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diff --git a/40270-8.txt b/40270-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d3c6835..0000000 --- a/40270-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7327 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire, by -H. Thornhill Timmins - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire - -Author: H. Thornhill Timmins - -Release Date: July 18, 2012 [EBook #40270] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOOKS AND CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE *** - - - - -Produced by Annie R. McGuire. This book was produced from -scanned images of public domain material from the Internet -Archive. - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Book Cover] - - - - -NOOKS AND CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration: THE ROOD SCREEN ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL] - - - - -[Illustration: NOOKS & CORNERS OF PEMBROKESHIRE. - -DRAWN & DESCRIBED BY -H. THORNHILL TIMMINS, F.R.C.S. - -AUTHOR of -NOOKS & CORNERS OF HEREFORDSHIRE - -LONDON: -ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. -1895.] - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The kindly reception accorded to my 'Nooks and Corners of Herefordshire,' -both by the public and the press, has encouraged me (where, indeed, -encouragement was little needed) to set forth anew upon my sketching -rambles, and explore the Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire. - -In chronicling the results of these peregrinations, I feel that I owe -some apology to those whose knowledge of the Shire of Pembroke is far -more thorough and intimate than my own, and upon whose preserves I may -fairly be accused of poaching. I venture to plead, in extenuation, an -inveterate love for exploring these unfrequented byways of my native -land, and for searching out and sketching those picturesque old -buildings that lend such a unique interest to its sequestered nooks and -corners. - -Pembrokeshire is rich in these relics of a bygone time, but for one -reason or another they do not appear to have received the attention they -certainly deserve. Few counties can boast anything finer of their kind -than the mediæval castles of Pembroke, Manorbere and Carew; while St. -Davids Cathedral and the ruined Palace of its bishops, nestling in their -secluded western vale, form a scene that alone is worth a visit to -behold. No less remarkable in their way are the wonderful old crosses, -circles and cromlechs, which remind the traveller of a vanished race as -he tramps the broad fern-clad uplands of the Precelly Hills. It is a -notable fact that 'he who runs may read,' in the diversified character -of its place-names, an important and interesting chapter of -Pembrokeshire history. The south-western portion of the county, with the -Saxon 'tons' of its Teutonic settlers, is as English as Oxfordshire, and -hence has acquired the title of 'Little England beyond Wales.' On the -other hand, the northern and eastern districts are as Welsh as the heart -of Wales; and there, as the wayfarer soon discovers for himself, the -mother-tongue of the Principality is the only one 'understanded of the -people.' - -Although Pembrokeshire cannot pretend to lay claim to such striking -scenery as the North Wallian counties display, yet its wind-swept -uplands and deep, secluded dingles have a character all their own; while -the loftier regions of the Precelly Hills, and the broken and varied -nature of the seaboard, afford many a picturesque prospect as the -traveller fares on his way. - -In compiling the following notes I have availed myself of Fenton's -well-known work on Pembrokeshire, and of the writings of George Owen of -Hênllys; I have consulted the records of that prolific chronicler, -Gerald de Barri; Bevan's 'History of the Diocese of St. Davids; and -Jones and Freeman's exhaustive work on St. Davids Cathedral; besides -various minor sources of local information which need not be specified -here. - -In conclusion, I take this opportunity to tender my sincere thanks to -those friends and acquaintances whose ready help and advice so greatly -facilitated my task, while at the same time enhancing the pleasure of -these sketching rambles amidst the Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire. - - H. THORNHILL TIMMINS. - _Harrow_, 1895. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KING'S TOWN OF TENBY 1 - ROUND ABOUT THE RIDGEWAY 23 - MANORBERE CASTLE, AND GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS 41 - PEMBROKE TOWN AND CASTLE. STACKPOLE AND THE SOUTHERN COAST 54 - TO ANGLE, RHÔSCROWTHER, AND THE CASTLE MARTIN COUNTRY 76 - CAREW, WITH ITS CROSS, CASTLE AND CHURCH. UPTON CASTLE AND - CHAPEL. PEMBROKE DOCK AND HAVERFORDWEST 93 - TO ST. BRIDES, MARLOES AND THE DALE COUNTRY 114 - WESTWARD HO! TO ST. DAVIDS. THE CITY AND ENVIRONS 126 - TO FISHGUARD, NEWPORT, GOODWIC AND PENCAER 142 - NEWPORT, NEVERN AND TEIVYSIDE 149 - A RAMBLE OVER PRECELLY HILLS, TO THE SOURCES OF THE CLEDDAU 167 - ON AND OFF THE NARBERTH ROAD. LANGWM AND DAUGLEDDAU 178 - - - - -INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - THE ROOD SCREEN, ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL _Frontispiece_ - BECALMED OFF TENBY 8 - TENBY 9 - MACES PRESENTED TO TENBY BY CHARLES II. 11 - THE CHANCEL OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, TENBY 12 - A BIT OF OLD TENBY 14 - RUINS OF ST. MARY'S PRIORY AT TENBY 15 - OLD HOUSES AT TENBY 16 - THE WALLS OF TENBY TOWN 17 - ST. GEORGE'S GATE, TENBY 18 - THE PRIORY, CALDEY ISLAND 20 - THE ANCIENT TREASURY OF TENBY 22 - WEATHERCOCK ON TENBY STEEPLE 23 - GUMFRESTON CHURCH 25 - CHURCH PLATE AT GUMFRESTON 26 - PENALLY HOUSE 32 - AT LAMPHEY PALACE 36 - THE CHANCEL, HODGESTON CHURCH 38 - ANCIENT QUERN OR HAND MILL 40 - KEYS OF MANORBERE CASTLE 41 - MANORBERE CASTLE, FROM THE EAST 42 - THE COURTYARD, MANORBERE CASTLE 42 - GATE-TOWER, MANORBERE CASTLE 43 - MANORBERE CASTLE, FROM THE SOUTH 44 - DE BARRI TOMB, MANORBERE 47 - THE CHURCH PATH, MANORBERE 49 - MANORBERE CHURCH 50 - ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 54 - PEMBROKE 55 - PEMBROKE CASTLE 56 - THE OLD WEST GATE, PEMBROKE 61 - THE PRIOR'S DWELLING, MONKTON 62 - SIR ELIDUR DE STACKPOLE 64 - STACKPOLE 66 - THE HIRLAS HORN 67 - ST. GOVAN'S CHAPEL 69 - ORIELTON 74 - AT RHÔSCROWTHER 75 - SEA-POPPY 76 - SEAMEN'S CHAPEL AT ANGLE 81 - RUINED CASTLE AT ANGLE 82 - JESTYNTON 85 - AT RHÔSCROWTHER 88 - CASTLE MARTIN CHURCH 90 - A WAYSIDE WELL 92 - CASTLE MARTIN FONT 92 - CAREW CROSS 93 - THE CROSS OF THE SON OF ILTEUT, THE SON OF ECETT 94 - A CORNER OF CAREW CASTLE 97 - CAREW CASTLE 98 - BOY-BISHOP, CAREW 99 - OLD RECTORY HOUSE AT CAREW 100 - UPTON CASTLE 101 - OLD CHAPEL AT UPTON, NEAR PEMBROKE 103 - FROM UPTON CHAPEL 106 - LUCY WALTERS 107 - JOHNSTONE CHURCH 108 - A VIEW OF HAVERFORDWEST 109 - BROTHER RICHARD'S TOMB, HAVERFORDWEST 110 - ST. MARY'S, HAVERFORDWEST 111 - ARMS OF HAVERFORDWEST 113 - CHALICE AT DALE 114 - WALTON-WEST CHURCH 115 - WALWYN'S CASTLE 115 - SUMMER SHOWERS, LITTLE HAVEN 116 - LITTLE HAVEN 117 - LOW TIDE AT LITTLE HAVEN 117 - ST. BRIDES 118 - ORLANDON 119 - MULLOCK BRIDGE 120 - MARLOES 121 - MARLOES SANDS 122 - DALE CASTLE, AND MILFORD HAVEN 123 - 'THIS IS BRUNT' 124 - A RELIC OF THE SPANISH ARMADA 125 - THE ST. DAVIDS COACH 126 - ROCH CASTLE 127 - SOLVA HARBOUR, FROM AN OLD PRINT 128 - ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL 129 - THE GATE-TOWER, ST. DAVIDS 129 - THE BONE OF CONTENTION 130 - SEAFARING PILGRIMS 131 - THE BOATBUILDERS 132 - ST. DAVID'S SHRINE 133 - SYMBOL OF THE TRINITY, ST. DAVIDS 135 - BISHOP GOWER'S PALACE, ST. DAVIDS 136 - THE PALACE, ST. DAVIDS, FROM THE MEADOWS 137 - OLD COTTAGE NEAR ST. DAVIDS 140 - THE PRIEST AND THE LAYMAN 141 - THE ROYAL OAK, FISHGUARD 142 - CLOCK AT BRESTGARN 144 - LLANWNDA CHURCH 145 - THE CHALICE AT LLANWNDA 146 - A DERELICT 148 - SALMON FISHER WITH CORACLE 149 - TREWERN CHAPEL AND BYRNACH'S CROSS, NEVERN 153 - PILGRIMS' CROSS AT NEVERN 155 - THE TOAD OF TRELLYFAN 156 - CROMLECH AT PENTRE EVAN 158 - A TEIVYSIDE CORACLE 161 - KILGERRAN FERRY 162 - KILGERRAN CASTLE, FROM THE TEIFY 163 - LLECHRHYD BRIDGE 164 - CASTLE MALGWYN 164 - CROMLECH AT NEWPORT 166 - OLD WELSHWOMAN 167 - THE SKIRTS OF PRECELLY 168 - THE HOWARD MONUMENT, AT RUDBAXTON 176 - AT HAVERFORDWEST 177 - CARVED BENCH-END, HAVERFORDWEST 178 - OLD STAIRCASE AT HAVERFORDWEST 178 - UZMASTON 179 - LANGWM FISHWIVES 181 - LAWRENNY CASTLE 182 - BENTON CASTLE 183 - PICTON CASTLE 185 - SLEBECH OLD CHURCH 188 - LLAWHADEN CASTLE AND BRIDGE 191 - EGLWYSFAIR GLAN TÂF 197 - REDBERTH FONT 198 - MAP OF PEMBROKESHIRE _at beginning_ - SPEED'S MAP OF THE COUNTY _at end_ - - - - -[Illustration: Map of Pembrokeshire] - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -A GENERAL SURVEY. THE KING'S TOWN OF TENBY. - - -Far away beyond the many-folding hills of Brecon and Glamorgan, whose -hollow 'cwms' are seamed with smoke from many a pit and furnace: far -away beyond the broad uplands and fertile straths where Towey and Teivy -seek the sea; the ancient shire of Pembroke thrusts forth, against the -western main, its bold and rugged coast-line. From Strumble Head to -Caldey, the grim primæval rocks that guard these storm-beaten shores -bear the full brunt of the Atlantic gales upon their craggy bastions; -which, under the ceaseless influence of time and tempest, have assumed -endless varieties of wild, fantastic outline and rich harmonious -colouring. - -A weather-beaten land is this, where every tree and hedgerow tells, in -horizontal leeward sweep, of the prevalent 'sou'-wester.' Few hills -worthy the name break these wide-expanded landscapes, above whose 'meane -hills and dales' one graceful mountain range rises in solitary -pre-eminence. Stretching athwart the northern portion of the county, the -shapely peaks of the Precelly Mountains dominate every local prospect, -attaining in Moel Cwm Cerwyn a height of 1,760 feet, and throwing out -westwards the picturesque heights of Carn Englyn; whence the range -finally plunges seawards in the bold buttress of Dinas Head, and the -wild and rugged hills of Pencaer. - -The inferior heights of Treffgarn and Plumstone 'mountain,' whose -singular crags recall the tors of Cornwall, form a quaint feature in the -prospect during the otherwise tedious drive to St. Davids. Perched upon -the westernmost spur of these hills, the lonely peel-tower of Roch -Castle looks out across the wind-swept plains of old Dewisland to the -fantastic peaks of Carn Llidi and Pen-beri, whose ancient rocks rise -abruptly from the ocean. - -Down from the broad, fern-clad shoulders of Precelly flow the few -Pembrokeshire streams that approach the dignity of rivers. Hence the -twin floods of Eastern and Western Cleddau, rising far asunder at -opposite ends of the range, meander southwards in widely-deviating -courses through the heart of the county, to unite beneath the walls of -Picton Castle, and merge at last into the tidal waters of Milford Haven. - -Westwards flows the little river Gwaen, circling through a picturesque -vale beneath the shadow of Carn Englyn, and emerging from its secluded -inland course upon the narrow, land-locked harbour of Fishguard. Towards -the north a group of streamlets unite to form the Nevern River, which -flows, amidst some of the most charming scenery in the county, through -the village of that ilk. After passing beneath the luxuriant groves of -Llwyngwair, the Nevern stream enters a sandy bay and bears the modest -commerce of Newport to the waterside hamlet of Parrog. - -The Newgale Brook sweeps around Roch Castle, and enters St. Bride's Bay -through a broad rampart of shingle and sand. This latter stream has from -very early times formed the boundary between the ancient provinces of -Dewisland and Rhôs; and to this day the Newgale Brook draws a line of -demarcation between an English and a Welsh speaking people. Upon its -left bank lies Rhôs, a portion of the district known as 'Little England -beyond Wales,' with its Saxon speech and Norman fortress of Roch; while -all to westward stretches venerable Dewisland, Welsh now as ever in -tongue and in title. - -The Solva River, emerging from a deep and narrow 'cwm,' forms one of -the most picturesque harbours upon the coast--a tempting nook for the -artist. Lastly, the little Allan Water, rising amidst those curious -hills which overlook St. Davids, meanders past open, gorse-clad commons -and marshlands abloom with the golden flag. Thenceforth the Allan winds -around the ruins of the Bishop's palace, and finally loses itself in a -tiny haven frequented by a few trading craft and small coastwise -colliers. - -Deep into the bluff outline of this sea-girt land, old Ocean encroaches -by two important inlets of widely different character. As the wayfarer -bound to St. Davids approaches his destination, the tedium of the long -coach-drive is at last relieved by the welcome outlook across a broad -expanse of sea. This is St. Bride's Bay, whose waters sweep inland past -the ancient city for a distance of ten miles or so, having the large -islands of Ramsey and Skomer lying upon either horn of the bay. - -Tradition tells that, 'once upon a time,' a fair country studded with -villages and farmsteads flourished where now the ocean rolls; and traces -of submerged forests about Newgale, and elsewhere within the compass of -the bay, suggest a possible grain of truth in the local fable. - -A few miles farther down the coast the famous estuary of Milford Haven -opens seaward between the sheltering heights of St. Anne's Head, and the -long, crooked peninsula of Angle. Wonderful are the ramifications of -this magnificent waterway, within whose spacious roadstead the whole -British navy might with ease find anchorage; while its land-locked tidal -reaches bear a modest local traffic to many a remote inland district, -calling up memories of savours nautical beside the grass-grown quays of -Pembroke and 'Ha'rfordwest.' - -Well might Imogen marvel why Nature should have singled out 'this same -blessed Milford' for such a priceless endowment, exclaiming: - - 'Tell me how Wales was made so happy as - To inherit such a Haven.' - -The quaint author of 'Polyolbion' no less enthusiastically remarks: - - 'So highly Milford is in every mouth renown'd, - Noe Haven hath aught good, that in her is not found;' - -while lastly, not to be outdone, George Owen, the old Pembrokeshire -chronicler, declares his beloved 'Myllford Havon' to be the 'most -famouse Porte of Christendome.' - -Ever since those legendary days when St. Patrick sailed for the Emerald -Isle upon the traditional millstone, this incomparable haven has -continued to be a favourite point of departure for the opposite shores -of Ireland; and several historical personages appear at intervals in the -annals of local events. Hence, for example, Henry II. sailed away upon -his conquest of old Erin; while in the Fourth Henry's reign a large body -of French troops disembarked upon these shores, to co-operate in the -wars of 'the irregular and wild Glendower.' Yet another famous -individual, ycleped Henry ap Edmund ap Owain ap Meredydd ap Tydwr, -better known as Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, landed at Milford Haven -in the year of grace 1485, to set forth upon the historical campaign -which won for him a crown on Bosworth field. Here, again, the ubiquitous -Oliver Cromwell embarked with an army of some 15,000 men, to carry his -victorious arms against the rebellious Irish; and hence, in these piping -times of peace, the mail-boats sail at frequent intervals to the -seaports of the Emerald Isle. - -Penetrating thus deeply into the country, one crooked arm of the great -estuary 'creketh in' beneath the stately ruins of Carew Castle, in such -wise as to partially 'peninsulate' a remote but interesting portion of -South Pembrokeshire, which is still further isolated by the low range of -the Ridgeway, between Pembroke and Tenby. This little district contains -within its limited compass a wonderful variety of ruined castles, -ancient priories, quaint old parish churches and curious, fortified -dwelling-houses of the English settlers. - -Nestling in the more sheltered hollows, or clinging limpet-like to the -storm-swept uplands, these characteristic structures arouse the -wayfarer's interest as he paces the short, crisp turf rendered sweet by -the driven sea-spray. Occasionally he will set his course by some -prominent church steeple, which at the same time affords a landmark to -the passing mariner as he sails around the wild and iron-bound headlands -of the southern coast. - -Throughout the length and breadth of Pembrokeshire, the constant -recurrence of camps, cromlechs, hut-circles and other prehistoric -remains, points to the existence of an extremely ancient people, whose -origin is involved in the mists of unrecorded antiquity. These primæval -monuments, seemingly old as the bleak hills they crown, suggest many an -insoluble conundrum to the curious visitor, who, gazing in wonder upon -their weather-beaten yet indestructible masses, disposes of the archaic -enigma as best he may by exclaiming: 'There were giants in those days!' - -Coming down to the comparative _terra-firma_ of historic times, we find, -at the period of the Roman invasion, a Celtic race called the Demetæ -dwelling in the district of which our county forms a portion. The -masters of the world appear to have pushed their way to the western -seaboard, where, according to tradition, they established their colony -of Menapia beneath the shelter of the headland known to Ptolemy as -Octopitarum; connecting it, according to their custom, by the roadway of -Via Julia with their base at Muridunum, or Carmarthen; while the -probably still older road, called Via Flandrica, or Fordd Fleming, -afforded a route across the mountains to the north. - -Taking another lengthy stride across the intervening centuries, we may -trace the footsteps of the Norman invaders. Under the leadership of -Arnulph de Montgomery, they overran these newly-conquered lands, and -established themselves in those great strongholds of Pembroke, -Manorbere, Carew, Haverfordwest and Roch, whose dismantled walls still -dominate the surrounding country. - -The wild Welsh proving inconveniently restive, that astute monarch Henry -I. imported a colony of sturdy Flemings to assist in keeping order upon -these distant march-lands; an event which exerted a marked influence -upon the course of local history. These thrifty settlers received -further aid from the Second Henry, and settled down to cultivate the -land wrested from the Celtic peasantry. - -The natives, however, still continued to behave in a very unneighbourly -fashion, 'making,' as we are told, 'verie sharpe warres upon the -Flemings, sometimes with gaine, sometimes with losse;' so that they -were obliged to build for themselves those strong, fortified -dwelling-houses whose massive remains are so frequently met with -throughout the southern parts of the county. - -In course of time the language of the immigrants superseded the ancient -tongue of Celtic Dyfed, and thus that portion of the district comprised -within the hundreds of Castlemartin and Rhôs acquired the title of -'Little England beyond Wales,' whose Saxon place-names, such as -Johnston, Williamston, Hodgeston and the like, contrast so strikingly -with the universal Llan-this, that and the other, still common -throughout the upper country. - -We have already had occasion to refer to Henry of Richmond's famous -visit to Milford, and to recall the expeditions of Cromwell and other -prominent personages from that noble haven to Ireland. The French -'invasion' of Wales in 1797 will be referred to in dealing with the -scenes of that notorious exploit: and in the course of our narrative we -shall touch upon various other historical incidents connected with the -nooks and corners of this fascinating county. - -Owing to the prevalence of westerly breezes from the open Atlantic, -tempered by the beneficent influence of the Gulf Stream, Pembrokeshire -is blessed with a mild and remarkably equable climate. Hence the air is -at the same time both dry and bracing, particularly in the southern -portion of the county, where, in sheltered situations, the myrtle, -fuchsia and syringa flourish _al fresco_ all the year round. - -Nothing can exceed the luxuriance of the vegetation in the spacious -demesne of Stackpole Court, where, sheltered from the strong winter -gales that sweep across these gorse-clad uplands, the oak, ash, beech, -ilex, sycamore and other forest trees, 'crowd into a shade' beside the -lily-strewn meres whose placid waters mirror their spreading branches. -This favoured region boasts, we believe, an average temperature of about -50° Fahr., and it has been shown by careful analysis that, taking one -season with another, there is little to choose between the average -climates of Madeira and of Tenby. - -These favourable conditions do not, of course, obtain to the same degree -in the north; where rough winds occasionally sweep down from the -Precelly Mountains, driving keenly across the open country and retarding -the vegetation. Nevertheless there are sheltered nooks around Newport -and Fishguard where the eucalyptus, mulberry and fig-tree attain a -goodly stature. - -Sun-warmed spots such as these form, however, mere oases of verdure -amidst the rolling, wind-swept uplands of the interior; where the -hardier trees alone rear their stunted forms above the rough stone walls -which serve in place of hedgerows, or cluster around a group of solid, -one-storied cottages, whose low walls, deep roofs and vast, bulging -chimneys are overspread with one universal coating of dazzling -whitewash; 'to keep out the weather,' as the country-folk will tell -you--very clean, no doubt, but the reverse of picturesque in appearance. - -The native style of building is well exhibited in the ancient parish -churches, more especially in those towards the southern seaboard of the -county, which are distinguished by a rugged simplicity entirely in -keeping with the stern and sombre character of the surrounding -landscape. Of architecture there is but little; such beauty as the -edifice can boast having to be sought in the picturesque grouping of its -rambling gables beneath the tall, square, fortress-like tower; and the -quaint, unlooked-for character of the cavernous interior. - -The nave is frequently covered with a rude stone barrel vault, from -which low vaulted transepts open out like cells on either hand, whence -vast 'squints,' forming narrow passages, branch diagonally into the -chancel. Low arches, sometimes pointed, sometimes of a curious flat -shape and almost invariably devoid of mouldings, open into the aisles, -which are lighted by lancet windows of simple but good design; while -sometimes a roomy porch or handsome sedilia adds a touch of distinction -to an otherwise homely interior. - -We may instance, as typical examples of these sacred edifices, the -churches of Gumfreston, St. Florence, Castlemartin and, _par -excellence_, of Manorbere. A handsomer development may be studied in the -parish churches of Tenby, Carew and Hodgeston, and the fine old priory -church of Monkton. The graceful thirteenth-century pillars and arches of -St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, are unusually ornate for this locality, and -are only excelled by the varied and beautiful architecture of St. Davids -Cathedral itself. There can be little doubt that the hard, intractable -nature of the local limestone is in some degree responsible for the -primitive characteristics of many of these churches; for, despite their -archaic appearance, they are rarely older than early thirteenth-century -times. - -Beautiful in their decay are the time-honoured ruins of the episcopal -palaces of Lamphey and St. Davids; whose mellow-toned walls with their -singularly graceful arcades mark the constructive genius of Bishop -Gower, the Wykeham of the West. - -The numerous mediæval castles, whose ruined walls and ivy-mantled towers -so frequently meet the eye, form a striking feature in many a -picturesque scene; from the rugged bastions which cluster beneath the -mighty keep of Pembroke, and the many-windowed front of lordly Carew, to -the lonely peel-tower of Roch and the remote and isolated block-houses -which keep ward around the coast. - -Having thus obtained a general _coup d'oeil_ of our field of action, -we will proceed to explore at our leisure the nooks and corners of this -pleasant countryside; so, with this purpose in view, we now make our way -to that highly-favoured watering-place, the 'King's town of Tenby.' - -[Illustration: BECALMED OFF TENBY.] - -One clear, calm evening in May of this drouthy year of grace 1893, we -emerge dusty and sun-baked from the tropical recesses of the 'tunnel -express,' alight at Tenby Station, and wend our way through the streets -of that clean little town to seaside quarters overlooking a -picturesque bay, where some fishing-craft lie quietly at anchor off the -harbour mouth. Towards sundown a miniature fleet of trawlers sweeps -gracefully landwards around the Castle Hill, looking for all the world -like a flight of brilliant butterflies; their russet sails glowing in -the warm light of the sun's declining rays with every hue from gold to -ruddy purple, recalling memories of gorgeous scenes on far-away Venetian -lagoons. Hailing from many a haven between Milford and strong-savoured -Brixham, these handy little vessels ply their calling around our -south-western shores; pushing their ventures, when opportunity serves, -to the North Sea fishing-grounds, and even to the remoter shores of -Scotland. The visitor curious in such matters soon learns to distinguish -between the well-found Brixham trawler and the handy sloop from Milford, -certain cabalistic letters painted upon the parti-coloured sails -denoting the port where, according to custom, each boat is respectively -registered. - -[Illustration: TENBY.] - -Tenby town is in many respects happy in what a local historian quaintly -terms its 'approximation.' Turning its back upon the quarter whence blow -the strongest gales, and sheltered by the high ground of the Ridgeway, -that part of the town most frequented by visitors faces south by east -across the land-locked waters of Carmarthen Bay. - -Hence a pleasant view is obtained of the opposite coast of Gower and the -more distant highlands of North Devon; while Caldey Island lies like a -breakwater against the waves of the open Channel. As shrewd old Leland -observes: 'Tinbigh Town standith on a main Rokke, but not very by; and -the Severn Se so gulfith in about hit that, at the ful Se, almost the -third part of the Toun is inclosid with water.' - -Tenby can boast a fair sprinkling of good hotels and lodging-houses. The -town is made further attractive as a place of residence by a -well-appointed club, a circulating library, excellent public baths and a -small museum of local interest. Last, but by no means least amongst its -attractions, Nature has provided a broad expanse of firm, dry sands, -much appreciated by children and bathers at holiday times. - -With a fair train-service upon the railway, good carriages and boats for -hire, and steamboats calling at intervals, Tenby affords a convenient -centre whence to explore the remoter recesses of South Pembrokeshire, -for few and far between are the resting-places for the wayfarer in that -rather inaccessible region. - -Dynbych-y-Pysgod--the Little Town of Fish--appears to have been a place -of some importance from very early times. By the middle of the twelfth -century we find the town in the hands of the Flemish soldiery; and -subsequently disasters came thick and threefold upon the devoted -inhabitants. During the reign of Henry II., Maelgwyn ap Rhys, a person -who is euphemistically described as 'of civil behaviour and honesty in -all his actions,' ascertaining that many of the townsfolk were absent at -the foreign wars, made a sudden onslaught, set fire to the ill-fated -town, and burnt it to the ground. Less than a century later the place -was again taken and destroyed by Llewelyn ap Grufydd: and after a -further respite of about 200 years, the notorious Owain Glyndwr appeared -before the walls, laid siege to, and made himself master of the little -Western seaport. - -Notwithstanding these misfortunes, 'the King's town of Tenby' henceforth -grew and prospered unmolested. In 1402 Tenby was made a corporate town; -and by the middle of the fifteenth century it had already become a -centre of considerable trade and enterprise, encompassed by strong stone -walls and towers built by Earl William de Valentia, Lord of Pembroke. -The town walls are said to have been rebuilt by one Thomas White, the -scion of a famous burgher family, who was Mayor of this ancient borough -in 1457. - -When Leland passed this way in the reign of bluff King Hal, he found the -'Toun strongeli waullid and well gatid, everi Gate having hys Port -collis _ex solide ferro_.' 'But,' says Fenton, writing in the early part -of the present century, 'it was left for Queen Elizabeth, who was a -great benefactress of the town in general, and whose initials are still -extant over parts of the town walls, to contribute that strength and -perfection to them which the present remains are a striking proof of.' -Earl William (who appears to have been a generous patron of the town) -granted the first charter of liberties, which was afterwards renewed and -confirmed by successive reigning sovereigns. Several of these -interesting documents are still in the possession of the Corporation, -including an illuminated charter of Richard III.'s reign, and another -granted by Edward VI., which is enriched with a quaint, archaic portrait -of that youthful monarch. - -[Illustration: Maces Presented to Tenby by Charles II.] - -Tenby also boasts a handsome pair of silver maces, presented to the town -by Charles II. They are about 2 feet in length, and are emblazoned with -the royal arms, the arms of Tenby, and other appropriate devices, with -the inscription 'Rice Borrow Maior, 1660.' The upper portion of the head -is formed as a moveable lid, so that the mace could be used upon festive -occasions as a loving-cup. - -Since those turbulent days of its earlier career, Tenby has played the -modest _rôle_ of a town without a history, and has happily combined the -avocations of a fishery town with the seductions of a modern -watering-place. - -[Illustration: The Chancel of St. Mary's Church, Tenby] - -Turning out into the steadfast sunshine, we now thread our way amid the -intricacies of the older byways to the 'faire Paroche chirche,' whose -steeple, soaring high aloft, appears a landmark to mariners far out at -sea. Dedicated to St. Mary, this church is one of the largest and -handsomest in the county, and is unrivalled in the beauty and interest -of its monuments. - -Foremost amongst these are the twin marble monuments in St. Anne's -Chapel, which figure in the foreground of our sketch. Here lie buried -several distinguished members of that famous family, the Whites of -Tenby, which has given many worthy citizens to the town. - -Beneath the right-hand tomb rests Thomas White, merchant and sometime -Alderman of Tenby; whose recumbent effigy, habited in the distinctive -costume of his calling, adorns the monument. He it was who enabled -Henry, Earl of Richmond, to escape after the battle of Tewkesbury, by -concealing him in his house at Tenby until such time as he could ship -him safely off in one of his own vessels to France. In gratitude for -this yeoman service the Earl, upon his accession to the throne, -presented his trusty friend with the lease of all the Crown lands around -the town. - -The adjacent monument, which closely resembles its neighbour, records -another member of the White family. Both these tombs are enriched with -figures, in panels of bold relief, with a running inscription in -mediæval character carved upon the margin. - -Our attention is next attracted by the gaily-tinted effigy of William -Risam, who, clad in aldermanic robes, kneels beneath a canopy built -into the chapel wall. The figure is coloured in such a life-like manner -that, as the story goes, a Parliamentarian soldier fired at the supposed -enemy; in witness whereof a bullet-hole may be discerned above the head -of the effigy. - -Near at hand lies the last of that ancient family the Vaughans, of -Dunraven in South Wales; a man who, having run through his patrimony at -breakneck pace, allowed the ancestral mansion to fall into ruin, and -betook himself to a lonely turret upon the seaward cliffs. Here he is -said to have spent his time in showing false lights along the coast, in -order to lure passing vessels ashore and enrich himself by the plunder -of their cargoes. One stormy night, during one of these sinister -exploits, the body of his only son was washed ashore at his feet; when, -overcome by this ominous catastrophe, he quitted the neighbourhood, -withdrew from all intercourse with his fellow-creatures, and ended his -days in seclusion at Tenby. - -Standing upon the chapel floor hard by, we espy a fine old -fifteenth-century church bell bearing in black-letter characters the -words SANCTA ANNA, with the initials R. T. This is the ancient -sanctus-bell of this same chapel of St. Anne, which has descended to its -present lowly position from the exterior of the tower, having been hung -there, as is supposed, long years ago by Thomas ap Rhys, of -Scotsborough, a descendant of the famous Rhys ap Thomas who played so -important a part in the establishment of Henry VII. upon the throne. The -memory of this worthy knight is kept evergreen by the gaudy and rather -pretentious-looking monument seen on the farther wall. There he kneels, -with folded hands, arrayed in ruffles and trunk-hose; his 'better half,' -who is represented as of gigantic proportions, reposing uncomfortably -upon her side; while in panels beneath appear the sons and daughters, -arranged in symmetrical gradation. A glance at the sketch will show the -pretty contrast afforded by the diversified forms of the arches; while -the lofty flight of steps ascending to the chancel, and the dark timbers -of the roof supported by well-carved angels upon massive brackets, -enhance the effect of the handsome interior. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF ST. MARYS PRIORY AT TENBY.] - -Quitting the church by its massive south porch, we pause beneath the -spreading elms that adorn the churchyard to admire a singular group of -arches, set in a crumbling fragment of ruined wall, whose gray, -time-worn stones are abloom with bright tufts of pink valerian. These -appear to be the sole remains of a house of Carmelite nuns, established -A.D. 1399 by one John de Swynemore; and so graceful are these -richly-moulded arches that we can but regret that more of the structure -has not been spared to us. It is probable that these ruins are of coëval -date with the adjacent western doorway of the church, which has a -peculiar ogee arch surmounted with the following inscription in Gothic -characters: BENEDICTUS DEUS IN DONIS SUIS. - -Rambling haphazard around the little town, such names as Frog Street, -Crackwell Street and the like, tickle our fancy as a quaint relief to -modern street nomenclature, which, usually devoid of originality, too -often supplants local names racy of the soil. - -[Illustration: A BIT OF OLD TENBY] - -A sudden turn down a narrow lane, hanging, as it were, upon the steep -hillside, reveals glimpses of old-world Tenby which beguile our -wandering steps from the hard highway. - -At a secluded corner of these by-lanes a gray and weather-beaten old -house stands, forsaken and neglected, amid the meaner dwellings that -encompass it. The well-proportioned windows and pointed doorway which -adorn the massive front lend a certain air of faded dignity, as though -the old place had once 'seen better days'; while above the high-pitched -roof peers one of those curious, rounded erections called hereabouts -'Flemish' chimneys. - -In conjunction with the ancient gables at the rear of the adjacent -saddler's shop, this interesting old structure forms one of the most -picturesque relics yet remaining of the Tenby of 'auld lang syne.' - -Following hence the groups of stalwart fisher-folk as, with large air of -leisure, they stroll adown the hill, we soon find ourselves upon the -'Peere made for Shyppes' which encloses the little harbour. Here stood -in olden times the seamen's chapel of St. Julian, which was subsequently -converted into a bath-house: thus 'cleanliness comes next to godliness'; -and a pretty modern chapel now stands beside the quay. - -Close at hand, in a sheltered cove, the lifeboat lies in wait beside a -rudimentary iron 'peere,' which threatens to stretch its spindle shanks -athwart the comely crescent of the bay, beneath the fortress-crowned -islet of St. Catherine. - -The adjacent Castle Hill is crowned by a lofty watch-tower, some ruined -outworks of the ancient city walls, and a handsome marble statue of the -late Prince Consort, of heroic size: lower down stands a small but -well-arranged museum, which contains a representative collection of -local natural history, besides valuable cases of shells, coins, etc. - -[Illustration: OLD HOUSES AT TENBY.] - -Archæologists will notice with interest the small alabaster group of St. -George and the Dragon, rescued from a cottage in course of demolition -at Tenby; and a fine specimen of a quern, used for grinding corn, found -near Popton. The exterior is fashioned into the form of a human face, -and as it is known that only the earlier examples were ornamented, this -quern is considered to be of very high antiquity. - -The seaward face of the hill is laid out in winding walks, with -sheltered seats at intervals, where visitors and townsfolk congregate -upon the sunny slopes to indulge in a spell of _dolce far niente_, or to -enjoy the wide panorama of land and sea that lies outspread around. - -[Illustration: THE WALLS OF TENBY TOWN] - -The return to the town may be varied by strolling along the broad, firm -sands beneath curiously contorted rocky cliffs, aglow just now with -masses of the white and red valerian. Clambering up a long flight of -steps, we soon find ourselves abreast of the massive walls which in -olden times protected the town upon its landward side, and terminated -upon the precipitous edge of the cliff in the quaint, ivy-clad tower -that rises right here before us. - -These ancient walls are still (in spite of hard treatment in bygone -times from vandalistic hands) in a fair state of preservation; and form, -with their boldly-projecting towers and broken battlements, the most -striking and picturesque feature of the town. They are perhaps seen to -the best advantage from near the north-west corner, whence a general -_coup d'oeil_ is gained of their respective sides. - -Sauntering under the shady trees on the site of the ancient moat, we -pass beside the south-west front, to which, as by far the most complete, -we now devote our attention. Here we notice how the sturdy round tower -which guards the converging angle spreads boldly out at its base; anon -we observe another tower of similar form, through which the easy-going -authorities of some past time have actually permitted a huge opening to -be hewn to admit the passage of a ropewalk! - -[Illustration: ST. GEORGE'S GATE, TENBY.] - -A stone's-throw farther on rises the broad bulk of the great St. -George's Bastion, marking the entrance to one of the principal town -gates, and pierced with five archways, in two of which the grooves for -the portcullis may still be discerned. Overhead a gangway ran around the -inner face of the wall, which is provided with lancet-holes for the use -of archers, and is crowned with the usual corbelled battlements. -Altogether this fine old structure presents a most picturesque -appearance; its ancient archways being frequently enlivened by groups of -market folk passing to and fro, while the rough gray stones of its -venerable walls are wreathed with masses of flowering plants. A number -of shabby dwellings which encumbered the approach have recently been -swept away; one dilapidated old building with curious circular chimneys -(said to have been used as a lazar-house) alone being spared. - -Beyond St. George's Bastion rises another ivy-mantled tower, near which -we espy a stone panel let into the wall, bearing the superscription 'Ao -1588, E. R.' Being interpreted, this inscription records that Tenby -walls were repaired in the thirtieth year of good Queen Bess's reign. - -Farther on the wall is pierced with a wide open archway, and terminates -abruptly upon the precipitous edge of the cliff in a square, -battlemented turret bearing a strong family likeness to the church -towers of this locality. The walls seem to have been pierced with a -double row of lancet-holes for the use of archers, the upper tier being -commanded by a gangway carried upon pointed arches, while the lower row -is accessible from the ground. - -The day waxing warm and sunny, we now make for the harbour again, and -charter one of the numerous well-found pleasure-boats which lie in wait -for visitors. An hour's pleasant sail over a sea blue as the -Mediterranean, and we land upon the shores of Caldey Island, like the -Old Man of the Sea, pick-a-back fashion astride the boatman's back. - -'This island,' says George Owen, 'is verie fertile and yeldeth plentie -of corne; all their plowes goe with horses, for oxen the inhabitantes -dare not keepe, fearing the purveyors of the pirattes as they themselves -told me, whoe often make their provisions there by theire owne -comission, and comonlie to the good contentment of the inhabitantes, -when conscionable theefes arrive there.' - -A grassy track, winding up the sloping bank amidst gorse and bracken, -now leads across a stream and beside a few quarrymen's cottages to a -dejected-looking chapel. In a neglected corner of the interior we -discover the object of our visit--to wit, a recumbent oblong stone -inscribed with certain archaic characters, which have been rendered as -follows: 'In the Name both of the Cross itself and of Him who was fixed -thereon, pray for the soul of Catuoconus.' Certain lines of the -character known as Ogham may also be discerned upon the sides or edges -of this hoary monolith. - -[Illustration: THE PRIORY CALDY ISLAND] - -Striking across the open fields, with the tall white lighthouse for our -guide, we turn aside to visit an old farmstead that contains the scanty -ruins of Caldey Priory. This venerable foundation owes its origin to -Robert, son of Martin de Turribus, and was annexed as a cell to the -abbey of St. Dogmaels, near Cardigan. - -A wise old saw which observes 'There is nothing new but what has been -forgotten,' may find a verification amidst such neglected nooks as -these; whose long-forgotten relics of a bygone age greet the wayfarer -with all the charm of novelty. - -Above the adjacent farmyard premises rises the quaint little -weather-beaten tower of the old priory chapel; its slender spire leaning -perilously awry, its stonework fast crumbling to decay. From the summit -of the tower hangs the crazy bell, with rusty chain and silent clapper. -One daintily-fashioned window is roughly blocked with brickwork, another -gives entrance to a pigeon-cot. - -Within the adjoining house we are shown a fine old vaulted kitchen, with -deep-browed windows, and rude stone settle along the wall. Thence we -penetrate to a cool, dark chamber exhibiting traces of a gracefully -proportioned window enclosed by a pointed arch, long since blocked up. - -Retracing our steps beneath hedges of flowering fuchsia, we return by -breezy, fern-clad commons and well-tilled fields to the landing-place; -where an amphibious-looking individual is laying out lobster-pots among -the weed-strewn rocks. - -Caldey has ever been famed for the excellence of its oyster fisheries; -not to speak of the crabs and lobsters caught around its rocky shores, -which are commended by an Elizabethan writer who appears to have been an -authority on such matters. 