Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CARNARVON

CARNARVON, a town, a subdistrict, and a district, in Carnarvonshire. The town stands adjacent to the Carnarvon railways, on the Sarn Helen way, at the mouth of the river Seiont, on the SE side of the Menai strait, in the parish of Llanbeblig, 8¾ miles SW by S of Bangor. The Roman station Segontium was at Llanbeblig, within ½ a mile, on the road to Beddgelert. It occupied a quadrangular area of about 7 acres, on the summit of an eminence gradually sloping on every side; and was defended with strong walls of masonry. Extensive portions of these walls, on the south side, still exist; and traces of a Roman villa and baths were discovered in 1835. Roman coins and other relics also have been found; and one of the coins is that of Vespasian, struck at the capture of Judea. A strong fort, some remains of which are still standing, was near the Seiont, to secure a landing place at high water; other outposts, which can still be traced, were on the opposite side of the Seiont; a well in the vicinity still bears the name of Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great; and a very strong, conspicuous, circular, artificial mound, on the sea shore, where Roman coins have been found, and which is now called Dinas-Ddinlle, was the chief outpost. Constantine the Great and other Roman emperors visited Segontium; and Helena, Constantine's mother, was born at it. The Welsh appear to have called it Caer-Seiont and Caer-Custeint,-"the fort of the Seiont" and "the fort of Constantine;" and, on building a strength of their own in its vicinity, within a district then named Arfon, called this Caer-yn-Arfon, now changed into Carnarvon. The Welsh prince had their seat here till 873, when they went back to Aberffraw. Edward I. took possession of it in 1282; and came to it in person, and founded a castle at it in 1284; and his son, the Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward II., was born here in the same year. Walls were built round the town in 1286; the castle continued to be in progress in 1291; both the walls and the castle were much demolished at Madoc's insurrection in 1295, and were afterwards refounded; and the grandest part of the castle, called the Eagle tower, was built by Edward II., and finished in 1320. Owen Glendower besieged the place in 1402, but failed to take it. Both parties in the civil wars of Charles I. repeatedly took and retook it, till the parliamentarians eventually got the mastery. A warrant was issued by Charles II., in 1660, for destroying the fortifications; but did not take effect. The castle still stands, on strong ground, at the west end of the town; was recently repaired, under the direction of the Board of Woods and Forests, at a cost of upwards of £3,000; and is exceedingly grand and imposing. "It covers about 2½ acres, and forms an oblong irregular square. The external walls are very high, and have within them a lofty series of galleries, with numerous œillets or arrow slips. There are 13 great towers, of pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal designs. The very massive pentagonal Eagle tower, guarding the mouth of the Seiont, is so called from a now shapeless figure of that bird brought, it is alleged, from the ruins of Segontium; but an eagle was one of Edward's crests. This majestic tower has three turrets, and its battlements display a mutilated series of armed heads of the time of Edward I. In front of the august Gothic main entrance is a mutilated statue of Edward I. sheathing a sword, with a defaced shield under his feet. The grooves of four portcullises remain. On the east side of the castle is the Queen's gate, so called, according to tradition, because Queen Eleanor entered this way; it is now much above the level of the ground, but a very high bank existed opposite to it, from which a drawbridge was let down. The interior, which is greatly dilapidated, is divided into an outer and inner ward; and the state rooms were fitted with spacious windows and elegant tracery, of which little is left. The only staircase that remains perfect is that to the Eagle tower,-158 steps." The town was visited by the Prince and Princess of wales in 1868.

The environs are strikingly picturesque; comprise great views of the Menai straits and the Snowdon and Eifl mountains; and contain charming drives and walks. The Twr hill, immediately adjacent, resembles the Calton hill of Edinburgh, and commands a brilliant panoramic prospect. The town walls, defended by many round towers, remain nearly complete round all the circuit; but have mainly become private property, and are much blocked up by houses; and only a small part of their summit, adjoining the town church, is available for the public; but a broad pleasant terrace runs on the outside of them, from the north end to the quay, and forms a fashionable promenade. The town consists of ten streets inside the walls, and twice that number outside, with many handsome villas. The suburbs are very pleasant, and have undergone recent extensions, as a sea bathing resort. The baths unite elegance and utility; comprise suites of hot and cold sea water baths, with large swimming bath and dressing rooms; and were erected by the Marquis of Anglesey, at a cost of upwards of £10,000. The county hall, opposite the main entrance to the castle, is a poor looking structure. The guild hall, over the east town gate, is occasionally used for balls and concerts. The county jail is part of the castle; and has capacity for 49 male and 6 female prisoners. The market house is a recent erection. The museum, adjoining the baths, contains a good collection in natural history, and many Roman and British antiquities. The custom house stands at the south end of the terrace; a pier and landing slip are at the north end; and the harbour extends under the walls of the castle. New harbour works, on the north side of the town, estimated to cost £50,000, were commenced in 1869. The town church is a chapel of ease to the parish church; and was formerly the garrison chapel. The services here are always in English; while those in the parish church are in Welsh. There are nine chapels for dissenters; a national school erected in 1844; a training college, said to be the cheapest for pupils in the kingdom; a mechanics' institute; a commodious newsroom; and two excellent libraries.

