ROBERT SANDER
1771

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The next place we visited was the ancient town of Caernarvon, pleasantly situated near that channel, which seperates the island of Anglesea from the rest of Wales. Camden is of opinion, that the ancient Roman city, called by Antoninus, Segontium, was where this town stands, which is not improbable, when we consider that it is so near the channel, and opposite Anglesea where the Druids were slain. But whatever it might be in the time of the Romans it was certainly a place of some repute, soon after they left Britain, for about the beginning of the seventh century it was the seat of one of the Welch princes, but that being destroyed, it was again rebuilt, and fortified with a wall and a castle; but both these were pulled down by Edward I. who suffered the profits of the archbishopric of York then vacant to be appropriated towards building the present castle, to which he sent his queen, when she was with-child, and here on the 25th of April 1282, she was delivered of a son, who was afterwards king of England by the name of Edward II.

The intestine divisions among the Welch princes had reduced them to such a state of weakness, that their territories became an easy conquest to the English, especially while they were under the government of so heroic a prince as Edward I. His view in sending his queen to lie in at Caernarvon, was to conciliate the affections of the Welch, who could not bear the thought of being governed by an Englishman; and from that circumstance the heir apparent to the crown of England is still called prince of Wales.

The castle is built in the Roman taste, with two strong towers, one of which is higher than the other, and called the Eagle tower, from the figure of an eagle carved upon it. The room, in which the queen lay, is shewn to those who visit the place, but it is no way remarkable.

During the civil wars in the last century, this castle had a garrison placed in it by the king, and it held out for the royal party till 1646, when it was obliged to submit to the army of the parliament. The town is at present, but small, although the houses are exceeding neat, and some of them inhabited by people of fashion. The county courts and assizes are held here, and the constable of the castle is by virtue of his patent, mayor of the town, and he appoints an alderman and two bailiffs, with all the other inferior officers.

As the town is situated on the sea, all sorts of fish are in great plenty, and vast quantities of corn, butter, and cheese are annually shipped off to Bristol and other parts. They also send great numbers of blue slates to London, which are used in covering houses. It is said that upwards of four millions of these slates are shipped off yearly to different parts; and there is a quarry, from whence they cut out many of the best whet stones that are to be met with in the country. From all these circumstances the place is in a most thriving condition, and great sums of money are returned to it annually.

They have also a woollen manufactory, which meets with great encouragement, there being so few in other parts of Wales. It has a weekly market on Saturday well supplied with provisions, and four fairs, viz. on the twenty-fifth of February, the sixteenth of May, the fourth of August, and the fifth of December, being distant from London 251 miles.

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Robert Sander - The complete English traveller; or, a new survey and description of England and Wales. ... To which is added, a concise and accurate description of that part of Great Britain called Scotland; ... By Nathaniel Spencer, Esq; London, 1771.

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