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Roberts) was drawn up by a Reception Committee of residents in Abergele or the immediate neighbourhood, consisting of Mr. H. E. Prichard (Chairman of the Abergele Urban Council), Messrs. Bowes Elliott, S. H. Harrison, H. Bedford, John Inglis, A. Unsworth, Edward Williams, W. Pierce Morris, Rev. J. H. Davies, Mrs. Thomas, Misses Gittins, Foulkes, Elsie Harrison, and the Hon. Secretaries and Treasurer of the Local Committee. Mr. J. R. Ellis had the general charge of the business of this department, and Canon Roberts was successful, not without effort and perseverance, in introducing, to the great advantage of distant Members, the system of railway vouchers at reduced fares.

The details of the Excursions on Thursday were admirably worked out by Mr. G. A. Humphreys. The Penmaenmawr Excursion (Friday) was under the able direction of Mr. Bezant Lowe, and the shorter Excursion on Saturday was carried out with equal success by Mr. J. R. Ellis.

The number of Members joining in the Excursions was somewhat larger than usual, those from North Wales largely predominating; the party on Wednesday, including 27 Non-Members or "Associates," reaching the large total of 91. On the other days there were present on Tuesday, 78 (51 Members, 27 Associates); on Thursday, 85 (66 Members, 29 Associates); on Friday, 61 (40 Members, 21 Associates); on Saturday, 25 (19 Members, 6 Associates).

Amongst the Non-Members or "Associates" taking part in the Excursions were Sir William Osler, Bart., Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford; Sir Ronald Ross, K. C.B., Professor Tropical School of Medicine, Liverpool; and the Hon. Laurence Brodrick, Coed Coch.

The usual Business Meeting of the Committee of the Association was held in the Church House, Abergele, on Monday, 28th August. The chair was taken at 8.15 p.m. by the Ven. Archdeacon Thomas, the other Members of the Committee present being Colonel W. LI. Morgan, Professor Sayce, Dr. Cochrane, Revs. E. Evans, John Price, Canon Roberts, Sir E. Anwyl, Messrs. T. M. Franklen, Iltyd Nicholl, Harold Hughes, T. E. Morris, C. E. Breese, R. Wellings Thomas, Rev. G. Eyre Evans, Mrs. Allen, Messrs. Herbert Allen, J. W. Phillips, A. E. Bowen, Rev. J. Fisher, Assistant Secretary and the Editor.

The Annual Report of the Committee, the Treasurer's Statement of Accounts, and the Editorial Report, were presented, formally adopted and ordered to be submitted for approval at the Annual Meeting of Members to be held on Thursday Evening.

Attention was called to the Second Report of the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, in which severe comment is made on "the serious damage that is being done to the remains of the Castle of Dyserth, in the county of Flint, that must result in the complete destruction of the ruins, in connection with the quarrying operations there."

Cardiff was suggested as the place of Meeting in 1912, and the Committee unanimously resolved to make this recommendation to the General Meeting of Members.

At 9.15 p.m. on the same evening Mr. Willoughby Gardner gave a lecture to the Members and Ticket-holders on the excavations on Pen-y-Corddyn, illustrating it by lantern slides of drawings and photographs, nearly all of which have already appeared in his article on Pen-y-Corddyn printed in Arch. Camb., 1910, pp. 79-156. Mr. Gardner concluded a very interesting lecture with a re-assertion of the opinion (previously expressed by him in Arch. Camb. in which the Chairman, Professor Sayce, concurred) that the probable date of the fortification should be assigned to the first century of the Christian Era rather than earlier. 66 Though the masonry is undoubtedly native work, the builders of the ramparts would seem to have copied Roman methods of defence, and the form of the entrances is not such as has frequently been found in 'Late Celtic' (pre-Roman) strongholds."

The carriages started on three mornings (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) from the Bee Hotel, Abergele, and, in accordance with the instructions, kept together. The conductor's whistle was carefully attended to, and the Excursions were on each day carried out with unusual punctuality. On Wednesday and Friday Members were required to start from Pensarn (Abergele) Station. A large contingent on Thursday preferred the journey by rail to the more tedious expedition by road. It was generally felt that Conway, as recommended by the Committee, rather than Abergele, was the more convenient place of Meeting, because much time was lost and additional expense incurred by the distance from the Association's base of operations on three days of the Meeting. The Secretaries had, however, made excellent terms with the clerk of the weather, and the Abergele Meeting proved a most delightful gathering.

TIME TABLE.

Excursion I. Tuesday, 29th August.

Carriages leave 8.30 a.m. for Dyserth Castle-thence at 10 o'clock for Siamber Wen, and at 10.45 for Dyserth Church.

At 11.15 leave for Rhuddlan Castle, and 12.15 for Rhuddlan Abbey, thence back to Abergele at 1 p.m.

N.B.-Members make their own arrangements for Luncheon. 2.30, Carriages leave the Bee Hotel for Rhyd y Foel.

3.30, arrive Pen y Corddyn, leave 4.30 for Ffos y Bleiddiaid and Castell Cawr. 6 p.m., leave for Abergele.

Evening Meeting in Church House 8.30 p.m.

President's Address.

Excursion II.-Wednesday, 30th August.

