the ruins of the castle, in which Edward I. kept three Christmases, I
recurred, by a natural association of ideas, to the times when the
parliament-house, the halls, and courts, echoed with the voices of those,
who have been long since swept from the earth by the unerring hand of
death. One solitary Gothic window is now only remaining to distinguish
the old parliament-house, where King Edward the First instituted that
famous code of laws, under the title of the statute of Rhuddlan, from a
neighbouring barn: and what once contained the parliament of England, now
contains nothing but bark for the supply of a tan-yard.
The old castle is built of red stone; it consists of a square area,
strongly fortified with a wall. This court we entered through the grand
gateway, between two round towers: the opposite side corresponds. The
whole is encircled by a deep entrenchment faced with stone on the river
side, with two square towers, one of which still remains.
“The Bishop of St. Asaph,” says Mr. Evans, “distributes among the farmers
of the parish of Rhyddlan, five guineas for the best crop of turnips; and
three guineas for the best crop of wheat upon a fallow, manured only with
lime compost. All the competitors partake of a feast on the day of
decision; and the victors, beside their premiums, have the honourable
distinction of being crowned with the garland of Ceres, by some of the
ladies present.” This stimulus has had great effect in exciting a spirit
of improvement.
The road from hence to
ST. ASAPH,
affords a most rich and beautiful walk, extending along the celebrated
vale of Clwyd. This rich tract of land, called the Eden of North Wales,
extends in length about twenty-five miles, and in breadth about eight.
The neighbourhood of Ruthin affords the best view of this vale. Though
it is by no means so interesting and romantic as the vale of Glamorgan,
yet its high cultivation, and the picturesque, but moderate height of the
hills, rising on each side of the river Clwyd, renders the scenery
pleasing: its chief produce is corn. Both these vales claim the
attention of the traveller; and both have to boast of particular
beauties. One mile from St. Asaph we passed, on our right, the elegant
seat of Sir Edward Lloyd. We still followed the banks of the Clwyd; and
at the farthest extremity a light elegant bridge of seven arches, with
the dark tower of St. Asaph’s cathedral rising on an eminence just over
it, gave a picturesque effect to the whole scenery.
The town itself is built on a hill, in one straight line, with a few neat
houses. The cathedral naturally demands attention: the inside is
remarkably neat and elegant, entirely Gothic, with the ceiling of
chesnut, and open ribs like the skeleton of a ship. The monument of
David ap Owen, bishop of this diocese, was particularly pointed out to
us. The bishop’s palace has been entirely rebuilt by the present
diocesan. The choir consists of a bishop, dean, six canons, seven
prebends, and four vicars. There are no monuments in the churchyard, and
few of any importance within its venerable walls.
St. Asaph receives its derivation from its patron, who established a
bishop’s see here, in the year 590: but in British it is named Llan-Elwy,
on account of the conflux of the Elwy with the Clwyd. It is singular,
that the cathedral is not used as a parish church, as all the other Welsh
cathedrals are; and that the bishop’s jurisdiction extends over no entire
county, but includes part of Flintshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire,
Merionethshire, and Shropshire.
From St. Asaph to Holywell the distance is about ten miles. The first
part of the road continuing through the vale of Clwyd, affords prospects
of agricultural riches rarely excelled; the latter part is rocky and
rugged, but pleasant. On the one side you enjoy the distant view of
Denbigh, with its ancient castle fast mouldering to decay, and on the
other that of Rhyddlan, backed by the distant sea view. The whole of
this tract of country abounds in lead-mines and calamine. Between this
road and the sea stands Downing, late the residence of the celebrated Mr.
Pennant, to whom the world was so much indebted for his numerous and
laborious literary publications.
On the summit of a lofty hill called Carreg, in the parish of Whitford,
about two miles to the left of the road, is an ancient circular building,
which Mr. Pennant believed to have been a Roman pharos, constructed to
assist in the navigating the difficult channel of Seteia Portus to and
from Deva. This appears the more probable, as it still forms a prominent
landmark, highly useful to the small Welsh sloops and coasting vessels,
which in fine weather drop along with the tides from the lime-rocks,
between Llandrillo and Llanddulas, to Parkgate, Liverpool, &c.; in one of
which I witnessed the rising sun just as we opened the rich and beautiful
vale of Clwyd;—a scene so pre-eminently fine and impressive, that the
lapse of five-and-twenty years has not effaced it from, or weakened it
in, my recollection.
