la THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES . C i 3 " Enquire out and pur chafe the befi Books on every Sub] eft, and acquaint thyjelf with the moft Interefting Sentiments of Mankind -, this will Jo improve, enlarge, and enrich thy jjr Mind,, that thou wilt feldom fail of giving Proof of a clear Heart and a found Judgment. Vide Locke's Method of conducing the Underftand^ng. London, Offober 1799. AT THE TEMPLE OF THE MUSES, FINS BURY SQUARE, ARE CONSTANTLY ON SALE, HALF A MILLION VO- LUMES of both new iind fecond-hand Books, in alrnoft every Lan- guage, and on the different dalles of Literature : a Catalogue is pub- limed regularly evetj' fix Months* with the loweft Price affixed to each Article, and for ready Money only. Lackington, Allen, and Co. have lately purc'nafed the valuable Library of a Nobleman, a Catalogue- of which is this Dny publiflied, containing an AiTortment not only* of fcarce arid rare Articles, bat an extenfive Collection of the beft mo- dern and moil efteemed Publications, in all the Variety of Bindings, every Article of which, is warranted complete, Unlefs otherwife ex- preffed in the Catalogue. The following efteemed Publications have been recently purchafed, and are felling at the very low Prices, as under : BERCHTOLD's (Count) ESSAYS to direct the Inquiries of Tra- vellers; with Obfervations on the Means of preferring the Life, Health, and" Property, of the -unexperienced in their Journies by Sea and Land; alfo a Series of Qneftions neceflary to be propofed for So- lution to Men of all Ranks and Employments, comprising the moft fe- rious Points relative to theObjecls of all Travels, with a Lift of Ens> lifh acul Foreign Works, for the Inrtruftion and Benefit of Travellers, 'a Catalogue of the moft Intcrefiing European Travels which have'been publifhed in different Languages, Sec. &c. 2'vol. Svo. in boards, 53 (pi)blifne\I at i2s) BlDLAPCE's (Rev. John) POEMS, containing the Progfefs of Poe- try, Painting, and Mufic ; Sacred Poems, Elegies, Sonnets, Odes, Songs, &c. 410. in boards, 33 (fells at js 6d) CHANTREAU's Philofophical, Political, and Literary TRAVELS through Ruffia, tranflaced from the French, i8s, (fame as publimed in num. bers at il IDS) QpESNEL's FOUR GOSPELS, with a Comment and Reflections both Spiritual and Moral, revifed, corrt&cd, and the Popiih. Error* ex- punged, 2 vol. 8vo. (fame as fells in boards at IDS) ne-ui in boards, -6s gd %* The Minifters of the Gofpel will find in this Comment the moft ufe- ful Inftruftions for.their Conduct: towards one another, and the People committed to their Charge. The People will fee what the Succeflbrs of the Apoftles ought to be, and will be taught highly tocfteem, in love, fuch as are indeed faithful fpiritual Labourers. Doctrinal, practical, and experimental Religion is delineated in this Work, in a matte fly Manner* COOPER'S (WILLIAM, late Archdeacon of York) SERMONS, on the Mofaic Revelation The Teftimony of Jefus On the Sabbath Character of St. Paul On Worldly Lufts On Saving Faith Govern- ment of the Tongue Man's Mortality On Evil Company Meeknefs Worldly Wifdom Rtpentance Searching the Scriptures The Pre- carioufnefs of Human Life The Joys of Heaven Charity Sermons Charges to the Clergy, &c. &c. 2 vol. 8vo. (fame as fells in boards at I2s) new in boards for 75 3d, 1795. %* The above Sermons are written in a fine, bold, nervous Style. The Doctrines of Christianity and Moral Duties are laid down in a Maf- terly manner. The Admirers ofjthe Language of Blair, Porteus^ &c. will be*pleafed with the above Difcourfes. The Book has not yet beeu either advertifed or reviewed ; of courfebut little known in the Literary- World. The firft Edition was iftributed among the Doctor's particular Friends only. TRAVELS THROUGH EUROPE, drawn from unerring fources of information, extracted from the united productions of the following ce- lebrated modern Travellers, Coxe, Wraxall, Savery, Moore, Rtiibeck, Benyowfky, Swinburne, Bourgoanne, Barretti, Twifs, Dillon, Townfend, Dupaty, Brydone, De Non, Mrs. Piozzi, &c. the whole digefted into one uniform Narrative, and authenticated by editions from the refpectivc authors, 4 vol. 8vo. with plates (fells at ij 45) new in boards, izs gd CHAPONE'S (Mrs.) WORKS, containing the Letters on the Im- provement of the Mind EfFays, .Poems, &c. izmo. in boards, is 6d neatly bound and lettered, 25 zd (fame as publifhed at 45) HOWARD'S ROYAL ENCYCLOPEDIA, or Modern Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, including all the Modern Difcoveries and lateft Improvements on the various Subjects, wibka number of plates, 3 \'ol. folio, boards, z\ 17$, or very neatly bound in calf and lettered, 3! 135 6d (fame as publifhed in numbers at 3! 155) WAtPOOLE's NEW BRITISH TRAVELLER, or Complete Mo- dern Univerfal Difplay of Great Britain and Ireland, with a number of maps and cuts, folio, in boards, il. or neatly bound in calf and lettered, for il 75 6d (fame as publifhed in numbers at il los) Two Editions of the Memoirs of the firft Forty-five years of the LIFE OF JAMES LACKINGTON, written by himfelf. One Edition 540 pnges oclavo, large letter, and fine paper, with a new head of the Au- thor, by Ridley, Price 55 6d in boards. The other edition is in 328 pages duodecimo, containing all the additions and improvements, in fhort, every line, as much as the otlavo edition, but on a fmaller letter, with the new head, by Ridley. Price in board, 2s 6d, or neatly bound, 35 t+t Merchants, Captains, Dealers, Sec. fupplied on the molt advan- tageous terms. Books elegantly or plainly bound in the neweft and- moft approved ftyle. THE UTMOST VALUE GIVEN FOR LIBRARIES OR PAKCEis OF BOOKS. Books alfo exchanged on the moil liberal Term*. TOU ROUND NORTH WALES, A T O U ROUND NORTH WALES, PERFORMED During the Summer of \ 798 : CONTAINING Not only the Description and local History of the Country, but also, a Sketch of the History of the Welsh Bardi j An ESSAY on the LANGUAGE; Observations on the Manners and Customs ; and the Habitats of above 400 of the more rare Native Plants ; intended as a Guide to future Tourifts. By the Rev. W. BINGLEY, B.A. F.L.S. OF ST. PETER'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. Illustrated with Views in Aquatinta by Alken. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON : Sold by E. WILLIAMS, (Bookseller to the DUKE and DUCHESS of YORK, and Successor to the late Mr. BLAMIRE,) N. 11, Strand; and J. DEIGHTON, Cambridge. 1800. PRINTED BY J. SMEETON, ST. MARTIN'S LANE. CONTENTS. VOL. I. PAGE HAP. I . Chejler. Hijlory Earldom Antient Trade Monkijh Opinions of it's Im- ports Siege Rows Cathedral Bijbopric Churches Caflle Walls Manufactures and Trade River Dee Police Law- Courts Rood-Eye 1 CHAP. II. -From Chejler to Flint. Hawarden and Co/lie Euloe Cafde Defeat of Henry II. Northop Flint Cajlle and Gaol 23 CH AP . III. Holywel!.' Manufactures We- nefred's Well and Legend Miracles >Mofles Remark of Dr. Fuller Devotees Bafmg- werk Abbey and Cajile Wat's Dyke 51 VOL. i. a CHAP. 2 CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. IV. From HoJyweU to St. Afaph. Roman Pharos Vale of Clwyd St. Afaph Cathedral Miracle Mortuaries Excur- fion to Rhyddlan Battle at Morfa Rhyddlan Caftle A Siege oddly raifed Statute of Rhyddlan Abbey Diferth Village and Cajlle Anecdote of Sir Robert Pounderling 69 CHAP. V. From St. Afaph to Conwy. Aber- geley Llandulas Penmaen Rbos River Conwy Ferry Pearl Fijhery Town of Con- ivy Cajlle Church Infcription Abbey PlasMawr GhddacthDiganwy 103 CHAP. VI. From Conwy by Bangor to Caernar- von. Rocks Penmaen Mawr Road Singular Accidents Britijh Fort Aber Waterfall Llandygai Penrhyn Bangor Cdjlle Cathedral Convent Bangor Ferry Inn Fktrp Fine Scenery Caernarvon Hotel 124 CHAP. CONTENTS. 3 PAGE CHA p. VII. Caernarvon. Walls Exten- five Prof peel Harbour Cajile Birth of Edward Fir/I, Prince of Wales Prynne the Barrijier Privileges - Segontinm Roman Mode of Building Britijh Court Jumpers 145 CHAP. VIII. Excurjion from Caernarvon to Llanberis. Vale of Llanberis Piclurefque Scenery Road Lakes Dolbadarn Cajile Waterfall Copper Mine Village Inhabi- tantsPublic Houfes Church Well Cu- rate Camdtn's Defcription of Caernarvon- Jhire Margaret Uch Evan Glyder Vaiur Llyn y Cwn Extenjive View Glyder Bach Cwm Idwel Tull Du Llym Idwel Plants Romantic Pafs near Llanberis 182 CHAP. IX. Excurjion from Caernarvon to the Summit cf Snowdon. InjiruftionsClog- wyn du'r Arddu Height Name~~Mr, Pen- nant's Defcription Natural ProducJiens Lakes Plants Well Incredible Story of VOL. i. a 2 Giraldus CONTENTS. PAGE Giraldus Camtrcnfis Sun not appearing to rife from the Sea Royal Foreft Briti/h ParnaffusMore InftrucJlons Scheme for an Inn near Dolbadarn 216 CHAP. X. Excurfion to the Summit of Snowdon from Llanberls. Ffynnon Freeh Llyn Llwyd^w Llyn Glas Romantic Scenery Another Excurfion from Bettws Bwkh Cwm Brwynog Llyn Fynnon y Gwas 243 CHAP. XI. From Caernarvon by Holyhead to Amlwch. Ferry Into Anglefea Names of the I/land General Character Once joined to Caernarvon/hire- Pool Cerls Llanedwen Infcrlptlon on Rowlands Suetonius' Inva- fion Battle at Moel y DonPlas Newydd Cromlech e Ant lent Mode of er eel ing Stone Monuments LlangefnlGwyndy Holyhead Church Yard Church Amlwch- Port.... 250 CHAP. CONTENTS. 5 i PAGS CHAP. XII. From Amlwch by Beaumaris to Caernarvon. Copper Mines~~Llanelian Superftitious Cuflom Beaumaris Caftle Bay Lavan Sands Llanvaes Battle Penman Well and Crofs Prieftholme Puffins Ynys Llgod. 278 CHAP. XIII. From Caernarvon byCapel Curig to Llanrwjl. 'Llanddtnlolen Antient Fort- Lord Penrhyn's Slate }uarrlesNant Fran- gonRude Landscape Falling of a Rock YTrlvaen Llyn OgwenCapel Curig Vale New InnDolwyddelan Cajlle Feuds Village Pont y Pair Waterfall on the Llugwy Vale of Llanrwfl Gwydir Woods New Road 311 CHAP. XIV. From Llanrwft by Ffe/liniog to Caernarvon . G wydir Defcription of Llan- rwfl Bridge Chapel Inn Waterfall on the Conwy Another Grafs BardPen- machne CONTENTS. PAGE machno Ffeftlnlog Inn Falls of the Cyn- fael -Pulpit Hugh Lloyd Cynfael Anecdote of Hugh Lloyd Vale of Ffeftlnlog 334 CHAP. XV. From Caernarvon to Beddgelert. Bettws Gannon Cafcade at Nant Mill Llyn Cwellyn Co/lie Cidivm Llyn y Dwarcben Llyn Cader Beddgelert Church Epitaph Anecdote of Llewelyn the Great Priory Inn Gwynant Dlnas Emrys Merlin 's Prophecies Llyn y Dlnas Llyn Gwynant Cwm Dyli Waterfall 354 CHAP. yLVl.Excur/ion from Beddgelert to the Summit of Snowdon. Claw-d Coch Sce- nery Cwm Llan 375 CHAP. XVII. Excurfion from Beddgelert to Crlccleth. Devil's Bridge Rocks Glral- dus Cambrenfis Salmon Leap Antlent Tri- bute Moonlight Scene Traeth Mawr and Tracth Bach Penmorfa Anecdote of Sir John CONTENTS. 7 PAGE John Owen Ford Criccieth Story of Sir How el y Fwyall and his Pole- Ax &83 CHAP. XVIII. From Eeddgehrt to Harlech. Mountain Road to Tan-y-Bwhh New Road Tan-y-Bwkb Inn Maentwrog Tommen y Mur Waterfall Impending Sce- nery Llyn Tecwyn Ucha Llantecwyn Fine Vale Harlech Town HallCaJlle Mepbitic Vapour Inn 400 CHAP. XIX. Excurjron from Harlech to Cwm Bychan. Druidical Circles Cwm Bychan Wel/h Pedigree Bwlch Tydyad Drws Ardudwy Cromlech Dijlant Waterfall Sarn-Badrwyg Overflowed Hundred. 421 CHAP. XX. From Harlech , by Barmouth, to Dolgelle. Meini Givyr Cromlechs Cor s- y- Gedol Barmouth Inn River Mawddach Friar's Ijland Dinas Gortin Beach Fine Scenery Llanelltyd Dolgelle Dr. Fuller's Enigmatical Defcription Manufactories Inn Battle in the Civil Wars 429 CHAP. 8 CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. XXI. Excurjlon from Dolgelle to the Waterfalls. Y Vaner^ or Kemmer Abbey Cajlell CymmerRhaidr Du Dijiant Fall Rhaidr y Mawddach Pijlytt y Cain 444 CHAP. XXII. From Dolgelle to Machynlleth. Llyn Trtgraienwyn Story of Giant Idrls Blue Lion Coder Idrls CataracJs Llyn y Cae Craig y Cae Phenomenon- View from Cader Idris Cafcade Coracles Machynlleth -Waterfall Defcription of the Devil's Bridge in Cardigan/hire , 457 CHAP. XXlll.From Machynlleth, by Lanyd- loesy to Newt own. Plynllmmon Glas Llyn Frwd y Pennant Llyn yr Avange Beavers Llanydloes Severn Roman Fort Newt own Waterfall Cajlell Dolforwyn Story of Sabrina 479 CHAP. XXIV. From Newtoivn to Montgomery Severn Montgomery Church Character of Lord Herbert Cajlle Rujlic View Br'l- tj/b Pojl Singular Cujlom 495 TO JAMES EDWARD SMITH, M.D. F.R.S. PRESIDENT OF THE LlNN^EAN SOCIETY. JL Have taken the liberty of pre- senting to you these volumes, which contain an account of a Tour made round a part pf Great Britain, that to every naturalist, is particularly interesting. If they are found of any use as a guide to the treasures in the science, which there so amply abound, one chief end of their writing will be answered. It was in the Jiope of this, that I was principally in- VOL. i, A duced DEDICATION. duced to present them to you ; and I have only to express a wish, that the gift were better worth your acceptance than it is. Receive it, however, if not as valuable from, it's own merits, yet as affording ..318 "?:Ci you a testimony or the sincere esteem, with which I am,: Dear Sir, Your most affectionate, and Obliged humble servant, W. Bingley. P R F F A P F JL -IV A 4 JL XTx. ^s Alt* JL HE accounts that I had at different times received of the ftupendous and pic- turefque fcenery of fome of the counties of North Wales, induced me, in the fummer of 1798, to fpend three months that I had to fpare from my College avocations, in that romantic part of Great Britain. Thefe I juftly conceived, would be fo amply fufficient, that they would allow me time leifurely to examine all the moft material places. I can here truly fay, that every expec^ tation I had been taught to raife, was more than fulfilled. The traveller of tafte, who is in fearch of the grander! fcenes that na- ture has formed in thefe iflands ; the na- turalift, and the antiquary, may all reft affured that they will find here ample en- tertainment in their refpe&ive purfuits. A 2 My iv PREFACE. My mode of travelling was chiefly on foot, but fometimes I took horfes, and at other times proceeded in carriages, as I found it convenient. The former, not- withftanding all the objections that have been made againft it, will, I am confi- dent, upon the whole, be found the moft ufeful, if health a.nd ftrength are not wanting. To a naturalift, it is evidently fo ; fince, by this means, he is enabled to examine the country as he goes along ; and when he fees occafion, he can alfo ftrike out of the road, amongft the mountains or morafTes, in a manner completely indepen- dent of all thofe obftacles that inevitably attend the bringing of carriages or horfes. Next to being on foot, the tourift will find a horfe the moft ufeful > but in this, cafe, if he intends to ramble much amongft the mountains, it will be necefTary for him to take a Welfh poney, which, ufed to the ftony paths, will carry him, without danger, PREFACE. 7 danger, over places where no Englifh horfe, accuftomed to even roads and fmooth turf, could ftand with him. In carriages, no perfons will, of courfe, expect to travel, except along the great roads, (which indeed extend quite round the country), but at all the inns, horfes may be procured to penetrate into the mountainous and more romantic parts. There is an inn at almoft every refpec~t- able town, where poft chaifes are kept; but owing to the great numbers who now make this famionable tour, delays are at times unavoidably occafioned by thefe be- ing all employed. This, however, is a circumftance that feems to me of but little confequence to the tourift, fince, at almoft every place where he has occafion to flop, amufements may be found more than fuf- ficient to occupy the two or three hours of delay. A 3 Evans's vi PREFACE.. Evans's fmaller map of North Wales,* which is the corre&eft map I ever travelled by, will be found a moft ufeful companion- The roads have in this been laid down with fo much accuracy, that, wherever the tra- veller may have occafion to find fault, it will be more than probable that fome change has taken place fince the furvey was taken. A fmall pocket compafs, amongft the mountains, will be almoft as neceffary as the map. The tourift, who happens to take along with him thefe volumes, will, in pro- nouncing and underftanding the Welfh names, be fomewhat afiifted, by examining carefully the former part of the chapter on the language, where he will find the force of the letters, and the explanation of fuch ,y * The price of this map is eighteen (hillings; and it may be had of E. Williams, N. n, Strand, the publiftier of this work ; as may alfo the larger one, on nine meets, price three guineas. words PREFACE. vii \ words as commonly occur in the compo- fition of the names of places, &c. The expences of travelling in Wales, notwithftanding what Mr. Pratt,* and fome other writers have faid upon the fub- ject, I found in general, but little lefs than thofe on the roads in the central parts of England. Provifions are here very little cheaper than with us ; and the expences of houfe-keeping have, within the few laft years, been confiderably increafed. Having put down thele previous hints for the future tourift, it is now proper that I fliould fay fomewhat of the prefent work. Throughout the whole of my journey, I endeavoured to make my purfuits and my obfervations as general as poffible : and in thefe volumes, I have, as far as lay in my power, made it my rule to put down for * Author of Gleanings through Wales. A 4 the viii PREFACE. the information of others, every thing that I wimed to have known when I was my- felf making the tour. This, allowing for all the differences of tafle and opinion, feemed to me the beft criterion by which to judge of the wifhes of the public ; in what manner I have fucceeded, the volumes themfelves muft (hew. I have, as will be found upon perufal, interfperfed them but little, either with reflections or incidental ilories : indeed of the latter, I ought candidly to confefs, that I met with very few which I thought worth recording. Two late tourifts, Mr. Pratt and Mr. Warner, if they have not introduced the novelift too often in their works, (which, by the way, I mrewdly fufpect they have) were infinitely more fortunate in meeting with adventures than I was. In the defcription of the country, I have invariably endeavoured to let the fcenes form PREFACE. i* form themfelves, and to paint nature fimply as I found her. The tourift, who is de- firous of forming reflections for himfelf, will, I doubt not, at all events thank me for my intentions in this refpecl. I mail ever remember, in a tour that I made fome years ago to the Lakes of the north of England, how much I found myfelf deceived and difappointed, by the turgid and high- flown defcriptions which fill almoft every page of Mr. Weft's Guide through that country -> a book, in other refpedts certainly of merit. This circumftance alone led me to a determination, if poffible, to avoid that error. When the fcenery exceeds the de- fcription, it will be viewed with pleafure ; but when it falls mort of it, no one but a traveller can tell the difappointment that is felt. As the prefent work was intended chiefly for the ufe of the touriil, I judged alfo that I mould be rendering myfelf of more fervice, x PREFACE. fervice, in not permitting it to lay claim entirely to originality : but in return for this, I have, I believe, (except in the firft and laft chapters of the Tour] always in- ferted marks of reference to the authors from whence my information is extracted. To Mr. Pennant's accurate and learned work on this country, I have in various inflances, as will be hereafter feen, been much indebted. It may indeed, and not improperly, be afked, what need there was for any other account, when one fo accurate as the above was already extant ? In anfwer to this, I have to obferve, that the pre- fent is more commodious for carriage : the former being in two volumes quarto, is extremely heavy and inconvenient for per- fons to carry along with them. Mr. Pen- nant has taken no general rout. He be- gins near his own houfe in Flintfhire, pro- ceeds through that county, part of Che/hire, Shropfhire, and Denbighfhire, and returns to PREFACE. xi to Downing; from whence he again fets out, and takes not a regular rout over the remainder of North Wales. I by no means mention this circumftance as a derogation from the intrinfic merits of his work, it is only done to fhew it's inconvenience as a guide to the tourift. It contains much matter, and many long diflertations on fub- je&s of antiquity, (particularly an excellent life of the Wel{h hero, Owen Glyndwr, which alone occupies about 70 pages) thefe, though well calculated both to in- ftrucl: and amufe in the clofet, are too long and uninterefting for the generality of per- fons when upon their journey. And to conclude the whole, it has been out of print for fome time. The literary world has been much in- debted to the induflry and abilities of Mr. Pennant, for his accurate examinations and defcriptions of Wales, Scotland, and feveral parts of England, in which he has evinced a depth xii PREFACE; a depth of knowledge that does not fall to every man's lot. He was the firft who made the tafte for home travels fo prevalent in this country j and it would be uncandid not to declare, that this gentlemen has given us fome of the earlieft defcriptions that are worth preferving. In his tour in North Wales, from being a native of the country, and having accefs to all the prin- cipal libraries there, he poflefTed many advantages that in his other journies he did not, which of courfe mufl tend to render this his moft correct work. In the prefent volumes, from my being refident in Cambridge, and having had accefs to feveral of the libraries there, I may perhaps be permitted to flatter myfelf that I have been able to infert fome curious information, and many hiftorical facts, which even Mr. Pennant has omitted. When I made the journey, I very ftrangely took but fhort defcriptions of the town PREFACE. xitt towns of Chefter and Shrewfbury, intend- ing to confine my obfervatipns entirely to Wales : but afterwards, upon confidering the matter, thefe places feemed fo materi- ally connected with the others, that rather than omit them, I determined to add to my own the moft ufeful obfervations of Mr. Pennant and Dr. Aikinj* and fince the references for thefe would, if inferted, have occured very often, I thought it better to leave them out. In the Htftory of the Bards, I have been much indebted to feveral parts of Mr. Jones's excellent work, entitled " Mufical ? and Poetical Relics of the WelOi Bards." In the more antient part of the hiftory, I have taken the liberty to prefer the autho- rities of the Roman writers to that of Mr. William Owen, who has lately, in the introduction to his tranflation of the * In his Hiftory of the Country round Manchefter. elegies xiv P R E F A C li. elegies of Llywarch Hen, given us ahiftory of bardifm, very different from any we ever heard of before ; for in what manner foeyer new opinions may have fprung up, it ap- pears to me difficult, if not impoffible, to overthrow the accounts of contemporary writers, whofe authority no one feems be- fore to have doubted -, and who were cer- tainly themfelves prefent in fome of the fcenes they defcribe. The Itinerary I have attempted to make as ufeful as poffible. When I made the tour, I took with me one, fomewhat fimi- lar, extracted from the accounts of former writers. The diilances are marked, I be- lieve, pretty accurately -, and all the vil- lages, and fome other places^ are here inferted ; many of which, from their in- fignificance, have not been noticed in the body of the work. In the Appendix, I have placed, chiefly at the defire of fome of my Welm friends, Lord PREFACE. *v Lord Lyttleton's two interefting Letters on this Country, and a few other detached things, that I thought might be of ufe. ;Very little of Botany will be found to occur in the interior of the volumes ; this I have confined almoft entirely to the catalogue at the end, where I have given the habitats of the plants with as great a degree of exactnefs as I pofiibly could.' In the Index, which is pretty full, I be- lieve I have inferted every minute place whofe name occurs, in order to render that, to naturalifts in particular, of as much ufe as poffible. They frequently want to know the fituations of very fmall and obfcure places, which, without fome fuch guide, it would be difficult to find. The indexes to Mr. Pennant's Tour, I found by no means fufficient for this pur- pofe 5 for in many cafes, where the places were not defcribed at length in the body of the work, they were omitted there. I have xvi PREFACE. I have now, in conclufion, to acknow- ledge my obligations for the kind and libe- ral affiftance of feveral gentlemen in Wales, but in a mqft particular manner to the Reverend Peter Williams, late of Jefus College, Oxford, Rector of Llanrug, near Caernarvon, who was my companion in many of the fcenes here defcribed: to John Wynne Griffith, Efq. F- 1-, S. of Garn, near Denbigh $ the Reverend Hugh Dayies, F. L. S. of Aber, near Bangor $ the Reverend Evan Lloyd, of Maes y Forth, near Newborough - f and to Mr. David Thomas, of Red Wharf, near Beau* maris, Anglefea. w. B. TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. CHAP. I. CHESTER. - HISTORY EARLDOM ANTIENT TRADE MONKISH OPINIONS OF IT'S IMPORTS SIEGE ROWS CATHEDRAL BISHOPRIC CHURCHES CASTLE WALLS MANUFACTURES AND TRADE RIVER DEE POLICE LAW- COURTSROOD-EYE. THE antient city of Chefter is litu- ated on a rifing ground, above the river Dee, by which it is guarded on the fouth and weft fides. From its form, one would be led to conjecture that it was indebted to the Romans for its foun- yoi.. i. B dation, 2 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. dation, for the four principal flreets crof- fing each other at right angles, ftill retain the original appearance of a Roman camp. Of this however there is no direct hifto- rical evidence, though it is well known to have been one of their military ftations, and from its having been the place where the twentieth Legion was chiefly quar- tered, it was called Caer Legion, and Caer Lleon Vawr ar ddyfr Dtvy, the camp of the great Legion on the Dee. It was called by the Romans Caflrum Legionis, the camp of the Legion, Deva and Deu- nana from the river, and afterwards Ceftria from Caftrum, a camp or military flation ; the Saxons gave it the name of Legan- cefler and Legaceafter.