| SEPARATE PLATES | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| Early Days on the London and Birmingham Railway. | [Frontispiece] |
| Bull Ring. (From a Print after David Cox) | [5] |
| Old Birmingham Coaching Bill. | [13] |
| Dudley. (After J. M. W. Turner, R.A.) | [31] |
| High Green, Wolverhampton, 1797. (After Rowlandson) | [47] |
| High Green, Wolverhampton, 1826. (From an Old Print) | [51] |
| High Green, Wolverhampton, 1860. (From a Contemporary Photograph) | [55] |
| Shiffnal. | [67] |
| The Council House. | [141] |
| The Honourable Thomas Kenyon. (From an Old Print) | [153] |
| The Vale of Llangollen. | [177] |
| Llangollen. | [183] |
| Llangollen. (After J. M. W. Turner, R. A.) | [187] |
| Valle Crucis Abbey. (After J. M. W. Turner, R.A.) | [207] |
| Cernioge. | [227] |
| The Swallow Falls. (From an Old Print) | [247] |
| Llyn Ogwen and Trifaen Mountain. | [255] |
| Penmaenmawr. (After J. M. W. Turner, R.A.) | [275] |
| The Old Landing-Place on the Anglesey Shore. | [283] |
| ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT | |
| Vignette: Prince Rupert | [Title Page] |
| List of Illustrations: The Black Country | [vii] |
| The Holyhead Road | [1] |
| The “Hen and Chickens,” 1830 | [18] |
| The “Old Royal” | [24] |
| Wednesbury | [37] |
| Old Hill, Tettenhall | [59] |
| The Sabbath-breaking Seamstress | [60] |
| Snedshill Furnaces | [71] |
| Haygate Inn | [76] |
| The Wrekin | [79] |
| The “Old Wall” | [84] |
| Wroxeter Church | [85] |
| Atcham Bridge | [91] |
| Lord Hill’s Monument | [92] |
| The English Bridge | [97] |
| Wyle Cop and the “Lion” | [107] |
| The “Lion” Yard | [132] |
| The Market-Place, Shrewsbury | [138] |
| Shelton Oak | [144] |
| The Breidden Hills | [147] |
| Queen’s Head | [156] |
| Offa’s Dyke | [176] |
| The Ladies of Llangollen. (From an Old Print) | [198] |
| Plas Newydd | [203] |
| Owain Glyndwr’s Mount | [211] |
| Cerrig-y-Druidion | [224] |
| The Waterloo Bridge | [232] |
| The Old Church, Bettws-y-Coed | [234] |
| Sign of the “Royal Oak” | [238] |
| Pont-y-Pair | [245] |
| Cyfyng Falls | [250] |
| Capel Curig | [252] |
| The Falls of Ogwen | [257] |
| Nant Ffrancon. (After David Cox) | [258] |
| Nant Ffrancon | [260] |
| Penrhyn Castle | [263] |
| Lonisaf Toll-House | [264] |
| The Penrhyn Arms | [266] |
| Penrhyn Castle and Snowdonia, from Beaumaris. (After David Cox) | [278] |
| Deserted Stables, Menai Village | [290] |
| The Menai Bridge and the Isle of Benglas | [291] |
| The Anglesey Column | [296] |
| The Britannia Bridge | [299] |
| Near Mona Inn | [303] |
| Llangristiolus | [304] |
| Caer Ceiliog | [306] |
| The South Stack. (After T. Creswick, R.A.) | [323] |
| Holyhead Mountain | [325] |
THE HOLYHEAD ROAD
Birmingham to Holyhead
| MILES | |
|---|---|
| Birmingham (General Post Office) | 109¼ |
| Hockley | 110½ |
| Soho | 111¼ |
| Handsworth | 111¾ |
| West Bromwich | 114½ |
| Hilltop | 116 |
| Wednesbury | 117¼ |
| Moxley | 118½ |
| Bilston | 119½ |
| Wolverhampton | 122¼ |
| Chapel Ash | 122¾ |
