The Mountain Homes Of North Wales.

changes , and the offensive transit through the intolerable smoke and unromantic views of Birmingham , alias the "black countr . y " The ride of ten miles from Llangollen to Corwen , through Glyn Dyfrdwy , or the valley of the Dee ( Telford ' s admirable road being formed at a

great elevation at the side of the Berwyn range of mountains ) , is exceedingly picturesque , the country mountainous and varied , and only requires some continental appellation to render it fashionable . Cor wen is full of historic interest connected wifclr the exploits of OAven Glyndwr , at whose birth the

" heavens were all on fire , the earth did tremble , " and " the goats ra ' n from the mountains . " The goats have certainly disappeared , and pigs extensively flourish in their place . Drains are laid in CorAven , leading to the Dee , and some forty improved cottages have been built by Mr . LeAvis

, postmaster ; but still there is much to complain of - —one closet only to six cottages continues . The rents of the cottages vary , at £ 2 , £ 4 , and £ 5 per annum ; a shop , Avith kitchen , two bed-rooms , & c , £ 8 per annum . The rent of land is' from £ 1 10 s . to £ 3 per acre ; in the meadows , £ 4 per acre .

The " Hand-book of English Ecclesiology , " in alluding to the churches of North Wales , correctly describes them as being of a very mean descri ption , mainly to be attributed to the poverty and scanty population of the district—Avith little or nothing of distinct architectural character—features coarse and rude , apparently of late date—little work earlier than perpendicular—extremely small—no marked division of chancel or

aisles—resemblinobarns or cottages rather than churches . This picture is mainly true ; there are , liOAvever , some noticeable features which AVI' 11 gratify the architectural student . Conven Church is Early English , with chancel , transepts , nave , toAver , and north porch . Internal

length , 105 ft . Q ^ ia . ; width , 18 ft . 9 in . ; across transepts , 64 ft . Sin . ; tower , lift . 5 in . square . Some perpendicular windows have been inserted , and some modern windows of no character . The church requires to be properly restored ( not pulled doAvn as suggested ) , the painted Eoman

altar-piece , with its balusters , vases , curtains , & c , cleared away , and the deeply-splayed Early English tri plet , IIOAV built up , re-opened and filled with suitable painted and stained glass , the flat ei ghteenth-century plastered ceiling removed , and the fine oak-timbered roof opened and restored .

The pulpit stands at the north-east angle of the chancel by the transept , consequently the congregation face the cardinal points ; the peAvs in the chancel ( which latter is 40 ft . long ) should be removed , and the chancel devoted to its proper uses . The font is of the date of the church

, upon a modern base ; the lid bears date 1704 ; it is flat , with , a handle like a copper-lid . The ancient cross in the church-yard is well known ; also the legend connected with the large spri ght stone built in the east Avail of the porch .

Owen Glyndwr always entered the church by the north door of the tower . At Llangwin , some feAV miles west of Coi'wen , the church has been altered and repaired . It is a Perpendicular church , 69 ft . 9 in . long , * by 17 ft . lOin . wideinside measurementAvithout any

, , marked division of chancel or nave . The present font is a basin similar to a bracket , fixed in south wall—no water drain . The ancient font was octagonal , 2 ft . 7 in . in diameter , large enough for total immersion , with drain complete . It has been turned out of the churchand UOAV stands on the

, side of a hill on Hont-y-Glyn , or bridge of the glen , properly Pont-y-Glyn Diffwys , used as a horse-trough ! The basin of the font is perfect , and ought to be at once ( prior to its being injured ) removed to the church , and placed upon a suitable base .

In this church at Liang-win are many metal memorial plates , formerly attached to the walls . Five of these are UOAV lying rusty and broken in a carved oak chest ( lid off ) , bearing date 1675—two of these are in memory of vicars ( the only memento of them ) , the Eev . Eobert Morris , 1790 ,

and the Eev . Edward Richards , 1814 . One memorial plate has a tin socket let in , with a talloAV candle , —fixed to a scaffold pole under the west gallery to light the church ! One inscription has just been put on a metal shield , affixed upside doAvn .

Some senseless person has cut in large letters on the seat of one or more benches " E . W . Esq . " I remonstrated with an official , and said that it ought to be erased , —the reply was , " Oh ! indeed ! he was the greatest man of the parish . "

The inscriptions on the monuments and memorials are nearly all in English . A similar church , and perhaps by the same architect , but not much modernised , is that of BettAVS GAverfylgoch . It is Perpendicular , and internally 53 ft . 2 in . by 18 ft . ; open roofrude and

, homely , Avith quatrefoils in the interstices . In the position usually occupied by the decalogue ( beneath the east AvindoAv ) is placed a very curious oak carving of our Saviour , with symbols of the Crucifixion , in five compartments , in a frame . The rector ( Eev . W . Hughes ) informs me that it has

been in the church from time immemorial , until 1854 , Avhen it was restored to its present state by the Eev . Mr . Barnack , headmaster of Ruthin Grammar School . There is a flap attached to the altar-rails , for depositing money at funerals . There are three Dissenting chapels , —mere

rooms . The village of BettAvs Gwerfylgoch is situate in a valley by the river Dee ; west of the churchyard are cottages in apassagel 2 ft . wide , Avith cows , pigs , and dung on the other side . The smell from the pigs is most offensive . The poor people are