0:00:05 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and his railway guides inspired the Victorians
0:00:15 > 0:00:17to take to the tracks.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Stop by stop, he told them
0:00:19 > 0:00:24where to travel, what to see and where to stay.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Now, 170 years later,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I'm making a series of journeys
0:00:30 > 0:00:32across the length and breadth of the country
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00Using my Bradshaw's Guide, I'm now pressing further into Wales.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02The fortunes of the communities of South Wales
0:01:02 > 0:01:04have ridden the roller coaster
0:01:04 > 0:01:06of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09de-industrialisation in the 20th,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12and are now adjusting themselves for life in the 21st.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15My guidebook told Victorian tourists where to find
0:01:15 > 0:01:18the best and the worst of the industrialised valleys,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and I want to see how much holds true today.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I'll be visiting Barry Island,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28a favourite holiday spot of 19th century miners...
0:01:28 > 0:01:29They came in huge numbers.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34We've got about 100,000 in the very first summer that this railway station's opened.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37..penetrating the political heart of Wales's capital city...
0:01:37 > 0:01:41It's a great privilege to be allowed into the debating chamber.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44It's as different from the House of Commons as it could possibly be.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46..and seeing what's left
0:01:46 > 0:01:49of this region's extraordinary Victorian railway network.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52That is amazing. These are the Valleys of South Wales.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Railway lines going up every single one of them.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57- That is the most extraordinary picture, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I'm over halfway through a long journey
0:02:01 > 0:02:04from Oxford to the Welsh port of Milford Haven.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The quintessentially English landscape
0:02:07 > 0:02:09of the Cotswold and Malvern Hills
0:02:09 > 0:02:13now lies far behind me, as I explore the Valleys of South Wales,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17transformed by 19th century industrialisation.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20The capital, Cardiff, is my starting point on this stretch,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24which takes in coastal Barry, before heading north
0:02:24 > 0:02:26to the mining town of Merthyr Tydfil.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32My journey starts in the historic county of Glamorgan.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35In Bradshaw's day, this region was vital to the growing success
0:02:35 > 0:02:38of Britain's Industrial Revolution.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I'm getting off at Cardiff Central
0:02:41 > 0:02:45to explore a city born in the age of steam.
0:02:49 > 0:02:56My Bradshaw's Guide refers to, "The profusion of coal, iron and limestone which everywhere abounds.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02"These mineral riches have raised Glamorganshire to great importance during the last half century."
0:03:02 > 0:03:05And it says the inhabitants of Cardiff, where I am now,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09"Carry on a considerable trade with Bristol, and export a great quantity
0:03:09 > 0:03:12"of wrought iron and coal to foreign parts."
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I'm interested to know what part the Victorians and the railways played
0:03:16 > 0:03:18in the transformation of South Wales.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25These days, Cardiff is the proud capital of Wales.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27But as recently as 1801,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31this was a modest port of fewer than 2,000 people.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34That changed as the demand for Welsh coal surged
0:03:34 > 0:03:36during the Industrial Revolution.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38By the early 20th century,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42the population had grown a hundred fold, and the docks heaved
0:03:42 > 0:03:45with trains carrying this black gold to ships for export.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49To learn more about this transformation,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I'm meeting local museum curator Victoria Rogers.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Victoria, hello. - Hello, pleased to meet you.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57This is a great way to look at Cardiff's railway heritage.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It's a great way on a day like this.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We're taking a boat trip along the River Taff,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04which plays a surprising role
0:04:04 > 0:04:06in the history of the railway in Cardiff.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11My Bradshaw's talks of Cardiff in the mid-19th century as a "town".
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And it's just the capital of Glamorganshire.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Yeah, that's right. I mean, Cardiff actually wasn't a city until 1905,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and it wasn't made capital city until 1955.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24There were three things, really, in the space of around ten years,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28that enabled Cardiff to become, eventually, both of those things.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30So, you've got the docks opening,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32you've got the Taff Vale Railway
0:04:32 > 0:04:34bringing the coal down from the valleys,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36and then you've got the South Wales Railway.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The South Wales Railway connected Cardiff with Swansea in the west,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and all the way to London in the east.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Cardiff's new rail links were built by the famous engineer
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51But first he had to overcome some thorny problems.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Unfortunately for him, the Taff did a real big curve
0:04:55 > 0:04:59right next to the area that he needed to build a railway station,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02so what he did was build a cut,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and diverted the river in a straighter line.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08So, the station is built on reclaimed land?
