John Leland's Itinerary in Wales - Historical texts and images

Llin Seuathan. 725 Here one thing is to be noted, that after a great reyne Lleueney cummeth
owt of the montaynes with such a rage that he bringethe 726 the color of the dark redde sand
with hym, and ys sene by the color wher he violently passeth thorowgh the mere. Thens
Lleueney renneth into Wy abowt Glasbyri a iii. myles from the Hay, the which is in the right
way betwixt Herford and Breknoc. Looke more diligently for this lake apon Giraldus book
cawlled “Itinerarium Cambriae.”
/105/ In the lak be umbers, yn Walsche cangans, and great store of pykes, wherof many
cum into Wy River, The Lake of Brecnok ons frosen over, and than in a thaue
breking, maketh mervelus noise [per] totant viciniam .
95
Brecknock-
The town of Breknoc is welle waulled, and hath a fair castel yoining to hit. The Duke of
Bokingham was of late lord there. In the town be .... paroche chirches, and withowt .... 727
There a late was a celle of Blak Monkes longing to Batayle Abbay.
Brekenok waullid. iiii. gates. Old Port superior, as the Hy Gate by north. West
Gate by the Blake Freer. They be in the suburbe. Est Gate, Water Gate, Cambrice
Porthene hichca, 728 i.e. superior, the Old Gate. Portbont, 729 Bridgate, alias West Gate.
Portissa 730 the lower gate, alias Est Gate. Portdoure, 731 Water Gate, alias Portwiske. Beside
thes gates is one without in the beginning of a suburbs caullid also Porthene. 732 In the towns is
a mighti great chapel (S. Mariae), with a large tour for belles of harde ston costely squared
with the expences of a thousand poundes.
The paroche was wher the priori was, and was afore ther or the priori was made,
and yet is. It stondith north withowt the waulle apon the ripe of Honddye. 733
The paroch of Llanuays. 734 Llan Chirch, vais extra, ac si diceres extra muros . It
standeth betwixt the river of Uske and Tyrtarelle 735 Brooke, that [is] about the lower
ende of the toun of Brekenok.
In the est suburbe ys an hospitale with a chapel.
The castel standith in the suburbe and is devidid from the toune by Hondeney 736
River, over the wich is a hy bridge of ii. arches to go into the castel, the wich is very
shire
fo. 68.
S. Joannis
Evangelista
e
S. Davidis
Evangelistae
S. Catarine
large, strong, welle mainteynid ; and the keepe of the castel is very large and faire. Ther
apperith digging, wher menne laborid to bring a peace of Hondy 737 about to insulate Brekenok
with hit and Wiske.
725 Llyn Syvaddan
726 Stow. Leland has bringging
727 Two blanks left by Leland
728 Porth hen ucha
729 Porth y Bont
730 Porth issa
731 Porth dwr alias Porth Wysc
732 Porth hen
733 Honddu
734 Llan Vaes
735 Taranell
736 Hodni
737 [See note 736 Ed.]
In the toune is a mnrkct twys a wccke Wensday and Saturday.
/106/There hath beene founde about the toune in the feeldes Romaine quenes.
At the ende of the lower part of the castel cummith Honddey 738 into Uske as soone as Wske is
Brecknockshire
Suppressid.
Monmouth-
Shire.
Brecknock-
shire
ones 739 passid thorough the great bridge.
Uske Bridge at Brekenoc was throuen do un by the [rage] of Wske water anno 26.
Henrici 8. die S. Hugonis. [It] was not by rain but by snow meltid that [cam out of] the
montaines. The water [ranne a yarde above 740 the toppe of the hy bridge, and the circle mark
apperithe almost] to the midde waul of the Blake Freres [clo]istre.
To the lordship of Brekenoc longgith but only the market of Brekenok.
In al the lordship of Brekenoc was not in time of memori but the priori of Blake Monkes
in Brekenok a cell to Bataile.
Barnardus ne novo mercatu was founder of hit.
Llanthonddye 741 a priori of Blake Chanons, ther caullid Honddye Slade, stondith in the vale of
Ewias xiiii. miles from Brekenok. But it is a nother Honddye 742 then that that [sic] cummith to
Brekenok. This priori was fair, and stoode betwixt ii gr eat hilles.
For the parte about Honddye Slade it 743 put be likelyehodde Hochuyslade.
Artures Hille is iii. good Walsche (almost v. Englisch) miles south west from
Brekenok, and in the veri toppe of the hille is a faire wellespring. This hille of summe is
countid the hiest hille of Wales, and in a veri cleere day a manne may se from hit a part of
Malvern Hilles, and Glocestre, and Bristow, and part of Devenshir and Cornwale.
Ther [be] other diverse hilles by Artures Hille, the wich, with hit, be communely
caullid Banne Brekeninuc. 744
Llin Seuathan 745 is a iiii. myles by the south south est from /107/Brekenok. It is in bredth
a mile, and ii. miles of lenght, and wher as it is depest a xiii. fadom. On the one side wel nere
S. Catarine.
the ripe is a kinde of weedes that goith alonge the Llin, wherin the spaunehath socur, and also
the greate fische. At great windes the water doth surge ther mervelusly. Lleueny
cummith thorough this lake, no great river, and after great raine is parfightly seene of
redde color in the middest of the lake. After that it is frosen and with thaue beginnith to
breeke it makith such a noise that a man wold thinke hit a thunder. It berith as the principale
fisch a great numbre of bremes, and they appeyre [in May] in mightii sculles, so that sumtime
they breke [the large] nettes: and ons [frayed appereth not in the bryme of the watar that yere
agayne.] It bereth also good pikes, and perches in greate numbre. Trowtes also, and cheuyns
by cumming in of Lleueny.
Menne fische there uniligneis , and they be very narow.
738 Honddu
739 Stow. Leland has one
740 Stow. Burton has “ranne above”, Hearne prints “forward about”, which must be wrong.
741 Llanthony
742 Afon Hodddu
743 This phrase puzzled the copyists. Stow wrote “above ” for “about” and he and Burton “is” for “it”, which
seems better sense. But the MS is clearly as in the text.
744 Banne Brycheiniog
745 Llyn Savaddan
96
fo. 69.
Brecknock-
shire