MONTGOMERYSHIRE, an inland county of North Wales. It is bounded on the east by Shropshire, on the north by Denbighshire and Merionethshire, on the west by Cardiganshire and Merionethshire, and on the south by Radnorshire. It is of an irregular form; its greatest length, from north to south, is thirty-six miles, and its mean breadth, from east to west, is about thirty-two miles. Its area, in square miles, is estimated to be 982, or 620,720 statute acres; but is probably overrated.
It is a county of very irregular surface, composed, in the centre, of a ridge of lofty mountains, which nearly divide it, and from which various branches project, which, though not equal in height to the mean ridge, attain a great elevation. The loftiest of the mountains, Plinlimmon, or Pumumon, is continued through Montgomeryshire and enters Merionethshire; from its centre various streams run, some to the east and some to the west, the former into the Severn, and the latter to the sea at Cardigan bay. Plinlimmon is, at the highest point, 2463 feet above the level of the sea; the other mountains that branch from it are Llandinam, 1898 feet, the Long Mountain 1330, and that on which a pillar, to the memory of Lord Rodney, is erected, 1204. From the irregularity of the surface, and the great elevations, the chief part of the county is bare, raw, and barren; but in the valleys between the mountains, there are some most delightful and fertile spots, watered by translucent rivulets, and bordered with the richest forest scenery.
The rivers that run westerly from the mountain ridges are the Traeth-bach, the Maw, and the Dovey. The Wye, the Severn, the Vyrnwy, and the Tanat, which receive several smaller mountain torrents, run to the eastward: the two first, which receive the others, keep nearly a parallel course to the plains of Salop. The Severn, though at first a mere mountain rill, and soon a rapid torrent, speedily assumes a tranquil character, and glides through deep valleys till it enters Shropshire, and becomes the second of our English rivers. It is the only stream navigable in this county, but it is passable only at periods of rain by boats, and frequently ship timber lies on its banks a long time, waiting for sufficient water to float it down the stream. A canal has been constructed, connected with the Ellesmere canal in Shropshire; but though completed, it is found to be a very unproductive undertaking. There are some picturesque waterfalls, which invite the inspection of travellers in this romantic county. The
Montgomeryshire. most remarkable of these is Pystyll-Rhaiadr. The brook, or rather river Rhaiadr, (for, after rains, it deserves the latter name), runs over a gentle declivity for a short distance, and then suddenly precipitates itself over a perpendicular ledge, from whence it falls, rather in the form of spray than in that of a torrent, to the depth of two hundred feet, while the projecting rocks that intercept its fall cause a spectacle and sounds that are highly terrific. This cataclysm appears in its grandeur only after a wet season, for in very dry weather it is an insignificant rill.
Agriculture. The agriculture of Montgomeryshire is in a very backward state; not one-eighth of the land is under the plough; about three-eighths of it is devoted to pasture, but the food it produces is small for the extent on which it grows. Nearly half the county is in an uncultivated state, or covered with wood. Some few good cultivators have of late, in some spots, introduced the Norfolk four course system of turnips, barley, clover, and wheat, but it prevails to a very limited extent, owing to the deficiency of capital among the occupiers. The greater part of the arable land is destined to produce corn, without intermission, till it becomes exhausted, when it returns of itself to a very imperfect and unproductive kind of pasture. Though these remarks refer to the greatest part of the county, yet a part of it adjoining to Shropshire forms a very laudable exception, as it is well cultivated, and very prolific, especially on the banks of the Severn. In almost every part of the county hemp is cultivated for domestic use, in small patches, and the making it into cloth forms the employment of itinerant weavers.
Cattle. The cows of this county somewhat resemble the Devonshire breed, and are said to have been originally brought from that county. When removed to better pasture, and fattened, they are highly valued by the butchers, because they yield less offal, and collect a greater mass of flesh on the more valuable parts of the body. The sheep are of small size, but their mutton is exquisite. The wool is of very fine quality, and the best Welsh flannels are made from it. There is a very numerous breed of small horses on the mountainous parts of Montgomeryshire, which are nearly in a state of nature. They are known by the name of Merlyns, and range through the whole year over the most elevated parts of the country. By their exposure, and the ease with which they are subsisted, they acquire a very hardy frame, and are capable of performing labour far beyond what their size and apparent strength indicate. They are driven, when needed, into an inclosure, where the best are selected from those that have attained their third year, and the remainder are turned out to range at large as before. Notwithstanding their diminutive size, the greater part of the commodities furnished by the county are conveyed on their backs from one place to another. The valleys in this county have been long celebrated for a breed of excellent horses, introduced originally from the south of Spain, by the Earl of Shrewsbury in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; these, by various crosses, have been much improved, and they now furnish some of the best hunters in the kingdom, from uniting strength with speed.
Lime and Fuel. Limestone is not generally found in this county, VOL. V. PART II.
and rarely unmixed with argillaceous earth; so that Montgomeryshire. the lime required for building is brought from one extremity to the other by the canal. Coal is only found in an angle of the county, on the borders of Salop; the quantity is small, and its combustive quality causes it to burn so rapidly, as to make it a much more expensive fuel, except in the vicinity of the pits, than either wood or turf.
The mineral which abounds most in the mountains of Montgomery is lead, which is raised in many parts of them. The ore known by the name of galena, provincially called potters ore, was formerly discovered in a prodigious vein at Llangynnog, but, after much profitable excavation, the miners reached a fault in the vein, and its continuance has not been yet ascertained. At Llanymynach are the vestiges of mines worked in very remote periods, which exhibit intricate recesses, and form a kind of subterranean labyrinth. Both copper and lead ore are still found in these ancient mines, and zinc, in union with sulphuric and carbonic acids, known by the common appellations of calamine, and black-jack. A very rich lead mine at Tallessi was formerly worked, and yielded large profits to its owner, Sir Watkins Williams Wynne; but, owing to a great increase of water, the working has been discontinued. The ranges of mountains are partly composed of schist, from which are drawn large quantities of slates, applied to the covering of houses, or sent to London and Bristol, to be fitted for writing.
This was formerly one of the best wooded counties of North Wales, and it has, for the last seventy years, contributed to supply a great part of the best oak timber to the Royal Dock-yards. The size of the Montgomeryshire oaks has made them much prized for naval purposes; some have been felled which have contained more than 600 cubic feet. This oak is of a remarkably good quality, but the difficulty of conveyance has rendered the price very low on the spots where it is grown, and formerly much of even the most valuable quality was used for fuel.
The only manufactures are of woollens, made from the fleeces of their native sheep, and mostly confined to flannels known through England, and highly prized, under the denomination of Welsh flannels. They have been imitated both in Lancashire and Yorkshire, but have not been equalled in fineness of texture, combined with softness. The farmers, and even the cottagers, make these flannels; and they are collected by a kind of middle-men, who bring them to the market of Welshpool, whence they are sold to the merchants of Shrewsbury, who distribute them over the kingdom. The annual value sold at the market is about £50,000, and the cost of the wool is estimated at about half that amount.
Two members are returned to Parliament, one for the county, and one for the borough of Montgomery, the county town.
In 1811, the population amounted to 58,700 persons; Welshpool then contained 3440, and Montgomery 932. Population.
The most remarkable seats of noblemen and gentlemen are, Powis Castle, Lord Powis; Lydiarth Hall, Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart.; Llandedwen, Mr. Wynne; Towyn, E. Corbet, Esq.; Llandinam, M.
Stephens, Esq.; Vayner, Captain Windus; Newton Park, Richard Shaw, Esq.
See Aikin's Tour in Wales; Evans's North Wales; Cambrian Itinerary. (w. w.)