CAERNARVON," the Scgontium of Antoninus, and the Cacr- &int of the Britons, is the principal town of Cacrnarvonshire, one of the counties of North Wales. This town is pleasantly situated opposite to the isle of Anglesea ; having on one side the arm of the sea called the straits of Menai, on another the estuary of the Seiont, where it receives the tide from the former ; on a third side, and on part of the fourth, it has a creek of the Menai; and the remainder, according to Pennant, has the appearance of having the insulation completed by art. At a little distance from the town, and about a quarter of a mile from the Menai, is the ancient Scgon tium, which covers an oblong space of about six acres, and is placed on the summit of a rising hill sloping in every direction. There are vestiges of walls in several parts, and in one place is the remains of a building made with tiles, and plastered with hard and smooth mor tar. A public road passes through the middle of this station.
The present town was built by Edward, after he con quered the country in 1282. It was finished in one year, and the fortifications and castle were completed before 1284. The walls and the exterior of the castle are at present exactly the same as they were in the time of Edward. The walls have a number of round towers, and two principal gates, one of which laces the cast, and the other the west. The entrance to the castle is beneath a massy tower ; and over the gate-way, which had lour portcullisses, is placed the statue of Ldwanl in a mena cing attitude, with a halt' drawn sword in his hand. The castle occupies an oblong space of three acres. All the towers are either pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal, and two of them are much more lofty than the rest. The eagle tower, which derives its name from the figure of that bird placed upon its top, is singularly beautiful. Its walls are nine feet nine inches thick, and three slender angular turrets issue from the top of it. The walls of the liirtress are seven feet nine inches thick, and have within their thickness a very convenient gallery, with narrow openings for the discharge of arrows. In a little dark room on the eagle tower, which is about 12 feet by 8, Queen Eleanor brought forth the first Prince of Wales of the English line.
The town of Caernarvon, which is neat and regular, was formerly included within its present walls, but the suburbs are now larger than the town. The houses arc well built, and the streets, which though narrow and confined, are clean, and are all at right angles, corres ponding with the gates. The hot and cold baths, built
by the late Earl of Uxbridge, have increased the num ber of gay invalids who visit this place in the summer season. Along the banks of the Menai, and NS idiom the walls, there is a delightful promenade, which commands a fine view, and extends from the quay to the north end of the walls. The dun ch of Caernarvon, which is situ ated about half a mile to the south east of the town, is in the palish of Llan-Beblic. The chapel of ease stands in the north west corner of the town, and the service is always performed there in English, while at Llan-Beblic it is performed in Welsh. The business of the county is transacted in the room over the eastern gateway, which was formerly used as a custom-house, for which a build ing has been erected within the walls. There is also at Caernarvon an extensive bowling green.
At a small distance from Caernarvon castle, near the steep bank of the Sciont, is a Roman fort. The walls, which are pretty entire on two sides, are 10 feet 8 inches high, and 6 feet thick ; one of them is 74 yards long, and the other 64. Along the walls arc three parallel lines of round holes, not three inches in diameter, and nicely plastered within. There are in the end of the wall similar holes, which appear to run through it length wise. The foundation of a tower appears near the cor ner of one of the walls. " This very curious piece of antiquity," says Mr Pennant, " is at present most shame fully disfigured by walls and other buildings, insomuch, that I fear my description will in a manner become un intelligible." Though Caernarvon has no manufactory, yet it carries on a tolerable trade with London, Bristol, Liverpool, and Ireland. Ves.,cls of near sev( n hundred tons can ride in safety in the litrhour, lint the eutram c to the port is bey./ with extensive sand banks. The articles imported, ss hich are considerably less than the exports, consist chiefly of Irish loth, line wool, hides, tallow, and gro ("cries. Slates, to the annual amount of are exported to Louden, Bristol, and Liverpool. ore from Llanberis, and the Paris mount, is shipped to Swansea ; and flannel wths, stockings, and an ochre found in Anglesea, our exported to America and the West Indies. N umber of houses 609. Population 3626 ; of whom 400 wen returned as employed in t•ad( and manufactures. Sec prtieularly Pennant's Tour through. Mars, Loud. 181(1, soh ii. p. 403 ; and Evan's Tour through South Wales. (y..)