Is situate about half way between Bangor and Caernarvon, and is the
shipping place for the Llanberis quarries, belonging to T. Assheton
Smith, Esq., of Vaenol. Upwards of one hundred tons per day are loaded
at the wharf, and the railway by which they are conveyed is an object of
considerable interest.
DISERTH,
(_Flintshire_.)
Holywell 9
Rhuddlan 2½
St. Asaph 5
The church of this village stands in a romantic situation, overshadowed
with several large yews. There are some good paintings in the south
window, and in the chancel is inscribed, “Sir John Conway, 1636.” The
yard contains some singular tomb-stones; two in particular have a
semi-circular stone upon their tops: also an ancient cross, adorned with
wreaths, and another with some traces of a human figure, now inserted
into the situation as a style. The latter is supposed to be the remains
of Cross Einion, which was erected on the spot where Einion, son of Risid
Flaidd, was slain, at one of the sieges which the castle sustained.
The castle, called sometimes Gerri Castle, (or Castell y Graig,) stands
on the summit of a high lime-stone rock, at the distance of half a mile
from the village; its remains consist of a few shattered fragments only.
In a field a little to the south, is a ruinous building called Siamber
Wen, (the White Hall,) said to have been the house of Sir — Pounderling,
a valiant knight, who was constable of the castle, and whose tomb is
still to be seen in Dinmeirchion church. Cwm church, about a mile
distant, is surrounded with hills, and commands a view of the Vale of
Clwyd.
From the top of one of the hills that surrounds the village issues a
water, forming a beautiful cascade, which rises from a small well, culled
Ffynnon-asa, (or St. Asaph’s Well,) in a dingle in Cwm parish. The
height of the cascade is 17 yards, concealed between two arches of the
rock, behind which it has worn a passage.
DOLGELLEY,
(_Merionethshire_.)
Bala 18
Barmouth 10
Chester 57
London 212
Machynlleth 16
Maen Twrog 18
Towyn 17
Trawsfynedd 12
Dolgelley (the Dale of the Hazel) is the principal market town in
Merionethshire, where the assizes are held alternately with Bala. It is
situated in a wide and fertile vale, upon the river Wnion, over which is
a stone bridge of seven arches, erected in 1638, but thoroughly repaired
and enlarged some years ago. The town is surrounded by high and, in many
parts, wooded mountains.
There are many well-built houses, including a good range, fronted by
shops, called Eldon Row, the property of Sir Robert Vaughan; but in
general the houses are erected with such extreme irregularity in regard
to each other, as to convey but a mean idea of the projector’s good
taste. The principal building is the county hall, situated near the
river; it is a neat stone edifice, erected in 1825, at an expense of
£3000. The court room is handsomely fitted up with necessary
accommodations for the officers of justice. In the hall is a splendid
portrait of Sir R. W. Vaughan, Bart. painted by Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A.
The county gaol, situated at the outskirts of the town, is a semicircular
edifice of stone, built in 1811, at an expense of nearly £5000; it
includes also the house of correction, and comprises three day rooms, and
four airing yards, and will admit of a classification of the prisoners
into five divisions. Part of the building in which a parliament was held
by Owen Glyndwr, is still standing among a group of old houses, having
the post-office in front, near the Ship Inn, and is called Cwrt Plâs yn y
Drêv (the town hall court).
The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a neat structure built of
lime-stone, in the Grecian style of architecture, having a handsome tower
and large nave. There is an ancient monument of an armed knight; he is
represented as clad in close mail, wearing a helmet and neck guard, with
a sword in his hand and a dog at his feet, and a lion passant gardant on
his shield, on which is inscribed, “Hic jacet Mauric, filius Ynyr
Vychan.” There is also a handsome monument lately erected to the memory
of Baron Richards, who was a native of this parish. In 1836, a neat
monument was also erected to the memory of the late Rev. John Jones, A.M.
Archdeacon of Merioneth. Service is performed here in the English
language, on every alternate Sunday, in the afternoon. The celebrated
antiquary, Robert Vaughan, of Hengwrt, was buried in this church.
This place has long been noted for the manufacture of coarse woollen
cloth or flannel, called webs, in which a considerable number of persons
are at present employed. There are several good inns, the Golden Lion,
the Angel, and the Ship, at all of which guides may be obtained to Cader
Idris and the waterfalls. There are also three banks here: the old
Dolgelley bank, a branch of the North and South Wales, and a branch of
the National Provincial.—About three miles from Dolgelley, on the
Machynlleth road, is Caerynwch, the seat of Richard Richards, Esq. M.P.
for this county.