'The Lapster,' says this enthusiast, 'sett -whole on the table, yieldeth Exercise, Sustenance and Contemplation; -exercise in cracking his legs and Clawes, sustenance by eating the Meate -thereof, and contemplation by beholding the curious Work of his complete -Armour, both in hue and workmanship.' - -'And the Crabbe,' continues the same writer, 'doth sensiblye feele the -Course of the Moone; fillinge and emptyeing yt selfe with the encrease -and decrease thereof, and therefore ys saied to be best at the full -Moone.' - -Once more afloat, we are speedily wafted past the cave-pierced cliffs of -St. Margaret's Isle, and across the placid waters of Caldey Sound. -Running beneath the fortress-crowned St. Catherine's Rock, we round the -Castle Hill and disembark in Tenby's sheltered haven. - -Though our rambles about its old streets have by no means exhausted the -curious nooks of Tenby, yet we have all broad Pembrokeshire lying as it -were at our doors, and waiting only for an 'open sesame' to disclose its -most interesting features. By far the larger number of these lie within -a measurable distance of Tenby, whence access is easily obtained to them -by road, rail, or boat. Moreover, by taking counsel with the local -time-table, the visitor may fare forth upon his way at a conscionable -hour of the morning and be back again at Tenby ere nightfall supervenes. - -The curious old chest figured at the foot of this chapter formed the -ancient treasury of Tenby. It is enriched with sixteenth-century German -ironwork of very quaint design--witness the ladies pulling the -elephants' 'noses,'--and has seven bolts and two padlocks. The keys of -these latter were held by the two town bailiffs, while the Mayor was -responsible for those of the main lock and of the tiller inside. After -having been sold as old iron some five-and-thirty years ago, this -interesting relic was rescued by a Tenby resident, through whose -courtesy we are enabled to show the accompanying sketch. - -[Illustration: THE ANCIENT TREASURY OF TENBY.] - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -ROUND ABOUT THE RIDGEWAY. - - 'The year's at the spring - And day's at the dawn; - Morning's at seven; - The hillside's dew-pearled; - The lark's on the wing; - The snail's on the thorn: - God's in the heaven-- - All's right with the world!' - - R. B. - - -One fine May morning, after a night of soft, seasonable rain, we are up -betimes and away into the green borderland that encompasses Tenby town -upon its western side. Low, hazy clouds drift athwart the landscape, -with glints of sunlight touching it into life here and there; a gentle -breeze rustling the trees and bowing the growing crops before it. - -A cottager, smoking a morning pipe on the bench before his door, gives -us the _sele_ of the day as we pass, and would fain spin a yarn about -the 'craps' and the drought; but, turning a deaf ear to his -lucubrations, we go our ways rejoicing, and ere long find ourselves -skirting a lush green tract of marshland, whose dark levels are gay with -yellow flags, marsh marigolds and feathery 'ragged Robin.' - -Diverging to the right and plunging into a grove of aged ash-trees, we -soon emerge upon an open glade where stand the crumbling walls of an -ancient house called Scotsborough. This was the ancestral home of the -family of Ap Rhys, who repose in Tenby Church beneath the monument we -have already visited; and a ramble amidst the intricate passages and -loopholed chambers of the ruined mansion, with their huge chimneys and -cavernous ovens, shews that it was erected at a time when a man's house -still continued to do duty, at a pinch, as his castle. Having explored -this picturesque old pile, we hark back once more to the road. Trudging -along a hollow, shady lane past a pretty mill, we now strike into a -secluded pathway which drops steeply down beside a prattling rill, -beneath overarching trees whose interlacing branches fret the greensward -with a mantle of shadowy verdure. - -Overhead the fleecy clouds are swept by the breeze into graceful forms -suggestive of sea-birds' wings; while the sunny air is musical with the -song of birds and the distant bleating of sheep, and sweet with the -scent of chestnut and elder bloom. A newly-fledged Burnet butterfly -tries his smart speckled wings; whilst a passing 'Blue' out-rivals the -hue of the dainty speedwell in the hedgerow; which peeps from amidst a -tangle of pushing young bracken, hooded 'lords and ladies,' bluebells -and wild geranium. - -[Illustration: GUMFRESTON CHURCH.] - -Here in this secluded nook, 'the world forgetting, by the world forgot,' -nestles the venerable church of Gumfreston; its ivy-mantled tower scarce -rivalling the lofty trees which screen it from the outer world. -Approached by footpaths only, a rustic wicket gives access to the -churchyard; crossing which we enter the lowly edifice by an arched -doorway that opens into a roomy old porch of primitive construction, -completely overgrown with ivy. This was in all probability the original -church, and is entirely built of stone; the roof, after the manner of -the older churches of the district, being fashioned into a simple kind -of vault. Upon either side is a rude stone bench; and a stoup, or font, -of archaic design is built into the wall. - -Passing through the inner door, some slight traces of damaged fresco -which appear upon the whitewashed wall may, by a vigorous exercise of -the imagination, be conjectured to represent the martyrdom of St. -Lawrence, the patron saint of Gumfreston Church. Something roughly -resembling a tennis-racket may pass for the martyr's gridiron; while a -gigantic foot, and certain objects vaguely suggesting a pair of scissors -and a comb, are faintly discernible amidst a number of other -half-obliterated details. - -A curious recess which bulges outwards from the same wall contains an -old stone font; and the small adjacent transept is connected with the -chancel by one of those singular 'squint' passages peculiar to this -locality. - -An unusual effect is produced by the low, simple arch--scarce more than -5 feet wide--between the chancel and the nave, which has a shallow, -pointed recess on either side of it, doubtless designed to hold figures. - -[Illustration: CHURCH PLATE AT GUMFRESTON.] - -In one of these latter we observe the primitive-looking pewter flagon -and paten which serve the purpose of church plate. Alongside them stands -a queer little cracked handbell of bronze-green, rust-eaten metal; this -is the Sanctus-bell which, in pre-Reformation days, was rung in the -church upon the elevation of the Host, and was carried at the head of -funeral processions. Anent its present damaged condition the story goes -that, during some solemn rite of exorcism with bell, book and candle, a -certain fallen potentate suddenly appeared in a flash of brimstone -flame, and broke the bell in impotent revenge. - -Passing through the chancel, we now enter a quaint little side-chapel -with pretty two-light window and low, groined ceiling whose stony ribs -look strong enough to carry a tower. The latter, however, is on the -other side of the church, and is probably of later date; it is built in -several stages, the one below the bell-chamber having pigeon-holes -around inside the walls; while overhead hangs an ancient bell inscribed -SANCTA MARIA ORA PRO NOBIS. - -Hard by the church upon its southern side a flight of worn, stone steps -leads down to three clear springs, which well up side by side in a mossy -dell, and ripple away beneath lush grasses and flowering marsh plants. -These wells, although in such close proximity, have been found to differ -in their medicinal properties; and were resorted to as a cure for 'all -the ills that flesh is heir to' by the simple folk of a bygone -generation. - -Near at hand is the site of an old cockpit. In days of yore this -exhilarating sport was very popular with Pembrokeshire men, who usually -chose Easter Monday and such-like 'times of jollitie' to indulge in -their favourite pastime. - -At the corner of the churchyard stands an old deserted cottage which, -after many vicissitudes, has fallen upon degenerate days. Originally the -rectory, and then the poor-house of the parish, it is now a neglected -ruin half hidden amidst a tangle of shrubs and climbing plants. - -Most visitors to Gumfreston will notice the fine old farmhouse that -rises cheek-by-jowl with the carriage-road from Tenby. If we are to -believe the tradition of the countryside, this is the most ancient abode -in the county. Be that as it may, the place bears traces of no mean -antiquity; and is an excellent specimen of a Pembrokeshire homestead of -the olden times. - -Out from the main structure projects a mighty porch, running up the full -height of the house, and pierced with round holes by way of windows -above the main doorway. Penetrating into the interior, we enter a -low-browed kitchen with open raftered ceiling and roomy settle beside -the cavernous fireplace; its solid old timbers worn to a fine polish by -generations of rustic shoulders. A bright wood-fire burns on the open -hearth, and over it a big black kettle swings in the hollow of the -chimney. - -The chimney stacks cropping boldly out, haphazard as it were, lean -independently this way or that in the quaintest way imaginable; and the -broad gable ends are pierced with many pigeon-holes. The place is built -as though intended to last for all time, and is enveloped in the -customary coating of weather-stained whitewash. - -We now push merrily on beneath a cloudless sky; meeting an exhilarating -sea-breeze as the road mounts upwards. Luxuriant hedgerows (a rare sight -hereabouts) presently give place to open downland, affording -widespreading views across rich, rolling woodlands cropped close by the -strong salt breezes. Upon the broad slopes of the Ridgeway groups of -white farm-buildings sparkle amidst ruddy ploughfields; while far beyond -them are Caldey Island and the pale blue line of the sea. - -Once more a pleasant field-path beguiles our errant footsteps. Leading -across an open common, it presently drops into a narrow by-lane, which -winds among hazel copses and undergrowth beside the marshy course of -the Ritec, where cattle are browsing leisurely, half hidden amidst lusty -water-plants. - -Anon our lane degenerates into a hollow watercourse fringed with the -greenest of mosses and wineglass ferns; insomuch that, like Agag, we are -compelled to walk delicately across the rough stepping-stones that here -do duty as a footpath; while the hedgerows fairly meet overhead in a -tangle of wild roses, hawthorn and fragrant honeysuckle. - -Emerging all too soon upon the dusty highway, we approach the pretty -village of St. Florence. Being by this time not a little 'sharp set,' we -enter a modest wayside inn, and proceed to whet our appetites upon the -rations that the _gute verständige Hausfrau_ soon sets before us. Let us -unfold our simple bill of fare: New-laid eggs galore; a mighty loaf of -likely-looking bread, sweet from the clean wood oven; and a draught of -the 'cup that'--in moderation--'cheers, but not inebriates.' - -In one corner of the low-ceiled room, the glass panels of an -old-fashioned cupboard reveal a heterogeneous collection of rustic -crockery-ware. The narrow mantel-board is adorned with a curious -centrepiece, representing Wesley preaching to a sham china clock. This -_chef d'oeuvre_ is supported on either hand by china figures, rather -the worse for wear, riding to market upon a pillion; of which the -rickety mirror behind renders a dull and distorted replica. - -From the opposite wall the bucolic face of a former proprietor stares -stonily out upon us, as he grasps his doll-like daughter's arm after the -manner of a pump-handle; this interesting group being flanked by the -inevitable memorial cards to lost ones long since 'buried.' - -Meanwhile, as we ply the peaceful calumet, mine hostess tells of quaint -old customs that, until only the other day, survived in this quiet -countryside. 'I mind the time,' says she, 'when I was a girl, when there -used to be a Vanity Fair in the village every Michaelmas tide. It lasted -three whole days, and the men and maids would turn out in their best -then, and all the housen must be smartened up and put in order; and -Squire, he give every working man in the place a bran-new suit of -clothes to his back. Ah, there was fine doings then, and I've a-hard -tell that they'd used to run a keg of spirits, or what not, from the big -cellars down Tenby way. But that was afore my time.' - -A stroll around the village reveals some picturesque corners here and -there; a few of the older cottages retaining the vast rounded chimneys, -bulging ovens and pointed doorways of an earlier age. The church, too, -contains attractive features. A peep into the little edifice reveals a -curious vaulted interior, with its queer 'squint' passage set askew, and -flat limestone arches of peculiar form on either side of the chancel. - -The honours of the place are done by a garrulous old dame, whose -russet-apple complexion, set amidst well-starched frills above a -homespun 'whittle,' shows how well she has weathered her fourscore -hard-working winters. - -Upon the gable wall outside, we notice a memorial slab commemorating a -venerable couple who attained the mellow ages of 102 and 104, -respectively; and a singular epitaph on Archdeacon Rudd: while the -broken shaft of an ancient cross rises amidst the well-tended monuments -of this flowery God's acre. - -On our return to Tenby we pass a ruined water-mill, standing in a wooded -dingle beside a reed-grown stream. Lanes and field-paths lead us down -the valley of the Ritec, beside a group of tumbled houses whose massive, -ivy-wreathed walls, with their narrow loopholed windows, may possibly -guard those big cellars of which we have lately 'a-hard tell.' - -Thence through a hollow dingle, where golden Fritillary butterflies -float to and fro in the dappled sunlight; and where the -fast-disappearing badger may still at times be met with. Anon we diverge -to Carswall, to examine a group of remarkable stone buildings with -vaulted chambers, huge fireplaces and bulging chimneys--puzzling objects -to the archæologist. From Carswall we strike across upland pastures, -where a farm lad is 'tickling' the ruddy soil with a primitive kind of -harrow, composed of a bundle of brushwood drawn behind a horse. - -Erelong we turn aside to explore the recesses of Hoyle's Mouth; a vast -cavern worn deep in the solid limestone of the Ridgeway, and fringed -with fantastic stalactites resembling gigantic icicles. Relics of -remote antiquity, discovered here, prove that the cavern has been a -place of refuge in times beyond tradition; and a local fable affirms -that it is connected with that 'mervellows caverne,' yclept the Wogan, -far away beneath the Castle of Pembroke! - -Half a mile hence, in a nook of the hill, stands the old farmhouse of -Trefloyne; erstwhile the abode of a loyal family who, during Civil War -times, paid the penalty of their constancy by being hunted forth by the -Parliamentary soldiers; while their home was delivered over to -destruction. - -Another half-hour's walk takes us back to Tenby by way of Windpipe Lane; -where a marble tablet by the roadside marks the site of St. John's Well, -for many generations the sole water supply of the inhabitants. 'One -thinge,' says Leland, 'is to be merveled at; there is no Welle yn the -Towne, yt is said; whereby they be forced to fesh theyre Water from -Saint Johns without ye Towne.' Nowadays, however, they have changed all -that; and have provided a water supply more suited to modern -requirements. - -In the early days of the century, considerable ruins of the ancient -Hospital of St. John still existed near this spot; of which, however, -every trace has since been quite obliterated. - -Another pleasant excursion from Tenby takes the visitor past the little -secluded creek of Waterwinch; giving him, _en route_, a charming glimpse -of the town, rising above the wooded shores of the north bay. Thence a -steep, narrow lane leads to the village of Saundersfoot, a favourite -seaside resort with a diminutive harbour, an hotel and groups of -lodging-houses. - -The whole of this district has been, at some remote geological period, -one vast forest, of which traces still exist upon the adjacent coast; -where submerged trees, and balks of timber encrusted with shells, are -occasionally found. Tall chimney-shafts, rising amidst the woods, attest -the presence of anthracite coal beneath our feet; this is raised from -several mines in the neighbourhood, and sent down by tramway to -Saundersfoot for exportation. - -Pursuing a delightfully shady road that winds inland past the grounds -of Hean Castle, we soon find ourselves amidst some of the loveliest -sylvan scenery in all the countryside. Presently we get a peep at the -church of St. Issels, almost lost to view amidst green aisles of -embowering foliage. - -As at Gumfreston, by footpaths only can the little edifice be -approached; while the stepping-stones across the rivulet are -supplemented by a rustic foot-bridge, for use in times when the stream -is in flood. This church has lately been restored by some appreciative -hand; it has the characteristic tall gray tower such as we have grown -accustomed to in this locality, and contains a handsome font of -respectable antiquity. - -Hence the wayfarer may return to Tenby by way of Bonville's Court, a -fortified manor-house of the Edwardian period, of which but a single -dilapidated tower and stair-turret remain: or by fetching a compass -round, and wandering through quiet lanes draped with hartstongue fern, -ivy and convolvulus, he may explore the country away towards Jeffreyston -or Redberth; returning over high ground beside the finely-timbered -estate of Ivy Tower; and so home by the previously mentioned route -through Gumfreston village. - - * * * * * - -Nestling in a sunny nook where the Ridgeway meets the sea, the little -village of Penally, peeping coyly out from amidst embowering trees, -forms a pretty feature in many a local prospect. - -The road, winding inland, leads us by a long causeway across a broad -tract of marshland, now golden with iris and kingcups, through which the -Ritec stream meanders to the sea. It is said that, in ancient times, the -tidal waters extended up this hollow vale as far as the village of St. -Florence; and there is an old map at Tenby in which a vessel in full -sail floats upon the very spot where we now stand. - -[Illustration: PENALLY HOUSE.] - -Thence up we climb again across the foot-hills of the Ridgeway, until -ere long the first cottages of Penally 'heave in sight,' bowered in -roses, clematis and honeysuckle, and set amidst gardens aglow with -gladiolus, peonies, tulips, geraniums, fuchsias and Japan lilies. Was -it not Washington Irving who remarked that we English had, in our -country gardens, 'caught the coy and furtive graces of Nature, and -spread them, like witchery, around these rural abodes'? - -Before us lies a stretch of open greensward, shaded by groups of oak and -hawthorn, whence rises the gray tower of the parish church; a building -which has been restored to a semblance of newness that belies its -venerable traditions. - -The interior has a pair of the now familiar 'squint' passages, a few old -tombs and a good stone font: and, _mirabile dictu_, is provided with the -electric light. For this valuable innovation the village is indebted to -Clement Williams, Esq., Mayor of Tenby, whose pretty country residence -stands just above the church. Beneath the overshadowing trees in the -churchyard stands a finely carved early Celtic cross, similar to those -found in Ireland; of which we shall see an even handsomer specimen when -visiting Carew. - -In former days Penally was held in high veneration, from a tradition -that the miracle-working bones of St. Teilo, Bishop of Llandaff, rested -here during their progress through the district. - -A curious incident occurred here many years ago. During a fox-hunt in -the vicinity, Reynard, being hard pressed by the hounds, sought refuge -upon the roofs of some old farm buildings near the church. Here he led -his pursuers a lively chase, but was eventually brought to earth and -captured after an unusually exciting run. - -We now push on for the wild scenery of the rocky coast overlooking -Caldey Sound; pursuing a rough, sandy track amidst stretches of golden -gorse. - -The springy turf underfoot is literally tapestried with wild thyme, -herb-Robert and thrift; over which butterflies, brown and azure-blue, -float to and fro in the warm, still air; while from the radiant sky the -lark's bright song falls pleasantly upon our ears. Hereabouts one must -needs keep one's 'weather eye' open, to elude a tumble among the -countless rabbit-holes that form pitfalls on every hand, whence the -startled denizens scamper briskly to cover from beneath our very noses. - -Presently we approach the secluded haven of Lydstep, and obtain a -glimpse of the noble headland called Proud Giltar, whose red-brown -cliffs rise sheer from the blue waves, with Caldey Island lying in the -middle distance. - -Traversing the pebbly beach, we pass near to Lydstep Point, a -picturesque headland curiously scarped by disused limestone quarries. We -now strike inland beneath a grove of trees growing in a sheltered -corner, and ascend a narrow lane to a lonely cottage at the head of the -glen. Hence we plunge down a deep, rocky ravine, whose seaward face is -honeycombed with the caverns for which the place is famous. - -Before us, league upon league, an ocean of purest blue spreads to the -remote horizon; its sunny plain shimmering beneath white summer -cloudlets, and empurpled by a thousand transient shadows. Huge rocks -crop out on every hand from amidst the tangle of luxuriant undergrowth -that conceals the entrance to the Smugglers' Cave, a name we leave to -tell its own wild tale of bygone times. Onward we scramble, down to the -'beached margent' of the shallow bay; whence a scene of rare beauty is -beheld. - -From the unsullied strand vast buttresses and pinnacles of lichen-clad -limestone rise sheer and inaccessible; their solid ribs pierced with -shadowy caverns wide as a cathedral vault and dark as Erebus, which -tempt the wanderer to explore their deep, unknown recesses. -Crystal-clear pools, fringed with dainty seaweeds and gemmed with -starfish and sea-anemones, nestle in every hollow of the rocky shore; -while shells of various tints encrust the untrodden sands. - -Countless sea-birds wheel to and fro in the shadow of the cliffs, which -echo their discordant cries as they clamour above the heads of the -unwelcome intruders. Dusky cormorants scud with necks outstretched -athwart the sparkling waves, while kittiwakes and guillemots crowd -shoulder to shoulder upon the inaccessible ledges. - -An hour is pleasantly spent groping amidst the hollows of a resounding -cavern, or peering into the jewelled depths of some rocky sea-pool; or, -anon, watching the plash of the translucent waves. At length, hungry as -hawks, we beat a retreat to a sheltered nook amongst the rocks, to -discuss _con gusto_ our _al-fresco_ lunch. - -Fascinated by these entrancing prospects, we linger in this wonderland -until the advancing tide hints at a speedy departure, when, scrambling -once again to the upper world, we strike away for the solitary hamlet of -Lydstep. - -Hard by the road stand two scattered groups of dilapidated buildings, -sometimes called by the imposing titles of the Palace, and the Place of -Arms. In the good old times--so runs the legend--Aircol Llawhir, King of -Dyfed, held his royal Court at this place. - -Be that as it may, the existing structures are probably not older than -the fourteenth century, and may be ascribed to those yeomen proprietors, -a 'peg' above the common farmer folk, who erected these stout walls to -safeguard their goods and chattels. - -The return journey lies along a pleasant, open road between the Ridgeway -and the cliffs; affording lovely glimpses of the rugged coast-line and -the land-locked sea. At Penally a return train puts in a timely -appearance, and conveys us in a few minutes back to quarters, while the -declining sun sets the world aflame in the glow of its lingering rays. - - * * * * * - -There is a spring-like feeling in the crisp morning air as we drive -leisurely along the Ridgeway road, bound westward ho! to 'fresh woods -and pastures new.' - -Fairy cobwebs, gemmed with glistening dewdrops, sparkle in every -hedgerow as we mount slowly up the steep, ruddy flank of the Ridgeway. -Bowling merrily along the smooth, well-kept road that traverses its -breezy summit, we are in all probability following the course of some -primitive trackway, used from the earliest times when enemies lurked in -the lowlands. - -Ever wider grows the outlook as we jaunt along; the glory of the scene -culminating as we clamber up the last of these steep 'pinches,' and call -a halt, near a farm called the Rising Sun, to scan the summer landscape -spread around. - -Close at hand broad meadows, green with the promise of spring, spread -away down a winding valley tufted with shadowy woodlands, whence gray -old steeples peep above the clustering cottage roofs. Far away amidst -the folding hills, the walls and towers of lordly Carew rise near a -silvery sheet of water--an arm of Milford Haven--backed by leagues of -unexplored country, o'ertopped by the faint blue line of the Precelly -Mountains--a glorious scene indeed! - - 'Ah! world unknown! how charming is thy view, - Thy Pleasures many, and each pleasure new!' - -Turning across the lane, we lean upon a neighbouring gate, and leisurely -scan the fair prospect over land and sea. Yonder the snow-white cottages -gleam amidst the ruddy ploughlands. Seawards, the gorse-clad downs -plunge in warm red sandstone cliffs to the all-encircling ocean, that -stretches in unbroken span from St. Govan's Head, past Caldey Isle, to -the gray-blue line of distant Devon, with Lundy lying under its lee. - -Forward again, betwixt pleasant greenswards tangled with fragrant -gorse, brambles and unfurling bracken, within whose cool retreats the -yellow-hammer lurks in his new spring bravery; while smart little -goldfinches hunt in pairs amidst the thistle-heads under the hedgerow. - -Gradually we slant away downwards, passing an ancient tumulus whence, in -the old war times, a beacon fire gave warning against threatened -invasion; and catching glimpses ahead of ruined towers and -curtain-walls, where time-honoured old Pembroke nods over its memories -of 'the days that are no more.' Soon we are clattering through the -diminutive village of Lamphey. Here we dismiss our driver, and, turning -across park-like meadows where cattle are grazing under the broad-limbed -oaks, we soon descry the ivy-mantled ruins of Lamphey Palace. - -The graceful character of the architecture, and calm, reposeful -situation in this peaceful dell, combine to enhance the peculiar charm -that hangs around these venerable ruins. Thanks to the timely care of -their present owner, the remaining portions have been preserved from -further desecration, and are freely shown to visitors who pass this way. - -[Illustration: AT LAMPHEY PALACE.] - -At Lamphey the Bishops of St. Davids possessed an episcopal manor, and -built themselves a palace there; so that, from the middle of the -thirteenth century, they paid frequent visits to the place. Withdrawing -hither from affairs of State, they assumed the _rôle_ of the paternal -country squire; tilling the fat acres spread around their walls, and -stocking their snug granaries, such as may still be traced at the -farmstead called Lamphey Park. - -John Leland, travelling this way in his tour through South Wales, tells -how he 'came by meane Hills and Dales to Llanfeith, where the Bishop of -St. Davids hath a place of Stoone, after Castel Fascion.' - -Strolling through a ripe old garden, set round with sheltering walls, we -proceed to trace such features of the fine old fabric as the hand of -Time has spared to us. Passing the refectory, a picturesque building -draped in ivy and Virginia-creeper, we are confronted by the tall mass -of the banqueting-hall, with its pointed windows and pretty projecting -chimney. - -Hence a winding stair in the thickness of the wall leads to the ruined -parapet. Near the east end of the hall stands the chapel, roofless now, -and wreathed in luxuriant ivy; one graceful traceried window alone -bearing witness to Bishop Vaughan's artistic genius. - -Farther away across a verdant meadow, and standing, so to speak, _en -échelon_ to the main fabric, rise the ruins of the domestic apartments; -approached by a dilapidated flight of outside steps, and crowned with an -elegant open arcade such as is usually associated with the work of that -famous builder, Bishop Gower. In a corner of the adjacent field we -observe the vivarium, or fish-pond of the priory. - -We now return to the neighbouring gardens, in order to sketch the -picturesque little tower which stands isolated amidst trim walks and -old-fashioned flower-beds. - -It is difficult to assign a _raison d'être_ for the existence of this -quaint old structure. By some folks it has been called the gate-tower to -the inner ward; but others, again, have styled it the priests' -dwelling-place; and our investigations seem to point to some such use as -the latter. - -A stone stairway, hollowed in the thickness of the wall, leads to an -upper chamber, which contains a niche (suggestive of a piscina), a -fireplace, and several small windows. The peaked roof, which is modern, -is surrounded by open, pointed arches corbelled out from the wall below, -and finished with plain battlements. Thus, with its picturesque medley -of weather-stained brick, stone and timber, touched here and there with -green moss and golden lichens, this curious tower proves an attractive -bit for the sketch-book. - -At Lamphey Palace Robert Devereux, the ill-fated Earl of Essex, spent -several years of his youth; and is reputed to have quitted the place -'the most finished gentleman of his time.' - -Superstitious folk, when approaching these ruins after nightfall, while -'the moping owl doth to the moon complain,' may (or may not) have their -nerves agreeably thrilled by the apparition of a mysterious white lady, -presumably a Devereux, who is said to haunt these historic shades at -that witching hour! - -Lamphey Church, which lies a short half-mile away, has been too much -modernized to detain us long. The tall, plain tower has been preserved, -however, in its original simplicity; and the large square font, of early -type, has a little ornamentation of good character. - -Crossing the railway bridge past _the_ shop of the village, with its -alluring display of miscellaneous _olla podrida_ in the window, we -pursue our shadows along a dusty country road; cutting off a circuitous -corner by taking to a pleasant field-path. A bright little country maid -pioneers us hence into Hodgeston, a sleepy hamlet consisting of some -half-dozen whitewashed cottages clustering around the sorry remnants of -a village green, now shrunk to half its old proportions owing to recent -encroachments. - -Obtaining the key at one of these cottages, we now make straight for the -parish church, which rises beyond a grove of trees, less than a bowshot -away. - -Seen from the outside, this little edifice looks unostentatious enough, -with its slender western tower, chancel, and nave devoid of the usual -excrescences; but upon entering we soon find matter to arouse our -keenest interest. - -[Illustration: THE CHANCEL HODGESTON CHURCH] - -The nave is simple, though well proportioned; setting off to fullest -advantage the rich and elaborate features that adorn the Decorated -chancel. Good traceried windows rise upon either hand, surmounted by an -open timber roof, with the pretty ball-flower ornament running around -the top of the wall. - -Upon the south side of the chancel stands a handsome triple sedilia; its -shapely, richly-moulded arches aflame with elaborate crockets, which -cluster upwards to the large, florid finials. A plain stone bench flanks -the lower part of the wall, whence projects a flight of steps that gave -access to the vanished rood-loft. - -We also notice a dainty piscina sunk in the thickness of the wall, -having a beautiful ornamental canopy, closely resembling that of the -sedilia, and a fine old Norman font. One cannot but feel surprise that -such rich design and delicate workmanship should be thus hidden away in -this remote locality; and can only hazard the conjecture that the -influence of Bishop Gower (whose handiwork is seen to such advantage in -his great palace at St. Davids) must have made itself felt even in -outlying parishes such as this. There is reason to suppose, too, that a -religious house existed at Hodgeston in olden times, which would -probably exert a refining influence upon the local craftsmen, for the -monks of old were often goodly builders. - -These charming features, then, provide attractive matter for the -sketch-book, which keeps us pegging away until well on towards sundown: -so that, as we wend our way back to Lamphey Station, we lounge over a -stile formed from some broken ship's timbers to enjoy the exquisite -after-glow, which lingers still above the falling dusk as the train -carries us homeward to Tenby. - -[Illustration: ANCIENT QUERN OR HAND MILL.] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -MANORBERE CASTLE: AND GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS. - - -Through the courtesy of a hospitable friend, we now shift our moorings -from Tenby's tourist-haunted streets, to the quiet precincts of -Manorbere Castle. Within those time-honoured walls the charm of modern -hospitality is enhanced by contrast with its mediæval background. - -Quitting the train at the little wayside station, a quarter of an hour's -pleasant drive through deep lanes fringed with hartstongue fern, and gay -with 'floureis white and blewe, yellow and rede,' gives us our first -glimpse of the stately old pile. Crowning a low, isolated hill, the -castle stands out 'four square to all the winds of heaven' against a -silvery expanse of the distant ocean; for, as old Leland says: 'This -place is not in the Hyeway, but standith neere the shore of the Severn -Se.' - -[Illustration: MANORBERE CASTLE FROM THE EAST.] - -A country lad opens a gate giving access to a rough meadow, flanked by -the remains of barbican walls and ruined bastions; traversing which we -presently draw rein before the broad, landward front of the castle. -Crossing the grim but inoffensive drawbridge, our friend explains the -ingenious device by which, in the 'good old times,' an intruder must -perforce 'turn turtle' upon a sort of human beetle-trap. Overhead are -seen the openings whence the garrison might pour down 'something -lingering and humorous, with molten lead in it,' by way of warm welcome -to the foe. - -Passing beneath the ivy-mantled gate-tower, we emerge upon the spacious -greensward of the inner court, which is enclosed on every hand by hoary -walls and turrets, whose weather-beaten ruins tell of heavy treatment at -the hand of Father Time. - -[Illustration: MANORBERE CASTLE.] - -For it is a notable fact in the history of Manorbere Castle, and one in -which we are indebted for its relative state of preservation, that, -unlike its great neighbours of Pembroke and Carew, it has never -withstood a siege. Moreover, having ceased to be inhabited at a very -early period, this castle has preserved unaltered the salient features -of its construction. The architecture is very simple and massive, being -indeed almost entirely devoid of ornament. Some of the apartments retain -the plain, pointed stone vault, devoid of ribs, so frequently met with -in South Wallian castles; while several of those circular chimneys, -peculiar to the locality, rise above the crumbling battlements. - -Continuing our stroll around the inner court we observe, hard by the -great gateway, the warders' room, with its narrow window commanding the -entrance. Behind it rises the huge, circular 'Bull' Tower; a massive -structure honeycombed with quaint little chambers approached by a -winding stone stair, and connected with the gate-tower by a narrow -passage in the thickness of the walls. Along the eastern side of the -court extends a long range of apartments, which constitute the modern -residence. These were resuscitated by Mr. J. R. Cobb, a former -occupant, who restored the castle in so admirable and conscientious a -manner, that the modern additions in no wise detract from their -venerable surroundings. Farther away in the same direction lie the -ruined kitchens, with their huge projecting chimneys, and ovens of such -capacity that, as tradition avers, the lord of the domain was wont to -regale his guests upon oxen roasted whole! - -[Illustration: MANORBERE CASTLE.] - -Traversing the sunny castle-garth, we pass a circular receptacle formed -in the ground for melting the lead aforesaid. Close at hand is a deep -draw-well, half full of water. Some twenty feet down this well is a -blocked-up archway which was opened years ago by old 'Billy,' the local -factotum, who discovered dark, subterranean passages running hence -beneath the adjacent ruins. Here he stumbled against casks and kegs left -behind by the smuggler folk, who in former days carried on their illicit -traffic around the neighbouring coast. At the same time, as a 'blind' -for the Excise officers, they carried on a traffic in grain, which was -stored for the purpose in large barns outside the castle. - -At the farther end of the courtyard rise the picturesque walls and -arches of a lofty group of buildings, containing the banqueting-hall and -chapel. This appears to have been the handsomest part of the castle; and -the great hall, with its broad flight of stone steps and stately range -of pointed windows overlooking the sea, must indeed have been a noble -apartment. Beneath it, in grim contrast, lurks a series of dark, -windowless dungeons. - -Entering the chapel by a flight of ruinous steps fringed with sprays of -spleenwort fern, we explore its dimly-lighted recesses, and discern -traces of half obliterated colour decoration. Clambering by a narrow -stone stairway to the grass-grown roof, we awaken the resentful clamour -of a colony of jackdaws; anon we peer into the tiny chamber for the -priest, and dive into the gloomy crypt, with its low-vaulted roof and -fireplace improvised from a desecrated tomb. - -[Illustration: MANORBERE CASTLE.] - -Then out once more into the castle garth, to follow the loopholed wall. -This terminates in the many-sided Pembroke Tower, which, bowered in -climbing plants, boasts a certain diminutive chamber wherein, as the -local tradition runs, Giraldus Cambrensis, the famous Welsh historian, -was born. Thence ensues another stretch of lofty wall, backed by a -series of curious flying buttresses: and our peregrination is completed -beneath the hoary, lichen-clad stonework of the great tower beside the -entrance gateway. This is the oldest part of the castle, and (with -apologies to the local tradition) probably the only portion of it that -dates as far back as the days of the worthy Giraldus. - -The water-gate, set deep in the seaward wall, is flanked by a huge mass -of stonework which still bears traces of the smugglers' ineffectual -efforts to dislodge it. Following a rough track that winds down the -rocky slope, we stroll onward beside a pretty rill of water -meandering, amidst bullrushes and marsh marigolds, to the moss-grown -wheel of the castle mill. Here we linger upon the rustic foot-bridge to -enjoy a charming retrospect. The gray walls of the grim old castle, -crowning the low, steep hill we have just descended, are reflected in -the placid stream at our feet. A group of low-roofed cottages, and the -mill with its plashing wheel, nestle in the valley beneath; while the -towers and gables of the quaint old parish church peep from a rival hill -that fronts the sea. - -The western flank of the castle looks down upon a weed-grown marsh, -occupying the site of a lake that formerly protected it upon that side. -Beside the marsh stands a picturesque old stone pigeon-house, smothered -in ivy and golden lichens; beyond which extends a secluded vale shaded -by oak, ash and holly, that formed part of the ancient park or chase of -Manorbere. The whole scene has a quiet beauty of its own very pleasant -to contemplate. - -Meanwhile, after tackling this fascinating bit, we roam across the -wind-blown sandhills, where a derelict boat, lying high and dry above -high-water mark, offers a convenient resting-place for the noontide -_siesta_. Stretching our limbs upon the warm, dry sand, and gazing -dreamily across the deep-blue line of the bay, we call to mind a certain -glowing description of the Manorbere of seven long centuries ago. Gerald -de Barri, the author of this panegyric (better known as Giraldus -Cambrensis), can scarce find words to express his admiration for the -home of his boyhood. - -'The castle called Maenor Pyrr,' says Gerald, 'is excellently defended -by towers and outworks, and is situated on the summit of a hill -extending on the western side towards the seaport; having on the -northern and southern sides a fine fish-pond under the walls, as -conspicuous for its grand appearance as for the depth of its water; and -a beautiful orchard on the same side enclosed on one part by a vineyard, -and on the other by a wood remarkable for the projection of its rocks -and the height of its hazel-trees. To the right of the promontory, -between the castle and the church, near the site of a very large lake -and mill, a rivulet of never-failing water flows through a valley -rendered sandy by the violence of the winds.' - -The same enthusiastic writer also portrays for us the main features of -the circumjacent country: 'Towards the west the Severn Sea, bending its -course to Ireland, enters a hollow bay at some distance from the castle; -and the southern rocks, if more extended towards the north, would render -it an admirable harbour for shipping. From this point you may see almost -all the ships from greater Britain, which the east wind drives towards -Ireland. The land is well supplied with corn, sea-fish and wines, -purchased abroad; and--what is of more importance--from its -neighbourhood to Ireland it enjoys a mild climate. - -'Dimetia therefore, with its seven _cantrefs_, is the most beautiful, as -well as the most powerful district in Wales; Pembroch the finest part of -the province of Dimetia; and the place I have just described the most -beautiful part of Pembroch. It is evident, therefore, that Maenor Pyrr -is the Paradise of all Wales!' - -Born at Manorbere Castle in the year 1146, Gerald de Barri was the -youngest son of William de Barri, Lord of Manorbere; grandson of Gerald -de Windsor, Governor of Pembroke Castle; and nephew of David -Fitz-Gerald, Bishop of St. Davids, from whom he received his early -education; while upon the maternal side Gerald was descended from Rhys -ap Tydwr, one of the princes of Wales. The career of one thus born, so -to speak, in the purple, was from the outset pretty well assured. Thus -we find the worthy Gerald promoted from the living of Tenby to a fat -canonry at Hereford Cathedral; and presently the snug archdeaconry of -St. Davids falls to his lot. - -About this time, Gerald joined with Archbishop Baldwin to preach the -Crusade throughout South Wales; when he kept a diary of his proceedings -which has proved of no little entertainment to after-comers. - -During his long and eventful career Gerald de Barri paid three several -visits to Rome, in order to push his interests at headquarters. He -accompanied Henry II. to