Nooks and Corners of PembrokeshireTimmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
History
Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire
Timmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
Pembrokeshire (Wales) -- Description and travel
One day in the course of his travels Giraldus fell in with an
exceedingly tall young man, who, owing to the length of his limbs, was
known as Sitsyllt of the Long Legs. The career of this ill-starred
individual was cut short in a strange and tragic manner, the unhappy
Sitsyllt being worried to death by _toads_, in spite of the fact that
his friends had very considerately hung him up in a sack, to save him
from the molestations of these malignant reptiles!
[Illustration: THE TOAD OF TRELLYFAN.]
As a memento of this incident, the marble effigy of a toad was built
into a chimney-piece at Trellyfan, where it was treasured for many
generations. The toad was afterwards cut away and removed from its place
in the farmhouse, but eventually came into the possession of its present
owner, a resident at Haverfordwest, by whose courtesy we are enabled to
give a sketch of this venerable relic. The toad in question is carved in
a dark-green veined marble, about as large as the palm of a woman's
hand, and is reputed to be the work of an Italian artist.
Retracing our steps to Nevern, we call a halt at the Trewern Arms, a
modest hostelry so near the stream that its waters play a pleasant
accompaniment during the course of our homely meal. Then, with energies
recruited, we plunge into a shadowy woodland path that leads to
Pont-y-Baldwyn, a bridge that spans the rippling stream at a point
where, according to tradition, Archbishop Baldwyn preached the crusade
in company with Giraldus Cambrensis. From Pont-y-Baldwyn we follow a
farm road that leads us to Hênllys, a place memorable in Pembrokeshire
annals as the birthplace of that industrious chronicler and local
antiquary, George Owen of Hênllys. Of his curious and fascinating work
entitled 'The Description of Penbrokshire,' we have largely availed
ourselves throughout these present pages. George Owen appears to have
come of a stout old country stock. His father is said to have died a
centenarian, after begetting a family of some twenty children. Both
George Owen and his father before him held the ancient and honourable
office of Lord of Kemaes.
Taking leave of this historical spot, we now drop into a hollow bowery
lane that hugs the course of the Dûad Stream, and passes through the
rough intricate country known as Pencelly Forest, where in olden times
the lord of the manor claimed right of pannage for hogs, with the wild
honey and sparhawks found in the forest. Our route now leads near
Court, where Martin de Turribus, the conqueror of Kemaes, had a lordly
dwelling, which, according to George Owen, 'seemeth to have been a house
both of account and strengthe.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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