* At different times there have been dif- covered here, various remains of Roman antiquity, fuch as altars, ftatues, coins, * Bifhop Gibforvs edition of Camden's Britannia, fol. 1695. 557. and A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 3 and a hypocauft 'or furnace for heating a fudatorium or fweating-room, which is flill to be feen at the Feathers' Inn. The hy- pocauft is the only part of the ftrudture left; it is rectangular, and confifts of a number of low pillars fupporting fquare tiles, perforated for the paflage of the warm vapour. After the Romans departed from Great Britain in the fifth century, this place fell under the government of the Britim princes, with whom it remained till the year 603, when it was wrefted from them by Ethel- frid king of Northumbria. Brochwel Yfcithroc king of Powes attempted to oppofe him, but with an army compofed chiefly of Monks, from the monaftry of Bangor-is-coed not far diftant, depending more upon the afliftance of Heaven than in the manual ftrength of his army -, he placed them naked and unarmed upon an eminence, where Ethelfrid obferving B 2 them 4 A TOUR ROUND NOUTH WALES. them in the attitude of prayer, fell upon them, and without mercy flew upwards of twelve hundred.* Sometime after this Chefter appears to have again got into the pofleffion of the Britons, but about 828 it was finally wreft- ed out of their hands by Egbert, who annexed it to the Saxon crown. * Chronicon Saxonicum, edit. 1662, p. 25. Hiftoria ecclefiaftica gentis Anglorum a venerabili Beda, 1643, II. c. 2. p. in, 112, 113. Flores hiftoriarum per Matthasum Weftmonafterienfem, 1570. p. 206. Commentarioli Britannias defcrip- tionis pagmentum au&ore Humfredo Lhuyd, 1572. Britannicarum Ecclefiarum antiquitates, Jacobo Uflerio. 1639. p. 132. Fuller's Church Hiftory, 1655, p. 63. Tanner's notitia monaftica. Row- land's Mona antiqua rcftaurata, 1766, p. 152. The Saxon Annals, Beda and Mr. Pennant place this battle in 607, Ufher in 613, but the others in 603, which appears to have been the true date of the event. See a letter of Mr. Wynn of Llan Gynhafal upon the fubject in the Cambrian Regifter, vol. II. p. 521. In A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 5 In the fame century it was feized, and almoft demolished by the Danes, who hav- ing been defeated by Alfred the great, had retreated for fafety into this part of the country; but it was foon afterwards reftored by his valiant Daughter Ethelfleda, the wife of Ethelred Duke of Mercia.* After the Norman conqueft, William created his nephew, Hugh Lupus Earl of Chefter, and granted to him the fame ju- rifdi&ion in this County, that he himfelf poflerTed in the reft of the liland. By virtue of this granj the Earls held parlia- ment here, confirming of the barons and tenants, which were not bound by the acts of the Englifh parliament, )- and the town of Chefter enjoyed fovereign jurif- didion within its own limits. The Earls were petty princes, and all the land hol- * Matt. Weftm. 354. Gibf. Camden, 558. | Gibf. Camd. 567. B 3 ders 6 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. ders in the county were mediately or immediately their vafTals, and under the fame allegiance to them as to the kings of England. Hugh Lupus when he received the earl- dom, immediately repaired the town walls and eredted the caftle j* the former having either fallen into decay fmce the days of Ethelfleda, or not being thought fufficient- ly ftrong for the exigencies of the times. In feveral reigns fubfequent to the Nor- man conqueft, Chefler was made a place of rendezvous for troops in all expeditions againft Wales, and frequently fufFered in the contefts betwixt the two nations. Cam- den fays that " the fkirmifhes here between " the Welfh and Englifh in the begin- " ning of the Norman times, were fo " numerous, the inroads and excurfions " and the fireing of the fubarbs of Han- Gibf. Camden, 558. " brid A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES 7 " brid beyond the bridge, fo frequent, " that the Welfhmen called it Treboetb, " that is, burnt town^ they tell us alfo ' that there was a long wall made there " ofWelmmen'sfculls."* In the time of Hugh Lupus the port of Chefter appears to have arrived at fome degree of confequence. The exports con- fifted in ilaves,-j* (for this inhuman traffic was * Gibf. Camden, 559. t " Here is a town called Brichftow (Brlftol) " oppofite to Ireland, and extremely convenient " for trading with that country. Wulfjlan induced " them to drop a barbarous cuftom, which neither A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. ford, betwixt the road and the fea. This Mr. Pennant,* begging his friends would not deem him an Antiquarian Quixote for fo doing, conjectures to have been a Roman light-houfe, conftru&ed to direct the navi- gators to and from Deva along the difficult channel of Seteia Port us. -\- About two miles from St. Afaph, I en- tered the celebrated vale of Clwyd, and, favoured by a morning ferenely bright, the whole fcene from the fide of the hill ap- peared to the greatefl advantage. Towards the fouth flood Denbigh, with the matter- ed remains of its caftle crowning the fum- mit of a rocky fteep in the middle of the vale ; and on the north, clad in its fober hue, I obferved the caltle of Rhyddlan. The intervening fpace was enlivened with meadows, woods, cottages, herds, and * Pennant's Tour, Vol. II. p. i. t The Eftuary of the Dee. flocks A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 71 flocks fcattered in every pleafing direction, whilft the whole was bounded by the fea and the dark retiring mountains. This, from the great extent of the picture, is not a fcene fitted for the pencil, though its numerous beauties cannot fail in attracting the attention of every lover of nature. When we enter a rugged mountainous fcene* where the {helving fides fcarcely afford foil for vegetation, and where the whole character is that of favage grandeur, we are flruck with aftonifhment and awe ; but, when nature prefents us with a fcene like this, which feems to abound with health, fertility, and happinefs, every nerve vibrates to the heart the pleafure we re- ceive. Here the pencil fails. I admire None more admires the painter's magic (kill, Who mows me that which I mail never fee, Conveys a diftant country into mine, F And 72 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. And throws Italian light on Englifh walls : But imitative ftrokes can do no more Than pleafe the eye fweet Nature ev'ry fenfe. The air falubrious of her lofty hills, The cheering fragrance of her dewy vales, And mufic of her woods no works of man May rival thefe ; they all befpeak a pow'r Peculiar, and exclufively her own. After enjoying this fcene for fome time, I defcended into the vale, croffed the bridge over the little river Clwyd, and foon after came to St. Afaph, or, as it is called by the Welfh, Llan Elwy, the Church of Elwy, a name obtained from its fituation on the bank of the River Elwy, which runs along the weft fide of the town. It confifts of little more than a fingle ftreet, pretty re- gularly built, up the fide of a hill. It has a cathedral and parifli church; and, as a city, is, except one or two, the fmallefl: in the kingdom. The cathedral, though fmall, is plain and neat. The epifcopal palace A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 13 palace is a large and convenient building, and the deanry ftands due weft from the cathedral, on the oppofite fide of the Elwy, which runs under the bifliop's garden. Kentigern, Bimop of Glafgow, being driven from Scotland by the perfecutions of one of the princes of that nation, fled for fafety into Wales. He was here patron- ized by Cadwallon, uncle to Maelgwn Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, who gave him this place for a refidence, where he founded an epifcopal feat and monaftry, about the year 560, and became himfelf the firft bifhop.* Being, fometime after- wards, recalled into Scotland, he nominated * Tanner's Notitia Monaftica. Carte's Hiftory of England, I. 211, 21 2. Speed fays Kentigern founded the monaftry, but that Malgo (Maelgwn Gwynedd) made it into an Epifcopal See. See his Cat, of Religious Houfes. Afaph, 74 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Afaph, or Haflaph, an eminently good and pious man, to be his fucceffor. From this perfon both the. church and place received their names ; he died in 596, and was buried in the cathedral.* In the Norman times, and efpecially about the reign of Henry I. there was fo great a devaluation of this part of the coun- try that no Bimop could dwell here ; -J- from this circumftance it is no wonder that Hen- ry of Huntingdon,;}; in that part of his hiftory which ends at the year 1135, fays of Wales, that there remained in it three bimoprics, one at St. David's, another at Bangor, and a third at Glamorgan, not mentioning this. Even Galfrid Arthur, * Tanner's Notitia. t Stubbs de Pont. Ebor. p. 1718. Quoted in Col- lelanea Curiofa, by John Gutch, I. 262. + Hi.ft. Henrici Huntingd. apud Camdeni Script, poft Bedam. or, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 75 or, as he is more commonly called, JerFry of Monmouth, who, in 1138, tranf- lated into Latin Tyfilio's Hiftory of Britain, X written fometime in the feventh century, bringing it down to his own time, does not fpeak of it.* It feems, however, to have been repaired about this period, for in 1143, I find a Bifhop Gilbert confecrated to this fee. Jeffry himfelf was fucceffor to Gilbert, being made Bifhop on 23d of February, H50.f About the year 1 247, this diocefe, with that of Bangor, was entirely deftroyed in the wars between Henry III. and the Welfh, and the Bifhops were obliged to live for fome time upon charitable dona- tions. In 1282 the cathedral was burned \' * Colle&anea Curiofa, I. 262. J Matt. Weft. p. 41. J Matt, Paris, 642. down, 76 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. down, and in about two years afterwards was rebuilt.* But before this took place, Edward I. at the requeft of Bifhop Anian, petitioned the pope to permit the fee to be removed to Rhyddlan, which he reprefent- ed as a place well fortified, alledging the infecurity of its prefent fituation, as being open to all the infults of the Welih people ; at the fame time offering both ground for the church and a thoufand marks towards the expences of building it.-f- This de- fign was fruftrated, either by the death of the pope, or the exhortation of the arch- bimop of Canterbury to rebuild the cathe- dral on its antient fite. The roof and up- per parts, with the bifhop's palace and canons houfes, were again deflroyed by Owen Glyndwr in 1404, and they remain - * Willis's Survey of the Cathedral of St. Afaph, 45- t Rymer's Foedera, II. 45. ed A TOt T R ROUND NORTH WALES. 17 cd ill ruins for upwards of feventy years, when they were rebuilt by Bifhop Red- man.* During the protedtorfhip of Oliver Crom- well, the poft road lying through this place, the palace and cathedral were much in- jured by the poft-mafter, who had his office in the former, and made great havoc in the choir of the cathedral, ufmg the font as a trough for watering his horfes, and, by way of venting his fpleen upon the clergy, tying up calves in the Bimop's throne. -f- Mr. Grofe relates a curious miracle faid to have been wrought at this place : He fays that fometime ago a mark ufed to be fhewn on a black ftone in the pavement of the ftreet, about the middle of the hill be- tween the two churches ; this, he was in- * Tanner's Notitia. t Supplement to Grofe's Antiquities. formed, 18 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. formed, was the print of St. Afaph's horfe- ihoe, when he jumped with him from Onan- HaSTa, which is about two miles off; though this, Mr. G. obferves, feems rather to have been a miracle performed by the horfe than the faint, unlefs his keeping his feat at fuch a leap may be deemed one. What was the occalion of this extraordinary jump is not faid; whether only to mew the agility of his horfe, or to efcape the aSTaults of the foul fiend, who, in thofe days, took unaccountable liberties even with faints.* The Diocefe of St. Afaph comprehends nearly all Flintshire, Denbighshire, and Montgomeryshire, befides three hundreds in Merionethshire, and a fmall part of Shropshire. The members of the chapter are the dean, archdeacon, (who is the Bi- fhop) Six prebendaries, and feven canons. * Grofc's Antiquities, Vol. VII. p. *43- And A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 79 And befides thefe there are belonging to the church four vicars choral, four lay clerks or finging men, four chorifters, and an organift. At the diflblution of mona- ftries, in the 26th of Henry VIII. the bimopric was valued at 202. IQS. 6d. in the whole, and 187. i is. 6d. clear.* There were formerly at St. Afaph fome fingular mortuaries due to the Bifhop on the deceafe of every beneficed clergyman within his diocefe. Imprimis. His beft gelding, horfc, or mare. Item. His beft gown. Item. His beft cloak. Item. His beft coat, jerkin, doublet and breeches. Item. His hofe or nether ftockings, moes, and garters. Item. His waiftcoat. * Tanner's Notitia. Item. 80 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALKS. Item. His hat and cap. Item* His falchion. Item. His beft book. Item. His furplice. Item. His purfe and girdle. Item. His knife and gloves. Item. His fignet or ring of gold. Thefe were, by the intereft of Bifhop Fleetwood, fet afide by aft of parliament, and the living of Northop was annexed to the bimopric in their ftead.* The tower of the cathedral commands a mod extenfive profpedl: of the Vale of Clwyd in every direction ; and it is by far the beft fituation I could meet with for feeing it to advantage. The River Clwyd, from which the vale takes its name, is a diminutive little ftream, that meanders along it, fcarcely three yards over in the wideft part. Its banks are low, and it is after * Willis's Survey, 280. flidden A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 81 fudden rains fubject to the mod dreadful overflowings, the water, at thofe times, frequently fweeping along with it even the very foil of the land it pafTes over. From this circumflance it is that much of the land near its banks is let at very low rents. This vale is perhaps the moft extenfive in the kingdom, being near twenty-four miles in length and feven in breadth ; and though it is impoffible to exhibit a richer or more beautiful fcene of fertility, yet, from its great width and its want of water, I believe the painter will prefer to it many of the deep glens and picturefque vales of Caer- narvonmire and Merionethmire. From St. Afaph I wandered down the vale towards the little village of Rhyddlan. The country all the way was in tere fling. At the diftance of about a mile I looked back upon the little city I had left: its fmgle flreet occupied the flope of the hill, at the top of which flood the cathedral, vor., i. G and C2 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALEb'. and the intermingled trees and houfes, with the turbulent River Elwy flowing at the bottom, under a majeftic bridge of five arches, altogether completed a very beau- tiful fcene. Rhyddlan * lies in a flat in the middle of the Vale of Clwyd, and on the eaftern bank of the river, about two miles from its influx into the fea. This is here fo wide as to permit fmall flat veflels, of about twenty tons burthen, to ride up, at high water, as high as the bridge. Though now a very infignificant village, Rhyddlan has been once a place of great importance, of which however no trace is left, except * The etymology of this place is thus exprefled by Leland, " Rethelan, communely caullid Rudelan, " cummith of Rethc, that ys to fay, roone color, or " pale redde, and Glan, that is thefoore; but G, when " Glan is fet with a word preceding G, is exploded/' - V. c?. the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 83 the ruins of its caftle.* In 1283 it was made a free borough by Edward I. who endowed it with many privileges in order to encourage an intercourfe betwixt the Welfh and the Englim.~j- From a port, about two miles from this place, where the river difcharges itfelf into the fea, much corn and timber are annually exported. Below the town is a large marm, called Morfa Rhyddlan, the Marft of Rhyddlan, where, in 795, was fought a dreadful bat- tle betwixt the Welfh, under their leader Caradoc, and the Saxon forces under Offa King of Mercia. The Welih were de- feated, and their commander (lain ; in ad- dition to this fevere lofs the Saxon prince cruelly ordered all the men and children, * " Non procul a mari Rudlanain Tegenia olim " inagnus urbs, nunc exiguus vicus fituatur." Lhuyd Comment. Brit. 56. t Carte, II, 196 G 2 who 6* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. who unfortunately fell into his hands, to be maffacred in cold blood ; tKe women them- felves fcarcely efcaping his fury.* The memory of this tragical event has been carried down to pofterity by a ballad, fuppofed to have been compofed foon after the battle, called Morfa Rhyddlan, the air of which is moft tenderly plaintive.^ The caftle is of red ftone, nearly fquare, and having fix towers, two at each of two oppofite corners and only one at each of the others. One of thefe was called Twr y Brenin, the Kings 'Tower. The whole was furrounded by a double ditch on the north, * Towel's Hiftory of Wales, 20. Matt. Paris, bita duorum offarum, 976. Warrington's Hiftory of Wales, p. 105. t See this air amongft the fpecimens of Welfli mufic in the fecond volume of this work. It is the general opinion in Wales, that this air was compofed thus early, but from its conftrudlion it appears to me to be of a much later date. and A TOUR BOUND NORTH WALES. 85 and a ftrong wall and fofs all round. In this wall is a tower, called Twr y Silod, yet {landing. The principal entrance was from the north-weft, flanked by two round towers. The two oppolite to thefe are very much fhattered, but the remainder are pretty entire. This caftle, according to Powel and Camden,* was built by Llewelyn ap Sitfylt, who reigned in Wales from 1015 to 1 020, and made this the place of his re- fidence. But Dugdale and Carte -j- both fay, that it was erected by Robert de Rhyd- dkn, nephew and lieutenant to Hugh Earl of Chefter, in the reign of William the Conqueror, in order to reftrain the excur- fions of the Welfh, and that he was placed * Ann.PoveliGir.Oamb.X. Itin.Camb. Lib. II. c. 10. p. 873. Cough's Camd. II. 588. t Dugdale's Baronage, I. 36. Carte's Hiftory of Kngl. I. 466. G 3 there 66 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. there with fufficient forces to check them, This, however, certainly cannot have been the cafe, for in 1063, three years before William came to the crown, it was in the pofleffion of GryfFydd ap Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, for in that year it was attacked and burnt by Harold, fon of Godwin Earl of Kent, who was afterwards king of Eng- land, in retaliation for fome depredations committed by the Welfh on the Englifti borders. The Welfh prince was apprized of his danger but a moment before the Englifh prefented themfelves at the gates, and as the only means of efcaping the hands of his enemies, threw himfelf with a few of his attendants into one of his mips, at that time ready in the harbour, and by that means fortunately for himfelf got off,* * Matt. Wefim. 429. Annot. Poveli. Gir. Camb. It. Camb. Lib. II. c. X. 873, Warrington's Hiftory of Wales, 221. It A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 87 It feems not to have remained long in ruins, for in 1098, it appears to have been again taken from the Welm by the above Robert, furnamed from the event De Rhydd- lan, who, it feems, did not build, but added many new works to it.* The two authors, quoted above, may probably have miftaken between building and fortifying, unlefs we are to fuppofe that he entirely rebuilt it, which may have been the cafe, though I think the other account carries with it the greater degree of probability. Be this as it may, it is certain that he was ftationed here to repel the attacks of the Welm j and whilft upon this poft, Gryffydd ap Conan, Prince of Wales, petitioned him for aid againft his enemies, which was obtained; but, on fome quarrel, he attacked him in his caftle, took and burnt the bailey or * Cough's Camd. II. 588. G 4 yard, 88 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, yard, and flew fo great a number of his men, that very few efcaped into the towers.* It was afterwards repaired and fortified by Henry II. who gave it to Hugh Beau- champ j-f- notwithstanding which, in 1167, whiift Henry was engaged in foreign affairs, it was attacked by Owen Gwynedd and his brother Cadwalader, afftfted by Ryfe ap Gryffydd, and after a blockade of two months, furrendered to them.J It muft, not long after, have been delivered to the Englifli, for about 1214, in the reign of King John, it was attacked and taken, with- out much oppofition, by the Welfh Prince Llewelyn ap Jouverth, and is mentioned as being the laft fortrefs which that monarch * Pennant, II. n. who quotes the Life of Gryf* fydd ap Knyan, in Sebright MSS. t Matt. Paris, 81, Powel, 208. Peterhoufe, MS. + Po\vcl, 224, Lyttleton's Hiftory of Henry II. Vol. II. 493- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 89 held in this country, the Welfh having now entirely driven him out.* Towards the latter end of the reign of Richard I. Ranulph Blundeville -J- Earl of Chefter, being unexpectedly attacked by the Welfh in this caftle, fent to Roger Lacy (for his fiercenefs furnamed Hell) his Conftable of Chefter, to haften to his relief with fuch forces as he could on the fudden collect. It happened to be on Midfummer Day when there was a fair at Chefter, and Roger immediately got together a mob of fidlers, players, coblers, and other idle fel- lows, and marched towards Rhyddlan. Llewelyn, who was at the head of the Welfh, obferving at a diftance aji immenfe crowd of people, and fuppofing that it was * Powel, 270. Wynne's Hiftory of Wales, 237. t Or Blondeville. This addition was taken to his name of Ranulph from his having been born at Ofweftry, in Shropfhire, which was antiently called Album Monajlerium, the 90 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. the Englifh army coming upon him, im-t mediately raifed the fiege and fled. In me- mory of this fervice the Earl, by charter, granted to Roger Lacy and his heirs the government over all the above defcription of people in the County of Chefter, which government was afterwards, in part, grant- ed by his fon to Hugh Button, his ftew- ard, and his heirs, by the following deed. " Sciant praefentes et futuri, quod ego, " Johannes Conftabularius Ceftritz, dedi et " concern" et hac praefenti mea charta con- " firmavi Hugoni de Dutton et haeredibus " fius, magiflratum omnium * leccatorum tf et meretricum totius Ceftermirias, ficut " liberius . ilium magiftratum teneo de *' comite. Salvo jure meo, mihi et haere- " dibus meis." * Mr, Pennant has miflaken this word for peccatorum. >\ See his Tour, II. 12. Blount, in his Law Didion- ary, has Leccator, a riotous, debauched perfon. This A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. $1 This inftrument is without a date, but was given fometime about the year 1220. The heirs of Hugh Dutton claimed fo late as the reign of Henry VII. " de qualibet " mzretrice infra commitatum Ceftritz et Infra " Cejlriam manente, et officium fuum exer- " cente" an annual payment "of fourpence. They alfo claimed, from antient cuftom, that all the minftrels of Chemire and the City of Chefter mould appear before them, or their ftewards, every year, on the feaft of St. John the Baptift, and there prefent four flaggons of wine and a lance, and each of them to pay for their licence fourpence- halfpenny. This latter claim is, I believe, in fome meafure continued till this prefent time.* * Dugdale's Baronage, I. 101. Blount's Tenures, by Beckwith, 300, where are quoted Sir Peter Lei- cefter's Antiquities of Chefhire, 141, 142, 151, and Burn's JufHce, tit. Vagrants. After 92 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. After the furrender of Rhyddlan Caftle to the Welm in the reign of King John, they feem to have had poffeffion of it for many years, for the firfl time I fee any thing of it afterwards is in the reign of Edward I, when, upon the refufal of Llewlyn ap Gryffydd to do homage to Ed- ward at Chefter, that monarch, at the head of an army, marched into Wales; and amongft others took this caftle, obliging the prince to come to terms. He then fortified it and placed in it a ftrong garri- fon.* Llewelyn knowing of how much confequence this place was, and how dan- gerous it was to his intereft whilft it re- mained in the hands of an enemy, in the year 1281, in conjunction with his brother David, made a mofl vigorous attack upon * Matt. Weftm. 370. Tho. Walfmgham, 6. Ho- linflied's Chronicle, II. 278, 279. Towel's Hiftory of Wales, 334. it, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 93 it, but the Englifh army approaching, they were forced to retire to their faftneffes amongft the mountains in Caernarvon- mire.* Shortly after this it was taken by Ryfe, fon of Maelgon, and GryfFydd ap Mere- dith ap Owen,-)- though it feems as if they had abandoned it foon afterwards on the arrival of the king, who appears to have reiided here in 1283, for it was in this year that he held a parliament here, in which was paffed, amongft other flatutes, that called the Statute of Rbyddlan. This ftatute contained a fet of regulations made by the king in council for the government of Wales, which the preamble ftates to * Tho. Walfmgham,9. Holingfhed's Chroru II. 280. Matt. Weft, p. 370, fays, that they took, and afterwards demolifhed it, which could not poffibly have been the cafe. t Grofe's Antiquities. have $4 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. have been then totally fubdued. It contains alfo many curious particulars with regard to the cuftoms which prevailed in Wales previous to Edward's conqueft, fome of which were retained, others altered, and fome entirely abolimed, by this ftatute.