Read Ebook: The Pedestrian's Guide through North Wales A tour performed in 1837 by Bennett G J George John Clint Alfred Illustrator

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PREFACE

The peasantry are simple, honest, and obliging; and, as they trudge along, a spirit of freedom sparkles in their eyes, and seems to animate every action of their unfettered limbs. Though their fare is humble, they enjoy it with an appetite to which the bracing air of their hills, and their happy ignorance of luxuries, give an enviable zest. Drunkenness is a vice almost unknown among these primitive mountaineers: milk is their common beverage, oatmeal cakes, and potatoes, with a plentiful supply of trout from their native streams, form their chief summer food; while, in winter, dry salted beef and mutton serve to satisfy their utmost wishes.

"Though poor the peasant's hut, his feasts tho' small, He sees his little lot the lot of all.

Dear is that shed to which his soul conforms, And dear that hill which lifts him to the storms. And, as a child, when scaring sounds molest, Clings close and closer to the mother's breast, So the loud torrent, and the whirlwind's roar, But bind him to his native mountains more."

DIRECTIONS TO THOSE UNACQUAINTED WITH THE WELSH LANGUAGE.

A knowledge of the Welsh alphabet is indispensable to those who are desirous of correctly pronouncing the necessary questions and answers that transpire upon the road. The names of places must effectually puzzle any tourist, who is not acquainted with the peculiar sound of each letter, particularly where there are many consonants in a word. In order therefore to aid the traveller in Wales, I have selected the following rules.

In the Welsh alphabet there are no mutes; and all letters that are circumflex must be pronounced long, as

B?n like the English Bone. Bin, as Been. C, as Can, but never soft as in City. Ch, is pronounced as the Greek ?. Dd, as the English Th in theme. F, as V in English. Ff, as F and double F in English. G, as G in good, but never soft as in genial. I, as I in king but never as in fire. Ll, as L aspirated. Th, as in thought. U, as I in the English words bliss, kiss &c. W, as double O in good, wood. Y, as U in burn, but in the last syllable of a word; and in all monosyllables except Y, Ydd, Ym, Yn, Yr, Ys, Fy, Dy, Myn, it is like I in Sin.

GLOSSARY.

Ap, or Ab, is prefixed to proper names, and signifies, the son of. Aber, the fall of one water into another, a confluence. Am, about, around. Ar, upon, or bordering upon. Avon, or Afon, a river. Ban, high, lofty, tall. Bach, little, small. Bedd, a grave, a sepulchre. Bettws, a station between hill and vale. Blaen, a point or end. B?d, a residence. Braich, a branch. Bron, the breast or slope of a hill. Bryn, a hill, a mount. Bychan, little. Bylch, a gap or pass. Cader, a chair. Caer, a city. Capel, a chapel. Carn, a heap. Carnedd, a heap of stones. Careg, a stone. Castell, a castle, fortress. Cil, a retreat, a recess. Clawdd, a hedge, a dyke. Clogwyn, a precipice. Coed, a wood. Cors, a bog, a fen. Craig, a rock or craig. Croes, a cross. Cym, a valley or glen. Dinas, a fort, a city, or a fortified place. Dol, a meadow or dale in the bend of the river. Drws, a doorway, a pass. D?, black. Dwfr or Dwr, water. Dyffryn, a valley. Eglwys, a church. Ffordd, away, a road a passage. Ffynnon, a well, a spring. Garth, a hill bending round. Gl?n, a brink or shore. Gl?s, bluish or greyish green. Glyn, a glen or valley through which a river runs. Gwern, a watery meadow. Gwydd, a wood. Gwyn, white, fair. Llan, a church, a smooth area, an inclosure. Llwyn, a grove. Maen, a stone. Mawr, great. Moel, a smooth conical hill. Mynydd, a mountain. Nant, a ravine, a brook. Newydd, new, fresh. Pant, a hollow or valley. Pistyll, a spout, a cataract. Plas, a hall or palace. Plwyf, a parish. Pont, a bridge. Porth, a ferry, a port, a gateway. Pwll, a pit or pool. Rhaiadr, a cataract. Rhiw, an ascent. Ryhd, a ford. Sarn, a causeway, a pavement. Tal, the front or head, also tall. Traeth, a sand or shore. Tre or Tref, a home, a town. Twr, a tower. Ty, a house. Y, the, of. Yn, in, at, into. Ynys, an island. Ystrad, a vale, a dale. Yspytty, a hospital, an almshouse.

INTERJECTIONS.

As there are many interjectional adverbs made use of in the following pages, a glossary of them might prove useful.

