Dinas Mowddwy is an inconsiderable town, in the parish of Mallwyd, pleasantly situated on the shelf of a rock called Craig-y-Ddinas, near the margin of the small river Cerrist, at its conflux with the Dovey, and on the road from Dolgelley to Mallwyd, at the junction of three vales, each of which is inclosed by lofty mountains: it consists chiefly of one street. The principal building is the “Plâs,” or mansion, being the manor house of the lordship of Mowddwy, which from an early period belonged to the Myttons of Halston, but was lately purchased by a Mr. Bird, of Birmingham.
Slates, of an inferior quality, are dug from the adjacent rocks, for the use of the neighbouring country.
DINORWIC (PORT)
Is situate about half way between Bangor and Caernarvon, and is the shipping place for the Llanberis quarries, belonging to T. Assheton Smith, Esq., of Vaenol. Upwards of one hundred tons per day are loaded at the wharf, and the railway by which they are conveyed is an object of considerable interest.
DISERTH,
(Flintshire.)
| Holywell | 9 |
| Rhuddlan | 2½ |
| St. Asaph | 5 |
The church of this village stands in a romantic situation, overshadowed with several large yews. There are some good paintings in the south window, and in the chancel is inscribed, “Sir John Conway, 1636.” The yard contains some singular tomb-stones; two in particular have a semi-circular stone upon their tops: also an ancient cross, adorned with wreaths, and another with some traces of a human figure, now inserted into the situation as a style. The latter is supposed to be the remains of Cross Einion, which was erected on the spot where Einion, son of Risid Flaidd, was slain, at one of the sieges which the castle sustained.
The castle, called sometimes Gerri Castle, (or Castell y Graig,) stands on the summit of a high lime-stone rock, at the distance of half a mile from the village; its remains consist of a few shattered fragments only. In a field a little to the south, is a ruinous building called Siamber Wen, (the White Hall,) said to have been the house of Sir — Pounderling, a valiant knight, who was constable of the castle, and whose tomb is still to be seen in Dinmeirchion church. Cwm church, about a mile distant, is surrounded with hills, and commands a view of the Vale of Clwyd.
From the top of one of the hills that surrounds the village issues a water, forming a beautiful cascade, which rises from a small well, culled Ffynnon-asa, (or St. Asaph’s Well,) in a dingle in Cwm parish. The height of the cascade is 17 yards, concealed between two arches of the rock, behind which it has worn a passage.