* Edward I. at Rhyddlan, affembled the barons and chief men of Wales, to inform them that he had appointed for them a prince, fuch as they had long exprefled a defire to have, a native of their own coun- try, one who could not fpeak the Englifh language, and whofe life and conduct had been hitherto irreproachable. On their ac- clamations of joy and promife of obedience, he inverted in the principality his own fon Edward, afterwards Edward II. an infant, who had not long before been born at Caer- narvon. -j- * See Statutes at large, f Stow's Annals, 203. After A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 95 After the death of Llewelyn Prince of Wales, David his brother was taken pri- foner by the Englifh army, and with his wife and two fons was fent to this caftle, from whence, not long afterwards, he was taken to Shrewfbury, where he was exe- cuted for high treafon.* In 1399 it was feized by the Earl of Northumberland, previous to the depofition of Richard II. who dined here in company with that earl, in his way to Flint, where he was delivered into the power of his enemy Bolingbroke.-J- In the civil wars Rhyddlan caflle was garrifoned for the king, but was furrendered on the 28th of July, 1646, to General Mytton,J and on the 22d of December, in the fame year, was ordered by the parlia- Tho. Walfmgham, 12. Holinflied's Chron. II. 282. t Stow's Annals, 321. . Whitelock's Memorials, 217. ment 96 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. ment to be difmantled.* The property of it is at prefent in the crown. The burgeffes of Rhyddlan contribute towards electing a member of parliament for Flint. Thofe who are qualified inhabit the place and that part of the parifh called Rbyddlan Franchife, which extends above a mile from the town.-j- Near the caftle was a houfe of Black Friars, founded fometime before 1268, for in that year Anian, who is related to have been a prior of this houfe, was made Bimop of St. Afaph. It fuffered much in the wars between Edward I. and Llewelyn, but re- covered and fubfifted till the difTolution j though it does not appear in the valu- ations either of Dugdale or Speed. I did not obferve, when I was at this place, * Whitelock, 231. t Pennant's Tour, II. 15. whether A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 97 whether any part of the building was re- maining.* Camden -f- relates a ftrange circumftance concerning the River Clwyd at its influx into the fea. He fays that, " below the " caftle, the river is difcharged into the " fea, and though the valley, at the mouth " of the river, feems lower than the fea, " yet it is never overflown ; but by a na- " tural, though an invifible impediment, " the water ftands on the very brink of " the {hore, to our juft admiration of the " Divine Providence." If the marfh only appears lower than the fea, without being fo, there certainly feems no wonder at all. * Tanner's Notitia. Mr. Brown Willis, in his Survey of Bangor, p. 357, fays, it was .reported that there was an abbey here, the religious of which were of a military order. t Gibf. Camd. 688. VOL. i. H The 9* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. The village of Diferth is about two miles and a half eail of Rhyddlan, the church {lands in a romantic bottom, and is finely overfhaded with feveral large yew trees growing around it. In the church-yard are many very fingular tomb-ftones ; but two in particular attracted my attention, as being not, as ufual, altar-fhaped, but having a femicircular ftone upon the top of each of them. They are of an antient date, and belong to a family of the name of Hughes. Here is alfo a curious and much orna- mented old pillar, whofe ufe I could form no idea of. The caftle ftands on the fummit of a high lime- ftone rock, at the diftance of half a mile from the village. Its prefent remains are very trifling, being nothing more than a few mattered fragments. From hence there is a fine prolpecl: of part of the Vale of Clwyd. Diferth A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 99 Diferth Caftle,* which was, molt proba- bly, the laft of the chain of Britifti pofts on the Clwydian hills, was formerly called alfo Din-colyn, Caftell y Ffailon, Caftell Gerri, and Caftell y Craig, the Caftle of the Rock.^- The time of its foundation is not known. It was fortified by Henry III. about 1241,$ and it appears to have been the property of the Earls of Chefter, for Dugdale, at the end of his ac- * " Thifarte, or Difarte Caftelle, yn Flintfliire, " by the name yn Walfche is thus expounded : " Thi is privativa particuldy as not; farte isjteepe up; *' notftepc or dining up, that is to fay, playne." See Iceland's Itln. V. 53. I fhould rather fuppofe it derived from dy very, and ferth f fteep, as it does not ftand upon a plain> but upon a considerable eminence. t Pennant, II. 7, who quotes Llwyd's Itinerary, MSS. | Powel, 307. H 2 count 100 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. count of that family, remarks that, upon its becoming extinct, Diferth and Diganwy caftles were, in 3 1 ft Henry III. both an- nexed to the crown.* About twenty years after this it was, along with Diganwy, de- ftroyed by Llewelyn ap Gryffydd.-j- On the Caftle-hill I found the following plants growing in plenty : Txronicafpicata, Ci/lus marifoliusy Ciftus beleantbemum, Tba- liffirum minus t Geranium fanguineum, Conyza fquarrofa, and Carduus marianus, with fome others not fo rare. In a field, a little to the fouth of it, I obferved a ruinous building, called Siamber- wen, the White-Hall, faid to have been the houfe of Sir Robert Pounderling, a valiant knight, who was many years ago the Con- * Dugdale's Baronage, I. 48. t Matt. Paris, 85 [. Matt. Weftm. 316. Powel, 326. liable A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 101 ftable of the Cattle.* Of this illuftrious hero Leland *j- relates a ftory, that being for his valour noted far and near, he was challenged, at a tournament, by a gentle- man of Wales, who in the combat ftruck out one of his eyes ; but, being afterwards in the Englim, court requefted to challenge him. in return, he wifely mewed that he had prudence as well as valour by de- clining a fecond combat, alledging as his excufe, that he did not intend the Welfh- man to knock out his other eye. From this place I retraced my road back again, through Rhyddlan, to St. Afaph, from whence, the next morning, I fet off to Conway. I muft here remark that, in the latter part of this day's excurfion, from Rhyddlan to Diferth, I received but little * Pennant, II. 8, who quotes Llwyd's Itinerary, MS. t Leland's Itinerary, VI. 21, II 3 amufement, 102 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. amufement, except in my botanical purfuits. Neither the village of Diferth, nor its caftle, afford any thing very deferving of atten- tion. CHAP. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. CHAP. V. FROM ST. ASAPH TO CONWY. ABERGELEY LLANDULAS PENMAEN RHOS RIVER CONWY FERRY PEARL FISHERY TOWN OF CONWY CASTLE CHURCH INSCRIPTION ABBEY ,- PLAS-MAWR GLODDAETH DIGANWY. next ftage was Conwy. The road now became rather more hilly, but it was hard and good, and the furrounding country, for the moft part, very pleafant. After pafling Abergeley, a fmall village, about feven miles from St. Afaph, I had the fea on the right, and a range'of low rocks on the left of the road. From the bottoms of thefe were all the way meadows H 4. and 104 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. and corn fields, which extended nearly to the water. Beyond Llandulas, the dark village, the road winds round a huge lime- ftone rock, called Penmaen Rhos. Mr. Pennant * conjectures that it was in fome of the deep bottoms of this neigh- bourhood that Richard II. was furprized by a band of armed ruffians, placed there by the Earl of Northumberland, for the pur- pofe of betraying him into the hands of Bolingbroke at Flint. I was wandering leifurely along this road, when on a fudden, a moft magnificent landfcape burfl upon the light. The fine old town of Conwy, with its gloomy walls and towers, appeared, with the wide river in front, and backed by the vaft Caernar- vonmire mountains. The River Conwy, the Conovius of An- toninus, runs on this, the eaft fide of the * Tour, II. 334- tov/n. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 105 town. It is here about half a mile over, and is crofTed by a ferry. I have been told of many fhameful impofitions that are con- tinually pra&ifed by the ferrymen at this place upon Grangers. Their charges ought to be a penny for every perfon on foot, two- pence for a man and horfe, and half -a- crown a wheel for carriages. Inftead of which, I even once faw them myfelf, with the moft impudent aflurance pomble, charge half- a-guinea for a gig, and after that importune for liquor. They are, befides, fo much their own matters that, I am told, they will only take over the boat when they think proper, and in this manner perfons have been frequently delayed in their journey three, four, or more hours, without the pombility on their part of preventing it. Whether thefe enormities are known to the renter of the ferry, who, I underftand re- fides at Conwy, I cannot tell, but if they are, it is certainly his duty to watch his fervants 106 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. fervants more ftridlly, and prevent their pradtifing fuch fhameful impofitions upon the public. The River Conwy was formerly noted for being a pearl fishery ; and pearls have been taken here, at different times, ever fince the Roman conqueft. Suetonius fays, that to get thefe was one of the chief mo- tives all edged for his invafion of this ifland. The Britim and Irifh pearls are found in a fhell-fifb, called by Linnaeus * Mya Marga- ritefera y the Pearl Mufcle, peculiar to flony and rapid rivers. The pearls are faid to be produced from a difeafe in the fim fome- what analogous to the ftone in the human * GEN. CHAR. Shell bivalve, gaping at one end. Hinge with a broad thick tooth not let into the op- pofite valve. SPEC. CHAR. Shape oval, bending in on one fide. Shell thick, opake, and heavy. Tooth of the hinge fmooth and conical. The length five or fix inches, and breadth about 2$. body. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 107 body. On being fqueezed they will eje& them, and they often carl them fponta- neoufly in the fand of the ftream. There have been fometimes fo many as fixteen taken in one mell. Pearls got here have fold for four guineas each, and one for ten, which was afterwards purchafed by Lady Glenlealy, who put it into a necklace, and refufed eighty pounds for it from the Du- chefs of Ormond. A notion prevails that Sir Richard Wynne, of Gwydir, chamber- lain to Catherine Queen of Charles II. pre- fented her majefty with a pearl taken in this river, which is to this day honoured with a place in the regal crown.* A more beautiful or more pidturefque town can fcarcely be found than Conwy.-j- The * Philofophical Tranfaclions abridged, II. 831. Pennant's Zoology, IV. 80. t It has been conj e&ured by many, that this pre- fent Conwy was the Conovium of the Romans ; this, however, appears to have been without any founda- tion, 108 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. The cattle ftands upon a rock, two fides of which are washed bv the river. Its archi- ^ tecture and pofition are truly grand, and denote the fpirit and judgment of its foun- der, Edward I. From each end of the town walls, fronting the river, a curtain terminated with a round tower ran to fome diftance into the water, the more effectually to prevent the approach of an enemy from thence. The heap of rubbim at prefent left, nearly oppofite to the end of the caflle, tion, for it has been, I think, clearly proved, that Conovium was fituated where Caer Rbun (a corrup- tion from Caer Hen, the old city} now ftands, on the weft fide of the river, about five miles higher up. At this place, now an infignificant village, many Ro- man antiquities have, at different times, been dif- covered j and out of the ruins of this, Camden con- jectures, that Edward built the new town, at the mouth of the river, which was from thence called Aber Conwy, the conflux of the Conwy, It is now generally called Conway, See Camden s Britqnnlca is A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 109 Is the remains of one of thefe towers, the other has been long fince entirely deftroyed. The caftle was defended alfo by eight large round towers flanking the fides and the ends, from each of which iflued, formerly, a {lender turret, riling much above, con- ftructed for commanding an extenfive prof- pedl over the adjacent country -, of thefe turrets there are only four now remaining. The walls are embattled, and from twelve to fifteen feet in thicknefs, and yet nearly entire, except one of the middle towers on the fouth fide, whofe lower part has fallen down the rock, owing to the folly of fome of the inhabitants who had taken away the ftones from the foundation for their own ufe. The upper part of the tower is entire, fufpended at a vaft height above, and pro- jecting near thirty feet over the walls be- low, exhibiting, obferves Mr. Pennant, " in the breach fuch vail ftrength of wall- " ing, as might have given to the architect " the 110 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. " the moft reafonable hope that his work " would have endured to the end of time." The chief entrance into the caftle is at the north-weft end, formerly over a deep trench, by a draw-bridge. There was alfo at the other end another from the river, up a rock, protected by the projecting cur- tain. The hall is the moft remarkable apart- ment now left -, it is a hundred and thirty feet long, thirty- two broad, and about twenty-two in height. It was lighted by nine windows, fix of which were towards the river, and three towards the court ; and the roof was once fupported by eight Gothic arches, fome of which are ftill left. Edward I. after his conqueft of the Welfti, with his queen, and great part of the Englifh nobility, fpent a Chriftmas at this caftle in all the joyous feftivity that a luxurious A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Ill luxurious court could boaft. But what a change has taken place lince that time ! What now avails that o'er the vaflal plain His rights and rich demefnes extended wide, That honor and her knights compofed his train, And chivalry flood marfliaU'd by his fide. Though to the clouds his caftle feem'd to climb, And frown'd defiance on the defperate foe ; Though deem'd invincible, the conqueror, Time, Levell'd the fabric as the founder low. Yet the hoar tyrant, though not mov'd to fpare, Relented when he ftruck its finifh'd pride, And partly the rude ravage to repair, The tott'ring towers with twilled ivy tied. The walls around this town,* which are built upon the folid rock, and betwixt twelve * The mode of defending a town, before the in- troduction of gunpowder and artillery, was by a number of fmall towers, capable of containing twenty or thirty men each, flanking and defending the J12 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES- twelve and fifteen feet in thicknefs, are nearly entire. Within, the houfes are very irregular, but by no means bad. The church, faid to have been the conventual church belonging to the monaftry, is a mean-looking building. I obferved in it a few modern monuments belonging to the family of the Wynnes, formerly of this place $ and, amongft others, the following iingular infcription on the tomb of a Mr. Hookes : " Here lyeth the body of Nicholas " Hookes, of Conwy, Gent, who was the " forty-frft child of his father, William X " Hookes, Efq. by Alice his wife; and " father of twenty-feven children , who " died the 2oth day of March, 1637." the intermediate curtains of the walls with long and crofs bows and other manual weapons ; for few of them were large enough to contain the projectile machines of thofe times. There A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALfcS. 113 There are fome poor remains of the Cif- terian Abbey, founded here by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth Prince of Wales, in 1185, who endowed it with many privileges, amongft which was the exemption of the monks from maintaining, for the prince, any men, horfes, dogs, or hawks. The abbots were to be elected by the monks, without the controul or interference of any other per- fons whatever. They were to have the benefit of all wrecks on the mores of their property, and to be toll free.* In this convent, and that of Stratflur in Cardigan- mire, were kept the records of the fuccef- lions and a&s of the princes of Wales from 1126 till the year 1270.-)- The founder was buried here, but on the difTolution his * Dugdale's Monafticon> I. 918, 920. Tanner's Notitia Mon. Leland's Colle&anea de reb. Brit. I. 103. t Powel's Hiirory of Wales, 206. VOL. i. I coffin 114 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. coffin was removed to Llanruft, a town about twelve miles difiant. In this abbey was alfo interred Conan ap Owen Gwyn- edd,* wrapped in the habiliments of a monk, which, in thofe fuperftitious days, was deemed a coat of mail proof againft every power of Satan.-(- Edward I. upon building the caftle and, fortifying the town, removed the religious of this convent to Maynan, in Denbigh- fhire, a place about three miles up the river, where he had founded for them another abbey, referving to the monks all their former lands and privileges. He alfo re- ferved to them the prefentation of their conventual church at Conwy, now made parochial, provided they found two able and worthy Englishmen as chaplains, and a third a Welfhman, for the benefit of thofe who did not underfland Englim. One of * He died in the year 1200. t Powel, 225. the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 115 the Englishmen was perpetual vicar, who, on every vacancy, was to be named by the convent, and prefented by the diocefan.* Plas mawr, the great manfion, is an an- tique-looking houfe, built, in the year 1585, by Robert Wynne, Efquire, of Gwydir. On the houfe are the letters I.H.S. X.P.S. and over the gateway, the Greek words Ave%, otTTs^t bear, forbear. The apart- ments are ornamented in a rude fUle, with uncouth figures in ftucco. The caftle of Conwy was erected in the year 1283 by Edward I. who, at the fame time, built the walls of the town, and re- paired feveral of his other caftles in Wales, in order to guard againft the infurrections of Llewelyn, which for fome years before had been very frequent. It was built upon a fpot which had formerly been fortified by Hugh Earl of Chefter, in the time of Wil- * Dugdale's Monafticon, I. 921. I 2 llarn 116 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. liam the Conqueror,* in a fituation highly proper, having a complete command of the river, and by its vicinity to the flrong pafs of Penmaen Mawr, enabling the king's troops to occupy it on the leaft commo- tion, thereby fecuring a road to the interior of the mountains and to the Ifle of An- glefea. I am rather at a lofs to judge whether it was this caftle or that of Diganvvy, about X three miles north of it, that was called Snowdon CaJUe. Leland,-)- indeed, in his Collectanea, fays " The Caftel of Snowdon t( is oftentymes put by a commen worde " for Comvey" but feveral circumftances have occurred that induce me rather to fuppofe, that this was not the cafe, and that * Matt. Weftm. 371. Holinihed's Chronicle, II. 282. t Coll. dereb. Brit. 1.472. Diganwy A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 117 Diganwy muft formerly have been called Snowdon Caftle.* Edward I. once found himfelf very dif- agreeably iituated in this cattle. He with a few of his men had preceded the body of his army a little way, and even crofTed the river before they came up. Soon* after he had got over, the tide flowed in and pre- vented them from following, which the Welfh perceiving, attacked him and his handful of men in the caftle, who were driven to great diftrefs, having no kind of provifion whatever, except a little honey and water. But by the ftrength of the caftle, and their own bravery, they were en- * Dolbadain Caftle, near Llanberis, being fituated in the heart of the mountains, might with greater propriety than either of thefe have been called Snavc- donCaftle-, but the old Englifli writers, from its ob- fcurity, had probably never heard of it, or if they had, they do not feem to have known it by this name. J 3 able* 118 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. abled to hold out till the water again retired, and the army came over to their relief.* In 1399, Richard II. in his return from Ireland, having landed in Wales, heard that the Duke of Lancafter had prepared im- menfe forces againfl him, and defpairing in the ftrength of his own army, in company with about a dozen of his friends, flole in the night to Conwy, where he hoped to be more fecure ; this, however, he fcarcely found the cafe, for he was mortly after- wards drawn from thence by the infinu- ating treachery of the villain Percy. -f- Richard III. in the firil or fecond year of his reign, granted " to Thomas Tunftall, " Efq. the office of Conftable of the Cartel " of Con way, with the Captainmip of the " Towne of Con way, -and to have under " under him the number of twenty-four * Hen. dc Knyghton de event. Angl. 2471. t Stow's Annals, 322. Carte's Hiftory of Eng- land. " foldiers A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 119 4t foldiers for the time of his life, with the " wages and fees to the fame office and " captaynmip due and accuftomei and to " have for every of the faid foldiers 4^. by " the day."* The caftle was repaired and fortified for Charles I. in the civil wars, by Dr. Wil- liams, Archbifhop of York, at the king's particular requefl. He faithfully promifed the Archbifhop, upon his doing this, that it mould remain in the care of himfelf, or any perfon appointed by him, till the mo- ney expended was repaid. After it was nnimed, feveral country gentlemen requefl- ed him to receive into it their writings, plate, and other valuables, which he, rely- ing upon the king's promife, did, giving to every owner a receipt, by which he made himfelf liable to the lofs. In May, 1645, * MS. N. 433, in Bib. Harl. quoted in Grofe ? s Antiquities. I 4 about 120 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. about a year afterwards, Sir John Owen, a colonel in the king's fervice, obtained of Prince Rupert a commiffion, appointing him governor of the caftle. By virtue of this he furprized and took it, difpoflemng the Arehbifhop, notwithstanding the king's pofitive promife to the contrary ; and he re- fufed to give him any fecurity for the valu- ables he had in charge. After this circum- ilance the Archbifhop, being invited by General Mytton, came over to the fide of the parliament, and affifted in perfon, along with the parliament's army, and many of the country people, whofe goods had been lodged there, in attacking the caftle* After a fiege of three months, it was taken pn the 1 8th of November, 1646, and the property of every perfon was juftly reftored to him. Mytton, who had a moft cruel antipathy again ft the Irih, ordered all who were feized in the caftle to be tied back to back, and A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. \'Z\ and flung into the river.* For his late fervices the parliament granted the Arch- bifhop a general pardon, and a releafe from all his fequeftrations. After the reftoration. a grant was made of this fortrefs, by the king, to Edward Earl of Conwy, who, in 1665, ordered all the iron, timber, and lead to be taken down and tranfported to Ireland, under the pre- tence that it was to be ufed in his majefty's Service. Several of the principal gentlemen of the country oppofed the defign, but their remonftrances were over-ruled, and this noble pile was reduced nearly to its prefent condition.-f- It is now held from the crown at an annual rent of fix (hillings and eight- * Whitelock's Memorials, 219, 228. Rufh- worth's Hiftorical Collections, part IV. vol. 1.297. t Pennant's Tour, II. 319. See nlfo a copy of a X>ettcr in the Appendix to the fame volume, p. 478. pence, 122 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, pence, and a dim of fifh, to Lord Hertford, as often as he paffes through the town.* Edward I. made Conwy a free borough, and ordered that the mayor, who was the coriftable of the caftle for the time being, (hould preferve its privileges. It is at pre- fent governed by one alderman, a recorder, coroner, water-bailiff, and two ferjeants at mace, chofen annually. The privileges here, as in all other Englifh garrifons in North Wales, extended from Caernarvon to the River Clwyd; for none could be convicted of any crime, within that diftrict, but by a jury empanneled within it.-(- Situated on the fide of a hill, about three miles north of Conwy ferry, is Gloddaeth, the beautiful feat of Sir Thomas Moftyn, Bart, built by his anceftor, Sir Roger Mof- * Grofe's Antiquities, vol. VII. p. 18. t Pennant, II. 314. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 123 tyn, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a place, as I have been informed, furrounded with charming fcenery and rare plants. About half a mile beyond this is Diganwy, an antient caftle, founded about the time of the Norman conqueft, and near it a circu- lar watch tower, faid to have been built fometime in the latter part of the laft cen- tury. But from not having heard of thefc curiofities, when I was in this part of the country, I had not an opportunity of feeing them. CHAP. 124 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. CHAP. VI. FROM CONWY BY BANGOR TO CAERNARVON ROCKS PENMAEN MAWR ROAD SINGULAR ACCIDENTS BRITISH FORT ABER WATER- FALL LLANDYGAI PENRHYN BANGOR CAS- TLE CATHEDRAL CONVENT BANGOR FERRY INN HARP FINE SCENERY CAERNARVON-- HOTEL. T TAVING left Conwy in my route to Bangor, I now began to find myfelf in a truly mountainous and romantic coun- try, for the hills of Flintfhire and Denbigh- fhire, which I had juft pafTed, bear no comparifon for pi&urefque beauty, with the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, 123 the rocky fcenes of Caernarvonshire.