Part 21

The _parish of Llanymynech_, in the Lower Division of the Hundred, contains the townships of Carreghofa and Treprenal.

The MANORS in Oswestry Parish are Aston, Duparts, and Middleton. _Aston_ includes the townships of Aston, Hisland, and Wooton, and also Twyford, in West Felton parish. _Duparts_ includes the township of Crickheath, Cynynion, Llanvorda, Maesbury, Morton, Pentre-gaer, Sweeney, with Weston Cotton, and the township of Sychtyn, in Llansilin parish. _Middleton_ includes the township of Middleton, and _Oswestry_ the town and liberties of Oswestry. Lady of the Manor for _Aston_, Mrs. Lloyd; and Lord of the Manor of _Oswestry_ and _Duparts_, the Earl of Powis.

POPULATION.

The population of the town and parish, in 1801, amounted to 5,839; and the number of houses, 788. In 1811 the population of the town and parish had increased to 6,733. In 1821 the returns showed that the population of the town and parish was still on the increase, the number of males and females being 7,523. The population of the town and liberties, in June, 1831, was—males, 2,007; females, 2,471; total, 4,478. The return further showed that the number of houses in course of being built, was 3; houses uninhabited, 29; ditto inhabited, 885; families engaged in agriculture, 11; in trade, 276; all others, 613. Total number of families, 899. Male servants, 42; females, 311; retired tradesmen, 38; clergy, educated men, &c., 79; handicraft, 567; gardeners, &c., 232. The returns for 1841 were as follows;—Town and Liberties, 4,569; Parish, 4,277; total, 8,846. Houses occupied in the town, 931; unoccupied and building, 68; in the parish, 886; unoccupied and building, 18. In 1851 the census returns were as follows:—

MALES. FEMALES. TOTAL. Town and Liberties 2,251 2,565 4,816 The Parish 1,972 2,006 3,978 Total 4,223 4,571 8,794

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

A return was made in 1854, giving the following details on agriculture, in reference to Oswestry Town and Liberties, Oswestry Parish, and other parishes within the Hundred:—The total number of acres occupied in the Town and Liberties of Oswestry, the Parish of Oswestry, Llansilin, Llanyblodwel, Selattyn, Llwyntidman, Sychtyn, St. Martin’s, Chirk, Whittington, Felton, Ruyton, Knockin, and Kinnerley, was 78,301; sown with wheat, 7,909 acres; with barley, 6,512; oats, 2,924; rye, 39¾; beans and peas, 275; vetches, 160; turnips, 4,420½; mangold, 48¼; carrots, 24; potatoes, 566; flax, 5. Total under tillage, 24,013; clover, lucerne, and other artificial grasses, 6,307¼; permanent pasture, 3,198; irrigated meadows, 2,599¼; sheep walks and downs, 3,095½; total under grass, 63,990; number of acres in houses, gardens, roads, fences, &c., 1,468¾; number of acres in waste (if any) attached to the farms, 2,258; horses, 2,618; colts, 802; milch cows, 6,854; calves, 5,571; other cattle, including working oxen, 4,636; tups, 588; ewes, 12,509; lambs, 9,047; other sheep, 4,572; swine, 7,142; number of acres in wood and plantations, 3,749; common lands, 227.

The greatest registered quantity of wheat, according to the excise returns, ever sold in one day at Oswestry market, was disposed of on Wednesday, the 11th of July, 1855, namely, 4,373 imperial measures.

Natural History.

Our limits will not admit of extended observation on this subject, but it is our duty to direct the attention of our readers to the feathered tribes in the district, which include many of the more remarkable and beautiful of British birds. Mr. Cross, of Oswestry, has, in the last few years, made collections of rare and valuable birds, some delightful songsters, including the nightingale, the piping bullfinch, with birds of prey, those of the passerine order, and a large variety of water birds. The following list, formed more than twenty years ago, the names given according to Bewick’s history of birds, will show that the neighbourhood has long abounded with fine specimens of the feathered creation:—