The town has a head post office,‡ a railway station with telegraph, two banking offices, and three chief inns; is the capital of the county, with assizes, sessions, elections, and militia head quarters; and publishes two weekly newspapers. A weekly market is held on Saturday; and fairs on the second Thursday of Feb., March, and April, the first Thursday of May, the third Thursday of June, Sept., and Oct., the fourth Thursday of Aug., 9 Nov., and the first Friday and Saturday of Dec. A steam ferry boat runs to the opposite shore of Anglesey; a steamer plies twice a day to Menai Bridge; and they can load and discharge at all states of the tide. The port includes Barmouth, Port-Madoc, and Porthdynllaen as sub-ports. The vessels belonging to it, at the beginning of 1868, were 170 small sailing-vessels, of aggregately 5,649 tons; 361 larger sailing-vessels, of aggregately 38,289 tons; and 5 steam-vessels, of aggregately 280 tons. The vessels which entered, in 1867, from abroad, were 37, of aggregately 8,916 tons; and coastwise, 1,337 sailing-vessels, of aggregately 70,264 tons, and 104 steam-vessels, of aggregately 16,626 tons. The vessels which cleared, in 1867, for the colonies. were 163 of 18,978 tons; and coastwise 74 of 5,288 tons. The customs amounted, in 1858, to £7,759; in 1867, to £9,527. The chief exports are slates and copper ore; and the chief imports, timber, coal, and foreign produce. The annual average export of slates is 91,000 tons. The town was chartered by Edward I.; is governed by a mayor, six aldermen, and eight councillors; and unites with Bangor and four other boroughs in sending a member to parliament. Its borough limits include about three-fourths of the parish; and extend, in some directions, two miles from the town. Electors of the six boroughs in 1868, 1,093. Direct taxes, £6,903. Real property of Carnarvon town, £23,846; of which £2,000 are in railways. Pop. of Carnarvon borough in 1841, 8,001; in 1861, 8,512. Houses, 1,820. The town gives the title of Earl to the family of Herbert.

The subdistrict contains the parishes of Llanbeblig and Llanfaglan. Acres, 8,676. Pop., 10,190. Houses, 2,149.—The district comprehends also the subdistrict of Llandwrog, containing the parishes of Llandwrog, Llanwnda, Llanllyfni, and Clynnog; the subdistrict of Llairug, containing the parishes of Llanrug, Llanberis, Llanddeiniolen, Llanfair-is-Gaer, and Bettws-Garmon; and the subdistrict of Llanidan, in Anglesey, containing the parishes of Llanidan, Llangaffo, Llangeinwen, and St. Peter-Newborough, and the parochial-chapelry of Llanfairynycwmmwd. Acres, 97,635. Poor-rates in 1866, £14,329. Pop. in 1861, 32,425. Houses, 7,023. Marriages in 1866, 300; births, 1,196,-of which 84 were illegitimate; deaths, 1,022,-of which 379 were at ages under 5 years, and 24 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 2,265; births, 9,909; deaths, 6,941. The places of worship in 1851 were 21 of the Church of England, with 5,464 sittings; 23 of Independents, with 4,453 s.; 8 of Baptists, with 1,250 s.; 9 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 2,159 s.; 36 of Calvinistic Methodists, with 11,678 s.; and 1 of Latter Day Saints, with 58 attendants. The schools were 25 public day schools, with 2,423 scholars; 16 private day schools, with 400 s.; 89 Sunday schools, with 11,973 s.; and 1 evening school for adults, with 59 s. The workhouse is in Carnarvon.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a subdistrict, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Carnarvon RegD/PLU       Caernarvonshire AncC
Place: Caernarfon

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