9.7 a.m., leave Pensarn (Abergele) Station for Bettws y Coed Church. Carriages leave at 10.45 a.m. for Levelinus Stone and Tumulus.

Luncheon at Voelas Arms.

2 p.m., Carriages leave Pentrevoelas for Rhydlydan-walk of mile to Gilar--thence walk to Plas Iolyn, where rejoin carriages 3.45 p.m. for Voelas Hall and Bettws y Coed.

6 p.m., Tea at Glan Aber Hotel.

7 p.m., return by train to Abergele. No Evening Meeting.

Excursion III.-Thursday, 31st August.

8.30, Carriages leave Bee Hotel for Conway.

10 a.m., Conway Castle-11 a.m., Church-11.35, Plas Mawr. 12.10, leave for Llandudno-tramway, detrain at Half-way Station for Cromlech. Entrain to summit of Great Orme.

1.30, Luncheon at Summit Hotel.

2.30, S. Tudno's Church. 2.50, leave for Pendinas and the Rocking Stone (walking across the Orme).

3.40, Carriages leave Marina Drive Lodge for Llanrhos Church. 4.20, leave for Bodysgallen. Tea at the invitation of Col. the Hon. H. Lloyd Mostyn.

6 p.m., Carriages leave for Penrhyn Old Hall-drive past Llandrillo Church-through Colwyn Bay to Abergele.

9 p.m., General Meeting of Members of C. A. Association.

Excursion IV.-Friday, 1st September.

9.7 a.m., leave Pensarn (Abergele) Station-change at Llandudno Junction. 10.18, arrive at Llanfairfechan-drive to Newry (820 ft.). Permission to use the private drive has been kindly granted by Mr. C. W. May Massey of Newry, thus reducing the total climb to 725 ft.

N.B.-Members will be provided with sandwiches at Llanfairfechan, but must themselves arrange for any other refreshments.

2 p.m., leave Summit for Druids' Circle. On the way Moelfre will be ascended (1200 ft.), whence a good view can be obtained of the surrounding country with its hut-circles and tumuli.

4.15 p.m., arrive at Red Farm, where a meat tea will be provided. 4.45 p.m., walk to Fairy Glen-thence to Dwygyfylchi. Proceed by carriages through the Sychnant Pass to Conway.

6.55 p.m., leave by train for Abergele.

8.30 p.m., Evening Meeting in the Church House.

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9 a.m., Abergele Parish Church.

9.35 a.m., Carriages leave Bee Hotel for Parc y Meirch Visit Dinorben, Vardre, and Round Tower.

1 p.m., arrive at Abergele.

EXCURSION I. TUESDAY, 29th AUGUST.

The Members, starting punctually from the Bee Hotel, drove across Morfa Rhuddlan to Dyserth Castle, which was reached shortly after 9.45.

Dyserth, a name derived from desertum, occurring in Ireland as Dysart, is mentioned in Domesday as Dissaren, one of the berewicks of Rhuddlan.1 Later it is called Dissard, and mention is made of a church, a mill, and a wood one league long and half as broad, and a hawk's aerie. The Church was given in 1093 by Earl William Meschines to S. Werburgh's Abbey. Here, on a rock, Carreg Faelan, forti rupe juxta disserth, in 1241 a Castle was built, by the order of Henry III, to take the place of Rhuddlan.2 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, aided by Gruffydd ap Madog, laid siege to the Castle about July 1, 1263; took it by storm August 4, and utterly destroyed it. This he did, according to Annales Cestr. de mandato baronum, by an understanding with Simon de Montfort. Deganwy Castle fell on the 28th of the following month.

The rock, still crowned with the ruins of Henry's fortress, bore also the name of Dincolin, and E. Lhwyd (44 W. Davies' MSS.) mentions "Bryn Colyn, a field in the parish of Disserth, Flintshire, where Dincolyn, the ruins of an old fort are." The destruction was so complete that no traces of any internal arrangements were left. The entrance, with a narrow path on the E. side of the mountain, is the only part clearly determined. There are no traces of the keep. The defences on the E. side were more strongly defended, by a deep fosse cut through the solid rock, than on the opposite side.

Mr. Thomas Edwards, of Chester (whose article on Dyserth Castle, with detailed description and plans, will appear in a later number of Arch. Camb.), stated that the present was not the site of the original Castle, that undoubtedly being further up the hill ou the opposite side of the present highway, and considerable progress had been made with the building on this older site when a mandate issued3 Sept. 3, 1241, to John L'Estrange, Justiciary of Chester, in the following terms: "It is the King's pleasure that he fortify that place which he has provided as a gift near Rothelan, and therefore the King commands that giving up the first place which he began to fortify by his order he cause the new place to be fortified." It should be noted that the Justiciary was commanded

1 Ad hoc manerium Roelent jacent hæ berewiche. Dissaren. Bodugan. Chilven. et Maineval.

2 An. Cestr. 1241. "Also Henry 3, King of England, came first to Chester about the Feast of the Assumption [Aug. 15] and having entered Wales at Rhuddlan, he remained for 8 days. The lord of the land, David, son of Llewelin, came to him there, restoring the land to him, and placing himself at the King's mercy, and he gave up to him Griffin, his brother. Also the King built a Castle at Disserth, and caused the foundation of Mold to be laid."

3 Cal. Pat. Roll, i, 258.

6TH SER., VOL. XII.

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