| Tettenhall | 124 |
| The Wergs | 125¼ |
| Boningale | 129½ |
| Whiston Cross | 130¼ |
| Shiffnal | 134¼ |
| Prior’s Lee | 137½ |
| Ketley | 139 |
| Ketley Railway Station | 139½ |
| (Junction of Watling Street with Holyhead Road.) | |
| Wellington (“Cock”) | 140½ |
| Haygate | 141½ |
| Burcot Toll-House | 143 |
| Norton | 146½ |
| Tern Bridge | 147½ |
| (Cross River Tern.) | |
| Atcham | 148¼ |
| (Cross River Severn.) | |
| Shrewsbury (Abbey Foregate) | 151¼ |
| (Cross River Severn.) | |
| Shrewsbury (Market House) | 152 |
| Shrewsbury (Welsh Bridge and Frankwell) | 152¼ |
| (Cross River Severn.) | |
| Shelton Oak | 154 |
| Bicton | 154½ |
| Montford Bridge | 156¾ |
| (Cross River Severn.) | |
| Nesscliff | 160½ |
| West Felton | 165¼ |
| Queen’s Head | 166¼ |
| Oswestry | 170 |
| Gobowen | 172¾ |
| Chirk | 175 |
| (Cross River Ceiriog.) | |
| Whitehurst Toll-House | 177 |
| Vron Cysylltan | 179¾ |
| Llangollen | 182½ |
| Berwyn Railway Station | 184¼ |
| Glyndyfrdwy | 188 |
| Carrog | 189 |
| Corwen | 192½ |
| (Cross River Dee.) | |
| Maerdy Post Office | 196 |
| Pont-y-Glyn | 197¾ |
| Tynant | 198¼ |
| Cerrig-y-Druidion | 202 |
| Glasfryn | 204½ |
| Cernioge | 205¾ |
| Pentre Voelas | 207¾ |
| Bettws-y-Coed | 214½ |
| (Cross River Conway) | |
| Swallow Falls | 216 |
| Cyfyng Falls | 218½ |
| Tan-y-Bwlch | 219 |
| Capel Curig | 220 |
| Llyn Ogwen | 224 |
| Ogwen Falls} | 225 |
| Pass of Nant Ffrancon} | |
| Tyn-y-Maes | 228 |
| Bethesda | 229¼ |
| Llandegai | 232¾ |
| Bangor (Cathedral) | 234½ |
| Upper Bangor | 236 |
| Menai Bridge | 237 |
| (Cross Menai Straits) | |
| Menai Village | 237¼ |
| Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrndrobwlltysiliogogogoch | 239¼ |
| Gaerwen | 242½ |
| Pentre Berw (Holland Arms) | 243 |
| Llangristiolus | 245½ |
| Mona | 247½ |
| Gwalchmai | 249¾ |
| Bryngwran | 252½ |
| Caer Ceiliog | 255 |
| Valley | 256 |
| Stanley Sands | 256¼ |
| (Cross Stanley Sands Viaduct to Holy Island) | |
| Holyhead (Admiralty Pier) | 260½ |
THE OLD ROAD FROM MENAI VILLAGE TO HOLYHEAD
| MILES | |
|---|---|
| Menai Village | 237¼ |
| Braint | 239½ |
| Ceint | 242½ |
| Llangefni | 244¾ |
| Bodffordd | 247 |
| Gwyndû and Glanyrafon | 249¾ |
| Llynfaes | 250¼ |
| Trefor | 251¼ |
| Bodedern | 254 |
| Llanyngenedl | 255¼ |
| Valley and Four-Mile Bridge | 258¼ |
| Trearddur Bay | 261½ |
| (Cross Causeway over Straits to Holy Island) | |
| Holyhead | 263½ |
BIRMINGHAM TO HOLYHEAD
I
There are said to be no fewer than a hundred and forty different ways of spelling the name of Birmingham, all duly vouched for by old usage; but it is not proposed in these pages to recount them, or to follow the arguments of those who have contended for its derivation from “Bromwicham.” It is singular that in the first mention we have of the place, in Domesday Book, it is spelt “Bermingham,” almost exactly as it is to-day, and this lends much authority to the view that we get the place-name from an ancient Saxon tribe or family of Beormingas.