Online Encyclopedia

Llewelyn (3484 ft.), Carnedd Dafydd (3426), Glydyr Fawr (3279) and Glydyr Fach (3262), Elidr Fawr (3029), Moel Siabod (286o), Moel Hebog or Hebawg (2566). The valleys vary from the wildness of See also:

PONT (or KYLPONT), ROBERT (1524–1606)

Pont Aberglaslyn See also:

GORGE

gorge to .the quiet of Nant Gwynnant. Those of See also:

BEDDGELERT (" Gelert's grave ")

Beddgelert and Llanberis—at the south and north See also:

BASE

base of Snowdon respectively—are famous, while that of the Conwy, from Llanrwst to Conway (Conwy), is well set off by the background of Snowdonia. The largest stream is the Conwy, tidal and navigable for some 12 M. from Deganwy; this rises in Llyn Conwy, in the south-See also:

east, divides Carnarvon from Denbigh (running nearly due north) for some 30 m., and falls into the sea at Deganwy. The Seint (wrongly spelled Seiont) is a small stream rising in Snowdon and falling into the sea at Carnarvon, to which it gave its old name Segontium (Kaer Seint yn Arvon in the See also:

MABINOGION (plural of Welsh mabinogi, from mabinog, a bard's apprentice)

Mabinogion).

The See also:

SWALLOW (A. S. swalewe, Icel. svala, Du. zwaluw, Ger. Schwalbe)

Swallow Falls are near Nant Ffrancon (the stream of the See also:

Beaver or Afanc, a mythological See also:

animal). Nant Ffrancon leads north-west from near See also:

CAPEL (OF HADHAM), ARTHUR CAPEL, BARON (fl. 164o-1649)

Capel Curig and Bettws y coed and past See also:

Bethesda, reaching the sea in See also:

BEAUMARIS

Beaumaris Bay. The lakes, numerous and occasionally large, include: Llyn Peris and Llyn Padarn at See also:

LLANBERIS

Llanberis, north of Snowdon; Llyn Ogwen, north of Glydyr Fawr; Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Eigiau, both north of Capel Curig; Llyn Llydaw, on Snowdon; Llyn Cwellyn, west of ,Snowdon; Llyn Gwynnant, east of Snowdon; Llyniau (Nant y lief or) Nantlle, near Llanllyfni; Llyn Conway. The greater part of the county, including the mountainous See also:

SNOW (in O. Eng. sndw; a common Indo-European word; cf. in Teutonic languages, Ger. Schnee, Du. sneeuw; in Slavonic snieg', Lith. snegas; Gr. vi4a, Lat. nix, nivis, whence the Romanic forms, Ital. neve, Fr. neige, &c.; Ir. and Gael. sneachd; the original

Snow-See also:

don See also:

DISTRICT

district and nearly all the eastern portion of the promontory of Lleyn, is occupied by rocks of Ordovician See also:

AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age, the Arenig, See also:

BALA

Bala and Llandeilo See also:

SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series. These are dark slates and thin-bedded grits with enormous masses of interbedded igneous rocks, lavas and ashes, the product of contemporaneous volcanoes. At the base of Snowdon are Bala grits and slates, above them See also:

lie three beds of felspathic See also:

PORPHYRY (IlopcPisptos) (A.D. 233-c. 304)

porphyry, which are in turn succeeded by a See also:

GREAT

great See also:

mass of calcareous and sandy volcanic ashes, while upon the summit are the remnants of a See also:

LAVA

lava See also:

SHEET

sheet. The whole See also:

mountain is part of a syncline, the beds dipping into it from the north-west and south-east. Next to the Ordovician, the See also:

CAMBRIAN

Cambrian rocks are the most important; they are found in three See also:

SEPARATE

separate areas; the largest is in the north-west, and extends from See also:

Bangor to Bethesda, through Llyn Cwellyn and Llanwada to the coast near Clynnogfawr. The second area lies west of Tremadoc, which has given its name to the upper See also:

DIVISION (from Lat. dividere, to break up into parts, separate)

division of the Cambrian See also:

SYSTEM

system. The third forms the promontory south of Llanenga. Cambrian slates are extensively quarried at See also:

PENRHYN, GEORGE SHOLTO GORDON

Penrhyn, Llanberis and Dinorwic. Pre-Cambrian See also:

SCHISTS (Gr. vxq'ecv, to split)

schists and igneous rocks occupy a See also:

STRIP

strip, from 2 to 3 M. wide, along the coast from Neirn to See also:

BARDSEY (i.e. " Bards' Island ": cf. Anglesey, " Angles' Island "; Welsh, Ynys Enlli, " isle of the current ")

Bardsey See also:

ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

Island.

