[Picture: No. 50. [Thief Stone.]]
A little before seven called at Mr. Richards’s house whom we found
waiting at the door ready to accompany us. He mounted his horse and we
pursued the Beaumaris turnpike for half {72a} a mile when we turned to
the left to look at a stone called Lleidr {72b} y Frydog or the thief
stone. This is a rough stone about six feet high having a kind of hump
or projection near the top. The country people report that a thief who
had stolen some books from a neighbouring church was in this place turned
into stone with the sack containing his theft laying over his shoulder.
About a quarter of a mile further Mr. Richards pointed to the spot where
formerly stood the nunnery of Clorach or St. Claire and not far from it
by the road side we saw two wells whose waters were enclosed in a square
reservoir of stone work. Tradition says that the two saints Seriol and
Cybi (the former having a cell at Priestholme the latter at Holyhead
where he founded a collegiate church) used to hold their weekly meetings
at these springs to consult on religious matters, and from the
circumstance of Seriol’s travelling westward in the morning and eastward
in the evening, and Cybi on the contrary always facing the sun they were
denominated
Seriol wyn a Chyby felyn.
Seriol the fair and Cybi the tawney.
[Picture: No. 50a. Cromlech on Bodafon Mountain]
[Picture: No. 51. Bodafon Hills]
When arrived at Bodafon hills a ridge of rocky ground (fol. 117_a_)
extending nearly two miles east and west Mr. Richards gave his horse to
our attendant and accompanied us to a cromlech lying at the side of the
hill denominated cromlech Lldercoch {73} nearly square the upper stone
being about eleven feet across supported by four or five small uprights
not above a foot and a half from the surface. This is by no means so
perfect as some we have before noticed. Had not Mr. Richards been
positive of the fact I should have doubted whether it had been designed
for one. Arrived nearly at the summit of the hill we entered a cottage
inhabited by a countryman whose grandfather and great grandfather resided
there before him. Under the direction of this person we climbed to the
top of the hill to look at a Carnedd. Most of the loose stones have been
removed but some of the flat ones which composed the cistfaen are still
on the spot, another more perfect lies about an hundred (fol. 118) yards
to the eastward of this, a third further beyond which we did not visit.
In the course of our walk the countryman pointed to a spot where he said
his grand-mother whilst tending the cattle found a large triangular {74}
piece of gold as he called it, standing on three supporters weighing
nearly forty pounds. The antique overgrown with heath but one of the
beasts happening to tread upon it occasioned the discovery. This she
sold for three shillings at Llanerchymedd.
[Picture: No. 52. South of Bodafon Hill with a British Town]
I should rather conceive that the metal was brass but whatever it was it
would have been of more considerable value in the eyes of the
antiquarian. Not far from this place he pointed to a number of loose
stones called by a Welsh word answering to gold tongues {75a} as many
pieces of gold of that shape he said were formerly picked up here. From
the formation here specified I think one may not hesitate a moment in
pronouncing they were brass celts or British weapons and as a farther
(fol. 118_a_) confirmation of this opinion not a great way distant facing
the south we traced the remains of a large British {75b} town. Here
about forty or fifty foundations such as we have before noticed at Tre
Evan may be clearly discerned some lying in a cluster together others
standing separate, others again having a square form the name given to
these remains scattered over the island we were informed by our
intelligent companion by Cyteau {76a} Gwydellhod not Irishmens huts as
some have translated it but the houses of the wild inhabitants. A spring
rising near the spot still has a term of the same signification being
stiled the well of the wild inhabitants. Some vestiges of similar {76b}
buildings are to be traced to the north side of the hill, as also on the
rising ground facing that part of Bodafon we have just noticed. It is
natural to suppose that when the island was covered with wood, the
inhabitants would fix their residence on elevated stations as a security
(fol. 120) against their enemies and beasts of prey we may suppose the