France, and was entrusted by that monarch with -the education of his promising son John, of Magna Charta fame. Upon the -death of his uncle the Bishop, Gerald made strenuous efforts to obtain -the coveted appointment of his native see, refusing all other -preferments; but, failing of success, he retired in dudgeon from active -life, and spent the rest of his days in writing those literary 'remains' -that have afforded so much interest to antiquaries. - -Gerald de Barri appears to have been a man of studious temperament. He -became, as Lambarde quaintly puts it, 'wel learned and, as tyme served, -eloquent.' He was, moreover, a great writer, and being much given to -disputation, called together the literary _élite_ of Oxford and read his -own works to them. He next proceeded to feast his learned critics into a -satisfactory state of good humour with things in general, and his own -literary effusions in particular; an event which he himself describes as -'a magnificent affair, a return of the Golden Age, an unparalleled -event, in England at all events.' - -In person Gerald is portrayed as remarkably tall, his face being -strongly marked by large, shaggy eyebrows; and it has been well said -that, in spite of certain undeniable defects of character, he was -probably inspired with a genuine love for the land of his birth, and a -desire to upraise therein an independent Kymric Church owning -allegiance to the Bishop of St. Davids as its spiritual head. - -[Illustration: DE BARRI TOMB, MANORBERE.] - -Gerald de Barri was gathered to his fathers, at a ripe old age, in the -year 1220. He is reputed to have been buried in St. Davids Cathedral; -where _at least one_ tomb is pointed out as the last resting-place of -this great ecclesiastic. - -Little is recorded of the subsequent history of Manorbere Castle. The -place appears to have been abandoned at an early period; its hanging -woods and vineyards were abandoned to decay, whilst its dismantled walls -and subterranean vaults harboured bands of lawless freebooters, who -haunted these coasts a century ago. Wild work went forward at Manorbere -in those half-forgotten days. It is related how a certain famous -smuggler, notorious for his desperate enterprises, eluded the vigilance -of the revenue men by running his vessel ashore near the headland -ycleped the Priest's Nose; and conveying his illicit cargo, under cover -of night, to the cellars with which the neighbourhood abounded. - -Rousing ourselves at length from these cogitations on the sandhills, we -put the best foot foremost and hie away past a spring of pure water -known as the Druid's Well, to the sunny slopes of that selfsame Priest's -Nose. Scrambling warily amidst brakes of prickly furze, we presently -espy a mighty cromlech standing in a nook of the hill, beside the narrow -path. A soft westerly breeze draws in 'gently, very gently from the -sea,' as we perch beside this relic of the immemorial past; wafting the -scent of wild thyme and gorse over warm, crisp turf that shimmers -beneath the lusty summer sunshine. Hence unfolds yet another charming -view of the gray old castle, set amidst a breadth of feathery woodland -that clusters under the lee of the sheltering hill. A turn of the head -reveals the varied line of coast stretching away, league upon league, -past the groves of Stackpole to the bluff, perpendicular landfall of St. -Govan's Head. - -Returning to quarters by another route we fetch a wide compass round; -pursuing the path that hugs the shore, which, hereabouts, is indented by -several fissures of very peculiar character. A short distance beyond -the cromlech we encounter the first of these; a chasm so narrow that a -boy might leap across it, yet of imposing depth, with sides as smooth -and perpendicular as any house wall, and floored with the seething -ocean. - -[Illustration: The Church Path Manorbere] - -A quarter of a mile farther on we strike a little way inland, to -investigate a still more remarkable _lusus naturæ_ of a similar kind. -Here the insidious onslaught of the waves has tunnelled beneath the -intervening cliff, and penetrated far into the land; excavating a dark, -narrow, and profound fissure in the perpendicular strata of the Old Red -sandstone; so that, gazing seaward through the cleft, we can see the -foaming surf sparkling in the sunlight upon the rocks beyond. Thence we -extend our ramble to Castle Head, a rocky point jutting boldly out to -sea, and scarped with the broad, fern-clad furrows of a prehistoric -earthwork. This appears to have been the stronghold of some invader from -over seas; for the protecting banks curve inland, and, sweeping down to -the rocks on either hand, enclose the outer extremity of the headland. -Secured thus against attack upon their landward flank, the occupants -were protected in rear by the broad expanse of the 'inviolate ocean,' -whose restless billows, surging far below, mingle their music in wild -harmony with the harsh cries of countless sea-fowl. - -[Illustration: MANORBERE CHURCH.] - -Breasting the rough ascent, we now march across the upland meadows of -Parson's Piece; making in a 'bee-line' for Manorbere Church, whose slim -gray tower peers over an intervening bank. Perched high aloft upon a -bleak hillside, across whose treeless heights 'breathes the shrill -spirit of the western wind,' this venerable fabric rises in lonely -isolation, and confronts in peaceful rivalry the towers and battlements -of the grim old fortalice that crowns the opposite hill. - -For quaint picturesqueness, and the singular grouping of its various -parts, this curious old church stands unrivalled, even in this land of -remarkable churches, combining as it does almost every feature -characteristic of such buildings throughout the locality. Originally in -all probability a cruciform structure, the church has apparently been -added to at various times in a capricious fashion; so that the exterior -now presents the quaintest imaginable variety of walls, windows and -gables; all jumbled together in seemingly haphazard fashion, and falling -into fantastic groups, as may be seen from the adjoining sketch. - -It will be noticed that one of the gables is surmounted by the original -bell-cot, which probably existed prior to the erection of the tower; the -latter rises above a medley of roofs upon the northern side of the -chancel, and contains a bell inscribed with the legend: EXALTEMUS NOMEN -DOMINI, 1639. - -Passing around to the south porch, we enter a low nave arched over with -a slightly-pointed, stone-vaulted ceiling. Strange, low, -rudely-fashioned arches, entirely disdaining the support of pillars, -rise sheer from the level of the floor upon either hand, giving access -to the narrow aisles behind. These arches are, unfortunately, so -enveloped in the general coating of whitewash, that it is impossible now -to discover whether they were originally built as arches, proper, or are -merely openings cut through the walls when the aisles were added to the -nave. A little window of early type opens above one of these arches; the -sole survivor of some old windows that existed previous to the building -of the aisles. - -Short, tunnel-like transepts open out on either hand, the one towards -the north having a low ceiling, crossed by the curious arched ribs -seen in our sketch above. The gangway that formerly gave access to the -rood-loft now leads, in a queer, tortuous course, from the north aisle -across the adjacent transept to the tower, which is entered by a door -high aloft in the wall. - -To the right a 'squint' passage opens skew-wise into the chancel, where, -beneath a plain arched recess, lies the recumbent stone effigy of a -Crusader clad in chain mail, having his legs crossed at the knees and -sword and shield, charged with the arms of De Barri, beside him. This -monument commemorates one of the ancient lords of Manorbere, who 'came -over with the Conqueror,' and shared with Fitz-Hamon and his knights in -the partition of these lands. - -The handsome traceried screen that stretches athwart the narrow chancel -arch was erected about five-and-twenty years ago, when a vigorous effort -was made to arrest the deplorable condition of ruin and decay, to which -time and neglect had reduced this interesting church. - -A few ivy-mantled fragments of an ancient structure that formerly served -as the parish school, are supposed to be the remains of a chantry -founded by the De Barri who lies buried in the church. - -We now stroll leisurely homeward through the gloaming, while the slender -young moon peers over the shoulder of a neighbouring hill. As we -approach the castle, its shadowy front looms darkly silhouetted upon a -daffodil and emerald sky; while the zenith is still suffused with -translucent rosy light, and the pale stars peep one by one as the -daylight slowly wanes. Now the little flittermice awake once more to -life, and flicker to and fro with wavering flight; while a colony of -chattering jackdaws discusses the day's events upon the ruined -battlements. Yonder, like a thief of the night, a great white owl steals -silently by, soft as a drift of thistledown, yet keen as fate to 'spot' -the errant mouse, roaming in search of a meal too far from home. - -Thus we recross the drawbridge to the hospitable abode, whose latticed -windows emit a heartsome ray of light that seems a lode-star to the -wayfarers. Pretty tired after our long day's ramble, we clamber up the -corkscrew stair to a certain turret chamber, where, in next to no time, -we lose ourselves in the drowsy arms of Morpheus. - -The busy man, hard pressed by the _Sturm und Drang_ of city life, may -find at Manorbere recreation in the truest sense; and should he be -blessed with a congenial hobby, he may entertain himself in this -secluded spot to his heart's content. - -To the lover of Nature the place offers many attractions. In the course -of rambles around the varied coast-line, or amidst the hills and dales -of the inland country, the wanderer with a turn that way may study the -mellow lichen-clad rocks of the Old Red sandstone; and will not fail to -notice their well-defined junction at Skrinkle Haven with the limestone -formation, which reappears across the Sound in the cave-worn crags of -Caldey. Or, again, he may note how the salmon-red ploughlands of the -Ridgeway attest the presence of the older rocks, as they rise from the -superincumbent stratum of the mountain limestone. - -These conditions afford, within a limited compass, a great diversity of -soil and situation; providing a congenial habitat to many varieties of -ferns and wild-flowers. The botanist will look for prizes amongst the -rich pastures of the Vale of St. Florence, the woodland paths around St. -Issells, and the lush marshlands of Penally; while the sandy burrows of -Tenby, Lydstep and Castle Martin, and even the crumbling ruins of some -castle or ancient priory, will yield their tale of treasure for the -vasculum. - -Indeed, wander whither he may, the lover of Nature will find a wealth of -beauty on every hand. Let him clamber amidst the tumbled boulders, where -the samphire thrives on the salt sea spray; and explore the rock-pools -left by the receding tide, whose weed-fringed depths are tenanted by -plump sea-urchins, nestling sociably among zoophytes, sponges, and -delicate 'lady's-fingers.' Or he may choose to wander along the sands of -Saundersfoot and Tenby, where haply he may light upon rare shells of -many a dainty hue; while queer little crabs scuttle hither and thither -amidst the stranded starfish, and other derelict flotsam and jetsam left -behind by the receding tide. - -And as the changing seasons cast their ever-varying charm upon land and -sea, the artist in search of 'fresh woods and pastures new' will find, -in this unfrequented country, endless subjects ready to his hand worthy -the brush of a Brett, or an Alfred Parsons. Perchance he will set up his -easel where the ruddy sandstone cliffs, soaring in weather-stained crags -above broad sweeps of untrodden sand, are crowned with a diadem of -golden gorse; while a breadth of sunlit sea stretching away to the -horizon will serve as an excellent background. Or haply he may plant his -white umbrella in some secluded nook, where a picturesque old cottage, -with mighty, bulging chimney and moss-grown roofs, nestles beneath a -group of wind-swept ash trees; the softly folding landscape lines -showing faintly beyond. - -Many a beauty-spot such as this gladdens the wayfarer as he roams -through the byways of this pleasant land; and the landscape-painter may -easily 'go farther and fare worse,' than by spending a season in -Pembrokeshire. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -PEMBROKE TOWN AND CASTLE. STACKPOLE AND THE SOUTHERN COAST. - - -In course of time the _Wanderlust_ returns in full force upon us; so -bidding farewell to our hospitable entertainers, we transfer ourselves -bag and baggage to the county-town; in order to explore from that -convenient starting-point the remoter recess of South Pembrokeshire. - -The district locally known as the Stackpole Country forms part of the -hundred of Castle Martin, and is the southernmost land of the county. -Lying apart from any town or railway, it is somewhat difficult of -access; but though boasting few striking features to attract the -ordinary tourist, it yet offers no small attractions to the wanderer who -can appreciate 'the pleasures of the quiet eye.' - -Threading our way at first amidst rather intricate lanes, we pass once -more through Hodgeston village, whence our route is all plain sailing. -Near Lamphey Church we fall into the main road, which runs in a bee-line -beside softly-swelling hills, until the long street of Pembroke is -entered at its eastern end. - -The 'lie' of this town has been not inaptly likened to the shape of a -herring-bone; the castle precincts occupying the head (whereof the great -donjon answers to the eye), while the long main street, with its -branching lanes and gardens, suggests the vertebral bone of the fish -with its radial spines. _Apropos_ of the situation of the town, we refer -to our trusty Leland and read that 'Pembroch standith upon an arme of -Milforde, the which, about a mile beyond the Towne, creketh in so that -it almost peninsulateth the Towne, that standith on a veri main Rokki -ground. The Towne is well waullid and hath iii gates by Est, West and -North; of which the Est gate is fairest and strongest, having afore it a -compasid Tour not rofid in; the entering whereof is a Port colys, _ex -solide ferro_.' - -[Illustration: PEMBROKE.] - -Neither gate nor 'compasid Tour' now spans the prosaic-looking street; -and the houses in this eastern suburb have small pretensions to beauty. -We catch a hasty glimpse, however, of the 'two paroche chirches' -discovered by our author; and entertain ourselves _en route_ by trying -to pronounce the curious, unfamiliar surnames such as Hopla, Treweeks, -Malefant and Tyzard, emblazoned above the shop-fronts: while an -occasional Godolphin, Pomeroy or Harcourt, attests the strain of -sang-azure that lingers yet among the _bourgeoisie_ of the ancient -borough. - -[Illustration: PEMBROKE CASTLE.] - -Midway adown the High Street rises a mighty elm, whose spreading -branches quite overshadow the adjacent dwellings. Presently we catch a -glimpse of Pembroke Castle, beyond a pretty vista of old-fashioned -structures whose quaint, irregular outlines stand sharply cut against -the clear sky. - -The records of this great historic fortress would alone suffice to fill -a bulky volume; the best account of the earls, earldom and castle of -Pembroke being, perhaps, that by G. T. Clark, Esq.; and there is a -detailed description of the building by the present proprietor, J. R. -Cobb, Esq. We will not attempt, therefore, to give more than a slight -outline of its past history. - -Pembroke Castle was originally built by Arnulph de Montgomery, in the -reign of William Rufus; and it was greatly enlarged and strengthened by -Earl Strongbow, the invader of Ireland, who held it in the time of Henry -I. - -A romantic story is related of his predecessor, the King's castellan, -Gerald de Windsor, who espoused the beautiful but notorious Nesta. A -certain Welsh chieftain, named Owen ap Cadwgan, beheld the famous beauty -presiding one day with her ladies at a tournament (like the moon amidst -her satellites); when, sighing like Alcestis for the Queen of night, the -enamoured warrior determined to possess himself of his seductive -charmer. Obtaining access to the castle at dead of night, Owen wrested -his victim from the arms of her outraged lord, and carried her off to -his stronghold among the mountains. Though a large reward was offered by -the King to anyone who should capture or slay the outlawed man, it was -eight long years before justice was vindicated, when Gerald, meeting his -adversary, put an end to his career by an avenging arrow. - -But to return to history. William, Earl Mareschal of Pembroke, was -honoured with a visit from that sorry monarch, King John. During the -Edwardian period, the castle was enlarged and strengthened by the -addition of the outer ward. In 1457 Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond -(afterwards King Henry VII.), was born at Pembroke Castle. - -During the Civil Wars the garrison made a gallant defence against a -large force under Oliver Cromwell. One tragic episode that closed the -eventful days of the siege may be mentioned here. Upon the fall of the -castle the three leaders, Poyer, Mayor of the town, Powell, Governor of -the castle, and Laugharne, the whilom Parliamentary Colonel, were -expressly exempted from the pardon extended to the garrison. These three -men were condemned to death: but Parliament in its clemency resolving to -punish only one of them, they were directed by Cromwell's orders to draw -lots as to who should suffer the penalty. Two papers were inscribed -'Life given by God'; the third was a blank. A child drew the lots, when -the blank fell to the ill-fated Poyer; who was afterwards shot in the -Piazza, Covent Garden, 'dying very penitently,' as we are told. After -the fortress was delivered into Cromwell's hands, it was so effectually -dismantled that, to this day, the results of his destructive work are -only too manifest. - -The ruins of Pembroke Castle still present, after the lapse of centuries -of neglect and decay, a truly magnificent appearance. The massive towers -and ivy-curtained walls crown a bold and rocky eminence, that rises -abruptly from the tidal waters of Milford Haven; sweeping around the -landward face of the promontory, and enclosing a broad and spacious -castle garth. - -In the centre rises the great donjon tower, which stands as an enduring -memorial of William de la Grace, the great Earl Mareschal, who in all -probability designed the main fabric of the castle as we see it to-day. -An imposing _coup d'oeil_ of the ruins may be obtained by turning down -Dark Lane, crossing the old bridge that spans the stream hard beneath -the castle, and entering a timber-yard close by. Prominent in the view -is a lofty tower, mantled in glossy-green ivy and pierced with graceful -pointed windows, that soars from the river brink, enclosing, deep below -its foundations, that 'mervelous vault called the Hogan,' whence the -garrison in olden times drew their supplies of water. - -Beside the tower extends a long stretch of ivy-clad wall, rooted in the -living rock and broken at intervals by shapely turrets; over which peep -the upper works of the central keep. The spars and cordage of some -stranded coasting vessels, and a group of men calking their -weather-beaten timbers, lend an added charm to an exceedingly -picturesque scene. - -We are indebted to Leland for the ensuing description of the castle as -it appeared in the days of bluff King Hal: 'The Castel stondeth hard by -the waul on a hard Rokke, and is veri large and stronge, being doble -wardid. In the atter ward I saw the chaumbre wher King Henri the vii was -borne; in knowledge whereof a chymmeney is now made, with the armes and -Badges of King Henri vii. In the botom of the great stronge Towr, in the -inner warde, is a mervelous vault called the Hogan.' Another chronicler -of very different stamp, the late Professor Freeman, thus records his -impressions of this interesting pile: 'Pembroke Castle remarkably -combines elevation and massiveness, so that its effect is one of vast -general bulk. It is another conspicuous instance of the majesty often -accruing to dismantled buildings, which they could never have possessed -when in a perfect state.' - -Traversing the outer barbican that protected the deep-set entrance, we -pause to marvel at the elaborate defences of double portcullis and -thick, nail-studded doors, commanded by loopholed guard-chambers, set -within the gloomy arches of the gate-tower. The latter presents a -stately front, flanked by attached round towers, overlooking the inner -court; and contains a number of fine apartments for the accommodation of -distinguished guests. - -We next turn our attention to the adjacent barbican tower, whose massive -walls are seamed from top to base by huge, gaping rents, through which -the daylight peers; yet so great is their tenacity they still remain -intact, and support the original stone roof. Each story is pierced with -loopholes, ingeniously constructed to prevent missiles entering from -below. The spacious courtyard enclosed by the outer walls is carpeted -with velvety turf, whereon 'the quality' are wont to foregather from far -and near to wield the tennis-racket, and contest for 'deuce' and 'love' -upon the selfsame spot where, in the brave days of old, the Harcourts -and De Valances, and all the flower of Norman chivalry, flung down the -gauntlet or broke a lance upon the field of honour, while fair -spectators waved encouragement from every arch and balcony. - -Beside the great central keep a labyrinth of crumbling walls, towers and -arches, mainly of Edwardian date, cluster together in 'most admired -confusion.' Here are pointed out the remains of the chapel of St. -Nicholas, given by Montgomery to the Norman abbey of Sayes. A chamber is -usually pointed out, in the building called the Exchequer, as that in -which Henry VII. first saw the light; but Mr. Cobb suggests a room in -the tower overlooking Westgate Hill. Unfortunately, the arms and badges -noticed by Leland no longer exist to mark the scene of that interesting -event. - -Clambering down a flight of broken steps in an obscure corner of the -North Hall, we enter the vast cavern known as the Wogan; a very curious -and characteristic feature of Pembroke Castle. As we ramble over the -damp and slippery floor, by such light as can struggle in through the -huge sally-port and a narrow, pointed window, we find ourselves in a -spacious, natural vault sunk deep in the living rock; its rugged walls -and roof festooned with hartstongue fern, and stained by oozing -moisture--a weird, fantastic spot, such as the shade of the primæval -cave-dweller might frequent, should he elect to revisit the glimpses of -the moon. - -Sheer from the 'main Rokke' upon which the castle is founded, rises the -vast, circular keep or donjon tower, which formed the central stronghold -of the fortress. This is undoubtedly one of the most ancient parts of -the castle, having been erected by William Strongbow the elder, 'Rector -Regis et Regni,' as he proudly styled himself; who was Earl Mareschal of -Pembroke during the reigns of Richard Coeur-de-Lion and John. - -This imposing structure impresses every beholder by the vast proportions -and stern simplicity of its mighty bulk. The massive walls rise to a -height of more than 75 feet, and are of amazing thickness and solidity; -a spiral staircase, set deep within the wall, gave access to the several -floors and to the rampart around the summit, which commands a wide sweep -of the circumjacent landscape, with a glimpse of the winding Haven. The -floors have long since fallen away, though the holes for the beams that -supported them may still be seen, and two huge fireplaces with yawning -archways of enormous size. Lancet-windows and loops for the archers open -out here and there; one of the former, high up the wall (which appears -in our sketch), retaining some touches of ornamentation. - -'The Toppe of this round Towr,' as Leland quaintly puts it, 'is gatherid -with a Rose of Stone;' and, despite seven centuries of rough weather and -hard usage, the huge fabric appears intrinsically little the worse for -wear, and capable still of making a stand ''gainst the tooth of time and -razure of oblivion,' for many a long year to come. - -A stroll around the outer walls, and a peep at the Monkton Tower, -completes our perambulation of Pembroke Castle. With its neighbours of -Manorbere, Tenby and Carew, Pembroke formed a quadrilateral, planted to -guard this exposed district against attack from without: moreover, as -Professor Freeman has pointed out, this time-honoured fortress has a -special interest for the antiquarian student, as affording an unusually -complete example of a mediæval castle protecting a civic settlement. - -In the course of a ramble around the town, we turn into old St. Mary's -Church, a handsome edifice containing some curiously sculptured tombs -and a brand-new reredos. A low, massive tower rises at one end of the -church; and hard by it stands the quaint cupola of the old market-house, -which, adorned with a clock, and little figures of boys by way of -pinnacles, makes a pretty show in the view along the High Street. Many -of the older houses have an unpretentious charm about them, with their -antiquated bow-windows and wide oak staircases with twisted balusters. -Not a few of the better sort have old-fashioned gardens to the rear, -abloom in summer days with homely flowers, and redolent of honeysuckle, -lavender and jasmine. - -[Illustration: THE OLD WEST GATE. PEMBROKE.] - -Of the three town gates described by Leland, a scanty remnant of the -West Gate is all that now survives. Proceeding down the main street, -with the castle walls upon our right hand, we pass a group of cottages -jumbled all together upon a rising bank beside the highway, whence they -are approached by flights of crazy steps. A glance at our sketch of -these picturesque old structures (which have already been partially -'restored' since this view was taken) will show the broken arch of the -demolished West Gate, and the castle walls frowning across the roadway, -which has been widened out since the gate was removed. - -At the bottom of the hill we skirt the salt waters of a creek, or -'pill,' to use the local term, that 'gulfith in' beneath the shaggy bank -upon which the castle stands. Traversing the bridge, we mount upwards -again, and turn aside into a hollow way where a cluster of thatched -cottages, half hidden beneath embowering woodbine, stands high above the -roadway; whence time-worn steps clamber to their lowly porches. - -But, _vis-à-vis_ across the lane, rises a building whose unfamiliar -aspect at once arrests our attention. This is Monkton Old Hall, whose -massive front of dark-hued stone is pierced with narrow windows, set -beneath a low browed archway. Upon passing to the rear we stumble upon a -real old-world nook, where a crazy old 'Flemish' chimney rears above a -curious medley of weather-stained roofs and gables. - -With the courteous assent of the proprietor, we now take a glance round -the interior. Passing through a low, pointed doorway, we thread our way -amidst tortuous passages, and enter a lofty apartment. - -A large stone arch in the wall at one end encloses two quaint little -slits of windows (or peepholes, rather), with a similar opening lower -down, overlooking the approach from the outer entrance. A tortuous -stairway gives access to the upper regions, which contain various small -chambers, one of them having a fine old stone chimney-piece. - -But the most notable feature of the place is a large, oblong chamber cut -out of the rock, with vaulted roof of Norman date supported by massive -ribs, which occupies the lower part of the house. It has a separate -entrance from the road, and a big fireplace opening to the circular -chimney-shaft above mentioned. - -[Illustration: THE PRIORY DWELLING MONKTON.] - -Monkton Priory, of which this old hall appears to have been the -hospitium, or Prior's dwelling, was founded in 1098: and was subordinate -to St. Martin's Abbey at Séez, in Normandy. - -Resuming our ramble, we turn through a wicket at the top of the road, -and follow a narrow path that leads to the great south porch of Monkton -Priory Church. The venerable edifice has a picturesque appearance; with -the ruined walls and traceried windows of an ancient chapel beside the -chancel, and the Norman porch breaking the line of the nave roof. Upon -passing around to the north side, we are struck by the archaic -simplicity of the long, Norman nave, strengthened with vast rugged -buttresses and lighted by narrow, round-arched windows, set few and far -between. The chapel above mentioned projects upon this side; and the -ground is broken by traces of buildings that formed part of the -precincts of the ancient priory. - -The lonely dwelling to the westward was until lately used as the rectory -house; an unpretending edifice, whose weather-stained coating of -rough-cast partially conceals rows of old corbels, and other -half-obliterated features. Looking hence across Monkton Pill we have a -fine view of the castle, with its picturesque array of broken towers and -bastions, and a quaint old stone pigeon-cot down in the valley which -formed an appendage to that lordly _ménage_. While enjoying this goodly -scene, a summer shower sweeps up from the sea, and robs us for a time of -the enchanting prospect: but ere long the old fortress reappears beneath -a brilliant arc of rainbow, glowing in borrowed splendours under the -warm rays of the declining sun. - - * * * * * - - 'Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund Day - Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain-tops,' - -as we fare cheerily forth, on the morrow's morn, to explore the remoter -recesses of that secluded district ycleped the Stackpole Country. - -Our footsteps echo loudly as we trudge through Pembroke's deserted -street, where as yet a few half-awakened housemaids, and labouring men -going to their day's work, are the only signs of life. - -Nearing the railway-station we turn aside into a narrow, tortuous lane; -cross the stream that fed the old town moat and, passing a water-mill -beside a disused limestone quarry, we strike up the steady ascent of -Windmill Hill; catching _en route_ a glimpse of the time-worn steeple of -St. Daniel's Church, now used merely as a cemetery chapel. - -Upon winning the crest of the ridge the country opens out ahead, -showing a cluster of tall church towers clear against the skyline; and -then we drop sharply down one of those short, steep 'pinches' that make -such heavy work for the horses hereabouts. - -Groups of country-folk jaunt by to market in carts of primitive build, -propelled by strong, well-cared-for looking donkeys; and thus, _a poco a -poco_ as they say in Italy, we work our passage through quiet, -unfrequented byways startling a shy rabbit here and there, or flushing a -buxom partridge and her brood from beneath our very feet. - -Now and again we pause to catch the throstle's mellow song, or to watch -the easy movements of a pair of sparrow-hawks, as they wheel in slow, -graceful gyrations through the air. - -By-and-by we come to Cheriton; a tiny hamlet with a comely church, whose -tall, ivy-clad tower rises from a wooded dell. In the churchyard stands -an ancient cross smothered in creepers, and the stepping-block for those -who rode to church in bygone days. - -[Illustration: SIR ELIDUR DE STACKPOLE.] - -In the north wall of the chancel, beneath a handsome, canopied recess of -somewhat unusual character, lies the effigy of its reputed founder, Sir -Elidur de Stackpole. - -The figure has a grave and dignified appearance; it is clad in a suit of -chain-and-plate mail, and has sword, shield and large spurs. The worthy -knight is represented with crossed legs, as having fought in the wars of -the Crusades; at the time, no doubt, when Baldwyn and Gerald of -Manorbere were inciting the people to that famous enterprise. - -The base of this monument is divided into six panels, in each of which -is a figure beneath a cusped and crocketed arch. These quaint little -effigies show a curious variety of costume and expression, and are worth -close examination. Upon the opposite, or southern, side of the chancel -is the figure of a lady, apparently of Edwardian date. The head is -covered with a square hood, and is supported by two kneeling angels. -This effigy is very well executed, and in an unusually good state of -preservation. - -In the adjacent chantry we notice the early seventeenth-century monument -of 'Roger Lorte, late Lorde of the Mannor of Stackpoole.' This singular -erection is enriched with the painted figures of Sir Roger, his lady, -and their twelve children, and bears a pious inscription in the peculiar -style of the period. Under the window of this chantry lies a disused -altar stone bearing the following inscription, which we respectfully -submit for antiquaries to exercise their wits upon: CAMU ORIS FILI -FANNUC. - -Hard beneath the church we plunge into a woodland path, and follow the -meanderings of a prattling brook which hurries along, beneath the cool -shade of overarching trees, to the lake-like river that skirts the broad -demesne of Stackpole Court. - -The variety and luxuriance of the forest trees that flourish in this -sheltered locality, are all the more striking in a country where -well-developed timber is, as a rule, conspicuous by its absence; for the -rigorous gales that sweep across the more exposed uplands, give to the -struggling vegetation that leeward slant which is a characteristic of -many a Pembrokeshire landscape. - -Pleasant it is, turning from the glare of the dusty roadway, to saunter -beneath these leafy aisles of smooth-stemmed beech and knotty oak, -mountain-ash, ilex and Scotch fir; and to push our way through -intertwining thickets of bramble, wild-rose and ivy, enmeshed by the -clinging woodbine and traveller's joy; while all the time the mercury, -in less-favoured spots, is climbing steadily towards the eighties. - -Crossing a rustic bridge that spans the lake, we pause to watch the -slim, brown trout darting in every direction beneath the water-lilies -that adorn its placid surface; when, suddenly, a brace of dusky -waterfowl, alarmed by our intrusion, dart off with an impetuous splash -and trail away in rapid flight to the shelter of the ozier-beds. - -[Illustration: STACKPOLE.] - -Ere long the broad, gray front of Stackpole Court comes into view beyond -a stretch of velvety greensward; the massive porch being flanked by two -small Spanish field-guns of antiquated pattern, bearing the titles 'La -Destruidora' and 'La Tremenda.' The existing mansion was built by an -ancestor of the present Lord Cawdor, upon the site of the baronial -residence of that same Sir Elidur de Stackpole, whose tomb we have so -lately seen at Cheriton. - -The older house had experienced a chequered career. After weathering -many troubles in mediæval times, it was garrisoned by the King's troops -during the Civil Wars: when its stout old walls offered such effective -resistance to the Parliamentary cannon, that they did but little -execution. - -Stackpole is now the residence of the noble 'Thane of Cawdor,' whose -ancestor acquired the estate by marriage with Miss Lort, the sole -heiress to all these broad acres. - -The mansion contains some interesting works of art and relics of -antiquity, including a portrait by Romney of the famous Lady Hamilton; a -fine painting of Admiral Sir George Campbell, G.C.B., who captured the -French invaders at Fishguard in 1797: and a curious old map of the -county, adorned with shields and armorial devices. - -[Illustration: THE HIRLAS HORN.] - -That famous drinking-cup the 'Hirlas horn' was formerly to be seen at -Stackpole, but has since been removed to Golden Grove, in -Carmarthenshire. This curious treasure is mounted in silver, and is -supported upon an oval plinth by two silver quadrupeds, as shown in our -sketch. The latter are probably the only remaining portions of the -original horn, presented by Henry of Richmond to his faithful -entertainer, Dafydd ap Ievan, while resting at the castle of Llwyn -Dafydd, in Cardiganshire, on his way to Bosworth Field. - -Upon faring forth again, we are struck with admiration of the splendid -groups of evergreen trees that adorn the vicinity of the mansion, and -the trim, well-tended grounds that contrast so pleasantly with the wild -luxuriance of the surrounding woodlands. - -At the neighbouring farm we pick up a track diverging to the left, that -leads us over a bridge spanning the lake-like estuary, affording a -pretty peep of the mansion upon its bank. Thence our path winds across -the breezy slopes of Stackpole Park, until we drop suddenly upon a tiny -quay and cluster of cottages, stowed away beside the sea in the oddest -corner imaginable, under the sheltering lee of the cliffs. Ensconced in -this out-of-the-way nook, we snatch a well-earned _siesta_; and upon -resuming our stroll we follow the coast-line, passing near a cavern that -goes by the name of Lort's Cave, and catching a glimpse of the secluded -cove of Barrafundle, backed by a stretch of blue sea and the bold crags -of Stackpole Head. - -Retracing our steps to the farm we pass near a spot where, according to -a fading tradition, a certain ghostly party of headless travellers were -wont to arrive, about nightfall, in a spectral coach from Tenby; each -pale shade, as 'tis said, bearing his head stowed snugly away under his -arm! - -Another half-hour sees us into Bosheston, the remotest village of this -Ultima Thule. The place has a nautical air all its own; with a row of -trim coastguards' cottages, whose strip of sandy garden ground is -embellished with the figure-head of some 'tall Ammiral' of bygone days. -Atop of the hamlet stands the church, a primitive-looking old edifice, -with a rude stone cross and broken stoup standing amidst the tombstones. -The route is now all plain sailing, for we have merely to 'follow our -noses' along the sandy trackway; while the salt wind deals us many a -lusty buffet as we trudge seawards across the open, shelterless uplands. - -Upon reaching the cliff-head, we discover a flight of rough steps, -whereof, as the fable goes, no man can tell the number. Descending the -winding way we find ourselves, a few minutes later, before St. Govan's -Chapel. - -[Illustration: ST. GOVAN'S CHAPEL.] - -This diminutive structure stands in a narrow chine between wild, -tumbled crags. It is rudely constructed of weather-stained blocks of -limestone, arched over with a primitive kind of vault, and is lighted by -two or three narrow windows. A low doorway in the eastern wall gives -access to a cell-like recess, just big enough for a man to turn round -in. Here, according to a curious old legend, St. Govan sought shelter -from his pagan enemies; whereupon the massy rock closed over him and hid -him from his pursuers, opening again to release the pious anchorite so -soon as the chase was overpassed. - -Anent this queer nook, the popular superstition runs that all who can -keep to the selfsame wish, while they turn around therein, will obtain -their desire before the year is out--a belief that, to judge from the -well-worn appearance of the rock face, must be widely entertained. - -Upon the western gable rises a small bell-cot, long since bereft of its -solitary bell. For it happened, 'once upon a time,' that a wicked pirate -who chanced to be sailing by became enamoured of its silvery tones, and, -landing with his rascally crew, plundered the sanctuary of its treasure. -His success, however, was short-lived, for a mighty storm arose and -overwhelmed the vessel, so that every soul aboard perished in the raging -waves. Meanwhile the bereaved hermit was compensated for his loss with a -miraculous stone, which, when struck, gave forth the identical tone of -the cherished bell; and credulous folk to this day affirm that the -neighbouring rocks ring, upon being struck, with surprising alacrity. - -From the chapel we next scramble down to the 'holy well,' a neglected -spot of no interest save such as tradition can lend. Yet in olden times -folk were wont to gather here from far and wide, in anticipation of an -instant cure for 'those thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.' - -Quaint legends and superstitions such as these linger, to this day, -amongst the older peasantry of this remote portion of South -Pembrokeshire. Indeed, the whole locality offers a happy hunting-ground -to anyone curious in the matter of old-time folk-lore. - -For behold, is not this Gwlâd yr Hûd, the Christian Kymro's Land of -Phantasy; which, long ere the time that history had dawned, was -enveloped in Llengêl, the Veil of Mystery? Each castle-crowned headland -of this rock-bound coast, and every grass-grown rath and barrow that -furrows the surface of these immemorial hills, has formed the theme of -some half-forgotten legend or lingering tradition, long cherished among -this imaginative people. - -A lonesome, sea-girt land where storms and sea-mists, sweeping from the -wide Atlantic, wreath the steadfast hills in unsubstantial vapours, -through which each beetling precipice that frowns across the ocean looms -like some weird vision of a dream. Amidst such scenes as these, the -fantastic creations of the Keltic imagination must readily have found 'a -local habitation and a name.' - -Well, _revenons à nos moutons_, after this excursion into legend-land. -Seated on a mossy stone, we contemplate the age-worn cliffs whose ruddy -bastions, carved into a thousand castellated forms, range their -impregnable fronts against old Ocean's impetuous artillery. A steady -south-westerly breeze sends the green, translucent rollers vollying with -thunderous roar against the weed-fringed rocks upon the shore; while -flocks of gulls wheel overhead, drifting on motionless, angular pinions, -or sweeping across the breakers with harsh, discordant cries. - -We now seek out a view-point for a sketch of the lonely hermitage, a -matter of no small difficulty owing to the tumbled nature of the ground; -but eventually we select a sheltered spot where the noontide sun, -peering downward from the cloudless vault of heaven, draws out the rich, -sweet odours of sea-pink, wild-thyme and gorse. - -Mounting again to the brow of the cliffs, we ramble around the lonely -coast, which hereabouts is indented with a series of 'crankling nookes' -that penetrate, like long fingers, deep into the land. - -Here is the wild and perilous abyss yclept the Huntsman's Leap, from the -story of some fabulous rider who, putting his horse to full gallop, -plunged across the unexpected chasm, only to perish from sheer fright -upon regaining his home! The nodding cliffs approach so closely upon -either hand, as to have been not inaptly likened to a pair of leviathan -vessels locked fast in collision. - -A bowshot westward lies Bosheston Meer, a similar cavern sunk fathoms -deep in the solid rock. Near it is a funnel-shaped aperture that acts in -stormy weather as a blowhole; whence it is said the waves are driven -high above the land, plunging back again with a roar that can be heard -far inland. - -Strange tales were told in bygone times of the freaks of this -tempest-torn abyss. George Owen, an Elizabethan chronicler, observes: -'If Sheepe or other like Cattell be grazing neere the Pitt, offtimes -they are forcibly and violently Drawne and carryed into the pitt; and if -a Cloke, or other garment, bee cast on the grownd neere the Pitt, at -certaine seasones, you shall stande afarre off, and see it sodainely -snatch'd, drawne