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Yes, absolutely. The station, what is now the bus station as well,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and actually, the site of the Millennium Stadium
0:05:15 > 0:05:18is all built on that reclaimed land from Brunel's diversion.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Aided by the network of tracks that fed the docks,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24by the late 19th century
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Cardiff was recognised to be the greatest coal port in the world.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32The town's new-found confidence was displayed in grand new buildings,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36like the Coal Exchange, which was opened in 1886.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39While the wheeler-dealer coal traders are long gone,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43its fine facade still evokes Cardiff's heyday.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- What did it look like inside? - It was absolutely fantastic.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I've read some great archival material
0:05:49 > 0:05:51about a dense cloud of tobacco smoke.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55There was a barber so you could have a haircut.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You could be measured for a suit here.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And there was a wine merchant's, so very often
0:05:59 > 0:06:01people would buy bottles of champagne
0:06:01 > 0:06:03to toast their newly done deals.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And they'd all be here in their top hats and tails.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Absolutely. It would've been a great sight, I'm sure.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12The Welsh mines were prolific, and the coal they produced
0:06:12 > 0:06:15was among the most valuable to Victorian industrialists.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19It was perfect for producing steam to power machines,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23ships and, of course, railway locomotives.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29South Wales steam coal was seen as the best in the world,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and so the deciding of the price here was basically
0:06:33 > 0:06:36deciding the price of coal throughout the world.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And actually, this is said to be the site of
0:06:39 > 0:06:42the world's first million pound deal in 1907.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44So, it's an incredibly important building.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48But Cardiff's coal prosperity wasn't to last.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51In the post-war period, demand for coal nosedived,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and the exchange finally closed in 1958.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58In 1964, exports of coal ceased,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and the huge dock complex lost its reason for being.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We're down where the Cardiff docks used to be,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and I'm trying to imagine them in the 19th century,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08a bustle of ships and trains, I think.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I know, there's an amazing statistic
0:07:11 > 0:07:15about just how much railway track there was in the docks.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18There was about 120 miles of railway track
0:07:18 > 0:07:21in one square mile in the docks.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I mean, there was a huge amount of coal traffic
0:07:23 > 0:07:27coming down from the valleys and being shipped out via the railway.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31By the late 20th century, the derelict areas of the docks
0:07:31 > 0:07:34had made Cardiff Bay an unappealing spot.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36But in the 1990s, that began to change.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38A barrage was built,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41creating a vast lake and attractive waterfront,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44which today is home to striking modern buildings,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47including the Wales Millennium Centre
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and the Senedd, home to the Welsh Assembly.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Hello!- Hello. - You're enjoying your coffees.- Yes.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57SHE LAUGHS
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Are you from Cardiff?- Yes. - Do you remember the old Cardiff? - ALL: Yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Describe that to me.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- Well, you'd catch a boat down here to go to Weston.- Yes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13- And my father was from the docks, wasn't he?- What were the docks like?
