28th July 1819, Ferry to Liverpool, theatre

Wednesday 28th July 1819

Wednesday July 28th….. We are much struck with the fine view of Liverpool this morning across the Ferry we arrived there about 1 o’clock the water not being sufficiently high before that hour for us to cross we amused ourselves walking about the town there are several very fine buildings but in every in every part it is London with the exception of size. In the evening we went to the Theatre which is very pretty ?Simmingtons? hotel

where we took up our abode is in Castle Street the most fashionable street in Liverpool it is a tolerable Inn.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Liverpool was founded as a borough by King John in letters patent of 1207. The original street plan of is said to have been designed by him and laid out in an H shape: Bank Street (now Water Street), Castle Street – where Lucy stayed at a “tolerable Inn”-, Chapel Street, Dale Street, Juggler Street (now High Street), Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street) and Whiteacre Street (now Old Hall Street).

The print below is the view of Liverpool from the ferry, the view that would have greeted the Coplands this morning.

1808: View of Liverpool, from the ferry, Lancashire. Engraving by W. Angus after Jenkinson of Liverpool. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELiverpoolBeau14.jpg

In the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for control of the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen-day siege in 1644. In 1699 Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, that same year its first slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa. Since Roman times, the nearby city of Chester on the River Dee had been the region's principal port on the Irish Sea but as the Dee began to silt up, maritime trade from Chester became increasingly difficult and shifted towards Liverpool on the neighbouring River Mersey. As trade from the West Indies, including sugar, surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as the River Dee continued to silt up, Liverpool began to grow with increasing rapidity.

Circa 1800: South West Prospect of Liverpoole. "Engraved for the Universal Magazine for J. Hinton at the King's Arms in Newgate Street, London". https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SESWProspectOfLiverpool18.jpg

Liverpool from Lime Street. 1797. Lithograph by H. Greenwood after W.G. Herman. Published in 'Pictorial Relics of Liverpool' in 1856. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELiverpoolFromLimeSt.jpg

1795: View of Liverpool. Engraving by Wilson after E. Dayes. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEVIewLiverpoolDayes11.jpg

Circa 1835: Liverpool from the Town Hall, looking East. Engraving by Rogers after Harwood. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELPoolFromTownHall11.jpg

The first commercial wet dock was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade and tobacco helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow, although several prominent local men, including William Rathbone, William Roscoe and Edward Rushton, were at the forefront of the abolitionist movement. By the start of the 19th century, a large volume of trade was passing through Liverpool, and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool

Local Histories tells us that: “Georgian Liverpool grew rapidly. By the early 18th century it had probably reached a population of 5,000. By 1750 the population of Liverpool had reached 20,000 … Many of the inhabitants were immigrants. In 1795 a writer spoke about 'the great influx of Irish and Welsh of whom the majority of the inhabitants at present consists'….In 1801 the population of Liverpool was about 77,000 and by 1821 the population had reached 118,000.” “However Like all towns in the 19th century Liverpool was unsanitary. In 1832 there was a cholera epidemic in Liverpool. Another epidemic followed in 1849. Yet during the 19th century amenities in Liverpool improved. In 1799 and 1802 private companies began to supply piped water to Liverpool. But it was expensive and poor people could not afford it. They relied on barrels or wells.”

“The port of Liverpool boomed in the 1800s and many new docks were built. By the middle of the century, Liverpool was second only to London. The Manchester ship canal was completed in 1894. Although the docks dominated Liverpool there were other industries such as shipbuilding, iron foundries, glass manufacture, and soap making.” FROM: http://www.localhistories.org/liverpool.html and “A Place in Time, the Development of Liverpool City ...”

More useful information on the development of Liverpool can be found at: https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/about-us/corporate-information/corporate-responsibility/Documents/EducationResourcePeople.pdf

Theatre Royal: According to Arthur Lloyd, “The Theatre Royal was built on the West Side of Liverpool's Williamson Square and opened on the 5th of June 1772 with a production of the play 'Mahomet.' The Theatre, which should not be confused with the later Theatre Royal on Breck Road, opened under the management of Joseph Younger and George Mattocks and was designed by Sir William Chambers, and built by subscription, of which thirty different gentlemen contributed about £170 each, a considerable sum in the 1770s. Each of the subscribers were given 5% of the takings and a transferable ticket. The Theatre was rebuilt in 1802 by Foster with an almost circular frontage.

This Theatre would eventually be taken over and converted into a Cold Storage Unit. The building was demolished and the site was cleared for the construction of a "Civic Centre" (Council offices) in the mid 1960s. However, it was still vacant eight years later. The site is now apparently the home of the official Liverpool Football Club store.” http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Liverpool/TheatreRoyalWilliamsonSquareLiverpool.htm

The Hotel: We have been unable to find any record of a ?Simmingtons? Hotel, Castle Street, but this may be because we have not correctly transcribed the name. Lucy was not too impressed, classing is only as a “tolerable Inn”

Can you help us?

Transcription problems: As untrained transcribers we sometimes experience problems interpreting some of Lucy’s writing. We are not certain that we have transcribed the name of the hotel correctly:

We would like our reading of Simmingtons hotel to be confirmed or corrected, please.

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?

Please click here if you can help

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27th July 1819, Chester Cathedral, Castle, Eaton Hall

Tuesday 27th July 1819

Tuesday July 27th After breakfast we inspected the interior of the Abbey part of which is very old but not striking it is being repaired in a very inferior manner there is nothing worthy of notice in the Castle. At about one o’clock we went to Eaton Hall 4 miles from Chester a very fine seat of Earl Grosvenor the house is built in the Gothic style the finest I ever saw; there are also beautiful grounds and hothouses & greenhouses after dinner we proceeded along an uninteresting

road to Liverpool but arriving late at the Ferry we were unable to cross owing to the water being too low we therefore slept at the Ferry house

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Chester Cathedral interior: The cathedral and former monastic buildings were extensively restored during the 19th century amidst some controversy, shared by Lucy in her comment: it is being repaired in a very inferior manner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Cathedral

Circa 1811: Part of the Cloisters of Chester Cathedral. Drawn and etched by George Cuitt. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SECloistersCuit.JPG

The Cloister, Chester Cathedral. Engraved and Published by Evans & Gresty, Eastgate Row, Chester from 9 Views of Chester. http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/14120

Circa 1826: Vestibule to the Chapter House, Chester Cathedral. Lithograph by W. Crane, Chester after Moses Griffiths https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEVestibule14.jpg

1817: Vaults of Chester Abbey. Engraving by Chas. Heath after Geo. Pickering. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEVaultsChestAbb.JPG

1836: The Ladye Chapel Chester Cathedral from Prout's Antiquities of Chester and published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester, Printed by C Hullmandel http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19610

1836: The Bishop's Throne Chester Cathedral from Prout's Antiquities of Chester and published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester. http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/19612

1836: The Bishop's Chapel Chester Cathedral. from Prout's Antiquities of Chester and published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester. http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/19611

See also http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/4233.html

The Castle was built in 1070 by Hugh d'Avranches, the second Earl of Chester. Prominent people held as prisoners in the crypt of the Agricola Tower were Richard II and Eleanor Cobham, wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Andrew de Moray, hero of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. During the Wars of the Roses, Yorkist John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu was captured and imprisoned at the castle by Lancastrians following the Battle of Blore Heath, near the town of Market Drayton, Shropshire, in 1459. He was released from captivity following the Yorkist victory at Northampton in 1460. Outside the outer bailey gate was an area known as the Gloverstone where criminals waiting for execution were handed over to the city authorities. The Great Hall was rebuilt in the late 1570s. It was besieged by Parliamentary forces several times during the English Civil War, after which it was used as a prison, a court and a tax office. In 1687 James II attended Mass in the chapel of St Mary de Castro. In 1696 Chester mint was established and was managed by Edmund Halley in a building adjacent to the Half Moon tower. During the 1745 Jacobite rising a gun emplacement was built on the wall overlooking the river. By the later part of the 18th century much of the fabric of the castle had deteriorated and John Howard, the prison reformer, was particularly critical of the conditions in the prison. Thomas Harrison was commissioned to design a new prison. This was completed in 1792 and praised as one of the best constructed prisons in the country.

1822: Chester Castle. Lithograph drawn and engraved by Francis Nicholson, Printed by C Hullmandel. http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/11636

2008: Chester Castle The oval motte of the castle with the half-moon tower visible at the left end. Author John Allan from the Geograph project collection. The copyright is owned by John Allan and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chester_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1022086.jpg

Harrison then went on to rebuild the medieval Shire Hall in neoclassical style. He also built two new wings, one to act as barracks, the other as an armoury, and designed a massive new entrance to the castle site, styled the Propylaeum. The buildings, which were all in neoclassical style, were built between 1788 and 1822. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner comments that Harrison's work constitutes "one of the most powerful monuments of the Greek Revival in the whole of England". Lucy found noting of note in the Castle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Castle

Eaton Hall has been the country house of the Grosvenor family since the 15th century.

circa 1800: Painting of Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England, as designed by William Pordon in the late 17th century. Source Newton, Diana; Lumby, Jonathan, The Grosvenors of Eaton, Eccleston, Cheshire: Jennet Publications, ISBN 1-9543379—5. 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:Eaton_Hall_-_Porden.jpg

1814: S.W. View of Eaton Hall, Near Chester, the Seat of Earl Grosvenor Engraved by Daniel Havell after G Bateman, published by T Clay. http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/10794

In the 17th century, formal gardens were created around the Samwell Hall; these included such features as parterres and canals. However they were costly to maintain, and in the later part of the 18th century fashions changed to favour a more informal type of garden layout. Credit for designing the informal gardens at Eaton Hall has been given to Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Although one of Brown's documents dated 1764 shows that payment was made to him by the estate, it also notes that a plan for the garden had been drawn up by William Emes. From this, Marion Mako concludes that, as Brown was an engineer as well as a landscape gardener, the payment was for an engineering project rather than for landscaping. Emes had been influenced by Brown, although he had not been his pupil. With his clerk of works, Thomas Leggett, Emes worked in the estate for the next 10 years.

1823: Eaton Hall, (Entrance Front.) from Ackermann's Repository, Publisher: R. Ackermann http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/13310

1823: Eaton Hall, (West or Garden Front.) from Ackermann's Repository, Publisher: R. Ackermann http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/13309

When Robert Grosvenor (later the 1st Marquess) inherited the estate at the beginning of the 19th century, it had become run-down. The marquess appointed John Webb, a pupil of Emes, to improve the garden and the landscaping. Among Webb's innovations were new terrace walls behind the house, the levelling of Belgrave Avenue and the planting of 130,000 trees along it, and a serpentine lake to the east of the house alongside the River Dee. He also arranged for the construction of greenhouses and a kitchen garden.

1823: The Temple, Lord Grosvenor's, from Ackermann's Repository, Publisher: R. Ackermann http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/21601

Eaton Hall is not open to the public, but the gardens are open three days each year for charity. In the area of the Stable Court are a number of rooms which are used for exhibitions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton_Hall,_Cheshire The Carriage Museum holds the Westminster Collection of Carriages. These can be viewed on the Gardens Charity open days: https://www.eatonestate.co.uk/our-heritage/carriages.aspx

Ferries between the Wirral Peninsula and Liverpool have been in use on this route since at least the 12th century when Benedictine monks charged a small fare to row passengers across the river. The Chester Indictments record criminal activities on the Mersey ferries in the 14th and early 15th centuries. In 1355, Richard, son of Simon de Becheton, was murdered on the ferry; the murderers escaped and took refuge at Shotwick. In 1365, it was recorded that there were four ferryboats operating without a licence, from Bromborough and Eastham. In 1414, William de Stanley, the servant of John Talbot, later Earl of Shrewsbury, was on the ferry between Birkenhead and Liverpool when about 200 men assaulted him, and stole his bay horse valued at £5 (current value - over £2,800), a bow and 14 arrows valued at 3s 4d (current value - over £95) and a barge valued at £10 (current value - over £5,700). The thieves were fined. During this period, the private owners began to use fully rigged sailing ships which meant that bigger vessels could be employed, but in reality these boats were even more at the bidding of the weather.

The Mersey is famed for its thick fogs, and during these times during winter there was little wind and ferries could not operate. The frequency depended on demand and the weather. By the 18th century, the commercial expansion of Liverpool and the increase in stage coach traffic from Chester spurred the growth of the transportation of passengers and goods across the river. Ferry services from Rock House on the Wirral – that is, Rock Ferry – were first recorded in 1709. By 1753 the Wirral side of the Mersey had at least five ferry houses at Ince, Eastham, the Rock, Woodside and Seacombe. The service from New Ferry to Liverpool was first mentioned in 1774. The first steamship to operate on the Mersey was the Elizabeth, a wooden paddle steamer, which was introduced in 1815 to operate between Liverpool and Runcorn.

1886: Crossing the Mersey : The Steam-Ferry between Liverpool and Birkenhead. Engraving which was published in "The Illustrated London News" on February 6th, 1886. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/ILNCrossingMersey15.jpg

The illustration of Birkenhead Ferry, above, shows life on deck during Victorian Times. The print below is probably earlier and shows the Steam-Ferry approaching the Liverpool long stage, ready to disembark.

Seacombe Ferry from the Wood-side, Birkenhead. Engraver: Rock & Co http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/5688

There was considerable debate as to the best way of boarding a ferry vessel. For the steam ferry Etna, which entered service at Tranmere on 17 April 1817, the idea of extension stages was mooted. These were long piers that were mounted on wheels and, by using a steam engine, could be wheeled in and out depending on the level of the tide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersey_Ferry We do not know whether Lucy travelled by sailing ship or steamer nor which Ferry House the Coplands stayed at.

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?

Please click here if you can help

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26th July 1819, Chester all day

Monday 26th July 1819

Monday July 26th Remained at Chester fully occupied the whole of the

day.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

The Streets of Chester: The Coplands would most likely have occupied their day by inspecting the main streets and sites of Chester.

In 1839 the Chester work of Artist and lithographer John Skinner Prout was published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester as a series of Prints called Prout's Antiquities of Chester. Although published 20 years later, these truly wonderful prints give us an idea of what the Coplands would have seen today, 200 years ago.

1839: : Bridge St. Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19618

1839: Water Gate St. Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19619

1839: Old Palace Water Gate St. Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19620

1839: The Phoenix Tower, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19621

1839: Entrance to the Water Tower on the Walls Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19622

1839: The Water Tower Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19623

1839: Pemberton's Parlour on the Walls Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester

1839: The Exchange Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19625

1839: Interior of the Row East Gate Street Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19626

1839: Interior of the Row East Gate Street Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19627

1839: The Abbey Gateway Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published by Ackerman & Co and Boult & Cargerall, Chester http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19628

We found these prints on http://www.rareoldprints.com/ . This comprehensive website contains a constantly expanding catalogue of antique prints and maps. Currently there are 22796 items of which 1774 are maps. Not every item is a print. There are currently 800 original works of art. Many items are for sale at very reasonable prices.

The Inn: Lucy fails to tell us where the Coplands stayed when they were in Chester. She usually states opinions: A comfortable Inn …. A good Inn…. A tolerable Inn …. but she makes no comment on where they breakfasted, dined or stayed. We have been able to locate several Inns that the family may have visited.

The Falcon stands on the west side of Lower Bridge Street at its junction with Grosvenor Road. The Falcon is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The building formerly incorporated part of Chester Rows, but it was the first building to have its portion of the row enclosed in the 17th century. Below is another magnificent print by John Skinner Prout featuring the Falcon Inn on Bridge Street.

1839: Bridge St. Chester, Lithograph from Prout's Antiquities of Chester, published http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/19617

Here is the Falcon Inn today:

2019: Corner shot of the Falcon, Chester, with Lower Bridge Street (to left) and Grosvenor Street (to right). Author Rodhullandemu. Attribution: By Phil Nash from Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this file, Rodhullandemu, published it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/The_Falcon_Inn%2C_Chester_2019.jpg

The building originated as a house in about 1200 and was later extended to the south along Lower Bridge Street, with a great hall running parallel to the street. During the 13th century it was rebuilt to incorporate its portion of the row. It was rebuilt again during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The house was bought in 1602 by Sir Richard Grosvenor who extensively altered it some 40 years later to make it his town house. During the Civil War he moved his family here from his country home, Eaton Hall. In 1643 Sir Richard petitioned the City Assembly for leave to enlarge his house by enclosing the portion of the row which passed through his property. This was successful and it set a precedent for other residents of Lower Bridge Street to enclose their portion of the rows, or to build new structures which did not incorporate the rows.

In the late 18th century the building ceased to be the town house of the Grosvenor family. It continued to be owned by them, and between 1778 and 1878 it was licensed as The Falcon Inn.

In about 1879 alterations were made by John Douglas. At this time it was known as The Falcon Cocoa House and it was re-opened as a temperance house. In 1886 Grayson and Ould carried out a restoration. By the 1970s the building had become virtually derelict. In 1979 the Falcon Trust was established, and the building was donated to the trust by the Grosvenor Estate. Between 1979 and 1982 the building was restored and in 1983 it won a Europa Nostra award. The building was donated to the Falcon Trust by the Grosvenor Estate, and was reopened by the Duke of Westminster in May 1992. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falcon,_Chester#/media/File:The_Falcon_inn,_Chester.jpg

The Pied Bull on the corner of Northgate Street and King Street is an old coaching inn. The façade is 18th century, but there has been a building here for much longer than that, and the staircase is 16th century. On the right hand support there is a facsimile of an old coaching sign. The building dates from the 17th century, probably in the site of two medieval tenements. It was partly re-fronted in the later part of the 17th century, and extended to the rear in the 19th century. It is thought to be the Chester inn described by George Borrow in Wild Wales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_Bull_Hotel

Quote from Historic England at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1376356 : the Pied Bull is almost certainly the inn where George Borrow admired the strapping chambermaid, commented on the ale and spat the proffered Cheshire Cheese into the street. (Borrow George: Wild Wales: 1862-).

2019: Grade II* listed pub on Northgate Street, Chester, dating to 17th century, and possibly earlier. Author Rodhullandemu. Attribution: By Phil Nash from Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this file, Rodhullandemu, published it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Pied_Bull,_Chester.jpg

Haunted Rooms describe the Inn as “dating back to the 11th century, the Pied Bull is thought to be the oldest continuously licensed premises in Chester. It used to be a coaching inn and so has had a huge number of guests staying there during its time as a stop-off point for people travelling up and down the country. In 1533, when the hotel was known as the ‘Bull Mansion’, a handmade wooden staircase was installed, which is still standing today. In 1784, a coach and four started to run from the hotel, ran by John Paul to Birkenhead, and in 1854 George Borrow stayed here before his tour of ‘Wild Wales’. Now, the hotel is run as a town-centre oak-beamed pub and hotel”. https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/the-pied-bull-chester-cheshire Haunted Rooms continues: “As the hotel dates back to the 11th century, it has its fair share of ghostly goings on and paranormal happenings, warranting an investigation by the television show ‘Whines and Spirits’. The ghost of a man is said to haunt the cellar and the cellar seems to be the hub of all of the paranormal activity, with some staff members actually refusing to go down there alone. The man who haunts the cellar is thought to be named John Davies, and in 1609 it was reported that ‘he casually fell down a flight of stairs leading to the cellar belonging to the pied bull, and with a knife in his hand… and died’. As well as the ghost in the cellar, two of the bedrooms are said to be haunted by chambermaids who used to work at the hotel – perhaps they enjoyed their time there so much, they didn’t want to leave”

The Boot Inn was built in the early to middle part of the 17th century, opening as an inn in 1643. Its façade was rebuilt and restored in the late 19th century.

2008: Ye Olde Boot Inn, Eastgate Row The Boot Inn on Eastgate Row is a genuine 17th century building dating to 1643. The shoe shop Ecco has the ground floor level and the inn has the upper two storeys. Source From geograph.org.uk. Author John S Turner. The copyright on this image is owned by John S Turner and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ye_Olde_Boot_Inn,_Eastgate_Row_-_geograph.org.uk_-_788404.jpg

For many years most of the front section of the building at Row level was occupied by a barber's shop, with a corridor leading to the public house beyond it. Since alterations and restorations were carried out in 1988 the whole of the Row level has been occupied by a public house.

Where did they stay?
Probably the Falcon due to its association with the Grosvenor family. The Pied Bull is another possibility but it was a very busy coaching Inn and, given that they stayed in Chester for several days we feel that the Falcon and its aristocratic connections might have been socially more acceptable for a longer stay. The smaller Boot Inn would probably have been less suitable. (see note from Jeff, below, concerning the Boot Inn)

With Thanks to Jeff: We have had the following very kind suggestions from Jeff concerning the Inns where Lucy might have stayed: You were looking for suggestions about where the Coplands may have stayed. These could include: 1) the main coaching inn around 1819 would have included the White Lion on Northgate St, which is where the Town Hall is now. 2) the Yacht Inn which was where the ring road is now beyond Bar Lounge on Watergate St. 3) Golden Lion on Foregate St. There were 3 Golden Lions, but the main one at that time would have been the one on the corner of Foregate St and Love St where the old cinema used to be. 4) Feathers Inn on upper Bridge St, where St Michaels Arcade is now on the East side. Other possibilities for main coaching inns/hotels around the time are the Royal Hotel, Green Dragon, and Mitre, all on Eastgate St. Without further clues, it's impossible to tell. However, it's highly unlikely to have been the Boot Inn as that was always a small tavern, and to my knowledge has never accepted guests.

Can you help us?

Other Inns? We have been able to locate three inns operating at the time of Lucy’s visit. Were there others the family might have stated at?

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?

Please click here if you can help

25th July 1819, Chester, Churches and Band

Sunday 25th July 1819

Sunday July 25th Chester is a large ancient town. There appears a great deal of genteel company. The Cathedral being in repair we went to St John’s Church in the morning and H Trinity in the evening it is not the fashion to walk out in the morning here but at six o’clock they assemble before the barracks where the band plays and it is a very gay scene.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Chester was founded as a Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the reign of the Emperor Vespasian in 79 AD. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Saxons extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border.

Circa 1835: View from the Walls of Chester - looking into Wales. Engraving by T. Barber after T. Allom. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEViewFromWalls15.jpg

Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. It played a significant part in the Industrial Revolution which began in the North West of England in the latter part of the 18th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester

circa 1810: Perspective View of Chester. Engraving published in "The Complete English Traveller". https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChesterPersView.jpg

1817: Chester, from Hand Bridge. Engraving by C. Heath after Geo. Pickering, published by Lackington & Co. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChesterFromHandBridge.jpg

1810: N. E. View of Chester. Engraving by J. Landseer and J. Woolnoth after J. Farington. R.A. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SENEViewChester.JPG

Circa 1800: South Prospect of the City of Chester. Engraved for "The Modern Universal British Traveller." https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SESProspChester.jpg

The cathedral (formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, dedicated to Saint Werburgh) is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since 1541 it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester. It is typical of English cathedrals in having been modified many times, dating from between 1093 and the early 16th century, although the site itself may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times. All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are represented in the present building.

Circa 1823: Chester Cathedral. Etching, drawn and etched by W. Batenham. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChesterCathedralBatenham.jpg

1810: Chester Cathedral. Engraving drawn and engraved by J. Storer. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChesterCathJGreig11.jpg

The cathedral and former monastic buildings were extensively restored during the 19th century amidst some controversy, an opinion which will be shared by Lucy in two days time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Cathedral

1809: Part of the Nave and Cloisters of Chester Cathedral, and of the Bishop's Palace adjoining. Engraving drawn and engraved by S. Lysons. Published in 1809. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEPartNaveCloistChestCath.JPG

St John the Baptist's Church was reputedly founded by King Aethelred in AD 689 and was the cathedral during the Middle Ages, though only the seat of the bishop in practice from 1075 to 1095. It lies outside the city walls on a cliff above the north bank of the River Dee.

1840: St. John's Church and Priory, Chester. Lithograph by Day & Haghe, after W. Tasker. Published by J. Seacome, Chester. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEStJohnsChurchChester14.jpg

1818: North East Prospect, St. John's Church, Chester. Engraving by J. Pigot after S. Brown. Engraved for Hanshall's History of Cheshire. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SENEProspectStJohnsCh14.jpg

Circa 1826: Ruins of St. John's, Chester. Engraving by J. Pigot from a drawing by Miss Nicholsons, Liverpool. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SERuinsStJohnsChester.jpg

After his coronation at Bath, King Edgar of England, came to Chester where he held his court in a place now known as Edgar’s field near the old Dee bridge in Handbridge. Taking the helm of a barge, he was rowed the short distance up the River Dee from Edgar’s field to St John the Baptist's Church by six (the monk Henry Bradshaw records he was rowed by eight kings) tributary kings where a royal council was held. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John_the_Baptist%27s_Church,_Chester

The Barracks: It seems that it was not fashionable to go on the usual social morning promenade in Chester, but instead society gathered at the Barracks to listen to the band play.

Circa 1850: Castle, Barracks & Courts of Assize, Chester. Engraving published by Evans and Gresty, Eastgate Row, Chester. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SECastleBarracksCourtsChest11.jpg

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?

Please click here if you can help

24th July 1819, Crow castle, Chirk castle, Wynnstay Hall, Wrexham, Chester

Saturday 24th July 1819

Saturday July 24th We arose early and went to Crow Castle situated on a high mountain and commanding a fine prospect. It is however so much decayed as scarcely to be distinguishable. Mr Grimes breakfasted with us. Afterwards we left Llangollen from Chirk Castle the seat of Mrs Middleton it was built in the time of Edward the 1st is kept in good preservation & there are some fine pictures we saw the bed in which

Charles the 1st slept on the night previous to the battle of Chester. The Park is large and well wooded. Winsty the seat of Sir Watkin W Wynn was our next place of curiosity the house is large and comfortable with a beautiful flowgarden all around it the pleasure grounds are very extensive and beautifully laid out as we approached Wrexham the country of Wales was changed into England. Wrexham is built entirely of brick the church is one of the wonders of Wales while dinner was preparing we examined it after dinner we continued our *** on a flat beautiful

road to Chester where we arrived at ½ past nine having bid adieu to Wales and its beautiful scenery.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Crow Castle, or Castell Dinas Brân in Welsh, is a medieval castle occupying a prominent hilltop site above the town of Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales. The presently visible castle was probably built in the 1260s by Gruffydd Maelor II, a Prince of Powys Fadog, on the site of several earlier structures, including an Iron Age hillfort. Dinas Brân has been variously translated as the "crow's fortress" or "fortress of Brân", with Brân as the name of an individual or of a nearby stream.

1779: View of Dinas Bran Castle in the County of Denbigh, an engraving 'Engraved for the Modern Universal British Traveller', which was written by Charles Burlington and David Lewellyn Rees, and published by J. Cooke. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEDinasBranMUBT14.jpg

2008: Castell Dinas Brân (left) viewed from the north west, by James Frankcom at English Wikipedia. James Frankcom, the copyright holder of this work, publishes it under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dinas_Bran_in_the_fog.JPG

An English name, "Crow Castle", has also been used since at least the 18th century. Dinas Brân is in what was once the ancient Kingdom of Powys. The last Prince of Powys, Gruffydd Maelor, died in 1191 and his son, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, lord of Powys Fadog, founded the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. The castle played a key role in the battles with England and eventually fell to the English. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell_Dinas_Br%C3%A2n

Lucy found the remains so much decayed as scarcely to be distinguishable.

2006: Dinas Brân southern wall and ditch, by Colin Neville (Cynnydd) who is the copyright holder and grants permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Castell_Dinas_Bran_2.jpg

Chirk Castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It was the administrative centre for the Marcher Lordship of Chirkland.

circa 1770: The north view of Chirck Castle, in the county of Denbigh. engraving after Samuel and Nathaniel Buck. Printed in London by Newbery and Carnan, between 1765-1770 from ‘A Description of England and Wales. Print in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1131876. 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:The_north_view_of_Chirck_i.e._Chirk_Castle,_in_the_county_of_Denbigh.jpeg

1823: Chirk Castle. Engraving by H. Bond after J.P. Neale. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChirkCastleJPN.jpg

The castle was bought by Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1593 for £5,000 (approx. £11 million as of 2008). His son, Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle was a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War, but became a Royalist during the 'Cheshire rising' of 1659 led by George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer. Following the Restoration, his son became Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirke. The castle passed down in the Myddelton family to Charlotte Myddelton (on the death of her father in 1796). Charlotte had married Robert Biddulph, who changed his name to Robert Myddelton-Biddulph, leaving the castle on his death to their son Robert. It then passed down in the Myddelton-Biddulph family.

1796: Chirke Castle in Denbighshire, the Seat of Richard Myddleton. Esq. Engraving by Walker after Evans. Published by H.D. Symonds and Allen & West. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEChirkeCastleWalker17.jpg

The castle is owned by National Trust and is notable for its gardens, with clipped yew hedges, herbaceous borders, rock gardens and terraces and surrounded by 18th century parkland. Offa's Dyke passes within some 200 yards of the castle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirk_Castle

Image taken from The National Trust website at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle/features/mortimers-fortress-a-medieval-castle

Chirk Castle is the only one of Edward I's Marcher fortresses still inhabited today. The area of the castle with the most visually original features is the West Range, where visitors can still explore the Adam Tower, complete with its two-level dungeons, medieval garderobes (toilets) and murder holes. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle/features/mortimers-fortress-a-medieval-castle

Wynnstay Hall: During the 17th century, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet inherited the Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans (daughter of Eyton Evans of Watstay), and renamed it the Wynnstay Estate. The gardens were laid out by Capability Brown. Wynnstay was Brown's largest commission in Wales, with work beginning in 1774 and completed in 1784, a year after his death. He replaced the older formal gardens with lawns which swept right up to the house overlooking the lake.

1793: Wynne Stay, seat of Sir Watkins Williams Wynne by John Ingleby (1749–1808) in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number PD9140. 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:Wynne_Stay,_seat_of_Sir_Watkins_Williams_Wynne,_1793.jpg

Circa 1800: Wyn-Stay in Denbighshire, seat of Sir Watkin Williams Wynne. Bart., an engraving which was published in the 'Lady's Magazine'. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEWynStayLadys12.jpg

2004: Wynnstay Hall. The Hall at the centre of the Wynnstay estate, by John Haynes from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by John Haynes and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wynnstay_Hall_-_geograph.org.uk_-_70973.jpg

During the 19th century, Princess Victoria stayed there with her mother, the Duchess of Kent. In 1858 Wynnstay was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt on the same site. After the house was vacated by the Williams-Wynn family in the mid-20th century, in favour of the nearby Plas Belan on the Wynnstay estate, it was bought by Lindisfarne College. When the school closed due to bankruptcy, the building was converted to flats and several private houses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynnstay

Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet. As the largest landowner in North Wales, and controller of many parliamentary seats, he was referred to, at least by himself, as the 'Prince in Wales' and had a keen interest in military affairs. In 1794 he raised a cavalry regiment called the "Ancient British Fencibles" and took part in the suppression of the Irish rebellion of 1798, when they were known as "Sir Watkin's lambs" and "a terror of the rebels", acquiring a reputation that he had to defend from charges of cruelty among the Irish. He commanded them until they disbanded in 1800. A Colonel of the Denbighshire Militia since 1797, he deployed with a battalion of them under his kinsman the Marquess of Buckingham for service in France from March to June 1814. Originally intending to link up with the Duke of Wellington's army who had come from Spain before the French armistice intervened, they were garrisoned in Bordeaux where he was known among local people as "le gros commandant Whof Whof Whof". He also became Colonel commanding the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1820 and was Welsh Militia aide-de-camp to King William IV from 1830 to 1837 and to Queen Victoria from 1837 until his death.

Below is a flattering portrait from 1802 - A less generous but probably more accurate crown copyright portrait can be accessed at https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/williams-wynn-sir-watkin-1772-1840

1802: Sir Watkin Williams Wynne Bart, portrait of the 5th Baronet by Samuel William Reynolds (1773–1835) from the Welsh Portrait Collection at the National Library of Wales, accession number PA6779. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Sir_Watkin_Williams_Wynne_Bart_(4674662)_(cropped).jpg

He grew to be a portly man of seventeen and half stone (238 pounds : 108 kg), which sometimes caused chairs to collapse under him, and Lady Holland, in her Journal (volume I, page 238), commented: "Sir Watkin is a Grenville in person and manner all over him; his tongue is immensely too big for his mouth and his utterance is so impeded by it that what he attempts to articulate is generally unintelligible." He died at Wynnstay Hall, aged 67, on 6 January 1840, and was buried at Ruabon, Denbighshire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Watkin_Williams-Wynn,_5th_Baronet

Wrexham is the largest town in the north of Wales and is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley alongside the border with England. The Industrial Revolution began in Wrexham in 1762 when the entrepreneur John Wilkinson (1728–1808), known as "Iron Mad Wilkinson", opened Bersham Ironworks. Wilkinson's steam engines enabled a peak of production at Minera Lead Mines on the outskirts of Wrexham. 18th century literary visitors included Samuel Johnson, who described Wrexham as "a busy, extensive and well-built town", and Daniel Defoe who noted the role of Wrexham as a "great market for Welch flannel".

Circa 1835: Wrexham. An engraving by W. Wallis after Henry Gastineau. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEWrexhamHG15.jpg

The artist J. M. W. Turner also visited the town and painted a watercolour of a street scene entitled "Wrexham, Denbighshire" dated 1792–3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrexham

St Giles' Church is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales, and is a Grade 1 listed building, described by Simon Jenkins as "the glory of the Marches". At 180-feet long, it is the largest medieval Parish Church in Wales.

1823: Wrexham Church. Engraving published in 'The Beauties of Cambria' by H. Hughes. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEWrexhamChurchBOC12.jpg

The core of the present building dates from the 14th century, although it was extensively remodeled in the later 15th century by Thomas, Lord Stanley and his wife Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of King Henry VII) both of whom are depicted on corbels either side of the chancel arch. In this depiction, Stanley has not a crown, but donkey's ears.

The church's tower is traditionally one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, which are commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme: Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple, Snowdon's mountain without its people, Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells, Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells.

1831: Tower of Wrexham Church. Engraving after Henry Gastineau. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SETowerWrexhamChHG13.jpg

The church's tower is mistakenly called a "steeple" in the rhyme. The iconic tower can be seen for many miles around as the tallest building in the town and is a local landmark. The richly-decorated tower, 135-feet high, with its four striking hexagonal turrets, was begun in 1506. It is graced by many medieval carvings including those of an arrow and a deer, the attributes of Saint Giles. The nave arcade is in the Decorated style, and dates from the 14th century, but the remainder of the church is in the late Perpendicular style, and includes an unusual polygonal chancel, similar to that at Holywell, and an echo of the one in the contemporary Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey. Above the present chancel arch are large parts of a 15th-century Doom painting, and the arch beneath shows striking evidence of the tracery which once filled it. It also contains late medieval carvings including on the ceiling wooden polychrome angels playing musical instruments, and a series of later monuments including two by Roubiliac. There are windows by Burne-Jones in the north aisle and a series of windows by Charles Eamer Kempe and C.E. Kempe and Co in the south aisle. The lyrics of the Evangelical hymn "From Greenland's Icy Mountains", written by Reginald Heber, are etched on a window. The hymn was both composed and first performed at the Church in 1819.

Just west of the tower is the grave of Elihu Yale, after whom Yale University in the United States is named, with its long, self-composed epitaph opening with the following lines: Born in America, in Europe bred, In Africa travell'd, and in Asia wed, Where long he lov'd and thriv'd; At London dead

In 2012, wrexham.com placed a webcam pointed at St Giles giving a live view of the church. June 2012 saw a beacon being lit on top of St Giles as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Giles%27_Church . See also https://stgilesparishchurchwrexham.org.uk/joomla30 /

Can you help us?

Transcription problems: As untrained transcribers we sometimes experience problems interpreting some of Lucy’s writing. We have a problem deciphering one word, as follows: after dinner we continued our *** on a flat beautiful….

We would really appreciate help from a trained eye to make sense of the missing word.

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?

Please click here if you can help

23rd July 1819, Corwen, Crucis abbey, Llangollen

Friday 23rd July 1819

Friday July 23rd This morning my brothers went out fishing until 12 o’clock when we started for Corwen between which stage we saw a a (sic) further waterfall and some fine views in the vale of Eglwyseg. Changing horses at Corwen we proceeded to Llangollen the river Dee winding through the vale of Crusus with a fine view of Crow Castle

& Crusus Abbey formed a most beautiful amphitheatre. On entering Llangollen a small town badly built we proceeded to the Hotel which is a comfortable Inn.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Corwen is best known for its connections with Owain Glyndŵr, who proclaimed himself Prince of Wales on 16 September 1400, from his nearby manor of Glyndyfrdwy, which began his fourteen-year rebellion against English rule. A life-size bronze statue of the prince mounted on his battle horse was installed in The Square in 2007 commemorating the day he was proclaimed the last true Prince of Wales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corwen

Waterfall near Corwen, possibly the one the Coplands saw on their way to the town.

Circa 1860: Waterfall near Corwen. Engraving by Newman & Co. Published by E. Edwards. Corwen. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEWaterfallCorwen12.jpg

1813: Corwen. Drawn and etched by John George Wood to accompany his work " The Principal Rivers of Wales" which was published in 1813. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/WoodsCorwen17.jpg

Circa 1860: Corwen, N.Wales. Engraved by Newman & Co, published by E.Edwards, Corwen http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/2449

Ninety five years later, Lucy’s grandson Esmond Copland-Griffiths took his wife Offie to Corwen, 13 months after their marriage and four months after the birth of their first child, Arundel Helen. Note that Offie is suitably protected by a veil, gloves and stockings from the midges.

May 1914, from Lucy’s grandson, Esmond Copland-Griffiths’s Photograph Album, entitled “Lunch between Dolgelly and Corwen” - their motorcar parked at the side of the road

May 1914, from Esmond’s Photograph Album, entitled “Lunch between Dolgelly and Corwen” his new wife Offie suitably protected against midges with a veil, gloves and stockings

Vale of Eglwyseg: The entire valley is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Landscape of Special Historic Interest.

2003: Valley of the River Eglwyseg. This looks north over the valley from Hendrie towards Pen y clawdd Farm, and the wooded top covered by Foel Plantation by Chris Heaton from geograph.org.uk. The copyright on this image is owned by Chris Heaton and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valley_of_the_River_Eglwyseg_-_geograph.org.uk_-_83811.jpg

Thomas Pennant, writing around 1778, described the valley: Long and narrow, bounded on the right by astonishing precipices, divided into numberless parallel strata of white limestone, often giving birth to vast yew-trees ... this valley is chiefly inhabited (happily) by an independent race of warm and wealthy yeomanry, undevoured as yet by the great men of the country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eglwyseg

They proceeded to Llangollen following the River Dee, probably in countryside very like F Jukes’s engraving below:

1793: View between Corwen and Llangollen on the River Dee. Engraving by F.Jukes from a picture by T.Walmsley. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SECorwenJukes.jpg

Crown Hotel, Corwen: This former coaching inn mostly dates from the early 19th century, reputedly incorporating parts of a building from 1628. It was probably here that the Coplands changed their horses. The picture below is from the Crown Hotel’s Facebook Page.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2090230157658575&set=a.581754681839471&type=3&theater

The long room at the back (west of the bar) was once the passage for horses and coaches to reach the stables behind the hotel. Horse-drawn road vehicles continued to be widely used long after the advent of railways decimated long-distance travel by coaches.http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=crown-hotel-corwen See also https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/crown-corwen.en-gb.html

Llangollen takes its name from the Welsh llan meaning "a religious settlement" and Saint Collen, a 6th-century monk who founded a church beside the river. St Collen is said to have arrived in Llangollen by coracle and may have had connections with Colan in Cornwall and with Langolen in Brittany.

1818: Llangollen. Aquatint by D. Havell after T. Compton, published by T. Clay. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELlangollenHavell12.jpg

1815: Llangollen. Engraving by T. Cartwright after E. Pugh. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELlangollenEPugh12.jpg

On the outskirts of the town is Plas Newydd ("New Mansion" or "New Place"), from 1780 the home of the “Ladies of Llangollen”, the Honourable Sarah Ponsonby, Lady Eleanor Butler and their maid Mary Caryll. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llangollen

1820: Llangollen Vale. Engraving by T. Fielding after G.F. Robson. Published by T. Clay. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELlangollenValeTF13.jpg

Vale of Crucis: The countryside that Lucy calls the vale of Crusus is well depicted in the print below:

1871: A Landscape of the Country which surrounds the Abbey of Vallis Crucis in Denbighshire. Engraving by W. Walker & W. Angus of a drawing by S.H. Grimm. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEAbbeyOfVallisCrucis17a.jpg

Valle Crucis Abbey is only 4½ miles from Llangollen. The Abbey was founded in 1201 as the last Cistercian monastery to be built in Wales. It gained a reputation as a place of hospitality. Several important Welsh poets of the period spent time at the abbey including Gutun Owain, Tudur Aled and Guto'r Glyn. Guto'r Glyn spent the last few years of his life at the abbey, and was buried at the site in 1493 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_Crucis_Abbey

1800: Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire. Engraving by J. Storer after J. Varley. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEValleCrucisAbbeyJW17.jpg

2008: Valle Crucis Abbey, by Bryan Pready from geograph.org.uk. The copyright on this image is owned by Bryan Pready and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llantysilio_-_Valle_Crucis_Abbey.jpg .

Llangollen Inn: The Coplands almost certainly stayed at the Kings head, which Lucy found to be a comfortable Inn, especially as it had been rebuilt and enlarged in 1815 and was used by the Ladies of Llangollen and their guests. The Kings Head was first listed in the register of alehouses in 1752 under this name. After the 1832 visit by a young Princess Victoria - later Queen Victoria - the hotel was renamed as the King’s Head and Royal Hotel. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/historic-llangollen-hotel-sale-11m-11197892

1835: The Bridge and King's Head Hotel, Llangollen. Engraving after W. Crane. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEBridgeKingsHead13.jpg

From the Hotel's website, https://royalhotelllangollen.co.uk/about/

There was another Inn at Llangollen, the Lion, but it was not as prestigious as The Kings Head. See http://gales.wine/about-us/

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?

Please click here if you can help

22nd July 1819, Bala

Thursday 22nd July 1819

Thursday July 22nd At 11 o’clock we started for Bala. The country approaching the town being flatter and less interesting. It is however

situated in a pretty vale with a beautiful view of Bala Lake so famous for fishing it is 4 miles long & in many parts a mile beside. There are two Inns at Bala the Bull is considered the first, but we are at the Lion which is as comfortable as can be required.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Bala is a market town that lies within the historic county of Merionethshire at the north end of Llyn Tegid, 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau. It is little more than one wide street, this being Stryd Fawr (High Street, literally "Great Street"). According to the 2011 census, 78.5% of Bala's population speak Welsh.

1813: Bala. Drawn and etched by John George Wood to accompany his " The Principal Rivers of Wales". https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/WoodsBala17.jpg

The Tower of Bala is a tumulus or "moat-hill", formerly thought to mark the site of a Roman camp.

2006: Bala, The High Street by David Stowell. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by David Stowell and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Bala_High_Street.jpg

2007: Tomen y Bala - a Norman motte, byr Eric Jones. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Eric Jones and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomen_y_Bala_-_a_Norman_motte_-_geograph.org.uk_-_462982.jpg

In the 18th century, the town was well known for the manufacture of flannel, stockings, gloves and hosiery. The large stone-built theological college, Coleg Y Bala, of the Calvinistic Methodists and the grammar school, which was founded in 1712, are the chief features, together with the statue of the Rev. Thomas Charles (1755–1814), the theological writer, to whom was largely due the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala,_Gwynedd

2007: Bala - The Rev. Thomas Charles B.A. by Graeme Walker. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Graeme Walker and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bala_-_The_Rev._Thomas_Charles_B.A._-_geograph.org.uk_-_408431.jpg

Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid in Welsh): In the legend of the History of Taliesin, the character Tegid Foel ("Bald Tegid") was the husband of the goddess or witch Ceridwen. The place where his court stood is now beneath the waters of the lake. According to folk tradition, the court was drowned one night. It is said that the light of the court and the little town around it can be seen on a moonlit night.

1818: Bala Lake, by Thomas Compton – lithograph by James Bailey Baily, in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1129280. 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:Bala_Lake.jpeg

2005: Bala Lake, by Necrothesp at English Wikipedia, the copyright holder of this work, and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bala_Lake.jpg

It was the largest natural body of water in Wales before its level was raised by Thomas Telford to help support the flow of the Ellesmere Canal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala_Lake

Circa 1810: View From Tommen Y Bala. Engraving by D.L. after the Welsh artist, Moses Griffiths. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEViewFromTommenYBala17.jpg

Ninety five years later, Lucy’s grandson Esmond Copland-Griffiths took his wife Offie to Bala, 13 months after their marriage and four months after the birth of their first child, Arundel Helen.

Esmond Copland-Griffiths, Lucy’s grandson, took his wife Offie to Bala Lake in May 1913 (from Esmond’s Photograph Album)

Olde Bulls Head Reputedly haunted, this black-and-white coaching inn is the oldest in Bala, dating back to at least 1692. https://whatpub.com/pubs/CLN/12/olde-bulls-head-bala

The White Lion Royal Hotel was built in 1752, according to its website https://www.sabrain.com/pubs-and-hotels/north-wales/gwynedd/white-lion-royal-hotel-new/

From the Hotel's web site at https://www.sabrain.com/pubs-and-hotels/north-wales/gwynedd/white-lion-royal-hotel-new/

The following is an advertisement by the Hotel’s proprietor, William Owen, in 1893

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala_Lake

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?

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21st July 1819, Capel Curig, Llanberis, Lucy unwell

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?

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20th July 1819, Capel Curig, Pony y Pair, Swallow Falls

Tuesday 20th July 1819

Tuesday July 20th To our great disappointment this morning we found no ?***? for amusement in the weather

but determining to lose no time we started for Capel Curig at 11 o’clock. The ride to this Inn considered the best in North Wales is the most beautiful we have yet seen. the river Conway is always in sight and at the Pont y Pair formed a cascade made excessively fine by the quantity of rain which has fell lately we then visited the Rhiader y Wynol which the rain had made prodigiously fine. Capel Curig is situated in a lovely spot. The Inn is very large but to our surprise we were not able to procure accommodation we therefore only dined there and returned to Llanwyst the same road we had come before. ..

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Curig takes its name from the little Saint Julitta's Church in the ancient graveyard by the river bridge on the Llanberis road. Tradition claims this chapel to be the 6th century foundation of St. Curig, a Celtic bishop. Centuries later, probably when the present ancient church was built, the name appears to have been Latinised as Cyricus, which is the name of a 4th-century child martyr whose mother was Julitta. They are usually named together as Saints Quiricus and Julietta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capel_Curig

1794: Snowdon from Capel Curig. Engraving by S. Alken after J. Smith. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SETheLakesCC17.jpg

1811: Capel Cerig, Caernarvonshire. Engraving by S. Rawle for the 'European Magazine" from an original drawing by J. Nixon. Esq. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SECapelCurig15.jpg

Lucy’s sketch of Capel Curig (below) may well have been drawn further in from the viewpoint of Nixon’s view, above.

2005: St Julitta's Church by Noel Walley at the English language Wikipedia, the copyright holder of this work, and 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:Capel-PA052376.JPG

Pont y Pair became an important piece of infrastructure in 1808, when the London to Holyhead coaches were diverted this way following completion of Pont yr Afanc, over the Conwy south of Betws-y-coed in response to the loss of life in a ferry accident at Conwy in 1806. Now coach passengers could avoid the ferry by crossing the river Conwy much further south and using the road through Trefriw to reach the town of Conwy.

1810: Pont Y Pair, North Wales Engraved by Richard Sass, 1774-1849. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEPontYPairRS13.jpg

With the two arches bearing such a similarity, it is likely that Lucy’s sketch (below) of the bridge she entitles: Bridge near Capel Curig July 20th 1819 Caernarvonshire is of Pont Y Pair.

The coaches stopped using Pont y Pair when they were diverted via Thomas Telford’s new road in the 1820s. http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=pont-y-pair-betws-y-coed There is a delightful video of salmon leaping at Pont y Pair Falls on YouTube by Alan Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EXoG704AKY

Rhaeadr Ewynnol: Swallow Falls is a name coined by early tourists for the Rhaeadr Ewynnol (English: Foaming Waterfall), a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy County Borough. It is thought that the English name arose from a mis-hearing of the Welsh word ewynnol (foaming) as the similar-sounding y wennol (swallow). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow_Falls

Circa 1840: The Swallow Fall by William Crane (–1843) in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1132366. 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:The_Swallow_Fall.jpeg

2004: Swallow Falls near Betws-y-Coed. Photo by Brian Joyce. The image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Brian Joyce and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swallow_falls.jpg

Capel Curig Inn built by Lord Penrhyn in 1800 as the first fashionable hotel in the area. The site was chosen some way off the high road to take advantage of the well-known view over the twin lakes of Llynnau Mymbyr towards the Snowdon horseshoe. A stable block to the left accommodated the carriages and horses of guests whilst the original hotel building with its pump room is nearest to the lake. The hotels popularity led to expansion in the village. In 1808 the Shrewsbury to Holyhead mail coach (named the Ancient Briton) was re-routed away from the North Wales coastal route to run via Capel Curig. Queen Victoria and Kings Edward VII, George V and Edward VIII all stayed at the inn which changed its name to the Royal Hotel in 1870.

The Print below is the view of Snowdon from the Capel Curig Inn published around 20 or so years after the Coplands stayed at the Inn.

Circa 1840: Snowdon from the Inn at Capel Curig, North Wales. Engraving by W.R. Smith after T.C. Hofland. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SESnowdonWRS13.jpg

Two other hotels existed in Capel Curig at the time of the Coplands visit. The Tyn-y-Coed Inn, which dates from over 300 years ago, was used as a pub by quarrymen walking from Trefriw on their way to and from the Siabod quarry. Nowadays it is a spacious old multi-roomed pub with a residential hotel extension. To mark its historic past on the coaching route the Tyn-y-Coed has a majestic stagecoach opposite the entrance on the A5. ( see https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/famous-capel-curig-stagecoach-gets-11184027 for details of the restored stagecoach and accompanying video).

The Yorkshire Rose is an old Coaching Inn which came into its heyday from 1808 when the new Holyhead Mail Started to run along the "Great Irish Road" but, with the Capel Curig Inn full, the Copland’s probably did not want to avail themselves of the Tyn-y-Coed or the Yorkshire Rose and probably on the recommendation of the Capel Curig Inn chose to go further afield.

SEE: http://www.heartofsnowdonia.co.uk/history.htm and https://whatpub.com/pubs/ABC/9510/tyn-y-coed-inn-capel-curig

The Holyhead Road: In 1810 Thomas Telford was commissioned to plan improvements to the Holyhead Road. A report by the Commissioners on Holyhead Road and Harbour stated: “Many parts are extremely dangerous for a coach to travel upon”. He made a survey in 1811 but it was not until 1815 that the Government finally adopted his and the Commissioners’ reports and the Treasury found the money for the work. It was then decided that improvements should be made along the whole length of road between London and Holyhead but that the Shrewsbury to Holyhead portion, being incomparably the worst, should have the first attention. In the course of five years this first part of the work was completed. http://shropshirehistory.com/comms/stage.htm

Can you help us?

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

morning we found no ?***? for amusement in the weather

Perhaps it should read we found nothing for amusement in the weather , but there is no crossed “t” and no “g” at the end of the word. 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?

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19th July 1819, Bangor, Conway, Llanrwst

Monday 19th July 1819

Monday July 19th . Today not proving more propitious for travelling than yesterday prevented our seeing the pass of Llanberis which was previously our intention our energy however was not stopped by this unpleasant circumstance & at half past ten

started from Bangor. We traversed the same road we had come the day before and having changed horses passed through a most romantic scenery to Conway the town is built within the Castle court it appears old the Inn being very uncomfortable we only ordered dinner intending to reach Llanrwst tonight. While it was preparing we walked to the Castle, one of the finest I have seen, erected in the year 1284 by command of Edward the 1st as a security against the insurrection of the Welsh. on two sides it is washed by the river Conway. Several of the

round towers are in good preservation. In the interior is the state hall 130 feet long the roof of which was supported by fine large arches some of which remain there are several other apartments but all rapidly decaying this Castle is a fine object at a distance. After dining we passed through the vale of Conway which I understand is very fine but which the incessant rain prevented our enjoying to Llanrwst a small dirty town the Inn is tolerable we did not arrive till eleven o’clock.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Conwy Castle and the town walls were built, on the instruction of Edward I between 1283 and 1289, as part of his conquest of the principality. The church standing in Conwy has been marked as the oldest building in Conwy and has stood in the walls of Conwy since the 14th century. However, the oldest structure is the tower of Llewellyn the Great's Llys [court house] that was incorporated into the wall. Built on a rocky outcrop, with an apsidal tower, it is a classic, native, Welsh build and stands out from the rest of the town walls, due to the presence of four window openings. It dates from the early 13th century and is the most complete remnant of any of his Llys.

1823: Conway Castle : from the wood opposite - by Robert Batty Engraved by Edward Francis Finden in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1132116. 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:Conway_Castle_-_from_the_wood_opposite.jpeg#/media/File:Conway_Castle_-_from_the_wood_opposite.jpeg

2007: Conwy Castle and Bridges. Author Dr. Volkmar Rudolf Tilman publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conwy_Castle_and_Bridges.jpg

Conwy Suspension Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford to replace the ferry, was completed in 1826 and spans the River Conwy next to the castle. Telford designed the bridge's supporting towers to match the castle's turrets. The bridge is now open to pedestrians only and, together with the toll-keeper's house, is in the care of the National Trust. The National Trust owns Aberconwy House, which is Conwy's only surviving 14th-century merchant's house, one of the first buildings built inside the walls of Conwy. Plas Mawr is an Elizabethan house built in 1576 by the Wynn family, which has been extensively refurbished to its 16th-century appearance and is now in the care of Cadw and open to the public. The house named in the Guinness Book of Records as The Smallest House in Great Britain, with dimensions of 3.05 metres x 1.8 metres, can be found on the quay. It was in continuous occupation from the 16th century (and was even inhabited by a family at one point) until 1900 when the owner (a 6-foot (1.8 m) fisherman – Robert Jones) was forced to move out on the grounds of hygiene. The rooms were too small for him to stand up in fully. The house is still owned by his descendants today, and you can go on a tour around it for a small charge. Across the estuary is Bodysgallen Hall, which incorporates a medieval tower that was possibly built as a watch tower for Conwy Castle.

2007: The City Walls of Conwy. Author, Chestertouristcom, published it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conwywalls.JPG

People born within the town walls of Conwy in north Wales are nicknamed "Jackdaws", after the jackdaws which live on the walls there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conwy

Inn at Conwy: the Inn being very uncomfortable we only ordered dinner. The article, below, refers to two Inns, the Harp Inn and the King’s Head. We would have expected the Coplands to choose the newest hotel, The Harp, which may have been crowded. If they found themselves in The Kings Head that may have prompted their removal to Llanwryst. The present day Castle Hotel, Conwy, at https://www.castlewales.co.uk/the-hotel-2/history/, provides us with details of both Inns:

KING’S HEAD OVERTAKEN AS THE TOWN’S PRINCIPAL INN

Improved roads heralded the era of long-distance travel by coach, serving the needs of commerce and the new pastime of tourism. This in turn prompted the emergence of coaching inns, providing better standards of hospitality.

A new inn that quickly rose to prominence in Conwy was The Harp Inn, in High Street. It is thought to have been erected in 1770, and was on the same side as The King’s Head, three doors up the hill. Local newspaper reports from around the 1780s clearly indicate that The Harp Inn emerged as the town’s new principal coaching inn, while The King’s Head started to diminish in importance.

In 1798 the first survey of roads commissioned by the Postmaster General, published as ‘John Cary’s New Itinerary of the Great Roads throughout England and Wales’, listed The Harp Inn as Conwy’s only post-house for changing horses. Several tourists of the late 1700s and early 1800s kept diaries containing recollections of staying at The Harp Inn, and of being entertained by a resident Welsh harpist.

This probably explains the title of a watercolour painting ‘The Welsh Harp Inn, Conwy’,dated 1809, by John Varley. It is one of a series of studies he made of High Street, Conwy. Curiously the title of the painting refers to the building in the background, which has a traditional gallows inn-sign depicting a harp. The Harp Inn was enlarged in later years and traded until 1936 when it was demolished to make way for a shop. The more interesting building in Varley’s painting was the late-medieval, timber-framed house in the foreground, which was on the site of what would later become part of The Castle Inn. https://www.castlewales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Castle_HistoryBooklet_web.pdf

Vale of Conway: “the lovely Vale of Conwy is a lush, green interlude, sandwiched between rocky Snowdonia and the open moors of Mynydd Hiraethog” http://www.visitllandudno.org.uk/towns-and-villages/conwy-valley-villages

Llanrwst developed around the wool trade, and for a long time the price of wool for the whole of Britain was set here. The growth of the town in the 13th century was considerably aided by an edict by Edward I of England (who built Conwy Castle) prohibiting any Welshman from trading within 10 miles of the town of Conwy. Llanrwst, located some 13 miles from that town, was strategically placed to benefit from this.

1829: The Vale of Llanrwst. Lithograph by H. Walton from a sketch by Henry Longueville Jones. Printed by C. Hullmandell. Published by Charles Tilt. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEValeLlanrwstUCHLJ13.jpg

In 1610 Sir John Wynn of Gwydir had the historic Llanrwst Almshouses built to house poor people of the parish. The buildings closed in 1976, but were restored in 1996 with the aid of Heritage Lottery funding, reopening as a museum of local history and a community focal point.

Image from: “Llanrwst Almshouse Museum rent rise blamed for closure”, BBC Wales. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-15477456

The museum held a collection of over a hundred items relating largely to the rural Conwy valley, and a number of items are associated with the renowned Llanrwst Bards of the late 19th century; it closed as a museum in 2011, but reopened in 2013 as the new council chamber.

Grade I-listed Pont Fawr, a narrow, three-arched stone bridge said to have been designed by Inigo Jones, was built in 1636 by Sir Richard Wynn of Gwydir Castle.

1814: Llanrust Bridge, North Wales. Engraving by Woolnoth after J.P. Neale. Published by John Harries, St. Paul Church Yard. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SELlanrwstBridgeBeau13.jpg

The bridge connects the town with Gwydir, a manor house dating from 1492, the 15th-century courthouse known as Tu Hwnt i'r Bont and also with the road from nearby Trefriw.://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanrwst

Inn: Probably the Hand Inn, Ancaster Square - History Points records that: “The core of this building was reputedly built as a town house by Sir John Wynn (1553-1627). A fireplace on the first floor of the building is said to resemble fireplaces in Gwydir Castle. It became the Hand Inn during the heyday of long-distance coaches. The arched doorway to the right of today’s shop entrance enabled horse-drawn drays to deliver barrels of ale to the cellars. In 1882 a sheepdog belonging to the Hand Inn’s landlord, John Owen, won first prize, £1 10s, at the Vale of Conway Agricultural Show. Today the building is home to Tŷ, which sells furniture and homeware”. http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=former-hand-inn-llanrwst However, Google Maps shows the Pen-y-Bryn Hotel immediately joining Tŷ, the furniture shop, and History Points records that: “This former coaching inn reputedly dates from the 17th century. Unusually for a Llanrwst building, it has remained a hostelry for its entire recorded existence. Many other pubs in the town had different earlier uses, or have ceased to be pubs. The arched entrance to the left was where cart horses pulled drays laden with beer kegs to the back yard. The inn’s name means “Top of the Hill” and refers to the elevated position of Ancaster Square, previously an earth mound.” http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=pen-y-bryn-hotel-llanrwst . The Hand Inn entry states: The arched doorway to the right of today’s shop entrance enabled horse-drawn drays to deliver barrels of ale to the cellars - Compare this with the Pen-y-Bryn Hotel entry, which states: The arched entrance to the left was where cart horses pulled drays laden with beer kegs to the back yard. The image, below, of Pen-Y-Bryn Hotel shows an arched entrance to its left and the arch beside it belongs to Tŷ, the old “Hand Inn”

Image taken from the entry for Pen-y-Bryn Hotel, Llanrwst on the Yelp website: https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/pen-y-bryn-llanrwst

These were two buildings, side by side, that shared the same back yard and may well have been one Inn - the Inn which Lucy could only dismiss as being tolerable.

