The Cambrian Tourist, or, Post-Chaise Companion through Wales [1834]: Containing cursory sketches of the Welsh territories, and a description of the manners, customs, and games of the nativesAnonymous
History
The Cambrian Tourist, or, Post-Chaise Companion through Wales [1834]: Containing cursory sketches of the Welsh territories, and a description of the manners, customs, and games of the natives
Anonymous
Wales -- Guidebooks
situated nearly in the centre of the vale of Clwyd, is a well-built town,
standing on the declivity of a hill. A large manufactory of shoes and
gloves is here carried on, and annually supplies London with a vast
quantity. The ruins of the Castle, still remaining on a rock commanding
the town, are too celebrated in history, and too cruelly shattered by the
ravages of war, to be passed unnoticed. The principal entrance forms a
fine Gothic arch, with the statue of King Edward the First, its founder,
above it, in an elegant niche, curiously carved, encircled with a square
stone frame. No part of this castle is perfect; but the huge thick
fragments, which are scattered in the most extraordinary and fantastical
manner, seem to tell its former magnificence; and a present view of
things, such as they are, with a retrospect of what they originally were,
spreads a gloom over the mind, and interrupts the pleasure of
contemplation; yet still the singular character of this ruin is
particularly interesting. Masses of wall still remain, the proud
effigies of sinking greatness; and the shattered tower seems to nod at
every murmur of the blast, and menace the observer with immediate
annihilation. Amongst these ruins we lingered till the whole was
silvered by the pale rays of the moon. To form a conjecture on the
extent of its apartments is now impossible; but it is thus described by
Leland in his _Itinerary_.
“The castelle is a very large thinge, and hath many toures in it; but the
body of the work was never finischid. The gate-house is a mervelus
strong and great peace of worke, but the fastigia of it were never
finischid. If they had beene, it might have beene counted among the most
memorable peaces of workys in England. It hath dyverse wardes and
dyverse portcolicis. On the front of the gate is set the image of Henry
Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, in his stately long robes. There is a nother very
high towre, and large, in the castelle, caullid the Redde Towre. Sum
say, that the Earl of Lincoln’s sunne fell into the castelle welle, and
there died; wherapon he never passid to finisch the castelle. King
Edward the Fourth was besiegid in Denbigh castelle, and ther it was
pactid betwene King Henry’s men and hym that he should with life departe
the reaulme, never to returne. If they had taken King Edwarde there
debellatum fuisset.” After the restoration of Charles II. it was blown
up by gunpowder.
The parish church stands within the walls of the original town. Below
the castle are the fragments of an old church, which, for particular
reasons, that cannot now be ascertained, was never finished: it contains
nine windows on two sides, with a large and handsome one on the east.
In this town was born the famous Sir Hugh Myddleton. The market is held
on a Wednesday: its distance from London, through Mold, is 218 miles.
In conjunction with Ruthin and Holt, it sends a member to Parliament.
The principal inns are the Bull and the Crown.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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