16 A TOUR ROUNI* NORTH WALES. 



The Bifhop's palace is a neat plain ftructure, 

 forming one fide of the Abbey court, two 

 others of which confift of handfome mo- 

 dern-built houfes. 



Befides St. John's, which was once col- 

 legiate, and has been a large and magnifi- 

 cent pile of Saxon architecture, founded by 

 Ethelred King of Mercia about 680, there 

 are no churches in this place which can 

 boaft any thing extraordinary. Within this 

 are fome very curious fpecimens of the 

 maffy flrength of the Saxon columns and 

 arches. 



The caftle is fituated above the river at 

 the fouth end of the town ; though much 

 dilapidated,^ flill affords fome appearance of 

 a fortrefs. It confifts of an upper and 

 lower ward, the entrance to each protected 

 by gates and round towers, and formerly 

 alfo by a ditch and drawbridges. Within 

 the caftle are the county gaol and the 

 courts of Juftice. The latter have been 



taken 



