These rock cannon on the side of Afon Llugwy are ridiculously easy to find. They sit on the smooth rock near Pont y Pair (Bridge of the Cauldron) in Betws y Coed, only a few yards from the little car park on the other side of the road. There are three in all, the largest consisting of 53 holes connected by channels. The smallest is just seven holes. The other is 24 holes. Wikipedia asserts that, far from this middle cannon being 'just right,' it 'was constructed at a different time from the other two, and is of a poor design, the holes being bored into the cleavage plane.'
Rock cannon, as I've explained in a previous post, were made by miners and quarrymen for celebrations, by drilling holes into a rock and, often, connecting these with shallow channels. The holes were packed with gunpowder, and joined with a line of gunpower in the channels or sprinkled in lines of goose grease connecting the holes, so that the whole could be set off in sequence for a home-made firework display. Apparently some of these were so skillfully made that rudimentary tunes could be sounded out with the explosions, the timing being altered by the length of the channels connecting the holes.
The Pont y Pair rock cannon can be found easily by stepping down from the road towards the riverside where, in summer, they will most likely be covered with tourists visiting this popular beauty spot. I must have seen this rock cannon many times before, but not known what it was until now.
The fifty-three hole cannon is to the left-centre of this photo, ending near the man in the orange shirt. The medium on is on the rock to the right, where two men are sitting. The smallest one is outside the frame of this photo, to the left, nearer the road.
The fifty-three hole cannon, looking like some kind of constellation etched out in the stone.
At the top of the largest cannon is this triangular arrangement of holes.
This cannon looks quite messy and worn compared to others I've seen, but perhaps that's not surprising, given its position right on the edge of the Afon Llugwy, and subject to so much wear from visitors' shoes.
Closer down to the river the cannon disappears under silt and grit.
The later, twenty-four hole cannon, on top of a rock just upstream from the larger one.
I don't know what the exact issue is with the holes being 'bored into the cleavage plane,' but perhaps this is why there are so many fractured looking areas along the line of the cannon. Maybe the explosive power of the gunpowder blasted the stone apart. I imagine this would make the cannon dangerous, and only viable for use once.
The end (or start?) of the line of the medium rock cannon.
There's just something about these cannon that looks more messy and amateur than the others I've seen.
The third, smallest rock cannon is a very simple arrangement. Seven holes in a line, and nothing more.
We took the opportunity, while we were there, of a short walk up the riverside. We had a short time limit so we didn't go far, but it's a gentle stroll along wooden walkways and dirt paths. I would have liked to go as far as Miner's Bridge, which was washed away during storms earlier this year, to see it it's been replaced yet, but we didn't have time to go so far.
We would have liked to have continued along the path by the riverbank, but we didn't have time.
Back near Pont y Pair, I waded over to the little island in the middle of the river. It was worth the wet shoes and trousers to relive the childhood fun of exploring this place.
From the end of the island you can stand right on the edge of the falls, for a wonderful view of the bridge.
There's a great tradition of jumping from the other side of this bridge into the deep waters below, but it's a dangerous pursuit, and disruptive to traffic - although probably not as disruptive as the groups of tourists who wander about in the road, ignoring the fact that cars need to get through. The sport is now prohibited, with big signs advertising this fact. I wonder if some people take that as a dare?
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