Can you help us?

Which Inn did Lucy find “Tolerable”? Was it the Hand Inn or the Pen-Y-Bryn Hotel ……. or were they both one larger Coaching Inn serving the traffic to Holyhead?

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?

Please click here if you can help

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18th July 1819, Beaumaris, Castle, Bangor, Jumpers

Sunday 18th July 1819

Sunday July 19th We intended returning to Caernarvon to dinner today but took Beaumaris and Bangor in our way the

road approaching the former place the best I have ever seen all made by Lord Bulkeley. It is a very neat town. The day being a very unfavourable we took a very short survey of the Castle founded by Edward the first which is very complete on a small scale. We then returned on a beautiful road close to the sea to the Passage house and having crossed the ferry we arrived soon after at Bangor beautifully situated near the sea. Here we met Mr Grimes who having informed us there was nothing worthy of visiting in the town we returned to Caernarvon. But before dinner we went to look at the Jumpers a sect settled here and in many parts of Wales under that name. we were

quite disgusted at the sight of these poor deluded ignorant people who think their devotion consists in nothing but screaming loudly and jumping till they nearly drop down from fatigue their meetings are twice a week and our Landlord told us they sometimes jump even to their own houses. We soon left this Chapel and I do not think I shall have much inclination to enter one again.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Beaumarais was originally a Viking settlement known as Porth y Wygyr ("Port of the Vikings"), but developed in 1295 when Edward I of England commissioned the building of Beaumaris Castle as part of a chain of fortifications around the North Wales coast (others include Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech). Beaumaris Castle was built on a marsh and its Norman-French builders called it beaux marais which translates as "beautiful marshes".

1852: Beaumaris Castle, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1128788. 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:Beaumaris_Castle.jpeg

Beaumaris Castle, published by Cadw, Source http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/beaumaris-castle/?lang=en and licensed under the Open Government Licence version 1.0 (OGL v1.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaumaris_aerial.jpg

Beaumaris was the port of registration for all vessels in North West Wales and shipbuilding was a major industry in Beaumaris, centred on Gallows Point . It had originally been called "Osmund's Eyre" but was renamed when the town gallows was erected there – along with a "Dead House" for the corpses of criminals dispatched in public executions. Later, hangings were carried out at the town gaol and the bodies buried in a lime-pit within the curtilage of the gaol. One of the last prisoners to hang at Beaumaris issued a curse before he died – decreeing that if he was innocent the four faces of the church clock would never show the same time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumaris

Thomas James Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley, later Warren-Bulkeley, (1752 – 1822) sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1784 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Bulkeley, of Beaumaris and had to vacate his seat in the House of Commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bulkeley,_7th_Viscount_Bulkeley

Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley (1752-1822). After William Beechey (1753–1839) by William Say (1768–1834) in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Accession number NPG D11384. 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:7thViscountBulkeley.jpg

2008: The memorial to Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley in St Mary's Church, Beaumaris, Anglesey. Author: “Own photographer by uploader of a 19th century memorial” and published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Bulkeley_memorial.jpg

Bangor is the oldest city in Wales, and one of the smallest in the UK. It dates to the founding of a monastic establishment on the site of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. The bishopric of Bangor is one of the oldest in the UK.

1818: Line engraving, drawn and engraved by H.J. Storer. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEBangorStorer12.jpg

2008: Panorama of Bangor, North Wales. Author IJA and released into the public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panorama_Bangor_03_977.png

Another claim to fame is that Bangor allegedly has the longest High Street in Wales and the United Kingdom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangor,_Gwynedd

Jumpers: A term normally applied to Methodists who were brought to a frenzy of activity by enthusiastic preachers. The village of Llangeitho was associated with the Welsh Methodist revival of the 18th century and its chapel, built in 1760, became famous throughout Wales as a Calvinistic Methodist centre. It witnessed many periods of religious revival throughout that century, but the most powerful was that of 1762, when rejoicing, dancing and jumping for joy were seen. This event earned the Welsh Methodists the name "Jumpers".

William Williams Pantycelyn, regarded as one of the leaders of the Methodist Revival in Wales in the 18th century and Wales's most famous hymn writer, wrote in defence of the celebrations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llangeitho

Parch. William Williams, Pant-y-Celyn, A portrait from the Welsh Portrait Collection at the National Library of Wales, Accession number PZ06210. 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:Portrait_of_Parch._William_Williams,_Pant-y-Celyn_(4674719)_(cropped).jpg

Many surviving descriptions of this practice came from tourists who were highly critical of the practice in particular and of Methodism (and other non-conformist denominations) in general, because most tourists were members of the Established (Anglican) church and attended church services, and were concerned about its decline in Wales. Some tourists wrote at great length about the state of religion in Wales, while others went to chapel services as a form of entertainment. https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/what-they-wrote-about/perceptions-of-wales/religion-in-wales/jumpers/ see also https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_All_Religions_and_Religious_Denominations/Jumpers

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17th July 1819, Menai crossing, Anglesea, Parys Copper mine

Saturday 17th July 1819

Saturday July 17th We made an excursion today to the Copper Mines in the isle of Anglesey having crossed the Menai we proceeded to the comfortable Inn of Gwindie* and having taken

a little refreshment reached the Mines at about 5 o’clock. I was much struck by the appearance of the inside of them which resembles a Gold mine since my brothers went down to the bottom of Parys mine but as it was impossible for us to do as we looked through a small hole whence we had a good view of the whole which being very dark has quite a horrid effect. We picked up several specimens of the copper in its different stages. We returned to a late dinner at Gwindie* where we remained for the night.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Copper was mined at Parys Mountain in the Bronze Age. It was taken down to Amlwch Port where it was further processed and then shipped around the world. After the 1760s Amlwch became the cauldron of the Industrial Revolution from the largest copper mine in the world. The copper from this mine coated the warships of the Royal Navy at Trafalgar in 1805. https://www.visitanglesey.co.uk/en/things-to-do/activities/amlwch-copper-kingdom/#.W-9fV-KYQ5s

1815: Isle of Anglesea - Near the Paris Mine. Engraving by F. Stevens after W. De la Motte.https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SENearTheParisMine18.jpg

The ore was of low quality but it was more than compensated for by the fact that it occurred in two large masses close to the surface. Initially ore was worked on the surface from shallow shafts, next by open-pit mining and finally underground from adits or from shafts.

Circa 1800: Paris Mine, aquatint engraving by J. Bluck after J. Ibbetson https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEParisMine16.jpg

The ore was broken into small lumps by hand, the best ore being shipped to Lancashire or to the Lower Swansea valley in South Wales through the port of Swansea for smelting. Copper was concentrated and extracted from the remainder using kilns and furnaces on site. It was also discovered that purer metal could be obtained efficiently, although in small amounts, by its precipitation from drainage water with scrap iron in purpose-built ponds. Associated with the mines, important chemical industries were established on the Mountain based on by-products such as ochre pigments, sulphur, vitriol and alum.

1800: Paris Mines in the Year 1800, an engraving by J. Havell after E. Pugh. Published in 1814. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEParisMine13.jpg

Since 1988, Anglesey Mining plc, which owns the western part of the mountain has discovered resources of 6,500,000 tonnes containing 10% combined zinc, lead, copper with some silver and gold and has permits and a plan to restart mining operations at 350,000 tonnes per year. However, in the late 1990s, surveys of the mine's hydraulic systems revealed that a large reservoir held back by a dam in an underground working was in poor condition. An assessment made at the time considered that failure of the dam was likely and that catastrophic failure could inundate parts of Amlwch causing loss of life and substantial damage to property. An added complication was that the water in the underground reservoir was highly polluted by copper and other metals and was very acidic.

2011: The Anglesey Copper Mountain near Amlwch, Wales, by Mark.murphy, the copyright holder, who permits publication under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parys_mountain.jpg

In 2003 a carefully controlled drainage operation was carried out which dropped the water levels by 70 metres (230 ft), releasing the pressure on the dam and enabling its removal. The removal of the reservoir also gave access to many more passages and to a connection to the nearby previously inaccessible Mona Mine. The entry into these sections was filmed for the TV series Extreme Archaeology.

Due to the high level of soil contamination little life survives on or near the mountain, but there are a number of examples of rare plants and bacteria. The bare, heavily mined landscape give the mountain a strange appearance which has been used in science fiction film and television productions. Due to the high chemical content of the water, snottites thrive in the until recently submerged passages.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parys_Mountain

Anglesea has long been associated with the druids. In AD 60 the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, determined to break the power of the druids, attacked the island using his amphibious Batavian contingent as a surprise vanguard assault and then destroying the shrine and the nemetons (sacred groves). News of Boudica's revolt reached him just after his victory, causing him to withdraw his army before consolidating his conquest.

1607: John Speeds County maps of Wales for first published in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain by George Humble in the collection of the National Library of Wales. 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:John_Speed_Anglesey.jpg

The island's entire rural coastline has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and features many sandy beaches, especially along its eastern coast between the towns of Beaumaris and Amlwch and along the western coast from Ynys Llanddwyn through Rhosneigr to the little bays around Carmel Head.

2009: Anglesey Coast View north east along the north side of the Menai Straits near Bryn-mel by Nigel Mykura, from geograph.org.uk. The copyright on this image is owned by Nigel Mykura and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anglesey_Coast_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1367265.jpg

The northern coastline has dramatic cliffs interspersed with small bays The Anglesey Coastal Path follows the entire way around the island. It is 124 miles long and passes by/through 20 towns/villages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglesey

Menai Straight: The sea channel that separates Anglesey from mainland Gwynedd.

circa 1860: The Menai Straits, from the heights of Garth Point. Print in the collection of National Library of Wales Accession number 1128886. This work 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:The_Menai_Straits,_from_the_heights_of_Garth_Point.jpeg

It is connected to the mainland by Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge and Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge. The Strait varies in width from about 300m to three quarters of a mile. https://www.visitanglesey.co.uk/en/things-to-do/activities/landscape-menai-strait/#.W_CKO-KYQ5s . The hazards of this crossing were the driving force which led to the creation of Telford's suspension bridge, particularly the area called “The Swellies”, below.

2008: The infamous Swellies - The copyright on this image is owned by Ian Greig and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_infamous_Swellies_-_geograph.org.uk_-_879574.jpg

The Swellies is the most treacherous section of the Menai Strait. A medieval document quoted in the book 'The Menai Strait' [2003] (also published in Welsh under the title 'Y Fenai' [2002]) by Gwyn Pari Huws and Terry Beggs (Gwasg Gomer Press) states: In that arm of the see that departeth between this island Mon and North Wales is a swelowe that draweth to schippes that seileth and sweloweth hem yn, as doth Scylla and Charybdis - therefore we may nouzt seile by this swalowe but slily at the full see. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swellies

Gwyndy Inn*: Having had problems transcribing the name of the Inn we were contacted after initial publication by Dr John Taylor, who provided us with the following gems:

“Gwyndy was a centrally located coaching house, and was well-known in its day. Samuel Johnson went from Caernarvon to Gwyndy in 1774. See: https://archive.org/details/diaryofjourneyin00john/page/194/mode/2up/search/Gwyndy?q=Gwyndy. The Rev. Bingley likewise used the Caernarvon to Gwyndy route during his 1798 tour of North Wales, and calls Gwyndy ‘a good inn’.See: https://archive.org/details/tourroundnorthwa02bing/page/326/mode/2up/search/Gwyndy?q=Gwyndy . Today Gwyndy is a ruin. See: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Ruins_of_Gwyndy,_Llandrygan,_Anglesey._-_geograph.org.uk_-_110748.jpg

2006: The Ruins of Gwyndy, Llandrygan, Anglesey. Gwyndy (Whitehouse) is the ruin of an old coaching house. This building must have once been a very busy place, rather like a motorway service station of the eighteenth century. The building also periodically served as a courthouse. http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/blowup6/17904 . Photo by Stephen Elwyn Roddick. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Stephen Elwyn Roddick and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 2.0) license.The_Ruins_of_Gwyndy,_Llandrygan,_Anglesey._-_geograph.org.uk_-_110748.jpg

“It would have been about a three-hour walk from Gwyndy to Parys Mt., quicker by horse or conveyance. English tourists sometimes mis-spelled names in Welsh, and we see it spelled Gwindy (as in Ten Days' Tour Through the Isle of Anglesea, December, 1802, p. 53) by Rev. John Skinner. See: https://archive.org/details/tendaystourthrou00skin/page/n1/mode/2up . Also the poet, Joseph Hucks, a friend of Coleridge, took the Caernarvon to Gwyndy route in 1794. He too went on to Parys Mt. His work, published in 1795, is called A Pedestrian Tour through North Wales, in a Series of Letters, on pages 40-41, he says ‘We dined yesterday at Gwyndn, on the great road to Holyhead’. He describes it as a ‘hospitable inn’, where he enjoyed excellent service from the hostess. The inn was put up for sale in 1809. See (far left column) https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3871621/3871622/1/Gwyndy . “ The sale details describe the lot as follows: THIS capital and long- established INN, is situate upon the Great Irish road from London to Dublin, half way between Bangor Ferry and Holyhead, within 12 miles of each, with extensive stabling, coach-houses, and other outbuildings, together with a valuable farm of upwards of 300 acres of rich land adjoining', in the highest state of cultivation. The house has lately been enlarged at a considerable expence, for the accommodation of the great increase of Travellers, since the union with Ireland, and is most desirably situate at the first stage from Holyhead, and there are few (if any) better houses, both with respect to situation and accommodation, than Gwyndy. The Coplands would have visited ten years later when it was under new ownership

We see from Dr Taylor’s references that it was a good, hospitable Inn that Lucy records as “comfortable” and where the family returned for a late dinner and to stay the night.

Dr Taylor has since provided us with more on Gwyndy with a reference to The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Holyhead Road Vol.2, by Charles G Harper : https://www.gutenberg.org/files/58841/58841-h/58841-h.htm#Page_319 … “At Gwyndû or Glanyrafon, half-way across the Island, an old coachman, not so handy as most of his fellows, failed to steer so neatly as he should between the great stones that in the good old days lay loosely about the road; with the result that the jolt knocked him off his box and he suffered a broken leg. Gwyndû in those times was a noted inn. It is now, like many another, a farmhouse, and all the historian can glean of its history is found in the fugitive notes of century-old tourists. Thus, a Mr. Hucks, pedestrianising in 1795, says he dined at Gwyndû inn, and that the hostess, a “fine old lady,” paid him and his companion “the utmost attention, and appeared particularly solicitous; gave us her blessing at our departure, with a thousand admonitions not to lose ourselves,” which of course they did. Rain and storm beset them, and they gladly quitted the “inauspicious island.” ..

