Antiquarians are undecided as to the founder of Flint castle, some asserting that it was commenced by Henry the Second, and completed by Edward the First; while others affirm that it was entirely the work of the latter. It was alternately in possession of the Welsh and English princes during the various vicissitudes which distinguished the wars of that period; and in 1399 was the scene of the betrayal of the unfortunate monarch, Richard the Second, by Percy, Earl of Northumberland, into the power of his ambitious rival, Bolingbroke, the “aspiring Lancaster.” Under the insidious pretence that Bolingbroke, who was waiting for the king at Flint, desired only to have his property restored, and that the kingdom should have a parliament, Northumberland met Richard at Conway, where he had gone after his return from Ireland; and they were journeying together, when, among the recesses of the mountains near Penmaen Rhôs, the latter observed a band of soldiers. Alarmed for his safety, and now fearful of the snare that was laid for him, he attempted to return; but Percy, springing forward, caught his horse’s bridle, and forcibly directed his course. They dined together at Rhuddlan castle, and arrived on the same evening at Flint. The next day, “after dinner, (says Stowe) the Duke of Lancaster entered the castle all armed, his basinet excepted. King Richard came down to meet him; and the duke, as soon as he saw the king, fell down on his knees, and coming near unto him, he kneeled a second time with his hat in his hand; and the king then put off his hoode, and spoke first: ‘Fair cousin of Lancaster, you are right welcome.’ The duke, bowing low to the ground, answered, ‘My lord, I am come before you sent for me; the reason why I shall shew you. The common fame among your people is such, that ye have for the space of twenty or two-and-twenty years, ruled them very rigorously; but, if it please our lord, I will help you to govern better!’ The duke then, with a high sharp voice, bade bring forth the king’s horses, and two little nagges, not worth fourtie 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;” whence, after a night’s rest, they were marched to London, and made a public entry into the metropolis, under those moving circumstances which are so exquisitely narrated by Shakspere in his tragedy of Richard the Second.
In the civil wars, Flint castle was garrisoned for the king, by Sir Roger Mostyn, and was defended with great bravery, but was at last surrendered to General Mytton. In August, 1646, it was ordered to be dismantled, with Hawarden and several other fortresses, and has since fallen into utter decay, though its ruins present towards the sea a somewhat imposing appearance.
GRESFORD,
(Denbighshire.)
| Chester | 8 |
| Wrexham | 3 |
Gresford is a beautiful village, situated on the western side of the road from Wrexham to Chester, near the head of a romantic valley, which opens into the Vale Royal of Cheshire, a tract of country remarkable for the richness of its soil, the beauty of its scenery, and the diversified views which it presents. The little vale of Gresford was one of the most lovely in the Principality; but the fiery dragons of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway have now invaded its tranquil retreats, and marred the picturesque charms of this locality.
On one of the richly wooded eminences overlooking the vale, stands Gresford Church, a truly noble and admirable specimen of ecclesiastical architecture, in the late perpendicular style, which was probably built during the latter part of the reign of Henry the Seventh. No tourist, who has the least taste for ecclesiology, should neglect to examine this sacred edifice, which exhibits in its construction a combination of beauties that never fail to command the eulogiums of the intelligent and discriminating. Its appearance is also much enhanced by the scenery around it, and those only who are familiar with the vicinity can feel how admirably the church harmonises with the country. Its melodious peal of bells was once reckoned among the seven wonders of North Wales; but wonders since those days have become more plentiful, and some people say the peal is actually deteriorated. In the churchyard is a remarkable yew tree, 30 feet in girth, which botanists say is more than 2000 years old. This tree attracts even as much notice as the church itself.
Deeply sheltered in the vale, is Gresford Lodge, the elegant seat of Mrs. W. Egerton. Upper Gwersyllt Hall, on the banks of the Alyn, was the residence of Colonel Robinson, a distinguished partizan of the unfortunate Charles the First, who was interred in Gresford church in 1680. Lower Gwersyllt was occupied by another zealous adherent of that prince, Jefferey Shakerley.
From the top of Marford Hill, on the road towards Chester, is a most magnificent and extensive view of the vale of Cheshire, the “old city,” and the river Dee. In the immediate vicinity of the village, is an eminence called the Rofts, formerly a British camp, treble-trenched, having at one corner a lofty mount or keep.
Angling station.—The river Alyn.