A very small area of the Denbighshire See also:

SILURIAN

Silurian enters this county near Conway near the eastern border; it comprises Tarannon shale and See also:

WENLOCK

Wenlock beds with See also:

GRAPTOLITES

graptolites. The striking headland of the Great See also:

ORME, ROBERT (1728-1801)

Orme as well as Little Orme's See also:

Head is composed of carboniferous See also:

LIMESTONE

limestone, containing See also:

CORALS (KoRAis), ADAMANTIOS [in French, DIAMANT CORAY] (1748–1833)

corals and large Productus shells. A narrow strip of the same formation runs along the Menai Straits for several See also:

MILES, NELSON APPLETON (1839— )

miles south of the tubular See also:

BRIDGE

bridge. At the See also:

SOUTHERN

southern extremity of the limestone a small patch of See also:

COAL

coal See also:

MEASURES

measures is found. Glacial drift—gravel, boulders and clay—is abundant along the See also:

NORTHERN

northern coast, and in the neighbourhood of Snowdon it is an important feature in the landscape; massive moraines, perched blocks, striated stones and other evidences of See also:

ICE (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Eis)

ice See also:

ACTION

action are See also:

COMMON

common. On Moel Trygarn and on the western flanks of Snowdon marine shells have been found in the See also:

DRIFT (from "drive ")

drift up to an See also:

ELEVATION

elevation of 1400 ft. above sea-level. Blown See also:

sand occurs along the coast near Conway, south-west of Carnarvon and on the south coast. Several hollows and pipes in the carboniferous limestone about Orme's Head contain See also:

CLAYS, PAUL JEAN (1819-1900)

clays and sands of mixed origin, including Upper Carboniferous, Triassic and drift materials. The igneous rocks, especially those of volcanic origin, constitute one of the most striking See also:

GEOLOGICAL

geological features of the county; they comprise felsites, rhyolites, See also:

QUARTZ

quartz porphyries, See also:

ENSTATITE

enstatite diabases, See also:

ANDESITE

andesite tuffs, diabases and See also:

GRANITE (adapted from the Ital. granite, grained; Lat. granum, grain)

granite. The See also:

CLIMATE

climate is See also:

COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

cold and See also:

DAMP

damp in See also:

winter, except in the peninsula, Lleyn, and on the mild coast. Arable See also:

LAND

land, but a small proportion of the See also:

SURFACE

surface, is mostly in the Conwy valley or near the sea. Principal crops are oats, See also:

BARLEY (Hordeum sativum)

barley and potatoes, with some little See also:

wheat.

The valley See also:

SOIL

soil (alluvial) is often fertile, chiefly as meadow and enclosed pasture. See also:

DAIRY

Dairy and See also:

sheep-farming occupy most farmers. The small mountain ponies, especially of Llanberr (Conwy Vale), are famous, and Welsh ponies were known for staying See also:

POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power even to See also:

ARRIAN (FLAvrus ARRIANUS)

Arrian (Cynegetics). See also:

Agriculture still too much follows the old routine, besides losing by the influx of labour into the towns or to the See also:

MINING

mining See also:

INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry and " set See also:

WORKS

works "(See also:

stone). The county is served by the See also:

LONDON

London & North-Western railway; its See also:

TERMINUS

terminus is Afon Wen, within 4 M. of See also:

PWLLHELI (" salt pit;" or " pool ")

Pwllheli. Between these stations plies the Cambrian, which runs along the Cardigan Bay coast and terminates at Pwllheli. The North Wales Narrow See also:

GAUGE, or GAGE (Med. Lat. gauja, jaugia, Fr. jauge, perhaps connected with Fr. jale, a bowl, galon, gallon)

Gauge See also:

LINE

line runs from Dinas, south of Carnarvon, to Snowdon See also:

RANGER, HENRY WARD (1858– )

Ranger, 4 M. from Beddgelert. The See also:

main line of the London & North-Western runs along the northern coast, with branches from See also:

LLANDUDNO

Llandudno junction to Blaenau See also:

FESTINIOG (or FFESTINIOG)

Festiniog, along the Denbighshire See also:

side of the Conwy stream; from Menai Bridge to Carnarvon (thence continuing to Llanberis, or, by another line, to Afon Wen). The See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief ports are Portmadoc, Pwllheli, Carnarvon, See also:

PORT

Port Dinorwic and Bangor. Near Portmadoc is See also:

CRICCIETH

Criccieth, with a See also:

castle resorted to by visitors; Pwllheli is also a summer resort, and a See also:

TRAMWAY

tramway runs thence to within a See also:

SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short distance of Abelsoch, another favourite watering-See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place. Nefyn (some 6 m. from Pwllheli), still unserved by See also:

RAIL

rail or tram, was the See also:

SCENE (Fr. scene, Lat. scaena, Gr. oflvil, a tent or booth, a stage or scene)

scene of a royal See also:

TOURNAMENT, or TOURNEY (Fr. tournement, tournoi, Med. Lat. torneamentum, from tourner, to turn)

tournament in the 15th See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, and is another bathing resort; near are Carreg Llam and Pistyll See also:

FARM

farm (see BARDSEY). The area of the See also:

ancient county is 361,156 acres, with a See also:

POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population in 1901 of 126,883.

The area of the administrative county is 365,986 acres. The inhabitants practically all speak Welsh (slightly differing, especially in Lleyn, from that of Anglesey). Over 8o is the percentage in Carnarvonshire, as against over 90 for Anglesey. The county is divided into two See also:

PARLIAMENTARY

parliamentary divisions, south (Eifion) and north (See also:

ARLON

Arlon). The Carnarvon district of boroughs is formed of Bangor See also:

CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city, Carnarvon, Conway, Criccieth, Nefyn and Pwllheli. There are four municipal boroughs: Bangor (pop. 11,269), Carnarvon (976o), Conway (4681) and Pwllheli (3675). Other See also:

urban districts are: Bethesda (5281), Bettws y coed !lo70), Criccieth (1406), Llandudno (9279), Llanfairfechan (2769), Penmaenmawr (3503) and Ynyscynhaiarn (4883). Carnarvon, where assizes are held, is in the north Wales See also:

CIRCUIT (Lat. circuitus, from circum, round, and ire, to go)

circuit. Except a few parishes (in and near Llandudno) in St See also:

ASAPH

Asaph See also:

DIOCESE (formed on Fr. diocese, in place of the Eng. form diocess—current until the 19th century—from Lat. dioecesis, med. Lat. variant diocesis, from Gr. Swucio•tc, " house-keeping," " administration," &miceas, " to keep house," " to govern ")

diocese, Carnarvonshire is in the diocese of Bangor, and contains sixty-one ecclesiastical parishes or districts, with parts of four others. Bangor, Carnarvon, Pwllheli and Llandudno are the principal towns, with Criccieth, Nefyn, Portmadoc and Tremadoc. Carnarvonshire was occupied by the Segontiaci, with difficulty subdued by Ostorius Scapula and C.

Suetonius See also:

Paulinus (Paullinus). From here See also:

Agricola crossed to conquer Anglesey. See also:

RELICS (Lat, reliquiae, the equivalent of the English " remains " in the sense of a dead body)

Relics of See also:

BRITISH

British forts and camps have been discovered. Caerhun (Caer Rhun) and Carnarvon (Caer Seint) are respectively the old Conovium and Segontium of Britannia Secunda. The county was part of Gwynedd See also:

KINGDOM

kingdom, until See also:

EDWARD

Edward I. in 1277 restricted that to Snowdon proper. The See also:

early fortresses at Deganwy, Dinorwic, Dinas Dinlle, &c., and the later castles of Conwy (Conway), Carnarvon, Criccieth and Dolbadarn, See also:

bear See also:

witness to the warlike See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of its inhabitants. See Edw. Breese, Kalendar of Gwynedd (London, 1874).

End of Article: CARNARVONSHIRE (Welsh Caer'narfon, for Caer yn Arfon)

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