The Castle of Kidwely, otherwise, Cathweli, was formerly, I imagine, of great extent, and is still the most perfect we had hitherto met with in Wales, The extent of the apartments are distinguishable; some of the staircases accessible; and the four round towers, keep, gateway, and yard, spread an awful gloom around, whose beauties time had just sufficiently impaired, to heighten its grandeur and sublimity. Our Guide expatiated much on the History and Events of the Castle, and told the story with as much agitation and interest, as if it had happened yesterday.
The road to
CAERMARTHEN,
we found unpleasantly hilly, but occasional Vallies to our left enlivened our walk. Near Caermarthen we crossed a Bridge of free-stone over the Towy. This River, running through the middle of this shire, falls into the British Sea at Caermarthen Bay, and is navigable for small vessels as far as the Bridge. Immediately over it, upon a hanging rock, stand the remains of a once renowned Castle. This Town, according to Giraldus’s authority, was anciently a place of great strength, and fortified with brick walls, which are yet partly extant, near the river. This place, now considered as the Capital of the county, was formerly the residence of the Prince of South-Wales; and the Ancient Britons here held their Parliaments. The Chancery likewise, and Exchequer for South-Wales, were kept here, when this territory was first erected into a Principality, by the crown of England. In the thirty-eighth year of Henry VIII. it was created a borough-town.
This place is famous for being the birth-place of Merlin, who is styled, by an ancient author, “the sonne of a badde angell, or of an incubus spirit, the Britaine’s great Apollo, whom Geoffrey ap Arthur would ranke with the South-saying Seer, or rather with the true Prophets themselves; being none other than a meere seducer, and phantasticall vizard.” He flourished in the year 480.
At the Inn (Old Ivy-Bush) Sir Richard Steel composed his celebrated Play, called the Conscious Lovers.
From Caermarthen, we were recommended to go to
LAUGHARNE,
in order to see the Castle, but it by no means answered our expectation: little part of it now remains; and the neat gravel-walk, in the garden, but ill accords with the mutilated walls of an ancient ruin. From the garden walks, grand and extensive Sea-prospects interest the traveller. About five miles from Laugharne, we passed a small place, called
GREEN BRIDGE.
It derives its name from an excavation in the rock, through which a little rivulet runs for a mile and a half. This cavity is completely concealed from the road, and impossible to be discovered, unless pointed out by some neighbouring inhabitant. Let me, however, advise all Tourists to be cautious in their excursions to this natural curiosity, as it is a place evidently calculated for plunder, stratagems, and murder; and is now infested by an unawed banditti of smugglers, who have frequently practised the barbarous scheme of decoying vessels by false lights; and by whom we ourselves were insulted. Indeed, I would advise Travellers to alter their route from Swansea, and pursue the straight road to Caermarthen, and so to Tenby, by Narbeth. By these means they escape the unpleasant roads, (and almost, indeed, inaccessible for carriages,) leading from Oystermouth to Cheriton, and likewise from Llaugharne to Tenby. But should the Tourist be led by an invincible curiosity to inspect the Ruins of Kidwely Castle, it may easily be accomplished, by pursuing the Turnpike-road to Kidwely, and from thence to Caermarthen: in this last route you only omit visiting the Seat of Mr. Talbot, of Penrice; though an object highly worthy of inspection.
At Saunders’ Foot is a small Bay, formed on one side by a rock called the Monkstone, and on the other by the Caermarthenshire coast. Near this place is situate the Seat of Capt. Ackland; and from thence to Tenby, the dark lowering rocks rose perpendicularly to a considerable height, and then branched out into overhanging crags. It was now dusk;—and at this transforming hour, the bold promontories became shaded with unreal glooms—the projecting cliffs assumed a more terrific aspect—and the wild, overhanging underwood,
“Wav’d to the gale in hoarser murmurs.”
TENBY,
is much resorted to, during the summer months, for bathing. It stands on a rock facing Caermarthen Bay: the bold Promontory of the Monkstone Head to the North, and St. Catherine’s Point, to the South, form a fine Amphitheatre. The shore is well adapted for bathing, the machines excellent, and a singular rock, rising in the sea, close to the shore, shelters the bathing machines, even in the most boisterous weather. On the South of Tenby, at the extremity of the small Island of St. Catherine’s, attainable at low water, are the remains of a Roman Catholic Chapel. Entirely through this Island is a singular perforation, which, without any difficulty, may be penetrated at the reflux of the tide. The Views from the South Sands are remarkably beautiful; the character of the rocks is here awfully wild, craggy, and impending; and the distant fishing-boats with their white sails, and the voices of the fishermen, who constantly frequent this coast, borne at intervals on the air, are circumstances which animate the scene: whilst the islands of Caldy and St. Margaret’s opportunely rise, to render the terrific ocean beautiful. The retrospect is equally interesting; the neat town of Tenby, with the mutilated walls of its Castle, closes this charming scene.
The ancient walls of Tenby are still sufficiently perfect, to shew its former strength and extent; and the four round towers, standing on the extremity of the rock, point out the situation of its Castle. Near this is a ruinous building, supposed to be the remains of a Flemish manufactory, probably woollen. On the North Sands is likewise another walk, equally beautiful, commanding the whole extent of Caermarthen Bay. On the summit of the rocks, over these sands, is the walk, called the Croft: on this eminence is situated the Hotel kept by Mr. Shaw; the accommodations are very good: the charges per week are eighteen shillings board, finding your own tea, sugar, wine, and porter; six shillings for a bed-room, and at the same rate a private parlour.
This place, from the vast quantity of fish caught near the coast is called Tenby-y-Piscoid.
If the Tourist has leisure and opportunity, many excursions may be made during his stay at Tenby. The first, and most important is, to Pembroke and Milford-Haven. The road affords many grand and extensive Sea Views, with a faint prospect of Lundy Isle. About four miles from Tenby, stand the ruins of Mannorbeer Castle, supposed to have been erected about the time of William Rufus. A little farther on, the ivy-mantled walls of Carew Castle [39] burst upon us; and about three miles from Pembroke, the decayed and broken walls of Llanfeth, or Lantphey Castle, attracted our notice, once the residence of the Bishops of St. David’s, but now a monument of desolation. The three buildings of Swansea Castle, Lantphey Court, and King John’s Hall, St. David’s, are very similar in their workmanship. We now arrived at
PEMBROKE,
Mr. Wyndham has so minutely delineated the Present State of this Castle, that I cannot do better than transcribe his account.
“The approach (says this Author) to Pembroke from the River, shews the Town and Castle to the most beautiful advantage. The Town is situated upon the ridge of a long and narrow rock, gradually ascending to the highest