CONWAY.
Conway (from Cynwy, great river) is a fine old fortified town, situated at the northern corner of Carnarvonshire. The Castle was built in 1284, by Edward I. as a security against insurrections. He was besieged in it, and only rescued by the arrival of his fleet. In the civil wars in the seventeenth century it was garrisoned by the Archbishop of York, and afterwards by Prince Rupert. The town and Castle were taken by storm in 1646, but the parliamentary forces did not injure the Castle, which was never greatly damaged, until the Earl of Conway, who received a grant of it from Charles II. despoiled it of timber, lead, iron, &c. for his own use. A stranger will be much struck by the general appearance of Conway, which forms an interesting picture, and is very unlike any other place in the kingdom.—See page [16].
