The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-01-04
CASTLES l." WALES.

The border barons of Norman blood,
who took possession of this region forcibly
when William the COnquerOr became King
of Eng land, were compelled to hem in the
Welsh people by chain Of tremendous
military castles. The saxons were under a
like necessity in their day, but the fortress
ses they erected to protect themselves from
the Welsh were not very strong. They
were usually Of timber, with banks and
palisades for further strength about the do
mestic offices, and moat around all, with
no other wall than the mound thrown up
in digging it Their structures were not
enough for the Norman lords marchers in
some cases they used the site of the Saxon
fortress to build their stone castles on, but
the site was all that hai value to them
In order to keep what they had forcibly
seized, they must intrench themselves in
stronghods capable of defyipg the most
terrific sieges, and which furthermore
must be large enough to hold their families
and retainers. as well as their warriors in
enormous numbers. Hence the prodigious
strength and extent of the border castles,
whose ruins now make the country pictur-
esque, and which provoked from DIR. john
son the remark that the courtyard of a
castle in Wales is capable Of containing all
the castles in Scotland. Hence the extern
sive ruins of ''huge Caerphilly" described
in former paper), of Raglan, of Chepstow,
and of many others which dot the land
scape at intervals so frequent as to tell an
eloquent story. 1t is difficult to compre-
hend, in these days of equality before the
law, the estate of society which existed in
meniBval times, when an absolute mon
archy set up here in every little district,
with a baron:al castle for center but
one is amazingly helped toward such COM
prehensions by roaming about from one
rnin to another, and discovering that it is
actually possible to visit several within the
limits of single day. 1t is the statement
of a romantic historical fact to say that the
border bristled with these fendal vultures'
nests but it makes the matter practical to
degree that is positively sensational
like a realistic stage etfect-to set out on
tramp over this storied land of the border
barOns, and find that your first five miles
brings you to Caldecot Castle, your second
to Chepstow Castle, your third to Tintern
Abbey eloquent of the same tale the cas-
ties tel, though in different way, whence
nine miles carry you to Monmouth, and
seven more to Raglan, and that you have
passed en- route, and without pausing to
look at them, the ruins of Peuhow. Pen
coed, Mayor, Llanvair, Dinham, Strigull,
st. Briavels and nameless others. In the
small border county of Monmouthshire
which is not so large as Obeida county in
New York "a center of the Welsh in Amer
ica), there are no fewer than twenty-five
rnined castles, besides many priories and
abbeys, each with its tale of battles, sieges,
fortunes, during the centuries that stretch
between the Norman Conquest and the
days eff Oliver Cromwell. OF the least of
these ruins many interesting pages may
be written. Mayor and Pencoed stand
within two miles of each other. Any
where else bus in Wales each would be a
tourists lion, which enthusiastic travellers
would journey far 20 see.-- Writ Sizes in
Harper's MagaziHe for January.