0:08:13 > 0:08:18- It was different.- It was a community. - It was a community of its own.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Dark, dingy. But character.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25What about these modern buildings now? What about the Welsh Assembly?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The building itself to look at, yeah, I think it's good.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I think it was thought out. It was supposed to be very green.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I hope that's still the case.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I've interrupted you enough. You enjoy the coffee and the sun.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Approval from some of the locals.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But I must judge Cardiff's famous Senedd for myself.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It prides itself on openness,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47inviting anyone to explore its public areas.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52The lobby of the Welsh Assembly has a wonderful roof.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It reminds me of waves or boats.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Cardiff's maritime history.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59And the architect has created glass walls,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I suppose to give the idea of transparency.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Transparency? Linked to politics?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06The idea will never catch on.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10At the heart of the Senedd is the Siambr, or chamber,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13where full sessions of the Assembly are held.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It's a great privilege to be allowed into the debating chamber,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22somewhere I've never been before.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26And it's very striking, this beautiful domed ceiling
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and the wood all around.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It's about as different from the House of Commons as it could possibly be.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34That's a 19th-century building with green benches,
0:09:34 > 0:09:35and you have to fight for a seat.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Here, everybody has their allocated position.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40And it just makes you think, you know,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Bradshaw's referred to Cardiff as a town,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44it had a population of only 2,000
0:09:44 > 0:09:46at the beginning of the 19th century.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And now it's grown to a city, a capital city,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and one that has its own parliament.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56And how did it make that journey? You guessed it.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It's all down to the railways.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06All through this part of Wales,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10the Victorian forces of change left their mark.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12My next stop is eight miles down the coast.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I'm now headed for Barry Island, a puzzling name,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22since from the map it's clear that it's not surrounded by water.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I think there must be a historical explanation.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30And I'm betting that it's something to do with railways.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33In fact, Barry's not mentioned in my Bradshaw's Guide,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and that's because in the 1860s, there was no town worth visiting.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42But in the 1880s, a railway and vast docks were built here,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and a new community sprang up almost overnight.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I'm taking a trip on the Barry Tourist Railway
0:10:50 > 0:10:54with historian Andy Croll to hear the story.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- Hello, Andy.- Hello, Michael.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58What a wonderful vintage diesel this is.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Isn't it smashing?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04And this is going to help me to discover the mystery of Barry Island, I hope.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- Indeed it is.- Let's set off, then.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Barry Island is not an island. What's the explanation?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Well, Barry Island WAS,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20back in the... up until about the 1890s, in fact.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And it's when these great docks are made,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26that's when the land is filled in, and with this great rail link,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29that's when the island gets linked to the actual mainland.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33These massive dock and railway projects were the brainchild
0:11:33 > 0:11:37of a powerful mine owner who'd become increasingly frustrated
0:11:37 > 0:11:41by Cardiff's monopoly of the coal export trade.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44David Davis is the man that is the power force
0:11:44 > 0:11:47which drives these great docks being built.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51He hated paying for his coal to go out of someone else's port.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Cardiff was actually getting all that money,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55so David Davis wanted to build his own.
0:11:55 > 0:12:02Work started in 1884. It opens in 1889, David Davis dies in 1890,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05but he just manages to see his great docks opened.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Barry was the ideal spot for Davis to realise his dream.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Thanks to its position, ships could come in whatever the tide -
0:12:13 > 0:12:15a real advantage over neighbouring Cardiff.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20And the docks gave rise to a phenomenal population explosion.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23In 1881, we've got about 85 souls living here.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26By the time we get to 1891, we're up to 700.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31Most of those are here building the great docks which we can see.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34By the time we get to 1901,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36we're up to 27,000 people,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and all of that is due to coal,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41all of it is due to the great rail links
0:12:41 > 0:12:43which allow these docks to be built.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47The new railway was constructed by the same company as the docks,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50providing a direct link to the coal fields.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Brunel's Taff Vale Railway had competition.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Out of this intense rivalry between Cardiff and Barry, is there a winner?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01There certainly is - Barry.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04By the time we get to about 1913, this is the peak year
0:13:04 > 0:13:07for the whole of the South Wales coal industry,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Barry is the greatest coal exporting port in South Wales,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13but also in the whole world.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And in those years of massive coal production and export,
0:13:16 > 0:13:21the coal would've travelled by train on the very tracks we're using now.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Absolutely right, Michael. We are travelling on the very rails that that coal travelled on.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Although it was built for freight,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33the railway line soon gained a surprising new use.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36As Victorian Britain was transformed by rapid industrialisation,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39even the working class began to have leisure time,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43and Barry's beaches became thronged with day-trippers.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Here's another puzzle about Barry Island.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48You've been telling me about the coal and the docks,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and it turns out it's a seaside resort.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51Absolutely right, Michael.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54This beach was formed in the wake of the last ice age.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The truth of the matter is, hardly anyone ever came here
0:13:57 > 0:13:59for all of those thousands of years of history.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03What makes the difference is this great rail link open in the mid-1890s.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Who is it who comes?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Working-class miners, and they came right from the start,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09as soon as this railway link was opened,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and they came in huge numbers.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13We've got about 100,000 in the very first summer
0:14:13 > 0:14:17that this railway station's opened, 1896.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And they keep on coming.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23On one day in 1950, we have 120,000 of them
0:14:23 > 0:14:27packed onto this little strip of sand.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Bit of a difference between a coal mine and this lovely beach.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31It absolutely is.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33And there's some very moving evidence,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35especially from the late-1890s,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39of working class miners being seen just to stand at the water's edge,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42quietly gazing out over this great seascape, which, of course,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46they wouldn't have seen anything like this in their ordinary working lives.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47Dark, cramped, underground.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So, yeah, one can only guess what they were thinking of.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53These days it's not particularly miners
0:14:53 > 0:14:55but families from all over Britain
0:14:55 > 0:14:58who come to enjoy this beautiful beach.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It's a lovely spot for me to break my journey.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05At the end of a day of travel, it's nice to relax on the shore
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and to think about those hard-working South Welsh miners who,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13at the end of weeks of toil, would save a few pennies
0:15:13 > 0:15:18to travel by train and dip their toes in the surf at Barry Island.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It's a new day on my journey,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and I'm travelling north along the banks of the River Taff
0:15:34 > 0:15:38on the Taff Vale Railway, one of the oldest in Wales.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40I'm now venturing to Merthyr Tydfil
0:15:40 > 0:15:44which my Bradshaw's calls, "A great mining town.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49"Blast furnaces, forges and iron mills are scattered on all sides.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54"Visitors should see the furnaces at night when the red glare
0:15:54 > 0:15:57"of the flames produces an uncommonly striking effect."