* In- ftead of being as thofe were gentle in afcent, and frequently covered with grafs and turf to their fummits, they now began to wear the favage and majeftic face of Nature they were precipitous, rugged and gloomy. A few miles beyond Conwy is the cele- brated mountain called Penmaen Mawr, a huge rock, rifing near 1550 feet in per- pendicular height above the fea. Along a fhelf of this tremendous precipice is formed an excellent road, well guarded towards the fea by a ftrong wall, and fupported in many * Before the divifion of Wales into counties this county was called Snowdon Foreft, and in after-times Arvonia, from its fituation oppofite Mon, Bon or Anglefea. It is about 50" miles in length, 25 in breadth, and 130 in circumference; is divided into feven cantreds or hundreds, and fixty-eight parifhes. It contains about 370,000 acres of land, and the po- pulation is calculated at about 16,800. In it are one city and four market towns. parts 126 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. parts by arches turned underneath it, a me* thod in the expence found far preferable to that of hollowing it out of the folid rock. Before the wall was built, accidents were continually happening by people falling down the precipices; but fince that time, I believe it has been perfectly fafe. Of thefe accidents, Mr. Pennant * has recorded the following: An excifeman fell from the higheft part, and efcaped unhurt* The Rev. Mr. Jones, who in 1762, was rector of Llanlian, in Anglefea, fell with his horfe, and a midwife behind him down the freepeft part. The female perimed as did the nag, but the Divine, with great philofophy, unfaddled the freed, and march- ed off with, the trappings, exulting at his own prefervation. (t I have often heard," continues this in- telligent author " of another accident attend- * Tour II. 305. " ed A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 127 ** cd with fuch romantic circumftances, '* that I would not venture to mention it " had I not the ftrongeft traditional au- " thority, to this day in the mouth of ** every one in the parim of Llanfair Vech- *' an, in which this promontory flands. " Above a century ago, Scon Humphries, " of this parim, made his addreffes to Ann " Thomas, of Creyddyn, on the other fide " of Conwy river. They had made an " appointment to meet at a fair in the town " of Conwy. He in his way fell over " Penmaen Mawr ; me was overfet in the " ferry-boat, and was the only perfon faved " out of more than fourfcore. They were " married, and lived very long together in " the parifh of Llanfair. She was buried, " April u, 1744, aged 116. He furvived " her 5 years, died December 10, 1749, " and was buried clofe by her, in the pa- " riih church yard, where their graves are " familiarly (hewn to this day." At 128 A TOUR WOUND NORTH WALES* At fome diftance the road appears like a white line along the fide of the rock, which towards the fea is in many places fo nearly perpendicular, that a ftone may be thrown from thence into it without touching below, a height of almoft a hundred and forty feet* The pafs would,* were it not for the wall, be truly terrible; and even yet, to thofe who can make frights to mock themfelvesj the amazingly lofty abrupt precipice of rock t towering overhead with the fragments and ruins, that have for ages been falling down from it, and feem ready to roll over one, do prefent a fcene of horror. Before this pafs was formed, the ufual mode of going from Conwy to Bangor was either in boats, or to wait the departure of the tide and proceed along the fands, at low water, a mode frequently attended with danger, owing to the tide's fometimes form- ing hollows, of the depth of which, when filled A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 129 filled with water, the guides cannot always be certain. I did not afcend to the fummit of Pen- maen Mawr, though I have fince underftood that there is at the top called Braich y Ddi- nas, the arm of the city* an antient Britifh fortification, in the walls of which, accord- . ing to the additions to Camden, * were for- merly at leaft a hundred towers all round> of equal lize, and about fix yards in diarheter within. From it's lituation, a hundred men might here have defended themfelves againft a great army, and it was large enough to contain twenty thoufand foldiers. Of this fortrefs, though I underfland very little is left, yet there is fufficient to mew that it has once been a very extenfive and important place. Governor Pownall, who examined it many years ago with great care, contrary * Gibfon's Camden, 673. VOL. I. K tO 156 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. to the received opinion, conjectures that it has been one of the Druids' confecrated high places of worship, and never intended for a place of defence. In the inclofure, he fays, is a barrow of the kind which Dr. Stukely calls a long barrow, and afcribes to the fepulture of an Arch-Druid.* I how- ever am inclined, from the circumftances mentioned by Edward Llwyd, Mr. Pennant, and other able writers (without having feen it myfelf) to credit the other opinion, for from them there feems every evidence of its having been a Britim fort. About nine miles from Conwy ftands the pleafing little village of Aber, the con- fluence. Here I found a comfortable little Inn, which from its fituation near Penmaen Mawr, may be a very convenient place to afcend that mountain from, to fuch as wifh * See a paper of the Governor in Archaeol. of the Society of Antiquaries, III. 303. to A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 131 to examine the curious remains at the top. From the village, a deep and romantic glen runs upwards of a mile amongft the moun- tains, at the extremity of which is a cata- ract, which precipitates itfelf from a height of more than fixty feet down the rugged front of a rock. Thomfon's defcription (eemed to apply extremely well to it: Smooth to the (helving brink a copious flood Rolls fair and placid; where colle&ed, In one impetuous torrent, down the fteep, It thundering (hoots, and makes the country round. At firfl an azure meet it rulhes broad ; Then whitening by degrees, as prone it falls. And from the loud refounding rocks below Dafh'd In a cloud of foam, it fends aloft A Upary mift, and forms a ceaielefs fhovr er. On an artificial mount, not far from the village, though long fince deftroyed, flood once a cattle, the palace of .Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, Prince of Wales.* * Powel's Hiftory of Wales, 325. Leland's Iti- nerary, V. 45. K 2 At 132 A TOUR ROUND NORjk WALES, At Llandygai (the church of Tegal) a vil- lage beautifully fituated on the banks of the turbulent little river Ogwen, is a neat church, built in the form of a crofs, having the tower in the centre. This is chiefly re- markable for containing the remains of Dr. Williams, Archbimop of York, who lived in the reign of Charles I. His memory is preferved by a mural monument, which re- prefents him in his epifcopal drefs, kneeling at an altar. On the right of the road, and not far from Bangor, I paffed Penrhyn, the feat of the Irifh Baron of that name. The prefent build- ing, which is a good fpecimen of the mi- litary Gothic, much in vogue in the reign of Henry VI. is fuppofed to ftand on the iite of a palace which belonged to Roderic Moelwynog, Prince of Wales, who began his reign about the year 720.* When I * Pennant's Tour, II. 284. was A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES* 133 was here, it appeared to be undergoing fome confiderable alterations, under the infpe<5tion of the judicious Mr, Wyatt* A method of fencing grounds is ufed about the eftates of Lord Penrhyn, which I never recolledt to have obferved before. The fences are made with pieces of blue flate, (of which his Jord- fhip has fome exteniive quarries in the neigh- bourhood) driven into the ground about a foot diftant from each other, and interwoven near the top with briars, or any kind of flex- ible branches to hold them together. Whe- ther thefe are of lefs expence than walls or hedges I know not, but in point of ornament J think they are fufficiently neat. Bangor,* the beautiful choir 9 though now only a very fmall place, appears to have been formerly * Mr. Warner, a late tourift, whofe average rate of walking of about twenty-five miles a day feems to have rendered him liable to a thoufand errors, has, others, miftaken this place for Bangor in K 3 Flintfhire. ISkS A TOUR ROUND NOHTH WALES. formerly fo large as from it's fize to be cal- led Bangor vawr, the great Bangor, to dif- tinguifh it probably from Bangor-is-coed in Flintfhire.* It is feated in a vale, from the back of which arife the vaft mountains of Caernarvonshire. From the churchyard is an extenfive and beautiful profpeft of part of Anglefea, with the town and bay of Beau- maris. The moft antient hiftorical facl: that we have recorded of this place is, that Conda- gius, a king of Britain, who reigned about 800 years before the time of Chriil, erected Flintftrire. He fpeaks of its being watered by the " Deva's wizard ftream," which flows under an ele- gant bridge, of five arches. He fays that this was the fite of the antient Roman ftation, Bouvium, that here \vas the monaftry, 1200 of whofe monks were flain by Ethelfred, and that this formed a part of the king- dom of Powis! ! * Cough's Camden, H. 549. here A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 155 here a temple which he dedicated to the goddefs Minerva.* On a rocky eminence, about a quarter of a mile eaft from Bangor, flood formerly a caftle built by Hugh, Earl of Chefter, fome- time during the reign of William II. -f- The date of it's demolition is not known. The cathedral is a finall dirty-looking building, dedicated to St. Daniel. The nave is about an hundred and ten feet long, and fixty wide; the tranfepts fixty by twenty five; and the choir fifty-four by twenty-fix. It appears to have been firft erected by MaelgwnGwynedd, Prince of North Wales, about the year 550 ; and Daniel, the fon of Dinothus, Abbot of Bangor-is-coed, in Flintshire, who had, about thirty years before, founded a college or monaftcy * Lcland's Coll. de reb. Brit. II. 425. t Speed's Chronicle> ch. XIV. p. 123. K 4 here, 136 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. here, was made the firfl bifhop.* The prince, when he founded it, had fome thoughts of entering himfelf a monk here, and taking up the profeffion of religion. But the charms and pleafures of the world, to which he was too much addicted, foon choaked the refolution, and by yielding to thefe, he became, in the latter part of his life, a great libertine, though in his public character he appears to have been always a brave man, and a noble and mag- nanimous prince. The cathedral was destroyed by the Saxons 1071, and being afterwards rebuilt, it was again destroyed in 1212 by a de- tachment from the army of King John, who had invaded the Welm on account of fome depredations they had committed in the Marches. The bifliop was taken prifoner, and carried to the Englifh camp, * Tanner's Notitia. but A TOUH ROUND NORTH WALES. 137 but obtained his ranfom by the payment of two hundred hawks.* It fuffered along with the cathedral of St. Afaph about 1247, in the wars betwixt Henry III. and the Welih.-}- In 1402 it was burnt down in the rebellion of Owen Glyndwr (who threatened to deftroy all the cities in Wales) and remained in ruins upwards of ninety years, when the choir was rebuilt by the Bifhop, Henry Denne, J but the tower and nave were, according to an infcription over the weft door, built at the expence of Bifhop Skeffington in 1532. This fee met with a ftill more cruel ravager than Owen Glyndwr in the perfon of Bifhop Bulkeley ; who not only alienated many of the lands belonging to it, but went fo far as even to fell the bells of the church. * Powell, 265. Wynne's Hiftory of Wales, 231. t Matt. Paris, 642. + Willis's Survey, 62. Camden's Brit. II. 549. 5 Fuller's Worthies of Wales, 19. The 138 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALKS. The revenues were valued in the 26th of Henry VIII. at 151. y P er an ~ num in the whole, and 131- l ^ St 4^ clear.* This diocefe comprehends the whole of Caernarvonfhire, except four pariihes, the We of Anglefea, and part of the Counties of Denbigh, Merioneth and Montgomery. It contains 107 parimes, of which 36 are impropriated. This fee has been com- puted to be worth annually about 1200. To the cathedral belongs a Biihop, Dean, Archdeacon, j- Treafurer, and two Preben- daries endowed; a precentor, chancellor, and three canons not endowed; two vicars, * Tanner's Not. Mon. . t There were here formerly three archdeaconries, viz. of Bangor, Anglefea, and Merioneth: out of thefe the two firft were united to the bifhopric for it's better fupport, by ad of Parliament, A. D. 1685. Willis's Survey, 135. choral, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 139 choral, an organift, lay clerks, chorifters, arid other officers.* Mr. Pennant -j- fuppofes that Owen Gwynedd, Prince of Wales, who died in 1169, was buried in the fouth tranfept of the church, and that his remains lie be- neath an arch with a flowery crofs cut on a flat ftone. Here are alfo mutilated tombs of the Bifhops Vaughan and Row- lands, the former of whom died in 1597, and the latter in 1616. Befides the cathedral, Tanner J mentions, that there was near Bangor, a houfe of friars, preachers, founded about 1299, by Tudor ap Gronw, Lord of Penmynydd and Trecaftle. Mr. Pennant fays, it jftood a little way out of the town, and that it was converted into a free fchool by Jeffery Glynn, LL. D. fornetime about * Tanner's Not. Mon. t Tour II. 281. Not. Mon. Tour II. 282. the 140 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. the reign of Edward VI. Over the chim- ney piece is a fragment of an antient mo* nument to one Gryjfydd, with a long fword carved upon it ; and on the ftair^ cafe is another ftone, with the words ap 'Tudor, probably part of the tomb of the founder Tudor ap Gronw ap Tudor. Bangor ferry, called by the Welfh Porth- aethwy, the ferry of the confined waters, is fituated about a mile from the town, on the eaftern bank of the Menai, the flraight that divides Anglefea from the other parts of Wales, and is certainly one of the moil charmingly retired places in the kingdom. Here is an Inn to which moft travellers refort, there not being one in the town of Bangor at all comfortable. The charges are very high, being much the fame as at moft of the inns upon the great roads near London 5 but the accommodations for this diftant part of the country are fo extremely A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Hi good, that a reafonable perfon can fcarcely think of finding fault. It was at this Inn that I was, for the firft time fince my arrival in Wales, en- tertained with the muiic of the harp, the indigenous inftrument of this country. The evening was mild, and the fun in retiring had cafl a golden tinge over the whole face of nature. I had feated my- felf in a window which commanded a full and moil delightful profpect of Anglefea, the Ifle of the Druids, and I liftened, wrapped in a pleating melancholy, to the fweetly flowing tones. A thoufand plea- fant ideas of times of old floated on my imagination, and the emphatic lines of Gray crofied my thoughts with all their force. Ruin feize thee, ruthlefs king! Confufion on thy banners wait; Tho' fann'd by conqueft's crimfon wing, They mock the air with idle ftate. Helm 142 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Helm nor hauberk's twilled mail, Nor e'en thy virtues, tyrant! {hall avail To fave thy foul from nightly fears ; From Cambria's curfe, from Cambria's tears! In the warmth of my imagination I had overlooked the perhaps neceflary, though moft cruel, policy of Edward I. in deftroy- ing a race of men, whofe fongs, deemed almoft infpired, could not be heard with- out the moft dangerous correfponding ef- fects on the minds of the multitude. Their fkill'd fingers knew how beft to lead Through all the maze of found the wayward ftep Of harmony, recalling oft and oft, Permitting her unbridled courfe to ruftv Through diffonance to concord, fweeteft then E'en when expected harfheft. The next morning I fet out from Ban- gor ferry to go to Caernarvon. I had heard much in praife of the walk betwixt Bangor A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 143 Bangor and Caernarvon, but I found very little to amufe me till I had pafled the fourth mile-ftone, when, on a fudden turn of the road, the ftraights of Menai, the well wooded Me of Anglefea, and beyond thefe, the far diftant Rivel mountains on one fide, opened into a placid fcene, whilfl the black precipices and magged fides of the rocks of Caernarvonshire on the other formed a moft delightful contraft. This profpecl: was fo momentary, that it feemed almoft the effect of enchantment ; and preceding onward, the town and caftle of Caernarvon, after fome time, opened the fcene, and completed one of the moft exquifite landfcapes the eye^ever beheld. At Caernarvon I went ta the hotel, an Inn built a few years ago by the Earl of Uxbridge, upon a very large and extenfive fcale. It is an elegant ftone building, ftanding on the outfide of the town walls, a litije above the Menai, of which it com- mands 144 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. mands a fine profpect. This Inn, which* in excellence of accommodations and good- nefs of apartments, is certainly the firft in North Wales, will be found inferior to very few, even in England. The charges here, as well as at Bangor ferry, are rather high ; but when the expences of a neceffary eftablimment, only ufed for about four or five months in the year, are taken into confideration, there are very few who can, with juftice, complain of their being too great. CHAP. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 145 CHAP. VII. CAERNARVON. WALLS EXTENSIVE PROS. PECT HARBOUR CASTLE BIRTH OF EDWARD, FIRST PRINCE OF WALES PRYNNE THE BAR- RISTER PRIVILEGES SEGONTIUM ROMAN MODE OF BUILDING - BRITISH COURT - JUMPERS. CAERNARVON is, taken in the whole, by much the moft beautiful town in North Wales. It is fituated on the eaftern fide of the Menai, the ftreight that divides Anglefea from the other parts of Wales, and is a place extremely well adapted to afford a few months retreat for a thinking mind from the bufy fcenes of the world. Here an admirer of nature may bury his VOL. i. L cares 14 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. cares in contemplating the greatnefs of her works ; he will certainly, find icope enough. It's fituation, between the mountains and Anglefea, renders it a convenient place from whence travellers may with advantage be able to vifit both. It's name is properly Caer-yn-Arfon, which fignifies a fortified town in the dif- tridt oppofite to Mona or Angelfea.* The walls around the town are nearly entire, and as well as the caftle, in their external appearance, the fame as they were in the time of their founder Edward I. They are defended by a number of round towers, and have in them two principal gates, en- trances to the town. Over one of thefe is a fpacious room which is the Town hall, and in which the affemblies are frequently held. The buildings are upon the whole pretty regular, but the ftreets, as in all other an- * Ar fon, or Armon, means oppofite to Mona. tient A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 147 tient towns, are very narrow and confined. On the outfide of the walls is a broad and pleafant terrace walk along the fide of the Menai, extending from the quay to the north end of the town walls, which feemed to be the fafhionable promenade in the fine evenings for all defcriptions of people. The Court-houfe, in which the aflizes are held, and all the county bufinefs is done, ftands nearly oppofite to the caftle gates, and is within a neat little place. The Cuftom- houfe, a fmall infignificant building, is on. the outfide of the walls, and not far from the quay. From the top of the rock, behind the hotel, I had an excellent bird's-eye view of the town. From hence the caflle, and the whole of the town walls, may be feen to the greateft advantage ; and on a fine day, the lile of Anglefea, with Holyhead and Pary's Mountains, appear fpread out like a map beneath the eye. Sometimes even the L 2 far 1*8 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, far diftant mountains of Wicklow may be feen towering beyond the channel. On the other fide, towards the eaft, is a fine and varied profpedl of the Britim Alps, where Snowdon, whofe Confpicuous many a league, the mariner, Bound homeward, and in hope already there, Greets with three cheers, exulting- And the lofty Glyder are feen to far over- top the reft. Caernarvon is in the Parifh of Llanbublic, and the parifh church, dedicated to St. Pub- licius fon of the Emperor Maximus and Helena the daughter of Octavius Duke of Cornwall, is fituated about half a mile from the town. Within it I was fliewn a mar- ble monument, on which were two recum- bent figures of Sir William GryfTyd, of Penrhyn, who died in 1587, and Margaret his wife. The names and dates are at pre- fent nearly erafed from fome mifchievous perfons A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. perfons having cut them out with knives, In this church the fervice is always pen- farmed in the Welfh language ; the Eng- lifh fervice being performed in a chapel of eafe fituated in the north-weft corner of the town walls, and formerly built for the jife of the garrifon. At Caernarvon is a fmall but pretty good harbour, ufed chiefly by the vefTels which ,trade there for flates, of which many thou- fands are exported every year to different parts of the kingdom. Thefe flates are brought from the mountains of Llanberis, a village ten miles diftant. The quarries arc generally high up arnongft the rocks, and the workmen, in conveying them down from thence, are obliged, as well as one horfe before, to have another behind the carts, to prevent the whole, in fome of the dangerous fteeps in which thefe mountains abound, from being darned headlong to the Bottom, which muft fometimes inevitably L 3 be J50 A TOUR ROUND NORTH AVALKS. be the cafe without this contrivance. This feems a moft inconvenient mode of convey- ance : it appears that fledges, fimilar to thofe ufed in many parts of Weftmoreland and Cumberland for conveying flates down the mountains, would not only be lefs expen- five, but much more fafe and commodious. The entrance into Caernarvon Caftle is through a high grand gateway, over which is a figure of the royal founder grafping in his hand a dagger. In this gate, which has been otherwife remarkably ftrong, there have been no lefs than four portcullifes. The caftle is a large and irregular building, much more mattered within than from viewing it on the outfide one would be led to imagine. The towers are for the moft part octagonal, but there are three or four which have each ten fides; amongft thefe is the Eagle Tower, the largeft and by far the moft elegant in the whole building. This tower, which received its name from the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 15X the figure of an eagle yet left at the top of it, ftands at one end of the oblong court of the caftle, and has three handfome turrets ilTuing from it's top. In this tower it was that Edward, the firft Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward II. was born, on St. Mark's day, the 25th of April, 1284. Mr. Pennant * fays, that the prince was brought forth " in a little dark *' room not twelve feet long, nor eight in breadth." This aiTertion is certainly found- ed upon tradition, but I wonder very much at that gentleman's retaining the opinion, after he had once examined the place. This room has indeed had a window and a fire place in it, but has never been any thing more than a parTage-room to the other apartments, which, during the queen's ill- nefs, though nearly the moft magnificent jn the caftle, muft have been fhut up, as * Tour in Wales, II. 215. k 4 ufelefs. 152 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. ufelefs. I have no doubt whatever, but that when Edward fent for his queen from Eng- land, he provided for her a more magni- ficent and fuitable bed-room than this, which, befides being extremely inconvenient at a time like that, at the birth of an Englifli prince, rnuft, from its being fo fmall and confined, have been beyond meafure un- healthful, If the prince was born in the Eagle Tower, it mull have been in one of the large rooms, occupying in width the whole infide, in an apartment fuitable to the majefly of the heir apparent to the Eng- Km crown, and not, as the guide, who {hewed me the caftle termed it, " in fuch " a dog-hole as this." From the top of the building I was highly gratified by an extenfive view of the Ifle of Anglefea, the Menai, and the country many miles round. At the other end of the court, and oppo- fite to this tower, is a gate, called tl e Queen's A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 153 Queen's Gate, faid to be that through which the faithful Eleanor, Queen of Ed- ward I. firft entered the caftle ; it has been guarded by two portcullifes, and had once a communication with the outlide of the caftle by a draw-bridge over a deep moat. It is at prefent confiderably above the level of the ground on the outfide, owing pro- bably to the foffe having been filled up with earth from thence. The ftate apartments are larger, and have been much more commodious than any of the others. The windows have been wide and elegant. On the outfide the building is fquare ; but I was furprifed, upon going into them, to find all the rooms perfectly polygonal, the fides being formed out of the vaft thicknefs of the walls. The floors and ftairs through- out the caftle are almoft all beaten in and demolifhed. There was formerly a gallery quite round the caftle, by which, during a fiege, a com~ munication 154- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. munication could be had with the other parts without danger. On one fide this yet remains undemolimed. It was next the outer wall, and was lighted by narrow (Iks that ferved as ftations, from which, during a fiege, arrows, and other miffile weapons could be difcharged with advan- tage upon the enemy. The caftle occupies the whole weft end of the town - 3 it has been a fortrefs of great ftrength, and before the introduction of artillery was, no doubt, able to withftand for a long time the moft forcible attacks of an enemy. The exterior walls are in general about three yards in thicknefs. From its fituation and ftrength it ieems to have been well adapted to over- awe the newly acquired fubje&s of it's founder. It is bounded on one fide by the Streights of Menai ; by the Eftuary of the Seiont, exactly where it receives the tide from the former, on another; on the third, and part of the fourth fides, by a creek of the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 15!