Aro! stop! Dacw! yonder! Dyna, dyna! there, there. Dyt, dyt! hold, hold! Fwrz! away! Gwae, woe. Hai how! heigho! Hwnt! avaunt! O dyn! oh dear! Oia! oh pray! Oio! hear me! Truan bac! poor little thing! Truan hyny! poor thing, that it was! Twt! pshaw! Wela, wela! well, well! Ysywaeth! the more the pity!

GUIDE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN.

ROUTE. COUNTIES. MILES. PRINCIPAL INNS. OBJECTS OF ANGLING INTEREST. STATIONS. From LONDON to Salop 154 The The House of The Severn. SHREWSBURY, Talbot--Raven-- Industry-- Lion, and the Military Fox. Dep?t--Lord Hill's Column--Quarry Walk--and the Castle. thence to WITTINGTON Do. 16 The Castle, and The Severn. the Church. CHIRK Denbighshire 6 The Hand. The Castle--The The Ceiriog. Aqueduct and Vale. LLANGOLLEN Do. 7 The Hand--King's Bran--Church--Plas The Dee--to Head, and Royal Newydd--Pont Corwen or Oak. Cysylltan. Overton. CORWEN Merionethshire 10 The Owen The Between Corwen Glyndwr. Church--Cross-- and Llan St. Glyndwys Ffraid bridge. Seat--Vale of Edeyrnion. BALA Do. 12 White Lion & The Lake--Aran Bala lake and Bull's Head. Fowddwy--Arrenig pool, halfway up Vawr--Arrenig the Arrenig Vach. Vach--R. Dee. DOLGELLEY Do. 18 Golden Nannau Lanvachreth 3 1/2 Lion--Angel, & Park--Kymmer miles--Dol-y- Ship. Abbey--County gammed, on the gaol--Parliament Avon, 4 House of Owen miles--Llyn Glyndwr--The Cregnan, S.W. 4 Falls of Rhaiadr miles--Llyn Mawddach--Rhaiadr Gader, 1 1/2 m--Llyn Du, and Griew, 5 Pistyll-y-Cain. m--Tal-y-llyn, on Cader Idris, 6 m. BARMOUTH Do. 10 Commercial Inn, Old Town--Sarn Llyn Raithlyn, and Cors-y-gedol Badric--Cors-y- near Arms. gedol. Trawsfynydd-- Arthog Chapel, 3 m. distant--Llyn Bodlyn, 4 M. from Barmouth--Llyn Teddin and Llyn Gierw, near the town. HARLECH Do. 10 The Blue Lion. The Castle--Cwm Llanvihangel, on Bychan--The Dwyryd, 5 Cromlech, 2 m--Llanbedr on miles S. in a the Bychan, 3 farm called m--Llyn-y-Vedw, Gwern Einion--A Llyn Eiddaw, Druidical circle Llyn between the Farm Glyn--Llyn-y-cwm and Harlech. Bychan--Llyn Trewyn. MAENTWROG Do. 10 Maentwrog Inn, Tan-y-Bwlch-- Llyn Llanyrch, and Oakley Arms. Slate Quarries, 3 1/2 m -- and Raven fall, Cwmmorthin Lake 2 m--Festiniog, 3 4 1/2 Cynfall--Roman m--Llyn Mannot, 6 encampment m 3 m trout)--Llyn from Festiniog. Murionion, 6 m--Llyn Tackwyn. 3 m. TREMADOC Caernarvonshire. 10 1/2 Madoc Arms. The Breakwater Angling from at Port Tremadoc. Madoc--The Church. BEDDGELERT Do. 10 1/2 The Goat. Gelert's Nant grave--The chair Gwynnant--Llyn of Rhys Gocho'r' Dinas--Cwm Ryri--Pont Aber Llan--Llyn Glas Llyn. Gwynnant--Llyn Llydan. LLANBERIS Do. 14 The Victoria, Dolbadarn Upper and lower and Snowdonia. Castle--The lakes --Llyn Cwm of little John Dwythog, 2 Closs--Well of m--Llyn Llydan St. , 5 Peris--Lakes-- m--Glaslyn, on Pass. the W. of Snowdon. CAPEL CURIG Do. 10 Capel Curig Inn. Rhaiadr-y-Wennol waterfall--Moel-Siabod-- Dolwyddelan Castle, 5 m. BETTWS-Y-COED Do. 5 Pont-y-pair-- Lake Ogwen--Nant Shenkin's Francon--Llyn Cave--Church-- Idwal--R. Llugwy. Monument to Davyd Goch. LLANRWST Denbighshire. 5 The Eagles. The Bridge--Gwydir Castle--The Church--Gwydir Chapel. CONWAY Caernarvonshire. 12 The Castle, and The Bettws-y-Coed, 3 the Newborough Castle--Church-- m--Trevriw, 2 1/2 Arms. Curious m--Dol-garrog, 4 monuments--Plas m--Llanbedr, 5 Mawr--Ormes-head. m--Dolwyddelan, 8 m--Tal-y-Llyn, and Llyn Crafnant, near Llanrwst. ABER-GWYNGREGYN Do. 9 The Bulkley The Waterfall Llyn Ogwen--Llyn Arms. and Glen--Penmaen Idwal, and Ogwen Mawr. river. BANGOR Do. 5 1/2 The Penrhyn Penrhyn The fishing Arms--The Castle--Slate stations as Castle--the quarries-- above. Liverpool Arms, Caenarvon--Menai and Albion. Bridge--Beaumaris and Castle--Penmon Monastery--Plas Newydd--Baron Hill--Puffin Island, and the Cathedral.

