PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE
Brecon.—Very pleasant town; the Priory Church, a massive structure, chiefly Early English and Decorated; fragments of town walls.
Llandovery.—A small and not unpicturesque town; ruins of the castle.
Llanwrda.—A pretty village in fine mountain scenery.
Lampeter.—A small town famous as a fishing centre. The college is the chief building.
Newcastle Emlyn.—Small town with beautiful ruins of the castle.
Cardigan.—A considerable town; the bridge over the Teifi; the remains of the castle; church not interesting. Within three miles are—(1) St. Dogmael's Priory ruins; (2) the beautifully-situated Kilgerran Castle.
Nevern.—Castle ruins; a very interesting church with early inscribed crosses.
Newport.—A small fishing town; the castle.
Fishguard.—Goodwick Sands; the harbour; the Pen Caer Peninsula; fine coast scenery.
St. David's.—A small scattered place, scarcely more than a village; beautiful cathedral; picturesque ruins of the palace. Grand coast-line, deeply indented.
Loop 5 (First Portion). TALGARTH TO LLANDILO.
Loop 5. TALGARTH TO ST. DAVID'S AND HAVERFORDWEST.
The road from Talgarth to Brecon presents no special features except those of picturesque hill and dale, with various streams crossing the road at intervals.
BRECON
Brecon, the county town of Brecknockshire, lies upon the River Usk, and was formerly defended by walls and gates. Of the castle, destroyed as usual during the Civil War, only a few fragments near the Castle Hotel have survived, and one restored section facing the river.
St. Mary's Church has suffered so much from bad restoration that practically nothing of archæological interest remains in it.
The Priory Church.—This building is only excelled in Wales by the Cathedrals of St. David's and Llandaff. It is a massive cruciform structure, with a central tower, high roof and gables, and an external aspect almost devoid of ornamentation. The eastern portions are of Early English work, and the nave was gradually transformed during the fourteenth century into a Decorated building, with great octagonal piers, broad arches, and a lofty clerestory. The carved Norman font should be noticed, and also a number of effigies, one dating from 1359. An interesting feature are the chapels on either side of the presbytery, called respectively the Chapel of the Normans and the Chapel of the Men of Battle, the priory being a cell of Battle Abbey. The guilds of the town had chapels in the nave, those of the tailors, weavers, tuckers, and courvisors, or shoemakers, being at the west end. The domestic buildings still remain, and are attached to the southern side of the west end of the nave; the building has been restored by Sir Gilbert Scott. The town is a pleasant one by reason of the many public walks in and about it, and fine views may be obtained of the well-known Beacons, some of them approaching 3,000 feet in height.
The district round Brecon abounds in prehistoric camps and various remains of the British, Roman, and Saxon occupations. On the road to Llandovery, for instance, near Llanspyddyd, there is a Roman fort, and another of unknown origin adjoining, with a Roman road passing round them. Senny Bridge merely consists of a long street of uninteresting houses. At Trecastle there is an important mound, at one time crowned with a fortalice. From the centre of this village there is a steep ascent. The River Usk accompanies the road, and appears under various surroundings—now as a placid stream winding through meadowlands, and again as a foaming torrent in a deep, tree-shaded glen. This road through the outliers of the Beacons abounds in picturesque views of a well-wooded country, backed by the great swarthy slopes of the hills, called the Black Mountains, although the dark brown sandstone of which they are composed is the same colour as the brown heath upon them.
LLANDOVERY
Llandovery consists chiefly of two streets, which converge at the market-place, and a welcome change is the red wash with which many of the houses are covered, as a relief from the ubiquitous whitewash of the rest of Wales.
The Castle.—This has nearly disappeared, and only two dismantled circular towers, with a curtain wall between, remain. They may be found standing on a grassy knoll near the Castle Hotel. The River Bran is fairly wide at this point, and passes under a fine bridge.
Upon leaving Llandovery a level crossing has to be negotiated; the road crosses the River Towy, and then turns sharply to the left.
