft. This cascade, one of the most celebrated in Wales, is to l* found on a rocky hillside about 1 in. 141 S. Wa1.es. Houle 18 . — Radnor from the turnpike road. Unfor- tunately the visitors to Water-break- its-Neckmore often find the £C foun- tains not playing ” than otherwise, as, except after protracted wet weather, there is little force of water. On the turnpike road, near the Forest Inn, a path to the rt. leads to Tomen Castle, a single- ditched circular British work, partly artificial and partly natural. From it the pedestrian may find his way to the head of the fall above men- tioned. To reach this point of the high-road, however, the traveller must have begun the long ascent of Radnor Forest, -whose summit is 2163 ft. high, consisting, in spite of its name, of bare open hills, afford- ing pasturage to sheep and horses. The horses, like the sheep, are tended and collected by dogs. ‘ ‘ Ori- ginally this was a bounded forest ; i. e . , if any man or beast entered the said forest without leave, the former was to lose a limb and the latter to be forfeited, unless a heavy ransom were paid and other grievous exac- tions submitted to. This, however, was remedied in the reign of Eliza- beth. 9 m. on the slope of a hill in as- cending, .the little ch. of Llanfi- hangel Nant-mellan is passed, re- markable for the ancient yew-trees by which it is surrounded. At m. on 1. a road branches off to Builth. passing close to the small lake of Llyn-hilyn. On , the opposite descent lies Llandpgley, and near it a strong sul- phur spring, much frequented during the summer for drinking and bath- ing. It is somewhat remarkable that St. Tecla, the patron saint of this ch. , has also a well of supposed virtue at Llandegla, in Denbighshire. The ch. is remarkable for its great length — 110 ft., including tower and chancel. It has a dilapidated screen and a Norman font. Near the ch.- yd. is a singular range of rocks abounding in quartz crystals. Forest — Rhayader * 15 m. $ Penybont, where the road crosses the Central Wales Rly., is a pleasant village with a suspension bridge over the Ithon. There is a St at. here of the Central Wales Rly. Penybont Hall is the residence of J. Percy Severn, Esq. [A road to the rt. leads to Knigh- ton and Presteign, over the high ground of Radnor Forest and through the villages of Llanfihangel Rhyd- ithon and Bleddfa, in the ch. of which there is an octagonal font and a good piscina. ] 16f m. a road branches on the N to Newtown, and on the S. to Llan- drindod and Builth. 17 m. The little river Clywedog is crossed, close to its junction with the Ithon. 19 m. A Roman road runs across the turnpike, at a spot called Caer- fagu, by many antiquaries supposed to have been the site of the Roman station of Magos, many remains hav- ing been found in the vicinity. 20 J on rt. the church of Nantmel, and 21 m. on 1. is Llwyn-barried, the residence of E. Middleton Evans, Esq. A little to the S. is Llyn-Gwyn, a lake about 1 m. in circumference, formerly held in great veneration by pilgrims, who came long distances to visit it. It is said by Malkin to be the only picturesque lake in Radnor- shire. 25 m. $ Rhayader (Rte. 17), one of the contributory boroughs of Radnor. There is a Stat. here on the Mid- Wales Rly. From Rhaya- der there are 2 roads to Aberyst- wyth. The new road, finished in 1834, is 1 m. longer' than the old ; but, as it avoids many steep . ascents and descents, is far preferable, and is the one usually followed by per- sons travelling post. In the year 1803 a postchaise at Rhayader was the only public conveyance in Rad- 142 Itoute 18. — Plinlymmon — & keddfa Gurig. S. "Wales. norshire. For 18 m. the road id carried up the 1. bank of the Wye, here a mere torrent, descending through a valley bounded by steep and bare hills. Cultivation gradu- ally diminishes as the traveller mounts higher. The road is sup- ported for the most part of the way on a terrace over the shoulders of the hills ; at times descending to the margin of the river, at others winding aloug at a height of 100 ft. above it, and in many places bounded by an almost precipitous descent. 28 m. on rt. the little river Marteg, after passing by St. Harmon’s, joins the Wye, which at this point is sin- gularly picturesque, becoming at the Nannerth rocks “ narrower and more rocky ; being, in fact, a chasm through which the confined waters roar and struggle along in loud chid- ing anger.” 29 m. , between the road and river, is Glangwy, the pretty little villa of F. Hoxton, Esq. 35 m. Llangurig, a small village in a lovely situation. Here the road to the rt. branches off to Llanidloes, 5 m. 40 m. we take leave of the Wye, crossing it, but still ascending by the course of the Afon Tarenig, its tributary, until, at a place called titeddfa Guriy, the narrow ridge forming the summit-level is crossed. This, or Dyffryn Castell, is the best point from which to ascend the enormous mass of Plinlymmon, 2463 ft. above the level of the sea. It rises from the midst of a dreary waste, encompassed by bogs and morasses ; and its top, distant 10 m. from Llangurig and 1 2 m. from Llanidloes, will scarce repay the toil of an ascent, which on no account should be attempted without a guide. The mountain of Plinlym- mon is more properly 3 mountains, which may be considered as the centre of a large group, spreading into subordinate chains. Gray’s “Huge Plinlimmon bows his snow- capped head” will not strike the traveller as a very appropriate de- scription. It is famous for the 5 rivers which .* burst from its flanks : the Dnlas ; the Rheidol, springing from a lake on the summit, called Lygad Rhei- dol, or the Eye of the Rheidol, and joining the sea at Aberystwyth ; the Llyffnant, a tributary of the Dovey ; ■ the Wye (Gwy, in Welsh, meaning X water), issuing from two copious I springs on the S.E. side of the mountain ; and the Severn — second of British floods — which has its source on the N.W. descent of the mountain, not 2 m. apart from the I head of the Wye, near a lake called j Llyn Bugeillyn. It rushes down through gaps in the slate rock, a mere mountain-torrent, to Llanid- 1 loes, and thus far is called by the ; Welsh, Hafren. In the fastnesses 1 of Plinlymmon, Owain Glyndwr I took his stand in 1401, at the outset I of his career, with a handful of determined followers ; and, issuing ,1 hence, spread havoc along the Eng- .1 lish borders, which he assaulted in various inroads. “ Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made t head Against my power: thrice from the banks of Wye And sandy-bottom’d Severn have I sent 1 him Bootless home, and weatherbeaten back.’* Shakespeare, I The view from the summit, if the weather be clear, is very extensive ; embracing Cader Idris and the Snowdon chain on the N., the ] Breidden hills on the N.E., and Cardigan Bay to the W. At Steddfa Gurig the traveller enters a different valley (whose wa- ters flow in an opposite direction to those of the Wye), bounded by mountains whose rugged outline proclaims them to 1x5 composed of 143 S. Wales. Route 18. — Pont Erwyd — Aberystwyth . slate. Every now and then the ap- pearance of a solitary building, with its fast-driving waterwheel and heaps of dirty refuse, proclaims that lead abounds, and that this is the district of mining adventurers. 46 m. from Castell Dyffryn, where there is a solitary and sorry post- house, a road to the 1. strikes off to Parson’s Bridge, and the Devil’s Bridge, 3 m. 48 m. Pont Erwyd. It is worth while to stop and look at the falls of the Castell and Rheidol, which unite in a wild rocky gorge close to the river and the road, but at a consider- able depth below them. About 50 yds. before reaching the river, a rough cross-road strikes over the hill, and in about 1 m. falls into the old post-road to the Devil’s Bridge at Yspytty Cynfyn. For more than 3 m. from Pont Erwyd the road ascends, bare moor and hills surrounding it on every side ; but on arriving at the summit of Cefn Brwno a rapid descent takes place all the way to Aberystwyth. From here magnificent views are to : be obtained over Cardigan Bay, particularly if the visitor happens to arrive at sunset. 53 m. on 1. are the Coginau lead- mines, one of the most extensive in Cardiganshire, and which, as well as the Lisburne mines in Cwm Ystwyth, are the most available and the best worth the inspection of the visitor. The appearance of the numerous large wheels, situated one above the other at different levels — the sombre grey hue of the jagged hills — the long, low sorting-houses, and the noise Of the stamping-machines, — all combine to throw a mysterious effect over the scene. At the village of Capel Bangor the road joins company with the Rheidol, forming, for the rest of the way, an agreeable feature in the landscape, which it enlivens with its sinuous windings. 59 m. the village of Llanbadarn Fawr is passed, famous for the Ch. of St. Padarn or Paternus, a friend of St. David and St. Teilo, and a saint of great renown, who founded a monastery here in the time of the holy Dubritius. It is an ancient cruciform structure of about the 1 2th centy., chiefly remarkable for its massive tower, of later date than the rest of the Ch., rising from the centre and supported by 4 massive piers. It also contains a number of lancet-shaped windows, with cham- fered edges, which contribute much to the air of solidity and strength. There is a good doorway of the 12th centy., forming the entrance into the S. side of the nave. In the in- terior of the ch. are monuments to the families of Nanteos and Go- gerddan. In the chancel is buried Lewis Morris, of Penbryn, in this county, a celebrated Welsh bard and antiquary of the last centy., and ancestor of the living and more widely known poet, his namesake. Llanbadarn was visited by Arch- bishop Baldwin and Giraldus Cam- brensis in 1188, when, as the latter tells us, the monastery had a lay abbot, an evil custom of that period in Wales and Ireland. In the church- yard are some very ancient sculp- tured stone crosses. 60 m. Aberystwyth (Rte. 22). The old road from Rhayader to Aberystwyth is shorter by 1 m. , but considerably more hilly and not so good as the other. Crossing the Wye, on the rt. is Dderw (T. C. Prickard, Esq.), the scene of an atrocious murder in Henry VIII.’s time, when a party of Cardiganshire banditti lay in wait for the judge who was coming to the assizes, and shot him through the heart. The assizes were consequently removed to Radnor and Presteign. 144 Route 19. — Craven Arms to Caermarthen . S. Wales. 2 m. on 1. Llyn Gwyn, a lake of considerable size, surrounded on every side by high hills. The road now ascends the steep hill of Pen- rhi-wen and about (5 m. descends again into the vale of the Elan, whose 1. bank it follows almost to its very source, afterwards crossing the watershed and joining the valley of the Ystwyth, in which, at 14 in., are the celebrated lead-mines of Cwm Ystwyth, one of the earliest worked and most profitable in Cardiganshire. Uarge fortunes have been made from them and other lead-mines in the district. From the mine named Cwm Symlog, Sir Hugh Myddelton drew 2000 J. a month, and acquired the vast wealth which he expended so unprofitably to himself, and so much to the lienefit of others, in forming the New River to supply Ixmdon with water. A handsome stone bridge carries the road over the Ystwyth to Pentre Brunant from whence it is 4 m. to the Devil’s Bridge. ROUTE 19. CRAVEN ARMS to CAERMARTHEN, BT LLANDRINDOD. LLANDOVERY, AND LLANDEILO. ( Central 1 Valet Itailicai/.) This great trunk rly. leaves CRAVEN Arms Ji'nct. on the Shrewsbury and Hereford Rly., and branches off to the S. W. , passing 3 m. Broome Stat. 5J m. Hopton Heath Stat., near which is Hopton Castle , a small, well- proportioned tower, having mould- ings of the 14th centy. The present structure must have replaced one given by Henry II. to Walter de Clifford. The ch. of Hopton was originally a daughter ch. of Clun. 1 84 m. Bucknell Stat. Bucknell is twice mentioned in * Domesday Book.’ Before 1176 its lord had given the advowson of the ch., which is a mixture of Norman and Early English, to the Abbey of Wigmore. Overlooking it is the wooded eminence of Coxwall Knoll, considered by some to be the locale of the last battle of Caractacus with the Romans under Ostorius, but clearly lacking any higher ground to which the Britons could have re- treated, as Tacitus says they did. Neither is there any vestige of stone defences. Passing 1. Stanage Park (S. Rogers, Esq.), and on rt. Stow Hill, and the Holloway Rocks, the tourist reaches 12 J m. Knighton Stat. 5 Knighton, anciently called Tref- y-clawdd, or the Town on the Dyke, is pleasantly situated on rising ground overlooking the rt. Rank of the Tcine, which flows between the counties Radnor and Salop. The only anti- quities in the town, which is clean and well built, are an old mansion, once occupied by the Brydgos family, and another at the E. end, of the time of James I. The princijKil object of interest, however, is Offna Dyke, which passes through thf town. The staple of Knighton is its woollen cloth-mills, which have n<>w passed into the hands of a company* The neighl»ourhood of Knighton abounds in military remains of past ages, particularly* Caer Caradoc, about 3 m. to the N., said, like (ox- wall Knoll, to have been defended by Caractacus against the Ib*man* S. Wales. Boute 19’. — Knucldas —Llandrindod Wells. 145 under Ostorius. Here, however, there is neither the “ amnis vado incerto ” of Tacitus, nor yet the higher mountains, for the Britons to fall back upon. It is, however, a fine camp, nearly circular, triply defended towards the W., on which side it is most accessible, and having two lines of defence on the E. It has entrances on E. and W., and commands a fine outlook. It is approached from the road to Clun by a footpath on the rt. over two or three enclosures. The line now runs up the valley of the Teme, passing Craig Donna , a picturesque rock, originally te- nanted in the 7th centy. by an an- chorite, to 15 m. Knucklas Stat. On rt. 2 m. is Lianfair Waterdine, which con- tains some inscribed stones. The rly. now quits the valley of the Teme, and crosses high ground to 19 m. Llangynllo Stat. On 1. 3 m. is the old manor-house of Monachty. of the date of Queen Elizabeth. 1J m. beyond, on the Presteign road, is Pilleth, the scene of a battle between Glyndwr and the English under Sir Edmund Mortimer, who, as Shakespeare described him in speaking of this battle, “ In single opposition, hand to hand, Did confound t Lie best part of an hour In changing hardiment with great Glen- dower.” Here is also an Elizabethan house. There is a good Dec. church in this village. Llanbister Road Stat. On the rt., about 8 m. from Knighton, and approached by the Llanbister Road, is Castle Cwm Aran, an oblong British camp, with stiff trenches on all sides but one, which overlooks the Aran and is very precipitous. It was after- [& Wales.'] wards converted into a mediaeval stronghold. A mile further to the W. is Castle Bank, a circular camp of 12 acres, and further W. a hill- fort called the Gaer, which is a rectangular oblong camp of British type, commanding the narrow valley of the Ithon, and supposed by Dean Merivale to be the scene of the last battle of Caractacus. Tourists will probably weary of the numberless competing sites, the more so if they discover that the Breidden Hills near Welshpool best fulfil the re- quirements of Tacitus. The ch. at Llanbister is a fine sample of the mother- ch. of a district, with a buttressed tower to the E., sur- mounted by a wooden belfry. It is said to have been enriched by spoils of Abbey Cwm Hir. The S. window of the chancel is of the 14th centy. The length of nave and chancel is 90 ft. 25 J m. Dolau Stat. The village of Llanfihangel Rhyd Ithon is on 1. Soon after, the line joins the valley of the Ithon, and runs down to 28 J m. $ Penybont Stat. , close to which is Penybont Hall (J.P. Severn, Esq.). Here is a suspension bridge over the Ithon. 2 m. rt. across the Ithon is Llanbadarn Fawr Church. See Rte. 19. 32 m. $ Llandrindod Wells Stat. There are also several first-class lodging-houses . The mineral waters of Llandrindod have been known to possess efficacious power ever since 1696, and as long ago as 1749 a large hotel was opened by a Mr. Grosvenor, termed Llandrindod Hall, an estab- lishment which obtained an exten- sive reputation, but ultimately be- came the resort of such questionable characters, that it was pulled down. Nothing, however, has been able to destroy the health-restoring in- fluences of the place ; its situa- tion on a wide, elevated common, L 146 S. Wales. Houle 19 . — Abbey Cwm Hir. the efficacy of its mineral springs, and the comparative freedom from the usual watering-place dissipa- tion, all combine to make it much sought after by the valetudinarian. The springs, all near each other, the first in the neighbourhood of the Hock, and the second and third in the grounds of the Pump-house, are three in number, and are respectively chalybeate, saline, and sulphureous ; they are considered to be especially useful in scrofulous and cutaneous diseases. Great improvements have been made at Llandrindod through the indefatigable energy of Mr. R. Dansey Green Price, and the place is one of increasing resort. The sole drawback must needs be the short season, and the severity of the cold at other times of the year. The old ch., which has been sup- plemented by a large and modern ch., near the Pump-house, from designs by Butterfield, and built by voluntary subscriptions of visitors and neighbours, to the rt. of the road, is some little distance from the Pump -house, and is well placed on the spur of a hill, overlooking the plain, which is watered by the Wye, the Ithon, and the Yrfon. Near it is a lead-mine, supposed to have been worked by the Romans ; indeed the number of intrenchments and tumuli scattered over the com- mon and in the vicinity prove that it was a station of some importance. About 1J in. to the N.E. is Cefn- Llys Church, placed at the bottom of a deep valley, a steep hill rising directly above it from the lovely banks of the Ithon. On its summit formerly stood Cefn-Llys Castle, which was built by Ralph Mortimer in 1242, and fell into the possession of the Crown in Edward IV. ’s reign. It is said by Camden to have been in his day a castle in ruins. 5 m. E. of Llandrindod are the vestiges of Maud’s Castle, near Llansaintfread, a castle so called after Maud de St. Valeri, wife of William de Braose ; erected circ, 1216 A.D. 1J m. W. across the Ithon, is Llanyre, situated on a Roman road which ran from Caerfagu, between Rhayader and Knighton, probably to Builtli (Bulkeum). [A beautiful excursion can be made of 9 m. through Llanbadarn Fawr, and up the lovely valley of the Clywedog to the ruins of Abbey Cwm Hir, or the Abbey of the Long Dingle. The Abbey, according to Leland, was founded in 1143 by “ Cadwa- thelon ap Madok for lx monkes” of the Cistercian order, and was dedicated to St. Mary. Cadwallon is said to have borrowed his staff’ of monks from the Abbey of Whitland, in Pembrokeshire, and to have de- signed to render his Abbey in Mele- neth equal in dimensions to those of greater kingdoms. In 1231 Henry II. marched his army into the country to punish Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, who had committed depredations on the monks. A por- tion of the army having been lost through the treacherous guidance of one of the monks, the king was much enraged, and would have burnt the abbey, which was however saved by the payment of 300 marks. It was finally destroyed in 1401 by Owain Glyndwr in one of his pre- datory excursions. After falling into various hands, it became the property of Sir Wm. Fowler in 1680, con- cerning whom the following doggrel was current : — “ There is neither a park nor a deer To be seen in all Itadnorshire, Nor a man with five hundred a year Save Fowler of Abbey Cwm Hir." The site of the ancient abbey was (b ared out in 1827, showing tha dimensions of the nave to have been 242 ft., and verifying the statement of the old antiquary ‘ ‘ that no church 3 . Wales. Route 19 . — Bwlch-y-Sarnau — BuiltJi Road . 147 n Wales is seene of such length, as he foundation of the walles then jegon doth show.” It is said that mly Durham, York, and Winchester ould boast a greater length. The ich 13th-centy. arches in Llanid- oes ch. are said to have been wrought hence ; indeed, this is the •urrent account in Radnorshire and Vfontgorneryshire of any architec- tural or decorative work out of per- ect keeping with the commonplace urroundings in other churches. Nothing but a few fragments re- nain of the ancient building, the tones of which were to a large xtent incorporated in 1816 with he mansion close by, now the esidence of G. H. Phillips, Esq. 'he site of the Abbot’s apartments, f the conventual buildings, and f the fish-ponds which supplied the lonks, is still visible, as are also ortions of earthworks which crossed le valley for its defence at equal istances above and below, and en- losed a space of about 10 acres, hich doubtless possessed the right f sanctuary. A Roman road runs by the Abbey ) the head of the dingle of the 'lywedog, from whence it crosses ito the valley of the Mar teg by a ass called Bwlch-y-sarnau. South- ards it communicated with the t -oman station of Caerfagu, while on ' le N. it led to Caersws, thus con- 's ecting the Silures and the Ordo- ices. A little below the abbey, at the mction of the Crvch with the ! lywedog, is the modernised manor- puse of Devanner, erected about ie time of James I. Abbey Cwm Hir is 9 m. from landrindod, 16 from Builth, and 7 om Rhayader.] [From the turnpike on the road om Llandrindod to Newtown it is m. to the village of Llanddewi 'trad enny (church uninteresting), which abounds in old intrench - ments. About § m. beyond, the road is carried on the 1. bank of the Ithon, between 2 hills of considerable height, on each of which was a camp, while others are to be met with at the head of Cwm Aran, 3 m. to the rt. See above at Llanbister Rd. Stat. 13 m. (from Llandrindod) on rt. is the Church of Llanbister (already described), to the rt. of which, 1 m. , is the old mansion of Llynwent , built in the reign of Elizabeth, which, though much altered, ex- hibits some traces of its former architecture. 14 m. Llananno, the ch. of which has an exceptionally good carved screen and rood-loft, with a cornice - beam carved with fruit and foliage, near which are the slight remains of a very strong fortress, called Castle Dynbod, demolished by Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Following the windings of the Ithon, the traveller next passes Llanbadarn Fynydd, where the ch. still contains traces of good E. Eng. and decorated work, though its eight-bayed oak roof is covered with whitewash, and at 20 m. bids adieu to the Ithon, and to the county of Radnor. From Camnant Bridge, where the road enters Mont- gomeryshire, it is about 6 m. to Newtown. (Handbook for N. Wales . )] From Llandrindod the rly. con- tinues its course S.W. on the high ground above the Ithon, past Howey , a thriving Welsh village, and Howey Hall (R. W. Banks, Esq.), above which is the ancient intrenchment of Caer Ddu, to 38 m. Builth Road Stat., where the Mid Wales Rly. is crossed ; and Lechrwd Stat. is only divided by a flight of steps from the stat. of the L 2 148 Route 19. — Cilmeri — Llanwrtyd Wells . S. Wales.! Central Wale* Rly. From here it is 2 m. to $ Builth (Rte. 17). The Central Wales then crosses the Wye to 40 m. Cilmeri Stat. Close by is Cilmeri (H. Bligh, Esq.), and a short distance from the stat. , not far from the little ch. of Llanynis to the rt., are Cefn-y-bedd and Cwm Llewelyn, sacred to every Welshman as being the scene of the death and burial of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, the last Prince of Wales, in 1282. During the final struggle for Welsh independence, he came to his castle of Aberedw on the Wye, for the purpose of having an interview with the chieftains ; and being nearly surprised by the English forces under Sir Edward Mortimer, rode away in flight, hav- ing had his horse’s shoes reversed, in order to deceive his pursuers, as the snow lay deep upon the ground. The manoeuvre was, however, trea- cherously made known to the Eng- lish by Madoc Goch Min Mawr, the blacksmith whom Llewelyn em- ployed. The unfortunate prince, after being refused admittance by the traitorous inhabitants of Builtli, crossed the Yrfon near Llanynys, but* with his party of followers was speedily overtaken by the English, one of whom, by name Adam de Frankton, killed him and cut off his head, although at first ignorant of the quality of his viotim. His body was buried at Cefn-bedd-Llewelyn. A short distance to the 1. is Llanyan- ten church, situated on the bank of the Chweffru, which falls into the Yrfon. On 1. of rly. is the ch. of Llana/on Fechan. 43 m. $ Garth Stat. Garth is said to have been once a residence of the Princes of Wales. It was from Garth that Charles Wesley took his bride. A road from hence leads over the Afynydd Epynt to Brecon, passing by the side of Cwm-graig-ddu pre- ji cipice, terminating a narrow dingle, * which, viewed from below, presents '; a sublime appearance. This range of ij hills, with Mynydd Bwlch-y-groes, I forms an enormous mass of moun- tain extending on the rt. nearly the whole way from Llanwrtyd to Builth, : and are an unmistakable feature in the landscape, though taken singly they are rather monotonous in their outline. 1 m. to rt. is Llanlleonfel church, rebuilt in 1875, which con- tains some mural monuments of the G wynne family. Close by are traces of the Roman road Sarn Helen, connecting Maridunum with Deva, and uniting with the branch from Bannium. 45 m. $ Llangammarch, a village.! situated at the confluence of the Cammarch with the Yrfon, and rapidly growing in importance as a health resort on account of its mineral springs. The country round is wild and picturesque. Archaeolo- gists or visitors who want an object for a walk will find (2 m.) a tumulus on Caerau farm, between which and ! the Cammarch many fragments of | Roman pottery have recently been I found ; and a British camp at Do- 1 laeron (3 m.). The scenery becomes ri rather monotonous between Builth and Llanwrtyd. 4 m. to rt. is | Llwyn-Madoc, the seat of Miss | Thomas. 48J m. $ Llanwrtyd Wells Stat. | (about 1 m. from the wells). This 1 little place, remote and isolated a* 1 it seems, yet enjoys a large share of i the patronage of the valetudinarian { population, and its waters, sulphur and chalylieate, are said to have great j virtue. The scenery becomes broken and romantic as the visitor pene- trates further into the mountains, following the river Yrfon as his guide. Many beautiful walks and excursions are to be made in thisV district, and Llanwrtyd will make a 5. Wales. Route 19. — Twm SJion Catti’s Cave — CyngJiordy. 149 convenient halting-place for the pedestrian who wishes to explore :he upper part of the vales of Towey tnd Yrfon. The parish ch. is about i mile from the village at the en- trance of a mountain gorge, the road to which is along the brawling Mon. The Osmunda regalis used to flourish on marshy ground near the wells, and there are still some •are flowers hereabouts. [This latter iver rises in the mountains to the S’. W. of Dry gam, about 11 or 12 m. 'rom Llanwrtyd. The first object of nterest is the wooded hill of Pen- linas, which rises on the rt. bank >f the stream, on the opposite side >f which, at the farm of Llwyngwych- ir, is the cave of a notorious robber called Rhys Gethin, who, not con- tent with pillaging the king’s sub- jects, was wont to insult the king limself by the following couplet : — “ The king owns all the island Except what has been apportioned to Rhys.” 5 m. on 1. is the solitary house of Llyndenv. 6 m., at the confluence of the jrwessin with the Yrfon, were the 2 unall churches of Llanddewi and Llanfihangel Abergivessin, the former peing only 30 ft. by 15, and of most ■primitive structure. But a single cruciform ch. has been recently built for the joint parishes. The material is the trap-rock of the -dis- trict, internally cased with brick. There is an open wood-work roof, i handsdme chancel arch, and a cir- cular West window. Seven yews, said to be 1300 years old, stand in the ch.