Wild Wales

George Borrow (1803 - 1881)

Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery is a travel book by the English Victorian gentleman writer George Borrow (1803–1881), first published in 1862 and now a classic travel text on Wales and the Welsh. The book recounts Borrow's experiences, insights and personal encounters whilst touring Wales alone on foot after a family holiday in Llangollen in 1854. Although contemporary critics dismissed its whimsical tone, it quickly became popular with readers as a travel book and more importantly as a very lively account of the literary, social and geographical history of Wales. Borrow’s engaging character comes across especially in his meetings with various itinerants – mostly native and peasant – along the muddy Welsh path. Borrow’s keen ear for dialogue may remind us of a Dickens or Trollope, and like the latter his wit and wisdom are rarely absent. Indeed the author has been described as an "eccentric, larger-than-life, jovial man whose laughter rings all through the book". Borrow makes much of his self-taught Welsh and how surprised the natives are by his linguistic abilities – and also by his idiosyncratic pronunciation of their language. He loves to air his knowledge of Welsh culture, especially the Bardic tradition. And like his contemporary, William Wordsworth, he has a habit of quoting verses to the heavens as he walks. As the author finally reaches South Wales towards the end of his account, we meet for the first time evidences of modern industrialism, introduced to the reader in the form of a Dante’s Inferno of coal mines and iron foundries. Today, most will remember and value the book for these and other vivid nineteenth-century landscapes – along with Borrow’s gallery of fascinating, human characters. (SUMMARY BY STEVE GOUGH BASED ON WIKIPEDIA)

Genre(s): Travel & Geography, Memoirs

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Introductory Steve Gough
00:13:49
Play 01 Chapter 1: Proposed Excursion Steve Gough
00:11:40
Play 02 Chapter 2: The Start, Peterborough, Birmingham Steve Gough
00:10:27
Play 03 Chapter 3: Chester Steve Gough
00:10:25
Play 04 Chapter 4: Chester, Camp-meeting Steve Gough
00:12:12
Play 05 Chapter 5: Chester, Book-Stall, Wrexham Steve Gough
00:14:10
Play 06 Chapter 6: Llangollen, the Dee Steve Gough
00:09:40
Play 07 Chapter 7: Llangollen, Lodgings Steve Gough
00:07:00
Play 08 Chapter 8: The Robber’s Leap Steve Gough
00:13:40
Play 09 Chapter 9: Llangollen, Pengwern Steve Gough
00:12:38
Play 10 Chapter 10: The Berwyn Steve Gough
00:04:28
Play 11 Chapter 11: Pont Fadog Steve Gough
00:16:29
Play 12 Chapter 12: Pont y Cysswllt Steve Gough
00:11:55
Play 13 Chapter 13: Llangollen, the Abbey of the Vale of the Cross Steve Gough
00:12:27
Play 14 Chapter 14: Expedition to Ruthyn, the Column Steve Gough
00:10:07
Play 15 Chapter 15: The Turf Tavern, Ruthyn Steve Gough
00:14:21
Play 16 Chapter 16: Return from Ruthyn, Agricola’s Hill Steve Gough
00:07:10
Play 17 Chapter 17: Llangollen, Plas Newydd, Llyn Ceiriog Steve Gough