and swallowed up into the Pitt, and never seene -againe.' - -Quitting this wild and fascinating spot, we pass near the grass-grown -mounds of a prehistoric camp; and then, striking a little inland, make -for a sort of green oasis that marks the 'Sunken Wood.' - -A vast, shelving pit, sunk some 50 feet below the level of the ground, -and twice as many across, is filled with a grove of vigorous ash-trees. -Their dense foliage entirely covers the top of the chasm; where it is -cut off, smooth as a well-trimmed hedge, by the sea-spray borne upon the -gales from the adjacent ocean. - -Many conjectures have been formed as to the origin of this remarkable -freak of Nature; the most plausible being that, the subsoil having been -excavated by the waves through some subterranean fissure, the ground has -fallen in from above and formed this cavity. - -We now hark back to the cliffs once more, and coast around the broad -inlet of Bullslaughter Bay, whose rocky walls are pierced with many a -dark, weed-fringed cavern where - - 'Old Triton blows his wreathed horn.' - -Pacing the springy turf of the open down, we feast our eyes upon the -sparkling waters of the Channel, whose sunlit waves roll in upon the -rocky headlands, 'where the broad ocean leans against the land.' The -flat, featureless character of the landward view enhances by contrast -the attractions of the iron-bound coast; upon whose wild, fantastic -crags and beetling precipices, the traveller gazes in undivided -admiration. - -Anon we diverge seawards again, and, traversing the grassy mounds of a -prehistoric camp, we look down into the depths of a profound abyss known -as the Cauldron. The weather-stained precipices of this magnificent -chasm rise sheer from the ocean, inaccessible save to the gulls and -cormorants that haunt their rocky ledges. Huge archways and vaulted -passages, yawning in the limestone rock, afford glimpses of the -foam-flecked waves beleaguering, in unceasing onslaught, these sea-girt -bulwarks of the steadfast land. - -Onward we plod, until erelong the incessant clang and clamour of the -myriad sea-fowl that, time out of mind, have made their home amidst -these wild and inaccessible sea-cliffs, tell of our approach to the -far-famed Stack Rocks. - -Standing upon a rocky vantage-point, we have the two lofty, isolated -rocks, or 'stacks,' full in view; rising from the surging ocean that -rolls in foaming eddies around their feet. Countless sea-birds wheel -with harsh, discordant cries around their weathered sides; where every -available ledge and cranny of the rocks is peopled with a multitude -of feathered bipeds, huddled together close as herrings in a barrel. -Here, cheek-by-jowl in sociable good-fellowship, cluster clumsy -guillemots (or'eligugs,' as they call them locally), razorbills, -and ridiculous-looking puffins in clerical black and white; while -kittiwakes, sea-pies and dark-green cormorants dart about athwart the -waves, or, perched upon some projecting ledge, pursue their morning -toilette with the utmost _insouciance_. - -The eggs of these birds are of rather peculiar form. Very large at one -end and pointed at the other, their sides are curiously flattened; this -nice provision of Nature rendering them less liable to roll off the -narrow ledges of the rocks which are their resting-place. - -Inexorable time forbids our rambling farther around the trend of the -sea-cliffs; so we reluctantly quit their breezy summits to hie away -inland past the lonely chapel of Flimston; keeping straight ahead -through sandy lanes glorified with hedges of golden gorse, and 'the -swete bramble floure' of good old Chaucer. Presently we come in sight of -the tall steeple of Warren Church on the rise of the hill before us. - -A long mile westward from our present road lies Bullibur, where traces -of an ancient chapel have been brought to light at a spot to this day -known as the 'Church Ways.' Anent the erection of this little edifice, -the story runs that, as fast as ever the builders could raise their -stones from day to day, the Prince of Darkness came along and demolished -their handiwork during the night. - -Be that as it may, we now press on to Warren; whose fine old church has -a massive tower and spire, of such lofty height as to form a notable -landmark to pilots far away at sea. The tunnel-vaulted nave and porch, -with a well-preserved cross in the churchyard, complete the tale of -Warren's _notabilia_. - -With a final glance around the wide-extended landscape, encircled by a -blue stretch of the distant Channel, we shape our course over some -rising ground at a place called Cold Comfort--a tantalizing misnomer -this torrid afternoon. Our road then winds down the hill to a fresh, -clear stream, running through water-meadows where cattle stand knee-deep -in the cooling shallows; and so, crossing Stem Bridge, we enter the -confines of the ancient Honour of Pembroke. - -Breasting the upward slope, we pass through numerous gates athwart the -little-frequented highway, which hereabouts calls for no particular -notice, being chiefly remarkable for the amazing and dazzling whiteness -of its coating of limestone dust, which, under the glare of the -afternoon sun, recalls the parched routes of distant Italy. This brings -into play our dark, smoked glasses and the weather-beaten sketching -umbrella, to the huge delectation of the small fry skylarking around the -wayside cottage gates. - -[Illustration: ORIELTON.] - -By-and-by the many-windowed front of Orielton appears amidst the rolling -woodlands that cluster around a pretty lakelet lying in the hollow of -the vale. There is an old saying that Orielton possesses as many windows -as the year has days, and as many doors as days in the month; but -finding the fable tally ill with the apparent size of the mansion, we -propound the conundrum to an old road-mender who explains that a large -part of the building was 'throwed down' years ago, when he was 'a bit of -a boy.' - -At Hundleton two roads diverge near the village green, and, as 'all -roads lead to Rome,' either will do for Pembroke; so we steer as -straight a course as we can, the lane winding down beneath overarching -trees to a secluded nook where a stream meanders, under deep, ruddy -sandstone banks, to lose itself in a salt-water 'pill' that joins the -Pennar River. - -Traversing the long, tedious street of Monkton, our lengthening shadows -point the way as we push on once more into Pembroke town; conjuring up, -after the long day's tramp, rare visions of the good cheer awaiting us -at the modest quarters where we come to anchor for the night. - -[Illustration: AT RHÔSCROWTHER.] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -TO ANGLE, RHÔSCROWTHER, AND THE CASTLE MARTIN COUNTRY. - - -To-day we extend our rambles, by a westerly course, through the remote -and little-visited peninsula that encompasses the 'lardg and spatious -Harborough' of Milford Haven, upon its southern flank. - -There is an Eastern saying that 'men grow blind in gazing at the sun, -and never see the beauty of the stars.' Throughout the locality in -question we shall not be dazzled by grand or striking scenery; yet we -may happen unawares upon many a nook of pleasant verdure amidst its -rolling sandstone hills; and quiet corners, full of an indescribable -charm, in the world-forgetting villages (undiscovered by the -guide-books) that nestle in its remote, sequestered vales. - -Getting away 'bright and early' from Pembroke streets, while the smoke -of newly-kindled fires still hangs softly around the old house-tops of -the town, the keen, crisp air of the half-awakened day sends us spinning -along at a pace that makes short work of the tedious highway. - -At a bend of the road we digress into a hollow seductive lane that -meanders, in nonchalant fashion, around the head of a tidal inlet; -thence our by-way beguiles us, by moss-grown stepping-stones, across a -tinkling rill that wantons in rippling eddies amidst big red sandstone -boulders, where ivy and hartstongue fern have made their home. Onwards -we pursue this secluded lane, under the cool shade of an overhanging -coppice; here the deep, ruddy soil is shot with purple hues, from the -blue sky mirrored in each shallow puddle left by last night's rain. - -In every shadowy nook wreaths of fairy gossamer glisten, like frosted -silver, amidst the emerald green of the hedgerow. The merry pipe of -linnet and piefinch sounds cheerily forth as we pass along; while that -quaint little fellow, the nuthatch, utters his unmistakeable note -(resembling the ring of skates on the ice), as he flits from tree to -tree. Working his way head-downwards, in his own peculiar fashion, he -searches trunk and branches for his favourite fare; striking with his -long, sturdy beak, and steadying himself by the purchase of his -outspread tail. - -Now and again we catch a glimpse of a smart goldfinch, and presently -discover his pretty nest, with eggs lying warm and cosy; while sober -little wrens flit briskly in and out under the bushes. Even the -nightingale, though a _rara avis_ in these parts, has, this phenomenal -season, been heard in the woods near Cresselly. The following tradition -explains how these little songsters came to shun the county of Pembroke. -It appears that St. David, 'being seriously occupyed in the night tyme -in his diverse orizons, was soe troubled with the swete tuninges of the -Nightingall as that he praied unto th' Almightie that, from that tyme -forward, there might never a Nightingall sing within his Dioces; and -this was the cause of confininge of the bird out of this countrey. Thus -much,' remarks the chronicler, 'to recreat the reader's spirettes.' - -Presently as we rise the hill a broad, land-locked bay opens out to the -briny Haven at Pennar Mouth. In the words of that quaint chronicler, -George Owen: 'This is the creke that cometh upp to Pembroke towne. It is -the largest and greatest creke of al Milforde, and passeth upp into the -land a three Myle and more; and at the upper End it parteth itself in -two Branches, and compasseth about the Towne and castle of Pembroke; -serving the said Towne for a moate, or strong Ditch, on every side -thereof. A Bark of 40 or 50 Tonnes may enter this Creke att low water, -and ride at Ankher att Crowpoole, but noe further without helpe of ye -Tyde. The Crow is a shallow, or shelf, a pretty way within the entrance -of Pennar; on itt groweth the best Oysters of Milforde. It is a big and -sweete Oyster,' saith he, 'and poore folk gather them without dredging.' - -Far away upon the glassy waters of the Haven, a handful of vessels lie -at anchor off Hobb's Point, where the old coach-road runs down to the -ferry. All this is soon lost to view as we descend to a tree-shaded -dingle, aglow with foxgloves, campion and yellow _fleur-de-lys_. Anon -our path winds upwards across an open hillside, amidst acres of glowing -gorse; passing a few lonely thatched cottages, with donkeys browsing -leisurely about their open doors. - -At a place called Wallaston Cross five lanes converge, necessitating a -consultation with the trusty Ordnance map. The choice falls upon an -upland road, running along the brow of a hill, that raises us just high -enough to peep across the Haven to Milford town, and the towers of -distant Pembroke; over which we catch a glimpse of the Precelly hills, -lying far away upon the northern horizon. - -Down in a sequestered dell, overlooking the estuary, nestles the little -church of Pwllcroghan; its low tower and dumpy spire scarce out-topping -a grove of tempest-torn trees. - -Long ago this lowly edifice was restored by Ralph de Beneger, a former -Rector, whose counterfeit presentment reposes in his church beneath a -canopy bearing the inscription: 'Hic jacet Radulphus Beneger, hujus -ecclesiæ Rector.' In 1648 a skirmish took place in Pwllcroghan -churchyard, between the Royalist and Parliamentary troops; when it is -recorded that 'the malignants, as was their custom, displayed on their -hats the legend, "We long to see our King."' - -Trudging steadily onwards, we pass near Hênllan House, formerly a -possession of the Whites of Tenby; a place which still keeps its old -Welsh name amidst all its Saxon neighbours. That rascally vagrant the -cuckoo now pipes up from a neighbouring coppice, and 'tells his name to -all the hills' in monotonous iteration; while lovely Silver-washed -Fritillaries and sky-blue butterflies flit to and fro beside the -hedgerow. - -At a crook of the lane we turn through a gate, and follow the -'fore-draught' down to Eastington farmhouse, where the good-natured -farmer and his better-half provide bed and board for the coming night; a -vast convenience in this unfrequented district, which offers no -accommodation of a higher type than the ordinary hedge alehouse. - -After despatching a modest repast, in which the staff of life forms the -backbone of our fare, we resume our devious ramble. An unmistakeable -footpath leads past the ruins of a deserted water-mill to the shore of -Angle Bay, whose calm blue waters, spreading broadly into the land, -mirror a cloudless sky of unrivalled purity. Skirting an ancient -moss-grown wall which, for some inscrutable reason, encloses a tract of -apparently valueless marshland, we roam across the shingly beach towards -a group of isolated buildings. Pale yellow sea-poppies, taking heart of -grace to brave the lusty breezes, beautify the waste places with their -delicate flowers; and groups of cattle, standing knee-deep in the -shallows, add a touch of life to the pleasant, tranquil scene. - -Our route now lies around the rocky shore, an opportune field-path -skirting the low cliffs, and affording lovely ever-changing views over -the sunny landscape and the land-locked Haven. The warm south wind, -sweet from clover fields, is fraught with the roar of the ocean, driving -full into Freshwater Bay a mile away beyond the sandy burrows; but here -under the lee of the hill, scarce a breath of air stirs the ripening -barley. Suddenly a brace of partridges blusters away from the sun-baked -ploughfield, where the ruddy eye of the 'pimpernel' peeps from every -furrow. - -Ensconced beneath a gnarled old hawthorn hedge wreathed in fragrant -woodbine, we indulge in a quiet pipe; watching the rabbits as they -scuttle to and fro under the sandy bank, and the dainty blue dragonflies -hovering over the meadowsweet and ragged Robin, that deck the oozy -course of the streamlet at our feet. The deep tones of a steamer's syren -float across the water, followed by the report of a heavy gun from a -fortress guarding the Haven; for the summer manoeuvres are now in full -swing, and we can see the white-peaked tents of the Connaught Rangers -behind Angle Point. - -The gracefully curving shore is fringed with a broad stretch of -seaweed, of every hue from golden brown to bottle green, whence the -pungent odour of ozone is borne upon the sun-warmed air. - -Glancing back across the bay, we catch a glimpse of the old farmhouse -that is to be our local habitation for to-night; near which the tower of -Rhôscrowther Church rises amidst its solitary grove of trees. - -A long mile further we enter the village of Angle (or Nangle, as it is -sometimes called), a place that in ancient deeds is styled 'in Angulo,' -doubtless from its situation in a _corner_ of the land. - -The long village street with its one-storied cottages, many of them -coloured yellow, pink or blue, and all embowered in luxuriant climbing -plants, has a pleasant, cheery look; and as we advance a ruined tower -comes into view, rising above some marshy meadows beside the stream. -This is all that remains of the castle of Angle, once the abode of the -Sherbornes, an ancient family in the land, who were formerly lords of -Angle. At no great distance from the church are some remains of a -handsome structure of uncertain antiquity. Nothing is known about the -history of these ruins; but they have supplied a peg whereon to hang a -local legend, somewhat to the following effect: 'Once upon a time,' -three sisters and co-heiresses, finding they could not pull together -under the same roof, agreed to build each of them a dwelling for -herself. The first is said to have erected the castle; the second, the -curious old house above mentioned; and the third, a mansion just without -the village, where a house named Hall now stands. - -Turning through a wicket-gate, we pass by an old stone cross and enter -the church, over which, alas! has swept the moloch of modern -restoration, obliterating much of its original character. In one corner, -however, we espy a queer little organ of primitive type, with unenclosed -pipes and keyboard, not unlike the spinet of earlier days. This has been -recently evicted in favour of a brand-new instrument designed by the -present vicar, who is skilled in the art and mystery of organ-building. - -Angle Church was one of the numerous benefices held by that famous Welsh -chronicler, Giraldus Cambrensis. - -[Illustration: SEAMENS CHAPEL AT ANGLE.] - -In a corner of the churchyard, overlooking the tidal inlet, rises a -picturesque little chapel frequented in olden times by the seafaring -folk, when embarking upon or returning from their ventures on the vasty -deep. Externally all is obscured beneath a mantle of glossy green ivy, -save where a traceried window or low-arched doorway peeps from under the -shadowy foliage. Ascending a few steps to the interior, we find -ourselves in a small, oblong chamber covered with a pointed stone vault; -at the east end stands a plain, stone altar, surmounted by an elegant -little traceried window, whose modern painted glass portrays Scriptural -scenes appropriate to the purpose of the chapel. - -A small piscina, and the recumbent figure of some unknown ecclesiastic -under an arched recess, adorn this nutshell of a church. Beneath it is a -crypt of similar dimensions, entered through a doorway at the eastern -end, and lighted by small quatrefoil openings pierced through the -thickness of the walls. - -[Illustration: Ruined Castle at Angle] - -We now turn our attention to the castle ruins, which are reached by -passing the school-house and crossing a small grass-plot, adorned with -a simple monument to some local benefactor. Little else remains besides -a tall, ivy-clad peel-tower, whose massive limestone walls abut upon the -shallow stream that meanders to the bay. These solid walls are -honeycombed with archways and passages; while a good, stone-newel -stairway corkscrews up to the outermost battlements, above which rises a -circular chimney-shaft. Each of the four stories had its own fireplace, -window recesses and other conveniences; and the lower chamber is stoutly -vaulted with stone. Altogether, the place appears to have been built in -such a self-contained fashion as to be capable of resisting attack, or -even sustaining a siege. - -Close at hand stands a low, rambling, yellow-washed house, having every -sign of age about it. Many years ago this was the Castle Inn. The -interior shows dark, open-raftered ceilings, where mighty hams and -flitches of bacon ripen the year round; broad-beamed oaken chairs flank -a solid table standing upon the rough, flagged floor; while dogs, cats, -hens and chickens roam sociably everywhere. A carved stone head, peeping -out from amidst the honeysuckle that clambers over the porch, is _said_ -to represent Giraldus Cambrensis himself, a statement that must be -accepted with the proverbial 'grain of salt.' - -The rough outbuildings at the rear also bear traces of antiquity; and in -an adjacent meadow stands one of those curious old pigeon-houses, which -formed a customary adjunct to the mediæval castle or manor-house. The -thick stone walls of this pigeon-house are built in a circular form, -surmounted by a high conical roof much the worse (except from a -picturesque point of view) for several centuries of neglect and hard -weather; the interior is pierced with many tiers of pigeon-holes, each -with a ledge for the bird to rest upon, while an 'eye' in the crown of -the roof served its feathered inmates as a doorway. The original arched -entrance has been broken away to form a larger opening, and the whole -structure appears to be coëval with the neighbouring castle. This -pigeon-house appears in our sketch of Angle Castle. - -Invigorated by a crisp sea-breeze that drives the fleecy clouds before -it, we put our best foot foremost, and stretch away along a rough -cart-lane between banks of prickly furze and stunted hawthorn hedges. -These give place, after passing a solitary farmstead, to the open, -wind-swept down, aglow with amber-tinted gorse, and carpeted with dry, -crisp turf and tussocks of flowering thrift. - -Half a mile across this bracing moorland lands us at the old ruined -Blockhouse, built, as George Owen informs us, in the days of Henry VIII. -'for to ympeach the entrance into the Haven.' Hence we look out across -the open seaway, that forms a worthy approach to the noble estuary of -Milford Haven. - -From this sea-girt eyrie we command a spacious outlook over land and -sea. Standing beside the gray, lichen-clad ruins of the old -watch-tower, our gaze wanders across a sparkling expanse of open sea -that rolls, in waves of clearest aquamarine and sapphire blue, towards -the land-locked shelter of the Haven; and breaks into crests of snowy -foam where St. Anne's Head stands out and takes the brunt of old Ocean's -fury. The ruddy, sandstone rocks rise in picturesque confusion from the -surging breakers, which eddy around a tiny islet accessible only at low -tide; whose forefront, planted in the ocean, is barbed with a grim array -of jagged ledges and pierced with dark, yawning crevices. - -Beyond West Angle Bay the mainland rounds away eastwards, with a -fort-crowned islet protecting the inner reaches of the famous estuary. - -It is to be hoped that the unrivalled advantages of Milford Haven will -ere long be turned to better account. With its noble fairway, -untrammelled by shoal or bar, and deep, land-locked reaches where the -whole British Navy might safely ride at anchor, Milford Haven has no -compeer along our western seaboard. Given a better system of railway -communication, and proper facilities in the way of docks and wharves, -Milford should, in days to come, stand _facile princeps_ as a seaport -for the magnificent vessels engaged in the great and ever-increasing -traffic of the Atlantic 'ferry.' - -But, meanwhile, time is stealing a march upon us, and the lengthening -shadows warn us to depart; so, casting a last glance across the sunlit -sea, flecked with white 'mares'-tails' and dotted with brown-sailed -trawlers, we retrace our track over the breezy headland. At every step -we inhale the healthful smell of wave-washed seaweed, and tread -underfoot the flowers that gem the rough, uneven ground--thrift, -trefoil, blue sheep's bit and a minute, starlike flower whose name we do -not know. - -Pushing on through the quiet street of Angle, we diverge up a steep, -shady lane in search of Bangeston House; which proves to be nothing more -than the gaunt, dismantled walls of a vast group of buildings, -apparently of early eighteenth-century date, mantled in ivy and -overshadowed by sombre trees. The ruins cover a large extent of ground, -and appear to have been regarded by the neighbours as a convenient -quarry for building materials. Bangeston was, as its name implies, the -ancestral home of the Benegers, a family of much consequence in olden -times who possessed broad acres hereabouts, but whose very name has long -since become extinct. - -Curious tales of the former occupants of Bangeston still linger amongst -the cottagers. A certain Lord Lyon, the Garter King-at-Arms of his time, -is said to have dwelt here many years ago; and an ancient graybeard whom -we meet volunteers the information that, 'It was a gret plaäce in they -times, and I've a-heared tell as there was quare doings when Lord Lyon -lived in th' ould marnsion. It was him as drove with a coach and horses, -one dirty night, and went right over the clift (they do say), down by -Freshwater way, and was never seed again.' - -Much edified by the yarns of Old Mortality, we now retrace our steps to -Eastington Farm; musing meanwhile over these fast-fading fables, and -meeting a few belated peasant-folk trudging home through the gray of the -gloaming. - -[Illustration: JESTYNTON.] - -Eastington, or more properly Jestynton, is traditionally reputed to have -been, in days long before the Conquest, the abode of Jestyn, grandson of -Howel Ddâ, Prince of South Wales. A descendant of his, whose -unpronounceable name we refrain from recording, was married to Sir -Stephen Perrot, the first Norman of that name to settle in this county; -who by this alliance acquired vast possessions and influence throughout -all the countryside. - -This quaint old homestead of Eastington, under whose hospitable roof we -spend the night, is honeycombed with curious nooks and corners, that -lure us on to endless scrambles amidst dark, crooked passages, and -crumbling stairways. The long south front, with its homely porch and -small-paned windows, is flanked at its western end by a massive mediæval -structure whose rough, lichen-clad walls are pierced with narrow, -deep-set windows, and topped by ruinous battlements; all looking so -hoary and ancient, one is disposed to fancy this may be a remnant of the -royal residence of that old Welsh Prince whose name it bears. - -By a rude, steep flight of grass-grown steps we mount to a clumsy door, -that swings noisily on its crazy hinges as we push our way into the -interior. We now find ourselves in a large and lofty chamber, whose -solid, concrete floor is prettily marked out with lines traced in simple -geometrical patterns. Rudely-arched windows admit light at either end, -one of them having cusped openings; while a ruined fireplace yawns in -the centre of the opposite wall. - -A small vaulted cell opens from one end of this room; and a narrow -stair, winding through the thickness of the wall, ascends to the -battlemented roof, which has a gangway all around and is pierced with -loopholes for defence. The dark, vaulted basement of this ancient fabric -forms a capital cool dairy, where mine hostess shows us with pardonable -pride her clean, earthenware pans brimful of the freshest of fresh milk -and cream. - -Anon ensues a quiet chat over the evening pipe; the mellowing flitches -forming a canopy overhead as we lounge in the cavernous chimney-corner. -At last we retire to our lowly chamber, to be serenaded far into the -night by the boom of heavy guns, waging mimic warfare by land and sea; -while the glare of electric search-lights turns night into noontide, in -a highly distracting fashion. - -Next morning the heavens are already as brass above our heads when, -turning our backs on Jestynton, we strike into the meadow-path that -leads down to Rhôscrowther village. Ensconced in a secluded dell remote -from the busy haunts of men, this quiet hamlet has a look of rest and -fair contentment; yet the place must have been of no little importance -in bygone times, for there is reason to believe that the Bishop of St. -Davids had one of his seven palaces in this parish. - -Down in a hollow beside the stream stands the ancient parish church, -dedicated to St. Decumanus, patron of springs and wells, who in olden -times was held in high esteem for the cures effected at the bubbling -rill hard by. - -This venerable church remains pretty much in its original condition, and -presents a picturesque array of roofs and gables, clustering beneath its -tall gray tower. The gable of the nave is crowned by a pretty bell-cot, -which probably did duty prior to the erection of the tower. The latter -is a stout old structure with 'battered' or sloping walls, having both -an inner and an outer roof of stone, and looking as though built with a -view to defence. - -The north porch is unusually spacious. Its broad gable end is adorned -with the arms of the Daws of Bangeston, and the badge of the Whites of -Hentland, a notable family in bygone days, whose chapel is in the north -transept. Alongside the arched doorway of the porch is a square-headed -opening, supposed to have been used as an alms window, through which, in -those easy-going times, the priest handed out the dole of bread, money -or what not to his _protégés_. - -Our attention is next attracted by a diminutive figure surmounting the -arch of the inner entrance. Upon closer inspection this archaic image -appears to be seated, with the right hand raised in the attitude of -benediction. It was rescued, we understand, many years ago from the -iconoclastic restorers who were then working their will on Angle Church; -and was placed in its present position by the Rector of this parish. - -Upon entering into the sacred edifice, its picturesque proportions -excite our admiration. Notwithstanding its modest dimensions the short -transepts, curious angle passages and chancel with its pretty aisle, -give a quaint, varied look to the low interior. - -[Illustration: AT RHÔSCROWTHER.] - -The north wall of the chancel is adorned with a handsome, crocketed -canopy, which terminates in a triplet of queer, sculptured faces -symbolical of the Holy Trinity. This monument partly hides an ancient -niche or aumbry, where the wafer was probably kept in pre-Reformation -times. The adjacent south aisle has two canopied recesses; under one of -which reposes the handsome, though somewhat damaged, effigy of a lady, -with a wimple over her chin such as is worn to this day in the northern -part of the county. The wall above is pierced with a small piscina arch; -and the chamber is lighted by windows of very good Pembrokeshire type. - -This aisle is known as the Jestynton Chapel, from the mansion of that -ilk to which it still appertains; and there is a tradition that Jestyn, -Prince of South Wales, built the church; placing it conveniently near to -his own residence, though remote from the rest of the parish. - -Many other interesting features will reward a diligent search; and the -visitor who is curious in such matters will notice that the chancel arch -has evidently been cut through from the earlier nave. The south doorway, -abandoned in favour of the more sheltered north porch, affords a -convenient niche for the font: while odd corners here and there conceal -old tombstones, inscribed with quaint epitaphs or half-obliterated -armorial scutcheons. - -In passing through the churchyard, we examine a dilapidated cross, -remarkable for a circular hole in the base supposed to have been used as -a receptacle for contributions to the priest from his flock. Near the -adjacent stile stands an ancient, upright stone inscribed with curious, -illegible characters. - -At the little foot-bridge spanning the stream, we halt to enjoy a -pleasant retrospect of the time-honoured church, set amidst embowering -trees, with a handful of lowly cottages scattered prettily around. - -Thence we push on by a footpath across the upland meadows; climbing -stone stiles, set in the turfy walls which do duty here as hedgerows. -Gradually we ascend to the wind-swept plateau at Newton; and if the -ascent is easily won, it is none the less worth winning; for it affords -an ample outlook over land and sea, with the village of Castle Martin -upon the rise of the opposite hill. - -Our track now becomes somewhat obscure, so we call in to inquire the way -at the neighbouring blacksmith's shop; when a soot-begrimed son of -Vulcan, casting aside his hammer, good-naturedly pioneers us along an -intricate by-way, and points out the bearings for crossing the marshy -valley. A wild enough place is this in winter-time, as our guide can -testify; where the very hayricks have to be lashed secure to weather the -fierce sou'-westers, which, under their steady impact, bend the trees -into strange, distorted forms. - -Descending the rough braeside, we now make for a conspicuous old -ash-tree, and thenceforward thread our way amidst the dykes and marshy -levels of Castle Martin Corse. - -The tall steeple of Warren church, showing clear against the sky ahead, -makes a serviceable landmark, until we strike the grassy track that -leads across the marsh. Arrayed in sombre hues of russet red, rich -browns and olive greens, the level strath is dotted with groups of -horses and the black cattle for which the locality is famed, grazing -knee-deep amidst waving sedges and lush green water-plants. - -As we advance, the lapwings (those lovers of lonely, unfrequented -places), wheel and circle overhead, uttering their peculiarly plaintive -pipe as they scan the unwelcome intruders. And now a hollow lane -receives us, and keeps us company until, after passing a two-three -humble tenements, we turn aside into the well-tended graveyard; and so -to the parish church of St. Michael, which stands in a little elbow of -the hill overlooking the scattered dwellings of the hamlet. - -[Illustration: CASTLE MARTIN CHURCH.] - -Castle Martin church has made so doughty a stand against the ravages of -time that now, in its green old age, it presents an extremely -picturesque appearance as we approach its weather-beaten portal. Before -passing within, let us pause awhile to scan the features of this -characteristic old Pembrokeshire church. - -Prominent in our view rises the gray limestone tower, whose rugged, -time-worn walls rise solidly to the corbelled battlements. These have -louvred windows to the bell-chamber, and a quaint metal weather-vane -atop; to right and left range the lichen-clad roofs and walls of the -main structure; while a lofty and massive porch stands boldly out, -enclosing a rambling stairway that leads to the tower. The foreground -is occupied by crumbling headstones, wreathed in ivy and decked with -flowering creepers; and a shapely churchyard cross rises beside our -pathway. - -Nor does the interior of the church prove a whit less interesting. Here -a group of graceful arches, with attached limestone shafts, gives access -from the nave to the north aisle; whence a skew arch, having detached -pillars with capitals, opens into the chancel. The latter is flanked by -similar arches enclosing pretty, traceried windows. - -The great south porch has a narrow doorway at some height in the side -wall, giving access to a much-worn, straggling flight of steps. -Scrambling up these we find ourselves in the tower, which, after the -manner of the country, is massively constructed; having grim vaulted -chambers with many openings, like pigeon-holes, pierced in the solid -walls. Here are also the bells, erected by John Rudhale, A.D. 1809. The -font, though plain, is well proportioned and of early date. - -This curious old church is the head of the important parish and hundred -of Castle Martin. The district is noted for its breed of black, -long-horned cattle; and in bygone days could boast its own troop of -gallant yeomanry, who shared with the Fishguard Fencibles the -distinction of repelling the notorious French 'invasion' of -Pembrokeshire, a century ago. - -Leaving the quiet village to the care of an aged crone and a group of -children playing with a lame magpie, we get under way again, and make -for the crossways on the ridge. At this point the Ordnance map raises -expectations of something of a 'castle,' which proves, however, to be -nothing more than a prehistoric earthwork with mounds of circular form. -Then onward again, passing Moor Farm, where once stood a goodly mansion, -of which scarce a stone has been spared. Now we keep a straight course -towards Warren, with the skylarks making music overhead; while the voice -of that 'interesting scamp,' the cuckoo, echoes from the woods down -Brownslade way. - -[Illustration: A WAYSIDE WELL.] - -Shortly before reaching Warren village the country lane widens out, with -a corner of sedgy greensward under the hedgerow. Here stands a curious -old wayside well, domed over with a sort of rude canopy, whose mossy -stones, fringed with hartstongue fern, are reflected in the clear water; -indeed, from the frequent recurrence of springs and draw-wells, it would -seem that St. Decumanus, their patron, was held in high esteem in these -parts. - -At Warren we call a halt to refresh the 'inner man;' then lounge awhile -in a shady nook, for a chat and a quiet pipe. Towards the cool of -evening we bear away for distant Pembroke, by the road that leads past -Orielton, where we are on familiar ground which has been touched upon in -describing a previous route. - -[Illustration: CASTLE MARTIN.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -CAREW, WITH ITS CROSS, CASTLE AND CHURCH. UPTON CASTLE AND CHAPEL. -PEMBROKE DOCK AND HAVERFORDWEST. - - -Setting forth by the morning train, we alight at Lamphey Station; whence -we make our way to the grand old ruins of Carew Castle, as our _pièce de -résistance_ for to-day. Once free of Lamphey village, we soon find -ourselves striding across the Ridgeway by Lamphey Park; whence we get a -pretty retrospect, under some weather-beaten trees, of the pleasant vale -we have quitted, with a more distant peep of the towers of Pembroke -Castle. Here, too, we find a few traces of olden times in a group of -gray, weather-stained farm-buildings; remnants, maybe, of Bishop -Vaughan's famous grange. - -At Rambler's Folly, on the crest of the ridge, we get the first glimpse -of our destination, down in the valley below; with a background of open -country rolling upward to the distant hills; while, by taking the -trouble to cross over the road, we command the broad plain of the sea. - -A shepherd with collie-dog at heel, driving his flock to pasture, now -puts us in the way of a short-cut across the meadows. This woodland path -is enlivened by a bevy of butterflies that, like ourselves, are taking -the morning air. Here floats a stately 'peacock,' while yonder sprightly -Atalanta, perched upon a spray of woodbine, displays her becoming -_toilette_ of scarlet and glossy black, edged with daintiest lace. - -Approaching our destination, we skirt around a marshy watercourse -abloom with yellow flags, orchids and gay pink campion. Ere long a -flight of stepping-stones lands us in the village, right abreast of -Carew church, a noble old structure with handsome traceried windows, and -a tower such as one rarely sees in this locality. A picturesque old -building with pointed windows, that was formerly the village school, -adds a pretty feature to the churchyard. - -But we must push on to the castle, reserving these minor matters for -future investigation. Half a mile of hard highroad ensues, when, just -before the castle gate is reached, our attention is absorbed by an -object standing upon the steep bank, hard by the road. - -[Illustration] - -This is Carew Cross, a hoary monument before whose patriarchal antiquity -the ruined castle is little better than a mere _parvenu_. The huge -monolith of lichen-clad stone terminates in a circular head enclosing a -Celtic cross; while each of the four sides is richly overlaid with -deeply-incised patterns, carved in that curious, interlacing fashion -peculiar to these early monuments. The date of its erection is placed as -far back as the ninth century: upon its eastern face is seen a -rudely-fashioned cross, each limb of which is formed by three deeply-cut -lines; while the reverse side is inscribed with certain archaic -characters, which some ingenious antiquary has interpreted thus: - -THE CROSS OF THE SON OF ILTEUT THE SON OF ECETT. - -Having completed the sketch of Carew Cross, which figures on the -opposite page, we now pass on to view the wonders of the castle. - -Carew Castle is located in a district which from very early times formed -a royal appanage of the princes of South Wales. It was presented as a -marriage dower with the fair Nesta, daughter of Rhys ap Tydwr, to Gerald -de Windsor, the King's castellan, in the reign of Henry I. This great -demesne was subsequently mortgaged by Sir Edward de Carew to the gallant -Sir Rhys ap Thomas, by whom the castle appears to have been largely -remodelled. Here it was that this doughty Welshman entertained his liege -the Earl of Richmond, on his way from Milford to victorious Bosworth -field; placing the royal arms, in memory of the event, upon a -chimney-piece in the chamber where 'the hope of England' slept. - -In olden times Carew Castle was surrounded by an extensive chase, or -deer park. Here in 1507 Sir Rhys ap Thomas held 'a solemn just and -turnament for the honour of St. George, patrone of that noble Order of -the Garter,' when Henry VII. honoured the revels with his presence. A -full account of this 'princelie fête' has been preserved, setting forth -how 'manie valerouse gentlemen' then made trial of their abilities' in -feates of armes, the men of prime Ranke being lodged within the Castle, -others of good Qualitie in tents and Pavilions, pitched in the Parke.' - -This 'Festivall and time of jollytie' commenced on the day dedicated to -'the trustie Patrone and protector of Marshalistes,' and continued for -five whole days; the tournament taking place on the fourth day, when Sir -William Herbert was the challenger, the lord of Carew playing the -judge's part. - -To the credit of all concerned it is recorded that, throughout all these -'justes and turnaments, seasoned with a diversitie of musicke for the -honoure of Ladyes,' in spite of 'knockes valerouslie received and -manfullie bestowed, among a thousand people there was not one Quarrell, -crosse worde or unkinde Looke, that happened betweene them.' - -Wonderful stories were told of the feats of arms performed by the -doughty Sir Rhys ap Thomas; insomuch that for years after his day the -name of Sir Rhys ap Thomas was 'used about Terwin as a bugg-beare or -fire Abbaas, such as Talbott's was in Henrie the Sixt's time, to -affright the children from doing shrewd Trickes.' It is related how Sir -Rhys, mounted on his veteran charger Grey Fetlocks, contrived to run the -impostor Perkin Warbeck to earth at the monastery of Beaulieu, in -Hampshire; and was rewarded for this gallant service by receiving the -Order of the Garter from his sovereign. At the Battle of the Spurs this -stout-hearted warrior led the light horse and archers against the enemy, -and took the Duke of Longueville prisoner with his own hands. - -Shortly after this event, having attained the age of threescore years, -this brave old knight at last hung up his well-worn weapons in his -Castle of Carew. Sir Rhys spent his declining days in extending and -beautifying the stately fabric; calling in to his aid, we may be sure, -the advice of his friend and neighbour the talented Bishop Vaughan, then -dwelling at Lamphey Palace. Finally, after considerably over-passing the -allotted span, Sir Rhys ap Thomas was gathered to his fathers in the -year of grace 1527. - -Meanwhile, traversing a broad green meadow, we approach the ivy-wreathed -walls and turrets of the castle. This magnificent edifice is built -around a large central courtyard. It has a huge bastion at each corner -and displays, even in its dismantled condition, a most interesting -combination of military and domestic architecture. - -Before us rises the gate-house, probably the oldest portion of the -present building. An adjacent tower contains the chapel, dating from -Edwardian times and retaining its groined ceiling; and in one of the -upper chambers we notice a fireplace bearing what appear to be the arms -of Spain. The fragment of a graceful oriel is seen high aloft in the -wall as we pass under the barbican tower, a massive structure with -vaulted archways, portcullis and machicolated battlements. - -We now emerge upon the inner courtyard of the castle, whose broad -expanse of velvety turf is overshadowed on every side by gray old -limestone walls, pierced with pointed doorways and many-mullioned -windows. - -The most prominent feature here is the ivy-clad portal of the -banqueting-hall. This picturesque structure rises through two stories, -and is adorned with some crumbling scutcheons, charged with the