Ten Days' Tour through the Isle of Anglesea, December, 1802

by John Skinner

Friday, Decr. 3

We were up early this morning but it rained so fast we could not leave the house till ten. I employed the interval in copying a map of the Island on a large scale which is to be filled up as we proceed. Accompanied by our new acquaintance we first visited Llanedwyn [17] church where he officiates for the first time next Sunday. The church yard and a great part of the parish has lately been enclosed by Lord Uxbridge’s park walls and we were not a little surprized to find a (fol. 33a) porter’s lodge and a locked gate on the church road.

In the church yard is a flat stone with a Latin inscription to Rowlands the antiquarian who held this living with Llanidan for many years. We found by the date that he died in one thousand seven hundred and twenty-seven.

What is very extraordinary for the author of such a book as Mona Antiqua we were told he was never above once out of the Island in his life.

Llanedwyn church is said by this gentleman to have been originally founded by Edwen neice or daughter to king Edwin anno domini six hundred and four though none of the present building we presume can boast of that antiquity it being formed after the present model of Welsh churches. Yet it retains its bason for holy water, its modern crosses, and a curious inscription cut on the back of one of the pews, the letters running in a circle with I. H. S. in the centre. I believe the inscription is Welsh: the character (fol. 38) apparently that made use of in the time of Henry the seventh. From hence we pursued our walk across the park towards Lord Uxbridge’s house stopping in the way to examine a very large Carnedd [18] or artificial hillock formed of loose stones but now overgrown with turf and trees. This remain is one of the most considerable in the island measuring one hundred and thirty-four paces in circumference. On walking round it we observed a square opening on the south side which I entered on my hands and knees and found it about ten feet long, four wide and three high, the sides formed of three large flat stones placed edgeways in the ground supporting the roof which consists of only two. I have endeavoured to be as exact as I could in my drawings of this cistfaen (which without doubt it was) and employed as the grave of some considerable personage (folio 38a) in ancient times though Mr. Rowlands appropriates the carnedd to a very different use and connects it with the religion of the Druids. In his time three skeletons were discovered in digging near the surface of the carnedd which gave him an idea of its being a place of sacrifice but he had never an opportunity of viewing the interior (the opening having been discovered within these few years) he was unable to speak with certainty on the subject. This was certainly the mode of sepulture among the Britons, and northern invaders before the introduction of Christianity, and many of the open parts of England especially Wiltshire & Dorsetshire abound in them, there they are denomenated barrows, in Derbyshire & the northern counties they are called lows. The term carnedd implies a heap of stones.

From hence we proceeded to look at a very large cromlech [20] or Druidical altar preserved in the Park near his lordship’s stables. In our way there we passed in front of the house a vast pile of building designed by Wyatt and recently fitted up with every elegance of modern refinement but as the family (fol. 41) were at home we could not visit the interiour. However I made a drawing of the cromlech which is nearly four yards long and above a yard thick, the supporters at the north end nearly five feet high a smaller stone lying close to the other extremity measuring three feet long and two and a half thick has also its small supporters and is to all appearance intended as a separate cromlech. A large tree spreading its branches over the moss grown stone and the venerable wood sheltering the park are still very impressive and give some idea of the enthusiasm these objects were capable of inspiring when connected with superstition. The stables, not far distant from the spot are built in a style of gothic architecture resembling an extensive monastery, the pampered and lazy steeds within their stalls may be considered as no inapt emblem of the former (fol. 41a) inhabitants of such kind of edifices. From hence we walked to a modern villa situated in another part of the grounds called Fort Cæsar built by Colonel Peacock about 20 years since, but on Lord Uxbridge’s purchasing the Colonel’s estate it was enclosed within that park, as is also a more ancient mansion called Plâs Llanedwyn besides many farm houses and cottages. The park wall has not long since been erected, it is built of stone ten feet high and extends nearly four miles in length.

