Part 12

or Dinas Gonwy (or the Fort on the Conway), called by the common people, “Y Faer dre,” and by the English, Gannoc. The ruins of the ancient castle are situated on the summit of two small hills, near the shore. At a short distance is a circular watch-tower, said to have been built some time in the latter part of the seventeenth century.

Mr. Bingley next crossed the flat, and under the S.W. side of Llandudno rock, passed the shell of a large mansion, which some centuries ago was a palace belonging to the Bishop of Bangor; thence along the steep and slippery sides of the elevated down of Llandudno, for about two miles to the end of the promontory. Here the rocks are for the most part perpendicular, of amazing height. Many rare plants are found in this district.

About a mile from the N. E. side of the promontory is Llandudno church; and at a short distance is Eglwys Rhôs, celebrated as the last refuge of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, who fled hither to avoid the _vâd velen_ (or yellow fever) which raged over a great part of Europe.

Not far distant is GLODDAETH, one of the seats of the Hon. E. M. Ll. Mostyn, built by his ancestor, Sir Roger Mostyn, Bart. in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The walks of Gloddaeth are remarkably beautiful. The house was famed for its library of ancient manuscripts, chiefly Welsh, which has been removed to Mostyn Hall. At the distance of a mile is BODYSGALLEN, the seat of Miss Mostyn. It is a place of great antiquity; the situation is commanding, and finely shaded by venerable woods. Archbishop Williams, a native of Conway, who succeeded the illustrious Lord Bacon in the office of Lord High Chancellor of England, died at Gloddaeth, A.D. 1650.

Another excursion made by Mr. Bingley was up the vale of Conway, leading on the road to Llanrwst. Having passed the village of Gyffin, he found the vale of Conway to afford many very interesting prospects. CAER RHUN (the Fort of Rhun) lies at the distance of five miles. It is a charming little village, on the western bank of the river, surrounded with wood. To this site has generally been assigned the ancient Roman Conovium. In the summer of 1801, the late Rev. H. D. Griffith had many apartments cleared, where were discovered several broken vases, dishes, &c. From the road, near the bridge, called Pont Porthlwyd, about eight miles from Conway, high up the mountain on the left, is a waterfall of very considerable height, called in the neighbourhood Rhaiadr Mawr (the great waterfall.) Mr. Bingley ascended along a winding path, which conducted him to the bed of the river, near the station, whence he saw it to the best advantage. The water runs from a pool among the mountains, called Llyn Eigiau. He pronounces this waterfall the grandest and most picturesque of any he had seen in North Wales.

For angling station, see Llanrwst.

CORWEN. (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 12 Chester 33 Denbigh 20 Holyhead 67 Llangollen 10 London 193 Ruthin 12 Pentre Voelas 15

Corwen (the White Choir) is a small market-town on the London and Holyhead road, situated at the foot of the Berwyn mountains, on the bank of the Dee. The population (2199) is principally employed in agriculture. There is a good inn here, exhibiting the gigantic features of Owen Glyndwr, the renowned and formidable opponent of Henry the Fourth.

Within the church, under an arch on the north side of the altar, there is a very ancient coffin-lid, in high preservation, bearing the following inscription, “Hic jacet Jorwerth Sulien, vicarius de Corvaen; ora pro eo.” There is also a fine cross fixed in a circular stone to the west of the steeple. The name of Corwen, corrupted from Corvaen, is probably derived from the cross: _cor_, signifying a circle, and _maen_, which is changed into _vaen_ when joined with _cor_, is The Stone or Cross in the Circle.

The house of the celebrated Owen Glyndwr was situated in this parish, but not a vestige of it is now left: the site is marked by a clump of fir trees, on the left of the Llangollen road, about three miles from Corwen. At Rhug, within a mile and a half of the town, stands the elegant seat of Colonel Vaughan.—Rhagatt, the mansion of Edward Lloyd, Esq., is also situated in the parish, and within two miles of the town.