insignia -of Henry of Richmond and of Sir Rhys ap Thomas; combined with the hoary, -time-worn architecture of the banqueting-hall, the whole forms a -charming subject for the artist's pencil. - -[Illustration: A CORNER OF CAREW CASTLE] - -The banqueting-hall itself must have been a magnificent apartment. It -still shows traces of rich Gothic ornamentation in the deep recesses of -its arched windows, doorways and huge fireplaces; while the springing of -the open-timbered roof can be readily discerned. In another direction is -seen the incomparable range of lofty, mullioned windows of the broad -north front. This grandiose _façade_ was begun, but never completed, by -Sir John Perrot: it contains a sumptuous state-room, over 100 feet in -length, and numerous smaller apartments. - -[Illustration: CAREW CASTLE.] - -An hour vanishes in next to no time as we ramble amidst these echoing -chambers, and clamber up and down the broken stairways. Here we pry into -some deep, dark dungeon; yonder, peer through a narrow lancet; and anon -mount to the crumbling battlements, to the no small dismay of a host of -jackdaws that haunt these ruined walls. Meanwhile imagination re-peoples -these deserted halls and desolate chambers with those throngs of faire -ladyes, and gallant knights and squires, those troops of servitors and -men-at-arms, and all the countless on-hangers that went to swell the -princely _ménage_ of its mediæval masters. - -Presently we pass out again, to wander around the brave old fortress and -mark the gaping breaches wrought by Cromwell's cannon, what time the -beleaguered garrison fought for King Charles I., holding out long and -valiantly until, Tenby having succumbed, Carew at length fell a prize -to the Parliamentary arms. The accompanying sketch shows that most of -the south front has been demolished, thus giving us a glimpse of the -internal courtyard and a portion of the lofty northern _façade_. - -Upon quitting the castle we stroll across the neighbouring bridge, -whence we obtain a noble view of the great north front with its lofty -oriels and vast, mullioned windows reflected in the shallow waters of -the tideway. Our appearance upon the scene disturbs a meditative heron, -who, pulling himself together, spreads his broad wings and stretches -away in leisurely flight to more secluded quarters. - -Pausing as we pass for another glance at the ancient Cross, we now -retrace our steps to the village to complete our investigations there. - -Arrived at the church, we prowl around that sacred edifice; noting its -lofty Perpendicular tower, fine traceried windows and stair-turret -surmounted by a low spirelet; then we pass within, and proceed to look -about us. - -The interior of Carew Church is unusually lofty and spacious, comprising -nave with aisles, chancel and transepts. Lofty, well-proportioned -limestone arches open into the latter, their piers embellished with the -four-leaved flower that marks the artistic influence of Bishop Gower. - -[Illustration: CAREW CHURCH THE BOY BISHOP.] - -The chancel contains a pretty sedilia and piscina, arched in the wall; -while an adjacent niche is tenanted by a curious little figure carved in -stone, and supposed to commemorate a certain boy-bishop, elected, -according to a quaint old custom, from amongst his fellow-choristers. - -Be that as it may, we now turn to the opposite wall where, beneath -plain, pointed recesses repose the figures of an ecclesiastic habited as -a monk, and a knight in armour, sword in hand and shield upon arm, legs -crossed at the knees, and head and feet supported by carven animals. The -latter is a finely-executed piece of sculpture, and withal remarkable -from the disproportionate size of the head, which is twisted in a -strange manner over the right shoulder--perhaps a personal trait -committed to marble. - -Whom these figures represent is not precisely known, but we may -reasonably hazard the conjecture that this mail-clad effigy represents -some forgotten scion of the noble family of Carew, erstwhile lords of -this place. - -The ancient tiles upon the chancel floor are also worthy of notice, -displaying the emblems of the bishopric with the arms of Sir Rhys ap -Thomas, the Tudor rose, and various other devices. - -[Illustration: OLD RECTORY HOUSES AT CAREW] - -Having completed our survey of this interesting church, we next make our -way to a curious-looking structure known as the Old Rectory. Though now -a mere farmhouse the place bears traces of considerable antiquity, and -appears, like many of the older dwellings in this locality, to have -been built with an eye to defence. The massive walls are corbelled out -beneath the eaves of the roof, which is pitched at a steep angle, giving -the old structure a picturesque appearance. The house has apparently -been formerly enclosed within a walled precinct; and a fast-fading -tradition tells vaguely of 'the soldiers' having been quartered here in -the turbulent days of old. - -But it is high time to be up and away, so pulling ourselves together we -face the slanting sunlight, and put the best foot foremost _en route_ -for Upton Castle. - -After passing the grounds of Milton House, we follow the Pembroke road -for about a mile and a half, until, just short of the fingerpost, we -strike into a hollow lane that leads direct to Upton. The latter part of -the way goes through a shady avenue, affording glimpses of the winding -Haven and the broad, gray front of Carew Castle. - -[Illustration: UPTON CASTLE] - -Upton Castle is undoubtedly of very ancient origin, but it has been -restored and rendered habitable of late years, and is now occupied as a -dwelling-house. The original gateway, with its double arch, is flanked -by tall round towers pierced with loopholes for archery, and is crowned -by corbelled battlements. A small old building beside the neighbouring -creek was probably used as a guard-house or watch-tower. - -[Illustration: OLD CHAPEL AT UPTON] - -Within the castle grounds stands Upton Chapel, a lowly structure of no -architectural pretensions, yet containing several objects well worthy of -notice. - -Opposite the entrance is the fine mural monument seen on the left of our -sketch. The figure beneath the canopy is supposed to represent one of -the Malefants, an extinct family that for several centuries made a -considerable figure in this and the adjacent counties. The knight is -clad in a complete suit of mail, having a chain around the neck, with -the hands folded in the attitude of prayer. The upper portion of the -monument bears traces of colour and decoration, while the canted ends -are adorned with carven figures beneath dainty canopies. - -[Illustration: FROM UPTON CHAPEL.] - -A curious if not unique feature is the candelabrum, in the form of a -clenched fist, that projects from the adjacent wall. This singular -object is fashioned from a piece of yellow limestone, and is pierced -with a hole to contain the candle formerly used at funerals and other -ceremonies. It appears probable that the worthy knight whose effigy lies -near may have left a small pension for the maintenance of this -candelabrum. - -The handsome Jacobean pulpit was originally in St. Mary's Church at -Haverfordwest, whence it was acquired by purchase during the restoration -of that edifice. - -Upon passing through the small, plain chancel arch, we espy a huge, -dilapidated effigy in a corner by the south wall. Though bereft of half -its lower limbs, the figure still measures fully six feet in length. -This image is clad in a complete suit of chain-mail, and is considered -to be the most ancient of its kind in the county. To its history we have -no clue, but tradition avers that this rude specimen of the sculptor's -art represents a certain 'tall Ammiral' of bygone times, Lord of Upton -Castle, who, returning from distant voyagings, was wrecked and cast -lifeless ashore almost within sight of home. - -A stone let into the chancel pavement shows the tonsured head of an -ecclesiastic, with a floreated cross and damaged inscription. Within -the Communion-rails we observe a female figure, draped from head to foot -in flowing robes and lying under an ogee canopy. Though devoid of any -distinctive badge this figure is well executed, and in a very fair state -of preservation. - -Upon the south side of the chapel, and close to the entrance-door, rises -the small stone cross figured at the end of this chapter. It is raised -upon a sort of basement constructed of masonry overgrown with -vegetation, and is approached by rough stone steps. - -We now retrace our steps to the highroad, and at the fingerpost bear to -the left. Just beyond the old toll-gate we pass near a house called -Holyland, so named from the fact that its stones were drawn from the -ruins of an ancient hospital, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, which -formerly existed at Pembroke. - -As we traverse the King's Bridge, at the head of the tidal water, the -clamour of the 'many-wintered crows,' winging their homeward flight to a -neighbouring spinny, falls pleasantly on our ears. Thus we reenter the -quiet street of Pembroke, while the arrowy swifts, wheeling around St. -Mary's time-worn steeple, fill the air with their shrill, piercing -cries. - -Finally we round off the day's adventures by climbing the castle walls, -whence the eye traces all the familiar landmarks standing clear-cut -against a glowing sky, with a broad span of the fast-empurpling -landscape, locked in a silvery reach of the winding Haven. - - * * * * * - -Beside the deep, untroubled waters of Milford Haven, there has grown up -within the present century one of the finest and most complete -shipbuilding establishments around our coasts. Here were constructed -those hearts of oak that bore our flag so bravely in days of yore; and -hence are nowadays turned out the leviathan 'battleships' that will bear -the brunt of Britain's future wars upon the vasty deep. - -Lord Nelson was, we believe, one of the first to point out the peculiar -advantages offered by Milford as a constructing yard for the British -navy. - -In the first years of the present century, the Government rented an -existing yard at Milford for a term of fourteen years; after which, -being unable to come to terms with Lady Mansfield's representatives, the -authorities caused the establishment to be removed to the opposite side -of the Haven. Thus arose the modern town of Pembroke Dock; and from -these modest beginnings the place has continued to increase, both in -size and importance, down to the present day. - -In spite of its remoteness from the manufacturing districts, whence most -of the tools, materials, etc., have to be brought, the work is turned -out in a style that would do credit to any establishment, by as steady, -thrifty a set of men as is to be found in any Government yard. The -workmen dwell in rows of neat cottages, forming a small town at the rear -of the slipways. Though unpicturesque enough, these modest dwellings -appear clean and sanitary, although unfortunately still lacking that -prime necessity, a constant supply of pure water. - -The adjacent hill is crowned by a heavily-armed redoubt, while many a -vantage-point of the winding waterway is so strongly fortified that, -should an enemy endeavour to force a passage, he would probably -experience a _mauvais quart d'heure_ in the warm welcome prepared for -him. - -From Pembroke a short run by train, and a ten minutes' walk through -dull, workaday streets lands us at the dockyard gates. Before passing -through, a constable politely relieves the visitors of such parlous -_impedimenta_ as fusees, lucifer matches and the like inflammables. -Thence we are handed on to a stalwart sergeant, who without more ado -pioneers us around the constructing sheds. Work is now in full swing, -and the ring of riveters' hammers and clang of resonant metal combine, -with a thousand other ear-splitting sounds, to swell an uproar fit to -awaken the Seven Sleepers. - -By dint of stentorian shouting, our _cicerone_ explains the various -details of construction; now descanting on the special merits of a swift -'torpedo-catcher,' anon describing the internal economy of a -half-completed gunboat. Meanwhile weird, Rembrandtesque effects of light -and shade are seen on every side, as the men ply their heavy labour in -the gloom of the iron-ribbed hull. - -Thence we pass onward to a gigantic shed, lofty as a cathedral, with its -forefoot planted in the sea. Here the rudimentary ribs of a huge -ironclad swell upward from the keel-plate, resembling the skeleton of -some antediluvian monster of the deep. - -Farther on we come to long ranges of spacious workshops, crammed with -machinery of the latest types propelled by engines both ancient and -modern. By means of these, thick metal plates and beams are shaped and -fashioned as easily as wood in a carpenter's shop. Here lies a massive -bronze casting weighing many tons, destined to form the ram of H.M.S. -_Renown_; yonder a metal plane shaves off golden spirals, much like the -'corkscrew' curls of other days, from a plate of solid brass. In another -direction a strapping mechanic is bringing a steel plate to the -requisite curve, by means of herculean blows from a heavy sledge. - -Pass we now to the iron foundry, where a gang of workmen are about to -draw the glowing metal from the furnace. The scintillating mass is -hitched on to a movable crane, and borne away to be manipulated between -a pair of massive metal rollers. After several successive squeezes, it -emerges in the form of a huge armour plate. - -Now, too, the Nasmyth hammer is much _en évidence_, its mighty strokes -shaking the solid ground as we approach; yet so docile is the monster -that the engineer cracks a nut beneath it, to the no small astonishment -of the visitors. - -Nor must we omit a peep at the wood-working shops, where the circular -saw sings at its work the live-long day, shearing the roughest logs into -comely planks with wonderful precision, while skilful hands fashion and -frame the various parts required. - -All these multifarious handicrafts, carried on in extensive and -inflammable structures, necessitate an efficient fire-extinguishing -apparatus. This is maintained in a separate building, and is kept in -apple-pie order, ever ready to fight the flames in case of an outbreak -of the devouring element. - - * * * * * - -Resuming our peregrinations 'in search of the picturesque,' we now bid -farewell to the county-town of Pembroke. At Hobb's Point a grimy little -steamboat, that years ago plied on the Thames, ferries the traveller -across to the railway pontoon at New Milford, whence we entrain _en -route_ for Haverfordwest. - -Rail and river keep company for a time through a pleasant, undulating -country, with copsewood feathering down to the water's edge. Presently -we pass close to Rosemarket, a primitive-looking village where, in the -days of the Stuarts, dwelt a certain fair maid named Lucy Walters. - -[Illustration: LUCY WALTERS.] - -Here at the age of seventeen 'that browne, beautifull, bold but insipid -creature,' as Evelyn calls her, was discovered by the gay Prince -Charlie, who was so fascinated by the young lady's charms that he bore -her away with him in his cavalcade. - -Lucy's grandfather it is said constructed a fine genealogical tree, in -which that gay lady figures as 'married to King Charles ye Seconde of -England.' - -The house where Lucy Walters' father lived has long since disappeared, -the only relics of that period being probably the old stone pigeon-house -east of the village, and the parish cockpit! - -Our sketch of the famous beauty is copied from a contemporary portrait, -brought from Dale Castle, whither the Walters family removed from their -earlier home. It is now in the possession of a gentleman residing near -Pembroke, who has kindly allowed us to make the accompanying copy. - -The next station is Johnston, where we will break our journey and take a -peep at the church, whose steeple we descry as the train approaches the -station. The little structure stands, with a few cottages grouped around -it, at a corner of the lanes; and its gray, time-worn stones make a -pretty picture amidst their setting of fresh green foliage. - -At the western end of the church rises a small but ancient tower, with -roof fast falling to decay. The lower part is solid, but towards the top -it is pierced with a quartette of graceful, traceried windows, of which -three have been blocked up; while the only bell the church could boast -lies broken in two on the stone floor. - -Small as it is, the church has shallow projecting bays, or chapels, -after the manner of double transepts. Between them rises the chancel -arch, devoid of features save a quaint, square-headed opening on either -side, enclosing two small pointed arches. - -[Illustration: JOHNSTON CHURCH.] - -The interior, with its two-decker pulpit, simple box-pews and ancient -font, has a quiet, old-world look; and the chancel, raised one step -only above the body of the church, contains a double sedilia, a small -piscina and a few other early features. - -Rumour hath it that the 'restorer,' save the mark! already lays his -plans for the undoing of this interesting structure. However, as the -attention of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings has -been given to the subject, we may hope that their praiseworthy efforts -to maintain the ancient features of this church, in their unrestored -simplicity, will eventually be crowned with success. - -[Illustration: A VIEW OF HAVERFORDWEST] - -A long league's trudge still separates us from Haverfordwest; so we -breast the easy slope of Drudgeman's Hill, and presently descend to -Merlin's Bridge, spanning an affluent of the Cleddau. A scattered group -of cottages that overlooks the stream bears some slight traces of the -chapel that formerly stood here. A kind of Vanity Fair was formerly held -in the vicinity, when the country folk foregathered at Cradock's Well, a -wonder-working spring frequented by a hermit who had his cell at -Haroldstone. - -The Perrots of Haroldstone were great people in their time. Here dwelt -the gallant Sir John Perrot, Lord Deputy of the Sister Isle in good -Queen Bess's reign; also Sir Herbert of that ilk, the contemporary and -friend of Addison, who is said to have been the original of that pink of -courtesy, the incomparable Sir Roger de Coverley. - -We now make a short _détour_ to visit the ruins of Haverfordwest Priory, -which stand in a meadow close beside the Cleddau. Though of considerable -extent, there is not much to detain us here save a mass of crumbling -arches and ivy-mantled walls, apparently of Early English date. This -priory was established about the year 1200 by Robert de Haverford, first -Lord of Haverfordwest, for the Order of Black Canons. It stands in one -of those pleasant, riverside nooks that the monks of old so frequently -selected. - -The massive tower of St. Thomas's Church, crowning the brow of an -adjacent hill, forms a conspicuous feature in our general view of the -town. Though much modernized, this church contains one relic of the past -that must on no account be overlooked. - -Upon the pavement of the north aisle is preserved an ancient slab of -limestone, whose battered surface is carved in low relief with a -beautiful, foliated cross, terminating in trefoils; beside the cross is -an object resembling a palm branch, and a closer inspection reveals, -incised upon the edge of the stone, the legend: F RICARD LE PAUMER GIT -ICI DEU DE SAALME EIT MERCI AMEN. - -[Illustration: BROTHER RICHARD'S TOMB IN THE CHURCH OF ST THOMAS À -BECKET HAVERFORDWEST.] - -According to the verdict of the antiquaries, this curious monument -records a certain brother Richard the Palmer, who, in days so remote as -the time of Giraldus Cambrensis, journeyed as a pilgrim to Rome; or it -may be joined as a recruit in the Crusade of Bishop Baldwin. - -Up in the tower we discover a brace of fine old bells, the larger one -bearing the motto SANCTUS GABRIEL ORA PRO NOBIS; the smaller, or sanctus -bell, GEVE THANKES TO GOD, T. W. 1585. - -This church was formerly a possession of the Perrots of Haroldstone, -until in Queen Elizabeth's reign the Crown became, as it has ever since -remained, the patron of the living. - -Let us glance back into the past as we stroll through the clean, -bustling streets of the little Western metropolis. - -From the earliest times Haverfordwest held a position second only in -importance to that of Pembroke, as a bulwark of The Little England -beyond Wales. - -Its castle, built by Gilbert de Clare, first Earl of Pembroke, stood as -a protection to the English settlement against the incursions of the -hardy mountaineers, who had been driven back by the advancing immigrants -upon the wild hill fastnesses of the interior. - -The lofty walls of Gilbert's ruined castle, dominating the town that -clusters around its feet, and the mediæval churches that rise amidst its -steep, paved streets, recall the vanished _prestige_ of Haverfordwest; -while a characteristic vein of local dialect, which lingers yet despite -of Board Schools, attests the foreign ancestry of some of the worthy -townsfolk. - -Curiously enough, Haverfordwest forms a county all to itself; and is -further distinguished by the fact that, alone amongst the towns of Great -Britain, the place boasts a Lord-Lieutenant all its own, a privilege -obtained from the Crown by a very early charter, when Pembrokeshire was -a County Palatine. - -The town formerly returned its own member to Parliament, but of late the -representation has been merged in the districts of Pembroke, Tenby and -Haverfordwest. - -[Illustration: SAINT MARY'S HAVERFORDWEST.] - -But it is time to look about us, so we now make our way to St. Mary's -church, in the centre of the town. - -Contrasted with the primitive structures we have seen in the country -parishes, this is a noble church indeed, having been in large part -constructed during the best period of Gothic architecture. The lofty -nave is covered with a flat wooden ceiling, relieved by enriched bosses -at the intersections of the beams, and upborne by handsome brackets -against the walls. It is connected with the adjacent aisle by a series -of richly-moulded arches, supported upon tall clustered pillars. - -On the north side of the chancel stands a group of thirteenth-century -pillars and arches of still more elaborate character, whose capitals are -encrusted with a variety of grotesque figures intertwined amongst -deeply-cut foliage. - -Handsome traceried windows admit a flood of light into the chancel, -whose walls display monuments and epitaphs of no little beauty and -interest. - -In a remote untended corner of the church lies the mutilated effigy of -an ecclesiastic, whose sober livery, and wallet embellished with -scallop-shells, mark him as a pilgrim who has crossed the seas to the -shrine of St. James of Compostella, in Spain. - -Passing out by the north porch, we observe a pair of tall, carved -bench-ends, on one of which St. George is seen in combat with a -triple-headed dragon. A sketch of this bench-end will be found at the -head of Chapter XII. - -After glancing at St. Martin's, the mother church of Haverfordwest, -with its slender, crooked spire, we turn townwards again as dusk creeps -on, and come to anchor at the Mariners Hotel. The old-fashioned -hospitality of this comfortable inn is a welcome relief after a long -day's tramp, so we cannot do better than make it our headquarters while -exploring the surrounding country. - -[Illustration: ARMS OF HAVERFORDWEST.] - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -TO ST. BRIDES, MARLOES AND THE DALE COUNTRY. - - -The irregular island-girt peninsula lying between Milford Haven and St. -Bride's Bay presents but few attractions for the ordinary tourist, to -whom, indeed, this portion of Pembrokeshire is practically a _terra -incognita_. Nevertheless, the locality has its own characteristic -features, which the appreciative traveller will probably enjoy none the -less for having to discover them for himself, unaided by the -guide-books. - -Availing ourselves of one of the numerous vehicles that ply during -summer-time between Haverfordwest and the sea-coast, we escape a tedious -tramp of some seven miles or more. - -About half-way out our attention is called to a plain, rough stone close -by the wayside. This is known as Hang-stone Davey, from the fact that a -noted sheep-stealer of that ilk, halting to rest upon the stone with his -ill-gotten booty slung around his neck, fell asleep and was strangled by -the weight of his burden. - -Presently the blue sea opens out ahead, and the lane makes a sudden turn -over against a lonely country church. As we approach it, the little -edifice presents such a curious medley of gables and turrets, as to -tempt us to closer inspection. - -[Illustration: WALTON WEST CHURCH.] - -Walton-West church has been carefully and wisely restored of recent -years, and not before it was needed, for it is on record that in the -'good old times' two boys were kept at work on rainy Sundays, sweeping -the water that flowed in at the porch into a pit formed in a disused -pew. Eventually matters were brought to a climax by the snow falling -through a rent in the roof, and lodging upon the bald head of an ancient -worshipper! As usual, the tower, which appears never to have been -completed, is the oldest remaining portion of the fabric; indeed, it has -been considered as pre-Norman, a stone having, as we are informed, been -found in the wall bearing the date A.D. 993. A small effigy, apparently -of the Elizabethan period, built into the interior of the tower, is -usually supposed to represent the patron saint of the church. Upon the -north side of the chancel stands a well-proportioned chapel that -formerly appertained to the family of Lort-Philipps. - -[Illustration: WALWYN'S CASTLE.] - -In an out-of-the-way spot, about a mile to the southward, lies the -secluded hamlet of Walwyn's Castle. The distance is nearly doubled by -the crooked lanes, but a pleasant field-path saves a longer _détour_. -From the brow of the hill we have three churches full in view, in -diminishing perspective--Walwyn's Castle, down in the valley: Robeston, -farther away; and Steynton, conspicuous upon a distant hill. - -[Illustration: SUMMER SHOWERS LITTLE HAVEN.] - -The church of Walwyn's Castle stands upon a gentle eminence that slopes -to a hollow, wooded dingle overhanging a streamlet, whose waters meander -away to a creek of the ubiquitous Haven. - -The salient feature of the edifice is its tall, slender tower, and -narrow stair-turret rising to the embattled roof. Upon the southern side -the land falls away steeply, and the brow of the bank is scored with the -grassy mounds of the ancient camp or castle, whence the place derives -its curious name. - -In an old black-letter chronicle of the sixteenth century it is -recorded, 'In the Province of Wales which is callyd Roose, the sepulchre -of Walwyne was found. He reigned in that parte of Britain which is -callyd Walwythia. The Tombe was found in the days of William the -Conqueror, King of England, upon the sea side, and contayned in length -fourteen foote.' - -A local variation of this time-honoured fable avers that Walwyn was -buried on the site of the above-mentioned camp, and a sort of arched -aperture, now fallen in and well-nigh obliterated, was formerly pointed -out as the burial-place of this very 'lofty' hero. - -[Illustration: LITTLE HAVEN.] - -Returning now to Walton, we descend a short but extremely steep bit of -road to the village of Little Haven. A few fishermen's cottages, a -homely inn and a handful of lodging-houses clambering up the rearward -hill, form the sum total of this most diminutive of watering-places. - -[Illustration: LOW TIDE AT LITTLE HAVEN.] - -Seawards the hamlet is begirt by ruddy sandstone cliffs of moderate -height, the rocky strata being twisted into the most curious -contortions, and pierced with caverns and crannies frequented by bathers -and picnic parties. The firm dry sands, exposed at low tide, afford a -pleasant seaside stroll to the more spacious shores of Broad Haven. - -After calling a halt for a sketch of Little Haven, we up sticks and -away, pursuing a south-westerly course by a road that climbs high above -the rock-bound coast. Far below us lies a picturesque cove, with a rude -flight of steps, hewn from the rock, leading to a landing-place used by -the fisher-folk. - -[Illustration: ST. BRIDES.] - -After passing Talbenny Church, we approach St. Brides, and obtain the -pretty _coup d'oeil_ represented in the accompanying sketch: the -church and old-fashioned rectory-house nestling under the lee of some -wind-tossed trees, while Lord Kensington's fine residence of St. Brides -Hill shows clearly out against the dark woodlands that crest the western -down. To the right is seen a glimpse of the tiny haven, famous in bygone -times for its productive herring fishery. The little structure close -beside the water occupies the site of an old fishermen's chapel, which, -falling into ruins, was put to the degenerate uses of a salt-house. From -that time forth, as the old story runs, the herrings deserted their -accustomed haunts, and the fishing trade dwindled away: - - 'When St. Bride's Chapel a salt-house was made, - St. Bride's lost the herring trade.' - -The parish church is interesting, and has a bright, well-cared-for look -that is pleasant to see. Upon the floor of a small north transept lie -four sadly defaced effigies. The largest of these is reputed to -represent St. Bride, the patron saint of the church, a contemporary of -St. David and St. Patrick. According to tradition, St. Bride sailed over -with certain devout women from Ireland, and established a nunnery here. -A short distance south-east from the church rise the ivy-mantled ruins -of some extensive buildings of unknown origin, overshadowed by dark -trees and surrounded by lofty stone walls pierced with loopholes, while -an arched gateway opens towards the west. - -[Illustration: ORLANDON.] - -Upon leaving St. Brides, we strike directly inland by the Dale road. -This brings us in about a quarter of an hour to Orlandon, where the -skeleton of a large old mansion rises grimly above a group of wayside -cottages. In its palmy days Orlandon was the home of the Laugharnes, a -family of some celebrity in their time, but now extinct in this -locality. - -According to a romantic story, the first member of this family who -appeared in this district was shipwrecked and washed up more dead than -alive on the seashore not far away. Here he was found by the daughter -and heiress of Sir John de St. Brides, who caused him to be carried to -her father's house, where he was hospitably entertained. - -Laugharne, of course, was soon over head and ears in love with his fair -deliverer, and the lady being in nowise backward in response to his -suit, they married and founded a family whose descendants resided for -generations at Orlandon. - -[Illustration: MULLOCK BRIDGE.] - -Another mile brings us to Mullock Bridge, where a long causeway -traverses a marshy backwater of the Haven. Anent this same bridge a -quaint story is related concerning Sir Rhys ap Thomas of Carew. Having -registered a vow before the King that Henry of Richmond should not -ascend the throne save _over his body_, the crafty knight fulfilled his -word by crouching beneath the arch of Mullock bridge while Henry rode -across it. - -A glance at the map suggests a short _détour_ to obtain a peep at -Marloes. The sandy lane, meandering beside a streamlet, lands us right -abreast of the church at the entrance to the village. The little edifice -makes a pleasant picture, with a handful of low thatched cottages -grouped around. Inside we find the small pointed chancel arch with -projecting wings, characteristic of the churches in this locality. - -[Illustration: MARLOES.] - -There are some curious features here, notably an old bronze sanctus -bell, and a modern baptistery sunk in a corner of the floor, to meet the -predilections of the Welsh churchman, who does not apparently consider -the ceremony of baptism complete unless he can 'goo throw the watter.' - -Dwelling apart from the busier haunts of men, the good folk of this -remote parish have kept pretty much to themselves, and have acquired the -reputation of being a simple-minded, superstitious race--'Marloes -gulls,' as the saying is. In order to save the long Saturday's tramp to -Haverford market, a Marloes man hit upon the ingenious device of walking -_half_ the distance on Friday, then returning home he would complete the -_rest of the walk_ the next day! - -In the 'good old times,' if tales be true, these Marloes people were -notorious wreckers. On dark tempestuous nights they would hitch a -lanthorn to a horse's tail, and drive the animal around the seaward -cliffs; then woe betide the hapless mariner who should set his course by -this Fata Morgana! There is a story of the parson who, when the news of -a wreck got abroad in church one Sunday morning, broke off his discourse -and exclaimed, 'Wait a moment, my brethren, and give your pastor a fair -start!' - -[Illustration: MARLOES SANDS.] - -Another mile of crooked, crankling lanes takes us to the brow of the sea -cliffs, whence we obtain a bird's-eye panorama of the broad sweep of -Marloes sands. Ruddy sandstone rocks pitched at a steep angle encompass -the bay, and peep grimly out from beneath the smooth, firm sands. -Gateholm rises close in shore, an island at low tide only; the broad -mass of Skokholm stretches out to sea, while the horizon line is broken -by the lonely islet of Grassholm, a favourite haunt of sea birds, and -scene of a notorious 'massacre of the innocents' by a party of -yachtsmen, some few years ago. - -The frequent recurrence of these _holms_ and other place-names of -Scandinavian origin, points unmistakeably to the presence of those old -sea rovers around the Pembrokeshire coast, in the days of 'auld -langsyne.' - -Making our way to the farm called Little Marloes, we push on through -heathy byways, approaching the coast again at West Dale Bay. Now we -catch a glimpse of Dale Castle, with the village of that ilk nestling -under the lee of a dark wood, and harvest-fields crowning the sunny -hillside, while a silvery stretch of the Haven lies in the background. - -Dale Castle appears to have been a place of some importance from very -early times, though of its history we have but meagre records. In the -year 1293 Robertus de Vale granted a charter for a weekly market at his -manor-house of Vale, and here Sir Rhys ap Thomas entertained his future -King after his landing at Mill Bay upon the adjacent coast. - -This village of Dale is still a comely-looking spot, where the pleasant -country residences of the gentlefolk rub shoulders with a sprinkling of -homely cottages; yet withal the village has a certain air about it as of -a place that has known better days. For Dale, it seems, was once a -nourishing seaport, the abode of substantial sea captains and well-to-do -merchant traders; while, if tales be true, the village folk drove a -flourishing business in the contraband goods run in by the 'free trade' -fraternity. In those days good Welsh ale was brewed at Dale by a family -bearing the singular name of Runawae, who exported it in large -quantities to Liverpool: hence Dale Street in that city is said to -derive its title from this place. - -[Illustration: DALE CASTLE AND MILFORD HAVEN.] - -We approach the village by a footpath, and pass betwixt the castle and -the church. The fuchsias, hydrangeas, myrtle and laurustinas that -brighten this little God's acre tell of a genial climate; yet some of -the headstones bear grim records of shipwrecked mariners, who lost their -lives upon the iron-bound coast that shelters this favoured spot. Dale -Church has a tall, unrestored tower, and possesses a slender silver -chalice inscribed with the words 'Poculum Ecclesiæ de Dale, 1577.' A -sketch of this cup will be found at the head of the present chapter. - -The lane now runs below the luxuriant groves of Dale Hill, and then -skirts the shores of the sheltered inlet called Dale Road. 'Dale Rode,' -says George Owen, 'is a goodlye Baye and a fayre rode of great receipte; -one of the best Rodes and Bayes of al Milforde and best defended from al -windes, the East and South East excepted. In al this Rode there is good -landing at al times.' Close beside the water stands a humble alehouse -called the Brig, which bears evident traces of its smuggler patrons, -being literally honeycombed with cellars and secret cupboards for the -storage of their booty. Even now the walls still reek with moisture, -from the salt stored away in inaccessible corners during those piping -times when that commodity was worth a couple of guineas the -hundredweight. - -We now direct our steps towards St. Anne's Head, in order to visit Mill -Bay, the traditional landing-place of Henry of Richmond. 'Here in -Pembrokeshire,' says old George Owen, 'happened his landinge and first -footeinge when he came to enoie the Crowne and to confounde the -parricide and bluddie tyrante Ri:iii. Here founde he the heartes and -hands first of all this lande readye to ayde and assist him.' The saying -goes that as he rushed up the steep bank at the head of his troop Henry, -being scant of breath, exclaimed, 'This is Brunt!' a name that has clung -to the neighbouring farm ever since. - -[Illustration: 'THIS IS BRUNT.'] - -After a flying visit to the lighthouses, we retrace our steps to Dale -village, and, following a track around the head of the tideway, push on -without a halt to Hoaton. Here we find the huge old anchor shown in our -sketch, and the question naturally arises, How did the anchor get there? -A vague tradition still lingers in the locality to the effect that, -centuries ago, a big foreign man-o'-war was driven out of her course and -wrecked upon the shores of St. Bride's Bay. Hence it has been -conjectured that this anchor may be a veritable relic of that 'wonderful -great and strong' Spanish Armada, whose unwieldy galleons were cast -ashore and dashed to pieces upon our western coasts, three hundred years -ago. - -Be that as it may, some years back the anchor, which had previously lain -by the wayside, was dragged into the position where it now stands; the -neighbours lending ready aid in response to offers of ale _ad lib_. -Fifty men with a team of horses were hard put-to to move it, for though -much of the metal has rusted and flaked away, the shank is 20 feet long -and nearly 30 inches thick, while the head of the anchor measures some -14 feet around, and the ring is large enough for a man to pass through. -Truly that old Spanish galleon must have been a veritable Leviathan to -require such an anchor as this! - -From Hoaton we make our way across country to Haverfordwest, and -traversing a district broken up into 'meane hills and dales,' we -approach the town by way of the Portfield, and proceed to 'outspan' at a -certain snug hostelry not a hundred miles from St. Mary's broad steeple. - -[Illustration: A RELIC OF THE SPANISH ARMADA.] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -WESTWARD HO! TO ST. DAVIDS. THE CITY AND ENVIRONS. - - -'These high wild hills and rough uneven ways, draw out our miles and -make them wearisome.' Thus, league after league, the sorry team drags -the battered old ramshackle coach up interminable ascents, or plunges in -headlong career down rough, breakneck steeps, _en route_ for that Ultima -Thule of our wanderings, the ancient city of St. Davids. Sixteen miles -and seventeen hills (so the story goes) lie between Haverfordwest and -our destination. The route bears in a north-westerly direction, through -monotonous country relieved by occasional glimpses of the strange, -rugged rocks of Trefgarn, or a peep of more distant Precelly. - -[Illustration: ROCH CASTLE.] - -About half-way out rises the lofty isolated tower of Roch Castle, a -border stronghold dominating the march-lands that for centuries formed -the frontier of this 'Little England beyond Wales.' Built by Adam de -Rupe in the thirteenth century, the tall, picturesque old tower forms a -conspicuous object for miles around, while at its feet a group of -whitewashed cottages cluster around the lowly parish church of St. Mary -de Rupe. - -Crossing the bridge that spans the Newgale Brook, we enter the ancient -Welsh province of Dewisland. Presently our venerable quadrupeds are -crawling at a snail's pace down a slanting hillside not quite so steep -as a house-roof, with the village of Lower Solva squeezed into a crevice -beneath our very feet. - -The situation of this pretty hamlet recalls the Devonshire combe that -enfolds with such inimitable grace the village of Clovelly. Groups of -bowery cottages cluster around the head of a land-locked haven, which, -small as it is, bears no inconsiderable traffic in coal, lime and -general produce from the Bristol Channel ports, for distribution -throughout the western parts of Pembrokeshire. - -The rocky, weed-strewn shores shelving up to low, grassy hills -overarched by the soft blue sky; a stranded coasting vessel, with -weather-stained canvas and rust-eaten anchor, beside a handful of rough -fishermen's cottages, present all that an artist could desire to compose -a charming picture. - -[Illustration: SOLVA HARBOUR. FROM AN OLD PRINT.] - -From the crest of the hill near Upper Solva a wide view of the sea opens -out, with a brace of rocky islets off the coast; while far ahead the -high lands of Ramsey Isle, Carn Llidi and Pen Beri, raise their graceful -undulations above remote Octopitarum, and the wind-swept sandhills that -mark the site of legendary Menapia. - -Coasting along through a rolling treeless country parallel with the -course of the Via Julia (the Roman road from Carmarthen), which -accompanies us henceforth to the end of our journey, we mount the gentle -ascent that leads to the time-honoured 'city,' of which, however, -little is seen until we are 'right there,' as our Transatlantic cousins -say. - -Dismounting at the Grove Hotel, we fare forth for our first view of -time-honoured Ty Dewi, the city of St. Davids. Strolling leisurely along -the quiet grass-grown 'street' of the village-city, we pause now and -again to make way for a herd of cattle, or to watch a flock of geese, -stubbing, with sinewy necks outstretched, in a damp and weed-grown -corner. Presently the roadway widens out, and here stands an ancient -stone cross, which, rising from a flight of time-worn steps, marks the -central point of this most diminutive of cities. - -Casting about for some clue to the whereabouts of St. Davids Cathedral, -we soon espy a low, dark object that proves upon closer inspection to be -the topmost story of the central tower. With this as guide, we traverse -an old paved lane ycleped the Popples, _Anglicè_ Pebbles, and passing -beneath the tower gate--sole survivor of the four gate towers of the -ancient city--enter the cathedral precincts. This point affords perhaps -the most characteristic _coup d'oeil_ of the venerable edifice, set -amidst that stern and sombre landscape with which its time-worn -architecture so completely harmonizes. - -[Illustration: ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL.] - -Viewed from our present vantage-point St. Davids Cathedral appears -ensconced within the hollow of the vale, its topmost pinnacles scarce -rising clear of the distant horizon. Grouped around the central mass of -the cathedral stand the crumbling ruins of mediæval structures of -scarcely inferior interest. Away to our left, beyond a grove of -wind-swept trees, rise the arcaded walls of Gower's incomparable palace, -while the slender tower of St. Mary's College peeps over the long -cathedral roof. - -[Illustration: THE GATE TOWER. ST. DAVIDS.] - -The stone wall that encompasses the cathedral close upon its eastern -side terminates in the massive octagonal tower, with Gothic doorway and -windows, seen in the adjoining sketch. This is flanked again by the old -gateway through which we have just entered. - -We now descend the broad flight of steps that, from their number, have -been dubbed the 'Thirty-nine Articles.' Passing through the great south -porch our eyes are greeted by a beautiful Decorated doorway, the work of -Bishop Gower, which is adorned with exquisitely-carved figures and -foliage encrusting arch and pillar. Here enclosed amidst intersecting -branches we discern quaintly sculptured representations of the Root of -Jesse, the Crucifixion, St. David with his harp, and various other -saintly personages; yonder the artist tells the history of Adam and the -birth of Eve; while overhead presides the Holy Trinity, flanked by -angels with swinging censers--a veritable gem of mediæval sculpture. - -Proceeding onward we now enter the nave, whose rich yet massive -architecture forms a unique and enduring memorial of the first Norman -bishop, Peter de Leia. The general effect is of breadth rather than -height, the solid cylindrical pillars supporting semicircular arches of -unusual width, wrought with the varied and elaborate ornamentation of -the Transitional Norman period. - -Above this rises a series of lofty arches enclosing both clerestory and -triforium--a rather unusual arrangement--while a singular appearance is -produced by the upward slope of the floor, and the outward lean of walls -and nave pillars, the latter being the result of an earthquake that -occurred in the thirteenth century. - -The roof which spans the broad nave is one of the most notable features -of the cathedral. It was built of gray Irish oak about the end of the -fifteenth century, and is a veritable masterpiece of construction and -design. The sculptured foliage of the capitals is worthy of close -examination, and one of the nave pillars bears a faded fresco, generally -supposed to represent King Henry IV. Beneath an adjacent arch reposes -the effigy of Bishop Morgan--a goodly figure habited in priestly robes -that are admirably rendered by the sculptor's chisel. The base of this -monument is enriched with an unusually fine Resurrection, carved in -marble. - -Fronting the full width of the nave, the beautiful Decorated rood screen -of Bishop Gower now claims our attention. This exquisite structure is -perhaps unrivalled in the picturesque variety of its several parts, and -the charming effects of light and shade that enhance the mellow tones of -its ancient stonework. Panelled buttresses divide the screen into five -bays, the middle compartment forming a wide archway adorned with flowers -and vine-leaves. To the left is the older portion, subdivided by Gothic -arches borne by detached pillars, with grotesque heads and figures clad -in thirteenth-century armour. A narrow stair winds up to the ancient -rood-loft above. - -Turning to the southern side of the rood-screen, we are confronted by -the rich and sumptuous fabric erected by Bishop Gower, a view of which -forms the Frontispiece of the present volume. Yonder the noble founder -sleeps his last sleep beneath a richly-groined canopy, whose traceried -arches sparkle with cusps and crockets--a dignified, reposeful figure, -worthy the Wykeham of the West, as Gower has been fitly styled. In -memory of his greatest work Gower's tomb once bore the legend, 'Henricus -Gower, Episcopalis Palatio Constructor.' - -After gazing our fill upon this beautiful structure, unquestionably the -_chef d'oeuvre_ of the whole cathedral, we pass through the central -archway beneath a vaulted roof, whose stony ribs, disdaining the -customary support, spring clear of the circumjacent masonry. Here -venerable tombs cluster beneath fretted ceilings that retain much of -their ancient coloured fresco work, depicting figures, foliage, and -fantastic forms which in nowise transgress the Scriptural commandment, -for they bear little or no resemblance to any created thing. - -We next enter the choir, which occupies the space beneath the central -tower. Upon either hand extends a range of canopied stalls, with seats -devoted to the use of the dean and chapter of the cathedral. - -These old miserere seats were so ingeniously balanced that if an unwary -brother chanced to nod over his breviary, he was quickly brought to his -seven senses by the overturning of his treacherous perch. - -[Illustration: SEAFARING PILGRIMS.] - -The under-sides of these curious benches have been adorned by the -craftsmen of that bygone time with the quaint conceits of their mediæval -fancy. Here, for instance, a vigorously carved panel portrays in -unmistakeable fashion the woebegone plight of two seafaring pilgrims, -whom a pair of jolly monks are ferrying across the troubled waters of -Ramsey Sound. - -[Illustration: THE BONE OF CONTENTION.] - -Yonder some subtle humorist has been at work, and given us his version -of the priest under the guise of a fox administering the wafer to a -goose of a layman: and it may be noticed that (after the olden custom) -the priest reserves the wine flagon to himself. This forms the subject -of our sketch at end of Chapter VIII. Two wolfish-looking dogs snarling -over a bone may by some be thought to prove the antiquity of the -familiar couplet, - - 'Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief, - Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef.' - -[Illustration: THE BOATBUILDERS.] - -Then we have a couple of sturdy boat-builders, one of whom, having laid -aside his adze, drains the contents of a capacious cup, while a mighty -beaker stands ready to his hand. - -With such-like quaint original devices have those men of old encrusted -the surface of these ancient stalls. So, having done justice to their -curious details, we pass on through a _second_ screen separating the -chancel from the presbytery, an arrangement peculiar, we believe, to St. -Davids Cathedral. This portion of the fabric was rebuilt with pointed -arches after the fall of the central tower in 1220, and contains some -extremely interesting features. - -The place of honour in the centre of the presbytery is occupied by the -tomb of Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII., a massive table monument of -Purbeck marble, enriched with shields and heraldic devices, and bearing -the proud inscription: 'Under this Marble Shrine here enclos'd resteth -the Bones of that noble Lord, Edmund Earl of Richmond, Father and -Brother to Kings, the which departed out of this World in the Year of -our Lord God a thousand four hundred fifty and six, the first Day of the -Month of November, on whose Soul almighty Jesus have Mercy, Amen.' - -[Illustration: SAINT DAVID'S SHRINE.] - -Upon the north side of the presbytery rises the stone structure that -formed the base of St. David's Shrine. It is the work of Bishop Richard -de Carew, and dates from the latter half of the thirteenth century. The -three arches seen in our sketch were once adorned with figures -representing St. David. St. Patrick and St. Denis, while the quatrefoil -openings beneath were provided with small lockers to receive the -offerings of devotees. In the presbytery we also notice a small circular -piscina of very ancient date pierced with concentric rows of holes--a -rare and curious feature. - -After examining the handsome effigy of Bishop Anselm Le Gros, nephew of -Earl William of Pembroke, with its laconic couplet-- - - 'Petra Precor dic sic - Anselmus Episcopus jacet hic' - -two fine recumbent figures of very ancient date arrest our attention, -none other than those famous South Welsh princes, the Lord Rhys ap -Gruffydd and his son, Rhys Grygg. - -Higden, in his quaint 'Polychronicon,' breaks forth into unbounded -panegyrics over the great Lord Rhys: 'O blysse of battayle!' he -exclaims, 'Chylde of Chyvalry! defence of Countrie! worshyppe of Armes! -the noble dyadame of fayrnesse of Wales is now fallen, that is, Rees is -dead. The Enemy is heere, for Rees is not heere; now Wales helpeth not -itself; Rees is dead and taken away, but hys noble Name is not dead, for -it is alwayes new in the wide Worlde. His Prowesse passeth hys manners; -hys Wytte passeth hys Prowesse: hys fayre Speech passeth hys Wytte; hys -good Thews passeth hys fayre Speech!' - -Not to prolong the subject _ad nauseam_, we will merely indicate as more -particularly worthy of notice the tomb of Silvester Medicus; a recumbent -effigy _reputed_ to be that of Giraldus Cambrensis, of Manorbere; the -massive shrine of St. Caradoc; and two early Celtic crosses in the south -transept, bearing the device - -[Illustration] - -with the legend PONTIFICIS ABRAHAM FILII. - -We next glance into St. Thomas's Chapel, one of the oldest portions of -the fabric, whose massive groined roof is adorned with sculptured bosses -of unusual size. Here is a piscina enclosed within a group of pointed -arches, whose lovely Early English enrichments form one of the daintiest -features of the cathedral. - -We now enter the beautiful chapel erected by Edward Vaughan, the last of -the great building prelates of St. Davids. It boasts a handsome -fan-vaulted ceiling, and a peculiar hagioscope fashioned like a cross -within a circle. - -[Illustration: SYMBOL OF THE TRINITY ST. DAVID'S.] - -Some curious details attract our notice as we wander amongst the -unrestored chapels. In one of these, a trio of sculptured quadrupeds -suggests the idea of the Trinity, while another contains the effigy of a -knight in chain-mail, shorn of half its length by a clumsy buttress--a -legacy from the days of churchwarden misrule. - -Outside the Lady Chapel stood St. Mary's Well, which according to -tradition arose at the prayer of St. David to supply the neighbouring -monastery. Giraldus tells us that this accommodating spring would -sometimes flow with wine, at other times with milk, and that it was the -scene of many edifying miracles. - -Sauntering around the mellow-tinted walls of the old cathedral, we -notice the huge flying buttresses built against its northern side to -strengthen the fabric. These rugged bastions, clothed in their luxuriant -mantle of ivy, with the crumbling arches of the ruined cloisters hard -by, group in a picturesque fashion beneath the central tower, whose -broad front, bronzed by the rays of the declining sun, forms a -rallying-point for a host of homing jackdaws. - -A bowshot westward of the cathedral stand the beautiful ruins of the -Bishop's Palace, rising from amidst the rich meadows beside the Allan -River. Our route thither lies over the stony way called the Popples, the -ancient approach to St. David's Shrine, and traverses the low-arched -bridge that superseded the Llechllafar, or Speaking Stone, which in -olden times spanned the stream at this point. - -Many a curious legend clung around this venerable stone, which Giraldus -tells us was even in his time worn hollow by the feet of wayfarers. -Tradition avers that Llechllafar was wont to cry out in remonstrance if -a corpse was carried across it; and Merlin is said to have foretold that -an English king, returning from the conquest of Ireland, was to meet his -death upon this spot. So when Henry II. chanced this way, a disappointed -suppliant endeavoured to foist this sinister prediction upon him; but -the King, having made a suitable oration to the stone, passed over it -unharmed to make his orisons before the Shrine of St. David. - -[Illustration: BISHOP GOWER'S PALACE ST. DAVIDS.] - -Turning from the scene of these miraculous events, we pass a group of -lowly cottages and enter the ruined gateway of the palace. Across a -stretch of greensward, close-cropped by flocks of sheep, rise the ruined -walls of Bishop Gower's lordly dwelling; the open-arched parapets -casting a dappled shade athwart the grass-grown courtyard. - -Built in the Decorated style that prevailed throughout the fourteenth -century, this interesting structure extends around a quadrangle, of -which two sides remain in fair preservation, the others being either -much in ruins, or entirely razed to the ground. Everything here speaks -of peace and bygone hospitality. A wide ogee archway adorned with -sculptured niches gives access to the banqueting-hall, an apartment of -noble proportions adorned with an exquisite rose window still in good -preservation. Near at hand rises the chapel, with its picturesque -bell-turret and pointed windows; while over all runs a pretty open -arcade, borne upon huge corbels embellished with grotesque heads and -strange fantastic monsters. A pleasant variety has been obtained by -arranging the stonework above the arches in a kind of diaper pattern, as -may be seen in the accompanying sketch taken from the meadows, whence -the rose window forms a very charming feature. With the lapse of time -these venerable ruins have mellowed into all sorts of harmonious hues, -where golden lichens, valerian and climbing plants innumerable, have run -riot over the rough purple sandstone. - -[Illustration: THE PALACE ST. DAVID'S FROM THE MEADOWS.] - -From the ford across the little stream beneath the palace walls, a -charming view is obtained of the ancient bridge and its rough, ivy-clad -abutments, backed by the massive front of the cathedral and the -picturesque tower and arches of St. Mary's College. - -Built by Bishop Adam Houghton towards the close of the fourteenth -century, the college chapel, with its vast Perpendicular windows, must -in former times have presented an imposing appearance. Here the founder -lay at rest under a sumptuous canopy, of which, however, not a vestige -now remains. Beneath the chapel is a low groined crypt, but the various -collegiate offices which lay to the north have long since been swept -away; while the crumbling arcades of the cloisters serve nowadays to -shelter the benches of the masons employed in repairing the cathedral. - -St. Non's Chapel, the reputed birthplace of St. David, stands in an open -meadow overlooking the sea, about a mile outside the city. It is a mere -tumbled mass of rude cyclopean masonry, and has no features worthy of -note save a simple cross enclosed within a circle, engraved upon an -upright slab of stone. An ancient well dedicated to St. Non, the mother -of St. David, occupies a corner of the same field. - -Some quaint traditions hang around the old chapel called Capel Stinian, -whose scanty ruins overlook Ramsey Sound. St. Justinian, the patron -saint, was treacherously slain by his own followers on Ramsey Island, -whereupon the holy man arose, walked across the straits, and was buried -where his chapel now stands. The assassins, having been smitten with -leprosy, were banished to Gwahan Garreg, the Lepers' Rock. The story -runs that the Puritans stole away the chapel bells, which were famed for -their musical sound; but a great storm arising, the vessel in which they -endeavoured to escape with their booty was overwhelmed, and the bells -cast into the sea. So on stormy nights when the deep, strong tide is -troubling the waters, the dwellers near Ramsey Sound still hear the -chimes of those long-lost bells, above all the strife of the elements. - -Across the straits rises the broad bulk of Ramsey Island: smooth and -tame enough on this side, but presenting to the western ocean a grim -array of tall inaccessible cliffs and gloomy caverns, the haunt of seals -and sea-fowl innumerable. Farther out to sea lies the group of rocky -islets known as the Bishop and his Clerks, 'who,' as George Owen has it, -'are not withoute some small Quiristers who shewe not themselves but at -Spring Tydes and calme seas. The Bishop and these his Clerkes preache -deadlie doctrine to their winter audience, such poore seafaring men as -are forcyd thether by Tempest; onelie in one thinge are they to be -commended; they keep residence better than the canons of that see are -wont to doo.' - -Setting our course for the sea-girt promontory of St. Davids Head, we -direct our steps towards the curious-looking hill called Carn Llidi. The -bold peak of this monticle rises straight before us as we trudge across -the sandy burrows, which, in the course of ages, have invaded the site -of Roman Menapia, the elder sister of St. Davids. - -Thenceforward ensues an exhilarating stretch across the open -boulder-strewn headland. Overhead the sun shines bright and warm, light -fleecy clouds drift landward under a bracing sea-breeze, casting their -purple shadows athwart the azure plain of ocean, which breaks in white -foam upon the 'grisly, fiendy Rockys blake' that fringe the broad sweep -of Whitesand Bay. - -We now push on to the outermost crags of the headland. Stretching -seawards like a long, crooked finger, this remote peninsula forms the -most westerly landfall of Pembrokeshire, and the southernmost horn of -that great Welsh gulf known as Cardigan Bay. Making our way over rough, -rocky ground, we pass a huge half-fallen cromlech; and, as the headland -narrows, a crumbling rampart flanked by a half-obliterated fosse appears -to bar all further progress. This ancient structure, called Clawdd y -Millwyr, or the Warriors' Dyke, is constructed of smallish granite -stones, compacted with soil and turf; it runs in a slightly-curved line, -which is convex upon the landward face, from sea to sea across the -narrow peninsula. - -Just within the shelter of the bank, upon a stretch of comparatively -level greensward, lies one of those _cityau_, or groups of hut-circles, -occasionally to be met with throughout Wales. Six at least of these -primitive dwellings are here discernible, all within a few feet of one -another, and each of considerable size; many of the stones have sharp, -square edges, and some appear to have been rudely shaped to the -requisite curve of the circle. - -Tradition itself is dumb regarding the origin of these mysterious -structures; but there can be little doubt they were erected at a very -remote period. - -Once again under way, we shape our course for the rocky peak of Carn -Llidi. Although barely 600 feet in height, this isolated monticle is in -its upper parts abrupt and precipitous. At first our path leads away up -the ferny slope to a sort of saddle-backed ridge, over whose bare jagged -ledges we clamber onwards until a short, sharp pull up a kind of stony -_couloir_ lands us upon the topmost crag. - -Here we seem to have mounted (like Jack on his Beanstalk) into a new and -undiscovered world, for this isolated perch affords a bird's-eye view -over land and sea that rolls away to the distant horizon. Far beyond the -broad expanse of Cardigan Bay the highlands of Snowdonia loom faint but -clear; a wrinkled, treeless country, chequered by countless fields and -dotted with white farmhouses, trends away league upon league to the -foot-hills of Precelly, and the smoke-begirt heights of Glamorgan. Roch -Castle, upon its lonely hillock, looks out across a silver stretch of -St. Bride's Bay to the islands of Ramsey and Skomer. The village-city is -hidden by an intervening rise, but its situation is marked by the -conspicuous windmill; and westwards St. Davids Head thrusts out like a -crooked finger into the open sunlit ocean. - -[Illustration: OLD COTTAGE NEAR ST DAVIDS.] - -Descending the hill, we work our way along winding sandy lanes, and -return to St. Davids by the coast road coming from Fishguard. At an -out-of-the-way place called Gwryd-Bach we stumble across a curious old -farmstead, and being invited to enter, we proceed to make ourselves at -home in a large low chamber, half living-room, half kitchen. At one end -of this picturesque apartment is a low-browed, vaulted recess, pierced -with a deep-set window, while upon the rough flagged floor beneath -stands a mighty oak table of extremely primitive build. The ample -dresser beside the wall displays such an array of curious old painted -plates, and mugs of antiquated pattern, as might make a connoisseur's -fingers itch. One retired corner is partitioned off as a kind of homely -parlour; on another side a rough open stairway gives access to the -garret, while old guns, lanthorns, baskets and such-like articles of a -rustic _ménage_, garnish every available corner of walls and open-rafted -ceiling. - -We return to St. Davids by way of Dowrog Common, the 'Pilgrims' land' of -earlier days, with its huge upright _maenhir_, called St. David's Stone. -Before turning in for the night we overhaul Ordnance maps and -guide-book, in view of an early start upon the morrow in search of -'fresh woods and pastures new.' - -[Illustration: THE PRIEST & THE LAYMAN.] - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -TO FISHGUARD, NEWPORT, GOODWIC AND PENCAER. - - -Full five tedious leagues of monotonous cross-country road lie before us -to-day, as we leave St. Davids city northward bound for Fishguard. A -sturdy pedestrian may strike out a more interesting route by following -the coast road--the ancient Fordd Fleming--and diverging at convenient -points to explore the grand cliff scenery below Pen-beri, and the -microscopic havens of Trevine and Abercastell. At Longhouse, close to -the latter place, stands a remarkably fine cromlech, inferior only to -its more famous rival at Pentre Evan, near Newport. - -[Illustration] - -About half-way along the main road we cross a country lane that follows -the course of the old Fleming's Way; and half a mile farther on our -attention is called to an object not unlike a milestone, upon which is -rudely traced a cross within a circle: the irregular disc being about a -foot in diameter. This is known as Mesur-y-Dorth--the Measure of the -Loaf--from a tradition that St. David caused these figures to be made in -order to regulate the size of the loaf of bread in times of scarcity. - -Presently we approach the village of Jordanston; and here it behoves the -belated traveller to 'keep his weather eye open,' for if tales be true, -the ghost of a headless horseman that haunts this locality may be -expected to put in an appearance. - -A couple of miles or so to the northward rises the parish church of -Mathry, conspicuous upon its high hill-top. This church of the Holy -Martyrs once had a lofty steeple, that served as a useful guide to -mariners until blown down one stormy night, many a year ago. Mathry was -a place of some local importance in olden times, receiving a patent for -a market and fair from Edward III., while the greater tithes of this -extensive parish sufficed to endow the 'golden prebend' of St. Davids -Cathedral. - -As we near our destination, the rugged hills of Pencaer rise -picturesquely beyond the sands of Goodwic, while Dinas head rears its -bold front above Cardigan Bay, with the delicate outline of the -Carnarvonshire mountains serrating the distant horizon. - -The town of Fishguard hangs, as it were, upon the slope of a precipitous -hill overlooking the vale of the Gwaen, which here, as George Owen puts -it, 'falleth into the sea, making a faire Haven and goode Harborow for -shipps and Barks.' Its waterside suburb of Abergwaen, approached by one -of the steepest bits of coach road in the Principality, is mainly -frequented by fisher-folk and seafaring men engaged in the coasting -trade. - -Encompassed by sheltering uplands, the narrow vale of the Gwaen has a -singularly mild and equable climate, which fosters a wealth of luxuriant -vegetation. In the course of a stroll through the beautiful grounds of -Glyn-y-Mel, we notice the eucalyptus and bamboo evidently making -themselves quite at home in this sunny nook, while heliotrope and -dracæna, camellia and laurestinus flourish out-of-doors the winter -through. - -Usually the most easy-going of Sleepy Hollows, Fishguard town awoke one -fine morning towards the close of the last century to find itself become -suddenly famous. On February 21, 1797, three French frigates were -sighted off the Pembrokeshire coast bearing up towards Fishguard Bay, -where they presently came to anchor near Carreg Gwastad Point. - -During the ensuing night the enemy came ashore to the number of about -1,500 men, regular troops and gaol-birds, under the leadership of one -Tate, a renegade Irish-American. Tate, with the chief of his -satellites, established himself at the neighbouring farmhouse of -Trehowel, while the main body of the 'invaders' encamped atop of an -isolated hill overlooking the village of Llanwnda. Thence the Frenchmen -dispersed about the countryside, scaring the inhabitants out of their -wits, and rummaging the farmhouses in search of potheen and plunder. - -[Illustration: CLOCK AT BRESTGARN.] - -In one of these exploits a drunken fellow entered a cottage at -Brestgarn, where a 'grandfather' clock happened to be standing in a -corner. Dismayed by the sounds issuing from the mysterious object, the -simpleton fired his gun at a venture, concluding the devil must be -lurking within. This clock is still to be seen at Brestgarn, with the -bullet-hole through the panel as may be noticed in our sketch. - -Meanwhile the authorities bestirred themselves. Under the command of -Lord Cawdor, the Fishguard Fencibles and Castle Martin Yeomanry marched -out to Goodwic Sands, where the enemy, finding the game was up, laid -down their arms and surrendered _à discrétion_. Thus these doughty -regiments achieved the unique distinction of facing a foreign foe on the -soil of Britain itself. It is said that the goodwives of Pembrokeshire, -arrayed in their red woollen 'whittles,' countermarched and deployed -around a neighbouring hill, thus leading the invaders to suppose that a -regiment of gallant redcoats was preparing to oppose their advance. - -The French prisoners were subsequently lodged in durance vile at a place -near Pembroke, whence some of them effected their escape in Lord -Cawdor's yacht, with the connivance of two Pembroke lasses--the old -story of _cherchez la femme_ once more. One of the French vessels having -been afterwards captured was re-christened the _Fisguard_, a name that -has only recently disappeared from the files of the Navy List. -Incredible as it may seem in these days, the news of this famous event -took a whole week to travel to the Metropolis, and it is said that the -anniversary of the French landing is still held in remembrance amongst -the old folk in the locality. - -It is a pleasant stroll from Fishguard to the scene of these historic -events. Our way lies past the church, where, in a corner of the -graveyard, we notice a curiously-incised stone cross. The lane now winds -downhill, and we soon find ourselves pacing the smooth firm expanse of -Goodwic Sands, with the hamlet of that ilk clinging to a wooded hillside -before us. - -Goodwic is picturesquely situated, overlooking a tiny haven and pier in -an elbow of the rock close under the hill. Its genial climate and safe -bathing shore make the place deservedly popular, and cause the handful -of lodging-houses to fill up rapidly during 'the season.' - -Pushing on again, we now enter the district of Pencaer, and, guided by -the trusty Ordnance sheet, thread our way through narrow crooked lanes, -rounding the base of Carn Wnda, where the Frenchmen pitched their camp, -and passing on to the little out-of-the-way village of Llanwnda. - -[Illustration: Llanwnda Church.] - -The church stands in an isolated position overlooking a piece of rough -ground that does duty as village 'green,' a place scattered over with -gray tumbled stones that seem to group themselves into the lines of rude -hut-circles. Two or three low thatched cottages, that might pass for -Irish cabins, appear to have been 'dumped' down haphazard, and look old -enough to have seen Giraldus Cambrensis when he held the benefice here. - -Built in a strong, simple manner well-suited to its exposed situation, -Llanwnda Church has some characteristic features. Above the western -gable rises a low double bell-cot, while a similar but smaller erection -for the sanctus bell divides nave from chancel roof. As we enter the -low-browed porch, we espy a cross of archaic type carved upon a stone -slab in the outer wall; and two similar crosses are to be seen upon the -exterior of the chancel gable. - -The nave retains its dark, oaken timbered roof, having a rudely carved -head upon the eastern side of one of its ancient beams. The openings to -the rood-loft are now blocked up, but at the time of the French -incursion these apertures afforded a hiding-place to a servant-maid and -child, who peeped out in trepidation whilst a gang of ruffians played -havoc in the sacred edifice, setting fire to everything inflammable they -could lay hands upon. - -[Illustration: THE CHALICE AT LLANWNDA.] - -After some little persuasion Mary Reece, the sprightly nonagenarian -caretaker, is prevailed upon to produce the communion chalice for our -inspection. This little vessel has a history of its own, having been -stolen by a Frenchman, who endeavoured to dispose of it at Carmarthen, -trying to pass off the word Llanwnda engraved upon the cup as La Vendée, -a name of France. The chalice, which is much cracked and dented from the -rough handling it has undergone, bears upon the exterior the -inscription: POCULUM ECLESIE DE LLANWNDA. - -Pushing on across country, we win our way after half an hour's rough -scrambling to Carreg Gwastad Point, a low, rocky, furze-clad headland -sloping down to a secluded creek, where the would-be French invaders -effected a landing. - -A more out-of-the-way spot, or one more suited to embark on such an -enterprise, they could not well have chosen. The wild and -little-frequented coast-line of Pencaer stretches away on either hand -with scarce a vestige of a landing-place; while the scattered -peasant-folk, dwelling in isolated cottages and lone farmhouses, could -offer but an ineffectual resistance to the enemy. - -We now extend our route to Trehowel, a large, rambling old farmstead -shaded by trees, where the French commander took up his unwelcome -billet. Thence we strike up the slope of Garn-vawr to the huge British -camp that crowns the summit, a wide prospect over land and sea rewarding -our exertions. Following the crest of the ridge, we enjoy a breezy tramp -across country, sundry fallen cromlechs and such-like relics lending an -old-world interest to the locality. - -Anent the country of Pencaer there is a venerable tradition which runs -somewhat to the following effect: 'Once upon a time' there was a town in -Pencaer called Trêf Cwlhwc, or Cwlhwc's Town. This Cwlhwc appears to -have been a sort of Celtic Hercules, who roamed about his native country -in search of adventures. When grown to man's estate, Cwlhwc began to -entertain ideas of marrying and settling down; whereupon he was informed -by an oracle that no maid save the fair Olwen might become his wife. -Nothing daunted, the giant set forth in quest of his future bride, and -after searching for a year and a day found the beautiful Olwen seated -alone in her bower. - -'She was arrayed,' says the old Welsh Mabinogion, 'in a vesture of -flame-coloured silk, a wreath of ruddy gold was about the damsel's neck, -set with pearl and coral. More yellow was her head than the blossoms of -the broom; her skin was whiter than the foam of the wave; her fingers -fairer than the opening buds of the water-lily, amid the small ripplings -of the fountain of the waters. No brighter eyes than hers were seen; -whiter was her bosom than the breast of the swan, more red her cheeks -than the rose of the mountain. Whoever saw her was filled with love, -and in her every footstep four white trefoils sprang wherever she trod, -and therefore she was named Olwen.' - -The Royal Oak inn at Fishguard (see head of present chapter) formed the -British headquarters in the affair of '97. Trundling out of the town by -the Newport coach, we skirt the slopes of Carn Enoch, across whose -western flank extend the lines of prehistoric _maenhirs_ known as Parc y -Marw, the Field of the Dead. Away to our left rises the big bluff -headland that shelters the village of Dinas, whose pretty cottages peep -out from amidst bowery orchards upon a little secluded cove. A new -church has supplanted the old one, of which the western wall alone -remains, all else having been swept away by inroads of the sea. - -Our route now leads around the rocky shores of Newport Bay, the rough -country lane affording some refreshing glimpses of narrow inlets, with -woodlands feathering down to the water's edge. As we advance, the dark -brow of Carn Englyn swings into view, with the houses of Newport -clustering about its lower slopes. Arrived at that pleasant country town -we beat up quarters for the night, intending to make it our head centre -while exploring that portion of the shire stretching from the foot-hills -of Precelly to the shores of Cardigan Bay. - -[Illustration: A DERELICT.] - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -NEWPORT, NEVERN, AND TEIVYSIDE. - - -We now enter upon that portion of Pembrokeshire distinguished from -earliest times by the name of Kemaes, a district that was constituted a -Lordship Marcher by the Norman invaders of Wales. - -The first conqueror established himself in a strong castle at Newport, -which formed the _Caput Baroniæ_, or chief place of the district. Here -the Lord Marcher of Kemaes held his court in almost regal state, -exercising practically unlimited control over the lives and property of -his newly-conquered vassals. After the manner of the times, the Lord of -Kemaes was empowered to deal summarily with felons, for whom a gaol was -provided within the castle precincts, where a gibbet stood on a mound -called by the natives Cnwc y Crogwydd, or Gallows Tump. - -Amongst the privileges peculiar to this lordship was the patronage of -the British Bards, and the disposal of a much-prized silver harp, which -was treasured in the ancient abbey of St. Dogmaels, near Cardigan. - -Standing upon a gentle declivity overlooking the town and bay, Newport -Castle owes its origin to William, son of Martin de Turribus, the -conqueror of Kemaes. The date of its erection appears to have been about -the close of the eleventh century, but the castle was probably altered -or enlarged by subsequent rulers. - -In Queen Elizabeth's time that curious antiquary George Owen paid a -visit to Newport Castle, in which he noticed 'faire and lardg Roomes'; -moreover, he tells us the place 'was moatid with a clear Springe of -swete running Water, out of whiche, after it had pleasured the Eye in -that capacitie, by a sluice it was let foorth to drive the myll, called -the Castle myll, adjoininge the sayd moate.' - -Of this lordly structure the entrance archway, flanked by two noble -crenellated towers, are the best preserved features; but extensive ruins -of walls and circular bastions, encompassed by the half-obliterated -moat, may still be traced upon its western side. - -Nestling beneath the castle, on the outskirts of the town, stands the -handsome parish church of St. Byrnach. The original edifice is said to -have been erected by the builder of Newport Castle, but the present -Decorated structure has superseded a building of later date that was the -very epitome of ugliness. Within the church stands a very early font, -probably the original one of Norman times. Of the finely wrought and -gilded rood-screen it is said once to have possessed, not a vestige has -been preserved. - -St. Byrnach, the patron saint of Newport Church, was an Irishman by -birth, and a contemporary of St. David. He appears to have been held in -high esteem throughout all this district, where many of the parish -churches are dedicated to his name. This holy man is supposed to have -led the life of a hermit, dividing his time between Buarth Byrnach, or -Byrnach's Fold, on the singular mountain called Carnedd Meibion Owen, -and the rocky recesses of Carn Englyn, the Angel's Peak, above Newport -town, a hill that derives its name from a tradition that St. Byrnach was -nourished by angels during his lonely sojourn there. - -But _revenons à nos moutons_. Newport was anciently a borough town, -having obtained its charter of incorporation as early as A.D. 1215. The -town also received the grant of a market from Sir Nicholas FitzMartin, -Lord of Kemaes, in the year 1278. This ancient document is still extant. -Henceforth Newport continued to grow and prosper, and in the sixteenth -century carried on extensive woollen manufactures. Upon the outbreak of -the 'sweating sickness,' the place suffered severely; its market was -discontinued, and many of the inhabitants fled to the more salubrious -air of Fishguard. - -Though its privileges have been much curtailed in modern times, the town -has still _nominally_ a municipal body, though the latter has neither -revenues to dispose of, nor functions to perform. Of recent years, -however, Newport has shown signs of re-awakening prosperity: and when -the long-talked-of railway line becomes a _fait accompli_, this pleasant -little market town will doubtless enter upon a new lease of life and -activity. - -At Parrog, where the Nevern stream embouches upon Newport Bay, we find a -watering-place in its infancy. Parrog is an attractive spot in a quiet -sort of way, and draws a fair sprinkling of holiday-makers from up the -country during the long days of summer. A few comfortable if -unpretentious lodging-houses offer decent accommodation, and cater in a -manner that leaves little to be desired where criticism is disarmed by -lusty appetites, bred of long hours spent in the brine-laden air. The -neighbourhood, too, is pleasantly diversified, and contains many -secluded nooks affording charming rural rambles. - -But to return to Newport. At the farther end of the town, after passing -the Llwyngwair Arms, we turn down a lane in the direction of the river, -and in a couple of hundred paces descry a cromlech standing amidst an -adjacent meadow. Though smaller than many others in the county, this -cromlech is in a good state of preservation, and, as may be seen in the -sketch at the end of the chapter, possesses an uncommonly massive -capstone. - -Retracing our steps to the highroad, we then jog pleasantly along -beneath the welcome shade of an avenue of trees. Just beyond Pont -Clydach, we enter the grounds of Llwyngwair by a meadow path that winds -amidst delightful groves, where oak, beech, and ash shelter a wealth of -tangled undergrowth. - -Crossing a couple of fat grazing meadows, decked with hemlock and -fragrant meadowsweet, we find ourselves on the brink of the Nevern -Brook, a genuine Welsh streamlet that rushes briskly onward in deep -brown pools and broken, shingly reaches-- - - 'With here and there a lusty trout. - And here and there a grayling.' - -This Nevern stream rises far away on the slopes of Fryn-y-Fawr, whence, -after pursuing a picturesque course below Pencelly forest, it finds its -way by many a 'crankling nook' to Nevern, where it is spanned by a -graceful old stone bridge, whose buttresses are shrouded in luxuriant -ivy. - -Over this same bridge we presently take our way, passing the lowly -village school-house, whence the sing-song iteration of young voices -salutes our ears through wide-open windows. In another minute we find -ourselves at the churchyard wicket, where we pause awhile to look about -us and take our bearings. - -The village of Nevern is situated in the richly-wooded glen of the Dûad, -or Nevern Brook, and is surrounded by some of the most charming scenery -in the county. The luxuriant groves of Llwyngwair afford shelter from -the strong sea winds, while the purple shoulders of Precelly sweep -upward in graceful folds to the lofty southern horizon. The picturesque -peak of Carn Englyn forms a prominent feature in the landscape; and, -separated from it by the deep, narrow vale of the Clydach, rises Carnedd -Meibion Owen, a rocky monticle that reminds one strongly of the Dartmoor -Tors. - -Time was, 'tis said, when this village of Nevern took precedence of its -rival neighbour Newport. In those early days Nevern was a borough town, -having its own portreeve with courts of government, and eighteen -'burgages' to manage its affairs. Above the townlet rose the protecting -walls of Llanhyvor Castle, a fortalice long regarded, so to speak, as a -precious gem in the diadem of every South Wallian prince. A steep grassy -knoll alone marks the site where this important castle stood. - -But it is time to look at Nevern Church. Dedicated to St. Byrnach, this -ancient structure presents, with its gray walls peeping amidst masses of -dark foliage, a picturesque and venerable appearance. The western tower, -though of no great height, is of vast breadth and substance, extending -to the full width of the church, and having a projecting stair-turret -upon its northern side. In this tower hangs a peal of six very musical -bells. - -[Illustration: TREWERN CHAPEL & BYRNACHS CROSS. NEVERN.] - -Approaching the south porch, we pass beneath a dense avenue of ancient -yews, which even at noontide cast a gloomy shade around. Though lacking -aisles, the church has shallow transepts, that on the north being called -the Glasdwr Chapel, while the south transept is appropriated to the use -of Trewern, an old mansion in the vicinity. This Trewern Chapel has a -solidly groined stone ceiling and elegantly proportioned windows, with a -projecting turret for the stairway, leading to an upper chamber, as -depicted in the adjoining sketch. - -Upon either side the chancel is a sort of shallow bay, lighted by a -narrow pointed window, a characteristic feature of Pembrokeshire -churches. The sacred edifice is provided with a pair of silver chalices -dated respectively 1696 and 1733, the gifts of former parishioners. - -Near the south-east angle of the Trewern Chapel rises the ancient Celtic -cross that figures conspicuously in our sketch. This curious monument -goes by the name of St. Byrnach's Stone. It stands upwards of 10 feet in -height, and is overlaid with the interlacing ornament peculiar to these -structures. So boldly and deeply are the patterns incised, as to be -little the worse for ten centuries of wind and weather, the hoary -lichens that cling to the rugged surface of the monolith serving but to -enhance its venerable aspect. - -Anent this ancient stone, there is a quaint tradition which tells how, -in olden times, the cuckoo was wont to first sound his note in this -locality on the day of the patron saint, April 7. - -'I might well here omit,' says George Owen, 'an old report as yet fresh -of this odious bird, that in the old world the parish priest of this -church would not begin Mass until the bird--called the citizen's -ambassador--had first appeared, and began her note on a stone called St. -Byrnach's Stone, being curiously wrought with sundry sort of knots, -standing upright in the churchyard of this parish; and one year staying -very long, and the priest and the people expecting her accustomed coming -(for I account this bird of the feminine gender), came at last, lighting -on the said stone--her accustomed preaching-place--and being scarce able -once to sound the note, presently fell dead.' - -It is somewhat reassuring to be told by the same authority that 'this -vulgar tale, although it concerns in some sort church matters, you may -either believe or not without peril of damnation.' - -Quitting the pleasant precincts of the church, we pursue a crooked lane -that skirts the green mounds of the 'castell,' and, turning thence past -a solitary thatched cottage, make our way along a hollow tree-shaded -pathway. Keeping a sharp look-out upon every side, we presently espy the -object of our search, the form of a cross, half obliterated by ivy -sprays and tufts of rushy grass, being seen rudely graven upon the high -sandstone bank by the lane side; while a sort of hollow kneeling-place -can be distinguished in the rock at the bottom of the cross. - -[Illustration: PILGRIM'S CROSS AT NEVERN.] - -For we are now upon the line of an ancient pilgrims' way, whose course -is marked by well-worn tracks in the soft red sandy rock; and this -solitary cross calls up visions of the mediæval wayfarer pausing upon -his journey to St. David's Shrine, to invoke before Croes Byrnach the -benediction of that influential saint. We