Llanwrda is a pretty village situated amid lovely pastoral scenery, and with a fine prospect over the valley. The road here turns at right angles towards the north, and between this point and the Hafod Bridge Inn, nearly four miles, the scenery is distinctly and strikingly beautiful. The small stream, the Dulais, accompanies the route, passing and repassing under the road. Near Pumpsaint lies a gold-mine, the Ogofan, and here the River Cothi, beloved of piscators, comes down from the mountains on its way to the Towy. Between Pumpsaint and Lampeter high ground is crossed, and a portion of the Sarn Helen Roman road appears near an inn beyond Pont-ar-Twch. Near Lampeter a village occurs bearing the ominous name of Rain.
LAMPETER
is one of the best-known fishing centres in Wales, the River Teifi affording exceedingly good sport. It is a well-built town, situated in a fertile valley. The bridge over the stream is said to have been erected in the time of King Stephen, from which the town claims the name of Lampeter Pont Stephen. The chief building is St. David's College, theological, designed for those who cannot afford Oxford or Cambridge. To gain the road for Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan the river at Lampeter must be recrossed, and the turning taken to the right at 'Gwar Gate' Inn. The route gives a striking view over the valley of the Teifi, whose extraordinary meanderings and loopings appear as a huge serpent of silver lying in the broad landscape. The road for a considerable distance is of Roman construction—the Sarn Helen, but even those conquerors of the world could not conquer Nature in Wales and make their roads straight.
Llanbyther is a small and prettily-situated village, with one of the numerous 'Pen-y-Gaer' camps lying close to the road. The New Quay Road Station of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth turns off to the right soon after the Aber-Iar Inn; it is of a second-class character, but saves a considerable distance and some hills on the way to Llandyssil.
Llandyssil is a romantically-situated village upon the banks of the Teifi, which here assume a rocky character. Its church is dedicated to St. Tyssul, who lived in the early part of the sixth century. From Llandyssil the road south of the river should be taken to Newcastle Emlyn; it has many awkward turns.
NEWCASTLE EMLYN
is a well-situated town with a long street running at right angles to the coach-road.
The Castle is a beautifully-placed ruin, with grand views over the surrounding country. The position of the fortress for natural defence is most remarkable, for the Teifi here forms a reversed S, and in one of the loops so made the ruins are situated, the moat thus naturally formed being one of the most remarkable in existence. The most ancient building upon the site is reputed to have had a Roman origin; the second was erected by Sir Rhys ap Thomas (who built Dynevor Castle) in the time of Henry VII., who frequently resided here, and from it the town was termed 'New-castle.' The Royalists held it throughout the Civil War, but after that period it appears to have lapsed into ruin. Two octagonal towers supporting an arch give entrance to the ruins.
Three miles out from Newcastle Emlyn is Cenarth, a most picturesque and pleasantly-situated little village upon the border between Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. There is a fine salmon-leap close to the hamlet which is worth seeing. The road thence to Cardigan traverses a plain, becoming more and more open as the town is approached, presenting a broad sweep of smiling woods and pasture.
CARDIGAN
The chief centre of interest in Cardigan is undoubtedly the bridge over the Teifi. It probably dates from the Early English Period, and has been widened. From this point there is a good view up and down the river, with the castle and church as prominent features.
The Castle.—The small portion hidden away in the ivy at the present time affords no clue to the former size and importance of this stronghold. It was founded in the time of Henry II. by the Prince of South Wales, and after a chequered career was dismantled at the Commonwealth. The keep is now occupied by private houses.
The Church (key obtained at one of the cottages in the road).—The tower is a fine one, but so far as the whole interior is concerned it must be confessed that all ecclesiological features of interest have been obliterated by paint, plaster, and incongruous additions. The chancel arch, of the Perpendicular period, has a fearful and wonderful 'skew,' which may or may not have been acquired by age.
The town contains a number of old houses, nooks, and byways, but they are only moderately interesting to the artist, who finds his best subjects by the bridge and along the river, where sailing-boats and small steamers reveal the picturesque qualities generally to be found in small ports. One feature of the town soon attracts attention—namely, the strong reluctance of the majority of chimneys in Cardigan to keep to the perpendicular.