The town is seen to the greatest advantage at the distance of about two
miles, on the Machynlleth road; but, like in other Welsh towns, is only
pleasing at a distance. The prospects from a spot called the
Bowling-green are singularly fine. The threatening summit of Cader
Idris, the northern ascent to which appears nearly perpendicular, lends
its mountain sublimity; a train of subordinate inequalities, stretching
their rugged eminences along its base. But if the town affords so little
to gratify the curiosity of the inquisitive tourist, its neighbourhood
abounds with objects of the most interesting character. Sir H. Hoare
asserts, that he “knows of no place in the Principality whence so many
pleasing and interesting excursions may be made, and where nature bears
so rich, varied, and grand an aspect, as at Dolgelley.”
A new road leading from Dolgelley to Towyn was recently opened, by which
the very hilly and dangerous route through Llanegryn is entirely avoided.
It passes by Penmaen Pool, Abergwynnant (the mansion of Sir H. Bunbury),
Garthangharad, Arthog, Ynysfaig, and Henddol, through the village of
Llwyngiul, where there is a very comfortable inn, called the
Garthangharad Arms. From the bridge by Abergwynnant, a most magnificent
view of Cader Idris presents itself; and in going along the sea-coast
opposite to Barmouth, there is a delightful view of Cardigan Bay, Bardsey
Island, and the Caernarvonshire mountains. The variety, beauty, and
extent of prospects on this road are not surpassed in any part of the
Principality. The highway from Barmouth ferry comes into this road by
Ynysfaig.
The waterfalls in this vicinity are interesting attractions to the
tourist: these are _Rhaiadr Dû_ (the Black Cataract);
_Rhaiadr-y-Mawddach_ (the Fall of the river Mawddach); _Pistyll-y-Cain_
(the Fall of the Cain). The first is about five, the two latter about
eight miles from Dolgelley, and all of them near the high road leading
towards Maentwrog. These falls may be classed among the most magnificent
and picturesque cataracts of the Principality.
Y Vanner, or Kymmer Abbey,
Stands in its mouldering desolation about a mile and a half from
Dolgelley, and half a mile from Llanilltyd, near the banks of the Maw.
The ruins may be visited by the pedestrian, in his way to the waterfalls.
The abbey was founded in 1198, by Meredith and Griffith, lords of
Merioneth. The monks were of the Cistercian order, and the abbey was
dedicated to St. Mary. Part only of the church of this monastery is
left, and the refectory and abbot’s lodgings are built into an adjoining
farm-house.
Within a few hundred yards of the village of Llanilltyd, in this parish,
on the right of the road from Dolgelley, stands Hengwrt, the property of
Colonel Vaughan, of Rhûg, formerly the residence of Robert Vaughan, Esq.
the eminent antiquary, author of British Antiquities Revived and other
learned works. The library here contains the largest collection of Welsh
MSS. in existence. It was principally from the MSS. in this library that
Aneurin Owen, Esq. compiled his able Digest of the Old Welsh Laws.
Nassau Park.
About two miles from Dolgelley, is an ancient seat, formerly belonging to
the Nannau family, but now the property and residence of Sir Robert
Williames Vaughan, Bart.
The grounds of Nannau are entered under a fine gateway, the house being a
mile distant from the entrance to the park; which for picturesque beauty
and the calm grandeur of rural scenery, is not surpassed by any domain in
the Principality. Some romantic traditions also confer additional
interest on this charming scene. In the higher part are the remains of a
British post, called Moel Orthrwm (or the Hill of Oppression), having
probably been held by some notorious tyrant of the olden time. Here also
once stood an immense oak, blasted and hollowed by time, in which,
according to popular belief, Owen Glyndwr inhumed the fresh-bleeding
corpse of his treacherous cousin, Howel Sele, who had been bribed to make
an attempt upon his life, where it remained concealed for forty years.
In Pennant’s time, the trunk of this patriarchal tree was twenty-seven
feet and a half in circumference; it was in the last stage of decay, and
pierced by age into the form of a Gothic arch. Its end is thus described
by Sir Richard Colt Hoare: “During a visit to Sir Robert Vaughan, in the
summer of the year 1813, this aged tree, mentioned by Mr. Pennant,
attracted my notice; and in the morning of the 13th of July, I made a
drawing of it, on one of the most sultry days I ever felt; the succeeding
night was equally hot, and on the same night this venerable oak fell to
the ground.”