HOLYWELL
is a place of considerable trade and bustle, with easy access to the sea.
It is pleasantly situated on the side of a hill, possessing many good
houses; but is chiefly famous for its well, which although only little
better than a mile from the sea, furnishes a sufficiency of water to work
eleven mills and factories, viz. one corn mill, four cotton mills, and
six copper and brass mills and forges.
The quantity of water thrown up is, on an accurate calculation, proved to
exceed eighty-four hogsheads in a minute. It is covered by a small
Gothic building, the canopy of which is of most delicate workmanship.
For its origin, miracles, &c. I must refer the reader to the Life of St.
Winifred, or some of the numerous authorities that have particularized
them: suffice it to say, that the devotees of this saint (whose head was
cut off, and so effectually replaced on her shoulders, that she survived
it fifteen years) were very numerous; and in the last age the well was so
noted, that, according to Mr. Pennant, “the prince, who lost three
kingdoms for a mass, payed his respects, on the 29th of August, 1686, to
our saint, and received as a reward a present of the very shift in which
his great grandmother, Mary Queen of Scots, lost her head.”
“The church being situated below the town, the sound of the bell can be
heard but a short distance; to summon the inhabitants to their devotions,
therefore, a person parades the town with a large bell, suspended from
his neck.” {256a}
The supply of water from this well is scarcely ever perceived to vary;
and it has never been known to be frozen, a circumstance of far greater
importance than its miraculous qualities.
The stage from Holywell to Flint is only six miles, and, like Flint
itself, affords little subject for observation or remark.
FLINT
is a small market town, created a free borough in the reign of Philip and
Mary, and confirmed in the 12th of William III. It, in conjunction with
Caerwys, Rhyddlan, Caergwrle, and Overton, sends a member to parliament,
elected by such inhabitants as pay parochial taxes. The castle, begun by
Henry II., and finished by Edward I., stands upon a rock, in a marsh upon
the south bank of the Dee; the channel of which once ran in considerable
depth under its walls, which, even at the present day, are washed at high
tides. By whom, and when it was founded, is uncertain. It is chiefly
famous for being the place where Edward II. received his obnoxious
favourite, Piers Gaveston, on his return from banishment; and where
Percy, Earl of Northumberland, surrendered Richard the Second into the
hands of the Duke of Lancaster. “When Richard arrived at Flint,” says
the author of the Beauties, Harmonies, and Sublimities of Nature, {256b}
“he said to the Duke of Lancaster, afterwards Henry the Fourth, ‘Cousin
of Lancaster, you are welcome.’ ‘My Lord the King,’ returned the Duke,
bowing three times to the ground, ‘I am arrived sooner than you appointed
me; because the common report of your people reached me, that you have,
for one and twenty years, governed them rigorously, and with which they
are by no means satisfied. It is my desire, if God be willing, to assist
you to govern them better for the future.’ ‘Fair cousin,’ returned the
wounded monarch, assuming an air of cheerfulness, ‘Fair cousin, since it
pleases you, it pleases me also.’ The King and the Duke soon after made
their entry into London, which Shakspeare has described so beautifully.
Richard resigned his crown; and, as a recompence, was soon after murdered
in Pontefract castle.” In the reign of Charles the First, the castle was
repaired by Sir Roger Mostyn, and sustained a lengthened siege, till all
the provisions were exhausted, when it made an honourable surrender in
December 1646: it, with Hawarden and other castles, was dismantled by
order of Parliament. In proceeding to Chester, you regain the high road
at Northop: three miles and a half beyond which, to the left, about a
quarter of a mile from the road, on the edge of a glen, and surrounded by
a wood, are to be traced the remains of Euloe Castle, a small fortress:
the proprietor of which, named Howell, was entitled by ancient custom to
give the badge of a silver harp to the best harper in North Wales. But
it is chiefly remarkable for the defeat which Henry the Second received
in the wood in its vicinity, from David and Conan, the two sons of Owen
Gwynedd. By stratagem, they drew the English army into a narrow pass
betwixt the hills; when attacking its front, flanks, and rear, they
routed it with the most dreadful slaughter. Regaining the road, you soon
reach Hawarden, a small neat town, chiefly remarkable for the ruins of
its ancient castle, so frequently mentioned in history: its remains are
to be traced in the grounds of Lady Glynne, at the east end of the town;
little now remains of them, but, from the eminence on which they stand,
you command a fine view of the Dee and the county of Chester.
