MURRAY’S FOREIGN HANDBOOKS. NORTHERN EUROPE. HANDBOOK—FRANCE, Part I. HANDBOOK — FRANCE, Part II.: Central France, Auvergne,. The Cevennes, Burgundy, The Rhone and Saone, Provence, Nimes, Arles, Marseilles, The French Alps, Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne, &c. 23 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6d. HANDBOOK-HOLLAND AND BELGIUM. 18 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK—THE RHINE AND NORTH GERMANY, The Black Forest, The Hartz, Thuringerwald, Saxon Switzerland, Rugen, 'J he Giant Mountains, Taunus, Odenwald, Elsass and Lothringen. 42 Maps and Plans. 10s. HANDBOOK—DENMARK AND ICELAND, Schleswig, Holstein, Copenhagen, Jutland. 6 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6cJ. HANDBOOK—SWEDEN, Stockholm, Upsala, Gothenburg, The Lakes, The Shores of the Baltic, &c. 3 Maps and Plan. 6«. HANDBOOK — NORWAY, Christiania, Bergen, Trondhjem, The Fjelds and Fjords. With Special information for Fishermen and Cyclists. By T. Michell, C.B., H.B.M. Consul-General lor Norway. 13 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6 d . HANDBOOK—RUSSIA, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Poland, Finland, Crimea, Caucasus, &c. Edited by T. Michell, C.B., H.B.M. Consul-General for Norway. 7 Maps and Plans. 18s. CENTRAL EUROPE. HANDBOOK — SOUTH GERMANY AND AUSTRIA, Part I. : WuRTEMBERG, BAVARIA, AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ISTRIA, AND THE DANUBE FROM Ulm to the Black Sea. With 34 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6♦—- Within the last fifty years, South Wales has gradually become so opened up by roads and railways, that almost every part of it is now easily accessible to the tourist. The sole exception is the district between Haverfordwest and St. Davids, and the sea-coast thence to Aberaeron. The same cause has tended so largely to the development of mining and manufacturing enterprise, that the face of the country is, in many districts, completely changed, and many of its natural characteristics are being swept away. It is one consolation, though this will be cold comfort to the tourist, that the people are growingly prosperous. The Editor had done his best to correct mistakes, and to indicate changes by enquiries made on the spot, and by application to local residents, whose kindly assistance as well as that of several friends and archaeologists he grate¬ fully acknowledges; but, as inaccuracies will creep in, he requests that any notice of such may be kindly sent to him, to the care of Mr. Murray, 50a, Albemarle Street. a 2 1889. CONTENTS. Introduction PAGE V ROUTES. %* The names of places are printed in Black type only in those routes where the places are described. Route 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 Aberga¬ venny .68 5 Newport to Monmouth, by TJsk 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 Crjck- howel.102 Route Page 13 Brecon to Neath, by Devyn- nock ...... 114 14 Cardiff to Rhymney, by Caer¬ philly .117 15 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 Rhay¬ ader .138 19 Craven Arms to Caermarthen, by Llandrindod, Llando¬ very, and Llandeilo . . 144 20 Swansea to Ystradgunlais 156 21 Swansea to Llanelly and Llan¬ deilo, by Pont-ar-dulais . 158 22 Caermarthen to Aberyst¬ wyth, 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 Aber- aeron.184 . 197 Index RBC NcU INTRODUCTION. i. ir. hi. IV. v. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. Physical Features • • PAGE . . V Geology • • .. vii Manufactures and Products .. • • .. xiv Communications .. • • .. xix Antiquarian View • • .. XX Social View • • .. xxiv Glossary of Welsh Words as occurring IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF WELSH NAMES .. • • .. xxviii Points of Interest for the Geologist. . • • .. xxx Skeleton Koutes .. • • . . xxxi Additional Information about Dowlais • • .. xxxvii I. Physical Features. Few countries are more diversified than S. Wales, or present greater contrasts and variety in scenery. All the requisites of perfect land¬ scape,—mountains (though seldom rising to the grand), desert moors, wooded hills, smiling valleys, broad rivers, and rushing torrents,—all offer themselves in turn to the view of the traveller. The mountain ranges may he divided broadly into 4 groups, each forming the charac¬ teristic feature of a quarter of the country, and each giving rise to one or more of the principal rivers. 1. The S.E. Division , comprising roughly the district between Abergavenny and Llandeilo on the N., Newport and Kidwelly on the S.—The space between these towns is almost entirely filled up by one massive group, which in fact constitutes the coal-basin of S. Wales, bounded on the N. and E. by the valley of the Usk, and on the W. by that of the Towey. The principal eminences in this range are the Blorenge (1908 ft.), Mynydd Llangynider, Brecon Beacons (2910 ft.), Caermarthenshire Beacons (2598 ft.), the Fan Lisgaer, Talsarn, Cribath,'and Trichrug, the northern slopes of which give rise to the Usk and its tributaries, the Senni, Tarell, &c. About 1£ m. nearly due E., and within the county boundary, is the Fan Brechelmorig, or Breconshire Beacon, 2631 ft. (This is 12 m. W. of the Brecon Beacon = 2910 ft.) On the southern slopes, however, a different arrangement prevails; and instead of a tolerably uniform line of old red sandstone and mountain limestone hills extending E. and W., lofty .and narrow ridges containing coal-measures are thrown out in a general direction to the S. or S.W., most of them running nearly to the sea- VI Introd. I. Physical Features. coast. In consequence of this the valleys change their direction to due N. and S., the country is more broken and romantic, and the streams narrower and more impetuous. The most noticeable of these ridges are Cefn Crib, Cefn Gelligaer (1574 ft.), Mynydd Llangynidr, Merthyr, Mynydd Llangeinor, Craig-y- Llyn, Cefn, Mynydd March Howel, Cefn Drim, and Mynydd Carn Goch, from whence emerge the Ebbw, Rhymney, Taff with it feeders Rhondda and Cynon, the Llynfi, Ogmore, Afon, Neath, Tawe, Lloughor, and Gwendraeth rivers. It must not be forgotten, too, that the Usk, after flowing due E. from Trecastle to Abergavenny, turns abruptly to the S. to fall into the Bristol Channel at Newport. 2. The /S'. W. Division^ which we may imagine to be bounded b} 7 Cardigan and Llandovery on the N., Pembroke and Caermarthen on 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 principal heights are Pencader (2630 ft.), Pen-carreg-calcli (2250 ft.), and PenalltMawr (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, Claerwen, 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 Rhayader. The Edw, Itlion, and Marteg are tributaries to the Wye from these highlands, though the most northerly portion is watered by the Teme, Lugg, and Arrow, which flow in au easterly direction through the fertile plains of Herefordshire. 4. The N.W. Division is the wildest of the whole, comprising on the S. the extensive chain of mountains between the Towey and the Teifi, or in 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 direction between the Teifi and the sea. The most lofty eminences in this group are the Tregaron Mount (1754 ft.) and Craig Twrcli near Introd. ii. Geology. vii Lampeter. The sources of two of the finest rivers in S. Wales, the Towey and Teifi, are to be found in these hills, and that of the Aeron in the parallel range of Mynydd Bach. All these are separated by the Ystwyth from the N. Cardiganshire mountains, amongst which Plynlimmon (2463 ft.) is the most con¬ spicuous ; indeed, physically speaking, these latter would seem to be placed by the deep valleys of the Ystwyth and Rheidol within the catalogue of N. Wallian hills. Besides these principal groups, there are of course many less important heights, which are alluded to or described in the respective routes. II. Geology. For the study of the Lower Rocks there is no more interesting country than the southern portion of the Principality, which offers frequent and instructive series. Of course a summary cannot attempt to take in detail the minutiae of such an important and widely-spread subject; for them the geologist is referred to the ‘ Memoirs of the Geological Survey,’ vol. ii., which contains a most valuable article by the late Sir H. De la Beche on the Formation of Rocks in S. Wales; the 2nd edition of 1 Siluria,’ by Sir R. Murchison; and various articles in the ‘ Geological Transactions ’ and 1 Geologist Magazine.’ 1. The most recent formation in S. Wales, excluding the alluvial and drift deposits (the latter of which may be observed at Pentyrcli and Hensol near Llantrissant), is that of the Lias. A large portion of what is called the Vale of Glamorgan is composed of Lias rocks, resting in different localities on different bases, and overlying this district in a rather irregular manner. Though absent at many points, the Lias may be described in general terms as extending from near Cardiff to Pyle, where (and from this place to Bridgend) it reposes on the Triassic marls. From the mouth of the Ogmore to Cowbridge it is found resting on upturned and disturbed Carboniferous Limestone, and spread¬ ing out in a somewhat peninsular form past Colwinston to Ewenny. Near Southerndown (Rte. 1) and Dunraven it is well seen, lying horizontally on the upturned mountain-limestone, and again at the entrance of Cowbridge from Bridgend. At Llanblethian, a little to the S., the Carboniferous Limestone rises up abruptly, being enfolded on all sides by the Lias. Near Peterston-super-Ely it is observed rest¬ ing on the Old Red. A good locality for studying these rocks is on the N. side of Barry Island, where they, together with the New Red marls, are 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. of the rly. at Llanwern, Lliswerry, and Bishton. The best points for the geologist and collector are Llanwern, Maindee near Newport, Penarth Head, and Lavernock Point near Cardiff, where the Lias rests on the Rhcetic or Penarth beds, as they are called in the Ordnance Maps Survey (see a very able paper by Mr. Etheridge, ‘ Cardiff Nat. History Soc. Transactions, - ’ vol. 3, pt. 2), Southerndown, and the coast generally. Ylll In trod. li. Geology. 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 Matliern, as also small patches at Peterston near St. Fagans, Coity, and from thence to Pyle. 3. The Dolomitic or Permian Bodes 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 haematite 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 mill stone 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 Liassic and 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-carreg-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 Pontypool south¬ wards to Bisca, and thence westward to Caerphilly and Pentyrch, the Introd. U. Geology. ix limestone is uninterrupted ; but S. of Llantrissant it becomes consider¬ ably covered up by the Dolomitic conglomerate, although large surfaces are exposed between Cowbridge, Pcnlline, and Llanharry to the N., and to Caerau on the E. It is again well seen between Bridgend and St. Bride’s, as also forming the heights of Newton Down. Proceeding westward, these rocks are found to be increasing in thickness, as shown in 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 must not be inferred from what has been said, that the Pembrokeshire field does not belong to the main basin, either geologically or geogra¬ phically, but it is thought more convenient to describe it separately ; the mountain limestone, however, may be treated of at once. Like that of S. Glamorganshire, it appears at intervals, forming narrow bands across the country. One, very thin, extends from the Goast near Amroth to Haverfordwest; a second from Tenby to Pembroke, through and parallel to which the old red sandstone of the Ridgeway rises up ; and a third comprises the splendid coast-range of St. Gowan’s Head and the Stack Pocks. The geologist will be at no loss to obtain sections either here or in any other portion of the field; nor, generally speaking, will he fail in obtaining good typical fossils. The best localities may be briefly pointed out: Llanelly, Llangattock, Trefil near Tredegar, Castle Morlais, Penderyn, Dinas Craig, on the N. crop; Caerphilly, Castell Coch, Llantrissant, Mumbles, Worm’s Head, Tenby, and 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. the discovery of the haematite ores at Pentyrch and Llantrissant has given them an additional value. (3. The Millstone Grit may well be studied over the whole of the N. crop of the S. Wales basin. It lies over the mountain limestone, and forms a table-land with a southerly inclination, from which most of the 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 marked by a quartzose conglomerate, locally called pudding-stone. On the S. crop the millstone grit soon disappears near Pentyrch. There are, however, beds at Bishopston in Gower (Rte. 2), known as^ the Black Shales of Gower, which attain a considerable thickness. Their 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 named) Farewell Rock, which is almost universally found in this basin underlying the coal measures and lying on the millstone grit. It is so 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 the whole 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, Rhynmey Gate, Pont-Neatli-Vaughan (Rte. 10), and Cwm Amman (Rte. 21). X Introd. ii. Geology. 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 be 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 Bhondda 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 Khymney, and gradually increases westward towards Merthyr and the Taff valley. Beyond Hirvvain, at the ironworks of Onllwyn, it is so far completed that the coals which at Bhymney 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. ir. Geology. xi bituminous coal of Ebbwvale in the E. of the field containing about 85 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 IN', 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 in 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 Brownstones, In trod. xii II. Geology. near Abergavenny; the Scyrrid; Pontrilas ; Bwlch between Crickliowel 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 Bed 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). 13. 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 Myn}^dd 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 well 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 Yelfrey, 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 upcn Wenlock limestone, and are very fossiliferous. The Ludlow beds are developed to a thickness of about 400 feet at Penylau and the village of Rumnev, near Cardiff. At Tymavvr quarry, near there, the first specimens of fossil wood were found which showed definite woody structure, and the finest specimens of Pachytheca sphxrica ever found are from the same quarry; this is the earliest known fossil fruit. About 200 yards west of llumney Church a quarry in the Wenlock limestone abounds with beautifully preserved corals, Introd. * ii. Geology. xiii tinged a delicate pinkish red, the Matrix so red that the Geological Survey mapped them at first as Old Red sandstone. The thickness of the Wenlock beds is here about 550 feet. y. The Wenlock limestone “thins out entirely in Radnorshire, 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. d. The Upper Llandovery Bock is observed in Radnorshire at Corton, in the form of the Pentamerus bed just alluded to, as also on the western slopes of the hill of Old Radnor, 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. e. 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 (Rte. 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, in Pembrokeshire, at Lampeter Yelfrey, and Sholeshook, near Haver¬ fordwest. tj. 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 (Rte. 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 (Rte. 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 in. Manufactures and Products. Introd. 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, Sirliowy, 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, Cardiff Newport Swansea 1877. 3,681,084 tons 611,156 „ 653,630 ,, 1887. 7,532,640 tons. 2,293,276 „ 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 Yalleys 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 XV Introil. in. Manufactures and Products. of the coal field, which, with the exception of a limited quantity exported to France, is in little demand at present. Of late years the small coal of many of the large collieries has, after washing, been converted into coke with a certain admixture of the coking coal from the upper veins, and, in the case of certain of the more bituminous steam coals towards the south of the Rhondda Valley, excellent coke is made of the small coal alone. 2. Iron. —The principal ironworks are situated on or towards the north crops of the coal-basin, or else at a locality, such as Maesteg, where the lower measures are raised near the surface by an anticlinal line, or axis. The perpendicular depth of the coal and iron bearing strata is 11,000 feet in the northern, and 8000 feet in the southern trough. The ironstone is found interstratified with the coal measures, and gene¬ rally accompanying them, in the form of “pins,” or thin bands, frequently highly coloured with peroxide-layers of greater thickness occurring in rock, and round nodules of ironstone disseminated at un¬ equal distances through beds of shale and rock. These nodules are generally rich in percentage of iron, containing sometimes in the inter¬ stices small brilliant crystals and sometimes impressions of plants. The great practical division of the ironstones is into argillaceous or clay ironstones, and carbonaceous or blackband ; the constituent substances of the latter being carbonate of iron, carbonaceous matter, alumina, and silica, with a trace of lime. Brown haematite iron ore—hydrated sesquioxide of iron—is also found in the mountain limestone of the southern outcrop at Pentyrch, but has been little worked. It is advisable to give a brief account of the mode of manufacture, although, for particulars, the traveller is referred to Dr. Percy’s work on Iron and Steel. The three materials necessary for the reduction of ore and the pro¬ duction of pig-iron are coal or coke, ironstone or iron ore, and limestone. The coal is usually, though not always, converted into coke by burning it in ovens, and in some cases is coked, in long heaps in the open air. The ironstone, which may consist of the argillaceous nodules, blackband, hannatite, or, in fact, any variety, is roasted before it is taken to the furnace, for the purpose of getting rid of the carbonic acid, earthy matter, and impurities necessarily found with it; while the water is evaporated without being decomposed, for were the raw iron ore to be subjected to the intense heat of the furnace, the water and acid would be instantly decomposed, the oxygen would unite with the iron, and part of it would oxygenate the sulphur, which would have the effect of producing iron quite unworkable from the great quantity of oxygen in combination. Like the coking of coal, this roasting causes the mass to lose greatly in weight, commonly about 35 per cent. Of late years the native argillaceous ironstone and blackband of the South Wales coal field has been superseded by the gradual adoption of the brown haematite iron ores of Spain, which, from about the year 1872, have been imported in vast quantities to Newport and Cardiff and supplied to all the iron-works of the district. The richness and cheap- Introd. xvi hi. Manufactures and Products. 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 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, though hollow, is not even all the way up, but contracts a little above the hearth and again near the top, the greatest width being termed “ the boshes.” The furnace is kept alive by the blast, blown in at a 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 tc 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 the molten iron runs out in a fiery jubilee, lighting up the nooks and crannies of the casting-yard with wonderful effects that only a Kembrandt could paint. Before it is tapped, channels or moulds of sand are made 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 of the “ sow.” The pig or cast-iron is in the state of a carburet of iron ; 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 scorias which have accumulated during the reduction are 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¬ 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¬ ling of roads, &c.; indeed an association called the Patent Slag Company was formed (though it was not a commercial success) for working it up into articles of domestic use, such as bottles, tables, &c. At many works the gases escape from the top of the furnace, causing, by their 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 air prior to its entering the furnace) of the blast engine, thus effecting a double economy. An important item in the smelting of iron is the blast, which may Introd. in. Manufactures and Products. xvii be used in two ways—with hot or cold air. Until 1830 the cold blast was in universal employment, but since then the former has gained ground, for the reason that a cold current of air passed into the furnace at great pressure cools the fuel below the temperature necessary to effect the union of the carbon of the fuel with the oxygen of the air; but the hot air is forced upon it in a condition favourable to its uniting immediately, causing instant and vivid combustion. The usual tem¬ perature of the hot blast ranges from 1000° to 1400° Fahr. Cast iron is a carburet of iron, which, when wrought, is decarburetted, becoming more tenacious, and having the property of welding at a great heat. This process, however, is become almost, if not entirely, obsolete. Since the perfection of the Bessemer process, and the production at such cheap rates of steel rails, a revolution in the iron trade set in, and within the last 15 years all the principal iron-works of the district have been remodelled and applied to the manufacture of steel. The price of steel rails soon became less than those of iron, and at the present time practically no others are used. The production of steel depends upon the reduction in the proportion of carbon in cast iron to the requisite point. This is effected under the Bessemer process by conveying molten cast iron into a large vessel lined with fire-clay, or other refractory substance, and which is called the “ Bessemer Converter,” capable of holding about 10 tons. By means of tuyeres, a blast of atmospheric air is passed through this molten metal, the chemical effect of which is to drive off the carbon contained in the mass. The proper proportion of carbon required is then supplied in the form of spiegeleisen, a special variety of cast iron containing a large proportion of carbon as well as manganese, which latter is also an important ingredient in the manufacture of steel. The spiegeleisen is introduced in a molten state, and as soon as it is thoroughly diffused, the converter is tilted, and the molten metal poured into a ladle, from which it is again cast into sand-moulds in the form of steel ingots. The following table will show the number and make of the furnaces in South Wales in 1740:— Breconshire . . 2; making 600 tons. Glamorganshire . 2; „ 400 „ Caermarthenshire . • i; „ 100 „ Monmouthshire • 2; „ 900 „ 2000 As long as charcoal was used for smelting, there was no occasion for any great blast power; consequently the earliest means in use was a bellows worked by hand or water. But when the coal became available, the blast was obliged to be increased, the earliest contrivance bemg a forcing-pump or a steam-engine. The number of coal furnaces then gradually increased, so that in 1788 the number of tons of iron turned iout in Breconshire and Glamorganshire was 8200. In 1790 the large [S. Wales.] b Introd, xviii Manufactures and Products. 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 Yale .... 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 Iron ore Pig iron Coal used. made. used. 660,000 350,000 650,000 800,000 440,000 900,000 1,460,000 790,000 1,550,000 3. Copper. —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 Llanelty, 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, 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 "bridge over the Tawe at Llandore 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 are skimmed off as slag, Introd. iv. Communications. xix the melted copper being allowed to flow off into a pit of water, where it becomes granulated in cooling. Of such value is the metal con¬ sidered, that even the slag is taken back to the yard and carefully broken up to see if any particles of copper are left behind ; if this is the case, it is again melted. As a great deal of sulphur is still to be found in the metal, it is again melted in a third and fourth furnace, and then run into pigs, which are taken to the roasting furnace; the sulphur, which hitherto has been retained in just sufficient cjuantities to protect the metal from oxidization, being now eliminated as rapidly as possible. The last process is refining, after which the copper is ready for the market in any shape that may be required. The smoke and vapour which is disengaged from these works is of the most nauseous and disagreeable kind, and apparently most pernicious to vegetation, as the traveller cannot but notice in looking up the Yale of Tawe. It does not, however, appear to affect human life or health, as the workmen and those who dwell in the manufactories appear to enjoy both in a remarkable manner. The chemical constituents of the vapour are sulphurous acid, which is most abundant and penetrating, sulphuric acid, arsenic, both in the metallic form and as ai senious acid, and fluoric compounds, perhaps in the shape of hydrofluoric acid. The copper-smelting trade (putting aside all conjectures as to Roman workings, &c.) was first begun in Cornwall in 1670, but the absence of coal, and the expense of bringing it thither, soon caused the trans¬ ferring of the works to Clifton near Bristol. A Mr. Coster was part owner and manager of this establishment, as also of one at Redbrook on the Wye. Subsequently the trade was removed to Aberavon, where it still exists, as it has done at Swansea, from an early part of the last century. 4. Lead. —The principal mines where this valuable ore is worked are in the slaty Lower Silurian rocks in Caermarthenshire and Cardi¬ ganshire. Traces of lead, and sometimes remains of old workings, are found also in the southern carboniferous limestone-range of the coal¬ field ; but little or none is obtained at present. Tokens of mining are apparent everywhere near Aberystwyth, particularly on the road to Plynlimmon and near the Devil’s Bridge. 5. Patent Fuel. —There is also a large manufacture of patent fuel, which is principally carried on at Swansea and Cardiff. It consists of a preparation of culm and tar, compressed by machinery into the form of a brick, and is largely used for shipping purposes. About 500,000 tons are yearly exported from Swansea and Cardiff. IY. Communications. To meet the requirements of the manufacturing districts, of late years a large number of railways and canals have been constructed, and S. Wales is now intersected by the former as copiously as any English county. The canals, which in the early part of the century were almost the only means of conveying the traffic of the manufacturing b 2 In trod. xx v. Antiquarian View. districts, are now almost entirely superseded by tlie railways and 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 by (2) the Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester (Rte. 3).- 3. The Forest of Dean Rly. at Awre. 4. The Bristol and South Wales branch of the 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 Sirhowy and Tredegar line (Rte. 8). 8. The Newport, Dowlais, and Brecon (Rte. 9). 9. The Taff Yale (Rte. 15). 10. The Rhymney line (Rte. 14). 11. The Llynfi Yalley 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 Neatli and Brecon (Rte. 13). 14. The Swansea Yalley (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. 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 to these there are—20. The Hereford, Hay, and Brecon (Rte. 16) ; the Kingston and Eardisley, connecting the Kington and Leominster rly. with the H. H. & B., and leading to an extension line from Kington to New Radnor, as well as to a branch from Titley toPresteign. 21. The Mid-Wales (Rte. 17), which, with the Central Wales, places South Wales in connection with the north of England; and 22. The Aber¬ gavenny and Merthyr (Rte. 11). Both the great systems of the London and North-Western and the Great Western thus have access to the Welsh works, collieries, and shipping ports, and places them in direct communication with the principal markets. Y. Antiquarian Yiew. 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 evident, and sometimes in a very perfect state. The stone circles are c :casionally to be found, though seldom of any great size. They con¬ sist of a number of stones disposed around a central pillar, in a ring of varying size, and were doubtless connected with the rude worship of the early inhabitants. Good examples are at Carn Llechart in the Swansea Yalley, on CefnBryn, Gower, the Preseley mountains, at Bedd Taliesin near Aberystwyth, and on the mountain above Trecastle, &c. Cromlechs are numerous, although few are very perfect, owing to the destructive tendencies of the ignorant farmers, who have frequently Introd. xxi y. Antiquarian View. broken up the slabs to serve for wall-copings or gate-posts. The crom¬ lech was foimerly thought to be used in the sacrificial rites of the Druidic priests, but it is now generally allowed that they were sepul¬ chral monuments, designed to mark the resting-place of some great warrior or chieftain. The greatest number of cromlechs, as well as those in the best preservation, are met with in Pembrokeshire, which, perhaps from its comparative isolation, abounds more than any other part of South Wales in primeval remains. The principal ones in this county are Newport, Llech-y-Drybedd on Tre-icert farm near Nevern, Pentre-Evan, Longhouse near Trevine, Mathry, St. Nicholas, Llanwnda, Trellys, and Ffynondruidian, the last four in the peninsula of Strumble Head (Rte. 25). There are others at St. Nicholas, Dyffryn, in Glamor¬ ganshire (Rfce. 1), St. Lythans, on the same estate, Dolwilym, near Llanboidy in the W. of Caermarthenshire, besides Arthur’s Stone mi Cefn Bryn, Gower (Rte. 2); in Herefordshire, near Moccas Court (Rte. 16); and in Monmouthshire, at Newchurch, between Caerwent and Usk. In this category may be included the Buckstone * near Monmouth (Rte. 5), which, though no cromlech, but a natural curiosity, was an object of high veneration. Another Rocking-stone, the Maen Chwyf, in Glamorganshire, near Ponty-y-pridd, is by tradition reckoned Druidical. The “ Maen-hir ” (plural, meini-hirion ), or upright stones, are very common all over South Wales. Whether they were used to denote burial-places, or scenes of battle, or some particular event, does not appear clear; the supposition that they were placed as boundaries appears improbable, as they are commonly found on the most barren ranges of hills. In similar localities the cairns or “ carneddau ” are met with, studding the summits of the mountains with their grey heaps of stones. The cairns and the tumulus or “barrow” un¬ doubtedly mark the places of interment of warriors or chiefs, whose burying-places were thus rudely perpetuated to posterity. There are several tumuli on the Preseley hills, and also on the llidgeway between Tenby and Pembroke. Most of the Welsh tumuli have at different times been opened and found to contain a “Kistvaen ” or stone chest, in which is an urn filled with ashes. South Wales is particularly rich in inscribed stones, which were used to denote not only the place of interment, but also the name of the buried person. In some cases, too, sculpture has been added to the name. They date from the Roman era, and continued in use for some time subsequent to it. The antiquary who is interested in inscribed stones and crosses should consult the papers of Mr. Westwood in the ‘ Archa?ologia Cambrensis.’ The following are the principal stones worth visiting. In Brecon¬ shire, the Maen Llia on the Brecon and Ystradfellte road (Rte. 10), and near it the sculptured stone of Dervacus or Maen Madoc; the Maen-y- Morwynion or Maiden Stone, at the Gaer near Brecon (Rte. 13); the sculptured stone at Llandevailog near Brecon ; in Llanspyddid church- * See Nicholls* ‘ Forest of Dean,'—a very instructive little book, by a late worthy clergyman. Introd. xxii v. Antiquarian View, yard; at Llanynis near Builth; in the wall of Defynnock church; in the wall of Ystradgunlais church (Rte. 20) ; the Victorious Stone at Bwlch ; in Glanusk Park; the Catacus Stone in Cwmdu church wall; those of Peregrinus and Valens at Tretower; and the Turpilian Stone at Crickhowel (Rte. 12). In Glamorganshire are the stones on the Gellygaer Mountain near Merthyr Tydfil; that of Arthen in Merthyr church wall (Rte. 15) ; the Ogham Stone at Kenfig (Itte. 1) ; and the Brancyf Stone at Baglan church near Port Talbot; besides some others in the vicinity of Aberafon. In Cardiganshire—in Llanarth church near Aberaeron (Rte. 25), and the Virgin’s Stone near Lampeter. In Caer- marthenshire—the Eidon Stone at Golden Grove. Pembrokeshire—at Caldy Island, at Cilgerran church, and that of Sagrannus at St. Dog- mael’s Priory. In connection with them may be mentioned the wheel sculptured crosses at Margam Abbey and Llantwit churchyard, Glamorganshire. Of a different type, but of a much more beautiful kind, are the slender elevated crosses in St. Donat’s, Carew, and Nevern churchyards. British roads and boundaries are few, although it is very probable that many of the Roman roads followed the course of the British track¬ ways. The Via Flandrica or Fford Fleming is the best defined example, extending from near Roch Castle to the village of Ambleston in Pembrokeshire. Offa’s Dyke is in many places very perfect, and can be well examined in the neighbourhood of Knighton, and from thence by Kington to Bridge Sollars on the Wye. It is unlikely that it served any other purpose than a line of demarcation. Many of the Roman stations of South Wales have had their position definitely fixed, while some are still rather conjectural. Blestium was Monmouth. (?) Burrium it Usk. Gobannium yy Abergavenny. Magna yy Kenchester. Tibia Amnis Cardiff. (?) Bannium yy Gaer, near Brecon. Nidum yy Neath. Bovium yy Cowbridge (?) Bullamm was Builth. Leucarum „ Lloughor. Maridunum „ Caermarthen. Menapia „ St. David’s. Loventium „ Llanio, nr. Tregaron. Ad Vicesimum „ near Ambleston. Isca Silurum „ Caerleon. Venta Silurum „ Caerwent. There were also Roman stations at Llanfair-y-bryn, near Llandovery, and Caerfagu, near Rhayader. Traces of the Via Julia, which ran between Aqua Solis (Bath) and Menapia, are visible at Caerwent, Caerleon, near Tredegar Park, Newport, and in Pembrokeshire, between Menapia and Roche Castle. The actual point of crossing the Bristol Channel has always been a source of dispute amongst antiquaries, but the probability is that it was close to the New Passage and at Caldecot Pier, where it was protected by the camp at Sudbrook. The Sara Helen or Sara Lleon, connected Nidum with Bannium, the station at Llanfair-y-bryn, Loventium, and eventually Deva (Chester). It can be traced on the hills above Rheola, in the Vale of Neath, and from thence to the Maen Llia near Ystradfellte; again at Llanfair-y-bryn, Introd. Y. Antiquarian Vieiv. xxiii and crossing the hills near Lampeter to Llanio. A road is also visible from Caerfagu up the vale of the Clywedog to Abbey-cwm-hir, and from thence through the pass of Bwlch-y-sarnau to Caersws. The Homan towns of Caerleon and Caerwent are described in Rte. 1, and a mine of information about them is to be found in Mr. J. C. Lee’s ‘ Isca Silurum.’ Traces of roads are also to be found at Cayo, and from thence to the Gogofau mines, which, it is well known, were worked by the Romans for gold (Rte. 19). Camps are numerous in every part of the country, for there is scarcely a height that does not possess some tokens of defence or intrenchment, showing how fiercely and repeatedly the ground was disputed inch by inch. 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, Miartli near Glanusk, Slwch near Brecon ; in Caermarthensliire—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 kiuds of antiquarian buildings. They may be divided into— 1. Military—such as the Castles of Pembroke, Cilgerran, Llawliaw- dden, Llanstephan, Kidwelly, Aberystwyth, Chepstow, Newport, Calde- 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, Lamphejq St. David’s Palace, Llanddew. Secular, as St. Fagan’s, Foumon, St. Donat’s Llantwit Town-hall, Derwydd, Devannor, Porthaml, Gwernyfedd, Porthmawr, and Court Bryn-y-Beirdd, &c. 5. Ecclesiastical—as Llandaff, St. David’s, and Hereford Cathedrals. G. 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 be 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— Mon mou thsh v,re. *1. St. Woollos, Newport. 1. Chepstow. 1. Mathern. 1. Magor. 1. Christ Church. 1. Caldecot. 1. Caerwent. 12. Abergavenny. 4. Grosmont. 3. St. Thomas, Monmouth. 5. Mitchel Troy. 5. Usk. Caermarthenshire. 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. Coychurch. 1. Coity. iEwenny. 1. Newton. 2. Swansea. 2. Ilston. 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. VI. Social View. A glance at the map, or a very short consideration of the physical features of South Wales, will make it obvious that, as regards climate, agriculture, &c., many variations must be met with. Even in the same * Tbe numbers denotes the Routes. In trod. vi. Social View, XXV county, and often in a very small area, surprising differences of tem¬ perature exists; the high grounds and mountain-ranges presenting the appearance of severe winter, while the sheltered lowlands along the coast are luxuriating in a mild and spring-like atmosphere. Indeed in some districts, as South Pembrokeshire, the climate is seldom rigorous, even in the depth of winter—evidence of which is seen at Stackpole Court, where plants, which require in other parts of England the protection of a greenhouse, flourish well in the open air. It is this fortunate circum¬ stance that makes Tenby such a valuable place of winter residence for the invalid. The agricultural products of the country are of course to a great extent influenced by its external features, although the science of farming has immensely improved within the last twenty years, and done much to remedy the natural disadvantages of the soil. Agricul¬ tural associations have been formed in almost every county ; and the efforts of the large landowners to better not only the condition of the soil, but the social position of their tenants and labourers, have met with great success. The richest and best lands are generally to be met with in the alluvial valleys of the large rivers, as the Usk, Wye, Towy, Teifi, &c. The valley of the Usk may be said to be the most fertile, and to produce some of the finest crops. The lands on the slopes of the hills, and in the smaller tributary valleys, are of course more backward and less prolific ; the hills themselves, though useless for produce, being very valuable for sheepwalks. Immense flocks of sheep, as well as large numbers of horses and ponies, are pastured on them, forming, in the mountain-regions of Cardiganshire and Caermarthenshire, the prin¬ cipal resource of the farmer. The vast population which occupies the mineral districts, offers a never-failing market for the farmers for many miles round; those who are near enough supplying the more imme¬ diate agricultural produce, while those of Cardiganshire traverse the country with their light carts filled with salt butter and bacon. Until lately the mining population was a great deal too busy in the bowels of the earth to think of what might be done on the surface; but within the last few years a great saving must have been effected by the en¬ closure of large quantities of waste land, on which good though rather late crops are grown. Even Merthyr, smoke-blackened and coal-grimed as it is, possesses its Agricultural and Horticultural Association, the effects of which have been in many instances to cover the desolate- looking “tips” and rubbish-heaps with row r s of potatoes or cabbages. The character of the mining section of the Welsh population has wonderfully improved in recent years, which must be a source of congratulation to those who remember the lawlessness and ignorance which characterised Chartism, and the fearful riots to which it gave birth. Of course, where the amount of labour is so enormous, mis¬ understandings will often arise, which, if not adjusted, cause strikes and bitter feelings between master and man ; but even these latter, unfortunate as they are, are seldom marked by appeals to physical force. This improvement must be ascribed principally to education and the force of public opinion, which amongst this class of people is XXY1 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 flocks. 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. Geraldus Cambrensis says of them: “ They do not sing in unison, like the inhabitants of other countries, but in different parts; so that in a company of singers, which one frequently meets with in Wales, as many different parts are heard as there are performers, who at length unite with organic melody in one consonance. ... In the northern 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 is 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 in the same manner.” Nobody can hear the national Welsh airs, such as ‘ Ar hyd y nos,’ ‘ The March of the Men of Harlech,’ and ‘ Llwyn On,’ without being struck with their great originality or pathos. In many parts of the principality, meetings or congresses of Welshmen, called Eisteddfodau or Cymrygyddion ,* are occasionally held, at which prizes are offered for the best performances on the harp, or the best piece of poetry. The principal object of these meetings is to keep up the Welsh literature, which otherwise would be in some danger of becoming extinct; whether they really have any such results seems questionable, though at least one book of European reputation * Pronounced Cumruguthion. Introd. vi. Social Yiew. XXVII (Stejihens’ ‘ 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, 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 establishment of three university colleges in Wales has greatly stimu¬ lated the intellectual life of the people. In addition to the liberal education which they themselves offer at the very lowest terms, they have opened a way to Oxford and Cambridge of which scholars of the humblest social rank, but of rare gifts, have eagerly availed themselves. With regard to the question of language, it may be added that the services in 2853 out of 3571 chapels of the four leading Nonconformist denominations in Wales are conducted entirely in Welsh. There are not very many districts where the tourist will not be able to make himself understood, except perhaps in the remote and hilly portions of Caermarthenshire and Cardi"anshire—districts where the red flannel o 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 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. 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 of the latter from Somersetshire; and the immigrants have handed 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 “ Plygain,” i.e., “the return of morn,” “the dawn,” the “ 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 Cacloxton, near Neath. At six o’clock the church was Introd. xxviii vii. Glossary of Welsh Words. 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 :— “ 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, AVith 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. Aber, the fall of a lesser water into a greater, a confluence. Afon , river. Aeron , fruits, brightness. Al , power, very, most. Allt , a woody cliff. Ar, upon, bordering on. Aran, a high place, an alp. Bach and Bychan , little ; Fach and Fychan. Ban , lofty; pi. Banau , eminences. Bedd , a grave. Bettws , a station, a place between hill and vale. Blaen , an end, point, the head of a vale. Bad, an abode, dwelling. Braich , arm. Brig, summit. Bron, breast, a slope of a hill. Bryn, a mount, hill. Ba, an ox. Biclch, a defile, pass. Cad, host, battle. * The tourist who is interested iu old local customs, will find those of Tenby described at length in an interesting little book published by Mr. Mason, the librarian. Introd. xxix vir. Glossary of Welsh Words. Cader, chair, stronghold. Cae, field. Gaer , a fort, city. Cantref, a division of a county, Hun¬ dred. Capel, chapel. Garreg , stone. Garriy heap of stones. Garnedd, ditto; pi. carneddau. Gastell , fortress. Gefn, back, ridge. Gil , a retreat; pi. ciliau. Clawdd, dyke, hedge. Clogwyn , precipice. Coch, red. Coed, a wood. GorSy a bog. Craig, rock ; pi. creigiau. CroeSy a cross, a turn. Crag , a mound. Gvcrn, a dingle. Cgmmer , a confluence. Dau, two. De , south. Dol, a meadow. Dinas, a city or fortified post. Dries, a door, a pass. Du, black. Dwr, water. Dyffryn, a valley. Eglwys, church. Epynt, an ascent. Erw, acre. Esgair, long ridge. Each and Fychan , vid. Bach. Favor , vid. Mawr. Ffin , limit. Ffordd, passage. Ffynnon, a well. Flur, bright hue. Gaer , same as Gaer. Gallt, vid. Allt. Garth , a buttress hill, a cape. Gelli, grove. Gian , a shore, brink. Glds, blue, green. Glyn , a glen. Gwaelod, the bottom. Gwaen, a plain. Gvoern , a watery meadow. Gwydd, wood. Gvoyn, white, fair. Hafod, a summer residence. Hen, old. Ileol, a street. Ilir, 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. Llvoyd, grey, hoary. Llwyn, wood, copse. Llyn, lake. Llyr, water, the sea. Llys, a palace. Maen, stone. Maes, field. Mall , bad, rotten. Mawr, same as Faior, great. Mel in, mill. Moel, bald, same as Foel. Monad, isolated situation. Morfa, sea-marsh. Mynach , monk. Mynydd, mountain. Nant, brook. Neuadd, a hall. Nevoydd , new. Or, edge, side, rim. Pant, hollow. Pen, head, top. Pcn-maen, the stone end. Pentref, village, suburb. Pistyll, a cataract. Plas, hall, place. Pont , bridge. Porth, gate. PvM, ditch, pool. Rhayader , fall, cataract. Rhiio, ascent. Rhos, a moist plain. Rhudd, purple. Rhyd, ford. Sam, causeway. Tafarn, tavern. Tal, the front, head, tall. Tarn , spreading. Tir , earth, land. Tomen , mound, Traeth, a sandy beach. Trc, Tref, house, a small town. Tri, three. Troed, foot of a hill. XXX viii. Points of Interest for the Geologist. Intvod. Trwyn, nose. Twlch, knoll. Twr , tower. Ty, house, mansion; pi. Tai. Uchaf, highest; see Isaf. Y, the. Ym, in, by. Yn, into. Ynys , island. Yspytty (hospitium), a place of refresh¬ ment. Ystrad , a vale. Ystwith, 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. Penartli Head, near Cardiff, for Triassic marls overlaid by Rhceticor Penarth beds and Lias. Rhoetic beds. Barry Island. Southerndown, Lias limestone resting on upturned Carboniferous limestone. Llandaff, Permian, and Drift of the Taff Valley as far as Pentyrch. Llantrissant , Dolomitic conglomerate overlying the haematite deposits. Castell Coch, Limestone rocks. Coal-measures at Maesteg. 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 Gower and Worm's Head. Black shales at Bishopston. Bone caves of Bacon Hole and Paviland, Gower. 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 Hill, near Abergavenny. Cornstones of Bwlch , between Crick - howel and Brecon. The Daren near Crickhowel, and Pen - carreg-calch. Bradnor Hill Tilestones at Kington. Tilestones of Clyro Hills, near Hay. Horeb Chapel tilestones, Cwm Dwr , Trecastle. Ludlow rocks of the Epynt and Bwlch- y-groes Hills. The CTsk valley of elevation. Ludlow Rocks at Penylan, near Cardiff. The Wenlock limestoneand Pentamerus bed at Corton, near Presteign. Nash Scar. The eruptive rocks of Stanner, &c. The Llandeilo rocks, near Builth ( Well- field'), and the trap of the Carneddau Hills. The lower Silurian rocks of Llanwrtyd. The Llandovery beds at Noeth Cnig ( Llandovery ). The Gogofau gold-mines. Valley of the Sawdde, near Llanqad - dock. Cilgwyn , near Llandovery. Llandeilo. Mount Pleasant , Caermarthen (Lower Silurian). Purple fossiliferous slates of St. David's. Treffgarn Hills. The Sam Cynfelin, near Aberystwyth. Lisburne and Goginau lead-mines. In < rod. 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. 1. 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. *Buekstone. 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. Usk. *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. *Cli. Castle. *Scyrrid and *Sugar-Loaf Hills. Blorenge Mount. White Castle. *Cwmyoy and Llantliony Abbey. 2. 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 ISkCiichcstcr 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. *Abbeydore Ch. Garway Ch. and Dovecot. *Grosmont Ch. and Castle. *Sken- frith Castle. *Kilpeck Ch. Kington. *Ch. Bradnor Hill. Offa’s Dyke. Wapley. 3. Breconshire. Crickhowel. *Cli. 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. Devynnock. Ch. Vale of Senni. Penwylt. Scwd Hen Rhyd Fall. Hay. Ch. Castle. *Cusop Valley and Black Mountains. Mouse Castle. Cromlech at Moccas. * Clifford Castle. Gwernyfed Manor-house. *Bronllys Castle. Builth. 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. Coycliureh. *Margam. *Aberavon Works. Neath. Castle. * Abbey. * Neath Valley. Resol veil. *Pont Neath Vaughan. *Waterfalls on Hepste, Mellte, and Pyrrdin. *Porth yr. Ogof. Ystradfelite. 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. * Arthur’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. Kidivelly. Ch. and * Castle. *Llanstephan Castle. Llaugharne Castle. Caermarthen. *Ch. Obelisk. Whitland Abbey. *Cwm Gwili. Cynfil. Abergwili. *Dryslyn Castle. Llandeilo. Grongar Hill. *Llandeilo Ch. *Dynevor Castle. *Carreg Cennen Castle. Court Bryn y Beirdd. Source of the Lloughor. *Carngoch. Llangadock. * Talley Abbey. Llandovery. 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 *Elan and *Clarwen. Road to * Bui 1th. In trod. 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. r 7. Cardiganshire. * Upper portion of the Wye. Plinlymmon. * Falls at Port Erwyd. *Parson’s Bridge. *Devil’s Bridge. *Goginau Mines. *Llan- badarn Vawr Ch. Aberystwyth. *Castle. Plas, Crug. *Craiglais. Yale 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. Yale of Aeron. Aberayron. New Quay. Castle Nadolig. Llanrhystyd. 8. 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. Gowan’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. *a St. David's Cathedral, College, and Palace. Nun’s Chapel. Whitesand Bay. Penlan Fort. *St. David’s Head. Carn Llidi. Penberry. *Trevine Cromlech. *Fishguard. *Goodwick. *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. DAYS. 1. London to Tenby (by rail) via V/hitland. 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. Gowan’s Head, Stacks, and sleep at Pembroke. IS. Wales.’] c XXX1Y ix. Skeleton Tours. In trod. DAYS. 4. See Monkton, Lampkey, Carew, Pater, and sleep at New Milford. 5. Visit Milford, and by train to Haverfordwest, St. Mary’s Ch. ; if omnibus serves, to St. David’s in afternoon. (It is a glorious walk 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’s Head or the Nun’s Chapel near Caerfai. (The tourist should 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 to Fishguard, but descend to Newport. 9. Dinas Head, Newport Castle, Nevern Ch. and Cross, Cromlech at 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 Caermartken. 11. Visit Llanstephan and Kidwelly, and back to Caermarthen, or on to Llanelly. 12. From Caermarthen to Llandeilo by rail, or from Llanelly to Llandeilo by rail. Visit Dynevor Park, Carreg Cennen Castle. 13. Carn Goch, Llandovery. Excursion either to Gogofau or up the Valley of Towey to Capel Ystrad Ffin. 14. To Swansea by rail. Visit Castle, Docks, Museum, and by omnibus 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 tourist prefer, he can spend this day in an excursion to the Bone Caves of Gower and the Worm’s Head. (There is no conveyance.) 16. To Neath and Vale of Neath. Get out at Glyn Neath Station, and visit the Waterfalls. The first train ought to be taken to allow of this. In the evening take the last train to Merthyr Tydvil. 17. Visit Iron-works, Pontsarn, and Morlais Castle. In afternoon by rail 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 evening to Abergavenny. 20. From Abergavenny by rail to Pontypool, and from thence by Crumlin and Quakers’ Yard to Cardiff. Visit Docks. 21. Visit Llandaff Cathedral; if possible, let it be Sunday. 22. By TaffVale Rail to Castell Cock and from Walnut-Tree Bridge to Caerphilly. 23. From Cardiff to Cowbridge by rail (if driving, visit St. Nicholas Cromlech), and thence by Llantwit Major, St. Donat’s, Ogmore, and 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 to Hereford. (A pedestrian may get out at Llanvihangel Station, visit Llanthony Abbey, and be back in time for the last train to Hereford.) Conveyances must be obtained at Abergavenny, as there are none at Llanvihangel. Introd. ix. Skeleton Tours. xxxv DAYS. 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. 29. Chepstow Castle. Mathern, Caerwent, and Caldecot. From Porthskewit Station. 30. Chepstow to London, &c. / [This tour, including Sundays, will be about 33 days.] )H o> £ 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. 10. By omnibus to Devil’s Bridge, visit Hafod, and sleep at Devil’s Bridge. 11. By rail to Strata Florida Abbey (if time, to Llyn Teifi), and on by rail to Tregaron. 12. From Tregaron by rail to Loventium, Llanddewi Brefi, Lampeter and Caermarthen. 13. Caermarthen to Tenby by Whitland; on way visit Llawhawden Castle. 14. Tenby. 15. Manorbeer and the coast. 16. Monkton, Pater, &c. 17. Haverfordwest, St. David’s. 18. St. David’s. 19. Fishguard. 20. Newport, Nevern, &c. 21. Cardigan, Cilgerran, rail to Caermarthen. 22. Kidwelly. 23. Swansea and Vale. 2j-’ ^Gower. 26. Neath. Abbey. Margam. 27. Bridgend. Dimraven. 28. Vale of Neath Waterfalls ; in evening to Merthyr to see its Ironworks. 29. Merthyr to Abergavenny by rail. Visit Ch., Castle (if time, ascend Sugar Loaf). In evening to Crickhowell (post). c 2 xxxvi ix. Skeleton Tours. Introd DAYS. 30. Back to Abergavenny, and by rail to Pontypool, Crumlin Viaduct, to 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 and 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 Taff Vales. A not very long walk, but fatiguing, owing to the height 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 to 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 day before. 6. Take train to Aberafon ; walk through Cwm Avon to Maesteg, and up through Glyn Corrwg into Vale of Neath. A good day’s work. If possible, try and catch the last train to Merthyr. 7. From Merthyr by Castle Morlais up the Valley of the Lesser Taff to Beacons, and down to Brecon. 8. Walk to Llandovery, and in afternoon visit Llandeilo, &c., returning to Llandovery. 9. Start early, and walk up the Towey to Capel Ystrad y Ffin. Visit Twm Shon Catti’s Cave, and thence up the Vale of either the Doeithiau or Pysgottwr to Tregaron. This is a long walk, solitary, and requires a fine day and a good map. 10. From Tregaron to Strata Florida, Llyn Teifi, and sleep at Hafod Arms. 11. Visit Parson’s Bridge, Falls of the Rheidol at Pont Erwyd, and 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 descend by the Vale of Yrfon to Llanwrtyd Wells, and by rail to Builth. 14. From Builth to Hay. Introd. x. Dowlais Iron Works. xxxvii 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, Southerndown, 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 and upon the lowest measures, the Morlais between them and the lime¬ stone. The town of Dowlais covers the triangle between the two streams, extending northwards from their junction at Gellifaelog. The base of this 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¬ daran coal-field was purchased by the Dowlais Company, and the works have 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 rights, 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 x. Doivlais Iron Works. Introd. XXXVlll the ancient and wealthy Glamorganshire family of Lewis of the Yan, from whom nearly the whole tract between the Taff and the Ehymney 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 AYest, 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 XIY., 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, AYednesbury, 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-Caiacli, 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 4000?.; and when, in November, 1762, the original lease was sur¬ rendered, the re-grant 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 23?. per annum, with an additional property, of which a sub-lease fell in. The new lease was for an advanced rent of 5?., upon which rent of 31?. 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 their 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 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 they 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 discussions on the subject shortened the lives of both lessor and lessee. Lord Bute died suddenly a few days before he was to have affixed his signature; and when, some time afterwards, the lease was sent to Sir 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, lie 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, ti044. HANDBOOK FOR SOUTH WALES, ROUTES. *** The names of places are printed in italics only in those routes where the places are described. ROUTE 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 Cliepstow, by Boss and Monmouth . . 52 4 Newport to Hereford, by Pontypool Boad and Aber¬ gavenny .68 5 Newport to Monmouth, by Usk and Baglan . . . .76 6 Newport to Brynmawr, by Pontypool and Blaenafon . 81 7 Newport to Nantyglo and Bhhwvale, by Crumlin and Aberheeg . 83 8 Newport to Nantybivch, 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 Bhymney, by Caer¬ philly .117 15 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, Bhay- ctder, and Llanidloes. . . 133 18 Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Kington, Badnor, and Rhayader.138 19 Craven Arms to Caermar¬ then, by Llandrindod, Llandovery, and Llandeilo . 144 20 Swansea to Ystraclgunlais . 156 21 Swansea to Llanelly and Llandeilo, by Pont-ar-dulais 158 22 Caermarthen to Aberystwith, by Lampeter .159 23 Caermarthen to Cardigan, by Pcncader .170 24 Caermarthen to Pembroke, by Wliitland and Tenby . .173 25 Haverfordwest to Aberyst¬ wyth, by St. David's, Fish¬ guard, Cardigan, and Abe- raeron .184 [S. Wales. ] B S. Wales. 2 Boute 1 .—Chepstow to Swansea. ROUTE 1. FROM CHEPSTOW TO SWANSEA, BY NEWPORT, CARDIFF, BRIDGEND AND NEATH. l (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 (via Porthskewit) or steamer, and is at the gates of the beautiful scenery of the Wye. A Wye Valley line 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 ’ow-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^ m. from its confluence with the Severn, and, viewed from the opposite 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 IIP, and was founded either by the Norm. Baron, William Fitz-Osborn, or by his suc¬ 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 modern tower, is a circular portal richly adorned with chevrons and zigzag mouldings. This, together with the 3 round- headed windows above it, is a counterpart of the doorway of St. George’s at Roscherville 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 rows of circular arches are supported on massive square piers, somewhat like 3 S. Wales. JRonte 1. —Chepstoiv Castle. those of St. Albans. Over these arches are triforia, consisting of apertures pierced in the wall, and a range of E. Norm, clerestory win¬ dows. The triforia differ somewhat on the N. and S. sides. 4 4 A little attention ascertains the truth, that among the accumulations of successive periods of barbarism there lies concealed the nearly per¬ fect nave of no contemptible Norman minster.”— E. A. F. Here is a monument to Henry, 2nd Earl of Worcester, bearing his marble effigy under a canopy supported by Corin¬ thian pillars. Under a slab in the chancel is interred Hen. Marten, the I'egicide, who died 1680, aged 70. By far the most interesting object in Chepstow is the Castle, of great extent and in tolerable preservation, highly picturesque in form, and most striking in its situation on a steep platform of rock, on one side washed by the Wye, and, on the other, separated from the town wall by a deep dingle, that is prettily clothed with greensward and timber, and forms a natural dry moat to the fortress. The entrance on the E. side, facing the bridge, is by a gate-house flanked with circular towers, still retaining its ponderous doors, not indeed original, but old, coated with iron-plates, and cross-barred within. The entrance vault is grooved for the portcullis, and pierced with the usual apertures for stockades. The ground-plan of the fortress is an irregular parallelogram, covering 3 acres, divided into 4 courts, each with its separate defences, one being the formidable river-cliff, on the edge of which the N. wall is built. In the Domesday Book, it is spoken of as Castellum de Estriglioiel, or Striguil, but the British name was Casgwent, and the Saxon, Cheap- stowe. Though a castle w r as built here by the Norman, Fitz-Osborn, Earl of Hereford, in the 11th centy., and though portions of that struc¬ ture 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 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, 4 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 S. Wales, Route 1 .—Chepstow : The Wye. Mary’s Cli., 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 1ST. 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 i. 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 Restora¬ 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 charac¬ teristics of the scenei’y 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. Coplestone, commands an admirable view of Chepstow, the venerable fortifica¬ tions of the old Port, and the mouth of the Wye. On the other hand, by crossing the bridge and mounting the hill, a beautiful landscape is gained, having for its principal points, Piercefield (late the residence of H. Clay, Esq.), the rocks on the W. Bank of the Wye, and the Wyncl- cliff. The Wye is navigable for large vessels up to Chepstow Bridge, the tide rising higher here than at almost any other point on the coast of Britain. It is usually 40 ft., but not unfrequently, after a prevalence of winds which drive the sea into the Bristol Channel above its mean level, it has reached an elevation of 50 ft., and once in January, 1768, to 70 ft. This is probably owing to the jutting out of the rocks at Aust and Beacliley. At the entrance of the river is an islet, upon which are the ruins of an ancient chapel, said to have been built in the year 47, and commonly called St. Tecla’s or Treacle chapel, one of the old “ Free chapels ” which were independent of any parochial jurisdiction. William of Worcester calls it ‘ £ Capella Sancti Teriaci, Anchorite. ” This St. Tecla, the first British S. Wales. Boate 1.— Beachley — Mathern . 5 female martyr, was the daughter of one of the petty reguli of Gwynedd, who being enamoured of a religious life, abandoned the rude splendour of her father’s court, and retired after the manner of those primitive times, 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 after age reared the memorial chapel, whose scanty remains may yet be traced upon the summit of the rock. The cli. of Llandegla, in Denbigh¬ shire, is dedicated to this saint, and her well, in the same parish, long enjoyed a wondrous reputation for its cures of epilepsy, or, as it is termed by the Welsh, “ Clwyf Tecla,” or St. Tecla’s disease. Llandegley, in Rad¬ norshire, dedicated to the same saint, has 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 1J 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 Cheshire, and of his son, Archdeacon Ormerod, a scholar and antiquary, who did not long survive him, and through whose grounds Ofla’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 1S59, intrenchments of what seems to have been a summer camp (castra aestiva) 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 Morganwg, 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 maj>j 6 j Route 1.— PorthaJccwit. 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 towers. 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. Porthskewit Junct. —The steam ferry-boat has now been re¬ placed by the tunnel which passes under the Severn about 1J m. from the Junction. It has brought S. Wales much nearer to the West ol 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. & N. W. R. The tunnel is one of the most im¬ portant engineering works of modern times. Its total length is 4 m. 624 yds., of which 2| m. 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 Sudbroolc 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 (18th 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 partly 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 chambers, J and the remains of a chapel ; one S. Wales. Route 1.— Caerwent — Newchurch. 7 flanking tower lias a parapet sup¬ ported on sculptured corbels, carry¬ ing pointed arched machicolations. Opposite is the Postern Tower. Be¬ tween the gatehouse and the S.E. tower are 4 large and widely-splayed Dec. lights, of which 3 are divided by transoms. Several of the hearths have herring-bone work of tile- stones. The whole building is remarkable for the excellence of its masonry. Caldicot is the most westerly place mentioned in Domesday. It was 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¬ caster by Henry VIII. The owner will allow inspection by persons in¬ terested in mediaeval work who send in their names. No 'picnic or large 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 a surpliced choir. Between Caldicot and Shirenewton is the ruined chapel of Runston, a religious establishment of some note, attached to Mathern. m. to the N. of Caldicot, on a rising ground amidst a broad valley, is Caerwent, the Venta Silurum of the Romans, 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 traces are still visible in the neigh¬ bourhood of the village of Crick. In Leland’s time ‘‘ there yet appeared pavements of old streates, and yn 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- wliirls, 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 34 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 If m. to the E., upon Golden Hill, is another, called Bryn 8 Boute 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. 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 he 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 4 4 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 principal remains. This was for many centuries the residence of the St. Maur or Seymour family. Pencoed 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 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. It is evident that these and the many other petty castles with which this part of Monmouthshire is thickly studded, were built for the protec¬ tion of Wentwood district, probably by the retainers and tenants of the Bohuns and the Clares, j 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¬ tween Bristol and Alveston, and on the rt. the prettily-wooded range of 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 44 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 m. Llanwern Stat. On rt. is the plain little ch. of Llanwern and Llanwern House. The suburb of Maindee is now 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 increasing traffic, owing to the great exportation of coal and iron from hence, its position being at the point where the busy and densely populated valleys of the Usk, Afon, Eddw, and Sirhowy rivers converge, S. Wales. Iloute 1 .—Alexandra Docks: Castle. 9 Cardiff, thanks to the late Lord Bute, had many years the start of Newport, but at last, under the leading of Sir G. Elliott, supported by the influence of Lord Tredegar, the powerful ground landlord, the Alexandra Dock was formed and the town has rapidly increased. Newport has the advantage of possessing communication by 6 rlys., viz., the South Wales to London and Milford, the Great Western (by an improved route via Caerleon) to Hereford and the North of England, the Monmouthshire, now in the hands of the Great Western, to the ironworks in the neighbourhood, the Sirhowy to Tredegar and the London and North-Western system, the Brecon and Merthyr, which gives connection with the Mid-Wales and the Ponty¬ pridd, Caerphilly, and Newport running into the Rhondda valley. Bristol also is accessible by the Severn Tunnel Railway. A canal runs to Pontypool, Abergavenny and Brecon, while a second accompanies the Western Valleys Railway up to Crumlin. Steamers ply daily to Bristol in from 2 to 8 lirs., according to tide, and to Cork once a week. For the accommodation of large ves¬ sels which were prevented approach¬ ing the town from want of water, a large and commodious dock was opened in 1842, at an expense of 200,000Z., and having an area of 41- acres. A still larger one, possessing an area of 7f acres, was opened in 1858, the old dock not being of sufficient extent for the rising com¬ merce of the port. In 1868, the Alexandra Docks were commenced on a scale ade¬ quate to the requirements of the place. They cover 28£ acres, and were opened on the 12th of April, 1875, and a further extension is now in progress. A fine view of the town and St. Woollos Ch., backed up by the Blorenge and Twm Barlwm Mountains, 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 two 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 Route 1.— Newport — Caerleon. S. Wales. from the ch. -yd. commands the river Usk, and the levels of Caldicot and Wentloog from Magor to the Rhymney ; 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 1ST. 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 John 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 Chirbury. At Goldcliffa, 3 m. from Newport, near the mouth of the Usk, are the slight remains of a priory, founded in the early part of the 12tli centy. The cliff itself contains near its base a course of mica—which, glit¬ tering in the sunlight, evidently obtained the name Goldcliff. 1m. from the town, near the Caerphilly road, is a very perfect camp, said to be Roman, and called “ the Gcier.” Upon the Wentloog Level (2 m. distance) is another encampment, believed to be Saxon. [ 3 short m. up the rt. bank of the Usk, is the once famous city of Caerleon (the Isca Silurum of Antoninus), where the 2nd Augus¬ 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. 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¬ ford and Gloucester. The Roman remains found here from time to time are most nume¬ rous. They have been figured and drawn by the late.J- E. Lee, Esq., of the Priory, whose monograph, entitled ‘ Isca Silurum, ’ is worthy of the fullest examination by an¬ tiquaries. A local Museum has been erected here by the instru¬ mentality of the Caerleon Antiq. Ass., which will well repay inspec¬ tion. “Though not in themselves very important, these early relics of the first introduction of civilization 11 S. Wales. Route 1.— Caerleon: Church ; Camp. into the extremities of our island by Roman conquest must surely be interesting to any reflective mind. The mutilated records of the occupa¬ tion of this remote station by the 2nd Augustan Legion—the comme¬ moration of the rebuilding of their barracks — the restoration of their temple—the monuments of their officers, shewing them to have been established here with their wives and families — the votive tablet in¬ scribed to Fortune and happy events by the bride and bridegroom, and sepulchral inscriptions of widows and children to deceased husbands and parents — the fragments of their household utensils--the needles and fibulae of the ladies—the remains of their villas in the town and suburbs, with their tesselated floors and baths—the camp which exercised their discipline, and the amphithe¬ atre which witnessed their sports,— all these bring before the mind’s eye a vivid picture of the circumstances of the times which first destroyed the insulated separation of Britain from continental Europe, and ad¬ mitted her within the sphere of the civilized world.”— (W. 1). C .) The above extract gives a lively and, except in one clause, an accurate sketch of the objects of interest in the museum. It is now quite es¬ tablished that the votive tablet to Fortune and “Bonus Eventus ” was vowed by two husbands, and erected by their wives or widows. The museum contains, besides, some very curious Active and sepul¬ chral inscribed tablets, stone coffins, &c., &c., an important collection of earthen materials (Samian ware, pot¬ tery, cinerary urns, lamps, mortars, lamp-moulds, antefixa (or roof-orna¬ ments to answer the purpose of para¬ pets), bricks, tiles, tesselated pa\ r e- ments), glass and enamel ornaments, bone and ivory carvings, objects in bronze and iron, rings, seals, coun¬ ters, chairs, calculi, ligukc or ladles, Ac., in addition to remains from the Roman villa that came to light during the excaA T ations 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 Avhole 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 Avell 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 Avas found, of vivid colouring, which, liOAvever, faded away considerably on exposure to the air. Some fragments of inscrip¬ tions, mentioned by Coxe, but long lost, Avere 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 lucre 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 Avas probably a British fortress prior to its being made a Roman camp, and is said in the ‘ Myvyrian Arclueo- logy ’ to have been built by ‘ ‘ Belli, 12 S. Wales. j Route 1.— Caerleon — Marshfield. the son of Dyvynwal Moel Mud, and to have been called Caer Llion.” 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 archiepiscopal see of the holy Dubri- tus, sometime Bishop of Llandaff, 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 has 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 hopes 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 St. Julian's , now a farmhouse, but once the abode of Lord Herbert of Cherbury. The armorial bearings of his predecessors, wdiose heiress he married, remain over the entrance.] Soon after leaving Newport, is on the rt. Tredegar Park, the resi¬ dence of Lord 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 park, 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 Bailway funs through the park on its way to Ebbw vale and Nantyglo (Rte. 7). Lord Tredegar, whose sire, the first peer, was formerly known in Wales as Sir Charles Morgan, repre¬ sents in the female line the great 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 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 m. wide, and are defended from the sea by a bank 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, a fine old church of the 14th centy., built on the ruins of a former Nor¬ man edifice. It possesses a peculiar lopsided chancel, and has met with full commemoration in a paper by Mr. Freeman, in the 3rd vol. of the 3rd series of ‘ Arch. Cambr.’ 1| m. N.W. of St. Mellon’s, on the opposite side of the Rhymney, is Cefn Mabley (Col. Kemys-Tynte), a curious old house of that family. Further N. of Cefn Mabley is R,u- perra (Hon. F. Morgan), reputed, on very slender evidence, the work of Inigo Jones. It commands an ex¬ tensive view of the Severn and So¬ mersetshire hills. There is a moated mound in the park, and another not far off at Castleton.] S. Wales. Route 1.- Soon afterwards the Rhymney river is crossed, the boundary be¬ tween England and Wales, Mon¬ mouth and Glamorgan. The tra¬ veller now leaves the villlage and ch. of Rhymney on rt., and obtains a good view on 1. of Penarth Head and the forests of masts betokening the approach to $ Cardiff (Caer-tiff, from Tibia Amnis, or perhaps “ Caer ” “ Dyf,” h. c. Taff), the old county town of Glamorgan, a distinction now shared with 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, and, 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 1801.1,018 „ in 1851 . 18,351 ,, in 1881 . 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, -Cardiff. 13 and attracted by its magnificent docks. The Glamorganshire Canal, from Merthyr and Aberdare, opened 1791, 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 1810 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. 11). 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 15 ft. opening ; depth on the sill at springs 28 ft. 83 in., at neaps 18 ft. 7\ 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. 83 - 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 16 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 S. Wales. Route 1.— Cardiff: Castle. Basm 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 Roath and Maindy, at Penarth, Can¬ ton, and along the road to Llanclaff. 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 chiefly 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 fine 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 help or assistance.”— Smyth. Until of late years Cardiff only possessed 1 ch. (that ”of St. Mary’s, mentioned by Speed as being in danger, having been washed away by the Taff in 1607) : a later St. 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 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 a mound at its S.E. angle, and con¬ taining near to its N.W. angle a large conical flat-topped mound, de¬ tached from the bank and with its own moat—in fact, a Saxon Burh. The earth banks were also moated outside. On the W. and contiguous half of the S. side, where the bank is wanting, it is replaced by a wall 40ft. high and 10ft. thick, quite plain and without buttresses, and S. Wales. 15 Route 1 .—Cardiff Castle. the mound is covered by a polygonal shell keep of late Norm. date. Upon the wall at the entrance to the court is a square tower of E. E. date, called Duke Robert’s tower, from an absurd notion that the eldest son of the Conqueror, who was a prisoner at Cardiff, was here shut up. In the centre of the W. side is the main block of the Castle buildings, many of Dec. date, though with a later vaulted cellar. The fine octangular tower is the work of Rich. Beau¬ champ Earl of Warwick, who became possessed of the Castle by marriage with the heiress of the Despensers. Formerly a strong wall, lying N. and S., crossed the court and con¬ nected Robert’s tower with the mound and keep, crossing the inner ward which was walled, and leaving the E. part of the court as an outer ward protected only by the earth- bank and moat, and probably a stockade upon the former. In this outer ward stood the Shire Hall, a chapel and lodgings occupied by the principal tenants who held of the Castle by military service, and here resided when on duty. The cross wall has long been destroyed and the keep-moat filled up, but Lord Bute has disinterred the foundations of the wall, reopened the moat and laid bare the piles of a draw-bridge, the Castle-well and the base of the flight of steps which give access to the keep. These have been carefully restored. Other additions, as a tower at the S.W. angle, have been made and the interior much embel¬ lished by the present owner. The detail is by Burgess, and is much admired. Looking to the figure of the earth- banks, it was evident that the place was after a Roman pattern, but as the Romans usually walled their per¬ manent stations, and seldom threw up earthworks of such size, it was sup¬ posed that these were designed on Roman lines, or by men who had some knowledge of Roman castrame- tation. The mound was evidently Saxon, and probably of the 8tli 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 Burli. 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 Burli. When the Normans came, they, like the Romans, preferred walls to earthworks, but they utilized the Burli 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. ‘ 4 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 15th cent., from the reign of Rufus to that of Hen. VI.”— G. 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- 1C Route 1.— Cardiff—-Penarth. S. Wale! 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 till treason 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 S':radling. 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 Friary, 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 Park, which have been made on the W. side of the river, just across the bridge, by Lady Bute, for the use of the townspeople. A statue of the late Lord Bute nearly faces the Castle gateway. Cardiff possesses some handsome buildings—such as the Town Hall, a Library and Mu¬ seum, &c. In 1883 after a strenuous contest with Swansea, Cardiff was selected as the site for the University College of S. Wales and Monmouthshire. The College was opened in 1883 in temporary buildings not far from the Taff Vale and Rhymney Rly. Stats. It is governed by a royal charter and receives a Government grant of £4000 a year. The number of students matriculated since 1883 is 520 ; in the session 1888-89 the number in attendance was 164. The College is particularly strong in its scientific and technological depart¬ ments. In consequence of a muni¬ ficent gift of the Drapers’ Company a chair of mechanical engineering is about to be founded. The fees for all the College lectures may be com¬ pounded for by the student at the extraordinary low figure of 10Z. a year. The College Library contains a unique collection of books in Welsh or on Welsh subjects numbering nearly 20,000 vols. $ Penarth should be visited, either by omnibus or steamer from the dock, which plies to and fro twice or thrice in every hour, partly for the fine scenery of Penarth Head and partly for the Docks, which have been executed at a very heavy outlay, and are connected with the Taff Yale Rly. by a line 4 m. in length, the junction taking place beyond Llan- daff. A very pretty Church has been built at Penarth by the late Baroness Windsor, at a cost of 8000Z. It is E. pointed, of cruciform shape and foreign type, with a tower and saddle¬ back roof, 90 ft. high. The designs S. Wales. Haute 1.— Ely: Llandajf Cathedral. 17 were by Butterfield. From the high ground beyond the cli. the visitor looks over the Bristol Channel upon Weston and Clevedon, and the Flat- holmes and Steepholme are conspi¬ cuous midway in the waters. Leaving Cardiff station, the rail¬ way crosses the Taff and the alluvial flats of Leckwith, having Penartli Head to the 1. and Canton , with its new ch., to the rt. 31 m. Ely Stat. 1 m. on rt. is Llandaff Cathedral, whch has gra¬ dually but steadily risen from the ruin and desolation of ages. It is placed upon the rt. bank of the Taff, and at the foot of a steep slope, upon and above which stands the ancient, but fast increasing village, the titular city of Llandaff, and centre of the parish, with a population of 1796 at the last census. The situa¬ tion is one of uncommon beauty. The broad river ripples over a pebbly bed, fringed with overhanging al¬ ders, and winds its way across the fertile meadows that first attracted the Norman spoiler. The sheltering hill boasts several fine trees, while its side is thickly studded with graves, and its crest is crowned by the old-world village street, with the ruins of the Bishop’s forti¬ fied palace, and its cross, probably the spot where the crusade was preached in 1187 by Archb. Bald¬ win, the Papal Legate, attended by his chaplin, Giraldus Cambrensis, Archdeacon of Brecknock, in the time of William Saltmarsh, Bishop of Llandaff. As in the vicinity of St. Asaph, so in that of this S. Welsh Cathedral , villas are springing up under the shadow of the church, and the town of Cardiff is drawing dangerously close to the pleasant lanes and meadows that surround the Cathedral city. Llandaff is a place of high antiquity, and, putting aside the tradition of ■‘-"■’{A?. 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 ‘ 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 Route 1 .—Llandaff Cathedral. S. Wales. 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 arcliiepiscopal 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 portion (perhaps an eastern apse) did not exceed 40 ft. In the Early English period the cli. 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 VII.’s uncle.— King. Bishop Godwin writes : “At the end of the 7 th centy. so much riches had been bestowed on Llan¬ daff, that, if it enjoyed a tenth part of that which it had 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 : “ Certes it is a poore bishopricke, and (as I have heard) the late incumbent thereof being called for not long since by the Lord Presi¬ dent in open Court, made answer, ‘ The Taffe is here, but the land is gone.’ ” At the end of the 17th centy. the gross value of the Bishop’s revenues was 230/. according to Bishop Beau, who adds that after deductions there was ‘ 1 nothing more of them than would defray the 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 followed suit, and by 1723 the ruin of the west end was complete. About that period a proposition was entertained of moving the see to Cardiff. The only remaining portions of Bishop Urban’s Norm. cli. now stand¬ ing, are the massive Norm, arch dividing the presbytery from the Lady Chapel, a Norm, wall, and portions of two Norm, windows cut into by the present decorated piers. It is to the small size of this cli. that much of the singularity of the pre¬ sent building is owing, for since this time it had never been rebuilt. It has been lengthened, widened, and heightened, but the early Norm. ch. formed the nucleus'round which the later additions rose. The 18th centy. saw Llandaff in its worst and most lamentable state of neglect and decay—its aisles were roofless, grass grew in the nave and the ivy over its windows— the climax being reached when a severe storm blew down the S.W. tower and a great portion of the nave. The choir service, which had for some time ceased to be choral, was then removed into the Lady Chapel. In 1730, however, the sum of 7000£. was collected for the pur¬ pose of preventing the whole build¬ ing from going to ruin ; and, under the guidance of Mr. Wood, a Bath architect, the Cathedral was made to assume an aspect between a dissent¬ ing chapel and a lecture-room, a quasi-Italian temple occupying pres¬ bytery, choir, and part of the nave. The Cathedral was spared the crowning insult of a new West front to match (of which a sketch is given S. Wales. Route 1 .—Llandaff Cathedral. 19 in p. 10 of Mr. King’s ‘ Handbook to the Welsh Cathedrals ’), by a provi¬ dential failure of funds. In 1836, the Rev. H. Douglas, the then precentor, gave up his salary as a commencement of a fund for the restoration in a legitimate manner ; and at the appointment, by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, of Dean Bruce Knight (the office having been vacant since the death of Brother Esni, the last Dean, in 1120), the works were vigorously begun in 1844, and carried on still more in earnest by his successor, Dean Conybeare, who utterly effaced the Italian temple. The restoration was entrusted to Mr. Pritchard, the diocesan architect, who was in the earlier portion of the work associ¬ ated with Mr. Seddon ; and it must be allowed, that it has been carried on with great caution and good taste. Between 1846-57, 9000Z. was expended in the restoration of the Lady Chapel, presbytery, clerestory, roofing the choir and nave, and in the interior work ; while those por¬ tions of the building which it was not intended then to renovate were judiciously secured and strength¬ ened. The opening of the Ca¬ thedral for public worship and for choral services, which hcCd been disused since 1691, gave a fresh impetus to the subscription list, and by the energy and eloquence of the late Dean Williams further im¬ provements were carried out. The Italian wall which Mr. Wood’s bad taste had placed across the nave was removed, the W. front restored, the western bays and the side aisles rebuilt, and the chapter- house brought into its former con¬ dition. A final and no less successful appeal was made by the Dean for the rebuilding of the S.W. tower with its spire, according to the ori¬ ginal plan, and the restoring of the N.W. tower of Jasper Tudor with its crowning pinnacles. This ex¬ pense of 8000Z. was met by fresh subscriptions, and a grant from the Commissioners of 50007. ; 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 “ 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 AY. (front of Ripon 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 Boute 1 .