-yd. 4 to the RT. and 3 to the S. of the church. A beautiful cross of Radyr stone in the ch.-yd. commemorates the late Henry Thomas, Esq., of Llwyn Madoc, and Evan Llewellyn Thomas, his son. 8 m. the river runs through the most wild and romantic scenery, the rocky sides of the glen rising to a considerable height, and at Cam ddwr bleiddiau, or the Wolves’ Leap it runs to a depth of some 25 or 30 ft. between vertical rocks almost touching each other. It is said that here the last of the Welsh wolves committed felo de se. The men and women of the district are a fine healthy-looking race. The Grouse Inn at Abergwessin will supply the wants of pedestrians and sportsmen. About 3 m. to theN.E. the tourist can, if he chooses, ascend Brygarn Mountain, or the Three Cairns, and descend on the other side into the valley of the Claerwen, and on to Rhayader. ] [Another excursion can be made up Glen Henog, across Mynydd Trawsnant, into the Yale of Towey, down which the traveller proceeds to Capel Ystrad-y*Ffin and Twm Shon Catti's Cave. The cave is merely a rift in the rocks, and the renowned robber Twm Shon Catti was in sober phrase nothing more than Thomas Jones, Esq., wdio frequented this cave when courting the heiress of Ystrad y Ffin. The aspect of the locality, however, is wild and romantic enough to found any amount of legendary lore upon itj From Llanwrtyd the line ascends very high ground, passing the wild- looking Sugar Loaf Hill, the boun- dary between the counties of Caer- marthen and Brecon. After emerg- ing from a tunnel of some length, a fine prospect opens to the traveller. The rly. here may be described as quite a mountain line, and the view to the S., in the direction of Llan- dovery, is almost grand. The best peep is from 53 m., just before cross- ing a lofty stone viaduct. It then descends the valley of the Bran to 55 m. Cynghordy Stat. On 1. is Glanbrane Park, once the splendid seat of the Gwynne family, from 150 Route 19. — Llandovery — Ctom Gwcnjfrwd. S. Wales, j whom it passed by purchase to Mr. Crawshay Bailey, who sold it in his turn. The Bran rises to the N.E., and after being joined by the Gwyd- derig and other streams forms a junction with the Towey, a little below the town of Llandovery. 59J m. $ Llandovery Stat. Llan- dovery is situated on the Br&n, and backed in the distance by the sharp- headed and huge. Van mountain. On a knoll is the ruined shell of the Castle, of uncertain date, but whose origin may be traced to the Norman usurpers of this county, wl*o were enabled, only by such means, to keep what they had seized, in de- fiance of the rightful owners. In 1159 Walter de Clifford was Lord of Cantref Bychan, and had his chief dwelling at Llandovery Castle, but was dispossessed of it by Rhys ap Gruffydd, in retaliation* for divers wrongs ; and for a long period it re- mained in the hands of Gruffydd’s family. The slight vestiges of a castle are on an insulated rock, and consist of the mined keep, and a round tower at the S. angle, as well as the traces of an outer ward. The other buildings are the parish church, which is, strictly speaking, in the parish of Llandinr/at, and has a Perp. tower ; the church of Llan- fair-y-bryn to the N. of the town ; and the Collegiate Institution, a hand- some Tudor building, founded by T. Phillips, Esq., of Brunswick Square, London, in 1849, to provide a good classical education for Welsh boys, and now in the front rank of Welsh grammar schools. The first prin- cipal was Archdeacon John Williams, a distinguished scholar (author of * Gomer ’ and ‘ Homerus ’), and some- time principal of the Edinburgh Academy, and among his successors were the present Bishop and Dean of St. Asaph. There is a curious old house at the E. end of the town, built by Vicar Prichard, whose Welsh poem, “ The Vicar’s Book, or the Welsh- man’s Candle,” is held in high re- putation by his country men. Vicar Prichard was a light to the prin- | cipality, and especially to his native town, in the early part of the 17tli centy. A mile distant, on the 1. bank J of the Towey, is Tonn , the residence of Mr. William Rees, the learned publisher, from whose press have 1 issued so many Welsh works of high 4 reputation. 1 m. to the N. is Llanfair-y-bryn ch., the former site of a Roman m station, evidences of which have ‘1 occasionally turned up in the form j of bricks, coins, glazed ware, and | traces of Roman roads. 2J m. to the N. is a fine camp called Pen-y- I Gaer. [A very interesting excursion can I be made from Llandovery up the I valley of the Towey to Ystrad-y- Ffin, 10 m. At 7 m. are the lead- I works of Nant-y-mwyn and Rhandir- 1 mwyn, belonging to Lord Cawdor, I situated on the hillside above the 1 stream, and worked by levels. 8£ m. on 1. is Cwm Gwenffrwd, a wild mountain dingle of great » beauty, up which a road runs for some little distance round Mynydd Mallaen to join the Cothi. A little above the spot where it reaches I that river is a deep pool, called Pwll-fan, from whence hill-tracks 1 can be followed to Loventium and Tregaron. 9 1 m. on 1. the united streams of the Doethiau and the Pysgotwr fall into the Towey, the former river rising in the large lake of Llyn Berwyn, from which place to Tre- garon would be about 5 m. ; but the pedestrian should not attempt to thread the mazes of this wild and difficult country without a guide, or at the very least an Ordnance map. S. Wales. 151 ‘Route 19 . — Cap el Ystrad-y-Ffin. 10 m. Capel Ystrad-y-Ffin and Twm Shon Catti’s Cave, perhaps more easy of access from Llan- wrtyd. Capel Ystrad-y-Ffin is su- perior in point of scenery to any part of the scenery of the Towey, which, here partially hid by conical hills, rushes near the wooded rock of Cerrig Towey into the embrace of the Doethiau. The cave of Twm, the son of Catherine, a Welsh “Turpin” who ended by being a magistrate and a thief -taker, is half- way up the W. side of this schistose rock, and is entered by a narrow cleft, which speaks well for the slender figure of the famous robber. The floor of the interior is about 4 yds. by 2J yds., and the top of it is in parts sheltered from the weather only by overhanging trees. For a good account of Twm Shon Catti, Mr. Borrow’ s ‘ Wild Wales ’ (vol. iii.) may be consulted by the cu- rious.] [1 m. from Llandovery the new road to Lampeter crosses the Towey by a handsome suspension bridge of 225 ft. span. 6 m. 1. a road leads down the romantic little glen to the village of Llanwrda and Glanrhyd Stat. 7| m. 1. a road branches off to Llansawyl , and across a very mountainous and rugged dis- trict into the Yale of Teifi. From this elevated spot is a lovely view of the Yale of Cothi. 10 m. on rt., on an eminence covered with trees and brushwood, are the Roman mines of Gogofau, now again worked, and within the demesne is Dolaucothy, late the seat of J. Johnes, Esq. (Chairman of Quarter Sessions for county Carmar- then, and a branch of the ancient lineage of Sir Rhys ap Thomas), who was, in 1875, barbarously mur- dered by his butler. Many remains of Roman pottery, baths, and or- naments have been found here, affording proof that a Roman sta- tion must have existed in connec- tion with the mines ; and amongst other relics the family possesses a “Torch Aur,” or golden chain or necklace. Tradition also points to a large tower built of brick, from whence it has been called “ The Red Tower of South Wales.” Not far from Dolaucothy is the site of a Roman villa, beneath the floor of one of the uncovered chambers in which are the remains of a hypo- caust. Here, too, are two inscribed stones. It is probable that the Romans worked these mines for gold ; and the Geological Survey has discovered a specimen of free gold in the quartz of one of the lodes. “The majority of the workings, extending to a con- siderable depth for some acres over the side of the hill, are opened to the day, or worked like a quarry ; and the rock through which the lodes run — a portion of the lower Silurian rocks — is in many places exposed, and exhibits beds much broken and contorted, though hav- ing a general tendency to dip north- ward. Here and there a sort of cave has been opened on some of the quartz veins, and in some cases has been pushed on as a gallery about 6 to 7 ft. high, and 5 or 6 ft. wide.” — Mem. of Geol. Survey. Near the workings is a 4-sided stone indented with circular hollows, evidently caused by the stone being employed as a mortar for the purpose of break- ing up the ore. Rather more than 1 m. behind Gogofau, is the church of Cynfil Cayo, a large ancient church, supposed to have belonged to a mo- nastic institution, and having a good tower with stone vaulting. In this parish is the source of the Gwenfrwd, a tributary of the Towey. 10J m. Pumsant, a fishing- station on the Cothi, where there is a little roadside inn, well reported of by Mr. Borrow. The name of the village commemorates “five saints” un- known. The road, after ascending a long 152 Route 19. — Lldnwrda — Llandeilo Fawr. S. Wales. range of hills, from the summit of which, at 14 m., is a magnificent view of the hills of Cardiganshire, descends to, 18 m., Lampeter (Rte. 22 ).] Near Llandovery is Blaenos, the seat of John Jones, Esq. On rt. is Llwyn-y -brain (Major Rice), and a little further on 1. 1)61 - y-carrog (C. Bishop, Esq.). 63 J m. Llanwrda Stat., near a pretty village of that name, with a singular looking ch. and. an enormous yew in the ch. -yd. 65 m. Llangadock Stat., a small decayed town, with one of the oldest parish churches in the county, prettily situated between the rivers Senni and Sawdde, and at the foot of the Black Mountains, over which a road is carried S. through Cwm Amman and Pontardawe to Neath. During the contest between the English and Welsh in the reign of Edward I., a complaint was made to the Arch- bishop of Canterbury of the atro- cities of the English soldiers, who had plundered the church of Llan- gadock, and, after wounding the priest before the altar, converted it into a stable for their horses. There is the tradition of a castle at Llanga- dock ; and Abermarlais, not far from Llangadock Bridge, was the moated and fortified residence of Sir Rhys ap Thomas. In the grounds of Abermarlais, near the entrance, is a Maenhir of good proportions. About 3 m. S.\V. of Llangadock, on the summit of a detached hill, called Cam-Goch, projecting in front of the mural ridge of Trichrflg, is a Roman encampment, in the form of a regular parallelogram, of the age of the Llandeilo flags. “One of the largest faces is a natural wall of quartz rocks, the beds of which, dipping to the N.W., present a bold precipitous face to the Vale of Towey. The other walls, which in places are still 20 to 30 ft. high, have been formed by piling large and shattered blocks, which, from their angularity, give a Cyclopean character to these desolate and venerable ruins.” — Murchison. 2 m. up the Sawdde, to the N. of Blaen Dyffryn Garn, formerly stood a cromlech, which was destroyed by the stupidity of a peasant. Accord- ing to the tradition of the country it was the last place in Britain where human sacrifices were offered, and even down to recent times, the spot was chosen for the reconciliation of friends by the contending parties shaking hands over the stone-heap. 67 m. Glanrhyd Stat. 68J m. Talley Road Stat. 2 m. on rt., on an eminence, is Manoravon (D. Pugh, Esq.), and on 1. Taliaris , the handsome seat of W. Peel, Esq., from whence it is 2 m. to Llandeilo Junct., 70 m. The picturesque town of $ Llandeilo Fawr is curiously plastered, as it were, against the precipitous face of a high hill, rising above the rt. bank of the Towey. The road performs a steep ascent to reach the centre of the town, where, passing through the churchyard of St. Teilo (who gives his name to the place), it again descends to the level of the river, which it reaches at the foot of the bridge. This is one of the three fortunate places honoured by being the depositor} 7 of St. Teilo’s bones, the other two being Llandaff and Penally, near Tenby. The Church (from which there is a most lovely view both up and down the valley) was rebuilt in 1848, and is one of the best in the Principality, consist- ing of a nave, chancel, aisle, and transept, and an old steeple which belonged to the former building. The plan of Llandeilo church, like those of Llandingat and St. Peter’s, Caennarthen, as well as of numbers 153 S. Wales. 'Route 19. — Dynevor : Castle and Park. j of churches in the Yale of Clwyd, is , that of two nearly parallel aisles. : A fine organ is placed on the ground- floor. Llandeilo is chiefly celebrated for the beauty of its vicinity, and the number of interesting objects lying within a short distance of it. Im- mediately outside the town, on a curve of the rt. bank of the river, is Dynevor Castle and Park (Lord Dynevor), which is diversified with most beautiful woods and undula- tions, arising from the remarkable dislocations of the flagstone strata, which have divided it into separate knolls, covered from top to bottom with noble trees. The mansion is modern, but contains two ancient carved oak chairs, in good condition, said to have been used by Sir Rhys ap Thomas. Upon a headland are seen the ivy-clad ruins of the original Dynevor, or as it was formerly called, Newton Castle, the view of which has been considerably opened by the judicious clearings of the present Lord Dynevor. These ruins will repay a visit. The keys are kept by the gardener at the modern mansion ; and the lodge entrance to the park is outside the town of Llandeilo to the N. From the lodge to the ruins (2 m.) the roadway is fair in the main, and only the last \ m. re- quires climbing afoot, up to the castle -gate. Carriage visitors will do well to retain their vehicles. The original form of the castle was circular, and it was fortified with a double moat and rampart, but now the principal features are a square and round tower, overhanging the precipice, and some battlemented walls, part of the original enclosure. Tradition states that Dynevor was the residence, Dryslyn Castle the coronation-place, and Cerrig Cennen the stronghold of the Rhys family, while they were princes of S. Wales. The first castle on this spot was built by Roderic the Great, and descended from him to his son Cadell, but was destroyed and re- built more than once before the present structure arose. The story runs, that one of the first owners of Dynevor confined within these walls his father and his younger brother, having deprived the latter of his sight, to secure for himself the in- heritance. The blind youth, how- ever, knowing every passage and corner of the castle, groped his way to his parent’s cell, burst open the door and set him free. It was seized in 1194 by the turbulent usurper Maelgwn, but wrested from him in 1204 by his brother Gruffydd’s sons. In 1257 it was besieged by the English, but relieved by Llewellyn after a most sanguinary battle. The estate was granted by Henry VII. to Sir Rhys ap Thomas Fitz Urien, one of the first and most faithful supporters of his cause, to whom he owed the throne. His grandson was, nevertheless, one of the victims of the tyranny and cupidity of Henry VIII., who caused him to be seized on a frivolous charge of treason, and beheaded, and his estates confiscated, 1531. Lord Dynevor is lineally descended from Urien, Prince of Reged. On the N. bank of the Towey, within this domain, Spenser has placed the cave of Merlin : — • “ There the wise Merlin, whilom wont, they say, To make his wonne low underneath the ground In a deep delve far from the view of day, That of no living wight he mote he found When so he counsell’d with his sprights around. And if thou ever happen that same way To travel, go and see that dreadful place. It is a hideous, hollow, cave-like bay, Under a rock that has -a little space From the swift Tyvi, tumbling down apace Amongst the woody hills of Dinevowr. But dare not thou, I charge, in any case To enter into that same baleful bow< r, For fear the cruel fiends should thee un- ware devour.” Faerie Queene, iii. cant. 3. 154 Route 19. — Carreg Cennen Castle . S. Wales. Merlin’s Cave and Chair (a neigh- bouring rock) are near Abergwili, the point of the Gwili’s junction with the Towey. [A pleasant excursion can be made from Llandeilo to Talley Abbey, and through the Yale of Cothi to Gogofau (p. 151). 3 m. 1. is the wooded domain of Taliaris (W. Peel, Esq.), and 8 m. Talley Abbey , placed in a most lovely situation in a deep vale, at the head of two lakes, formerly be- longing to the abbey, which, in the time of Henry VII., was richly en- dowed. The ruins, though small, harmonise well with the scenery around ; the only remains being the finely proportioned but undecorated arches which supported the central tower. To the E. of the ch., which was built towards the close of last centy. , stands a solitary yew, near which tradition places the grave of Dafydd ap Gwilym. 9 m. 1., occupying the bank of a well-wooded knoll, and overhanging the Cothi, is Rhydodyn (Sir J. Williams Drummond, Bart., of Ed- winsford, Caermarthen, and of Haw- thornden, N.B.). From thence the road runs along the 1. bank of the river to Pumsant and Gogofau, about 7 m.] Before quitting Llandeilo, an in- teresting excursion may be made to the ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle, situated about 3 m. S.E. of the town, in a smaller valley lying be- hind a double barrier of hills, which is the S. prolongation of the ridge of Trichrug. From the very steep and rough ascent leading from the bridge, one of the best views is gained of the Vale of Towey, includ- ing the whole of Dynevor Park. After about 2 m. of ascent, a foot- path, somewhat devious, strikes out of the road to the castle, which ap- pears conspicuously rising out of the narrow ravine of the Cennen. It is one of the most striking and pic- turesque ruins in Wales, planted on an isolated and precipitous rock of mountain limestone, rising to a height of nearly 300 ft. above the stream, and surrounded by bleak and bare hills of sandstone. Its buildings, inaccessible on all sides but one, and almost impregnable before the discovery of gunpowder, ' occupy the entire platform which forms the summit of the rock, not more than an acre in extent, and consist of 2 square towers on the N. side, defending the entrance, a large round tower, and an octagonal tower. The very curious passage, descending through the solid rock for more than 100 ft., and called “ The Well,” is supposed by Sir R. Murchison to be a natural fissure, and not an artificial excavation. The only water to be obtained from it is the scanty droppings from the rock, and the only receptacle for it a basin, incapable of holding 2 gallons. It is said, however, that the spring, at which the passage terminates, though not abundant, is never-failing. It is lighted, at in- tervals, by lateral loopholes pierced through the limestone. The view from the top of the rock is most extensive, commanding interminable valleys and ridges, the vistas of which extend to the sea on one side, and a long reach of the Vale of Towey on the other. The history of these ruins has not been recorded ; antiquaries have claimed for them a British founder, Urien, one of the Knights of the Round Table, or a Roman origin, but the existing structure is probably not older than Henry III. or Edward I. Fragments of the great N. gateway and of windows to the S.W. bespeak the date of Edward II. There is very scant mention of this fortress even in local history, further than that in 1247 Rhys 155 S. Wales. Bonte 19 . — Golden Fychan recovered it from the English, to whom his mother had surrendered it. Antiquities, both Roman and British, in the form of coins, flint axe-heads, &c., have been I found in the neighbourhood ; and further up, near the source of the brook Cennen, are some curious ex- cavations in the hill-side, supposed to have formed part of a British town. ! About 1 m. to the S. of the castle, at Cwrt Pen-y-Banc, or Cwrt Bryn-y- Beirdd, are the remains of a con- siderable mansion nearly coeval with the fortress. Many of the original features of the building still remain, an ancient fire-place and massive floor of hewn oak, beside roof-tim- bers, and dressings of doorways and windows in red sandstone. Hard by, in a field, there is a trace of a kistvaen, locally known as the ‘ ‘ graves of the Druids ” (Towyn Bed- dau Derwyddon). About 1J m. S. of Cerrig Cennen Castle is Llygad Lloughor, or the source of the Lloughor river, in a cavern, from whence it issues in a considerable stream (Rte. 21). From Llandeilo a branch line runs to Swansea and Llanelly, the main line (Rte. 21) keeping along the S. bank of the Towey to Caer- marthen, 84 m. 72 m. Golden Grove Stat. On 1. is Golden Grove , a seat of the Earl of Cawdor, left to his great-grandsire by Mr. Yaughan, a descendant of the Earls of Carberry. The old house, which was burnt down, stood amidst the gardens seen on the 1. of the turnpike road ; but the modern house (Lord Emlyn) stands on a platform high up the hill-side. It is Elizabethan, with a number of gabled windows, and a tall central tower. From the terrace there is a magnificent view towards the N. and N.E. In the interior are some portraits of the Grove — Llangathen. Vaughan family, and one of (i Sacha- rissa,” Lady Dorothy Sidney ; also a Canaletto and a Luca Giordano. Near the site of the old house is a grove of old oak-trees, where a walk for- merly existed, called after that ex- cellent prelate Jeremy Taylor, who resided here during a season of adversity after the death of his master, Charles I. Taylor’s second wife, supposed to be a natural daughter of Charles, possessed a small estate in the neighbourhood, called Mandinam, which then be- longed to Richard Yaughan, Earl of Carberry, and upon his bounty and hospitality the divine appears to have been supported when deprived of his living by the Puritans. With- 'in the walls of Golden Grove he preached his yearly course of ser- mons when the churches were closed against him ; and there he wrote several of his works, as ‘ The Life of Christ, ’ and his ‘ Manual of Daily Prayers and Litanies,’ which he named ‘ Golden Grove, ’ in com- pliment to his patron. Just under- neath the park is Llanfihangel Aber- bythyrch, where Jeremy Taylor is said to have kept a school. It was restored a few years since under the directions of Sir Gilbert G. Scott. A ferry across the Towey river takes the tourist to Grongar Hill, westward, near the margin of the Towey, overlooking the village of Llangathen (4 m. from Llandeilo), in the ch. of which is a 17th-centy. tomb to Bishop Rudd and his wife. It is not in itself an object of much interest, though rendered so by the verses of the poet Dyer, who was born in the mansion of Aberglasney, 1700. Aberglasney (now the resi- dence of Mrs. Harris) belonged at an earlier period to - Bishop Rudd. The view from Grongar Hill quite justifies the poet’s description : — “ Grongar Hill invites my song, Draw ihe landscape bright and strong ; Grongar, in whose mossy cells Sweetly musing Quiet dwells. lo6 Route 20. — Swansea to Ystradguntais. S. Wales. Ever charming, ever new ! "When will the landscape tire the view? The fountain’s fall, the river’s flow, The woody valleys warm aud low ; The windy summit wild and high, Roughly rushing on the sky ; 'I’he pleasant seat and ruin’d tower, The naked rook, the shady bower, The town and village, dome and farm, Each gives each a double charm As pearls upon an AStbiop’s arm.” A hawthorn-tree on the top of the hill is pointed out as that under which he wrote the poem. There are traces of a British camp on the hill-top, with a rectangular earthwork to the S. A little further on, upon the top of a huge hill, which seems to block up the valley, and must have com- manded the fords of the Towey, are the extensive earthworks, ivy-clad walls, and tower of Dryslyn, one of the Edwardian castles of this valley, erected by one of the princes of the house of Dynevor, and, accord- ing to the ‘ Annales Cambria), ’ a fortress that gave considerable trou- ble to the English to take and hold. On the opposite side of the river is a triangular tower or monument to Nelson, erected in his* grounds by Sir William Paxton, the former l>ossessor of Middleton Ilall , to the 1. of Llanarthney Stat. (74 m.), now the fine seat of E. Abadam, Esq. Not far hence, on Glanzannan Farm, is an inscribed cross, not unlike that at Carew ; and on the E. bank of the Dules, below Dryslyn, is Court Henry , a mediaeval house, wholly modernised, but retaining in the chapel, now used as a sitting-room, an early Dec. piscina. The line now crosses the Towey to 78 m. Nantgaredig Stat. 81 m. Whitemill Stat. On rt. is Merlin Hill (Gatlt Fyrddin), fabled to have been the birthplace of the magician. 82 in. Abergwili Stat., a large vil- lage situated .at the confluence of the Gwili with the Towey-, containing the palace and grounds of the Bp. of St. David’s, built in 1830. There is a pretty church with a spire, built in E. E. style. On the oppo- site side of the river is Llangynnor Church. 84 m. Caermarthen Junct. (ltte. 2 ). ROUTE 20. FROM SWANSEA TO YSTRADGUNLAIS. ( Swansea Vale Railway .) A pleasant excursion can be made up the vale of the Tawe by the Swansea Vale Railway, which runs along the opposite side of the river to the S. Wales line, crossing it at 3 m. Llansamlet Stat. The mountains begin to assume a more picturesque aspect and bolder out- lines, while the reappearance of wood and vegetation bears evidence of the diminished effect of the copper-works. 4 J m. Birchgrove Stat. 5} m. Glais Stat. On 1. are Vnyspcnlhcrh tin -works, one of the largest establishments in Wales, till lately the property of the Llewelyns. On the Gellionen mountain, which rises behind, is a mineral spring. At 8 m. Pontardawe Stat., the road from Neath to Cwm Amman crosses the Tawe by a bridge with one arch, 60 ft. in span, with the cylindrical holed over the haunches, 157 S. Wales. Route 20. — Brynamman — Ystradgunlais. similar to the one at Pontypridd (and by the same architect, Ed- wards). At Pontardawe is a hand- some church, erected by the muni- ficence of J. Parsons, Esq. On a hill by the roadside, 2 m. 1., called Mynydd Maen Coch, is a large and unusually perfect stone circle, known as Carn Llechart. In the centre of it was a kistvaen, 5 ft. long. Another, 2 m. E. of it, is situated on a mountain called Myn- ydd y Gwyryd. The road from here runs by the side of the Swan- sea Canal, and under the bold hill of Craig-garw, affording ' beautiful views of the Caermarthenshire Beacons, to 12 m. Ystalyfera Stat. Here are large ironworks, which possess 8 furnaces in blast, and em- ploy a large population. The rly. now turns to the 1. up the wild glen of Cwm Twrch, which is well worth exploring, into the recesses of the mountain ranges of Tyle-garxc and Carr eg -las, 14 J m. The Twrch is not far S. of the source of the Usk, and is supposed to get its name ( = Hog) from the force of its rushing stream. Pont Twrch is a bridge over it, not far from Yniscedwin. At Gwys Stat. are some collieries. 18 m. Brynamman Junct. with the Amman branch of the Caermar- thenshire Rly. (Rte. 21.) The high road continues up the valley of the Tawe to 13 m. Yniscedwin Ironworks, where the Tawe is joined by the mountain -stream of the Twrch, and the traveller enters Breconshire. The coal-measures, which in the S. and E. divisions of the coal-field are bituminous, are here anthracitic, a species of coal which for many years was considered practically use- less. The late Mr. Crane, of these works, made the discovery in 1836 that, by using hot instead of cold blast, the anthracite coal made re- markably good iron, — a circumstance which has since trebled the value of these beds, and caused a large in- crease of furnaces in this district. The Yniscedwin works, however, are now standing idle. Yniscedwin House was the seat of the Gough family, into which it was brought by the heiress of the ancient family of the Aubreys. It was still earlier the patrimony of Gruffydd Gwyr in the 13th centy. 