Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CONWAY

CONWAY, a town, a parish, a sub-district, and a district in Carnarvon. The town stands on the right side of the river Conway, adjacent to the Chester and Holyhead railway, about a mile above the Conway's mouth, 4½ miles N of the Roman Conovium, and 14½ ENE of Bangor. A Cistertian abbey was founded here, in 1185, by Llewelyn-ap-Iorworth; but was transferred, by Edward I., to Maynan; and cannot now be traced. A great castle, of oblong form, on the verge of a precipitous rock, was erected, in 1283, by Edward I., to check the revolts of the Welsh; was occupied, in 1389, by Richard II., when he abdicated; was garrisoned by Archbishop Williams, for Charles I.; was taken, in 1646, by Mytton; and was given, by Charles II., to the Earl of Conway, who ruthlessly dismantled it, for sake of its lead, iron, and other saleable materials. The walls of it, of enormous thickness, with four massive round towers, are still standing; the great hall, once a splendid apartment, 130 feet long, 30 feet wide, and upwards of 23 feet high, exists in a state of ruin; and the King's Chamber, in one of the round towers, shows traces of high ornameutation, and has a very pretty Gothic window. Walls around the town, from twelve to fifteen feet thick, were built at the same time as the castle; pierced with three gates, defended by twenty-four strong towers, and enclosing a triangular space of about 1¼ mile in circuit; and they are still standing. The town is chiefly within the walls; has only one main street, of irregular form, with a few narrow alleys; contains some curiously-built and ancient houses; and has recently acquired a number of new houses, for the accommodation of summer visitors. The Plâs Mawr, in the Mai-street, was a seat of the Wynnes, built, in 1585, by Robert Wynne-ab-Meredith, uncle to the historian of Gwydir. The parish church sprang from the Cistertian abbey; contains some late decorated work, a fine screen, an interesting font, and several monuments; and was, not long ago, repaired. There are chapels for Independents, Wesleyans, Baptists, andMethodists. A suspension-bridge across the Conway here, on the line of the Chester and Bangor highway, was constructed by Telford, in 1822-6; hangs on eight chains, in two sets, over two piers, with adjustment at one end into the rock under the castle, at the other end deep into solid rock; and is 327 feet long, and eighteen feet above high water. A tubular bridge, adjacent, on the line of the Chester and Holyhead railway, was constructed, in 1847-8, by Stephenson; is 412 feet long; increases in height above high water, from 22½ feet at the ends to 25½ at the centre; and has two tubes, each 14 feet wide, and about 1, 300 tons in weight. The town has a head post office, ‡ a railway station with telegraph, a banking office, and three inns; is a seat of petty sessions; and was formerly a place of assizes, alternately with Carnarvon. A weekly market is held on Friday; and fairs on 6 April, 5 Sept., 11 Oct., and 8 Nov. A steamer plies on the river up to Trefriw; a small coasting trade exists; and shipbuilding is carried on. Conway was chartered by Edward III.; is governed by a mayor and corporation; and unites with Bangor, Carnarvon, and three other places in sending a member to parliament; but, as a borough, extends beyond the parish, and includes a circuit of about 18 miles. Pop., 2, 523. Houses, 496. It gives the title of Baron to the Marquis of Hertford; and ranks among its natives Archbishop Williams. Its neighbourhood presents a number of strong attractions to strangers. The Conway mountain, about 1¾ mile from the town, shows traces of the ancient Castell Caer Seion. The imaginary rock of Gray's famous ode will be sought in vain, but has taxed the ingenuity of many an enthusiast to find it. -

On a rock whose lofty brow
Frowns o'er old Conway's foaming flood,
Robed in a sable garb of woe
With haggard eyes the poet stood

The parish comprises 1, 505 acres of land and 932 of water. Real property, £6, 084. Pop., 1,855. Houses, 361. The property is not much divided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Bangor. Value, £220. Patron, Lady Erskine. Charities, £52. -The sub-district contains the parishes of Conway, Gyffin, and Dwygyfylchi. Acres, 11, 936. Pop., 3, 956. Houses, 776. -The district comprehends also the sub-district of Llechwedd-Isaf, containing the parishes of Llangelynin, Caerhun, and Llanbedr-y-Cenuin; and the sub-district of Creuddyn, containing the parishes of Eglwys-Rhôs, Llandudno, Llangwstennin, Llysfaen, Llanelian, Llansaintffraid-Glan-Conway, and Llandrillo-yn-Rhôs, -the last partly, the two previous wholly in Denbigh electoral. Acres, 57, 131. Poor-rates in 1862, £8, 970. Pop. in 1841, 10, 706; in 1861, 13, 896. Houses, 2, 918. Marriages in 1-860, 92; births, 408, -of which 25 were illegitimate; deaths, 273, -of which 85 were at ages under 5 years, and 19 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 828; births, 3, 763; deaths, 2, 346. The places of worship in 1851 were 14 of the Church of England, with 4, 328 sittings; 7 of Independents, with 1, 310 s.; 6 of Baptists, with 988 s.; 12 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 1, 936 s.; 18 of Calvinistic Methodists, with 3, 098 s.; and 1 undefined, with 290 s. The schools were 12 public day schools, with 1, 236 scholars; 2 private day schools, with 56 s.; and 53 Sunday schools, with 4, 508 s.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a parish, a sub-district, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Conway CP/AP       Conway SubD       Conway RegD/PLU       Caernarvonshire AncC
Place: Conway

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.