BRECKNOCK, or BRECON, called by the Welsh Ober Hondey, is the principal and county town of Breck nockshire, in South Wah2s, romantically situated at the confluence of the rivers Hundey and Uske. Its aspect, at a distance, excites no expectations, which the narrow ness, irregularity, and dirtiness of its streets, and the general meanness of the houses, can much disappoint. Yet the mixture which it exhibits of modern buildings, dismantled towers, and religious ruins, renders its in ternal appearance sufficiently interesting. Formerly it was surrounded with a strong wall, in which were four gates. At present it consists of three principal streets, in which scarcely one handsome house occurs. if there fore Mr Malkin's statement be correct, that Brecknoek is one of the " best built towns in Wales," we must form but a sorry opinion of the other towns in this principali ty. The objects most interesting to a stranger in Brecknoek are the ruins of a castle and monastery, found ed in the reign of Henry 1., by Bernard de Newmark, a Norman lord. Of the castle, which seems to have been a grand pile of building, only a few detached fragments remain, and these fragments are degraded and disfigur ed by a number of ugly cottages, erected in the midst of them. A tennis court has been formed in one angle of the fortress, and an undershot watermill, probably an original appendage, adjoins its scite. One tour of this castle still remains. It is called Ely tower, from Dr Morton, bishop of Ely, who was confined in it by order of Richard III.; and who concerted here, in conjunction with Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, the scheme of uni ting the two houses of York and Lancaster, in conse quence of which the tyrant was bereft of his kingdom and his life, and Henry VII. was elevated to the throne. " On the banks of the Uske," says an anonymous travel ler, "amidst the solemn gloom of trees, may be traced the venerable and extensive ruins of a Benedictine priory; and on the east of the town stands the college, once a Dominican priory, now a collegiate church, with a dean and other dignitaries." Of this establishment the un fortunate Dr Dodd was a prebend. In his beautiful
lines entitled " Pious Memory," he has described a custom which prevails in this vicinity, of decking the recent graves with flowers. The priory walk, on the shadow declivity of a hill, the foot of which is laved by the Hondey, is extremely pleasant. To the east of the town is a lake well stored with fish.
The coins occasionally found at Breeknock, and the evident traces of Roman entrenchments and fortifications, afford undoubted proof, that this was once occupied as a station, by the conquerors of the world. Of these anti quities, the most remarkable is a fortification, named Y-GAER, about two miles N. W. from the town. It is situated on a gentle eminence, overlooking the Uske ; part of its walls remain ; and within the area of the camp, some Roman bricks have been found similar to those at Caerlon, with the inscription LEG II AUG. Contiguous to the camp, in the middle of a highway, is a rude carved pillar, called, in the language of the country, the Vir gin's Stone. Another monument of Roman antiquity, mentioned by Gough, is a sepulchral pillar, standing erect on the roadside, with an inscription, of which only the word VicioRtsi is now legible.
Brecknoek has some manufactories of cloth and cot ton stockings. Besides three churches, it contains 499 houses, and 2576 inhabitants, of whom 654 were return ed in the report to parliament, (1802,) as being employed in trade and manufacture. Its arsenal is a substantial and beautiful brick building, 99 feet long, 85 broad, and two stories high. The tower, already mentioned, con tains an armoury for 15,000 stands of arms, and 1500 swords, arranged in the manner of the armoury in the Tower of London. This town sends one member to parliament. It is governed by two bailiffs, fifteen alder men, two chamberlains, too constables, a town-clerk. and other officers. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday : fairs are held here on the •ith of May, 5th July, 10th September, and 17th November. Distance from London by ..NIonmouth 168 miles. N. Lat. 54', W. Long. 3° 12'. (k)