00:17:32
Play 18 Chapter 18: Llangollen, the Parish Clerk Steve Gough
00:17:15
Play 19 Chapter 19: Llangollen, the Vicar, the Pool of Catherine Lingo, Robber’s Leap Steve Gough
00:16:13
Play 20 Chapter 20: The Valley of Ceiriog, Huw Morris’s Chair, Pont y Meibion Steve Gough
00:19:38
Play 21 Chapter 21: Pandy Teirw Steve Gough
00:15:41
Play 22 Chapter 22: Llangollen Fair Steve Gough
00:03:54
Play 23 Chapter 23: Pont y Pandy, Glendower’s Mount, Corwen Steve Gough
00:17:27
Play 24 Chapter 24: The Rock of Heroes, the Italian at the Inn Steve Gough
00:16:50
Play 25 Chapter 25: On the way to Bangor, the Irishman Steve Gough
00:13:28
Play 26 Chapter 26: Pentre Voelas, the Conway, Swallow Falls, Capel Curig Steve Gough
00:20:06
Play 27 Chapter 27: Bangor Steve Gough
00:12:09
Play 28 Chapter 28: Menai bridges Steve Gough
00:16:14
Play 29 Chapter 29: Snowdon, the Wyddfa Steve Gough
00:15:24
Play 30 Chapter 30: Gronwy Owen Steve Gough
00:05:49
Play 31 Chapter 31: Anglesea, Pentraeth Coch Steve Gough
00:11:18
Play 32 Chapter 32: Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, the Birthplace of Gronwy Owen Steve Gough
00:27:41
Play 33 Chapter 33: The Inn at Pentraeth Coch Steve Gough
00:09:52
Play 34 Chapter 34: Conversation at the Inn Steve Gough
00:07:22
Play 35 Chapter 35: A Brilliant Morning Steve Gough
00:07:19
Play 36 Chapter 36: Leaving Pentraeth Coch, Penmynnydd, Tomb of Owen Tudor Steve Gough
00:08:47
Play 37 Chapter 37: Dyffryn Gaint Steve Gough
00:25:34
Play 38 Chapter 38: The Inn at L-- Steve Gough
00:12:54
Play 39 Chapter 39: Bound for Holy Head Steve Gough
00:14:42
Play 40 Chapter 40: Caer Gybi Steve Gough
00:06:39
Play 41 Chapter 41: The Pier Steve Gough
00:09:08
Play 42 Chapter 42: Town of Holy Head, Pen Caer Gybi Steve Gough
00:16:02
Play 43 Chapter 43: Bangor, Port Dyn Norwig, Caernarvon Steve Gough
00:09:38
Play 44 Chapter 44: Pont Bettws, Llyn Cwellyn Steve Gough
00:21:14
Play 45 Chapter 45: Inn at Bethgelert Steve Gough
00:04:03
Play 46 Chapter 46: The Valley of Gelert Steve Gough
00:14:43
Play 47 Chapter 47: Tan y Bwlch, Festiniog Steve Gough
00:14:22
Play 48 Chapter 48: Mynydd Mawr and Mynydd Bach, Tref y Talcot Steve Gough
00:20:33
Play 49 Chapter 49: Bala Steve Gough
00:19:44
Play 50 Chapter 50: The Tomen Bala Steve Gough
00:05:59
Play 51 Chapter 51: Back at Llangollen Steve Gough
00:08:10
Play 52 Chapter 52: Llangollen, Attempted Murder Steve Gough
00:08:57
Play 53 Chapter 53: Pen y Coed Steve Gough
00:06:10
Play 54 Chapter 54: Chirk Steve Gough
00:22:15
Play 55 Chapter 55: Llangollen, Some of the Inhabitants Steve Gough
00:09:41
Play 56 Chapter 56: Llangollen, News of the Fall of Sebastopol Steve Gough
00:10:41
Play 57 Chapter 57: Pentré y Dwr Steve Gough
00:11:38
Play 58 Chapter 58: Sunday at Llangollen Steve Gough
00:09:32
Play 59 Chapter 59: Llangollen, History of Twm O’r Nant Steve Gough
00:25:11
Play 60 Chapter 60: Twm O’r Nant, his Interludes Steve Gough
00:15:05
Play 61 Chapter 61: Walk to Wrexham, Methodistical Volume Steve Gough
00:13:24
