of seaside retirement for the holy men who originally dwelt there. Even now at Canton, the village between it and Cardiff, and along by the Penarth docks, it is difficult to say where water ends and land begins; the whole district is a function of stagnant pools, and what was lately a marsh is rapidly assuming the character of terra firma. The Taff may well be considered as having lost its fluviatile character not far below Castell Coch; and probably the transit of the Romans had to be effected by ferry, before the gently rising swells of Llandaff could be reached. It were much to be wished that the muniments of the Bute family might throw some light upon these changes.

After leaving Penarth, and on coming round westward to Barry island, and the mouth of the Thaw, or Taw river, changes of coast line will be observed; and speculation as to the landing-places of Danish and Irish sea rovers must be modified accordingly. At Llantwit Major, that is to say, below the town, now one of the least known along the coast, the existence of an ancient harbour and its probable defences can be easily traced out. The Danish, or at least the Early, camp defending the sea approach still remains It was here that Mr. H. Hey Knight exercised his discriminative powers; and here, too, the observations of antiquaries, who have survived him, are still required. There is much to be observed and noted down all about this part of the coast, ere the former importance of Llantwit, once an assize town and a place of trade, can be properly understood. So too, still to the westward round by St. Donat's castle, the Nash Point, and the Skerwether rocks, and so on to Newton and Dunraven, and Ogmore castle, all the rocky indented coast wants careful examination before the early comparative importance of the buildings on the land can be properly understood. Why should Newton have decayed? why should Porth Cawl have risen up? why should the town, not the village, of Kenfigge have become utterly obliterated? Was the farm of Sker always the out-of-the-way, de

solate, and goblin place which we now deem it? What became of the Roman road along the sands, where now the Margam tenants try their skill at "bandy?" Were the marshes of Margam always such as we now see them, or were they not once the richest farms of the country? and what of the Avan river and Port Talbot? and all the coalfield from Margam to Briton Ferry? There is abundant work here for the antiquary and the geologist, ere the history of this part of Glamorgan can be complete.

It would be interesting to determine whether the flat lands about the Norman castle of Neath were always such, or whether they constituted an easily flooded defence of the castle walls; whether, indeed, the course of the Neath river may not have been greatly changed since Norman days; and how far the great Abbey of Neath stood from the mouth of the river. The lofty hill of Kilvey is certainly worth looking after for traces of Danish remains; and a still more interesting, because less easily settled question, is that of the probable position of the former mouth of the Tawe, not, as now, in the port of Swansea, but rather under the walls of Oystermouth Castle. All the bay of Swansea, from the Nash Point on the east to the Mumbles-head on the west, may afford ample room for antiquarian researches; and these should be undertaken by some of our members residing on the spot, by whom they could be so well conducted. We certainly do not see this bay now as it once was; but we might know more about it, if due search were made.

Add to this, all the indented caverned coast of Gower from the cove of Pwll Du (which Swansea excursionists still persist in calling pull die) to the sand-locked harbours of Pennard, and Oxwich, and so on by Wormshead to the muddy flats of Loughor, requires to be studied and mapped out by the careful archæologist.

H. L. J.

(To be continued.)

VOL. XV., BRD SER.

13

CAMBRIAN ARCHÆOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.

NOTICE OF TIME OF MEETING FOR 1869.

THE day of this year's meeting for the Association, at Bridgend, has been fixed by the noble President for Monday, August 9th, when it is much to be hoped that the weather will prove as favourable as it commonly does in Glamorganshire at that period of the year.

Members will find good hotel accommodation at the Wyndham Arms and other houses in that town, as well as private lodgings; but for the latter it is recommended that early application be made.

The Ven. Archdeacon Blosse, vicar of Newcastle, Bridgend, has consented to act as Chairman of the Local Committee on this occasion; but further particulars as to the names of the Committee and the course of proceedings will be given in the next number of the Journal.

The South Wales Railway from Gloucester to Pembroke has one of its principal stations in the town, and all means of communication and locomotion are most ample. We repeat that the district is one peculiarly rich in all mediæval remains, and a most interesting meeting may be confidently anticipated.

196

Correspondence.

LLANBADARN FAWR CHURCH, CARDIGANSHIRE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARCH. CAMB.

SIR,-Referring to my letter, which appeared in the last Journal, on the subject of the two fresco-paintings discovered under the whitewash on the north and south walls of the nave in the old cathedral church of Llanbadarn Fawr during its restoration, as being those of St. Peter and the Earl of Strygil; upon further consideration I am induced to draw the inference that the figure supposed to represent a lioness on her haunches, must be that of a leopard (probably the leopard of England before the lions were adopted), which St. Peter is appeasing by the offer of the key; and the figure of the young ass immediately above the hand, also representing meekness or humility; thus allegorically showing the historical connexion between this church, the crown of England, and the monastery of St. Peter at Gloucester, to which this church was given by the Earl of Strygil.

This splendid and almost perfect fresco painting is now obliterated for ever, to the great disgrace of the architect and committee of management now superintending the restoration of this old church. Such Vandalism is totally unworthy of Cardiganshire, and shows a clear distinction between North and South Wales in point of taste for archæology; as the good people of Wrexham have religiously preserved the old fresco paintings discovered under the whitewash in their fine old church, although they were not in such a perfect state of preservation as this. The same occurs at Chester, where a fresco-painting has been preserved in the old church of St. John; while the Llanbadarn fresco, having stood the test of time from 1111 to 1869, is now plastered over with a thick coating of mortar, and destroyed for ever.

Another singular fact has also come to light; for on taking up the flags, preparatory to laying down a new floor, an immense quantity of human bones were discovered immediately underneath the flags, between the chancel and the nave, showing no decent order of burial. A question arises;-from what cause could such a quantity of human bones be laid there? It can only be from that referred to in my account of the British encampments, and their connexion with the mines in this neighbourhood; where, at p. 10, it relates that the human bones found in the large carns at Penygarn, near Bow Street, were removed to Llanbadarn in carts for interment, and were probably buried in the church, and in the spot here indicated.

Yours truly,

J. G. WILLIAMS.

Gloster Hall. Jan. 1869.