261 



RADNORSHIRE. 



RADNORSHIRE. 



west and north of the county are also of considerable height. The 

 southern end of Rhydd Hywel, on the right of the road leading from 

 Rhayader to Llanidloes, is 1750 feet high; Bryn Maen, in the parish 

 of Llanvihaugel Nantmelan, 1700 feet high ; Cainlo Hill, near Abbey 

 Cwm Hir, east of Rhayader, 1650 feet high ; and Craig-y-Poel, near 

 Xant-Gwylt and the romantic valley of the Elan, is 1550 feet. The 

 south-eastern part of the county is generally level. 



The Wye enters Radnorshire on the north-west, between Llaugerrig 

 and Rhayader, at a distance of about 18 miles from its source on 

 Plynlimmon. From two miles below Rhayader to the town of Hay it 

 forms the boundary between Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. Below 

 Hay the Wye separates Radnorshire from Herefordshire, and continues 

 to run in the same direction till it enters Herefordshire below Clifford 

 Castle. The Elan enters the Wye on the right bank a short distance 

 below the town of Rhayader. The scenery of the Elan is extremely 

 romantic. 



The ItUun rises in the Kerry Hills on the northern side of the 

 county, and drams the central portion of the county; before its 

 junction with the Wye, seven miles above the town of Builth, it 

 become* a stream of considerable size, having a course of 30 miles. 

 The Lay rises in the hilly country, seven miles W. from Knighton, and 

 runs eut-by-soiith to the town of Presteigne, two miles below which it 

 enters Herefordshire, and traversing the most fertile parts of that 

 county, falls into the Wye four inilea below Hereford. The Tcme rises 

 on the southern slope of the Kerry Hills, and after running about 

 four mile* it turns south-east along the Shropshire border to Knighton, 

 whence it runs eastward and still along the border to its entrance 

 into Herefordshire, a short distance north of Brompton Park. The 

 Ten> is a feeder of the Severn. 



Of the smaller rivers of the county the more important are the 

 Somergill. the Kdw, the Bach-wy, the Claer-wen, the Clywedog, the 

 Arao, and the DeruoL The scenery on the Edw and Bach-wy, near 

 their respective j unctions with the Wye, is very beautiful. The Wye 

 and Itbon abound witli salmon. The fish of the other streams are 

 principally trout and grayling. 



The lakes are four in number and of small extent : Llanbychllyn, 

 a mile and a half round, between Llanbadarn-y-parreg and Llandewi- 

 fach ; Llyn Gwyn, about two mile* went of Rhayader ; Llyuellyn, 

 about a mile round, close to the turnpike-road leading from New 

 Radnor to Builth ; and Llyn-HindweU, near Old Radnor. 



The principal roads are the mail-road to Aberystwith, which 

 traverses the centre of the county through New Radnor and Rhayader; 

 the road from New Radnor to Presteigne and Knighton ; the road 

 from Rhayader to Builth ; and the road from Builth to Newtown in 

 Montgomeryshire, which runs nearly north and south up the valley of 

 the Ithon. 



Otology, Mineralogy, * The principal portion of the county is 

 composed of the strata forming the Silurian system; but on the west 

 mud Dorth-wet side of the county, the upper beds of the older rocks, 

 composing the Cambrian system, make their appearance. These rocks 

 comprise perhaps one-fourth of the whole county, having in their 

 extreme western and north-western limit* a slaty character, which 

 towards the interior or east U gradually changed to qnartiose grit. 

 The river Ithon forms with tolerable exactness the line of junction of 

 the Cambrian with the Silurian rocks; the Silurian however crosses 

 to the west of the Itbon as that river approaches the Wye. The 

 upper Silurian rocks compose (with the exception of the trap rocks 

 of Llandeglr, Ac., and the strata interlaced with them) the whole 

 at the iMi portion of the county. The strata vary in direction 

 from north salt and south-west to north-west and south-east. Radnor 

 Forest is included in this district, and is chiefly composed of the 

 upper Lndlow rock. The summit is a gritty sandstone. 



On the eastern side of the county, at Old Radnor, and in the neigh- 

 bourhood at Presteigne, the strata are more varied and interesting. 

 The trap rocks at Old Radnor have brought to light the rocks both 

 of the upper and lower Silurian system, " There is not," says Su- 

 fi. 1. Murchison, " perhaps in Great Britain a finer mas* of altered 

 sad crystalline limes* one than that exhibited at Nash Scar, the prin- 

 cipal cliff of which rises to the height of 200 or 300 feet above the 

 adjoining valley of Knill and Preeteigue." Thu limestone is well 

 developed at Old Radnor, where also traces of the lower Silurian rooks 

 may be observed. The old red-sandstone occupies a considerable 

 portion of the south-eastern part of the county. The chief mass of 

 trap rocks in Radnorshire is situated near the centre of the county, 

 having a direction from north-west to south-east, and extending from 

 LUndegly and Llanbadarnfawr, to the neighbourhood of Builth. 

 Parallel to the main ridge, on the eastern side, are a number of 

 smaller elongated mounds of trap running in the same direction, and 

 ti asides these there are numerous stratified traps, alternating with 

 beds of marine deposit. The mas* of Old Radnor Hill is a dark green- 

 stone, but there is a peculiar conglomerate thrown off on the western 

 lank*, having a base of gray and green felspar, inclosing pebbles of 

 quartz. Minute veins of copper ore and crystals of copper and iron 

 pyrites-occur in the altered bedded rocks, as well as nests and coatings 

 of anthracite. There are various proofs that the volcanic rocks pene- 

 trated the limestone subsequently to its consolidation. 



