CAROIQAN8HIRK 



CARDIGANSHIRE. 



M 



eoonty jail erected by Mr. Naah in 1793. A nandaoma county hall 

 was built here in 1704. A county court is held at Cardigan. A 

 literary and sdeatifie institute U supported in the town. 



The church, dedicated to 8t Mary, is an ancient and substantial 

 structure, having at the wast and a noble tower ; the interior has a 

 spacioui nave, and a chancel of more ancient date than the body of 

 OVchurvh. A neat gallery at UM west and was erected at the cost 

 of the late Pryse Pryse, Esq., M.P. The National aohool-room has 

 bean Ueansad for divine service. The Calvinirtic and Wesleyan 

 MalliiiHsss. Independent*, and Baptiste have places of worship. The 

 National school, erected in 1848, at a coat of about 15001 in addition 

 to UM site, is in the early English style. A Free Grammar school 

 endowni in 1063 is free to six poor boys of the borough. A UirU' 

 Charity school, supported by voluntary contributions, U well attended. 

 There are also Commercial schools. 



The port of Cardigan extends from four to five miles beyond Fish, 

 guard on the south, and alxmt 24 miles to the north, so as to include 

 Abarayron. The harbour is greatly obstructed by a bar, and U 

 dangerous in winter. Ships of 400 tons can coma up to the bridge 

 in spring tides ; but the general trade is confined to vessels of from 

 SO to 100 tons. The number and tonnage of vessels registered as 

 palooging to the port of Cardigan on 31st December 1852 were as 

 follows: Under 60 tons, 132 vessels, 8941 tons; above 60 tons, 94 

 8871 tons. The number and tonnage of vessels entered and 

 at UM port during 1852 stood thus : Coastwise, inwards 587 

 13,783 tons; outwards 60 vessels, 1519 tons. Colonial and 

 foreign, inwards 6 vessels, 997 tons ; outwards 1 vessel, 109 tons. 



The imports are chiefly coal, culm, limertone, and deals; the 

 exports oats, butter, and slate* Salmon-fishing is productive, and 

 UM herring-fishery is of some importance. 



(Clifle, Boot of .SoBM \\~aln ; Commitnifiition from Cardigan.) 

 MUMUANSIHUK, a maritime county of South Wales, lying 

 between 62' If and 62 33' N. lat, 3* 38' and 4 42' W. long., is 

 bounded N. by the counties of Merioneth and Montgomery, V.. !) 

 Kadnonhire and Brecknockshire, which are for the most part separated 

 from it by the rivers Claerwen and Towy, S. by Pembrokeshire and 

 Caermartbenshire, from which iu three-fourths of its length it is 

 divided by the river Teify, and in part by a stream called the Dothie. 

 The Irish sea forms its boundary on the W. The area is 443,387 acres. 

 In 1861 its population was 70,796. 



Hurfatt, Ilydroyrapky, Communication!. The south-west district of 

 the county and several tracts near the coast are level ; in general 

 however the surface is mountainous, especially in the northern and 

 eastern parts. The highest lands are rugged, bleak, and barren ; 

 eurstud with liny, rushes, and heather : those that are somewhat 

 lower afford pasture for the little hardy sheep of the country, the 

 property of the small farmers, whose dwellings are for the sake of 

 shelter placed in the narrow valleys beneath. A part of Plinlimmon 

 is situated in the north-east part of the county ; this mountain and 

 Tregaron Down, Talsarn, and Capel Cynon are the most elevated 

 iniuiiU in Cardiganshire. Their heights are Plinlimmon, 2463 

 feet; Tregaron Down, 1747 feet; Talsarn, 1148 feet; Capel Cynon, 

 MM*** 



The sea coast, in its north and south extremities, is flat and sandy ; 