The gardens at Nannau are very extensive, and laid out with excellent
taste: they contain a number of choice exotics, and an inspection of them
proves a source of never-failing gratification to every lover of
horticultural pursuits.
Angling Stations.
_Distances from Dolgelley_. _Miles_.
Traws-vynydd, on the Bychan 12
Llanvachreth 3½
Hendre Llwyngwr, (S. W.) 11
Pont Dolgefiliau, on the Mawddach, (N.) 8
Dol-y-gamedd, on the Wnion 3½
Llyn Cregenan, (S. W.) 4
Llyn Gader 1½
Llyn Geirw, (S. W.) 5
Tal-y-llyn, Cader Idris 8
FFESTINIOG,
(_Merionethshire_.)
Caernarvon 25
Capel Curig 20
Bala 19
Maentwrog 2½
Tan-y-Bwlch 2½
Tremadoc 13
Ffestiniog is a small but increasing village, standing on eminence at the
head of the beautiful vale of Maentwrog. The population amounts to 1648,
principally employed in the slate quarries, about four miles from the
village. The church is built in the ancient style of English
architecture, and dedicated to St. Michael. A gallery has recently been
erected at the west end, containing seventy-two free sittings. There are
also several dissenting places of worship, with Sunday schools attached.
A national school for the parishes of Ffestiniog and Maentwrog, was
opened in 1830, in a neat building erected a short distance from the
village on the Maentwrog road. Mrs. Oakeley, of Tan-y-Bwlch, has lately
built and endowed a chapel of ease near the quarries. It is intended for
the convenience of the inhabitants of the houses that have been built in
the vicinity of the quarries, which are upwards of four miles distant
from the parish church.
There are two good inns, the Pengwern Arms, and the Newborough Arms; at
the former, cars and post horses may be obtained; there is likewise
attached to it a very comfortable boarding-house, kept by Miss Owen.
There is a branch of the North and South Wales bank here. The roads in
this neighbourhood have, of late, been much improved. A rail road it now
completed for the conveyance of slates to Port Madoc, a distance of about
fourteen miles.
The scenery of Ffestiniog closely resembles that of St. Helena, and
particularly Sandy Hook Cove. The vale which gives celebrity to this
village has been eulogized by many distinguished travellers. Mr. Pennant
calls it the “Tempê of the country.” Mr. Warner observes, “that it
comprehends every object that can enrich or diversify a landscape.” Mr.
Wyndham affirms, that “it affords as rich studies for the painter, as the
neighbourhood of Tivoli or Frascati.” And Lord Lyttelton, who visited
the place about the year 1756, is still more lavish in his encomiums.
More recent travellers have been equally enthusiastic in their admiration
of this pleasant locality.—About half a mile from Ffestiniog are the
Falls of the Cynvael.
One of these is about three hundred yards above, and the other three
hundred yards below a rustic stone bridge, three quarters of a mile
distant. The upper fall consists of three steep rocks, over which the
water foams into a deep black basin, overshadowed by the adjoining rocks.
The other is formed by a broad sheet of water, precipitated down a
slightly shelving rock, about 40 feet high. After the water has reached
the bottom of the deep concavity, it rushes along a narrow rocky chasm,
where rolling amid the shaggy rocks, it glistens among the scattered
fragments, and falling from slope to slope, gains a smoother bed, and
steals among the mazes of the vale. In the pools below these falls,
there is excellent fishing, the trout and salmon being very numerous.
Between the lower cataract and the bridge is a tall columnar rock, which
stands in the bed of the river, called _Pulpit Hugh Llwyd Cynvael_ (or
Hugh Lloyd’s Pulpit.)
There are few vales which afford such delightful prospects. Many of the
high mountains bounding its sides, are shaded by oaks, and the serpentine
Dwyryd steals placidly along the bottom through rich cultivated fields.
This river, at the bottom of the valley, receives the tide, and expands
into a wide lake-like channel, called Traeth Bychan, where it flows
through the sandy estuary of Traeth Bach, and into Cardigan bay, the sea
at a distance closing the view.
The village of MAENTWROG is delightfully situated near the middle of the
vale.—About four miles distant, among the hills, is
Cwm-orddin Lake.