CHESTER,
Carlisle, and Conway, are the only three British towns or cities that
have preserved their ancient walls anyways entire. Those of Chester are
nearly two miles in circumference, and sufficiently broad to afford room
for two persons to walk abreast; for this purpose they are now kept in
repair, affording an agreeable lounge, fresh air, and, from the different
sides, varied and extensive views.
The rows are another peculiarity belonging to Chester: the streets, which
are much broader than those of old towns or cities generally, are
considerably excavated: on this lower level are the warehouses, kitchens,
&c. and on the first floor, with galleries, or rows as they are termed,
in the front, are the shops. These galleries afford a covered walk for
foot passengers: they are inconvenient, particularly for ladies, as at
every crossing you have to descend and ascend the different steps: they
give an air of great singularity to the city.
Chester was formerly termed Caerleon Gawr, or Vawr, and was, during the
time of the Romans, the station of the twentieth legion. Numerous Roman
antiquities have been found here, such as altars, &c. and a _hypocaust_,
or furnace for heating a sudatorium, was a short time back to be seen at
the Feathers Inn.
The castle is situate at the north-west extremity of the city. It was
founded by Hugh Lupus, in the reign of William the Conqueror, and has
within these few years undergone considerable alterations. In it was
confined the beautiful, but unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, after her
defeat at Langside.
The cathedral is a heavy irregular pile of building, affording little
either within or without worthy of observation. It is built of bad
stone, on which the workmanship bestowed was quite good enough: it stands
on the site of the ancient Abbey of St. Werburgh. The altar-piece is a
fine specimen of tapestry, representing the history of Elymas the
sorcerer, taken from one of the Cartoons of Raphael.
The bishop’s palace, in the Abbey Court, is a handsome modern stone
building. The exchange, or town hall, is an elegant and useful fabric,
standing in the middle of the city. It is supported on columns, and
contains, as well as the common hall, assembly rooms, with every
convenience for the corporation meetings and entertainments. The shire
hall is a handsome stone building, with one of the most complete and
elegant court rooms in the kingdom. The new gaol is likewise a
well-constructed edifice, having five yards, and all the necessary
conveniences for a separation of prisoners.
Anxious to view the superb seat of the Earl of Grosvenor, Eaton Hall, we
did not afford that time to examine this ancient city which it merited;
it will not, therefore, be right for the tourist to be satisfied with
this as a guide to its antiquities, but rather to purchase the local one,
which will afford every information.
EATON HALL,
the seat of Earl Grosvenor, recently erected by the present noble earl,
is a splendid Gothic mansion, standing on the site of the ancient fabric,
in an extensive park, surrounded with fine and venerable timber. The
basement of the ancient pile has been preserved, but the superstructure
has been enlarged to double the original dimensions. The style of
architecture is Gothic: but it is proper to observe, that the cathedral
Gothic, of the age of Edward the Third, as exhibited in York-Minster, the
church of Newark-upon-Trent, and other celebrated structures in England,
is chiefly imitated, especially on the outside; though Mr. Porden, the
architect, has not scrupled to avail himself of the low Tudor arch, and
the forms of any other age that suited his purpose, which was to adapt
the rich variety of our ancient ecclesiastical architecture to modern
domestic convenience. The same style prevails through the whole of the
interior, but more or less embellished, to suit the uses of the
apartments respectively. Round the turrets, and in various parts of the
balustrades, are Gothic shields, charged in relievo with the armorial
bearings of the Grosvenor family, and of other ancient families, that by
intermarriages the Grosvenors are entitled to quarter with their own.
The windows, which are rich in tracery, are of iron, cast from models in
wood by the iron-founders of Chester, and are, perhaps, the first that
have been made of that material, moulded on both sides and grooved to
receive the glass. The walls, balustrades, battlements, and pinnacles,
are of stone, brought by land-carriage about sixteen miles, from quarries
near Fordsham. It is of a light and beautiful colour, which harmonizes
with the hues of nature in the landscape.