_Kites_.—Ring-tailed eagle, osprey, common buzzard, honey buzzard, kite, goshawk, sparrow-hawk, hen harrier, kestrel, and marten. _Owls_.—Great-eared owl, white owl, and tawny owl. _Butcher Birds_.—Great ash-coloured shrike, red-backed shrike. _Pies_.—Raven, carrion crow, hooded crow, rook, jackdaw, magpie, jay, starling, ring ousel, ousel cock or blackbird, missel thrush or storm cock, fieldfare, throstle or thrush, redwing, cuckoo, and wryneck. _Woodpeckers_.—Green, greater spotted, lesser spotted, nuthatch, and creeper. _Grosbeaks_.—Grosbeak or hawfinch, green grosbeak, bullfinch, pine grosbeak. _Buntings_.—Brown, yellow hammer, blackheaded or reed sparrow, and snow bunting. _Finches_.—House sparrow, mountain sparrow, chaff, or pied-finch, mountain-finch, gold-finch, linnet, and lesser redpole. _Larks_.—Sky-lark, field-lark, grashopper-lark, wood-lark, and tit-lark. _Wagtails_.—Pied, or water wagtail, grey, and yellow. _Flycatchers_.—Pied, or gold-finch, spotted, or house linnet. _Warblers_.—Robin redbreast or ruddock, redstart or brantail. _Fauvette_.—Lesser fauvette, winter fauvette or hedge sparrow, reed fauvette, black-cap, white-throat, yellow willow wren, willow wren, least willow wren, wren, golden-crested wren, white rump or wheat ear, win-chat, or gorsehopper, stonechat, and nightingale. _Titmice_.—Greater, blue or tom-tit, cole, marsh, long-tailed, or can-bottle. _Swallows_.—Chimney swallow, marten, sand marten, swift or deviling, night jaw or fern owl. _Doves_.—Wild pigeon, ring dove, turtle dove, and small black rock pigeon. _Gallinaceous_.—Domestic cock, pheasant, turkey, peacock, pintado or guinea fowl, wood grouse, black grouse, red grouse, partridge, quail, corncrake or landrail. _Plovers_.—Great plover, pee-wit or lapwing, golden plover, and grey plover. WATER BIRDS.—Long-legged plover, water crake, or rail, water ousel, and kingfisher or haleyon. _Herons_.—Heron, bittern or bog-boom, and curlew. _Snipes_.—Woodcock, great snipe, common snipe, and judcock, or jacksnipe. _Godwit_.—Brown sandpiper, common sandpiper, water, or moor hen, coot, greater coot, great crested grebe, little grebe, or jack doucker. _Terns_.—Common and lesser. Common gull. _Ducks_.—Wild swan, swan goose, grey-lag goose, tame goose, mallard, or wild duck, shieldrake, widgeon, and teal. _Pelicans_.—Cormorant,—pelecanus graculus, or the shag.

The district has occasionally other aërial visitants, including the _peregrine falcon_, the bird which furnished the ancient amusement of falconry, the _colymbus troile_, or guillemot, and the _corvus caryocatactes_, or nutcracker.

Mr. Cross’s specimens are of recent date, many of the birds named having been taken during the last twelve months. We subjoin his list, which will be read with interest by all lovers of natural history:—

Peregrine falcon, kite, buzzard, goshawk, blue hawk, merlin, hobby, sparrow hawk, kestrel, large butcher bird, small butcherbird. Tawny owl, white owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl, night jay or goat sucker-cuckoo. Green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, creeper. Wood pigeon, rock pigeon, coblard turtle, turtle dove. Rook, crow, jackdaw, magpie, jay, starling, black bird, wood thrush, thrush, fieldfare, red wing, stone chat, whin-chat, yellow hammer, mounting finch, red finch, gold-finch, bull-finch, robin, reed sparrow, hedge sparrow, common sparrow, green linnet, grey linnet, yellow wagtail, pied wagtail, red start, black cap, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher, white throat, black cap titmice, small black cap titmice, blue cap titmice, long tailed titmice, willow wren, common wren, golden crested wren. Swift, barn swallow, house marten, sand marten. Woodlark, skylark, meadow pipit, tree pipit. Pheasant, grouse, partridge, black grouse, corncrake. Heron, bittern, cormorant, eared grebe, goosander, smews, curlew, widgeon, silver widgeon, magpie widgeon, golden eye widgeon, pintail duck, coot, moorhen, jack curlew, teal, seagull, woodcock, solitary snipe, common snipe, small grebe, lapwing, grey plover, golden plover, jack snipe, water rail, ring ouzel, water ouzel, marsh sandpiper, common sandpiper, knot, and kingfisher.

ANGLING.

