277 



T. D. Burlton, J. Carless, R. Clarke, James Davies, A. B. Donaldson, Howorth 

 Greenly, W. H. Harrison, J. W. Lloyd, W. Pilley, H. A. Purchas, and J. Riley. 



The way was first taken to the old manor house of Pen-y-clawdd (the head of 

 the moat), which possesses features of very great interest. The house itself is not 

 very ancient (a manor house of the 17th century) but it is still old enough to be 

 very picturesque with its stone walls and its square-headed windows. It probably 

 occupies the site of one still more old, which was then entirely surrounded by the 

 moat, which is now only complete on the north side. The road passing the house 

 is enclosed by an artificial embankment, which once probably formed part of the 

 moat. At the present time, a few yards from the house, is a flat circular mound 

 some fifty paces in diameter, surrounded by a wide grass-covered ditch, and this 

 again is enclosed by a very steep artificial embankment, still higher than the cir- 

 cular mound, around which ran the moat. This moat was supplied with water from 

 a stream from the mountain side, diverted for the purpose. The stream now takes 

 its natural channel, and the water in the portion of moat remaining is stagnant. 

 This may have been the house of some Saxon proprietor, rich in beeves, who had 

 his cattle di'iven within his entrenchments by night, and protected himself and 

 them from any sudden surprise by treacherous enemies. Or it is open still to such 

 other suggestions of the imagination as its strong fortifications may indicate, for 

 they could not be made without an amount of time and labour that proves how 

 great the perils were to require them. 



The circular mound was occupied botanically, not only by a large oak and 

 some other trees, but growing over a considerable surface of the ground was 

 Narcissus hiflorus, the Pale daffodil, or Primrose peerless, by no means a common 

 plant. Did some Saxon damosels plant the first bulbs, from which the ground 

 has been covered ? As the visitors clustered upon the mound a photograph was 

 taken, the said imaginary fair Saxons being represented on this occasion by Mrs. 

 and Miss Gillespie, the former mounted on her favourite black cob, far more 

 handsome and useful than could have existed in Saxon days. 



From the Pen-y-clawdd the members proceeded along the side of the Brynarw 

 hill, from "bryn," a hill, and "garw," rugged, it was said, (but this can scarcely 

 be right, for it is a round-backed hill now, as it ever must have been). On its side 

 grew a large patch of the common Yellow daffodil. Narcissus pscudo- Narcissus, in 

 a double form ; and on some of the boggy spring heads the president gathered 

 Montia fontana, the Water chickweed, or blinks, as it is sometimes called, because 

 it seldom opens its small flowers. The northern slopes of the Brynarw hill road led 

 along the side of the Cwm-coed-y-cerrig, the dingle, or valley, of woods and rock, 

 which separates this hill from the Gaer, on whose summit could be seen the encamp- 

 ment that was shortly to be visited. Extremely pretty the valley is. Its rocks 

 could not be seen, for the road was above them; but its varied woods of oak and fir, 

 its detached whitewashed cottages, each surrounded by its enclosure of gardens 

 and fields, were looked down upon very pleasantly. This portion of the Brynarw 

 hill is called the Forest Coal Pit hill, and the first house on the descent is called 

 Coal Pit, and many inquiries were made as to whether the vain attempt had been 

 made here to get coal beneath the Old Red Sandstone rocks, of which this whole 