The park is flat, but the distant country is elevated and various. To
the west the mountains of Wales, with Moel-Famma, rise directly in front;
and to the south and east the hills of Shropshire and Cheshire, with that
remarkable knowl on which Beeston Castle is situated. The city of
Chester lies on the north. From various parts of the park and grounds
this noble mansion is seen to much better advantage than by the regular
approaches from Chester, &c.
“The entrance to the house is in the middle of the west front, under a
vaulted portico, which admits a carriage to the steps that lead to the
hall, a spacious and lofty room, occupying the height of two stories,
with a vaulted ceiling, embellished with the Grosvenor arms, &c. in the
knots that cover the junction of the ribs. The pavement is of variegated
marbles in Gothic compartments. On each of the sides is an ornamented
marble chimney-piece, and four niches with pedestals and canopies. The
niches, it is probable, will hereafter be filled with statues, and the
walls covered with historical paintings; for which no family can furnish
more ample materials, as the heads of it were engaged in most of the
military transactions of the English in the chivalrous ages. At the end
of the hall, a screen of five arches supports a gallery, that connects
the bed-chambers on the north side of the house with those on the south,
which are separated by the elevation of the hall. Under this gallery,
two open arches to the right and left conduct to the grand staircase, the
state bed-room, and the second staircase; and opposite to the door of the
hall is the entrance to the saloon. The grand staircase is highly
ornamented with niches and canopies, and with tracery under the landings,
and, in the principal ceiling, which is crowned with a double sky-light
of various-coloured glass. The steps of the second staircase, with its
tracery and balustrade, are all of cast-iron. The state bed-room is
lighted by two painted windows, with tracery and armorial bearings, and
contains a magnificent bed. On entering the saloon, the eye is struck
with the splendour of three lofty painted windows, which contain, in six
divisions, the portraits of the Conqueror’s nephew, Gilbert le Grosvenor,
the founder of the Grosvenor family, and his lady; of William the
Conqueror, with whom Gilbert came into England; the Bishop of Bayeux,
uncle to the Conqueror; the heiress of the house of Eaton; and Sir Robert
le Grosvenor; who distinguished himself in the wars of Edward the Third,
and more particularly by his legal contest with Sir Richard le Scroope,
for the family arms—_azure_, _one bend_, _or_; in which Sir Richard
gained his point. Sir Robert being obliged to add to them _un bordure
argent_—objecting to which, he was allowed to bear the arms of his
relation, Hugh Lupus, first Earl of Chester, _azure_, _a garbe_, _or_,
which is the family coat to this day. These windows are from cartoons by
Mr. Tresham and others. The saloon is a square of thirty feet, formed
into an octagon by arches across the angles, which give the vaultings a
beautiful form. The chimney-piece is of statuary marble, and opposite to
it is an organ, both richly decorated. On the left of the saloon is an
ante-room, that leads to the dining-room, and on the right another that
leads to the drawing-room, both decorated, but in a subordinate degree to
the state rooms, with which they communicate. The windows of these rooms
are glazed with a light mosaic tracery, and exhibit the portraits of the
six earls of Chester, who, after Hugh Lupus, governed Cheshire as a
county palatine, till Henry the Third bestowed the title on his son
Edward; since which time the eldest sons of the kings of England have
always been Earls of Chester.
“The dining-room, situated at the northern extremity of the east front,
is about fifty feet long, and thirty feet wide, exclusive of a bow
containing five arched windows; the opening of which is thirty feet. In
the middle window is the portrait of Hugh Lupus. This portrait, with the
six Earls of Chester in the ante-room windows, are the work of Messrs.
Davenport, of Staffordshire, from cartoons by Mr. Singleton. The ceiling
is of bold and rich tracery, with coats of arms in proper colours, and a
large ornamented pendant for a chandelier. At the end, opposite to the
entrance, is an arched recess, containing the sideboard, and on each side
of it is a large niche, with its pedestal and canopy. The opposite end
of the room has a similar recess, under which is the door from the
ante-room, and similar niches on each side of it. Other niches and
canopies, of smaller size, ornament the jambs of the arched recess and
the bow.