Returning to Llanedwyn church we proceeded in company with Mr. Hughes of Plâs Goch towards Bryn Gwiderin. In our way thither he engaged a young man well acquainted with the country to conduct us to those places we had marked out in our list for the day. Bryn Gwiderin [22a] is a natural ledge of rock resembling what we before noticed at Plâs Goch running for upwards of two miles towards Bryn Shenkin [22b] the (fol. 43) Beaumaris road being formed on the summit. The Romans are supposed to have fixed upon this spot as their principal station in the Island though the shape of the fortress [23] differs from their usual form being a semicircle ninety yards across defended by a triple trench to the southward and to the north by the natural barrier above mentioned. I was anxious to see whether the walls had been constructed with cement as in the more finished works of the Romans but could gain no information on the subject having nothing with us to clear away the rubbish from the surface. On asking the guide whether they had ever discovered any copper coins, he said oh yes he had some in his possession and off he ran like a dart to his cottage nearly half a mile distant. We waited his return hoping at length our wishes would be gratified in this respect when lo! instead of coins bearing the effigies of the Cæsars he produced a handful of (fol. 43a) rough copper ore, on explaining to him what we wanted saying they resembled a piece of money he said he had one of that kind also of silver which he picked up a short time since in a field near home whither he returned with equal alacrity to procure it and shortly made his appearance with a shilling of Elizabeth’s!!! So much for coins. There seems to be a fatality against my collecting any. In my excursion along the Roman Wall I heard of many but could obtain none. Those I procured at Caerwent are unfortunately lost many have certainly been dug up in these parts but either lost or disposed of. We continued our progress from Bryn Gwyderin in a northerly direction towards Mafyrian the distance of two miles over heaths & bogs. At this place we expected to meet with some Druidical remains noticed by Mr. Rowlands but they have all been cleared (fol. 45) away since his time. At Bodlew we experienced a similar disappointment. We therefore proceeded towards Llanddeiniol church in expectation of seeing some painted glass said to have been presented by the notorious Judge Jeffries whose family formerly resided here but nothing of the kind was to be seen or indeed anything else for never was I in so dark or dismal a place. But in this parish we were fully recompensed for all our former disappointments by the sight of the Carnedd at Bryn Celli.

Accompanied by a young farmer who procured a lanthorn for the purpose we walked nearly a mile to the south east of the church to the spot where in Mr. Rowlands’ time there were two carnedds remaining having two rude stone pillars placed between them but these stones have been employed for the purpose of building a wall near this place as well as a great part (fol. 45a) of the western carnedd which is nearly destroyed for the same purpose about twenty years ago when the labourers when digging towards the center discovered a flat pan about ten inches overturned bottom upwards and under it a wedge of gold as they pretend the size of the heater of an iron with a piece of wire passing through the smaller end of it. The father of the young man who was with us happened to be one of the workmen employed at the time, but as what they found was immediately taken by Colonel Peacock the proprietor of the ground the man could give no further account of the circumstance. I should imagine that what they called the wedge of gold was no other than one of the brazen celts or sacrificial instruments used in former times which have been discovered in great numbers in Cornwall and (fol. 46) other parts of the kingdom. Whilst a farmer was removing some of the stones from the north east side of the larger carnedd to employ them in his repairs he came to the mouth of a passage covered with a square stone similar to that at Plâs Newydd, anxious to reap the fruits of his discovery he procured a light and crept forward on his hands and knees along the dreary vault, when lo! in a chamber at the further end a figure in white seemed to forbid his approach. The poor man had scarcely power sufficient to crawl backwards out of this den of spirits as he imagined however in the course of a few days instigated by the hopes of riches and the presence of many assistants he made his second entré into the cavern and finding the white gentleman did not offer to stir he boldly went (fol. 46a) forward and discovered the object of his apprehensions was no other than a stone pillar about six feet in height standing in the centre of the chamber. His former consternation could now only be exceeded by his eagerness to see what was contained beneath the stone which he shortly overturned but treasure there was none, some large human bones lying near the pillar sufficiently testifying the purpose for which the structure was intended. This is the substance of the account we received from the young man whose father was one of Colonel Peacock’s labourers and on the premises at the time of the discovery. The superstition of the common people still suppose this to be the habitation of spirits.

Our two conductors seeming rather to compliment each other about precedence I took the lanthorn and crawling for about twelve feet along (fol. 47) a narrow passage got into a more capacious chamber, my companions followed close at my heels and we assembled to the number of six in this singular sepulchre. The passage by which we entered is about three feet high and a little more in breadth and was formed like that we noticed at Plâs Newydd with flat stones stuck endways and covered with others of still greater magnitude laid across. I have still my doubts that if the former was further explored it might terminate in a similar vault to what we are now speaking of. The height of the chamber is nine feet, its form nearly triangular some of the sides being about three yards long and four or five feet high. The intermediate space up to the roof is filled with stones placed one above the other in the manner they build walls but without any kind of cement. Two prodigious flat stones covered the whole one about three yards in length and two in breadth (fol. 47a) the other not quite so large. These are of a gritty substance not like any stone found in the vicinity. The pillar still lying in the cavern is a kind of freestone and seems to have been rounded by the tool. On examining more minutely this singular structure we were not a little annoyed by a tribe of immense spiders who have reigned here unmolested for ages the cones containing their young ones suspended from different parts of the roof nearly as large as those of silk worms.

I suppose we were in this mansion of the dead half an hour and on regaining the open air found the evening shut in, and the gloom still heightened by a heavy rain which accompanied us the whole way to Moel-don where we arrived very wet to a late dinner and went early to bed.