SWANSEA.
The whole of this walk commanded a boundless view of the ocean to the west, whilst to the south the faint hues of the Somersetshire coast skirted the horizon.
Swansea, or Abertawe, is a well-built sea-port town, on the river Tawe, much resorted to during the summer months. The machines for bathing are kept about half a mile from the town. The castle is supposed to have been erected by Henry, Earl of Warwick, in the reign of King Henry I.; and is at present the property of the Duke of Beaufort; the small arches round the top of it are exactly similar to the buildings of Lantphey castle, and King John’s Hall, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire. This castle is now turned into a gaol and workhouse. The market-place is said to be covered with the lead of St. David’s cathedral, given by Cromwell to a gentleman of Swansea.
The clay used for the pottery, long carried on in this place, is brought from Corfe, in Dorsetshire: having been mixed with finely-ground flint, and dissolved in water, it is passed through sieves, till it has lost all its coarser particles; then exposed to heat, which evaporates the water, and leaves the clay of a consistency sufficient for working. The vessel is first rudely formed by the hand, the clay being stuck to a circular board, which has an horizontal rotation. The other operation consists in the more perfect forming of the work by various processes, and the colouring, glazing, painting, and stamping; drying and baking kilns complete the work.
The harbour of Swansea, which is large, has had great sums expended upon it, without much judgment having been evinced in the expenditure: the piers, which are extensive, are already frequently wanting considerable repairs, and will always be a source of emolument to those who know how to make the most of a good job. Swansea Bay is beautiful, and the sail from Swansea to Ilfracombe one of the pleasantest and cheapest I ever enjoyed. The entrance into the latter harbour is grand and terrific; the stupendous rocks by which it is sheltered and enclosed impressing the mind, on a temperate day, with that pleasing awe, which in a more tempestuous time, “when the raging billows roar,” would amount to horror and dismay. Ilfracombe affords comfortable accommodation to remain at; but to remove inland, you have to send to Barnstaple for a conveyance: it is a most romantic situation. Swansea is seen to great advantage from the bay, its best front being towards the Channel; it is a mixture of good and bad, of old streets and new, wide and narrow, pride and poverty, much show and little wealth. The market, which is on a Saturday, is greatly improved of late years, and not only affords comforts, but luxuries; yet Swansea, except to those who are acquainted with it, is a more expensive place to reside at for a short time than an English watering place: still those lodgings, which are so highly rated during the season, are comfortable retreats to half-pay officers during the winter months; and from the mildness of the climate, and many families taking up their residence at it during that period, Swansea, were it not for the faults and greediness or mismanagement of some of its inhabitants, would rise to wealth and respectability. The playhouse is respectable, and the performers generally good, but badly repaid for their exertions. The post-office here is very regular, and conveyances to Bristol, Gloucester, or London, although expensive, regular and safe. A walk may be comfortably enjoyed in five minutes after a shower, or between showers, without wet feet; and both drives and rides in the vicinity are numerous and beautiful. The libraries are good, well supplied, and civil, and the shops accommodating, and plentifully stocked: still I should think the traveller would take more money at Merthyr than Swansea, and four times as much at that little high-spirited place, Caermarthen, as at either; such at least must be the case, if any criterion is to be formed from the quantum of circulating medium required, as gained from the requisitions for the exchange of the new for the old coinage, Caermarthen having wanted upwards of 20,000l. and Swansea not having required 4,000l. The mail road to Caermarthen is by Pontarddylais, nine miles; Llanon, four miles; Caermarthen, thirteen. Swansea is about two hundred and five miles from London. Its population consists of 10,255 inhabitants. It has some trade to the Baltic; and more than 100,000 chaldrons of coals are annually exported.
OYSTERMOUTH CASTLE,
about five miles from Swansea, is finely situated on an eminence, commanding a delightful prospect of the surrounding country, and the Mumbles’ Bay. The ivy-mantled walls of this castle are sufficiently perfect to distinguish what the apartments were originally designed for. It formerly belonged to the lords of Gower, but is now in the possession of the Duke of Beaufort. It is a majestic ruin, standing in a bold position, commanding a beautiful view of the country, the Bay of Swansea, and surrounded by broken cliffs. The walls are so little injured by time, that the design of the apartments may easily be traced. The general figure is polygonal; the ramparts lofty, but not flanked with towers, except just at the entrance. It is a good specimen of the Gothic style; and is ascribed to the Earl of Warwick, in the reign of Henry the First. Our curiosity being satisfied, we hastened to the
MUMBLES,
celebrated, far and near, for the goodness and abundance of its oysters. This village stands at the extremity of Swansea Bay, on a vast mass of splintered rock: from this elevation the wide expanse of the ocean and Swansea Bay are viewed to great advantage. These rocks are inaccessible at high water, except in a boat; on the farthest is erected a light-house, serviceable to the navigation of the British Channel. The lodging-house above Oystermouth, called Thistle-boon, commands a fine view of the Peninsula of Gower; the Bay of Swansea on one side, and that of Caermarthen on the other.
At Pennard we descended some immense sand-banks, which led us into Oxwich Bay: at the head of the sandbanks are the small remains of an old castle, [57a] scarcely worthy of observation. The sands in this bay are extremely fine, and the bold projections of the rock exhibit Nature in her most awful and impressive attitudes. To the right of Oxwich Bay is situate, at Penrice, [57b] the seat of Mr. Talbot: the grounds are well planned, and command extensive views of the sea: the old castle, rising behind the house, gave the whole a fine effect. It has been converted into an aviary. Lady Mary Talbot (now Cole), has the most beautiful flower garden in the whole principality.