80 HISTORY OF 



the approach of an enemy at ebb tide ; the portion 

 in tlie river had been for a long period destroyed, 

 but the narrow wall with the hanging tower, as 

 far as the terrace, was taken down, when making 

 the approach to the bridge. The next tower to 

 the king's, tivr darn, or the broken tower, pre- 

 sents a very picturesque ruin ; the avarice of some 

 of the inhabitants led them to excavate the rock 

 at its base, which occasioned a vast fragment of 

 the tower to fall ; the upper half remains perfect, 

 suspended at a great height, and projecting nearly 

 thirty feet over the walls below .^ 



The walls which surround the town were built 

 the same time as the castle, and are nearly trian- 

 gular ; a form evidently prescribed by the situa- 

 tion ; the walls which still remain entire are very 

 lofty and embattled : in the circuit of about a mile 

 and a quarter there are twenty-one strong towers, 



9 It is to be regretted tliat there ?)re persons still in Conwy, equally 

 avaricious and culpable, who, to avoid the trifling expense of bring- 

 ing stones from an excellent quarry, scarcely two hundred yards 

 from the town, have lately dug them up under the very foundations 

 of the castle, and, by blasting the rock, have caused great injury to 

 the interior. We are greatly in want of murengers to take care of 

 the walls ; in many places, especially near Forth y velin, they arc 

 in a very damaged state at their base. I could wish to draw the 

 attention of the neighbouring landowners to the circumstance, as a 

 little expense now would secure tliem for ages. 