14 m. At Ystradgunlais, the anti- quary will find in the church two inscribed stones — one built into the outside of the E. wall, marked hic jacit, and another, forming one of the steps of a staircase on the S. side, with the inscripton adivne. On the Caermarthenshire border are one or two carneddau, and the re- mains of British encampments. 16 m. Lamb and Flag Inn, situ- ated at the head of the Swansea Canal, 1J m. from which the little river Llech joins the Tawe. The tourist should by all means follow this romantic little stream as far as Capel Colbren, and visit the water- fall of Scwd Hen Rhyd (Rte. T3). He can then return from Penwylt or Onllivyn Stat., on the Neath and Brecon line. The very source of the Tawe, under the precipices of Y Fan Brechiniog (2631 ft.), can be reached by the mountain road which runs under Cribarth and past Pen- ivylt Stat. (Brecon and Neath Ry.) and the village of Capel Cellwen to Trecastle. Another road crosses over into the Crai and Senni valleys to Devynnock (Rte. 13). 158 Route 21. — Swansea to Llanelli/ and Llandeilo . S. Walks. ROUTE 21. FROM SWANSEA TO LLANELLY AND LLANDEILO, BY PONT-AR-DULAIS. ( Central Wales Railway.) Quitting Victoria St. Stat., at Swansea, the line takes a course not far from that of the S. Wales Rly., passing 2 m. Mumbles Road Stat., 4 m. Killay Stat., and 5 m. Dunvant Stat. 6J in. Gower Road Junct. For description of Gower, see Rte. 2. Here a short branch to the 1. is given off to the little coal-shipping and fishing port of Penclawdd 3 m. 8 m. Gorseinon Stat. On 1. are the village and bridge of Lloughor (Rte. 2), the estuary of which river the line now follows up, crossing it at 11 J m. PONT-AR-DULAIS JUNCT. [With the Llanelly branch 7 m. The traveller to Llanelly now skirts the W. bank of the estuary, which is here a sluggish mud - banked stream, to 2 m. Llangennech Stat. On rt. is Llangennech Park , the seat of Mrs. Nevill. 4 m., at Bynea Stat., the line quits the waterside and the vale of the Lloughor, and runs over a deso- late and unprepossessing district to 6 in. Llanelly Docks (Rte. 2). A considerable business is carried on here in coal - shipping from the Gwendraeth and the Amman vil- lages. It will give some idea of the difficulties with which the pro- moters of the Docks have had to contend, to mention that, in 1813, when the first Harbour Act was applied for, the present harbour was nothing but an open estuary, nearly silted up, over which no vessel ex- ceeding 100 tons could pass at high water. Now ships of 800 or 1000 tons readily find access. 7 m. Llanelly Junct. with the S. Wales line (Inns : Stepney Arms, Thomas Arms).] At Pont-ar-dulais, the line is crossed by the turnpike-road from Swansea to Caermarthen. The scenery becomes more pleasing as the vale narrows, and the Lloughor puts on the character of a mountain- stream, while the hills, which are of considerable height, gradually approach each other as the traveller nears the great range of the Black Mountains. 16 J m. Pantyfynnon Junct., whence a branch line of 5 m. runs up the narrow vale of Cwm Amman, principally for the purpose of bring- ing the anthracite coal to the sea. It runs up into the very heart of the mountains, containing some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, and a pedestrian may with advantage cross the high ground intervening between the Amman and the Twrch, and descend into the Swansea valley at Ynyscedwin, or follow the turnpike road from Neath across the mountains to Llangadock in the Vale of* Towey. 1 m. Cross Inn Stat. 5 m. Garnant Stat. Cwm Amman appears so remote from the bustle of the world, that the visitor is almost surprised to find a neat church and a rather extensive market-house for the use of the in- habitants. At the very head of the valley is 7 m. Bryn Amman Stat., the population of which is employed in ironworks. H ere the Swansea V alley Rly. joins tins branch. S. Wales. Boute 22 . — Caermarthen to Aberystwyth . 159 18 m. Dyffryn Stat. The line near this crosses the Lloughor, which I rises some 4 m. to the N.E., in a | curious subterranean hollow called Llygad Llwehwr , or the Eye of the Lloughor. 20 m. Llandebie Stat. is a pretty village placed just underneath the escarpment of mountain-limestone that forms the northern escarpment of the S. Wales coal-fields. On rt. is Glynhir (W. Du Buisson, Esq.). It is, as the name imports, a “long ravine,” scooped out by the river Llwchwr, on the slope of which this mansion stands. 21 J m. Derwydd Road Stat. Car- rey Cennen Castle (Rte. 19) is 3 m. to the rt. ROUTE 22. FROM CAERMARTHEN TO ABERYST- WYTH, BY LAMPETER. ( Great Western and Manchester and Milford Railway .) 23 J m. Fairfach Stat., just out- side the town of Llandeilo, where the tourist may join the railway along to the Towey to Carmarthen or Builth (Rte. 19). The rly. leaves the S. Wales line at Caermarthen Junct., and after calling at the town (Rte. 2) turns to the N. up the pretty valley of the Gwili, leaving the village and ch. of Abergwili to rt. From hence the Central Wales Rly. branches off to rt., en route for Llandeilo and Cra- ven Arms. On rt. are Castell Pigyn (W. 0. Price, Esq.) and the beautiful woods and gorge of Cwm Gwili (G. Phi- lipps, Esq.). 4 m. Bronwydd Arms Stat. There is a camp on the hill-side to the 1. The glen becomes ex- tremely pretty and winding in the higher part of its course, and is well worth exploring. As the rly. reaches 7 m. Conwil Stat., on 1. is the village of Cynwyl JElfed, through which a highroad runs over the Penboyr Hills to Newcastle Emlyn (Rte. 23). 9J m., nearly at the head of the Gwili, is Llanpumpsaint Stat., from whence the line is carried under a 1G0 Route 22 . — New Quay Road — Lampeter. S. Walks. • very bleak range of hills by a tunnel to 14} m. Pencader Junct., where the Manchester and Milford Rly. begins. The G. W. R. branch goes on to Llandyssul. An Act has been obtained to continue it from that place to Newcastle Emlyn. (Rte. 23). There is a small mound or fort ♦close to the stat. The country is for the most part bare and unin- teresting, containing a thin and scattered population ; though from the summits of the hills and some- times from the rly. many a lovely view is gained into the Vale of Teifi both up and down the liver. 16 J m. New Quay Road Stat., formerly called Cross Inn, about 13 m. from New Quay, where a van goes in summer. 3£ m. across coun- try from Llandyssul (a trap from which place would be a saving of distance in getting from Cardigan to the Manchester and Milford Rly.), the rly. descends into the valley of the Teifi near the village of Llanfi- hangel-ar-Arth on 1. It was in this neighbourhood that the unfortunate Sarah Jacobs, the Welsh fasting girl, died, 1869. 18 J m. Maes-y-crugiau Stat. On 1. is the village of Llan-llwni, with its church very picturesquely situ- ated on a rock over a gorge in the Teifi above Pontllwni, and Bxdch Bychan (John Pugh Vaughan Pryse, Esq.). Passing 1., on the opposite side of the river, llighmead, the beautiful seat of Col. Herbert Davies Evans, the tourist reaches 22 m. Llanybyther Stat., near which, and on the Highmead estate, is Lanfcchan , or Lan vaughan, an old seat, now a farm-house, but interest- ing as containing within the grounds a famous Ogham stone, with a clean- cut Latin inscription, and Ogham character on the margin . The village of Llanybyther, the scene of large fairs and markets, is a pleasant little fishing- station, on the 1. bank of “Teifi’s clear j stream.” On rt., and J m. from the ch. to the S.W., is Penygaer, a conical eminence, commanding a wide and \ varied view, the summit defended 1 by a fosse and vallum. At the base ] are traces of Sarn Helen, which was carried in nearly the same direction i as the turnpike road, in its course ] from Maridunum (Caermarthen) to I Loventium (Llanio). 27 m. $ Lampeter Stat., also ; called Lampeter Pontstephen. It is a clean insignificant little town, placed in a very pretty valley girt on all sides by wooded hills. The ; assizes and quarter-sessions for Car- diganshire are now held in the fine new Town Hall built by Mr. Har- ford. The chief object of^tltraction is St. David’s College, founded in 1822, by Bishop Burgess, originally for the instruction of students to be ordained from hence principally with a view to supply the Welsh Church with ministers capable of officiating in the Welsh language ; the educa- tion being bestowed at a lower rate than at either of the English uni- versities. But it has considerably enlarged its programme. A charter, granted in 1852, enabled it to con- fer the degree of B.D. ; and in 1865 this privilege was supplemented by another charter, allowing the degree ^ of B.A. to be conferred after an ex- amination conducted by examiners chosen in equal numbers by Oxford and Cambridge respectively. Candi- •» dates for this degree may graduate in classics, mathematics, natural science, modern history, or theology, * after having passed two previous 5 examinations analogous to the Oxford responsions and moderations, con- ducted by the same examiners as for the B.A. degree. The College is 13 . Wales. Route 22 . — Lamjpeter ,lso affiliated to the Universities of )xford and Cambridge. A few stu- ients have special leave to receive he College License in Divinity after two years’ course ; but for the LA. degree a residence of three ears is required. There are no ests required at St. David’s Col- 3ge, nor are its benefits confined to hose who propose to enter Holy )rders. The two-year students are .isqualified for prizes, must be 21 ears of age, and require a special ecommendation from the bishop, 'he cost of a student’s board, resi- ence, and expenditure at Lampeter Allege, is not more than 45 1. or 01. per annum, if he practises conomy ; and as 800L per annum i given in scholarships and exhibi- ions, an intelligent student may go hrough his course with little pri- ate cost. The College Library is emarkably good, and consists (with onstant additions) of the munificent enefactioli^to it of Bishop Burgess, ffios. Phillips, Esq., of Brunswick quare, and Mr. Scandrett Harford, 'here, are good portraits of Bishop lurgess and Bishop Harold Brown l the dining-hall. The library is icli in theological and historical ooks, the Councils, Foedera, and so >rth, and contains several ancient ISS. and early printed books. The ollege, a handsome quadrangular uilding, designed by Cockerell, was rected at a cost of 20,000Z., and ccupi'es the site of the ancient istle* no vestige of which remains, xcept perhaps a large mound in the 'ollege garden. A new wing of the 'ollege, called the Canterbury iuilding, was opened in 1887. The Jollege contains about 120 students. Within the grounds is the St. David’s ollege School, opened about 5 years 50 by the College Board to supply le want of intermediate education 1 the neighbourhood. Lampeter is good fishing-station, and comfort- ble headquarters for the tourist who ishes to visit Tregaron; is. Wales .] ; the College — Falcondale. 161 [The road to the little watering- place of Aberaeron passes 1 m. 1. Falcondale, the residence of the late J. Battersby Harford, Esq. , lord of the manor, on which there is a camp of oval form, on a farm called Llanfairfach. It is then carried up a series of high and bleak hills for 4 m., when a refreshing view is gained of the valley of the Aeron, affording, with its cultivated land, a pleasant contrast to the barren mountains around. The source of the Aeron is on Mynydd Bach, a range of hills between the Teifi and the sea. The scenery, while never very romantic, is always pretty and agreeable. At 5 m. a branch- road runs by Llanllyr (Col. John Lewes) in a direct line to Aberyst- wyth, so that the traveller who wishes to save time, would do well to follow it as far as Llanrhystid, where the Aberaeron road rejoins it. Llanllyr was originally a Cis- tercian nunnery, mentioned by Leland as Lanclere. The vale of Aeron is dotted with several plea- sant seats : amongst them, on 1. at 7 m., is Brynog (Capt. Herbert Vaughan) ; Tyglyn- Aeron (Thomas Win wood, Esq.) on rt. ; and Llan- aeron, on 1. (Mrs. Lewis). Near Cil- cennin, where was a great house, Plas Cilcennin, in the 17th centy., is Tri-chrug Aeron (the three cairns of Aeron). At 11 m. Llanwchaeron, the scenery is highly picturesque, the road being carried on a pre- cipitous escarpment overlooking the Aeron, both banks of which are beautifully wooded. 13 m. Aberaeron (Rte. 25).] The rly . continues * up the valley of the Dulas passing on the rt. of the Teifi, Derry Ormond , the seat of J. Inglis Jones, Esq. ; and at the head of the vale is a conspicuous obelisk, erected by Mr. Jones, to the memory of the late possessor of the estate; M 162 Boute 22. — Berry Ormond — Tregaron . S. Wales. 29 m. Derry Ormond Stat. To rt. are the silver-lead mines of Han vair-Clydogau, not now worked. From hence the Sam Helen is fol- lowed all the way to Llanio ; a junc- tion apparently taking place between the Roman road which leads from Maridunum, and that from the station of Llanfairar-y-bryn, near Llan- dovery. The mine of Llanfair, the pro- perty of W. Jones, Esq., has yielded a large quantity of silver. The whole of this parish and the neigh- bouring one of Cellan are very rich in monumental stones, cairns, and camps, all betokening the prox- imity to an important high-road and station. The principal of these are Llech Cynon, an enormous stone on a circular raised tumulus, but not of the cromlech type ; the Bedd-y- Forwyn, or the Virgin’s Grave, to the S. of this ; the large stone called Byrfaen (15 ft. in length and 4 ft. in width) ; some large cairns on Waun Cellan mountain ; and Castell Allt-goch and Castell Goytre on the hills on the opposite bank of the Teifi. 34 m. Pont Llanio Stat. To the rt., under Craig Twrch, is the little village of Llanddewi Brefi, which, insignificant as it now appears, once held a high jK>sition amongst the ecclesiastical councils of Wales. Here it was that St. David held a synod in the year 519 for the purpose of checking the increasing heresy of Pelagius ; and here the holy Dubricius, tired of the cares of office, gave up to him his archbishopric of Caerleon, and re- tired to solitude and meditation in Bardsey Island. Near the ch., friended by Thomas Bee, Bishop of St. David’s, in 1187, but since modernised, are the ruins of an ancient collegiate establishment erected at the same time. They are still called Bluest Cantorion or Chanters’ Residence. According to tradition, the ground on which the ch. was built rose up by miracle into a hillock at the preacliing of St. David, whilst the erection of the ch. was also attended by a miracle. One of the yoke of oxen hauling stone up the hill failed, and died under its burden. The other bellowed out nine times, and, lo ! the hill parted in the midst, so as to case the as- cent and draught for the one ox. “ Brefi ” is the Welsh for bellowing. [From Llanddewi a pedestrian can make a lovely excursion up the vale of the Brenig, passing the old man- sion of Voelalt, across the mountains, descending by the glen of the Pys- gottwr to the Vale of Towey. The way is lonely and intricate, and ought not to be undertaken without an Ordnance map or a guide.] 1 m. to 1. , and on the turnpike-road between Lampeter and Tregaron, is the farmhouse of Llanio , occupy- ing the site of the ancient station of Loventium , through which along the W. bank of the Teifi, the Sarn Helen runs from Maridunum to Machynlleth. Specimens of lottery, coins, bricks, &c., have been turned up by the plough ; and the founda- tion of a building was discovered in a field called Caer Castell. Three stones, one of which is used as a seat at the farm -door, are mentioned by the late Sir Sam. Meyrick, in- scribed “ Caii artis manibus primus," “ Overioni,” and “ Cohors Second® Augusta fecit quinque jiassus.” 36 m. $ Tregaron Stat., a little town prettily situated on the river Berwyn, about 1 m. above its c< in- fluence with the Teifi. The ch. has an embat tli'«l t«»\\er 60 ft. high, a and chancel. In the ch.-yd. are four ancient monumental stow*. The most famous historical celebrity '•f Tn was Twin Sh< *11 Catti. a famous swindler ami robber who flourished in the 17th eenty. By many he has been described os tl* 163 3. Wales. Route 22. — Strata Florida ; Abbey . eader of banditti who infested the country, but in reality he was a gentleman, an antiquary, and a poet, vho in the earlier part of his life was •ather a “mauvais sujet ” and lived i good deal by his wits. He subse- quently reformed, married an heiress, md became high sheriff of Cardigan- hire, as well as Mayor of Brecon. Harrow, who evidently sympathised vith Twm’s vagabondage, shows that he myth about the “ severed hand ” ppears in the folk tales of most Lations. From Tregaron the tourist aay walk up the valley of the Berwyn o Llyn Berwyn, a lake of consider- able size in the heart of the moun- ain, and from thence make his ray to the Towey or the head of the )oeithiau. Another lake near Tre- aron is Maes Llyn , ‘ ‘ The Lake of he Field,” where, according to tra- ition, the town originally stood. 42 m. Strata Florida Stat. The bbey is nearly 3 m. from the stat. On the 1. are the interesting ruins f Strata Florida Abbey, sheltered n three sides by swelling hills, and cashed on the S. by the infant 'eifi. The original foundation of Cistercians was on the river Flur, bout 2 m. to the S. , and still bears ae name of “Yr Hen Monachlog,” r the old Monastery, This was in .1 probability founded by Rhys ap udor, whose grandson, Rhys ap ruffydd, erected the abbey in 1194. he name of Strata Florida is the atinised form of Ystrad Flur — a ame probably adapted by the later bbey from its predecessor. It was le earlier monastery which was isited by Giraldus and Archbishop aldwin. For many a long year the “ rich lonastery of Strat-flur ” was the mtre of civilization, and of Welsh itional life in those parts, the sfuge and the last resting-place of ime of the noblest of the Welsh rinces. To the munificence of the !ouse of Cadell it owed its great possessions ; its monks and abbots seem to have been mainly Welshmen or to have had very Welsh names, and with the decay and death of Welsh independence its prosperity waned and fell to the ground. The monks of the abbey owned almost all the country round ; and, according to Leland, “al the mon- taine ground betwixt Alen (Elan river) and Strateflur longgeth to Stratefleere, ” as well as a large tract of hill between Builth and Llan- dovery. Whilst in the zenith of its prosperity, it was famous for being the repository of the national records of Wales from 1156 until 1270. The ‘ Annales Cambrise ’ may have been more or less compiled by its monks, and the Rolls edition of the ‘Brut y Ty wysogion, ’ transcribed from the ‘ Red Book of Hergest, * is believed to have come from the Abbey. In Leland’s time ‘ ‘ the chirch was large, side ilid, and crosse ilid ; ” but all that was, until quite recently, to be seen of this once famous building was a very beautiful round-headed Norm, arch, which formed the W. entrance to the ch. Happily in 1887 Mr. Stephen Williams, F.R.I.B.A.; began to carry into execution an idea long cherished by him of laying bare the foundations of the abbey. With some help from the Camb. Archseol. Assoc., but chiefly thanks to his own skill and perseverance, the accumu- lated soil has been cleared away and the ground plan of the building and much evidence of its decorative details been brought to light. Much still remains to be done, but the work is at present stayed for want of funds. The style is transitional from Norm, to E.E. Much of the work was executed in alternate bands of coloured stone as at St. David’s, and throughout the building, says Mr. Williams, “ there seems a wonderful resemblance in point of plan and general design to that portion of the Cathedral built by Bishop Peter de Leia, who was con- M 2 1(34 S. Wales. Route 22. — Strata Florida Abbey. secrated in 1176.” The total length of the abbey is 213 ft., and that of the nave 132 ft. 6 in., a measurement only surpassed among Welsh ecclesi- astical buildings by Abbey Cwm-hir. The church consisted of a nave and aisles, N. and S. transepts, central tower, chancel, and a chapter-house beyond the S. transept. On the eastern and outer side of ' the S. transept have been found several monks’ graves, of a very early date, and some of which have their head- stones still standing. In the chapels of the transepts were found tile- pavements, singularly rich and beau- tiful in design and very well pre- served, probabl}" of the 14th centy., some depict costumes of the period, others armorial bearings. Mr. Williams finds in the internal de- tails of the abbey, which were undoubtedly of remarkable richness and fancy, a distinctly Celtic cha- racter. The site of the abbey belongs to W. Powell, Esq., of Nanteos ; and the old abbey house is now a farm -homestead. Within the pre- cincts of the abbey stands a small and mean parish ch. There is a curious old picture on panel in the farm-house, which represents Temp- tation, and is said to have belonged to the monks, but is evidently of much later date. At Strata Florida, under a sacred yew-tree (as Borrow surmises) was buried Dafydd ap Gwilym, a famous bard of the Cymri. The abbey may be seen on application at the farm-house where several interesting relics are preserved, and where an excellent guide compiled by Mr. Williams may be bought. From the abbey the pedestrian can make an excursion to the source of the Teifi , 3 m., which emerges from Llyn Teifi, a mountain lake of considerable size on the confines of Brecknockshire and Cardiganshire, while tributary streams issue from three smaller lakes, Llynhir, Llyn- y-gorlan, and Llyn-Kgnant. These lakes have a wild and desolate character peculiarly their own : “of al the pooles none stondeth in so rokky and stony soile as Tyve doth, that hath withyn hym many stonis. The ground al aboute Tyve, and a great mile of towards Stratfler, is horrible, with the sight of bare stonis, as Cregeryri mountaines be.” — Leland. From this lake, which, like most mountain tarns, bears the uncanny character of being un- fathomable, issues the clear stream of Teifi, which brawls over many a rocky bed ere it becomes the noble river that flows under Cardigan bridge. “ Sitli I must stem thy stream, clear Teivy, yei before The Muse vouchsafe to seize the Cardi- gan ian shore, She of thy soune will sing in all the Cam- brian coast : Which of thy castors once, but now canst only boast Thy salmons, of all floods most plentiful in thee.” — Drayton. “There is very good trouttes and elys ” (writes Leland), “but no other fisch.” But this does not hold as regards “other fisch” at the present time. Beavers are said to have been at one time plentiful in this river, a fact alluded to not only by the pt^it, but also by Giraldus Cam* brensis : — " Inter universos Cambria? seu etiam Lo- egria? fluvios, hie solus castores lmbet.” After passing Pont - rh yd - f m di - (/aid, , or the Bridge of the Blessed Ford, the traveller reaches a rather dirty little hamlet, with a roadside inn, convenient only for those anglers who wish to try their fortune in the Teifi, which flows through a very flat and marshy district. The rly. now turns to the 1., quit- ting the valley of the Teifi and crossing wild and high ground to that of the Ystwyth. At Ystrad Meurig is a celebrated grammar-sclied S. Wales. 'Route 22. — Trawscoed — Aberystwyth . 165 founded by one Edward Richards in 1757. This school had the good t fortune to find an able head-master i in the Rev. D. Williams, the father t and tutor of several eminent scholars, I amongst whom were the Archdeacon of Cardigan (Homerus Williams) and ! his brother David. A cell formerly existed here, belonging to the Abbey of Strata Florida, from whence the village was called Yspytty Ystrad Meurig, the third “ hospitium ” !< that was established in this district, the others being Yspytty Cynfyn ( and Yspytty Ystwyth. The scanty ruins of the Castle built by Gilbert, Earl of Clare, stand upon an emi- nence in the village, and on a hill 1 m. distant, called Penyffallwydd, is a camp. The high ground of Ffair-rhos , 2 m. to the E., between Yspytty Ystwyth and Pont-rhyd-y-fandigaid, commands on the N. the Mont- gomeryshire hills, as far as Cader Idris, and on the S. the valley of the infant Teifi, with the long, desolate ranges of hills that extend almost without a break from Llandovery into Shropshire. On rt. is Llanafan, the ch. of which contains an ancient silver communion dish, presented by the Earls of Lisburne. 47 m. Trawscoed Stat. On the rt. bank of the river is Crosswood (Welsh, Trawscoed), the beautiful park of the Earl of Lis- burne, the principal land-owner of the district. On the opposite side is Birchgrove. Passing Llidiarde, the seat of J. Parry, Esq., the line reaches .50 m. Llanilar Stat., to the 1. of which is the Parish Ch. erected pro- bably in the 14th centy., and one of che trio of churches in Wales dedi- cated to St. Hilary — (Trefilan, near Lampeter, and a ch. in Glamorgan- shire are the others). The old ch., which had a fine open roof, arranged in diapered cross-bars, a seven-sided font, and a holy water stoup, was restored in 1873-4, from designs by Mr. R. Kyrke Penson, in such a way as to retain the good external features, and to remove the un- sightly excrescences of Church- warden’s Gothic from the interior. The widow of the revered author of the ‘ Cathedral,’ Mr. Isaac Williams, was one of the principal subscribers to this good work, and the paten used for Holy Communion was the gift of the Rev. Lewis Gilbertson, late Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford. The chalice, which is of silver, and set about its edge with Swedish copper coins, bears this inscription : “ The gift of John Parry, Messenger in Ordinary to their Majesties George I. and II., to the parish church of Llan Hilarey, in the county of Cardigan, where he was born. This chalice was brought by him from Stockholm, in the year ’20, where he resided many years in the above capacity.” 52 m. Llanrhystid Road. (Rte. 25.) 