This section continues with a delightful comment on the difficulties of traveling without a knowledge of Welsh: “There is little difficulty in losing one’s way on this old road, for when maps fail there is not a soul here who can understand the English tongue. One might talk Hindustani with equal chance of being understood. Welsh is the only language spoken, for the bi-lingual Welshman is left behind when crossing the Menai. Anglesey is the great stronghold of the Welsh language, and in many of its villages it is impossible to find a single person who understands a word of English. Dim saesoneg is the sole reply the traveller is likely to meet with on the road, or if by chance, in some more civilised townlet, he makes himself understood, the broken and grotesque English of the replies he obtains is likely to be quite unintelligible. Even those who can command a little “Saxon” are chary of using it, and not a few of those who gruffly grunt Dim saesoneg do so because they are shy of their attempts at an unfamiliar tongue being laughed at.”

Furthermore, Charles G Harper continues with a rich description of the scenery above Gwyndû, which he states “may be commended to the attention of those who describe Anglesey as flat, dull, and featureless” and the Gutenberg reference, above, is worth looking at to enjoy Harper’s ability to paint a beautiful word description of the scene above the Inn.

Dr Taylor also added a reference to another map of Anglesea: https://www.gillmark.com/map/anglesey-67/sidney-hall-2407/#&gid=1&pid=1

https://www.gillmark.com/map/anglesey-67/sidney-hall-2407/#&gid=1&pid=1

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?

Please click here if you can help

16th July 1819, Caernarvon Castle, Eagle Tower

Friday 16th June 1819

Friday July 16th About 10 o’clock my Mother & myself took a survey of the interior of Caernarvon Castle. It was built by Edward 1st. The form of it is a long irregular square at the west end is the

Eagle Tower where we saw the room in which Edward the 2nd was born in 1284 there are several other towers all communicating with each other by Galleries having wandered about these ruins for some time, for our guide having had a bad fall the day before left us to explore these by ourselves we returned to the hotel and amused ourselves for the remainder of the day. The gentlemen returned late in the evening.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Caernarfon Castle: There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century. The Welsh recaptured Gwynedd in 1115, and Caernarfon Castle came into the possession of the Welsh princes. From contemporary documents written at the castle, it is known that Llywelyn the Great and later Llywelyn ap Gruffudd occasionally stayed at Caernarfon. In 1283 King Edward I defeated the Welsh and began replacing it with the current stone structure. Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, his queen arrived at Caernarfon on either 11 or 12 July 1283 and stayed for over a month. When Edward and Eleanor visited again in Easter 1284 the Eagle Tower may have been complete. According to tradition, Edward II was born at Caernarfon on 25 April 1284. Edward was created Prince of Wales in 1301, with control over Wales and its incomes. Since then the title has traditionally been held by the eldest son of the monarch.

Edward I creating his son, the later Edward II, prince of Wales, 1301. Text reads "Eduuardus factus est princeps Wallie" (Edward is made prince of Wales). Source British Library, MS Royal 20 A. ii, f. 10. Scanned from Prestwich, M.C. (2005) Plantagenet England: 1225-1360, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. plate 6 ISBN 0-19-822844-9 Author: Lampman. Licensing: This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_I_%26_II.jpg

Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Caernarfon castle on 1st July 1968 - Image, Daily Post Wales from https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/prince-charles-investiture-bombs-how-15805211

The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year. The castle was held by the Royalists during the Civil War and although it was taken by the Parliamentarians orders to slight it were not carried out. Although mostly complete externally, it was neglected after the Civil War and the interior buildings no longer survive. Many of the building plans were never finished until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. Farringdon’s painting, executed around the year 1780, shows the Eagle Tower in the centre with the state of the interior somewhat ruinous, which to the Romantics and tourists of the Regency period would have made it quite endearing.

In 1911, Caernarfon Castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales, and again in 1969 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon_Castle

See also an excellent article The investiture of the Prince of Wales By Neil Evans, Honorary Research Fellow, School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University at https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/investiture/pages/investiture-background.shtml

circa 1780: Caernarvon Castle, painting by Joseph Farington (1747 - 1821) in the collection of the Yale Center for British Art, Accession number YCBA/lido-TMS-340. The author died in 1821, so 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:Joseph_Farington_-_Caernarvon_Castle_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

With their guide leaving them early, Lucy and her mother wandered about the ruins and explored them for themselves. Lucy took time to open her sketchbook and drew the scene over two pages, which she captioned with today’s date.

Ten to fifteen years later the great artist, Joseph Mallord William Turner, added his impression of the Castle

The Eagle tower was the first tower to be completed, by the end of 1283. Daniel Mersey, in the Castles of Wales Website, writes: “Material for the building of the castle, town, walls, gates, and important quay were ferried in by sea. All of the initial building took place as a single operation, started in the summer of 1283. The first recorded entry of work was on the new castle's ditch, separating the castle from fortified town; this occurred on June 24th. Next, as with most castles built in enemy territory, a wooden barricade was erected to defend the building works from attack. Timber was shipped in from Liverpool, Rhuddlan, and Conway, and labourers began to cut the moat - this also supplied the rock for the walls (which were twenty foot thick at their base). The Welsh township was also demolished at this time. The only tower of the castle completed during the first phase of building was the Eagle Tower; the main priority was to make the site defensible, before later adding the impressive architecture of dominion's new capital. Work continued swiftly and the castle and town walls were substantially completed by late 1285. The architect for this first building phase was Master James of St George - a renowned and gifted castle architect - and from 1283-92, £12,000 had been spent.” http://www.castlewales.com/caernarf.html

This image, looking onto the Eagle Tower, is taken from a photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/27830118907

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?

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15th July 1819, Ferry Plas Newydd; Bangor; Caernarvon; Holyhead; Bangor Ferry House

Thursday 15th July 1819

Thursday July 15th This morning at twelve o’clock we sailed across the ferry to Plas Newydd the Marquis of Anglesey’s which I think is the most beautiful seat I have yet seen. We walked

over the inside of the house which is very large and well furnished. We proceeded through the grounds to Bangor expecting two chaises we had previously ordered to meet us but they did not arrive till after a considerable time. We then again crossed the ferry, dined at the Bangor ferry house where we met our friend Mr Grimes. My mother and myself then returned in the barouche to Caernarvon while the rest of the party advanced their way to Holyhead.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Plas Newydd: a country house set in gardens, parkland and surrounding woodland on the north bank of the Menai Strait, in Llanddaniel Fab, near Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales. From its earliest known resident in 1470, Plas Newydd passed by inheritance and marriage through 500 years of a family's increasing concentration of wealth, titles and estates, until the 7th Marquess of Anglesey presented it to the National Trust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plas_Newydd_(Anglesey)

circa 1790: Plas Newyd, Anglesey : seat of the Earl of Uxbridge, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1129212. 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:Plas_Newyd,_Anglesey_-_seat_of_the_Earl_of_Uxbridge.jpeg

2018: The exterior of Plas Newydd, Anglesey (National Trust) by Bs0u10e01 and published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plas_Newydd-Anglesey-National_Trust_02.jpg

Lucy records how: We walked over the inside of the house which is very large and well furnished. We proceeded through the grounds.. Below, the interior of the house and part of the grounds as they are today

2013: Plas Newydd Anglesey UK by Waterborough, published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:11_Plas_Newydd_Anglesey.JPG

2013: Plas Newydd Anglesey UK by Waterborough, published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:08_Plas_Newydd_Anglesey.JPG

On 22 May 2014 Roger Harrabin, BBC environment analyst, reported under the heading: “Plas Newydd: Heat from the sea to warm historic house”. A video of his report can be found at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27505207 At 300 kilowatts, the pump is the biggest in Britain. Its oil-fired boiler made the mansion the most polluting and biggest oil consumer of the National Trust's properties; the renovation is expected to save around £40,000 a year in operating costs. Plas Newydd is one of five properties in a pilot experiment; if they succeed, the National Trust will invest in 43 more renewable energy plans. The pilot programme includes: biomass in Croft Castle in Herefordshire, a woodchip boiler in Ickworth in Suffolk, and hydroelectric projects in Hafod y Porth near Craflwyn in Snowdonia, and at Stickle Ghyll in the Lake District.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plas_Newydd_(Anglesey)

Chaise: A light two or three-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage for one or two people with a folding hood or calash top https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaise

A chaise, from the Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation and released into the public domain by its author, Pearson Scott Foresman. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chaise_(PSF).jpg

Bangor Ferry: Ferries operated across the Menai Straights for over 800 years. The Porthaethwy ferry ran two ancient routes between Carreg yr Halen, Porthaethwy and Treborth Mill and the main Porthaethwy landing stage to the adjacent mainland shore. Porthaethwy is first referred to in 1193. The Welsh Prince and the free tenants of Porthaethwy, both, shared a half interest in the ferry. Much later a third route brought coaching traffic from the George Hotel on the mainland to Porth y Wrach, Porthaethwy http://www.heneb.co.uk/cadwprojs/cadwreview2006/menaistraits06.html

George Hotel, Bangor Ferry, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/9200119/06300A69FCF2C9270CE3BCF1DD0C316AC704633C.html

The above image of the George Hotel Ferry illustrates the slope down to the water level, which would vary considerably according to the tides. A coloured image can be found at https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/20122 . Lucy and the family would not have crossed from the George Hotel but from the Porthaethwy landing stage, shown in the print of 1810, below.

1810: Porthaethfy Ferry, line engraving by B. Howlett after Moses Griffiths. Published in the 1810 edition of Pennant's Tours in Wales https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEPorthaethfyFerry17.jpg

In 1826 Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge was built which made the passage to Anglesea faster and more comfortable.

After 1826: Menai Bridge, near Bangor Carnarvonshire by D Graham in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1133884. 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:Menai_Bridge,_near_Bangor_Carnarvonshire.jpeg

Bangor Ferry House: Porthaethwy Ferry House (sometimes called Bangor Ferry House) was founded in 1688. The name has changed many times but in mid 19th century it became known as Cambria Inn. The building still stands and is the oldest building in the town. https://menaibridges.co.uk/history/menai-bridge-timeline/

Barouche: A large, open, four-wheeled carriage, both heavy and luxurious, drawn by two horses. It was fashionable throughout the 19th century. Its body provides seats for four passengers, two back-seat passengers vis-à-vis two behind the coachman's high box-seat. A leather roof can be raised to give back-seat passengers some protection from the weather. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barouche

2009: Prince William of Wales & Prince Henry of Wales by Staszek99 and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prince_William_of_Wales_%26_Prince_Henry_of_Wales.jpg

Holyhead is on Holy Island, which is separated from Anglesey by a very narrow channel and was originally connected to Anglesey via the Four Mile Bridge and now by the Stanley Embankment. There is archaeological evidence that people have been sailing between Holyhead and Ireland for 4,000 years. Its maritime importance was at its height in the 19th century with a 1.7 mile long sea breakwater. Holyhead Breakwater is the longest in the UK and was built to create a safe harbour for vessels caught in stormy waters on their way to Liverpool and the industrial ports of Lancashire. Holyhead's sea heritage is remembered in a maritime museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyhead

circa 1850: Holyhead, Isle of Anglesea. Print in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1133155. 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:Holyhead,_Isle_of_Anglesea.jpeg

circa 1840: Sketches in Wales : Holyhead market. A view of bustling market, including activities, stalls and individuals in Welsh dress. In the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1133578. 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:Sketches_in_Wales_-_Holyhead_market.jpeg

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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.

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14th July 1819, Beddgelert's grave, Caernarvon

Wednesday July 14th

Wednesday July 14th. Early in the morning we took a walk to Gelert’s grave which only consists of a large stone in the centre of a field. We then advanced to Caernarvon. The country on entering this town considered one of the finest in North Wales *** a flatter appearance. It is situated close to the sea with a view of the isle

of Anglesea and the strait of Menai. The exterior of the Castle is remarkably fine. We have not yet surveyed the interior. I think nothing of the house but we are in an excellent hotel built lately by the Earl of Uxbridge. In the evening a noted harper played us some beautiful airs very finely. He is much superior to the one we heard at Bethgelert.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

"Gelert's Grave" was built by the late 18th-century landlord of the Goat Hotel, David Pritchard, who created it in order to encourage tourism. Similar legends can be found in other parts of Europe and Asia.

circa 1850: A man and a woman near Gelert's grave, Beddgelert, in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1129323 , a work 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:Gelert%27s_Grave,_Beddgelert.jpeg

2010: Gelert’s Grave by Necrothesp, published 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:Gelert%27s_Grave.jpg

Engraved on a slate memorial, in English and in Welsh is the legend, the English reads as follows: "In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent. On Llewelyn's return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son, and saw the infant's cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound's side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog's dying yell was answered by a child's cry. Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here". https://www.beddgelerttourism.com/gelert/

Gelert by Charles Burton Barber (c.1894), a work 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. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gelert.jpg

John Fiske (1842 – 1901), the American philosopher and historian, discusses Gelert in his Myths and Myth-makers, saying regretfully that "as the Swiss must give up his Tell, so must the Welshman be deprived of his brave dog Gellert, over whose cruel fate I confess to having shed more tears than I should." He notes that "to this day the visitor to Snowdon is told the touching story, and shown the place, called Beth-Gellert, where the dog's grave is still to be seen. Nevertheless, the story occurs in the fireside lore of nearly every Aryan people." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelert

Caernarvon grew up around and owes its name to its Norman and late Medieval fortifications. The earlier British and Romano-British settlement at Segontium was named for the nearby Afon Seiont. After the end of Roman rule in Britain around 410, the settlement continued to be known as Cair Segeint ("Fort Seiont") and as Cair Custoient ("Fort Constantius or Constantine") An inscribed tomb of "Constantius the Emperor" (presumably Constantius Chlorus, father of Constantine the Great) was still present in the 9th century but is lost.

In the 13th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ruler of Gwynedd, refused to pay homage to Edward I of England, prompting the English conquest of Gwynedd. This was followed by the construction of Caernarfon Castle, one of the largest and most imposing fortifications built by the English in Wales. In 1284, the English-style county of Caernarfonshire was established by the Statute of Rhuddlan; the same year, Caernarfon was made a borough, a county and market town, and the seat of English government in north Wales. Today, Caernarfon has expanded beyond its medieval walls and has experienced heavy suburbanisation. Its population includes the largest percentage of Welsh-speaking citizens anywhere in Wales. The status of Royal Borough was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 and amended to Royal Town in 1974. The castle and town walls are part of a World Heritage Site described as the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon

1749: A north-west view of Caernarvon Castle by John Boydell, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1132372. 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:A_north-west_view_of_Caernarvon_Castle.jpeg

1854: Carnarvon Castle: from Coed Helen by Charles Haghe, print in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Accession number 1128822. (National Library of Wales). 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:Carnarvon_Castle_-_from_Coed_Helen.jpeg

Uxbridge Arms Hotel, which Lucy describes as an excellent hotel built lately by the Earl of Uxbridge, was erected by the 2nd Earl. He was made the 1st Marquess of Anglesey after his successful leadership at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, when one of his legs was hit. Legend has it that he remarked to the Duke of Wellington: “By God, sir, I’ve lost my leg!” and the Duke replied: “By God, sir, so you have!” The leg was later amputated. http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=the-celtic-royal-hotel-caernarfon . The Hotel was noted for hosting lavish balls and entertainment for the Adelphi Society. The hotel’s stables and coach houses were extended in 1810 and became some of the finest in the country, forming an enclosed courtyard with tack rooms, grooms’ quarters, farrier and smithy. Queen Victoria stayed in 1832 with her mother and in her honour the hotel was renamed the Royal Hotel http://www.celtic-royal.co.uk/history/

The Welsh Guards at The Celtic Royal Hotel. Thursday 24th September 2015https://www.facebook.com/gwestyrcelt/posts/985179641578279

This photograph of the Welsh Guards at the hotel on 24th September 2015 would have pleased Lucy’s grandson, F.A.V. (“Vincent”) Copland-Griffiths, who joined the Welsh Guards at its creation in 1915, fought with the regiment in both World Wars and retired with the rank of Brigadier in 1947. The photograph is from the Celtic Royal’s Facebook page.