This and several other lakes are notable for the excellent sport they
afford for angling. Of these, a gentleman who is fond of this diversion,
and who has visited those parts, has kindly furnished us with the
following information:—“The fish in Cwm-orddin Lake (says he) rise more
eagerly to flies than any I ever saw. The fish are rather small, and not
good for the table. The two best stations for angling, are, first, where
the boat is kept; second, the head of the lake. Throw among the weeds,
fearlessly, as they always come away with a pull.
Llyn Morwynion,
Contains excellent fish, both in size and quality, but they are very shy:
it is about two miles from Ffestiniog, near the Capel Curig road.—No
boat.
Llyn Maonod,
About two miles and a half from Ffestiniog, contains most excellent
trout, far less shy than those of Morwynion. No boat.—There is a small
lake just below the summit of Moel Wyn, which may be tried by any one
wishing to combine a fine extensive view with sport. No boat.—Llyn
Conway is at times difficult of access round its banks, being marshy. No
boat.—There are two or three lakes on the right of the road to Bala. My
opinion is, that without a boat the angler will do little on a lake. I
would recommend, therefore, a very long rod when you must fish from
shore. There is good salmon fishing in the river that runs past
Maentwrog. In the beginning of June, I found the sand fly excellent for
the lakes.”
FLINT,
(_Flintshire_.)
Chester 14
Holywell 5
London 200
Mold 6
Flint is a borough, market-town, and sea-port, and a parochial chapelry
in the parish of Northop, and is the ancient capital of the county: it
contains a population of 2860 inhabitants. Although it cannot be
identified with any Roman station mentioned in the Itineraries, it was
nevertheless either of Roman or Roman-British origin, as is proved from
the circumstance of its even now occupying a rectangular entrenched area,
like that of a Roman place of defence, and by the discovery, at various
times, both here and in the neighbourhood, of Roman coins, fibulæ, &c.,
while at the same time it is traditionally related that a very large town
existed here at an early period.
The town is situated on the shore of the estuary of the Dee, opposite to
Parkgate, to which ferry-boats ply daily from Flint. It consists of four
principal streets, crossing each other at right angles; the buildings,
however, are very inferior in appearance. The town-hall, and gaol where
the county prisoners are kept, are tolerable structures, but the assizes
are held at Mold, six miles distant. Close to the town are extensive
collieries, in which several hundred men are constantly employed, and
1,500 tons of coal are raised weekly: rail-roads have been constructed to
convey the coal to the wharfs, whence it is sent coastwise to Chester,
and to various parts of North Wales. The principal exports, in addition
to the vast quantity of coal, are the produce of the lead works in the
vicinity, consisting of lead in pigs, bars, sheets, and patent pipes; red
lead, litharge, and silver.
For the convenience of persons who visit Flint, hot baths have been
constructed, and are provided with every requisite accommodation. The
Royal Oak and the Ship may be considered inns of the second order. The
government of the town was vested in a mayor, the constable of the castle
(appointed by letters patent), two bailiffs, a recorder, and twelve
capital burgesses, assisted by a mace-bearer, and other officers, elected
annually, until the municipal Reform Act superseded the charters. It is
one of the contributory boroughs, which, in conjunction with Caergwrle,
Caerwys, Overton, Rhuddlan, St. Asaph, Holywell, and Mold, return one
member to parliament. There are daily ferry-boats plying between Flint
and Chester, at the low rate of six-pence for each passenger.
The Castle.
The remains of this ancient structure stand upon a rock in the marsh at
the bottom of the town, and so near the river, that at high water the
walls are washed by the tide. It has been a square building, with a
tower at each angle, considerable remains of every one of which are yet
left. The tower at the south-east corner, which is called the Double
Tower, is much larger than the others. In its outward diameter it
measures forty feet; it is formed by two concentric walls, each six feet
thick, having a gallery eight feet wide included between them, and
leaving a circular area of about twenty feet in diameter, into which
there was an entry from the gallery by four doors. This appears to have
been the keep. The interior of the castle is a square court, containing
about an acre of ground. In the curtain on the west side, there are yet
left several windows with pointed arches.
Antiquarians are undecided as to the founder of Flint castle, some
asserting that it was commenced by Henry the Second, and completed by
Edward the First; while others affirm that it was entirely the work of
the latter. It was alternately in possession of the Welsh and English
princes during the various vicissitudes which distinguished the wars of
that period; and in 1399 was the scene of the betrayal of the unfortunate
monarch, Richard the Second, by Percy, Earl of Northumberland, into the
power of his ambitious rival, Bolingbroke, the “aspiring Lancaster.”