> the Menai ; and the remainder has the ap- pearance of having the infulation completed by art. From a heap of rubbim, near the end of the court oppofite to the Eagle Tower, there is an echo which repeats feveral fyl- oil*j lables moft diftindtly. There is^tlfo a iingle reverberation, and it appeared to pro- ceed from fome part of that tower. This caftle, from whatever point, or at whatever diftance it is viewed, has a ro- mantic fmgularity, and an air of dignity that commands an awe, and at the fame time pleafes the beholder. It's ivy-clad walls appear in fome parts to be going faft to decay, while in others they even yet re- tain their antient form. When one confiders that it has withftood the (hocks of more than five hundred win- ters, one almoft wonders that it has flood fo long; for wha^t is there that does not fade ? The 155 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. r The tower that long hath flood The crufli of thunder and the warring winds, Shook by the flow, but fure deftroyer Time ? Now hangs in doubtful ruins o'er its bafe ; And flinty pyramids, and walls of brafs Defcend ; the Babylonian fpires are funk, Achaia, Rome, and Egypt moulder down,. This huge rotundity we tread grows old ; And all thofe worlds that roll about the Sun, The Sun himfelf fhall die ; and antient Night Again involve the defolate abyfs, It appears probable, that the town of Caernarvon fprung from the antient Segon- tium, a Roman city, about half a mile dif- tant, and is not, as generally fuppofed, indebted to Edward I. for its name, for Caer-yn-Arfon might, with equal propriety, have been applied to the old city, as to this more modern fortrefs. The town, how- ever, was no doubt the creation of Edward, and it was moft probably formed, in a great meafure, from the ruins of the old fort. After A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 157 After this monarch had fubdued the Welm, he began to fecure his conquefls by erecting feveral ftrong holds, in different parts of Wales ; and it appearing that Caer- narvonfhire, on account of its mountains and morafles, was a county very likely to encourage infurredlions, he determined to guard as much as poffible againft fuch, by erecting there the caflles of Conwy and Caernarvon, two of the ftrongeft in the whole principality.* He began this caftle in the beginning of 1283, and completed it within that year j for on the 25th of April, in the year following, his fon Edward, the firft Prince of Wales, frequently afterwards ftiled from the event, Edward of Caernarvon, was born here.-j- Mr. Pennant, from the authority of manu- * Carte's Hiftory of England, II. 196. t Matt. Weft. 372. Speed fays, the prince was born on St. Mark's day, 1285. See his Chronicle, II. 545- fcripts 15S A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. fcripts in the poffeflion of Sir John Sebright and Sir Roger Moftyn, of Gloddaeth, fays, that it was built within the fpace of one year, by the labour of the peafants and at the coft of the chieftains of the country, on whom the conqueror had impofed that hate- ful tafk.* The revenues of the Archbi- fhopric of York, which was then vacant, were applied towards defraying the ex- pences.-f- The reafon why the Queen was brought here to bring forth the prince was, that fince the Welfh remembered but too keenly the oppreffions of the Englifh officers who, in former reigns, had been placed over them, they flatly told the king that they were determined never to yield obedience but to a prince of their own nation -, and Edward, perceiving them refolute, thought * Pennant's Tour, II. 215. t Grofe's Antiquities, VII. p. 8. it A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 159 it a neceflary policy to have her removed, though in the depth of a fevere winter, from the Englifh court, to this place, and thus, if poffible, delude them into that obe- dience which he fuppofed it might be diffi- cult to retain by mere force. By this means he, in a mort time, by afFenting to their demands for a prince of their own, reduced the whole country to his will. This place appears either to have fuffered very little from the calamities of war, or very few events have been given to pofterity. In the year 1 294, in an infurrection of the Welfh, headed by Madoc, one of the chief- tains of the country, it was fuddenly attack- ed during the fair, and after the furrender, the town was burned and all the Englifh found in the place cruelly murdered.* * Henry de Knyghton, 2502. Tho. Walfingham, 26. Holinfhed's Chronicle, II. 273. Stow's An- nals, 206. When 160 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. When and by whom this damage was re- paired, or how foon afterwards the caftle was retaken by the Englifh, is not mentioned in any of the accounts that I have feen. The firft perfon whom I find appointed by Edward to be the governor, was John de Havering, with a falary of two hundred marks, for which he was obliged to main- tain constantly, befides his own family, eighty men, fifteen of whom were to be crofs -bowmen, one chaplain, one furgeon, and one fmith; the reft were to do the duty of keepers of the gates, centinels, and other neceflary offices. In 1289, Adam de Wetenhall was ap- pointed to the fame important office. The eftablifhment for the town and caftle was as follows. The conftable of the caftle had fometimes fixty, and at other times only forty pounds per annum. The captain of the town 12. 3-r. 4^. for his annual fee; but this office was fometimes annexed to the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 161 the former, and then the falary was fixty pounds for both. The conftable and cap- tain had twenty-four foldiers allowed them for the defence of the place at the wages of fourpence a day each. Certainly this flight garrifon could only be eftablifhed for peaceful times !* In the year 1644 Caernarvon Caftle was feized by Captain Swanly for the parlia- ment, who at the fame time took four hundred prifoners and a great quantity of arms, ammunition, and pillage. -f- It muft however have been very foon afterwards retaken, for in May, 1645, I find it amongft the caflles which were fortified for the king.;}; Lord Byron was then the gover- nor, but on the caftle being befieged by * Pennant's Tour, If. 216. t Whitelock's Memorials, 87. + Rufhworth's Hiftorical Colledions, Part IV. Vol. I. p. 21. VOL. i. M General 163 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. General Mytton and General Langhorn, about a year afterwards, he furrendered it to them upon honourable terms.* In 1648 General Mytton and Colonel Mafon were befieged here by Sir John Owen, with a fmall force of a hundred and fifty horfe and a hundred and twenty foot j but Sir John having received notice that a detachment from the parliament's army, under the command of Colonel Carter and Lieutenant Colonel Twifleton, were upon their march to join Mytton, drew off his troops to attack them, and meeting them on the fands, near Llandegai, betwixt Bangor and Conwy, after a (harp engage- ment, his party was routed, about thirty of his men killed and himfelf, and about a hundred others were taken prifoners.-f* * Whitelock, 208. t Rufhworth, p*rt IV. vol. II. p. 1146. White- lock, 311. From A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 163 From this time all North Wales became fiibjecT: to the Parliament. William Prynne, the barrifter, for pub- 1 idling his book, called Hiftrio Maftyx, was fentenced by the Court of Star Cham- ber, in 1637, to pay a fine of five thou- fand pounds, to lofe the remainder of his ars, to be ftigmatized on both his cheeks with an S for fchifmatic, and to be im- prifoned in this cattle for the remainder of his life.* The former part of his fen- tence was feverely put in execution, but after a fhort confinement he was reftored to liberty, and held a feat in the Houfe of Commons till his death. The property of the cattle is, at prefent, in the crown, where it has been for near a century. 1 It was formerly held by the families of the Wynnes of Glynllivon, the Wynnes of Gwydir, the Bulkeleys of * Whitelock, 26. M 2 Baron 164 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Baron Hill in Anglefea, and the Moftyns of Gloddaeth.* The cradle of the unfortunate Edward II. is ftill prefer ved, and either is now, or was very lately, in the polTeffion of the Reverend Mr. Ball of Newland, in Glou- * Grofe's Antiquities, VII. 9. ce Her/hire; A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 153 cefterfhire. It defcended to him from one of his anceftors who .attended that prince in his infancy, and to whom it became an honorary perquisite. This fingular piece of antiquity, which I have delineated on the oppofite page, from an engraving in the Lon- don Magazine for March 1774, is made of heart of oak, whofe fimplicity of conftruc- tion, andrudenefs of workmanfhip, are vifi- ble demon fixations of the fmall progrefs that elegancy had at that time made in orna- mental decorations. On the top of the upright pofts are two figures of birds, fuppofed, by fome, to have been intended for doves, the emblems of innocency, but though thefe fomewhat refemble owls in their fhape, I conjecture them to have been intended for eagles, as the tower was called the Eagle tower, and had a figure of that bird at the top of it. The cradle itfelf is pendent on two hooks driven into the uprights, linked by two rings to two M 3 ftaples 166 A TOtTl ROUND NORTH WALES. ftaples fattened to the cradle, and by them it iwings. The fi.de s and ends of the cradle are ornamented with a great va- riety of mouldings, whofe junctions at the corners are cat off fquare without any degree of neatnefs, and the fides and ends- are fattened together by rough nails. On- each fide are three holes for the rockers. Its dimenfions are three feet two inches in length j twenty inches wide at the heady and feventeen at the foot ; one foot five inches deep, and from the bottom of the pillar to the top of the birds, it is two feet ten inches.* The town and cattle had feveral privi- leges and immunities granted to them by their founder. The moft material of thefe were, that Caernarvon mould be a free Borough, that the conttable of the eaftle * See London Magazine for March 1774, p. 135, 136. mould A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Iff? mould be the mayor for the time being, and that the burgefles might elect two bailiffs. They had likewife their own prifon for all petty tranfgreffions ; which prifon was not to be fubject to the meriff. They had alfo a merchant's guild, with this pe- culiar privilege, that if the bondfman of any perfon belonging to it dwelt within this town, having lands, and paying feat and lot for a year and a day, after that time he mould not be claimed by his lord, but mould remain free in the faid town. The inhabitants were befides exempt throughout the kingdom, from toll, laf- tage, paffage, murage, pontage, ftallage, danegelt, and from all other cuftoms and impofitions whatfoever. And by the fame charter Jews were not permitted to refide within the Borough.* They had alfo * Grofe's Antiquities, VII, p. 9. M 4 another 168 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. another privilege, which was, that - none of the burgeffes could be convicted of any crime committed between the rivers Conwy and Dyfy, unlefs by a jury of their own townfmen.* The princes of Wales had here their chancery, exchequer, andjuf- ticiary of North Wales. -f The town is at prefent governed by a mayor, one alderman, two bailiffs, a town-clerk, and two fergeants at mace. The reprefentative for the place is elected by it's burgeffes, and thofe of Conwy, Pwllheli, Nefyn, and Criccaeth. The right of voting is in every one reiident or non-refident, who has been admitted to his freedom. J * Pennant's Tour, II. 218. t Gibfon's Camden, 665. Wynne's Memoirs of the Gvvydir family, 417. ^ Pennant II. 219. who quotes Willis's Notitia Parliam. III. part I. 76. About A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 169 About half a mile fouth of Caernarvon are a few walls, the fmall remains of Be-* A' gontium,* the antient Roman city, men- tioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus, which appears to have been the principal ftation the Romans had in this country. Dinas Dinorddwig,-f- and all the others being only fubordinate ftations. The Roman road from Dinas Dinlle to Segontium, and from thence to Dinas Dinorddwig, is, in fome places, ftill vifible. * Called alfo by the Welfli Caer Cujleint, the fort of Conftantine, and Caer Segont, the fort on the river Seiont. t The following is a copy of an infcription, fup- pofed to be Roman, dug up not along ago near this place, H L IMP QTRO DECIO I SA . . ER Segontiurn 170 A TOTTR ROUND NORTH WALES. Segontium received it's name from the river Seiont,* which runs from the lower kke at Llanberis, pafTes under the walls, and difcharges itfelf into the Menai, .near the caftle of Caernarvon. It has been of an oblong form, and formerly occupied about fix acres of ground. It is now divided into two parts by the road |vhich leads to Beddgelert. Not far from hence is the antient fort which belonged to it; this is alfo of an oblong figure, and contains about an acre of ground. The walls are at prefent about eleven feet high and iix in thicknefs, and at each corner there has formerly been a tower. The Romans formed their walls in a manner much different from what we do now -, they firfl placed the ftones in order one upon another, generally in two courfes, the one regular and the other in \ s * Cough's Camd. II. 548. a zigzag A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 171 4 a zigzag fafhion, and then poured boiling mortar upon them, which, from it's flu- idity, infmuated itfelf into the many open- ings and hollows of the work, and thereby> from it's ftrength, bound the irregular pieces of ftone frequently ufed, into a firm and folid wall. In making the mortar they mingled fand with the lime, unre- fined by the fkreen, and charged with all it's gravel and pebbles, and even fome of the mortar, on breaking it, has been found tempered with pounded brick. The mor>- tar ufed in thefe walls has acquired from time almoft the hardnefs of ftone. Along the walls are three parallel rows of circular holes, each nearly three inches in diameter, which pafs through the whole thicknefs j and at the end are others fimi- lar. There has been much learned con- jecture as to the defign of thefe holes, fome have fuppofed them to have been ufed for difeharging arrows through at the enemy, 1*72 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. enemy, but from their length and nar~ rownefs it is impoffible that this mould ever have been the cafe. Others have thought that they might have been left in the walls to admit air, in order to harden the liquid cement that was poured in ; but this cannot have been fo, fince there are fuch at Salifbury that appear to have been clofed with {tone at the ends, and others have been found even below the natural furface of the ground at Manchefter. Mr. Whitaker,* in his hifbry of Manchefter, fays, that he by chance met with one that was accidentally laid open from end to end, which he thought difclofed the defign of all the reft, and which he fuppofes to have been this : that as the Romans carried their ramparts upwards, they took off from the prefTure of the parts below, and gave a greater ftrength to the whole by turning * Second edition, vol. I. p. 47. little A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 173 little arches in their work, and fixing the reft of the wall upon them. At Segon- tium this appears to me to have been by no means the cafe, for the holes are too fmall, and at by far too great a diftance from each other to have been of any ma- terial ufe in taking off from the weight: and for my own part, if I may be allowed i a conjecture, merely from their external appearance, I mould be inclined to fup- pofe, notwithftanding the circumftance of their being faid to be found below the natural furface of the ground at Manchef- ter, that they were made for no other purpofe than merely to place in them poles for refling the fcaffolding upon, ufed in conftrudting the walls, and they may probably have been left unfilled up in order to admit the air into the interior of the work, or for fome other purpofe, with which I am not acquainted. I am more inclined to this conjecture, fince they are all 17* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALKS. all parallel, and the rows at a proper diftance above each other to admit the men to work. Mr. Pennant fays, the holes at the end feem to run through the wall lengthways; thefe, I fhould think, may go fix or eight feet in the wall, but there js no reafon whatever to fuppofe they ever went through. Camden * fays, that this was the Setan~ twrum Portits of Ptolemy, but Mr, Whit- aker,-f- with much greater propriety, fixes that at the Neb of the Nefe, a high pro- montory of land in the river Ribble, about eight miles weft of Prefton, in Lancafhire, Matthew of WeftminfterJ informs us, that the body of Conftantius, the father of Conftantine the Great, was difcovered here in the year 1283, and honourably * II. 798. t Hiftory of Manchefter, I. 180. 182. P. 371. See alfo Leland's Colle&anea de rebus Brilannicus, vol. II. p. 46, 346, and 404. interred A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 175 interred in the neighbouring church, mean- ing, I mould fuppofe, that of Llanbublic. How the body of Conftantius carne to be interred here I know not, for even the fame author, in the former part of his work, relates that he died at York.* Helena, daughter of Oftavius, Duke of Cornwall, and mother of Publicius, who was born at Segontium, and to whom the church is dedicated, is faid to have built there a chapel, which the learned Row- lands tells us was in being in his days.-]- Cadwallo, the Prince of Wales from 365 to 376, on account of the Ifle of An- glefea being infefted with the Irifh and Piclifh Rovers, removed the Britim Court from Aberffraw, where it had been placed * Conftantius, vir fummae magnitudinis Eboraci in Britannia diem claufit extremum. Matt. Weftm. 130. And fee Holinfhed's Chronicle, I. 63. t Mona ami^ua reftaurata, 165. about 116 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. about two hundred years before by Cafwal- lon, law hir to Segontium, or, as the Welfli called it, Caer Segont, where it remained about a century, till affairs becoming more fettled in Anglefea, it was reftored to the ifland by Roderic Mawr, Roderic the Greaf, where it afterwards continued during all the time of the Britifh princes.* Whilft I was at Caernarvon, I was in- duced from curiofity, to attend fome of the meetings of a curious kind or branch of Calviniftical methodifls, who from cer- tain enthufiaftic extravagancies, which they exhibit, are denominated 'Jumpers. I will defcribe them from an account of one of their own countrymen, as my own obfer- vations did not lead me to be fo minute as he has been. " They perfuade themfelves '* that they are involuntarily acted upon by * fome divine impulfe; and becoming in- * Rowland's Mona antiqua, 149. 172. toxicated A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 177 *' toxicated with this imagined inspiration, *' they utter their rapture and their triumph " with fuch wildnefs and incoherence " with fuch gefticulation and vociferation, " as fet all reafon and decorum at defiance. " This prefumption feized chiefly the young *' and fanguine, and, as it feems, like hyf- " teric affections, partly fpreading through " the crowd by fympathy; its operations " and effects varying according to the dif- " ferent degrees of conftitutional tempe- " rament, mock all defcription. Among " their preachers, who are alfo very vari- " ous in character, (illiterate and conceited " or well meaning and fenfible or, too " frequently I fear, crafty and hypocritical) " fome are more diflinguimed by their fuc- ** cefs in exciting thzfejiravaganzaf. One *' of thefe, after beginning perhaps in a " lower voice, in more broken and detached " fentences, rifes by degrees to a great- VOL. i. N f( er 175 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. " er vehemence of tone and geilure, which (s often fwells into a bellowing, as grating " to the ear as the attendant distortions " are difgufting to the fight of a rational " man. In the early part he is accompa- <( nied only by lighs and occaiional moans* " with here and there a note of approbation ; " which after a while are fucceeded by " whinings and exclamations; till, at " length one among the crowd, wrought " up to a pitch of ecftacy, which it is fup- " pofcd will permit no longer to be fup- " prefled, (tarts and commences the jump- " ing; ufing at intervals fome expreflions " of praife or of triumph* The word " moft generally adopted is <( gogomant"* " (S^ or y*) Between thefe exclamations, " while labouring with the fubjecl:, is emit- " ted from the throat a harm undulating * Thefe preachings are altogether in the Welfh language. " found, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. rfe c< found, which by the profane has been " compared to a ftone-cutter's faw. The " conclufion, which I am almoft afhamed " to defcribe, has more the appearance of ce heathen orgies, than of the rational fer- " vour of chriftian devotion. The phren- " fy fpreads among the multitude 5 for in " fact a kind of religious phrenfy appears '* to feize them. To any obfervations made " to them they feem infenfible. Men and " women indifcriminately, cry and laugh, " jump and iing, with the wildefl extrava- " gance. That their drefs becomes deranged " or the hair dime vel*d, is no longer an object " of attention. And their raptures continue, " till, fpent with fatigue of mind and body, " the women are frequently carried out in *' a ftate of apparent infenfibility. Inthefe " fcenes indeed the youthful part of the " congregation are principally concerned ; *' the more elderly generally contenting N 2 " themfelves 180 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. " themfelves with admiring, with devout " gratitude, what they deem the opera* " tions of the fpirit." Their exertions are fo great at thefe times, that the hardeft la- bour they could be put to, would not fo much wafte their animal fpirits, or weary their limbs, as two hours fpent in this reli- gious fury. Were their meetings feven times a week, inflead of once or twice, I am confident that the ftrongeft conftitution could bear it but a very ihort time. Befides thefe they have their general meetings, which are held once or twice in a year, at Caernarvon, Pwllheli, and other places in rotation. At thefe they fome- times alTemble fo many as five or fix thou- fand people. They hold their general meeting at Caernarvon in the open air upon the green, near the cattle; and not content- ed with their enthufiaftic extravagancies upon the fpot, many of the people, from the PA TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 181 the country, have been known to continue them for three or four miles of their road home.