are at some pains (owing to -the exuberant undergrowth) to obtain a sketch of this interesting -object, for, so far as we are aware, no other cross like this is to be -found throughout the length and breadth of Wales. - -In an out-of-the-way locality about two miles north of Nevern stands a -farmhouse called Trellyfan, _anglicè_ Toadstown. The origin of this -singular name is explained by the following story, narrated by no less -an authority than the famous Giraldus Cambrensis. - -One day in the course of his travels Giraldus fell in with an -exceedingly tall young man, who, owing to the length of his limbs, was -known as Sitsyllt of the Long Legs. The career of this ill-starred -individual was cut short in a strange and tragic manner, the unhappy -Sitsyllt being worried to death by _toads_, in spite of the fact that -his friends had very considerately hung him up in a sack, to save him -from the molestations of these malignant reptiles! - -[Illustration: THE TOAD OF TRELLYFAN.] - -As a memento of this incident, the marble effigy of a toad was built -into a chimney-piece at Trellyfan, where it was treasured for many -generations. The toad was afterwards cut away and removed from its place -in the farmhouse, but eventually came into the possession of its present -owner, a resident at Haverfordwest, by whose courtesy we are enabled to -give a sketch of this venerable relic. The toad in question is carved in -a dark-green veined marble, about as large as the palm of a woman's -hand, and is reputed to be the work of an Italian artist. - -Retracing our steps to Nevern, we call a halt at the Trewern Arms, a -modest hostelry so near the stream that its waters play a pleasant -accompaniment during the course of our homely meal. Then, with energies -recruited, we plunge into a shadowy woodland path that leads to -Pont-y-Baldwyn, a bridge that spans the rippling stream at a point -where, according to tradition, Archbishop Baldwyn preached the crusade -in company with Giraldus Cambrensis. From Pont-y-Baldwyn we follow a -farm road that leads us to Hênllys, a place memorable in Pembrokeshire -annals as the birthplace of that industrious chronicler and local -antiquary, George Owen of Hênllys. Of his curious and fascinating work -entitled 'The Description of Penbrokshire,' we have largely availed -ourselves throughout these present pages. George Owen appears to have -come of a stout old country stock. His father is said to have died a -centenarian, after begetting a family of some twenty children. Both -George Owen and his father before him held the ancient and honourable -office of Lord of Kemaes. - -Taking leave of this historical spot, we now drop into a hollow bowery -lane that hugs the course of the Dûad Stream, and passes through the -rough intricate country known as Pencelly Forest, where in olden times -the lord of the manor claimed right of pannage for hogs, with the wild -honey and sparhawks found in the forest. Our route now leads near -Court, where Martin de Turribus, the conqueror of Kemaes, had a lordly -dwelling, which, according to George Owen, 'seemeth to have been a house -both of account and strengthe.' - -A short half-hour later we find ourselves pacing the single 'street' of -Eglwys-Erw, a picturesque village said to derive its name from the -church having been built upon a plot of land measuring an acre. Fenton, -on the other hand, attributes the origin of the name to a certain St. -Erw, whose chapel, containing the tomb of the patron saint, used to -stand in a corner of the churchyard. In olden times the peasant folk -were averse to being buried in this chapel, owing to the prevalent -superstition that their bodies were liable to be mysteriously ejected at -dead of night, because, forsooth, St. Erw would brook no bedfellow! - -Passing on between the neat, whitewashed cottages, we come to Sergeants' -Inn, whose bow-windowed front stands near the upper end of the village. -The somewhat unusual title of this hostelry is derived from the fact -that, in earlier days, it was customary for the gentlemen of the Bar -when 'on circuit' to foregather here; and the building next the inn is -still called the Sessions House. At Sergeants' Inn is to be seen a small -chest-lid, incised with the rather enigmatical legend: I.H.S, PRESTAT -EZZE PROMETHEVS QUAM EPIMETHEUM, 1603. - -Eglwys-Erw Church is soon disposed of; for it has been completely -modernized, and bereft of any noteworthy features it may formerly have -contained. - -We now approach the confines of the parish of Eglwys-wen, or -Whitechurch; a parish where adders are commonly reputed to be, like -snakes in Iceland, absolutely unknown. - -There is a curious tradition anent the yokels of Whitechurch parish. -Says our trusty friend George Owen, 'In ancient times in this parish the -Meanest and simplest Sort of people, yea the plain ploughmen, were -Skillful at chess play; they never being dwelling out of their Parish, -but unlitterate, and brought up at the plough and Harrow altogether.' -One would be curious to learn how it came to pass that these simple -folk, dwelling in this remote Welsh parish, acquired such an -unlooked-for reputation. - -But the day is waxing old, and it is still a far cry to our night's -bivouac at Newport. So, putting the best foot foremost, we speed along -the highroad for a couple of miles or so, until, near a huge old -earthwork ycleped Castell Mawr, we diverge to the left, cross a pretty -streamlet, and get a direction from a passer-by to the famous cromlech -at Pentre-Evan. - -[Illustration: PENTRE EVAN.] - -Standing in an open field, on the northern slope of the strange-looking -hill called Carnedd Meibion Owen, this wonderful structure is -undoubtedly the finest cromlech to be found in the Principality. - -The gigantic capstone that forms the roof measures some 16 feet in -length, by half as much across; its longer axis lying, roughly speaking, -north and south. Beneath it stand four upright stones, tall enough to -permit of a horseman passing beneath the cromlech. A closer inspection -shows that two only of these standing stones support the weight of the -capstone; and their upper ends, being shaped like a narrow wedge, appear -pointed when seen from the position whence our sketch was taken. - -This noble relic of the prehistoric past has, under the Ancient -Monuments Protection Act, been enclosed within a tall iron fence, which, -if not exactly a pleasing feature in itself, will doubtless preserve the -cromlech from further abuse and injury. - -Soft white mists are stealing athwart the vale of Nevern, and clinging -around the skirts of the lower foot-hills, as we wend our way back to -quarters at Newport town. Glancing in the direction whence we have come, -the cloud-wreaths gathered around the shoulders of Precelly glow crimson -under the rays of the declining sun, as he sinks into the pallid sea -away beyond Dinas Head; and by the time we arrive at our _rendezvous_, -Darkness has spread her wings o'er the dusky landscape. - - * * * * * - -The next morning sees us early under way, and well on the road to -Kilgerran, ere the sun has climbed high enough to make matters -unpleasantly warm for the wayfarer. Beyond Nevern we pass near the -lonely deserted chapel of Bayvil, and, after a long spell of steady -collar-work, get some fine vistas of varied landscape near the old -grass-grown barrows called Crugau Kemaes. - -At the crossways farther on we are a matter of 500 feet above the sea, -with Monington village on our left, and the church and ruined castle of -Llantood away to the right. Then, as we near Kilgerran, we notice an old -boundary-stone under the hedgerow, bearing a few half-obliterated lines -anathematizing him who should venture to remove this landmark, the -original purpose of which has probably long since been forgotten. - -Passing under a railway arch, we soon descry Kilgerran Church, standing -on the brink of a narrow ravine that opens towards the Teivy. St. -Llawddog, from whom this church inherits its euphonious patronymic, -appears to have been a saint of some local celebrity, for his name crops -up at more than one place in the immediate neighbourhood. - -With the exception of its gray old tower, Kilgerran Church has been -entirely rebuilt, and calls for no particular notice. In the graveyard -stands a venerable monolith, much older than the church itself. The -weathered surface of the stone is scored with those Ogham characters, -so fascinating to the antiquarian mind; these hieroglyphics have been -deciphered as follows: TRENGUSSI FILI HIC JACIT. Unfortunately, a large -portion of the _maenhir_ is sunk below the level of the ground, thus -rendering a thorough examination of its surface impracticable. - -To eyes fresh from the beauties of Nevern, the long, rambling street of -Kilgerran offers anything but an inviting appearance, being flanked by -meagre unkempt dwellings, with but one or two cottages of more antique -mould in the older portion of the village. - -Despite the humble, not to say squalid, aspect of the place, there was a -time when Kilgerran held a position of no small consequence. A borough -town, governed by portreeve, aldermen and burgesses, its 'court-leet' -and 'view of frankpledge' held their annual meetings at Kilgerran; while -many another time-honoured privilege bore witness to a state of things -that has long since passed away. - -In those piping times, it was customary for each newly-elected burgess -to prove his fitness for office by draining _at one draught_ a horn of -strong Welsh ale; the Corporation horn used on such occasions holding -fully a pint and a half of liquor! - -We now make our way to the castle ruins, which occupy the brow of a -lofty cliff overhanging the deep gorge of the Teivy. The existing -remains of Kilgerran Castle consist of two massive round towers, -separating the outer from the inner bailey, with considerable fragments -of the gate-house. - -The entire fabric is plain, and very massively constructed, showing -little or no trace of ornamentation; the few doorways and windows that -remain being arched in a primitive fashion, without the use of the -customary keystone. A rough stone wall encircles the precipitous scarp -next the river, a portion of which fell down suddenly many years ago, -having been undermined by the excavations of the quarry-men. - -Kilgerran Castle appears to have been founded at a very remote period, -though the existing structure is probably not older than the beginning -of the thirteenth century. In Powell's 'History of Cambria,' we read -how, Henry I. having granted to Strongbow the lands of Cadwgan ap -Blethyn, the great Earl' builded a faire castel at a place callyd -Dyngeraint, where Roger Montgomerie had begonne a castel before tyme.' -Its subsequent history is unimportant, and Kilgerran Castle has at last -succumbed to the shocks of time and the more devastating hand of man, -who appears to have regarded its ancient walls in the light of a -convenient quarry. - -Looking out across the deep vale of Teivy, we can see the mansion of -Coedmore amidst its ensheltering woodlands. It is said that, in olden -times, a fishing-net was stretched athwart the river just below the -mansion, a line being attached to the net and connected to a bell, which -rang in the house to give notice to the inmates when a catch of salmon -had been effected. - -The clear, unsullied waters of the Teivy, have ever been a favourite -haunt of the king of fishes. Giraldus Cambrensis asserts that 'The noble -river Teivy abounds, more than any river of Wales, with the finest -Salmons; and it has a productive fishery near Kilgerran.' - -[Illustration: A TEIVYSIDE CORACLE.] - -That curious craft the ancient British coracle is a familiar object to -all dwellers on Teivyside, where from days immemorial it has been -employed by the fisher folk in the pursuit of their time-honoured -calling. - -The coracle, or _corwg_ as it is called in Wales, is somewhat of an oval -shape, but is raised high and flattened at the bows. The framework -consists of split rods forming a sort of basket-work, over which tarred -canvas is stretched, though in olden times cowhide was used for this -purpose; hence the ancient coracle weighed considerably more than the -modern one, and this explains the old Welsh adage, _Llwyth gwr ci Gorwg_ -(A man's load is his coracle). The seat is a stout ash-plank, and -through it a loop or sling is twisted by which the owner carries his -coracle upon his back, the wooden rails with which the seat is provided -acting as a basket to carry the fish. The method of carrying the little -craft is shown in the sketch at head of the present chapter. - -Notwithstanding its great breadth of beam, it is by no means easy for a -novice to propel the coracle by means of its single paddle; indeed, his -efforts are likely to be brought to an untimely end by a plunge in the -cold, clear depths of the Teivy. - -[Illustration: KILGERRAN FERRY.] - -After this digression, we will now take a stroll by Teivyside; -descending from the village by a steep pathway beside some humble -cottages and heaps of quarry refuse. As a result of certain ancient -privileges, the townsfolk have gradually converted this portion of the -left bank of the Teivy into a succession of slate quarries, whose ragged -talus of _débris_ encumbers the water's edge; a sorry substitute for the -luxuriant groves that greet the eye wherever Nature has been allowed -fair play. - -Pursuing this rough track for about a furlong, we turn to the -right-about, and obtain a fine view of the castle lording it above a -pretty reach of the river; and thence pursue a path that hugs the brink -of the stream. After passing the last and deepest of the slate-mines, -which has been carried far below the river-bed, we enjoy a still more -charming glimpse of the grand old ruins enfolded amongst richly wooded -hills, all mirrored in an unruffled sheet of water at a point where the -ferry-boat lies moored, beside the grassy bank. - -[Illustration: KILGERRAN CASTLE FROM THE TEIVY.] - -Thenceforward our footpath meanders amidst the magnificent groves of -oak, beech and ash, that adorn the estate of Castle Malgwyn; their -graceful forms reflected in the still, dark reaches of the placid Teivy, -which hereabouts affords some of the finest river scenery to be found in -all wild Wales. - -[Illustration: LLECHRHYD BRIDGE.] - -Onwards to Llechrhyd Bridge, whose ivy-mantled arches, backed by the -lodge and woodlands of the park, form a 'likely' subject for the -artist's pencil. - -[Illustration: CASTLE MALGWYN.] - -The village, with its snug waterside inn beloved of anglers, has a very -seductive air about it; but we must not linger here, for these -transpontine lands lie without the bounds of Pembrokeshire, and are -therefore _taboo_ to us. So, striking away in the direction of the -south, we traverse the spacious demesne of Castle Malgwyn, getting a -peep of the mansion set amidst dark, umbrageous woodlands; our approach -causing the startled bunnies to skirmish away helter-skelter into the -bracken coverts as we pass. - -The return route to Kilgerran lies through a pleasant vale, with young -oak-coppices upon the one hand, and a marshy reed-grown watercourse upon -the other. - - * * * * * - -Setting forth by a different route upon the morrow's morn, a row -downstream from Kilgerran introduces us to some charmingly diversified -reaches of the swift-flowing Teivy. After passing below the wooded -slopes of Coedmore, our little craft threads the rocky channel as it -twists, now this way, now that, through the broken undulating country, -affording ever some fresh variation of the lovely changing landscape, to -which the castle ruins form an imposing centre. - -Presently we emerge upon broad tidal flats, where groups of cattle are -browsing amidst the lush sedgy herbage. Shooting under Cardigan Bridge, -we open out that final reach of the river where, in the words of George -Owen, 'Teivy saluteth St. Dogmells, as it passeth to the sea.' - -About a mile distant from the county-town of Cardigan, but on the -Pembrokeshire side of the river, stands the before-mentioned village of -St. Dogmaels. The little place is perched upon a rather steep declivity, -its comely dwellings clambering up the slope, so that, from the top of -the village, one's eye follows the course of the Teivy to the -foam-fringed shores of Cardigan Bay, and the headland called Pen-Kemaes. - -Here the cottage gardens are gay with heliotrope, fuchsias and -hydrangea, which brave the winter out in the more sheltered corners; -while the full-rigged flagstaffs that rise amidst the garden plots -bespeak the nautical proclivities of the residents. - -This village derives its name from the ancient Welsh monastery of St. -Dogmaels, which stood about a mile away at a place still bearing the -name of Yr Hên Mynachlog (the Old Monastery). Of this venerable -structure, founded by Robert de Turribus, but scanty traces now remain, -in the shape of a few ivy-mantled walls pierced with Gothic arches, -whose crumbling stones retain the ball-flower ornamentation of the -Decorated period. The neighbouring parish church has, alas! been swept -and garnished by iconoclastic hands, which have ruthlessly bereft the -fabric of every feature of interest. - -Our investigations completed, we betake ourselves to the Cardigan -terminus, and travel thence over the branch line of the Great Western -Railway as far as Crymmych-Arms Station. Beyond Kilgerran the line -traverses some pretty furze-clad dingles, and, as we approach our -destination, mounts in short, sharp curves towards the high ground that -forms the watershed of northern Pembrokeshire. - -From the summit level, some 700 feet above the sea, we command a noble -prospect of the Precelly range, and the more remote hills about Newport -Bay and Fishguard; the effect being heightened by the sunset glow, while -a brilliant rainbow spans the purple clouds that brood over the loftier -crests of the distant mountains. - -At Crymmych we avail ourselves of such accommodation as the wayside inn -affords, intending to start away bright and early upon the morrow's -explorations. - -[Illustration: CROMLECH AT NEWPORT.] - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -A RAMBLE OVER PRECELLY HILLS, TO THE SOURCES OF THE CLEDDAU. - - -The broad grassy slopes of Fryn-y-Fawr, (or Vrenny Vawr, as they -pronounce it), a big isolated hill to the east of Crymmych-Arms, afford -a pleasant morning's stroll, with a widespreading outlook at the end of -it. The mountain road by which we approach the monticle follows the -course of the ancient trackway called Fordd-Fleming, which we presently -exchange for the open, heathery hillside; going as we please for the -tall green tumulus that marks the summit. - -Save towards the west, where the higher Precelly range intercepts the -view, the prospect is wide and unrestricted, comprising nearly the whole -of Pembrokeshire, with its setting of silvery sea, and a vast stretch of -South Wales, including the peninsula of Gower; while the northern -horizon is bounded by the remote Northwallian hills, amongst which, if -the day be clear, the peak of Snowdon may possibly be distinguished. - -Descending by the opposite end of the hill, we pass a small homestead, -whose name indicates that the source of the Nevern River is near at -hand. - -Somewhere within the flanks of Fryn-y-Fawr, there lies hid (according to -the tradition of the countryside) a leaden casket packed full with -untold gold. The _genius loci_ that guards this mysterious treasure -takes the form of a violent tempest, which bursts, in thunder and -lightning, around the head of the man who is foolhardy enough to seek to -possess himself of the forbidden prize. - -Returning to Crymmych-Arms, we settle up accounts with mine hostess--a -simple process in these parts, often arranged without the formality of a -'bill,'--and set forth anew upon our wanderings. The old trackway again -forms our route, leading us past the site of a rude monument called -Croes Mihangel, and thence across the heather-clad shoulders of Foel -Trigarn, the easternmost spur of Precelly, which, as its name implies, -is crowned with three cairns, surrounded by the stony ramparts of an -ancient British stronghold. - -[Illustration: THE SKIRTS OF PRECELLY.] - -The mountain vale opening out upon our left holds the springs of the -eastern Cleddau, a stream that, after forming for some miles the -county-boundary, passes below picturesque Llawhaden, and flows onwards -amidst the rich woodlands of Slebech and Picton Castle, to merge in the -broad, tidal waters of Milford Haven. - -For the next few miles we enjoy a breezy tramp athwart the wild, -uncultivated shoulders of Precelly--'Parcilly the Proud,' to use old -Drayton's phrase. In his own quaint fashion, George Owen thus describes -these famous hills: 'The chiefest and principall mountaine of this shire -is Percellye, which is a long ridge or rancke of mountaines runninge -East and West; beginninge above Penkellyvore, where the first mounte of -highe land thereof is called Moel Eryr, and so passinge Eastward to -Comkerwyn (being the highest parte of yt), runneth East to Moel Trygarn -and to Llanvirnach.' - -So far George Owen. Meanwhile we trudge onward across the springy turf, -avoiding here a stretch of dusky bogland feathered with white tufts of -cotton-grass, yonder a huge pile of weather-stained boulders, riven and -tossed asunder by the tempests of ten thousand winters. One of these -rugged cairns is known as King Arthur's Grave; another bears a Welsh -name signifying the 'rocks of the horsemen': indeed, every feature of -the landscape has its story or legend for the imaginative Cymro. - -Rounding the head of a lonely glen, a rough but sufficiently easy ascent -lands us beside the cairn that marks the summit of Foel Cwm Cerwyn, the -loftiest peak of Precelly, and the highest ground in all broad -Pembrokeshire. 'This mountaine,' says George Owen, 'is so highe and -farre mountid into the ayre that, when the countrey about is faire and -cleere, the toppe thereof wilbe hidden in a cloude, which of the -inhabitantes is taken a sure signe of raigne to follow shortelie, -whereof grewe this proverbe: - - '"When Percellye weareth a hatte, - All Penbrokeshire shall weete of that."' - -Standing well apart, and removed from the mass of loftier South Welsh -hills, the view from Precelly top is both extensive and interesting. -Near hand, one's gaze wanders across a vast expanse of rather -monotonous, treeless landscape, until the attention is arrested by the -lake-like reaches of Milford Haven, spreading like crooked fingers far -into the heart of the land. - -South and west the sea encompasses all, with Gower lying far away upon -the Bristol Channel, and perhaps a faint outline of the cliffs of Devon -verging the remote horizon. The isolated hills overlooking St. Davids -are easily identified, flanked by a broad stretch of St. Bride's Bay, -and its group of guardian islets. Strumble Head thrusts its tempest-torn -crags seawards into Cardigan Bay, whose coast-line trends away league -upon league with infinite gradation to where, softened by the humid, -brine-laden atmosphere, - - 'The gray, cloud-cradled mountains spread afar.' - -Newport Bay, lying under the lee of Dinas Head, looks as though one -might cast a stone into its calm waters; and upon turning our gaze -inland, the eye loses itself amidst the many-folding hills, as they rise -in soft undulations to the dusky highlands of Glamorganshire. - -We now push on along the crest of the moorland, striking once more into -the course of the so-called Flemings' Way. After the manner of most -early roads, this ancient trackway runs athwart the open highlands, -avoiding the hollow places; and although much of it has been obliterated -by the ploughshare, and the gradual advance of cultivation, its course -may still be traced in the less-frequented localities, as it wends its -way up country from the site of old Menapia towards the county-town of -Carmarthen. - -An ancient warrant of Sir Nicholas Martin, referring to the use of this -old mountain road by the Flemish colony, observes: 'And well they might -make this unusual waie for their passage, for that, passinge alonge the -toppe of the highest hill, they might the better descrie the pryvie -ambushes of the Countrye people, which might in streightes and woodds -annoy them.' - -At a place appropriately called the Pass of the Winds, we fall in with -the main road as it crosses the hills from Haverfordwest to Cardigan. -This we descend for a matter of half a mile, passing across a heathery -upland ycleped the Hill of the Unstrung-Bows, until we come to Tafarn -Bwlch, a humble wayside alehouse some thousand feet or so above -sea-level. - -Looking out across a broad brown reach of moorland, the eye detects a -sort of rude stone causeway, curving amidst rush-grass and scattered -peat-hags. This is known as Bedd-yr-Avangc, or the Beaver's Grave; _à -propos_ of which it is worthy of note that Giraldus Cambrensis mentions -the beaver as abounding in his day on Teivyside, while more than one -venerable legend locates this amphibious quadruped in the _llyns_ and -streams throughout wild Wales. - -Arrived at Tafarn Bwlch, we call for such cheer as the lowly inn can -supply; but the bill of fare proves somewhat scanty, for, in the words -of the great lexicographer, 'of provisions its negative catalogue is -very copious.' The goodwife, however, rises to the occasion, and regales -us with a repast such as appetites sharpened by lusty mountain air make -short enough work of. Then we burn incense to the drowsy god in a nook -of the chimney-place, where a peat-fire glows untended upon the ample -hearth. - -Starting forth again like giants refreshed, we breast the stony ascent -that leads to the pass amidst a sharp squall of wind and rain, which -drags in a darkening veil athwart the lonesome landscape, blotting now -this, now that familiar landmark from the view. - -From the head of the pass we descend into the vale of the infant -Syvynvy, rounding the broad green slopes of the Eagles' Hill, the -westernmost buttress of the Precelly range. At the crossways we bear to -the left, with the disused windmill of the slate quarries showing -conspicuously upon a neighbouring hill. - -Pushing on towards Maenclochog, we pass near the defunct Rosebush -Station, on the line of the Maenclochog railway, which at present is -undergoing in leisurely fashion a process of reconstruction. Indeed, in -the matter of slowness, the builders of this line may fairly claim to -have 'broken the record,' for 'tis whispered that seventeen years' work -has added little more than four miles to the length of the railway! - -Be that as it may, we now make our entry into the village of -Maenclochog, a bleak-looking place enough, where the storm-rent trees -beside the roadway attest the violence of the winter gales that sweep -across these bare, lofty uplands. - -Towards the farther end of the village, at a widening of the ways, -stands the parish church, a structure of no great antiquity, dedicated -to St. Mary. The clergyman, who has ministered here for upwards of -thirty years, now courteously introduces us to the well-tended interior, -the most noteworthy feature of which is a plain old font, with a -singular cup-shaped recess upon its eastern face, the purpose of which -we are quite at a loss to conjecture. - -St. Mary's Church has no tower, but at the western end rises a low -turret containing a musical peal of bells. It is a remarkable fact, -indeed, that throughout this mountain district church towers are -conspicuous by their absence; whereas, in the English country farther -south, the tall slender bell-tower usually forms one of the most -noticeable features of the parish church. - -A marble cross used, we are informed, to adorn the chancel gable; but -this has long since been removed to the limbo of things forgotten. - -In olden times, it was customary at Maenclochog to draw the water for -baptism from St. Mary's Well, a natural spring that rises just without -the village. Near to this well are some tumbled stones, that once -supported a large horizontal slab. Tradition tells that this stone, when -struck, gave forth a loud ringing sound, which did not cease until the -water from the holy well had been brought into the church. Hence the -name of Maenclochog, which, being interpreted, signifies the village of -the 'ringing rock.' It is much to be regretted that this curious object -was destroyed many years ago, because, forsooth, the sound thereof was -supposed to frighten passing horses! - -At the foot of the village stands a large, rambling inn, backed by the -singularly artificial-looking rocks known as 'the Castle,' whence the -house takes its title. In a country where lodgings of any sort are so -few and far between, the wayfarer may do worse than pitch his camp for a -night in these unassuming quarters. - -The way to Llandilo leads us through a hollow dingle, where a brawling -trout-stream rushes along beneath cool, shadowy beech woods: while every -here and there a glimpse of the purple hills adds variety to the scene. - -Passing by Temple-Druid, the site of a now destroyed cromlech, we arrive -at Llandilo, where we search in vain for the church: for this -sparsely-peopled parish has been merged into that of Maenclochog, in -consequence of which the sacred edifice has been allowed to fall into -disrepair, and is now represented by a few crumbling walls smothered in -rank, untended ivy. - -Crossing the stone stile that gives access to the churchyard, we espy -upon its southern side a slab of greenstone bearing, in rudely-chased -letters, the inscription: COIMAGNI FILI CAVETI. A similar stone near the -east end of the ruined chancel has also its superscription, which reads: -ANDAGELLI IACIT; with a fainter line, possibly FILI CNOI, below; and -over all a cross with tridented terminations. - -But the pride of the place is 'St. Teilo's skull,' which is treasured at -the adjacent farmhouse. This curious relic was formerly held in high -esteem as a cure for all manner of sickness, water being drawn from the -saint's well, and drunk out of the skull. The virtue of the draught was -supposed to consist in its being administered by the eldest son of the -house of Melchior, then, as now, the hereditary custodian of St. Teilo's -skull. Onwards to Llangolman, the country is crumpled up into a -succession of hills and narrow, rocky dingles, whereby the numerous -streamlets that enliven this locality find an outlet from the foot-hills -of Precelly. In one of these dingles is St. Teilo's Well, a wayside -spring frequented by that saint in days of yore. - -Llangolman Church, perched on its isolated monticle, presents a sorry -spectacle of desecration and decay; its windows battered and broken, its -roof open to the vault of heaven, while the rusty bell hangs cracked and -useless in the dilapidated turret. - -As we approach Monachlogddu, the landscape assumes a thoroughly Welsh -appearance. A clear trout-stream, that comes rippling and dancing down -the glen from the dark brown ridge of the moorlands, is here put to turn -the wheel of a little flannel-mill. In response to our request, the -goodman describes in broken English the simple processes of manufacture, -and explains the movements of his archaic machinery. Then, after a -glance at the lowly parish church, dedicated to St. Dogmael, we bid -adieu to the village of the Black Monastery, and take to the road again. - -The neighbouring village of Llanvirnach is said to derive its name from -the following circumstance. When the good St. Byrnach was making his -pilgrimage through this portion of the country, he could at first obtain -no better quarters than a cowshed; thus, as the story goes, arose the -name of Llanbeudy, the Church of the Cowhouse. The next day the saint -fared even worse, for, coming to Cilmaenllwyd, he was obliged, for lack -of better accommodation, to repose beneath the gray cromlech that gives -the place its name. The third night, however, St. Byrnach came to a -place where he was accorded a kindly welcome, and provided with a -comfortable night's lodging. Overcome with gratitude for this hospitable -reception, St. Byrnach declared the place should ever after bear his own -name; and hence it is called to this day Llanvirnach, or the Church of -St. Byrnach. - -But to return to Maenclochog. Retracing our steps through the village, -we bear away to the left, and presently come to a roadside spring called -St. Byrnach's Well, a resort of that ubiquitous saint. - -Our route now leads past Poll-tax Inn, and follows the course of the Via -Julia, that ancient highway by which the Roman legions traversed this -wild, uncivilized territory, from Maridunum, the present town of -Carmarthen, to their remotest settlement at Menapia, on the shores of -Whitesand Bay. - -Diverging from the mountain road that marks the route of the Roman -highway, we turn aside into a cross-country lane, pass several cairns -and cromlechs, and presently come to Little Newcastle, a mean, unkempt -village, presenting few attractions for the wayfarer. - -At Little Newcastle was born a certain Bartholomew Roberts, who, about a -century ago, made some noise in the world as a successful filibuster. In -company with his fellow-countryman Howel Davies, (as big a rascal as -himself), this notorious freebooter sailed the high seas arrayed in -priceless silks and jewels galore--as pretty a pair of desperadoes as -ever hoisted the skull-and-crossbones flag, or graced the yardarm of a -man-o'-war. - -From Little Newcastle we make the best of our way to St. Dogwells, a -mite of a place tucked into an elbow of the stream, and overlooked upon -the north by a rock-strewn eminence called Castell Conyn. Through the -woods of Sealyham we pass on to Letterston; noting a curious piscina in -the church, and an effigy which long passed muster as that of St. -Leotard, its founder. - -Beyond the old chapel at Ford, where the Roman highway crossed the -river, the road winds through the heart of the gorge amidst a wealth of -bracken and purple heather; the huge form of Trefgarn Rock towering high -aloft on our right. With the brawling Cleddau, half hidden by -copsewoods, tumbling along through the hollow of the glen, the whole -forms as romantic a bit of scenery as any to be found in the county. - -At the adjacent village of Trefgarn, that great Welsh patriot and -freelance, the famous Owen Glyndwr, is said to have first seen the -light; an event that took place about the middle of the fourteenth -century. Certain strange phenomena that were observed at the time of his -birth, were turned to full account by this enterprising adventurer; -hence Shakespeare, in his play of Henry IV.,' puts into the mouth of -Glyndwr the proud words: - - 'At my birth - The front of heav'n was full of fiery shapes: - The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds - Were strangely clamorous in the frighted fields: - These signs have marked me extraordinary, - And all the courses of my life do show - I am not in the roll of common men.' - -Alighting at Rudbaxton village, we step aside in order to visit the -parish church. Upon the south side of the chancel, a pair of flat -limestone arches open into what is known as the Howard Chapel, the -eastern wall of which supports a large, seventeenth-century monument, -commemorating various members of that honourable family. - -[Illustration: THE HOWARD MONUMENT AT RUDBAXTON.] - -The male and female figures beneath the arched recesses are represented -as nearly the full size of life, habited in the costume of the period, -and painted in a somewhat crude and barbaric manner. As may be seen in -our sketch, every figure save one bears a human skull in its hand, thus -recording in a suggestive way the decease of that individual. One -effigy alone is _minus_ this grim feature, as it represents the lady in -whose lifetime the monument was erected. - -The panel beneath the central group bears the inscription, 'To the -memory of James Howard of this Parish, Esq. who lyeth before this -monument, and departed this life the 29th day of November Ano 1668, Aged -35 years. Also the memory of Joanna, the Wife of James Howard, who -erected this monument for her Deare friends and children, with the -intent to Joyne partner to this Monument, and left this life....' - -The figure to the left represents George Howard, who died in 1665; those -upon the right being Thomas and Mary, son and daughter of the central -figures, who died, respectively, in 1682 and 1685. A sundial upon the -outer south wall of the Howard Chapel bears the initials J. H. and the -date 1665. - -Descending a hollow lane, we cross a stream and pass near the scanty -ruins of Flether Hill, the ancient abode of the Haywards, whose -tombstones we have seen in the church. Then, leaving the pleasant -grounds of Withybush away upon our left, we presently strike the main -road again at a place called Crowsnest, and thus approach the town of -Haverfordwest by its long, transpontine suburb of Prendergast. - -[Illustration: AT HAVERFORDWEST.] - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -ON AND OFF THE NARBERTH ROAD. LANGWM AND DAUGLEDDAU. - - -It is market day in Haverfordwest. The big travel-stained waggons of the -wholesale traders, drawn by sturdy large-limbed horses, trundle slowly -through the crowded streets of the old town; while the distinctive tones -of the 'broad Harfat talk' greet the ear upon every side. - -Wending our way down the steep High Street, we bear away to the right at -the bottom of the hill, and traverse one of the oldest quarters of the -town. Presently we descry a low-browed entrance opening upon the -footpath, the massive nail-studded door, with its quaint lion-head -knocker, being enframed by liberally-moulded jambs. Passing beneath this -ancient portal, we are admitted to an interior beautified by the rare -old oaken stairway shown in our sketch; this stairway gives access to -nicely panelled chambers, whose fireplaces retain their original blue -Dutch tiles, painted with scenes from Biblical history. - -[Illustration: OLD STAIRCASE AT HAVERFORDWEST.] - -To the rear of the dwelling-house stands a flour-mill of antiquated -type; yet driving, withal, a brisk trade in its green old age. A -well-trained old horse, the mainstay of the establishment, jogs round in -the mill and supplies the motive power. - -Stepping out to the rear, we find ourselves upon the riverside quay, -along which we now take our way. Groups of bulky stone warehouses flank -the grass-grown wharf, which presently opening out, reveals the Bristol -Trader, a little semi-nautical inn, with its trim bit of garden-ground -abloom with hollyhocks and nasturtiums; an old-time spot frequented by -waterside gossips, and fraught with vague echoes from that wide outer -world where men 'go down to the sea in ships.' - -Hence we push on past the ruined priory to the diminutive village of -Haroldstone, where some traces still exist of the ancient mansion that, -for three successive centuries, was the ancestral home of the Perrots, -one of the most notable old families of Pembrokeshire. - -[Illustration: UZMASTON.] - -_Vis-à-vis_ across the river Cleddau rises the parish church of -Uzmaston; a picturesque assemblage of roofs and gables, clustering -around a quaint old saddle-backed tower. Uzmaston Church has, within the -last few years, been rescued from decay, and conscientiously restored by -Mr. Lingen Barker, architect, of Hereford. - -Skirting a bend of the river, we trudge through the woods to Freystrop, -and enter upon a district pitted here and there with old mine-shafts. -Over the water lies Boulston, where hard by the brink of the stream -(perhaps a bowshot east from the desecrated church) rises a jumble of -ivy-clad ruins, backed by a tangled thicket of old forest trees. Here -lived the Wogans, a well-known family in days of yore, who adopted a -wyvern as their crest from the following tradition. - -Amidst the broad-woodlands that formerly extended around the ancestral -mansion, wild beasts of various kinds were supposed to roam at large. -In the remotest depths of the forest lurked the dreaded basilisk, a -formidable monster whose glance caused instant death to the ill-starred -wight upon whom its gaze might rest, but which perished itself if first -perceived by a man. - -At last a certain bold fellow determined to rid the countryside of this -objectionable beast. Causing himself to be shut up in a cask and rolled -into the forest, he peeped through the bung-hole, and presently spied -the basilisk without himself being seen. Thereupon the dreaded monster, -giving vent to an unearthly yell that could be heard for miles around, -fell down and perished upon the spot, so that the country-folk were no -longer troubled by the molestations of the basilisk. A dragon legend, -very similar to the above, is connected with the village of Mordiford in -Herefordshire. - -By-and-by, as we descend from the uplands, a broad reach of the tideway -opens out right before us, where the twin streams of Cleddau merge into -the widening Haven. Thus we enter the village of Langwm at its upper -end, escorted by a rabble of noisy, unkempt urchins who cumber the -narrow roadway. - -Here, in the very heart of southern Pembrokeshire, stranded like a human -jetsam upon one of the inmost recesses of Milford Haven, we find an -isolated community, whose speech and physiognomy alike proclaim their -Teutonic origin. Imagination conjures up those far-away times, when the -sturdy immigrants from over seas--ancestors of these hardy -fisher-folk--pushed their advance up the winding waterway, despite the -desperate onslaughts of the Britons, who, fighting for hearth and home, -'rolled on like the billows of a retiring tide with noise, fury, and -devastation, but on each retreat yielded ground to the invaders.' - -In their own thoroughgoing fashion, the newcomers set to work to -construct a chain of castles to guard their hard-won territory; and -thus, protected from the restless foe, grew up those peaceful villages -and smiling homesteads, surrounded by orchards, fields, and pasture -lands, that have earned for this portion of the county its title of the -Little England beyond Wales. - -But _revenons à nos moutons_, for it is time to look about us. - -A curious place is Langwm, and a singular race are the people that dwell -therein. Small 'butt-and-ben' cottages, some thatched, some slated, -others roofed with hideous corrugated iron, compose the major portion of -the village; which straggles down a narrow combe, whose lower reaches -open upon an oozy elbow of the river. - -[Illustration: LANGWM FISHWIVES.] - -The women, as a rule, are conspicuous by their absence; for they are for -the most part abroad, hawking fish and oysters up and down the country. -Clad in stout pea-jackets and warm blue homespun skirts, worn short for -travelling the rough country roads, these hard-working women seem to -belong to some alien race, as they elbow their way through the crowded -streets of Tenby or Haverfordwest. - -The Langwm people have, indeed, always kept very much to themselves, -discouraging alliances with outsiders; nor until recent years would they -even permit their girls to go out as domestic servants. In the old -unregenerate days, courtship and marriage were attended with certain -curious, primitive customs--customs which, to say the least, were 'more -honoured in the breach than the observance.' One way and another, this -singular people forms an interesting little community, which appears to -have preserved intact to the present day much of the manners and customs -of the early Flemish colonists. - -Langwm Church is dedicated to St. Hierom. The little edifice stands, as -its name implies, in a hollow combe near Milford Haven. To reach it we -cross a bit of rough unenclosed greensward, littered over with -oyster-shells, upon which, according to the local