Some Account of Llangollen and its Vicinity — Part 24

There is a stone which seems to have belonged to the old Llys, wrought up in the door-way, with an inscription which I cannot decipher. The design seems a rude figure of a sword, with an obtuse point, and the letters cut in relief on the blade. They are many of them unlike the characters I have seen, although some of them bear a strong resemblance to the Roman, and some few to the Saxon. The hilt of the sword, on which was the beginning of the inscription, is wanting. This is the only inscribed stone I could discover on the premises, although I was civilly assisted in my researches by the occupier of the house. From the appearance of many of the windows, &c. I should almost suppose it the remains of a religious sanctuary.

Returning to the north side of the Dee, I must notice a small factory, where cotton is spun and manufactured into cloth by machinery. It was erected by a Mr. Turner. The main wheel is worked by a partial diversion of the river. It has also a claim upon the Ellesmere Canal for a supply of water, and affords employment for many of the inhabitants. The builder and his partner unfortunately proving insolvent, the concern was for a while stopped, and the factory stood unoccupied about five years. It is now carried on by a very respectable firm from Manchester, and is a great benefit to the town. The factory was destroyed by fire in 1814, but being fully insured it was soon rebuilt. By means of an outlet from the mill dam, a great quantity of fine trout and salmon are caught here in the season.

I shall now proceed to give some account of Castell Dinas Bran, to which I had before conducted my readers by the ancient road from the Berwyn Mountains and Castell Crogen, or Chirk Castle.

“Desolate is the dwelling of Morna: silence is in the house of her fathers. The voice of the people is heard no more. The stream of Cultha is removed from its place by the fall of its walls. Raise the song of mourning, O bards!”

THE Castell Dinas Bran, vulgarly called Crow Castle, is one of the primitive Welch Castles. I shall not bewilder myself or my readers, by seeking for the origin of its name, which so many learned men have sought in vain; all their researches ending in conjecture: nor can I find any account to be relied upon, when or by whom it was erected.