Wednesday 21st July 1819
Wednesday July 21st . After breakfast we returned to Capel Curig where my brothers left us to go to Llanberris. Papa and Mama rode out on horseback to Bangor to see the country. I not being quite well remained at the Inn. I understand from my brothers the Pass of Llanberris is not as fine as that of Pont aber Glaslynn. We dined at Capel Curig and proceeded to Cernioge to tea. This is a pretty hamlet consisting of a few cottages and a most comfortable Inn. Here we met Mr Grimes.
OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:
Llanberis: is a village on the southern bank of the lake Llyn Padarn and at the foot of Snowdon which takes its name from an early Welsh saint. It is a popular centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia and the international fell race known as the Snowdon Race (Welsh: Ras Yr Wyddfa) to the summit of Snowdon begins in the village.The ruins of Dolbadarn Castle, which were famously painted by Richard Wilson and J. M. W. Turner, stand above the village. The 13th century fortress was built by Llywelyn the Great https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanberis
circa 1850: Llanberris & Snowden, Caernarvonshire, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1129648. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llanberris_%26_Snowden,_Caernarvonshire.jpeg
2009: View of Llanberis from the bottom of Llanberis Path, by Midway, the copyright holder, who has released this work into the public domain. so:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llanberis_from_above.JPG
Capel Curig: Lucy would probably have remained at the Capel Curig Inn that had been full the night before.
Llanberis Path is the longest and most gradual of the six main paths to the summit of Snowdon, and offers fantastic views of Cwm Brwynog, Llanberis and over the Menai straights towards Anglesey. The path mainly follows the Snowdon Mountain Railway track, and goes by Hebron, Halfway and Clogwyn stations. Before the railway was opened in 1896, visitors employed guides to lead them to the summit along this path on mule-back. A remarkable geological feature can be seen from the Llanberis path, the Clogwyn Du’r Arddu syncline. The syncline was formed over thousands of years, as the earth moved and transformed horizontal deposits into vertical layers of rock. https://www.snowdonia.gov.wales/visiting/walking/mountain-walks/llanberis-path
Circa 1840: Pass of Llanberis, Caernarvonshire. Engraving by W. Miller after R.K. Penson. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEPassLlanberWM.JPG
Circa 1850: The Pass of Llanberis. Lithograph by M & N Hanhart after J. Brandard. Published by T. Catherall Chester & Bangor. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEPassOfLlanberisJB13.jpg
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanberis_Pass
2006: Llanberis Pass by NoelWalley at English Wikipedia, who is the copyright holder and has published it under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llanberis-P4121156.JPG
The path that the Copland’s took Thursday 13th July 1819 to ascend Snowdon was 3 miles from Beddgelert on the Caernarvon road and considered dangerous. It was not the Llanberis Path which Alex, William and Frank took.
Cernioge Inn: Following publication, Michael Freeman, curator of Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth, 1991-2012, has kindly been in contact to correct Lucy’s spelling and to link us with fascinating information on the Cernioge Inn found in his website Early Tourists in Wales - 18th and 19th century tourists' comments about Wales . Referring to his original source he quotes: “This page was prompted by Kirsty McHugh’s blog on the Curious travellers site. Her work has uncovered more references to the inns at Cernioge. These illustrate just how many references there can be to a building in a remote place. Although many are very brief, in combination they provide a valuable record of the inn and the services provided by the occupants. The relatively large number of nobility and knights (or at least, in some cases, their wives) who kept a record of a visit to this inn is probably fortuitous but although they, like other travellers, had little choice about where they stayed at the end of a day’s journey, they might have chosen Cernioge after about 1816 because of its excellent stables (which, it was claimed, had space for 69 horses) and there was also room to park many coaches”. https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/practicalities/accommodation/inns/cernioge-inn/
We quote two of our favourite references found in this site that were written close to the time the Coplands visited:-
1816 “An indisposition with which my travelling companion was seized compelled us at five o’clock in the evening, to remain for the night at the inn of Cernioge Mavvr, and I can truly say that to this accident I owe some of the most agreeable hours I enjoyed during my stay in England [sic]. The interior as well as the exterior of the house were quite calculated to illustrate the meaning of that untranslateable word “comfort,” of which an idea can be formed only in England. The house was of a simple appearance, two stories in height, with only five windows in front, and before it was a level court-yard, laid with gravel, in which peacocks, turkies, pigeons, and other poultry strutted about in rural security. Three fine old maple trees formed a row at one side of the door, and a bench under them invited to repose under their shade. A little grove opposite to the house formed a kind of partition towards the high road. The interior arrangement of the house was altogether such as any private person might wish to imitate. We had our choice of several neat and even elegant bed rooms; and our pleasant and well furnished sitting-room, on the right of the entrance below stairs, afforded me the gratification of feeding the poultry, in the court and on the window-sill, out of my hand. A large dog, who from time to time paid his visits and partook of my supper, likewise occupied his place in this rural picture. But we did not want at the same time for more refined enjoyments. The landlady’s daughter played Welsh airs, the whole evening through on the harp, the favourite instrument of the Welsh, which afforded us a most agreeable entertainment. (note: The Welsh harp is peculiarly constructed. For many octaves it has double and treble strings besides each other.)” Dr. Samuel Heinrich Spiker, (1786-1858.) Travels through England, Wales, & Scotland, in the year 1816. : Translated from the German, (1820) vol. 2, pp. 43-44.
1817 “At this inn you meet with the best accommodation in N. Wales & the greatest civility. Kept by a Mr. Weaver, whose wife was lately a servant of Mr Abletts. It stands in high repute on this road & all the travellers from Ireland prefer sleeping here to any other. Excellent beds & the choicest fare. Miss W his daughter, an excellent performer on the harp & sings Welch airs.” Christopher Rawson, travel journal 1817-1822, WYAS: Calderdale, WYC:1525/6/5/2 - Curious Travellers blog by Kirsty McHugh
Can you help us?
Old Regency Prints, Pictures an Coaching maps: Do you have access to any prints or pictures showing what town and country would have looked like when Lucy travelled through? Any illustrations of what she would have seen in 1819 will enliven our research.
New Pictures: Do you have any modern pictures of the streets, buildings, gardens and views that would enable us to see the changes that two centuries have wrought?