0:15:57 > 0:16:02The railways brought to the Welsh Valleys the Industrial Revolution
0:16:02 > 0:16:05at its most rough and raw. But when the mines closed
0:16:05 > 0:16:10in the late 20th century, that brought unhappiness and unemployment.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Merthyr Tydfil's industrial history began with iron.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Foundries were established to exploit the local ore
0:16:17 > 0:16:21at the start of the Industrial Revolution and as the railway network grew,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25miles of new tracks were made from Merthyr iron.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Coal was also mined, first to power the ironworks
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and later for export by rail around the world.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I'm looking for what's left of that legacy in a place that once felt
0:16:36 > 0:16:42the full force of Victorian-style industrialisation.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Bradshaw's paints a pretty depressing picture of Merthyr in the 1860s -
0:16:46 > 0:16:50"The town is best seen at night for by day it will be found dirty,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54"without order, management, decent roads or footpaths.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58"No supply of water and no public building of the least note.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02"We do hope that proper measures will be taken to improve
0:17:02 > 0:17:05"the condition of the people." Well, Merthyr acquired a fine town hall
0:17:05 > 0:17:09at the end of the 19th century, but that's now boarded up.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13But even here, there's clearly the prospect of regeneration.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Today, Merthyr's streets bear no trace of the dirt and smoke
0:17:18 > 0:17:23of the 19th century, but the town is still a place of strong emotions.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Since the mid-20th century, local people have endured high levels of unemployment,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31so what do they think of their town today?
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- Good morning. Nice to see you. - And you. Looking very smart.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Are you from Merthyr? - Yes. I'm a Merthyr lady.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And do you remember the old Merthyr, the Merthyr of coal mines
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- and iron foundries?- Well, that would be my grandfather's days,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48that would, my great-grandfather's and my dad's.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Yeah, I've got memories of it. I love living in Merthyr.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It's a wonderful town.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It's had a lot of slagging off lately but it's getting there now.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59There's a lot of regeneration and it's fab.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03There's a lot of history here. People come here from all over the world.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I know people from Canada have come here,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09I go up to Ponstic a lot, where we've got beautiful reservoirs, and the Brecon Beacons.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I cycle up there, it's wonderful. I wouldn't live anywhere else.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15I love going abroad but I love coming home.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18You've got one other thing you didn't mention,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- you've got a railway. - Yeah, ha-ha-ha!
0:18:21 > 0:18:24How are you? Do you remember Merthyr in the old days?
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- Loads of factories.- Lots of work. - You could go from one job to another.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Not any more. - Nothing much about here now.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36- You didn't mention mining. Can you remember what the town looked like? - Well, I wasn't a miner myself,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- but my father was.- And your brother.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- It used to be quite busy in those days.- We don't remember the steel.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48SHE LAUGHS We're not that ancient!
0:18:48 > 0:18:52'Although all the iron industry here is long dead, the coal trade
0:18:52 > 0:18:56'has seen a revival, but it's not been welcomed by everyone.'
