Page images
PDF
EPUB

as that from Dolgelley, the difference between these two ascents consisting in the first few miles.

Cader Idris has three high points; the most lofty is called Pen y Cader, the next in height Mynydd Moel, and the other Craig y Cae. On Pen y Cader, the Head of the Seat, which is 2850 feet above the green near Dolgelley, some stones are piled, and two or three seats formed. From hence the view is very varied and extensive. On one side the mountain forms an abrupt and deep precipice, at the bottom of which are lodged two small lakes. In the distance may be seen, to the north-east, Ireland; and carrying the eye round, Snowdon, the Berwyn mountains, headed by Cader Ferwyn, the Isle of Man, the Wrekin, the Clee hills, and Plimlimmon; in the intervening space, Bala lake, with its adjacent mountains, and the county of Montgomery. On the west side may be traced the whole curve of Cardigan Bay, from St. David's entirely round to Caernarvonshire.

CHAPTER XVII.

DOLGELLEY TO MACHYNLLETH,

(By the direct Road 164 Miles.)

View of Dolgelley-the Pool of the Three Pebbles-Tal y Llyn or Llyn Mwyngil-Road to Machynlleth-Machynlleth.

DOLGELLEY TO MACHYNLLETH, BY TOWYN AND ABERDOVEY, (30 Miles.)

Towyn-Tebeni-Ynysymaengwyn-Aberdovey-Road to Machynlleth.

DOLGELLEY TO MACHYNLLETH, BY DINAS MOWDDWY AND MALLYD,

(24 Miles.)

Dinas Mowddwy-Mallwyd—Waterfall at Pont Vallwyd-Yew Trees.

FROM the direct road leading to Machynlleth, and at the distance of about two miles, the town of Dolgelley is seen to greater advantage than from most other points of view. It appears in the midst of a vale replete with pastoral beauty. The wide river Mawddach is visible in the distance, and the intervening space exhibits luxuriant woods, meadows and corn fields, intersected by the river Wnion, which serpentines along the vale.

The road now passes over high and swampy moors, and for some miles the scenery is wild, dreary and comfortless.

174 THE POOL OF THE THREE PEBBLES-MACHYNLLETH.

The lofty Cader Idris forms the entire boundary of these wilds towards the south-west.

THE POOL OF THE THREE PEBBLES.

This is a small pool on the left of the road, about five miles from Dolgelley. The Welsh call it Llyn Trigrainwyn. It has its name from the three huge fragments of rock that are seen by its side. The huge man, Idris, from whom the adjacent mountain had its name, was one day walking round his possessions in these mountains when, as the tradition goes, he found something had fallen into his shoe that began to hurt his foot. He pulled it off and threw out these three pebbles, after which he experienced no further inconvenience! One of these pebbles is about four-and-twenty feet long, eighteen broad and twelve high. So much for tradition!

The pool is said by some to be bottomless; but though this is not the case, its depth for so small a surface of water is uncommonly great, being upwards of fifty fathoms.

At a short distance beyond this pool a pleasing vale presents itself, which encloses a small lake about a mile in length, called LLYN TALLYN, or LLYNN MWYNGIL, the Lake of the Pleasant Retreat. This is bounded by hills, and the prospect is altogether very striking.

From hence to Machynelleth the scenery is extremely pleasing, being varied with numerous plantations and with the meanderings of the rivulet in the valley beneath.

[blocks in formation]

Crossing the Dovey, Machynlleth is at hand, a neat and much more regularly built town than most in Wales, the number of its inhabitants is 3381. From the church-yard

* The word implies the place near the river Cynlleth, which was the ancient name for the Dovey, it is pronounced Mahuntleth.

MACHYNLLETH-TOWYN.

175

there is a pretty view along a green and meadowy vale. Machynlleth is a place of some trade, and it has an air of greater opulence than most of the Welsh towns.

In the principal street stood (of this, however, there are now but few remains) the ancient building in which Owen Glyndwr summoned the chieftains of Wales in the year 1402. He was here acknowledged their prince, and as such proclaimed and crowned.

It is highly probable that this town was the site of Maglona, the principal Roman station in Montgomeryshire. Near Penalt, about two miles distant, there is a place called Cefyn Caer, the Ridge of the City, where Roman coins have frequently been found, and where there has been a small circular fort.

The Eagles is the principal inn, besides which is the Unicorn.

DOLGELLEY TO MACHYNLLETH, BY TOWYN AND ABERDOVEY.

TOWYN

Is a small town sixteen miles distant from Dolgelley by the new road. It is very pleasantly situated within a mile of the sea, and on a portion of land which once formed a morass, but is now protected from the waters by an embankment. This place is very favourable for sea-bathing, and is consequently the resort of many visitors during the summer months. In a field below the church is a well, called St. Cadvan's well, much celebrated for the cure of rheumatic, scrofulous and cutaneous disorders. The church, dedicated to St. Cadvan, is a spacious and ancient cruciform structure, in the Norman style of architecture; it contains several old and curious monuments. On the summit of a rock, rising to a considerable elevation from the vale in

which the town is situated, are some remains of an ancient castle formerly of great strength, the fortifications of which once comprehended the entire summit of the eminence; one of the apartments, 36 feet in diameter, was hewn out of the solid rock. This fortification, which is called TEBENI, Mr. Pennant conjectures to have been the strong castle of Bere, fortified by Davydd ab Grufydd, which was taken, in 1283, by William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, a short time prior to the entire subjugation of the principality by Edward II., by which monarch it was committed to the custody of Robert Fitz-Walter. The Roman road from Cwm Caer, a Roman station in the parish of Pennal, to the village of Carreg, on the opposite bank of the river Dovey, passes through this parish.

The inns are the Raven, the Corbet's Arms Hotel and the Commercial Hotel.

Towyn is distant from Barmouth 11 miles, and from Aberystwith by the Sands 15.

About a mile to the north-east of Towyn is YNYSYMAENWGYN, the seat of A. Corbet, Esq.

Rather more than 3 miles from Towyn is

ABERDOVEY,

The Confluence of the Dovey. A small village and seaport on the northern side of the river Dovey. This place, equally with Towyn, is much frequented by sea-bathers, and several respectable houses and a commodious hotel have of late years been erected for the accommodation of visitors. The ride from Towyn to Aberdovey along the sands at low water is extremely delightful.

From Aberdovey to Machynlleth the distance is about 11 miles, and for the first 7 of these, as far as Pennal, is in a great measure cut through the solid rock.

« PreviousContinue »