 towards the centra of its line the hills terminate abruptly, and the 

 beach, from which on account of its shelving rapidly, the sea retreats 

 but little at low tide, is chiefly formed of shingle. The principal 

 riven are the Teify, which rises in Llyn Teify, a small lake on the 

 eastern border, and abounds with salmon, of which a large quantity 

 U carried to distant markets ; the Towy, the Claerwen, the Ystwith, 

 and the Rhydol, which rises in Pliulimmon. The Ystwith and the 

 Uhydol fall into the sea at Aberystwith. The Arth, the Ayron, the 

 Wirrai, and the Lery are also considerable streams. There are 

 upwards of 20 lakes, or llyns, in the county. Most of them are 

 small, but they are abundantly stored with fish. The chief are Llyn 

 Teify, Lira Uynon, Llyn Egnaut, and Llyn-ruddou-vawr ; these have 

 much wild beauty, which is however far exceeded by tho celebrated 

 water-faUs of the Mynach at the Devil's Bridge, the falls of the Khydol 

 at Hafod, and the rapid, higher up that stream, in the neighbourhood 

 at Pont Erwydd. 



The roads (which carry the whole traffic of the county, for there U 

 neither canal nor railroad iu this district) have of late years been 

 much improved. An entirely new line of communication with Rad- 

 norshire, which in part of its length is used by travellers to LUnidloos 

 sii'l Xewtown, has been of great benefit to Aberystwith. The other 

 principal roads lead from Aberystwith to Machyulleth, from the same 

 place to Cardigan and Lampeter, and from Tregarou through Lampeter 

 and NewcMtle-Emlyn to Cardigan. 



Otolm and Mineralogy. The county of Cardigan chiefly consists 

 of hard slaty strata, belonging to the transition series of the Lower 

 Silurian and Upper Cambrian systems ; they are destitute of organic 

 remains. Veins of copper-ore, lead, and sulphate of ziiic occur. 

 The mines were in the 16th and 17th centuries worked extensively 

 and profitably. They afterwards were almost wholly neglected. Hut 

 of Ute year, the spirit of mining enterprise has led to the re-opening 

 some of UM old mines and to UM commencing of new ones. The 

 Mad-mines are said to be most successful. The lead contains silver, 

 wyinffroml4to80oa.toUieton; at Llanvair mine some specimens 



have occurred which yielded 100 on. to the ton. Slate of inferior 

 quality is quarried in the neighbourhood of Aberystwith. 



Ciimatt, Sail, Ayricullre.Tbe climate of this county is in winter 

 Tery rough, the winds are violent, and the snow frequently remains 

 on the mountains till Ute in the spring ; in summer however and 

 in autumn there is a light dry wholesome air, which is extremely 

 pleasant The soil in the mountainous districts is thin and cold, 

 and yield, a small produce of oata, barley, and potatoes ; rye is also 

 sown in small quantities. Near the sea-coast, especially on the flat 

 loamy tract between Aberayron and Llanrystcd, wheat U cultivated 

 successfully ; Urge crops of barley are raised on lands manured with 

 sea-weed ; and potatoes are grown in abundance. 



The prevailing bread of cattle U small and hardy, in colour generally 

 black or brindled ; dairy-farming is not uncommon, and butter U 

 made ia considerable quantities. The horses are small but compact, 

 and are capable of drawing considerable weights in one-horse carts, 

 which throughout the county are in general use. The sheep are 

 neither well-formed nor fine in the fleece; but their endurance and 

 constitution adapt them admirably to the exposed hills on which they 

 pasture, and from which they are seldom driven down, the ewes in 

 the yeaning season exoeptod. They are so small as frequently not to 

 weigh more than lOlbe. a quarter: the mutton is excellent both in 

 grain and flavour. A considerable quantity of pigs and poultry is 

 reared, and eggs in great numbers are collected from the cottages and 

 farm-houses by persons who convey them weekly to distant markets. 

 With nearly all farms is let a right of pasturage on the hills for a 

 given number of sheep, which often forms the principal source of 

 profit The size of the farms varies from 40 to 150 acres ; in the 

 best districts some are larger. The fences are frequently made with 

 alternate layers of turf and stones, built up as walls, without bushes 

 growing upon them. The farms and cottages have a rude and almost 

 primitive appearance. As there is no coal in the county, peat, being 

 abundant, is the fuel chiefly consumed. 