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Have you heard about the new opencast mine?- We don't want talk about that.- We heard about it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05We've had enough of coal mines in this valley, we don't want another.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Think of the dirt and the muck. We've had enough muck and dirt.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11We've had it all. Let them go to London.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Even though it brings jobs? - Even though it brings jobs.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19It brings jobs to a few, because they're all industrialised,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and they'll be digging it out, they don't need miners.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26A typical Victorian colliery could employ thousands of men
0:19:26 > 0:19:29working long hours underground
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but the industry's 21st century face is very different.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37This vast crater is Merthyr's controversial new opencast mine.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It employs only 200 people
0:19:39 > 0:19:43because most of the work is done by highly productive diggers.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Ground was broken in 2007 and whilst some oppose the scheme,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51the operators claim it will leave the area safer
0:19:51 > 0:19:52and cleaner for local people.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57I'm taking a tour with Environmental Liaison Officer Kylie Jones.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02That is an epic site, isn't it? That is a momentous hole.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05That is a pit and a half.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08My Bradshaw's Guide tells me that Merthyr coal is worked,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12"Mostly in levels, in beds two to three feet thick."
0:20:12 > 0:20:15This is on a completely different scale.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18How much coal will you be removing from here?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21About an estimated 11 million tonnes of coal over the life of the project.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26And how does this relate to mining in the days of the 19th century,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- for example?- Well, all that you can see in front of you today
0:20:29 > 0:20:33has previously been mined by deep mining methods.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35You can see the past history of all of the mining
0:20:35 > 0:20:40that has gone on here, in terms of tunnels, old culverts, old workings.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43The mine's supporters claim that those abandoned workings
0:20:43 > 0:20:45made the area dangerous.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The company's pledged to reclaim the land, returning it
0:20:49 > 0:20:52to its pre-industrialised state within 17 years.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56But first, the coal will be extracted and used to produce electricity
0:20:56 > 0:21:00at nearby Aberthaw power station.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- Well, you've really brought me to the coalface.- Indeed.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We're actually standing on some right now.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11And that great scoop, how much coal is that taking out?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14About three-quarters of a ton per scoop, loading into lorries,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17to be taken up to the disposal points.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21To me, it's just amazing, the productivity of this.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25You think how long a miner working in a narrow seam underground
0:21:25 > 0:21:29would have had to labour to take out three-quarters of a ton,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and here, it's going out every few seconds.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- That's amazing.- That's right.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37It's a far cry from the coal industry of Bradshaw's day
0:21:37 > 0:21:40but one thing that hasn't changed
0:21:40 > 0:21:43is how the finished product is transported.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- A lot of your coal is going out by train, is it?- Most definitely.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50All our coal to date has actually left the site via train.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- And these are pretty big trains. - Absolutely.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54We're carrying about 1,400
0:21:54 > 0:21:57to 1,500 tonnes of coal on each train that leaves the site.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- And how many are you shipping? - Roughly about 24 is a maximum
0:22:00 > 0:22:05in a week, but on a normal week, about 14 or 15 trains leave the site.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09An awful lot of coal. It's always been that way, hasn't it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I'm reading my 19th-century guidebook here. It says,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15"The coal and iron of Merthyr Tydfil are the chief exports
0:22:15 > 0:22:19"and the quantity almost doubles itself every two or three years."
0:22:19 > 0:22:23And then he says, "But great as that supply may seem,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27"it's scarcely equal to the demand created for it by the railways."
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- The railways have always been big here.- Definitely.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33These railway lines are the same lines that would have carried
0:22:33 > 0:22:36coal and iron ore away historically. We're still using them today.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40'Whatever your views on the project, the sheer scale of this operation
0:22:40 > 0:22:42'is awe-inspiring.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46'To loosen the rock so that the coal can be dug, explosives are used
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'and before I leave, I'm going to see the mountain being blasted.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Press it in. Fire in ten seconds.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Wow. There she blows!
0:23:02 > 0:23:07My day in Merthyr ends, not with a whimper, but a bang.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I'm now swapping this man-made industrial landscape
0:23:11 > 0:23:14for the beauty of the Brecon Beacons National Park,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17home to the famous mountain range.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I'm picking up the train, just outside Merthyr Tydfil.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23This is Pant station. My Bradshaw's says,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28"This place is situated in the midst of very beautiful mountain scenery.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32"The opening of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway in 1864
0:23:32 > 0:23:37"has brought the charming scenery of the Upper Wye within easy reach."