56 m. $ Aberystwyth Stat., is very prettily situated on the sea-shore, between the hills at the mouth of the Rheidol, which, after passing under a bridge of 5 arches, here unites with the Ystwyth in an arti- ficial channel, and both together fall into the Bay of Cardigan. The union of the 2 rivers was effected in order (by strengthening the current and increasing the volume of water) to scour out the harbour. It is a sort of Welsh Brighton, resorted to in the summer-time for sea-bathing, and abounds in lodging-houses, of which the best are to be found on the Terrace, a crescent facing the sea and following the curve of the beach. In front of it are the bathing- machines, and hot salt-water baths are provided near at hand and in the town. From the S. end of the Terrace an elegant promenade pier runs into the sea. The beach shelves 166 S. Wales. Route 22. — Aberystwyth. down very rapidly ; and as the tide comes in at times with great force, bathers should be cautious. The beach is remarkable for the quantity of pebbles to be found on it — such as cornelians, onyx, &c. ; the search- ing for which is often the principal occupation of visitors, who, particu- larly after a storm, wander up and down w r ith bent backs and downcast eyes. The harbour having become obstructed by the formation of a bar at its mouth, a new pier has been constructed, projecting on one side 300, and on the other 100 yds., into the sea. A chief object of this pier, which extends in a N.N. W. direction towards Bardsey Island, is to protect the outfall of the united rivers, liheidol and Ystwyth, from the swell of the ocean. On a lofty rock over- looking the sea stand the ruins of the Castle, originally founded by Gilbert de Strongbow, a greedy and unscrupulous Norman baron, who received a licence from his master, Henry I., founded on the charter of “the strong hand,” to seize as much as he could of the lands of the Welsh chieftain Gadwgan ap Bleddyn ; and the result was, that, by the aid of a superior force, he dispossessed him of all Cardigan- shire, and secured it to himself by building strong castles. The existing remains, consisting of a gateway, a tower 40 ft. high, with an arched doorway grooved for two portcullises on the N.W., and fragments of other towers and walls, are probably of the time of Edward I., who built a castle here after granting a hard-wrung peace to Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Mr. Bushel, the fortunate proprietor of the neighlxmring lead and silver mines, established here a mint, with permission of Charles I., to pay his workmen, by coinage of bullion drawn from mines in the Princi- pality. He afterwards showed his gratitude by lending the k ing 4 0, 000 J. , by clothing the whole of his army, and by raising, at his own expense, a regiment among his miners. The pieces thus coined are marked w ith the Prince of Wales’ Feathers, and are common in the cabinets of col- lectors. They bear date from 1638 to 1642, when the mint was trans- ferred to Shrewsbury. The castle was besieged by the Parliamentarians during the civil w*ar, and was bom- barded by Crormvell from the neigh- bouring height of Pendinas — such at least is the local tradition. It is more likely, however, that the castle w r as first mined and then blowm up, as huge fragments, still visible, mili- tate against the Pendinas theory. From the time of its capture its present decay may be dated. The hill and the ruins are now rendered accessible by agreeable walks. Ad- joining the castle are the public rooms and the ch. , of w hich all that can be said of it is, that it offers suitable accommodation. There is a second ch. in Gray’s Inn Lane, from designs by Butterfield. Below the castle, at the end of the Terrace, stands the University College of Wales, a very fine English-Gothic building, with a remarkable history. The central portion was originally an erection of Nash, the architect of Regent’s - street, London, for Sir Uvedale Price, the author of a well- known work “On the Picturesque.” This w as converted, by the addition of two w ings, under the direction of Mr. S. P. Seddon, into a gigantic hotel. But the hotel proving a failure, the building was finally pur- chased for the University College of Wales, the first of such Colleges founded in the Principality. In 1885 the whole of the interior of the N. wing was destroyed by fire. After much discussion it was decided to rebuild it for the College, with such alterations to the rest of the building as w’ere required to make the whole really suitable for educational pur- poses. This result has been most successfully attained, owing to the skill of Mr. Seddon, and at a cost of 167 S. Wales. Route 22. — Borth- not much more than half of what a • new, and probably less imposing, building would have involved. The • greater part of the building is already available for the work of the student. The college was originally opened in 1872, and though it has now to face the competition of its two younger I I sisters at Bangor and Cardiff, its numbers have grown steadily. It has now (1889) 175 students. It was originally founded entirely by voluntary effort, but now receives 4000?. a year from the Government, and has lately been granted a Boyal Charter. In the environs of the town, on the banks of the Rheidol, and ap- proachable by a pleasant inland walk along a mill-stream, is Plas-crug, a ruined castellated house, said to have been the residence of Owain Glyndwr ; I and near it is a chalybeate spring, whose waters are said to resemble in their properties those of Tunbridge Wells. Many pleasant walks and excur- sions can be taken in the neighbour- hood. The hill on the N. of the town, called Constitution Hill, or Craig-lais, is traversed by agreeable walks ; and there is a path stretching N. along the cliffs as far as Borth Sands, 5 m., overlooking the estuary of the Dovey, and commanding splendid views of the sea and its bold coast, which affords scenery of the highest picturesque order. On the N. side of the Craig-lais are the pretty river and vale of Clarach, the well-wooded demesne of Civm Cyn- felin (the seat of the late M. D. Williams, Esq.), and the ch. of Llangonven, built from designs by Butterfield. Peithyll, the seat of E. L. Pryse, Esq., is on the rt. as you approach Aberystwyth. 1 m. further is a curious reef or causeway, running, it is said, for 7 m. out to sea, and believed to be the remains of a Roman road called —-Bedd Taliesen* Sam Cynfelin. According to tradi- tion, a large tract of land known as Cantref-y-Gwaelod, or the Lowland Hundred, formerly occupied the site of Cardigan Bay. This country, which is said to have possessed 16 fortified towns and population and riches with- out end, was devastated by a fearful irruption of the sea, which utterly destroyed it. This calamity was due, as tradition affirms, to the slackness of Seithenyn, the drunken commissioner, and took place circ. 520 a.d. Sarn Cynfelin, and other causeways resembling it, are con- sidered to be the only vestiges of this once flourishing district. 5 m. $ Borth (stat.) is a wretched- looking fishing-village by the side of the marsh and estuary of the Dovey, across which is a ferry to the town of Aberdovey in N. Wales. There is, however, a capital hotel, to which the late Mr. Thring boldly trans- ported the Uppingham School, when its proper domicile had become un- tenable from its unsanitary con- dition. The sands and solitude attract those who prefer quiet to gay watering-places. The visitor may vary his excur- sion by returning to Aberystwyth by the Machynlleth road, which the Aberdovey road joins near the ro- mantic village and church of Llanfi- hangel-geneu’r-glyn. Upon the hill above the village and stat. is a very perfect circular earthwork called Castell Gwalter, or Walter’s Castle. Of the structure, said to have been built here by Walter L’Espec, a Norm, adventurer, only the earth- works and outlines remain. Near it, at a place called Bedd Taliesin, is the cairn and kistvaen which is sup- posed to mark the last resting-place of the bard, who flourished about the 6th centy. It is upwards of 100 ft. in circumference. 2| m, further, at a place called Nant y Nod, are two early British circles. Go* 168 S. Wales. Route 22. — Devil's Bridge. gerddan , the seat of Sir Pryse Pryse, Bart. , is 3 m. from the town, on the same road, but not visible from it. It is a very beautiful excursion to JDeviTs Bridge, 12 m., passing 3 m. rt. Nanteos, the seat of Col. Powell. It is finely situated, overlooking from a height of 300 ft. the leafy glen of the Rheidol, while im- mediately below the house runs the narrower gorge of the Mynach, which here joins the Rheidol, filling the air with the roar of its waters. The Devil’s Bridge is not more than 30 yds. from the house on the road to Rhayader, and might easily be passed without exciting attention, so completely is the narrow gorge which it spans choked up by trees and shrubs. It consists, properly speaking, of 2 bridges — a lower one, now a mere curve of rude masonry, built, it is said, in the 11th or 12th cent, by the monks of Strata Florida Abbey, whence perhaps comes its Welsh name of “Monk’s Bridge;” and a more modern arch immediately over it, of about 30 ft. span, built in 1753, at a height of 120 ft. above the torrent, which is barely perceived among trees and rocks, as it works its way through the dark abyss below. There is a similar double bridge on the Pass of St. Gothard among the Alps ; the modern and upper arch having been made, as is the case here also, to avoid the inconvenient descent to the lower and older one, which in both instances, from the boldness of its construction, has lieen attributed by the wondering ]>easantry to the architecture of the devil, the satanic Pontifix Maximus. The falls of the Mynach are in the grounds of the Hotel Company, which charges 1*. for each visitor, freeing him as often as he likes to go. The falls of the Rheidol may be visited by another path with more difficulty. The best way to see the bridge is to cross it, and, taking a path to the rt. , descend to the water’s edge. Immediately under the bridge the gorge is reduced to a mere crack in the slate rock, over which, to all appearance, a man might stride. The torrent in descending towards it rushes and boils among the hard rocks, and, by the aid of the small stones which it whirls along with it, has scooped out the sides into grooves, giving to the bed of the stream the appearance of a succession of huge caldrons. Most engravings of this bridge re- present in one and the same view the waterfalls also ; but in this the licence taken by the painter is as great as that allowed to poets, since from no point accessible at present can the bridge be seen at the same time as the falls, owing to a bend in the ravine. The falls may be seen by taking another pathway on the 1. of the high road, about 30 yds. be- yond the bridge, which leads by a rude staircase, cut in the splintery rock through the underwood to a promontory projecting between the Rheidol and Mynach, just above their junction ; but the best path is in front of the hotel, commanding beautiful view r s of the falls individu- ally. In times of flood, when the channel is full, the stream presents a magnificent spectacle, descending amidst rocks and rich foliage in a succession of leaps, respectively 18, 60, 20, and 110 ft. high. The 4th descent is to the fall of the Rheidol , opposite the hotel, in which the cataract is 70 ft. in height. On the hill opposite the bridge is an ancient fortification called Caxtcll fan G wrack. About 1 j m. on the Rhayader road is the little ch. of Yspytty Cynfyn (from its name, formerly an hoa- pitium), in the ch.-yd. of which are 3 large early Britisli stones ; and about .} m. oil the 1., in a deep and gloomy defile, is the Parson’s Bridge, S. Wales. Boute 22. — Hafod — Crosswood. 169 which the tourist should not neglect to visit. A broad plank with a hand-rail is thrown from rock to rock and secured by chains, while the Rheidol foams underneath. From the Parson’s Bridge the ravine may be ascended on the op- posite side, and the path followed to Pont Erwyd. The Devil’s Bridge is the most convenient point from which to make an excursion to Hafod, from whence the visitor should arrange to return to Aberystwyth by the new road along the Ystwyth to Llanafan. For rather more than 3 m. the old Rhaya- der road is followed, through the Arch built by the late Col. Johnes to commemorate the jubilee year of the reign of George III. From hence a rapid descent for a mile will bring the tourist to Hafod, a princely de- mesne, now the property of — Wad- dingham, Esq., where the beauties of nature and art have been mingled in a rarely happy manner. The pro- perty, originally a wild and barren glen, came in 1783 into the hands of Col. Johnes, by whom the bleak hills were planted with 3,000,000 of trees, besides many acres that were sown with acorns ; and with what suc- cess, the densely-wooded hills and valleys all round attest. A large Gothic mansion in the bad taste of the time was erected by Mr. Bald- wyn of Bath, in which Col. Johnes accumulated valuable treasures, in- cluding a library, famous for its col- lection of MSS., among which were illuminated MSS. of Froissart. In addition to these rarities, he printed at his private press translations of Froissart and Monstrelet’s Chroni- cles, Joinville, Brocquiere, and other rare and curious books. In 1807 the whole house, with nearly all that it contained, w r as burnt to the ground. Nothing daunted by this calamity, he set himself to repair the damage, had his house rebuilt by Nash, a great portion of whose work j still exists, and made a fresh collec- tion of books and MSS. The Ystwyth flows through the grounds amidst constantly varying scenes, and numerous tributary brooks rush down the hill-sides in cascades of every height, which a judicious thinning, advantageous alike to the timber and the landscape, has of late years opened to view. The prin- cipal object of attraction in the grounds is the Piran Fall, which, although of no great magnitude, is very romantic, the visitor being made to approach it through a tun- nel in the rock ; there are also several other very pretty falls in the grounds. The Church, called in W elsh Eglwys Newydd, is charmingly placed on the hill-side, not far from the entrance lodge. It contains one of Chantrey’s finest sculptures, a most exquisite monument to the memory of Miss Johnes, in white marble, representing the parents standing at the death-bed of the daughter. There is a good painted window in the S.W. transept, which was brought to this country from Hol- land. On a commanding wooded knoll, not far from the ch., is an obelisk erected by Mr. Johnes to the memory of a Duke of Bedford. [The visitor will do well to leave Hafod by the southern entrance, near which the Ystwyth is crossed at the picturesque little hamlet of Pont-rhyd-y-groes. By this hamlet and Crossicood, or, as the Welsh w T ould call it, Traicscoed, the man- sion and park of the Earl of Lis- burne, he can, if he choose, return to Aberystwyth. At Crosswood the Vaughan family have been settled for more than six . centuries. A skeleton bridge across the river con- nects it with Birchgrove, usually a residence of one of the family. Llidiarde (G. W. Parry, Esq.), Castle Hill (J. Loxdale, Esq.), Aber- maide (L. P. Pugh, Esq.), are val- ley residences along this route to 170 Route 23. — Caermarthen to Cardigan . S. Wales* Aberystwyth ; and over the hills to the rt. is Nanteos (“the Nightingale’s Dell ”), the seat of Col. Powell.] On the opposite ascent are the famous Lisburne lead-mines, employ- ing a large number of people. Two of the most important veins of ore in Cardiganshire, the Fronfraith and the Log-y-las, are worked here. The veins, from 4 to 6 ft. in thickness, run E. and W., sending out thinner veins from the main lodes, the traces of which are constantly to be found in the beds of the brooks and ravines on the sides of the hill. From the Lisburne mines the tourist (who does not wish to pro- ceed to Strata Florida) can return to Aberystwyth through Llanafan. A private road, open to visitors, has been formed by the mine-owners on the southern bank of the river, which joins the old Aberystwyth road at Pont Llanafan. Many fine bits of river-scenery occur, particularly at Craig Colom- menod, or the Doves’ Rock, a very high perpendicular rock, appearing to stand out in the very course of the stream. At Pont Llanafan the river is crossed by a road, which leads on the 1. to Ystrad Meurig and Tregaron. Some romantic scenery and a waterfall are to be found in a dingle, which accompanies this road a little to the W. The Church of Llanafan contains an ancient silver Communion dish, presented by the Earls of Lisburne. In the neighbouring ch. -yd. of Gwn- nws is a monumental stone to Prince Caradoc, who, stung with shame at his defeat by inferior forces, leaped headlong into the pool below the fall, still known as Picll Caradoc. From Llanafan, a ride of 10 m. will bring the traveller to Aberystwyth. ROUTE 23. CAERMARTHEN TO CARDIGAN, BY PENCADER. For rly. from Caermarthen to Pencader Junct., see Rte. 22. From hence the Cardigan branch turns to the 1., although at present it is only completed as far as 18 m. $ Llandyssil Stat. The village is charmingly situated on the Teifi, and a pretty Church has been built by Wyatt, consisting of nave, chancel, and side aisles. The N. aisle is separated from the nave by arches springing from columns of polished granite. The S. aisle has a squint connecting it with the chancel. The E. window represents the Crucifixion. The tower is ancient and massive, of the 13th cent, date, like Newport. Nicholson mentions that an inscribed stone existed here, marked velvor hlim brche. From Llandyssil an omnibus runs to Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan, passing at 2 m. some lovely Teifi scenery, and a ch. on a site of an encampment to the rt., through, 4 m., the village of Llangclcr. On 1., 5£m. is Llymewydd (W. P. Lewes, Esq.), in the immediate neighbour- hood of the Cenarth and Henllan Falls ; the Henllan Bridge, which divides the counties, is a perfect gem for the painter ; in both directions there are charming river views, re- minding one of the Wye towards Builth ; and on rt., 6 m., is Dolhaidd (Mrs. Elliott). A little further on is Ll/tndyfriog on the N. bank of the Teifi. 9 m. In the parish of Cenarth is the little town of $ Newcastle S. Wales. Route 23. — Cenarth Bridge — Cardigan . 171 Emlyn, one portion of which, Atpar, is situated in Cardiganshire and the remainder in Caermarthenshire. The Teifi meanders in a most capricious manner round the Castle Hill, which it almost surrounds as though by a broad natural moat. Newcastle is supposed to have had a Roman origin, but took its name from the fortress (of which but little remains) erected by Sir Rhys ap Thomas. Although some little distance from the town, the views over the vale will amply repay the visitor. The route from Newcastle Emlyn to Cardigan is along the rt. bank of the Teifi, one of the loveliest in the principality. 12 m. The Teifi is crossed at the picturesque bridge of Cenarth, fa- mous for its salmon leap, at which 100 fish have been taken in a single morning. The Cenarth Bridge is a modification of the Edwards’ type, a single span connecting the rocks of either side. The river above the bridge falls in a bold sheet over a ledge of rocks, and, together with the primitive little village and water- mill, forms a scene of rare beauty. 13 m. 1. Stradmore (W. Bucke, Esq.), and rt. 1J m. Blaenpant, the seat of W. 0. Brigstocke, Esq. The high-road runs through some avenue- like rows of trees, with the Teifi running to the 1. a little below the level of the road. 16 m. Llechrhyd, a pleasant little village and a good station for anglers. A large weir formerly existed here which precluded the salmon from ascending the river, and was there- fore destroyed in 1844 by a large body of Rebecca rioters. Here the Teifi is crossed to the lovely grounds of Castle Malgwyn (Mrs. Gower), from whence a road leads to Cilgerran Castle. 18 m. on rt. is Llangoedmore, the seat of John Vaughan, Esq. ; and 2 m. on 1. Coedmore (Thos. Lloyd, Esq., M.P.), in a most enchanting situ- ation, almost opposite Cilgerran Castle. 19 m. $ Cardigan or Aberteifi, as it is called in Welsh (Rte. 25), does not possess very much to interest a stranger, though it is a convenient resting-place from which to visit the surrounding country. In the immediate locality were formerly kistvaens, the relics of a stone circle, and a huge stone, called Llech y Gawres, and supposed to have sup- ported a cromlech. Although the county town, possessing nearly 5000 Inhab. , it is rather behind-hand with the rest of the world ; and from its inconvenient position as regards the rest of the county, much of the public business has been transferred to Aberaeron. But little remains of the Castle, which is surrounded by buildings, and itself converted into a modern dwelling ; but the keep, a circular tower, still retains its un- derground passages and dungeons, which now serve the purposes of cellars. There are also two bastions and a connecting curtain, w T hich is of later date, and probably Norman. There was a castle here in 1091, and Gilbert Marshall is said to have restored or strengthened it in the middle of the 13th centy. It under- went many assaults, particularly in the 12th century, at the hands of Hen. I. and the Welsh alternately, and changed owners at least a dozen times before Gilbert Marshall rebuilt it. Finally it was taken by the Parliamentary army under Gen. Laugharne. The Church, a . spacious Perp. building, has been restored, and contains a good canopied stoup. The Priory for Black Monks at Cardigan lay to the E. of the ch. towards the river. The scenery from Cardigan to the mouth of the Teifi is very pretty, 172 Route 23. — St . DogmaeVs — Cilgerran Castle . S. Wales. particularly at the village of St. Dogmael’s, 1 m., where the ruins, though scanty, still exist of the once famous Abbey of St. Dogmael’s, which was only second in size and importance to Strata Florida. The stranger will do well to cross the river at Cardigan, and pursue the pathway to the ferry along the rt. bank, and after visiting St. Dog- mael’s, return by the opposite bank. The remains consist of the W. and N. walls, the N. transept, and parts of buildings attached to the E. side. This ancient ch., originally cruciform, consisting of a nave and transepts, and an extensive choir, was finished in the time of Henry I., by Robert, son of Martin de Tours, who was seised of the lordship of Kemmaes in the reign of William II., and was also the founder of Newport Castle. In the N. wall are recesses, perhaps designed for sepulchral monuments, though this design does not seem to have been carried out. The N. transept has the same recesses on each side of the altar, and seems to have been used as a Lady Chapel. A staircase from the S. side and the domestic buildings leads within the wall to the remains of a pulpit, which had a window at its back, as at Beaulieu, Chester, and else- where. In the adjoining grounds are a coffin -lid and slab decorated with crosses, and an inscribed stone, known as the stone of Sagranus, marked with Ogham characters. A portion of the site of the abbey is now occupied with a neat E. E. ch. in very good taste ; and the whole churchyard and grounds, which make one of the prettiest pictures imaginable, are a standing memorial of the late Rev. H. Vincent, to whose antiquarian care the remains are in- debted for their preservation. There is some fine rock and cave scenery at the mouth of the Teifi, though the river above the bridge far exceeds it in beauty. Cilgerran Castle may be visited by road or by water — the latter affording the greatest variety of scenery, and showing the ruins off to the best advantage. The road on the 1. bank of the Teifi is about 3J m. The ruins of Cilgerran in themselves are considerable and in- teresting to the antiquary ; but its principal beauty lies in its matchless situation, which is superior to any- thing in Wales. The landscape has all the accessories of rock, wood, and water. The river flows in a winding reach between lofty banks, on the one side soft and wooded, and on the other precipitous and rocky ; while the whole pass is com- manded by the frowning towers of the castle, which stand boldly out, as though part of the cliff on which they are built. The chief features of the ruins are 2 very massive round towers with curtains, and a gatehouse. Cilgerran was most pro- bably one of the series of fortresses erected somewhat earlier than the time of Edward I., to overawe the natives of Cardiganshire, as though technically an Edwardian castle, it does not exhibit the usual symmetry of plan. It had to be adapted by its architect to the peninsular character of the site, fortified naturally to the N. E. and N.W. The masonry is of immense thickness, and not unlike the worst parts of Caerphilly in roughness. Full particulars of this fine ruin are given in the Rej>ort of the Cardigan Meeting of the Cambr. Archaeologists in 1859, when it was carefully explained in detail by Mr. O. T. Clark. The Church, was restored in good taste in 1855. In the churchyard is an inscribed stone with Ogham cha- racters. The visitor will 1*5 struck with the appearance on the river, or before the doors of the fishermen, of the roracU , which is used on the Teifi to a great extent In shape it is a kind of oval canoe, formed of basket-work covered with S. AY ales. Route 24. — Caermarthen to Pembroke . 173 sailcloth, about 4 ft. long and 3 ft. wide. Its extreme lightness enables the owner to carry it on his back, after having finished his fishing ex- pedition. Coracles are also used on the Usk, Wye, and Dee. ROUTE 24. FROM CAERMARTHEN TO PEMBROKE, BY WHITLAND AND TENBY. For route between Caermarthen and Whitland Junct., see Rte. 2. From hence the Pembroke line turns to the S., through the rich vale of Llanddewi to 5 m. J Narberth Stat., a small town placed on the slope of a hill, and on the bank of a little stream which joins the E. Cleddau. It was burnt by the Danes in 994. Popula- tion of the borough, which is a con- tributory to the Pembrokeshire group, 1266 at the last census. Not much remains of the Castle, which was built by Sir Andrew Perrott on the introduction of the Normans into Pembrokeshire, and afterwards given by Henry VIII. to Sir Rhys ap Thomas. It was much injured during the Civil Wars, but W’as inhabited down to 1657, when a Captain Richard Castle lived there, and it formed a portion of the vast estates of the Barlows of Slebech, of which the Baron de Rutzen is the present owner. Some good fossils can be obtained in a quarry at Robeston Wathen, 1J m. W. of Narberth, as also many species of ferns in the neighbour- hood. The quarry is about 300 yards N.E. of the ch. down a rural lane. Lampeter Ch. (restored) is worth a visit on account of its curious monuments. There are also 2 camps above the ch. A little to the N.W. are the ruins of Llawhaden Castle, on an emi- nence overlooking the Cleddau. The principal remains are a noble gate- way, with a bold round arch flanked by 2 towers of great strength, with open buttresses. There are other octagonal towers and some trefoil lancet-headed windows. Towards the N.W. the walls are fallen into a ruinous heap, but to judge by what remains, the area enclosed within the moat must have been consider- able. It was, in fact, the castellated episcopal residence of the Bp. of St. David’s, which gave rise to the say- ing, 4 ‘ that when he was at St. David’s he was a bishop — at Llaw- haden a baron — and at Lamphey a country gentleman.” This residence was spoilt by Bishop Barlow o.f St. David’s, who, bent on enriching himself “per fas et nefas,” stripped all the lead away. The church con- tains a monument of Bishop Hoton, 1389. A curious monumental stone is built into the E. wall of the ch. facing the river. 6 m. Templeton, a village formerly belonging to the Knights of Jerusa- lem at Slebech. Upon the hill be- tween Narberth and Templeton to the 1. of the road, near the Union, are some remains of earthworks, supposed to have been flung up by the early Flemish settlers. 1 m. on 1. is Grove, formerly one of the chief seats of early (Druidic ?) worship, and at Molleston are the remains of a cromlech. 3 m. 1. Eglwys Lwyd, conspicuous from its lofty Pembroke- shire tower, stands on a bed of lime- stone, which has been quarried up to 174 Route 24. — Satin iersfoot — Tenby . S. Wales. the churchyard wall. The i>easaiitry believe that the Ark rested on a place called Blaengiocrithnoch, in the adjoining parish. 9 m. Kilgetty Stat. On 1. is Be- {jelly, the seat of Mrs. Penn. Near Kilgetty to the 1. is a disparted deer-park, belonging to Picton Castle. The apj>earance of pits in the neigh- bourhood of Begelly Common in- dicate that the traveller has come upon the coal or culm beds of the Pembrokeshire basin, which is ex- ceedingly contorted and disturbed. 