GLASCOMB, or GLASCWM (GLAS-GWM), a parish, in the union of Kington, hundred of Colwyn, county of Radnor, South Wales, 8
miles (E.) from Builth, on the road to Kington; comprising the hamlets of Vainor and Drewern, and containing 561
inhabitants, of whom 303 are in the former, and 258 in the latter hamlet. This parish is bounded on the west by the river
Edw, or Edwy, famous for its trout; and comprises an area of about 7000 acres, of which nearly 5000 are inclosed, and the
remainder waste, applied to the pasturage of sheep, of which great numbers are fed upon it. The surface is for the most
part hilly, and the soil rather barren; some parts are adorned with wood, and present an agreeable contrast to the barren
mountains that surround them. In the village stands Glāscomb Court, the picturesque residence of Samuel Bevan, Esq., who,
having succeeded by marriage to the considerable estates of the late Thomas Lewis, Esq., in this district, has given much
attention to the embellishment of the neighbourhood. The village and mansion are situated at the extremity of a little
dingle, in a verdant spot planted with evergreens, from which circumstance they have derived their present appellation,
signifying literally "the green dingle." The whole, as it bursts suddenly upon the view, after climbing an arduous ascent,
has almost the effect of enchantment, contrasted with the dreary and naked steeps of the surrounding mountains. The living
is a vicarage, rated in the king's books at £13. 6. 8., with the parochial chapelries of Colva and Rulen annexed, and in
the patronage of the Bishop of St. David's, as owner of the appropriate rectory. The tithes in Glāscomb payable to the
bishop have been commuted for a rent-charge of £206, and there is a glebe of eleven acres and a half attached; the
vicarial tithes of Glāscomb have been commuted for a rent-charge of £135, with a glebe of one acre and a half, and a
glebe-house. The church, dedicated to St. David, is a large plain edifice, with little pretension to architectural
character, consisting simply of a nave and chancel, without either tower or spire, but possessing two bells. The entire
length of the edifice is 100 feet, of which the chancel forms precisely one-third; the windows of the chancel are in the
later style of English architecture. Under the communion-table is a stone-coffin, found in repairing the church. The
inhabitants of Colva and Rulen, prior to the erection of their respective chapels, had their appropriate seats near the
altar, which still remain and are considered to belong to them. Giraldus Cambrensis relates an absurd story concerning the
miraculous powers of a portable bell, in his time preserved in this church. There is a place of worship for Baptists,
under the patronage of Mr. Bevan. John Evans, in 1620, bequeathed £40, and David Davies, in 1777, left £60, for the
benefit of the poor not receiving parochial relief; these sums are now deposited in the hands of Mr. Bevan, who, besides
their annual interest of £5, pays to the parish a rent-charge of £1, out of the estate of Cwm-mawr, situated within its
limits. Some other benefactions have also been made, but they are now lost. The parish contains several interesting
remains of antiquity, but no historical notice of them has been preserved. Among these are four large stones, situated at
a place called the Little Hill, and stated by tradition to have been erected in commemoration of some great battle fought
near the spot. On the banks of the Edwy, just within the western confines of the parish, are vestiges of a small
fortification, which probably constituted the castle of some of the British or Norman lords of the surrounding territory.
They comprise an area of about half an acre, defended by a rampart nearly perfect, to the northwest of which is a moated
tumulus, on which the keep may have stood; and adjoining to this, within the inclosed area, is a moderately elevated piece
of ground, which may have formed the site of the inner road. Just without the inclosure is a large erect stone, which,
together with another now removed, is supposed to have been raised in commemoration of some conflict. Near the source of
the river Edwy, in the higher part of the parish, are two remarkable mineral springs, called Blaen-Edwy Wells, situated on
the property of the Rt. Hon. Sir Thomas Frankland Lewis; and adjacent is a respectable house, capable of accommodating
about twenty visiters, with a small cold bath attached. The waters of these springs have both the same properties, being
strongly impregnated with sulphur, and highly efficacious in the cure of cutaneous diseases. They have been much
frequented, but the scarcity of lodgings, and the dreary and uninviting character of the surrounding scenery, operate
powerfully to retard their rising importance; they continue, however, to sustain high reputation, and are resorted to by
those patients whose habits and circumstances render retirement and economy desirable. In 1806, a shepherd boy observing
something glittering in a newly-formed molehill, on an eminence to the north of the village, carried it to his master,
who, recognising its value, made a search on the spot, and discovered a number of gold and silver coins of a few preceding
reigns, sufficient to purchase a small farm.