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Seeing these mountains today, it's hard to believe
0:23:40 > 0:23:45that they were once threaded with hundreds of miles of railway.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52To see just how extensive this network once was,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56I'm meeting railway owner Tony Hills.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- Tony.- Hello.- What a beautiful train, what a lovely locomotive.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- What's the locomotive? - Well, it's American.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It came from Philadelphia in the USA.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10It spent its working life in South Africa, hauling limestone.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15I see you're clutching the Railways of Great Britain historical atlas here. What's that about?
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Well, it's a splendid book and it shows the railways
0:24:18 > 0:24:21all over the country, going back many years.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25There's a typical page there, showing the old railway.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- And you turn over the page, and behold.- That is amazing.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31These are the Valleys of South Wales.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34And a railway line running up absolutely every single...
0:24:34 > 0:24:38- That is the most extraordinary picture, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43- All coal and iron and so on. - A lot of this is closed?- It has.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47The main trunk routes are still open, Brecon to Cardiff, things like that.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49But the valley lines, most of those are gone
0:24:49 > 0:24:52with the demise of the coal-mining industry.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Well, there's one that's reopened, by the look of it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Can we take a ride on it? - Of course we can. Pleasure.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01In Bradshaw's day, this stretch of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway
0:25:01 > 0:25:05was a passenger service, used by people from the remote farms
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and villages. Now it's been resurrected
0:25:09 > 0:25:11as the Brecon Mountain Railway.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14This vintage steam engine
0:25:14 > 0:25:17is taking me through some spectacular scenery.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Thanks to the efforts of Tony and his colleagues,
0:25:30 > 0:25:36it's an experience enjoyed by tens of thousands of tourists every year.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39So, how was it that this railway here was revived?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42We were looking for a place to build a railway.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46I'll have to stop you there. Why did you want to build a railway?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Because we like steam engines.
0:25:48 > 0:25:54And I'd been collecting locos for a little while, and rebuilt them.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57The next logical step was to find somewhere to run them.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00There was five-and-a-half miles of railway which we could obtain.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It took seven years, I think, to obtain the land
0:26:03 > 0:26:07because it had been sold off to 14 or 15 different landowners.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Amazing.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11The infrastructure had all but disappeared,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15so Tony and his family set about recreating a narrow-gauge railway
0:26:15 > 0:26:17almost from scratch.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21- But this is a life's labour.- We've been at it for over 30 years, yeah.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24You've been at it for over 30 years?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26It's not finished yet. There's still more to do.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30We got to extend the railway further, more locos we're building,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32the carriages here are 30 years old,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34they're starting to get a little bit scruffy.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And it goes on for ever, you know.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40In summer, this service runs up to five times a day,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44helping to minimise car traffic into the stunning National Park.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49And I firmly believe there's no better way to enjoy this landscape.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So, you had to rebuild the whole railway line,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55you had to do the bridges, stations, the engines, the carriages.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- The only thing you didn't do was the view.- That's right.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03We didn't need to do anything to that, that was all right.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07In many ways, the rise and fall of industrial Merthyr
0:27:07 > 0:27:10mirrors the story of the whole region.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12But travelling on this line today reminds me
0:27:12 > 0:27:15that despite the industrialisation of the 19th century,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19the valleys still offer dramatic natural beauty.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Iron ore is no longer mined from these hills,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24the deep coal pits are gone
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and the railway network's been pruned back sharply.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32But not all trace of the past has been laid to rest.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Vast reserves of coal are now being recovered by open mining
0:27:37 > 0:27:43and they are being shifted in modern railway wagons down through Cardiff
0:27:43 > 0:27:46on tracks first laid in Bradshaw's day.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50On the last leg of my journey, I'll be discovering
0:27:50 > 0:27:55how the 19th century steel trade has been brought up-to-date...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58I can feel the heat of the blast furnace, I can see a stream
0:27:58 > 0:28:00of molten iron, I can see sparks flying,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I can see smoke and now this fantastic train that's emerging.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09..going on a Victorian adventure to see a marvel of the natural world...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12It's wonderfully wet and wonderfully thrilling, isn't it?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15It's very, very romantic.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20..and learning how industry gave birth to beautiful music in Bradshaw's day.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- So, how long have you been in the choir?- Only 53 years.- No!
0:28:24 > 0:28:26LAUGHTER
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:50 > 0:28:53E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk