9 
earthwork and either stakes or stones. The Normans adopted the same ground 
plan in the construction of their castles, and thus the grand and lofty Norman 
fortress, such as once stood on the castle hill of Builth, was the outcome of the 
simple din before them. He then showed that the site was in the midst of an 
ancient marsh, and as the needs of the resident increased, he enclosed all the firm 
ground by cutting a deep trench all along its edge on the north and west sides, and 
building a ridge of earth through the middle of the marsh on the south and east 
sides. The Railway has cut through this ridge. Near the centre of the south side 
is the original entrance, which was in the marsh for security’s sake ; and the road 
of the war chariots probably led directly from that entrance to the west 
entrance of the little din or nucleus camp. Immediately behind this din the 
Norman cwrt was built, which is merely saying that in Norman times the lord of 
the district resided there and administered a rude justice. Looking at the site, 
far away from the “‘ ford” of the Wye, and observing that it was actually in the 
middle of a bog or marsh, and having found that it was usually the nature of the 
actual spot which suggested the name, he ventured to dispute the correctness of 
Llech-rhyd. Welshmen would bear him out when he said that the word is not 
good Welsh; ‘the ford of the flat stone” would be Rhyd-y-lech. He suggested 
that the word is a corruption of Llech-wedd, the latter half of the word meaning 
abogor marsh. He considered, too, that the word Llech means not a mere flat 
rock or stone, but a stone or place of sacrifice. The little central din, they would 
observe, is perfectly flat, and may have been used as a place of sacrifice. He added 
that he had the high authority of Mr. Joseph, F.S.A., of Brecon, as approving 
his reading of the word as Llechwedd. 
After examining the earthworks, the party proceeded to the ford of the 
Wye, examining the rapids formed by the protrusion of igneous rock, and then 
followed Mr. Thomas to the several quarries. At Hooper’s quarry the hammers 
of the geologists were speedily set to work and a number of trilobites were 
extracted from the Llandeilo flag. Several very good specimens of Ogygia Buchii 
were bagged. The company then proceeded to Welfield Hall, where they were 
courteously received by E. D. Thomas, Esq. Mr. Thomas hospitably offered 
luncheon, but as the party was very large, and the hour fixed for dinner at Builth 
was fast approaching, while the chief business of the day—the address of Mr, 
Symonds—remained to be attended to, the invitation was declined with thanks, 
As soon as the party had assembled under the shade of some noble trees, 
conspicuous among which were Hemlock Pines, Pinus Douglasii, and other gigantic 
' conifer, the Rev. W. S. Symonds proceeded to deliver as follows an address on 
the geology of the district :— 
Mr. Symonds commenced his address by saying that some years had passed 
away since he had the pleasure of meeting the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club 
on the banks of the Wye near the ancient Castle of Buallt. Once more they had 
assembled in a locality rich in the records of byegone ages, rich in its local history 
and traditions, and still more rich in its geological records respecting animals which 
had lived and died long ages before any human tradition had a beginning. He 
was glad to have heard much that was interesting from Mr. Jones Thomas and 