* * The following is an extract from a Letter infert- ed in the Gentleman's Magazine for September, 1799. p. 741. It is dated from Denbigh, and has the fignature W. M. B. " What renders this feet par- " ticularly dangerous is, that the preachers are in " general inftruments of Jacobinifm, fent into this * country to difleminate their doctrines; and I af- " fure you, that Paine 's Works, and other books of " the like tendency have been tranjlated into Weljk* " and, Jecretly diftributed about by the leaders of this tf fett. Thefe are fafts which may be depended on, " and which are well known to many in this coun- " try as well as to myfelf." Such is the zeal which the enemies of our country exhibit in difTeminating their poifonous principles into the minds of the illi- terate and vulgar, who unable to fee through their mallow artifices, are frequently I fear too eafily led into their wicked defigns. N -i CHAP. 1SQ A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. CHAP. VIII. EXCURSION FROM CAERNARVON TO LLANBERIS. - VALE OF LLANBERIS PICTURESQUE SCE- NERY ROAD LAKES DOLBADARN CASTLE WATERFALL COPPER MINE VILLAGE-INHA- BITANTS PUBLIC HOUSES CHURCH WELL- CURATE CAMDEN'S DESCRIPTION OF CAER- NARVONSHIREMARGARET UCH EVAN GLY- DER VAWR LLYN Y CWN EXTENSIVE VIEW GLYDER BACH CWM IDWEL TULL DU LLYN IDWEL PLANTS ROMANTIC PASS NEAR LLAN- BERIS. '"T^HE road from Caernarvon to Llan- beris, the church of St. Peris, a vil- lage, about ten miles eaft of it, was, for the moil part, rugged and unpleafant, lying for nearly half the way over a flat and barren country 5 and beyond that, as far as the firfl 'or lower lake, over mountains which, affording no varied profpefts, were ftill dull and uninteresting, But A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. *63 But when I had pafTed thefe, and was arrived in the vale of Llanberis,* the fcene which prefented itfelf was fo truly grand that I do not recollect one equal to it, even in the moft romantic parts of Weftmoreland or Cumberland. It re- minded me moft ftrongly of the fcenery about Ulfwater ; but this, though much lefs extenlive, is ftill more picturefque. The bold and prominent rocks which af- cend almof^ immediately from the edges of the lakes, and tower into the fky, caft a pleafing gloom upon the whole land- fcape. The more diftant mountains of the vale embofoming the mofs-grown vil- lage, with the meadowy flat around it, are feen retiring in lines crofling each other behind in the moft picturefque manner pomble, whilft the intermediate fpace, * This vale is alfo called Nant Beris, the hollow >f Peris. N 4 betwixt 184 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. betwixt the village and the obferver, is filled up with a {mall lake, whofe waters reflecting the mountains which bound it, contract their fombre hue, and render the fcene ftill more interefting. I could al- moft have fancied that nature untamed bore here an uninterrupted fway amidft the gloom and grandeur of thefe dreary rocks, had not the filence been, at intervals, in- terrupted by the loud blafts from the neighbouring copper mine, which rolled like diftant thunder along the atmofphere. In my walk to this place, I met feveral women and boys upon the road, who were coming from the mountains with horfes, fome laden with peat, almoft the only kind of fuel ufed by the middle and lower clafs of people in Caernarvonshire, and others with heath, or as it is here called, Grug, which the bakers make ufe of in heating their ovens. Thefe they take from a dif- tance of frequently more than fix miles, to fell A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 185 fell at Caernarvon, where they in general receive about fixpenee for each horfe load. In thefe journies, I have almoft always ob- ferved that the women employ themfelves in knitting, which makes fome fmall addi- tion to their miferable and hard-earned pittance. There is no carriage road from Caer- narvon nearer to Llanberis than the bottom of the lower lake, which is not quite half way; the road from thence being nothing more than a horfe path, and one of the worft I ever faw. The beft mode for thofe who are not able to walk fo far, is to go on horfeback or in carriages, as far as the lake, from whence they may be conveyed, in boats, to the waterfall, the old caftle, or the village. I found every part about this romantic fpot fo extremely interefling that I moft flrenuoufly advife all perfons who vifit Caernarvon, to prolong their rout by coming here. There are no difficulties encoun- W6 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. encountered but what the fcenery will ^mply make up far. A perfon may ride all the way on horfeback, but for the laft three pr four mile's the road is fo very bad that it would be juft as eafy to walk, There are in the vale of Llanberis, which is ftraight and nearly of an equal breadth throughout, two fmall lakes or rather pools; for their fize will fcarcely admit of the former appellation. The upper pool is about a mile in length* an4 fomething leis than half a mile over, arid the other, though rather longer, is fo very narrow that it has much more the appear^ ance of a wide river than a lake. Thefe are feparated by a fmall neck of land, but have a communication by a flream which runs Betwixt them. In thefe pools the fim called char ufed formerly to be taken, but owing to the copper-works carried on here, thefe have all been long fmce deftroyed* On A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 187 On a rocky eminence betwixt the two, Hands an old building called Dolbadarn Caftle j it confifts now of a round tower, twenty- fix feet in diameter within, and fome few {battered remains of the walls and offices, which have once occupied the fum- mit of the fleep. It is called Caflell Dol- badarn, or, the caftle of Padarns meadow, on account of it's having been erected on the verge of a piece of ground, called Pa- darn's meadow, fuppofed to have been the place to which an holy recluie of that name retired from the world, to enjoy here meditation and folitude. Juft thus in woods and folitary caves The antient hermits liv'd, but they liv'd happy ; And in their quiet contemplations found More real comforts, than focieties Of men could yield, than cities could afford^ Or all the luftres that a court could give. There are feveral churches in Wales dedicated to this Britifh faint. This 188 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. This caftle, from it's conftrudtion is evi- dently of Britim origin, and Mr. Rowlands* feems to have been of opinion, that it was in exiftence fo early as the fixth century, for it ;s one of the forts which he mentions as being about $hat time in the poffeffion of Maelgwn Gwypedd^ Prince of North Wales, and his fon Rhun ap A/Jaelgwn, during their contentions with the Saxon,s. It was built, no doubt, to defend the nar-r row pafs through the vale into the interior of the mountains, and from it's fituatjon, feems to }iave been capable of affording perfect fecurity to two or three hundred perfons in cafe of an emergency. In this caflle Owen Goch was confined for more than twenty years, for having joined in a rebellion againft his brother Llewelyn ap Jorwerth, the laft Prince of Wales. It feems to have been long in ruins, for in * Mona antiqua reflaurata, 149, Le- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 189 Leland's time, he fays, there was only " a piece of a tower" left.* Mr. Warrington -\- fuppofes that this was antiently called Bere Caftle, J which fome of the hiftorians relate to have been in Caernarvon (hire, and feated in the midft of a morafs, inacceffible but by a finglecaufeway, and not to be approached but through the narrow and rugged defiles between the mountains. This, at that time, the ftrong- eft caflle the Welm poflefled, was taken in 1283, by the Earl of Pembroke, after a flight refiftance. A little to the fouth of the caftle is a tremendous cataract, called Caunant mawr, * " Dolbadarn is on a rock betwixt two linnys. " There is yetapece of a (sure, where Owen Gough, *' brother to Lluelin, laft Prince, was yn prifon." Leland's Itin. V. 44. t "Hiftory of Wales, 517. See alfo Carte's Hif- tory of England, II. 194, who quotes Chron. T, Wikes and Annal. Trivet. -A corruption probably of Peris or Berts Caflle. the J 100 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. the waterfall of the great chafm, the height of which is upwards of lixty feet. It is formed by a mountain ftream, which rufhes through a narrow opening in the rock, and is precipitated with a thundering noife.into the deep black pool below. At fome diftance beyond the caftle, and near the edge of the upper pool, is a copper mine belonging to a company of proprie- tors, who refide at Macclesfield. Thefe works are very inconfiderable, not having more than forty or fifty hands employed in them. The village of Llanberis is romantic in the extreme ; it is fituated in a narrow gralTy dell, furrounded by immenfe rocks, whofe fummits, cloud-capped, are but fel- dom vifible to the inhabitants from below. Except two tolerable houfes in the vale, one belonging to Mr. Jones, the agent to the copper mine, and the other, which is on the fide of the lake, oppofite to Dolbadarn caflle, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 19i caftle, belonging to the agent to the Hate quarries ; the whole village confifts but of $Wfc cottages, apparently the moft miferable. They are in general conftructed of a haly kind of ftone, with which the country abounds, and with but juft fb much lime as to keep out the keenefl of the mountain blafts. The windows are all very fmall, and in addition to this, by far the greater part of them, with having been formerly broken, are blocked up with boards, leav- ing only three or four panes of glafs, and affording fcarcely fufficient light within to render even " darknefs vifible." Here I might have expected to find a race of men, who, fubject to the inconveniences, with- out participating in the benefits of civil fociety, were in a ftate little fhort of mi- fery. Thefe men, it might again be fup- pofed, in this fecluded place, with diffi- culty contriving to keep up an exiflence, would be cheerlefs as their own mountains, fhrowded 192 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALKS'. fhrowded in mow and clouds ; but I found them not fo, they were happier in their mofs-grown coverings, than millions in more exalted ftations of life ; here I truly found that Tho* poor the peafant's hut, his feafts tho' fmall, He fees his little lot, the lot of all ; Sees no contiguous palace rear it's head, To fhame the meannefs of his humble fhed ; No coftly lord the fumptuous banquet deal, To make him loath his vegetable meal ; But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil, Each with contracting fits him to the foil. Cheerful at morn he wakes from fhort repofe, Breathes the keen air, and carols as he goes. At night, returning, every labour fped," He fits him down the monarch of a fhed. There are two houfes in this village, at which the wearied traveller may take fuch poor refrefhments as the place affords. One of thefe belongs to John Clofe, a grey- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 193 grey-headed old man, who, though born and brought up in the north of Yorkfhire, having occafion to come into Wales when he was quite a youth, preferred this to his, Yorkshire home, and has refided here ever fince. The other houfe is kept by the parim clerk, who may be employed as a guide over any part of the adjacent country. I found him well acquainted with the mountains, and a much more intelligent man than guides in general are. He does not fpeak Englifh wejl, but his civility and attention were a fufficient compenfation for that defect. Neither of thefe places afford a bed, nor any thing better than bread, butter, and cheefe, and perhaps, eggs and bacon. As I was one day fitting to my ruflic fare, in the former of thefe houfes, I could not help remarking the oddnefs of the group, all at the fame time, and in the fame room, enjoying their different repafts. VOL. i O At IS* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. At one table was feated the family of the houfe, conlifting of the hoft, his wife, and their fon and daughter, eating their bread and milk, the common food of the la- bouring people here j a large overgrown old fow making a noife, neither, very low nor very mufical, whilft ihe was devour- ing her dinner from a pail placed for her by the daughter, was in one corner, and I was eating my bread and butter, with an appetite fteeled again ft niceties by the keennefs of the mountain air, at a table, covered with a dirty napkin, in the other corner. This fcene, however, induced me ever afterwards, in my excurfions to this place, to bring with me refremments from Caernarvon, and enjoy my dinner in quiet in the open air. But excepting in this fingle inftance, I did not find the houfe worfe than I had any reafon to ex- pect in fuch a place as this. The accom- modations in the clerk's houfe are poor, but A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 195 but the inhabitants feemed very clean and decent people. The church of Llanberis, which is der dicated to St. Peris, a cardinal, miflioned from Rome as a Legate to this illand, who is faid to have fettled and died at this place, is, without exception, the moil ill- looking place of wormip I ever beheld. The firft time I vifited the village, I ab- folutely miftook it for an antient cottage, for even the bell turret was fo overgrown with ivy as to bear as much the appearance of a weather-beaten chimney as any thing elfe, and the long grafs in the church yard completely hid the few grave flones therein from the view. I thought it indeed a cot- tage larger than the reft, and it was fome- time before I could reconcile to myfelf that it was a church. Here is yet to be feen the Well of the Saint, inclofed within a fquare wall, but I met with no fybil, who, as Mr. Pennant relates, could divine Q 2 my 196 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, my fortune by the appearance or non-ap- pearance of a little fim which lurks in fome of it's holes. The curate I faw, and was introduced to ; he refides in a mean-looking cottage not far diftant, which feemed to confifl of but few other rooms than a kitchen and bed room, the latter of which ferved alfo for his fludy. When I firft faw him he was employed in reading in an old volume of fermons. His drefs was fome what fin- gular - y he had on a blue coat, which had long been worn threadbare, a pair of an- tique corderoy breeches and a black waift- coat, and round his head he wore a blue handkerchief. His library might have been the fame that Hurdis has defcribed in the Village Curate. Yon half-a-dozen fhelves fupport, vail weight, The curate's library. There marfhall'd ftand, Sages and heroes, modern and antique: He, their commander, like the vanquifhed fiend, Out- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 197 Out-caft of heav'n, oft thro' their armed files, Darts an experienced eye, and feels his heart, Diftend with pride, to be their only chief: Yet needs he not the tedious mufter-roll, The title-page of each well-known, his name, And charader. From the exterior of the cottage, it feemed but the habitation of mifery, but the fmiles of the good man were fuch as would render even mifery itfelf cheerful. His falary is about forty pounds, on which, with his little farm, he contrives to fup- port himfelf, his wife, and a horfe, and with this flender pittance he appeared per- fe&ly contented and comfortable. His wife was not at home, but from a wheel which I obferved in the kitchen, I con- jectured that her time was employed in fpinning wool. The account I had from fome of the parimioners of his character was, that he was a man refpected and be- loved by all, and that his chief attention O 3 was 158 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. was occupied in doing fuch good as his circumftances would afford to his fellow creatures. I venerate the man whofe heart is warm, Whofe hands are pure, whofe dodrine and whofe life Coincident, exhibit lucid proof That he is honeft in the facred caufe. To fuch I render more than mere refpeft, Whofe alions fay that they refpedl themfelves. The vale of Llanberis was formerly al- moft covered with wood, but of this, there is at prefent, but little left, except a few faplings from the old roots, which only ferve to remind us of the greater want of the reft. Within the memory of perfons now living, there were great woods of oak in different places about thefe mountains,, Leland,* who wrote in the reign of Henry * Itin. V. 42, VIII, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 199 VIII. fays, " The beft wood of Cairnar- " vonfhire is by Glinne Kledder (Glyn " LlwydawJ and by Glin Lhughy (Glyn " LfygivyJ, and by Capel Kiryk (Cape I " Curig), and at Llanperis." In the time of Howel Dha, Howe! the good, who was made Prince of Wales in the year 94.0, the whole country muft have been nearly covered with wood, for it is ordered in the Welm laws, founded by him, that " whoever cleared away timber from any " land without the confent of the owner, " he mould, for five years, have a right " to the land fo cleared -, and after that " time it mould return again to the S owner."* Thefe mountains alfo for- merly abounded in deer,-)* which even continued * Wotton's Leges Wallica?. t In hac (Merioneth) et Arvonia cervorum et ca- prearum maxima in excehls montibus cernitur mul- titude. Hum. Lhwyd's Comment. 54. Leland O4 in 200 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. continued in great quantities till much later than the reign of Henry VIII. but after the ufe of fire arms became general, they were foon all deflroyed. Camden,* fpeaking of the romantic parts of Caernarvonfhire, fays " Nature " has reared groups of mountains, as if fhe " meant here to bind the ifland fail to the " bowels of the earth, and make a fafe " retreat for the Britons in time of war. " For here are fo many crags and rocks, " fo many woody vallies rendered impafli- " ble by fo many lakes, that the lighter! " troops, much lefs an army, could never in his Itinerary, vol. V. p. 43, fays, " Cairarvon- " fhire, aboute the fhore, hath reafonable good " corne, as about a mile upland from the fhore " outo Cairarvon. Then more upwarde be Eryri " hills, and in them ys very litle corne, except " oats in fome places, and a litle barley, but " fcantly rye : if there were the deer would deftroy //." * Cough's Camden, III. 548. find A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 201 ** find their way among them. Thefe " mountains may truly be called the Bri- " tim Alps j for befides that they are the *' higheft in the whole ifland, they are " like the Alps, befpread with broken *' crags on every fide, all furrpunding *' one, which towering far above the reft " in the centre, lifts it's head fo loftily as " if it meant not only to threaten, but to " thruft it into the iky." Near the end of the lower lake at Llan- beris, there formerly lived a celebrated perfonage, called Margaret ucb Evan, who died a few years fince at the great age of about 105, me was the laft fpe- cimen of the ftrength and fpirit of the antient Britiih fair. " This extraordi- " nary female was the greateft hunter, " fhooter, and fifher of her time; me *' kept a dozen at leaft of dogs, terriers, " greyhounds, and ipaniels, all excellent " in their kinds. She killed more foxes " in 202 A TOUR ROUND NQRTri WALES. ' in one year than all the confederate ' hunts do in ten ; rowed ftoutly, and " was queen of the lake; fiddled excel- ** lently, and knew all the old Britifh " mufic; did not neglect the mechanic *' arts, for flic was a good joiner : and at *' the age of feventy, was the beft wreftler * in the country, and few young men " dared to try a fall with her. Some * c years ago fhe had a maid of congenial *** qualities; but death, that mighty hun- *' ter, at laft earthed this faithful compa- ** nion of hers. Margaret was alfo black- *' fmith, fhoe- maker, boat-builder, and /~\ " maker of harps. She (hoe her own " horfes, made her own fhoes, and built '* her own boats, while fhe was under '* contract to convey the copper ore down " the lakes. All the neighbouring bards " paid their addrelTes to Margaret, and " celebrated her exploits in pure Britifh *' verfe. At length me gave her hand to " the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 203 " the moft effeminate of her admirers, as ** if predetermined to maintain the fupe- *' riority which nature has beftowed on her."* Accompanied by the parifli clerk as a guide, I afcended the lofty and almoft per- pendicular mountain on the north-eaft fide of the village, called Glyder vawr, the great Glyder. The afcent I found much more fteep and tirefome than I afterwards found that to the fummit of Snowdon. The path all the way was rocky, and in many places very wet and flippery: but little inconveniences of this kind the tra- veller, amongft the mountains, from their frequent occurrence, will foon learn to bear with. On the left of the afcent were pointed out to me, at fome diftance, two * This account of Margaret uch Evan is ex- trailed from Mr. Pennant's Tour, II. 166, 167. high 20* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. * high mountains, called Llyder Vawr and Llyder Vack, the greater and leffer Llyder. Glyder Vawr is the loftieft of all the. Caernarvonfhire mountains, except Snow~ don, and in a flat, almoft furrounded by rocks, about three-fourths of the diftance to the fummit, we came to a fmall pool, A called Llyn y Cwn, the pool of the dogs. This alpine lake is mentioned in the Iti- nerary of Giraldus Cambreniis,* as contain- ing a fingular kind of trout, perch, and Eels, which were all monocular, each wanting a left eye. This account has in general, been looked upon as fabulous; and Speed ^ thus deridingly fpeaks of it : " Thefe matters are out of my creed; " yet I think the reader had better be- " lieve them, than go to fee whether it " be fo or not." But the Honourable * Gir. Camb. Itin. Cambria, Lib. II. cap. 9. p. 872. -t Theatre of Great Brit. Dames A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 205 Daines Barrington, in a paper on Cam- brian fifh, inferted in the Philofophical Tranfa&ions for 1767, afferts, that on accurate enquiry he had heard of a mono- cular trout being taken within the memory of perfons then living. At prefent I be- Jieve the pool is entirely deftitute of fifh of every defcription. From the fummit of Glyder is a grand and unbounded profpect; on one fide, the immenfe mountains of Caernarvon- fhire and Merionethfhire, appeared with their prominent and towering precipices in fuch rude order, that they feemed ** the " fragments of a Shattered world;" thefe were interfered by the green meadowy vales and deep glens which were feen to wind amongft them. On the other fide, towards the town of Caernarvon, I had the entire Jfle of Anglefea furrounded by the fea, and at a great diftance, the Ifle of Man re- fembling a faintly formed cloud. Whilft the 20S A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. the intervening fpace betwixt myfelf and the fea, was filled up by the varied fcenery of mountain and vale, plentifully inter- iperfed with lakes and ftreams. At a little diftance, north- eaft of this mountain, but with a deep hollow inter- vening, is Glyder Bach, the lejjer Glyder, of which Mr. Pennant * has given the following fmgular account, " The area " of the fummit was covered with groups " of columnar ftones of vaft fize, from " ten to thirty feet long, lying in all di- *' rections ; moft of them were of co- *< lumnar form, often piled on one an? " other ; in other places, half creel:, flop- '* ing down, and fupported by others, " which lie, without any order, at their " bafes. The tops are frequently crowned " in the ftrangeft manner with other ftones " lying on them horizontally. One was * Tour in Wales, II. 1 60. " about A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 207 " about twenty-five feet long and fix *' broad : I climbed up,*' fays this Gen- tleman, " and on ilamping it with my " foot, felt a ilrong tremulous motion from " end to end. Another, eleven feet long " and fix in circumference in the thinneft " part, was poifed fo nicely on the point " of a rock, that to appearance the touch " of a child would overfet it. A third " enormous mafs had the property of a " rocking ftone. " Many of the Hones had bedded in " them fhellsj and in their neighbour- " hood I found feveral pieces of lava. I " would therefore confider this moun- " tain to have been a fort of wreck of " nature, formed and flung up by Ibme " mighty internal convulfion, which has " given thefe vaft groups of flones for- *' tuitoufly fuch a ftrange difpofition ; for " had they been the fettled ilrata bared f of their earth by a long feries of rains, " they 208 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. " they would have retained the fame re~ " gular appearance that we obferve in all *' other beds of limilar matter.'* From my ilation on Glyder vawr ? the guide alfo pointed out to me, at the dif r tance of four or five miles towards the j north, and beyond the deep hollows of Nant Francon and Cwm Idwal, the two lofty mountains, Carnedd David and Car- nedd Llewelyn ; the latter chiefly noted on account of fome uncommon plants that grow near it's fummit. Having fufficiently enjoyed the nume- rous entertaining objects which prefented themfelves to me from this elevated fitu- tion, I defcended to Llyn y Cwn ; and proceeding about three quarters of a mile along the flat in which it is iituated, came at length to an immenfe precipice above a hundred yards in perpendicular height, which forms one fide of the dreadful hol- low that inclofes the black waters of Llyn Idwal. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 209 Idwal. This hollow, furrounded on all lides by black and prominent rocks, is called Cwm Idwal, on account of it's having been the place where Nefydd Hardd, for fome reafon, not known, caufed his fon Dunawt to murder Idwal, the fon of Owen Gwynedd, a young prince, who had been entrufted to his care and pro- tection.* It is a fit place to infpire mur- derous thoughts * The fhepherds believe, it to be the haunt of daemons, and that no bird dare fly over it's damned water, fatal as that of Avernus. Knowing thefe facts, and {landing on the brink of the gloomy vale, I could almoft have per- fuaded myfelf that I had feen & The {heet fpe&re rifing from the gloom, Point at the murderer's ftab, and fhudder by. * See an account of the Fifteen Tribes of North Wales in the Cambrian Regifter, I. p. 149, VOL. i. P I de- 210 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. I defcended along the broken rocks on one fide of this precipice, to a great depth into the hollow, and turning amongft the larger mafTes that lay in rude heaps, rather more than half way down, where the defcent began to be more gradual, I ar- rived at the foot of a moft tremendous \ chafm in the mountain, called Tull du, the black cleft. A more fublime fcene the pencil, even of Salvator Rofa, could not have traced. Here the flream, that runs from Llyn y Cwn, is feen rolling from the top> and broken in it's defcent by a hundred interrupting rocks. But in addition to this, there had been much rain the day before I was here, and the accumulated volume of water ruming in 3 vaft cataraft, from the aftonifhing height of a hundred and fifty yards, In one impetuous torrent down the fteep, Now thundering (hot, and (hook the country round. Amongft A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 211 Amongft the rocks, at the bottom* I ob- fcrved a number of circular holes of dif- ferent fizes, from a few inches in dia- meter to two feet or upwards, which have been formed by the eddy of the torrent from above. Thefe hollows are frequently called by the Welfh people, Devil's pots, and from this circumftance, the place itfelf is fometimes called the Devil's kit* chen. From this place I now defcended to Llyn Idwal, but found near this lake but little recompenfe for my trouble. The, fcenery around was gloomy and difmal, but afforded nothing of landfcape beauty. Tull du from hence appeared merely a cleft in the rock, without any thing re- markable about it, for it's great height diminimes it here almoft to nothing. Had I firft feen it from hence I by no means think I ihould have had the curiofity to P 2 'clamber 212 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. clamber up to it, for the afcent is very fteep and rocky* With fome trouble I retraced the road I had come, and after a while arrived once more at the place from whence I had be- gun the defcent, and thence I proceeded to the upper part of the horrid chafm which I had before viewed with fuch fublime pleafure from below. Near this place I had been taught to expect that I mould meet with a great number of uncommon plants ; and I was not dif- appointed, for I this day found within a very fmall fpace of ground, no fewer than the following : Plantago maritima Lobelia dortmanna ParnaJJia palujlris Statice ar- meria Rumex digynus Vaccinium myrtil- lus Chryfojplenium oppojitifolium Saxi- fraga Jldlaris Saxifraga nivatis Saxi- Jraga palmata Saxifraga oppofitifolia Sax- ifraga hypnoides Silene acaulis Ar.enaria And two varieties which have been taken A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 213 taken by Englifh botanifts for Arenarm jumperlna and Arenaria lauclfolia of Lin- nasus, but thefe, according to Dr. Smith, have not hitherto been found in England. Rubus faxatilis tfbcdiftrum alptnum Tba- liffirum minus Subularla Aquatic a Coch- learla officinalis *Cochlearla groenlandlca of Withering* Hieracium alpinum Gnapha- Hum dloicum Empetrum nigrum Rhodiola rofea juniper us communis (var. 2. Moun- tain dwarf Juniper tree) Lycopodmm Jela- ginoides Lycopodiumfelago Lycopodium al- plnum Ifoetes lacuftris Pteris crifpa Af- plenium viride Polypodium phegopteris, and Polypodium fragile. What a treat for a botaniil ! * This I have been informed, by Dr. Smith, is not C. Groenlandlca of Linnasus, but only a variety of C. OfficinaHs, Dr. Hull fays, when it is culti- vated in a rich foil, it becomes C. Officinalis, but if kept confined in a pot, retains it's diminutive fize. Brltljh Flora, p. 482. 21* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. In a fecond vifit that I made to Llan- beris, I went through the curious and ro- mantic pafs, leading from thence by the village of Capel Curig to Llanrwft. This pafs is betwixt three and four miles in length, and in fome places not more than fifty or fixty yards wide. The rocks on each fide are of a tremendous height, in fome places nearly perpendicular, and in others overhanging their bafes many yards. Sometimes the road winds quite under the precipices, and the impending rocks, def- titute of vegetation, render the fcene in the higheft degree romantic. In few places has Nature been more grand in her works than in this vale, which towers infinitely above all the pigmy works of art. About two miles from Llanberis there is a huge fragment of rock, once probably loofened from the majeftic heights above, under which is a confiderable cavity where a poor woman for many years refided during the A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 215 the fummer feafon, in order to tend and milk her fheep and cows. The fummit of the afcent, which is very gradual, is called Gorphwysfa, or the refting place. A good road might, I think, be made without much expence from Caernarvon by Llanberis, and through this pafs to Llanrwft. This would be fhorter than the prefent road by Conwy and Bangor by at leaft ten miles, and would have all the additional attractions of the mod ro- mantic fcenery. The walk from Llanberis back again to Caernarvon, I found much more pleafing than the dull mountain profpects the other way. I had from all the eminences an extenfive view of Anglefea towards Beau- maris and Prieflholme, and to the left the fine old caftle of Caernarvon appeared with all it's fplendid towers rinng above the hills. P 4 CHAP. 216 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. CHAP. IX. EXCURSION FROM CAERNARVON TO THE SUM- MIT OF SNOWDON. - INSTRUCTIONS >-,CLOG- WYN DU'R ARDDU HEIGHT NAME MR. PEN- NANT's DESCRIPTION NATURAL PRODUCTIONS LAKES PLANTS WELL INCREDIBLE STORY OF GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS SUN NOT APPEAR- ING TO RISE FROM THE SEA ROYAL FOREST BRITISH PARNASSUS MORE INSTRUCTIONS SCHEME FOR AN INN NEAR DOLBADARN. nPHE diftance of the fummit of Snow- don from Caernarvon, is rather more than ten miles, and from Dolbadarn Cattle, in the vale of Llanberis, the afcent is fo gradual, that a perfon mounted on a little Welfh poney may, without any great diffi- r culty, ride up very nearly to the top. The traveller muft go from Caernarvon to Dolbadarn Caftle, and then turning tq the right, go by the waterfall, Caunant JVlawr* A TOUR HOUND NORTH WALES. 217 , up the mountain to a vale called Cwm Brwynog, and proceeding along the ridge, fouth weft of, and immediately over the vale of Llanberis, he will come within fight of a black, and almoft perpendicular rock, with a fmall lake at it's bottom, called Clogwyn Du'r Arddu. This he will leave about a quarter of a mile on his right, and then afcending the fteep called Llech- wedd y Re, he muft direct his courfe fouth weft to the Well (a place fufficiently known by the guides) from whence he will find it about a mile to the higheft peak of Snow- don, called Yr Wyddfa, the confpicuous. Having conducted the traveller to the fummit of this celebrated mountain, I will now proceed to follow him myfelf. I went from the caftle to Cwm Brwy-. nog, but inftead of taking the route I have here prefcribed, I wandered to the foot of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, to fearch for fome plants, which are mentioned by Llwyd and Ray, 218 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Ray, as growing on that rock. A clergy- man of the neighbourhood, who was fo obliging as to accompany me in this and feveral other rambles amongft thefe moun- tains, formed the wild idea of attempting to climb apparently up the face of the precipice, and I, eager in my purfuit, did not object to the adventure. We began our laborious tafk without once reflecting on the many dangers that might attend it. For a fhort time we got on without much difficulty, but we were foon obliged to have recourfe to our hands and knees, and clam- ber thus from one crag to another. Every flep now required the greatefl care, for even the mere laying hold of a loofe ftone might have proved fatal. I had once taken hold of a piece of the rock, and was about to truft my whole weight upon it* when it loofened from it's bed, and I ihould have been fent headlong to the bot- tom had I not inflinctively fnatched hold of A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 219 of a tuft of grafs, which grew clofe by it, and was fo firm as to fave me. When we had afcended a little more than half-way, I was much afraid we mould have been doomed to return, on account of the mafles of rock over which we had to climb, be- ginning to increafe in fize ; we knew, however, that a defcent would have been attended with infinite danger, and being urged on partly by eagernefs in our pur- fuit, but more from a defire to be at the top, we determined to brave every diffi- culty. This we did, for in about an hour and a quarter from the time of our begin- ning the afcent, we found ourfelves on the top of this dreadful precipice, and in pof- feflion of fome very uncommon plants which we had picked up during our walk. I can fcarcely defcribe what my fenfa- tions were, when upon arriving here my companion pointed out to me the fummit of Snowdon, at the difknce of only about a mile 220 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. mile and a half from us, and from it's great elevation appearing but little more than half a mile diftant. I was fo much cheered with the light, that I proceeded from hence with a degree of fpirit and alacrity that I certainly mould not have enjoyed, had it not been from the remembrance of the dangers we had pafled, and the knowledge that thefe were at an end. This circum- fiance reminded me, very forcibly, of the jftory of the Pedlar, who in order to have fome relief from the conftant and weari- fome burthen of his pack, hit upon the odd expedient of tying a large flone upon it. This, when he became much fatigued, he threw off, and found then the lightnefs of his burthen, when compared to the double weight before, anfwered every pur- pofe he wanted. It was exactly thus with me, for after all the fagging work, I had juft had to get up Clogwyn du'r Arddu, I found afcending to the fummit of Snowdon quite A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 22i quite light and eafy ; but had I gone along the regular track, I have no doubt that I mould have fancied my felf much more wea- ried than I now really felt. The perpendicular height of Snowdon, is, according to the late admeafurements, one thoufand one hundred and ninety yards (not quite three quarters of a mile) from the level of the fea. It rifes to a mere point, it's fummit being not more than three or four yards in diameter. Round this, a circular wall has been built by fome well- difpofed perfon, probably fbme one of the fhepherds, who "fend their flocks in thefe mountains, which is found of the greateft ufe to travellers, to fit upon and enjoy the grand profpects around. This mountain was by the Saxons firil called Snowdon, as this word is evidently derived from their language, and fignifies a fnowy hill, or a bill covered with fnow. The Welfh calf all this clutter of mountains, by J22 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WAtES. by the general name of Creigiau yr Eryril, the fnowy cliffs* from the Britifli words Craig a rock, and Eira fnow. The higher! point is Yr Wyddfa, the confpicuoiis. All the mountains that go under the above de- nomination, lie in the county of Caernar- von, for Leland,* who went over this country in the reign of Henry VIII. under the royal commirTion, fays, tf no part of " Merionethmire lyeth in Crege Ery ; fa ** that though that (hire be mountainous, " yet is all Cregery in Caernarvonshire." Mr. Pennant's -f- defcription of this mountain is fo extremely accurate and ex- premve, that inftead of my own obferva- tions, I will give that in his words. " The " mountain from the fummit," fays this gentleman, " feems propped by four but- *' treffes; between which, are four deep * Itin. V. 40* t Tour inWalesII, 171. 172. 173. " Cwms A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 223 " Cwms or hollows ; each, excepting one, " had one or more lakes lodged in it's dif- " tant bottom. The neareft was Ffyn* " non Lias, or the Green well, lying imme- " diately below us. One of the company " had the curiofity to defcend a very bad ' way to a jutting rock, that impended " over the monftrous precipice; and he " feemed like Mercury ready to take his " flight from the fummit of Atlas. The " waters of Ffynon Lias, from this height, " appeared black and unfathomable, and " the edges quite green. From thence is ** a fucceffion of bottoms, furrounded by " the moft lofty and rugged hills, the " greateft part of whofe fides are quite " mural, and form the moft magnificent * c amphitheatre in nature. The Wyddfa " is on one fide; Crib y Bijlill,* with it's " ferrated * This rock is called alfo Crib y Ddifcil. The hollow betwixt this and Crib Coch is called Bwlch y Saethau, 224 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. " ferrated tops, on another; Crib Cochj & " ridge of fiery rednefs/ appears beneath " the preceding; and oppoiite to it, is the " boundary called the Llechwedd. Ano- " ther very ftngular fupport to this moun-- " tain is y Clawdd Cocb 9 fifing into a fharp " ridge, fo narrow as not to afford even < " breadth for a path*-}-" " The view from this exalted lituation " is unbounded. I faw from it, the county " of Chefter, the high hills of Yorkfhire, " part of the North of England, Scotland, " and Ireland; a plain view of the Ifle of ** Man, and that of Anglefea, lay extended " like a map beneath us, with every rill y Saethau, the Gap of the arrows, where tradition re- lates, that the hunters ufed formerly to conceal themfelves, in order to Ihoot flags, or any other wild animals that pafled by. t There is a foot path along this narrow ridge, over which the guide from Beddgelert always con- dudls perfons who afcend the mountain from that place. vifible. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 225 t? vifible. I took much pains to fee this " profpecl: to advantage; fat up at a farm "on the weft, till about twelve, and " walked up the whole way. The night " was remarkably fine and {tarry; to- " wards morn the ftars faded away,* and " left a fhort interval of darknefs, which " foon difperfed by the dawn of day. " The body\)f the fun appearing moft dif- " tinft, with the rotundity of the moon " before it, arofe high enough to render " it's beams too brilliant for our fight. " The fea, which bounded the weftern " part, was gilt by it's beams, at firft in " (lender ftreaks, but at length it glowed " with rednefs. The profpect was difclofed " to us, like the gradual drawing up of '* a curtain in a theatre. We faw more * By this expreffion, I prefume Mr. P. means, that they were hidden from the fight by intervening clouds. VOL. I. " and 226 A tOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, " and more till the heat became fo power- " ful, as to attract the mitts from the vari- " ous lakes, which in a flight degree, ob- " fcured the profpecl:. The (hadow of the " mountain was flung many miles, and " mewed it's bicapitated form ; the Wyddfa " making one, Crib y Diftill the other " head. I counted this time between " twenty and thirty lakes, either in this " county or Merionethihire. The day " proved fo exceffively hot, that the jour- " ney coft me the fkin of the lower part " of my face, before I reached the refting " place, after the fatigue of the morning." At another time, when this gentleman was on Snowdon, he fays, " A vaft mift " enveloped the whole circuit of the " mountain. The profpecl: down was " horrible. It gave an idea of numbers " of abyfles, concealed by a thick fmoke " furioufly circulating around us; very " often a guft of wind formed an opening " in A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALE& M M in the clouds, which gave a fine and dife c< tinct vifto of lake and valley* Some* ** times they opened only in one place $ at " others in many, at once exhibiting a " moft ftrange and perplexing fight of " water, fields, rocks, or chafms> in fifty *' different places. They then clofed ill " at once, and left us involved in dark- " nefs; in a fmall fpace they would fepa- " rate again, and flie in wild eddies round " the middle of the mountains, and expofe ** in parts, both tops and bafes* clear to " our view. We defcended from this " various fcene with great reluctance; but '* before we reached our horfes, a thunder " ftorm overtook us$ its rolling among " the mountains was inexpreflibly awful ^ *' the rain uncommonly heavy; we re- " mounted our horfes, and gained the bot- *' torn with great hazard. The little rills* " which on our afcent, trickled along the Qj2 " gullied 228 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALKS, " gullies on the fides of the mountains, " were now fwelled into torrents; and we " and our fleeds pafTed with the utmoft " rifque of being fwept away by thefe fud- " den waters. At length we arrived fafe, " yet fufficiently wet, and weary, to our " former quarters." " The {lone that compofes this, and in- " deed the greateft part of Snowdonia, is " exceffively hard. Large coarfe cryflals " are often found in the fifTures, and very " frequently cubic piritce, the ufual atten- ** dants on alpine traces. Thefe are alfo " frequented by the rock ouzel, a moun- " tainous bird, and fome of the lakes are *' flocked with char and gwyniads, alpine " fim." The chief wild animals of thefe regions are foxes. The following lines, from the Gentle- man's Magazine, * on this mountain, are fo Written by Mifs Locke. energetic A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 22$ energetic and full of beauty, that I could not refift the temptation of tranfcribing them in this place. Snowdon, I wifti not thou (hould'ft ftand array'd In the full blaze of fummer's gaudy noon ; In gloominefs thy grandeur is difplay'd, And congregated clouds thy brow adorn. Thy genius thron'd on his aerial feat, While fierce conflicting elements engage, Hears the loud thunder burft beneath his feet, And fcouls defiance on their feeble rage. Snowdon, on thee with favage pleafure fraught, Whilft fancy rul'd with wonder have I gaz'd, Travers'd thy dangers in excurfive thought, And fhrunk from terrors I myfelf had rais'd. How oft I've fancied on the craggy fteep, Striving in vain to heights like thefe to rife, Contending with misfortune, oft I weep, Though fix'd on earth, afpiring to the Ikies. The principal lakes vifible from the fummit of Snowdon, are, on the eaft, Ffynon S30 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, Ffynon Las, the green well; and Llipydaw, the dufky pool. At fome tance beyond thefe are the Capel Curig pools-, on the weft, Llyn Cocb, the red j. * ' ., s pool; Llyn y Nadrodd, the adder's pool; Llyn G/ds, the blue pool; and Llyn Ffyn- non y Givds, the fervant's pool ; and beyond thefe again, are Llyn C welly n- f Llyn Cader, Llyn y Dyiyarchen, and Llynian Nantlle, The parts of Snowdon, on which the uncommon alpine plants are chiefly to be found, are the eafl and north-earl; fides, which form a range of rocks, called Clog- wyn y Garnedd. Thefe abound in fteeps, which render them, at all times, rather dangerous to fearch, but in particular, after rain, more than at other times, as the rocks become then fo flippery, that the footing is rendered very uniafe. It is a fingular fad:, that near the top of Snowdon, is a Ipring of fine clear and well- tailed water, which I underfland is feldom, increafed A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES 231 increafed or diminimed in quantity, either in winter or fummer. From it's very ele- vated iituation, it is the coldeft I ever recoi- led to have tailed. Mofl^of the old writers, who have had occafion to mention this mountain, aiTert that it is covered with fnow all the year round ; but this is by no means true, for this, as well as all the other mountains of Wales, ^ ate generally entirely deftitute of fnow from the beginning of June till about the latter end of October, at which time it commonly begins to fall. Giraldus Cambrenfis,* moil incredibly relates, that an eagle ufed to frequent this mountain, at certain periods, in expectation of war, that he might glut his appetite on bodies of the flain, and that in fharpening his beak he made a large hole in one parti- cular flone on which he always perched, * Itin. Camb. Syl. Gir. Camb. Lib. II. c. 9. The 232 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. The fummit of Snowdon is fo frequently enveloped in clouds and mift, that except when the weather is perfectly fine and fettled, the traveller through this country will find it rather rare to get a day fuffi- ciently clear to permit him to afcend the hill. When the wind blows from the weft, it is almoft always completely covered. And at other times, even when the day feems very favourable, it will, from it's great height and it's attraction of the clouds, fometimes become enveloped on a fudden, and remain in that ftate for feveral hours : For my own part, I think it much more interefting when the clouds juft cover the fummit, for at thefe times, from their fud- denly breaking and clofing, the moft fub^ lime and pleafing ideas are excited. It has been faid, and very generally believed, that from the top of this moun- tain the fun is feen to rife from the fea. Many travellers have gone up in the even- ings, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 2SS ings, but owing to the atmofphere being generally clouded about that time, I never heard but of one or two, befides Mr. Pennant, who had been fo lucky as to fee it rife at all ; and thofe who have feen it, have found, that they had been muled in fuppofmg it to emerge from the water. The mere infpeclion of the map of Eng- land, is quite fufficient to fatisfy any per- fon of the folly of fuch a fuppoiition j for if the fun is feen to rife from the fea, from the top of Snowdon, it mufl either rife from a point more wefterly than the weft coaft of England, or otherwife, fome part of the German ocean muft be vifible from hence, which I believe no one will contend to be poflible. Snowdon was formerly a royal foreft, and warrants were iffued for the killing of the deer, but thefe were all extirpated be- fore the year 1626.* * Pennant's Tour II. 175. who quotes Gwydir MSS. This 23* A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES: This mountain, held as facred by the antient Britons, was their Parnajfus. They have a proverb extant at this day, that ** whoever Jleeps on Snowdon, will awake " either a poet or a madman ;' ' probably arifing from their conceiving, that upon a perfon's awaking in this elevated region, the ftupendous objects around, which fb fud- denly prefent themfelves to him, muft either infpire him with the furor poeticus or Aiioen> as the Welm term it, or otherwife muft deprive him of his fenfes. Many tourifts have put themfelves to great trouble, in reprefenting the almofl Innumerable difficulties, which they pre- tend to have encountered in their journeys up this mountain. To provide againft thefe pretended difficulties, one recom- mends a flrong flick with a fpike in the end, as a thing abfolutely neceffary. Ano- ther advifes, that the foles of the fhoes ihould be fet round with large nails - } and a third A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 235 a third inveighs againft attempting fo ar- duous and fo difficult an undertaking in boots. I can only fay, that I think to have nails in the fhoes, and to take a flick may be both ufeful in their way, but if a perfon is in good health and fpirits, he will find that he can do very well without ei- ther. I mould recommend to the travel- ler, to take fufficient time ; to be upon the journey by five or fix o'clock in the morn- ing, when the fun has not yet got much power, and when the air is cool and re- frefhing. The chief thing required, is a little labour, which by going gently along will be rendered very eaiy. There is alfo another advantage in having plenty of time, by frequently flopping to refl himfelf he will be enabled to enjoy the different diftant profpects, as they rife above the mountains, and to obferve how the objects around him gradually change in SSS A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. in their appearance as he rifes higher and higher. It will he always neceflary to take a guide, and fome kind of provifions for refrefhment; for the traveller up this mountain will certainly find the want of fuch, before he returns. A fmall quantity of fpirits will alfo be found ufeful, as fpirits are not only much more pleafant in thefe cold alpine regions, but as there is always plenty of water to be had, they are more portable than any kind of liquor which will not bear dilution, A late tourift,* without any real founda- tion for the aflertion, remarks, that a very fmall quantity of any powerful liquor, in thefe etherial regions, is fufficient to intox- icate : that the guide who attended him, * The Rev. Richard Warner, of Bath, who publifhcd about two years ago, a Walk through Wales. men- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 23T mentioned his having nearly fallen from one of the precipices himfelf, in confe- quence of drinking a glafs of brandy; and that, during the fummer preceding that in which he was in Wales, one of a party of gentlemen, from London, had been fo af* fected, by the fame quantity taken on the fummit of Snowdon, that he actually got a fevere tumble, which though not fatal, produced fome painful bruifes. Left any of the readers of tha. prefent work, from having read this account, may be induced from the dread of accidents, fimilar to thefe, to negledt taking along with them that kind of refreshment, which, in my opinion, is necefTary towards rendering themfelves comfortable in thefe cold regions, it is incumbent on me, to inform them, that the writer of the account has very much miftaken the fad:. By the advice of the clergyman, who attended me iu this and my other mountain excurfions, we 238 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. we always took along with us a pint of brandy, the whole of which we ufed to drink, without experiencing even the flighteft degree of intoxication. And he has frequently remarked to me, that ftrong li- quors would, by no means, v intoxicate a perfon fo foon upon the mountains, as they would below. After I had feen Mr. Warner's account, I was at Beddgelert, and enquired of Wil- liam Lloyd, the fchoolmafter there, who had attended him as guide, and from whom he faid he received the information, as to the truth of it. The man told me, that he certainly recolledled having informed Mr* Warner, that it was a very dangerous thing for a perfon to be intoxicated upon the mountains, the truth of which is fuf- fkiently evident. But fo far was this man from thinking, that a fingle glafs of fpirits would produce any ill effects, that I was fometime afterwards one in a party of five, wheu A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 259 when he advifed a bottle of rum to be taken along with us, which we finifhed without any one being in the leaft the worfe for it. The track I have laid down for the Tra- veller, at the beginning of this chapter, from Dolbadarn Caftle to the fummit of Snow- *, don, is upon the whole, very good, lying "\ in general, over ground covered with turf, and not having a fourth part of the rocks that any of the other roads have. Having iince I went this journey been no lefs than feven different ways, to and from the top of Snowdon, I am enabled to fay, that this is by far the moft eafy and agreeable, being neither fo fteep, rocky, or dangerous as any of the others. I do not fuppofe it poffible, that from any other place a perfon can ride to the top, on account of the great number of pointed rocks which intercept the road. Mr. Warner, in his Walk through Wales, feems to have entertained a different opi- nion : for fpeaking of a Farm in Gwynant, beyond 240 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. beyond Beddgelert, he fays, that the father of the prefent tenant, who attended con- flantly the market at Caernarvon, in order to avoid a route, rather circuitous by the turnpike road, conftantly croffed the moun- tain by the track, which he had purfued. Thus the poor fellow, in order to avoid a circuitous route, ufed to crofs over the higheft peak of the mountain, and go by Polbadarn Caftle (the way he went) to Caernarvon; by this means going near twenty miles inftead of fourteen, by the re- gular road; certainly not an Englifh me- thod of avoiding a circuitous route. The fa& was, that he went up a hollow, near which his houfe flood, called Cwm Llan, croffed over the foot of Snowdon, and came inte the turnpike road, leading from Caernarvon to Beddgelert, not far from Llyn G welly n, that he might fave a more circuitous track down Gwynant and round by Beddgelert. It would have been utterly impracticable for A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 241 for him, on account of the huge mafles of rock, which are in different places fcattered up and down, if he had defired ever fo to crofs from Cwm Llan immediately over Snowdon to Dolbadarn. I mould think Mr. Afhton Smith, who is, I underftand, the owner of much land about Llanberis, might find it a profitable, certainly an ufeful fpeculation, to build a fmall comfortable Inn fomewhere near Dolbadarn caftle. Perhaps, to repair the caftle itfelf for this purpofe, and place fome out-houfes near it, would be found the leaft expenfive mode of doing it. The advan- tages would be very great. Being fituated in the heart of the mountains, the botani- cal traveller, the mineralogift, and the ar- tift, would be all induced to refort to it as a fituation exactly fuited to each of their occupations. Nor would the traveller on pleafure, find lefs inducements than they. From hence Glyder, and the mountains around it, on one fide of the vale, and VOL. i, R Snow- 242 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. Snowdon * and his companions, on the other, can certainly be vifited, with greater eafe and advantage than from any A place whatever. The Vale of Llanberis, the village, and the romantic pafs where the rocks rife, almoft perpendicularly, from each fide of the road, for betwixt three and four miles beyond it, the cataract, the caf- tle, and the lakes have each a feparate claim upon the Traveller's attention. The only ferious objection that can be made againft it, is, that as part of the prefent road from Caernarvon is fo wretchedly bad, the expence of repairing that, to make it a tolerably good carriage road, would be very great. This is certainly true > but when all the advantages of building a houfe in this very eligible fituation are counterba- lanced with that, I am confident that every objection will be completely done away. * The diftance of Dolbadarn from the fummit of Snowdon is not quite four miles and a half ; from Beddgelert it is fix miles. CHAP, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 243 CHAP. X. EXCURSION TO THE SUMMIT OF SNOWDON FROM LLANBERIS. FFYNNON FRECH LLYN LLWYDAW LLYN GLAS ROMANTIC SCENERY ANOTHER EXCURSION FROMBETTWS BWLCH CWM BRWYNOG LLYN FYNNON Y GWAS. TN this excurfion to the fummit of Snow- don, I proceeded about a mile beyond Llanberis, and croffing the brook that runs into the pool, afcended the fteep high mountains on the right. After fome fatigue, for the fun fhone bright, and the reflection from the rocks was very pow- erful, we arrived at the top of the firft range of rocks which overlook the vale I had left. In a hollow on thefe moun- tains I came to a pool called Ffynnon Freeh, the f pot ted well. This pool is in- L- ferior in fize even to Llyn y Cwm near Glyder, but the botanift will find that R 2 it 244 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. it contains as many rare plants as that. Here I found Subularia aquatica, Ifoctes Lacuftrisy and Lobelia dortmanna, growing in fuch abundance as almofl to cover the whole of the bottom. From hence I continued my journey up another fleep, and from it's top faw two other pools in a vale a great depth below me on the other lide of it, one of / f^/'^i thefe was called Llyn Llwydaw, the dufky pool, and the other, much fmaller, Llyn -// c y Cwm Glas, the blue pool in the hollow. 