The Tourist's Guide through North Wales

by G. J. Bennett

The castle is a square building, with a large round tower at three of the corners, and a fourth a little disjoined from the others, and much larger than the rest. This is called the double tower. It was formerly joined to the castle by a drawbridge, and is of great thickness. Here the unfortunate Edward the Second received from exile his imperious favourite Piers Gaveston, and here it was that the equally unfortunate Richard the Second was betrayed by the Earl of Northumberland into the power of Bolingbroke. Northumberland had met Richard at Conwy, to which place he had retired after his return from Ireland, and they were journeying together when, amid the recesses of the mountains, near Penmaen Rhôs, the king descried a large body of soldiers with the Percy banners. The unhappy monarch attempted to escape, but Northumberland seizing the bridle of his horse, compelled him to proceed towards Rhuddlan Castle, where they dined, and in the evening conducted him to Flint. Upon the following morning Richard was astonished by the appearance of a numerous army, commanded by Bolingbroke, in full march along the sands, which speedily surrounded the castle. Richard descended from the keep to meet his rival, who fell upon his knees, and for a short time assumed a respectful appearance, but he soon discarded the mask, and “with a high sharp voice,” says Stowe, “badde bring forth the king’s horses; and then two little naggs, not worth fortie franks, were brought forthe. The king was set on the one, and the Earl of Salisbury on the other, and thus the duke brought them from Flint to Chester.”

HAWARDEN

Is six miles from Flint, and lying two miles on the right of the Queen’s Ferry Station; it is a neat and comfortable town, consisting of one street of about half a mile in length, and wears a cheerful aspect. The Glynne Arms will receive the visitor, and afford him every attention and comfort he can possibly desire. Hawarden Park is one of the most picturesque and beautiful domains in the principality. Its lofty trees and velvet grass, its swelling knolls and solitary glens, cannot fail to awaken the most pleasing emotions in the breast of the tourist, while the ivy-clad ruins of the ancient castle give a solemnity and grandeur to the scene indescribably interesting. In the year 1280 a general insurrection took place among the Welsh, under their prince, Llewelyn, and his brother David, for the recovery of their liberties and ancient form of government. It was commenced by David, on the 22nd of March, Palm Sunday, in a stormy night, which favoured his design so well, that he surprised this castle, put the garrison to the sword, and took Roger De Clifford, the Justiciary of Chester, prisoner. After the death of Llewelyn, and the subjugation of Wales, he suffered for this in a most exemplary manner, being condemned to four species of punishment, viz., to be drawn by a horse to the place of execution as a traitor to the king who had made him a knight; to be hanged for murdering Fulk Trigald, and other knights, in this fortress; for his sacrilege in committing those murders on Palm Sunday, his bowels were to be burnt, and finally his body was to be quartered and hung in different parts of the kingdom, because he had in different parts conspired the death of the king. In 1495 this castle belonged to Margaret, Countess of Richmond, the mother of Henry the Seventh, and that monarch honoured it with his presence for some time, in order that he might here enjoy the pleasures of the chase. During the civil wars it suffered the usual vicissitudes of fortune. It was besieged in 1643 by the King’s troops, when it was garrisoned by one hundred and twenty men of Sir Thomas Myddelton’s regiment.

The remains of the castle consist of a fine circular tower, or keep, situated upon the summit of a mount, a few walls, and the foundations of some rooms. On all sides it was surrounded by deep chasms and fosses, and from its extensive plan and broad foundations it has the appearance of having been erected at different periods. The modern mansion of Hawarden Park belongs to Sir S. R. Glynne, Baronet, a member of parliament, and lord-lieutenant of Flintshire. It is a stately structure, with antique-looking windows and turrets, and commands a view of the city of Chester and the entire course of the silvery Dee from that station to the Irish Channel. Leaving this most interesting and lovely place, and casting many a lingering look behind, I once more reached the railway station, and after a short ride of seven miles, arrived at the far-famed city of

CHESTER.

This city still bears marks of its Roman origin. The laying out of the streets is Roman; the two principal thoroughfares crossing at right angles in the centre of the city. Its fortifications are reasonably supposed to be on a Roman basis. Remains of Roman masonry have been discovered, and the usual vestiges of the Romans have, at different times, been turned up—such as coins, fibulæ, inscribed tiles, stones, and altars. In 1653 a votive altar to Jupiter was dug up, which had been raised by an officer of the twentieth legion, called the Victorious. In fact, the city was named in honour of this legion, Legecestria; and after the Romans ceased to occupy it, the Britons called it Caer Lleon vawr ar Ddyvrdwy: or, “the camp of the great Legion on the Dee.” In the time of the Romans Chester was the termination of the celebrated Watling Street, the great military road which extended from Dover across the island.