St. Dogmael's Priory, less than two miles from Cardigan, lies upon the left of the estuary. The remains are of the Early English period, and are still considerable. Martin de Tours, who came over with the Conqueror (not St. Martin), was the founder.
Kilgerran Castle, three miles south of the town, and easily reached by road, stands upon a vast bare rock uplifted above the foaming, eddying stream rushing round its base, through a narrow channel in the rocks. Many eulogistic statements have been made concerning this beauty-spot, but none have overpraised it. The ruins consist of two towers, with part of a gateway and curtain wall, together with fragments of massive bastions. It was erected about 1223, when Marshall, Earl of Chepstow, subdued the Welsh in these districts.
On leaving for Newport, the long rise of the road affords, in about two miles, a remarkably fine view towards the left. With Mynydd Prescelly for a background, the composition of the foreground and middle distance by a beautiful vale is singularly impressive, and this view, with panoramic changes, accompanies the road to Nevern.
The hills seen in the front have massive rocky crags penetrating their otherwise smooth outline.
Nevern.—A very dangerous turn in the road ushers the traveller into this beautiful little village, embowered in the midst of rich meadows, orchards, and gardens in a situation which is eminently picturesque and pleasing. The River Nevern flows through the village, and an amphitheatre of well-wooded hills encloses it.
The Castle consists of some slight remains of a Norman building, apparently of a square plan, with bastions at the angles.
The Church is one of the largest in the county, and of very great interest. It is of Early English architecture, with a Perpendicular recess forming a chapel upon the south side. In the window-sill of the south window of this chapel is inserted a long granite stone, with an Ogham inscription upon it, together with a slab bearing an excellent example of an early interlaced cross. The church stands in a quite ideal sloping churchyard, containing a stone cross about 13 feet in height, with Celtic ornamentation and two inscriptions, not yet satisfactorily deciphered, as far as the writer is aware. Near the south porch is a menhir with an inscription.
The Pentre Evan cromlech, one of the finest known, lies about three miles from Nevern by road, but less than two as the crow flies. A car may be taken by a third-class road for the greater part of the distance, but a local guide is necessary.
NEWPORT
Newport is a small fishing town, and also a seaport, upon the estuary of the Nevern. It is a quiet watering-place, the sea-bathing being very good, while the surrounding country is of enticing interest.
The Castle was built in 1215, and used by the lords of Cemmaes for their courts. It was destroyed by Llewelyn, but restored recently by a descendant of the first baron, but in such strong contrast to the original Norman architecture that it is very disappointing externally.
The Church has been built near the castle, and partakes somewhat of its character, being stern and massive in its proportions. The interior contains nothing of particular interest.
A small cromlech lies within a few hundred yards of the centre of the town, to which any inhabitant will direct one. Occasional glimpses of the estuary, with its sands gleaming in the sun, are obtained from the main streets of the town.
The road between Newport and Fishguard reveals a wide view of the Prescelly Mountains, the highest in Pembrokeshire, and a favourite climb for visitors. A most attractive view of Goodwick Harbour, now generally known as Fishguard, is obtained from the road, or, better still, from one of the steep meadows on either hand. The great importance of this harbour in connection with the Atlantic mail and passenger service has suddenly brought a remote district into prominence. It is now a familiar sight for the natives to see a huge liner in this natural harbour take on passengers and cargo, while a few years ago the waters of the deep inlet had never been churned by propellers.
The descent into Fishguard of 1 in 7 must be taken with extreme caution; at the foot of the curving descent a bridge crosses the Afon Gwaen, and from this the road climbs with equal suddenness and at an equally trying angle. It is a hill calculated to test to the last fraction of its horsepower the capacity a car possesses in hill-climbing. At the top of the ascent the whole bay is spread out in panoramic fashion, and one can see the new breakwater, still incomplete, protecting the anchorage.
