0:00:04 > 0:00:09For Edwardian Britons, a Bradshaw's was an indispensable guide
0:00:09 > 0:00:11to a railway network at its peak.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I'm using an early 20th-century edition
0:00:16 > 0:00:19to navigate a vibrant and optimistic Britain...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22..at the height of its power and influence in the world...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..but a nation wrestling with political,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30social and industrial unrest at home.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57A century ago, South Wales could claim to have played a vital role
0:00:57 > 0:01:01in making Britain the globe's greatest economy,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04maritime power and empire.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08But coal, the key to the region's and the country's wealth,
0:01:08 > 0:01:13was unglamorous, and cities like Cardiff felt undervalued,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17and so sought other ways to draw the world's attention
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to their great worth.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29I'm continuing in South Wales,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32through the industrial core of the country,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35where Welsh character and traditions were forged
0:01:35 > 0:01:39through mining and migration, religion and rugby.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Heading east, I'll cross the Bristol Channel into
0:01:42 > 0:01:45south west England, where Isambard Kingdom Brunel's
0:01:45 > 0:01:50feats of engineering defied tides and spanned rivers,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53before ending my journey in Cornwall.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57My journey will take me to Pontyclun,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00to the mint that exports more coins than any other.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04I'll explore sporting and maritime milestones in Cardiff
0:02:04 > 0:02:08before reaching Ebbw Vale, where I'll transfer to Bleanavon's
0:02:08 > 0:02:09heritage railway.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15On this journey, I discover how money is made in Wales...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And then when the guard opens, it'll come out.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20HE LAUGHS
0:02:20 > 0:02:23..test my sea legs and my lungs...
0:02:23 > 0:02:27HE SHOUTS
0:02:27 > 0:02:29..and get back on the tracks
0:02:29 > 0:02:32at the highest station in Wales.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35WHISTLE SOUNDS
0:02:37 > 0:02:40My journey continues eastwards from Swansea.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Destination - Pontyclun.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49It's always puzzled me why we prize gold so highly.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50When you think about it,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55why should we treasure it above all other minerals and things?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57But over the centuries, as currencies have risen
0:02:57 > 0:03:03and fallen in value, gold has been the reliable store of value.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07100 years ago, as the British government prepared its war chest,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11it wanted all the gold that it could lay its hands on.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17At the time of my Bradshaw's,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21the gold sovereign was a coin in general circulation.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26I've come just north of Pontyclun, to Llantrisant, to investigate.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32The Royal Mint moved here from London in 1968,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and produces all British coinage and much for export.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Its museum houses coins spanning 1,100 years...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47..as well as medals for gallantry and Olympic victory.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I'm meeting museum director and numismatist Dr Kevin Clancy.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Gold has always been very closely associated with coinage,
0:03:58 > 0:03:59is that right?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Yes, from the beginnings of the invention of coinage,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05when the Greeks invented coinage 2,500 years or more ago.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And in Britain people would have used gold regularly
0:04:08 > 0:04:11from the mid-14th century.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Tell me about the history of the coin that we call the sovereign.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Well, sovereigns go back to the reign of Henry VII, 1489.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21If you had a sovereign, you would have had 20 shillings' worth,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23more or less, of gold in your pocket.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27This thing is absolutely exquisite, isn't it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30It's got a beautiful design. The lettering is very clear.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31Tiny bit of damage to it, there.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35What a wonderful object. You must be very, very proud of that.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's splendid design and incredible
0:04:37 > 0:04:39on pretty well every level.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The first modern sovereign was struck
0:04:44 > 0:04:47in 22-carat gold in 1817,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50towards the end of the reign of King George III.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56In the pre-First World War period, what's happening to the coinage?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The sovereigns were produced in truly industrial numbers,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01millions and millions every year.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05We've got an example here from the reign of Edward VII.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Oh, what a handsome portrait.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10That's very good. Very recognisably Edward VII.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12When he was on the throne,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17a gold sovereign represented more than a farm labourer's weekly wage.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21But what was happening to the coinage come World War I?