It was in this city that the Welsh, in the year 1300, acknowledged the sovereignty of the English, the homage of the freeholders being received by the infant Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward the Second. In the year 1506, Chester was afflicted with that remarkable disease the sweating sickness, which carried off ninety-one householders in three days; and a few years afterwards made such ravages that the streets of the city were overgrown with grass.

In 1558, a circumstance occurred in Chester which was of the greatest importance to the Protestants of those days. Dr. Henry Cole, Dean of St. Paul’s, is said to have been entrusted with the commission issued by Mary to empower the Lord Deputy of Ireland to prosecute those who refused to observe the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic religion. The Doctor, on his way to Ireland, stopped at Chester, and having put up at the Blue Posts Inn, in Bridge Street, was visited by the Mayor, to whom he communicated the business in which he was engaged: opening his cloak bag, he took out a leathern box, observing, with exultation, “he had that within it, which would lash the heretics of Ireland.” The hostess, Mrs. Elizabeth Mottershead, overheard this by accident, and, having a brother in Ireland, who was a Protestant, she became alarmed for his safety, and took the opportunity, while the Doctor was attending the Mayor down stairs, to open the box, take out the commission, and leave in its place a pack of cards, with the knave of clubs uppermost. The Dean arrived in Ireland on the 7th of December, 1558. Being introduced to the Lord-Deputy Fitzwalter and the Privy Council, he explained the nature of his embassy at greater length, and then presented the box, containing, as he thought, the commission. His Lordship took it, and, having opened it, beheld, with considerable surprise, the pack of cards with the knave on the top. The Doctor was thunderstruck; and, in much confusion, said that he certainly had a commission, and that some artful person must have made the exchange. “Then,” said his Lordship, “you have nothing to do but to return to London, and get it renewed: meanwhile we will shuffle the cards.” The Doctor was obliged to follow this unwelcome advice, but before he could reach Ireland a second time the Queen died, and her sanguinary commission became useless. The woman, whose presence of mind and dexterity had thus providentially interposed, was rewarded by Elizabeth with a pension of forty pounds a year.

During the civil war in the reign of Charles the First, Chester stood several sieges, which lasted about three years. The inhabitants, who had sided with the king, endured great privations, but at last, when the siege was converted into a blockade, they surrendered on honourable terms to the parliamentary army. The city is situated on a dry rock above the stream of the Dee, which flows round it on two sides. The neighbouring district is a rich but level plain, presenting, however, some interesting views from the ancient walls of the town, which form one among the many remarkable features of Chester. These walls, which are now used as a healthful and favourite promenade, are especially interesting, as being the only perfect military work of the kind remaining in England, and the circuit of them is somewhat more than a mile and three quarters. They command many interesting prospects, and amongst them may be mentioned the views towards the forest hills, from the eastern point, towards North Wales and the Dee from the opposite side, and a fine view of the bridge and the river, with the surrounding country, from the south-east angle. At the sides of the walls are the remains of several ancient towers, and at the north-east angle is one which bears the name of the Phœnix Tower, remarkable from the circumstance of Charles the First having witnessed a part of the battle of Rowton Heath, from its leads, in 1645.

The four principal gates of the city are the terminations of the four principal streets, named respectively Eastgate Street, Northgate Street, Bridge Street, and Foregate Street. These four streets, as described by Pennant, are excavated and sunk many feet beneath the surface. The carriages are driven far below the level of the kitchens, on a line with ranges of shops, over which, on each side of the streets, passengers may walk from end to end, secure from wet or heat, in galleries, (or rows, as they are called,) purloined from the first floor of each house, open in front, and balustraded. The back courts of all these houses are level with the rows, but to go into any of these four streets it is necessary to descend a flight of several steps: the rows certainly form the most remarkable peculiarity of Chester, and the opinion of Mr. Ormerod is that they were first erected as galleries from which the citizens might defend themselves against those sudden inroads of armed cavalry, to which they were so much exposed in ancient times, in consequence of their position on the frontier of the English and Welsh.