The range of the Clwydian Hills to the east is in several places
surmounted by camps, that have been occupied by succeeding peoples, for
in some are found flint weapons, bronze, later Roman ware and coins,
and even mediæval pottery.
The highest point is Moel Famma. Moel Fenlli is the nearest to Ruthin,
and takes its name from Benlli, king of Powys, who was supplanted by
Cadell Deyrnllwg. He is reported to have retired to this stronghold.
The story is this.
Germanus--not, I hold, the Bishop of Auxerre, but his namesake, a
nephew of S. Patrick, and finally Bishop of Man--was in western
Britain. He came to Pengwern or Shrewsbury, and asked to be admitted.
But Benlli refused, and Germanus was forced to spend the night outside
the walls. A servant of Benlli, named Cadell, disregarding his master’s
orders, furnished the saint and his party with food. According to the
legend, fire fell from heaven and consumed the town, and Benlli escaped
with difficulty. Then Germanus set up Cadell to be king of Powys in his
room.
What seems actually to have happened was that Benlli, with the pagan
party, clung to the side of Vortigern, and Germanus, stirred up Cadell,
a petty prince of Powys, against him, and that Pengwern was taken, and
Cadell elevated to be king in the room of Benlli.
Legend has been busy with the deposed king. It is said that in his camp
he suffered tortures from rheumatism and wild-fire, and that he sought
relief from S. Cynhafal, patron of Llangynhafal hard by, who refused
it to him, as he was a renegade to paganism. Then Benlli in his pain
sought ease in the cooling waters of the River Alun, but the stream
likewise refused its aid, and dived underground. Again Benlli plunged
in, and the water dived again. He tried a third time, and the river a
third time retreated below the surface. The story has been invented to
explain the fact that the Alun actually does thrice disappear in its
bed.
At Derwen, in the church, there is a good screen, but the finest of
all in this district is that of Llanrwst. In most of the Welsh screens
the openings are rectangular, with some dainty tracery introduced at
the top. But at Llanrwst the openings are pointed. In the Devon and
Cornish and Somersetshire screens these openings are mere Perpendicular
windows, and all in each screen are alike in tracery, and this tracery
is very much the same in all. But at Llanrwst the design in each window
of the screen is different; there are, however, no mullions. The face
of the rood-loft is also rich, and only needs the filling in of the
niches with figures to make it complete.
Llandegla is interesting only on account of its spring, now all but
choked up, on Gwern Degla, about two hundred yards from the church.
Pennant in his _Tours_ writes:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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