Under the insidious pretence that Bolingbroke, who was waiting for the
king at Flint, desired only to have his property restored, and that the
kingdom should have a parliament, Northumberland met Richard at Conway,
where he had gone after his return from Ireland; and they were journeying
together, when, among the recesses of the mountains near Penmaen Rhôs,
the latter observed a band of soldiers. Alarmed for his safety, and now
fearful of the snare that was laid for him, he attempted to return; but
Percy, springing forward, caught his horse’s bridle, and forcibly
directed his course. They dined together at Rhuddlan castle, and arrived
on the same evening at Flint. The next day, “after dinner, (says Stowe)
the Duke of Lancaster entered the castle all armed, his basinet excepted.
King Richard came down to meet him; and the duke, as soon as he saw the
king, fell down on his knees, and coming near unto him, he kneeled a
second time with his hat in his hand; and the king then put off his
hoode, and spoke first: ‘Fair cousin of Lancaster, you are right
welcome.’ The duke, bowing low to the ground, answered, ‘My lord, I am
come before you sent for me; the reason why I shall shew you. The common
fame among your people is such, that ye have for the space of twenty or
two-and-twenty years, ruled them very rigorously; but, if it please our
lord, I will help you to govern better!’ The duke then, with a high
sharp voice, bade bring forth the king’s horses, and two little nagges,
not worth fourtie franks, were brought forthe: the king was set on the
one, and the Earl of Salisbury on the other; and thus the duke brought
them from Flint to Chester;” whence, after a night’s rest, they were
marched to London, and made a public entry into the metropolis, under
those moving circumstances which are so exquisitely narrated by Shakspere
in his tragedy of Richard the Second.
In the civil wars, Flint castle was garrisoned for the king, by Sir Roger
Mostyn, and was defended with great bravery, but was at last surrendered
to General Mytton. In August, 1646, it was ordered to be dismantled,
with Hawarden and several other fortresses, and has since fallen into
utter decay, though its ruins present towards the sea a somewhat imposing
appearance.
GRESFORD,
(_Denbighshire_.)
Chester 8
Wrexham 3
Gresford is a beautiful village, situated on the western side of the road
from Wrexham to Chester, near the head of a romantic valley, which opens
into the Vale Royal of Cheshire, a tract of country remarkable for the
richness of its soil, the beauty of its scenery, and the diversified
views which it presents. The little vale of Gresford was one of the most
lovely in the Principality; but the fiery dragons of the Shrewsbury and
Chester Railway have now invaded its tranquil retreats, and marred the
picturesque charms of this locality.
On one of the richly wooded eminences overlooking the vale, stands
Gresford Church, a truly noble and admirable specimen of ecclesiastical
architecture, in the late perpendicular style, which was probably built
during the latter part of the reign of Henry the Seventh. No tourist,
who has the least taste for ecclesiology, should neglect to examine this
sacred edifice, which exhibits in its construction a combination of
beauties that never fail to command the eulogiums of the intelligent and
discriminating. Its appearance is also much enhanced by the scenery
around it, and those only who are familiar with the vicinity can feel how
admirably the church harmonises with the country. Its melodious peal of
bells was once reckoned among the seven wonders of North Wales; but
wonders since those days have become more plentiful, and some people say
the peal is actually deteriorated. In the churchyard is a remarkable yew
tree, 30 feet in girth, which botanists say is more than 2000 years old.
This tree attracts even as much notice as the church itself.
Deeply sheltered in the vale, is Gresford Lodge, the elegant seat of Mrs.
W. Egerton. Upper Gwersyllt Hall, on the banks of the Alyn, was the
residence of Colonel Robinson, a distinguished partizan of the
unfortunate Charles the First, who was interred in Gresford church in
1680. Lower Gwersyllt was occupied by another zealous adherent of that
prince, Jefferey Shakerley.
From the top of Marford Hill, on the road towards Chester, is a most
magnificent and extensive view of the vale of Cheshire, the “old city,”
and the river Dee. In the immediate vicinity of the village, is an
eminence called the Rofts, formerly a British camp, treble-trenched,
having at one corner a lofty mount or keep.
Angling station.—The river Alyn.
HANMER,
(_Flintshire_.)
