Welsh Journals

THE TOWNSCAPE AND ECONOMY OF BRECON I8OO-I86O: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF TOPOGRAPHIC RECORDS By DR. R. L. GANT School of Geography, Kingston Polytechnic WHEN continental travel first became fashionable for the wealthy classes of England during the latter decade of the eighteenth century and first half of the nineteenth century, many of their less wealthy leisured brethren journeyed along Turnpike roads into the Principality. The frontispiece of Cary's New Itinerary2 identifies the two main east-west mail coach routes from England into South Wales favoured by these travellers: the 'southern' route originated at Bristol, negotiated the New Passage Ferry to Portskewett and proceeded via Newport to Cardiff and Car- marthen; the second, the 'midland' route, ran from Gloucester via Ross, Monmouth, Abergavenny to Brecon and thence to Llandovery and Carmarthen to intercept the 'southern' route. Several topographers maintained meticulous diaries which were subsequently published for a favourable market.8 These companion guides were so structured to evoke a mental image of the landscape and antiquities to be encountered along specified routes, and were frequently embellished with lengthy illustrated architectural descriptions of castles, ancient monuments, imposing country seats and Parish Churches, together with detailed genealogies of hospitable and worthy local families. Understandably, the quality of a topography depended upon the author's ability, vigour, cultural interests and powers of environmental perception.4 Addressing himself to the balanced qualities deemed necessary for authorship, George Nicholson advocated that: it is necessary to possess a taste at least for the fine arts, and particularly 1 W. J. Hughes Wales and the Welsh in English Literature, London, 1924, p. 87. 2 J. Cary: Cary's New Itinerary, London, 1798. 3 J. P. Anderson: The Book of British Topography. A Classified Catalogue of the Topographical Works in the Library of the british Museum Relating to Great Britain and Ireland, London, I88I. Works in the Library of the British Museum Relating to Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881. 4 'As this tour is intended rather for the general traveller than for the particular inhabitant, the author had endeavoured to confine his observations to those things only, which, he thought, most necessary to be known, or deserving to be seen'. H. P. Wyndham: A Tour Through Monmouthshire and Wales, London, 1781, Preface, p. (v).