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

*** a flatter appearance.

The *** may well be “bears” , in which case the sentence would read:The country on entering this town considered one of the finest in North Wales bears a flatter appearance, but the first letter does not look like a Regency “b”. 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.

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13th July 1819, Ascent of Snowdon, Beddgelert

Tuesday July 13th 1819

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..

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

Circa 1870: The Summit of Snowdon, a lithograph by Newman and Co https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SETheSummitOfSnowdonLitho18.jpg

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

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 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

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

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?

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12th July 1819, Slate Quarries, Oakley Estate, Beddgelert, Tremadog, Pont Aberglaslyn

Monday July 12th 1819

Monday July 12th …. This morning my brothers rode on horseback to the slate quarries near Festiniogg during the time they were

absent Mama and I walked over the grounds of Mr Oakley which are close to the Inn they are very pretty, at eleven o’Clock we all proceeded to Bethgelert but prolonged our ride by visiting the beautiful village of Tremadoc built entirely by Mr Madocks the situation is the most perfect that can be imagined, about 15 years ago he embanked an area of the sea which is now in some parts become fertile but owing to some mismanagement he failed and the sea has made its way through; the village farm remains unfinished; leaving

Tremadoc we passed by Pont aber Glaslynn a cataract considered one of the finest in Wales where it has a large quantity of water but without it I do not think much of it the situation is very grand. Bethgelert does not boast of much more than the well known interesting and affecting tale of Bed gelert. his grave is in the adjoining fields a Welsh harper for the first time welcomed us on our arrival he played some beautiful Welsh airs with much spirit.

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Slate industry in Wales has continued since the Roman period. The quarry that Alex, William and Frank would have visited was the Oakeley Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog, begun in the previous year, 1818, when Samuel Holland, a Liverpool merchant, leased land near Rhiwbryfdir farm. As landlords, the Oakeley family of Tan y Bwlch took a 10% royalty for the three-year lease. In 1821, at the end of the initial three years, Holland took a further 21-year lease on the site, but he sold this in 1825 to the Welsh Slate Company which considerably extended the quarry. Oakeley continued to produce significant tonnages of slate through World War II, but experienced a rapid decline in the 1960s, along with the remainder of the British slate industry. The quarry closed in 1969, and the company was liquidated and wound down in 1972. The quarry re-opened as a working quarry and tourist attraction in 1978 under the name Gloddfa Ganol. The tourist operation included an extensive collection of narrow gauge locomotives, many connected to the Welsh slate industry. Two parts of the Oakeley underground workings were opened to visitors and the working mill could also be viewed. The commercial operation, under the name Ffestiniog Slate Co. reworked parts of the previously underground mine as an opencast quarry. The Ffestiniog Slate Co. was sold to McAlpine in 1998 and the tourist side of the business was closed. The quarry continued to operate using heavy earth moving equipment to continue and expand the previous open-cast operation. In March 2010 Welsh Slate announced the quarry's closure, due to the discovery of subsidence and the remaining workers were transferred to another of the company's quarries.

Victorian slate extraction techniques generated vast amounts of slate waste - for every ton of finished slate produced, approximately nine tons of waste rock are extracted. It is estimated that the lifetime of the Oakeley concerns, more than 100 million tons of waste was generated. The restricted location of Oakeley on the slopes of Allt-fawr made disposing of this waste a significant problem. The original village of Rhiwbryfdir and the nearby monastery of Mynachlog were purchased by Oakeley (see note below) and then buried under a massive waste tip. Space was also sought on the south bank of the Afon Barlwydd (see note) and in 1854 the Glan y Don (also known as the Pen y Bont) tip was established. This tip was accessed by a high viaduct that crossed the Ffestiniog Railway's Dinas branch, the London and North Western Railway's Conway valley line and the river. This tip became so large that a mill was built on top of it for further slate processing capacity in 1875. The picture below shows the extent of the tips overshadowing the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog

2005: Blaenau Ffestiniog, taken from Moelwyn Bach showing the large waste heaps that dominate the town by Stemonitis. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blaenau_Ffestiniog.jpg

The Festiniog Railway provided a cheap and efficient connection with the wharves at Porthmadog and therefore with the wider British and world markets. The quarries which made use of the railway were able to substantially reduce their overall costs and therefore increase their profits. The first quarry to use the railway was Holland's Lower Quarry. Initially Holland's slates had to be carted to the railway's terminus at Rhiwbryfdir as the Welsh Slate Company had successfully blocked his attempt to complete a direct connection via an incline. By 1839 agreement had been reached over the route of an incline to the Festiniog Railway, and slates from Holland's quarry were now sent directly onto the railway.

The 1839 incline connecting Holland's Quarry with the Festiniog Railway at Dinas http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/Wales%20Photos/Merionethshire,%20Blaenau%20Ffestiniog,%20an%20old%20incline%20near%20the%20Station%20-%201280pix.jpg

The disused main incline from Oakeley quarry to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1977 https://www.flickr.com/photos/45873442@N04/8439546181

In 1899 the Ffestiniog Railway's Dinas branch was diverted to allow the Doman Fawr tip on the eastern slope of Allt-fawr to be extended further south of the quarry to create further tipping space. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeley_Quarry See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_industry_in_Wales and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llechwedd_Slate_Caverns

Note : Since publication I am grateful to have received the following corrections (originally sourced via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeley_quarry ) from Steffan ab Owain: “Two things -The Oakeley family did not purchase the lands at Rhiwbryfdir, it was already part of the Tan-y-Bwlch estate. The river is Afon Barlwyd not Barlwydd.”

Oakley Estate: William Griffith Oakeley took over the estate in 1811 and rented his land to Samuel Holland, a Liverpool Slate Dealer. The hungry demand for the best slate in the world was growing quickly as the industrial revolution gathered speed and vast quantities of building materials were required across the world. By the end of the 19th century the Oakeley quarries were producing 60,000 tonnes of slate a year; each tonne transported from the hills down to Porthmadog by the Ffestiniog Railway and shipped across the globe. http://oakeleyarms.co.uk/oakeley-arms-history/

Tremadoc: a good example of a planned town, with an array of Georgian architecture built in the classical tradition of the 18th century by William Madocks, who bought the land in 1798. The centre of Tremadog was complete by 1811 and remains substantially unaltered.

William Alexander Madocks, MP for Boston in Lincolnshire (1773-1828) - mezzotint by Charles Turner, after a 1812 painting after James Ramsay from the Ffestiniog Railway Traveller's Guide. The work of art 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:WA_Madocks.jpg

Tremadog is located immediately below the high ground of Snowdonia and on the edge of the modern Snowdonia National Park. It was built on flat land reclaimed from Traeth Mawr, the estuary of the Afon Glaslyn, and to enhance its appearance Madocks placed the Market Square, the centre of his project, just in front of a great crag of rock, the former edge of the estuary. It towers some 100 feet (30 m) over the Town Hall, and the coaching inn, giving a theatrical effect to the area. He hoped to attract more buildings that fitted his overall plan, but this plan failed and he eventually funded most of them himself. The main streets were named Dublin Street and London Street, as Madocks wanted Tremadog to be a stopping off point on the main route from London to Porth Dinllaen on the Llŷn Peninsula, which was intended to be the chief port for ferries to Dublin. However, this plan failed when Holyhead supplanted Porth Dinllaen as the main ferry port. He was keen that everything should enhance the village's appearance — his main interest. Unlike some contemporary town planners, he was less interested in the moral reform of the inhabitants: he felt that people had the right to work, educate their children, pray, drink, gamble, save or waste money as they saw fit; and that the town should give its residents opportunities to get on with their own lives, providing that they were congenial neighbours.

circa 1865: A view of the square in Tremadog, showing people walking along the road, and St Mary's Church in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1132630 . 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:Tremadoc,_Carnarvonshire.jpeg

2005: “Tremadog village… Viewed from the summit of Moel y Gest, looking north. The two shapely summits are Cnicht on the right, and Moel Siabod in distance” by Davis Medcalf. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by David Medcalf and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tremadog-panorama.jpg

Madocks believed that "in education and religion all ought to have fair play", and this was reflected in the provision of a Gothic revival style church for the Anglicans and a classical chapel for the Methodists. His approach did not find favour with the Bishop of Bangor, but he defended his decision by telling the Bishop that the church would be built on rock, while the chapel would be built on sand. This was true geologically, but was also a reference to the Biblical parable of the wise and foolish builders.

The entrance to the churchyard is spanned by a decorative arch of Coade stone in Gothic horror style, with representations of boars, dragons, frogs, grimacing cherubs, owls, shrouded figures and squirrels, while the tops of the towers are surrounded by elephants' heads. Madocks wanted it to become a parish church, but it was only ever a chapel of ease, as Tremadog was part of the parish of Ynyscynhaearn. Although he provided a churchyard, no burials took place, but it was one of the few buildings in the region where services were regularly conducted in the English language. The church was fitted with box pews, cast iron windows with coloured glass, and a blue ceiling with stars painted on it. There was a crypt, the precise location of which is unknown, in which Madocks hoped to be buried, but he died in Paris and was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery. He is commemorated by a brass plaque, which also commemorates the wedding of Mary Madocks to Martin Williams there in 1811. John Williams, originally a gardener from Anglesey, who worked tirelessly to complete Madocks' plans when he was so often away, was buried in the vault when he died in 1850, as were his wife and their only son, W T Massey Williams. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremadog

Pont Aberglaslyn was perhaps built in the 17th century, then extensively rebuilt and widened in 1795-6. Folklore claims that it was constructed by the Devil or by the Romans; a stone with the marking "W M 1656" scratched on it was found during reconstruction . Another possibly medieval bridge spans a small stream that is a tributary of the Glasyn nearby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_Aberglaslyn

circa 1810: Pont Aberglasslyn print in the collection of the National Library of Wales Accession number 1131288 and made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pont_Aberglasslyn_(1131288).jpg

Whilst Lucy thought that the situation was “very grand”, as the print with anglers, the bridge beyond and the mountains towering above attests, she was not impressed by the falls themselves. The print below, showing the Salmon Leap falls, reinforces the magnificence of the mountainous background but the falls in the foreground did not meet her expectations.

Bethgelert: The village is probably named after an early Christian missionary and leader called Celert (or Cilert) who settled here early in the 8th century.

The Church of St. Mary stands at the end of Stryd yr Eglwys (Church Street). This was originally a part of an Augustinian Monastery (the chapel), but is all that remains since the rest of the monastery was burnt down during Edward I's war of conquest. Rebuilding was probably not completed at the time of the suppression of the monastery in about 1536. Parts of the building date from the 12th century and is still in active use today.

A raised mound in the village is called "Gelert's Grave" and is a significant tourist attraction, but the grave was built by the late 18th-century landlord of the Goat Hotel, David Pritchard, who created it in order to encourage tourism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beddgelert

Harpers were a part of the tourist experience in Georgian and Regency times. On reverse of a print entitled ‘Blind Harpist’ of eight people by a cottage, one of whom is playing a harp by J.W. Harding is the following record of Harpers in Wales, dated 1810:

“The harp is the favourite instrument of the Welch: every town in the Principality has its professor, who, generally, in fine weather, is the tenant of a seat at the door of an inn; and in bad weather, an inmate of the kitchen. Here, at his post, he waits the arrival of strangers, to whom he soon introduces himself with an offer of his services. The Welsh music is varied, expressive, and pathetic. It carries with it an air of originality and great antiquity, and with its congenial instrument, the harp, skilfully touched, is well calculated to warm the imagination and interest the heart.

In no place, perhaps, can happiness be so extremely diffused, as so small an expense, as in Wales. A small present to the harper, for the public use, will assemble the whole population of the village: and in this rustic group, no mode, by which joy can be indicated, will be omitted. Not even the unrivalled scenery of their country will leave so permanent, and so pleasing an impression on a benevolent mind, as this scene of innocent mirth. It is true, they neither dance with the gracefulness of a Frenchman, nor sing with the science of an Italian; but the most fastidious would not wish to exchange this honest, though awkward exhibition, for the purchased exertions of either.

All the families of the great in Wales are still furnished with this feudal appendage of rank and wealth. In their hospitable mansions many an aged harper finds a comfortable asylum …”

Published in a volume with other prints by the same artist ‘Book of views, no 14, N Wales, 1810’, by John Harding, 36 St James Street - Extracted from: https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/material-culture/harpers/harpers-wales-general/

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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.

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11th July 1819, , Tan y Bwlch, Prayers at Home

Sunday July 11th

Sunday July 11th …. As there is no English service performed here we read prayers at home; my brothers then took a ride to a Waterfall two miles off but as the day proved rainy we did not accompany them and as it continued so until late in the evening we amused ourselves indoors the whole day…..

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Passing the time indoors: Lucy amused herself by opening her sketchbook and drawing a “Cottage near Tan y bwlch” as captioned on the opposite blank page and dated, July 11th 1819.

11 July 1819, Cottage near Tan y bwlch, by Lucy Copland, from her sketchbook

Whether she sketched this from the Inn (as she did on a number of occasions in her sketchbook) or ventured out when the weather cleared we do not know, but she and her mother are likely have spent their time drawing, or reading. We know that her mother was an accomplished harpist, so she may also have spent some time in music.

In Geri Walton’s How Regency People Passed Their Time she writes that “when not spending time in a public way, there were private amusements that could be enjoyed at home or at the homes of friends. One person described the benefits of private amusements stating that they “deceive the cares, sweeten the toils, and smooth the ruggedness of life.” Private amusements included board games, cards, conversation, dancing, drawing, music, parlor games, and reading….”

Of these, “Drawing.. was considered a “polite” accomplishment and all young people of both sexes were advised to take up drawing. It was claimed to be particularly enjoyable for travelers as they could spend many hours “celebrating the landscape.” It was also said to aid Regency minds scientifically when “complicated machines, engines, &c. [were drawn] with accuracy.”

“Of all the amusements, reading was claimed to be the most valuable because it encouraged mental stimulation and allowed for people to reflect on important subjects.”

https://www.geriwalton.com/how-regency-people-passed-their-time/

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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.