The roads in this district are excellent; the Shrewsbury and Holyhead mail runs through the town. There are also two good lines of road hence to Bala; that by Llandrillo leads through the vale of Edeyrnion, which is one of the most beautiful in Wales, the road very excellent, with scarcely a hill in its course; the other by the Druid, 12 miles, commands a very fine view of Bala lake, and the surrounding hills. There is likewise a very good road, 12 miles, to Ruthin.

Upon the Berwyn mountains, behind the church, is a place called Glyndwr’s Seat, whence is a most charming and extensive prospect, which may be reached without fatigue. The rich and delightful vale of Corwen expands beneath, with the Dee in the centre. Here Glyndwr might view nearly forty square miles of his own land.

Near to Corwen is the site of an ancient British encampment, called Caer Drwyn; it is on the summit of a hill, and protected by a circular wall, about one mile in circumference: and within are the ruins of a circular fort. It is supposed to be one of the chain of posts from Dyserth to Cynwyd, and formed in olden times a stronghold. Owen Gwynedd occupied it in the days of Henry the Second.

The tourist remaining at Corwen, who has any relish for angling, may readily obtain all the necessary tackle in the town, at a low charge, and will find good fishing between Corwen and Llan-St.-Ffraid bridges, two or three miles, and at Llandrillo, about five miles from Corwen.

This district was visited by a most desolating flood, caused by heavy rains, in the summer of 1846.

CRICAETH, (_Caernarvonshire_.)

Beddgelert 11 Caernarvon 20 London 240 Pwllheli 8

Cricaeth, a little borough town, contributory to Caernarvon, with 811 inhabitants, is very irregularly built. Except the remains of its small castle, it contains nothing which can claim the attention of the traveller. This ruin stands on a rising ground, at the end of a long neck of land, jutting into the sea. The entrance into it is between two round towers; the others being all square. Edward the First is said to have founded this castle; and it was once the residence of Howel-y-Fwyall, who captured the king of France at the battle of Poictiers. It is stated that the Welsh warrior struck off the head of the king’s horse with a battle-axe, and then secured the monarch. The event is thus recorded by one of the native bards:—

“Pan roddodd Y ffrwyn ymhen Brenin Ffrainc.”

The Black Prince made Howel constable of this castle, granting him a guard of eighty yeomen at the royal charge, and a mess of meat to be served up daily before his pole-axe.

The church, dedicated to St. Catherine, is a spacious structure, but in a very neglected state.

From the eminence on which the castle stands, is a beautiful view across Cardigan bay towards Harlech, where is seen its fine old castle, backed by the high and distant mountains of Merionethshire.

DENBIGH.

Abergele 13 Chester 28 Conway 25 Corwen 20 Holywell 14 Llanrwst 22 London by Chester 214 — by Shrewsbury 206 Mold 16 Ruthin 8 St. Asaph 6 Bodfary 4

Denbigh, the capital of the county, is situated on the declivity of a craggy hill, in the vale of Clwyd. This place was originally named by the Welsh Castell Caled-Vryn-yn-Rhôs (the Castle on the Craggy Hill in Rhôs), from the prominent situation of the castle in the ancient territory of that name. By the parliamentary returns of 1841, the population was 3405. The two principal inns are the Bull and the Crown. Denbigh was formerly accounted a place of great importance, while its castle and walls were entire; and, about the middle of the sixteenth century, it was thus celebrated by Churchyard, the poet, in his “Worthies of Wales:”—

Denbigh, now appeare, thy turne is next, I need no gloss, nor shade, to set thee out; For if my pen doe follow playnest text, And passe right way, and goe nothing about, Thou shalt be knowne, as worthie well thou art, The noblest soyle that is in any part; And for thy seate, and castle do compare, With any one in Wales, whate’er they are.

The town is picturesquely situated on the side of a steep hill, and the noble ruins of the castle on its summit greatly contribute to its venerable appearance. Denbigh consists of three principal, and several smaller streets and lanes, and is well paved and lighted, but only scantily supplied with water, which is brought from several springs, each at some distance from the more respectable portions of the town. This inconvenience is much increased during a continuance of dry weather, at which time the wells occasionally become exhausted, excepting that termed the Goblin Well, situated at the foot of the hill on which the castle is built; this is so copious as to supply a considerable portion of the town, but the labour of carrying the water up the steep ascent is very great. Connected with this spring is a cold bath. The environs abound with beautiful and richly varied scenery. The land in the vicinity is rich, and in a high state of cultivation; and in the neighbourhood are numerous splendid seats and elegant villas, inhabited by opulent families, who have selected Denbigh for their residence on account of the advantages of its situation.