0:05:21 > 0:05:24You've got a period of massive economic disruption.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27The country simply couldn't sustain a precious-metal coinage
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- of gold at that time.- And they're replaced by paper?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And they're replaced by paper.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Within days of the outbreak of the war, the British public was urged
0:05:37 > 0:05:41to hand in its gold sovereigns to fund the war effort
0:05:41 > 0:05:45through war loans, or in return for treasury notes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:51By mid-1915, gold had all but disappeared from circulation.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54But sovereigns are still being made today,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56and they're highly collectable.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I'm curious to see the process.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02But first, some stringent security checks.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Hello, Paul. And what sort of work are you doing here?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17We're changing over our machine to bullion sovereign.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- What are bullion sovereign? - Bullion sovereign's
0:06:19 > 0:06:23a lower-quality sovereign, but it's still quite a high-quality coin.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25So, these are gold of a certain purity...?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- 22 carats.- 22 carats.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- And at the moment, these discs of gold are completely blank.- Yep.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- That's what makes the coin.- This is the die, is it?- That's the die.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38What, so, it's going to be like that, is it? And any heat?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Do you heat the metal? No. - And we strike it three times.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And you have to do that with a fair amount of pressure, do you?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- 70 tonnes.- 70 tonnes?- 70 tonnes.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51The Royal Mint strikes nearly five billion coins a year
0:06:51 > 0:06:54for around 60 countries throughout the world.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58So, one entirely blank and very beautiful coin.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01I'm going to pop it into the slot, there.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I'm going to put my hands down here
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and press both buttons simultaneously...
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Keep your hands on them.- Keep my hands on the buttons. Here we go.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Now you can take your hands off.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18And when the guard opens, just take the coin out.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23HE LAUGHS
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Oh, look at that. Isn't that beautiful?
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Dragon on one side, Her Majesty on the other.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- A sovereign on a sovereign.- It is.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Thank you, thank you.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Hello, Michael.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- If you just come this way, please. Another search.- Another search?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Arms like that, please, yeah.- I was just searched, you know.- I know.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48We search all the time here. Don't worry.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50MICHAEL LAUGHS OK.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Under escort by head of security Mark Shutt,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I'm gaining access to the very heart of the mint.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Oh, my goodness. HE LAUGHS
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Oh, wow. Oh. Am I allowed to touch those?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10You can do. I'll have to give you some gloves first.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- How pure is that gold?- As pure as you can get.- Really? That...?
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Yes, it is.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Be careful, they're very heavy, so please don't drop one,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- otherwise it would cost you a lot of money.- Right.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23HE LAUGHS
0:08:23 > 0:08:25That is ridiculous.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27That... That is ridiculous.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's 14kg.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31You can't believe the density of that, can you?
0:08:31 > 0:08:34You can't believe that an object that size
0:08:34 > 0:08:36is going to weigh that much.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Wow. And how many have we got there?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- 10 bars.- 10 bars. 140kg.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44How much money is that?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- About 3.5 million.- You're kidding?
0:08:47 > 0:08:503.5 million. And that's quite an elegant door. Where does that go to?
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Erm, it goes somewhere very secure and safe.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- Can't get much out of this fellow, today.- No.- No.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00But I'm speculating that perhaps there might be more
0:09:00 > 0:09:01of this lovely stuff in there.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Indeed there is, yes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Very nice. Well, thank you, gentlemen.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07That is an exquisite display.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Thank you very much indeed. - We appreciate it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24The game of rugby was invented by an English schoolboy,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27but embraced enthusiastically by the Welsh.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32It also flourished in the healthy, open spaces of New Zealand.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Could men who toiled in the pit and lived in the smoke
0:09:36 > 0:09:40of industrial South Wales field the team that could match the Kiwis?
0:09:40 > 0:09:45The matter was put to the test in 1905 in the heart of Cardiff
0:09:45 > 0:09:49in a struggle that would enter the history books.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I've travelled some 15 miles to the capital
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and the home of Welsh rugby.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Towards the end of the 19th century,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Cardiff had grown to become one of the largest towns in Wales,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14thanks to its prosperous trade in coal.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20King Edward VII recognised the town's great industrial success
0:10:20 > 0:10:25when, in 1905, he granted it city status.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28To find out about the sporting milestone that same year,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I've come to Cardiff Arms Park.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I'm joining historian Gwyn Prescott in the stands.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Why was there such a build-up to this match in 1905?