OSWESTRY has no rivers immediately contiguous to it, but at short and easily-approachable distances are several, namely, the _Severn_, the _Vyrnwy_, the _Tanat_, the _Dee_, the _Ceiriog_, the _Perry_, the _Morlas_, and the _Morda_. The Severn has its rise from a small lake, on the eastern side of Plinlimmon, whence it flows in a devious direction, under the Welsh name of _Hafren_, to Newtown, whence it assumes its English name of Severn, and pursues its circuitous route to Shrewsbury. From its source to fair Salopia it runs nearly one hundred miles, receiving the waters of several tributaries. From Shrewsbury it continues its winding course, and receives the Tern, at the foot of the Wrekin, about which it describes a semi-circle; then curving repeatedly, it flows towards Coalbrookdale, whence it flows in a north-west direction to Tewksbury, and eventually to the British Channel. Blakey, in his recently-published volume on “Angling,” says, “The best bottom-fishing for carp, perch, roach, chub, and eel, is within those portions of the river appropriated to navigation. Grayling are to be met with in many parts of the Severn.” The Vyrnwy and Tanat abound with fish; the former so much so that it has obtained the title of _Piscosus Amnis_. The Tanat falls into the Vyrnwy at Aber-Tanat, and the Vyrnwy into the Severn at a place called _Y Cymmerau_ (the Conflux), at the lower end of Guilsfield parish, not far distant from the Breiddin, Moel y Golfa, and Cefn y Castell mountains. The scene in this district has been sung in rapturous and beautiful strains by a Welsh bard and warrior, of the 12th century (Gwalchmai):—

“Rise orb of day! the eastern gates unfold, And shew thy crimson mantle, fring’d with gold; Contending birds sing sweet on every spray, The skies are bright—arise, thou orb of day! I, Gwalchmai, call—in song, in war renown’d, Who, lion-like, confusion spread around,— The live-long night the Hero and the Bard, Near Breiddin’s rocks, have left a constant guard, Where cool transparent streams in murmurs glide, And springing grass adorns the mountain’s side, Where snow-white sea-mews in the current play, Spread their gay plumes, and frolic through the day!”

Blakey furnishes some practical information on this branch of our notice. He says:—

“The Vyrnwy has a great number of dependent feeders, the principal of which are the _Eunant_, the _Afon_, the _Gedis_, the _Afon Gynnan_, the _Glasgwn_, and the _Cown_. These undoubtedly constitute a considerable range of the waters, and are well adapted for the fly, and some for trolling as well. After the main river receives all these tributaries, it flows a south-eastern course for twenty miles, and then receives the waters of the _Twrch_, which flows a distance of twenty miles, through a very interesting section of the country. This tributary itself has good angling feeders, capable of affording fair sport with the rod. The Vyrnwy likewise receives the _Cain_, and, a little farther down, the _Tanat_, both of which contain good fish. The Tanat itself is fed by several good streams, as the _Rhaiadr_, the _Afon Harrog_, and the _Ymrch_. Here there is good fly-fishing. All these waters, large and small, are bright, sparkling, and flowing, and have that peculiar form of stream which indicates good sport. As to the colour of the fly requisite in these mountain streams, little need be said; in fact, when the fish are in humour, and they are not here capricious, they seem to snatch at anything in the shape of an insect. Very large flies, however, will not answer well.”

The _Dee_ has its origin in Merionethshire, by the junction of two small streams rising about four miles to the north-west of Llanwchllyn, and two miles below that village enters Pimblemere, or Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid); issuing from that, beneath Bala, it flows under the bridge, takes a north-easterly direction through the Vale of Eideirnion, and turning to the east in fine meandering curves, waters the Vales of Glyndwrdwy (Vale of the Dee), and Llangollen, where it receives the tributary Brân. Thence, passing through Llangollen Vale, beneath Pont-y-cysyllte Aqueduct, and the Great Western (Shrewsbury and Chester) Viaduct, both of which span the Vale, it curves below Wynnstay Park, emerges into the Vale Royal of Cheshire, and finally, after passing through Holt, and skirting Eaton Hall, the magnificent seat of the Marquis of Westminster, glides past the Church of St. John the Baptist, in Chester, beneath the ancient and new bridges and railway viaduct there, and finally, at the estuary of the Dee, enters St. George’s Channel. The portion of the Dee running through Denbighshire and Flintshire (not far distant from Oswestry,) is an excellent locality for trout-fishing, as the well-supplied dinner-tables of the two hotels in Llangollen (the _Hand_ and the _Victoria_) can amply testify. The Ceiriog, the Perry, the Morlas, and the Morda, are each well stored with fish, and can supply the angler with tempting rewards for his patience and skill. The _Lake of Llynclys_, near Oswestry, has not only a poetical, but a piscatory celebrity also. It is the scene of a clever ballad, from the pen of the poet Dovaston, who, as a prefix to his metrical tale, has given the following description of the Lake:—

“_Llynclys Pool_ is a small but beautiful lake, of extraordinary depth, on the Welsh border, near Oswestry. The name in the Welsh signifies _Sunk Palace_, and the vulgar have a firmly-believed superstition (in which the neighbourhood abounds), corresponding with the catastrophe of this ballad; nay, some even at this day go so far as to affirm, that when the water is clear and the surface smooth, towers and chimneys may be seen in it at a great depth. In the summer months fishing parties of ladies and gentlemen frequently spend the day on it in a boat with music and refreshments; on one of these occasions this ballad was hastily written.”

The Lake is situated near the turnpike-road from Oswestry to Welshpool, only a short distance from Llynclys turnpike-gate. It is bordered on some of its sides with reeds and rushes, and a few years ago the flower of a white water lily was pulled up, not far from the shore, the stalk of which measured nearly fourteen feet. The fishery is the property of the Earl of Powis, and the water abounds with pike, bream, perch, and dace. R. H. Kinchant, Esq., of Park Hall, near Oswestry, has also an interest in the fishery.

The _Ceiriog_, a picturesque and romantic river, winds among the rocks behind Oswestry, forming deep glens and dingles, and falls into the Dee below Chirk. The _Perry_ and _Morlas_ are two bright rivulets arising in the mountains near Selattyn; the former passes Whittington and falls into the Severn, near Fitz, whilst the latter unites with the Ceiriog, near Pont-y-blew. The _Morda_, no inconsiderable stream, finds its rapid way between the rocks at Llanforda, immediately above the town of Oswestry, and, sweeping its course to the south, falls into the Vyrnwy at Pentreheylin.

The following metrical instructions to the student angler, although the lines are quaint, may not be deficient of interest to the younger disciples of Isaac Walton:—

“In deep the silver _Salmon_ loves to rove; And marly swifts allure the _Barbel_ drove; Sharp streams delight the _Trout_, still deep the _Bream_; The fearful _Chub_, he loves the shaded stream. In shady holes and hollow banks, the _Perch_ he dwells, And, for his boldness, the finny race excels; _Roach_ and _Dace_ the sandy bottom choose, And _Carp_ the weeds, and _Tench_ the muddy ooze. In streams with gravel bottom _Gudgeons_ do delight, The wanton _Bleak_ will ever sport in sight; The _Pike_, the tyrant of the finny brood, Near weeds and ledge lies lurking for his food.”

Botany of the Parish.

We are indebted to the REV. THOMAS SALWEY, Vicar of Oswestry, for the subjoined interesting paper on the Botany of the Parish. It gives evidence of his ardent attachment to this pleasing branch of Natural History, and its publication may lead others to follow his example, in studying a science which delightfully leads the mind of its possessor to an increased admiration of the beauty and wisdom of the Creator’s marvellous works:—

“By cooling streams and softening showers The vegetable race are fed; And trees and plants, and herbs and flowers Their Maker’s bounty smiling spread.

The flowing tribes all blooming rise Above the faint attempts of art; Their bright inimitable dyes Speak sweet conviction to the heart.”

“The interest and variety of the Botanical productions of any district will always be found to depend upon its geological character; and in this respect there are perhaps few Parishes which comprise within their boundaries so many different geological formations as that of Oswestry. The lower part of the Parish, from the neighbourhood of the Town to the Queen’s Head, consists of the new red sandstone; or rather to that part of it which is called by modern Geologists the Permian formation, and which is so called because this formation is most amply developed in the District of Perm, in Russia. The Town itself is situated upon the coal-measures. With this is associated the usual sandstone grit and chert, breaking out in Sweeney Mountain and Mynydd-y-Myfyr. Immediately at the back of these hills the mountain, or carboniferous limestone, breaks out, running in a line through the parish from Cynynion, through Pentregaer, Trefonen, and Treflach, to Porth-y-waen. This is here and there broken through by detached masses of Trap Rock, as at the point on which the Tower of Pentregaer is built, and upon the western slope of the Moelydd; whilst on the slope of the hill from Cynynion, and under Coed-y-Coch, the Silurian system begins to shew itself. In such a district we may reasonably expect a corresponding variety of plants. In the following list, however, it is by no means intended to give anything like a complete enumeration of the plants to be found within the district, which would be inconsistent with such a publication as the present. Such plants only have been selected as will show the character of the Botany, and be a sufficient guide to any Botanist in conducting his researches.