—Llandaff Cathedral. S. Wales. of tlie 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 wdiile 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 12tli centy. were afterwards added ; and in the S. wall a curious appearance is pre¬ sented by an interpolated pointed arch intersecting an original Norm, window. That the same additions w r ere made to the N. wall was clear from the fact that, during the re¬ storation, a Norm, stringcourse was discovered running along it. The presbytery, or choir, presents a most beautiful appearance from the chasteness of the execution and the richness of the carving, particularly conspicuous in the Norm, arch in front of the Lady Chapel, with its rich exterior moulding consisting of circlets dotted with round studs and enclosing eight flower-petals turned inwards; in the reredos of Caen stone, with side shafts of polished marble, behind the high altar, the arches of which have been filled by three original pictures representing David as king and shepherd, and the Nativity, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti ; and in the sedilia, with their highly enriched canopies. The font de¬ signed by Seddon, representing sub¬ jects from the history of Noah, and the pulpit, with designs by Woollier of Moses, David, John the Baptist, and S. Paul, are well worth attention. The mediaeval reredos, which was found on removing the stucco of the Italian temple, being too far gone for repair, has been carefully pre¬ served in the N. presbytery aisle. The wood carving of the Bishop’s throne, and the stalls for the chapter and choir, are extremely good and well worthy of careful examination. The organ, a fine one, by Gray and Davidson is placed on the N. of the choir. It is decorated with words and figures illustrative of the Bene- dicite. There are some good monuments in the ch., though sadly mutilated. The reputed tomb of Teilo, the effigy now existing thereon being of early decorated character, is by the sedilia, on the S. of the presbytery. Before this tomb it used to be the custom 3. Wales. 21 Route 1 .—Llandaff Cathedral. for people making purchases of land, or giving gifts to the church, to swear to their bargain. This tomb was opened in 1736, and a contempo¬ raneous record was found on the wall in 1850, stating that certain relics were found therein. That of St. Dubritius, whose relics were replaced by Urban, was placed by tradition nearly opposite that of Teilo, but the effigy, possibly of even date with the latter, is now placed in the N. aisle, where are also to be seen those of Bishops Bromfield, 1393, and Mar¬ shall, 1496 ; an emaciated figure in a winding-sheet ; Sir William Mathew of Radyr, ancestor of the late Earls of Llandaff, and his wife 1528-30. Also a beautiful modern monument to Henry Thomas, Esq., of Llwynmadoc, in Breconshire, for 18 years Chairman of Glamorganshire Quarter Sessions. The design is by Prichard, the figures by Armstead. At the extreme E. end we find the tombs of Sir David Mathew, standard- bearer to King Edward IV., and of Sir Christopher Mathew, a knight of gigantic stature, and his wife, 1500. In the S. aisle is an effigy of a Bishop unknown, a large slab with floreated cross and much worn in¬ scription in Norm. French, and at the extreme E. end an effigy of Lady Aud- ley in a long robe, and close muffler, with two monks bearing escutcheons at her feet. In the Lady Chapel on the N. side of the altar is the effigy of Bishop William de Bruce (variously spelt), 1287, and on the wall a Brass in memory of Bishop Copleston, 1849. A curious painting on boards, which formed part of Bishop Mar¬ shall’s throne, was discovered during the restoration, .and placed in the Bishop’s palace. It represents the Virgin ascending through the starry firmament supported by angels. Some play on musical instruments, while one holds an escutcheon with the arms of the Bishop and See. The 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.AV. 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 AV., S.AV., 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- Route 1.— Ely—Sully Island. S. Wales. 0O sion of tlie 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 liadyr stone that of Bishop Ollivant. On the picturesque slope above the cathedral stood formerly the l-3th 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 possession 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 been spoiled by Owain Glyndwr. The gatehouse is tolerably perfect, and is the entrance to the Bishop’s residence and garden. The chapel was erected in Bp. Olli¬ vant’s time by Christian. The village contains vestiges of several ancient buildings. A girls’ College, named IIowell's Charity , erected in a com¬ manding situation on the Cardiff road, affords maintenance and education for 30 foundationers, besides 30 paying boarders and day scholars, from moneys bequeathed m the reign of Henry VII. to the Drapers’ Company to provide marriage portions for the testator’s female descendants. There is a similar building at Denbigh, for giving the same advantages to North Wales. Some way from Ely st. on Leck- witlx Hill above the r. or western bank of the river Ely, is the ancient ch. of Landough. Close around Llandaff are ltook- wood (Col. F. E. Hill), Fairwater (E. W. David, Esq.), and the new and conspicuous mansion of J. H. Insole, Esq., a large colliery proprie¬ tor. A mile to the N.W. is Radyr, once the seat of the ancient family of Mathew. [8 m. on 1. of Ely St. is Sully House (Lord Wimborne). The late eminent geologist, Dean Conybeare, was for many years resident rector of Sully. Sully Island is of small area, con¬ taining probably the smallest camp in Britain. In the church, which is much modernised, are the monu¬ ments of the family of Thomas of Llwyn-madoc, and an E. E. piscina. Near it is a fragment of the castle, also of E. E. date. At Cogan Pill, between Sully and Cardiff, is an old house, the seat of the Herberts of Cogan. 1 m. 1., on a hill, is Caerau Church, standing in the enclosure of a camp, whence its name is derived. Some have placed here the c< Tibia Amnis” S. Wales. Houte 1. — St. Fagan’s — St. Nicholas . 23 of the Itineraries, though it seems difficult to understand why it should not have been at Cardiff. Beyond, 2 m. further, is Court-yr-alla (Lieut. - Col. Rous), corrupted from Court- yr-raleigh, it having long been a seat of the Raleighs of Nettlecombe. Near it are the ruins of Dinas Powis Castle, built by Iestyn ap Gwrgant circ. 1000 a. D. They are the pro¬ perty of the Rev. H. T. Lee, of the Mount. ] 33 m. St. Fagan’s Stat. On rt. the castle, church, and village crown a steep bank, at the bottom of which runs the Ely (Afon-lai, slow river). The Castle (Lord Windsor) was built in the 12tli centy. by Sir Peter deVele, and the present picturesque high - gabled square house placed within its court by the Gibbon family, from whom it came to the Lewises of the Van, of whom the present owner is representative. The church and village were almost re¬ built by the late Hon. R. H. Clive, whose son, the Hon. Robert Wind¬ sor Clive, the father of the present Lord Windsor, died in the midst of completing his sire’s good work of restoration here. The designs are by Street, and the painted glass is very good. At the battle of St. Fagan’s the Welsh insurgents, presbyterians and royalists, to the number of 8000, who had risen to resist the growing power of the Independents, were defeated with great loss (1648) by Col. Horton, when many out of the best Glamorganshire families were killed. [2 m. 1. Coedriglan, the seat of the late Rev. J. M. Traherne, whose col¬ lections for the history of Glamorgan are reported to be very extensive. 3£ m. 1. Wenvoe (R. Jenner, Esq.), a modern house, built by the Thomas family on the site of an old castle. 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. Dyffryn (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 f 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 Golycli is the Valley of Worship, Cotterell a corruption of Coed-yr-Hoel, &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. Lythan’s is a curious little cl)., 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 portraits of Crom¬ well and Ireton, 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 Fontigary, an adjacent farm - house. Oliver Cromwell’s great - grandfather, Sir Richard Williams, whose mother was a sister of Thomas Cromwell the “ Hammer,” was a native of the neighbouring parish of Llanishen. Near Fonmon is Aberthaw, situated a J ' the mouth of the Cowbridge river, celebrated for its hydraulic lime, ob¬ tained from the lias pebbles on its beach. Near it also are the ruins of Penmark, Castleton, and E. and W. Orchard Castles ; these two latter were, however, rather fortified houses than castles, and were built by some Flemish horticulturists, who, in the j-eign of Henry I., long supplied the King’s garden with fruit and trees from here.] Leaving St. Fagan’s, on the 1. are ruins of St. George’s, and on r. of Peterston Castles. 36 m. Peterston Stat. [On rt. 1 m. is Cotterell (late Admiral Sir G. Tyler) and St. Nicholas Church and Rectory. 2 m. 1. Bonvilstone (R. Bassett, Esq.), and 1 m. farther the disparked and ruined house of Llantrythid , the old seat of the Mansels, Bassetts, and Aubreys.] Passing 1. the fine but compara¬ tively modern (viz. 1723-25) castel¬ 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, a modern mansion on an ancient pro¬ perty, and Tal-y-garn, the residence of G. T. Clark, Esq., the well-known antiquary, the traveller arrives at 40 m. Llantrissant Junct. A branch line from the Taff Yale here crosses the South Wales Rly. to Cowbridge. [1 m. on rt. are the haematite iron mines of Cornel and Mwyndy , in which the ore is worked open-cast like a quarry. Leland says in his 1 Itinerary,’ “There are two faire parkes by south of Llantrissant, now unimpalid and without deere. There is yren now made in one of these parkes, named Glinog.” The dis¬ covery of these deposits has not affected materially (as it was first thought they would) the iron-works of the South Wales basin. 2 m. to the N. is the quaint town of Llantrissant (the Church of Three Saints), finely situated on a range of hills, and presenting a picturesque and rather continental appearance. It is, however, a dirty S. Wales. Route 1.— Cowbridge — Beaupre. 25 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 are traces of a considerable camp on the hill to the rt. Here also is the 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 H ouse (Mrs. Smith), formerly be¬ longing to the Traherne family.] From Llantrissant Junct. there is a branch rly. to Cowbridge, 6 m., passing, 3£ 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 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 6000L 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 Llanbletliian) 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. Cowbridge 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 Penlline Castle (the seat of J. Homfray, Esq.). The keep retains some Nor¬ man herring-bone work. The drive towards Penlline 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. Penlline 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 Route 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. 5^ 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 5tli 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 lomoter districts of Wales to this day. Llantwit boasts among its scholars Gildas, the historian, St. David (?), Paulinus, Archbp. Samp¬ son, with whom ended the archi- episcopal jurisdiction of St. David’s, Talhaiarn, 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 said to have had for their habitations 400 houses and 7 halls. The Church is the most interest¬ ing relic. What is called the new 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 vacant niches, said to have con¬ 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¬ ing round 14 crowned heads. At the top is the Saviour’s with the crossed nimbus. The lower part with the figure of Jesse is in the W. building. The niche (13th centy.) may have contained a figure of the Virgin. The capitals of the S. side are of E. E., though there have been alterations down to the Perp. period. The font is Norm. There are also some mural paintings in the church; our Saviour and Mary Magdalen on the N., and the fall of man on the S. of the chancel. The western portion (part of the original plan) is called the ‘ 1 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 church, but having at the Dissolu¬ tion been deserted for the larger ch. of the monks, which thus became the new church of the parishioners — C. A. J. In this adjoining old church are some extremely old and curious tombs—particularly a coped stone with a row of lozenge-shaped compartments down the middle, an arabesque ornament on one side and a series of interlaced rings on the other. The inscription on the side is “ Ne petra calcetur que sub jacet ista tuetur. ” This stone was brought here in 1730 from a placed called 11 Great House,” where a chapel had formerly existed. At the W. of the S. Wales. Route 1.— Boverton — Bimland. 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 : 1 ‘ Crux Iltuti, Samson reclis, Samuel excisor. Samson posuit hanc crucemproanima ejus.” Dr. Carne identifies this Samson with the Arclibp., 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 Morganwg—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. of 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. Nichol 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 Yoss, 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 in. Dimland, a seat of I. N. Carne, Esq. On the coast, about 2 m. apart, are two camps, probably Roman ; one of these, about ^ 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. Wales. At Tressilian (Dr. Carne), a little beyond, and about \ 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. 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- mented, 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 S'radlings 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 16tli 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 Tyrwhitt 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 w T atcli-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§ m. Monknash ; where are ruins of a monastic barn and buildings, 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 29 S. Wales. Boute 1 .—Dunraven Castle—Merthyr Maivr. 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 Trvvyn 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, shortly 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 lie 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 Gryphxea 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, were placed under the E. wall ; among them a Paulinus stone and a pillar-stoup. Follow- 30 'Route 1 .—Ewenn y—Pencoed. S. Wales. ing the course of the Ewenny 1| 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 bays 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 bank 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 has long been famous for being the habitat of a salmon-like fish of delicious flavour, locally termed the “gwyniad, ” from the silvery brightness of its scales. The gwyniad varies in weight from ^ 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 w r orth visiting, as forming with Coyty and Ewenny an unusually fine trio of churches for S. Wales. Coychurch w r as 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- sliaped rear-arch at the W. end of each aisle, and the W. doorway. A sedile and piscina, with a triangular S. Wales. Route 1 .—Bridgend — Coyly Castle. 81 canopy above its sill, are on the S. side of the chancel, and an ambrey on the N. Two curious effigies of the late 14th centy., and a rude 15tli- centy. effigy of Thomas Evans, rector, are now placed in the N. transept. This ch., which may be seen in a morning’s drive from Bridgend, after Coyty Ch. and Castle, and before Ewenny, has lately undergone care¬ ful restoration. In the ch.-yd. are two crosses of interlaced pattern, be¬ sides the usual ch. -yd. cross. 49 m. Bridgend Jdnct. with the Llynfi Valley Ely. $ Bridgend is a neat thriving place, on the Ogmore, which divides it into two portions, Old and New Castle. In the latter district, 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 into a barn, at a farm about 4 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 in. 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 14tli 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 m ike 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 tlivnder 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 IS 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 Morganwg.”— 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 Wyndham, 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 Ply., a little line made originally as a tramroad to accommodate the mining valley of the Llynfi, and to bring down the produce to Portlicawl 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 B"Ogdens. 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 Glyncovrwy , 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, 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- heaps, 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 w r ell 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 bathing are to be found there.] 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., imme- S. Wales. 33 Monte 1.—jP yle- diately upon which, at a steep angle of inclination, the coal-beds repose. There are numerous collieries at Bryndu and Tondu on rt. 53 m. Pyle Stat., celebrated for its excellent building-stone. Here the Llynfi Valley Railway is crossed on its way from Maesteg to Portlicawl. In Pyle churchyard is a fine cross. 3 m. on 1. is Kenfig, once an important town, where Fitzhamon held a castle, which was destroyed by an overwhelming inundation of the sea in the middle of the 16th centy. A faint sonpyon of its former grandeur remains in the shape of a chest of ancient charters and records, carefully secured by three keys, in charge of the corpora¬ tion. A portion of the castle and some ruins of the ancient ch. may be traced amongst the sandhills. In order to prevent the sand from being blown further inland, the tenants of farms adjoining the shore are com¬ pelled by strict covenants to plant annually a certain quantity of the arunclo arenaria, whose roots bind the sand together. The old ch. has been submerged by the sand-deluges; but a fragment of the ancient castle projects above the sand. The present ch. has an early and curious font. The lake at Kenfig, which, although close to the sea, never imbibes any muriatic properties, is traditionally said to occupy the site of a great city. There is a curious upright stone at this place, inscribed both with Roman letters and Ogham charac¬ ters, and about J m. from the ch. is another, much larger, but without any inscription. 2 m. on rt. is Margam Abbey, the seat of C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., M.P. and Lord-Lieut. of the county. The house is a modern edifice, de¬ signed chiefly by its owner : its prin¬ cipal features are 2 facades and a S. Wales . -Margam Abbey. 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 Vandyck; some Canalettis, &c. 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 34 Haute 1 .—Mar (jam Abbey — Aberafon. S. Wales. 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 liill-top, about 2 m. from the abbey near a large “agger,” and is in all probability sepulchral. This stone is about i4 ft. in height, and bears the following inscription : “ Bodvacus liic jacet filius Catotis, Imi pronepos reternali clomo.” 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, “ divo ”) 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 Iron and Steel Works of the Cwm Afon Works proprietors and the Tin¬ plate Works of the Copper Mines and Tin-plate Co., Limited. A more busy, and at the same time pic¬ turesque, place, can scarcely be con¬ 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 chimney, to which a flue is carried along the slope of the mountain for 1100 yds. It is 180 ft. high and 15 wide, and cost 4000Z., its object being partly to detain those particles of metal which, in the ordinary way, are carried off by the smoke, for which purpose it is accessible by doors, and partly that the enormous mass of copper-smoke vapour might not be allowed to settle in the valley, so as to be prejudicial to the health of the population. At Pontrhydyven is a 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 Railway runs up the valley of the Afon, and is open as far as Cymmer, whence a tunnel about 3000 yds. long is now being driven through the mountain to Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley, to which place it is 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. Route 1 .—Briton Ferry — Neath. 35 the shoulder of well-wooded hills, commanding a tine view over the mouth of the Neath, the Mumbles, and bay and town of Swansea, the site of the latter marked by the dense clouds of white copper-smoke ever¬ lastingly hanging over it. On rt. is Biujlan 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¬ scribed stone. (*S'ce ‘ 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 Corrwg and the valley of the Upper Afon down to this port, so that Briton Ferry is fast becoming an important town. The greater part 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 Vernon 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 Neath Rail¬ way (Rte. 10) is also an important feeder to the S. Wales line, by which communication is given to Merthyr, Hirwain, Aberclare, 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 36 Route 1.—Neath Abbey—Crymlyn Boy. 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 Iorwertli, 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 Stat., 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 Fitzliamon) 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 16tli 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 sometime. 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-inscribed 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 Rly. (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 beds of the white water-lilly (Nymphsea ctlba ) 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 Banc yr Altar, or the Altar Mount. According to local tra- dition, 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 palaces 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 lltli 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 w r ay 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. The 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 die 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 SWANSEA TO MILFORD HAVEN, BY LLANELLY, CAERMARTHEN AND HAVERFORDWEST- $ 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 38 Route 2.— Swansea: 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 1S82. 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 Leland and others to have been built by Bishop Gower about 1330, St. Mary's Church; S. Wales. 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 “ Swanzev 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 Llaugliarne’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 Kecord. 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 cli. fell down,—among other monuments, is that of Lady Elizabeth Gordon, a lady of royal connexion, and daughter of the Earl of Huntley, who was given 3$ S. Wales. Route 2. — Royal Institution — Gower. in marriage by the King of Scotland 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 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 Jo liny s, 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¬ salem, the xiiij day of August, the yere of oure Lord Code 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 Agevnst 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 Norfolke, which John gyave unto hym the manno’ of Landymo’, to liym 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.— (Mrs. S. C. Ilall .) 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 j Route 2.— Singleton — Mumbles. S. Wales. language have held them to be immi¬ grants from Somersetshire (Arch. Cambr ., 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 Place, 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 Sketty, to the Gower Inn, 5J m. over Fairwood Common. 1^ m. is Singleton, the seat of Sir H. Hussey Vivian, Bart., M.P., where art lias been happily blended with nature in the management of the grounds, which yield to none in the Principality for beautj T . 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 Parkv/ern (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.). 3^ m. The pretty Norton village, where fuchsias and myrtles grow at the cottage doors, and beyond which the old ruin of Oystermouth Castle breaks in upon the view, fi ely 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 superintendence 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 ch., 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-railway, 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, acces¬ 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¬ larly graceful. Ancient records point to a considerable extent of S. Wales. 41 j Route 2. — Lilliput—Bacon Hole. wood which has been submerged by the sea, a fact borne out by geologi¬ cal appearances, such as the discovery of trunks of trees, hazel-nuts, &c., at low water. The sea has made great encroach¬ ments here within living memory, and not so many centuries back the high road to Bristol ran along a tract now constantly covered by the waves. The Mumbles roadstead , as affording a perfectly secure shelter to shipping in all winds, except those from the N.E., is very important as a harbour of refuge, and many hundred sail are occasionally detained here whilst waiting for more favourable weather. The oyster fishery is valuable, and affords employment to a number of vessels and many men. At Lilliput, close to the village of Norton, Sir W. Logan found a seam of coal cropping out on the sea-shore with only a thin covering of sand. 2 m. W. of the Mumbles is $ Cas- wall Bay, an extremely pretty bit of marine landscape. Here are some copious springs of delicious water, covered at high tide. The pedestrian should walk along the cliffs from the Mumbles by Langland’s Bay and Whiteshell Point, where the coast is fine and rugged. At the former bay is the marine villa of the Rev. G. H. Davenport. 1^ m. Pwlldu Head, a splendid mass of limestone, forming a well- known sea-mark, and the finest headland in the whole peninsula. The pretty woodland glen should be followed to Bishopston, 2 m. As is usual in limestone strata, several geological curiosities are to be met with, as enormous pits or depressions, and the disappearance of the river, which runs underground for more than a mile. The rocks in this dingle are known to geolo¬ gists as the Black Shales of Gower. Bishopston Church has an embattled 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 Ser jean try” 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 still 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 sjcred right and love, Death cannot separate marrow* from the dove.” This cave was systematically blasted * Marrow here = mate or companion. 42 Route 2. —Pennard Castle — Oxwich. S. Wales. 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 aizoides 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 Town. On Penmaen Burrows is the very small old church of Penmaen, buried like Old Kenfig and Newton Not- tage by the sand at some distant period, and exhumed in 1861. Soon after passing the modern Penmaen Church, Oxwich Bay, the finest in Gower, opens out. The ruins of Penrice Castle, and the modern mansion of C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., M.P., Lord Lieutenant of the county, stand embowered in wood at the W. angle of the bay. This old ruin ‘ ‘ is inferior only to Caerphilly, Cardiff and Coyty, in the area contained within its walls and is second to none in its strong, com¬ manding and picturesque position.” (G. T. Clark). The round tower is probably the oldest part of the build¬ ing, and the recent excavation of some fragments of Norm, work sup¬ port the theory that it was erected at the end of that period, though round towers of that early date are very rare. In the reign of Hen. V. the Castle came by an heiress of the Penrices to the Hansels from whom the present owner is descended, passed to the Hansels, whose heiress conveyed it by marriage, in 1750, to the ancestor of the present owner. Penrice Church should be visited for the beauty of its situation. There is a Norm, wall and arch, masked with plaster, between the nave and the chancel, a S. porch of early Dec. and a S. door of early Eng. date. Oxwich Church and Castle stand on the promontory of the same name, which bounds the bay on the W. Inside the former is an altar- tomb to Sir Rice Mansell, a member of the family which founded the castle, and removed to Margam in the reign of Henry VIII. The latter is more of a military residence than a castle, and is in part “a large Perp. mansion, carried along at the complete elevation of a tower, the walls of which are dotted rather irregularly with a number of square¬ headed windows of two lights, and single-light windows with depressed heads.” A great part of Oxwich 43 S. Wales. Route 2. — Port Eynon—Llangenydd Church. Castle is converted into a farm-house, with domestic work in it of dubious antiquity. Tradition asserts that an affray took place here, respecting a wreck, between Sir George Herbert and Sir Rice Mansel, in which Lady Anne Mansel was killed by a stone. A walk of 2 m. will bring the traveller to Port Eynon, a fishing- village, formerly renowned for smug¬ glers. The cliffs become bold and precipitous, and the walk from hence to the Worm’s Head, 5 m., is as fine as anything in South Wales. At Pavi- land are two bone-caves, described by Dr. Buckland in his work ‘ Di¬ luvial Reliquianse, ’ and approached by non-pedestrians from a farm a little before reaching Paviland, between the road and the coast. In them were found recent shells and bones of elephant, rhinoceros, bear, fox, hyaena, wolf, horse, deer, ox, rats, and birds, besides the skeleton of a female (probably coeval with a British camp on the summit), fragments of ivory, orna¬ ments, and coins. These caves are very difficult of access from the cliffs, but the necessary path can be found by inquiring at a farmhouse near. Worm’s Head, 20 m. from Swan¬ sea, is the most westerly point of the peninsula, consisting of two rocky headlands running out for a mile, and separated from the main¬ land and each other by causeways, which at low water are left bare by the tide. The traveller should endeavour to time his visit so as to be enabled to walk across, which can be done during a space of 5 li. The rock scenery is fine and bold, the outer point being 200 ft. above the sea. A curious noise is emitted from the Blow-hole, caused by the hollowing out of the rock beneath, into which the waves rush, driving the air before them till it escapes by the external orifice. In stormy •weather 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 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 ‘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 Doivn—Penllergaer. S. Wales. 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, 1J 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 Romans. 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 Grower 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 supporters, 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 struck 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 all around mark this as only a portion of a greater work. It is situated on the N. slope of Cefn Bryn, and the tourist should keep along the brow of the hill until the turnpike from Swansea to Reynoldstone intersects the turf road, then turn to the rt. for a few hundred yards, and again to the 1. over the shoulder. 2 m. to the N. is "Webley Castle, a large structure in fair preservation, placed on the bank of the estuary of the Burry river, and a little to the W. of it are the scanty remains of Llandymor or Boveliill Castle, which belonged to Sir Hugh Johnys, whose monument is in Swansea church. Here also is a strong in- trenchment, called Manselfold, pro¬ bably ian outwork to Webley. The view from the summit of Cefn Bryn is one of the finest in the county, embracing the whole of Gower, with the Bristol Channel and Devonshire coast, on the S. ; Tenby, the Caer- martlienshire hills and coast, the town of Llanelly, the Swansea val¬ ley, and the Brecon Beacons to the W. and N. The distance from Pen- maen at the foot of the hill, to Swansea across Fairwood Common, is 7 m. There is an interesting Roman-British camji at Cil Ivor Hill, near Llanrhidian, said to have been raised by Ivor Cadivor, a chieftain of Morgan wg, 1110.] 78 m. Gower RoadStat. There is also a station here for the Central Wales Rly. (L. and N.W.), from whence the traveller can proceed to Llandeilo, Llandovery, and Craven Arms, en route for Manchester and the North. A short branch also is given off on 1. to Penclawdd, a little fishing-village on the coast, where coal is shipped fro in the neighbouring collieries. 1J m. rt. Penllergaer, the beau¬ tiful seat of J. Dillwyn Llewellyn, Esq. S. Wales. 45 Route 2.— Llou i 80 m. Lloughor, commanding the ferry of the Lloughor (Llwchwr) river, once an important place, the ancient Leucarum, and 5th stat. on the Via Julia, but now a miserable little village. A ruined square tower is all that remains of the castle, built probably by the Nor¬ man Henry de Beaumont on a site which the Romans had occupied; and the borough and sanctuary have disappeared like the greatness of Kenfig. The railway, as well as the turnpike road, crosses the estuary of the Burry river by a bridge more than \ m. long. On the other side the river are the Spy tty copper works (a corruption of Hospitium). The line now runs through a flat and marshy country to the busy port and manufacturing town of $ Llanelly (83 m., Rte. 21), where a branch railway in connection with the Central Wales system passes oil' to Llandeilo Vawr and Llandovery. It has risen into considerable com¬ mercial importance from the mineral treasures in its vicinity, and its ready access to the sea, which ren¬ ders it an outlet for a large part of the S. Wales coal-field. Nearly the whole town depends for its prosperity upon the tin-works, copper-works and collieries. There are also chemi¬ cal, and lead and pottery works. Large docks have been formed in connection with the G.W. Railway, whence great quantities of anthracite coal are exported. The chimney of the copper-works is 320 ft. high, and is a conspicuous object for miles around. The Church is a fine old building in the centre of the town, with an embattled tower, the base of which is much broader than the top. There are also five or six churches in the borough and district all erected in the last few years. A new Congregational chapel has a spire 100 ft. high. On the hilly ground to the N. is Westfa. glior — Kidwelly. 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 Each, £ 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 S. W. corner opposite the hall. The 46 J Route 2. — -Ferryside — Llaugliarne. S. Wales. 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 Gruffjdd 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 frequented by the good folk of Caermarthen and neighbouring towns. It over¬ looks a large expanse of sand at the mouth of the Towy, and stands op¬ posite to the headland and ruined castle of Llanstephan, which keeps guard from on high over the little village snugly embosomed in the trees by the water’s edge. Across the river there is a ferry. The view of the sands and Caermarthen Bay from the hill at sunset is one not to be forgotten. The walls of Llan¬ stephan Castle are of considerable extent, and, at a distance, have an imposing appearance, though they are a mere shell. It is not very clearly established who was the founder of this castle, some at¬ tributing it to Uchtryd, Lord of Merioneth in 1138 ; but we find it in 1138 in the possession of the Nor¬ mans and Flemings, from whom it was retaken in 1143 by Meredydd and Cadell, the sons of Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of South Wales, who held it for many years, despite the desperate and frequent efforts made by the strangers to regain it. After¬ wards it had many vicissitudes, and in 1257 was besieged and taken by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth from the English, who were then in possession of it. In the woods beneath stands the Plas, the seat of Sir Jas. Hamilton, Bart. [3 m. beyond Llanstephan, and 3 m. to the S. of St. Clears, is the decayed port and town of Llaugh- arne, on the rt. bank of the mouth of the Taf, across which is a ferry. Here is a Norm, castle (W. Norton, Esq.), besieged for three weeks by Cromwell, which is inhabited and not shown to strangers. It is said to have been built originally in the 11th centy., and at first called Abercorran Castle, from the Coran river which, near it, empties itself into the sea. In the ch. is a set of S. Wales. Route 2.— Iscoed—Caer mar then. 47 priest’s robes given by Sir Guido de Brian, who bequeathed lands to the parish, and rebuilt the castle, which had been destroyed by Llewelyn ap Ionverth, in 1215. The cli. 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- cave which has yielded Hyama, 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 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 w T ent 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 by 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 stands 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 Gliuznee, and the son of a Caermarthen innkeeper, in Nott- 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—~ Whitlcind. 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 b 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 tne port is not large, as the naviga¬ tion of the river is difficult and devious. 110 m. St. Clears, a little port on the Taf, 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 Iorwerth in 1214. 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 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 he 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. 3£ m. on 1. of St. Clears is Llaugharne. 14 m. 1. Llandowror. 116 m. Whitland Junct., where the Caermarthen and Tenby line branches off to Tenby and Pembroke, in connection with the Central Wales system (Rte. 24). Another rly. along the Taf to Cardigan was completed in 1886. 2 m. rt. is Whitland Abbey, the seat of the Hon. W. Yelverton, who has erected a modern house on the site of Alba Lauda, or Ty Gwyn ar Taf, the White House on the Taf. This monastic house, said to have been founded about the 5tli centy. by Paulinus, was afterwards occupied by the Cistercians, a colony of whom went hence, at the invitation of Cadwallon ap Madoc, to build and found Abbey Cwmhir in Radnor¬ shire. Wharton ascribes its origin to Bernard, Bishop of St. David’s, 1115-1147. But little remains of the ancient building, save some portions of clustered pillars. The situation on the Taf is extremely pretty. It was at this place that Howell dda, or Howell the Good, convened 49 S. Wales. Route 2. — Narberth Ttocid—Raver for digest. 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 34 m. (Rte. 24). The Preseley Hills form a fine background to the landscape on the rt. The tall tower of Templeton cli. stands out in the distance to the left. (See Rte. 24.) 129 m. Clarbeston Eoad Stat. From hence the line is carried through a more picturesque part of the country, as it follows the circuitous windings of the Cartlett brook to 134 m. $ Haverfordwest (Rte. 25), finely placed on a hill overlooking the waters of the western Cleddau, navigable as high as the bridge for small craft. It is a clean, well- 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 to the frequent incursions, and even settlements, of the Danes along this coast. Those of Stackpole, 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 [&. I Vales.] 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 Castle (the seat of Rev. J. H. A. Phillips), E 50 S. Walls. 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 Arnulpli de Montgomery, it passed by marriage from his descendants to the Wogans, and in like manner 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 commanclery 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 foi'est than any other in the county. At Newhouse are the ruins of a castalet, which was probably erected by the Canaston family upon their first settlement in Wales. Upon the western verge of the forest, and not far from NeAvhouse, is a strong intrenclnnent, 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 own 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 compound of straw and clay, called “clom,” similar to the Devonshire “col,” and display peculiarities of structure, more especially in the form of the chimneys, supposed to be derived from their Flemish an¬ cestors. S. Wales. 51 Route 2.— Milford—New Milford. [At 129 m., Johnston Junct., a short branch is given off to $ Milford. The town of Milford is splendidly situated on the rt. side of the Haven, about 6 m. from its mouth, between two small creeks opposite an anchorage called the Man-of-War Road. It was entirely the creation, in 1790, of Hon. C. F. Greville, who inherited the property from his uncle, Sir W. Hamilton, the British Envoy at the Court of Naples, and consists of 3 parallel streets ranged along the hillside, commanding fine views of the harbour. It has been now for years a dull desolate place, extinguished by the removal of the Royal Dockyard in 1811, followed by that of the Irish Post-ottice and packet establishment, by which trade was reduced to stagnation, and many houses shut up. A brighter future, how T ever, is dawning upon it : the unequalled capabilities of the Haven are again being recognised. A well- appointed service of Irish steamers has been organised from the ter¬ minus of the S. Wales Railway, and a great chain of railway communica¬ tion completed to Manchester and the northern manufacturing districts. As a harbour, Milford Haven has not its equal in the whole world ; for it is capable of anchoring in safety the entire fleet of England. There is a handsome ch. erected at the E. of the town by Mr. Greville, on a spot which was designed to be the centre. It contains a vase of red Egyptian porphyry, brought to this country by Dr. Pococke, and inscribed to the memory of Nelson ; it w r as intended to serve as a font, but was pro¬ nounced too heathenish. There is also the twisted vane of the main¬ mast of the French admiral’s ship ‘ L’Orient,’ blown up at the battle of the Nile. Sir William Hamilton is buried here. The estuary of Milford Haven stretches for 10 m. inland, varying in 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 Glyndwr 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 raihvay runs down to the water’s edge, where bag- 52 S. Wales. Route 3.— Hereford to Cliepstoii). 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. FliOM HEREFORD TO CHEPSTOW, BY ROSS AND MONMOUTH The River Wye. Hereford (Rte. 4) is quitted by the Great Western lily., which con¬ nects it with Gloucester. Until 1869 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. Bodenham, Esq., an old - fashioned red - brick nouse, 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 Bodenham. 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 de la Barr, suffered severely for their loyalty in the civil wars. Old Ray in his proverbs (1678) cites this one as belonging to Hereford¬ shire, “Every one cannot dwell at Rotheras,”—“a delicate seat,” he explains, “of the Bodnams in Here¬ fordshire.” On the rt., and, indeed, partly tunnelled under by the Rly., is Dinedor Hill, from whence a lovely view is obtained of the sur¬ rounding country, causing it to be a favourite summer’s walk with the townsfolk of Hereford. On the summit is a Roman camp, supposed to be that of Ostorius Scapula, in token of which it is still called Oyster Hill by the vulgar. Soon after passing Rotherwas, a fine range of hills backs up the landscape on the 1., gradually approaching the river towards the S. The villages of Mordiford and Fownhope lie at the base of these hills, which are classic ground to the geologist and were the scene of a considerable portion of Sir Roderick Murchison’s labours. The E. Eng. cli. of Fownhope, with Norm, details, restored 1853, and having a central Norman tower, with modern wooden spire, 50 ft. high, contains memorials of a branch of the Lechmeres, who have been located at the Court, a timber man¬ sion of the 16th cent., since the reign of Elizabeth. 2 m. N. is Sufton Court (R. Here¬ ford, Esq.), built of Bath stone, 1790, from designs by Smirke; the grounds were laid out by Repton. Below it is Old Sufton, a curious timber house of the 15th centy., now occupied as a farmhouse. The estate has been enjoyed by the an¬ cestors of the present owner since 1230, and held by the homage of presenting the king with a pair of gilt spurs when he passed across the river Lugg, which unites with the Wye below Mordiford, a parish de¬ riving its name, as well as its local myth of a poisonous dragon which S. Wales. 