story, the village -itself is built. - -The interior of this church is enriched with some interesting Decorated -features; notably a canopied niche and piscina of unusual type, upon the -eastern wall of the north chapel, or transept. - -Under an ogee canopy, in the gable wall of the same chapel, lies the -effigy of a De la Roche (or Dolly Rotch in the vernacular), to whose -family this chapel formerly belonged. The figure is that of a Crusader, -clad in full armour and sword in hand; the face is both handsome and -expressive, and the head reposes upon a plumed helmet. The thong of the -boot, twisted around the leg, bears some resemblance to a serpent; and -hence this monument is pointed out as that of the founder of Roch -Castle, who, as an old story avers, met his death through the bite of a -'loathlie worme.' - -Near Langwm the twin Cleddaus merge into the broad bosom of the tideway; -becoming, as old George Owen says, 'both a salt sea of a myle broade and -xvi myles longue before they forsake their native Countrie, ... and then -by Curse of nature yeald themselves to the sea, the endinge of all -Rivers.' - -We now cross the ferry, and, after passing through Marteltewi, bear -away in a southerly direction _en route_ for Lawrenny. The latter is a -pleasant-looking village, with comely cottages concentrated around the -parish church of St. Caradoc, whose tall, ivy-mantled tower rises close -at hand, overshadowed by a grove of stately elms where the rooks are -making merry. - -To the rear of the church the ground slopes up to a boss of open land, -fringed with a thick growth of copsewood, and almost cut off from the -circumjacent country by two converging 'pills,' or tidal creeks. - -[Illustration: LAWRENNY CASTLE.] - -Pursuing a field-path that skirts the stream at the base of the -monticle, we stroll through the park-like demesne of Lawrenny Castle, a -handsome modern edifice, whose soaring turrets and battlements make a -brave show amidst the silvan scenery. - -[Illustration: BENTON CASTLE.] - -Making our way to a handful of cottages beside a neglected quay, we now -select a likely-looking craft, and pull across the Western Cleddau to -the ruins of Benton Castle; whose ivy-clad battlements scarcely overtop -the redundant oak woods, that come feathering down to the very brink of -the stream. - -Little remains of the fabric save the principal tower, the base of which -is circular in form, the upper works being corbelled out and fashioned -into an octagon. With the arched gateway, flanked by a portion of a -second drum-tower, these crumbling ruins form a picturesque group, whose -features are almost lost amidst the luxuriant foliage that runs riot -over all. - -Benton Castle appears never to have been more than a mere outpost, -planted to guard the passage of the Western Cleddau, and forming a link -in the chain of strongholds to guard this remote English settlement. -History has little to tell about its past, but the castle is reputed to -have been originally built by Bishop Beck. It was at one time surrounded -by an extensive deer park, a portion of the ancient estate of -Williamstown, which, as George Owen tells us, was sequestrated to the -Crown upon the attainder of Sir John Perrot. - -After groping about for some time, in vain endeavour to obtain a -satisfactory view, we at last secure a sketch of Benton Castle; and -then, recrossing the water, make the best of our way back again to -Lawrenny. - -Inns, good, bad or indifferent, appear to be an 'unknown quantity' in -this highly-respectable village; but an enterprising grocer rises to the -occasion, and plays the _rôle_ of Boniface as one to the manner born. - -Upon resuming our peregrinations, we set our course for Landshipping -Ferry; while the gathering clouds, brooding over the darkening -landscape, warn us to make ready against the 'useful trouble of the -rain.' With a sudden swirl the gale descends upon us, sweeping through -the straining tree-tops, and lashing up the waters of the creek into the -semblance of a miniature _Maelström_. - -Scudding for shelter to a rustic alehouse, we soon make ourselves at -home in the deep, oaken settle beside the chimney-corner; discussing the -day's adventures over a mug of home-brewed ale, while the fumes of the -'noxious weed' float upwards to the ripening flitches, that hang from -the smoke-begrimed rafters overhead. - -Half an hour later finds us once more underway, with the sunshine -blinking out again through the tail of the retreating storm, and the -raindrops glistening like diamonds on every bush and hedgerow: - - 'Sweet is sunshine through the rain, - All the moist leaves laugh amain; - Birds sing in the wood and lane - To see the storm go by, O! - - 'Overhead the lift grows blue, - Hill and valley smile anew; - Rainbows fill each drop of dew, - And a rainbow spans the sky, O!' - -Running us ashore near some cottages, at a picturesque nook of the -Haven, the ferryman now puts us in the way for Picton; which is reached -after a brisk twenty minutes' tramp through the leafy glades of a deep, -sequestered dingle. - -[Illustration: PICTON CASTLE.] - -It would be difficult to image anything more attractive than the -situation of Picton Castle. Crowning the brow of a gentle declivity, the -stately pile is sheltered from the north and east by groves of forest -trees, and mighty banks of rhododendrons; while upon its southern side a -beautiful expanse of the home-park rolls away, 'in emerald slopes of -sunny sward,' to a broad, land-locked reach of Milford Haven. - -In conjunction with the neighbouring estate of Slebech, Picton Park -comprises a vast extent of open, park-like land, the haunt of game and -wild-fowl; while the river front affords miles of woodland strolls, with -a charming variety of ever-changing prospects. What with boating and -fishing galore, not to mention an occasional meet of fox and otter -hounds, he must indeed be a fastidious sportsman who cannot find -recreation in this favoured locality. - -Picton Castle can boast a record unmatched in the annals of any other -Southwallian fortalice; for the place has never once been deserted, but -has always been occupied by those who can claim direct descent from the -original founder. - -It was in the days of William Rufus (when Arnulph the Norman handed over -the whole of the surrounding district to his trusty follower) that Sir -William de Picton erected the first castle, and gave his own name to his -newly-acquired possession. To his descendant, the good Sir John -Philipps, the town of Haverfordwest is indebted for its fine old -sandstone bridge, which he caused to be built at his own expense, and -presented as a free gift to the borough. John Wesley and Sir Isaac -Newton were numbered amongst his friends; and a monument, erected to his -memory by the grateful townsfolk, is to be seen in St. Mary's Church, -Haverfordwest. - -General Picton, of Peninsular War renown, was a famous scion of the same -good stock. It is said that, owing to his influence abroad, large -quantities of the best wine of Oporto found their way into many a -Pembrokeshire cellar, where such a vintage had hitherto been a luxury -unknown. - -During the Civil Wars, Picton Castle was garrisoned and held for King -Charles by Sir Richard Philipps, second baronet; but was eventually -surrendered (as the story goes) under the following circumstances. - -One day during the course of the siege, a servant-maid was standing at -an open casement in the eastern bastion with Sir Erasmus, the infant -heir, upon her arm; when a Parliamentary trooper rode up with a flag of -truce, and presented a letter at the window. No sooner had the maid -reached forward to take the missive, than, raising himself in the -saddle, the soldier snatched the child from the nurse's arms, drew his -sword, and threatened to slay the hope of Picton upon the spot, unless -the castle were instantly surrendered. - -Though much altered and extended in comparatively modern times, Picton -Castle still presents an imposing and dignified appearance; especially -when viewed from the south-east side, whence our sketch is taken. - -The entrance front (which is by far the oldest portion of the -structure) retains the deeply-recessed portal, the rounded arches, -quaint, archaic corbel-heads and narrow windows, that mark the enduring -handiwork of the original Norman builders. Above the massive entrance -porch rise the deep-set windows of the chapel; the handsome painted -glass with which they are adorned, forming an appropriate memorial to a -member of the family of Sir Charles and Lady Philipps, whose tragic -death, in 1893, aroused the deep sympathy of the entire county. - -Rounded bastions project at intervals from the main structure, which is -of an oblong form, with a lofty wing flanking its western end. The moat, -having no purpose to serve in these piping times of peace, has long -since been filled up; and its place is now occupied by pleasant walks -and _parterres_, varied by luxuriant shrubberies. - -The interior of the castle contains numerous suites of apartments, -disposed around a handsome and spacious hall, from whose lofty walls -historic family portraits of various styles and periods look down upon -the beholder. - -At one end of the hall is a gallery communicating with the private -chapel above mentioned; and several quaint, old-fashioned chambers, -whose solid circular walls are of enormous thickness. The panelled -floors and ceilings of these apartments are worthy of notice, as are -their white marble chimney-pieces, delicately wrought in the Italian -manner. From the recesses of the deep-set windows, we command a lovely -prospect over the rich rolling woodlands of the park, encircled by a -silvery reach of the Cleddau towards Landshipping Ferry. - -Passing along the green alleys of the home-wood, we presently emerge -upon a stretch of breezy downland, and forge ahead through whispering -bracken and heather; while the sound of a woodcutter's axe and the -distant bleating of sheep float lazily hitherward upon the calm, clear -air. - -Thence we plunge into a shadowy belt of greenwood that fringes the -waterside; nor until we are nearing Slebech do these woodland glades -roll back, and give place to the more open scenery of Baron de Rutzen's -beautiful demesne. - -[Illustration: SLEBECH CHURCH.] - -The mansion and ruined church of Slebech occupy the site of a Commandery -of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who early in the twelfth -century established a small community here, to collect funds for the -purposes of that ancient fraternity. The creation of this Commandery -appears to have been an event of considerable importance; and we find -such names as Maurice de Prendergast, the invader of Ireland, and -Fitzgerald, the notorious Bishop of St. Davids, enrolled amongst its -earliest benefactors. - -Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the old ruined church of the -Knights-Templars stands in a low, sheltered situation, half surrounded -by the waters of the Cleddau; just one of those secluded spots that seem -to have been congenial to the mediæval temperament. The main walls and -arches of the fabric still remain fairly intact, and, like the western -tower, are smothered in masses of rank, untended ivy. - -A doorway in the northern face of the tower gives access, beneath a -low-pitched, Gothic archway, to the interior of the church. This archway -is surmounted by a decayed stone escutcheon, charged with certain -armorial bearings which Fenton deciphered as 'arms quarterly, first and -fourth a fesse dauncette, second and third a lion rampant.' A similar -shield, at the apex of an upper window, displays the simple cross of the -Order of St. John of Jerusalem. - -The dismantled interior, carpeted with rank herbage and vaulted with the -dome of heaven, looks picturesque in its decay. From the spot whence our -sketch was taken, the old font is seen near at hand, overtopped by an -arch giving access to a pretty side-chapel with traceried window, and a -small piscina formed in the flank of the pillar. Through the open -archway upon the right we gain a glimpse of the roofless, desecrated -chancel. When Fenton was here, about the beginning of the present -century, the latter was still covered with its wooden ceiling, fashioned -into square compartments and ornamented at the crossings of the beams -with floreated enrichments, conspicuous amidst which appeared the arms -of the Barlow family. - -At that time the Barlow monument occupied a prominent position against -the south wall of the chancel, which may be easily identified by the -ragged stonework whence the structure has been torn away. This act of -vandalism is much to be deplored, for the monument appears to have been -an unusually handsome one, the effigies of Barlow and his lady reposing -beneath a sumptuous canopy, surmounted by a blank escutcheon. - -By some lucky chance these figures have escaped destruction, and are now -safely stowed away in the vaults of Slebech new church. They are -excellently carved in alabaster, that of the knight being of great size; -his head with its long curling locks rests upon a helmet, while the -collar and order of the Golden Fleece is suspended around his shoulders. -Hence it is supposed that this figure represents a certain Roger Barlow, -who in the reign of Henry VIII. travelled into Spain, and was employed -by the Spanish monarch in his South American ventures. - -The lady, whose effigy is apparently of somewhat earlier date than that -of the male figure, is arrayed in a handsome robe, over which is drawn a -gracefully flowing mantle; while her long, smooth hair, bound with a -chaplet around the brows, falls upon either side about her sloping -shoulders. - -Foundations of ancient buildings are said to have been traced in the -grounds, between the church and the neighbouring mansion; but nothing -worthy of note has as yet seen the light of day. - -Slebech House appears to have been erected at a period when architecture -had fallen to about its lowest ebb; its yellow plastered walls being -pierced with rows of featureless windows, and surmounted by meagre, -meaningless battlements. Nevertheless, the spacious chambers command -such charming vistas of woodland and shimmering waters, as to go far -towards making amends for architectural shortcomings. The mansion has -superseded a structure of no mean antiquity, but of its history, which -was presumably quiet and uneventful, few records have survived to our -times. - -Some three miles to the northward of Slebech lies the obscure hamlet of -Wiston; a place so small and insignificant, that it is by no means easy -to picture it as the erstwhile head of the barony of Daugleddau, a -borough town, and the home of the powerful Wogans. - -Wiston, we are told, derives its name from a certain Wiz, or Wyzo, a -Flemish immigrant of considerable influence, who built a castle here to -protect the infant settlement; of this castle a portion of the keep or -donjon-tower, and a ruined gateway, still remain in tolerable repair. -After having been more than once beleaguered and destroyed, the place -was dismantled and deserted at an early period; so that Wiston Castle -plays but a minor part in the records of border warfare. - -Of the Wogan family, who for many generations made Wiston their home, -the most famous scion was Sir John of that ilk, who was Lord Chief -Justice of England in the reign of Edward I. This Sir John, it may be -noted _en passant_, took to himself the style and title of 'Lord of -Pyketown.' - -So much, then, for Wiston. We now set forth from Slebech, and jaunt -along beside the Eastern Cleddau, with the broad umbrageous woods of -Minwear combing down to the water's edge, upon the farther bank of the -stream. Ere long the Vale of Cleddau begins to widen out, forming a -comely, verdant strath, through which the highroad winds like a narrow -ribbon as it takes its way towards Narberth. For the present, however, -we give this road the go-by, and turn near Canaston bridge into a ruddy -lane, which climbs by a gentle ascent to the crest of the ridgeway. - -Down in the vale below, at a place bearing the name of St. Kennox, lived -good Rees Pritchard, the famous Welsh divine, sometime Chancellor of St. -Davids Cathedral, and author of a celebrated book entitled 'Canwyll y -Cymro,' or the Welshman's Candle. Such was the fame of Pritchard's -oratory, that the vast congregations who flocked to hear him preach -overflowed the limits of the cathedral walls, and clustered thick as -hiving bees in the great south porch, and around the precincts of the -sacred building. - -In about another mile, our lane suddenly debouches upon the broad, -triangular grass-plot, that forms the village-green of time-honoured -Llawhaden. Grouped around the green rise a number of old substantial -homesteads--true 'homes of ancient peace'--whose low-browed -lattice-windows look out upon a vasty duck-pond, overshadowed by clumps -of gnarled and weather-beaten firs. - -[Illustration: LLAWHADEN CASTLE AND BRIDGE.] - -Turning to the right at the foot of the green, we fare along the village -street until it terminates abruptly in a sort of _cul-de-sac_, where the -majestic ruins of Llawhaden Castle seem to forbid our further progress. - -The great Gatehouse, with its lofty drum towers flanking the -boldly-arched portcullis, indicates the noble scale upon which the -fortress was conceived. The eastern tower is still in a fair state of -preservation, retaining the strong stone floors of its successive -stages, though its fellow has been shorn of more than half its bulk. -These towers are pierced with small but well-proportioned -lancet-windows, apparently of Edwardian date, and the corbelled -battlements are carried forward above the gateway, to form a _couloir_ -for pouring down molten lead upon the foe. - -On passing beneath the lofty entrance archway, we are confronted by a -well-proportioned Gothic doorway, with one small pointed window, little -more than a loophole, in the wall beside it; these are the sole relics -of the northern front, of which all else has fallen to decay. Near at -hand rises a slender square tower, whose trefoil-headed windows and -finely-worked mouldings point to a later period than that of the main -structure. From its position and certain accessories, there is reason to -suppose this tower contained the chapel of the castle, erected by Bishop -Vaughan, who enlarged and beautified St. Davids Cathedral. - -A group of flourishing ash-trees, which have sprung up wheresoever they -listed, cast their chequered shade athwart the neglected courtyard; -whilst pigs and poultry, from the adjacent farmstead, roam untended -amidst the masses of fallen masonry, that cumber the ground in every -direction. - -Although perched on the brink of a steep declivity, the castle was -protected by a moat which still remains intact, though sadly choked with -tangled undergrowth and _débris_. This moat was supplied with water from -a stream, which forms the large pond at the foot of the village. - -Thomas Beck, Bishop of St. Davids, is said to have erected Llawhaden -Castle, towards the close of the thirteenth century; but it is more than -probable his building merely superseded a structure of earlier date. - -This worthy prelate also founded, 'in his Villa de Llewhadyn, a little -_Hospitium_, which he dedicated to the poor and needy;' devoting to its -maintenance the revenues derived from his own lands. Thus Bishop Beck -became the first Welsh patron of pilgrims, and supporter of the aged and -infirm. - -Of this very interesting foundation, all that has survived is a small -building with vaulted roof, doorway, windows and a piscina, situated in -a field on the outskirts of the village. This little edifice was in all -probability the chapel of Beck's _hospitium_. A certain Friar William -was entrusted with the charge of the establishment, both he and his -brethren wearing a habit distinctive of their calling. - -By the time of Owen Glyndwr, the castle appears already to have fallen -into disrepair; as we read that the King gave orders for Llawhaden to be -put into a state of defence, victualled, and furnished with a garrison. - -Under the disastrous _régime_ of Bishop Barlow, that rapacious prelate -caused the lead to be stripped from off the castle roofs, even as he had -done at the beautiful old palace of St. Davids. Thenceforth the stately -fabric, exposed to the disintegrating forces of Nature, gradually -succumbed to its misfortunes, and sank into the condition of an -uninhabitable ruin. - -At their castle of Llawhaden, the Bishops of St. Davids lived in true -baronial style; the fortress constituting the _Caput Baroniæ_, by virtue -of which they were entitled to representation in the Parliament of the -realm. - -Before taking leave of Llawhaden Castle, we secure the accompanying -sketch of the great Gatehouse, whose hoary lichen-clad masonry, wreathed -in clinging ivy, rises with bold and striking effect against the dark -foliage of a neighbouring coppice. - -Descending by a steep, hollow lane to the banks of Cleddau, we linger -long about the old bridge and castle-mill to enjoy the placid beauty of -the landscape, whose rich, subdued tints are enhanced by the radiance of -a mellow autumn afternoon. - -Looking upstream, the church forms the central feature of a pleasant, -restful prospect; its picturesque tower reflected in the clear waters of -the Cleddau, which rushes onward to tumble with refreshing roar over a -weir close at hand. Amidst the hanging woodlands which clothe the castle -hill, we catch a glimpse of that ancient fortalice; while the lowing of -kine comes pleasantly to the ear from the deep water-meadows down the -vale. - -We now bend our steps towards the parish church, noticing a simple -wooden cross beside the wicket-gate, whereon is hung a lantern to guide -the footsteps of the benighted flock, during the long, dark evenings of -winter. - -Llawhaden Church stands somewhat remote from the village, in a -sequestered nook where the castle hill and the Cleddau leave scarce -sufficient room for the little church to stand; insomuch that its -chancel gable well-nigh overhangs the stream. Dedicated to St. Hugo, the -sacred edifice contains the mutilated effigy of an ecclesiastic, -commonly supposed to represent the patron saint, but more probably -intended for Adam Houghton, Bishop of St. Davids, and co-founder with -John o' Gaunt of St. Mary's College in that 'city.' - -Houghton distinguished himself by enacting a statute to regulate the -scale of wages, and the price of beer, on behalf of his faithful -'subjects;' while tradition avers that, having been excommunicated by -the Pope for some misdemeanour or other, this intrepid prelate -retaliated by excommunicating the Holy Father himself! - -Inside the church we notice several curiously-sculptured corbels; -besides a two-three quaint epitaphs reciting, in rather questionable -English, the virtues and graces of certain local worthies. - -The semi-detached tower presents a picturesque appearance, having, -attached to its southern face, a square-shaped turret which, curiously -enough, looks older than the tower itself. The internal construction of -this tower is somewhat peculiar, and its belfry contains a triplet of -sweet-toned bells. - -It is, perhaps, worthy of note that Llawhaden is supposed to derive its -name from St. Aeddan, a Pembrokeshire man by birth, and a disciple of -St. David himself. - -Having inspected an ancient cross, built into the eastern gable of the -church, we now retrace our footsteps to the bridge, where, after -searching for some time in vain owing to intervening foliage, we at last -pitch upon a suitable spot for a sketch of that time-worn structure. - -This done, we reluctantly turn our backs upon pretty Llawhaden, and fare -away in the direction of Narberth, playing hide-and-seek with our -shadows as they lengthen under the westering sun. Groups of lads and -little lasses, homeward bound from school, linger in twos and threes by -the rough laneside, where the bramble brakes are thickest; purple lips -and stained pocket-handkerchiefs showing the blackberry season is now in -full swing. - -Anon we clamber over a tall step-stile, near a widespreading ash-tree -whose singular form at once arrests the eye. After growing for some feet -in a horizontal direction, the massive Bole turns abruptly at a sharp -right angle, and shooting skywards, straight as an arrow, branches out -into a head of symmetrical foliage, like the trees in a Dutchman's -garden. - -Pushing on by a footpath that winds down towards a stream in the hollow -of the vale, we presently stumble hot-foot upon a covey of partridges, -who are up in a twinkling, and blustering away to the shelter of a -neighbouring stubble-field; while the voice of an unseen -threshing-machine, 'a-bummin' away like a buzzard clock,' palpitates -through the drowsy air of the still, September afternoon. - -Leaving St. Kennox away to our right, we now make for the village of -Robeston Wathen; the choice lying between breasting the hill by a steep -green field-path, or approaching in more leisurely fashion by way of the -lane. The voting goes all in favour of the shorter route, which brings -us out at a point near Robeston Church, whose tall, isolated tower is -conspicuous for a long distance around. At the cross-roads near the -village stands a group of wayside cottages, whose deep thatched roofs, -and low porches embowered in honeysuckle and climbing plants, make a -very charming picture. - -Past the disestablished toll-gate, the road slants away down the bank to -a bridge over a narrow streamlet. Thence ensues the long, steady ascent -of Cock's Hill, which lands us eventually at a considerable altitude on -the outskirts of Narberth; a place that, with the exception of its -ruined castle, has little to commend it to wayfarers who, like -ourselves, are 'in search of the picturesque.' - -A town of some importance in bygone times, when its markets were -resorted to by half the countryside, Narberth appears of late to have -fallen upon degenerate days; the mail-coaches having deserted its -grass-grown streets for ever, while the railway trains that have usurped -their place give the unfortunate town the go-by, in favour of other and -more enterprising communities. - -Wending our way adown the long, featureless High Street, we pass on our -left the broad front of the De Rutzen Arms, a large wayside -posting-house, around whose weed-grown courtyard hang memories of the -old coaching days. Then, leaving the parish church away to the right, -and navigating some intricate lanes, we approach the outskirts of the -town, and make the best of our way to the castle ruins. - -Crowning the southward slope of the hill upon which the town is located, -Narberth Castle occupies a position of considerable importance. The -ruins of the fortress, though small, and devoid of striking features, -are not without a certain picturesque appearance when seen from the -Tenby road. It must, however, be confessed that 'distance lends -enchantment to the view;' for the existing remains are of a very -fragmentary nature, consisting of a few broken bastions, with some odds -and ends of more or less dilapidated masonry. - -At the time of the Norman Conquest, Narberth fell to the share of Sir -Stephen Perrot, a follower of the redoubtable Arnulph de Montgomery. -Although there is record of a castle here as long ago as the eleventh -century, the present structure is certainly not of earlier date than the -days of Sir Andrew Perrot, or, say, about the middle of the thirteenth -century; indeed, the character of the existing work seems to point to -its erection at an even later period. - -In the reign of Edward III., Narberth Castle came into the possession of -Roger Mortimer, the great Earl Marcher, and sometime favourite of Queen -Isabella; passing subsequently under the direct control of the Crown. -Eventually bluff King Hal presented the estate in his own freehanded way -to our old acquaintance, Sir Rhys ap Thomas; and so when John Leland, -the famous antiquary, travelled into South Wales upon his 'Laborious -Journey, and Searche for England's Antiquities,' he duly described -Narberth Castle as a 'praty pile of old Sir Rees.' - -To the south of the town lies a broken, hilly district called Narberth -Forest; whence were procured, in bygone days, large quantities of oak -and other timber, for building the famous 'wooden walls' of the British -navy. In olden times, this locality formed a favourite hunting-ground of -the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, whose custom it was to ride out -from their headquarters at Slebech, and chase the wild deer that -frequented its woodland glades. - -The village of Templeton, (which doubtless derives its name from that -martial fraternity), is now a mere rambling, skeleton of a place, with a -few dwelling-houses of the better sort amongst the cottages that flank -the highway. Once upon a time, it is said, Templeton could boast its -village-cross and ancient wayside chapel; but of these not a solitary -vestige has survived to give colour to the story. - -[Illustration: EGLWYSFAIR GLAN TAP.] - -We now approach the eastern confines of the County, and thus enter upon -the beginning of the end of our Pembrokeshire peregrinations. From -Templeton we set our faces towards the hamlet of Eglwysfair-glan-Tâf, -better known, probably, to the _Saesneg_ traveller as Whitland railway -junction. - -Laying our course adown the vale of the pretty Afon Marlas, we traverse -the long village street of Lampeter Velfrey; and so, keeping rail and -river upon our left flank, we presently strike the course of the infant -Tâf near the old disused toll-gate at Pen-y-bont. At the little bridge -that connects our County with its big neighbour of Carmarthen, we call a -halt to lounge beside the low parapet, and transfer to the sketch-book -an impression of St. Mary's Church, with the time-worn stonework of the -old arches and cutwaters spanning the trout stream in the foreground. - - * * * * * - -Here, then, we bid farewell to quaint old Pembrokeshire, and conclude -our sketching rambles amidst its secluded byways. - -Not many localities, we take it, can boast, within so comparatively -limited a compass, such varied attractions for the lover of old-world -associations and time-worn architecture; attractions, withal, that to -some minds are enhanced by a sense of remoteness and isolation from the -ceaseless _Sturm und Drang_ of modern city life. - -Although far from exhausting the scope of such a many-sided subject, we -venture to hope that these pages may enable our readers to participate -in the unalloyed pleasure and interest we have ourselves derived, from -these pen-and-pencil peregrinations amidst the Nooks and Corners of -Pembrokeshire. - -[Illustration: REDBERTH FONT.] - - - - -INDEX. - - - A. - - Abercastell, 142 - Abergwaen, 143 - Afon Dûad, 152, 156 - Afon Gwaen, 2, 143 - Afon Marlas, 196 - Afon Nevern, 152-154, 166 - Afon Syvynvy, 171 - Allan River, 3 - Anchor at Hoaton, 194 - Angle, 80, 81, 84 - Angle Bay, 79 - Angle Castle, 82 - Anne's Head, St., 84, 123 - - - B. - - Bangeston House, 84 - Barker, E. H. Lingen-, Esq., 179 - Barlows of Slebech, 188, 189 - Barri, Gerald de, 46 - Bartholomew Roberts, 174 - Bayvil, 159 - Beavers in Wales, 171 - Bedd-yr-Avangc, 170 - Benton Castle, 184 - Bishop-and-Clerks Islets, 138 - Bishop's Palace, St. Davids, 135-137 - Blockhouse at Angle, 83 - Bonville's Court, 31 - Bosheston, 68 - Bosheston Meer, 71 - Boulston, 179 - Brestgarn, 144 - Brides, St., 118 - Brunt, 124 - Bullibur, 73 - Bullslaughter Bay, 72 - Byrnach, St., 150, 174 - - - C. - - Caldey Island, 19-21 - Campbell, Admiral Sir G., 67 - Capel Stinian, 138 - Carew Castle, 95-98 - Carew Church, 94, 99, 100 - Carew Cross, 94 - Carmelite Nunnery, Tenby, 14 - Carnedd Meibion Owen, 150, 152, 158 - Carn Englyn, 1, 148, 150, 152 - Carn Llidi, 2, 140 - Carreg Gwastad Point, 147 - Carswall, 29 - Castell Conyn, 175 - Castle Hill, Tenby, 15 - Castle Malgwyn, 163, 164 - Castle Martin, 89-91 - Cathedral, St. Davids, 130-134 - Cawdor, Lord, 66, 144 - Cheriton, 64, 65 - Church Plate, Gumfreston, 25 - Cilmaenllwyd, 174 - Clark, G. T., Esq., 56 - Clawdd-y-Millwyr, 139 - Cleddau River, 2, 168, 175, 182, 190 - Cobb, J. R., Esq., 42, 56, 59 - Coedmore, 161 - Coracle, 161 - Court, 157 - Croes Mihangel, 168 - Cromlechs, 48, 142, 151, 158 - Crosses, 32, 94, 154, 155 - Crowpoole, 77 - Crugau Kemaes, 159 - Crymmych Arms, 166, 168 - Cwm Cerwyn, Foel, 169 - - - D. - - Dale, 122, 123 - Dale Roads, 123 - Daniels, St., 63 - Davids, St., 128, 129 - De Barri, Gerald, 46 - De Barri Monument, Manorbere, 51 - De la Roche Monument, 182 - De Rutzen, Baron, 187 - Dewisland, 2, 126 - Dinas, 148 - Dinas Head, 2, 143 - Dogmaels, St., 165 - Dogwell, St., 174 - Dowrog Common, 141 - Drudgeman's Hill, 109 - Dûad Stream, 152, 156 - - - E. - - East Blockhouse, 83 - Eastern Cleddau, 2, 168, 190 - Eastington, 79, 85, 86 - Eglwys Erw, 157 - Eglwysfair Glan Tâf, 196 - Eglwys Wen, 157 - - - F. - - Fishguard, 143, 145, 148 - Fissures in Rock, Manorbere, 49 - Flemings in Pembrokeshire, 181 - Flether Hill, 177 - Flimston, 73 - Florence, St., 28, 29 - Foel Cwm Cerwyn, 1, 169 - Foel Trigarn, 168 - Ford, 175 - Fordd Fleming, 5, 142, 167, 170 - French in Pembrokeshire, 143 - Freshwater Bay, 79 - Freystrop, 179 - Fryn-y-Fawr, 167 - - - G. - - Garn Vawr, 147 - Gateholm, 121 - Giraldus Cambrensis, 46, 47 - Glyndwr, Owen, 175 - Glyn-y Mel, 143 - Goodwic, 145 - Govan's Chapel, St., 68 - Gower, Bishop, 131 - Grassholm, 121 - Gulf Stream, 6 - Gumfreston, 24, 25 - Gwaen River, 2, 143 - Gwahan Garreg, 138 - Gwryd-bach, 141 - - - H. - - Haroldstone, 109, 179 - Haverfordwest, 109-111, 178 - Hayward Family, 177 - Hean Castle, 31 - Hênllan House, 78 - Hênllys, 156 - Hirlas Horn, 67 - Hoaton, 124 - Hobb's Point, 78, 106 - Hodgeston, 39 - Holyland, 104 - Houghton, Bishop, 193 - Howards of Rudbaxton, 175, 176 - Howel Davies, 174 - Hoyle's Mouth, 29 - Hundleton, 74 - Huntsman's Leap, 71 - - - I. - - Issells, St., 31 - Ivy Tower, 31 - - - J. - - Jestynton, 85 - Johnston, 108 - Jordanston, 142 - - - K. - - Kemaes, 149 - Kennox, St., 190 - Kensington, Lord, 118 - Kilgerran, 159, 160 - King's Bridge, 104 - - - L. - - Lampeter Velfrey, 196 - Lamphey, 36-38 - Lamphey Park, 93 - Landshipping, 184 - Langwm, 180, 181 - Laugharne Family, 119 - Lawrenny, 183, 184 - Letterston, 175 - Little England beyond Wales, 6, 180 - Little Haven, 117 - Little Newcastle, 174 - Llanbeudy, 174 - Llandilo, 172, 173 - Llangolman, 173 - Llanhyvor Castle, 152 - Llantood, 159 - Llanvirnach, 173, 174 - Llanwnda, 145, 146 - Llawhaden, 190-193 - Llechllafar, 135 - Llechrhyd Bridge, 163 - Llwyngwair, 2, 151 - Longhouse, 142 - Lord Kensington, 118 - Lower Solva, 126 - Lucy Walters, 107 - Lydstep, 33 - - - M. - - Maenclochog, 171, 172 - Malgwyn Castle, 163, 164 - Manorbere, 48, 49 - Manorbere Castle, 41-45 - Manorbere Church, 50, 51 - Marloes, 120, 121 - Marteltewi, 182 - Mathry, 142 - Melchior Family, 173 - Menapia, 5, 127, 139 - Merlin's Bridge, 109 - Mesur-y-Dorth, 142 - Milford Haven, 3, 84, 104 - Mill Bay, 123 - Monachlogddu, 173 - Monkton, 61-63 - Moor Farm, 91 - Mullock Bridge, 119 - - - N. - - Narberth, 195 - Narberth Forest, 196 - Nevern, 152-154 - Nevern River, 2, 151, 166 - Newgale Brook, 2, 126 - New Milford, 106 - Newport, 149-151 - Newton, 89 - Nightingales in Pembrokeshire, 77 - Non's Chapel, 138 - Normans in Pembrokeshire, 5, 149 - - - O. - - Octopitarum, 127 - Ogham Stones, 20, 159 - Old Hall, Monkton, 61 - Old Rectory, Carew, 100 - Orielton, 74 - Orlandon, 119 - Owen Glyndwr, 175 - Owen of Hênllys, 156 - - - P. - - Parc-y-Marw, 148 - Parrog, 2, 151 - Pembroke, 54, 55, 60, 61 - Pembroke Castle, 56-60 - Pembroke Dock, 104-106 - Penally, 31 - Pen-beri, 2, 142 - Pencaer, 147 - Pennar River, 77 - Pentre-Evan Cromlech, 158 - Pen-y-Bont, 197 - Philipps of Picton, 186, 187 - Picton, 185-187 - Picton Family, 186 - Pilgrims' Cross at Nevern, 155 - Plumstone Mountain, 2 - Poll-tax Inn, 174 - Pont-y-Baldwyn, 156 - Precelly Hills, 1, 168, 169 - Prendergast, 177 - Pwllcroghan, 78 - - - R. - - Rambler's Folly, 93 - Ramsey Island, 3, 138 - Rees Pritchard, 190 - Rhôs, 2 - Rhôscrowther, 87 - Rhys Monument, 13 - Ridgeway, 35 - Risam Monument, 12 - Ritec Stream, 31 - Robeston Wathen, 194 - Roch Castle, 2, 126 - Roman Roads, 5, 127, 174 - Romans in Pembrokeshire, 5 - Rosebush, 171 - Rosemarket, 107 - Rudbaxton, 175, 176 - Rutzen, Baron de, 187 - - - S. - - Saundersfoot, 30 - Scotsborough, 24 - Sealyham, 175 - Sergeant's Inn, 157 - Skokholm, 121 - Skomer, 3 - Slebech, 188, 189 - Solva, 126, 127 - Solva River, 2 - Stackpole, 6, 54, 65, 68 - Stackpole Court, 66, 67 - Stack Rocks, 72 - St. Anne's Head, 84 - St. Brides, 118 - St. Bride's Bay, 3 - St. Byrnach, 150, 174 - St. Daniels, 63 - St. Davids, 128, 129 - St. Davids Cathedral, 130-134 - St. David's Head, 139 - St. Dogmaels, 165 - St. Dogwells, 174 - St. Florence, 28, 29 - St. George's Bastion, Tenby, 18 - St. Govan's Chapel, 68, 69 - St. Issells, 31 - St. Kennox, 190 - St. Mary's College, 137 - St. Non's Chapel, 138 - St. Teilo, 33, 173 - Sunken Wood, 71 - Syvynvy River, 171 - - - T. - - Tafarn-Bwlch, 170, 171 - Talbenny, 118 - Teilo, St., 33, 173 - Teivy River, 162 - Temple-Druid, 172 - Templeton, 196 - Tenby, 8-11, 21 - Tenby Church, 11, 12 - Toad of Trellyfan, 156 - Trefgarn, 2, 175 - Trefloyne, 30 - Trehowel, 147 - Trellyfan, 155 - Trevine, 142 - - - U. - - Upper Solva, 127 - Upton Castle, 101 - Upton Chapel, 102, 103 - Uzmaston, 179 - - - V. - - Vaughan, Bishop, 134, 191 - Vaughans of Dunraven, 13 - Via Julia, 5, 127, 174 - View from Foel Cwm-Cerwyn, 169, 170 - Vrenny-Vawr, 167 - - - W. - - Wallaston Cross, 78 - Walls of Tenby, 17-19 - Walters, Lucy, 107 - Walton-West, 114 - Walwyn's Castle, 115 - Warren, 73, 89, 92 - Waterwinch, 30 - Wells, 26, 30, 48, 69, 91, 138, 172, 173 - West Angle Bay, 84 - Western Cleddau, 2, 175 - West Gate, Pembroke, 61 - White's Monument, 11, 12 - Whitland, 196 - Williams, Clement, Esq., 32 - Williamstown, 184 - Wiston, 189, 190 - Withybush, 177 - Wogan Cavern, Pembroke, 59 - Wogan Family, 179, 190 - -[Illustration] - - - - -LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES. - - - Copies. - Allen, Very Rev. Dean, St. Davids 1 - Arnett, J. E., Tenby 3 - Baker, Rev. S. O., Somerset 1 - Ballinger, J., Cardiff 1 - Bellamy, C. H., Heaton Chapel 1 - Beloe, E. M., King's Lynn 1 - Berensberg, Count Victor de, Haverfordwest 1 - Bethell, W., Malton 1 - and one large. - Blanc, H. S., Edinburgh 1 - Bowen, J. B., Llwyngwair, Crymmych 1 - Bowen, Rev. D., Pembroke 1 - Bridgman, Rev. Canon, Wigan 1 - Brigstocke, Ll., Haverfordwest 12 - Bromley, Rev. W., Manorbere Vicarage 1 - Bumpus, J. and E., Limited, Holborn 1 - Bute, Lord, Cardiff Castle 1 - Carroway, J., Blackheath 1 - Chance, R. L., Edgbaston 2 - Cherwood-Aiken, J. C., Stoke Bishop 1 - Codner, D. J. D., Pembrokeshire 1 - Daltry, Rev. T. W., Newcastle 1 - Davies, D. J., Knightsbridge 1 - Davies, G., Pembroke 1 - Davies, Rev. G., St. Brides, Pembroke 1 - Davies, Rev. W., Morlais. Fishguard 1 - Davies-Burlton, T., Leominster 1 - Davis, Mrs. Warren, Milford Haven 1 - Dixon, W. H., 1, Arthur Road, Edgbaston 1 - Dodd, Mead, and Co., New York 3 - and one large. - Downing, Wm., Birmingham 1 - Duncan, John, F.J.I., J.P., Cardiff 1 - Elkington, G., Edgbaston 1 - Evans, T. W., Fellowes Road, London 1 - Feeney, John, Birmingham 1 - Field, H. H., Beds 1 - Gilpin, Captain N., Hove 1 - Gray, Henry, Leicester Square 12 - Greenish, R., Manorbere 1 - Gwyther, F., Haverfordwest 1 - Hanbury, Rev. T., Market Harborough 1 - Hand, T. W., Oldham 1 - Harries, Cecilia J., London 1 - Hartwright, H., Harporley 1 - Haslam, W. F., Edgbaston 1 - Haslewood, Rev. F. G., Canterbury 1 - Haynes, G. B., Brynhir, near Swansea 1 - Haynes, H, Harrow, Middlesex 1 - Henman, William, F.R.I.B.A., Birmingham 2 - Hill, T. Rowley, Worcester 1 - Hilbers, the Ven. Archdeacon, G. C., Haverfordwest 1 - Hooke, Rev. D. Burford, High Barnet 1 - Horncastle, H., Woking 1 - Howell, George Owen, Plumstead 1 - Idris, T. B. W., Camden Town 1 - Jakeman and Carver, Hereford 1 - John, E., Middlesborough 1 - Jolly, F., Bath 1 - Jones, M. T., Wrexham 1 - Layton, C. Miller, Folkestone 1 - Lester, E., Rochester 1 - Lewis, Rev. David, St. Davids 1 - Lillington, Mrs. E., Penzance 1 - Lingard-Monk, R. B. M., Wilmslow 1 - Llewellyn, R. W., Briton Ferry 1 - Lloyd, E. O. V., Corwen 2 - Lloyd, H. Meuric, South Wales 1 - Lloyd-Philips, F. L., Pembrokeshire 1 - Maillard, Mrs., Pembroke 1 - Marrs, Kingsmill, Saxonville, U.S.A. 1 - Marychurch, Wm., Cardiff 1 - Mathias, H., Haverfordwest 1 - Mayler, J. E., Wexford 1 - Meynell, Edgar J., Durham 1 - Middlemass, Major J. C., Monkton 1 - Morgan, Rev. C., Pembroke 1 - Morgan, Lieut.-Col. W. L., Swansea 1 - Morrison, Dr., Portclew, Pembroke 1 - Nevin, J., Mirfield 1 - Nield, W., Bristol 1 - Oldham Central Free Library 1 - Owen, Honourable Mrs., Treffgarn 1 - Owen, Rev. Elias, M.A., F.S.A., Oswestry 1 - Parker, F. Rowley, Harrow Weald 1 - Parkinson, Captain F. R., President, Garrison Library, Pembroke Dock 1 - Pashley, R., Rotherham 1 - Pears, Andrew, Isleworth 1 - Penney, J. W., Pembroke 1 - Perrott, E., West Brighton 1 - Phelps, Rev. C. M., Haverfordwest 1 - Phillips. Rev. J., Haverfordwest 1 - Philipps, Sir Charles E. G., Bart., Lord Lieutenant, Haverfordwest 1 - Pierce, Ellis, Dolyddelen 1 - Pollen, G. A. J., Seaton Carew 1 - Powell, Mrs., Hereford 1 - Price, Rees, Glasgow 1 - Prickett, T. A., Tottenham Court Road, W. 1 - Protheroe, E. S., Dolwilym 1 - Randall, J., Sheffield 1 - Reece, Mrs., Carpenter Road, Edgbaston 1 - Rees, Griffith, Birkenhead 1 - Rees, Howell, J.P., South Wales 1 - Rees, J. Rogers, Penarth 1 - Richards, D., Cardiff 1 - Richards, D. M., Aberdare 1 - Roberts, O. M., Portmadoc 1 - Roberton, J. D., Glasgow 1 - Rock, T. Dennis, South Wales 1 - Roughsedge, Miss, Birkenhead 1 - Rowntree, Wm., Scarborough 1 - Samson, Louis, Haverfordwest 1 - Sandys, Lt.-Col. T. Myles, M.P., Ulverston 1 - and one large. - Seward, E., Cardiff 1 - Skrine, H. D., Bath 1 - Small, Evan W., Newport 1 - Society of Antiquaries 1 - Sparrow, A., Shrewsbury 1 - Spurrell, W., and Son, Carmarthen 4 - St. Davids, The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of 1 - Stewart, J., Llandyssil 1 - Stone, Rev. D., Wallingford 1 - Studholme, Paul, Parsonstown 1 - Sturge, R. L., Bristol 1 - Swansea, The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of 1 - Swinburne, Mrs. W. A., Dulais Hay 1 - Thomas, J., J.P., Haverfordwest 1 - Thomas, T. Lynn, Cardiff 1 - Thomas, Rev. F. O., Narberth 1 - Thomas, Rev. W. Meyler, Milford Haven 1 - Thomason, Yeoville, F.R.I.B.A., Kensington 1 - Timmins, F. H., Westfield Road, Edgbaston 1 - Timmins, Miss, Edgbaston 1 - Tredegar, Lord, Tredegar Park 1 - Trevaldwyn, Rev. B. W. J., Looe 1 - Treweeks, R. H. 3 - and one large. - Troutbeck, Miss, Congleton 1 - Turbervill, Colonel J. P., Bridgend 1 - Turner, W. H., Maidstone 1 - Walker, W., Finsbury Park 1 - Walters, Rev. T., Maenclochog 1 - Warburton, S., Balham 1 - Wharton, Rev. G., Abingdon 1 - Williams, G., Finsbury Pavement 1 - Williams, J., Brook Street, W. 1 - Williams, Wm, Aberystwyth 2 - Williamson, G. C., Guildford 1 - Wills, W. Leonard, Worcestershire 1 - Wright, A. J., Milford Haven 1 - - -LARGE PAPER. - - Copies - Bethell, W., Malton 1 - and one small. - Brigstocke, Ll., Haverfordwest 1 - Brimmer, Mrs. Martin, Boston, U.S.A. 1 - Dodd, Mead, and Co., New York 1 - Gray, H., London 3 - Ford, J. W., Enfield Old Park 1 - Jones, J., 19, Cheapside, E.C. 1 - Kensington, Lady, Pembrokeshire 1 - Lambton, Lt.-Col. F. W., Pembroke 1 - Owen, Henry, 44, Oxford Terrace, W. 1 - Sandys, Lt.-Col. T. Myles, M.P., Ulverston 1 - and one small. - Saunders, E. A., Pembroke Dock 1 - Smith, R. V. Vassar, Cheltenham 1 - Treweeks, R. H. 1 - and three small. - - - - -[Illustration: PENBROKSHYRE] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire, by -H. 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