Ellesmere 5
Wrexham 10
This village, which forms a detached portion of Flintshire, takes its
name from a spacious mere or lake, in form resembling a human hand, on
one side of which the village is pleasantly situated. It stands on the
road betwixt Wrexham and Whitchurch. The lake occupies a space of 73
acres, on one side of which stands the family mansion of Sir John Hanmer,
and on the other the seat of Lord Kenyon. In the church is a handsome
monument, erected in 1806, to the memory of Lord Chief Justice Kenyon,
who was born at Gredington, in the vicinity. There is another monument
in honour of Sir Thomas Hanmer, who was Speaker of the House of Commons
in the reign of Queen Anne.
Hanmer is distinguished by the Welsh, as being the birthplace of their
celebrated bard, Davydd ab Edmund, who at an Eisteddvod, held at
Caermarthen, in 1451, won the bardic chair, and through his superior
eloquence obtained the sanction of that congress to his twenty-four
canons of Welsh poetry, by which the “science” has, in a great measure,
been governed ever since.
HARLECH,
(_Merionethshire_.)
Barmouth 10
London 229
Maen-Twrog 10
Penmorfa, across sands 12
Tan-y-Bwlch 10
Tremadoc, across sands 10
Do. through Tan-y-Bwlch 20
Harlech, or Harddlech, is an inconsiderable place, situated upon a barren
rock, containing four or five hundred inhabitants; it is the county town
of Merionethshire, and all elections for a representative in parliament
take place here. Its name is derived from its situation, originally
called Twr Bronwen, and afterwards Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ap Tagno,
who resided there about 877. Harlech castle stands on a rocky eminence,
close by the marshy tract between the hills and Cardigan bay, bearing it
is said a strong resemblance to the Turkish castle of Belgrade. It
consists of one large square building, each side measuring about 70
yards, having a round tower at the several corners, crowned with turrets
now nearly defaced. The walls, now clad with ivy, are lofty and of great
thickness, from the summit of which a most splendid and sublime prospect
may be commanded, including a vast extent of marine and mountain scenery.
According to ancient history, this castle was built by Maelgwyn Gwynedd,
Prince of North Wales, about 530, and Edward I. founded the present
fortress upon the ruins of the old building. It was completed in 1283.
In 1404, this castle, with that of Aberystwyth, was seized by Owen
Glyndwr, during his contest with Henry IV. They were both retaken, about
four years afterwards, by an army which the king despatched into Wales.
Margaret of Anjou, the haughty queen of Henry VI., after the king’s
defeat at Northampton, in 1460, fled from Coventry, and found an asylum
in this fortress.
In the civil wars of Charles I. Harlech castle was the last in North
Wales which held out for the king. Near this place is a curious antique
monument, called Coeten Arthur, or King Arthur’s Quoit, which is a large
flat stone, lying horizontally, supported by two others. The supporters
are about twenty inches square, two of them are eight feet high, and the
incumbent stone, inclining to an oval, is eleven feet in length. Col.
Vaughan, of Rhûg, is constable of the castle.
In the winter of 1694, this neighbourhood was greatly alarmed by a kind
of fiery exhalation, or mephitic vapour, which arose from a sandy marshy
tract of land, called Morfa Bychan (the little marsh), across the
channel, eight miles towards Harlech, and injured much of the country, by
poisoning the grass in such a manner as to kill the cattle, and to set
fire to hay and corn ricks for near a mile from the coast. It is
represented to have had the appearance of a weak blue flame, which by any
noise, such as the firing of guns, or the sounding of a horn, was easily
extinguished. All the damage was done invariably in the night, and in
the course of the winter not less than sixteen hay ricks and two barns,
one filled with corn and the other with hay, were burnt by it. It did
not appear to affect anything else, and the men could go into it without
receiving any injury. It was observed at different times during eight
months. The occasion of this singular phenomenon has never been
satisfactorily accounted for.
In 1692, a golden torque, which is now placed amongst the admirable
collection of Welsh antiquities at Mostyn, was discovered near Harlech.
It is in the form of a wreathed bar of gold, highly polished, twisted,
and flexible. It is hooked at both ends, and about four feet long.
From Harlech an excursion may be made to Cwm Bychan (the little hollow),
about four miles distant.—One mile from the town may be seen a circle of
stones, thirty yards in diameter, probably one of those druidic circles
in which were held the _gorseddau_, or bardic meetings. Cwm Bychan is a
grassy dell, about half a mile in length, surrounded by desolate scenery.