53 Route 3 .—Holme Lacy — Faicley, was depicted on tlie 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 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 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 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, were 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 Ballingham 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 tlie 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: Cliurch; S. Wales. perty of Col. Money Kyrle. Sir John Kyrle resided in it temp. Charles I. Fawley is a chapelry of Fownhope. Aramstone (Wyndham Smith, Esq.), on rt., was a seat of the Woodliouse family, erected early in the last centy. Cross the Wye for the third time. On rt., f 3 m., is Harewood, late the seat of Chandos Wren Hoskyns, Esq. In his poem of ‘ Elfrida,’ Mason assigns this locality for the forest which once occupied this district and con¬ tained the castle of Earl Etliel- wold, who was assassinated in 968 by King Edgar. Harewood, which became the property of the Hoskyns family by purchase in 1654, had a chapel attached to it, which is men¬ tioned by Silas Taylor. This has given place to a beautiful 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 spot in which a noted British semi¬ nary flourished under Dubritius. On the high ground to the 1. is Perrystone, a modern mansion erected by the late George Clive, Esq., on the site of the old house purchased by him from Colonel H. Morgan Clifford. Perrystone is in the parish of Foy. Crossing the Wye for the fourth time, and passing rt. Bridstow E. Eng. Church, restored 1861 ; Morci- ? ton , and Dadnor (A. Armitage, Esq.), the rly. reaches 12 m. $ Ross Stat. Ross is a market town of 6000 Inhab., with very steep streets, pleasantly situated on an eminence rising from the 1. bank of the river. ‘ 1 Through the midst of the valley runs the Wye, which seems in no way 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 boats 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, 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.” Pope, by the way, is said to have composed his ‘ Man of Ross ’ at Pen- getliley, in the parish of Hentland, 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, oc¬ cupies a conspicuous position. The E. window of the chancel contains very good stained glass, inserted about the reign of Henry VII. The spire was seriously injured by light¬ ning in 1852, but has been rebuilt with great care and success ; its height is 208 ft. Several of the elm-trees planted by Kyrle survive, while some that were cut down have sent forth under the walls vigorous shoots, which grow within the building. He was buried under a blue stone in front of the altar, and a tablet on the wall was affixed in 1776, through a bequest for that purpose by Lady Dupplin, his kins¬ woman. His fireside chair is placed in the chancel. A church bell, cast at Gloucester by Rudhall, in 1692, bears Kyrle’s name. He threw his silver tankard into the furnace, at the casting, after drinking to his king and country. Amongst the monuments are those of William Rudhall, serjeant-at-law, S. Wales. Boute 3. — Prospect; Wilton Castle. 55 and Ills wife (temp. Henry VIII.) : their effigies exquisitely sculptured in Italian marble, in the costume of Henry VII. Also a large mural monument to William Rudliall and his wife Margaret (1609), in a kneel¬ ing position and Elizabethan dress. John Rudliall (1636), holding his wife by the hand ; and for the last heir male of the family William Rudliall (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 Theed (with a Latin inscription from the pen of Bishop Luxinoore), 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 cli.- 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 bale the water flow ? ” “ lie feeds the almshouse, neat yet void of state; There age and want sit smiling at the gate,” refers to the Rudliall 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 N. being triangular. On the E. side is a semicircular bastion. 00 Route 3 .—Pencraig Court—Goodrich Castle. S. Wales. 11 The oldest portion of the existing remains is the S.W. tower, but the Castle was doubtless remodelled in the 15th centy.; 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. f 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 rugged 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. 15J m. Pencraig Court (Rev. W. Holt-Beever), commanding a fine view ; and 4 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¬ pository 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 Schaufelin ; miniature portraits of Henry VIII. and Anne of Cleves, Holbein; Luther and wife, L. Kranach. The oak ceil¬ ing of the library was executed in Italy, and brought from the Government House at Breda. There are also portraits of Charles II., Louis XIV., and Nell Gwynn, by Lely. The Doucean Museum, con¬ taining a valuable collection of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Oriental antiquities, bequeathed by Francis Douce, Esq., to the late Sir S. Meyrick, was removed by Col. Mey- 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 arrests the attention. Externally the most striking feature of the ivy-clad ruins is the gate-way, showing beneath its arches the lofty window of the opposite tower. The 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 its 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 S. Wales. Route 3.— Whitchurch — Ganerew. 57 War, when, in 1646, it held out gal¬ lantly under Sir Henry Lingen for the king against a Parliamentary army, under Col. Birch. The tliree- storied 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 Griffin, of Hadnock, near Mon¬ mouth, to whose granddaughter, Mrs. Marriott, widow of Major Charles Marriott of the Fort, Mon¬ mouth, it now belongs. Goodrich Castle specially deserves a visit, both from its excellent preservation and its situation. The keys are kept in a cottage in the village. About a quarter of a mile from the castle are the faint vestiges of an Augus- tinian Priory, founded by Sir Richard Talbot in 1347. From the S.W. window there is a charming view of the vale of the Wye,— “ tli2 delight of my eyes and the very seat of pleasure.”— Gray. with Ross in the distance, backed up by the wooded outline of Pen- yard Hill; in the foreground are Walford church and village, and on the rt. the woods of Bishopswood. In Goodrich church (which is double aisled) is preserved a chalice pre¬ sented by Dean Swift, whose grand¬ father was the loyal and much- enduring vicar of the parish at the time of the rebellion. The Dean’s connection with the locality has been celebrated in the following remarkable lines :— “ Jonathan Swift Had this gift— By fatheridge, brotheridge, Ami by motheridge, To come from Gotherklge.” 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 Huntshani 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 Doward 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 liyama and the cave lion, the reindeer, mammoth, and the ticliorliine rhinoceros. Several rare plants flourish on this hill, e. g ., the Fly and Bee orchis, Carex mon- tana, Aquilegia vulgaris, Arabis stricta, Geranium sanguineum, G. lucidum, and a rare bramble, com¬ memorated by Mr. E. Lees, and called Rubus balUdus. From a resting-point at about J in. from the nearest cave, the tourist catches a splendid view of Monmouth and the Wye. 10J m. Monmouth. Another route may be taken from Ross, on the left bank of the Wye, towards Lydbrook, past Wliytliall, a picturesque old manor-house, occu¬ pied by Cromwell during the siege of Goodrich Castle, and ascending to the forest by Kiln Green and Dundle Hole. By this route the traveller passes Walford and Bishopswood, 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 with the road at Goodrich Court, and sails down the current of “devious Yaga,” which indeed be¬ comes so meandering, that the distance from hence to the Leys, which byroad is only 4 hi., 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 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- shell. They are very light and portable, weighing about 12 lbs., very fragile, holding only one person, and a rub against a stone in shooting a rapid generally causes mischief. They are used also on the Usk and the Dee and the Teifi. The scenery now becomes more diversified, the Wye flowing between beautifully wooded hills. About | m. below the bridge on 1. is the villa of Hazleliurst (Miss Phillips), and lower down Bishopswood House (W. Partridge, Esq.). In the dis¬ tance is the spire of Ruardean Church. On a considerable eminence, the river winding with snakelike turn¬ ings on each side of it, is Courtfield S. Wales. 59 Houte 3.— LydbrooJc — 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¬ 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 cli. 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. Klwy. 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. Marauder, 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 Doward 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 Leys the river enters Monmouthshire, 60 Route 3.— Dixton — Monmouth. S. Walks. having Hadnock and its woods on the 1., and Newton (Major Tyler) on the rt.] 9J on 1. Dixton, a small ancient church with a low broach-spire. The ch. 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 point 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. Staunton 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 is reached by a staircase conducting 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 parish. ] There is no doubt that the Ro¬ mans were here, the very name of Stane Town, or the Town of the Stone Street, implying it : and in corroboration there are traces of a Roman road leading up the Kymin from the river - bank, besides in- trenchments near the ch. and heaps of slag or cinders. 10J m. $ Monmouth, so called from its situation at the confluence of the Monnow with the Wye (Rte. 5). The entrance to the town, which is said to have been on the site of the Roman Blestium, is rather striking. On the 1. is the parish church, with a handsome Dec. tower and spire, while in front of it, a Perp. oriel window and panelled wall re¬ main as fragments of the Priory, and known as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s study. On the rt. the road is seen almost to overhang the Monnow, the market-house standing quite on the edge of the cliff. The market¬ place, ambitiously called Agincourt Square, contains, in front of the town-hall, a statue of Henry V., oil which is an inscription recording his birth in the town, Aug. 9, 1387,— “ Ay, lie was porn at JVIomnoutli, Captain Gower; ” so that the waters of the Wye may not wash the fact out of the me¬ mories of the modern Fluellens. Here too is said to have been born Geoffrey of Monmouth, or Geoffrey ap Arthur, sometime archdeacon of his native town, consecrated Bishop of St. Asaph in 1152, and writer or compiler of a romantic chronicle of England, S, Wales. Route 3.— Monmouth—Stow Field. G1 The portcullis, which henceforth, for many miles, will be seen every now and then, will remind the tra¬ veller that he is now within the vast hereditary possessions of the house of Somerset ; and if he stay at this 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 Henry Y. 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 and highly - enriched late N orm. Chapel of St. Thomas, which has been imperfectly restored. Only a small fragment of the great hall of the castle remains. It is rather against the identification of Mon¬ mouth with the Roman Blestium that few or no Roman relics have ever been found : it is certain that it was afterwards a Norman walled town, of which the only gate left is the Bridge Gate just described. Tn 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 20tli 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 Buntsliam 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). Wlivt- liall, 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 of Waller, the Parliamentarian General, was buried here, and his helmet is still preserved in Walford Cli., 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.— Ruardean—Bigswear 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 15,000?. [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 12tli centy. East-Bach Court (Rev. Edward Machen). English Bicknor 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 (Miss Davies.)] Svmond’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. 14 m. on rt. bank of the river, at no great distance from the point where the Trotliy 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. ‘ 1 When a corpse is brought by, oi. 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. ’ ’— Roscoe. Near Penallt is Troy House, a seat of the Duke of Beaufort, deriving its name from the little river which flows through the grounds (Rte. 5). 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 the loading and unloading of the staple of Redbrook varies here the solitude of the river. The hill on the 1. is Highbuiy, the site of an an¬ cient British encampment. A brook runs through the village, separating the counties of Monmouth and Glou¬ cester. [At Newland the visitor will find a large church, which has been re¬ cently restored, with a fine tower of the Somersetshire type. In the ch.-yard is an altar-tomb with the effigies of Jenkin Wryall, Forest Ranger, 1457 a.d. In Newland is a hollow oak measuring 40 ft. in cir¬ cumference, though now only 20 ft. in height, one of the largest in the kingdom. Coleford is about 3 m. from Red¬ brook. — Handbook for Gloucester¬ shire .] 4 J m. a pretty Gothic cottage, called Florence, stands close to the roadside on the 1., shrouded in laurels and other evergreens. Catching a view of Whitebrook on the opposite bank, the road con¬ tinues along the 1. bank of the Wye, until at 54 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 Bigswear House, a seat 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 63 S. Wales. Route 3.— St. BriaveFs—Tintern Barvci. and ruined castle of St. Briavel’s,* named (but erroneously) from St. Bride’s well on the outskirts, be¬ neath a Gothic arch. The Ch., partly of Norm, architecture, very ancient, was restored in 1861, and much spoilt thereby — the monu¬ ment to the Warren family being completely destroyed. The mould¬ ings of the transept aisles are termi¬ nated by snakes’ heads, similar to those at Glastonbury. The clerestory windows and the mouldings of the arches on the S. side of the nave are similar to those of Malmesbury. The modern tower commands a fine view. The great gateway of the castle, which, according to Giraldus Cam- brensis, was built by Milo Fitzwalter, Earl of Hereford, in the reign of Henry I., is defended by two round towers, formerly used as a prison for debtors. One of the rooms contains a box for a turnspit and an old chimney-piece, with the Royal arms on the back of the grate in ancient work. The castle was once occupied by the Lord Warden of the Forest of Dean, and the Constables of St. Briavel from the reign of King John to that of George III. seem to have been noblemen of high rank. The principal features of interest in it are the beautiful decorated chim¬ ney shaft, surmounted by a horn, the badge of the Constable of the Forest, and an E. Eng. fireplace, still very perfect. m. on rt., is Trelech, so called from a group of monolith stones, locally associated with Harold, near the village, though not improbably of a much greater antiquity. If the derivation is tri llech, there were pro¬ bably never more than three stones here. To the S.W. of the ch. is a tumulus, said to have been the site of a castle of the Clares. The Church is E. Dec., and in the ch.-yd. are * See Nicholls’ ‘ Forest of Fean ’ for the most complete account of that district and of 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.] 7| 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 Hade 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 Offa, or Offa’s Dyke, which commenced at Tidenham, in Glou¬ cestershire. 10^ 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- Houle 3.— Tintern Abbey. S. Wales. Gd taming 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 $ Tintern 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, ‘ 1 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, w r ell-chosen and durable, has been little injured by the weather. E r en the mullions of the windows remain tolerably perfect, 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 to admit the distant landscape, is one chief feature of Tintern.”— Gilpin. It is neatly kept by persons ap¬ pointed by the Duke of Beaufort, 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 of glazed tiles, bearing the arms of the Bigods and the Clares, has been found. Although the abbey was founded in 1131 for monks of the Cistercian order by Walter de Clare, the existing church, com¬ menced by and carried through by his successors, the Clares, Mar¬ 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 de Clare (called Strongbow), the con¬ queror of Ireland in the reign of Henry II., or Roger de Bigod. 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¬ 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 kitchen, communicating with it by buttery-hatch through the wall, and on the other the dormitories. An almonry hatch communicates from the refectory with the cloister, to which there is the most direct access by way of the water-gate, for the surrounding poor and for visitors, who made use of the adjacent ferry. In 1847 the remains of an Hospi- tium or smaller convent for the entertainment of strangers, were S. Wales. Bouie 3. — Plumber's Cliff — Llancakt. 65 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 liorse-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 [$. 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. Aryan, 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, which 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 farm 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 06 Route 3 .—St. Ar van's — Piercefield. S. Wales!* liis estate, which lies open to every¬ body’s view. On the rt., jnst 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- bnry 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. Arvan’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, are 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 Tidenliam 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 were attacked during the period of high water 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 way through the enemy to the Tidenliam rocks, and, being closely pursued by their dra¬ goons, galloped in desperation over the shelving precipice, escaped un¬ hurt on the ground below, and got away by swimming the river. The place of this successful achievement is still pointed out as 44 Wintour’s Leap.” There may have been 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 m., over part of Wentwood Forest, pass¬ ing, 2 m. on 1., Itton Court (E. Curre, Esq.). 15 in. on 1. Piercefield (Mrs. Clay) stands in an unrivalled situation, overlooking the Bristol Channel and the opposite Gloucestershire hills. The grounds are extensive and varied, but were laid out in the day when the beauties of na¬ ture were considered as secondary to those of landscape-gardening, S. Wales. Route 3.— Redbroolc—Tiddenliam (3f which developed themselves in grottos and other architectural monstrosi¬ ties. They were formed by Valentine Morris in 1753, but his lavish expen¬ diture compelled him to part with the estate, and he died a ruined man in 1789. It subsequently became the property of Mr. Wells, and has changed hands again and again. Near the entrance to the park is the site of the former priory of Ivyne- mark, attached to the conven¬ tual church of Chepstow, 16 m. (Rte. 1), whose venerable castle, over¬ hanging the river, and apparently forming part of the precipice, is a fit closing scene to the prodigal beauties of the Wye. The distance from Ross to Chepstow by water is about 38 m. A third route from Ross to Chep¬ stow was opened by the continu¬ ation of the Great Western line from Monmouth to Chepstow, on Nov. 1, 1876, under the name of the “Wye Valley Rly.” A [short con¬ necting line from the Monmouth May Hill Stat. (on the opposite side of the Wye Bridge, and close to the town) to the Troy Stat., some¬ what to the 1. of the Monnow Bridge, conveys the traveller to the terminus at the Monmouth end; and hence the line pursues the 1. bank of the river Wye at a high level past Wyesliam, and opposite Penalt, to 2J m. Redbrook, a place of con¬ siderable traffic by the waterside (see p. 62 supra). Passing thence by Whitebrook, on the opposite bank, it runs 3 m. onward to Bigswear Stat., 5§ m., which is on the rt. bank of the river, the bridge of Telford spanning it for passengers to St. Briavels and the Forest on the 1. (see p. 63). Passing next by Llandogo to the rt. of rail and river, and also by Brockweir, 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 Bannaglior 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 Denliil 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 Denliil 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 Tiddenliam, 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. at Chepstow. C8 S. Wales. Route 4.— Newport to Hereford. ROUTE 4. from Newport to Hereford, by PONTYPOOL ROAD AND ABER¬ GAVENNY. (Great Western Railway.') Leaving tlie High Street Station, Newport, a branch of the G. W. R. now runs by Caerleon, Pontnewydcl, 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. Mitclieli, 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 Afon. The Monmouthshire rly. to Pontypool and Blaenafon soon after¬ wards parts company with the Great Western, and the traveller arrives at 8 m. the busy Pontypool Road Junct., where much of the traffic from the Monmouthshire and Gla¬ morganshire collieries and iron¬ works converges en route for Staf¬ fordshire, London, and the North. Trains may be seen here in progress of making up for their various destinations, containing steam-coal for the London market, or for load¬ ing vessels at Liverpool. From hence is given off the important branch, which cuts lengthways through the coal-basin, and goes across to Quaker’s Yard, Aberdare, Merthyr, the Yale of Neath, and Swansea (Rte. 10). Here, also, passengers change for Usk, Raglan, and Monmouth (Rte. 5). Close to the station are the Pontymoile works, belonging to the Ebbwvale Company, and Panteg tin-plate forge (Messrs. Strick), as well as steel-works, 1. Panteg is a rly. stat. On 1. are seen the beau¬ tiful hanging woods of Pontypool Park (E. Hanbury Leigh, Esq.) (Rte. 6). Little Mill, 9 m., is the point whence the Usk and Monmouth rly. diverges on the rt. On 1. is a pretty wooded chain of hills, forming the lower shoulders of the Blorenge,. the huge mass of which, together with the peak of the Sugar-loaf and the abrupt escarpment of the Scyrrid or Holy Mountain, form a most charm¬ ing view to the N. Underneath the hill (which is crowned by a look-out, or Folly, belonging to the Pontypool Park), is the little sequestered ch. of Llan- fihangel Pontymoile ; and further on Wocdfield (— Lawrence, Esq.), Near Little Mill, on 1., close to the line, is the Monmouthshire Reforma¬ tory School, and further on, though not seen, is Goytre, the seat of Col. Byrde. 11£ m. Nant y deri Stat. (“Brook of the Oaks ”), 2 m. from which, on rt., the Usk is crossed by a chain suspension-bridge. On the opposite bank of the river is Brynderwen, the pretty seat of the Rev. W. Bruce, placed at the foot of a wooded hill, crowned by the encampment of Coed y Bunedd, 1440 feet in civ- cumferenee. S. Wales. 69 Route 4 .—Newport to Hereford. The view from the summit, and indeed from the turnpike-road from Usk to Abergavenny, is most lovely, particularly towards the W., which commands the whole range of the Blorenge, the sharp cone of the Sugar-loaf, and the more massive Scyrrid, backed up by the distant outlines of the Black Mountains. On rt. is Pantygoitre (A. D. Ber- rington, Esq.), and Llanvair Grange (Mrs. Little), 14 m. rt. At Penper- gwm Stat., the line crosses the Usk not far from the primitive-looking church of Llangattock. 1J m. on 1. is Llanover Court (Lady Llanover), and a little further on is the village of Llanellen, a sweet little spot nestling snugly under the slopes of the Blorenge. From hence a picturesque and varied 2 m. brings the traveller into the heai't of the Yale of Usk, at 18 m. Aber¬ gavenny. (Rte. 12.) Passing at the back of the Lunatic Asylum, from whence the views up the Usk towards Crickhowell are very fine, the railway soon joins the Tredegar and Merthyr line of the London and North- Western system at Abergavenny Junct. (Rte. 11), and enters the valley, formed on the 1. by the outlying shoulders of the Sugar- loaf, 1856 ft. high, and on the rt. by the Scyrrid Fawr, 1498 ft. high, or the great fissure. It is commonly called the Holy Mountain, and de¬ serves mention from the curious superstitions connected with it, derived from Romish times, and not yet eradicated from the minds of the Welsh peasantry. It receives its name from a fissure caused by a landslip dividing it into two un¬ equal parts, and ' produced, accord¬ ing to the popular legend, by the earthquake at the time of the Crucifixion. Near the top once stood a small chapel, dedicated to St. Michael, and the resort in former times of large multitudes, chieflv Roman Catholics 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 Llanviliangel 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 S. Wales. J Route 4 .—Llanthony Abbey. the fine timber denotes the situation of Llanfihangel Court (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 10,00(Y. 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. to $ 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 trees planted by Jacobite residents in the neighbourhood. Some farm¬ houses of the name of Upper and Lower Stanton (Stane Town) seem to point to the Roman road from Abergavenny (Gobannium) to Old Castle and Magna (Kenchester). The views which greet the tra¬ veller at every step are lovely, par¬ ticularly at Cwmyoy, 3 m., where the mountains are almost grand in their sudden curves and precipitous escarpments. The eye ranges over long reaches in the Yale of Ewias, which becomes more secluded and solitary at every step, and impresses one strongly with the fitness of the locality for a conventual establish¬ ment. Llanthony, properly called by the Welsh £ ‘ Llanddewi Nant Honddu,” or the Church of David on the Honddu, stands in the Vale of Ewias, deep and silent in the heart of the Black Mountains, in the N. angle of Monmouthshire, ‘ ‘ the lower parts of the hills and the valley itself,” as in the description of Giraldus, ‘ c enriched with pleasant meadows, interspersed with corn¬ fields, and now and then enlivened with woods and coppices.” This priory of Austin canons appears to be in point of style transitional from Norm, to E.E., and advancing in the W. front into fully developed E. E. ‘ ‘ Except in the W. front it really comes nearest to the style of St. David’s, being less advanced than that of Llandaff, but as all the princi¬ pal arches are pointed, the general effect has a nearer resemblance to that of the last-mentioned cathedral. ” — Freeman. The ruins show it to have been cruciform, with a central and two W. towers. The 3 lower stages of the latter, and the lower stage of the W. front connecting them remain tolerably perfect. The ruins are now the property of the representatives of the late Walter Savage Landor, who resided near the abbey for some time. The N. side of the nave, including frag¬ ments of the triforium, remains ; but the S. side is gone, as are also both aisles ; portions of the transept how¬ ever are standing, and a part of the central tower and choir. The cen¬ tral tower must always have been very massive, and this impression is enhanced now that its upper portion is destroyed, and it only reaches a little below the apex of the roof, and that only on the W. and S. side. S. of, and connected with the S. transept, is the Chapter- house, now ruined, an oblong room with a polygonal E. end ; and join¬ ing the two is an oblong chamber 24 ft. by 11 ft., vaulted and groined, and in good preservation. At the S. Wales. 71 Route 4 .—Llanthony Abbey. S.W. corner 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 liospitium 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 Iionddu’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, proli 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 S. Wales. Route 4 .—Randy — Longtown. excellent historical account of the priory, with copious extracts from chronicles, was published by the Rev. G-. Roberts, in the ‘ Archteologia 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 4J 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 Trewyn (J. Lilburn Rosher, Esq.), approached through a fine avenue of Scotch firs, and the farmhouse of AA-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 be had. Along its further bank runs a well-kept pri¬ vate road, which is still available (anomalously) to those who choose 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 possessing the fragments of a castle. Old Castle is remarkable for having once been the residence of Sir John Oldcastle, the martyr of the Lol¬ lards. Longtown, or as it was called in earlier times Ewyas Lacy, Castle, was once an important link in the armed chain of fortresses erected along the frontiers of England to keep the rebellious Welsh within their limits. It was the original seat of the Lacys in the Marches of Wales ; and passed by marriage through the families of De Verdon, Despenser, and Beauchamp, to the Nevilles, Earls of Abergavenny, whose property it still is. The keep is thought to have been built prior to the Conquest. Of its ruin, enough remains to disclose its original form. An outer wall, composed of mould and stones, raised at least to the height of 20 ft., enclosed about 100 yards square, in the N.W. angle of which, on a keep somewhat higher than the wall, stood a circular tower, of which the greater portion remains. The walls are very thick, being composed of hard stone dug up in laminae, not much exceeding a common file in thickness. The area enclosed within the outer wall was equally divided by a ditch brought to the level of the ground on the outside from N. to S. The part towards the W. was also divided in the contrary direction by a strong- wall, through which a communica¬ tion was opened between the inner and outer courts by an arched gate¬ way, having circular pillars of great strength projecting on each side.] Passing rt. the little modest cli. of Llangua, occupying the site of an alien Priory of Black Monks, and Monmouth Cap, once a celebrated inn, and now, after several muta- 73 S. Wales. Jtioute 4. — Pontrilas — Abbey Dore Church. tions, a farmhouse, the traveller arrives at 29 m. Pontrilas Stat., a little to 1. of which is Pontrilas Court, a fine old Elizabethan mansion, which has of late years been from time to time let as an hotel, much frequented by anglers ; at present it is kept as a boarding-house for angling parties. The Dore, Kent, and Monnow are amongst the best trout streams in the country. The scenery in the neighbourhood is of a broken and lovely character. [An excursion can.be taken on 1. up the Golden Valley, so called from the river Dore, which runs through it. This is, however, a curious mis¬ nomer, as the Dore is, in reality, nothing more than “dwr, ” the old British name for water. 1£ m. Ewias Harold, a very pic¬ turesque village of historical inte¬ rest. In the wall of the small E. E. cli., which has a massive tower of two stages, the uppermost lighted by an E. E. window of three lights, was found the heart of a lady enclosed in a casket, which must have reposed there for upwards of 500 years. It was usual, during the middle ages, to place the hearts of founders and benefactors in this kind of reliquary. Near the ch. is the site of the ancient Castle, of which Leland writes :— ‘ ‘ The fame is that it was budded 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 1615 with a detachment of the royal army, speaks of the castle as in the main ruinous and gone. Certainly it is so now. 2~ 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 windows. These chapels and aisles are vaulted, as were also the choir and transept, although these latter have now a fiat wooden roof. There are several piscina) 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 (13tli 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 14 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 archaeo¬ 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. EOn rt. about 1| m. are Kent- church village and Court (the resi¬ dence of Col. Scudamore), a castel¬ lated mansion, from designs by 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 John of Kent, who is much associ¬ ated with this district. The Scuda¬ mores have been seated here since the 14th centy., and a Sir John Scudamore married a daughter of Owain Glyndwr, who is supposed to have been identical with the mys¬ terious John-a-Kent or Gwent. The court is approached by a long elm avenue. The walls of the church are covered with memorials of this family. The village of Garway has some interesting remains. The tower of the ch. is detached, and stands at a considerable angle to the nave, to the N. corner of which it is joined by a short passage. The chancel arch is Norm., the shafts having plain capitals. The outline of its 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, where they established a Preceptory 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 14tli 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 1438, it is enume¬ rated as ‘ 1 totam terrain de lange care way,” or Llan Garway. It is not mentioned by Leland or Camden, but by Silas Taylor, who wrote an 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 cli. was used as a prison in Border fights, and the belfry for condemned malefactors. 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 Skenfrith 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 buildcd 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 ike simple soyle some grace.”— Churchyard. 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 Wormbridge 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 76 Haute 5 .—Newport to Monmouth. S. Wales. 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 patterns 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 Ivilpeck 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 1 Paul Ferroll.’ There are some very re¬ markable trees, both deciduous and coniferous, the taxodium, silver firs, and Salisburia especially. 35 m. Tram Inn Stat., near which on 1. is Allensmore (E. Pateshall, Esq., M.P.), and the E. Eng. ch., which contains some Norm, work, a little painted 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 Herefordshire. ] ROUTE 5. FEOM NEWPORT TO MONMOUTH, 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-shaped dome through the Old Red Sandstone. Passing rt. Cefn Ila (E. Lister, Esq.) and 1. Beechhill (G. Relpli, Esq.), situated most charmingly on a wooded hill overlooking the river, the tourist reaches 4 m. $TJsk, 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 very much to the beautv of the villa of F. Macdonnell, S. Wales, Route 5.— Usk—Raglan Castle. 77 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, 2| m. on the Raglan road, and Coed-y-Bnnedd \tpon the hill above Clytlia. Near the gaol also have been found Roman querns and remains of pottery. jWbout \ 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 tivnA.' on, see Haines, ‘ Mon. Brasses,’ p. 243. 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. 9i 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 J 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 Route 5 .—Raglan Castle. S. WiLtia, 78 into the modern style 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 Ivy min 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 tower. ” 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 Vauxhall, where it was seen by Cosmo 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 tower with 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 was probably built by Sir William ap 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 Pem¬ 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, oppo¬ site the gate, was the kitchen, occu¬ pying the lower 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 grenades, opened 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 given 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 S. Wales. 70 Route 5 .—Raglan Castle * ‘ { finished his work over the kingdom except this castle,” marched from Bath in August with all the material necessary for ‘ ‘ reducing the garrison to the obedience of the Parliament.” The veteran Marquis of Worcester, then in his 84tli year, had already made enormous sacrifices of men and money in the cause of his un¬ fortunate master, and had equipped and maintained at his own charge an army of 1500 foot and 500 horse, though to little profit, since they were routed without striking a blow before Gloucester. He now, with his daughter-in-law the Countess of Glamorgan, his 6tli son, Lord Charles, his chaplain Dr. Bailey, and a few trusty friends, underwent all the pri¬ vations of a siege, and with a garri¬ son amounting at first to 800 men, boldly determined to resist to the last the attack of the enemy. For above 2 months the defence was maintained with unflinching bold¬ ness and determination. Several summonses to surrender were firmly refused. To one of these, made by Col. Morgan, and backed by what he would have had the marquis believe was ‘ ‘ a true copy of his Ma¬ jesty’s warrant to several garrisons to yield upon terms,” he replied, “ Truly, sir, it is not in the power of man to make me think so unworthily of his Majesty: that to one, in the opinion of the world, that hath given himself and family so great a demon¬ stration and testimony of his and their faith and fidelity towards them, that he would not please so much as to name his name or Raglan, I entreat you give me leave to suspend my belief. And for your second summons, it makes it too evident that it is de¬ sired that I should die under a hedge, like a beggar, having no home left to put my head into, nor means left to find me bread. Wherefore, to give you answer, I make choice (if it so please God) rather to die nobly than to live with infamy.” At length the near approach of the covered 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 witli flying colours, after a siege of 10 weeks. The Par¬ liament, however, refused to ratify the articles granted by Fairfax. Tlld 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 — Dingestow. 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 60,00(K. 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 marquisate, 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 born at Raglan, and after many years spent in the service of Charles I. accompanied liis 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 his father had expended in the cause of 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 as 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 up 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 as a favourite rendezvous of archae¬ ologists. 13 m. Dingestow Stat. On rt., f m., is Dingestow Church, close to which are slight traces of the castle, a former residence of the Earl of Pembroke in the 15tli centy. Dingestow Court (S. R. Bosanquet, Esq.) is an old mansion of the date of 1623, enlarged and refronted in stone in Elizabethan style about 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 Herberts of Llanarth, dating from about the 14th centy. ; but the present house was built (it is said by Inigo Jones) early in the 17th centy. The front has been lowered a story, and a con¬ tinuous roof substituted for the gables. It has a beautiful porch, over the entrance of which is a S. Wales. 81 Route 6 .—Newport to Brynmawr. shield of the Herbert family, with 9 quarterings. In Henry YI.’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¬ ings of Jones of Treowen, Corbet, Milo Fitzwalter, Bernard Newmarch, Ap Adam of Beverstone, Ynywr y Gwent, Huntley, Hastings, and Wal¬ lis. In the interior is a carved and panelled oak screen, and a good stair¬ case of solid oak. On 1. 14^ m. is Wonastow Church and Court , the latter, an old manor- house of the 16th centy., garrisoned for the King in the Civil Wars, but surrendered by treachery (— Prit¬ chard, Esq.). 15 m. Mitchel Troy. The Church, which is on the rt., is Dec., and with the old yews, has a picturesque appearance. The churchyard, which is entered by a lich-gate, contains a slender cross of great antiquity, carved with mystic characters. In the wall of the S.W. angle of the tower is an inscription supposed to refer to the founders, and in the interior a handsome Communion¬ table, brought from Italy. Crossing the little river Trothy, on rt. is Troy House, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort, a respect¬ able mansion with a huge roof, and an interior remarkable for its spacious apartments, costly paint¬ ings, and antiquarian curiosities, placed under the shelter of a hill, and by the side of the Trothy, from whence it derives its name. It is [£. 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 Y. 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 G. FROM NEWPORT TO BRYNMAWR, LY PONTYPOOL AND BLAENAFON- For the rly. between Pontypool and Pontrhydyrun Stat., by the Monmouthshire line* see Rte. 4. G 82 S. Wales. j Route 6.— Pontypool — Abersychan. Soon after passing the latter stat., the Great Western line to Aberga¬ venny and Hereford is given off* to Pontypool Road, the Blaenafon rly. keeping to the 1. up the valley to the busy iron town of $ Pontypool, 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 Toivn-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 cli., 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. 9^ 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 British works, belong¬ ing to the Ebbw Yale 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 Syclian and the Ffrwd, are beautiful little glens, almost shut in by the hills, and well S. Wales. Route 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 J 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 entirely 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 Yale of Usk to Crickliowell 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 m anufacturing 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 .FMicvale , 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 onT. with an embattled tower. There are some ancient earthworks on the hill above, and G 2 84 S. Wales. Route 7 .—Ty dee—Crumlin. 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 6^ m. Risca Junct., where the Tredegar and Sirliowy Illy., 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 Sirliowy, 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 Sirliowy 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 £ 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. is Abercarn House, a seat of Lady Llanover. The valley here takes a sudden curve, from which the Crum- lin bridge appears as though it were hanging across like a cobweb, so delicate and fairy-like do its lines contrast with the dark hills beyond. 11£ m. New Bridge Stat. A road on 1. leads over the hill to Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, and Hen- goed. 12J m. $ Crumlin Stat. The Western Valleys line here passes under the most lofty railway bridge in England, over which 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. Ivennard, 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 Ivennard, Esq. From Crumlin, after viewing this great achievement of engineering skill from below, the tourist may join the Great Western, although ho 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. Abekbeeg Junct., where the S. Wales. Route 7.— Blaina—Ebbio Vale. 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, sunk 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 Facli (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 works 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, where the geologist will find a collection of coal ferns and fossil fish and shells from the neighbour¬ hood. The Abercarne Pit, which 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 (Rte. 8), or by train to Abergavenny. 8G S. Wales. Houle 8 .—Newport to Nantybwell. ROUTE 8. FROM 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 cli. of Mynyd¬ dysllwyn, which, notwithstanding its singular and out-of-the-way position, is the motlier-cli. 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 Ely. 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. 14J 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 Mamnioel, separating the Sirhowy from the S. Wales. 87 Route 9 .—Newport to Brecon. Ebbw valley. From the summit magnificent views of the surrounding country can be obtained. To the 1ST. 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 e3 r e 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 thousands who are gaining their liveli¬ hood in the bowels of the earth. It is 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 restingplace, perhaps, of some old British warrior; there is a steam- engine, every beat of which brings civilization nearer and widens the distance between the present and the 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 Fotliergill 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. ROUTE 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 — Darrart. S. Wales. the tourist who wishes to see the various features of the scenery of the South Wales coal basin cannot do better than travel by it. The line quits Newport by the Western Valleys stat., using the same rails to 3 nr. Bassaleg Junct. (Rte. 7), when the Brecon and Merthyr, Rhymney and Newport Rly. turns to the 1. up a very picturesque gorge, passing 44 nr. Rhiwderin and Church Road Stat. to 8 nr. 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 nr. to the S., within the county of Glamorgan. 11 nr. 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 Rhymney Rly., between Cardiff and the Rlrynrney ironworks. Passing 1. Ystrad Ch. and Court, the pretty seat of Mrs. Tlronras, the tourist arrives at 15£ nr. Maes-y-cymnrer Stat., where the Great Western Rly. crosses the line by a very lofty viaduct to Hengoed, on the other side of the valley. 17 J nr. Penganr Stat. On the high ground rt. is an old farmhouse called Plus Bedicellty, the former residence of a collateral branch of the Morgans of Caerleon (see Rte. 8. supra). 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¬ 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 high ground to the 1., on Mynydd Gelligaer is the white tower of Gelligaer Church (restored), 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 to the village, besides several monu¬ mental stones on the Gelligaer moun¬ tain. [F rom 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 Maerdy, nearly 1^ m. (of the very dirtiest walking) from the town.] The main line crosses the Rhym¬ ney river, and the Rhymney rly. at 19 m. Bargoed Junct. , whence it ascends the beautiful and seques¬ tered valley of the Bargoed Rhym¬ ney river, teeming with mineral produce in the shape of steam coal. Bechvcllty Church (Rte. 8) is on the hill to the rt. of Bargoed, overlooking the Rhymney and the Sirhowy valleys. 21 m. Darran Stat., soon after which the rly. approaches the head of the valley, and emerges on the wild and desolate table-land of the Waun Hill at S. Wales. Route 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 the height is at least 1300 ft. above the sea. Near 27 m. Dowlais Top Stat., the turnpike road, the old coaching road between Abergavenny and Swansea is crossed. [28| in., at Pant Junct., a short branch on 1. runs to Doiclais Stat. Dowlais is one of the largest steel- making establishments in Great Britain. The aspect of the works at night is a sight not to be for¬ gotten, and the beacons are lighted up 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, who ranked as one of the foremost iron-masters in the country. Under Sir John’s care the sanitary and social condition of the people, who number at this work about 20,000, was considerably raised, after having been for many years in a state of neglect and degradation horrible to contemplate. A handsome building on the rt. has been erected to his memory, to serve as a library and institution. Close to the furnaces, and almost touching them, is Dow¬ lais House, the residence of G. T. Clark, Esq., the managing trustee, who is well known to archaeologists as a distinguished antiquary; and is deserving of all honour for the vigorous part he has taken in the local government of Dowlais and Merthyr. The works are now about to be removed to Cardiff—an opera¬ tion which is expected to occupy about 10 years and to cost about 3,000,000Z. For a further account of the works and their history the reader is referred to the Introduc¬ tion. .» From Dowlais a long hill of 2 in. leads to Merthyr (Rte. 15).] At Pant a magnificent view breaks upon the tourist. Instead of the wild and dreary liill-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. H 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 S. Wales. Route 9.— Cefn — Torpantau. 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 liill-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 feclian and Taff fawr) is a dirty suburb of Merthyr, although not in the same county, the border between Brecon and Glamorgan being 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 the rly. across the Taff into the Vale of Neath station at $ Merthyr. (Rte. 15.] From Pont-Sticill Junct. the main line ascends the beautiful valley of the Taff Veclian to 32 m. Dolygaer Stat., passing 1. the little cli. of Capel Taf Vechan. Close to the stat. is the large arti¬ ficial lake of Pentwyn, formed by the embankment of the Taff for the purpose of supplying Merthyr with water. But, except just at the foot of the lake, there is nothing to lead one to suppose that it is not a natural sheet of water; and the view looking up it, with the Breconshire Beacons at its head, is as fine as anything in the country. It is a great place for Merthyr excursionists, boats being allowed on the water for fishing and rowing. The scenery gets wilder as the top of the valley is reached, the rly. passing the shoulder of the Beacon ranges by a tunnel, a little beyond which may be seen visions of the goat, now so uncommon in S. Wales. 34 m. Torpantau Stat., probably one of the highest in the kingdom. Here another magnificent view opens out, of a diffei'ent character, as the line descends the alpine valley of Glyn Collwng. On 1. are some waterfalls descending from the re¬ cesses of the Beacons, and below them are a few scattered farms and the solitary little ch. of Capel Glyn Collwng, with a primeval yew in the churchyard, shut in on every side by lofty hills, fringed with trees up to about half their height, and divided by numberless little tributary glens and defiles. Far in the distance are the vale of Usk and the blue ranges of Radnor Forest. Capel Glyn Col¬ lwng stands upon the lesser Taff. To ascend the Beacons from this S. Wales. 01 Route 0 .—Talybon t — Brecon. side, tlie tourist should leave the train at Dolygaer and follow the stream of the Taff to its very source, from whence a steep but practicable climb will land him at the summit, 2910 ft. But, by getting out at Torpantau and skirting the top of the mountain to the rt., a very charming and singular walk is ob¬ tained to Dyffryn Crownan, a bold cul-de-sac of horseshoe shape, the precipitous walls of which are formed by mountain limestone (much quar¬ ried for the ironworks), below which the junction of the old red sandstone can be plainly seen all round. The scenery here is extremely romantic, and by pursuing the tramroad on the 1. to Pen-rhiw-Calch, and ascending the shoulder of the hill above, the tourist obtains views of both valleys at one glance, he standing as it were on a narrow wall of hills between. This is well worth the trouble of the walk, particularly as Dyffryn Crownan is known to none, save a few residents in the vale of Usk. Whilst the pedestrian is exploring the Beacons, the ancient moraines in Cwm Llwcli should not be over¬ looked. The rly. now rapidly descends the valley of Glyn Collwng, at the foot of which (1.) is Cui (Mrs. Jones Williams), and 40£ m. Talybont Stat., from whence there are roads to Brecon and Crickhowell (8 m.) on either side the Usk. The one to Crick¬ howell is remarkably fine as it passes between Buckland, on 1., and Llanthetty, on rt., just under the steep wooded sides of the Tor Yoel. On rt., under the mountain, is Buckland (J. P. Gwynne Holford, Esq., also of Cilgwyn, Co. Caer- marthen), a house whose only beauty is in its situation, which can scarcely be surpassed. The private drive for a mile along the Usk is very fine. Bv the roadside stands an inscribed v stone, called the Victorinus Stone, near Sketlirog, in the parish of Llansaintfread. It is said to be a Roman monumental pillar. At Newton, or Sketlirog, 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 Pliilaletlies. 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 1 was so are yee, As I am you shall be; That I had that I gave, That I gave that I have; Thus 1 end all my cost, That I left that 1 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 Rly., at 43J 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-Coed-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 4tli 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- f)o Route 10. —Pontypool Road to Swansea. S. WalHs. them edge of the coal-basin. The vale now opens considerably, and is tolerably v r ell wooded. 4 m., at Capel 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. 9 rn. 1. a road branches across the mountain to Penderyn and Hirwain. 10 m. at Pont-ar-Daf the road crosses the infant Taff, which rises about 1 m. higher in the glen of Corn-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 1^ m. leads to the summit of Corn-ddu, 10 minutes’ v r alk from which is the principal Beacon, 2910 ft. above the sea, forming the highest mountain in South Wales. Corn- ddu and the Big-van are each formed by the meeting of 3 valleys, and their figure is therefore triangular. The lesser Taff rises on their S.E., the greater Taff* on their S.W. side, while to the N. the valley of the Tarel and others are tributary to the Usk. The northern escarp¬ ment is very steep, and in some places precipitous, and the head of the valley below, with its little mountain-tarn of Llyn-cwm-llwch, fabled to be unfathomable, is gloomy and grand. The view, in fine , weather, is very extensive, embrac¬ ing the Channel for a great distance, with most of Breconshire and the Yale of Usk, and on the W. a large number of the Caermartlienshire hills. The formation is of Old Red sandstone, — “And from the small angle of dip, the continuation of the beds forming the summits of the Vans is only a few feet beneath the carboniferous lime¬ stone near Merthyr. Great denuda¬ tions have evidently been effected, and, standing on the Vans and looking northward, the imagination readily fills up the sea to the needful level, a main line of coast ranging with its bays and promontories E. and W. be¬ neath, islands with steep cliffs occur¬ ring in the direction of the Black Forest and of the Cader and other mountains near Abergavenny . 1 '—De la Beclie. From the Storey Arms the road descends the valley of the Tarel, and, passing on rt. Ffrwd-gwrech, the charming seat of the late Col. Pearce, in which grounds is a pretty waterfall, enters Brecon (Rte. 12). ROUTE 10. FROM PONTYPOOL .ROAD TO SWAN¬ SEA, BY QUAKERS’ YARD, ABER- DARE, AND NEATH. (Great Western Railway.') From Pontypool Road Junct. the line takes a westerly direction, passing Pontymoile Forge and the Park to 1 m. Pontypool Town Stat. It then passes under the Monmouth¬ shire Rly. and enters the beautiful defile of Cwm Glyn, the w r ooded hills on each side of which rise very S. Wales. Route 10.— Crumlin — Llancaiach. 03 steeply to a considerable height. 2 m. from Pontypool, on h, are the remains of the Crumlin Pools, once large and picturesque sheets of water, but now considerably shorn of their size and beauty. The one, however, is still deep, and was the scene of a terrible calamity, in 1868, by the upsetting of a boat containing a picnic party and the drowning of several young people. At the end of the defile the rly. emerges into the valley of the Ebbw, and crosses it by the famous Crumlin Bridge, the loftiest of the kind in Britain. The village of Crumlin (Rte. 7) lies immediately under the bridge, from whence the view both up and down the valley is of the most lovely character. The visitor looks down upon the foundry, the white cottages of the workmen, the small station of the Western Valleys Railway, and the rushing stream of the Ebbw, all diminished to Liliputian size ; while lower down is Crumlin Hall, the modern residence of Mr. Kennard, at whose works the construction of the viaduct was carried on. The whole of the view is shut in by steep hills, rising directly from the water’s edge, and clothed with wood to the very summit. The bridge itself, designed by T. W. Kennard, Esq., is one of the most splendid engineering works in Great Britain, and consists of 10 openings, each of 150 ft. span and 210 ft. high, the piers being a series of cast-iron pillars fastened together by diagonal braces. The length of ironwork is 1500 ft., or, including masonry, 1658 ft. The materials consumed were 2479 tons 19 cwt. of iron, 31,294 cubic ft. of wood, and 51,361 cubic ft. of masonry. It took 3 5 years to build, and was opened for traffic in 1857. The cost of the whole was 62,000^., or 41 1. 7s. per ft. By a trap-door at each end, leading to" 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 numbers 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 (Rte. 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 Yale Ely. (Ete. 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 commer- 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 ('•an 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 or less sought after for the working of steamboats. The French Govern¬ ment has been using it exclusively for some time past, being convinced of its great superiority over other kinds. It is also employed in this country by the Admiralty, the Peninsular and Oriental, Eoyal Mail, Cunard, and other mail-packet com¬ panies. Pass on 1. the Dyffryn, the seat of the Eight Hon. Lord Aberdare ; and Aberaman, a mansion belonging to the Powell Duffryn Coal. Co. 19f m. Aberdare Stat., situated at the junction of the Dare with the Cynon river. $ Aberdare is a flourishing iron¬ work town, which has risen from a small village with wonderful rapidity. Forty years ago the population was only a few hundreds, whereas now it is upwards of 37,000, most of whom are dependent on the numerous col¬ lieries and ironworks. The Aber¬ dare furnaces and mills, until the failure of the Company, belonged to Messrs. Hankey and Fothergill, the latter’s seat (Abernant House) being close to the town ; the Gadlys Works are the property of Messrs. Wayne. The whole neighbourhood is parti¬ cularly celebrated for its valuable and rich seams of steam-coal, which has been recognised by her Majesty’s Government as being the most use¬ ful for the navy. There are two churches, one of which, St. Elvan’s, is a handsome Dec. building, with a fine peal of bells. The scenery of the mountains on the 1. is very fine and bold, sweep¬ ing down in steep escarpments over¬ hanging the common of Hirwain Wrgan, the scene of the great battle between Eliys ap Tewdwr and Iestyn ap Gwrgan and his Norman allies, in which the gallant old Ehys fell sword in hand. Iestyn, the traitor, met with a better fate than he de- S. Wales. Route 10.— Abernant—Pont-Neath-Vaughan. 95 served; for, fleeing like a coward before the Normans, once his friends, then his foes, he reached the reli¬ gious house of Llangennys, in Gwent, and was there permitted to end his days in peace. Memorials of this conflict are still to be found in this parish, especially in the valley of Cadlan, the two largest tumuli being respectively 60 and 40 ft. in circum¬ ference and 9 ft. in height. 23 m. Hirwain Junct., with a line from Merthyr. [After leaving the Merthyr station the line crosses the Taff Yale Rail¬ way, the liver, and the canal, on a lofty viaduct, from which an exten¬ sive view is gained down the vale. The hill intervening between Mer¬ thyr and Aberdare is pierced by a long tunnel, on emerging from which the train arrives at Abernant, 3 m. The vale of the Cynon is now visible for a consider¬ able distance. Here are the furnaces of numberless collieries ; indeed the whole valley is a continuous hive of manufacturing industry. Below Abernant is (1 in.) Aberdare, backed up by the noble ranges of Daren y Bwlcliau, Cefn Rhosgwawr, and Mynydd Bach, which separate the Cynon from the Rhondda valley (Rte. 15). In every direction, as far as the eye can reach, tokens of mining activity present themselves — coal¬ pits with their gloomy-looking engine - houses —• lofty chimneys, coke-ovens with their long rows of dull light—and networks of tram- roads and railways—all combine to make it a busy scene. The line is carried on the northern slope of the valley past Liwydcoed 4 m. to the watershed of the Cynon, a dreary and desolate moor, to 6 m. Hirwain Junct.] Hirwain is a populous though scattered village, dependent on the collieries of the Hirwain Coal Com¬ pany. There are also iron-works here, originally commenced by Messrs. Mayberry and Wilkins, in 1758, which proved an unprofitable speculation, and they are standing idle. The scenery now begins to im¬ prove. On an eminence 2 m. rt. is the parish church of Penderyn. The line descends the watershed of the Neath, and speedily exchanges the barren desolation of the hills for the wooded and smiling valley. On emerging from the Pen-cae-draen tunnel, the geologist will notice on the rt. Craig-y-Dinas, a singular pro¬ trusion of the carboniferous lime¬ stone rocks, running in a sharp point into the coal-measures and forming what is termed “a leaf.” The highly inclined strata of the sandstone-beds are well seen as the train rushes down the steep incline. Craig-y- Dinas is so called from its inacces¬ sible situation on a precipitous lime¬ stone rock, washed on one hand by the Ilepste and Melte, and on the * other by the brook Sychryd. On the opposide side of the vale, on rt., is Pont-Neath-Vaughan, and 1 m. further the populous hamlet of Pont- walby and the Powder-Works of Messrs. Curtis, a little distance from which is the station of Glyn-Neath, 28 m. The inn (Lamb and Flag, poor) is about f m. from the station, and is the most convenient house in the neighbourhood for visiting the water¬ fall district; although for those who are able to rough it, the Angel at Pont-Neatli-Vaughan is preferable. For about 2 m. the tourist returns up the valley, but on the northern side, to Pont-Neath-Vaughan or Fe- chan (Angel Inn), a romantic little village placed in the most exquisite situation at the confluence of the united streams of the Neath and Pyrddin mountain torrent with the Mellte and Hepste. It is under the 96 Route 10.— Gy aig-y-Dinas. S. Wales. shadow of a narrow gorge, through which the Neath flows, crossed by a picturesque bridge of one arch, the effect enhanced by the eccentric growth of the ivy, which hangs in large curtain-like masses from the crown of the arch, and almost dips in the sparking stream below, and also immediately under the majestic Craig-y-Llyn. From the Lamb and Flag to this village the excursion can be taken in a carriage, but the remainder must be performed on a pony or on foot, unless the tourist wishes to proceed at once to Ystrad- fellte, about 4 m. to the N. A guide can be obtained at Pont- Neatli-Vaughan. The course of the rivers and brooks, for whose scenery and wealth of waterfalls the Vale of Neath has been so justly praised, is rather intricate, and it will help the traveller, briefly to indicate the geography of the district. There are four main rivers, besides some tributary streamlets — the first of which, the Pyrddin (pron. Purthen), rises in a large swamp on the moun¬ tains to the N.W., near Capel Col- bren, and 1| m. above Pont-Neath- Vaughan unites with the Nedd or Neath river, which has its source about 8 m. due N. under the lofty summit of Fan Nedd. The Mellte, perhaps the largest of the group, is formed by two streams, the Llia and the Dringarth, rising respectively near Fan Llia and Fan Dringarth, in the same great range of mountain as the Neath, but about a mile or two to the E. ; while the Hepste rises considerably to the E. and unites with the Mellte at Cilhepste. All these rivers, together with the small tributary of the Sychrhyd, unite to form the main stream of the Neath. The first point is Craig-y-Dinas, a huge mass of limestone rock, reared, according to tradition, by the magic wand of the enchanter over the fairy palace where “mystic Utlier’s mighty son ” and his warriors lie asleep, awaiting the trumpet-blast which on “the day when the red eagle and the black eagle shall go to war,” is to arouse them from their long slumber and call them to the fray. At its foot runs the Sychrhyd, separating the counties of Brecon and Glamorgan. The view from the rock, extending down the whole length of the vale, with Swansea Bay in the distance, is one of the most lovely in all Wales, though the view up the glen is still finer :— “ Round him rock And cliff, whose grey trees mutter to the wind, And streams down rushing with a torrent ire.” There is here a curious appearance of concentric strata called the Bwa Maen or Bow of Stone, a fine gable of carb. limestone, jutting out of a steep wooded bank of coal measure, which has escaped the mutilation by quarrying that has befallen the head of Craig-y-Dinas, the other side of the Sychrhyd. The gorge of the Sychnant, which here emerges after a subterranean course of | a mile, and in this re¬ sembles the Alyn in Denbighshire, and other streams which are not fabulous, although rarely mentioned or visited, is perhaps more worthy of visit than any of the “'stock” scenes in the neighbourhood. The lofty and many-tinted crags, and especially the magnificent one known as “Ystol y Weddonas,” or “the Witches’ Chair,” would gladden the heart of an artist. In the bed of fireclay, which is equal to any in Great Britain, on 1. are numbers of fossil ferns. The velvet turf upon the summit of Craig-y-Dinas was long the scene of fairy midnight revel ; but, as the guide remarked, ‘ ‘ the preaching of the Gospel had driven the little green men away.” Few of the rising generation have ever heard of the fairies, even in the Vale of Neath, their former strong¬ hold, F olio wing up the course of the 97 S. Wales. Route 10.- — Clyngwyn — Ystradfelite. Ilepste is the Cil-hepste Fall, where the river dashes over a precipitous scarp of the rock about 50 ft. high ; leaving a path beneath the fall, along which the visitor may pass, and, if necessary, take shelter from the rain. Just below are the lower falls, or rather rapids, which should not be omitted to be seen, though it requires more of a scramble to reach them. Crossing some high ground, the visitor next arrives at the Mellte river, upon which, at Clyngwyn, there is an exceedingly beautiful fall, containing a larger body of water than even that at Cil-hepste ; but as it is distributed over a greater distance, the effect is by no means so fine, besides which, there is no access to it from below, as precipitous rocks close up all the approaches. The Middle Clyngwyn is just below, and is one of the best of the cataracts. The river takes a lofty double leap, then falls in one broad sheet into a deep pool, the rocks covered with trailing ivy and many- coloured mosses and lichens, forming the accessories of a scene alike en¬ chanting to the artist or mere every¬ day tourist. Passing under the upper fall and climbing to the table-land above, the tourist obtains delicious views down the vale, the distant Bay of Swansea, and over the glittering waters of the Bristol Channel to the headlands of Devon and Somerset. In front is the gloomy valley of the “Devil’s Glen,” long appropriated by tradition as the haunt of demons —of the “ Tylwyth Teg” or little good people, who though not good enough for heaven, were yet too good for its antipodes—of the ‘ ‘ cwn ■ wybr” (dogs of the sky), otherwise called “Cwn Annwn,” whose fierce baying, mingled with the despairing shrieks of the victim, still resounds at night—of the “ Cynhiraeth, ” whose wail of unutterable anguish fills with terror the belated way- .farer. [S, Wales .] About If m. higher up the Melltb flows through a very curious cavern called Porth-yr-Ogof (Gate of the Cave), about 40 ft. high, 20 ft. wide, and about 600 yds. in length. From the entrance can be seen a gleaming mass of calcareous spar, assuming very much the form of a child, and hence called “ Llyn y Baban,” or Pool of the Child. The visitor can penetrate for a considerable distance with the help of lights, but it is very fatiguing and scarcely repays the attempt. In the middle of the cave the river is rejoined by a portion of its stream, which disappears near Ystradf elite church, and flows under¬ ground as far as Porth-yr-Ogof. The outlet (for stream, not tourist) of Porth-yr-Ogof is worth exploring. Running N. overland to the en¬ trance of the cave is the old bed of the Mellte (which must have been there for ages before it found or enlarged the channel below). It is partly covered with copsewood, and part of its base has fallen in, giving access to the cave on the right and the left. The scene during a flood is of the wildest description, as the river has been frequently swollen to a height above the entrance, which has been well nigh blocked up with trees and debris brought down by the torrent. Ystradf elite is a small village, remarkable only for the beauty of its situation among the mountains, and its being as it were the last trace of civilisation for many weary miles between it and Brecon, which is about 18 m. distant. [The road pursues the desolate valley of the Llia, and is joined about 3 m. from the village by the Sarn Helen, which runs from the Yale of Neath to the Gaer, near Brecon (Rte 12), in a N.E. direc¬ tion, crossing the Resol veil Moun¬ tain and the ridge of Cerrig-Llwyd to the 1. of Ystradf elite. Near its H 98 Route 10 .—Pyrddin Falls — Rheola. S. Wales. junction with the turnpike is a stone called Maen-madoc, inscribed— “ Dervaci filius Julii ic jacit.” Another stone, which used to stand here near the road, inscribed 11 Marci Caritani filii Berici,” has been re- moved to the Gnoll at Neath. The highest point of the pass is marked by the Maen Llia, a huge upright lozenge-shaped stone, visible from a long distance on both sides. The road then descends by the side of Y Fan Frynacli, and joins the Merthyr and Brecon road near Glanrhyd. ] From Portli-yr-Ogof, the visitor may cross the high ground on the rt. bank of the Melltfi, and descend to the Neath river, and from thence to the Pyrddin, which presents two of the most lovely falls of the whole group. The upper one (2^ m. from Pont- Neath-Vaughan) is called Scwd Einon Gam, or Crooked Einon’s Fall, and presents an unbroken sheet of water dashing over at a height of 80 ft. The lesser fall, or Scwd Gladys (the Lady’s Fall), is 1 m. nearer Pont-Neath-Yauglian, and is about 40 ft. in height, possessing, though in a less degree, very much the beautiful features of the former. The sides of this fall are studded with trees, starting promiscuously from the fissures and clefts of the rocks. Near it stood the Logan or rocking-stone (in weight 16 tons, yet movable by a finger’s touch), which, by an act of wanton Vandal¬ ism which cannot be too strongly reprehended, was overturned in 1850 by a party of navvies who were em¬ ployed on the railway. [If the pedestrian can afford time, he may follow the Pyrddin to its source, a distance of 5 m., and visit the little . ch. of Capel Colbren and the water¬ fall of Schwd Hen Rhyd on the Llech, which in height exceeds them all (Rte. 13).]. Close to the stat. of Glyn Neath is Aberpergwm, the seat of Morgan Stuart Williams, Esq., the heir of W. Williams, Esq., a zealous culti¬ vator of the Welsh literature and traditions. Aberpergwm, anciently called Glyn-Nedd, is commemorated by Lewis Glyn Cotlii in the 15tli centy., the festive board there being likened to King Arthur’s, and the words spoken there being pronounced the ancient language of the Britons ; and is one of the most charming and romantic spots in S. Wales. The fine growth of the timber, the undu¬ lations of the park, and the pre¬ cipitous escarpments of the moun¬ tains produce a combination of effects rarely to be met with. The road through the glen should be followed to the hill-top, or the winding footpath may be taken. By the side of the latter is a monu¬ mental stone, raised over a favourite pony, thus inscribed :— “ Optimus inter equos jacet liac sub mole Corinnus; Ut tibi cursus erat, sit quoque tuta quies. Et si cura eadem sequitur tellure repostos; Delicium Elysiis tu mihi rursus eris.” At Aberpergwm is one of the little churches, raised to supply the spi¬ ritual wants of the extensive parish of Cadoxton juxta Neath. On a bank immediately above the stat. is the pretty cottage of Ynis-las, the residence of the Misses Williams, members of the same old family, well-known for the services rendered by them to Welsh literature and Welsh national music. The Vale of Neath gradually widens in its downward course, and becomes more beautifully clothed with trees, and more graceful in the outlines of the hills on either side. The river glides along in charming reaches, though in a more peaceful stream than higher up the valley ; and running very near it, the canal from Abernant to Neath offers many pretty scenes on its wooded banks. On the rt. is Rheola (Capt. J. 99 S. Wales. Haute 11.— Aberg< Vaughan), second only to Aber- pergwm in the singular beauty of its situation. Here also is a beau¬ tiful little memorial church, erected by the late Mr. Nash Vaughan in memory of his first wife. A little further on is Resolven Stat. 31 m., near which on a bank to the 1. is another pretty church. 1 m. from the station stood a gi¬ gantic but hollow oak, generally known as Wiclyffe’s Oak, under the shadow of which the great reformer is said to have preached. It lies now, a mere shell, against the wall of the adjoining farmyard. To the 1. (J m.) is Melincourt Fall, where the Cleddau brook leaps over a rock 80 ft. high into the wooded glen below. Upon the op¬ posite side of the valley at Abergar- wad , not far from the “Stag” public- house, is another fine fall, worth visiting after rain. Between Resolven and 35 m. Aber- dylais stat. on rt. is Ynisygerum (J. T. Dilwyn Llewelyn, Esq.), the an¬ cient seat of the Llewelyns of Pen- llergare, now tenanted by Hon. H. C. Bruce. The mill and cascade at Aberdulais were a general theme of admiration amongst the old Welsh tourists, but the mill has long since been incorporated with the tinplate works of Messrs. Williams and Co., and the cascade hidden amongst the buildings of the same establishment. From hence to Neath the valley rapidly extends. On 1. is the Gnoll (Charles Evan Thomas, Esq.) (Rte. 1), and on rt., 1 m. from Neath, the Church of Cadoxton, which contains amongst its parochial curiosities the pedigree of the family of Williams, engraved on sheets of copper, and occupying 4 long pages. Also a quaint epitaph to a Mrs. Rose Wil¬ liams, in the form of an acrostic. . A little to the N.W. of Neath is Dyffryn, the modern mansion of the late Howel Gwyn, Esq. avenny to Merthyr. 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). i 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. 100 Route 11.— Govilon — Clydach. S. Wales. 3 m. Govilon Stat. Here are wire-works—also a pretty modern ck. Aberbaiden is the residence of Capt. Scott, and Llanwenarth of J. Humfrey, Esq. The rly. rapidly rises to a con¬ siderable height to 41 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.AV., 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 G 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 walk 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 Blaclcrock 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 principal 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 S. Wales. 101 j Route 11.— Brynmtiivr — Trefil. groups of colossal chimneys, cones, and blackened walls and roofs, with their accompaniment of smoke and flame, announce that the visitor is approaching an ironwork. Were there no other appearances, those of the inhabitants would be sufficient. Groups of colliers with features un- distinguisliable from coal-grime, and women, from the nondescript style of their garments, apparently of the epicene gender, with cheeks bronzed from exposure to the weather, and bare ancles of Amazonian proportion, are met at every step. The impulse given to the iron- trade by the construction of rail¬ roads in Great Britain and other countries was nowhere more felt than in this district. Wages rose high (as indeed they always are, when compared with those of agri¬ cultural labourers), and masters made enormous fortunes. Within the last few years, however, com¬ petition has told immensely on the S. Wales trade; the number of collieries and furnaces everywhere erected, and the discovery of new ores and new fields, particularly in S. Yorkshire, Cleveland, North¬ amptonshire, and Somersetshire, had considerably diminished the profits of the trade even before the late period of general depression had set in. Since then, the iron-trade in S. Wales may be said to have utterly collapsed, and in those cases where the means or the enterprise to turn to the manufacture of steel have been wanting the works seem to have been permanently closed. Until within the last 30 years, the population was left to increase with no adequate provision for its in¬ struction, temporal or spiritual. The wealthy owners, who derived large fortunes, seemed to overlook the responsibilities and obligations that they had incurred by bringing such large masses of people together, and, as a consequence of this blame- able 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. Cefnmawr House. A good distant view is obtained of Ebbwvale. 12 m. Trefil Stat. 13£ m. Nantybwch Junct., with the Sirhowy Rly. (Rte. 8), by which the traveller reaches Tredegar. The remainder of the route is performed 102 Route 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 Stat. 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 in., see Rte. 5. 9| m. Cross Bychan, from the high ground of which the traveller obtains a noble view of the valley of the Usk. The long ridge of the Scyrrid Fawr and the tall sharp cone of the Sugar Loaf are seen from 6 to 10 m. 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 T . ] 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 Yale of Usk is magnificent. [A road to the 1. leads to Usk 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 passes through a deep cutting in the upper Silurian rocks which constitute the extreme or outer covering of the Usk valley or elevation, so well known to geologists. At the bottom of the hill the old red sandstone reappears. 11| m. at the Swan, a road-side inn, the Usk first shows itself, and on the rt. [a road leads to Llanarth Court (John A. Herbert, Esq.), the handsome seat of an old Monmouth¬ shire Roman Catholic family. 4 m. 1., near the corner of a road to Abergavenny, through Llanvapley, is Cillwch, an old farmhouse, for¬ merly the seat of the Progers family. 5 m. Llantilio Crosseny Park (Sir H. Jackson, Bart.) and Church, very prettily situated close to the mansion. It is a spacious building, principally Dec., with later work in the large chapel on the N. side of the presby¬ tery. The chancel is separated from the nave by an arch of such depth and thickness as to be really a 103 b. Wales. Route 12.— Rochfield—PenpergwtiL passage. In the churchyard 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 1| m. to the N. is White Castle, 5^ m. from Sken- fritli 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 Graig Hill, an isolated wooded eminence, and a very conspicuous feature in Monmouthshire land¬ scape. The road from Llantilio continues to Monmouth, 7\ 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. 5| m. Rockfield (General Sir John Garvock). 7i 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 “ ply gain ” on Christmas morn¬ ing, which is usually attended by a large congregation. From Penpergwm 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- churcli. 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— “ Tbs brook that ckristenetb Abergeney.” Draytoii. It is surrounded on every side, says Churchyard, “ by mountains broad and high, And some thick 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 Rholben, 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 assembly-room) has been erected, with capacious covered market adjoining, and a large cat¬ tle-market has 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. 144G) 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 of 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 Herbert chapel and the choir is the tomb of Laurence 105 S. Wales. Route 12.— Abergavenny : Castle. 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 Richard 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 125G. 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 kings, called the Roote of Jesse, which work is defaced and pulled down in pieces.” It is supposed that it may originally have formed the 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 15tli centy., if not earlier. The Castle,— “ The rent 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 ‘ ‘ that it was dishonoured by treason oftener 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- i06 Route 12. — Abergavenny: Blorenge — Pentre. S. Wales. 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 40,000?., 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 1839. 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 jN. 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 be made from the Govilon Stat. (Rte. 11.) The Sugar Loaf mountain (1954 ft.) is frequently ascended on account of the view from its summit, which is accessible to within 100 yds. by a light carriage, an excursion of about 4 hrs. On foot the ascent is most conveniently made over the Rhol- 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 Rholben. 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 Llanfihangel 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 a Perp. tower, and beyond it, on the other side of the Usk, the villas of Aberbaiden and Tymawr. The two portions of the parish are still known as Llanwenarth ultra and citra Usk. To the rt. is Llanwenarth Graig, a wooded shoulder of the Sugar Loaf. 21 m. a stone on the roadside marks the boundary between Eng¬ land and Wales. On rt. is Sunny- bank (Mrs. Parkinson), and im¬ mediately beyond it the village of S. Wales. Route 12. — Court-i 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 — Crichhoivel. 107 pass of Bwlch and the valley of the Rhiangoll. The Church, restored in 1864, from designs by Mr. C. West, is a cruciformE. 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 VII., and called Porthmawr, but previously Cwrt Garw, forming the en trance 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 churcli-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 “stone church,” a large vaulted chamber abounding in stalactites. It was probably used as a place of conceal* 108 Route 12.— Licingenau — 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 was 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 presents an endless variety of wood, water, and hill. The two streams of the Greater and Lesser Grwyney make the scene more attractive. 6 m. further, in a dell to the 1. of the Sugar Loaf, is Partrishow Church (from Pcirthau-yr-Ishow, “the parcel of I show,” the patron saint ; or a corruption of Merthyr Ishoiv, Ishow 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 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, 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 separate entrance, and a large stone 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 condition. In the valley below the ch. is a bridge over the Grwyney, called Pont-yr-Esgob, or Bishop’s Bridge, from whence Baldwin, Arch¬ bishop of Canterbury, preached the Crusade in company with Giraldus Cambrensis. From hence a bridle¬ 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 this inscrip¬ tion :— TVRPILLI JZ IACIT PVVERI TRILVNI DVNOCATI. It lias 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. — GlanusJc 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 Glanusk Park, the handsome seat of Sir J. Russell Bailey, Bart., a modern Elizabethan structure in a lovely park, with a 3-arched bridge and a castellated lodge, all in very good taste. Just above the bridge, in a most en¬ chanting situation, on the bank of the river, and commanding splendid views of the neighbouring hills, is 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 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. m. on 1. Tretower Castle, now reduced to a single round keep-tower, 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 archceologists because it affords a 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 Valens 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 15tli centy. The great hall is now a barn, but other apart¬ ments still retain their 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 Lower 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—Llangorse Lalce. 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 Ethelfleda, 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 Myarth, 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 Calch, and the Daren, with the Sugar Loaf ending the view, while the rt. is occupied by the Myarth 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- thony 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 eedificii Seepe videbis inibi Sub lacu; cum sit gelidus Mirus auditur sonitus.” Another legend about it is that on S. Wales. Route 12.— Talgarth — Brecon . Ill the coming of the rightful prince of the land the birds about the lake will recognise him by singing. This lake is much frequented for the sake of its perch and pike¬ fishing, and in winter for its wild¬ fowl shooting. In 1869 a “ crannoge ” was dis¬ covered oft’ the island here by the Rev. 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. Gastyn, the tutor of Cynog, son of BrecliaD. It possesses a fine peal of bells, which have a peculiarly charming 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 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 Mertliy, 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. 33 m. Llanhamlach Church, shaded by magnificent yews, and close by Peterstone , 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| 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 the 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. Wales. 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 his re¬ sidence, and the capital of his march. It afterwards belonged to the great baronial families of Braose and Bohun 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 escape xo 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 the deeds of violence by which he had obtained his possessions, and willing to disgorge a part of his booty to the Church, in the hope of securing peace to his soul after death. By 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 14tli centy., gradually trans¬ formed the Norm, nave into a Dec. building.” — E. A. F. 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, near Aberystwith (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 lied Men ; ” meaning the Nor¬ 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 each transept, which at a later period were considerably altered, those on the N. being thrown into one large chapel, whilst on the S. one chapel disappeared, and the other was altered, and a vestry added to 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 transept roofs to the original pitch. There is a curious Norm, font, deco¬ rated with monsters’ heads. In the restoration remains of sedilia and a triple piscina (on a large scale) were discovered. There are several monu¬ mental effigies of interest : the most remarkable representing the Cruci¬ fixion, the Virgin, and St. John, with angels in the angles above. Below are 4 kneeling figures of the persons in whose memory the stone was placed. Portions still remain of the Priory walls and of an embattled gateway. The Priory House, contiguous to the churchyard, belongs to the Mar¬ quis Camden. King Charles I., a fugitive after the fatal battle of Naseby, was received here by Sir Herbert Price, on the 5th of August, 1645 ; and George IV. passed a night here in 1821, after his return from Ireland. The Priory Wood is a lofty grove, covering the steep slope at whose base runs the Honddu. There are pleasant walks beneath the shade of the fine trees and along the water¬ side ; and another promenade, called the Captain’s Walk, along the banks [3. Wales.'] j 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 14th 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. I 114 Boute 13 .—Brecon to Neath. S. Wales. St. David's Church, in tlie 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 canel to Abergavenny and Newport. The town has been much benefited by the 2 rlys. which run into it, and place it in direct communication with 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- marthensliire 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, up which winds the road to Merthyr. A little way up is Ffrwd-grech (the heirs of Mrs. Pearce), in whose grounds is the very pretty little waterfall of Rhydgoch. 2 m. Llanspyddid Church, Early Dec., and surrounded by venerable yew-trees. The name is a corrup¬ tion of “ Llan-y-Spitty,” from a “ Hospitium ” supported here by Malvern Priory. In the churchyard is a tomb traditionally said to belong to Brychan Breichiniog. To the rt. 1 m. is Pennoyre, the handsome seat of the representative of the late Sir Anthony Cleasby, a Baron of the Exchequer. The road up to it runs between two hills, each with its camp. On Fenniwood is one, said to occupy the site of a British city, afterwards appropriated by the Romans. At Pen-y-crug, to the N., is a strong oval camp defended by a triple intrenchment, and another, less interesting, on a hill opposite, called “Slwch,” with a twofold rampart. Gold and silver coins of the time of Nero have been found here. 3J m. on the 1. bank of the Usk, at the confluence of the Yscir, is Aberyscir Church, planted round with yew, opposite to which, on the 1. bank of the Yscir, near its junc¬ tion with the Usk, and N.W. of Brecon, is the Gaer, a rectangular camp, supposed to be identical with Bannium, or Gaer Benni, a British town, which preceded Brecknock, and was adopted as a station by the Roman general Ostorius Sca¬ pula. The Norman conqueror of Brecknock transferred its stones to build his castle lower down the Usk, where the county town now stands. Several ramparts still exist; and the foundations of walls in places from 3 to 6 ft. high, partly overgrown with underwood, have withstood the depredations of man S. Wales. Route 13.— Aberbrdn —- Trecastle. 115 and the wastes of the elements. From hence a Roman road leads N. past the megalith called Maen-y- morwynion (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 Maenliir—a me¬ morial 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 at different points with the great Julian trunk road, which passed westward by Caerwent, Caerleon, Cardiff, and Carmarthen, to St. Davids. 41 m. Aberbran Stat., at the con¬ fluence of the Bran with the Usk. On the rt. bank, a little further on, is the little church of Capel Bettws, and Penpont (Penry Williams, Esq.), a modern Italian house, in a lovely park along the Usk, and close to the “ Pont,” whence it takes its name ; and \ m. beyond is Abercamlais (Archdeacon Garnon Williams). Near this is the parish of Trallong, in which was found the famous Ogham bilingual stone, with the inscription, “ Cunocenni filius Cunoceni jacit hie; ” where the Ogham letters give the same as the Roman. The celebrated Owain Iolo Goch is said to have been buried in a field in this parish. At Senni Bridge the line, leaving on rt. Glanusk (Rev. F. Hort), turns to the 1. up the valley of the Senni to m. J)evynnock Stat., a large village overlooking the Senni. Into the tower of the church is built an inscribed stone, and near the village upon the Ystradgynlais road, is an early British circle, called the “ Cerrig Duon,” or Black Stones. In the reigns of Henry VII. and Elizabeth, the great and little forests of Devynnock, which in Norman times had involved the superinten¬ dence of a constable, were of suffi¬ cient importance for 1 { 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 Llywel, 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 Newmarcli. 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, I 2 116 Route 13.— Llywel: Church — Treweren. S. Wales. 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. — TLoocTs ‘ 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 5 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 get out here for the purpose of visiting the waterfall of Scwd Hen Rhyd, nearly 3 m. to the S. The mountain views on each side are remarkably fine, the approximate height of this level above the sea being 1250 ft. The fall, one of the finest in S. Wales, occurs a little to the W. of the village of Capel Col¬ bren. Here the Llecli tumbles over the rock at a height of 100 ft., allowing the visitor to pass dry shod under the fall. Sir W. Logan dis¬ covered some erect fossil coal trees, of the class named Sigillaria, in the bed of the river. In the primitive little church of Capel Colbren is a curious old tombstone, and close by are remains of a Roman road. From hence the Cribarth mountain forms a striking object in the scenery. 23 m. Onllwyn Stat. If the tourist comes from Neath, this will be the best stat. from which to visit the waterfall. Here are ironworks seated on the anthracite veins of coal. From hence, too, the tourist may walk through the desolate region of the Banwen, and explore the Pyrddin river, with its falls (Rte. 10). The rly. here descends the valley of the Dulais, to 274 m. Crinant Stat. 33 m. Neath Junct. (Rte 1). S. Wales. Route 14 .—Cardiff to Rhymney. 117 ROUTE 14. FROM CARDIFF TO RHYMNEY, BY CAERPHILLY. Quitting Cardiff from the Rhym- ney Stat. in Crocklierbtown, the line soon passes, L, Llandaff, and going off to the right, after passing Llanishen Stat. reaches the cross valley to Caerphilly, whence there is a magnificent view looking up the Taff vale towards Pontypridd and the Rhondda Mountains. On 1. is Dyffryn Erw (E. Wil¬ liams, Escp). 10 m. $ Caerphilly, situated at the very eastern edge of Glamorgan¬ shire, behind a ridge of hills which on the S. separate it from Cardiff (7 m.), and on the W. from the Taff vale. To the former town there is a direct road over the limestone hills and past New House. The vil¬ lage itself is poor and straggling, and the houses approach rather near to the walls of the old Castle, which is the most extensive as well as one of the most interesting ruins of a feudal fortress to be met with in the country, though on the whole, from its level position and the want of vegetation, less fitted to employ the pencil of the artist than the pen of the antiquary. It has not been the scene of any great historical event. It was in its origin a purely military work, and ceased to be of importance as such upon the settlement of the Princi¬ pality by Edward I. The castle is described by Leland and others as standing on marshy ground, partly surrounded by a mere or lake. At present its walls are washed on the S. and S.E. sides by Nant-y-Gledyr, a tributary of the Rhymney ; but there is evidence that anciently its waters were not merely 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 1ST. 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 Iona: 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 S. Wales. Houte 14.— Caerphilly : Castle. 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-cle-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 lower 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 chief 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 an explosion in two parts—one half remaining upright and tolerably perfect, while the other has fallen in fragments towards the moat. It was originally provided with gates, portcullis, stockades, and holes in its roof for pouring hot metal or pitch on the heads of assailants, and on the first floor is a large room with a wide fireplace. Passing through this gatehouse, the visitor enters the inner court or bailey of the castle, which in its original state must have been very imposing. In front rises the western gatehouse, tolerably perfect; on the 1. is the Great Hall, having rich windows and a doorway with ogee-shaped arches and decorated ball-flower ornaments in the mould¬ ings ; the corbels which support its wooden roof are of triple-clus¬ tered columns. A close examination of the walls, however, leads to the impression that there was an earlier roof before that which these corbels supported. The present or third roof was placed on them anew by the Marquis of Bute, in the year 1871, when he entertained here the Cambrian archaeologists. E. of the hall is the chapel. Erom the side of the hall, opposite the fireplace, proceeds a wide passage slanting downwards to the moat, here of great breadth, and proved by the mark on the walls to have been about 12 ft. deep. The passage is curiously vaulted by a series of arches hanging one below the other like inverted steps : at its lower entrance was a place for storing boats. The moat or lake is now fine green-sward. Between the E. gatehouse and the hall are the offices: the kitchen, called the Mint, and provided with fireplaces with thick walls, had once a vaulted roof. There is great diffi¬ culty in identifying the rest of the offices ; one is provided with an oven and open tank. The inner bailey was defended at the angles by 4 ; lofty and very thick bastion-towers, S. Wales. Route 14. — Caerphilly Castle — Ystrad. 119 upon which the chief violence of the demolishers 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 liornwork, an irregular poly¬ gon of earth. A dam or ridge of earth extended from this liornwork 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. S. WaLEL ICO Boute 15.— Car i On the opposite side of the valley, running parallel, is the Newport and Brecon Rly. (Rte. 9.) 17h 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 Rhymney 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| 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 the traveller may proceed to Merthyr by road or may join the London and North-Western Rly. at Nantybwch Stat. (Rte. 11.) cliff to Merthyr . ROUTE 15. CARDIFF TO MERTHYR, BY PONT-Y- PRIDD. (Toff 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 100,000£., 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 Radyr. 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. 121 S. Wales. Route 15.— Castell The whole of this part of the line is upon a loose drift of sand and large stones plentifully spread over the valley of the Taff. On the rt. is the Heath (G. Thomas, Esq.). 1 m. further on the rt. is a fine wooded bank, at the base of which sweeps the river supplying Melin- griflith Tin-plate Works. 6.j m. The Pentyrch Works stand just within the picturesque pass of Castell Coch, overshadowed on the 1. by the Lower and immediately beyond the Great Garth, 981 ft. above the sea. To the rt. of the stat. is Greenmeadow (H. Lewis, Esq.), a branch of the Lewises of the Van, an ancient Glamorganshire family, tracing back through Ivor Bach of Castell Coch to Gwaethfoed, Lord of Cardigan and Cibwyr in the 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 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 v r as a most im¬ portant post. Its plan was that of a triangle, a round tov T er 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. “ 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 Caermarthen, and would at once spread the tidings of invasion over the v r hole 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 loch. — Taff’s Well. 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 w r ords of a yet extant triad, may be seen tlie length and breadth of ‘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 ‘Aneurinof the floAving eulogy, chief of Bards,’ and poured forth his animating strains, while his half-clad and ill-armed countrymen waged bloody but unsuc¬ cessful Avar against the iron-clad bands of the inA'ader.”— Westm. lleview. It Avas from hence that issued Ivor Bach (Little Ivor), upon that des¬ perate raid on Cardiff Avhicli nearly resulted in the AATesting 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 iioav the property of the Marquis of Bute, Avho has caused it to be restored, in strict accord¬ ance with what has been ascertained of its original structure, and it is iioav habitable. 7 m. Walnut Tree Bridge Junct., Avlience the Rliyinney Illy, 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 rh T er, 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-sides. 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 m. 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 ((3 m.) Llantris¬ sant, soon after which it crosses the Gt. Western at Llantrissant Junct. 3 $ Pontypridd, 13 in., 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 Rhondda valley, which joins the Taff Yale on the 1. Not far from the Stat. is the well- Known bridge of Pontypridd (or Bridge of the earthen Hut), £ 1 a single arch spanning the Taff, 140 ft. span, and 35 ft. height, completed 1755 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. Route 15.— Hafod — Treherbert. 123 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, where 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. 3| m. Porth Stat. Near this is Cymmer ; a rather populous village, situated, as tlie name implies, at the confluence of the Rhondda Each 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 Each, being even more destructive. The pedestrian will do well to as¬ cend the valley of the Rhondda Each 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. 41 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 — Aberdctre. 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 Each 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 (Rte. 10).] 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 2J m. may be had' by ascending Craig-yr-efan on the rt., and from thence to Llan- fabon, a small mountain village. [B ranch-line to Aberdare, 8 m. 2J 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.) 4J 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 Taft' on a stone viaduct built on a curve, the scenery on each side being of a wild and very picturesque character to 18 m. Quakers’ Yarp Junct, £}. Wales. Moute 15 .—Merthyr Tydfil. 125 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. 221 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 Vale of Neath Rly., the train arrives at 24L 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 Rhun Dremrudd, was the daughter of Brvchan, 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 (30 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 “Artlien,” 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. 85. 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- tliick. 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 S. Wales. Route 16 .—Hereford to Brecon. 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 200 1. 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 tourist may visit the waterfall of Pontsarn and Mor- lais Castle (Etc. 9). ROUTE 16. FROM HEREFORD TO BRECON, BY HAY AND TALGARTH. (Heref orcl, Ilay , 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. 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 Kenchester (Magna Castra). In the Ch. is a series of windows showing the development of Dec. tracery, from the simple uncusped lancet to the reticulated window of S. Wales. Route 16. — Renchester — J Toorhamptori, 12 1 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 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 Hansel 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. Offa’s 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, and 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 9. Wales, Route 16.— Buford — Eardisley. 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 13tli 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.— Ilarl. 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 e 1 ovation 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 llev. 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 19 ft. 5 in. in girth ; the Tall Oak, 118 ft. in height, 18 ft. 7 in. in girth ; and the “Moccas Oak,” dating back to the Henrys and the Edwards, and having a circumference of 36 ft. at 3 ft. from the ground. The curious Norm. Ch. here, built of travertine, and recently restored in excellent taste, is worth a visit. It has an early Norm, font, and an eastern apse. Moorhampton is the nearest stat. to Weobley, 4 m. N. {Handbook for Herefordshire ). 11 m. Kinnersley Stat. The Castle (Thomas lleaveley, Esq.) is of the reign of James I., built by the Dela- beres, and has had numerous owners. 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¬ mounted with a plain saddleback roof. The view from the top of it amply repays the trouble of the ascent. 2| 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. \ 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 cli., in* 129 S. Wales. J Route 16. — Almeley—Mouse Castle. sulated by a triple moat, in clearing out which helmets and spear-lieads 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 [A. 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 11 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 Cabalva (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 Route 16. — Hay — Madley. S. Wale3. 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 Rev. 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. 3J m. rt. Clehonger Ch., contains in the Aubrey Chapel recumbent effigies in armour of Sir W. Pern- 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 of the Aubreys, burnt towards the close of last century. 4| m. Cagebrook (Mrs. Yorke) and Lower Eaton (J. Pulley, Esq.). On rt. is Eaton Bishop, the ch. of which has some Norm, and Dec. work, and a stained-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 station. The Roman road, called Stone Street, runs, in good preserva¬ tion, between the churches of Madley and Eaton Bishop. 6J m. is Madley, an extensive parish, with a very fine church, 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 groining. The windows are mostly of 2 lights, showing the first and middle Pointed styles much inter¬ 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¬ 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 miserere seats, and on the rt. of the altar are sedilia of Decorated cha¬ racter, ornamented with the ball- flower. The font is a remarkable specimen, and claims a rank of earlier date than the church : it is hollowed out of a large block of pudding-stone, resembling in size and form that at Kilpeck, though having one circular column. The bells were brought in 1538 from the dissolved abbey of Dore. 131 S. Wales. Route 16 . — Tibberton Court — Hay. 9| 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 which 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, 18 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 ; 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. Oh. 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 x’t. 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, c ‘ 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. Bevan. The Church, a rather plain building, restored in 1867, is romantically situated on the bank of the river at the W. end of the town, 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 well 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 132 S. Wales* Route Kj. — Glasburi) — R'encader. seat of Walter M. Baskerville, Esq. ; and on 1. Oakfield (— Edye, Esq.). 24 m. Glasbury Stat., a pretty English-looking village, with a mo¬ dern 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. AVood), an an¬ cient Elizabethan mansion, where Charles I. was entertained by Sir Henry AVilliams 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 Llanthomcis, the seat of the Rev. W. Jones Thomas. 26 m. $ Three Cocks Junct., whence the tourist proceeds by Mid-AVales lily, to Builth and Aberystwyth (Rte. 17). Above the inn and in the grounds of Gwernyfed are intrencliments of British con¬ struction, called the Gaer. 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. AAh 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, 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. 28| 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. 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 Calvinistic 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 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 cli. of Llandevailog Tr’er graig. 33 \ 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 Cli., 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. 28J m. Boughrood Stat. From Boughrood Stat. the easiest rte. is taken for Pains Castle, which, ac¬ cording to the ‘ Annales Cambria) ’ (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 Maeslougli. Pains Castle seems to have been frequently be- 134 S. Wales. Route 17 .— Boughrood — Aberedw. 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 liostelrie, 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 Avhich 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 nn- frequently hurled into the tremendous pool below. There is a difficult pas¬ sage round the foot of the Black Rock to a singular waterfall about 40 ft. high, surrounded by accessories which very greatly heighten its grandeur. You feel astonished, but hardly pleased, in this wild and gloomy hol¬ low, and value sunshine when you leave its agitated caldron far below. There is a smaller waterfall lower down.”— Cl iife. 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. 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 Dhu, and whence Sir R. Murchison gained his first idea of what grew into his Silurian system. 36 Jm. 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¬ 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 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. The unfortunate prince was killed in 1282, in a dingle 3 m. N. of Builth, by a party of Herefordshire men, and buried at Cwm Bedd Llewelyn on the Yrfon (Rte. 19), where a farm¬ 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 stream of the Dihonw flows in on 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¬ sists of 2 parallel streets, forming irregular terraces on the side of a steep declivity. The only remains of the Castle are a fragment of the N. wall, of unusual thickness ; it was destroyed by a fire, together with a large portion of the old town, in 1692. The castle came by marriage with the daughter and heiress of Milo Fitz waiter, Earl of Hereford, to Philip de Braose, whose grandson, Reginald, enlarged and strengthened it against the Welsh. It remained in possession of the Braose family for some time, but in 1260 Sir Roger Mortimer was castellan for the Crown. The gallant Llewelyn wrest¬ ed it from Mortimer and held it until his death, which the refusal of “the traitors of Builth” to admit 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 easy 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., 4tli 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 sliire-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. ai'e 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 .— Builtli — 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 Chweffru rivers (Rte. 19). From Builth Eoad 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. Gwynne Howell, Esq.)), continues along the bank of the Wye to, 42 m., Llechrhyd, or Builth Hoad Junct. , where the Central Wales My. 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 Itlion, 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 Llysdinam Hall , the seat of the Rev. H. Venables. At 43 m. on the rt. the high peak of Dolevan 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. Doldowlod 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 Rliiw Gwraidd. J m. further on the opposite bank, * ‘ 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.”— Roscoc. - 52 m. At Aberdauddwr an ex¬ quisitely lovely scene presents itself. On rt. the grand woody crag of Gwa- staden mountain rises boldly from the Wye, which here receives on its rt. bank the waters ol the Elan, after winding round the base of the Corn Gafallt. 1 ‘ 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 lienee a beautiful road along the N. side of Gwastaden brings the tourist to the romantic little town of Rhayader. 52 m. $ Rhayader Stat. Its Welsh name, Rhaiadr Gwy, signifies “the 137 S. Wales. Route 17.— Rhayader — Pant-y-dwr. cataract of the Wye ; ” but the slight fall whence it was derived was nearly destroyed, by widening the channel and removing the rocks in order to build a bridge over the river, in 1780. The town itself, which shares with Presteign, Knigh¬ ton, Knucklas, and New Kadnor, the privilege of returning the M.P. for Radnorshire Boroughs, although in a situation of great beauty, possesses few objects of interest ; but the tourist and fisherman will reap their reward in exploring the vales of the Wye, the Claerwen, the Elan, and the Marteg. [A very beautiful excursion may be taken to Cwm Elam, 5 m., passing by the little church of Llansaint- fread Cwmddaudwr, in which parish are tumuli and a barrow worth visit¬ ing, and at 1 m. from thence, a road to the right, leading to Rhydoldog, the seat of General Sladen, R.H.A., the situation of which commands a view of great beauty and extent in the direction of Builth. Crossing the summit of Cefn Craig-y-Foel, which Mr. Cliffe thinks is only surpassed by one other mountain in Wales for warmth and beauty of colour, the tourist drops suddenly into the Vale of Elan, opposite the park and mansion of Cwm Elan (R. L. Lloyd, Esq.), “the paradise of the district, created, like Hafod, out of bare and cultureless land.” It was originally formed by a Mr. Grove, whose daughter Harriet was Shelley’s early love, and who many years ago purchased 10,000 acres of land, and planted largely. Bowles in his poem of ‘ Combe Elian ’ thus celebrates the vale : “ Pass the hill, And through the woody hanging, at whose feet The tinkling Elian winds,pursue thy way.” The views higher up the vale are very striking, particularly about a mile from the house, where the river 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 Dalrliiw 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 03 m. Tylwch Stat., where. the 138 Route 18 .—Hereford to Aberystwyth , by Kington. S. Wales. valley of the Afon Tylwch is entered near the village of Capel Banliaglog. 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 camp 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. Sicldons 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 an 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 Y. 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 pleasure-grounds, containing some good-sized lakes, and was the princi¬ pal residence of his descendant, Lady Langdale, who by will gave her freehold property to R. D. Harley, Esq., the representative of a distant branch in Shropshire. Title]) is a aS 'tat. on the Leominster and King- ton Rly. A rly. was opened in 1847 from Title]/, rid Lyonshall and Almeley, to Eardisley Stat. on the Hereford and Brecon line (Rte. 16). [7 m. is $ Presteign, or Llanand- ras, to all intents and purposes the capital of Radnorshire, and a pleasant little town, situated on the Lugg, which separates it from Hereford¬ shire. The Church consists of nave, chancel, aisles, and a square em¬ 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 N., 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 Neiv Radnor. S. Wales. 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 inspection 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 Gwernefyd, 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 Coruisk 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 1188— 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 J m. to rt. of the road are four upright stones of* great antiquity, not far from a farm-house called the Knap, to the 1ST. of which is a round tree-clad tumulus. The four stones enclose a space of 13 ft., and vary frcm 6 to 4 ft. in height, and 11 to 15 ft. in girth. It is probable that, as the supports of a large covering stone, their purpose was sepulchral. Passing on rt. Downton Hall (Sir E. Cockburn, Bart.), and the Corne- wall Lewis Memorial Cross, the tra¬ veller arrives at 6 m. New Radnor, an instance of a town, once sufficiently important 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 trans¬ ferred to Presteign, 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, whom 1188 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 Fron and the Wimbles to the N. of the town, and Smatcher to the S. The valley again contracts 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¬ resting cascade, called Water-break- its-Neck, descending from a height of 70 ft. This cascade, one of the most celebrated in Wales, is to be found on a rocky hillside about 1 m. S. \\ Ales. Route 18. — Radnor Forest — Rhdyadet, 141 from the turnpike road. Unfor¬ tunately the visitors to Water-break- its-Neck more often find the “ 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 9£ m. on 1. a road branches off to Builtli, passing close to the small lake of Llyn-hilyn. On the opposite descent lies Llandegley, 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. 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 Stat. 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 Forestand 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 Builtli. 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. 20J 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 Route 18.— Plinlymmon—Stedclfa Guriy. S. Wales. iiorshire. For 18 m. the road is tarried 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 along 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 Stecldfa Gurig, 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 -uses from the midst of a dreary waste, encompassed by bogs and morasses ; and its top, distant 10 m. from Llangurig and 12 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 Dulas ; the Rheidol, springing from a lake on the summit, called Lygad Rhei- dol, or the Eye of the Rlieidol, and joining the sea at Aberystwyth ; the Llyffnant, a tributary of the Dovey ; the Wye (Gwy, in Welsh, meaning water), issuing from two copious 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 head of the Wye, near a lake called Llyn Bugeillyn. It rushes down through gaps in the slate rock, a mere mountain-torrent, to Llanid¬ loes, and thus far is called by the Welsh, Hafren. In the fastnesses of Plinlymmon, Owain Glyndwr took his stand in 1401, at the outset of his career, with a handful of determined followers; and, issuing hence, spread havoc along the Eng¬ lish borders, which he assaulted in various inroads. “ Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made head Against my power: thrice from the banks of Wye And sandy-bottom’d Severn have I sent him Bootless home, and weatherbeaten back.” Shakespeare. 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 be composed of S. Wales. Route 18. — Pont Pnvyd — Aberystwyth. 143 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 12th 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 Caer mar then. 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 6 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 m., are the celebrated lead-mines of Cwm Ystwyth, one of the earliest worked and most profitable in Cardiganshire. Large fortunes have been made from them and other lead-mines in the district. From the mine named Cwm Symlog, Sir Hugh Myddelton drew 2000£. a month, and acquired the vast wealth which he expended so unprofitably to himself, and so much to the benefit of others, in forming the New River to supply London 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, BY LLANDRINDOD, LLANDOVERY, AND LLANDEILO. (Central Wales Railway.) This great trunk rly. leaves Craven Arms Junct. 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, 8J 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 12J m. Knighton Stat. $ Knighton, anciently called Tref- y-clawdd, or the Town on the Dyke, is pleasantly situated on rising ground overlooking the rt. bank of the Teme, 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 Brydges family, and another at the E. end, of the time of James I. The principal object of interest, however, is Offa’s Dyke, which passes through the town. The staple of Knighton is its w r oollen cloth-mills, which have now passed into the hands of a company. The neighbourhood of Knighton abounds in military remains of past ages, particularly Caer Caradoc, about 3 m. to the N., said, like Cox¬ wall Knoll, to have been defended by Caractacus against the Romans S. Wales. Route 19. — KnucJdas—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 Llanfair 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 Monad it y, of the date of Queen Elizabeth. Itj 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 the best part of an hour In changing hardiment with great (Jlen- dower." Here is also an Elizabethan house. There is a good Dec. church in this village. Llanbister Eoad Stat. On the rt., about 8 m. from Knighton, and approached by the Llanbister lload, 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- [,S'. Wales.'] wards converted into a mediceval 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 cli. 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^ 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 284 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 Route 19 .—Abbey Cwm Hir. S. Wales. 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 Rock, 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 m. 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. 1| m. W. across the Ithon, is Llanyre, situated on a Roman road which ran from Caerfagu, between Rhayader and Knighton, probably to Builth (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 Wliitland, 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 Radnorshire, Nor a man with five hundred a year Save Fowler of Abbey Cwm Hir.” The site of the ancient abbey was cleared out in 1827, showing the dimensions of the nave to have been 242 ft., and verifying the statement of the old antiquary ‘ £ that no church S. Wales. Route 19. — Bwlch-y-Sarnau—Builth Road . 147 in Wales is seene of such length, as the foundation of the walles then begon doth show.” It is said that only Durham, York, and Winchester could boast a greater length. The rich 13th-centy. arches in Llanid¬ loes cli. are said to have been brought hence ; indeed, this is the current account in Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire of any architec¬ tural or decorative work out of per¬ fect keeping with the commonplace surroundings in other churches. Nothing but a few fragments re¬ main of the ancient building, the stones of which were to a large extent incorporated in 1816 with the mansion close by, now the residence of G. H. Phillips, Esq. The site of the Abbot’s apartments, of the conventual buildings, and of the fish-ponds which supplied the monks, is still visible, as are also portions of earthworks which crossed the valley for its defence at equal distances above and below, and en¬ closed a space of about 10 acres, which doubtless possessed the right of sanctuary. A Roman road runs by the Abbey to the head of the dingle of the Clywedog, from whence it crosses into the valley of the Marteg by a pass called Bwlch-y-sarnau. South¬ wards it communicated with the Roman station of Caerfagu, while on the N. it led to Caersws, thus con¬ necting the Silures and the Ordo- vices. A little below the abbey, at the junction of the Crych with the Clywedog, is the modernised manor- house of Devanner, erected about the time of James I. Abbey Cwm Hir is 9 m. from Llandrindod, 16 from Builtli, and 7 from Rhayader.] [From the turnpike on the road from Llandrindod to Newtown it is 2 m. to the village of Llanddewi ystrad enny (church uninteresting), which abounds in old intrench- ments. About A m. beyond, the road is carried on the 1. bank of the Itlion, 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 Rcl. 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 Llynivent, 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 Itlion, 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 Itlion, and to the county of Radnor. From Camnant Bridge, where the road enters Mont¬ gomeryshire, it is about 6 m. to Newtown. {Handbookfor 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 lloiccy Hall (R. W. Banks, Esq.), above which is the ancient intrencliment of Caer Ddu, to 38 m. Euilth Road Stat., where the Mid Wales Rly. is crossed ; and Leclirwd Stat. is only divided by a flight of steps from the stat. of the L 2 148 Boute 19. — Cilmeri—Llanwrtyd Wells. S. Wales. Central Wales Illy. 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 Builth, 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 victim. His body was buried at Cefn-bedcl-Llewelyn. A short distance to the 1. is Llangan- ten church, situated on the bank of the Chweffru, which falls into the Yrfon. On 1. of rly. is the ch. of Llanafon 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 Mynydd Epynt to Brecon, passing by the side of Cwm-graig-ddu pre¬ cipice, terminating a narrow dingle, which, viewed from below, presents a sublime appearance. This range of hills, with Mynydd Bwlch-y-groes, 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 Gwynne 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 found ; and a British camp at Do- laeron (3 m.). The scenery becomes rather monotonous between Builth and Llanwrtyd. 4 m. to rt. is Llwyn-Madoc, the seat of Miss Thomas. 48§ m. $ Llanwrtyd Wells Stat. (about 1 m. from the wells). This little place, remote and isolated as it seems, yet enjoys a large share of the patronage of the valetudinarian population, and its waters, sulphur and chalybeate, are said to have great 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 this district, and Llanwrtyd will make a S. Wales. Route 19. — Twm Shon Caul’s Cave — Cynghordy. 149 convenient halting-place for the pedestrian who wishes to explore the upper part of the vales of Towey and Yrfon. The parish cli. is about a mile from the village at the en¬ trance of a mountain gorge, the road to which is along the brawling Yrfon. The Osmunda regalis used to flourish on marshy ground near the wells, and there are still some rare flowers hereabouts. [[This latter river rises in the mountains to the N. W. of Dry gam, about 11 or 12 m. from Llanwrtyd. The first object of interest is the wooded hill of Pen- dinas, which rises on the rt. bank of the stream, on the opposite side of which, at the farm of Llwyngwycli- yr, is the cave of a notorious robber called Rhys Getliin, who, not con¬ tent with pillaging the king’s sub¬ jects, was wont to insult the king himself 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 Llynderw. 6 m., at the confluence of the Gwessin with the Yrfon, were the 2 small churches of Llanddewi and Llanfihangel Abergiccssin, the former being 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, a handsome chancel arch, and a cir¬ cular west window. Seven yews, said to be 1300 years old, stand in the ch.-ycl. 4 to the N. 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 liealthy-looking race. The Grouse Inn at Abergwessin will supply the wants of pedestrians and sportsmen. About 3 m. to the N.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 Twin Slion 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., who 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 it.] 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—Owm Gwenffrwd. S. Wales. 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 Bran, 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, who 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 Gruffvdd, 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 ruined 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 Llandingat, 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 countrymen. 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 of the Towey, is Tonn , the residence of Mr. William Rees, the learned publisher, from whose press have issued so many Welsh works of high reputation. 1 m. to the N. is Llanfair-y-bryn ch., the former site of a Roman station, evidences of which have occasionally turned up in the form of bricks, coins, glazed ware, and traces of Roman roads. 2J m. to the N. is a fine camp called Pen-y- Gaer. [A very interesting excursion can be made from Llandovery up the valley of the Towey to Ystrad-y- Ffin, 10 m. At 7 m. are the lead- works of Nant-y-mwyn and Rhandir- mwyn, belonging to Lord Cawdor, situated on the hillside above the stream, and worked by levels. 8J 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 that river is a deep pool, called Pwll-fan, from whence liill-tracks can be followed to Loventium and Tregaron. 91 m. on 1. the united streams of the Doethiau and the Pysyotwr 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 .—Capel 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 Doetliiau. 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 1 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 Llanwrcla 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 Vale of Cothi. 10 m. on rt., on an eminence covered with trees and brushwood, * are the Roman mines of Goyofau, now again worked, and within the demesne is Dolancothy, 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. Fumsant, 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.— Ll&ntvrda—Llandeilo Fawr. S. Wales k 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 Llioyn-y-brain (Major Rice), and a little further on 1. JDol- y-carrog (C. Bishop, Esq.). 63| m. Llanwrda Stat., near a pretty village of that name, with a singular looking cli. 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.W. of Llangadock, on the summit of a detached hill, called Carn-Goch, projecting in front of the mural ridge of Trichrug, 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. 68| 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 depository 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, Caermarthen, as well as of numbers 153 S. Wales. Route 19.— Dynevor: Castle and Park. of churches in the Vale of Clwyd, is that of two nearly parallel aisles. A fine organ is placed on the ground- floor. Llancleilo 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 4 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 Mirlin, 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 be 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 Ihe swift Tyvi, tumbling down apace Amongst the woody hills of Dinevow-r. But dare not thou, I charge, in any case To enter into that same baleful bowi r, For fear the cruel fit nds 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 unclecorated 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 Cotlii, 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 Triclirug. 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. Route 19 .—Golden Fyclian 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 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 ‘ 4 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. Vaughan, 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 “ Saclia- rissa,” Lady Dorothy Sidney ; also a Canaletto and a Luca Giordano. Near the site of the old house is a gi-ove 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 Mandincim , which then be¬ longed to Richard Vaughan, 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 Llaiifiliangel 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 the landscape bright and strong ; Grongar, in whose mossy cells Sweetly musing Quiet dwells. Route 20 .—Swansea to Ystradgunlais. S. Wales. 150 Ever charming, ever new ! When will the landscape tire the view? The fountain’s fall, the river’s flow, The woody valleys warm and low ; The windy summit wild and high, Roughly rushing on the sky ; 'fhe pleasant seat and ruin’d tower, The naked rock, the shady bower, The town and village, dome and farm, Each gives each a double charm As pearls upon an JEtbiop’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 Cambrire,’ 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 possessor of Middleton Hall, 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 Ilenry, 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 (Gallt Fyrddin), fabled to have been the birthplace of the magician. 82 m. 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. (Rte. 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 Yale 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. 4J m. Birchgrove Stat. 5| m. Glais Stat. On 1. are Ynyspenllwch tin-works, one of the largest establishments in Wales, till lately the property of the Llewetyns. 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 holes 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 Gwyrycl. 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-garw and Carrey-las, 141 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 o£ 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 Hie 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 carnedclau, and the re¬ mains of British encampments. 16 m. Lamb and Flag Inn, situ¬ ated at the head of the Swansea Canal, 1^ 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 lien Rhyd (Rte. 13). He can then return from Penwylt or Onllwyn Stat., on the Heath 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¬ wylt 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 Llanelly and Llandeilo. S. Wales. 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 Ely., passing 2 m. Mumbles Road Stat., 4 m. Killay Stat., and 5 m. Dunvant Stat. 6| m. 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 Llouglior (Rte. 2), the estuary of which river the line now follows up, crossing it at 11|- 111. 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 Parle, the seat of Mrs. Nevilh 4 m., at Bynea Stat., the line quits the waterside and the vale of the Llouglior, and runs over a deso¬ late and unprepossessing district to 6 m. 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). 3 At Pont-ar-dulais, the line is crossed by the turnpike-road from Swansea to Caermartken. The scenery becomes more pleasing as the vale narrows, and the Llouglior 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| 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. Here the Swansea Valley Rly. joins this branch. 159 S. Wales, liuute 22 .—Caermarthen to Aberystwyth. 18 m. Dyffryn Stat. The line near this crosses the Lloughor, which rises some 4 m. to the N.E., in a curious subterranean hollow called Llygad Llwehivr, 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 Llwcliwr, on the slope of which this mansion stands. 211 m. Derwydd Road Stat. Car¬ rey Cennen Castle (Rte. 19) is 3 m. to the rt. 23^ 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). ROUTE 22. FROM CAERMARTHEN TO ABERYST¬ WYTH, BY LAMPETER. (Great Western and Manchester and Milford Railway.') 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 Elfed, through which a highroad runs over the Penboyr Hills to Newcastle Emlyn (Rte. 23). 94 m., nearly at the head of the Gwili, is Llanpumpsaint Stat., from whence the line is carried under a 160 Route 22.— -New Quay Road — Lampeter. S. Wales. very bleak range of hills by a tunnel to 14f 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 Ernlyn. (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 river. 16J m. New Quay Road Stat., formerly called Cross Inn, about 13 m. from New Quay, where a van goes in summer. 31 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|- 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 Bwlch Byclian (John Pugh Vaughan Pryse, Esq.). Passing 1., on the opposite side of the river, Highmead, the beautiful seat of Col. Herbert Davies Evans, the tourist reaches 22 m. Llanybyther Stat., near which, and on the Highmead estate, is Lanfechan , or Lanvaughan, 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 stream. ” On rt., and 1 m. from the ch. to the S.W., is Penygaer, a conical eminence, commanding a wide and varied view, the summit defended by a fosse and vallum. At the base are traces of Sarn Helen, which was carried in nearly the same direction as the turnpike road, in its course from Maridunum (Caermarthen) to 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 attraction 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 examinations analogous to the Oxford responsions and moderations, con¬ ducted by the same examiners as for the B.A. degree. The College is S. Wales. Boute 22. — Lampeter; the College — Faleondalc. J 61 also affiliated to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. A few stu¬ dents have special leave to receive the College License in Divinity after a two years’ course; but for the B.A. degree a residence of three years is required. There are no tests required at St. David’s Col¬ lege, nor are its benefits confined to those who propose to enter Holy Orders. The two-year students are disqualified for prizes, must be 21 years of age, and require a special recommendation from the bishop. The cost of a student’s board, resi¬ dence, and expenditure at Lampeter College, is not more than 45 1. or 50£. per annum, if he practises economy ; and as 800Z. per annum is given in scholarships and exhibi¬ tions, an intelligent student may go through his course with little pri¬ vate cost. The College Library is remarkably good, and consists (with constant additions) of the munificent- benefactions t 68, 84, 108, no, 114, 127, 130, 138, 139, 150, 156, 162, 179, :8o, 193. Cambrcnsis Giraldus, 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, 5 3 ; camp, 53 - Caractacus at Wapley Hill camp, 139; scene of his last battle with the Romans, 145. P 2 200 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. CARDIFF, 13. Hotels: Royal; Park; Angel; all good. Omnibuses run every 10 minutes between the town and the Docks (a distance of 1^ m.), as well as to those of Penarth, Tali' Yale 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, 12 m. ; Mer¬ thyr, 24 m. ; Llandatf, 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, 13-16; the Friary, 16. Cardiff and Merthyr Canal, j 20. - to Merthyr , 120. - to Rhymney , 117. CARDIGAN, 171. Hotel : Black Lion, fair. Distances : Caermar- then, 30 m.; Aberaerou, 23 m.; Newport, 10 g- m.; Newcastle, 10 111.; Narberth Road Stat., 18 m. Coach to meet the trains at Llandyssil, 19 m. Cardigan, 171; castle 171. - to Caermarthen, 170. CAREW, village and castle, 182. CARN ENGLYR, 193. Cam Goch , 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. CARRE G- WAS TAD POINT, landing of French troops at, 192. Castell Allt-goch, 162. CASTELL COCH, pass, 121. -Ddtj, 115. - Goytre, 162. -GWALTER, circular earthwork, 167. - fan Gwrach , 168. Castle Ditches, 27. - Dynbod, 147. - MARTIN, 180. - NADOLIG, 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 5; St. Donat’s, 28; Dunraven, 29; Coyty, 31 ; Swansea, 38 ; Pen- nard, Penrice, Oxwich, 42; Kidwelly,45 ; Picton, 50; Wilton, 55; Good¬ rich, 56 ; Grosmont, Skenfrith, 75 ; Morlais, 89 ; White, 103 ; Aber¬ gavenny, 105 ; Crick - howel, 107 ; Tretower, 109; Blaen Lvfni, nc; Brecon, 111; Caerphilly, 117; Castell Coch, 121 ; Clifford, Mouse, 129; Bronllys, 132; Pain’s, 133; Builth, 135 ; Llan¬ dovery, 150; Dynevor, 153 ; Carreg Cennen, 154; Drvslyn, 156 ; Car¬ digan, 171 ; Cilgerran, 172; Tenby, 173; Manor- beer, 177; Pembroke, 180 ; Carew, 182 ; Roch, 184. CASWALL BAY, 41. Tolerable Hotel. Cathedrals : Llandaff, 17. St. David’s, 185. Catuoconus, inscribed stone to the memory of, 177. Cawdor, Lord, 150. CEFN BRYN, 44; cairns and circles on, 44. - Brwyno, 143. - Cil-Samus, Mt., 91. - Coed-y-Cymmer, 90. - CRAIG-Y-FOIL, Mt., 137. -Cribwr, 32. - ILYS, 146. -MABLEY, 12. -MAMM0EL, range, 86 . CEFNTILLA, 77. Cefn yr Arrail, Mt., 85. CEFN-Y-BEDD, burial- place of Llewelyn, last native Prince of Wales, 148. CENARTH, 171; bridge, 1 71; salmon leap, 171. CENATJ, ST., well of, 108; former repute of mira¬ culous powers, 108; same as St. Keyne, 108 ; church, 108. ‘ Century of Inventions ,’ author of, 78, 80. Cerrig Duon, early Bri¬ tish circle, 115. Chancery, the, fine view from, 195. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 201 Chapel Bridge, stat., 84. Charles T. at Aberystwyth, 166; at Brecon, as a fugitive, after Nasebv, 113; at Gwernyfed, 132; at Raglan Castle, 78. Chartist riots at Newport, 10. CHEPSTOW, 2. Hotels : Beaufort Arms; George. Rail to Gloucestei’, 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, m.; Caldecot Castle, m. Chepstow, 2; tubular bridge, 2; walls, 2; church, 2; castle, 3; hills, 4; bridge, 4. Chepstow to Swansea , 2. CHERITON, 44 , 178. ClLGERRAN CASTLE, I"2. ClL-HEPSTE FALL, 97. ClL IVOR, camp on, 44. CILLWCH, 102. CILMERI, stat., 148. Circles, Druidical, xx., 115, 167. Clarbeston Road, 49. Clarewen ricer, 13 7. Clears, St., 48. Cleddiu , the rivers, 50, 773 ; fall, 63. Clehonger Church, 130. CLIFFORD CASTLE, 12 9. CLYDACH, valley, 100; ironworks, 100; falls, 100. Clyngwyn Falls, 97. CLYTHA, J02. Clyvoedoj river, 141 ; 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, 129. COLDBROOK, 103. Coldwell Rocks, 59. COLEFORD, 62. Collieries , 45, 83, 84, 86, 120, I2r, 122, 123, r58. Commerce of South Wales, xiii. CONWILL, stat., 159. Copper trade and works of South Wales, xviii; works, 34, 36, 37, 45. Coracles, 60, 173. CORN-DDU, 92. Corn gafallt, Mt., 136. CORNEL, haematite iron mines, 24. Cornewall Lewis Memorial Cross, 140. COTHI, vale of, 151. 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. - COLOMMENOD, 170. CRAIG-DONNA, 145. -Y-DINAS, limestone rock, 93 ; view from, 93. •-Y-GAERCYD, 77. -PWLL DU, 134 legends of, 134. -TWRCH, r 62 . Crane , Mr., his utilization of anthracite coal by hot blast, 157. Craven Arms to Caermar- then, 144. Craw shay, Mr., his hum¬ ble origin, 126. CREDENHILL, stat., 126 ; encampment near, 126; church, 126. CRIBARTH, mountain, 116. CRICKHOWEL, 107. Hotels: Beanfort Arms; Cambrian, small. CRICKHOWEL, r 07 ; castle ruins, \r>~j ; church, 107; monuments, 107 ; bridge, 107 ; derivation of name, 108 ; British camp, no. C 'oi valley, 116. Cromlechs , xx., 7, 23, 28, 44, 13 r > i 5 2 > 1 7 8 > I 9 G T92, 193, 194- Cromwell, Oliver, Welsh origin of, 24 ; Aberyst¬ wyth besieged by, 166 ; at Pembroke Castle, 181. Crookback, Richard, scheme for disinheriting, con¬ cocted at Brecon Castle, r 12. Cross Bychan, 102. - Inn, stat., 158. - KEYS, stat., 84. - the White, plague memorial, 53. Crosswood park, 169. CRUG HYWEL, British Camp, 108. CRUGIAU KEMMES, tumuli, 194. 202 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. CRUMLIN. 93. Inn: Viaduct , tolerable. Crumlin Tools, 93; calamity on, in 1868 , 93. - VIADUCT, 84, 93. CRYMLYN BOG, 36. Culver house, tenure of, 4;. CUSOP, valley, 131. C 'storhs, popular, in South Wales, xxvii. CWM AFON, 34, 83. - Amman, vale of, 158. CWMDDU, 109; inscribed stones, 109. (WMDWR, glen, 116. (WMDDAWDWR, 137. CWM ELAN, 137. -- -GRAIG-DDU, preci¬ pice, 148. - Gwenffrwd, mountain dingle, 150. --GWILI, woods of, 159. --HlR Abbey, re¬ mains of, 146 ; Henry I. at, 146; destroyed by Owain Glyndwr, 146; Roman road, 147. --HlR, vale of, 146. - — Llanellan, 83. - - Syrn/og, lead mines, source of Sir Hugh Myd- delton's wealth, 144. CWMSAEBRAEN, 123. CWM, stat., 85. -TWRCH, glen, 157. CWMYOY, 70. " CWM YSTWYTH, lead mines, 144. CWRT TEN-Y-BANC, 155. --Y-GAER, 8 . C YFARTHFA IRON¬ WORKS, 125; Castle, 126. CYMMER colliery, explo¬ sion at, 1856 , 123. CYNFIL CAYO, 151. CYNGHORDY, stat., 149. CYNON, vale of the, 94. CYNWYL ELFED, 159. D. Dalrhiw lead mines, 13 7. 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, 115; inscribed stone, 113; British circle, 1T 5* Diana , temple of, 6. DIMLAND, 27. DINAS CASTLE, no; taken by EthelHeda, no. - Head, 193. Dinedor hill, 52; camp, 5 2. DINGESTOW, 80. DINHAM CASTLE, 8. DIXTON, 60. Doethiau river , source, 150. DOGMAEL, ST., village of, 172; abbey ruins at, 172 ; church, 172. DOLAUCOTHY, Roman remains at, 151. DOLDOWLOD, stat., 136. DOLYGAER, stat., 90. Dore river, 73. Doves' Rock, 170. Dovey estuary , 167. Doward, Great and Little, 58 * Dowlais ironworks , xxxvii, 89. Dowlais top, stat., 89. D nodical remains, xx. DRYGARN MOUNTAIN, 149. Dryslyn Castle, 156. Dnhritins, Bishop , l 2 ; re¬ signation of the arch¬ bishopric by, 162. DULAS, river, 142. Bundrivan Castle, 29. DUNRAVEN CASTLE, 29. Dyer , the poet, birthplace of, 155. DYFFRYN, 23, 94. DYFFRYN CR 0 WNAN, 9 I. ■-stat., 1 s 9. DYNEVOR FARK, 153; castle, 153. E. EARDISLEY, 128 : castle, 128; church, 129; cele¬ brated oak, 129. Eaton Bishop, 130; British camp, 130. Ebbio river , 12. E bbwvale ironworks, 82,85. Edwards, Wm., his bridge over the Taff, 122, 123. Eglws Faev, 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., 17; river, 22. ERWOOD, stat., 134. Essex, Earl of, at Lamphey Palace, 182. Ethelbald, battle of, near Crickhowel, 108. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 203 Ethelfieda, daughter of Alfred the Great, before Dinas castle, no. 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, 161. Fan GEHIRACH, moun¬ tain, 116. Fasting-girl, scene of the death of, 160. FAWLEY, stat., 5 3 ; court, 53 - FENNIWOOE, camp at, said to be the site of a British city, 114. FERRYSIDE, 46 ; cockle fishery, 46. Ffair-rhos, 165. FISHGUARD, 191. Hotels: Commercial; Great Western ; both comfortable. Omnibus: An omnibus runs daily from Fish¬ guard to Haverfordwest, 14 £ m.; and 3 times a week to Newport, 7 m. Fishguard, 191; bay, 192 ; neighbourhood, 192. Fitzhamon, Robert , 9. Fitz-Osborn , Earl of Here¬ ford, 2, 129. Fitz Urien, Sir Rhys ap Thomas, 153. FLAMESFORD 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, 113. 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, III. GLYNCORRWG, 32. Glyndwr , Ovoain, 140,142, 145. Glyn-Neath, 95. Gobannium, ancient, 104. GOGOFAU, Roman mines, 151. GOLDCLIFF, ro. 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 /., ironmaster, 89. GUMFRESTON, 183. GWAINE, valley of the, 193. GWASTADEN, Mount, 136. Gwenllian, death of, in battle, 46. Gwent, Nether, an- cient province of, 12, 204 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. &WERNYFED, 132; Charles I. entertained at, 132. Gwili river, 156, 159. Gwynictd, a salmon - like fish, 30. Gwynnys church-yard, mo¬ numental stone to Prince Caaadoc in, 170. Gwryney river, 108. H. Haematite iron mines, 24. HAFOD, 123 ; rapids near, 123. -estate, vicissitudes of, 169. Halfway, n6. HANTER HILL, 140. Harding Down, 44; 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- yuard, 14 m., 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, 131. Inns: Svmn; Bose and Crown; posting-houses. HAY, 13 i ; castle, 131; scenery of the neighbour¬ hood, 131. HENGOED, junct., 93, 119. Henry IT., fleet for inva¬ sion of Ireland leaves Milford Haven, 51; at Cwm Hir Abbey, 146. Henry IV. at Huntsman Ferry, 57. 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, 13 m.; Ludlow, 23 | m.; Hay, 20 J m.; Brecon, 37 m. ; Builth, 38 | m. Hereford to Aberystwyth, by Builth, 133. - to Brecon , 126. - to Chepstow , 52. Hergest COURT, 138. HlRWAID, 95. HODGESTON, 182. Holme lacy House, 53 ; church, 53. -stat., 53. HOLY MOUNTAIN, 68. Honddu river, 112. HOPTON HEATH, stat., 144; castle, 144. IIo well the Good, 48 ; code of, 49 - Hoyle’s Mouth, cave, 177- 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. Testyn ap Gwrgant, 30. ILSTON, 41. ILTYD, ST., 26. Inscribed stones, xxi. See Monumental stones. Into Morganwg, 2 7. Iron and ironwork«, 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, 121. - Cadivor , 44. J. Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, attainder of. 180. Johnston, junction, 51. Judge murdered by ban-, ditti, 143, INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 205 K. Keeston Castle, 184. KENCHESTER, site of Roman station, Magna, 127. Kenderchtjrch, 75. KENFIG, 33 ; castle, 33 ; lake, 33 ; inscribed stone, 33 - KENTCHTJRCH, 74. Kerne Bridge, 61. KIDWELLY, 45. Inn: Pelican, primi¬ tive. Kidwelly Castle, 45. KILGETTY, stat., 174. KlLPECK, 75; castle, 75. King Arthur s Table , 154. KINGTON, 138. Oxford Arms , fair. Rail to Leominster, 14 j in.; Hay, 14 m.; Rad¬ nor, 5 m.; Presteign, 7 m.; Knighton, 14 m.; Leominster, 14 m. Distances : Hereford, by road, 20 m. KlNNERSLEY, stat., 128; castle, 128; church, 128. Kistvaen , in. KNIGHTON, 144. Chandos Anns, com¬ fortable. Knighton, 144; situa¬ tion, 144; ancient mili¬ tary remains, 144. KNIJCKLAS, 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, 157- LAMPETER, 160. Hotel: Black Lion, comfortable. Rail to Caermarthen, 27 m.; Strata Florida Abbey, 15 m.; 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. Langland BAY, 41. Hotel: Langland Bay , good. Lead-mines, uninviting as¬ pect of, to visitors, 170; of South Wales, xix, 137, 143, 144, 170; works, 14;, 150, 170. Leucarum , ancient, 45. Leys, the, 59. LlLLIPUT, 41; coal-seam at, 4r. LlSBTJRNE lead - mines, 143, 170- Little MILL, junction, 76. Llanafan, 165. - FECHAN, 148. LLANANNO, 147 - LLANARTH, 195; in¬ scribed stone, 105. LLANARTHNEY, 15 G. LLANBADARN FAWR, 143; church of St. Pater- nus, 143 ; sculptured crosses, 143. -FYNYDD, 147 - LLANBEDR, 108; scenery of, 108. LLANBISTER, 145. Llanblethian, 25. LLANCAIACH, stat. and colliery, 93. LLANCATrT peninsula, 65. LLANDAFF, 1 7; cathedral, 17 ; antiquity of the see, 17; 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, 141. LLANDEILO, 152. Hotel: Cawdor 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., 37 - Llandctjgh, 25. LLANDOVERY, 150. Castle Hotel , comfort¬ able. LLANDOVERY, 150; buildings, 150; collegiate institution, 150. LLAND 0 WR 0 R, 48. LLANDRINDOD, 145. Hotels : Pump House; Rock House; both good ; Llanerch Jnn, fair. Seve - ral first - class lodging- houses. 206 INDEX AND DIRECTORY/ Llandrindod Wells, : 145 ; mineral springs, 1 145; lead-mine, T46; ! Roman remains, £46. ! LLANDYBIE, 159. LLANDYFRIOG, 170. llandymor Castle, : 44 - LLANDYSSIL, 170. Inns: Forth; Wilks Anns ; both comfortable. ! LLANDYSSIL, 170; church, 170. Llanellen, 69. LLANELLY, 45. Inns: Thomas Arms; Stepney Arms. Llanelly, 45; copper and iron works, 45 ; docks, 45. -junct., 158. L L A N F A I R-Y-B R Y N, 150; Roman station, r50. 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, T48. Hotels: Camrnarch , near station; Eppyut jlouse, 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-Ftin, 10 in.; Gogofau mines, 10 m. Llangasty TAL-Y- Llyn, III. Llangathen, 155. LLANGATTOC, church, 103; park, 107; cave, 107. Llangeler, 1 - 0 . LLANGENATI, 108. LLANGENNECH, stat., 158. Llangenydd, 43. LLANGOED CASTLE, fine woods of, 134. Llangorse Lake, ho, in; village, hi. LLANGUA, 72. LLANGTJNNOR, 48, 156. LLANGURIG, 142. Llangwryney, 107. LLANGYNIDER, no. Llanhamlach, III. 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., I 59 - Llanrhystid, 195. Llansaintfread, 91, 103,195. LLANSAMLET, stat., 37, 156. Llanspyddid, 114. 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, 1 22. - Major, ancient town, 25. -churches, 26. Llanfair Castle, 8. -silver - lead mines, 162; antiquities, 162. -WATERDINE, 145 ; inscribed stones, 145. LLANFIAN, 191. Llanfihangel ABER- GWESSIN, 149. - ABERCOWYN, 48. - CRUCORNEY, 69. -Court, 70. - GENEU’R-GLYN, 167. -ISTERN LLEWERN, 103. Llanfihangel Nant- MELLAN, 141. - RHYD-ITHON, 145. LANWENARTH, 106: church, 106; juxta and citra Usk, 106; boundary stone, 107. LLANWERN, stat., 8; house, 8. Llanwrda, 151. LLANWRTHWL, 136. LLANWRTYD WELLS, 148. Hotels : Dolycoed, good, carriages on hire; Belle Vue and Neuodd , well spoken of. LLANYBYTHER, 160. Inns: Lion; Hiyh- mead Anns. LLANYCHAIARN, j 95. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 207 LLANYRE, 146; Roman road, 146. LLAUGHARNE, 46; castle, 46 ; church, 47; geology, 47 - Llawhawden Castle, 17}; church, 173. LLECH CYNON, monu¬ mental stone, 162. • - river , 116; 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 lorwerth, Prince, J46. Llewelyn’s Cave , 134. Llouyhor , ancient Leu- carum, 45. ■ - river , source, 155. Lluest Cantor ton, ancient collegiate establishment of, 162. Llnnwy river , no. LLWYDCOED, 95. LLWYNGWYCHYR, cave, 149 - ILWYN - GWYN, lake, 14 t ; pilgrim resort, 141. JAyffnant river, 142. ILYGAR ILOUGHOR, subterranean hollow, 159. Llyn Berwyn, lake, 150, 163. • -C W M - L LW C H TARN, 92. -HILYN, lake, 141. • -TEIFI, 164. ■ -Y - FAN - VAWR, a fishless mountain tarn, 11 5 - LLYNWENT mansion, 147. ILYSWEN, site of the palace of the Welsh princes, 134. ILYWEL, 116. Locomotive, the , first launched at Merthyr, 125. LONGTOWN, 72. LOVENTIUM, ancient sta¬ tion of, 162. Lugg river, 139. Lydbrook, 59. LYDSTEP, 177; caves, r 77. M. MACHEN, stat., 88; mountain, 88; tinplate works, 88. Madley, 130. MAEN CHWYF rocking stone, 123. -Y-DYTHYROG, let¬ tered stone, 34. Maen-hirs, xx, 115. -LLIA stone, 98. --MADOC, inscribed stone, 98. - - Y - MORWYNION, sculptured stone, 115. MAESLOUGH CASTLE, 132. MAESTEG, 32. MAES-Y-CRIGIAU, stat., 160. -Y-CYMMER, stat., 88. -Y-GAER, camp, 84. MAGNA, Roman station, 141. MAGOR, stat., 8. MAGOS, Roman station, 141. MAINDEE, 8. MALPAS, 10. MANORBEER CASTLE, stat., 177 ; ruins of castle, 177; birthplace of GiraldusCambrensis, 177; church, 178; cromlech, 1 78. MANSELFOLD, intrench- ment, 44. MANSEL GAMAGE CHURCH, 128. Manufactures of S. Wales, xiii. MARCROSS, cromlech near, 28. Margam, Abbey, 33; inscribed stone and wheel cross, 3 3. MARREOS, church tower, a landmark at sea, 174. Marshfield, stat., 12. Marteg river, 142. Marten, Henry, the regi¬ cide, 3, 6. Martin de Tours, fortress of, 194. Mason, elegy by, 35. MATHERN, 5/ MATHRY, 191. MELINCOURT FALL, 99. MELIN GRIFFITH tin¬ plate-works, 121. Mellte river, 96; falls of, 96. MENAPIA, ancient, 190. Merlin, birthplace of, 47 ; cave, 153. -Hall, 156. MERTHYR TYDFIL, 12;. 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, j 2 5 ; 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 r; history, 5 r. Minchin Hole, bone-cave of, 42. MlNIVEAR, wood, 50. 208 INDEX AND DIRECTORY. MITCHEL TROY, 81. moccas Court, 131; cromlech, 13 r. Moel-Cwm-Cerwyn mountain, 192. MOLLESTON, ruins of cromlech at, 175. MONKNASH, 2 8. MONKTON PRIORY Church, i8r. MONMOUTH, 60. Hotels: Beaufort Arms, comfortable; White Swan; King’s Head. Rail to Usk, 12 m.; to Ross, 10 | m.; and Chepstow, 14 m. Distances — Aberga¬ venny, 17 m.; Raglan Castle, 8 m.; Tintern Abbey, 10^ m.; Grosmonl Castle, 10 m.; Coleford, 5 m. Monmouth, 6o; church, 60; statue of Henry V., 60; portcullis, 61; bridge and bridge-gate, 6i ; re¬ mains of castle, 61. Monnington, 128; alleged burial-place of, Owain Glyndwr, 128. Monnov: river, 64. Monumental stones, 12, 33, 34, 108, 109, 1 r 5, 116, 140, 145, 157, 160, 162, 169, 17c, 172, 178, 183, T 9 ?- MOORHAMPTON, stat., 127. MORDIFORD, 52. Morgan family, 12. Morlais castle, 89; tradition of, 90. MORRISTON, 37. Mortimer, Ralph, 146. Morton, Bishop of Ely, at Brecon Castle, irr. 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 B., 52, 154, 1 79 - MWYNDY hamiatite iron mines, 24. Myarth mountain , camp on, 110. Myddelton, Sir Hugh, 144. Mynach, gorge of the, 168; falls, 168. Mynd, conical hill, 140. Mynydd Bach hills, 16 r. MYNYDD BWLCH-Y- GROES mountain, 116. - Brim hill, 37. - Epynt mountain, 148. - Maen coch, 15 7 : stone circle at, 157. -P E M B R E, views from, 45. MYNYDDYSLLWYN mountain, 86; church, 86 . N. NANNERTH rocks, 142. NANTMEL, 141. NANTYBWCH, junct., 87, roi. Nantycar lead-mines, 137. NANT-Y-DERI, stat., 68. NANTYGLO, iron-works, 85, tor. NANT-Y-MWYN, lead- works, 130. --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, 33; 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, 2 7 r- Inn: Salutation. NEWGAL brook, 185. NEWHOUSE, 50; castle, 3 °. Newland, 62. Newmarch, Bernard, hi, US- NEW MILFORD, 3 t. Hotel: South Wales , good. NEWPORT (Mon.), 8 . Hotels : King's Head; Westgate; both good. Rail to Chepstow, 17 in.; Cardiff, 12 m. ; Bristol, 27 m.; Ponty- INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 209 pool, 8§ m.; Aberga¬ venny^ 18 m.; Hereford, 40 m.; Usk, 12 b m.; Mon¬ mouth, 23 J m.; Crumlin, 12 £ m.; Nantyglo, 21 m.; BlaiDa, 20 m.; Ebbwvale, 21 m.; Machen, 8 m.; Rhymney, 24 rn.; Dow- 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. Ka port to Brecon by Aber¬ gavenny, 102. - by Dou'lais, 87. - to Brynmawr , 81. - to Hereford, 68. -- to Monmouth, 76. — to Nantybvcch, 86. — - - to Nantyglo, 83. NEWPORT (Pemb.), 193 - Inn : Llywngair Anna. Newport, 193; castle, 193. NEW RADNOR, 140; de¬ cadence of, 14c. Newton Nottage, 32; Downs, 32. NEWTON (or Scethrog), 91. New Weir, 59. Nine mile Point, stat., 86 . Norton, 40. 0. Offa’s Dyke, 5,65,127, 139, 144. 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., 116. 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 Glyndwr, 109, 12 r; alleged burial-place of, 128. OXWICH BAY, 42; pro¬ montory, 42 ; church and castle, 42. Oystermotjth Castle, 40. P. Pain de Turbervill, 32. PANDY, stat., 72, 123. Pant, junct., 89. PANTEG, 68. PANT-Y-DWR, stat, 137. PANT-Y-FFYNNON, 158. PARK WELLS, mineral springs, 135. Parson’s Bridge, 168. Partrishow, 158. Paternus, or Padarn, St., 143. PAVILAND, bone caves, 43 ; camp, 44. PEMBREY, 43 ; copper- works, 45. PEMBRIDGE CASTLE, 58. PEMBROKE, 180. Hotels: Goiden Lion; King’s Anns. PEMBROKE, j8o ; situa¬ tion, 180; castle ruins, 180; birthplace of Henry VII., 180; description of castle, 180; history, 181; remains of priory ch. of Monkton, 18 r; churches, 181; excursions, 181. -DOCK, 181 ; descrip¬ tion, 181; Nasmyth steam hammer, 182; steam ferry, 182. PENALLT, 62. PENALLY, 177; tradition of St. Teilo, 177. PENARTH, 16. Good hotel. PENARTH, 16; docks, 16, 120; church, 16. -Head, 16. PENBERRY, headland, igu PENCADER, 170; junct., 159. PENCAER, 192; crom¬ lechs, 192. PEN CAE MAWR, 8. PENCARREG-CALCH, 1 ro. PENCLAWDD, fishing vil¬ lage, 44. PENCOED CASTLE, 8; stat., 30. Pencraig Court, 56. PENDERYN, church, 95. PENDINAS, wooded hill, 149 - PEN GAM, 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, 109 * 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 BRYNANT, 144 - PENTRE-EVAN, crom¬ lech, 194. PENTWYN, artificial lake, 9 °. PENTYRCH, stat. and ironworks, 12 r. PENWYLT, stat., 116. PENYBONT, 145. Severn Arms, comfort¬ able. PENYBONT, 145; suspen¬ sion-bridge, 145. PEN-Y-CASTELL, Roman encampment, 34. PEN-Y-CRUG, camp at, 114. PEN-Y-DARREN iron¬ works, J25. PENYFFALLWYDD hill, 165 ; camp on, 165. PENYGAER, 160. PETERSTON, Stat., 24; castle, 24. Phillips , Sir T., 86. picton Castle, 49. PlERCEFIELD, 66. PILBACH FARM, 12. PlLLETH, battle between Glyndwr and Sir E. Mor¬ timer at, 145; church, 145. PIKAN fall, 169. PLAS, 46- -BEDWELLTY, 88. PLUMSTONE 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, 145. PONT-NEATH- Vaughan, 95. PONTNEWYDD tinplate- works, 68; stat., 68. PONTNEWYNYDD, 82. PONT-RHYD-FENDI- GAID, 164. Pont - rhyd - y - groes, 169. PONTRHYDYYEN, 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. PONTYPOOL, 82. Inn: Crown. 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. PORTH, stat., 123. PORTHCAWL, 32. PORTHKERRY, 23. PORTHMAWR gateway, 107. PORTHSKEWIT, stat., 6. PORTHSTINIAN, 190. , PORTH-YR- 0 GOF cavern, 97 - Powell, Vavasour, first congregation of Dissen¬ ters in Wales established by, at Cyfarthfa. r23; committed to CarditF jail, 125. POYNTZ CASTLE, 185. PRESELEY mountains, 49, 184, 192, 193. PRESTEIGN, 139. Hotel : Radnorshire A rms. 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. PUMSANT, 15 T. PWLDDU HEAD, 41, PWLL CARADOC, death- place of Prince Caradoc, 170. -FAN POOL, 150. -Y-CWN, too. PYLE, 33 ; building stone of, 33. Pyrrdin river , 96; falls, 96. Pysyotwr river, 130. Q. Quakers’ Yard junc¬ tion, 94, 124; origin of the name, T 25. Quentin’s, St., castle, 23. INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 211 R. Radnor, Old, 139; geo¬ logy of neighbourhood, 140. —-, NEW, 140; cascade, 140. -FOREST, 141. RAGLAN, 77. Inn : Beaufort Anns, comfortable. Raglan, 77; castle, 77- bo. 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, 11 7; TafF Vale, 120; Hereford, Hay, and Brecon, 126; Mid-Wales, 133; Central Wales, 144, 158; Swan¬ sea Vale, 156; Manches¬ ter and Milford, 159. Ramsey, Isle, 190. Rebecca rioters at Llechryd, 17 D REDBROOK, tinplate- works, 62. Remains, mediaeval, xxii; Roman, io, 109, 114, 127, 15 I. 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, roi, 120. -, vale of the, 119. Rhys Gethin , the robber, 149. RISCA, 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, 6c, 123, 191. Roger de Britolio, attain¬ der, 3. ROGERSTON CASTLE, 84. Rotnilly , 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, ^4; Man of, 54. Rotherwas, 52. Rowlstone Church, 74 - Ruardean, 62. RUNSTON, ruined chapel of, 7. RUPERRA, 12 ; castle, 88. S. Sacrifices, human, last offered in Britain, 152. Sagranns, stone of, 172. SARN CYNFELIN, 167. -Helen, 160, 97. SARNESFIELD COURT, 128; celebrated oak at, I 2 # SAUNDERSFOOT, 174. Inn: Bicton Castle. SAUNDERSFOOT, coal port, 174. Saude river, T52. Scwd Hen Rhyd, water¬ fall, 98, r 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, 180; supposed Roman remains at, 180. Shelley, sojourn of the poet, at Cwm Elan, 13 7. SHEWILL, double spring, 29. Siddons, Mrs., birthplace, 114; 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, r 84. SLEBECH, 50. Smulett, allusion to “Criekhowel 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; glossaiy 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, 155. SPITTY copper works, 45. ST. ARVAN’S, 66. ST. BRIAVELS church and castle, 63. ST. DAVID’S, 185. Hotel: Gi we, 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. St. David’s Head, 190. St. Deveretjx, 75. St. Dogmael’s, 172; abbey, 172; picturesque scenery at, 191. ST. DONAT’S Castle, 28. St. Fagan’s, stat, 23; castle, 23; battle, 23. St. Florence, 183. St. Gowan’s Head, 179. St. Julian’s, 12. St. Margaret, island, I 77 * St. Mary Hill, horse fair at, 30. St. Mellon’s, 12. St. Nicholas, 23. St. Pierre, 6. ST. TWINNELL’S, t8o ; iDtrenchment at, 180. STACKPOLE COURT, 178. Stacks, 179; sea-fowl, 179. Stafford, Duke of Bucking¬ ham, at Brecon, 112. Stanner Hill, 140. Stations, Roman, xxi, xxii, 11, 27, 44, 109, 114, 127, I5O, 15 T, 190. Steam - engine, germ of, 78. Steddfa Gurig, 142; lead- works, 143. Stone circles, xx., 115, 157. Stone Street, Roman road, 130. STOREY ARMS INN, 92. stormy Down, 32. STOUTHALL, ossiferous cave, 44. STRADEY, 45 - STRADMORE, I7T. Strata Florida Abbey, 163. Striguil Castle, 8 . strumble Head, 192. Submerged city, tradition of, no. Sufton Court, 52. SUGARLOAF HILL, 106, 149. SUGWAS, site of palace of bishops of Hereford, 126. Sully House, 22; 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.; Aberdare, 23 m. By Swansea Vale Ry. (Rte. 20 ) to Pontardawe, 8 m.; Ystalyfert, 12 m. By Oystermouth Ry. to Mumbles, 5 m. By London and North Wes¬ tern Ry. to Pontardulais, 11 £ m.; Llandeilo, 24 m. There is also a good service of steam-packets to Liverpool, Bristol, Tenby, Milford, etc. Swansea, 37; growth of, 37; copper smelting, 38; ore sales, 38; docks, 38; castle, 38; church, 38; public buildings, 39; excursions, 39. Swansea to Llanelly, 158. - to Milford Haven, 3 7. - to Ystradgunlais, 156. SYCHNANT, gorge of the, 96. Syclirhyd river, 96. Symond’s Yat, 5 7. T. Tff river, 13, 14, 17, 121; sources, 92; vale, 122; viaduct, 94. Taff's Well, stat., 121. TAIBACH copperworks, 34 - Talbot, Port, 34. TALGARTH, 132. Ashbumham Arms, tolerable. TALLEY, abbey, 154; road, 152. TALYBONT, 91. TAL-Y-ILYN, junct., 133. Tawe river, 37, n6; vale, 3 7 - Toy'or, Jeremy, at Golden Grove, 155. TECLA, ST., chapel of, 4 ; first British female mar¬ tyr, 5- Teiji river, 160, 170, 194; falls, 171; mouth of, 17 r; source, 164. TEILO, ST., 2 r. Teme river, 144. Templeton, 173. TENBY, 174. Hotels: Coburg; Gate¬ house; White Lion. Rail to Whitland, 15 m.; Pembroke. 10 m. Steamer to Bristol. Distances : Saunders- foot, 3 g m.; Carew, 6 m.; INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 213 Gumfreston, 1 | 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, 131. TlDDENHAM, church and stat., 67. TINTERN ABBEY, 64. Hotels: Iioyal 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. Tovcey river , 150, 154. TOWEY, vale of, 149. TRAM INN, stat., 76. TREAMAN, stat., 124. TRECASTLE, t r5 5 Beacon, XI 5 - TREDEGAR, 86. Inn: Tredegar Arms. TREDEGAR, 86; iron¬ works, 87. - Park, 12, 83. trebustan Court, 133. TREFGARN hills, 184; rocks, 191. TREFIL, stat., 101. TREFOREST, stat., 122. TREGARON, 162. Talbot Inn , comfortable. [S. Wales.] TREGOYD, 132. TREHERBERT, stat., 123. TRELECH, 63. TREOWEN, 80. TRESSILIAN, caves at, 28. tretower Castle, 109; court, 109. TREVECCA HOUSE, 13 2. TREVETHIN, 82. TREVINE, i 91; crom¬ lech, 191. TREWEREN, valley, 116. TROED - Y - RHIW, stat., I2 5 * troggy Castle, 8 . Trothey river , 8r. TROY HOUSE, 62, 8r. Tubular bridge near Chep¬ stow, 2. “ Twelve Apostles,” 66 . TWM BARiWM, 82, 84. - shon Catty’s Cave, 149, 162. TWRYN-Y-WlTCH, 29. TWYN - BRYN - BYCHAN, Mt., 124. TYDEE, stat., 84. Tydfil the Martyr, 125. TY-lLTID, remains of “ Kistvaen,” in. TY-NEWYDD, 124. TYN-Y-LAD, inscribed stone, ro8. U. UPTON, 183 ; ruined chapel, 183; castle, 183. USE, 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 | m. USK, 76; angling, 76; castle, 76; church, 77. - river, 9, 10, 12, in, H4» t 15. V. VAN, the, 119. 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. Victorinas Stone 91. Vikings, 5. VOCHRIEW, stat., 89. w. Walford, 58. Walnut-tree Bridge, stat., 121. WAPLEY Hill Camp, 139. WARDEN, site of Pres- teign castle, 139. WARREN church, 180. WATER-EREAK-ITS* NECK, cascade, 140. WATERWINCH, 176. Watling Street, 127. WAUN CELLAN, moun¬ tain, 162 ; cairns on, 162. - COMMON, 102. Wesley Castle, 44. Welsh bicknor, 59. -Marches, lords of the, 90. Wentloog Level, 12. Wenvoe, 23. Q INDEX AND DIRECTORY. 214 WESTFA, 45 - WESTMOQR, 127. WHITCHURCH, 5 7 - Inn: Crown. WHITE CASTLE, 103. WHITEMILL, stat., 156. WHITEROSE, stat., 88. WHITESAND BAY, 190. WHITFIELD, 76. WHITLAND, stat., 48. -Abbey, 48. Whitney, stat., 129. WlCKLYFFE’S OAK, 99. WILTON CASTLE, 55. Wimble’s Hill, 140. Wind Hole, the, 29. Witch’s Nose , 29. WO GAN cave, 180. WONASTOW, 81. Woodlands, 41- Worcester, Marquis of, waterworks erected by, at Raglan, 78; birth¬ place, 80. WORM’S HEAD, 43 . Worzel hill, 140. WYE, the river, 3, 4; source, 142 ; tour of the, 52, 58 ; vale, 58. Wyrrai river, 195. WYNDCLIFF, 65. Y. yazor Church, 127. Yew trees of large girth, 134. YNISCEDWIN ironworks, 15 7 - YNISPENLLWCH tin- works, 156. Yrfon river, 148: source, 149. Yscir river, 114. Yspytty CYNFYN, 168. YSTALYFERA ironworks, 157. Ystol y Weddonas, or Witches’ Chair, 96. YSTRAD, 119. Ystradfellte, 97. Ystradgunlais, 157. YSTRAD MEIRIG, 164. YSTRAD-Y-FODWG, 123. Ystwyth river, 169; valley, 144, 164, 195. THE END. London: dkinted by william clowes and sons, limited, stamfokd street AND CHARING CROSS. • Murray’s Handbook ADVERTISER, 1900 - 1901 , CONTAINING USEFUL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS, RAILWAY AND STEAMBOAT COMPANIES, HO 7 ELS, AND MISCELLANEOUS ADVERTISEMENTS. I 2 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, COMPACNIEdesIESSAGERIES maritimes FRENCH POSTAL STEAMERS. DEPARTURES FROM INDIA. CHINA. MARSEILLES, MAIN LINES. B BRANCH LINES. MAIN LINE. Connecting at Colombo with tbe China Main Line A. JAPAN. Bombay . Direct Port Said, Suez, Aden, Bombay, 1 Colombo, Singapore, Saigon, Hong I Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Kobe, j Yokohama ... ... ... ...J Port Sa'id, Suez, Djibouti, Colombo,' Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Kobe, Yoko- hama ... ... ... ... ... Colombo to Pondicherry, Madras, Calcutta ... ... ... ... Singapore to Batavia... Singapore to Samarang Saigon to Tonquin Ports . Saigon to Singapore. AUSTRALIA & NEW CALEDONIA. Port Said, Suez, Colombo, King George’s Sound, Adelaide, Mel¬ bourne, Sydney, Noumea. MAIN LINES. Every 28 days Every 28 days Every 28 days Every 28 days Every Mail Every 28 days Every Week Every Mail Every 28 days BRANCH LINES. INDIAN OCEAN LINES. ' Port Said, Suez, Djibouti, Zanzibar, Mutsamudu or Moroni, Mayotte, Majunga, Nossi-Be, Diego-Suarez, Tamatave, Reunion, Mauritius ... Port Said, Suez, Djibouti, Aden, Diego- Suarez, Sainte-Marie, Tamatave, Reunion, Mauritius... Zanzibar to Dar-es-Salam, Ibo, Mo-1 zambique, Inhambane. / Diego-Suarez to Nos&i-Be, Analalave, Majunga, Maintirano, Morundava, Ambohibe', and Tulear. Diego-Suarez to Mozambique, Beira, Lourei^o-Marques, and Natal MEDITERRANEAN. —Weekly departures for Alexandria, Port Said, Beyrout, Syrian Ports, Piraius, Smyrna, Constantinople, Black Sea (Udessa, Novorossisk, Batoum, Ac.). Fortnigntly for Jaffa, Saloniea, Syra, Patras, Suda Bay, and Naples. DEPARTURES FROM BORDEAUX, i For Corunna, Lisbon, Dakar, Rio 1 1 Janeiro, Montevideo & Buenos Ayres / For Vigo, Lisbon, Dakar, Pernam¬ buco, Bahia, Rio Janeiro, Monte¬ video and Buenos Ayres. 10th of each Month 25 th of each Month Connecting with mail of tlie 10i/i of each month. Connecting with mail of the 25th of each Moidh BRAZIL and RIYER PLATE. Every 28 days Every 28 days Offices. —Paris: 1, Rue Vignon ; Marseilles: 16, Rue Cannebiere ; Bordeaux 20, Allees d’Orleans ; London : 97, Cannon Street, E.C. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 3 AJACCIO (CORSICA). The CYRNOS PALACE HOTEL F IRSI-CLASS ENGLISH FAMILY HOTEL. Most Elevated and Sheltered Position. In full view ot the Gulf and surrounding Mountains. Large Orange Garden. Pension terms from 10 Francs. p pvwdd “ EXNER, rroprietor. _Ouring Summer at Hotel Royal and de Saussure, Chamonix. ALGIERS. MUSTAPHA - SUPERIOR. HOTEL CONTINENTAL ET D’ORIENT. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL, Full South, Splendid View. Four Acres of Garden, Tennis Court. English Billiard Table, Caloriffcre, Excellent Drainage, Hydraulic Lift, Ascenseur. Omnibus on Arrival of Steamers. Printed Tariffs sent on Application . J. HILDENBRAND, Proprietor and Manager. ALGIERS. HOTEL DE LA REGENCE. First-class Hotel in every respect, only one facing full south, unrivalled situation. Family Hotel for long or short stay. Sanitary arrange¬ ments English. Hydraulic Lift. Swim Manager—:!ONS. F. MARTY. Cook’s Coupons accepted. During the Season please telegraph for Rooms. AVRANCHES. CRAND HOTEL DE FRANCE. THE most frequented and the most comfort- X avIHsI 5 IGSR, Proprietor. CARLSBAD. ANGER’S HOTEL. This FIRST-CLASS HOTEL offers special comfort to English and American Travellers. OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND. CHARGES MODERATE. ENGLISH AND AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS. FIRST-CLASS RESTAURANT. Coffee Room and American Bar. Omnibus at the Station. Electric Light. Central Heating Apparatus. FRANCIS ANGER. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 15 CARLSBAD. ROSCHER’S HOTEL. GOLDENER SCHILD AND ZWEI DEUTSCHE MONARCHEN. jnIRST-CLASS HOTEL, in the most beautiful location of the town. .1. 200 Rooms and Saloons. Concert Garden, large Promenade Garden. Remarkable Dining Saloon with large Glass Verandah. Coffee Saloon with Newspapers in all languages. Concert of the Concert Band twice a week. Baths, Carriages, Omnibus, Electric Light, Lift, Telephone. Radway Ticket Office and Royal Bavarian Custom Revision in the House. F. ROSCHER, Hotelier. COMO. (On the border of the Lake.) Magnificent Palace, built for the purpose of an hotel, with the most complete comfort. (Opened March, 1899.) Very reasonable prices. V. COLLEONI, Proprietor. COMO. GRAND HOTEL VOLTA VERY FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. On the Border op the Lake. ROOM, LIGHT, & ATTENDANCE, From 3 fran cs. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO Holland and Belgium. IS Maps and Plans. 6s. 21st Edition. CONSTANTINE (ALGERIA). THE GRAND HOTEL. First-Clasps. F INEST and most Central Position in the Town. Com¬ pletely Renovated. Magnificent Dining and Reception Rooms to seat 300 people. Baths and Telephone in the Hotel. Interpreter and Omnibus to every Train. Noted Cellars. ~ T y. ~ „ TT C. LEGEY, Proprietor. CONSTANTINOPLE. GRAND HOTEL DE L0NDRES. HOTEL ISIRISTOSL. GRAND HOTEL Q’ANQLETERRE & ROYAL (./. MISSIIIIE). HOTEL BYZANCE, All these First-Class Hotels have a glorious view, and are replete with every modem comfort. Drainage and Sanitary Arrangements on English Principles. First-Class French and English Cuisine. 16 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, CONSTANCE (Germany). INSEL HOTEL ON THE LAKE. One of the most curious Hotels in Europe. Ancient Dominican Convent, with beautiful frescoes from the 12th and 13th century and historical reminiscences, now' converted into a large First-Class Hotel. 300 Beds, with every comfort. Electric Light. Lift. Shady Garden. Fishing and Rowing, etc. ____J. A. BRAUEN, Manager. COPENHAGEN. vestre Bou LEVARD. COPENHAGEN. L’lRST-CLASS HOUSE, newly built, 2 minutes from the Terminus and Tivoli. 100 T comtortable rooms from Kr. 2 upwards, including electric light and service. Lift. Excellent Dinners at Kr. 2. Baths. Beautiful Reading Room, Cafe and Restaurant. Porter at all trains. i>. NIELSEN, Director. COUTANCES. HOTEL D’ANGLETERRE. Refurnished with every comfort. Re¬ commended to Families. Moderate Prices. Omnibus meets all Trains. Storage for Cycles. BRIENS, Proprietor. DINANT-SUR-MEUSE. HOTEL DE LA TETE D’OR. ALEXIS DISIERE , Proprietor. LHRST-CLASS, upon the GRAND PLACE. Is to be recommended for its comfort. Pension from 8 or 9 francs per day. DIEPPE. ZOIOT3ET1Q ROTTAI.. Facing the Beach, close to the Bathing Establishment and the Parade. TT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ESTABLISHMENT AND ONE -L OF THE MOST PLEASANTLY SITUATED HOTELS IN DIEPPE, commanding a beautiful and extensive View of the Sea. Families and Gentlemen visiting Dieppe will find at this Establishment elegant Large and Small Apartments, and the best of accom¬ modation, at very reasonable prices. Large Reading Room, with French and English Newspapers. The Refreshments, &c., are of the best quality. In fact, this Hotel fully bears out and deserves the favourable opinion expressed of it in Murray’s and other Guide Books. LARSONNEUX, Proprietor. Table d'Hote and Private Dinners. The only Hotel in Dieppe with a Lift. DIEPPE. GRAND HOTEL. On the Beach, fronting the Sea. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. Salle a Manger on the Terrace overlooking the Sea. Most Comfortable, with Moderate Prices. Arrangements made with Families. Baths in the Hotel. Table d’Hote. Restaurant a la Carte. Telephone. Electric Light. Lift. G. DUCOUDERT, Proprietor. DINARB (Ille et Vilaine). MAI SON ROUGE, F. M. GILBERT SMITH. BANKER, HOUSE AGENT, and TEA and WINE MERCHANT. This Establishment is specially founded for English and Americans. All Enquiries will receive prompt attention, and a Descriptive Circular will be sent Gratis. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 17 DINARD. 10 Hours from Southampton (via Saint-Malo). The Most Fashionable Summer and Winter Resort in the WEST OF FRANCE. Noted for its Mild Climate in Winter. GOLF, TENNIS, CRICKET, CYCLING, ETC. JOHN LE COCQ, Banker, House and Estate Agent. DINARD. |& DINAN-PARAME. Lift. DRESDEN. Electric Light. BISMARCKPLATZ, 7, near the central station. S PLENDID situation in the English Quarter. Greatly patronised by English and American families. Every home comfort. Rooms from 2 marks, everything included. Pension arrangements. G. WENTZEL, Proprietor. DUBLIN Charming situation , overlooking Stephen's Green Park. Most Central Position. Moderate Charges. HOTEL. Electric Light. Hydraulic Passenger Elevator. ENGELBERG. THE VALLEY OF ENGELBERG (3200 ft. high), near Lucerne. Season 15th May—30th September. HOTEL SONNENBERG. T HE property of Mr. H. HUG. Summer stay unrivalled by its grand Alpine scenery. Clear bracing air, equable temperature. Recommended by the highest medical authorities. The HOTEL SONNENBERG, in the finest and healthiest situation facing the Titlis and the Glaciers, is one of the most comfortable and best managed hotels in Switzerland. Lawn Tennis Ground. Excellent and central place for sketching, botan- islng, and the most varied and interesting excursions. The ascent of the Titlis is best made from here. Shady Woods. Vapour and Shower Baths. Waterspring 5° R.; 200 Rooms. Pension from £2 6s. a week upwards. Because of its so sheltered situation specially adapted for a stay in May and June. Resident. English Physician. 18 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, ENGELBERG, SWITZERLAND. KURHAUS HOTEL AND PENSION TITUS. THIRST-CLASS HOTEL, best situated in the valley, in the middle of an extensive garden. 240 Beds. Large sitting-rooms. Lift. Electric Light in all the rooms. English Chapel in the garden. Good attendance. Moderate charges. Cook’s tickets taken. Open from 1 st May until 1 st October. GRAND HOTEL AND KURANSTALT. This new first-class Hydropathic Establishment with 250 Beds, two Lifts, Electric Light in all the rooms, Central Heating, opposite to the Hotel Titlis, will be open on the 15th May. The building is fitted up to the most recent hygienic principles. The various medical appliances fulfil the utmost demands of modern science and furnish everything necessary for hydropathic, mechanical and electric treatment. For illustrated prospectus and tariff please apply to the Proprietor, Ed. CATTANI. ENGELBERG, SWITZERLAND. HOTEL AND PENSION NATIONAL FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. 150 BEDS. Electric Light. Bath Rooms on every Floor. Pension from Seven Francs a day and upwards. FRAU DR. MULLER, Proprietor. ENGELBERG, SWITZERLAND. WELL KNOWN HOTEL WITH GOOD ACCOMMODATION, CONTAINING 100 BEDS. Conversation Saloon, Reading and Smoking Rooms. Electric Light. Baths. Pension : 61 to 8 frs. a day, everything included. Reduced prices in June and September. Omnibus at Railway Station. Frz. WYRSCH-CATTANI, Manager. BATH-EMS. THE “FOUR TOWERS” Family Hotel and Batli House. Beautifully situated in centre of Kurpark, sur¬ rounded by large G-arden. Directly communi¬ cating with Royal Mineral Bath House, apposite Heyer’s Inhaling Establishment. Comfortably furnished Rooms from 2 Marks upward. Sani¬ tary arrangements perfect. E. BECKER^ dependence: Villa Becrer, VictoriaVllee, No. 4. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO IRELAND. Fifth Edition. With l9,Maps and Plans. 9s. EXETER, DEVONSHIRE. POPLE’S NEW LONDON HOTEL. Patronised by H.R.H. The Prince oe Wales ano T.R.H. The Duke and Duchess of York. A DJOINING Northemhay Park and near the Cathedral. Large -L*- covered Continental Courtyard. Famed for its Cuisine and Wines. Table d’Hote. Night Porter. Hotel Omnibuses and Cabs. POSTING ESTABLISHMENT. 1900 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 19 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO EGYPT. CAIRO, THEBES, THE SUEZ CANAL, SINAI, THE COURSE OF THE NILE FROM DONG0LA, &c., &e. Edited by Miss BRODRICK and Professor SAYCE, with the assistance of dis¬ tinguished Egyptolog'sts and Officials. With many New Maps and Plans. Cr. 8vo., 15s. FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN. Opposite the Central Railway Station. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. Lift. Electric Light. Steam Heating. K. FRANK, Proprietor. FRAN KFORT-ON-THE-MAIN. SRMW HOT Eli UMlOMli. (OPPOSITE THE CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION.) FIRST-CLASS FAMILY HOTEL. Moderate Charges. Tariff in Every\Room. ELECTRIC LIGHT. LIFT. H. HABER LAND, Proprietor. FRANZENSBAD. 106-108, SALZQUELLSTRA3SE. N EWEST LARGE HOTEL and PENSION, with elegant Dining and Reading Rooms. Own Park, with Lawn Tennis Ground. Patronised by Members of (Imperial and Royal Families, and bv the Aristocracy. Under personal Management of the Proprietor, T. F. KOPP. FREIBURG (in Breisgau, Baden). MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO HOTEL VICTORIA. Near the Station, Post, and Telegraph Officee. Best Situation. Good Attendance. Moderate Charges. Pension. FEE UDEXS TA JOT. SPAIN. By Richard Ford. With 60 carefully drawn Mans and Plans of Towns and Buildings. ‘J VoL. 8vo. iO s. ( 2,600 feet above sea.') BAILWAY-LINE STUTTGART ,, OFFENBURG , STRASBURG. T7IRST-CLASS HOTEL, in most healthy position on a charming hill, in the middle of a I’ beautiful Park. Electric Light. Lawn Tennis. Sanitary Arrangements Perfect. Best centre for excursions. ERNEST LUZ, junior, Proprietor. GENEVA. GRAND HOTEL DE LA PAIX. jHRST-CLASS, 200 Rooms, oentral and finest situation in front of the Lake and Mont Blanc. Entirely Renewed. Central Heating. Every Modern Comfort. FRED WEBER, Proprietor and Manager. Telegraphic Address : “ Hotel Paix, Geneva.” 20 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, GENEVA. HOTEL PENSION VICTORIA (FORMERLY HOTEL FLAEGEL) Finest situation, near the English Garden. Splendid view of the Lake and the Alps. Moderate Charges. Electric Light. Omnibus at the Station. Lift. Baths. CENTRAL KEATING- W. A HESS, Proprietor. GENEVA. HOTEL PENSION FLEISCHMANN Rond Point de Plainpalais. Near the Bastion Park. Fine situation. MOD ERA TE CHA R GES. Electric Light. Baths. MURRAYS HANDBOOK TO SWEDEN. Stockholm, Upsala, Gothenburg’, The Lakes, The Shores of the Baltic, &e. 3 Maps and Plan. 6th Edition. 6s. ITALY. GENOA. ITALY. Hotel Continental des Strangers. Five minutes from Railway Station and Harb ur. Close to Tbomas Cook and Son’s and to North German Lloyd Offices. Steam Heating, Electric Light, Lift, Railway Booking Office. American or European Plan for Transient Guests. Tariff posted in each room. Telegraphic Address : “ Etrangers, Genoa.” MELANO BROS., Proprietors. THE HAGUE (Holland;. HOTEL DE LUXE. I HOTEL DE LUXE. rilHE First and Largest in the Town. Entirely Refurnished. In the J- centre of the town and facing the Royal Theatre. Two minutes from the Wood. Electric Tramway for Scheveningen passes the Hotel. Electric Light. Intercommunal Telephone. Splendid Saloons and Apartments with every modern comfort. Baths and Hair-dressing Saloon in the Hotel. English Sanitary System. Doctor attached to the Hotel. Carriages and Riding Horses. Excellent Cuisine and choice Wines. Concert at Dinner. Elegant Hall and Saloons for Soirees and Balls. Moderate Prices. Omnibus meets every train HALLER, Director. HAVRE. HOTEL D’ANCLETERRE, HUE DE PARIS, 124-126. TJXCEEDINGLY well situated in the best AJ quarter of the Town and recommended for its Comfort and Moderate Charges. Rooms from 2 to 5 francs. Restaurant a la Carte. Tabled’hote. Breakfast,2fr.50c. Dinners, 3 frs. English and German spoken. / GRBLLE, Proprietor. HAVRE. HOTEL CONTINENTAL. First-Class Hotel in the finest situation in Havre, facing the Jetty. Large and small apartments. Table d’hote. Restaurant a, la carte. English spoken. Telephone 226. Vve. BLOTJET & FILS. HEIDELBERG. HOTEL YICTORIA. First-Class Hotel in every respect. Exceedingly well situated. Beautiful Verandah and large Garden at the back of the House. Advantageous arrangements made with families intending a longer stay. Highly recommended. HEIDELBERG. ” HOTEL SCHRIEDER. t TRST-CLASS Hotel, nearest to the Station. Large Garden with covered Verandah. All Visitors’ Rooms face the Garden. Oldest Hotel in the town, entirely renovated. Rooms from 2’50 to 5 marks, including light and a'tendance. Arrangements made for prolonged stay. 0 . gUTTERLIN, new Proprietor. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDjbv^b. m/t uu a xuHiIY 21 HILDESHEIM. HOTEL D’ANGLETERRE. FIRST -CIA SS HO US E. Situated in the Centre of the Town. Baths in the house. Omnibus at the Station. Central Heating Apparatus. 50 Booms and Saloons, fitted up with every comfort of modern times. English newspapers. C. HEERDT. AN IDEAL POSITION. a: il. x* 3R, a . cs rawiiij£ Room in Town. Special Sanitary Certificate. KMOJi Guide <*i*ntis. W. R. FOSTER, Proprietor. HOMBURG. ss inis oir mi o m is r u u , G-ERMAlNrY. T3JTTERS PARK HOTEL AND VILLA. It Temporary Residence of 11.R.II. the Prince of Wales. Arrangements made at reduced prices in April, May, June and September. 25 per cent. Discount for sick and wounded officers and their wives. INTERLAKEN. Schweizerhof—Hotel Suisse. Finest Views. First-Class. Lift. Personally conducted by the Proprietors, F.. STRU BIN & WIRTH. INTERLAKEN. RUGEN HOTEL, JUNGFRAUBLICK. Not to he confounded with HOTEL JUNGFRAU. Highly respected and fashionable First-class Family Hotel. Situated in the highest and healthiest part of Interlaken. Beautiful views of the Glaciers and the Lakes. Very quiet position. Dustfree. Extensive walks in a large fir-tree forest. Lift. Electric Light in all the rooms. Open from May to October, j. OESCH-MULLER, Proprietor and Manager. Branch House, Winter Season, Continental, Cannes. INTERLAKEN. Grand Hotel Metropole. ISCHL (Austria). (SALZKAMERGUT.) HOTEL GOLDEflES KREUZ. Facing the Imperial Villa. Most favourably known Hotel. Fred. EDLINGER, Proprietor (Naturalized English Subject!. INTERLAKEN. GRAND HOTEL DES ALPES* 200 BEDS. Opposite the Jungfrau, on the Principal Promenade (Hbheweg), First-class Family Hotel. Moderate Terms. Personally conducted by the Proprietor— T. MATTS. 22 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, IBTNSBKUG IC. Thirty-one hours from London, via Arlberg, to Innsbruck. Through tickets and luggage registered through. Twenty-three hours from Paris. T he beautiful and sheltered situation of INNSBRUCK renders it a very agreeable place of resi¬ dence all the year round. In spring as well as in autumn it is especially to be recommended as a stopping place between the different watering places. It is also to be recommended after a sojourn at the sea-side. INNSBRUCK is the centre from which many splendid excursions can be made in every direction, and of any length. Attractive walks in the immediate neigh¬ bourhood of the town and the different elevations. The climate in Winter , dry, strengthening, sunny, free from cold winds and fogs, has attracted many visitors of late years, and among those who have found the greatest relief are weak, convalescent, nervous, appetiteless, and sleepless persons. HOTEL TYROL. FIRST - CLASS HOTEL . (Opposite the Railway Station.) CARL LANDSEE, Proprietor. HOTEL DE I’EUROPE. First-Class Establishment. Affords every Modern Comfort. Electric Light in Every Rooar. STEAM AND OTHER BATHS. Anton Hanreich, Proprietor. HOTEL GOLDENE SONNE (Opposite the Station.) FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. N.B. —University, Grammar, Music, and other schools. Private Lessons of every kind are available, so that studies can be continued and the education of children carried on. RENOWNED FOR ITS SUPERIOR CUISINE AND WINE. “Restaurateur” of the South Railway Station. CARL BEER, Proprietor. HOTEL KRE1D. (Next the Station.) SECOND CLASS . The above Hotel offers Pension at the most moderate terms for the Winter Season, according to rooms, from fl.3 upwards, rooms included. RICHLY ILLUSTRATED GUIDES of INNSBRUCK sent on application, by the Proprietors of above Hotels, free of charge. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 23 INTERLAKEN. i hotels ;-'e n s ion I 500 ota iivi comfort .me \f.GrH rqoni C*3 M oo PC CO c*^ t*a t*a GRAND HOTEL Victoria. First-class. Unrivalled for its great comfort. 350 Rooms. 20" Saloons. Electric Light throughout. Central H0ftt- ing’. Lawn Tennis Grounds. Concerts. Balls. First-class Restaurant. ED. RUCHTI, Administrateur. GRAND HOTEL Jungfrau. First-class. Electric Light throughout. 200 Rooms: 10 Saloons. Rooms from Three Francs. First - class Restaurant. Grill-room. ED. SEILER, Manager. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO INDIA AND CEYLON. INCLUDING Bengal, Bombay and Madras, the Panjab, N.-W. Provinces, Rajputana, the Native States, Assam, Cashmere, and Burma. With 55 Maps and Plans of Towns and Buildings. 3rd Edition, in One Volume, 20s. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO CENTRAL ITALY. FLORENCE, LUCCA, TUSCANY, ELBA, UMBRIA, THE MARCHES, etc 12th Edition. Almost entirely re-written by the Rev. H. H. JEAFFRESON, M.A. With New Maps and Plans. Crown 8vo. 9s. 24 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, KOPENHAGEN. KOPENHAGEN. HOTEL KtiNIG * oy von DANEMARK. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. With 100 elegantly furnished Rooms and Salons from Kr. 2 upwards. Preferred by the travelling public because o fits central and open location overlooking lhe King’s Square. In the Hotel large newly furnished only VIENNA CAFE, with Restaurant and Con¬ fectioner’s Shop, in Summer with Tables and chairs in the open air. Large selection of German, French and English Newspapers. German Waiters. Moderate Prices. Electric Light. Lift. Table d’hote at 4 o’clock. Sample Rooms for travelling salesmen. Latest Sanitary Appliances. Hotel Omnibus at the Railroad Depot. It. KLUM, Proprietor. Murray's Handbook to South Italy. Part I.— NAPLES, POMPEII; SORRENTO; CAPRI; AMALFI, PiESTUM, TARANTO, BARI; BRINDISI, &c. With 10 Maps and Plans. 6s. 9th Edition. Part II.— SICILY, PALERMO, SYRACUSE, &c. With 9 Maps and Plans. 6s. 9th Edition. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO JAPAN. FIFTH EDITION. By BASIL HALL CHAMBERLAIN and W. B. MASON. With 28 Maps and Plan. 5th Edition. 20s. KISSINGEN SPA. C OMPLETELY Reconstructed and Renewed. English and American Residence. Only Hotel in Kissingen with Electric Light in every room. Electric Lift. Excellent Sanitary Arrangements. Baths. Large Garden. Fine Open Situation opposite the Springs and Cur Garden. 140 Rooms. KREUZNACH HOTEL ORANIENHOF (First Class). PI NEST Situation in its own extensive grounds; a well known and extensively patronised r Establishment. Visited by Royalty. Every English comfort. Electric Light, Lift, Lawn Tennis. Conversation, Reading and Billiard Rooms. Mineral Baths. MODERATE CHARGES. H. D. ALTEN (formerly at Meurice's, Paris). _ UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. Sutherland Hr ms Ibotel 3E& €35-. of Strome Ferry Hotel), Proprietor. LAUSANNE (Switzerland). GRAND HOTEL RIGHE-MONT. BURST-CLASS HOTEL. Splendidly situated. 1 Large gardens. Beautiful view. Lift. Baths. Electric Light. Reduced pension prices during the winter season. AVrite for tariff and illustrated pamphlet, post free. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 25 LISBON. BRAG ANZA HOTEL. rpHlS FIRST-CLASS well-known FAMILY HOTEL, lately renovated by the Royal 1 House of Braganza, and fitted up by the new Proprietor, Victok C. Sassetti, ie highly recommendable for its large, airy, and comfortable Apartments, commanding the most extensive and picturesque views of the River Tagus, as well as of Lisbon. Superior Cuisine and carefully selected Wines. LISBON. HOTEL DURAND (English Hotel) LARGO 1)0 QUIN TELL A. FIRST CLASS ESTABLISHMENT. Situated in the most central part of the Town. Highly recommended for its comfort and moderate charges. Reading Room. Several languages spoken. LUGANO-CT. TESSIN. (SWITZERLAND.) HOTEL METROPOLE VILLA ENDERLIN. Lift. HOTEL LTJGANO. A. BROCCA, Proprietor. LOCARNO. BEST STOPPING PLACE ON THE ITALIAN LAKES. 27 hrs. from London. 17 hrs. from Paris. 4 hrs. from Milan. 7 hrs. from Genoa. 5 hrs. from Lucerne. TERMINUS of the GOTHARD RAILWAY on LAGO MAGGIORE. the GRAND HOTEL OPEN the whole year. Most luxurious and comfortable home for all the seasons in Italy or Switzerland. Patronised by all the Royal Families. Unrivalled situation in the finest climate of Europe; withoiit snow, wind or fog, but with plenty of sunshine. Entirely adapted lor winter residence. Pronounced by the body Physician of H.M. The King of Bavaria and University—Prof. Aloys Martin —to he the healthiest and best All Seasons Resort. Beautiful walks and mountain excursions. English Church, Doctor, Society. Lift. Private Steamer and Carriages for visitors. Exquisite Cuisine. Mo ierate charges. Electric Light in every room. Coif. Messrs. BALLS, Proprietors. LUCERNE. HOTEL DU LAC. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. Magnificent Establishment, recently enlarged by a New Wing of 100 Rooms. 300 Beds. Splendid situation on the Lake, where the River Reuss issues from it. Next to the General Post Office. Close to the Railway Station and Steam¬ boat Pier. This Establishment has every modern comfort. Lift, Electric Light, Central Steam Heating. Baths de Luxe, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Beautiful Marble Vestibule and Staircase in the Italian Renaissance. PENSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR A LONG STAY. OPEN ALL THE YEAR ROUND. Proprietors; SPILLMANN A SICKERT. LYNTON, NORTH DEVON. ROYAL CASTLE FAMILY HOTEL. Patronised by the English and Continental Poyal Families. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL, especially favourite and attrac¬ tive. Table d’Hote. Reading and Drawing Rooms. New Smoking and Billiard Pavilions, all Facing the Sea. Magnificent Views, and Ornamental Grounds of Twelve Acres. ELECTRIC LIGHTING. THOS. BAKER, Proprietor. 26 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, X. TS2T O XST 29. BEST HOTEL IN FINEST SITUATION. THE GRAND HOTEL. THE MOST POPULAR AND FASHIONABLE. The Only Hotel at Lyons conducted on English -Principles. MACOLIN (Lake of Bienne), Switzerland. FVFPVR AUV travelling through BIENNE (Jura-Simplon Ry.) is entitled to XJ V Hill X JDvi/ X ... break his.joamey and.should not fail.to take the Eunioulaire (1873 yds., up and down, 1 fr. 50 c.) to Macolin', 3,000 feet. Just the place to stay in Spring and Autumn. See Baedeker and Bradshaw. Grandest View. Sheltered position. Over 1,000 Aces of Woods. Numerous Excursions. Cheap Carriages. Taubehloch Gorges surpassing in loveliness those of Meiringen. Island of St. Pierre. Passion Play Selzach. THE GRAND or KURHAUS. Entirely ~Fir< proof.- 90'Bedrooms, 40 with Balconies.- Perfect Samtiry-Arrangement*. Superior Cooking. Late Dinner. Every Comfort. Post, Telegraph, Telephone, in the Hotel. English Chaplain and Resident Physician, Coupons taken. Tennis Court. Letters and Telegrams— “ Kurhaus Macolin (Switz).” Reduced Terms till July 15th and from September 1st. Proprietor and Manager, A. WAELLY. 1'MK JA iO 3E3 3E Jbw (Funchal). 3* DAYS’ VOYAGE. B iK X3» ’ S HOTELS. (Established 1850.) Telegraphic Address: “REID, FUNCHAL.” By appointment to H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. REID’S NEW HOTEL AND ANNEXES- —Situated on the Cliffs to the west of Funchal, od the New Koao, overlooking the Sea. Grand view of the Mountains. Sea bathing and boating. SANTA CLARA HOTEL AND ANNEXES.— “Admirably situated, overlooking Funchal; fine view of the mountains anil sea.”— Vide Itendeti's Guide to Madeira. CARMO HOTEL- —In sheltered central position. These FIItS L' CLASS HO I LLS afford every comfort for families and travellers. Excellent Cuisine and choice wines Electric Light throughout. Tennis Courts, large gardens, baths, reading and smoking rooms. English and German newspapers. Billiards. 1 he SANI L’AKY arrangements have been carried out by the Banner Sanitation Co., of London. All Steamers met. Pamphlet Free. Apply to F. PASSMORE, 124, Cheapside, London ; Messrs. J. & H. LINDSAY, 7, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh ; HOTEL TARIFF BUREAU, 96, Regent Street, London, W. ; and at the STEAMSHIP COMPANY’S OFFICES, or WILLIAM REID, Madeira. MARI EN BAD. FIRST-CLASS HOUSE. Patronised by English.- Elevated position, next the Principal Springs and Bath-Establishments. Numerous single and double bedrooms. Suites of large and any Private Apartments. Moderate charges. Arrangements for longer stay. Electric Light, Baths, Telephone, Lawn Tennis. Comt-Qmnibus meets ail trains. t. HAMMEBSCHMID, Proprietor. MENTONE. GRAND HOTEL DE VENISE. ASCENSEUR. Z.ITT . FIRST-CLASS ENGLISH HOUSE, in a large garden, full south, far from the sea. Magnificent New Hall. Winter Garden. Salon South Aspect. Luncheon and Dinner served at separate tables. J. S OMAZZI, Proprietor. - MILAN. EUROPE. CORSO VITTORIO EM. Central, with View of the Cathedral, with quiet rooms facing the Garden. Select Family Hotel. Every Modern Comfort. L. BERTOLINI (formerly at San Remo). 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 27 MILAN. HOTEL MAN1N. Perfectly quiet. Every Modem Comfort. Established 35 years. Patronised by English and American Visitors. p. BAZZARO. MILAN. BELLINI’S HOTEL TERMINUS Real English Hotel, near the Station. Heated throughout. Moderate Charges. Hotel Coupons accepted. Porter meets trains. Garden. Electric Light. Lift. F. BELLINI, Proprietor. Lift. - MILAN. - Lift. HOTEL HE HOME. ftORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE. Full U South. Splendid View of the Duomo. Highly Recommended for its Comfort and Moderate Terms. Table d’Hote. Restaurant. Pension. Electric Light. Steam Heating. BORELLA BROTHERS. WHYMPER’S GUIDE TO THE VALLEY OF ZERMATT AMD THE MATTERHORN. A New Edition. With 7s Illustrations and Maps. Crown 8vo. 3s. net. London : John Murray, Albemarle St.,W. MILAN. HOTEli OAVOIJR. PLACE CAVOUR, just opposite the Public Gardens. FIRST-CLASS HOTEL with every Modern Comfort. Lift, Electric Light, Winter Garden, Public Rooms, Railway Office. Excellent Table d’Hote. Moderate Charges. The Situation is perfectly quiet. EMANUEL SUARD1, Proprietor. MURRAY'S HANDBOOK TO MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS, The Coasts of Afriea, Spain, Italy, Dalmatia, Greece, Asia Minor, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, The Balearic Islands, Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus, &e. In 2 Parts. Edited by Col. Sir R. Lambert Playfair, K.C.M.G., late H.B.M. Consul-Geueral for Algeria and Tunis. With 81 Maps and Plans. 21 s. 3rd Edition. RUSSIA—MOSCOW. ELECTRIC LIGHT IN EVERY ROOM. Highly recommended to Tourists. Guides speaking English at the Hotel. UPHIS LARGE WELL-KNOWN HOTEL, situated in the best and healthiest part of the City near the Kremlin and all other places of interest, established over half a century, lately entirely renewed and enlarged, affords First-Class Accommodation for Families and Gentle¬ men. Excellent Kitchen, Table d’Hote, splendid Grill Room and Restaurant. Good Cellar. Billiard, Smoking, and Reading Rooms, with English, American, German, and French Newspapers. Good Bath Rooms. Hotel Carriages meet all Trains. Telegraphic Address: “Hotel Berlin. Moscow.” CLAUSEN BROTHERS, Proprietors (Swisb). 28 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, MOSCOW. HOTEL 8LAYIANSKT BAZAR. The Largest First-Class Hotel in this Town. SPLENDID RESTAURANT. READING AND BATH ROOMS. FOREXe-Kr NEWSPAPERS. all languages spoken. ELECTRIC LIGHT. Omnibus. Interpreters to all Railway Stations. Telephone, Posi and Telegraph Offices in the House. MAXIMILIAN PLA'l’Z. MUNICH. MAXIMILIAN PLATZ. GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL. SPLENDID FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. Situated in the most quiet and fashionable quarter, and near all objects of interest. All modern comforts and improvements. Hydraulic Lift. Baths. Electric Light. Moderate ('har■ Ini’ I 11-tJlCTnTHWlHmTI II Largest and finest Hotel in Scandinavia. Splendid and quiet situation, with magnificent view on the port and the Mature Lake. OPPOSITE THE ROYAL PALACE. Lately completely rebuilt and newly furnished with all modern comforts. LARGE . AND ELEGANT DINING-ROOM, CAFE" IN INDIAN STYLE. AMERICAN BAR. DRAWING, READING, SMOKING AND BILLIARD-ROOMS. ALL WITH DELIGHTFUL VIEW ON THE LAKE. Halls and separate Saloons for large and small Dinner Parties. Best French and Swedish Cuisine. Rich famous Stock of excellent Wines. PASSENGER AND LUGGAGE LIFTS AT ANY DAY OR NIGHT TIME. Bathrooms on every Floor. Barber and Haircutting Saloon. Larger and smaller Suites of Apartments, consisting of Sitting-room, Bed¬ room, Bath and Toilet Room, at moderate prices. Telephone in each room. MALMO. HOTEL HOHN First-Class. STOCKHOLM. HOTEL HORN First-Class. EVERY COMFORT OF MODERN TIMES. MODERATE TERMS. STRASBOURG. HOTEL t>E LA VILLE DE PARIS. UNIVERSALLY REPUTED. HYDRAULIC LIFT. ELECTRIC LIGHT THROUGHOUT. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. The largest and most comfortable Hofe! in Strasbourg, with all modern comfort. Situated in the finest part of the town, near the Palace. Cathedral, and Promenade. Patronised by Royalty and highly recommended to English and American Families and Gentlemen. C. MATHIS, Director Proprietor. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO SCOTLAND. Edinburgh, Melrose, Abbotsford, Glasgow, Dumfries, Galloway, Ayr, Stirling, Arran, The Clyde, Oban, Inveraray, Loch Lomond, Loch Katrine an i Trosachs, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Fertb, Dundee, Aberdeen, Braemar, Skye, Caith¬ ness, Ross, Sutherland, &c. 3<> Maps and Plans. New (and 7th) Edition. 9s. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 39 ST. PETERSBURG. rpHIS well-known HOTEL lias the best situation in St. Petersburg. It has lately been entirely renovated and affords First-class Accommodation for Families and Gentlemen. Excellent Kitchen and Cellar. Reading Room with English and American Newspapers. Electric Light. Baths in the House. French, German and English spoken. Omnibus me°ts all Trains and Steamers. Under English Management. Telegraphic Address : “ Angleterre, Petersburg.” TH. SCHOTTE, Manager. ST. PETERSBURG. Xx vjy ,aJ2, uLJ X JL\» il, JLNI viX ,aJ3l i Kept by E. RENAULT. T)EST situation in the Town, Great MorskaTa, right opposite the Winter Palace, Hermitage, Foreign Office and Nevski Prospect. Oldest Hotel. Tramways in all directions. Fashionably frequented, especially by English and Americans. Elegant Reading Room, with French, English, American, German, and Swedish Papers. Greatly to be recommended for its cleanliness, comfort, and superior cuisine. Dinners 1 r. 50 k. and 3 r. The charge for Apartments is from 1 to 20 roubles. All languages spoken. Warm and Cold Baths. Post and Telephone on the Premises. The English Guide, Bernard Franke, highly com¬ mended. The Hotel is recommended in Murray's Handbook of Russia. The HOTEL BELLE VUE, opposite to HOTEL DE PRANCE, belongs to the same Proprietor. 40 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, STUTTGART. IKE Direct Entrance from the Railway Station. FINEST POSITION IN TOWN. SPLENDID NEW BUILDING. FIRST CLASS. 300 ROOMS. ELECTRIC LIGHT. CENTRAL HEATING. ELEVATORS. Rooms from 2*50 Marks upwards. H. & O. MARQUARDT. STUTTGART. TUNIS. HOTEL ROYAL. Opposite the station. 100 elewantly fur¬ nished rooms from M. 2 upwards. Elevator. Central Heating. Electric L’gLit. A. BANZHAF, Proprietor. Grand Hotel de Paris. FIRST CLASS. FULL SOUTH. Patronised by English Families. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO SWITZERLAND. Part I.—SWITZERLAND without the PENNINE ALPS. With 10 Maps and Plans. 6s. 18th Edition. Part JL—The PENNINE ALPS, portions of the FRENCH and PIEDMONTESE ALPS, and the ITALIAN LAKES. With 12 Maps and Plans. 6s. 18th Edition. TAORMINA (Sicily), Italy. GRAND HOTEL DOMENICO. '['HE ONLY FIRST-CLASS ENGLISH FAMILY HOTEL. Situated Southward, with I- Garden, Terraces, Lawn Tennis, Winter Garden. Ancient Historical convent, enjoying a full unrivalled view of the Panorama. Situated in the finest and most select part of Taormina. Views of Etna and the Ionian Sea. French Cooking. Most comfortable. Arrange¬ ment for prolonged stay. Quite near the Post-Office and Telegraph. TO U JFS.S. GRAND HOTEL DE LUNIVERS. ON THE BOULEVARD, NEAR THE STATION. EUR OPE A TV REPUT ATION. Highly recommended in all the French and Foreign Guide Books. EUGENE GUILLAUME, Proprietor. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 41 TOURS. GRAND HOTEL DE BORDEAUX, Proprietor, CLOVIS DELIGNOU. Patronised by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the European Courts. IN FRONT OF THE STATION AND UPON THE BOULEVARD. SPLENDID APARTMENTS. TRENTO, SOUTH TYROL. IMPERIAL HOTEL TRENTO. First-class House, Great Comfort. Central Steam Heating, Electiio Light. Lawn Tennis Ground. Splendid position. Centre for Dolomites and Glaciers Excursions. Patronised by the Empress Frederick and English and American Gentry. Best place for breaking journey on the Brenner Line between Munich, Venice, or Home. Spring and Autumn Season. P. J. OESTERREICHER, Proprietor. Brunch House— Grand Hotel des Alpes, Madonna di Campiglio, the Tyrolese St. Moritz, 1553 Metres above the Sea. Season, June-October. Prospectus on Application. • BLACK FOREST. TRIBERG. 715 Metres above the Sea. • JP. WISH RLE, Proprietor. Best situation, near the Waterfalls, for a long' time well known as HOTEL z. “OCHSEN.” Every English comfort. Baths. Park Garden. Electric Light. Milk Cure. Omni¬ bus at the Station. Carriages. Moderate charges. Pension. Telephone. Conceits in front of the Hotel. I'he proprietor gives best information for excursions in the Black Forest. The Hotel Wehrle, not very large, but very comfortable, is highly recom¬ mended by German and foreign Guide Books. • _ GOOD TROUT FISHING. _• TRIBERG. CENTRE OF THE BADENIAN BLACK FOREST. FIRST-CLASS CLIMATIC HEALTH RESORT. Louis Bieringers Schwarzwald Hotel (715 metres above the level of the sea.) FIRST-CLASS HOUSE, the only one in the immediate vicinity of the Waterfall and close to the Forest. Electric Light in all Rooms. Sale of Railway Tickets and dispatch of baggage in the Hotel. Omnibus at all Trains. Elegant Carriages for Excursions. Richly assorted International Reading Room. Opening- of the Season, 1st of May. The wonderfully fine and quiet location of the Hotel, 40 metres above the town, with full view on the Mountains, offers a very agreeable abode. Trout Fishing. LOUIS BIERINGER, Proprietor. Branch: HOTEL SOMMER, Badenweiler. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK TO NORTH ITALY & VENICE, Turin, Milan, The Italian Lakes, Verona, Padua, Venice, Bologna, Ravenna, Parma, Modena, Genoa, &c. With 34 Maps and Plans. 10s. 16th Edition. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, E I ■ ■ ■ 42 TURIN. Grain Hole! Trenklta el fl’Angieierrs. In View of the Central Station, Rue de Rome. First-class House in every respect. Very moderate charges. Railway Booking Office in the Hotel. Hydraulic Lift. Electric .light throughput. Heated by hot-air stoves. A. BAGLIONI, Proprietor. Branch House— Grand Hotel d’ltalie, Bologna. ¥ENICE. HOTEL DE L’EUROPE FIRST-CLASS HOUSE. Situated in the best position on the Grand Canal. Magnificent view on the Lido, S. Giorgio, S. Maria della Salute. GREATLY IMPROVED. ELECTRIC LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. LIFT. PERFECT SANITATION. Patronised by the most distinguished Families. ___MARSEILLE BROTHERS, Proprietors. _VENICE. Hotel d’ltalie Bauer. Near St. Mark's Square. On the Grand Canal. Facing the Church of St Maria Salute. 250 ROOMS: ELECTRIC LIGHT, ■ - - , , Post Office in the iSEio'fcel. GRAND RESTAURANT BAUER GRUNWALD. Rendezvous of the Rest Society. J. GRUNWALD, Sen., Proprietor. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 43 i'fiSHi'WEirfi: V‘ ■ ■ : y - ■. " ! . ... _> 31J B E AUS (o i V 3C t elegant, comfortable and best situated in Vichy, and the only one freqm nted by the Roval Family of England. A part of the Hotel is arranged and warmed specially for the winter season. It is the only Hotel at Vichy having a general hygienic installation. Lift. Pension from 12fr. per day. GRAND HOTEL DU PARC sm tlorin. Light and Service will not he charged. Electric Light. LEOPOLD GARAI, Proprietor. 44 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, Collective Advertiser OF THE vehna. HOTELS IN VIFNNA. Vienna. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY AND ACCORDING TO DISTRICTS. 1st District: The City. Bristol, Carl Wolf, Karntbnerring. Erzherzog Carl, Josef Schindler, Karntimerstasse. de France, Anton Drexler, Schottenriug. Germania, Josef Pohl, Ferdinaudsplatz. Goldene Ente, Carl Richard, Riemer- gasse. Grand Hotel, Actienges llschaft, Karn- thnerring. Habsburg, Dir, R. Oehler, Adlergasse. Imperial Frohner’s, Dir. G. v. Ruling, Karnthnerring. Kaiserin Elisabeth, Ferd. Heger, Weihburggasse. Klomser, F. Klomser, Herrengasse. Konig V. Ungarn, Ferd. Hess, Schuler- strasse. Krantz, Jos. Krantz, Neuer Markt. London, M. Lanz, Fleisclimarkt. Matschakerhof, H. Mayreder, Seiler- gasse. Meissl & Schadn, Dir. J. Briickler, Neuer Markt. Metropole, Actiengesellschaft, Dir. L. Speiser, Franz Josephs-Quai. Miiller, Friedrich Hack, Graben. Residenz, Josef Zillinger, Teinfaltstrasse. Royal, Joh. Riedl, Graben-Stefansplatz. Ungar. Krone, Franz Richer, Himmel- pfortgasse. Wandl, Ign. Dungl, Petersplatz. 2nd District: Leopoldstadt. Bayer. Hof, joh. Riedl, Taborstrasse. Central, Carl Sacher, Taborstrasse. Kronprinz, Leop. Seiler, Asperngasse. National- Grand Hotel, Dir. 0. Lehner, Taborstrasse. Nordbahn, Josef Scheiflinger, Prater- strasse. 3rd District: Landstrasse. Belvedere, M. Rosner, Landftrasser Gtirtel. 4th District: Wieden. Goldenes Lamm, Jos. Kuhrer, Haupt- strasse. Slidbahn, Hans Kirchmayr, Favoriten- strasse. Triest, M. Gruber, Hauptstrasse. 6th District: Mariahilf. Goldenes Kreuz, Josef Janetschek, M ariahil ferstrasse. 7th District: Neubau. Holler, Anna Bosse-Holler, Burggasse. . 8th District: Josefstadt. Hammerand, E. Hammerand, Floriani- gasse. 9th District: Alsergrund. Bellevue, Dir. Leopold Garai, Althan- gasse. Franz - Josef-Bahn, A. Binderhofer, A lserbachstrasse. 13th District: Hietzing. Hietzinger Hof, Gustav Todt, Haupt- strafse nlichst Schdnbrunn. 15th District: Funfhaus. Fuchs, Heinrich Mayer, Maiiabilferstrasse. Wimberger, K. Wimberger, Neubau- giirtel. 18th District: Wahring. Wieninger, A.Wieninger, Semperstrasse. ELECTRIC LIGHT, COFFEE ROOMS, RESTAURANT AN D BATH IN EVERY HOTEL. A TARIFF IS AFFIXED IN THE ROOMS OF EVERY HOTEL IN VIENNA. NOTICE ! Please insist on arriving in Vienna upon being con- -—-^ ducted to the hotel chosen; if the latter should be lull, it undertakes to recommend the traveller to another. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 45 VIENNA. Grand Hotel, I. KAHNTHNERRING, 9. Situated in the finest and most fashionable part of the City, on the Ringstrasse, Corso side, near the Imperial Opera, the new Museums. Highly recommended for moderate charges combined with all modern comfort; specially patronized by English and American families. 300 elegantly furnished Bed and Sitting Rooms, Magnificent lofty and richly decorated Dining and Reading Rooms, Smoking and Ladies’ Drawing Rooms. The prices of the rooms are including electric light and attendance. Tariff in every Room. Excellent Cooking; Luncheons and Dinners at fixed prices or a la Carte. Lift until 12 p.m. Baths, Telephone, Railway Ticket-Office and Hairdressing Saloon in the Hotel. Arrangements made with Families Wintering in Vienna. Bureau and Cabin Boobing Office of the North German Lloyd in the Hotel. VIENNA. JE3L O , 3C B 3E3 X* X O T O IE& X .A. m iFavoritcnstras.se II., Vienna I V. L’ LECTRIC LIGHT. Telephone No. 700. Tramway Station for all parts of the town. Near the iJ Oper and Sud State Railway Station. Favourite Family Hotel (considerably enlarged). Renowned for cleanliness and attentive service. Moderate terms. Large Restaurant with splendid garden. Electric light and service will not be charged. Baths. Cook's coupons accepted. JOSEF HAAGEN. HOTEL METROPOLE. First-Class and best situated Hotel. Especially frequented by English and Americans. 300 ROOMS FROM 5 TO 25 KRONEN. Electric Light and Attendance Included. Hydraulic Lift. WIESBADEN. HOTEL ROSE and BATHS. T HIS FIRST-CLASS HOTEL, with every modern comfort, is newly enlarged by a splendid building, and situated in the finest and healthiest part of Wiesbaden, opposite the Pro¬ menade, close to the Curhouse and Royal Theatre. Private Suites of Apartments consisting of Saloon, Bedroom, Toilet and Bath Kcom. In the Hotel is a beautiful new Bath House, with Baths supplied from the principal Spring—the Rockbrunnen. Most elegant Public Rooms, Lilt, Electric Light, Steam Heating. Arrangements made for a prolonged stay. H. HAEFFNER, Proprietor. WIESBADEN. SWAN HOTEL. Mineral Water direct from the principal Kochbrunneu. Lift. Electric Light. W. NEUENDORFF, Proprietor. WIESBADEN. HOTEL BELLE VUE. Beautifully situated, opposite the Park. Well-known for its Comfort and Good Cuisine. Central Heating. Electric Light. Moderate Charges. Good Trout Fishing. Pension. VICTOR KLEEBLATT, Proprietor. 46 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, WIESBADEN. HOTEL QUfSfSANA. Unrivalled position— PARK STRASSE— a hundred steps from tile Kurhouse. A BEAUTIFUL FIRST-CLASS ESTABLISHMENT. The Only One in ■ WIESBA DEN on Elevated Ground. OFFERS HOME COMFORT TO ENGLISH & AMERICAN FAMILIES. LI I T. | ELECTRIC LIGHT . | GARDENS. SPLENDID MINERAL WATER BATHS- PENSION AT REASONABLE TERMS. Apply for Prospectus to tue Proprietor, F. ROSER. WiLDBAD (Black Forest). HOTEL KLUMPP HYDBAULIC LIFTS TO EVE BY FLOOB. THIS FIRST-CLASS HOTEL, with separate Breakfast, Reading, Lady’s and Conversation Rooms, as well as a Smoking Room. Large handsome Dining Saloon. An artificial garden over the river. Beautifully situated in connection with the Old and New Bath Buildings and Conversation House. Five minutes’ walk from the English Church, and in the imme¬ diate vicinity of the Park and Pump Room. Well known for its elegant and comfortable apartments. Good Cuisine and Wines, and deserves its wide-spread reputation as one of the best hotels on the Continent. Table d’hote. Restaurant. Correspondents of principal Banking Houses of London, New York, &c., for the payment of Circular Notes and Letters of Credit. OMNIBUS OF THE HOTEL MEETS EVERY TRAIN. FINE PRIVATE CARRIAGES. Capital Trout Fishing in the River Enz. LAWN TENNIS AND CROQUET. Reduced Terms lor Rooms m May and September. EXCELLENT ACCOMMODATION. ZURICH-DOLDER £$££ Finest situated Hotel in Zurich. Newly opened with Latest Improvements of Comfort. yurrounde i by Magnificent Woods and Parks FINEST GOLF LINKS ON THE CONTINENT. Mail Coach. Tennis. Golf. ASK FOR TARIFF— E. DEILMANN, Manager. 1900. MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. 47 SWITZERLAND (ZERMATT). VIEGE-ZER|9ATT RAIIittlAYS GO.’S And Zermatt Gornergrat Electric ( 10,170 feet ) NARROW GAUGE COG WHEEL RAILWAYS. OeOBROCK,. ZT)uLueR,^TR.6@ Open from 15th M«y to 31st October. Matterhorn, 14,T00 feet. Mont Rosa, 15,200 feet. Goerner Grat, 10,250 feet. These lines are the most interesting ami picturesque in the world. The journey from Viege to Zermatt now only takes 2£ hours and If hours from Zermatt, to Gornergrat; formerly it was a 9 hours walk to Zermatt. Very comfortable Carriages. Special Saloon Carriages to enable one to see the Grand -Scenery along the line. For departure of the Trains see the Time Table. ZERMATT. Seiler’s Grand Hotels. HOTEL MONT ROSA. HOTEL MONT CERVIN. HOTEL ZERMATT. HOTEL RIFFELALP. HOTEL RIFFEL. HOTEL SCHWARZ SEE. Buffet at the Station. Doctor. Chemist. Baths. Moderate Prices. OPEN FROM 1st MAY TO 30th OCTOBER. 48 MURRAY’S HANDBOOK ADVERTISER. May, 1900 ZERMATT. GRAND HOTEL TERMINUS. LTRST-CLASS HOTEL with every modern comfort. Baths. Electric Light. Restaurant 1 Table d’hote. Billiards. Cafe. Reading and Drawing Rooms. Covered Verandah Guides. Carriages and Mules at the Hotel. Coupons accepted. Open from 15th May t 30th October. DOL-LAUBER, Proprietor. DINNEFORD’S MAGNESIA. The best Remedy for Acidity of the Stomach, Heartburn, Headache Gout and Indigestion; the Safest Aperient for Delicate Constitutions Ladies, Children, and Infants. SOLD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Pocket Handbook OF Travel Talk. ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, and ITALIAN. (In Parallel Columns.) EIGHTEENTH EDITION. With Special Section for Cyclists. 32mo.,3s.6a ' • /N ..... sysj kj j W 'J The Conversations supply every Modern Phrase likely to be used by Travellers at the Present Day. “ One of the most useful pocket companions .”—Vanity Fair. “ Shows the wanderer how to carry on conversation in all the essentia arts of life in four tongues.”— Daily News. “ A cyclist who can ascertain whether the road is ‘ bumpy,* or poin out that his 4 nut is loose or his ‘ tyre punctured,” may surely regar< himself as equipped for every linguistic emergency.”— Guardian. “ The best of its kind, judiciously modernized.”— Athenxum. “ One of the most useful phrase books in existence.”— Queen. A Neat Convenient Book suitable for carrying in One’s Pocket. Lon i on : JOHN MURRAY, Albemarle Street, W. RARE BOOK COLLECTION THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Murray 1585 MURRAY’S ENGLISH HANDBOOKS. HANDBOOK—ENVIRONS OF LONDON— Including a Circuit 20 Miles round the Metropolis. 2 Parts. 21s. HANDBOOK—EASTERN COUNTIES— Chelmsford, Harwich, Col¬ chester, Maldon, Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, Ipswich, WOODBRIDGK, FELIXSTOWE, LOWESTOFT, NORWICH, YARMOUTH, CROMER, &C. With 7 Maps and Plans. 12s. HANDBOOK—SURREY — (Including Aldershot) — Kingston, Croy¬ don, Reigate, Guildford, Dorking, Boxhill, &c. With 6 Maps. 6s. HANDBOOK—ISLE OF WIGHT— Ryde, Cowes, Yentnor, &c. With an Introductory sketch of the History of the Island, by H. E. Prothero, M.A. Map. 2s 6d. HANDBOOK — HAMPSHIRE— Winchester, Southampton, New Forest, Portsmouth. With 7 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK — OXFORDSHIRE— Aylesbury, Henley, Oxford, Blen¬ heim, the Thames, &c. 13 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK — KENT— Canterbury, Dover, Ramsgate, Rochester, Chatham, &c. 7 Maps, mostly on the scale of | inch to the mile. 7s. 6d. HANDBOOK—SUSSEX —Brighton, Chichester, Worthing, Hastings, Lewes, Arundel, &c. 7 Maps, mostly on the scale of J inch to the mile. 6s. HANDBOOK — DEVON — Exeter, Ilfracombe, Linton, Sidmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Devonport, Torquay, &c. 12 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6 d. HANDBOOK — CORNWALL —Launceston, Penzance, Falmouth, The Lizard, Land’s End, &c. 7 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK — NORTH WALES— Bangor, Carnarvon, Beaumaris, Snowdon, Llanberis, Dolgelly, Cader Idris, Conway, &c. 5 Maps. 6s. HANDBOOK — SOUTH WALES— Monmouth, Llandaff, Merthyr, Vale of Neath, Pembroke, Carmarthen, Tenby, Swansea, and the Wye, &c. Map. 6s. HANDBOOK—DERBY, NOTTS, LEICESTER, AND STAFFORD— Matlock, Bakewell, Chatsworth, The Peak, Buxton, Hardwick, Dovedale, Ashborne, Southwell, Mansfield, Retford, Burton, Belvoir, Melton Mow¬ bray, Wolverhampton, Lichfirld, Walsall, Tamworth, &c. 12 Maps and Plans, mostly on the scale of J inch to the mile. 9s. HANDBOOK — SHROPSHIRE AND CHESHIRE — Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Chester, Crewe, Alderley, Stockport, Birkenhead. 8 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK — LANCASHIRE— Warrington, Bury, Manchester, Liverpool, Burnley, Clitheroe, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Preston, Rochdale, Lancaster, Southport, Blackpool, &c. Map. 6s. HANDBOOK—YORKSHIRE— Doncastek, Hull, Selby, Beverley, Scarborough, Whitby, Harrogate, Bipon, Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Sheffield, &c. 12 Maps and Plans. 12s. HANDBOOK—LINCOLNSHIRE— Grantham, Lincoln, Stamford, Sleaford, Spalding, Gainsborough, Grimsby, Boston, &c. 4 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6 d. HANDBOOK — DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND — New¬ castle, Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Stockton, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Shields, Berwick, Tynemouth, Alnwick, &c. 6 Maps and Plans. 10s. HANDBOOK—THE LAKES (WESTMORELAND AND CUMBER¬ LAND — Lancaster, Furness Abbey, ambleside, Kendal, Windermere, Coniston, Keswick, Grasmere, Ulswater, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Penrith, Appleby, &c. 6 Maps. 6s. August, 1900. [ Continued. MURRAY’S ENGLISH HANDBOOKS—(ctmJmwed). HANDBOOK—NORTHAMPTON AND RUTLAND. With Maps and Pians forming the 2nd Edition. Crown 8vo. HANDBOOK—HEREFORD AND WORCESTER— Leominster, Ross, Malvern, Kidderminster, Dudley, Bromsgrove, Evesham. 5 Maps. 5*. HANDBOOK —HERTS, HUNTINGDON AND BEDS — Bedford, Hatfield, Huntingdon, Luton, St. albans, Tring, Ware, Watford, &c. 10 Maps and Plans. 7s. 6 d. HANDBOOK — GLOUCESTERSHIRE — Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Bristol, &c. 3 Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK—WARWICKSHIRE— Warwick, Kenilworth, Coven¬ try, Stratford-on-Avon, Birmingham, &c. 10 Maps and Plans, is. HANDBOOK—BERKSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Almost entirely re-written. With Maps, &c. HANDBOOK—SOMERSETSHIRE. With Maps and Plans. 6s. HANDBOOK—WILTS AND DORSETSHIRE. With Maps and Plans. 6s. SCOTLAND. HANDBOOK — SCOTLAND — Edinburgh, Melrose, Abbotsford, Glasgow, Dumfries, Galloway, Ayr, Stirling, Arran, The Clyde, Oban, Inveraray, Loch Lomond, Loch Katrine and Trosachs, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Braemar, Skye, Caithness, Ross, Sutherland, &c. 30 Maps and Plans. 9s. IRELAND. HANDBOOK — IRELAND — Dublin, Belfast, Donegal, Galway, Wexford, Cork, limerick, Waterford, Killarney, Glengariff, Bantry, Ac. An entirely New (and 5th) Edition. 19 Maps and Plans. 9s. MURRAY’S CYCLIST’S ROAD-BOOK— From London through Chichester, Portsmouih, Southampton to the New Forest, and Back by Romsey, Winchester, Dorking, Leatherhead and Epsom. Illustrated by a Road Atlas at the end of the book. Fcap. 8vo. 2s. ENGLISH CATHEDRALS. HANDBOOK—SOUTHERN CATHEDRALS— Winchester, Salis¬ bury, Exeter, W ells, Rochester, Canierbury, Chichester, and St. Albans. With 130 Illustrations. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 36s. *** St. Albans Cathedral, separately, 6«. HANDBOOK—EASTERN CATHEDRALS— Oxford’, Peterborough, Ely, Norwich, and Lincoln. W ith 90 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 21s. HANDBOOK—WESTERN CATHEDRALS— Bristol, Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester, and Lichfield. With 60 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 16s. HANDBOOK—WELSH CATHEDRALS — Llandaff, St. David’s, Bangor, and St. Asaph’s. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 15*. HANDBOOK —ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 10*. 6 d. JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W, August, 1900.