REPORT OF THE BRECON MEETING. (Continued from page 81.) ROUTES OF THE EXCURSIONS. EXCURSION NO. 1.-TUESDAY, AUGUST 19th. Y GAER (BANNIUM) AND BRECON. Route.-Carriages left the Bulwark at 9 A.M., and took the road, which goes in a westerly direction up the valley of the Usk, along the south bank, through Llanfaes and Llanspyddyd, as far as Penpont, where the river was crossed in order to reach TRALLWNG, the point furthest away from Brecon. The return journey from TRALLWNG was made in an easterly direction, along the north bank of the Usk to Y GAER (Bannium), thence turning north-east by Penoyre to LLANDEFAELOG-FACH, and back to Brecon. PEN-Y-CRUG was visited on foot from Penoyre. In the afternoon, the churches of BRECON were visited on foot. LUNCHEON was provided at PENOYRE, by invitation of R. D. Cleasby, Esq. The following objects of interest were visited :— Llanspyddyd (Church and early Crossed Stone). Aberbran (Ancient Mansion, belonging formerly to the Game family). Trallwng (Church and Ogam Inscribed Stone). Y Gaer (Roman Station of Bannium and Maen-y-Morwynion). Battle (Maenhir). Penoyre (Residence of R. D. Cleasby, Esq., and Roman Inscribed Stone). Llandefaelog-fach (Church and erect Cross-Slab of Briamail). Brecon (St. John's Priory Church). Brecon St. Mary's Parish Church). EXCURSION NO. 2.-WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20th. TALGARTH AND LLANGORSE. Route.-Carriages left the Bulwark at 9 A.M., proceeding by road north-east to TALGARTH, thence south to LLANGORSE, and west back to BRECON. LUNCHEON was provided at GWERNYFED, by invitation of Col. T. Wood; and Tea at LLANGORSE, by invitation of Col. R. D. GarnonsWilliams. The following objects of interest were visited : Llanddew (Church and Medieval Inscribed Cross-Slab). Llanvillo (Unrestored Church, with Rood-loft and Norman Doorway, with Sculptured Lintel). Brynllys (Castle and Church). Talgarth (Church). Gwernyfed (Mansion of seventeenth century). Llangorse (Church with Inscribed Stones and Crannog). EXCURSION NO. 3.-THURSDAY, AUGUST 21st. LLANFIHANGEL CWM-DU AND GLANUSK PARK. Route.-Carriages left the Bulwark at 9 A. M., taking the high road down the Usk valley in a south-easterly direction to GLANUSK PARK, and making a slight détour to reach LLANFIHANGEL CWM-DU and TRETOWER. The return journey from GLANUSK PARK to BRECON was made along the road on the opposite bank of the Usk, through Llanthetty and Llanfrynach. LUNCHEON was provided at GLANUSK PARK, by invitation of the President. The following objects of interest were visited : Llanhamlach (Church and Inscribed Stone of Moridic). Scethrog ("Victorinus" Inscribed Stone). Llansantffread (Church and Grave of Henry Vaughan, the Silurist). Llanfihangel Cwm-dû (Church, with Rood-screen, and Inscribed Stone of Catacus, the son of Tegernacus). Tretower (Church, Castle, fortified Mansion, and Roman Inscribed Stones). Glanusk Park (the residence of the Rt. Hon. Lord Glanusk; Ogam Inscribed Stone). Llanthetty (Church and Inscribed Stone of Gurdon the Priest). Pencelli (Remains of Castle). Llanfrynach (Church and Inscribed Stone), EXCURSION NO. 4.-FRIDAY, AUGUST 22nd. LLYWEL AND BRECON. Route.-The members assembled at the Railway Station at 8.10 A. M., and were conveyed by train in a westerly direction up the valley of the Usk to DEVYNOCK, and thence by carriage further west to LLYWEL. The return journey was made by the same route. In the afternoon, the remaining antiquities of Brecon, besides the churches, were visited on foot. LUNCHEON was provided at FFRWDGRECH, by invitation of David Evans, Esq. The following objects of interest were visited : Devynock (Church and Inscribed Stone). Trecastle (Earthworks of Norman Castle). Llywel (Church). Ffrwdgrech (The residence of David Evans, Esq.; collection of Roman Antiqui- Brecon (Remains of Castle and Town Walls, Newton House, and Christ's NOTES ON OBJECTS OF INTEREST VISITED DURING THE EXCURSIONS. Prehistoric Remains. The prehistoric antiquities seen during the excursions were inferior, both in quantity and quality, to those in other parts of Wales where the meetings of the Association have been held. It is not altogether easy to explain this; certainly, it would be unsafe to assume that all the important monuments have been destroyed. The prehistoric remains visited on the first day comprised only a maenhir, or standing stone, near Battle, and an ancient British hill-fort of the usual type, called the Crûg, lying two miles north-west of Brecon. On the second day