On the right, at its entrance, is the small pool called Llyn y Cym
Bychan, from the edge of which Carreg y Saeth (the Rock of the Arrow),
towers in dreary blackness; yet the landscape extends hence in great
magnificence. Descending into the hollow, past an ancient mansion, and
ascending on the other side, a deep mountain hollow occurs, called Bwlch
Tyddiad. Passing upon this rocky cleft beyond the higher mountains, a
fine prospect of all the country eastward suddenly opens, bounded by the
majestic Cader Idris, the two Arrenigs, and other ranges of commanding
grandeur.
Out of the track, two miles south of Harlech, is a cromlech, in a farm
called Gwern Einion; and on the side of the hill, where the road passes,
in the recesses of a wood, is a considerable cataract. Between the
cromlech and the town of Harlech is another druidic circle.
At the ebb of the tide, part of a long stone wall, which runs out into
the sea from Machran, a point of land a few miles south of Harlech, may
be seen. It extends in a W.S.W. direction for nearly twenty miles, and
is called Sarn Badrig, or Sarn Badrwyg (the Shipwrecking Causeway), an
astonishing work, being throughout 24 feet thick. Sarn y Bwlch runs from
a point N.W. of Harlech, and is supposed to meet the end of this. The
space between is said to have formed, several centuries ago, a habitable
hundred of Merionethshire, called Cantref Gwaelod (the Lowland Hundred).
Those walls, as it is supposed, were built to keep out the sea.
The principal inn is the Blue Lion, where post chaises may be had, and a
guide procured to conduct the tourist to the many objects of attraction
in the neighbourhood. The parish church having become very dilapidated,
a new one, more conveniently situated, has been built, on a site given by
the late Sir R. W. Vaughan, of Nannau. It was consecrated in 1841; the
expense of its erection being defrayed by subscriptions, aided by grants
from the Incorporated Society for building and repairing Churches, and
from the Bangor Diocesan Church Building Society. The service is
occasionally performed in the English language.
Angling Stations.
_Distance from Harlech_. _Miles_.
Llanvihangel, on the Dwyryd 5
Llanbedr, on the Bychan 3
_Lakes_.—Llyn y Vedw near the Dwyryd.
Llyn Eidaw
Llyn Glyn
Llyn y Cym Bychan 5
Llyn Trewyn.
HAWARDEN,
(_Flintshire_.)
Chester 7
Flint 8
Holywell 11
Northop 5
This prosperous little town, pronounced Harden, consists of one
continuous street, more than half a mile long, and has a neat and cleanly
appearance. The British name was _Pennardd __Halawg_, or
_Pennardd-y-Lâg_, corrupted probably from _Pen-y-Lwch_ (the head-land
above the lake), the surrounding marshes having been once covered by the
sea. It has a weekly market and the population of the parish is rated at
somewhat above 6000 inhabitants. The Glynne Arms is the principal inn
where the traveller may be comfortably accommodated.
Extensive collieries are worked in this parish, and there are also
several large brick and tile works, besides numerous potteries for the
manufacture of the coarser kind of earthenware. An extensive foundry is
carried on at Hawarden by Messrs. Williams & Co., and has become
celebrated for the manufacture of steam-engines, iron steam-boats, and
other works of mechanical science which modern enterprise has brought
into active requisition. The river Dee, or Chester channel, passes
within about two miles of the town, and thus affords every facility of
water conveyance.
The living is a “peculiar,” in the patronage of Sir S. R. Glynne, and of
which the Rev. H. Glynne is the rector. Its value, according to the
“Liber Ecelesiasticus,” is £2844. The church, dedicated to St. Deiniol,
is an ancient and spacious structure, with a square embattled tower. It
was thoroughly repaired in 1764, and the chancel was almost entirely
rebuilt in 1817, at an expense of £1400, jointly defrayed by the Hon. and
Rev. George Neville Grenville, then rector, the late Lord Amesbury, and
the inhabitants. Various restorations and improvements have also been
effected by the present rector.
Hawarden has likewise the advantage of an endowed grammar school. The
parish is very extensive, and besides the church just noticed, contains
three others; all in admirable condition, and remarkable for the
exemplary order and efficiency with which the services of our holy
liturgy are solemnized. There is one at Broughton, another at Buckley,
which has lately been repaired and beautified; and a third at
Pen-y-mynydd, which is an elegant and perfect specimen of architecture.