lower parts of these huts were alone built of stone and that branches of
trees and earth formed the covering like those at present used amongst
the lowest orders of Irish peasantry and why may not this people have
retained the mode observed by the ancient Britons from whence they derive
their origin. The highest point of Bodafon hills lies to the east
commanding almost the whole circuit of the island. Here a beacon used to
be lighted in case of invasion or to convey signals to the opposite coast
of Carnarvonshire although probably it is many years since anything of
the kind was used, yet the stones and the earth bear evident marks of the
fire. It blew so hard to-day that it was with difficulty we kept on our
legs on the high ground but on descending we were sheltered from the wind
and had a pleasant walk to Penhros Llûgwy church an ancient building
about half a mile to the south east of Bodafon hills. On a (fol. 120_a_)
rough flat stone in the church yard I traced the following inscription,
hic jacet Macuceceti. {77a} Mr. Rowlands, upon what authority I know
not, supposes this to have been an inscription on Mechell or Macutius
bishop of St. Maloes in Little Britain, who he says was buried here. We
also observed two or three flat grave {77b} stones of a rough gritty
substance about six feet long whereon was cut the figure of a cross in
the same manner as those I noticed last year at Furness abbey. But what
seemed most curious at first sight was an inscription marked on a flat
stone {78} lying on the ground whose characters I recognised to be
similar to what I had observed on the font at Bridekirk in Cumberland
mixed with Saxon letters of a much later date. On observing Mr. Richards
smile after I had finished my copy I requested he would candidly tell me
what the inscription meant and in what character (fol. 122) it was
written for I could make nothing out of it when he was kind enough to
relieve me from my perplexity by explaining that it had been executed
within these sixty years by a shepherds boy at the desire of a gentleman
who employed various alphabets to compose it. The words are Welsh to
this effect Yma hefyd mae Gorwedd Katherine Jones Ebrill 11 1744. ag. 70.
Here also lies without Catherine Jones April 11 1744 aged 70. This I
suppose was intended as a stumbling block for antiquarians the idea being
probably suggested by Mr. Rowland’s Macutius in the neighbourhood. Like
Doctor Johnson at the Hebrides I here had to regret the loss of my
walking stick for although I dispatched our attendant and clerk in quest
of it before we had proceeded an hundred yards from the place where I had
copied the inscription, it was vanished. I shrewdly suspect that the
clerk had taken a fancy to it as there was no other person in the church
yard excepting our own party. However as he supplied me with something
as a substitute it (fol. 122_a_) did not longer delay our march which
brought us in the course of half an hour to Llûgwy house an ancient
mansion now rented by a farmer under Lord Boston who goodnaturedly
invited us within doors and refreshed us with a good luncheon of bread
and cheese and some excellent ale. We then walked a short distance from
the house to a rising ground overgrown with timber trees and coppice wood
but still there was sufficient opening to enable us to trace a number of
the Cytiau Gwyddellhod of a more perfect form and larger dimensions than
any we had yet seen. They appear to be surrounded by a breast work of
massive stones stuck edgeways in the ground evidently intended as a
fortification which was probably strengthened by a mound and sharp
stakes. The habitations here are very contiguous the entrances easily
traced as also a communication {79} from one to the other. This is a
strong confirmation of the historical account of the Aborigines who are
said in the different tribes to have had every (fol. 126) thing in
common.
[Picture: No. 53. Stones in Penhros Llûgwy Churchyard]
[Picture: No. 54. Cromlech Llwgwy, North-East Side]
We purpose before we leave Wales visiting a very extensive fortress on
the top of Penmaenmawr which Mr. Richards says resembles very much the
one before us. Not far distant facing the ocean is a cromlech the upper
stone six yards long, five yards and a half wide and three yards {80a}
thick. One end rests upon a bank {80b} of earth and the other is
supported by four or five small upright stones, leaving a hollow beneath
about two feet high.
[Picture: No. 55. Llûgwy Cromlech [and Caer Lligwy.]]
