Chapter VI: Part 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

Y Vanner, or Kymmer Abbey,

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

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

Nassau Park.

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

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

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

Angling Stations.

_Distances from Dolgelley_. _Miles_. Traws-vynydd, on the Bychan 12 Llanvachreth 3½ Hendre Llwyngwr, (S. W.) 11 Pont Dolgefiliau, on the Mawddach, (N.) 8 Dol-y-gamedd, on the Wnion 3½ Llyn Cregenan, (S. W.) 4 Llyn Gader 1½ Llyn Geirw, (S. W.) 5 Tal-y-llyn, Cader Idris 8

FFESTINIOG, (_Merionethshire_.)

Caernarvon 25 Capel Curig 20 Bala 19 Maentwrog 2½ Tan-y-Bwlch 2½ Tremadoc 13

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

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

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

Falls of the Cynvael.

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

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

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

Cwm-orddin Lake.

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

Llyn Morwynion,

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

Llyn Maonod,

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

FLINT, (_Flintshire_.)

Chester 14 Holywell 5 London 200 Mold 6

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

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

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

The Castle.

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

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

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

GRESFORD, (_Denbighshire_.)

Chester 8 Wrexham 3

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

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

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

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

Angling station.—The river Alyn.

HANMER, (_Flintshire_.)

Ellesmere 5 Wrexham 10

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

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

HARLECH, (_Merionethshire_.)

Barmouth 10 London 229 Maen-Twrog 10 Penmorfa, across sands 12 Tan-y-Bwlch 10 Tremadoc, across sands 10 Do. through Tan-y-Bwlch 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Angling Stations.

_Distance from Harlech_. _Miles_.
Llanvihangel, on the Dwyryd 5
Llanbedr, on the Bychan 3
_Lakes_.—Llyn y Vedw near the Dwyryd.
Llyn Eidaw
Llyn Glyn
Llyn y Cym Bychan 5
Llyn Trewyn.

HAWARDEN, (_Flintshire_.)

Chester 7 Flint 8 Holywell 11 Northop 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buckley Mountain.

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

Ewloe Castle

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

Coed Ewloe,

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

HOLT, (_Denbighshire_.)

Chester 8 Wrexham 6

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

HOLYHEAD, (_Anglesea_.)

Amlwch 20 Bangor 24 Beaumaris 27 Chester 86 Dublin 60 London, by Chester 266

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOLYWELL, (_Flintshire_.)

Chester 18 Denbigh 14 Flint 5 London 201 Mold 10 Northop 6 Rhuddlan 11 St. Asaph 10

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

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

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

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

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