Play 62 Chapter 62: Rhiwabon Road Steve Gough
00:08:43
Play 63 Chapter 63: Last Night at Llangollen Steve Gough
00:08:28
Play 64 Chapter 64: Departure for South Wales Steve Gough
00:13:23
Play 65 Chapter 65: Inn at Llan Rhyadr Steve Gough
00:09:06
Play 66 Chapter 66: Sycharth Steve Gough
00:14:48
Play 67 Chapter 67: Llan Silin Steve Gough
00:08:54
Play 68 Chapter 68: Llan Silin Church, Tomb of Huw Morris Steve Gough
00:10:46
Play 69 Chapter 69: Church of Llan Rhyadr Steve Gough
00:05:17
Play 70 Chapter 70: Rhyadr, Mountain Scenery Steve Gough
00:07:50
Play 71 Chapter 71: Wild Moors, Arrival at Bala Steve Gough
00:10:33
Play 72 Chapter 72: Bala, The White Lion Steve Gough
00:12:37
Play 73 Chapter 73: Llyn Tegid Steve Gough
00:11:30
Play 74 Chapter 74: Bala to Dinas Mawddwy Steve Gough
00:19:09
Play 75 Chapter 75: Inn at Mallwydd Steve Gough
00:03:33
Play 76 Chapter 76: Mallwydd and its Church, Cemmaes Steve Gough
00:09:55
Play 77 Chapter 77: The Vale of Dyfi Steve Gough
00:08:11
Play 78 Chapter 78: Machynlleth Steve Gough
00:11:47
Play 79 Chapter 79: Machynlleth, Historic Events Steve Gough
00:09:13
Play 80 Chapter 80: Machynlleth to Esgyrn Hirion Steve Gough
00:18:14
Play 81 Chapter 81: The Mining Compting Room Steve Gough
00:13:48
Play 82 Chapter 82: Inn at Pont Erwyd Steve Gough
00:18:54
Play 83 Chapter 83: Conversation at the inn and on the way to the Devil’s Bridge Steve Gough
00:17:24
Play 84 Chapter 84: The Devil’s Bridge Steve Gough
00:07:38
Play 85 Chapter 85: Dinner at the Hospice Steve Gough
00:09:42
Play 86 Chapter 86: Dafydd Ab Gwilym Steve Gough
00:17:02
Play 87 Chapter 87: Start for Plynlimmon Steve Gough
00:04:58
Play 88 Chapter 88: Plynlimmon, and back to the Devil’s Bridge Steve Gough
00:17:42
Play 89 Chapter 89: Hafod Steve Gough
00:09:51
Play 90 Chapter 90: Spytty Ystwyth Steve Gough
00:07:26
Play 91 Chapter 91: Strata Florida, burial-place of Dafydd Ab Gwilym Steve Gough
00:11:11
Play 92 Chapter 92: Rhyd Fendigaid to Tregaron Steve Gough
00:24:14
Play 93 Chapter 93: Tregaron Church Steve Gough
00:08:55
Play 94 Chapter 94: Llan Ddewi Brefi Steve Gough
00:11:17
Play 95 Chapter 95: Lampeter to the Bridge of Twrch Steve Gough
00:14:28
Play 96 Chapter 96: Llandovery Steve Gough
00:10:47
Play 97 Chapter 97: Llandovery Church Steve Gough
00:18:55
Play 98 Chapter 98: Llandovery to Gutter Vawr Steve Gough
00:18:27
Play 99 Chapter 99: Inn at Gutter Vawr Steve Gough
00:15:39
Play 100 Chapter 100: Gutter Vawr to Swansea Steve Gough
00:22:03
Play 101 Chapter 101: Swansea Steve Gough
00:04:40
Play 102 Chapter 102: Swansea to Neath Steve Gough
00:06:24
Play 103 Chapter 103: Town of Neath, the Glowing Mountain Steve Gough
00:06:56
Play 104 Chapter 104: Merthyr Tydvil Steve Gough
00:06:25
Play 105 Chapter 105: Start for Caerfili Steve Gough
00:21:58
Play 106 Chapter 106: Pen y Glas to Caerfili Steve Gough
00:07:28
Play 107 Chapter 107: Caerfili Steve Gough
00:07:48
Play 108 Chapter 108: Town of Newport Steve Gough
00:19:57
Play 109 Chapter 109: Arrival at Chepstow Steve Gough
00:03:28