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10th July 1819, Pulpit Hugh Lloyd, Tay y Bwlch

Saturday July 10th 1819

Saturday July 10th …. Mr Grimes whom we have frequently met breakfasted with us this morning at 12 o’Clock we took a ride on horseback to

Festtiniog a small village 3 miles from Tanybwlch the vale through which we passed is most lovely there is also a fine Waterfall consisting of three falls the longest dropping into a deep pool nearly covered by impending rocks; below is a fine rock called Pulpit Hugh Lloyd Cynfael where he is supposed to have delivered his nocturnal incantations. My brothers were out fishing the whole day We returned to the Inn to a late dinner

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Ffestiniog: Prints, below, published in 1799 and 1811, represent the scenery that Lucy passed through and so admired

1799: Festiniog, engraving by Thomas Rowlandson from: https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEFestiniogRowlandson.JPG

1811 The Vale of Festiniog, North Wales engraving by J. Greig after J.P. Neale. from: https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEValeOfFestiniog15.jpg

The mountainous terrain, as shown in the print, below, provided just the right environment for the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage Scheme which was the first major pumped storage system in the UK and was commissioned in 1963. The upper reservoir is Llyn Stwlan which discharges 27 cubic metres per second (950 cu ft/s) of water to the turbine generators at the power station on the bank of Tan-y-Grisiau reservoir. The power station at the lower reservoir has four water turbines, which can generate 360 megawatts of electricity within 60 seconds of the need arising. Water is pumped to the higher reservoir [Stwlan] during off-peak times, and released down through turbines to create electricity during peak times. It has the capacity to power the whole of North Wales for several hours. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog_Power_Station

1813: Vale of Festiniog: engraving by I. Hassel after E. Pugh from: https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEValeOfFestiniog17.jpg

2007: Ffestiniog Power Station Looking down from near the summit of Moel-yr-Hydd; by David Medcalf from the Geograph project collection and licensed for reuse by David Medcalf under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ffestiniog_Power_Station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_343774.jpg

1988: Adrian Pingstone, The upper reservoir (Llyn Stwlan) and dam of the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage Scheme in north Wales. The four water turbines at the power station can generate 360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the need arising. Released to the public domain by the author https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Stwlan.dam.jpg

1890-1905: Two trains of the Ffestiniog Railway at Tan y Bwlch Station, Photochrom print, Reproduction number: LC-DIG-ppmsc-07419, from Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Photochrom Prints. Photographs in this collection were published before 1923 and are therefore in the public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ffestiniog-Railway-07419u.jpg

The building of the lower reservoir flooded the route of the Ffestiniog Railway which had to build a deviation around the reservoir and power station. The line was constructed between 1833 and 1836 to transport slate from the quarries around the inland town of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coastal town of Porthmadog where it was loaded onto ships. The railway was graded so that loaded wagons could be run by gravity downhill all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port. The empty wagons were hauled back up by horses, which travelled down in special 'dandy' wagons. To achieve this continuous grade (about 1 in 80 for much of the way), the line followed natural contours and employed cuttings and embankments built of stone and slate blocks without mortar. Prior to the completion in 1842 of a long tunnel through a spur in the Moelwyn Mountain, the slate trains were worked over the top via inclines (designed by Robert Stephenson), the site of which can still be seen although there are few visible remnants.

The Festiniog Railway Company which owns the railway is the oldest surviving railway company in the world. In 1951, railway enthusiast Alan Pegler was approached by friends to buy and clear the outstanding debt on the derelict Ffestiniog Railway, to enable its purchase. Lent £3,000 by his father, he and the volunteers obtained control of the company on 24 June 1954. Pegler was appointed the new company's first Chairman, with the objective to operate the railway as a tourist attraction and gradually restore the line to working order. Pegler later released complete control of the company without any personal financial gain to Ffestiniog Railway Trust, which still owns and runs the railway today, primarily as a tourist attraction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog_Railway

Ffestiniog is also known for a religious sect founded by Mary Evans (1735–89) in about 1780. Her believers held that she had married Christ in a ceremony held in Ffestiniog church. The sect soon died out after her death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog

Pulpit Hugh Lloyd Cynfael: It appears that Huw Llwyd, a self-styled preacher who associated with respected clerics, convinced the authorities that sorcerers were invaluable in the battle against ‘the evils of witchcraft’. If illness, misfortune and madness be attributed to demons and spirits raised by witches, then it followed that sorcerers would be needed to control and dispatch those spirits. He proceeded to do so, in style. Above a fierce cataract stands a natural pillar of stone known to this day as Huw Llwyd’s Pulpit.

1812: Pulpit Huw by Andrew Wilson, © digital scan courtesy of the National Library of Wales (Public Domain image) https://folklorethursday.com/legends/huw-llwyd-real-welsh-wizard/

1814: Huw Llwyd’s Pulpit by Edward Pugh, © digital scan courtesy of the National Library of Wales (Public Domain image) https://folklorethursday.com/legends/huw-llwyd-real-welsh-wizard/

I have quoted from Huw Llwyd, The Real Welsh Wizard by Remy Dean, January 12, 2017, which was researched during his 2016 residency at Plas Tan y Bwlch, Huw Llwyd. https://folklorethursday.com/legends/huw-llwyd-real-welsh-wizard/

“Huw Llwyd has been immortalised in the folklore and fairy tales of Wales, his fantastic exploits told and re-told down the ages, so many times perhaps that people have forgotten that he was, indeed, a real person: a mercenary, magician, bardic poet and bona fide ‘man of mystery’ – the genuine ‘Welsh Wizard’. Born during the first decade of Elizabeth I’s reign, he lived through the entire reign of King James (VI of Scotland, then I of England), and into the reign of Charles I… Already an acclaimed bard and harpist, Huw was soon recognised as the region’s go-to person to deal with anything weird and witchy. He was called upon to investigate inexplicable occurrences and unsolved crimes, as well as suspected witchcraft…

His sermons were dramatic and, miraculously, could be heard over the thunder of white water. This was also the place where he is said to have cast out demons. He would appear out of the mist, a formidable figure dressed in robes adorned with magical symbols and use fearsome spells to drive out the demons afflicting his patients. Huw reputedly treated patients who had travelled from as far away as France. The demons fled their victims in the form of black shadows, were caught up in the fast-flowing river and dashed apart in the torrential waterfall below. The waterfall is still known as Rhaeadr Ddu, the Black Falls.

William Jenkyn Thomas includes three stories of Huw Llwyd in his classic 1908 collection of folk tales, The Welsh Fairy Book. He tells us that Huw was a seventh son and ate the flesh of eagles to bestow magical powers on himself and his descendants for nine generations.

In one tale, Huw solves a case of serial theft perpetrated by two inn-keeping sisters, who were also witches and could transform into cats at night to stealthily pore – or rather paw – over the belongings of their guests to steal anything of value. He sleeps with his magic sword at his side and when the cats sneak down the chimney into his room, strikes one a blow. The next morning, one of the sisters has a bandaged hand. Instead of reporting them to a witch-finder for trial, he assures the sisters that the inn is now under his protection and there will be no more stealing. This claim is proven true, for without the reputation of a dangerous place, the inn thrives and the sisters earn a good, honest living from then on.

In another story, he mesmerises a gang of bandits, who had followed him to a tavern, by causing the table they are sitting at to extrude antlers that they are unable to look away from, until the following morning when the sheriff comes to arrest them.

A third features a conjuror who revenges himself upon an unscrupulous and extortionate inn-keeper by leaving behind a spell that makes everyone in the room relentlessly dance and sing until all are close to terminal exhaustion. He later sends instructions of how to find the spell and fling it into the fire, thus lifting the curse.

These three tales imply that he was just, effective and had a sense of humour. In other less well-known stories, the young Huw collects a barn-full of crows, reveals a much darker side during a magical contest with a rival sorcerer, and inadvertently introduces the devil to tobacco and gunpowder…

There is historical evidence that Huw Llwyd was a soldier, preacher, physician, an accomplished bard, and was consulted as a sorcerer. There are references to his military service, 1585-90, under Sir Roger Williams in France and Holland. He is also presumed to have performed the duties of Chaplain and Doctor for those wounded on the battlefield as he shared some medical training with his brother, Owen Llwyd, who was a qualified physician. There is also mention of his service in Belgium and Germany. The priest and bardic scholar, Ellis Wynne (1671 – 1734), acknowledges the books of Huw Llwyd as a source for his own work, The Book of Ancient Remedies. Auction records are mentioned of the sale of Huw Llwyd’s treatise on military strategy, as consulted by Napoleon Bonaparte. His writings are noted in the Peniarth manuscripts, collected by the antiquarian and historian, Robert Vaughan (c.1592 – 1667).” https://folklorethursday.com/legends/huw-llwyd-real-welsh-wizard/

Fishing: In the present day Welsh rivers account for more than half the sea trout caught in England and Wales, couple this with the number of large seatrout caught every year and the availability of fishing, it makes for a very special destination. https://www.bestofwales.co.uk/fishing_in_wales .

1820: “Salmon Fishing” by Henry Alken https://i1.wp.com/sharonlathanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/salmon-fishing-Henry-Alken-1820.jpg

Alex, William and Frank had been fishing the evening before and spent the whole day fishing, probably for trout or salmon, whilst Lucy and the rest explored Huw Llwyd’s Pulpit. They most likely fished in the River Dwyryd, near where they were staying at Tay y Bwylch, the best for fly fishing, but possibly in the River Gamlan which flows through the Rhaeadr Ddu waterfalls below Huw Llwyd’s Pulpit. According to the Cambrian Angling Association, which has four Salmon and Sea Trout rivers, The Dwyryd, The Teigl, The Cynfal and The Goedol, The Dwyryd is today the only river suitable for fly fishing . The others lie in tree lined steep sided valleys, but they can be fished with worm or spinner.

1841: “Trout Fishing on the Lea” by James Pollard. https://i2.wp.com/sharonlathanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TROUT-FISHING-ON-THE-LEA-1841-BY-JAMES-POLLARD1.jpg

According to the Association, the rivers usually fish best towards the end of the season, with the exeption of the Dwyryd, which usually has an early run of Sea Trout. Sadly the Salmon Fishing has declined on the Cambrian's waters in recent years, as on many other British Rivers, but a few are still caught by more dedicated fishermen. http://www.cambrianangling.com/waters.html

1794: “A Party of Gentlemen fishing from a Punt” by Benjamin West. https://i2.wp.com/sharonlathanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/A-Party-of-Gentlemen-fishing-from-a-Punt-%E2%80%93-Benjamin-West-1794.jpg

According to Sharon Latham, in her excellent article, Fishing as a Georgian Era Sport, “The exclusivity of the English class system so attached to most activities of the day was not as obvious with fishing, although it did exist to some degree. Wealthy or poor, one could fish. The question was how one went about it and where. So while fishing was popular with all social classes, it tended to divide into “game” fishing for the tastier salmon and trout (primarily among the wealthy landowners with their private ponds), and “coarse” fishing for all other species done by the middle and working class Englishman.

These divisions were reinforced in the mid-eighteenth century during rapid industrialization and urbanization when large numbers of workers took up coarse angling on the free, public rivers and canals. Sometimes the catch might be eaten, but coarse fishing was for sport and encouraged among the industrial workforce as more contemplative and civilized compared to other working class leisurely pursuits which often involved heavy consumption of alcohol. Another reason for the divide was time. The working-class man was less apt to have the free time to pass beside a lake or stream perfecting the art of fly-fishing.

There is scant debate that pure fly-fishing was an upper class, gentleman’s sport, but this had more to do with the time required to develop the skill, the money to buy hand-crafted flies, and the access to pristine, well-stocked water bodies. Then, as it is today, fishing techniques were a personal preference. Not every man of the gentry was drawn to fly-fishing, nor was bait fishing with a hook considered “lowly.” Fishing was fishing, with skills necessary no matter what technique was used or species of fish caught.” The Prints, above were taken from her article https://sharonlathanauthor.com/fishing-as-a-georgian-era-sport/

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?

Please click here if you can help

9th July 1819, Snowdon views, Oakley Estate

Friday 9th July 1819

Friday July 9th This morning after breakfast we advanced towards Tanybwlch the same road for 7 miles that we had transversed the day before which is most beautiful, we now caught constant glances of Snowden

which looked more like itself than when we had viewed it from the top Cader Idris the country becomes more picturesque towards Tanybwlch which has more the appearance of a gentleman’s seat than an Inn, it being a nice looking house with no cottages near it but most beautiful woods encircle it all around. My brothers went out fishing in the evening

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:

Tan y Bwlch today lies in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales and is primarily known as the location of Tan-y-Bwlch railway station, on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway, which was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea.

The estate that encompassed Tan y Bwlch goes back to at least the 16th century when Ieuan ap Iorwerth ap Adda began acquiring land near Ffestiniog. The family claimed descent from Collwyn ap Tangno, one of the legendary 12 Tribes of Gwynedd. The first written record of the estate comes in 1602 in the will of Robert Evans. Robert's grandson Evan became Sheriff of Meirioneth in 1634, and was probably responsible for building the first house here. In the 18th century the house passed by marriage to the Griffith family, and in 1748 Robert Griffith rebuilt and enlarged the mansion. In 1789 the estate passed by marriage again to William Oakley of Shropshire.

1777: The Vale of Tan y Bwlch by Francis Towne and in the collection of the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (NMWA3150, acquired January 1936). http://francistowne.ac.uk/collection/list-of-works/the-vale-of-tan-y-bwlch

Tan y Bwlch - etching by John Sell Cotman (1782–1842) from the Tate Britain Collection (T11500) and licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported) https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cotman-tan-y-bwlch-merionethshire-north-wales-t11500

The two images above represent the estate in the years before and during the time the Coplands passed through and admired the scenery. https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=781 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan-y-Bwlch,_Maentwrog

Appearance of a Gentleman’s seat: The Coplands found the scenery more and more picturesque as they progressed toward the Tan y Bwlch Inn, prompting Lucy’s observation that the estate had more the appearance of a “Gentleman’s seat”. The arrival of William Oakeley in 1789 had heralded prosperous times for the estate which had grown substantially through marriage settlement and inheritance. William Oakeley was a popular man, known locally as ‘Oakeley Fawr’ (Great Oakeley). He is said to have been able to speak Welsh but it is likely that he only learnt it after marrying his Welsh wife. He is most noted for improving the poor agricultural land in the valley below the Plas. Farming was the main livelihood in the area at this time but because the valley was a tidal estuary, the agricultural land was very poor. He carried out a major scheme to improve the land by building nearly a mile of embankments costing £309, equivalent to £21,854 today. This work helped to contain the river when water levels rose. https://www.snowdonia.gov.wales/study-centre/history

Tan y Bwlch Inn was an integral part of the nearby Tan y Bwlch Estate, from whih it took its name. Today it is known as the Oakley Arms Hotel and would have been grand when compared to many Welsh Inns at the time.

2017: Front view of the Oakeley Arms Hotel in Maentwrog by Markz55 and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oakeley_Arms_Hotel.jpg

Some local records claim that the hotel was built on the original site of the estate’s manor house (now located ¼ mile west and called Plas Tan-y-Bwlch). The inn was first built in the 1600s but was extended during the 1700s when it was owned by a local drover. In his 1778 book A Tour in Wales, it was described by writer and traveller Thomas Pennant as “a very neat small inn, for the reception of travellers who ought to think themselves much indebted to a nobleman, for the great improvement it received from his munificence ”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeley_Arms_Hotel

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?

Please click here if you can help