6 - f we may imagine that they^chofe places where they -found, or made where fuch were not ready to their hands, fmall mounts of firm and folid earth for an inclined plane, flatted and levelled at the top. Up the Hoping fides of thefe they might, with great wooden levers upon fixed fulcrums, and with balances at the ends of them to receive into them proportionable weights, and with hands fufficient to guide and ma- nage the engine, by little and little, heave and roll up to the top the ftones they in- tended to ereft. Laying thefe down there, they might dig holes in that earth at the end of every flone intended for a column or 266 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. or fupporter, the depth of which holes was to be equal to the length of the ftones ; and then, which with their levers could eaiily be done, the ftones might be raifed on end and let flip into thefe holes. Thefe being now well clofed about with earth, and their tops being made level with the top of the mount, the other, flat ftones to place upon them, might now be rolled up in the fame manner as the others, and it was only placing thefe incumbent flat ftones on the tops of the fupporters, pro- perly poifed and faftened, and cutting away the earth from between them, almoft to the bottom, and there would then appear what are called ftonehenge, roljfrick, and the Britifh cromlech; and where there was no incumbent ftonej, the upright co- lumns and pillars, which we now fee re- maining in many parts of the kingdom. This is the eafieft and moft natural method that can be imagined for the erection of thofe A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 267 thofe flupendous monuments of antiquity, and it appears very probable that this was the method ufed by the Britiih mechanics, who from their early communication with the Egyptians and Phoenicians, probably obtained their mechanical knowledge from thefe great mailers of fcience.* Befides the two cromleche I have men- tioned, I found nothing deferving of par- ticular notice either in the houfe or grounds at Plas Newydd, except the fituation, which is indeed beautiful. The houfe, an ele- gant building, {lands upon the bank of the Menai, almoil furrounded by woods, and commands an elegant picturefque and ex- tenfive profped: of thofe Britiih alps, the mountains of Caernarvonmire. I left this place, and purfued my route along the great Irifh road towards Holy- * Jfctnvland's Moiw Antiq. Reft. p. 95, 96. head. 268 A TO^R ROUND NORTH WALES. head. About five>*miles from Gwyndy I palled through a pretty little village, called Llangefui, romantically feated in a vale, with much wood about it. X I flept at Gwyndy, the ivine houfe y an Inn flanding by itfelf at equal diftances from Bangor and Holy head. At this houfe I believe the be ft of accommodations may be had, but being frequented by all per- fons going to or from Ireland, it is fre- quently fo full of company as to be found unpleafant to all parties. When I was here I was unlucky enough to be only juft in time to fecure the laft fpare bed, but being pretty well tired I was glad to be in pofTeflion even of that, bad as it was. I can fcarcely give an opinion, except on the authority of others, refpe&ing this houfe, for when all were fo extremely bu- fied I, a lone traveller, received, as I could have expected, but little attention. In A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 269 In the morning I proceeded towards Holyhead,* diftant about thirteen miles. This place, betides Holyhead, is called Caer Gybi, the fort of Gybi, from it's having been the relidence of Gybi, fon of Solo- mon, Duke of Cornwall, and pupil of Hi- larius, Bifhop of Poitiers. Being confe^ crated a bimop for his diftinguifhed zeal againft the Arians, he fettled here about the year 380, where he is faid to have founded a fmall monaftry.-|- This town is fituated in an ifland at the extreme point of Anglefea, but the dividing channel, except when the tide is in, is ge- nerally paflable without boats. It has lately been rendered more populous from it's having been, for fome years paft, the place of chief refort for paflengers to and * So called, fays Holinflied, from the number of holy men that were interred there. See his Chro- nicle. t Tanner's Notitia Monaftica, from 2?a A TOUK RCttJND ICORTH WALES. from Ireland. The diftance from hence to Dublin is about twenty leagues, which the packets generally make in twelve hours. They have been known to perform it in fix, and in ftormy weather they have on the contrary been kept at' fea for two or three days. The paiTage from Holy head is much fhorter, and always looked upon as far lefs dangerous than from either Li- verpool or Parkgate. The church yard is on a rock clofe above the fea ; it is a quadrangle of about two hundred and feventy feet by a hundred and thirty. Three fides are inclofed by flrong high walls, and the fourth nearly open to the fea, having only a parapet, which is defended by fteep rocks. It is afferted by fome writers, that this church-yard was a place fortified about the year 450, by Caf- wallon, law hir, Cafwallon the long handed, fon of Eneon Urdd, King of Cumberland, and Prince of North Wales. This prince had A TOtTR ROUND NORTH WALES. 271 had been fent by his father to rid the coun- X try of Sirigi, a chieftain of the Irifh Pi&s, who having a fhort time before landed in Anglefea, and routed the inhabitants, was about to fettle there. He was attacked at this place, near which he had fecured his fleet, and the young and heroic prince flew him with his own hand, and routing his forces, drove them entirely out of the ifland.* Mr. Pennant -j- is of opinion, from the mafonry of the walls, that it claims a far higher antiquity than the above : he thinks it has been a Roman fort. The church, which is dedicated to St. Gybi, is a handfome embattled edifice, built in the form of a crofs, and is fuppofed to have been once a college, but the name * Rowland's Mona Antiqua Reft. p. 147. Carte's Hiftory of England, I. 187. t Tour in Wales, II. 277. Of 272 A TOUR HOUND NORTH WALES. of it's founder is not known.* It was founded before 1291, becaufe it is rated in the Lincoln taxation. The number of prebendaries is not known ; there were at leaft twelve, that number being mentioned in the Penfion Lift in 1533. The reve- nues at the difTolution were valued at twenty-four pounds.-)- This college was granted in the yth of James I. to Francis Morris and Francis Phillips. It afterwards became the property of Rice Gwynne, Efq. who, in 1648, beftowed on Jefus College, Oxford, the great tythes for the mainte- nance of two fellows and two fcholars,J and fince that time the parim has been ferved by a curate nominated by the college, * Mr. Pennant from the Hiftory of Anglefea, p. 29. fays " Maelgwyn Gwynedd, who began his " reign in 580, is faid to have founded a college " here." i Tanner's Notitia MonafUca. J Tanner's Notitia. Holinflied A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 213 Holinfhed relates a circumftance refpecl:- ing Holyhead, which I have been able to find in no other author. His words are : " Herein I marvel not a little, wherein " women had offended that they might not " come thither, or at leaft wife return " from thence, without fome notable re- " proach or fhame unto their bodies."* This was in the reign of William Rufus, when the Irifh and Welfh had joined their forces againft the Englifh ; but from whence Holinmed had his authority, or what could be the reafon why the women were fo abufed> I am equally ignorant. Though Holyhead is much reforted to by company to and from Ireland, it pof- fefles very few attractions for the traveller on pleafure. The ifland on which it ftands, is feven or eight miles long, and in it's fides ftrangely indented. It is in general * Holinfhed's Chronicle, I. 36. VOL. i, T moun- 27* A TOUR ROUN 7 t> NORTH WALES. mountainous and rocky, and inhabited by various fpecies of fca fowl that breed upon the fleeps, which, towards the fea, are in many places very high. A number of crofs-roads, fufficiently difagreeable, brought me from Holyhead to Amlwch, near the lake,* a fmall market town, about a mile from which is Mynydd Parys, the Parys Mountain, that inex- hauftible mine of copper, a mine of wealth to all concerned in it. It was on Saturday, the market day, when I got to Amlwch, and the inn was crowded with miners, who were come to receive their pay and purchafe victuals for the week, fo that it was with fome difficulty I could get any thing to eat. This was not owing to any in- civility of the perfons at the inn, but * This loch or lake, from which the town takes it's name, was fituated betwixt the church and the port; but being drained, it was converted into a corn field, in which capacity it yet remains. merely A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 275 N merely to their being fo bufied - t for I af- terwards found the houfe much better than I expected in what I had fuppofed, but without foundation, fo obfcure a place. Amlwch is on the fea coaft, and is a fmall place, where much buiinefs is done. It is chiefly fupported by the copper mines, and is, I underfland, in a great meafure, inhabited by miners and other perfons, who have fome concern in them. The church, dedicated to Elaeth, a faint of the Britim calendar, is a neat modern ilru&ure. Not far from this place is the port, from whence the ore brought from the mines is tranf- ported to Liverpool and Swanfea. This, though fmall, is extremely well adapted to the bufinefs of exportation. It is a chafm between two rocks, running far into the land, and fufficiently large to re- ceive thirty veflels of two hundred tons burthen each. This was firft made at the expence of the copper companies, for the convenience of their Shipping. T 2 CHAP, A TOUR ROUND NORTH ;WALES; CHAP. XII. FROM AMLWCH BY BEAUMARIS TO CAERNAR- VON. COPPER MINES LLANELIAN SUPER- STITIOUS CUSTOM BEAUMARIS CASTLE BAY LA VAN SANDS LLANVAES BATTLE PEN- MON WELL AND CROSS- PRIESTHOLME PUF- FINS YNYS LIGOD. HPHE diftance from Amlwch to the An- glefea coppermines, is very little more than a mile, and I prevailed upon one of the miners, an intelligent man, who could fpeak Engliih, to walk with me there. Having afcended to the fummit of the mountain, I found myfelf flanding on the verge of a vaft tremendous chafm, which the miners call an open caft. This I en- tered, and when, at the bottom, the mag- ged arches and overhanging rocks, which Teemed to threaten annihilation to any one who was daring enough to approach them, fixed A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 277 fixed 'me almoft motionlefs to the fpot. The roofs of the work having in many parts fallen in, have left fome of the rudeft fcenes imagination can paint, and the ful- phureous fmell arifing from the kilns in which the ore is roafted, made it feem to me like the veftibule to Tartarus. Hac inter Elyfium nobis; at lasva malorum Exercet poenas, et ad impia Tartarus mittit. Virg. 'Tis here in different paths the way divides, The right to Pluto's golden palace guides; The left to that unhappy region tends, Which to the depth of Tartarus defcends; The feat of night profound, and punifli'd fiends. The mountain, owing to the fulphureous fumes from the works, is fo entirely def- titute of every kind of vegetable produc- tion for above half a mile on every fide, that there is not in that fpace fo much as T 3 even 278 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. even a lichen to be found.* I was almoft fuffocated the whole time I was in the mines, and a day or two afterwards, when on my way to Beaumaris, the wind blow- ing over the mountain, I found the fumes extremely difagreeable at the diftance of at leaft a mile from the works, fo powerful is this poifonous vapour. I was much fur- prized to fee the miners appear fo health- ful as they do. Their complexions are in general fomewhat fallow, but certainly lefs fo than I could have fuppofed it pofiible, considering the kind of employment they are engaged in for near twelve hours every day. * Since this account was written, I have been informed, that the proprietors and agents of the mines have made vaft and expenfive improvements in agriculture in this neighbourhood, and that they entertain hopes that they can ftiil cultivate the mountain. Here A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, 272 Here are two mines which join upon each other. Of thefe Lord Uxbridge is pofleffed of one half, and the other is be- twixt the Reverend Edward Hughes of Kinmael, near St. Afaph, and Thomas Williams, Efq. of Llanedan, the member for Great Marlow in Buckinghamfhire. The latter proprietor holds his (hare upon leafe from Lord Uxbridge, which expiring foon, Mr. Hughes and his Lordmip will then become the fole proprietors. There have been various conjectures as to the etymology of Mynydd Parys, the Parys mountain. Some fay that it was an- tiently called Mynydd Pres, the brafs A" mountain, others Mynydd Parhous, the durable or inexbaujiible mountain -, and again, pthers that it had it's name from Judge Paris, who married a female of the family of Penrhyn in Caernarvonfhire, An in- telligent friend of mine, an inhabitant of t|ie neighbourhood, feems to think, that T 4 as 2SO A TOtJR ROUND NORTH WALES. as it is yet called Mynydd Tryfglwyn, the v 7 D NORTH WALES. habitable, and formed part of Caernarvon- fhire, they had a bridge acrofs the channel, by which they had a communication with that country. And they yet pretend to mew the remains of an antient caufeway, which, they fay, was made from this ifland to the foot of Penmaen bach, near Conwy, for the convenience of perfons who ufed to vifit this place, held in former times in moft fuperftitious veneration.* Prieftholme, from the beginning of April to the beginning of Auguft, is inhabited by immenfe numbers of different kinds of fea fowl, but in particular by that rare fpecies, called Puffin Auk, the Alca Arftica of Linnasus. Thefe are birds of paffage, and annually refort hither to breed, and one part of the ifland appears at times to be almoft covered with them. They form burrows in the ground, and lay in them one white egg, which is generally hatched in the beginning of July. They are fo * Gough's Camden, III. 697. affectionate A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 309 affectionate to their young, that if they are laid hold of by the wings they will give themfelves the moft cruel bites on any part of their body that they can reach, as if actuated by defpair ; and when releafed, inftead of flying away, they will often hurry again into their burrows. The noife they make when caught is horrible, and not unlike the efforts of a dumb man to fpeak. The time of their remigration is about the eleventh of Auguft. Their food is fprats or fea weeds, which makes them exceffively rank, but the young, when pic- kled and preferved by fpices, are by fome people much admired. They do not breed till their third year, and they are faid to change their bills annually. The chan- nel betwixt Prieflholme and Anglefea is celebrated for producing feveral very un- common fpecies of fifli.* There * This account of the Puffin I have extra&ed from Mr. Pennant: his knowledge of Britifh zoo- X 3 logy 310 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. * There are to the weft of Prieftholme three iflands, each called Ynys Lygod, the Moufe I/land ; and it appears to me that Giraldus Cambrenfis * has miftaken the name of this, whoa in calling it Ynys Lygod, and faying, that in antient times when pofTeiTed by Reclufes, who had left the world to enjoy here religious folitude, whenever the inhabitants quarrelled with each other, they were immediately plagued with fwarms of mice, which always quitted them as foon as they had laid afide their animofities. logy is well known, and the authenticity of his in- formation from the Rev. Mr. Davies of Aber, who formerly refided at Beaumaris, no one can doubt. I thought it too curious and interefling a fubjecl to be paffed over in filence, and my information could not have been drawn from a more authentic fource. * Itin. Camb. Auft. Sylv. Gir. Cambr. Lib. II. c, 6, p. 868, CHAP, A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 311 CHAP. XIII. FROM CAERNARVON BY CAPELCURIGTO LLAN- Niffjfr 1 RWST. LLANDDINIOLEN ANTIENT FORT LORD PENRHYN's SLATE QUARRIES NANT FRANGON RUDE LANDSCAPE FALLING OF A ROCK Y TRIVAEN LLYN OGWEN CAPEL CU- RIG VALE NEW INN DOLWYDDELAN CAS- TLE FEUDS VILLAGE PONT Y PAIR WATER- FALL ON THE LLUGWY VALE OF LLANRWST GWYDIR WOODS NEW ROAD. r I "'HE Gentleman who had accompanied me in moft of my rambles amongft the mountains of Caernarvonshire, went with me in my excurlion to Llanrwft, a town in Denbighfhire, by the neareft way, about thirty miles from Caernarvon. He propofed that we mould go on a track that lies through the mountains, rather than take the ufual road by Bangor and Conwy, which would have been much X 4 more 312 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, more circuitous. We therefore proceeded to the village of Llanddiniolen ; about half a mile fouth-eafl of which, my companion pointed out to me, upon a conliderable emi- nence, the remains of an antient encamp- ment, called Dinas Dinorddwig. Here is a large area, which has been furrounded by a double ditch and ramparts, but the other remains are very inconfiderable. We paffed fome very extenfive ilate quar- ries in the mountains, belonging to Lord Penrhyn, and entered the romantic vale of Nant Frangon,* or the beaver's hollow. This tremendous glen is deftitute of wood, and even of cultivation, except the narrow flip of meadow which lays along it's bot- tom. The fides, which are truly, Huge hills, that heap'd in crowded order {land, * Properly Nant yr Afangcwn. Beaver's have been feen here within the memory of man. See Owen's Dictionary. For the account of their having been formerly common in this country, fee Llyn yr Afange near Llanydloes, in vol. II, fuf- A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 313 fufficiently repay their want of verdure, by the pleafing and fantaftic appearance of the rocks which compofe them. Thefe rife abruptly from their bafe, and ftretch their barren points into the clouds, unvaried with fhrubs, and uncheered by the cottager's hut. In the year 1685, part of a rock of one of the impending cliffs became fo undermined by florins and rain, that loofmg it's hold, it fell down in feveral pieces, and in it's pafTage down a fteep and craggy cliff, diflodged fome thoufands of other ftones, of which many were intercepted in their progrefs into the valley ; but as much forced it's way as en- tirely ruined a fmall piece of meadow ground at the bottom, and feveral pieces were thrown at leaft two hundred yards afunder. In this accident, one great ftone, the biggeft remaining piece of the broken rock, made a trench in it's defcent as large as the mountain ftreams ufually run in, and 31*. A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. and when it came down to the plain, it continued it's paffage through a fmall mea- dow and acrofs the river Ogwen, which runs down the vale, and lodged itfelf on the other fide of it. It appears very pro- bable, that moft of thofe vaft ftones that are found lying in the mountainous vallies, have been thrown there by accidents, fimi- lar to this. The upper end of Nant Frangon is guarded on each fide by a huge conical mountain. As I croffed the top of the vale, I was delighted with a very beautiful and unexpected view for nearly the whole length of it, where the mountains down each fide, appeared for a great diftance falling off in fine perfpeclive. Y Trivaen,* the mountain on the right, at the head of the vale, received it's name from three tall ftones landing in an up- * Y Tri Vacn, the three ftones or pillars. right A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 315 right pofition on it's fummit, which from below, had the exact refemblance of three men. Of thefe there are only two at pre- fent, the third having fometime ago tum- bled down. Thefe ftones were not vifible to us till we had pafled the vale j but from the road near Llyn Ogwen, we could fee them very plainly. The two remaining ones have certainly fo much the appearance of human figures, that I am not at all fur- prized, that many travellers, who have, not coniidered the vaft height of the mountain, have been deceived in fancying them Welm tourifts attended by a guide, who was pointing out to them the curiofities of the country around. I was credibly informed that one gentleman flopped his horfe near half an hour to watch their motions, but not perceiving them to move off, he at laft rode on to Capel Curig, where he mentioned the circumftance and was un- deceived. The rock feemed to be alto- gether 316 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. gether compofed of large, but apparently loofe ftones, of all forms, and eroding each other in all directions. We examined it from below with a pretty good glafs, and fancied we could perceive the third fallen gentleman laying acrofs a deep chafm, a little to the left of the other two. The compofition of this rock appears very much to refemble that of it's neigh- bouring one, called Glyder bach.* Near Llyn Ogwen, a pretty large pool, well flocked with trout, and feveral other kinds of fifh, the country began to change it's rough afped"r, and to aflame a cha- racter lefs mountainous, which it retained till within a mile or two of Capel Curigj-f- when * See this mountain defcribed in my excurfion to Llanberis, vol. I. p. 203, 204, &c. t The chapel of Curig, a Britifli faint. The following is a tranflation from a little Welfh poem, and A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 317 when it refumed it's former afpect. This little village, which feemed toconlift of lit- tle more than the public houfe and church, did not come into fight till we had got within about half a mile of the place. The vale of Capel Curig, which is bounded by the Britiih Alps, Snowdon and his furrounding mountains, affords one of the moft picturefque landfcapes in the whole country. Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain ; Here earth and water feem to ftrive again: Not chaos like, together crufh'd and bruis'd, But as the world, harmonioufly confus'd. In this vale there is that variety, both of wood and water, which moft of the other and is the only place in which I find him men- tioned : " A certain Friar to increafe his (lore, " Beneath his cloak, grey Curig 's image bore; " And to protedt good folks from nightly harm,