We were not sorry to leave this wretched alehouse as soon as there was
sufficient light to see our direction three miles across the sands of
Traeth Gôch to the village of Llanddona whose church stands on an
eminence above the (fol. 130) bay and was first founded by Ddona grandson
of Brychfael ys Cythrog (who fought the Saxons when the monks of Bangor
Iscoed were slaughtered) anno six hundred and ten. About half a mile to
the left are the traces of a large entrenchment supposed to have been
thrown up by the Britons as a defence against the northern invaders.
This is on a rising knoll called Dyn Sylwyn {84a} or Round Table Hill.
This we had not leisure to see being obliged to hasten to Llainestan
{84b} about a mile in the contrary direction in order to have sufficient
time to notice an ancient monument, mentioned by Mr. Rowlands, before
service began. Fortunately the church door was open and we met with no
interruption during the half hour we stayed there. The object in
question covering a cenotaph rose about two feet above the pavement near
the communion table. A person in a sacerdotal habit holding a pastoral
crook in his right hand and in his left a scroll is here represented,
whereon is inscribed (fol. 131_a_) hic jacet sanctus Jestinus cui &c.,
round the border of the slab towards the head the characters in parts are
much defaced but I read Gryffydd ap Gwyllym in oblationem istam imaginem
pro salute animarum suarum. The style of workmanship appears very
similar to that of Pabo post Prid and by the way tends to confirm the
opinion we there formed that the sculpture is many centuries posterior to
the time of the persons they are designed to represent and offered as an
oblation to the church for the purpose of securing the favour and
mediation of the patron saint. That the family of this Gryffyd ap
Gwyllym resided in this neighbourhood appears from a document still
extant dated at Rhayder Gadog June the twentieth in the twenty seventh
year of Henry the sixth by which seven villaines or vassals were made
over and granted by Ednyfed Fychan ap Ednyfed Dafydd ap Gryffydd and
Howell ap Dafydd according to the feudal system still obtaining to (fol.
133) William Gryffyd ap Gwylym free tenant of Porthamel probably the very
same person who presented the effigies of St. Jesten to the church. This
Jesten founder of the church is supposed to have been the son of
Gerennius or Geraint grandson of Constantine duke of Cornwall successor
to king Arthur. The font is certainly very ancient probably coeval with
the original building. The present structure differs nothing from other
Welsh Churches. From hence proceeded across a swampy heath for a mile
and a half to an old mansion called Fotti {85} Rhydderch or Roderick’s
summer house having been directed thither to see an inscription cut over
an arched chimney piece in the kitchen. The characters appear to be
about the time of Henry the eighth or his successor and are read Si deus
nobiscum quis contra nos. This place formerly the residence of a
gentleman’s family like most others we have had occasion to notice in the
island is now tenanted by a farmer (fol. 133_a_) who has a fine family of
nine children. The eldest a lad of only eleven years old engaged to
conduct us to the cromlechs at Cremlyn and Trefor. At the former place
there is little worthy of notice but at the latter I took two sketches of
a very perfect cromlech the upper stone measuring about three yards
across supported by two uprights the larger six feet high the other not
above four and a half which cause the cap stone to recline in a slanting
direction. Another long stone now lying on the ground appears to have
been formerly used as a supporter. Near at hand also are three or four
flat stones lying promiscuously.
[Picture: No. 58. Ancient Monument in Llaniestyn]
[Picture: No. 59. Font at Llaniestyn]
[Picture: No. 60. Cromlech at Trefor]
[Picture: No. 61. Cromlech at Trefor]
Whether these were ever employed in the formation of a second cromlech
like at Praes Addfed {86a} I cannot pretend to determine. About two
fields from hence in our way to Penymynnedd {86b} we traced one of very
small dimensions, the cap stone not being above a yard across and its two
supporters a foot and a half high.
(fol. 136) After a toilsome walk we arrived at Penymynnedd a place
formerly in possession of the Tudor family whose descendant Owen became
of such consequence in the British history by marrying Catherine widow of
Henry the fifth. In the church we perceived a handsome marble monument
said to belong to that family whereon are the effigies of a knight in
armour with his lady by his side. There being no inscription we could
not determine its exact date but from the workmanship I should imagine it
was posterior to the time of Owen who if I mistake not was buried in the
cathedral of St. Davids but of this I shall inform myself hereafter.
The church of Penymynnedd formerly went by the name of its founder whose
tomb they pointed out under a kind of gothic nitch in the north wall
without any kind of inscription. I did not copy the monument on account
of there being a good many people in church (fol. 136_a_) and I wished
not to put a stumbling block in my brother’s way but I afterwards made a
sketch from memory just to notice the place. After a homely meal we
walked half a mile across the fields to the turnpike, and in the course
of an hour arrived at Bangor ferry completely soaked a heavy rain having
accompanied us all the way. Crossed the water about two with the design
of reaching Capel Cerig to sleep but in this we were disappointed through
the inattention of our guide who having stopped behind on some pretence
we mistook our way and deviated nearly four miles before we got to
Llandegai.
It was now quite dark and stormy and we endeavoured to procure horses to
take us to the conclusion of our stage but without success, on therefore
we marched to a small public house near Lord Penrhyn’s quarries where we
met a civil reception though the accommodations were scarcely (fol. 138)
a whit better than those of the preceeding night. In the course of two
hours after our arrival our guide made his appearance with a number of
excuses I did not think it worth while to listen to. At about ten we
retired to our sleeping room.
[Picture: No. 30. Llangwyfan Church. (See page 43.)]