It was built at the cost of Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart. M.P., and was
consecrated in 1843. With each of these churches, commodious schools are
connected; and indeed, the ecclesiastical establishments, within the
peculiar of Hawarden, are worthy of all praise. Hawarden Park, one of
the most charming and picturesque of the many noble domains scattered
through the Principality, is remarkable for the extreme verdure and
softness of its grass, the majestic stateliness of its trees, the calm
solitudes of its glens, and the combined loveliness and sublimity of its
landscape scenery. It is also a spot of much historical interest; as
within its territory, stand the ivy-clad ruins of an ancient castle,
which, in past ages, was a fortress of great importance.
Little more than fragments of the former towers and keep remain; indeed,
a considerable portion of the ruin was itself obscured by heaps of
rubbish, till the late Sir John Glynne had them removed, and the
foundations laid open to view. It was constructed in a pentagonal form;
on one side was a spacious gateway, and on the other a kind of barbican.
At one angle was situated the keep or citadel, a circular tower still
nearly entire, and which forms one of the most picturesque objects that
strike the eye on first approaching ‘its ancient solitary reign.’ Other
portions consist of the relics of the vast mouldering walls—of massive
_donjons_,—and, in one part, of a long flight of steps, at the bottom of
which was a door and a draw-bridge, crossing a ravine to another division
of the castle, embracing, most probably, the prison, thus fearfully
secured.
On all sides it was surrounded by deep chasms and fosses, and, from its
extensive plan and broad foundations, it has the appearance of having
been erected at different periods—of having been sometimes defaced and at
others restored, according to the vicissitudes and fortunes of war.
Dating soon after the Conquest, it came into possession of Roger
Fitzvalerine, a son of one of the adventurers who followed the Norman
Conqueror. It was subsequently held, on the tenure of seneschalship, by
the family of Monthault, of the Earls of Chester, and finally annexed by
Henry the Third to the crown. After this it came into the possession of
Prince Llywelyn, and was stormed by his brother David. On the subjection
of the country, Hawarden was granted to the house of Salisbury, and
afterwards to that of Stanley. From Thomas, Earl of Derby, it descended
to his second wife Margaret, Countess of Richmond, and mother of Henry
the Seventh. In 1495, that monarch is stated to have honoured the castle
with a visit, to enjoy the pleasures of the chase; but his real motive
was to ingratiate himself with the Earl her husband, after the ungrateful
act of executing his brother Sir William Stanley, to whose assistance he
was mainly indebted for the crown. The estates continued in the family
till the execution of James Earl of Derby, in 1651; and, not long after,
they were purchased by Sergeant Glynne, from the Commissioners of
Sequestration.
It was at Hawarden that the ambitious Earl of Leicester, after securing
the persons of the King and his son Edward, entered into that fatal
league with Llywelyn which compelled Henry to surrender the sovereignty
of Wales, with the homage of its baronial suffrages, which were
transferred to the Welsh prince. In the last struggle for independence,
it was surprised by David, his brother, on the night of Palm Sunday, and
the entire garrison put to the sword. This prince had acted with equal
perfidy towards Edward the First, his benefactor, and towards Llywelyn.
From the now broken towers of Hawarden, there is a vast and most
magnificent prospect, embracing a wide sweep of country, from the Vale
Royal of Cheshire to the estuaries of the Dee and the Mersey.
The modern mansion of Hawarden Park, the seat of Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart.
M.P., Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire, is a stately structure, erected by
Sir John Glynne in 1752. In 1809 it received some magnificent additions,
and then assumed the form of a castellated edifice, with antique-looking
windows and turrets. The pleasure-grounds are beautiful and extensive.
To the west of Hawarden church, in a field near to the turnpike-road, is
an artificial mount of earth, which Mr. Pennant conjectures to have been
a small camp. Tradition says, it was raised as a fortification, to
prevent Henry the Second from advancing by this pass into Wales, in 1157.
The prospects therefrom are delightfully grand, comprehending a view of
Chester and the entire course of the silvery Dee from the old city to the
Irish channel.—About two miles from Hawarden stands
Buckley Mountain.
which has now become the thriving seat of a large population engaged in
the collieries; and in the manufacture of earthenware, draining tiles,
and fire-bricks; all of which are held in high repute, and consequently
command an extensive trade.