line to plough right through the old castle. But in all seriousness, and sadness too, for every week almost some irreparable mischief is being done, how strange does it seem that there is nowhere in the Government an official conservator of our national monuments! Monuments, in the preservation of which every one has an interest, for they are an open book, a living picture, for every one's delight and instruction. Were there such an officer (or were it the duty of any particular official) the sense of individual responsibility would intervene to preserve from preventable injury what even a nation's wealth cannot replace. this bleak height, when he became a saint, proved one of no common kind. The village bears his name, L'andudno, the church of Tudno. THE VALE OF LLANGOLlen. We shall now conduct the tourist to Conway by another route; and one which, though possessing few reverend castles or other objects of antiquity, is very far superior to the former in landscape beauty. The road lies by way of the Chester and Shrewsbury Railway to the Llangollen-road station, whence there is a beautiful walk of four miles to the village; which latter may of course be saved by means of omnibus or fly. The ride by railway is very much more pleasant than such rides usually are. Every mile till Llangollen is within ken the scenery improves; and probably there is hardly another view obtainable from a railway equal to that of the Vale of Llangollen, when the train is halting on the Dee viaduct, in order to stop at the Cefn station. The beautiful vale is seen from a quite new point of view, the spectator being placed on an elevation of 150 feet above the level of the river, with the Cysylltan aqueduct carried boldly across the valley at a short distance in front, and serving by its rigid outline to impart vigour to the foreground, and a more aërial grace to the distant mountains. As examples of engineering skill, both of these works deserve attention; and both are on a very important scale. The suspension-bridge was constructed in 1826, by Telford, and forms a portion of the great Irish line of road constructed by order of the Government. Before the erection of this bridge, the passage across here was effected by means of a ferry,-from the nature of the place always an inconvenient and often a dangerous passage. The river is here, at high-water, three quarters of a mile over; but when the tide is out, the stream is confined within a narrow channel. On the eastern side of this channel is an insulated rock, on which the farther pier of the bridge is built. The length of the bridge between the supporting piers is 327 feet: an embankment of clay, faced with stone, is carried along the sands on the eastern side for 2015 feet. The tubular railway-bridge is precisely similar in character (though, of course, of much smaller magnitude) to that which is now being carried across the Menai Straits: we may therefore defer for the pre-thing there that is worth seeing; and it is unquestionsent any remarks on its peculiarities. The length of the tube of the Conway Bridge is 400 feet. Trains have passed regularly through it for above a year, without producing any sensible effect: it is only by means of instruments that a slight deflection can be detected during the passage of a train. Both the tubular and suspension bridges are 18 feet above highwater mark. While at Conway the visitor may walk over to the famous promontory of Great Orme's Head-a rock which lifts its grim black mass to a vast height from the waves. When a fierce sea is running and dashing into spray against the base, its appearance is sufficiently impressive, even f.on the shore; but its stern majesty is only properly understood in sailing around it when the sea is not too smooth. The riven face of the rock is the chosen home of the sea-birds, whose wild cry and ceaseless evolutions add not a little to the character of the scene. From the summit there is a fine sea-view. On the western side is a copper-mine, which employs two hundred men, and on the eastern side is the village of Llandudno, whose church serves as a valuable beacon. Orme's Head appears to have been the theatre of Druidic rites, as there are still some of the rude circles of stones usually considered to have been employed for the purpose. A rocking-stone is called Cryd Tudno-the Cradle of St. Tudno, a famous Welsh saint, who, as we might expect from such a cradling on Several places that are passed in the ride to Llangollen station wear a tempting look to the tourist; and in particular the town of Wrexham will seem to deserve a visit, as the really noble tower of its church is caught sight of. But the church is almost the only ably one of the very finest in Wales. It is of the perpendicular style, and was erected at the close of the fifteenth