12 m. $ Saundersfoot Stat., a small port, where a considerable amount of coal is shipped, and iron ore, principally from the Bonville’s Court and Kilgetty mines. Near this is the ruin of Bonville Castle, preserving the name of an early Norm, settler, and consisting of an original tower with a later addition. Both are now used as a workshop. Not far from Saundersfoot, inland, is the ch. of St. Issell’s, with its narrow' defensive tower and its curious font. The date is Transi- tional, from Norm, to E. E. The shippings of coal and culm from Saundersfoot exhibit a steadily rising trade ; and that which strikes the tourist is, that amidst such busy working and commercial life, the scenery is still diversified and beautiful ; the coast is rocky and bold ; while the cliffs are frequently wooded to their very edge. On the high ground above Saundersfoot is Hen Castle (C. K. Vickerman, Eaq.). [Tl ie pedestrian may proceed from hence to Kilgetty, Amroth, and M&rros. the church-tower of which is a well-known landmark at sea. The exquisitely situated modem mansion of Amroth Cas- tle (H. Fussed, Esq.), occupies the site of an ancient fortress over the residence of some of the princes of the South ; and it was from hence that the sons of Gruffydd ap lihj's marched, when they surprised Tenby. From this place, too, did the licentious Chvain issue upon that wild raid w hich terminated in his carrying off* the beautiful Nesta, Gerald de Windsor’s W'ife, to his eyrie among the hills. The views from Amroth are among the finest in Wales. “ The coast about Amroth has undergone three distinct changes of level within recent geological periods, for by digging at low-water below the remains of the forests (sunken by the subsidence of land recorded in the Triads, and ascribed to the reign of Yortigern), then exposed, a sea-beach is laid bare. This show's that at one period the beach, now submerged, must have been level with the sea ; at a second period it must have been elevated, to permit the growth of the forest; while a third period finds it again submerged.” — Mason . The road continues to Green- bridge, w’here the river vanishes through a cavern and reappears at Pendine. a small bathing-place to the rt. A guide and lights may be procured at the Greenbridge end, and a visit will re{>ay the tourist. The Pendine sands are firm and dry for 5 miles, and it is a 4 miles’ ride thence to Saundersfoot. From hence along the coast to Llaugharne (Rte. 2) is a pretty w'alk.] 15 m. $ Tenby now appears, rising like a gem from the sea, and affording a beautiful contrast to the bleak country behind. Tenby is beautifully situated on the summit and sides of a }>eninsula, bounded by steep rocks which form a lofty basement to the town, over- looking Caennarthen Bay, into which a rocky promontory stretches out, crowned by the ruins of the CVistle. Of late years it has extremely im- proved, and may now rank as one of the best and most f;ishionsble watering-places in Wales, much S. Wales. Boute 24 .— Tenby : Castle ; the Church . 175 resorted to on account of its salu- brity and the excellent bathing upon its fine, smooth, and extensive N. and S. sands. The season lasts from June to the end of Oct., though each year increases the number of winter residents, who are attracted by the mildness of the climate. Lodgings are plentiful, and afford good accom- modation, the best being situated in the Esplanade, and the Norton, Croft, Lexden, and Belmont Ter- races. There is also a fair fish- market for soles, salmon, turbot, brill, sewin, John Dorey, mullet, cod, crabs, lobsters, and oysters, though the best fish is sent inland by rail. As a commercial town Tenby has declined, though in the reign of Henry VIII. it was a flourishing place, “very wealthy by merchan- dise.” It contains a considerable part of its ancient walls, embattled and pierced with loopholes, together with flanking towers and one gate, de- fended by a semicircular bastion on arches, which was probably erected whem*the walls were repaired (1588), on the alarm of the approach of the Spanish Armada. Although the Welsh name Dynbych y Pyscoed — “the precipice of fishes” — implies that it was long ago a fishing-village, its origin is ascribed to the colony of Flemish clothiers, driven by inun- dations from their own coasts, who settled here in the reign of Henry I. , and introduced a permanent spirit of commercial enterprise. The Castle, which stands on the peninsula, served as an asylum for Henry of Kichmond, while a youth under the protection of Jasper Earl of Pembroke, until he could escape' thence to Brittany, which he did, by the help of Thomas White, a wealthy Tenby merchant. The only portions which remain are the keep or watch-tower, some parts of the walls, and the main entrance - gateway. The keep commands a view of a line of similar watch- towers, at the Burrows, above Ivy Tower, on Windmill Hill, and the Ridgeway, overlooking the land ap- proach to Tenby. Walks have been formed on the Castle Hill, and from this elevated terrace, which since 1864 has been surmounted with a statue of the late Prince Consort in Sicilian marble, on a massive base- ment of Pembrokeshire marble, a charming view is presented of Caer- marthenshire ; its rocky headlands and sweeping bay ; of the Isle of Caldy ; and, further out to sea, that of Lundy ; while, directly opposite, the Worm’s Head stands out in bold relief, with the embouchure of the Burry river and the smoke of Llanelly to the 1. ; on the S. the scene is closed by Giltar Point. At the extremity of the Castle Promontory rises St. Catherine’s Bock, isolated by the sea at high water, but approachable across the sands at low tide. The beauty of the rock, on which were the ruins of a small chapel, has been sadly marred by the erection of a battery upon its summit to hold 100 men in time of war, and to be protected, by 9 guns. Roman coins of the Lower Empire were discovered in digging the foundations. The inclined foliated strata have been perforated through and through by the action of the waves, forming a marine cavern. There are many others, arising from this cause, all along the coast, some of them extremely curious and pic- turesque. The Church, conspicuous from far and near from its elevated spire, and one of the largest in Wales, was rebuilt, 1256,. by Warren de Monchensey, Earl of Pembroke, and is chiefly in the E. E. and Perp. style. The principal objects of interest in it are the singular form of the W. doorway ; the chancel, which leads to an altar by a hand- some flight of 10 steps, is deco- 176 Route 24. — Tenby: Church; Rubjcway. S. Wales. iated with a wooden-roof, cradle- shaped, and furnished with curiously carved bosses. It is rich in sepul- chral monuments, the most remark- able being a marble effigy of a skeleton in a canopied recess of about the 15th centy., and one to the memory of the Whites, rich mer- chants when Tenby was a flourish- ing port, and connected even to the present century with the county and borough magistracy. One of these was mayor when Henry of Richmond embarked, and received from him, when king, a lease of the crown lands in the vicinity as a reward for past services. This monument is of marble and bears two reclining figures, habited in the costume of their calling, and some bas-reliefs. There is also a kneel- ing figure in memory of Wm. Risan, 1033, and a tombstone to Walter Vaughan, of Dunraven Castle, of wrecking notoriety. Another curious monument commemorates Thomas ap Rhys of Scotsborough, and his wife, date 1610. Slight remains of a Carmelite house exist opposite the ch. The town was originally fortified, as may be seen by the extant walls on S.W. and N. W., the mural towers, and the gateway. A strong high wall ran S.W. from the N. gate to a tower at the N.W. angle. The whole may be fairly traced by turning to the 1., as you go to the rly. stat at the first turn after the Gate-house-Hotel. Of late years several good houses have 1*en built on the Esplanade south of the town, the majority of which are let furnished to weekly tenants. Tenby is a cheap and pleasant place of residence, particu- larly to those who take pleasure in scenery, geology, or natural his- tory. The lover of marine fauna will find ample occii|tfition by the sea-shore, for Tenby has been made famous by Mr. Gome for the number and beauty of it* actiniae and zeculiar in the county. It is cruci- form, and the tower is placed on the N. side, in the angle of the chancel and transept. “ The prin- cipal notion conveyed is one of the wildest irregularity and inco- herency among the several parts — the tower, the attached N. transept, the quaint N. aisle, .are all thrown blether apparently without any further connection.” The original nave was shorter than the present by the width of the western arches, but of the present width, and lighted by long narrow Norm, windows. In the interior the arches are very curious, rising from square piers without capital or impost, and have seemingly been dug out of the thick- ness of the walls. The vaults of the nave, S. aisle, and transept are worth notice, as is also a tomb of one of the l)e Barris, a cross-legged effigy of a knight in mixed mail and plate- armour. The arms on the shield prove the name, and the date is con- sidered by Mr. Haines to be that of Edward II. On the cliffs to the 1. of the ljottom of the cove below the castle are a croinlcch, the capstone of which hod once 3 supporters, one of which has slipped, and now inclines to the 8. , and two or three remarkable fissures in the old red sandstone about 100 ft. in depth. 7 m. from Manorbeer, and 3 in. N. of Pembroke, whence it is most easily approached, is Stackpole Court, the seat of the Earl of Cawdor ; a large mansion built of dark-blue limestone, on a height overlooking a narrow valley, which is occupied by the waters of a creek running up from Broadhaven, which is here crossed by a bridge. The house contains a few good pictures, in- cluding two by Albert Diirei *, a por- trait of the first Lord Cawdor, by & 'ir Joshua Reynold fa, and good three- quarter lengths of his father, and of the father’s two brothers and two sisters. In the entrance hall are some muskets which were taken by the Pembrokeshire militia under his Lordship’s command from the French who landed at Fishguard. Here, too, is the HirUis Horn , presented by the Earl of Richmond to Davydcl ap Jevan, by whom he was enter- tained at Llwyn Davyd, in Cardigan- shire, on his way to Bosworth Field. On the side next the lake is a noble terrace. The grounds and gardens are highly picturesque, and a peculiar feature is the luxuriant growth of the extensive woods which cover the sides of the valleys down to the water’s edge. Near Stackpole are some huge upright stones, sup- posed by some antiquaries to have been set up by Harold, but there is no inscription upon them. In the church of Cheriton, a little N. of Stackpole, which, like all the others on Lord Cawdor’s estate, has l>een restored at his exi>ense, is a recumlxmt figure of a cross-legged knight in armour lying beneath a sculptured canopy. It represents Sir Elidur de Stackpole, the reputed founder of the church, who assumed the cross at the ap)>eal of Archbp. Baldwin. The original stone altar- slab of old red sandstone has an illegible inscription of (?) the 7th ceuty. The Stackpole estate is re- markable for its neat cottages. On the coast near Stack]K>le is a fine rare. The cliffs in the neigh- bourhood and all the way to Linney S. Wales. Route 24. — St. Gowan 9 s Head — The Blacks. 179 Head are remarkable for the extra- ordinarily contorted strata of the limestone ; but the grandest scenery is exhibited near St. Go wan’s Head, which rises to a height of 160 ft. above the sea, and is traversed by a narrow and deep fissure, hemmed in by a precipice of limestone on either side, accessible by a flight of rude steps, which it is said, cannot be counted twice without missing. The Chapel of St. Gowan is built across the chasm, consisting of a rude and dilapidated cell. That holy anchorite (who is supposed by some to be the knight Sir Gawaine, of Arthur’s Round Table) spent his latter days in this remote cell, con- ferring by his prayers and sanctity of life a blessing on various objects around. Within the hermit’s sanc- tum is “ the wishing place,” a fis- sure in the rock just large enough to hold one person. Whoever, seated in this rock, repeats his wish therein with full faith, turning round each time he utters it, will, before the year is out, have the desire accom- plished. According to the tradition, St. Gowan was concealed in this recess, which closed over him to secure him from his enemies, and again opened when they had passed. A little below the chapel is St. Gowan’ s well, now almost dry, whither patients even of the upper classes sometimes repair to drink of the not very clear stream, supposed to be imbued with miraculous vir- tues. But the healing influence of the saint’s prayers attaches itself most to a deposit of red clay occu- pying an angle of the cliff, derived from the decomposition of the rock. ‘ ‘ The lame and blind pilgrims are still conveyed by their friends down the rude steps chiselled by the holy man, and, after being anointed with a poultice formed of the moist clay, are left there for several hours to bask under the summer’s sun.” — Murchison. The author of 1 Records of the Rocks ’ considers the chapel to have been posterior in date to the days of Giraldus Cambrensis, who notices the falcons, but not the chapel, of this cleft or fissure. A little further to the W. is a still narrower and very deep fissure, rising up from the sea, but whose sides nearly meet above, called the Huntsman’s Leap, from a story of a huntsman who leapt over it with his horse at full speed, and after- wards went home and died of fright. Further to the W. is Bosheston Mere, a very small aperture, which, like a winding funnel, gradually widens below, until it spreads out into an extensive vault opening to the sea. During the prevalence of gales from the S.W., the sea, driven by wind and tide into the cave, is ejected through the upper hole in jets 40 or 50 ft. above the ground, like the spouts of the Geysers. The arches and fissures into which the rock is hollowed by the effects of the surge, as well as the contortions of the limestone strata, are well seen in Bullslaughter Bay, where there are some splendid caverns. Between this bay and the Stack Rocks is a magnificent black caldron (placed in the midst of a Danish Camp, or cliff castle, ascribed to Danish rovers, and stretching across the quasi- isthmus), formed of precipitous rock, with a noble natural arch opening out, through which the sea boils into the caldron. The Stacks, about 3f m. from St. Gowan’s, are two lofty rocks detached from the coast from time immemorial, the favourite haunt of sea-fowl, which, especially in the months of June and July, resort thither in myriads to breed. They chiefly consist of a species of auk (Alca torda, Linn.), here called eligug, and are in such numbers that it is scarcely possible to distinguish the rock, so closely do the young birds sit upon it. The clouds of winged creatures hovering around this spot, and the discordant cries with which they fill the air, add n 2 180 Route 24 . — Pembroke : Castle . S. Wa1.ES. much to the singular effect of the * cene. 44 During the summer the cliff* swarm with cormorant*, razor- bill*, guillemot*, oyster - catcher*, gull*, ami puffins. The Cornish chough Hoinctime* build* in the clitT* between the Stack* and St. Gowan's, and here, too, linger kestrel* and sparrow-hawk*, though the Peregrine falcon, which Henry II. used to pro- cure from hence, are quite extinct." — Records of the Rocks. Beyond the. Stack*, the *ea ha* worn the rock* into two remarkably lofty arches, leaning like flying buttr e ss e s against the clifT*. whose height must here exceed 150 ft. The strangely con- torted strata near Pennyholt, and toward* the Head of Man, near which i* a jierfect Danish camp, with a tumulus upon its outer ratiqtart. are well worthy of inspection. There are some traces of buildings, said to lie Homan, upon Sheep Island and at A nrjlf. From hence to Pembroke the rood leaves the coast, passing on 1. the at. War ren Church i* placed on an eminence. | m. K. is 8t TwinneH’s, where there is an entrenchment on the ar- ticularly worth notice. As it is not a fitting-dock, the vessels when ready are towed round to Devon port or Portsmouth to be finished. The dock is defended by a fort to the W., which mounts 24 guns, and by the 2 martello towers, which each mount 3. Large barracks have also been erected on the hill above, and there is a hut-encampment at Hobbs Point. The yard is shown on application, except at the dinner-time between 12 and 2. A steam ferry plies several times a day to connect the Dock with the South Wales lily., at New Milford (Kte. 2). [On the return to Tenby the tourist should visit the ruins of Lam- phey (Stat.) (Llan Ffydd), the Ch. of St. Faith, in the ilth and 15th centuries the j*alace of the Bp. of St. David's, but now enclosed within the fruit garden of Lamphey Court, the modern mansion of Charles Matthias, Esq. They consist of |>art of a chapel with a fine E. window of Perp. style, and the great hall ad- joining, a long vaulted building, having a staircase outside, leading to what was probably the dormitory. Its walls are surmounted by a j>ara- pet raised upon an o[*en arcade, like the castle of Swansea, and the palace of St. David's, and, like these, sup- |n>sed to have been built by Bp. Gower, 1335, although some an- tiquaries consider that the arcade was the only portion of his work. A similar arcade is seen around . an isolated tower now standing in the midst of the kitchen garden, shrouded with ivy ; its use, ex- cept for ornament, is dubious. The whole edifice was surrounded by de- fensive walls ; it stands in the bottom of a valley, and is thus sheltered from the sea wind which sweejis this country, shrinking the growth of trees and giving a bare character to the landscape. The episcopal estate ! of Lamphey was alienated to the 1 crown in the reign of Henry VIII., who bestowed it on Devereux, Vis- count Hereford. His descendant], the Earl of Essex, the uufortunate favourite of Queen Elizabeth, tq>eut I many years of his youth at Lamphey Palace, as did also his kinsman, ] Walter Devereux, whose body was removed for burial to Staffordshire, i Lamphey Palace Chapel is of Perp. work (eirc. 1509-23). It has lately been restored without detriment to any of its characteristic features. 1 m. rt. Hodgeston Church, re- markable for a very slender steeple, a Dec. chancel of great beauty, con- taining some richly canopied sedilia, and a double piscina. It has been described as a miniature of Monkton Priory. The road to Tenby runs for the greater part of the way along the ele- vated Ridgeway, commanding exten- sive views of the country on each side. At the 4th m. a de'tour can be made to Carew Castle, 2 m. 1. Carew, celebrated for its exten- sive ruined Castle (called locally “Carey Castle”), which lies to the N. of the road, placed on a slight eminence above one of the creeks of Milford Haven, which washes its base on two sides. In the village stands a very ancient and beautiful rroM, of a single shaft, 1 4 ft. high, covered with Runic carvings and traces of an inscription no longer legible. A ljarbican or outwork, I much shattered and shrouded with ivy, leads to the principal gate of the castle. The princes of S< mth Wales are believed to have had a fortress here (Caerau == Carey), given by one of them, Rhys ap Tewdwr, with the dower and hand of his daughter* Nesta, to the Norman baron (Jerald de Windsor, Castellan of Pembroke! in the reign of Hour)' I. It is profl S. Wales. Boute 24. — Garew : Castle; Church . 183 bable that some part of Gerald’s castle exists on either side of the great gateway, that being decidedly the oldest part remaining. Within it stood the chapel. On the oppo- site side of the court, facing the gateway, are the state apartments, originally approached by a broad flight of steps leading to the great banqueting hall. Here Henry of Richmond was received on his way to Bosworth by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, who then owned the castle and large estates in Caermarthen- shire. King Richard III., suspecting, not without cause, that Sir Rhys had been intriguing with Bucking- ham, sent commissioners to him to administer the oath of allegiance, and to demand his son as a hostage. The Welshman readily took the oath, but, instead of resigning his boy, con- trived to satisfy the king with a letter, containing, among other as- surances of loyalty, a voluntary pro- testation that, ‘ ‘ should any one ill- affected to the state dare to land in this part of Wales, where I have command, he must make his entrance over my body.” When the Earl of Richmond landed on Sir Rhys’s do- main, he is said to have quieted his conscience by laying down on his back, or placing himself under a bridge, while Richmond passed over. In the war between Charles I. and the Parliament, Carew was garri- soned for the king in 1644, and held out till after the surrender of Tenby. The inner face of the W. side of the castle court is said to have been built by Sir Rhys himself in a rich form of late Perp. ; it proclaims, by the style of its architecture, that it was erected during the reign of the Tudors. To the N. we have a facade of the Elizabethan age, with large windows and some circular oriels interspersed with them, run- ning up the whole height. This is ascribed to Sir John Perrot. Part of the fabric wears the aspect of a mediaeval fortress. It must haye been a structure of great mag- nificence, though now reduced to a mere shell, and its large, square, lantern-like windows are much dilapidated. The N. side was evi- dently built without any view to defence, but it is connected with the round flanking towers of an earlier period, which occupy the angles of the edifice. The great hall is remarkable for the lofty porch which forms the entrance, and is 104 ft. long. Over the W. gateway are the arms of England, of the Dukes of Lancaster, and the Carew family. Carew Church is decorated with a good Perp. tower, square-headed belfry windows, diagonal buttresses, a polygonal turret, and a large W. window. Not far from Carew, to the N., is Upton Castle, which possesses a gateway with a double arch, somewhat resembling Llaw- haden, but on a smaller scale. Upton Chapel contains one or two curious monuments. Some little distance from Upton, but on the opposite bank, are the ruins of Benton Castle, which have a sin- gularly picturesque appearance when viewed from the water. Between Carew and Tenby on rt. is St. Florence (Stat.). The church is an excellent specimen of the local Pembrokeshire type. If m. from Tenby is Gumfreston Church (restored), a good specimen of a Pembrokeshire church, probably of the date 1300, with a baptistery and a beautifully decorated piscina, within which stands the sancte bell, 8 inches high, of good bronze metal, though now cracked. There is a stoup for holy water at the rt. -hand corner of the porch, and the tower is of 5 stories, and 60 ft. high to the top of the bat tlements. It is a capital specimen of the Pembrokeshire type of towers. In the ch. -yard are some excellent chalybeate springs. 184 Route 25 . — Haverfordwest to Aberystwyth. S. Wales. ROUTE 25. FROM HAVERFORDWEST TO ABER- YSTWYTH, BY ST- DAVID’S, FISH- GUARD, CARDIGAN, AND ABER- AERON. The road from $ Haverfordwest (Kte. 2) to $ St. David’s (16 m.), though generally passing through a bleak portion of Pembrokeshire, is pleasantly variegated with hill and dale, and ever and anon commands magnificent jKiuoramas extending for many miles round. Twice a week in winter and three times in summer an omnibus drags its slow course over the hilly road, being the only connecting link between the ancient city of St. David’s and modern civilisation. But Haverfordwest has good posting -houses and good livery stables, and the traveller who would visit St. David’s enjoyably should charter a vehicle and not be tied to time. The nomenclature of the various villages and handets will re- mind the traveller that he is in the country colonised by the Flemings. “ This tract was inhabited by the Flemings out of the Low’ Countries, who, by the }>ermission of King Henrie the First, were planted here. These .are distinctly know’en still from the Welsh ; and so neere joined they are in society of the same language w’ith Englishmen, who come nighest of any nation to the Low* Du tcli tongue, that this their little country is termed by the Britains Little England beyond Wales." [8 m. from Haverfordwest, on the coast of St. Bride’s Bay, is Broad- haven, a pleasant little bathing- place, possessing a fine extent of firm sand and splendid coast view’s, % in which the barren and solitary islands of Skokholm and Skomer form prominent objects. Through % the village runs a coast-road N. and S., by which the pedestrian can pro- i ceed from St. David’s to Milford Haven, thus avoiding Haverfordwest altogether. 5 m. on rt. , on the summit of a high ridge of ground, are the scanty t ruins of Keeston Castle. A very I extensive view is gained from hence ] over Haverfordw’est and the Vale of 1 Cleddau. The landscape on the [ rt. of the traveller consists of long ] ridges of elevated moor, w’hich look 1 somewhat dreary on a close inspec- j tion. The high grounds in front are the Plumstone and Trefgarn Hills, both remarkable for the number of remains of tumuli and camps as well as for the isolated masses of rock, appearing to the distant eye like some ruined tow’n. Behind them the chain of the Prcscley Hill* rises to the height of 1754 ft. 8 m. on rt. Roch Castle, a con- spicuous object in the scenery for miles around, from its commanding j position, overlooking the bay of St. ] Bride’s. This castle, which is of no | great extent, although larger than a first view w’ould warrant, con- j sints of a picturesque tower built on I the edge of a rocky ridge running \ E. and W. It was built in the 13th centy. by the Norman, Adam de < Rupe (who also founded the priory of Pill, near Milford), no doubt with a view to securing the subjection of 1 South Wales ; and marked with Benton Castle, near Williamstou, | and opposite to Llawrenny, the j limits of the jurisdiction of the Flemish province of Rhoe. It ex- j perienced some rough treatment ‘ S. Wales. Boute 25. — Solva — St. David’s. 185 in the civil wars, when it was garrisoned for the King under Capt. Francis Edwards. The view which here breaks upon the traveller, es- pecially on a fine evening at sun- set, is most impressive. The eye wanders over St. Bride’s Bay, and to the rt. the whole country as far as St. David’s : the principal feature in the scene being the jagged out- line of St. David’s Head in the far distance, that appears like a purple bank of clouds rising out of the plain. 9J m. The road descends to the beach (from which it is separated by a bank of shingle washed up by the sea, and something resembling the Chesil Beach, near Weymouth), and crosses the Newgal brook, the boundary between the hundreds of Rhos and Dewisland. Tradition as- serts that a large tract of country lies buried beneath the waves and the sands of Newgal, and is borne out by the fact that traces of a sub- marine forest have been detected. Giraldus Gambrensis mentions the appearance of trunks of trees 1 1 stand- ing in the midst of the sea with very black earth, and several old blocks like ebony ; so that it did not appear like the sea-shore, but rather re- sembled a grove.” {See 1 Itin. Cainbr.,’ i. 13.) Ascending the steep hill on the opposite side, the tourist passes on 1., 11 m., a tumulus, the only re- mains of Poyntz Castle, or Castrum Pontii, once one of the principal granges belonging to St. David’s. 13 m. The beautiful little village of Solva, near the mouth of the river Solva or Solfach, is placed in such a narrow creek that its situa- tion is not seen or expected until the road fairly tumbles into it. To the rt. of the road, and divided from it by the bed of the river, is Whitchurch Hill, on the side of which lower Solya is prettily built, with quaint little walled gardens. The windings of the river between the steep banks are highly romantic, but detrimental to the navigation, which is rendered dangerous by a pyramidal rock standing at the very centre of its mouth. Many visitors come during the summer for the sake of the bracing air. From Solva a walk of 3 m., past the residence of J. D. Harries, Esq., to the 1. , will bring the traveller to, 16 m., the city of J St. David’s, placed in a corner of Great Britain apparently remarkable for nothing but its desolate appearance and ex- treme isolation. ‘ ‘ Hie etenim an- gulus est supra mare Hibernicum remotissimus ; terra saxosa, sterilis, et infsecunda ; nec sylvis vestita nec fluminibus distincta nec pratis ornata ; ventis solum et procellis semper exposita.” This description of old Giraldus will apply with almost equal effect in the present day ; nevertheless, the very deso- lation of the country adds to the feeling of interest with which the visitor examines a city so replete with noble associations. St. David’s itself is a mere village in the ferny valley of the Alan, about 1 mile from the sea, consisting of one principal street and two cross ones, at the junction of which stands an ancient cross, restored by Bishop Thirlwall in 1873 ; but its principal attractions are the grand old Cathedral and the ruins of the college and bishop’s palace hard by. The Dinas (or City of St. David’s) was probably never more than a straggling village along the hill above the cathedral to the S. and E. None of these buildings, save the fop of the great tower, are visible from any portion of the vil- lage, until the visitor is close upon them ; for, like the sister church of Llandaff, the cathedral is placed in a deep hollow. There is, however, between the two a great difference. “The effect of Llandaff is (or was till its restoration) a mixture of that 186 Route 25. — St. David's: Cathedral. S. Wales, of a ruined abbey and that of an or- dinary parish church. St. David’s, standing erect amidst desolation, alike in its fabric and its establishment, decayed, but not dead ; neglected, but never entirely forsaken, — still remain- ing in a corner of the world, with its services uninterrupted in the coldest times, its ecclesiastical establishment entirely untouched, — is, more than any other spot, a link between the present and the past ; nowhere has the pre- sent so firm and true a hold on the past.’’ — Jone< and Freeman s ‘ St. David t.* The best points of view from which the whole group of the cathedral buildings is commanded, are the gate in the road called the “ Popples,” opening on the ch.-yd. steps W. of the tower-gate, and the hill-side, N.E. of the cathedral, between it and the village. The usual entrance into the close is that leading from the town on the S. E. through a gateway, above which is an octagon tower, formerly used as a consistory court and record office, though, perhaps, as suggested by ‘Jones and Freeman,* originally designed for a bell-tower ; but the aspect of the cathedral from this gate is very far inferior to the ap- proach from the N.E., which in- cludes in the view the ruins of the chapel and the chapterhouse. In shaj>e the church may be briefly described as cruciform, with the addition of 3 chapels of inferior height to the E. end of the choir, while, on the E. face of the N. transept is a lofty building of 3 st.'i^'es containing the chapter-house. The dimensions are within, from E. to W. f 290 ft., while those of the transepts are 120 ft. Externally, the principal features are tin* W. front (restored at the end of the last eenty., and again in the last decade as a memorial of Bishop Thirlwall). and the nave and aisles, of which the roof has been lowered ; they contain 2 doorways, that of the N. being Norm., and the southern one ornamented with sculpture re- presenting the Root of Jesse, within an outer porch. The tower, which gives the idea of being rather top- heavy, consists of three stages, the lowest being Norm., and scarcely rising above the level of the original roof : the middle stage is Dec., while the uppermost is Perp. It is 124 ft. in height. The S. transept con- tains 4 Perp. windows in 2 stages. “The interposition of such a closed chapel as that of Bishop Vaughan between the presbytery and the am- bulatory connecting the aisles is probably unique, and is at any rate without parallel in this country.” — King's ‘Cathedrals.’ The walls of the choir are embattled, and rise with a beautiful though melancholy effect from the roofless and ivy- covered ruins of the Lady Chapel and chantries on each side. On entering the cathedral a view is gained, in its way probably un- equalled in any ch. in Great Britain, owing to the extreme richness of decoration and numberless ininutue of the nave (consisting of (> l»ays), which is transitional between Ro- manesque and Gothic, and is un- like that of any other ch. in this country. “ From the extreme W. end the eye ranges through the nave to the closed choir-screen of Bp. Gower. The E. tower arch breaks the line of roof, and beyond is seen the colon red ceiling of the presby- tery, with the K. end of the ch. in the far distance, landed with stone of differing tints, and rich with mosaic and stained glass. ** The visi- tor should observe the great sj*an of the pier arches, which are alternately round and octagonal, and in ]ar- ticular the almost classical grace of the foliage of the two shafts attached to the first pair of piers from the K. Those between the N. aisle excite feelings of some apprehension as to their stability, from the extreme bulging — the N. wall also has a con* S. Wales. Route 25. — St. David’s Cathedral. 187 siderable outward leaning. Observe, too, the peculiarity of the triforium. The arches of the windows, below which the triforium range is formed, are enriched with chevrons, while from between them rise the exqui- site vaulting shafts of the ceiling. The triforium arches themselves are plain and pointed, without shafts. The roof, in itself only a flat ceil- ing of timber laid upon the walls, is probably unique in its singularity and extreme richness, produced by the use of numbers of vast pendants. “Both the arches themselves, and the straight lines which join the principal panels, drip with minute foliations like lacework, in a style of almost Arabian gorgeousness. ” Though really only in seeming, the ceiling has the appearance of being supported by a system of segmental arches, effecting a threefold longi- tudinal division of roof, and crossed by a similar range springing from the walls. It was probably con- structed towards the end of the 15th cent. The interior of the tower consists of 4 noble arches, of which the western is round, and very richly adorned, while the others are pointed. A decorated arcade rises, each arch forming a small tri- forium. The style of the interior of the transepts, nave, choir, and presby- tery, is Transitional Romanesque, with pointed arches and foliage of the Somersetshire type. The presbytery consists of 4 bays, and contains massive piers support- ing pointed arches with mouldings, and at the E. end an extremely rich triplet of Norm, and E. E. inter- mixed with a profusion of rich Romanesque moulding ; below it is a rich string, and above it a large Perp. window. To the E. of the choir, and a little on the N. side of it, is Bp. Vaughan’s or Trinity Chapel, which, together with one to the E. of that again, have their roofs whole, while all the other chapels are open to the day. The former is a fine specimen of late Perp., and contains an exquisite fan-tracery roof. The Lady Chapel, the work of Bishop Martin, although unfortunately roofless, is of Transi- tion from E. E. to Dec., though containing some Perp. windows. Attached to the N. transept is a peculiar-looking building, of which the lowest stage, formerly St. Tho- mas’s chapel, is now used as a chapter-house. The principal objects of interest in the cathedral are the beautiful stone rood-screen, the work of Bp. Gower, the central division of which forms the entrance to the choir, while those on either side contain tombs, that of Gower himself being on the extreme rt. ; the grotesque carvings of the stalls and unique miserere seats in the choir (note the cowled fox offering the wafer to a goose with a human head and equivocal cap) ; the tomb of the Earl of Richmond, father of Hen. VII. ; and the shrine of St. David, within the third arch from the E. on N. side of the presbytery, in former days an attraction to legions of devoted pilgrims, including several kings and princes. Giraldus Cam- brensis, the interesting old topo- grapher of S. Wales, is also said to be buried here. ‘ ‘ The glass in the upper tier of E. lights above the altar, and the mosaics which fill up the closed windows under them, are the gifts of the Rev. W. Lucy, rector of Hampton Lucy in Warwickshire, as memorials of his ancestor, who was Bp. of St. David’s (1660-77). The glass is by Hardman , the mo- saics are by Salviati, from cartoons by Mr. Powell of Hardman’s estab- lishment at Birmingham. The sub- jects are — In the central window the Crucifixion, with figures of St. John and the Virgin, and the Magdalen kneeling under the cross. In the side windows are Ecclesia and Syna- goga, the Christian and Mosaic Church, in full-length figures. In 1S8 Jioute 25. — St. David's : Cathedral ; S. Walks. a preilella beneath the central mosaic is a representation of the Brazen Serpent, with figures of Moses and Aaron. Below the others are St. David distributing alms to the poor, and St. David addressing the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi. Each of the larger subjects has a rich architec- tural canopy, and a broad border of a very beautiful design surrounds the whole.” The tints and gold of the mosaics harmonise well with the colour of the surrounding stone-work. Some of the encaustic tiles of the presbytery give the three “ luces,” the old coat of the bishop, whose descendant has done so much towards beautifying the cathedral. Mr. Lucy died in 1874. The history of the see commences about the end of the 6th centy., when St. David (the Welsh call him Dewi), who had succeeded the holy Dubricius as Archbishop at Caerleon, is said to have removed the see to the wilds of Menevia ; though by some it is supjiosed that St. Patrick established a monastery in still earlier times. Amongst the pupils attracted by St. David’s learning and piety were St. Aidan, St. Teilo, and Pa- tenius, the patron saint of Llan- badaro. It was about this time that the Pelagian heresy was checked by the preaching of St. David at the great synod held at Llanddewi Brefi (Rte. 22). “If it be impossible to tread the 1 barren rocks of Iona ' without emotion, the old land of St. David, whence came the tradi- tions and teaching which St. Colum- killa carried northwards, may be regarded at least with an equal in- terest.” — King. The present cathe- dral was built by Bp. Peter de Leia in 117 6-98, after it had * 1 beene often destroyed in former times by Danes and other pyrats,” although in successive years it became much dilapidated, at one time by the fall of the tower, in 1220, which crushed the choir and transepts, and at another by an earthquake, in 1248, to which the very insecure-looking bulging of the N. wall of the nave may be attributed. At the hands of different prelates it underwent different degrees of enlargement and decoration, according to the devo- tion or architectural capabilities of each, though, of all the long line of bishops, Gower, who flourished in the 14th centy., did more to adorn it than any other. The Lady Chapel was the work of Bishop Martyn (1290-1328). In contrast with these stands Bp. Barlow, in 1536, who, not content with alienating much of the Church property, is said to have stripped the lead off the Bishop’s Palace as well as from the castle at Llawhaden (Rte. 24), that he might provide portions for his five daugh- ters, who married five bishops. Careful restorations were carried on some years ago in the interior by Mr. Butterfield ; but the great work of repair was undertaken in 1863, at which time the state of the tower had excited most serious apprehen- sions. The old and new sides had begun to separate, and from the very top to the bottom a great crack pre- vailed ; so that not only was the tower in danger of falling, but por- tions of the nave and the pillars of the arches were thrown out of the perpendicular. The work was un- dertaken by Sir G. G. Scott. The total cost has exceeded 39,0001., of which 10,000/. was provided by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 4900/. by the chapter, and the 25,000/. by contributions from individuals. The difficulties of the tower re- storation were great, but were in- geniously overcome by Mr. Clear , the clerk of the works, by fixing bracings inside and out, with massive ties of iron, and bolting the walls together, after which he screwed the sides of the tower 3 in. closer. He then con- structed strong foundations of tim- ber, on which the tower completely rested, while the foundations lie-* ueath were strengthened and the 189 S> Wales. Route 25. — St. Mary's Well — Caerfai. two western piers entirely removed and rebuilt. In one of the graves disturbed during the operations a skeleton was found, with the head of a pastoral staff, a chalice of thin silver, and a gold ring with an amethyst set in it. It is believed to have been the tomb of Bishop Carew, d. 1280, who was buried, according to Leland, ‘ ‘ prope altare crucifixi. ” Another grave con- tained a pastoral staff- head, a ring, some coins, and a paten. This was supposed to be the grave of Bishop Beck, 1293. Bishop Gower’s re- mains were also found, enclosed in a leaden coffin and containing an or- namentalpastoral staff- head of brass. Opposite the E. end of the Lady Chapel is the spring which tradition says St. David bade break forth for the service of his disciples, and which was afterwards known as St. Mary’s Well. Other legends at- tached to it may be read in King’s ‘Welsh Cathedrals.’ It has sur- vived the draining of the hill be- hind it. Adjoining, and on the N. side of the cathedral, are the picturesque ruins of St. Mary’s College, or Chantry, founded in 1377 by Bp. Houghton. They are even in a more dilapidated state than the chapels before mentioned, little being left but a rather elegant tower and chapel, with some good E. Perp. windows, which was built over a crypt. The E. wall of a cloister attached to the College of St. Mary connects that building with the transept. Divided from the rest of the cathedral buildings by the river Alan are the remains of the Bishop’s Palace, splendid in its very desolation, and offering examples of richly decorated domestic architec- ture, almost unique. This palace, which is of quadrangular form, is one of the masterpieces of Bp. Gower, The visitor will at once be struck by the beautiful arcade and parapet that runs round the whole building. The only other examples of this de- licate ornament are Swansea Castle (Rte. 2) and Lamphey Court (Rte. 24). The masonry, too, is very peculiar. The parapet consists of a series of open arches resting on octagonal shafts, surmounted, though now only visible in a few places, by a corbel- table, and a battlement. On the S. side is the great hall, entered by a richly decorated porch, over which are two niches containing statues, supposed to represent Edw. II. and Queen Philippa. This window is popularly, though incorrectly called “King John’s Hall.” At the E. end is a rose window (the four-leaved flower so frequent in Gower’s work ornamenting the outer moulding) of singular beauty and design, the tracery of which forms a complete wheel with spokes radiating from a central quatrefoiled circle. At the western extremity of the hall stands the chapel, marked by an elegant bell -turret, having a broach spire. All the buildings of the palace are raised on a series of vaults, as a precaution against the damps of the Alan valley. . The palace in its ruins is a noble speci- men of a domestic abode of hospi- tality and religion, where a princely prelate housed and entertained pil- grims of all ranks, and was pre- pared to welcome royalty itself. The whole of the palace, cathedral, and other buildings stand within the close, which was defended by a wall a mile in circumference. The lover of rock scenery will be amply gratified by exploring the numberless little creeks and bays with which the coast abounds. At Caerfai, one of these bays, a little to the S., the purple sand- stone quarries of which furnished the stone for building the cathedral, and represent the oldest sedimentary rock known to geologists, are the ruins of the Nun’s Chapel, dedicated 190 Itoute 25. — Isle of Bamsey to St. Nonita, or Non, the mother of St. David, on the spot where, ac- cording to tradition, the saint was bom. A second chapel, to St. Justi- nian (Capel Stinan), existed on the coast at Porthstinian, about 2 m. to the W., where travellers bound to the opposite Isle of Ramsey were wont to l>erfonn their devotions. This island is separated from the mainland by a strait 1 m. in breadth, is about 2 m. long by 1 m. broad, and is ter- minated at each end by nigged and precipitous hills which contribute much to the savage effect of the scenery. Nevertheless it is by no means barren, but possesses a pro- ductive fann and good land. Up to the last centy. there were remains of two chapels, one dedicated to St. Justinian, and the other to St. Dy- fanog ; the first to the S. and the other to the N. of the island. Mul- titudes of sea-birds breed here, insomuch that different localities amongst the rocks are named the Or tf* ni and the Choir , from the noise of the birds frequenting the cliffs. At the S. end of the island are two very small ones, named respec- tively Ynys Peri , or the Kite’s Island, and Ynys y Cantor, or the Precentor's Island. To the W. lie a group of insulated and dangerous rocks, known as the Bishop and his Clerks, “ who preache deadly doctrine to their winter audience, such poor seafaring men as are forcyd thether b} tempest ; onlie in one thing they are to be commended, they keepe residence ljetter than the rest of the canons of that see are wont to do.” — Fenton. The “deadly doctrine*” was fear- fully illustrated in Feb. 1860, by the wreck of the Nimrod steamer, when all perished. A little N. of Porthstinian, and about 2 m. N.W. of St. David’s, is White sand Bay, the eastern i>art of which is a firm sandy beach of half a mile long, reaching up to the baec —St. David's Read. S. Walk. of Cam Llidi, while at the N. ex- tremity is the inlet of Port-melgan, sheltered by St. David’s Head. Here was the traditional site of Caermorfa where Gildas preached. Underneath the burrows which bor- der this bay, traces of walls have occasionally been found in places where the sand has blown away. A legend is current amongst the natives that they belong to the primitive ch. founded here prior to the erection of the cathedral ; but almost all anti- quaries are agreed as to this being the locality of the ancient Roman station Menu pi a. To corroborate this opinion, this spot has been proved to have been the terminus of two great lines of road, one being the Via Julia , extending from Aqua Solis (Bath) ; and the other being the Via Flandrica, or “ Fford Flem- ing,” which is supposed to have connected Loventium with Menapia. It is, however, considered by other antiquaries to have been an early British road made use of by the Romans. Apart from these memo- rials of a departed people, the great number of antiquities in this imme- diate neighbourhood all prove the importance in which this country was formerly held. There is a remarkable earthwork called Penllan just J m. from the cathedral, •vcrlooking the river Alan, popularly ascribed to Boia, a Celtic chieftain, who used it for the purpose of persecuting St. David and his monastery. Another, called Parc-y-Castell, lies \ m. apart from Penllan, and Leland calls it “ Cair- boias Castel.” Rising out from the plain in an abrupt precipice of 100 ft. is 8t. David s Head, a bluff peninaula, cut off by an ancient stone fortification called Clawdd y Milwyr, or the fence of the soldiers, a ramiwirt of stones from 75 to 100 ft. ljrond. It is carried across from cliff to cliff, a distance from N. to S. of 200 ft. A S. Wales. j Route 26. — Penberry — Fishguard . 191 similar rampart occurs at Dinas , a few miles from Fishguard. The whole of the range of cliffs looking northward is exceedingly fine, and presents an appearance of much greater height than really belongs to it, in consequence of the monotony of the country inland. Close to the head, and in fact forming part of the sea-range, is Carn Llidi (592 ft.), from the summit of which an exten- sive and beautiful view is gained of the whole promontory of Dewisland (or David’s Land), Strumble Head, with the Caernarvonshire hills to the N. ; and in clear weather the Wexford and Wicklow mountains are visible. At the foot of Carn Llidi is a rocking -stone , now dismounted ; there is also a cromlech on the Head, towards the N.E., with a capstone 11 ft. 9 in. in length, and 9 ft. 9 in. in breadth, besides several “meini- hirion ” in the neighbourhood. Those, however, who wish to study minutely the antiquities of St. David’s will do well to obtain Jones and Freeman’s splendid work, to which the writer of this notice is much indebted. The road to Fishguard passes through a desolate and bleak coun- try, though relieved at intervals by peeps of St. George’s Channel on the 1. hand and the Preseley moun- tains on the rt. ; the principal in- terest of the route, however, lies in the numerous Early British remains so profusely scattered about. 17J m. on rt. Dowrog Pool, a small tarn about 1 m. in circum- ference, affording good wild-fowl shooting. 19 m. on 1. is Penberry, a noble headland, which towards the sea descends in a sheer precipice called Trwyn-ddualt. Near its N. extremity a cromlech existed within the last fifty-years. From hence the road follows for a time the course of the Fford Fleming or Via Flandrica, 21 m. on 1., to Llanrian, passing by Trevaccoon (G. Harries, Esq.), 24 m. The populous village about 1 J m. to 1. is Trevine, the site of a grange or palace belonging to the Bishops of St. David’s, of which a vault still re- mains. Near it on the farm of Long- house is one of the most perfect cromlechs in S. Wales, consisting of 6 upright stones, on 3 of which, which are 5J ft. high, rests a very thick capstone, 16 ft. in length, thus forming a chamber open only on the N. side. It has been con- jectured that this cromlech was originally surrounded by a circle. On the coast is Abercastell, a little harbour fre- quented by coasters. At 25J m. there are two other cromlechs dis- mounted in a field 1. of the road. 26 m. 1. Mathry ch. and village. 30 J m. the road joins the direct turnpike from Haverfordwest to Fishguard. [At 8 m. is Ford, where the Roman road or Via Flandrica crosses the turnpike ; and 3 m. to 1. is the station oi Ad Vicesimum, about 1 m. to the N.E. of Ambleston' Ch. The scenery at St. Dogmael’s is very picturesque. 10 m. are the TrefFgarn rocks, from whence a very extensive view is gained. 14^ m. Haverfordwest. J 32 m. $ Fishguard. It is a pretty little town of 1851 Inhab., divided into two distinct portions, the former of which, or the upper town, occupies the cliffs, while the lower town constitutes the seaport and harbour. Altogether it is one of the most picturesque places on the whole coast, and offers many attractions to the visitor in quest of scenery. The harbour is formed at the mouth of the little river Gwayn, which issues from a nar- row and beautifully wooded glen 192 Route 25. — Fishguard- directly into Fishguard Bay, in which a large number of vessels can ride safely at anchor in 6 fathoms of water, no matter how bad the weather is outside. In- deed, this bay is almost the only re- fuge on the coast between Milford Haven and the Bay of Cardigan, and from this cause, as well as its proximity to the Irish coast, which in clear weather is distinctly visible, Fishguard was originally selected to be the terminus of the South Wales Railway before it was finally fixed at Milford. Beyond its pic- turesque situation the town presents nothing remarkable. The opposite headland, 1 m. from the town, is dotted with the white cottages of Goodwick, which from its fine sands and lovely situation offers many charms to enjoy sea-bathing in a quiet retired spot. Goodwick is becoming more and more the resort of visitors who appreciate the sea- coast without the inducements of fashion, and parades and bands, and has several good houses and villas. The line of coast at the back of Goodwick, with its many indenta- tations and headlands, forms St rum- ble Head, the southern boundary of Cardigan Bay. The inland district, known as Pencaer, is wild and mountainous, though containing a great many early British stones and cromlechs. About 3 m. from Goodwick, following the cliffs, is Carreg-wastad Point, in the parish of Llanwnda, a spot historically celebrated for the landing of the French in 1797. A body of men, 1400 in number, under the com- mand of General Tate, were dis- embarked at this point and pro- ceeded inland as far as Fish- guard, committing ravages in their career. At this juncture, however, they were met by a t ody of yeo- manry under Lord Cawdor, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, and, l»eing by some misapprehension de- serted by tl e ships which had left -Moel-Cwm-Cerwyn. S. Wales. the coast, were obliged to surrender unconditionally, and lodged in the gaols of Pembroke, Haverfordwest, and others in the district. A large number of Welshwomen, in their characteristic red petticoats, viewed the transaction from the neighbour- ing hills, thus giving the enemy the notion that they were surrounded by much larger forces than really were present. It may be mentioned that the parish of Llanwnda was the scene of the clerical labours of the historian and topographer, Gi- raldus Cambrensis. [A very pleasant excursion of 1 1 m. may be made from Fishguard to the Preseley mountains, which run like a backbone through Pembrokeshire from E. to W., dividing the county into two portions. The route lies through or alongside of the valley of the Gwayn to New Inn, from whence a steep walk will bring the tourist to the summit of Moel- Cwm-Cerwyn (1700 ft.), the Bald Hollow of the Wash-tub, so called from the curious crater-like shape of the top of the mountain. The Preseley Hills, taken as a range about 7 m. long, form a connected hill-chain, with some outliers. The principal eminences are — on the E. Moel-Trigarn and Carn-menyn ; on the W. Bwlch-gwynt and Foel Eryr ; while Moel Cwm-Cerwyn is in the centre. Lying in the centre of the county, these bleak hills are crossed by roads running N. and S. from Haverfordwest and Nar berth to Car- digan, as well as by the Via Flan- drica, which was carried along the S. flank. The view from the summit of any of these hills in clear weather is grand, comprising the whole of Pembrokeshire and parts of Cardigan- shire and Caermarthenshire, besides a vast expanse of sea, terminated on the W. by the coast of Ireland. The tourist who determines upon the ex- cursion should be very particular .'is to the state of tne weather, as fro- S. Wales.. 193 Boute 25 . — Newport : Castle . quently, after all his exertions, the hills become enveloped in thick mist, rendering sight-seeing out of the question. Throughout the whole of the range the remains of crom- lechs, meini-herion, camps and tu- muli are profusely scattered, proving the former importance of this part of Pembrokeshire. A very fine British urn was dug out of a tumulus by the late Mr. Fenton, but it was unfortunately broken by the carelessness of the workmen.] The road to Newport is carried down a steep descent to the old town, crossing the Gwayn. On rt. is Glynammel , the seat of John Worthington, Esq., but still remem- bered as the abode of the eccentric and learned antiquary and historian of Pembrokeshire, John Fenton. 36 m. on 1. is Dinas Head, a fine promontory forming a conspicuous landmark at sea. A broad intrench- ment separates it from the main- land. On rt. is the steep outlying range of the Preseley Hills, the most northerly point terminating in Carn Englyr, a peculiar volcanic-looking hill which rises 1500 ft., directly at tko back of Newport. [ Another and prettier route from Fishguard to Newport runs along the valley of the Gwayn past Glyn- hamel -and Llanllawer Court to the left, an old seat of the Gwynne family, with a modern ch. on the hill above (Rev. T. G. Mortimer). After crossing a bridge over the Gwayn, the tourist passes a mile further Llanllewedog ch., with a venerable yew in ch.-yd. : and still further on the rt. of the road, Pont- Vaen (Mr. Feeting), where is also a ch. Several tributaries descend the well- wooded slopes to the rt. of the valley, and assist in swelling the winding stream of the Gwayn. The [S. Wales. ] hill above the latter part of this road is Mynydd Cilcyffeth, under the shadow of the Preseley Moun- tains ; and when towards Newport the route goes over higher and more barren grounds, it skirts the 1. side of the Cam Englyr. ] 39 m. $ Newport, a pleasantly situated little town, which in former times is said to have mono- polised most of the trade of the county. Owing, however, to a great mortality occasioned by a plague, the market was removed to Fish- guard, which henceforth flourished at the expense of its neighbour. It possesses a small harbour at the mouth of the river Nevern, but the navigation is impeded by a bar. Its only attraction is the Castle, founded by William, son of Martin of Tours (circ. 1094 a.d.), who rechristened the old town of Trefdraeth Novo- burgus, or Newport. It was long held by the Martins, his descendants. It overlooks the town and bay, and was, until very recently, a pic- turesque ruin ; but has now, how- ever, been incorporated with a mo- dern dwelling-house by the lord of the manor, the late Sir T. D. Lloyd, Bart., lineal heir to the Barony of Cemmaes, through the Martins above mentioned. The principal feature in it is a very elegant tower of the 13th centy. rising from a square base into a circular form, and sur- mounted by an upper polygonal story of later date. On the N. side is a vaulted chamber, with a central E. Dec. pier, from which spring 8 ribs. The ch., which is said to be also of the 13th centy., and has a cha- racteristic embattled tower, has been modernised in the vilest churchwar- den form. In a field to the S.E. of the town, on the Cwm Gloyne estate (M. W. LI. Owen, E£q.), is the Newport cromlech. Poised on two out of four upright stones, whilst the other pair cannot even be called secondary props, the capstone mea- o 194 S. Wales. Route 25 . — Nevern — Aberporth. sures 10 ft. in length by nearly 9 ft., and is from 3 ft. to 3} ft. thick. The chamber measures 5} ft. by 4} ft. 39 m. on 1. Llwyngivair , the finely- wooded seat of J. B. Bowen, Esq., a little above which, to the N., is Berry House. Near Newport are also Cwmgloyne , and the ancient seat of the antiquary, George Owen, IlenUys. [The traveller who wishes to take Cilgerran Castle on his way to Car- digan should pursue the straight road through Eglwys Wrw , and by Croft House, the distance being about 9 m. This is the road from Haver- fordwest to Cardigan.] 40 J m. Nevern church and village, with the steep wooded dingle and brawling river, form as picturesque a landscape as one could wish to see. In the churchyard is a very fine cross of the 9th centy., ornamented with network ; somewhat similar to the one at Carew (Rte. 24). The ch. contains a coffin -lid with an early Greek cross. On an eminence above are traces of Llanhyvor Castle, pro- bably the fortress of Martin de Tours before he married the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd, and removed to Newport. The Vale of Nevern from Eglwys-wrw to the sea might be compared in all but extent with the Teifi side. The Nevern is fed by three tributaries, one flowing from the Preseley Hills. On a by-road, about 1} m. from Nevern (but more easily approached by the upper road from Newport to Cardigan, which leaves Nevern to the 1.) is the cromlech of Pentre- evan, only equalled in Wales by that of St. Nicholas near Cardiff (Rte. 1). The by-road, which leads to within a field of it, is entered by taking the second turning to the right after the turn to Pentre-cvan Farm, and the tourist may rejoin the road to Cardigan without retracing his steps, as this by-road, with a little circuit, opens out into the turnpike road. This cromlech’s height is such that 6 persons on horseback can be conveniently sheltered. Pentre- evan cromlech has a gigantic cap- stone, 16 J ft. long by 9J ft. broad, and 2 J ft. thick at the S. end, poised on a big stone to the N. end, and two laterally placed stones to the S., with a stone set on end, but not touching the capstone between them. The E. and W. are for the most part open, but two huge stones are a little detached at the S.E. corner, and three fallen stones lie towards the N. end, partly beneath the cromlech, and another at a little distance to the S.W. There are also remains of an old mansion of Hen. VII. ’s time, inhabited by Sir James ap Owain. On the farm of Tre-Scert, about 1} m. from Nevern, is the large cromlech of Llech-y-Drybedd. The road to Cilgerran crosses the Nevern at Pont Baldwyn, from whence the archbishop of that name, accompanied by Giraldus, preached the crusades. 42 m. on 1. is the solitary little chapel of Bayvil. The road, which has been continually ascending from Nevern, presents some fine views over Newport, Dinas Head, and Fishguard, while on rt. the Preseley Hills are seen to great advantage. 43 J m. on 1. are 5 singular tumuli called Crugiau Kemmes. 49} m. Crossing the Teifi by a fine stone bridge, the visitor arrives at the county town of 5 Cardigan (Rte. 23). The road from Cardigan to Aberacron, 23 m., runs inland, and is uninteresting ; but some fine scenery is to be met with by follow ing the coast. 56} m. is Aberporth, one of the little primitive fishing and bathing S. Wales. Route 25. — Llcmarth — Llanrhystid. 195 places in which Cardiganshire abounds. Between it and Penbryn is an inscribed sepulchral stone. 58 m. Tylhvyd (Capt. Pritchard). 59 m. on 1. Castle Nadolig, a strong fortified camp, nearly semi- circular, well situated for command- ing the passes of the South. Furtler on is New Quay, a small harbour and bathing village, con- taining a population of about 1800 persons, principally engaged in fish- ing and shipbuilding. On rt. is Noyadd House (T. H. Bice, Esq.). 69 m. rt. is the village of Llanarth, the churchyard of which contains an inscribed stone bearing a cross, with 4 circular holes at the junction of the arms. The story runs, that a disturbance was once caused in the church by the Evil One, and that the vicar was sent with bell, book, ard candle to drive him out. He pursued the intruder so briskly up to the top of the tower, that the latter had nothing to do but to leap over the battlements, which he did, coming plump amongst the grave- stones, and leaving traces of his arms and knees on the stone in question. 73 m. $ Aberaeron, a small water- ing-place, which, however, owing to the improving care of the land- owners in the neighbourhood, has gradually been rising in the estima- tion < of sea-bathers. From a little retired village it has become a rather important market-town, at which a good deal of county business is transacted. The situation is beau- tiful, bounded on each side by steep cliffs, and the wide Bay of Cardigan before it. A ch. has been erected here, as the parish ch. is at Llanddewi Aberarth, about 1 m. distant. The Aeron, at whose mouth the town is situate, has its main watershed on the eastern slope of Mynyddbach, and after a course for some distance away from the sea, winds round near Llangeitho and Capel Bettws, and passes Abermeurig and Llanllyr on the way to Aberaeron. Aberaeron has thriven owing to its superiority to Cardigan as a county centre. On the shore is a circular camp known as Castell Cadwgan, and supposed to .have been founded by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn in 1148. The road from Aberaeron to Aberystwyth runs for several miles on the face of extremely steep cliffs, commanding magnificent sea-views, as well as the whole coast-line of Cardigan Bay and the ranges of Plinlimmon, Cader Idris, and the North Wallian Hills. Few roads present such a glorious panorama. 75 m. Aberarth village ; 2 m. to the rt. is Monachty (Major Hughes, lord of the manor). 78 m. 1. Llansaintfread Ch ., situated between the road and the sea. 79 m. rt. [Altllwyd (Mrs. Hughes). At Llanrhystid, placed ~at the mouth of the river Wyrrai, is a fine modern ch. The road is joined on rt. by a cross-road to Lampeter ; passing Mctbus, the seat of Colonel Begbie. The cliffs, which for the last 2 or 3 miles have sunk, again become lofty and precipitous, and frequently abound in caves and fis- sures. 85 m. From the top of a steep descent, dignified by the name of Chancery , a fine view is gained of the Ystwyth and its wooded banks as it winds at the bottom of the vale. At 86 m. it is crossed at the bridge of Llanychaiarn, a picturesque little village, with the ch. close to the 1. bank of the river. On 1. is Bryn-Eithin (H. S. Richards, Esq.), situated at the foot of the Altwen Cliff, a favourite walk from Aberyst- wyth. Passing the turnpike at Picca- dilly, from whence two other roads diverge to the Devil’s Bridge and Liana van, the tourist arrives at 89 m. $ Aberystwyth (Rte. 22). ( 197 ) INDEX AND DIRECTORY. A. ABBEY DORE CHURCH, 73- Abbey CWM HIR, 146. ABERAERON, 195. Hotel: Feathers , com- fortable. Distances : Aberyst- I wyth, 16m.; Cardigan, 23 m.; Lampeter, 15 m. ABERAERON, watering- place, 195; beautiful situation, 195 ; church, T 95» ABERAFON, 34. ABERAMAN, 124. ABERBEEG, junc., 84, 1 colliery, 85. ABERBRAN, stat., 115. ABERBYTHYRCH, 135. ABERCARN, 84 ; tin- plate works, 84. ABERCASTELL, 1 91. ABERDARE, 94- Inns : Black Lion ; Boot; both tolerable. ABERDARE, ironworks and collieries, 94 ; churches, 94 ; scenery, 94-95- ABERDATJDDWR, 136. Rail to Builth, 12J m. ; to ' Llanidloes, 14 m. IS. Wales.-] Distances by road from Aberystwyth, 33 m. ; Devil’s Bridge, 19 m. ; Llandrindod, 11 m. ; Abbey Cwm Hir, 7 m. ABERDYLAIS, tin-plate works, 99. ABEREDW, 134; castle, 134. ABERGAVENNY, 104. Hotels: Angel ; Grey- hound; both good. Rail to Newport, 18 m. ; Hereford, 22 m. ; Tredegar, 12J m. ; Bryn- mawr, 8 m. Distances : — Crickho- wel, 6 m. ; Brecon, 20 m. ; Llanover, 4 m. ; Monmouth, 17 m. ; Rag- lan, 9 m. ; Llanthony Abbey, 11 m. (Rte. 4). Abergavenny, beauty of its situation, 104; church, 104; monuments, 104; castle, 105; deca- dence of trade, 106 ; bridge, to6 ; lunatic asylum, church, &c., 106. to Merthyr , 99. to Nantybwchj 99. Abergarwad Fall, 99. ABERGWILI, 156; bish- op’s palace, 156 ; church, 156. Abernant, 95. Aberpergwm, 98. Aberporth, 194. ABERSYCHAN, 82; iron- works, 83. Aberthaw, 2 4. Abertillery, 85. ABERYSCIR, 85 ; camp near, 114. ABERYSTWYTH, 165. Hotels: Queen's; Belle- vue ; Gogerddan Arms; all good. Rail to Llanidloes, 21 m. ; Newtown, 41 m. ; Welshpool, 54m.; London, 226 m. ; Liverpool, 115 m. ; Hereford, 80 m. ; Machynlleth, 18 m. ; Oswestry, 66 m. ; Rua- bon, 68 m. ; Lampeter, 29 m. ; Caermarthen, 51 m. ; Aberdovey, 11 m. Distances: Rhayader, 33 m. ; Kington, 60 m. ; Aberaeron, 16 m. ; Car- digan, 38 m. Aberystwyth, 165 ; sit- uation, 165 ; sea-bathing at, 165; harbour, 166: castle ruins, 166 ; mint of, temp. Charles I., 166 : University College of Wales, 166; walks and excursions, 167. Ad Vicesimum , Roman sta- tion, r 9 r. Aeron, source and valley, i6r. Afon Llwyd river , 12. Tarenig river , 142. P 198 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. AFON, valley of the, 34. Alan river, 189. ALMELEY, church, 129. Altwen Cliff, 195. Alt-yr-ynys, 72. Ambleston Church, 191. Amman river , 158. Amphitheatre , Roman, at Caerleon, 10. Amroth Castle, 174; 1 Owain Glyndwr at, 174. Anthracite coal , xvii, 15 1. Antiquities of South Wales , xx. Antoninus , Itinerary of, 1 27. ARAMSTONE, 54. ARGOED, stat., 86. ylr/ OM? river % 138. Arthur’s Chair , 1 1 r ; Stone, 44; 131. Afyxir, 1 71. B BACON HOLE, bone cave, 4. Ba'd'iyn, A bp. of Canter- bury, at Pont-yr-Esgob, ' 108. BALLINGHAM, hill, 53. Bannagor Crags, 65. Bannium , ancient, 114. BAN WEN, dt solate region, 1 16. BARGOED, stat., 88. BARRY, < astle and island, 2 3* I Barrs court, stat., 52. | Bashrrnlle, family of, seated at Kardislev, 12H. BASSAI.EO, 83.88; church, BAYVIL, solitary chapel, 1 * 4 . Bfachley, 5. Beacons, accent of the Brecon, 90. BEAUFORT IRONWORKS, 101. BEAUPR^, 25. Bedd Taliesin, sup- posed resting-place of the bard, 167. Bedd-y-Forwyn, or Vir- gin’s Grave, 162. BEDWAS, stat., 88. BEDWELLTY, 86, 88. Belingstocke Camp , 11. BELMONT, mansion, 130; Roman Catholic priory, 130. Benton Castle, ruins of, 183. Bessemer Steel Manufac- ture, xvii, 85. Beirdley Wood, 60. Big-van, 92. Birch-grove, stat., 156. Birds, sea, vast multitudes of, at the Stacks, 1 79 ; and at the Isle of Ramsey, 190. “ Bishop and his Clerks,” rocks, 190. BlSHOPSTON, 41 ; geology of, 41 ; church, 41. Black Brook, 92. Black mountains, 66, 132. BLACKROCK, hill, 100. Blaen DyffrynGarn, cromlech at, 152; last human sacrifices in Bri- tain offered, 152; place for reconciliation of con- tending parties, 152. BLAENAFON, 83; iron- works, 83. Blaen lyfni, no. BLAENGWAITHNOCK, [74. BLAINA, ironworks, 85. BLORENGE, the, 68, 106. B<>nc-c re «, 41, 42, 43, 47. BONVILSTON, 24. BORTH, 6 7. Borth Hotel, good. Bosco* scute, ossiferous, 42. Bosheston Mere, 179; geyser - like spouts of, J 79 - Bodenham family, loyalty of, 52. Boia, Celtic chieftain, 190. Boleyn, Anne , at Tymawr, 32 . BOUGHROOD, stat., 133. Buvehill castle , 44. BOVERTON, 27. Bomum of Antoninus, 27. Bowles , poem of ‘Combe Elian/ 137. Bradnor Hill, 138 ; camp, 138.' Bran river , 115. BRECON, nr. Hotels : Castle , good, with pleasant garden; Wellington, good. Bail to Tal-y-llyn Junct., 4 m. ; Talgarth, 9 m. ; Hay, 17 m. ; Here- ford, 37 m. ; Builth, 25 m. ; Three Cocks’ Junct., 12 m. ; Merthyr, 24 m. ; Dowlais, 20 m. ; New- port, 47 m. ; Rhvmney, 22 m. ; Devyunock, 8jm.; Neath, 33 in. BRECON, nr; pictures- que approach to. in; bridge, in; castle ruins, in; political associa- tions, 112; priory church and house, 1 1 2 ; priory wood, 113; churches, 1 1 3 ; college, 113; trade, D 4 . to Neath, 1 14. , vale of, 1 10. BREDWARDINE, 1 3 r. BRIAVELS, ST., castle, 63. BRIDGE SOLLARS, 127. BRTDGEND, ;r. Hotel ; Wyndham Arms, comfortable, good post- iug-housc. INDEX AND DIRECTORY, 199 Rail to Cardiff, 20 m. ; Neath, 18m.; Maesteg, 9 m. ; Tondu, 5 m. Distances to Southern- down, 5 m. ; Ewenny, 2 m. ; Dunraven, 6 m. ; Porthcawl, 5 m. Bridgend, 3 1 ; castle ruins, 31; lunatic asy- lums, 31 ; excursions, 32. B ridges , tubular, Chep- stow, 4 ; Chepstow, 4 ; Llandore, 3 7 ; Pont Neath, 96 ; Crumlin, 93 ; Abergavenny, 106 ; -Pontypridd, single arch, 122 ; suspension at Peny- bont, 145; single arch at Pontardawe, 156; Cenarth, 171 ; Devil’s, 168; Parson’s, 168. Brinsop Chtjrch, 127. Briton Ferry, 35; docks, 3 5 ; rapid increase of, 35 ; church, 35 ; for- merly the resort of tourists, 35. BROADHAVEN, 184. Brobury Scar, 128. Brockweir, 63. Bronllys Castle, 132 ; church, 132. BRONWYDD, stat., 159. Broome, stat., 144. Bryn Amman, junct., 157 ; stat., 158. - — erw, 69. EURAG, 7. Brynmawr, 100. BUCKHOLT MT., British camp at, 5 7. BUCKSTONE, rocking- stone, 60. BUCKNELL, stat., 144. BTJILTH, 135. Hotel: Lion , fair. Rail to Hereford via Er- wood (for Craig-y-pwll- ddu), Rhayader, Brecon, and Aberystwyth. BUILTH, 135; castle re- mains, 135 ; history, 135 ; mineral springs, 135 ; excursions, 136. BULLSL AU GHTER BAY, 1 79 - Bulmore, 12. Bushel , Mr silver-mine proprietor of Aberyst- wyth, 166; mint estab- lished by, 166 ; aid in men and money given to Charles I. by, 166. Bute , Marquis of ’, extent of his coal-field property, 123 ; Docks, 13. BWA MAEN, 96 ; concen- tric strata of, 96. BWLCH PASS, no; view, no. B WLCH-Y-S ARNAU PASS, 147. Byford Ferry, 128. Bynea, 158. c. CAB ALYA, 129. CADOXTON, 99. CAER CARADOC, 144. CAERAU, 2 2. CAERFAGU, 1 41, 147. CAERFAI, J 89. CAERLEON, 10 ; Roman remains, 10 ; suburb and tower, 12. CAERMARTHEN, 47. Hotels : Ivy Bush , good ; Boar's Head. Rail. — By S. Wales to Swansea, London, and Mil- ford. Central Wales sys- tem to Pembroke, Tenby, Llandeilo, Craven Arms, and the North ; by Man- chester and Milford Bail- way to Lampeter and Aberystwyth ; by Caer - mar t hen to LlandyssiL CAERMARTHEN, 47 ; com- munications, ancient seat of government, 47 ; town- hall, 47 ; church, 47 ; obelisk, 47 ; parade, 47 ; training schools, 48. Caermarthen to Aberyst- wyth , 159. to Cardigan , 1 70. to Pembroke , 173. C A E R M A R THENSHIRE BEACON, 115 ; extensive view, 115. CAERPHILLY, 117. Inns: Castle; Boar's Head; both fair. Caerphilly, i 1 7; castle, 117. Caerwent, 7. Cairns , xxi., 44, 87, 16 r. Caldicot Castle, 6 ; level, 8. Caldy Island, 177. Camps , ancient, xxiii, 52, 53, 57, 59, 68, 84, 108, no, 114, 127, 130, 138, 139. 150, 156, 162, 1.79, 180, 193. Cambrensis Ciraldus , see Giraldus. CAMDDWR bleiddiau, or the Wolves’ Leap, 149. CAMPWOOD, 77. Canals of South Wales, xix. CANASTON FOREST, 50. Capel Bangor, 143. Bettws, 115. COLBREN, 96, 98, 116. Glyn Collwng, 90, Nant-ddu, 92. Taff VECHAN, 90. Y ffin, 72. Ystrad y Ffin, 151. CAPLAR HILL, 53; camp, 53 - Caractacus at Wapley Hill camp, 139; scene of his last battle with the Romans, 145. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 200 CARDIFF, 13. Hotels: Royal; Park; 1 Angel; all good. Omnibuses run every 10 minutes between the town and the Docks (a distance of 14 m.), as well as to those of Peuarth, Taff Vale Rly., and S. Wales Rly.; all commu- nicate direct with the docks. Steamers ply daily to Bristol and Portishead, according to tides ; also to Burnham, on the op- posite coast, in connec- tion with the Somerset and Dorset Rly., and to Cork, in alternation with Newport. One or twice a week there are steam- packets to Gloucester and Swansea, as well as frequent excursions to Weston. Rail to Newport, 12 m. ; Bridgend, 20 m. ; Cowbridge, 12m.; Mer- thyr, 24- m. ; Llandaff, 2 m. ; Pontypridd, 13 m. ; Rhymney, 24 m. ; Caer- philly, 9 m. ; London, 170 m. Cardiff, 13; docks, 13; commerce, 14; churches, 14; castle, 14; historical notice, 15-16; the Friary, 16. Cardiff and Merthyr Canal, 120. to Merthyr , 1 20. to L hymney , 1 1 7. CARDIGAN, i;t. Hotel : lltack. Lit n t fair. Distances: Cnermar- then, 30 in.; Aberaeron, 23 m. ; Newport, 10J in.; Newcastle, 10 m. ; Narberth Road Stat., 18 m. Coach, to meet the trains at Llandyssil, 19 m CARDIGAN, 1 71; castle 171. to Caermartheriy 170. CAREW, village and castle, 182. CARN ENGLYR, 193. Cam Gochy Roman en- campment at, 152. LLECHART, stone circle, 157. LLIDI, extensive view from, 191 ; rocking stone at, 191 ; cromlech, 191. CARRE G CENNEN Castle, 154. CARREG- WASTAD POINT, landing of French troops at, 192. Castell Altt-yochy 162. CASTELL C 0 CH, pass, 12 1. DDU, 115. G 0 YTRE, 162. GWALTER, circular earthwork, 167. fan Gwrach , 168. Castle D itches , 27. Dynbody 147. . MARTIN, 180. NAD 0 LIG, 195. CASTLES : Chepstow, 3 ; Dinham, 8 ; Striguil, 8 ; Penhow, 8 ; Pencoed, 8 ; Newport, 9 ; Cardiff, 14 ; St. Fagan’s, 23 ; Barry, 23; Fonmon, 24; St. Quentin’s, 2 s ; St. Donat’s, 28; Dunraven, 29; Coyty, 31 ; Swansea, 38 ; Pen- nard, Penrice, Oxwich, 42; Kid wellv, 45 ; Picton, 50; Wilton, 55; Good- rich, 56; Grosmont, Skenfrith, 75 ; Morlais, 89 ; White, 103 ; Aber- gavenny, 105 ; Crick- howel, 107; Tretower, 109; Blaen Lyfni, 11c; Brecon, 1 1 1 ; Caerphilly, 117; Castell Coch, 121 ; Clifford, Mouse, 129; Bronllys, 132; Pain’s, 133 ; Builth, 135 ; Llan- dovery, 150; Dy.nevor, 153 ; Carreg Cennen, 154; Dryslyn, 156 ; Car- digan, 1 71; Cilgerran, 172; Tenby, 175; Manor- beer, 177; Pembroke, 180 ; Carew, 182 ; Roch, 184. CAS WALL BAY, 4r. Tolerable Hotel . CATHEDRALS I Llandaff, 1 7. St. David’s, 185. CatuoconuSy inscribed stone to the memory of, 177. Cau- dor y Lord, 150. CEFN BRYN, 44; cairns and circles on, 44. BrvcynOy 143. Cil-SamuSy Mt., 91. Coed-y-Cy miner , 90. CRAIG-Y-FOIL, Mt., 137. CRIBWR, 32. r LLYS, 146. MABLEY, 12. MAMMOEL, range, 86 . CEFNTILLA, 77. Cefn yr Arraily Mt., 85. CEFN-Y-BEDD, burial- place of Llewelyn, last native Prince of Walesf* 148. CENARTH, 1 71; bridge, 1 7 1 ; salmon leap, 171. CENATJ, ST., well of, ic8 ; former repute of miia- culous powers, 108; same as St. Keyne, 108; church, 108. * Century of Inventions author of, 78, 80. Cerriy Duon f early Bri- tish circle, 1 15. Chancer y y the f fine view from, 195. # . * 1 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 201 Chapel Bridge, stat., 84. Charles T. at Aberystwyth, 166; at Brecon, as a fugitive, after Naseby, 1 1 3 ; at Gwernyfed, 132 ; at Raglan Castle, 78. Chartist riots at Newport, 10. CHEPSTOW, 2. Hotels : Beaufort Arms ; George. Rail to Gloucester, 27 m. ; Newport, 17 m. ; Bristol (by Porthskewit) 18 m.; Lydney, 8 m. Distances : Tintern, 5 m.; Wyndcliff, 3 m. ; Raglan, 12£ m. ; Caer- went, 5J m. ; Caldecot Castle, 6J m, CHEPSTOW, 2; tubular bridge, 2 ; walls, 2 ; church, 2 ; castle, 3 ; hills, 4; bridge, 4. Chepstow to Swansea , 2. CHERITON, 44, 178. CILGERRAN CASTLE, 1 72. CIL-HEPSTE FALL, 97. ClL IVOR, camp on, 44. ClLLWCH, 102. ClLMERI, stat., 148. Circles , Druidical , xx., 115, i f '7- Clarbeston Road, 49. Clqrewen river , 1 3 7.I CLEARS, ST., 48. CleddaUy the rivers, 50, 173 ; fall, 63. Clehonger Church, 130. Clifford Castle, 129. CLYDACH, valley, too; ironworks, ioo ; falls, 100. Clyngwyn Falls, 97. CLYTHA, 102. Clywedog river , 14 1 ; val- ley, 147, Coal-measures of South Wales, ix; commercial importance of, xiii; num- ber of collieries and their produce, xvii. COED-Y-BUNEDD, 68, 77. ITHEL, 63. COEDRIGLAN, 23. COGAN PILL, 2 2. COGINAU lead-mines, 143. Coke , Bishop of Hereford , ejected by Parliament- arians, death of, 1 29. COLDBROOK, 103. Coldwell Rocks, 59. COLEFORD, 62. Collieries , 45, 83, 84, 86, 120, 121, 122, 123, 158. Commerce of South Wales, xiii. CONWILL, stat,, 159. Copper trade and works of South Wales, xviii; works, 34, 3 6, 3 7> 45- Coracles , 60, 173. CORN-DDU, 92. Corn Gafallt, Mt., 136. CORNEL, haematite iron mines, 24. Cornewall Lewis Memorial Cross, 1 40. COTHI, vale of, 15 1. COTTERELL, 24. COURT-Y-BELLA, school, 86 , -Y-GAER, 77. Y-GOLLEN, 107 ; Druidical stone, 107. -YR-ALLA, 23. COWBRIDGE, 25. Inn : The Bear. Distances: Cardiff, 12 m. ; Bridgend, 8 m. ; Llantwit, 3 J m. COXWALL KNOLL, 144. COYCHURCH, 30. COYGAN, bone-cave of, 47. COYTY church and castle, 3 r * CRAIG-AFON, 34. — C 0 L 0 MMEN 0 D, 170. CRAIG-DONNA, 145. Y-DINAS, limestone rock, 93 ; view from, 95. • Y-GAERCYD, 77. PWLL DU, 134; legends of, 134. TWRCH, 162. Crane , Mr. y his utilization of anthracite coal by hot-blast, 157. Craven Arms to Caermar- then y 144. Crawshay y Mr. y his hum- ble origin, 126. CREDENHILL, stat., 126; encampment near, 126; church, 126. CRIBARTH, mountain, 116. CRICKHOWEL, 107. Hotels: Beaufort Arms; Cambrian , small. CRICKHOWEL, 107; castle ruins, 107 ; church, 107; monuments, 107; bridge, 107; derivation of name, 108 ; . British camp, 1 10. Croi valley , 116. Cromlechs , xx., 7, 23, 28, 44, I3G 15 2 » 178, 19 r > 192, 193, 194. Cromwell , Oliver , Welsh origin of, 24 ; Aberyst- wyth besieged by, 166 ; at Pembroke Castle, 18 1. Crookbacky Richard , scheme for disinheriting, con- cocted at Brecon Castle, 1 1 2. Cross Bychan, 102. Inn, stat., 158. Keys, stat., 84. the White , plague memorial, 5 5 . Crosswood parky 169. CRUG HYWEL, British Camp, 1 08. CRUGIAU Kemmes, tumuli, 194. 202 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. CRUMLIN. 93. Inn : Viaduct, tolerable. Crtjmlin Pools, 93 ; calamity on, in 1868, 93. VIADUCT, 84, 93. Crymlyn Bog, 36. Culver House, tenure of, 4 r. CUSOP, valley, 13 1. Customs , popular, in South Wales, xxvii. CWM AFON, 34, 83. Amman, vale of, 158. CWMDDU, 109; inscribed stones, 109. CWMDWR, glen, 116* CWMDDAWDWR, 137. CWM ELAN, 137. -GRAIG-DDU, preci- pice, 148. Gwenffrwd, mountain dingle, 150. - GWILI, woods of, 159. Hilt ABBEY, re- mains of, 146 ; Henry I. at, 146; destroyed by Owain Glyndwr, 146 ; Roman road, 147. HlR, vale of, 146. LLANELLAN, 83. Symlog , lead mines, source of Sir Hugh Myd- delton’s wealth, 144. CWMSAEBRAEN, I 23. CWM, stat., 85. TWRCH, glen, 157. CWMYOY, 70. €WM YSTWYTH, lead mines, 144. CWRT PEN-Y-BANC, 15 5. Y-GAER, 8. CYFARTHFA IRON- WORKS, 125; CASTLE, 126. CYMMER colliery, explo- sion at, 1856, 123. CYNFIL CAYO, 1 5 1. CYNGHORDY, stat., 1 49. CYNON, vale of the, 94. CYNWYL ELFED, 159. D. Dalrhiw lead mines, T37. Danish Camp, perfect, 180. DAREN mountain, 109. Y-CIG-FRAN, land- slip at, 124. DARRAN, stat., 88. DAVID’S, ST., Cathedral, 185 ; Head, 190. Dderw, 143 ; judge of assize murdered at, 143. Derry Ormond, stat., 162. DERWYDD, 159. DEVEREUX, St., stat., 75. DEVIL’S BRIDGE, 168. Hotel : Hafod Arms , large and comfortable. DEVIL’S BRIDGE, 168; falls, 168. GLEN, 97; reputed demons of, 97. PULPIT, 65. DEVYNNOCK, stat., 115; church, 1 15; inscribed stone, 1 15 ; British circle, 115. Diana, temple of, 6. DIMLAND, 27. DINAS CASTLE, 110; taken by EthelHeda, no. HEAD, 193. Dinedor Hill, 52; camp, 52. DINGESTOW, 80. DINHAM CASTLE, 8. DIXTON, 60. Doethiau river, source, 150. DOGMAEL, ST., village of, 172; abbey ruing at, 1 72 ; church, 1 72. DOLAUCOTHY, Roman remains at, 15 1. DOLDOWLOD, stat., 136. DOLYGAER, stat., 90. Dorc river , 73. Doves' Rock, 1 70. Dovcy estuary , 167. ' Doicard, Great and Little, 58. Dowlais ironworks , xxxvii, 89. DOWLAIS TOP, stat., 89. Druidical remain*, xx. Drygarn Mountain, 149. Dryslyn Castle, 156. Dnbritins, Bishop, 1 2 ; re- signation of the arch- bishopric by, 162. DULAS, river, r42. Dundrivan Castle, 29. DUNRAVEN CASTLE, 29. Dyer, the poet, birthplace of, 155. Dyffryn, 23, 94. DYFFRYN CR 0 WNAN, 9 I. stat., is 9. Dynevor Park, 153; castle, 153. E. EARDISLEY, 128: castle, 128; church, 129; cele- brated oak, 129. EATON BISHOP, 130; British camp, 130. Ebbw river , 1 2. Ehbwvale ironworks, 82, 85. Ed waids, Wm., his bridge over the Taflf, 122, 123. Efflws Faen , cave, 107. EGLWYS LWYD, 173. NEWYDD, 169. Nunydd, 34. Eisteddfod , xxvi. ELAN, vale, beauty of, celebrated by Bowles, 137; river, 137, 144. ELLENITH DISTRICT, lakes of, 137- ELY, stat., 1 7 ; river, 22. ERWOOD, stat., 1 34 * Essex, Earl of, at Lamphey Palace, 182. Ethelbald, battle of, near Crickhowel, 108. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 203 Ethel fleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, before Dinas castle, iio. EWENNY, priory, 30. • river, 30, 31; fish peculiar to, 30. Ewias Harold, 73 ; site of, 73. EYWOOD, 138. F. Fair Rosamond , reputed birthplace of, 129. Fairies, popular belief in, xxviii, 96. FAIRFACH, station, 159. FALCONDALE, 16 1. FAN GEHIRACH, moun- tain, 1 16. Fastin'] girl, scene of the death of, 160. FAWLEY, stat., 5 3 ; court, 53 - FENNIWOOD, camp at, said to be the site of a British city, 114. FERRYSIDE, 46 ; cockle fishery, 46. FPAIR-RHOS, 165. FISHGUARD, 19 r. Hotels : Commercial ; Great Western ; both comfortable. Omnibus : An omnibus runs daily from Fish- guard to Haverfordwest, 14 J m. ; and 3 times a week to Newport, 7 m. FISHGUARD, 191; bay, 192 ; neighbourhood, 192. Fitzhamon , Robert , 9. Fit z- Osborn, Earl of Here- ford , 2, 129. Fitz Urien , Sir Rhys ap Thomas , 153. FLANESFORD PRIORY, 58. Flemings , colony, of, 50; settlement of, in Wales, 184. Flimston Chapel, 180. Foel Mountain, colos- sal chimney on, 34. FONMON, 24. FORD, Via Flandrica at, 100. FOWNHOPE, 52. FOXLEY, 127. Frost , John , the Chartist, 10. Fuel , patent manufacture of, xix. G. GAER, 109 ; ancient camp, 109 ; Via Julia at, 109. , the, camp, 10. Gaerfawr, 7. Gaer llwyd, 7. Ganerew, 5 7. GARTH, 148. Garth Inn , fair accom- modation for anglers. Weekly or daily fishing tickets to be had at a moderate price. Garth Hill, British camp at, 134. GARWAY, 74. GELLIGAER, 88; camp, 88 . GELLIONEN, mountain, 156. Geologist , points of interest for, xxix. Geology of South Wales, vii. George IV. at Brecon, 1 13. GILWERN, stat., 100 ; view, 100. Giraldus Cambrensis , xxvi, 108,163,177,185; Itine- rary, 140. GLAIS, stat., 156. Glamorgan , Vale of, mild- ness of climate in, 34, Glanbrane Park, 149. Glanusk Park, 107^9. GLANWYE, picturesque scenery of, 136. GLASBURY, 132. GLYN COLLWNG, hi. GLYNCORRWG, 32. Glyndwr , Owain, 140, 142, 145. GLYN-NEATH, 95. Gobannium, ancient, 104. GOGOFAU, Roman mines, 151. GOLDCLIFF, 10. Gold-mining by the Ro- mans, 15 1. Golden Grove, 155. Mile, 30. Valley, 73. Goodrich Castle, 56. Court, 56. GOODWICK, bathing- place, 192. GOVILON, ico ; wire- works, 109. Gower , the poet, supposed birthplace, 39. , peninsula of, 39. inn, 41. Gower Road, stat., 44. Grace Dieu Abbey, site of, 103. Graig Hill, 75, 103. Greenbridge, 174. Grongar hill, 155; allusion to, by the poet Dyer, 155. Grosmont Church, 75 ; castle, 75. GROVE, seat of early wor- ship, 173. Guest , Sir J., ironmaster, 89. GUMFRESTON, 183. GWAINE, valley of the, I 93 » GWASTADEN, Mount, 136. Gwenllian, death of, in battle, 46. GWENT, NETHER, an- j cient province, of, 12. 