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4 December 1863 — Dowlais House, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan | |
Friday. 4th [December 1863]. Down in time for breakfast and immediately after went out on the gravel walk with Mrs Clark & Connie & shot with rifles at the target fixed in the bank. Mr Thomas played a parting game of billiards and left at 12. We had lunch at 12½ and after having hunted out for a book on the journey & put our things on it was 1 oclock & we started. Connie drove me down in the poney carriage & the others went to the station in the Clarence. Mr & Mrs G. Lewellyn also went by the same train. We went by the Vale of Neath line. And the L’s got out at Neath. I was very much struck with the ruins of Neath Abbey at the station of that name. They are some of the grandest & most striking ruins I have ever seen. We arrived at Swansea at 3.30 and found the Dillwyns carriage awaiting us so I drove & Schr walked up Hendrefoilan being abt 3½ miles from Swansea. The house stands upon a high [hill] on wh no trees grow, lookg out on the Mumbles in the distance. The building a pretty unpretending one. Mrs & Miss Dillwyn received us—Mr Llewellyn, Thomas and young H. Dillwyn were also at home. We played bagatelle & parlour croquet & had 5 T—wh brought us to dressing time. A Capt. Franklin came also to stay in the house. Mrs & Miss Vivians, Mr Graham Vivian besides 2 or 3 other people dined here tonight. G.V. took me in to dinner & I sat between him & Amy Dillwyn. After dinner we played “vingt et un & variations” wh I did not arrive at understanding—& we played the whole eveng—bed at 11½. | |
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