and commencement of the sixteenth centuries. The exterior, which is least injured, is quite florid in its ornamentation; but from a distance, sufficient to see it as a whole has an effect of exceeding richness. In the interior are very interesting monuments: among the rest is the celebrated one, by Roubiliac, of Mrs. Myddleton, in which she is represented rising from the tomb. The town is a place of considerable business, and has a rather large population. The Vale of Llangollen is one of those places which suffer from the excessive praise which has been lavished upon them. Something more is anticipated than almost any spot will supply. Tourists who just come, take a glance, and are away again, are often, as they pretty loudly exclaim, "disappointed." So, too, are those who have been rambling among the wilder scenery of the Principality: "Llangollen," say these, "does not do after Snowdonia." But to such as come hither without expectations too highly raised, and before they have seen the wilder country, Llangollen affords a satisfying pleasure at the first, and grows more and more delightful as it is more thoroughly known. is a fair one, fitted for daily familiar intercourse, ever pleasing to one willing to be pleased, but whose many charms unfold fully only to him who is content patiently to watch and woo. She It is, perhaps, hardly fair to set Clwyd and Llangollen in rivalry, as is constantly done: their attractions are essentially different. Clwyd is an ample open placid valley, which may occasionally rise into an almost Claudean grace or grandeur, under favouring "skyey influences;" but which owes its chief secondary charm to the numerous ruins of castles and strongholds, and the recollections of the age to which they belong, which clothe with the purple haze of antiquity alike the hills and the valley. Llangollen has no historical relics of any importance, and no imposing associations; but it has natural charms which abundantly compensate. The valley is narrow and winding: the hills on either hand are steep and lofty: the crystal Dee, a copious stream, winds along the bottom of the vale,-now resting in a deep pool, embosomed in trees, which hardly allow the summits of the distant hills to be discerned; and presently, as it careers along a more open space, forcing its way between scattered masses of rock, or rushing over a blue ledge in sparkling waterbreaks. Thus, while Clwyd, if regarded as a landscape, must be viewed as a whole,—the interest of the parts depending rather on some ruined castle, to which the surrounding objects serve but as a foil,-Llangollen affords a continued succession of altogether independent and various From the heights, if the eye be turned westward, there are often exquisite views over a long stretch of valley, closed by a grand array of distant mountains; while, eastwards, a softer but even more extensive and delightful prospect extends. And in the valley the companionable river, differing at every turn, serves as the centre of an unfailing succession of charming pictures. scenes. The village of Llangollen-the centre from which the valley must be explored-is in itself by no means attractive, though its situation is pleasing. The houses are dropped down almost at random; while the picturesqueness that might be expected to result from this chance arrangement, is prevented by their want of character. The church is an old one; but, like the generality of Welsh village churches, is quite plain and poor. It is noteworthy, however, inasmuch as it covers the remains of the saint to whom it is dedicated, and who has given his name to church, village, and valley. Llangollen is the church of Collen. Pennant says, his full name and it is worth while having the full name of one Welsh saint-is Saint Collen ap Gwynnawg ap Clydawg ap Cowrda ap Caradoc Freichfras ap Lleyr Merion ap Einion Yrth ap Cunedda Wledig! "Bless us! what a name for a holy saint is this!" 66 Old Fuller, speaking of a certain Welsh gentleman of many aps, whose name was called at full on the panel of a jury, says that he was advised by the judge, in the reign of King Henry VIII., for brevity sake, to contract his name;" and that he did so accordingly. "This leading case," he adds, was "precedential * This, in the books, is generally said to be pronounced Thlangothlen; but the sound is somewhat more like Chlancothlen,―the chl being a strong guttural. He held me, last night, at least nine hours, If Llangollen village be not in itself very attractive it proves a capital first station whereat the tourist may make his early essays in Welsh rambling, and obtain induction into Welsh characteristics. The people of the village talk English pretty generally, but all around the Welsh language prevails: and if he wish to hear it in continuous discourse he may do so by attending the service at either church or chapel on Sunday afternoon. The hills and the crags will serve as exercise-ground on which the incipient pedestrian may test and train his budding powers of walking and climbing. Then there are, moreover, two excellent inns, at either of which, after his day's wanderings, he may solace himself with Welsh fare-prime mountain mutton, Dee trout or salmon (which will be all the better, of course, if he catch them), and for a beverage some genuine cwrw (and that of mine host of the Hand is eminently cwrw dha): while he will be cheered during the breakfast, or dinner-hour by the melody of Welsh tunes, played on a Welsh harp, by a thoroughly Welsh harper. This custom, by-the-way, of having a harper stationed in the hall, prevails pretty generally at the hotels through the touring districts. Of the agreeableness or otherwise of the practice, opinion seems to differ considerably among both tourists and writers. All who discourse in the high musical dialect laugh it to scorn to the unlearned, however, while only Welsh tunes are played with merely the simple national variations, the harping is usually not merely pleasing, but the simplicity of structure and frequently plaintive tone of the airs appeal to the feelings in a way that the bewildering compositions of profound contra-puntists never do. For our part we should be very sorry to lose the harp,-but heartily glad if the harpers would give up polkas and waltzes, and stick to their national tunes. Mayfair melodies are sadly out of place among the Welsh mountains. The harp itself, as the national instrument, claims a word of passing notice; we therefore borrow Mr. Bingley's description of it, which we hope will satisfy our musical readers, acknowledging ourselves' ignorance itself' in the matter:-"The harp has been always esteemed the principal musical instrument among the Welsh. Anciently it was strung with hair, and this continued in use until the commencement of the fifteenth century, up to which period it had only a single row of strings, but the performer was able to produce a flat or sharp by a peculiar arrangement of the finger and thumb; an artifice, it is believed, no longer known. The harp now in common use, is the triple harp. It extends in compass to five octaves and one note. The two outside rows of strings are the diatonics, which are both tuned in unison, and in any key that the performer means to play in. The treble row comprises twenty-seven strings, and extends from A in alt down to C in the bass; and the opposite row or unisons comprises thirty-seven strings, and extends from A in alt down as low as double G in the bass. The middle-row, which is for flats and sharps, comprises thirty-four strings." So much for the harp. Of the music we will only further remark, that the airs so familiar in England, such as 'Of a noble race was Shenkin,' 'Jenny Jones,' (Yr Gwdlas, and Cader Idris), and the like, are very different in the Welsh version: and it is much to be regretted that some Welsh Moore does not arise to marry the music of his national melodies to verse which shall echo the original sentiment, instead of degrading it by ludicrous or puerile associations. Llangollen, it was said, affords an abundant variety of those short loitering strolls, which are so pleasant to take in a hilly country. These the tourist will best discover for himself-he can seldom go wrong, if he direct his way to the uplands, or, with pencil or rod in hand, betake himself to the fishermen's paths beside the Dee. But two or three of the more noted spots must be mentioned. The few fragments of a building, which are seen cresting the brow of the lofty hill on the north of Llangollen, are the remains of a fortress; but when built or at what time dismantled are alike unknown. They are too much decayed to be pic turesque, or even to afford much clue to their age; and they are of little interest, for, as old Leland said in the time of Henry VIII., "the castle was never big thing." Still Castell Dinas Bran should be visited. The hill stands nearly insulated, and the summit being more than 900 feet above the Dee at Llangollen bridge, there is from it a remarkably fine view of the valley; moreover, the climb will be an excellent fillip to the appetite against the hour of breakfast-for, as the hilltop is only a mile or so from the inn, and the prospect is much the finest as the mists are dispersing, the early morning is assuredly the proper time for the ascent. As far as the prospect is concerned, fine as it certainly is, it is by no means so fine as that obtained from the brow of the Eagles' Crag (Greigiau Eglwysegle), as the remarkable bare scarp is called, which a little farther north towers far above Dinas Bran. This crag consists of a vast limestone cliff, which rises in a range of irregular ledges to a great height. It is very difficult to climb directly from Dinas Bran-and to find an easy ascent will require a rather long walk; but the prospect will repay the labour. The view of the valley downwards with the stream winding through the centre, and crossed by aqueduct and viaduct, and extending into the open plain beyond, is very fine: while upwards, reaching far away to the lofty mountains, it is really grand. The view of the village and upper Vale of Llangollen, which we have given in the steel engraving, was sketched from the hill that rises immediately behind Llangollen Church. A day will be well spent in a ramble to Chirk and Wynnstay, returning by the aqueduct and thence along the vale. The Chirk is a neat little village, and the village church, with the solemn old yews that stand in the churchyard, has a venerable air. But it is Chirk Castle, with its magnificent park, which the stranger comes to see. The house is a modern mansion of great size and splendour, which has been formed in part out of the old castle that was dismantled by the Parliamentarians, after they had well battered it with their cannon. interior of the house is permitted to be seen by the stranger: but as we have not seen it, we shall merely say that it is highly spoken of by those who have; and that it contains some very good pictures. One landscape-a view of the famous Montgomery Waterfall, Pistyl Rhaider-is universally popular; not on account of its faithfulness. It was painted by one of the many Dutchmen who practised their craft in England prior to the rise of the English school of landscape painters. Mynheer was commissioned to paint the cataract by one of the Middleton family, who, when the picture was brought home, sought to display his connoisseurship by proposing 'a slight alteration.' "It is very pretty indeed-but don't you think it would give it more animation if a few sheep were added ?" few sheeps!" exclaimed the astonished artist; "a few sheeps by the waterfall!—ah well, you shall have a few sheeps if you wish for them." Accordingly the picture when sent home again, had the old rocky foreground painted out, and replaced by the sea, on which a few ships" are sailing, and into which the cataract is made to fall. 66 "A There is something finer to be seen at Chirk Castle than the interior of the mansion, however splendid that may be. From the terrace there is a prospect of surpassing beauty and of extraordinary extent: on a clear day seventeen counties, it is said, may be seen from it. The park itself is well wooded, has a handsome lake, and affords pleasing views. The valley of the Ceiriog, (the little river which flows below, and is here the boundary between England and Wales), is a scene famous in Welsh annals: the army of Henry II. having been there defeated by the renowned Welsh prince Owen Gwynedd-to the estate of whose descendant we are now to direct our steps. From Chirk a walk of two or three miles leads to New Bridge, near which is a lodge by which Wynnstay Park may be entered. The path leads along the beautiful glen through which the Dee here makes its way. Nant-y-Belan, or the Glen of the Marten, as it is called, is one of the loveliest in this part of the country. The steep banks are richly clad with light foliage, while the river runs along the bottom, now foaming over broken and projecting rocks, and presently flowing smooth and noiseless, and reflecting with a softened lustre the rich tints of the pendant trees and grassy knolls. From the end of the glen a path will be found to Belen Tower, a circular building, erected by Sir Watkin Wynne to the memory of the Cambrian officers and soldiers slain in the Irish rebellion of 1798. The building is a conspicuous object for a great distance in every direction: and glorious is the view from it. The whole Vale of Llangollen stretches at your feet. Cysylltau Aqueduct gives a distinctive character to the nearer part of the landscape; Dinas Bran is an important feature in the middle distance; the Dee is traced at intervals along the valley; a lofty barrier of mountains closes the prospect. As the sun is declining in the westward sky, and clothing hill and vale with a milder radiance, the scene is one that might well inspire poet or painter, and which it is hardly possible to gaze upon unmoved. Equally delightful in its way is the prospect over the Marten's Glen. Other parts of the park yield very fine views, but none comparable with these. The park itself is of great extent, and very varied in surface. It has many grand old trees; and noteworthy are the noble avenues. There are also several monuments and buildings in the park besides that we have named. One, a column, 110 feet high, is to the memory of the mother of Sir Watkin the summit commands a wide and splendid prospect. Another conspicuous structure is the Waterloo Tower, raised to commemorate the great victory. The mansion is very large, and the interior is befitting the position and affluence of its owner. The collection of pictures, which includes a good many capital Wilsons, is celebrated. Altogether Wynnstay is a splendid domain-almost the only drawback being that it is too closely neighboured by the mines and works, which emit enormous and everlasting volumes of smoke. Until the last year or two the Cysylltau Aqueduct was the wonder of the lower valley of Llangollen; now it has a rival: we may as well look at them together, only giving precedence, as is fitting, to the elder. The Cysylltau Aqueduct was constructed for the purpose of carrying the Ellesmere Canal across this part of the Vale of Llangollen. Telford was the engineer. The watercourse, which is wholly of cast-iron, is 1,007 feet in length; and is supported on eighteen stone piers. Its height above the surface of the Dee is 120 feet. It was commenced in 1795, and completed in 1805, at a cost, including the embankment, of £47,000. The other structure to which we referred is the Viaduct which carries the Chester and Shrewsbury Railway over the valley. This is of even more surprising proportions than the Aqueduct. In length it is 1,530 feet; and its height is 150 feet above the level of the Dee. Nineteen arches, each having a span of 90 feet, support the roadway. The cost of construction was upwards of £100,000. In beauty as well as in magnitude, the Aqueduct must unquestionably yield the palm. This Viaduct is in truth a noble structure. Generally the viaducts are the most successful architec tural objects which railway engineers erect: but this probably surpasses in elegance as well as size all that have yet been raised. It is built almost wholly of stone; the arches are circular; and while there is no unsuitable display of ornament, enough has been done to impart an appearance of architectural character and finish. It is certainly the finest viaduct we have seen, and we believe it is the finest in the kingdom. The lover of beautiful scenery will feel grateful that what might have been a grievous disfigurement is really made an additional ornament to the beautiful vale. To perceive clearly the vast size of these two structures, the stranger should descend into the valley between them: indeed he should do so if he is regardless of that matter. It is a singular spectacle to stand by the river-side and behold far aloft in the air, on the one hand, a barge floating slowly along; and on the other, a train of carriages flying as on the wings of the wind. It is a singular spectacle, and one suggestive of many thoughts. We were struck too with the view from the towing-path of the Aqueduct it has a curious effect to stand beside a stream on which heavily-laden vessels are floating, and at the same time see a river a hundred and twenty feet beneath you. From this aqueduct too the viaduct has a graceful appearance, seen as it is in connection with the distant landscape. There is only one place up the vale which we need speak of: namely, Valle Crucis Abbey. (Cut, No. 6.) The ruins will be found in the Vale of Crucis, which meets the Vale of Llangollen about two miles from the village. It is one of those delicious spots the old monks knew so well how to select. Here in this secluded valley did they .build their house; where, snugly embayed under sheltering mountains, with a brawling rivulet behind their dwelling, and the wellstored Dee close at hand, they needed to "fear neither winter nor rough weather." The mountain-sides and the clear stream would afford them sufficient fare, as well as walks where they might indulge in solitary meditation. Valle Crucis was a Cistercian monastery founded by Madoc-ap-Griffith, in the beginning of the twelfth century. It flourished till the spoliation of religious houses; when the annual revenues were estimated by the Royal Commissioners at upwards of £200. The chief portions remaining of the abbey are now the east and west gables: both of which prove that when complete it must have been a handsome pile. The western end (which is shown in the engraving), as seen half-hidden by the tall ash-trees which have grown up around it, and within the walls since the desecration of the church, is remarkably pleasing and picturesque. The long lancet windows, and the tolerably-complete circular window above, are of very good design. The eastern end is not quite so picturesque, but it has some peculiarities which will render it more interesting to the architectural antiquary. The remaining transept and arches add not less to the picturesqueness than to the architectural value of the ruin. Some portions of the conventual buildings are preserved by being |