“Great, however, as is the variety of Geological formation within the Parish, there is one feature, always of the greatest interest to the Botanist, which unfortunately it does not possess, namely, old woods, with their ancient oaks, the growth of centuries, and the deep mossy dells which are so favourable to the production of the scarcer cryptogamic plants. We have no scenery of this kind in our Parish, or even in the immediate neighbourhood, and hence our mosses are only those which are found everywhere. The beautiful little _Dicranum bryoides_ (the moss which so revived the spirit of the unfortunate Mungo Park when fainting in the deserts of Africa), may indeed be found in Broom Hall lane; and the _Hypnum commutation_ may be gathered at the foot of the Moelydd. The _Bryum palustre_ may also be found above Morda pool; and the _Bryum roseum_, and the large and handsome _Bryum ligulatum_, in some of the wet and shady lanes in the upper part of the Parish; but beyond these I am not aware that there are any mosses of peculiar interest to be found amongst us. We have, however, a greater variety of ferns than perhaps any other district of equal extent could produce; but here again only the more scarce ones are enumerated.

“The more minute cryptogamic plants, and especially those under the head of _Fungi_, will of course be the least interesting portion of the list; but any notice of the Botany of the district would be incomplete without the introduction of a proportionate number of these obscure, but, to a Botanist, highly-interesting plants.

“The following are some of the plants which will be found in the parish, or close to its immediate boundaries:—

Phœnogamæ.

_Circæa lutetiana_—Penylan and Llanforda lanes _Scirpus lacustris_—Llynclys pool. _Arundo phragmites_—Llynclys pool. {215} _Myosotis collina_—Hedge banks about Pentreshanel, _Anchusa sempervirens_—Croes-wylan, and Llanforda lane. _Menyanthes trifoliata_—Bog above Morda pool. _Campanula trachelium_—Hedges between Cynynion, and Pentregaer. _Viola hirta_—Limestone rocks, Trefonen. _Artropa Belladonna_—Porthywaen. _Gentiana amarella_—Moelydd. ,, _campestris_—Ditto. _Parnassia palustris_—Meadows between Sweeney and Morton; and in a field on the west side of the Brick-kilns, at the High Vawr. _Galanthus nivalis_—Upon the ledge of a low rock on the west side of Sweeney mountain. _Allium ursinum_—Lanes and moist places about the upper parts of the Parish; and in the Nant-Mawr. _Colchichum autumnale_—Meadows at Sweeney and elsewhere. _Paris quadrifolia_—Thickets about Treflach. _Adoxa moschatellina_—Broom Hall lane; Penylan lane; and other places. _Chrysosplenium alternifolium_—Near the mill at Llanforda; and in other similar wet places. ,, _oppositifolium_—Ditto. _Saxifraga tridactylites_—Walls about the Town; and rocks at Pentregaer and Craig-y-Rhu. _Cotyledon umbilicus_—In the lane below the Race-ground, on the east side. _Sedum anglicum_—Rocks below Coed-y-coch; and between Craig-y-Rhu and Cynynion. _Prunus padus_—Below Penylan mill. _Pyrus aria_—Craig-y-Rhu. _Rosa villosa_—Pentregaer. _Tilia parvifolia_—Croes-wylan lane. _Cistus helianthemum_—Rocks at Trefonen, above the Nant-Mawr. _Aquilegia vulgaris_—Thickets at Treflach, where it is also found with white flowers. _Ranunculus parviflorus_—Not uncommon on hedge banks; Maesbury road, near the Gallows-Tree Bank. _Trollius europæus_—Fields in the upper part of the Parish; and below the house at the Hayes. _Teucrium chamædrys_—This was found some years ago upon an old wall (since taken down) at the Hayes. It may be found now upon the wall of a garden in Brook-Street, lately belonging to the Vicar, having been transplanted there from the Hayes. It grows also sparingly upon the old walls of Whittington Castle. _Scrophularia vernalis_—Penylan and Llanforda lanes; brought there probably by the celebrated naturalist, Mr. Lloyd, who lived formerly at Llwynymaen. _Hutchinsia petræa_—Pentregaer and Trefonen; upon the slope of the hills facing Llansilin. _Arabis hirsuta_—Pentregaer. _Geranium colum binum_—Hedge banks, occasionally. _Fumaria claviculata_—Craigforda. _Ornithopus perpusillus_—Moelydd, and Pentregaer. _Anthyllis vulneraria_—Treflach, and Trefonen. _Tragopogon pratensis_—Llanforda (1st park). _Tussilago petasites_—Meadows near Llwynymaen. _Hieracium paludosum_—Maesbury. _Achillæa ptarmica_—Upper part of the Parish. _Listera ovata_—Road-side near Mount Sion. _Myriophyllum spicatum_—Pool at Llanforda. _Typha latifolia_—Morda, and Llynclys pool. _Carex paniculata_—Llynclys pool. ,, _hirta_—Llanforda

Cryptogimia.

FILICES.