The ancient parochial church, dedicated to St. Marcellus, and now in a very dilapidated condition, is situated in the open valley, at Whitchurch, {102a} about a mile from the town, from which place the rectory was transferred by act of parliament to Denbigh, which was made the head of the parish. In the porch of this church are two monumental brass effigies, in a kneeling posture, of Richard Myddelton, {102b} of Gwaunynog, governor of Denbigh Castle in the reigns of Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth; and of his wife Jane, both of whom were here interred. In the body of the building there is an ill-executed mural monument to the memory of the learned Welsh antiquary, Humphrey Llwyd, of Foxhall, near Denbigh, who is represented as kneeling beneath a range of small arches, and in Spanish costume. There is also a large altar-tomb to the memory of Sir John Salusbury and his lady, the former of whom died in 1578. A neat mural monument in the western wall has been erected, by the Gwyneddigion Society in London, to the memory of Thomas Edwards, of Nant, commonly called Twm o’r Nant, the celebrated “Cambrian Shakspere,” who died on the 3rd of April, 1810, at the age of 71, and was interred in the churchyard.

All the parochial duties are now performed at the chapel of St. Hilary, within the walls of the castle, with the exception of funerals, which still take place at Whitchurch, there being no cemetery attached to the former. The inhabitants, early in 1838, realized a handsome subscription to erect a new church, so as to be more convenient, in a contiguous part of Denbigh parks, the site of which was liberally offered by Captain Mostyn, R.N. The first stone was laid on the coronation-day of our beloved sovereign, Queen Victoria. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Calvinists, and Wesleyan Methodists. The town also contains a free grammar-school for twenty boys; a blue-coat charity school, on the foundation of which are twenty-four hoys; a national school, in which eighty-six boys and one hundred girls are educated.

Denbigh has a good town-hall, a dispensary, a reading room and a Welsh literary society. Its chief manufactories are gloves and shoes; the market is held on Wednesday and Saturday. There is also a branch of the North and South Wales Bank here. Denbigh is the chief of the contributory boroughs that send one member to parliament: the present M.P. is Townshend Mainwaring, Esq., of Marchwiel.

It is a remarkable circumstance that no specific provision for the insane poor has been made in any part of North Wales, although the melancholy records of those afflicted by the loss of reason, prove that the Welsh are no more exempt from that severe visitation than the mixed races known as Anglo-Saxon. This circumstance excited the attention of the philanthropic Mr. Ablett, of Llanbedr, who has most generously presented twenty acres of land, in the immediate vicinity of Denbigh, for the site of the building and grounds of an institution to be called the North Wales Lunatic Asylum, and a subscription amounting to upwards of £6000 has been realized. The estimate for one commensurate to the wants of this part of Wales, is from £12,000 to £15,000, and it is proposed that the rest of the fund shall be contributed by the counties, in whom the management of the institution shall be vested.

The Castle

is situated on the summit of the Caled-Vryn, an isolated limestone rock, rising abruptly to the height of two hundred and forty feet from the western boundary of the Vale of Clwyd, and incloses an area of considerable extent; the principal entrance is on the north, under a lofty and magnificent arch, which is nearly entire, and flanked by two large towers, now in ruins; above it is a niche, in which is a robed figure of the founder, Henry Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in a sitting posture; the whole of the rooms and towers are in a state of the utmost dilapidation. The citadel is surrounded with walls, a mile and a quarter in circumference, which inclose the whole of the ancient town: the principal entrance is on the north-west, and is defended by two majestic towers, which are nearly entire; from these the walls extend round the brow of the hill, on the most elevated and precipitous parts of which numerous lofty towers have been erected, forming together one of the strongest bulwarks in the kingdom. Within these walls are the ruins of the church or chapel, founded by the Earl of Leicester; and the chapel of St. Hilary, formerly appropriated to the use of the garrison, and now the parochial church.

