13th July 1819, Ascent of Snowdon, Beddgelert

Tuesday July 13th 1819

 
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Tuesday July 13th. This

day we devoted to ascending Snowden we left Bethgelert at ½ past ten and three miles upon the road to Caernarvon my Mother and myself mounted our Ponies to commence the ascent the gentlemen accompanied by Mr Grimes who we overtook again walked the day was not so favourable as we could have wished the path is more adapted for horses than that of Cader Idris which enabled us by their assistance to mount within half a mile of the summit here we found ourselves entirely enveloped in clouds so as not to have the slightest idea of the surrounding view

There is a pass here considered by many to be dangerous but which we passed over in safety, and having with difficulty reached the top we sat down & took some refreshment. Mr Grimes wished us good morning and descended on the opposite side on his road to Bangor. As we prepared to do the same on our side the clouds suddenly broke and developed to us the most extensive view of hill and dale I ever beheld. Whilst we were wrapt in admiration and astonishment they again closed and left us in temporary darkness. as we descended

they *** again bushes on opposite sides which had the finest effect which can be conceived & entirely out of my power to describe. We arrived at about seven at the Inn rather fatigued but amply repaid for it. –

 

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is the busiest mountain in the United Kingdom and the third most visited attraction in Wales, with 582,000 people visiting annually. Much of this section is taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowdon

Although the road taken by the Coplands was from Beddgelert, the view of Snowdon below from Nantille, a little further to the north west, may well have presented a similar face of the mountain as they got closer to the path from Rhyd Ddu.

Circa 1850: Snowdon from Nantlle Lakes. A lithograph by Day & Son, Lithographers, after J.J. Dodd..

Circa 1850: Snowdon from Nantlle Lakes. A lithograph by Day & Son, Lithographers, after J.J. Dodd..

The Rhyd Ddu path, also called the Beddgelert Path, is the path the Coplands would probably have taken. It leads from the village of Rhyd Ddu, west of Snowdon, gently up on to Llechog, a broad ridge dropping west from the summit. It is considered one of the easier routes to the summit, with the advantage that the summit is visible from the start, but is one of the least used routes. It climbs at a shallow gradient to Bwlch Main, shortly southwest of the summit, from where it climbs more steeply, meeting up with a large standing stone a few hundred metres from the summit. This may well be where the ponies would have stopped before the family dismounted and ascended the last stage on foot. The total ascent from the bottom of the path to the top of the mountain is 896 meters.

Lucy recounts that having with difficulty reached the top we sat down & took some refreshment. Although the print, below, was published some 50 or so years after their visit to the top, the scene that met the Coplands would probably have differed very little from this except that clouds were enveloping them at the time

Lucy was “wrapt in admiration and astonishment “ by the view as they got ready to descend from the summit.

In a poll of more than 2,500 people, carried out by Samsung to launch their new Galaxy S8 smartphone, the view from the top of Mount Snowdon taking in the sight of the lake Llyn Llydaw has been named the best view in Britain. (Articles by Katie Frost in Country Living and by BBC News Wales -https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/news/g245/britains-best-views-mount-snowdon/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-39563034 - The view, below, found in both articles is by Matthew Cattell and was taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8 )

2017: View from the top of Mount Snowdon taking in the sight of Llyn Llydaw by Matthew Cattell and was taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8

2017: View from the top of Mount Snowdon taking in the sight of Llyn Llydaw by Matthew Cattell and was taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8

In Welsh folklore, the summit of Snowdon is said to be the tomb of Rhitta Gawr, a giant. Rhitta Gawr wore a cloak made of men's beards, and was slain by King Arthur after claiming Arthur's beard. Other sites with Arthurian connections include Bwlch y Saethau, on the ridge between Snowdon and Y Lliwedd, where Arthur himself is said to have died. A cairn, Carnedd Arthur, was erected at the site and was still standing as late as 1850, but no longer exists.

1894: How Sir Bedivere Cast the Sword Excalibur into the Water. Illustration from: Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur. London: Dent, 1894, by Aubrey Beardsley. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and area…

1894: How Sir Bedivere Cast the Sword Excalibur into the Water. Illustration from: Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur. London: Dent, 1894, by Aubrey Beardsley. 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 100 years or less. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bedivere.jpg

As illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d'Arthur, Arthur had Bedivere throw his sword Excalibur into Glaslyn, where Arthur's body was later placed in a boat to be carried away to Afallon. Arthur's men then retreated to a cave on the slopes of Y Lliwedd, where they are said to sleep until such time as they are needed. Merlin is supposed to have hidden the golden throne of Britain among the cliffs north of Crib y Ddysgl when the Saxons invaded.

Glaslyn was also the final resting place of a water monster, known as an afanc (also the Welsh word for beaver), which had plagued the people of the Conwy valley. They tempted the monster out of the water with a young girl, before securing it with chains and dragging it to Glaslyn. A large stone known as Maen Du'r Arddu, below Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, is supposed to have magical powers. Llyn Coch in Cwm Clogwyn has been associated with the Tylwyth Teg (fairies), including a version of the fairy bride legend. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowdon

Can you help us?

Transcription problems: As untrained transcribers we sometimes experience problems interpreting some of Lucy’s writing.

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they *** again bushes on opposite sides which had the finest effect which can …
The *** looks a bit like “however” but that does not make sense. We would really appreciate help from a trained eye!


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?