ST. ASAPH,
affords a most rich and beautiful walk, extending along the celebrated vale of Clwyd. This rich tract of land, called the Eden of North Wales, extends in length about twenty-five miles, and in breadth about eight. The neighbourhood of Ruthin affords the best view of this vale. Though it is by no means so interesting and romantic as the vale of Glamorgan, yet its high cultivation, and the picturesque, but moderate height of the hills, rising on each side of the river Clwyd, renders the scenery pleasing: its chief produce is corn. Both these vales claim the attention of the traveller; and both have to boast of particular beauties. One mile from St. Asaph we passed, on our right, the elegant seat of Sir Edward Lloyd. We still followed the banks of the Clwyd; and at the farthest extremity a light elegant bridge of seven arches, with the dark tower of St. Asaph’s cathedral rising on an eminence just over it, gave a picturesque effect to the whole scenery.
The town itself is built on a hill, in one straight line, with a few neat houses. The cathedral naturally demands attention: the inside is remarkably neat and elegant, entirely Gothic, with the ceiling of chesnut, and open ribs like the skeleton of a ship. The monument of David ap Owen, bishop of this diocese, was particularly pointed out to us. The bishop’s palace has been entirely rebuilt by the present diocesan. The choir consists of a bishop, dean, six canons, seven prebends, and four vicars. There are no monuments in the churchyard, and few of any importance within its venerable walls.
St. Asaph receives its derivation from its patron, who established a bishop’s see here, in the year 590: but in British it is named Llan-Elwy, on account of the conflux of the Elwy with the Clwyd. It is singular, that the cathedral is not used as a parish church, as all the other Welsh cathedrals are; and that the bishop’s jurisdiction extends over no entire county, but includes part of Flintshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, Merionethshire, and Shropshire.
From St. Asaph to Holywell the distance is about ten miles. The first part of the road continuing through the vale of Clwyd, affords prospects of agricultural riches rarely excelled; the latter part is rocky and rugged, but pleasant. On the one side you enjoy the distant view of Denbigh, with its ancient castle fast mouldering to decay, and on the other that of Rhyddlan, backed by the distant sea view. The whole of this tract of country abounds in lead-mines and calamine. Between this road and the sea stands Downing, late the residence of the celebrated Mr. Pennant, to whom the world was so much indebted for his numerous and laborious literary publications.
On the summit of a lofty hill called Carreg, in the parish of Whitford, about two miles to the left of the road, is an ancient circular building, which Mr. Pennant believed to have been a Roman pharos, constructed to assist in the navigating the difficult channel of Seteia Portus to and from Deva. This appears the more probable, as it still forms a prominent landmark, highly useful to the small Welsh sloops and coasting vessels, which in fine weather drop along with the tides from the lime-rocks, between Llandrillo and Llanddulas, to Parkgate, Liverpool, &c.; in one of which I witnessed the rising sun just as we opened the rich and beautiful vale of Clwyd;—a scene so pre-eminently fine and impressive, that the lapse of five-and-twenty years has not effaced it from, or weakened it in my recollection.