the site of the crannog, or lake-dwelling, discovered on a small island near the shore of Llangorse Lake, by the Rev. E. N. Dumbleton, in 1869, was examined. It is interesting as being almost the only example in Wales of a kind of pile structure which is common in Ireland, Scotland, and Switzerland. All that can now be seen is a row of piles sticking up above the surface of the water. On the same day, had time permitted, the party should have seen the remains of a chambered cairn on Manest Farm, a mile south-west of Tal-y Llyn Junction, known as Ty-Iltyd-that is to say, the House of Iltyd. The chamber has been denuded of the cairn which once covered it, exposing the large flat slabs of stone forming the sides and roof. The chamber was very possibly used as a hermit's cell at one time, and there are several small incised crosses carved on the slabs, either during the period of its occupation, or by pious pilgrims to the spot after the cell had been deserted. Iltyd was a contemporary of St. David and St. Samson, and gives his name to Llantwit Fawr, in Glamorganshire. A large number of churches are dedicated to him. in South Wales. A parallel case of the probable use of a Neolithic burial chamber as a dwelling-place at a much later period is Wayland Smith's cave, in Berkshire, which is mentioned in a Saxon document of the eighth or ninth century. 6TH SER., VOL. III. 13 or Romano-British Remains.-The Roman station of Bannium, now called the Gaer, which was seen on the first day's excursion, is situated three miles west of Brecon, in a strong position formed by the junction of the river Yscir and the Usk. Extensive masses of masonry are still visible above the ground, and the plan of the fortification can easily be traced. From time to time Roman antiquities are found on the site, consisting chiefly of Samian ware, various other kinds of pottery, blue glass beads, coins, bricks, and tiles. Some of the tiles are stamped "LEG II AVG," showing that the station was occupied by the Second Legion (Augusta), the headquarters of which was at Caerleon-on-Usk. Most of the relics found here were shown to the members on Friday, when they visited Ffrwdgrech, near Brecon, the residence of Mr. David Evans, the proprietor of the Gaer. If the site were to be systematically explored, it would doubtless yield a plentiful harvest of antiquities; and, in laying bare the plan of the buildings and perhaps discovering inscribed objects, the excavators would certainly throw much light on the Roman occupation of Wales. At present, although most of the finds are preserved, no record seems to be kept of the exact spots where the antiquities were dug up. Near the Roman station of Bannium is a sepulchural monument, sculptured with the figures of a Roman soldier and his wife, known as the Maen-y-Morwynnion, Maiden Stone." It bears an inscription, now nearly obliterated. There is another "Maiden Stone" near Benachie, Aberdeenshire ; but this is an early Christian monument, with interlaced ornament upon it. Then there is the "Maiden Castle," near Dorchester, and many other instances of the use of the word might be cited. Between the Gaer and Brecon there is an ancient paved trackway, which is called Roman, but may be of almost any age, from the prehistoric period down to the time of Bernard Newmarch, the conqueror of Brecknockshire. Mr. F. Haverfield read a valuable paper on Bannium at the Evening Meeting on Tuesday. He said that, as far as outward appearances went, there had been no reconstruction of the walls, and that consequently the place had been occupied for a comparatively short period. To judge from the evidence of the coins found on the site, the period of occupation would be from about A.D. 70 to A.D. 120. After that time, the country was no doubt subdued, and a strong garrison would be unnecessary. Mr. Haverfield strongly advocated the use of the spade, as the speediest method of solving the various archæological problems connected with the struggle between the stubborn Silures, fighting for freedom amongst the fastnesses of the Brecknockshire hills, against the might of Imperial Rome. At Penoyre House, the residence of Mr. R. D. Cleasby, near the Gaer, the party had an opportunity of examining one of the most beautifully-cut Roman sepulchral inscriptions in Wales. Unfortunately the slab is broken in half, so that the ends of all the lines are missing, thus affording the assembled antiquaries an endless field for speculation. The stone was found a few years ago |