Preliminary observations--Preparations for a tour--Coach conversation--A breakfast and an American traveller--Route to Birmingham--A dinner--Road to Wolverhampton--Eccentric passengers--Lord Hill's monument--Shrewsbury.

"Like brethren now do Welshmen still agree In as much love as any men alive; The friendship there and concord that I see I doe compare to bees in honey hive, Which keep in swarme, and hold together still, Yet gladly showe to stranger great good will; A courteous kinde of love in every place A man may finde, in simple people's face."

CHURCHYARD.

VARIOUS, as the features of human nature, are the sources of human happiness. Some derive their choicest pleasure from historical accounts of men who lived in by-gone ages, and in re-creating events that have long since been engulphed in the abyss of time,--breaking down the barriers of intervening years, and mingling, in idea, with those who were once deemed the glorious of the earth, who now lie blended with its grossest atoms, or are confounded with the purer elements. Some, parching with the thirst of knowledge, seek to slake the fever of their minds with most laborious research; explore the utmost regions of the globe to find a shorter marine passage; or pierce into its depths to seek for treasures which only exist in their heated fancies. The vast ocean is fathomed to satisfy the ruling principle of their natures,--curiosity; and the realms of air traversed with the same motive to insure the universally desired result, self-gratification. While some, leaving the elements to perform the destined changes, are willing to agree with the poet, who in the warmth of his philanthropy exclaims:

"The proper study of mankind is man;"

and among this class of beings the author of these pages may be ranked, although he willingly confesses nature has the power of charming him in her most minute as in her most stupendous works, from the curious and confined instinct of the ant and of the bee to the wonderful and exhaustless energies of the human mind,

"That source Whence learning, virtue, wisdom, all things flow."

The court, the city, and the country, present an endless variety of subjects for contemplation; and the latter being the region of delight to those whose business confines them to the metropolis for the winter months, the author of this volume is anxious to be thought a useful and an amusing companion to such tourists who, in pursuit of health and the charms of nature, may wander

"In the Welsh vales 'mid mountains high,"

where the sublime and beautiful present themselves at every turn to captivate the eye, and ruddy health colours the smiling faces of every peasant girl and shepherd boy, from Chirk to Holyhead.

To a mind capable of estimating fine scenery, how delightful are the hurry and bustle which usually take place on the morning of departure, in fond expectation of realizing the anticipated pleasure of viewing those beauties of nature the imagination has but weakly painted! The sun is scarcely sooner up than the traveller; and, although the coach in which he is to be rolled some hundred and fifty miles will not start for perhaps three hours, his anxiety preponderates over the now slighted comforts of his bed of down, and with an agile leap he quits his restless pillow, and hastily despatching the business of his toilet, with his heart beating high, and his knapsack already stuffed with three shirts, as many pairs of stockings, guide books, and as few other necessaries as may be, in order to make his walking wardrobe as light as possible, he prepares to "take the road." If a disciple of old Isaac Walton and Cotton, he will not fail to have his book of flies, lines, reel, &c., and a light fly rod to carry in his hand, and for which he is sure to have use whenever he feels inclined for piscatory pastime on his tour. So stocked and provided, he bids defiance to the evils of life; and may exclaim with the poet

"Warly cares and warly men May a' gae tapsalteeree O!"

"Do you ride upon the box, sir?"

"To be sure I do--paid that fellow to keep it for me."

"All right, sir: mount if you please,--not a minute to spare. All right behind there?"

"All right."

"Hold fast, sir!--let 'em go, Joey! Blow avay, Bill," then addressing the near wheeler; "eh, vot, you're at your tantarums again! I'll vork 'em out of you before ve gets to the end of the stage. Do you know, sir, it vas all along of this here varmint that ve'd the upset last veek."

