CHAPTER VI. BANGOR TO CAERNARVON, . (9 Miles.) Caernarvon-Caernarvon Castle-Birth of Edward first Prince of Wales - History of Caernarvon Castle-Roman City of Segontium, THE road from Bangor to Caernarvon is not particularly interesting; but after travelling for about four miles the straits of Menai, the well wooded island of Anglesey and the far distant Rival mountains on one side, open into a placid scene, to which the black precipices and shagged sides of the rocks of Caernarvonshire on the other form a most delightful contrast. CAERNARVON* Is situated on the eastern bank of the Menai and is a place extremely well adapted to afford during summer a few months retreat for a thinking mind from the busy scenes of the world. Its situation between the mountains and the island of Anglesey renders it a convenient place of residence for travellers who wish to visit both. The walls round the town are even yet nearly entire, and as well as the castle, seem to bear much the same external appearance which they did in the time of their founder, Edward the First. They have a number of round * The population of Caernarvon is returned with the parish, therefore here, as in all other similar instances, mention of it is omitted. towers and two principal gates, entrances to the town. Over one of these is a spacious room, which is used as the town hall, and in which the assemblies are frequently held. The houses are, for the most part, tolerably regular, but the streets, as in all other ancient towns, are very narrow and confined. On the outside of the walls there is a broad and pleasant terrace walk along the side of the Menai, extending from the quay to the north end of the town walls, which is the fashionable promenade, on fine evenings, for all descriptions of people. The court-house, in which the assizes for the county are held, and where all the county business is transacted, stands nearly opposite to the castle gates. The custom-house, a small and mean building, is on the outside of the walls, not far from the quay. From the top of Tuthill, the rock behind the Hotel, there is an excellent bird's eye view of the town. From hence the castle and the whole of the town walls are seen to the greatest advantage; and on a fine day, the isle of Anglesey, bounded on two sides by the Holyhead and Parys mountains, appears spread out like a map beneath the eye. Sometimes even the far distant mountains of Wicklow may be seen towering beyond the channel. On the opposite side to these is the fine and varied range of British Alps, where Snowdon rises, whose Conspicuous many a league, the mariner Bound homeward, and in hope already there, Caernarvon is in the parish of Llanbublic, and the church is situated about half a mile from the town. In this there is nothing curious except a marble monument, with two recumbent figures of Sir William and Lady Griffith, of Penrhyn, who died in the year 1587. There is a chapel of ease to this church, situated in the north-west corner of CAERNARVON CASTLE. 89 the town walls, and originally built for the use of the garrison. At Caernarvon there is a small but tolerably good harbour. This is used principally by the vessels that trade here for slates, of which many thousand tons are exported every year to different parts of the kingdom. The principal inns are the Hotel, the Sportsman and the Goat. CAERNARVON CASTLE. of The entrance into this stupendous monument of ancient grandeur is through a lofty gateway, over which is yet left a mutilated figure, supposed by most writers to be that of Edward the First. In this gate there are the grooves no fewer than four portcullises, evidences of the former strength of the fortress. The building is large but irregular, and much more shattered within than, from viewing it from the outside, one would be led to imagine. The towers are chiefly octagonal, but three or four of them have ten sides; among the latter is the Eagle Tower, the largest and by far the most elegant in the whole building. This tower, which received its name from the figure of an eagle yet left (though very much mutilated) at the top of it, stands at one end of the oblong court of the castle, and has three handsome turrets issuing from it. It was in the Eagle Tower that Edward, the first Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward II., was born, on St. Mark's day, the 25th of April, 1284.* Pennant says, that the prince was brought forth" in a little dark room not twelve feet long nor eight in breadth." This assertion he alleges to be founded on tradition, but it can scarcely be conceived how that gentleman should retain the opinion after he had once examined the place. This room has indeed had a window and a fire-place in it, but it very * Matt. West. 372. evidently was nothing more than a passage-room to some of the other apartments, which, though nearly the most magnificent in the castle, must, during the queen's confinement, have been shut up as useless. If the prince was born in the Eagle Tower, it must have been in one of the rooms, occupying in width the whole interior, in an apartment suitable to the majesty of the heir apparent to the English throne. From the top of the Eagle tower there is a very extensive view of the isle of Anglesey, the Menai, and the country for many miles round. At the other end of the court, and opposite to this tower, is a gate called the queen's gate. This is said to be that through which the faithful Eleanor, queen of Edward I., first entered the castle. It appears to have been guarded by two portcullises, and it anciently had a communication with the outside of the castle by means of a drawbridge over a deep moat. At present it is considerably above the level of the ground, owing probably to the moat having been filled up with earth from this part. The state apartments are larger, and appear to have been much more commodious than any of the others. The windows were wide, and not inelegant for the times. On the outside, the building containing these apartments is square, but on entering them, all the rooms are perfectly polygonal, the sides being formed out of the vast thickness of the walls. A narrow gallery, or covered way, formerly extended round this fortress, by which, during a siege, a communication could be had with the other parts without danger. On one side this gallery remains yet undemolished. It was next to the outer wall, and was lighted by narrow slits that served as stations, from whence arrows and other missile weapons could be discharged with advantage upon an enemy. The castle occupies the whole west end of the town; and was a place of such strength as, before the introduction of CAERNARVON CASTLE. 91 artillery, to have been capable of withstanding the most furious attacks of an enemy. The exterior walls are in general about nine feet in thickness. From a small hillock near the end of the court opposite to the Eagle Tower, an echo may be heard which repeats several syllables very distinctly. There is, however, only a single reverberation. Caernarvon castle, as has very justly been observed, from whatever point, or at whatever distance it is viewed, has a romantic singularity, and an air of dignity that awes, at the same time that it pleases the beholder. Its ivy-clad walls are in some parts going fast to decay, while in others they even yet retain their ancient external form and appearance. History of Caernarvon Castle.-After Edward the First had subdued the Welsh people, he began to think of securing his conquests by erecting several strong holds in different parts of their country. And, as it appeared to him that Caernarvonshire, on account of its mountains and morasses, was a country likely to encourage insurrections, he determined to guard as much as possible against such by erecting the castles of Conway and Caernarvon, two of the strongest in the whole principality. * We are informed by Mr. Pennant, upon the authority of the Sebright manuscripts, that Edward began this castle in the early part of 1283, and completed it within that year. A record, however, formerly belonging to the exchequer of Caernarvon, states decisively that it occupied twelve years in building. The revenues of the archbishopric of York, which about that time was vacant, were applied towards defraying the expenses.† The reason of the queen of Edward I. being brought here, will be mentioned in the account of the village of Rhyddlan given in a future chapter. * Pennant, ii. 215. + Grose, vii. 8. |