The walls inclose a considerable area, now covered with grass, in which horses and cattle are depastured. Within the walls of the fortress are numerous cottages, which materially diminish the interest commonly excited by such extensive ruins; and on the south-west front of the castle, and on the boundary wall on this side, are an extensive terrace and bowling-green, commanding one of the richest and most delightful views of the fertile Vale of Clwyd, embracing the whole of the eastern portion of this beautiful and finely varied tract, terminated by the ocean at Llandudno bay, and on the south by the whole range of Clwydian mountains, with their numerous camps and tumuli. On this delightful spot the congress of bards and minstrels, called the grand Eisteddfod, was held on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th days of September, 1828: it was honoured by the presence of his royal highness the Duke of Sussex, and most of the nobility and gentry of the surrounding country. The bowling-green, in the midst of the ruins, is well worth a visit; it is laid out with considerable taste.—Within two miles of Denbigh is

Gwaunynog,

which was visited by Dr. Johnson, during his residence with Mrs. Piozzi: the estate was at that time in the possession of his friend, the Rev. Dr. Myddelton. In the hall is still retained an easy chair, in which Dr. Johnson was accustomed to sit. On the grounds, a short distance from the house, in a very retired situation, overhung with trees, is a monument to his memory, bearing the following inscription:—

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D. OBIT 13 DIE DECEMBRIS, ANNO DOMINO 1784, ÆTATIS 75.

And on the other side, on a marble tablet,—“This spot was often dignified by the presence of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., whose moral writings, exactly conformable to the precepts of Christianity, give ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth.” Over a door of a cottage on the estate are the following lines, the composition of the learned lexicographer:—

Around this peaceful cot, his humble shed, If health, if confidence, if virtue tread, Though no proud column grace the gaudy door, Where sculptured elegance parades it o’er; Nor pomp without, nor pageantry within, Nor splendid shew, nor ornament is seen; The swain shall look with pity on the great, Nor barter quiet for a king’s estate.

1768.

Near to this place is the village of Henllan, about two miles from which is Llanefydd, leading to the Aled and Elwy vales.

DINAS MOWDDWY, (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 18 Dolgelley 10 Llangollen 40 Machynlleth 13½ Mallwyd 1½

Dinas Mowddwy is an inconsiderable town, in the parish of Mallwyd, pleasantly situated on the shelf of a rock called Craig-y-Ddinas, near the margin of the small river Cerrist, at its conflux with the Dovey, and on the road from Dolgelley to Mallwyd, at the junction of three vales, each of which is inclosed by lofty mountains: it consists chiefly of one street. The principal building is the “Plâs,” or mansion, being the manor house of the lordship of Mowddwy, which from an early period belonged to the Myttons of Halston, but was lately purchased by a Mr. Bird, of Birmingham.

Slates, of an inferior quality, are dug from the adjacent rocks, for the use of the neighbouring country.

DINORWIC (PORT)

Is situate about half way between Bangor and Caernarvon, and is the shipping place for the Llanberis quarries, belonging to T. Assheton Smith, Esq., of Vaenol. Upwards of one hundred tons per day are loaded at the wharf, and the railway by which they are conveyed is an object of considerable interest.

DISERTH, (_Flintshire_.)

Holywell 9 Rhuddlan 2½ St. Asaph 5

The church of this village stands in a romantic situation, overshadowed with several large yews. There are some good paintings in the south window, and in the chancel is inscribed, “Sir John Conway, 1636.” The yard contains some singular tomb-stones; two in particular have a semi-circular stone upon their tops: also an ancient cross, adorned with wreaths, and another with some traces of a human figure, now inserted into the situation as a style. The latter is supposed to be the remains of Cross Einion, which was erected on the spot where Einion, son of Risid Flaidd, was slain, at one of the sieges which the castle sustained.

