ABERCONWY. 137 



to west, to the north side of the precipice. Tliere 

 were two entrances, facing the north and south, 

 which are easily to be observed ; they were evi- 

 dently strengthened by towers and advanced 

 works, which the remains of their foundations 

 still indicate. The moat, now dry, is visible; and 

 on the summit of the first hill are portions of the 

 walls ; but the masses on the south are from the 

 upper part of the original wall, which being un- 

 dermined, was thrown down, and these lie out of 

 the line of the foundations: the angles were 

 strengthened by towers of solid masonry.^ The 

 name given at present to this castle is Castell y 

 Vaerdrev. At no great distance, on the summit 

 of a hill near Bryniau, is a tower which was pro- 

 bably an outpost of this castle. Its form is cir- 

 cular, being about twelve feet in diameter, and 

 twenty in height. There are marks of two floors 

 within, and there are three rows of square holes 



5 Not long ago, a head carved in stone was found here, and is 

 preserved at Bodysgallen. In the road of Tyddyn Holland, be- 

 tween Bodavon and Rhiw, was a grit stone, about a yard long, from 

 which the following inscription was copied in 1731. 



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