A Tour in Wales, MDCCLXXIII

Thomas Pennant (1726–98) is remembered for his work in bringing natural history to popular attention and for his engaging travel writing. This lavishly illustrated tour of his native country, first published in two volumes between 1778 and 1791, is full of delightful vignettes and historical background.

Antiquary, zoologist and traveller, Thomas Pennant (1726–98) is remembered for his work in bringing natural history to popular attention and for his engaging writing about the journeys he made. Lavishly illustrated by Moses Griffith with fine engravings of the stunning scenery, buildings and artefacts, this work appeared in two volumes between 1778 and 1781. More than a mere travelogue, this tour of his native country is full of delightful vignettes and historical background. The descriptions of locations and buildings reveal Pennant's thorough mind and tireless capacity for observation. Several of Pennant's other works, including his Tour in Scotland (second edition, 1772), are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Volume 2 follows a route around the area of Snowdonia, the Llyn Peninsula, Caernarfon, Anglesey and the north-east coast. The latter part of the volume traces a journey from Downing in Flintshire to Shrewsbury via Montgomery.