Near this we noticed the remains of Llûgwy chapel now entirely
dilapidated. Walked hence to Llanalgo church said to have been built in
the year six hundred and five. On the north wall near the altar is a
mutilated monument {80c} of a knight in armour kneeling before an altar
said to be that of Sir John Bodville a gentleman whose residence was in
this parish. On digging a few years ago the foundation of the new
parsonage the workmen discovered a square vault formed of a solid
composition resembling thick (fol. 126_a_) tile supposed to be an ancient
burying place. Mr. Richards who was curate of this place for some years
says he has in his possession English coins of Edward {81} and Mary found
in digging in the church yard. Leaving the church we adjourned to a farm
house close by where the party was again supplied with bread cheese and
ale. Although I did not much admire this delay we were obliged to comply
with Mr. Richards’s request. Continued here nearly an hour during which
time a poor blind boy attempted to amuse us by playing on the harp but
having received but few instructions was but an indifferent performer,
our attendant then took the instrument and played some of the Welsh airs
with tolerable execution. The poor boy in the meantime exhibited such
strong marks of surprize mixed with mortification as would have supplied
an admirable subject for the pen of Hogarth.
[Picture: No. 56. Cromlech Allcho]
After having given something to him we were not a little glad to take our
leave it being (fol. 127) past two, and there was a doubt whether we
could procure accommodation for the night nearer than Beaumaris at least
twelve miles distant. Passed a stone about seven feet high nine long and
three thick this is placed edgeways on a flat rock, another about the
same shape and dimensions lies on the ground near at hand. A third
formerly placed across has been destroyed within the memory of some of
the inhabitants. These stones are called Cromlech but I should rather
imagine like those we noticed at Llanfechell that it had constituted the
chamber of a large Carnedd. Proceeding hence we walked over a natural
layer of lime stones extending for some acres along the surface of the
ground this is called Marian Glâs a term expressive of flat grey stones.
We here met with a countryman who joined our party and in our progress
pointed out some more of the Cytiau Gwyddellhod on (fol. 127_a_) a rising
ground called Bryn {82} ddiol, and from hence we saw a hill about two
miles to the westward named Rhos Fawr where he said were some other
remains and cromlechs but this lay so much out of our direction we could
not visit them. At Marian Mawr Mr. Richards quitted us. We were indeed
much indebted to him for his polite attention in accompanying us thus far
for I am convinced that without his assistance we should have passed many
of these curious remains the common people in general being ignorant of
everything of the kind. This gentleman seems to have paid a good deal of
attention to antiquities and has promised to favour me with a letter on
the subject on my return home. But I could not help remarking in the
course of conversation that superstition does not seem confined to the
ignorant and illiterate for he told me very gravely (fol. 129) that there
were companies of fairies still existing in Wales and particularly in
Anglesea and that he had frequently driven them from their haunts. He
also spoke of the knockers supposed to be little invisible beings
favourable to the miners who by making a variety of sounds underground
lead them to those places where there is the greatest quantity of ore. I
could only be silent when I heard these opinions advanced but he has
directed me to a book lately published by Mr. Edmund Jones of Pontypool
on the subject. At Marian Mawr are six large stones of the same kind as
the substrata rising above seven feet. They have obtained the name of
cromlech but I rather imagine them to be natural productions.
Under the guidance of the countryman we proceeded to Red Wharf. Passed
more of the Cytiau Gwyddelhod at a place called Trescifion. Near here is
an ancient mansion house called Glynn now belonging to Mr. Meyricke (fol.
129_a_) the name of Glynn a title common in many parts of Wales I find
implies a situation lying in a narrow valley overgrown with trees. Not
far beyond was a house in which Mr. Hughes resided before his vast
acquisition in the Parys mountain. Arrived at Red Wharf a little before
dark and the house promised but very bad accommodations we were obliged
to put up with them. Our eating was of the least importance but on
retiring to my sleeping apartment although the woman had provided clean
linen the _toute ensemble_ was so dirty I passed the night without taking
off my cloaths.