The castle, called sometimes Gerri Castle, (or Castell y Graig,) stands on the summit of a high lime-stone rock, at the distance of half a mile from the village; its remains consist of a few shattered fragments only. In a field a little to the south, is a ruinous building called Siamber Wen, (the White Hall,) said to have been the house of Sir — Pounderling, a valiant knight, who was constable of the castle, and whose tomb is still to be seen in Dinmeirchion church. Cwm church, about a mile distant, is surrounded with hills, and commands a view of the Vale of Clwyd.

From the top of one of the hills that surrounds the village issues a water, forming a beautiful cascade, which rises from a small well, culled Ffynnon-asa, (or St. Asaph’s Well,) in a dingle in Cwm parish. The height of the cascade is 17 yards, concealed between two arches of the rock, behind which it has worn a passage.

DOLGELLEY, (_Merionethshire_.)

Bala 18 Barmouth 10 Chester 57 London 212 Machynlleth 16 Maen Twrog 18 Towyn 17 Trawsfynedd 12

Dolgelley (the Dale of the Hazel) is the principal market town in Merionethshire, where the assizes are held alternately with Bala. It is situated in a wide and fertile vale, upon the river Wnion, over which is a stone bridge of seven arches, erected in 1638, but thoroughly repaired and enlarged some years ago. The town is surrounded by high and, in many parts, wooded mountains.

There are many well-built houses, including a good range, fronted by shops, called Eldon Row, the property of Sir Robert Vaughan; but in general the houses are erected with such extreme irregularity in regard to each other, as to convey but a mean idea of the projector’s good taste. The principal building is the county hall, situated near the river; it is a neat stone edifice, erected in 1825, at an expense of £3000. The court room is handsomely fitted up with necessary accommodations for the officers of justice. In the hall is a splendid portrait of Sir R. W. Vaughan, Bart. painted by Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A.

The county gaol, situated at the outskirts of the town, is a semicircular edifice of stone, built in 1811, at an expense of nearly £5000; it includes also the house of correction, and comprises three day rooms, and four airing yards, and will admit of a classification of the prisoners into five divisions. Part of the building in which a parliament was held by Owen Glyndwr, is still standing among a group of old houses, having the post-office in front, near the Ship Inn, and is called Cwrt Plâs yn y Drêv (the town hall court).

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a neat structure built of lime-stone, in the Grecian style of architecture, having a handsome tower and large nave. There is an ancient monument of an armed knight; he is represented as clad in close mail, wearing a helmet and neck guard, with a sword in his hand and a dog at his feet, and a lion passant gardant on his shield, on which is inscribed, “Hic jacet Mauric, filius Ynyr Vychan.” There is also a handsome monument lately erected to the memory of Baron Richards, who was a native of this parish. In 1836, a neat monument was also erected to the memory of the late Rev. John Jones, A.M. Archdeacon of Merioneth. Service is performed here in the English language, on every alternate Sunday, in the afternoon. The celebrated antiquary, Robert Vaughan, of Hengwrt, was buried in this church.

This place has long been noted for the manufacture of coarse woollen cloth or flannel, called webs, in which a considerable number of persons are at present employed. There are several good inns, the Golden Lion, the Angel, and the Ship, at all of which guides may be obtained to Cader Idris and the waterfalls. There are also three banks here: the old Dolgelley bank, a branch of the North and South Wales, and a branch of the National Provincial.—About three miles from Dolgelley, on the Machynlleth road, is Caerynwch, the seat of Richard Richards, Esq. M.P. for this county.

The town is seen to the greatest advantage at the distance of about two miles, on the Machynlleth road; but, like in other Welsh towns, is only pleasing at a distance. The prospects from a spot called the Bowling-green are singularly fine. The threatening summit of Cader Idris, the northern ascent to which appears nearly perpendicular, lends its mountain sublimity; a train of subordinate inequalities, stretching their rugged eminences along its base. But if the town affords so little to gratify the curiosity of the inquisitive tourist, its neighbourhood abounds with objects of the most interesting character. Sir H. Hoare asserts, that he “knows of no place in the Principality whence so many pleasing and interesting excursions may be made, and where nature bears so rich, varied, and grand an aspect, as at Dolgelley.”