Scenes in North Wales: With Historical Illustrations, Legends, and Biographical NoticesWright, G. N. (George Newenham)
History
Scenes in North Wales: With Historical Illustrations, Legends, and Biographical Notices
Wright, G. N. (George Newenham)
Wales, North -- Description and travel
Above the village, on the stream of the Llugwy, is the famous waterfall
called Rhaidar y Wennol, or the cataract of the swallow. It consists of
three noble falls, differing in character, though all conspicuous in
picturesque interest; the highest consists of innumerable frothy streams,
gliding with great velocity down a sloping rock but little broken; the
second is a concentrated volume, rushing with impetuosity into a foaming
caldron; and in the third the whole is dashed away in spray. A huge
perpendicular rock rises abruptly from one side to a height of five
hundred feet and upwards, while the opposite side is formed of broken
banks and rocky patches, clothed with noble aged oaks. In the solemn
depths of the lowest fall the spirit of the turbulent Sir John Wynne, of
Gwydyr, which had haunted the glen for many years, is supposed to be laid
at rest beneath the waters.
LLANBERIS LAKE.
THESE lakes, though not remarkable for extent of surface, are
distinguished by the solemn grandeur of their rocks and mountains, that
rise in very bold and awful characters. On the northern shore the
mountain rises to a towering height, and with great abruptness. The
hills on the opposite side are more rugged and sterile, but recede more
gradually, while they aspire to an equal elevation. Between the lakes a
bold promontory issues from the mountain and shoots into the water,
adorned by the majesty of Dolbadarn’s ruined castle, whose ivy-mantled
walls seem part of the very rock on which they stand. Beyond this a
second expanse of waters is disclosed, enveloped in scenery yet more
terrific and sublime than the former, the perspective being terminated by
the dark blue heads of innumerable mountains, projections merely of great
Snowdon and the Glydyr, where the mountains appear to meet and shut in
the scene. Amidst scattered rocks, at the entrance of Bwlch y Gwyddol,
and where fragments from the heights almost choke up the pass, stands the
little church of Llanberis. If solitude and simplicity be inseparable
characters of a religious edifice, then is Llanberis Church most entirely
suited to its pious destination. Saint Peris, to whom the church is
dedicated, lived in the thirteenth century, and this is supposed to have
been his retreat. Here he founded a church, blessed a well, which now
bears his name, and to which miraculous qualities were ascribed. The
most singular circumstance however, connected with the later history of
this holy well is, that here a monstrous trout has continued for upwards
of twenty years, and become so familiar, that it will take a worm from
the hand of a poor person, who appears to have adopted that privilege as
her own. Peris was a legate from the church of Rome, and accompanied in
his mission by Saint Padarn. Our saint chose the little meadows on the
upper lake, in Nant y Monach, or the Monk’s Vale; and Padarn, his friend,
settled on the lower lake, which is still called after his name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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