Chapter V: Part 5

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

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

Rhaiadr-y-Wennol,

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

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

Lake Ogwen,

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

Nant Ffrancon,

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

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

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

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

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

Llyn Idwal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“‘Most foul, strange, and unnatural.’

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

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

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

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

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

CERIG-Y-DRUIDION, (_Denbighshire_.)

Cerniogau 3 Corwen 10 Llanrwst 14 Pont-y-Glyn 4½ Ruthin 15

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

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

CERNIOGAU MAWR, (_Denbighshire_.)

Capel Curig 15 Cerig-y-Druidion 3 Corwen 13 Ruthin 18

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

CHESTER.

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

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

CHIRK, (_Denbighshire_.)

Llangollen 7 London 176 Oswestry 5 Ruabon 6

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

Chirk Aqueduct.

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

CHIRK CASTLE,

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

Chirk castle is supposed to have been built in the year 1013, and was an extremely strong fortification. The front is about 250 feet; and two persons abreast may parade the battlements with ease. It was besieged by the parliamentary forces, and considerably battered by the cannon of Cromwell. The repairs cost £80,000.

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

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

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

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

One mile below the village of Chirk is also

BRYN KINALLT,

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

CLYNOG, (_Caernarvonshire_.)

Caernarvon 10 Llanllyfni 6 Pwllheli 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONWAY, (_Caernarvonshire_.)

Aber 9 Abergele 12 Bangor 14½ Caernarvon 24 Llandulas 9 Llanrwst 12 London 236 Penmaen Mawr 6

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

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

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

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

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

This ancient castle is the fictitious scene of the drama of the _Castle Spectre_, and of _The Bard_ of Gray.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creiddin,

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

Diganwy,

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

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

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

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

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

For angling station, see Llanrwst.

CORWEN. (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 12 Chester 33 Denbigh 20 Holyhead 67 Llangollen 10 London 193 Ruthin 12 Pentre Voelas 15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CRICAETH, (_Caernarvonshire_.)

Beddgelert 11 Caernarvon 20 London 240 Pwllheli 8

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

“Pan roddodd
Y ffrwyn ymhen Brenin Ffrainc.”

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

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

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

DENBIGH.

Abergele 13 Chester 28 Conway 25 Corwen 20 Holywell 14 Llanrwst 22 London by Chester 214 — by Shrewsbury 206 Mold 16 Ruthin 8 St. Asaph 6 Bodfary 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Castle

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

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

Gwaunynog,

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

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

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

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

1768.

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

DINAS MOWDDWY, (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 18 Dolgelley 10 Llangollen 40 Machynlleth 13½ Mallwyd 1½

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

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

DINORWIC (PORT)

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

DISERTH, (_Flintshire_.)

Holywell 9 Rhuddlan 2½ St. Asaph 5

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

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

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

DOLGELLEY, (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 18 Barmouth 10 Chester 57 London 212 Machynlleth 16 Maen Twrog 18 Towyn 17 Trawsfynedd 12

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

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