The medicinal springs of Llandrindod, Lland.-gly, 'and Blaeu Edw 

 all issue from the altered strata in junction with the trap rocks of the 



district, and, like the mineral springs in Brecknockshire, are supposed 

 to owe their origin to the decomposition of iron pyrites and other 

 mineral ingredients. There are three springs at Llaiiclriudod, namely 

 saline, chalybeate, and sulphur. The Llandegly and Blaen Edw 

 waters are sulphurous. Llandrindod lies on the Builth and Newtowu 

 road, about seven miles from the former town, and is much freemen ted 

 in the summer months. 



Soil and Agriculture. A great portion of the county consists of 

 common bog and moor land, and is therefore comparatively useless 

 for agricultural purposes. It is supposed that only about one-fourth 

 of the inclosed land is under the plough. Inelosures are gradually 

 being made, as well as considerable plantations of larch and fir. The 

 waste lands are still of great value as sheepwalks. Notwithstanding 

 the thin population, the quantity of wheat grown in the county is 

 considerably less than the consumption. The best wheat is grown on 

 the eastern and south-eastern districts. Barley, oats, and potatoes are 

 grown in considerable quantities on nearly all the farms. Flax is grown 

 iu small patches fur home use. 



The main dependence of the Radnorshire farmer is on the stock 

 reared on the pasture and common land; the latter support large 

 quantities of sheep, aud iu the most sheltered parts cattle of all sorts. 

 The cows are principally of the Herefordshire breed. Numbers of 

 Welsh ponies are also reared on the commons. Salt-butter for winter 

 use is an article of export. Some cider is made in the districts 

 adjoining Herefordshire. 



Divisioni, Townt, otc. Radnorshire is divided into six hundreds, 

 exclusive of the borough of Radnor, aud contains 53 parishes and 

 3 market-towns. The hundreds are Colwyn, south aud central; 

 Kevenlleeoe, central; Kuightoti, north-east; Painscastle, south ; Radnor, 

 east and central; and Rhayader, west and north. PuKSTJilUNK, the 

 county town, KNIGHTOH, RADNOR, and RHAYADEB, the only market- 

 towns, are noticed in separate articles. The only villages of any im- 

 portance are given here, with the population of the respective parishes 

 in 1851. 



liuuyhrood, population 314, is pleasantly situated among woods, near 

 the left bank of the Wye, at the southern extremity of the county, 

 22 miles S.S.W. from Presteigne. The neighbouring country U hilly. 

 Besides the parish churcli there is a. Primitive Methodist meeting- 

 house. Some remains of Boughrood Castle are still left. Cefnllya, or 

 A'evotUeece, population 386, about 9 miles S.E. from Rhayader, situated 

 on a bend of the Ithou, is a contributory borough to New Radnor : 

 the population of the borough iu 1851 was 45. Clyro, population 863, 

 on the left bank of the Wye, near the junction of the couuties of 

 Radnor, Brecknock, aud Hereford. There was formerly a monastery 

 at this place ; also a castle, of which there are still some remains. 

 The chancel of the church was rebuilt in 1823. The Wesleyan 

 Methodists have a chapel, and there are National schools. Duierllt, 

 population 564, on the left bank of the Wyo, has a commodious old 

 church with a lofty turreted tower. Glotbui-y, populatiou 1375, about 

 20 miles S.S.W. from Presteigne, is on the left bank of the Wye, over 

 which there is a high wooden bridge, built in 1800. The church has 

 a tower at the west end. There are National schools and some small 

 charities. Wool/stapling is carried on. Westward of the village, 

 standing in an extensive park, is Maeslougb Castle, the seat of the 

 Le Wiuton family. St. Harmon, populatiou 858, on the Wye, 4 miles 

 N. by E. from Rhayader, has a neat churcb, rebuilt in 1823, and 

 chapels for Wesleyau and Colvinistic Methodists aud Baptists. 

 JiituMat, population of the borough 251 in 1851, is situated near the 

 right bank of the river Teme, 13 miles N. by E. from New Radnor, 

 to which borough it is contributory in returning a member to thu 

 Imperial Parliament. A'orlon, population 294, about 3 miles N. by 

 W. from Presteigne, is sometimes called by the inhabitants a borough. 

 The church is ancient. A school is supported by Lady Brydges. 

 There are remains of an ancient castle. 



Divitioni for Kacleriattical and Legal Purpotet. The eastern side 

 of Radnorshire is in the diocese of Hereford, and the western iu that 

 of St. David's. The county is in the South Wales circuit. Tin- 

 assiies are held at Presteigne ; county courts at Presteigue uud 

 Rhayader. One member of parliament is returned for the county, 

 and one for New Radnor aud its contributory boroughs. By thu 

 Poor-Law Commissioners the county is divided into three unions, 

 Kiiighton, Presteigue, and Rhayader. These unions comprise 46 

 parishes and townships, with an area of 228,558 acres, and a popula- 

 tion in 1851 of 19,769. 



Uutury, Antiyuitiej, <tc. Radnorshire originally formed part of the 

 territory inhabited by the Silures, aud, after its subjugation and ulti- 

 mate abandonment by the Romans, was included in one of the petty 

 principalities into which Wales was divided. Inthe reign of Henry VIII. 

 Radnor was formed into a county. 



There is a Rumau station at Cwm, on the right bank of the river 

 Ithon, about two miles north-west from Llaudriudod. The camp is 

 square, and covers an area of about four acres. Radnorshire being a 

 border county, the remains of British encampments are numerous. 

 Ofla's Dyke, the boundary formed by Offa between his kingdom of 

 Herein and the territories of the Welsh princes, enters Radnorshire 

 on the north at KuigUtuu ; running south the dyke outers Hereford- 

 shire at Berva Bank, a steep hill on the right of the turnpike-road 

 between Presteigne and New Radnor. There were several castles in 