204 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. GWERNYFED, 132; Charles I. entertained at, 132. Gwili river , 156, 159. Gwyniad, a salmon - like fish, 30. Gwynnys church-yard , mo- numental stone to Prince Caaadoc in, 1 70. Gwryney river , 108. H. Haematite iron mines , 24. HAFOD, 1 23 ; rapids near, 123. estate, vicissitudes of, 169. HALFWAY, 1 16. Hanter Hill, 140. Harding Down, 44 5 camp, 44. Hardwick, 13 i. Harewood, 54. Harpton Court, 140. Harris , Howel , disciple of Whitfield, 132. HAVERFORDWEST, 49. Hotels : Castle , good ; Salutation, Rail to Milford, Caer- marthen, and London. Omnibus to St.David’s, 16 m., on Tuesdays, Thurs- days, and Saturdays; Fish- guard, 14m., daily; New- port, do. Independently of the Castle Hotel there is a good posting estab- lishment (Henry Davies) at the Old Bridge, Haver- fordwest. Haverfordwest, 49 ; situation, 49; castle, 49; churches, 49. Haverfordwest to Aberyst- wyth, 184. HAY, 13 1. Inns : Swan ; Bose and Crown; posting-houses. HAY, 13 i ; castle, 13 r; scenery of the neighbour- hood, I3T. HENGOED, junct., 93, 1 19. Henry II., fleet for inva- sion of Ireland leaves Milford Haven, 51; at Cwm Hir Abbey, 146. Henry IV, at Huntsman Ferry, 5 7. Henry V., birthplace, 8r. Henry VII., birthplace, 180. Hensol, 24. Hepste river, 96. HEREFORD, 76. Hotels : Green Dragon; City Arms; Mitre ; all fairly good. Rail to Gloucester, 30 m. ; Abergavenny, 22 m. ; Pontrilas, 11 m. ; New- port, 40 m. ; Shrewsbury, 51 m.; Leominster, 13m.; Ludlow, 23J m. ; Hay, 20£ m. ; Brecon, 37 m. ; Builth, 38J m. Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Builth , 133. by Kington , 138. to Brecon , 126. to Chepstow , 52. Hergest Court, 138. Hirwaid, 95. HODGESTON, 182. Holme Lacy House, 53 ; church, 53. stat., 53. Holy mountain, 68 . Honddu river , 1 r 2. Hopton Heath, stat., 144; castle, 144. Hon ell the Good , 48 ; code of, 49. Hoyle’s Mouth, cave, 17* Hugh le Despencer , Caer- philly Castle repaired and held by, 119. ‘ Humphrey Clinker ,* men- tion of “ Crickhowel flannels ” in, 108. Huntingdon , Countess of, at Prevecca-isaf, 133. HUNTSHAM FERRY, 5 7. Huntsman’s Leap, 179. I. lestyn ap Gwrgant, 30. ILSTON, 41. iltyd, St., 26. Inscribed stones , xxi. See Monumental stones. lolo Morganwg, 27. Iron and ironworks, xiv ; mode of manufacture, xv ; history of the trade, xvi ; furnaces in South Wales and their produce, xvii, xxvii, 24, 34, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 100, 116, 120, 124, 125, 158. Isca Silurum, ancient, 10. ISCOED, 47. Ithon river , 136; suspen- sion-bridge, 136. Ivor Bach , I2J. Cadivor, 44. J. Jasper , Earl of Pembroke , attainder of, 180. Johnston, junction, 5r. Judge murdered by ban- ditti, 143, INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 205 K. Keeston Castle, 184. KENCHESTER, site of Roman station, Magna, 127. Kenderchttrch, 75. KENFIG, 33; castle, 33; lake, 33; inscribed stone, 33 ’ Kentchttrch, 74. Kerne Bridge, 6r. KIDWELLY, 45. Inn: Pelican , primi- tive. Kidwelly Castle, 45. KlLGETTY, stat., 174. KlLPECK, 75; castle, 75. King Arthur's Table , 154. KINGTON, 138. Oxford Arms, fair. Rail to Leominster, 14 in. ; Hay, 14 m. ; Rad- nor, 5 m. ; Presteign, 7 m. ; Knighton, 14 m. ; Leominster, 14 m. Distances : Hereford, by road, 20 m. KINNERSLEY, stat., 128; castle, 128; church, 128. Kistvaen, m. KNIGHTON, 144. Chandos Arms , com- fortable. Knighton, 144; situa- tion, 144; ancient mili- tary remains, 144. KNTJCKLAS, stat., 145. KYMIN, the, 60. Kyrle , John , the “ Man of Ross,” his grave, 54: relics of, 54. L. Lady Lift, view from, 127- LAMB AND FLAG inn, J 57- LAMPETER, 160. Hotel : Black Lion , comfortable. Rail to Caermarthen, 27 m.; Strata Florida Abbey, 15m.; Tregaron, 9 m. ; Aberystwyth, 29 m. Distance from Aber- aeron, 15 m.; Llandovery, 18 m.; Gogofau Mines, 8 m. ; Newcastle Emlyn, 21 m. Lampeter, 160; college, 160. Road, stat., 160. church, 160; camps, 173- Lamphey, 182. Lead-mines , uninviting as- pect of, to visitors, 1 70 ; of South Wales, xix, 137, I43> J 44> 17°; works, 141, i5°> 170- Leucarum, ancient, 45. Leys , the, 59. LlLLIPTJT, 41 ; coal-seam at, 4r. LiSBIJRNE lead - mines, 143, 170- Little MILL, junction, 76. LLANAFAN, 165. FECHAN, 148. LLANANNO, 147. LLANARTH, 195; in- scribed stone, 105. Llanarthney, 156. llanbadarn fawr, ♦143 ; church of St. Pater- nus, 143 ; sculptured crosses, 143. - — FYNYDD, 147. | LLANBEDR, ic8 ; scenery of, 108. LLANBISTER, 145. Llanblethian, 25. LLANCAIACH, stat. and colliery, 93. LLANCATJT peninsula, 65. LLANDAFF, r 7; cathedral, 17 ; antiquity of the see, 1 7 ; neglected till recent times, 18 ; modern resto- ration, 19, 20; monu- ments, 20 ; bishop’s pa- lace, 20; girl’s school, 22. LLANDDEWI, 149, 173. BREF, 162; anti- Pelagian synod of, 162. YSTRAD ENNY, 147; intrenchments, 147. LLANDEGLEY sulphur baths, 141 ; quartz-crys- tal rocks of, I4r. LLANDEILO, 152. Hotel : Cavcdor Arms . Llandeilo Fawr, 152; curious situation of, 152; St. Teilo’s bones, 152; church, 152; beauty of vicinity, 153 ; excursions, 154. LLANDENNY, stat., 77. Llandogo, 63. LLANDORE, 3 7 ; junct., 3 7- Llandotjgh, 25. LLANDOVERY, 150. Castle Hotel , comfort- able. Llandovery, 150; buildings, 150; collegiate institution, 150. LLANDOWROR, 48. LLANDRINDOD, 145. Hotels : Pump House ; Rock House ; both good ; Llanerch Inn , fair. Seve - ral first - class lodging- houses. 206 INDEX AND DIRECTORY, Llandrindod Wells, 145 ; mineral springs, 145; lead-mine, 146; Roman remains, 146. ILANDYBIE, 159. LLANDYFRIOG, 170. LLANDYMOR CASTLE, 44 * LLANDYSSIL, 170. Inns: Forth; Wi'ks Anns ; both comfortable. LLANDYSSIL, I 70 ; church, 170. Llanellen, 69. LLANELLY, 45. Inns : Thomas Arms ; Stepney Arms. Llanelly, 4s ; copper and iron works, 45 ; docks, 45. * junet., 158. L L A N F A I R- Y-B R Y N, 1 50 y Roman station, 150. Llanfair-Kilgeddin, 103 ; church, artistic decoration of, 103. Llanfiangel-ar- ARTH, 160; scene of the death of the Welsh fast- ing-girl, 160. PONTYMOILE, 68. LLANFOIST, 99. LLANFRAWTHER, 54. Llanfrynach, III. Llangadock, 152. LLANGAMMARCH, 148. Hotels : Cammarch , near station; Eppyut Hr, use, close to the Wells and 3 m. from village. Both good. Mineral springs, 148. Rail to Llandeilo, 12 m. ; Caermarthen, 27 m. ; Builth, 23 m. Distances : Brecon, 21 . m. ; Lampeter, 18 m. ; . Capel Ystrad-y-Ffin, 10 m. ; Gogofau mines, 10 m. LLANGASTY TAL-Y- Llyn, III. LLANGATHEN, 155. LLANGATTOC, church, 103 ; park, 107 ; cave, 107. Llangeler, 170. LLANGENAU, 108. LLANGENNECH, stat., 158. LLANGENYDD, 43. LLANGOED CASTLE, fine woods of, 134. LLANGORSE LAKE, HO, hi; village, in. Llangtja, 72. LLANGUNNOR, 48, 156. LLANGURIG, 142. LLANGWRYNEY, 107. LLANGYNIDER, iio. LLANHAMLACH, in. LLANHARRY, 30. LLANHILLETH, moun- tain, 84. LLANIDLOES, junct., 138. LLANILAR, stat., 165. LLANIO, ancient Loven- tium, 162. LLANLLEONFEL, church, 148 ; Roman road near, 148. LLANMADOC, bone cave, 44. HILL, camp on, 44 * LLANOVER, 103 ; court, 69. LLANPUMPSANT, stat., 159. LLANRHYSTID, 195. Llansaintfread, 9 1, 103, 195. LLANSAMLET, stat., 37, 156. LLANSPYDDID, 1 1 4. LLANSTEPHAN, castle, 46; church, 134. LLANTHONY ABBEY, 70. Inn in old Prior s House, tolerable accom- modation for small party, with due notice ; horse and trap. Llantilio CROSSENY, 102 . PERTHOLEY, 69. LLANTRISSANT, 24. Llantrythid, 24. LLANTWIT, mining vil- lage, 122. MAJOR, ancient town, 25. churches, 26. LLANFAIR CASTLE, 8. silver - lead mines, 162 ; antiquities, 162. WATERDINE, 145 } inscribed stones, 145. LLANFIAN, igr. LLANFIHANGEL ABER- GWESSIN, 149. ABERCOWYN, 48. CRUCORNEY, 69. Court, 70. GENEU’R-GLYN, 167. ISTERN LLEWERN, 103. LLANFIHANGEL NANT- MELLAN, 1 41. RHYD-ITHON, 145. LANWENARTH, 106 : • church, 106; juxta and citra Usk, 106; boundary stone, 107. LLANWERN, stat., 8 ; house, 8. LLANWRDA, 1 5 I. LLANWRTHWL, 136. LLANWRTYD WELLS, 148. Hotels : Dolycoed , good, carriages on hire; Belle Vue and Neuadd, well spoken of. LLANYBYTHER, 160. Inns : Lion ; High mead Arms. LLAN Y CHAIARN, 1 95. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 207 LLANYRE, 146; Roman road, 146. LLAUGHARNE, 46; castle, 46 ; church, 47 ; geology, 47 - LLAWHAWDEN CASTLE, 175; church, 1 73. LLECH CYNON, monu- mental stone, r 62. • river, 1 16 ; romantic scenery of, 157. LLECHRHYD, 171; de- struction of weir at, by Rebecca rioters, 171. Llewelyn ap Gmffydd , scene of his death and burial, 148. Llewelyn ap Iorwcrth, Prince, 146. Llewelyn y s Cave, 134. Llouyhor , ancient Leu- carum, 45. river , source, 155. Lluest Cantorion y ancient collegiate establishment , of, 162. Llunwy river , no. ILWYDCOED, 95. LLWYNGWYCHYR, cave, 149 - LLWYN - GWYN, lake, 1 4 1 ; pilgrim resort, 141. Llyffnant river, 142. tLYGAR IiLOTJGHOR, subterranean hollow, 159. Llyn Berwyn, lake, , 150, 163. • -CWM-LLVCH Tarn, 92. 7 -HILYN, lake, 141. TEIFI, 1 64. • Y - FAN - YAWR, a fishless mountain tarn, 115. Llynwent mansion, 147- ILYSWEN, site of the palace of the Welsh princes, 134. LLYWEL, 1 1 6. Locomotive , the , first launched at Merthyr, 125. LONGTOWN, 72. LOVENTITJM, ancient sta- tion of, 162. Lug g river, 139. Lydbrook, 59. LYDSTEP, 177; caves, r 7 7. M. MAC HEN, stat., 88; mountain, 88 ; tinplate works, 88. MADLEY, 130. MAEN CHWYF rocking stone, 1.23. Y-DYTHYROG, let- tered stone, 34. Macn-hirs, xx, 115.’ LLIA stone, 98. -MADOC, inscribed stone, 98. - Y - MORWYNION, sculptured stone, 115. Maeslough Castle, 132. MAESTEG, 32. MAES-Y-CRIGIATI, stat., 160. Y-CYMMER, stat., 88 . Y-GAER, camp, 84. MAGNA, Roman station, i 4 r. MAGOR, stat., 8. MAGOS, Roman station, 141. MAINDEE, 8. MALPAS, 10. Manorbeer Castle, stat., 177 ; ruins of castle, 177; birthplace of Giraldus Cambrensis, 177; church, 178; cromlech, 178. M ANSELFOLD, intrench- ment, 44. Mansel Gamage Church, 128. Manufactures of S. Wales , xiii. MARCROSS, cromlech near, 28. margam, Abbey, 33; inscribed stone and wheel cross, 33. MARREOS, church tower, a landmark at sea, 1 74. MARSHFIELD, stat., 12. Marieg river , 142. Marten , Henry, the regi- cide, 3, 6. Martin de Tours , fortress of, 194. Mason, elegy by, 35. MATHERN,*5. MATHRY, 1 9 r. melincourt fall, 99. MELIN GRIFFITH tin- plate-works, 1 21. Mcllte river, 96 ; falls of, 96. MENAPIA, ancient, 190. Merlin, birthplace of, 47 ; cave, 153. HALL, 156. MERTHYR TYDFIL, 125. Hotel: Castle, com- fortable. Rail to Neath, New- port, Pontypool, Cardiff, and Brecon. An omni- bus runs to Nantybwch Stat. Merthyr Tydfil, 125 ; history, 125; sanitary neglect, 125 ; improved condition, 125 ; iron trade, 125 ; first loco- motive launched, 125. Meyrick , Sir S., 162. Milford, estuary of, 5 r. MILFORD, 51. Hotel : Lord Nelson . Milford Haven, 51; situation, 5 1 ; decadence* 5 r ; excellence of the harbour, 5 1 ; history, 5 1. Minchin Hole , bone- cave of, 42. MlNIVEAR, wood, 50. 208 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. MITCHEL TROY, 8r. Moccas Court, 131; cromlech, 1 3 r. MOEL-CWM-CERWYN mountain, 192. MOLLESTON, ruins of cromlech at, 17$. MONKNASH, 28. MONKTON PRIORY Church, 181. MONMOUTH, 60. Hotels: Beaufort Arms, comfortable ; White Swan ; King* s Head. Hail to Usk, 12 m. ; to Ross, 10J m. ; and Chepstow, 14 m. Distances — Aberga- venny, 17 m. ; Raglan Castle, 8 m. ; Tintern Abbey, 10 J m. ; Grosmont Castle, 10 m. ; Coleford, 5 m. Monmouth, 60 ; church, 60; statue of Henry V., 60; portcullis, 61 ; bridge and bridge-gate, 61 ; re- mains of castle, 61. MONNINGTON, 128; alleged burial-place of, Owain Glyndwr, 128. Monnow river , 64. Monumental stones , 12, 33, 34, 108, 109, 1 1 5, 1 1 6, 140, 145, 15 7> l6o > i62 > 169, 170, 172, 178, 183, 195- MOORHAMPTON, stat., 12 7* MORDIFORD, 5 2 . Morgan family , 12. MORLAIS CASTLE, 89 ; tradition of, 90. MORRISTON, 37. Mortimer , Ralph , 146. Morton , Bishop of Ely , at Brecon Castle, 1 1 r. MOSS COTTAGE, 65. MOUNTAIN ASH, stat., 94 ; steam coal trade and collieries, 94. Mountain ranges of S. Wales , v. Mouse Castle, 129. Moyne’s Court, 6. MUMBLES, 40. Inns : Mermaid ; George . MUMBLES, village and watering-place, 40; light- house, 40 ; bay, resem- blance of to Bay of Naples, 40 ; roadstead, 41. Murchison , Sir R., 52, 154, 179. MWYNDY haematite iron mines, 24. Myarth mountain , camp on, 1 10. Myddelton , Sir Hugh , 144. Mynach , gorge of the, 1 68 ; falls, 168. Mynd , conical hill, 140. Mynydd Bach hills, 16 r. MYNYDD BWLCH-Y- GROES mountain, 116. Brim hill, 3 7. Epynt mountain, 148. Maen coch , 157: stone circle at, 157. PEMBRE, views from, 45. M YN YDD YSLLWYN mountain, 86 ; church, 86. N. NANNERTH rocks, 142. NANTMEL, 141. NANTYBWCH, junct., 87, 101, , Nantycar lead-mines , 137. NANT-Y-DERI, stat., 68. NANTYGLO, iron-works, 85, ior. NANT-Y-MWYN, lead- works, 150. -Y-NOD, British cir- cles at, 167. NARBERTH, 173. Inn: Rutzen Arms. NARBERTH CASTLE, 173. Road, stat., 49. Nash , Beau , birthplace of, 39* Scar, 139. Navigation coal-pit, 94. NEATH, 35. Hotel: Castle , fair. Rail from Neath to Cardiff, 38 m. ; Bridgend, 18 m.; Swansea, 8 m.; Briton Ferry, 3 m.; Glyn Neath, 9 m.; Hirwain, 12 m.; Aberdare, 15 m.; Merthyr, 18 m.; Pen- wylt, 14 m.; Brecon, 33 m. NEATH, 35; situation, 35 ; communications, 35; history, 36; abbey, 36; copper works, 36. Neath river , 96. vale of, 96 ; scenery, 96. NEVERN, 194. Newbridge, 84. NEWBRIDGE - ON - WYE, stat., 136. NEWCASTLE EMLYN, I7r. Inn: Salutation. NEWGAL brook, 185. NEWHOUSE, 50; castle, 5°. NEWLAND, 62. Neumarch , Bernard , nr* IJ 5- NEW MILFORD, 5 r. Hotel : South Wales , good. NEWPORT (Mon.), 8. Hotels: King* s Head; Westgate; both good. Rail to Chepstow, 17 m. ; Cardiff, 12 m. ; Bristol, 27 m. ; Pont/- INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 209 pool, 8J m. ; Aberga- venny, 18 m. ; Hereford, 40 m. ; Usk, 12 J m. ; Mon- mouth, 23 J m. ; Cramlin, 12 J m. ; Nantyglo, 21 m.; Blaiua, 20 m. ; Ebbwvale, 21 m. ; Machen, 8 m. ; Rhymney, 24 m. ; Dovv- lais, 28 m.; Brecon, 47 m.; Tredegar, 22 m. NEWPORT, 8 ; situation, 8 ; height of tide, 8 ; traffic, 8 ; steamers, 9 ; docks, 9 ; castle, 9 ; churches, 9 ; Chartist riots, 10. Newport to Brecon by Aber- gavenny, 102. by Dou lais , 87. to Brynmawr , 81. to Hereford , 68. to Monmouth , 76. to Nantybwch, 86. to Nantyglo , 83. NEWPORT (Pemb.), 193 - Inn : Llywngair Arm*. Newport, 193 ; castle, 193. NEW RADNOR, 140; de- cadence of, 140. Newton nottage, 32; .Downs, 32. Newton (or Scethrog), 9 r * New Weir, 59. Nine Mile Point, stat., 86 . Norton, 40. 0. Offa’s Dyke, 5, 65, 127, 139, r 4 4. Ogmore Castle, 29. river , 29 , 31 . Old Castle, 72. Old Passage, or “Tra- jectus Augusti,” 5. Radnor, 139; church, 139; geology of, 140.. ONLLWYN, stat., 1 1 6. Orchard, E. and W., castles, 24. “ Organ ” and “ choir,” names applied to locali- ties in Isle of Ramsey, 190. Ostorius Scapula , camp of, 5 2 ; at Bannium or Breck- nock, 114; battle of, with Caractacus, 144. Owain Glynd'ir , 109, 12 r; alleged burial-place of, 128. OXWICH BAY, 42; pro- montory, 42 ; church and castle, 42. Oystermouth Castle, 40. P. Pain de Tnrbervill , 32. PANDY, stat., 72, 123. Pant, junct., 89. PANTEG, 68. PANT-Y-DWR, stat, 137. PANT-Y-FFYNNON, 153. PARK WELLS, mineral .springs, 135. PARSON’S BRIDGE, 168. Partrishow, ■ - Paternus , or Padurn, St. f 143. PAVILAND, bone caves, 43 ; camp, 44. PEMBREY, 43 ; copper- works,. 45 . PEMBRIDGE CASTLE, 58. PEMBROKE, 180. Hotels: Golden L'on ; King’s Arms. Pembroke, 180; situa- tion, 180; castle ruins, 1 80 ; birthplace of Henry VII., 180; description of castle, 180; history, 18 r; remains of priory ch. of Monkton, 18 r; churches, 18 1 ; excursions, i8r. LOCK, 18 1 ; descrip- tion, 18 1 ; Nasmyth steam hammer, 182; steam ferry, 182. PENALLT, 62. PENALLY, 177; tradition of St. Teilo, 177. PENARTH, 16. Good hotel. PENARTH, 16; docks, 1 6, 120; ehureh, 16. - — Head, 16. PENBERRY, headland, r9r. PENCADER, 170; junct., 159. PENCAER, 192 ; crom- lechs, 192. PEN CAE MAWR, 8. PENCARREG-CALCH, iio. PENCLAWDD, fishing vil- lage,. 44. PENCOED CASTLE, 8 ; stat., 30. PENCRAIG COURT, 56. PENDERYN, Church, 95. PENDINAS, wooded hill, 149. - PENGAM, 88, 120. Penhow Castle, 8. PENLAN, fort and earth- works, 190. PENLLERGARE, 44. PENLLINE CASTLE, 25 ; Court, 25. PENMAEN, Burrows, 42 ; exhumed church at, 42; new church, 86. PENMYARTH, 1 09 ; in- scribed, stone, 109. Pennard Castle, 42. PENNYHOLT, contorted . strata, at, 180. 210 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. PENPERGWM, stat., 103. PEN-RHIW-CALCH, 91. PEN-RHIW-WEN hill, 144. Pen Rhys, 123. Penrice Castle, 42 ; church, 42. PENTIR camp, British and Roman, 109. Pentre Bryn ant, 144. PENTRE-EVAN, crom- lech, 194. PENTWYN, artificial lake, 90. PENTYRCH, stat. and ironworks, 12 1. PENWYLT, stat., 1 1 6. PENYBONT, 145. Severn Arms , comfort- able. PENYBONT, 145; suspen- sion-bridge, 145. PEN-Y-CASTELL, Roman encampment, 34. PEN-Y-CRUG, camp at, ir 4 . P E N-Y-D A R R E N iron- works, 125. PENYFFALLWYDD hill, 165 ; camp on, 165. PENYGAER, 160. PETERSTON, Stat., 24; castle, 24. Phillips , Sir T., 86. PICTON CASTLE, 49. PIERCEFIELD, 66. Pilbach Farm, 12. PlLLETH, battle between Glyndwr and Sir E. Mor- timer at, 145; church, 145. PIRAN fall, 169. PLAS, 46. BEDWELLTY, 88. PLTJMSTONE hills, 184. PLINLYMMON mountain, 142; its five river- sources, 142; Owain Glyndwr at, 142. Ply gain, Christmas cus- tom, xxvii. PONT-AR-DAF, 92. PONTARDAWE, 156. PONT-AR-DULAIS, 158. PONT BALDWYN, 194. ERWYD, 143 ; falls, 143 - PONT-NEATH- VATJGHAN, 95. PONTNEWYDD tinplate- works, 68 ; stat., 68. PONTNEWYNYDD, 82. PONT-RHYD-FENDI- GAID, 164. Pont - rhyd - y - groes, 169. PONTRHYDYVEN, 34. PONTRILAS, 73. PONT SADWRN, 12. PONTSARN fall, 89. Pont Senni, 115. PONT-STICILL, junct., 89. PONTYMOILE, 68 . Pont - y - Mynach, or Devil’s Bridge, 168. P0NTYP00L, 82. Inn: Grown. PONTYPOOL, 82; pictu- resque situation, 82 ; town hall, 82; trade, 82 ; park, 82. Road to Swansea , 92. PONTYPRIDD. 122. Inns : New Inn ; White Hart . Pontypridd, celebrated bridge, 122. PONT-YR-ESGOB, or Bishop’s Bridge, 108. Pope Alexander III., bull of, 2. PORT EYNON, 43. Talbot, 34. Tennant copper- works, 37, ports, stat., 123. PORTHCAWL, 32. PORTHKERRY, 23. PORTHMAWR gateway, 107. PORTHSKEWIT, stat., 6. PORTHSTINIAN, 190, PORTH-YR-OGOF cavern, 97 - Powell , Vavasour, first congregation of Dissen- ters in Wales established by, at Cyfarthfa, 125; committed to Cardiff jail, 125. POYNTZ CASTLE, 185. PRESELEY mountains, 49> 184, 192, 193. PRESTEIGN, 139. Hotel : Radnorshire Arms. PRESTEIGN, 139; castle, 139. Price , Sir Uvedale , his ‘ Essay on the Pictu- resque,’ 127; Foxley im- proved by, 127. Prichard , Vicar, Welsh poems of, 150. Products of South Wales, xiii. PTJMSANT, 151. Pwlddtj Head, 4 r. PWLL CARADOC, death- place of Prince Caradoc, 170. FAN POOL, 150. Y-CWN, I OO. PYLE, 33 ; building stone of, 33. Pyrrdin river, 96 ; falls, 96. Pysgotwr river, 150. Q. Quakers’ Yard junc- tion, 94, 124; origin of the name, 125. Quentin’s, St., castle, 25. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 211 R. Radnor, Old, 139; geo- logy of neighbourhood, 140. , NEW, 140; cascade, 1 40. Forest, 141. RAGLAN, 77. Inn : Beaufort Arms , comfortable. Raglan, 77; castle, 77- 80. Railways , xix ; South Wales, 2 ; Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester, 5 2 ; Great Western, 68, 92 ; Sirhowy, 86 ; Newport, Dowlais, and Brecon, 87; Pontypool Road to Swan- sea, 92; Abergavenny and Merthyr, 99; Neath and Brecon, 114; Cardiff and Rhymney, 1 1 7 ; Taff Yale, 120; Hereford, Hay, and Brecon, 126; Mid-Wales, 133; Central Wales, 144, 158; Swan- sea V ale, 156; Manches- ter and Milford, 159. Ramsey, isle, 190. Rebecca rioters at Llechryd, T 7 r * REDBROOE, tinplate- works, 62. Remains , mediaeval, xxii ; Roman, io, 109, 114, 127,151. RESOLVEN, Church, 99. RHAYADER, i4r. Hotel : Red Lion ; comfortable, posting. Rh idol river , 142, 165 ; fall, 168. RHEOLA, 98 ; memorial church, 99. RHONDDA, valley and rivers, 123. Rhosilly, 43. Rhymney, 13; river, 13. GATE, ioi ; iron- works, 101, 120. , vale of the, 119. Rhys Gethin , the robber, 149. RlSCA, tin-plate works and collieries, 84. Roads , ancient, xxi, 7, 88, 109, 115, 130, 146, 147, 150, 160, 162, 190. ROCH CASTLE, 184. Rocking -stones, 60, 123, 191. Roger de Britolio , attain- der, 3. Rogerston Castle, 84. Romilly , Sir S., burial- place of, 139. Rosemary topping, 5 9. ROSS, 54. Hotels : Royal , good, and view magnificent ; Lion ; King's Head. Rail to Hereford, 12 m. ; Gloucester, 18 m. Monmouth. ROSS, 54; Man of, 54. ROTHERWAS, 5 2. Rowlstone Church, 74- Ruardean, 62. RUNSTON, ruined chapel of, 7. RUPERRA, 12 ; castle, 88. S. Sacrifices , human, last offered in Britain, 152. Sagranus , stone of, 172. SARN CYNFELIN, j 67. Helen, 160, 97. sarnesfield Court, 128; celebrated oak at, 128. SAUNDERSFOOT, 174. Inn: Ficton Castle . SAUNDERSFOOT, coal port, 174. Sawde river , 152. SCWD Hen RHYD, water- fall, 98, 1 16. Enion Gam Fall, 98. Gladys Fall, 98. SCYRRID FAWR, 69 ; geology of, 69 ; view, 69. SEDBURY PARK, 5. Senni river , 152. Severn river , 2, 9 ; source, 142. Tunnel , 6. SHEEP ISLAND, 1 80; supposed Roman remains at, 180. Shelley, sojourn of the poet, at Cwm Elan, 137. SHEWILL, double spring, 29. Siddons, Mrs., birthplace, 1 14; first appearance on the stage at Kington, 138. Singleton, 40. SIRHOWY ironworks, 87. Skeleton Routes and Tours , xxxi. Skenfrith Castle, 75. SKOKHOLM and SKOMER islands, 184. SLEBECH, 50. Smollett, allusion to “Crickhowel flannels,” 108. Social view of South Wales , xxiv. SOLVA, 185. SOUTHERNDOWN, 29. SOUTH WALES : physical features, v ; geology, vii ; manufactures and products, xiv ; commu- nications, xix ; antiqua- rian view, xx ; social view, xxiv; glossary of Welsh words, xxviii ; points of interest for the geologist, xxx ; skeleton routes and tours, xxxi; additional 212 INDEX AND DIRECTORY, information about Dow- lais, xxxvii. Spenser , allusion of, to the cave of Merlin, 15 3. SPITTY copper works, 45. ST. ARVAN'S, 66. 8T. BRIAVEL S church and castle, 63. ST. DAVID’S, 185. Hotel: Grove , posting house. ST. DAVID’S, the ancient Menapia, 185 ; desolate appearance of, 185; cathedral, 185-9; ruins of the college, 189; and of the bishop’s palace, 189. 8t. David’s Head, 190. St. Devereux, 75. 8t. Dogmael’s, 172; abbey, 172; picturesque scenery at, 191. 8T. Donat’S Castle, 28. ST. Fagan’S, stat., 23 ; castle, 2 3 ; battle, 23. St. Florence, 183. St. Gowan’s Head, 179. St. Julian’s, 12. St. Margaret, island, * 77 - St. Mary Hill, horse fair at, 30. St. Mellon’s, 12. 8t. Nicholas, 23. St. Pierre, 6. ST. TWINNELL'S, : 0 : iotrenchment at, 180. Stackpole Court, 178. Stacks. 1795 • a-f .. * 79 - St iffordj Duke of Bucking- ham, at Brecon, 1 1 2. Stanner Hill, 140. Stations, Horn iw, xxi, xxii, 1 1, 27, 44, 109, 1 14, 127, 15c, 15 r, 190. Steam - engine, germ of, 78. Stcddfa Gurig , 142; lead- works, 143. Stone circles , xx., 1 15, 157. Stone Street, Roman road, 130. Storey arms Inn, 92. stormy Down, 32. STOUTHALL, ossiferous cave, 44. STRADEY, 45. STRADMORE, 1 7 r. Strata Florida Abbey, 163. Striguil Castle, 8. strumble head, 192. Submerged city , tradition of, 1 10. Sufton Court, 52. SUGARLOAF HILL, 106, * 49 - SUGWAS, site of palace of bishops of Hereford, 126. SULLY HOUSE, 2 2 ; island, 22. Superstitions of South Wales , xxvii. SWANSEA, 37. Hotels : Mackworth Arms , good ; Cameron Arms ; Castle , fair. Rail : South Wales Ry. to Cardiff, 46 m.; Neath, 8 m.; Llanelly, 10 m.; Milford, 69 m.; Caermar- then, 27 m. By Great Western Ry. to Neath, 8 m. ; Hirwain. 20 m. ; Al>erdare, 23 m. By Swansea Va c Ry. (Rte. 20) to Fontardawe, 8 m.; Ystalyfert, 12 m. By Oystcnn>>uth Ry. to Mumbles, 5 m. By Loud m and North ] 1 es- ter n Ry. to Pontardulais, 1 1 h m.; Idandeilo, 24 111. There is also a good service of steam-packets to Liverpool, Bristol, I Tenby, Milford, etc. Swansea, 37; growth of, 37; copjK?r smelting, 38 ; ore sales, 38; docks, 38; castle, 38; church, 38; public buildings, 39; excursions, 39. Swansea to Llanelly , 158. to M ilford Haven , 3 7. to Ystradgunlais, 156 . SYCHNANT, gorge of the, 96. Sychrhyd river , 96. SYMOND’S Yat, 57. T. Taff river, 13, 14, 17, 12 1; sources, 92; vale, 122; viaduct, 94. Taff s Well, stat., 121. TAIBACH copperworks, 14 * Talbot, Port, 34. TALGARTH, 132. Ashburnham Arms , tolerable. TALLEY, abbey, 154; road, 152. TALYBONT, 91. TAL-Y-LLYN, junct., 133. Tawc river , 37, 116; vale, 37 - Taylor , Jeremy , at Golden Grove, 155. TECLA, ST., chapel of, 4 ; first British female mar- tyr, Teiji river , 160, 17c, 194; falls, 171; mouth of, 171; source, 164. TEILO, ST., 2 1. Tcme river , 144. Templeton, 173. TENBY, 174. Hotels: Coburg; Gate- house; Wh>tc Lion, Rail t • ■ Whitland, 1 r ’ m. ; Fenibroke, 10 m. 8 teamer to Bristol. Distances : Saunders- foot, .'4 m. ; Carew, 6 m. ; INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 213 Gumfreston, 1 J m. ; St. Florence, 3 m. ; Lydstep, 4 m. ; Penally, 2 m. ; Manorbeer, 6 m. ; Hoyle’s Mouth, 1 m. TENBY, 174; ancient walls, 175; castle, 175; St. Catherine’s Rock, 175 ; church, 175 ; geo- logy, 176. Teucdrig , Prince , 5. THREE COCKS, 33. Inn, clean and comfor- table, good quarters for anglers. Tibberton Court, 13 i. TlDDENHAM, church and stat., 67. TINTERN ABBEY, 64. Hotels: Royal George; Beaufort Arms ; both comfortable. TINTERN ABBEY, 64; battle, 5 ; village, 65. PARVA, 63. TIR PHIL, 120. TITLEY, stat., 138; Court and deer park, 138. TONDU, 32. TORPANTAU, stat., 60. Towey river , 150, 154. TOWEY, vale of, 149. Tram Inn, stat., 76. TREAMAN, stat., 124. TRECASTLE, r 15 ; Beacon, 1 J 5 - TREDEGAR, 86 . Inn : Tredegar Arms. TREDEGAR, 86 ; iron- works, 87. PARK, 12, 83. TREDUSTAN COURT, 133. TREFGARN hills, i 84 ; rocks, 191. TREFIL, stat., 101. TREFOREST, stat., 122. TREGARON, 162. Talbot Inn, comfortable. IS. Wales.] TREGOYD, 132. TREHERBERT, stat., 123. TRELECH, 63. TREOWEN, 80. TRESSILIAN, caves at, 28. . Tretower Castle, 109; court, 109. TREVECCA HOUSE, 132. TREVETHIN, 82. TREVINE, 1 91; crom- lech, 191. TREWEREN, valley, 116. TROED - Y - RHIW, stat., 125. Troggy Castle, 8 . I'rothey river , 81. TROY HOUSE, 62, 8r. Tubular bridge near Chep- stow, 2. “ Twelve Apostles,” 66 . TWM BARLWM, 82, 84. shon Catty’s Cave, 149, 162. Twryn-y-Witch, 29. TWYN - BRYN - BYCHAN, Mt., 124. TYDEE, stat., 84. Tydfil the Martyr , 125. TY-ILTID, remains of 44 Kistvaen,” 111. TY-NEWYDD, 124. T Y N - Y - L A D, inscribed stone, 108. U. UPTON, 183 ; ruined chapel, 183; castle, 183. USK, 76. Inn : Three Salmons, comfortable. Rail to Monmouth, 13 m. ; Raglan, 5 J m. ; Pontypool Road, 4 m. Distances : — Aberga- venny, 11m.; Chepstow, 10 m. ; Pontypool, 5 m. ; Nantyderi Stat. by Chain Bridge, 4 J m. USK, 76; angling, 76; castle, 76} church, 77. river , 9, 10 , 12, ill, 114, 115. V. VAN, the, 1 19. Varus Postumius , 6. Vaughan , Henry , the Silu- rist, 91. the Wrecker, 29. VAYNOR church, 89. Venta Silurum , ancient, 7. Viaduct at Crumlin, 84; Taff, 95. Via Flandrica , 190. Julia , 45. VICTORIA, stat., 85 ; ironworks, 85 ; Bessemer steel manufacture, 85. Victor inus Stone , 91. Vikings , 5. VOCHRIEW, stat., 89. W. WALFORD, 58. Walnut-tree Bridge, stat., 1 2 1. WAPLEY Hill Camp, 139. WARDEN, site of Pres- teign castle, 139. WARREN church, 180. WATER-BREAK-ITS- NECK, cascade, 140. WATERWINCH, 176. Watling Street, 127. WAUN CELLAN, moun- tain, 162 ; cairns on, 162. COMMON, 102. Webley Castle, 44. Welsh Bicknor, 59. Marches, lords of the, 90. Wentloog Level, 12. Wenvoe, 23. Q 214 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. WESTFA, 45. WESTMOOR, 127. % WHITCHURCH, 57- Inn : Crown . WHITE CASTLE, 103. WHITEMILL, stat., 156. WHITEROSE, stat., 88. WHITES AND BAY, 190. WHITFIELD, 76. WHITLAND, stat., 48. Abbey, 48. WHITNEY, stat., 129. WlCKLYFFE’S OAK, 99. Wilton castle, 55. Wimble’s Hill, 140. Wtfirf Hole, the, 29. Wit h 's Nose , 29. Wo GAN cave, 180. WONASTOW, 8r. LDXIjON: IKINTLD BY WOODLANDS, 41. Worcester , Marquis of, waterworks erected by, at Raglan, 78; birth- place, 80. WORM’S HEAD, 43 - Won el hill , 140. WYE, the river, 3, 4; source, 142 ; tour of the, 52, 58; vale, 58. Wyrrai river , 1 95 . Wyndcliff, 65. Y. Yazor Church, 127. Yew trees of large girth, 134. YNISCEDWIN ironworks, ! 5 7 * YNISPENLLWCH tin- works, 156. Yrfon river , 148: source, 149. Yscir river, 114. YSPYTTY CYNFYN, 168. YSTALYFERA ironworks, T 5 7 - Ystol y Wcddonas , or Witches’ Chair, 96. YSTRAD, 1 19. YSTRADFELLTE, 97. YSTRADGUNLAIS, 1 5 7. YSTRAD MEIRIG, 164. YSTRAD-Y-FODWG, 123* • Ysticyth river , 169; valley, 144, 164, 195. THE END. WILLIAM CLOW KB AND W»XB, LIMITED, STAMfOUD MUEK 1 AND (/MAKING CKlNU. 6r X & i 0