"Indeed! we've a pleasant prospect before us, then."

"Oh there's no fear, sir; I vas never upset in my life, and I've been upon this here road for five and twenty years come next Christmas; but it vas all along of a gemman as had the reins in hand, ven poor Ned Burkem just vent in for his mornins, at the King's Arms--yonder you may see the sign just afore us; ve alvays stops there for our mornins, case you see, sir, the landlord vas von of us, and his daughter is a main pretty girl. I suppose, sir, you've no objection to look at a pretty girl, ha, ha!"

"None in the world, James."

"Veil, here ve are; and now, sir, if you'll just lay hold of the ribbons for von minute, I'll leave 'em this here parcel."

To this proposition I agreed, with the proviso that one ostler should hold the tricksey mare, and another stand at the leaders' heads, having no wish for a repetition of poor old Ned Burkem's mishap. The parcel being delivered, the half pint of purl swallowed, and James again seated, like ruddy Phoebus, on the coach box, the horses were put in motion to the tune of eleven miles an hour.

"Very pretty travelling this, Mr. --, I beg your pardon, sir, but your name is --"

"Yes, you're right, James."

"Veil, I thought I vas, sir; it's not always that I can remember names, sir; for you must know that, although I've drove some thousands in my time, just seated where you are, sir, at this present, I don't think I could remember one half of their names."

"Very surprising indeed, for a man of your observation."

"Lord bless you, sir, vy my observation is nothing to Squire --, that's his house you see on your left; they say he can see the Eclipse in the moon. But they can't tool 'em along as ve does here, I take it, sir. Go along, snarler!"

James's tongue and the coach continued in rapid progress; and in due time we reached the Sportsman Inn at Whetstone, when the passengers had an opportunity of displaying the extraordinary effects produced by the morning air upon fasting stomachs. A lady and her daughter, who were inside passengers, did ample justice to the fare; the latter, in particular, payed away at the cold fowl and ham in a manner truly surprising. "Coach ready, ladies," cried James; and up jumped mother and pet, with mouths full of fowl, toast, etc., which they washed down, unmasticated, with the dregs of their tea; and in a minute were again seated inside the coach, opposite to two gentlemen, one rather a corpulent man, with "spectacles on nose," the other a gay young citizen, who was to leave us at Barnet.

The coach had not started above five minutes, before fragrant wreaths of smoke were making their escape out of the window, and delighting the outside passengers with the refreshing odour: for this we were indebted to the stout gentleman before mentioned, who having lately arrived from America, could not be expected to understand the civilized customs of travellers in England, and who inconsiderately concluded that his cigar was as agreeable to the ladies as to himself. It proved otherwise, however: the cold fowl lay uneasy, and the ham seemed to object to being smoked. This, both ladies endeavoured to intimate to their opposite neighbour, by sundry wry faces and beseeching looks. At length, his cigar being nearly finished, the smoker could no longer pretend blindness to the distressing condition to which he had reduced his companions--and he then asked "if they had any objection to smoking?"

The elderly lady, whose politeness had extended to the utmost limits of her nature, with a forced smile replied "Not the--slightest, sir, if you have no objection to--to--" open the other window, she would have said, but the daughter could no longer support the motion of the coach and the fumes of tobacco, and, to the horror of the American gentleman, he instantly found himself in no very enviable situation.

He started from his seat, and almost lifted the roof of the coach off by the concussion between it and his head. "No objection, madam!" cried he in great wrath; "but I wish you to understand that I have a very great objection to this, I calculate!--Here, coachman! stop! let me get out! will you?"

Coachee complied, and the ladies were doubly relieved.

"I'm in a pretty considerable pickle, I'm thinking!" said he, as he seated himself behind us on the roof.

The more agreeable rattle of the wheels prevented our hearing more of his complaints, and we arrived at Barnet.

About a mile and a half from Barnet, upon the right, is the estate of Mr. Byng, and a little further, on the left, that of Mr. Trotter. The town of St. Albans with its ancient Abbey, which creates pleasing ideas of bygone times, of monks and friars, "fat pullets and clouted cream," was passed through; and descending the hill, on leaving the town, fresh objects became interesting to the eye.

After leaving Gorham Bury, Earl Verulam's seat on the left, we came to Market Street and passed a delightful residence called Market Cell, the property of a Mr. Johnson, and beyond Sir F. P. Turner's on the right, and Mr. Duncombe's on the left, are places that make a man desirous of possessing ?10,000 per annum.

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