JUritiont, Towia, <tc. Cardiganshire is divided into five hundreds 

 Oenewr Olynn, liar, Moyddyn, Penarth, and Troedyraur. Cardigan 

 Island, nn extra-parochial tract of pasturage of about 40 acres extent 

 situated at a short distance from the mainland, at the mouth of the 

 Teify, forms a part of Troedyraur hundred. These hundreds are 

 divided into 68 parishes, which contain five market-towns ABERYST- 

 WITH, ABERATRON, LAMPETER, CARDIGAN, and TRKGAIIDN. Cm 

 is on the river Teify, and Tregaron and Lampeter are within a short 

 distance of its banks. Cardigan, Lampeter, Aberystwith, and Adpar 

 are corporate towns. Adpnr is united with Newcastle- Kiiilyn, in 

 Caermarthenshire, by a bridge which crosses the Teify. They form ' 

 together a contributory parliamentary borough, and being in tact one 

 town will be most appropriately noticed together under NEWCASTLE- 

 EMLYN. 



Wo add a brief account of the Tillages which, from their size or 

 importance, soem to call for notice, with tho population of their 

 several parishes in 1851 : 



Aberponh, 8 miles N.E. from Cardigan, population 514, is pleasantly 

 situated at the mouth of the Howny on the shore of Cardigan Bay. 

 There is some trade in coals, culm, and limestone. Herring fishing it 

 carried on. In summer the Tillage is resorted to for sea-bathing. 

 The church is of great antiquity. The Cribach Road affords good 

 shelter for shipping. Hafod, 14 miles S.E. from Aberystwith, is much 

 visited by tourists on account of the celebrated water-fulls and rock 

 scenery of the Devil's Bridge. Hafod House and grounds, which 

 when the property of Colonel Johncn were the subject of so much 

 admiration from literary tourists, still form a principal attni'-ti-.n. 

 The house has been rebuilt, and the grounds arc much altered. 

 Uanarth, 18 miles N.E. from Cardigan : population, 2337. The 

 village is of some size : fairs are held in January, March, Jmn 

 tember, and October for cattle, homes, and pedlery. The church is 

 spacious and of considerable antiquity. The Wesleyan and Calvinistic 

 Methodists and Independents have places of worship. In the parish 

 are a British encampment and some tumuli. Uanbadan. 

 about 24 miles N.N.K. from Cardigan, is a very extensive prui li. 

 containing besides several Immlet , the market-town of Aberystwith : 

 population of the entire parish 12,776. LUinbadarn-viiwr okm 

 one of the oldest in Wales; and contains portions of the two .-till 

 older i-difices which succeiuively occupied the site previous to its 

 erection. LUnbadarn-vawr is said to havo been the seat of a bishopric, 

 over which St Podarn, the British saint to whom the church is. dedi- 

 cated, presided. There are some British encampments in the parish. 

 New Quay, 20 miles N.N.K. from Cardigan, is iu tho ]>arUh of l.lun- 

 llwchaiaru, the population of which in 1851 was 1738. New Quay is 

 a thriving little port. It is situated a few miles 8. from Aberayron, 

 with which nourishing town it is pretty closely connected. There is 

 an extensive fishery. Ship-1>uilding u carried on ; and there are 

 stone-quarries. In summer it is resorted to as a bathing place. Tho 

 church is of the early English date and style. Pontrhydfendigaed, a 

 small village 4 miles N.E. from Tregaron, contains the remains of tho 

 Abbey of Strata Florida, so celebrated in the literary history of South 

 Wales. Of the abbey buildings an arch of r.,n i.ln alilo beauty is still 

 standing. At Ytpytty Ytlradmtyrich, a little village about 3 miles 

 from Pontrhydfendigaed, popuUtion 138, was a cell to the abbey of 

 Strata Florida, of which some part yet r .-mains. Yetradnieyrich 



