The Antiquarian Magazine & Bibliographer; Vol. 4, July-Dec 1884Various
History
The Antiquarian Magazine & Bibliographer; Vol. 4, July-Dec 1884
Various
Archaeology -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Antiquities -- Periodicals
Fortunately for the congress and its members the fine weather which they
had enjoyed upon the whole continued to the last. Although carriages
cannot be driven up actually to St. David’s Head, the extreme object of
their pilgrimage, yet they were enabled to draw up about a mile short of
it, and Mr. Edward Laws acted as their guide over the rest of the way on
foot. Arrived at the Head, they saw a magnificent seaview, and rocks
such as not to be found elsewhere except at the Land’s End in Cornwall.
Mr. Laws explained to them the remains of a large stone circle, not
unlike those at Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, with portions of
its avenue of large stones still remaining _in situ_. They were also
able to see the traces of a fine fortification, probably British, close
by St. Justinian’s Chapel. A ruined edifice near the sea-shore was also
inspected, and Mr. Laws pointed out to the party the place where local
tradition declares that the old Roman city of Menevia lies buried many
feet deep below the sand-drifts. Before returning to St. David’s, they
were also shown the traces of a quadrangular fort, probably Roman,
nearer to the city. The return to Haverfordwest was effected in good
time. This enabled the members to inspect portions of the old castle,
the council chamber, the churches of St. Mary and St. Martin, and a
variety of private houses in which vaulted cellars, carved and painted
mantelpieces, and the tracery of mediæval windows still exist, and also
to extend their walk to the ruins of the Priory in the riverside fields
below the bridge over the Cleddaw. Here, under the guidance of Colonel
Bramble, they were able to make out the ground-plan of this once noble
ecclesiastical structure, including its cruciform church, the refectory,
cloister, &c. The party then returned to the Castle Hotel, and the
congress finally broke up, much to the regret of its members, who agreed
that it had been one of the pleasantest and most successful of such
annual gatherings. This result was largely due, it should be added, to
the courtesy of the authorities of the Great Western and the Pembroke
and Tenby Railway Companies, whose officials lent them all the aid in
their power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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