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.