The road from Fishguard to St. David's passes first across the isthmus of the Pen Caer Peninsula, whose northern part terminates in Strumble Head. This district is the happy hunting-ground for the archæologist, as it literally teems with prehistoric remains—castles, camps, stone circles, cromlechs, and menhirs, are encountered almost at every step. Two miles out of Fishguard the turning to the right should be taken at a puzzling junction of roads. At Mathry some cromlechs occur near the road, and two miles farther on a wayside cross may be seen. The hills in this neighbourhood generally have the formation noticed previously at Cardigan—namely the projection of high tors from their summits, breaking through otherwise smooth elevations. Nearing St. David's Head it is obvious that the face of the landscape is gradually changing: the hedgerows become less in height, and are often mere mounds of turf or stone; the few trees met with are dwarfed and attenuated, and invariably lean away from the south-west. As St. David's comes nearer these characteristics become accentuated, and a barren, wind-swept moorland appears, almost unrelieved by a single tree.
Plan of St. David's Cathedral.
ST. DAVID'S
The modern town of St. David's has a sad and desolate air, arising from the number of abandoned houses to be seen on every hand.
The Cathedral (nave open free on weekdays, 9 to 1 and 2 to 6; a charge of 6d. is made for admission to the eastern chapels) is in a remarkable situation at the farther end of the town, and practically bursts upon the view when the edge of the deep hollow it occupies is reached. In such an exposed corner of Britain it is not surprising that everything should take what shelter it can find, but to walk through a rather dreary and wind-swept Welsh village, and to discover a magnificent cathedral cowering almost out of sight at one's very feet, is not an everyday occurrence even with the touring motorist. A score of abbeys planted in sequestered valleys will come to the mind of anyone who has explored this island, but a well-preserved cathedral built in a deep and narrow hollow in a rocky promontory almost takes away what little breath the blustering wind has left to the exploring stranger. To the left is the old tower gateway, a weather-worn remnant of the embattled fortifications which once encircled the monastery. Down below, and approached by a long and steep flight of stone steps, stands the church, with the square tower of rather unsatisfactory outline dominating the nave, transept, and eastern portions of the buildings. Beyond appears one of the most beautiful ruins that ever gladdened the eye—the remains of one of the finest episcopal palaces to be seen in the British Isles. Near the church are also grouped ruins of the conventual buildings, and the whole forms a scene that indelibly impresses itself upon the memory. Descending the thirty-nine steps, one reaches the south porch of the nave. Whatever preconceived ideas one may hold of the beauty of this part of the church, the sight of the original far surpasses them. The beautiful Norman pillars and graceful arches, ornamented with the most elaborate chevron and zigzag mouldings of the Transitional period; the clerestory springing directly from the dwarfed triforium with which it is incorporated; and the whole surmounted by a finely-wrought timber roof, make a picture of the rarest perfection. The colouring is full of subtle richness, the stonework being of a soft dove-grey combined with a bluish tinge. The building dates from 1180, the previous church having been burnt down by pirates. The tower fell in 1220, and was rebuilt at different periods. The choir and transepts are Early English, but were added to in the Decorated period. The eastern chapels are Decorated, as is also the beautiful rood-screen. The ceiling in the nave dates from c. 1500. Many objects of interest are contained in the building; the shrines of St. David and St. Caradoc, the tomb of Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII., the monument of Bishop Gower, the chapel of St. Thomas à Becket, and the fan tracery of the roof in Bishop Vaughan's Chapel, are all worthy of careful inspection. Outside the north wall of the nave gigantic and ill-proportioned buttresses are seen, built in 1248 to strengthen the nave, which had suffered from an earthquake; on the opposite side are the remains of the cloisters of St. Mary's College, begun in 1362.
The exploration of the ruins of the Bishop's Palace should on no account be omitted, as the lower chambers, the row of clerestory arches, the beautiful doorways, and the general composition of the whole ruin, are worthy of the closest attention.
Upon the return to the main street the ancient cross is seen, no less than 28 feet in height; the steps were restored by Bishop Thirlwall in 1873.
The coast scenery at St. David's is remarkably wild, and the subjects for the painter in oils or water-colours, or for the less ambitious who carry a sketch-book and a good soft pencil, are full of particular attractiveness. To those who are without the desire or capacity to carry away any permanent impressions of the scenery it will be enough to lie in a sheltered spot and watch the white waves burst into columns of spray on the northern end of Ramsey Island.