“The chirch of St. Oswalde,” says Leland, “is a very faire leddid chirch, with a great tourrid steple, but it standeth without the new gate; so that no chirch is there withyn the towne. This chirch was sum time a monasterie, caullid the _White Minster_. After turnid to a paroche chirch, and the personage impropriate to the abbey of Shreusbyri. The cloister stoode in hominum memoria ubi monumenta monachorum. The place and streate wer the chirch standithe is called Stretllan.” From this place to LLANYMYNACH, situate on the north bank of the Evyrnwy, a continuation of the rich enclosed country, showing to advantage the agriculture of these parts, attended us till we reached the foot of the hill of Llanymynach. From the summit of this we enjoyed a most beautiful and boundless prospect, commanding the whole dome of the sky. All individual dignity was overpowered by the immensity of the whole view, which consisted more particularly of the rivers Virnwy and Tannad, joining their waters with the Severn; the lofty waterfall of Pystyll Rhaiadr—the Breddin Hills—and the Ferwyn Mountains. The geological observations on Llanymynach Hill, by Mr. Aikin, are so accurate, that to attempt any further description would be deemed highly presumptuous in me; I shall therefore avail myself of an account so ably delineated. “The hill of Llanymynach is not only remarkable for the fine prospect from its top, it is still more worthy notice, as containing by far the most extensive lime works of any in this part of the country. The lime of Llanymynach rock is in high request as a manure, and is sent by land-carriage as far as Montgomery, New-town, and even Llanidloes: it sells at the kilns for sevenpence a bushel; and from thirty to thirty-six bushels are reckoned a waggon load; the coal with which it is burnt, is brought partly from the neighbourhood of Oswestry, and partly from Sir Watkin Williams Wynne’s pits, near Ruabon. The lime lies in strata, parallel to the horizon, varying in thickness from three inches to five feet; it is of an extraordinary hardness, with but little calcareous spar, and few shells, or rather marine exuvial; its colour reddish brown, burning to almost white. Between the strata of lime we found a very tenacious smooth clay, orange-colour ochre, and green plumose carbonate of copper, or malachite. It was in search of this copper that the Romans carried on here such extensive works, of which the remains are still very visible: they consist of a range of from twenty to thirty shallow pits, the heaps of rubbish from the mouths of which abound with small pieces of copper ore, and a cave of considerable dimensions, terminating in an irregular winding passage of unknown length, connected with which are two air-shafts still remaining open, and the appearances of several others now filled up: in some of these caverns are found large and beautiful specimens of stalactite. One of the levels was explored some years ago,