Chapter I: Front Matter

THE HOLYHEAD ROAD

THE HOLYHEAD ROAD: THE MAIL-COACH ROAD TO DUBLIN

By CHARLES G. HARPER

Author of “_The Brighton Road_,” “_The Portsmouth Road_,” “_The Dover
Road_,” “_The Bath Road_,” “_The Exeter Road_,” “_The Great North
Road_,” and “_The Norwich Road_”

_Illustrated by the Author, and from Old-Time Prints and Pictures_

_Vol. II. BIRMINGHAM TO HOLYHEAD_

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL
LTD. 1902

[_All rights reserved_]

PRINTED BY
HAZELL, WATSON, AND VINEY, LD.
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

SEPARATE PLATES

PAGE

EARLY DAYS ON THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. _Frontispiece_

BULL RING. (_From a Print after David Cox_) 5

OLD BIRMINGHAM COACHING BILL. 13

DUDLEY. (_After J. M. W. Turner, R.A._) 31

HIGH GREEN, WOLVERHAMPTON, 1797. (_After
Rowlandson_) 47

HIGH GREEN, WOLVERHAMPTON, 1826. (_From an
Old Print_) 51

HIGH GREEN, WOLVERHAMPTON, 1860. (_From a
Contemporary Photograph_) 55

SHIFFNAL. 67

THE COUNCIL HOUSE. 141

THE HONOURABLE THOMAS KENYON. (_From an Old Print_) 153

THE VALE OF LLANGOLLEN. 177

LLANGOLLEN. 183

LLANGOLLEN. (_After J. M. W. Turner, R. A._) 187

VALLE CRUCIS ABBEY. (_After J. M. W. Turner, R.A._) 207

CERNIOGE. 227

THE SWALLOW FALLS. (_From an Old Print_) 247

LLYN OGWEN AND TRIFAEN MOUNTAIN. 255

PENMAENMAWR. (_After J. M. W. Turner, R.A._) 275

THE OLD LANDING-PLACE ON THE ANGLESEY SHORE. 283

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

Vignette: Prince Rupert _Title Page_

List of Illustrations: The Black Country vii

The Holyhead Road 1

The “Hen and Chickens,” 1830 18

The “Old Royal” 24

Wednesbury 37

Old Hill, Tettenhall 59

The Sabbath-breaking Seamstress 60

Snedshill Furnaces 71

Haygate Inn 76

The Wrekin 79

The “Old Wall” 84

Wroxeter Church 85

Atcham Bridge 91

Lord Hill’s Monument 92

The English Bridge 97

Wyle Cop and the “Lion” 107

The “Lion” Yard 132

The Market-Place, Shrewsbury 138

Shelton Oak 144

The Breidden Hills 147

Queen’s Head 156

Offa’s Dyke 176

The Ladies of Llangollen. (_From an Old Print_) 198

Plas Newydd 203

Owain Glyndwr’s Mount 211

Cerrig-y-Druidion 224

The Waterloo Bridge 232

The Old Church, Bettws-y-Coed 234

Sign of the “Royal Oak” 238

Pont-y-Pair 245

Cyfyng Falls 250

Capel Curig 252

The Falls of Ogwen 257

Nant Ffrancon. (_After David Cox_) 258

Nant Ffrancon 260

Penrhyn Castle 263

Lonisaf Toll-House 264

The Penrhyn Arms 266

Penrhyn Castle and Snowdonia, from Beaumaris.
(_After David Cox_) 278

Deserted Stables, Menai Village 290

The Menai Bridge and the Isle of Benglas 291

The Anglesey Column 296

The Britannia Bridge 299

Near Mona Inn 303

Llangristiolus 304

Caer Ceiliog 306

The South Stack. (_After T. Creswick, R.A._) 323

Holyhead Mountain 325

THE HOLYHEAD ROAD

BIRMINGHAM TO HOLYHEAD

MILES
Birmingham (General Post Office) 109¼
Hockley 110½
Soho 111¼
Handsworth 111¾
West Bromwich 114½
Hilltop 116
Wednesbury 117¼
Moxley 118½
Bilston 119½
Wolverhampton 122¼
Chapel Ash 122¾
Tettenhall 124
The Wergs 125¼
Boningale 129½
Whiston Cross 130¼
Shiffnal 134¼
Prior’s Lee 137½
Ketley 139
Ketley Railway Station 139½
(Junction of Watling Street with Holyhead Road.)
Wellington (“Cock”) 140½
Haygate 141½
Burcot Toll-House 143
Norton 146½
Tern Bridge 147½
(Cross River Tern.)
Atcham 148¼
(Cross River Severn.)
Shrewsbury (Abbey Foregate) 151¼
(Cross River Severn.)
Shrewsbury (Market House) 152
Shrewsbury (Welsh Bridge and Frankwell) 152¼
(Cross River Severn.)
Shelton Oak 154
Bicton 154½
Montford Bridge 156¾
(Cross River Severn.)
Nesscliff 160½
West Felton 165¼
Queen’s Head 166¼
Oswestry 170
Gobowen 172¾
Chirk 175
(Cross River Ceiriog.)
Whitehurst Toll-House 177
Vron Cysylltan 179¾
Llangollen 182½
Berwyn Railway Station 184¼
Glyndyfrdwy 188
Carrog 189
Corwen 192½
(Cross River Dee.)
Maerdy Post Office 196
Pont-y-Glyn 197¾
Tynant 198¼
Cerrig-y-Druidion 202
Glasfryn 204½
Cernioge 205¾
Pentre Voelas 207¾
Bettws-y-Coed 214½
(Cross River Conway)
Swallow Falls 216
Cyfyng Falls 218½
Tan-y-Bwlch 219
Capel Curig 220
Llyn Ogwen 224
Ogwen Falls} 225
Pass of Nant Ffrancon}
Tyn-y-Maes 228
Bethesda 229¼
Llandegai 232¾
Bangor (Cathedral) 234½
Upper Bangor 236
Menai Bridge 237
(Cross Menai Straits)
Menai Village 237¼
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrndrobwlltysiliogogogoch 239¼
Gaerwen 242½
Pentre Berw (Holland Arms) 243
Llangristiolus 245½
Mona 247½
Gwalchmai 249¾
Bryngwran 252½
Caer Ceiliog 255
Valley 256
Stanley Sands 256¼
(Cross Stanley Sands Viaduct to Holy Island)
Holyhead (Admiralty Pier) 260½

THE OLD ROAD FROM MENAI VILLAGE TO HOLYHEAD

MILES
Menai Village 237¼
Braint 239½
Ceint 242½
Llangefni 244¾
Bodffordd 247
Gwyndû and Glanyrafon 249¾
Llynfaes 250¼
Trefor 251¼
Bodedern 254
Llanyngenedl 255¼
Valley and Four-Mile Bridge 258¼
Trearddur Bay 261½
(Cross Causeway over Straits to
Holy Island)
Holyhead 263½

BIRMINGHAM TO HOLYHEAD