“The drawing-room, which is at the southern extremity of the east front,
is of the same form and dimensions as the dining-room; with the addition
of a large window that looks to the south, and commands a view of the
groves and fertile meadows of Eaton, with the village and spire of
Oldford above them. All the windows of this room are adorned with heads
and figures of the ancestors of the family; among which are the portraits
of the present Earl and Countess, in a beautiful brown _chiaro-oscuro_,
executed by Messrs. Bachelor and Silk, of Newman-street, and do credit to
the talents of those ingenious artists. The niches, canopies, and other
ornaments, are the same in situation as those of the dining-room, but of
a lighter and richer design. The ceiling is a piece of embroidery of the
nicest materials and workmanship; where all the coats borne by the
Grosvenor family are blazoned in their proper colours, and also the arms
of Egerton, Earl of Wilton, the father of the present Countess Grosvenor.
The arms of Egerton appear in various parts of the house, and will mark
the date of this fabric to future antiquaries, if all other memorials
should be forgotten or destroyed. The colour of the saloon is blue, the
ante dining-room of light blue, the dining-room of a bright scarlet, the
ante drawing-room is hung with light blue satin, the drawing-room with
crimson velvet: the curtains and draperies are of crimson and gold satin,
with gold tassels and fringes, disposed in a striking and picturesque
manner by Messrs. Gillow, under the direction of Joseph Kay, Esq.
architect to the post-office. All the other furniture of these
apartments is the work of the same artificers, and appropriate to the
style of the house. The vistas from the dining-room, through the two
ante-rooms, and the saloon to the south window of the drawing-room, and
in the opposite direction from the drawing-room to the dining-room,
terminating with the splendidly-furnished sideboard of plate, perhaps
cannot be exceeded in novelty and variety by any thing of the kind in
England.
“The library is in the centre of the south front. The ceiling and the
large bow-window, with their ornaments, are in the same style as the
rooms already described, but less rich. The book-cases are of English
oak, with arches of tracery, buttresses, pinnacles, and battlements. The
sitting-room of the Countess is the only room on this floor with
square-headed windows and a flat ceiling, and is an apartment of singular
beauty.
“The middle window of the saloon opens to a vaulted cloister, occupying
the space between the dining and drawing-rooms, in the east front, which
affords a sheltered walk in all weathers. A flight of steps leads from
the cloister to a spacious terrace, three hundred and fifty or sixty feet
long, laid out in gravel walks and beds of flowers; from whence other
steps at each end and in the middle descend to the garden and pleasure
grounds, which are disposed with much taste. The view from the terrace
is rich and various.
“Our limits will not admit of a particular description of the offices and
stables, though both are deserving of attention. The latter surround a
court of 160 feet by 100, and are decorated with battlements and turrets,
and a clock tower, supported by flying buttresses, in a style of Gothic
architecture plainer than that of the house.
“Eaton Hall and the buildings here described, with their furniture, were
designed by and executed under the direction of Mr. Porden, of
Berners-street.” {266}
Having been highly gratified with the inspection of this noble edifice
and grounds, we returned to Chester by the side of the Dee, a pleasant
walk of about three miles; amply prepared to do justice to the hospitable
board of a kind friend. Finding but little conversation to be obtained
from us, but on the subject of Eaton Hall, he kindly furnished us with
the preceding account, which he assured us had been corrected, and was
the best extant.
Hugh Lupus, before spoken of, was appointed by William the Conqueror,
first Earl of Chester; which was erected into a county palatine, enjoying
a sovereign jurisdiction, having parliaments and distinct courts of law.
There is still kept in the British Museum the identical sword with which
Lupus was invested with his dignity; by virtue of which the Earls of
Chester were created sword-bearers of England, and as such were
accustomed to officiate at the coronation of the kings of England. On
the blade of this sword is the following inscription—_Hugo comes
Cestriæ_.
Chester is famed for the elegant manners of its inhabitants; and no city
in the kingdom can, I believe, boast of more polished or agreeable
society. Our regret at leaving it was so great, that I should recommend
the tourist who carries with him letters of introduction to Chester, to
make arrangement for three or four days or a week’s stay at this engaging
place.