0:10:41 > 0:10:47Well, the New Zealanders had arrived in Britain in September.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51They'd won 27 games on the trot including defeats
0:10:51 > 0:10:55of Scotland, Ireland and England by five tries to nil,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59so by the time they came to Wales, which it was, fortunately for Wales,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01right at the end of the tour, this huge interest -
0:11:01 > 0:11:03the arrival of the All Blacks in Cardiff.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06How good were the Welsh at that time?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08We were absolutely at the top of the game,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10in fact in the middle of what later became known
0:11:10 > 0:11:14as our first Golden Era - 11 years from 1900 to 1911,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18when Wales won six triple crowns. Exceptionally strong side.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22So the match begins with the two teams coming onto the pitch.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Well, at that time, there were no formalities
0:11:25 > 0:11:27before an international match,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but it was different with the All Blacks,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32because they'd thrown down the gauntlet at all their matches,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33performing the haka,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35but one of the Welsh selectors,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Tom Williams, came up with a brilliant idea.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41He said, "Well, why don't we respond to the haka?"
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And what better way is there of responding to the haka than singing
0:11:44 > 0:11:46the Welsh national anthem?
0:11:46 > 0:11:47And the crowd soon picked it up,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51so, within seconds, 42,000 people were singing
0:11:51 > 0:11:55the Welsh national anthem and it had an electric effect.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58On their first tour of Britain,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02the All Blacks captivated Edwardian sports fans and the press
0:12:02 > 0:12:05when they performed they performed their ancient Maori war dance,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08the haka, which is now a rugby tradition.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09PLAYERS CHANT
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Today, Wales's national team plays next door
0:12:16 > 0:12:19at the Principality Stadium, which swallowed up
0:12:19 > 0:12:24part of the old Cardiff Arms Park where the 1905 match was staged.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27What happened in the match?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31It was an incredibly intense game, but Wales managed to score a try
0:12:31 > 0:12:35in the first half and went into a 3-0 lead.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39About 10 minutes before the final whistle, Bob Deans,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42the New Zealand centre, was passed the ball on the 25 yard line,
0:12:42 > 0:12:4822 metre line today, and made for the goal line, but was brought down.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50The referee arrived and said, "No try,"
0:12:50 > 0:12:53so it was no try and the referee's decision is final.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54- It was a Welsh win? - It was a Welsh win.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Why is the fixture remembered more than a century later?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00In 1905, that victory over New Zealand was
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the coming of age of Welsh rugby.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06It was the point when rugby became a marker of Welsh identity,
0:13:06 > 0:13:07if you like.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13The Golden Era of the early 20th century was unmatched
0:13:13 > 0:13:18until the 1970s when Wales again enjoyed great success.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Gerald Davis CBE, played during that time
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and is one of the finest ever international wings.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27WELSH NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS
0:13:31 > 0:13:32Hi Gerald, I'm Michael.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44What a glorious sound, Gerald, and you must have heard it
0:13:44 > 0:13:48so often before matches. It must do something very special to you.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Well, I have to say, I have heard it often enough,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55but it speaks of the heroes of the past, of Wales being a land of
0:13:55 > 0:13:59poets and singers and also the need for the Welsh language to survive.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03It is a stirring piece of music and we all feel proud
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and we all have a sense of belonging to Wales.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Now, what fortune did you personally have against the All Blacks?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Well, this was back in the 1970s and we never beat them.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18They're still the strong team and, up until 1953,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23Wales were leading in the series of matches against them, 3-1,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27but ever since then, Wales have never ever beaten them
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and I'd like to think perhaps in the way George Orwell thinks
0:14:31 > 0:14:37of sport, you know, Wales won the battles, but we never won the war.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So, what does rugby mean to Wales?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42We're very proud and very passionate of our game,
0:14:42 > 0:14:43all of us in Wales are.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47It is considered to be our national sport and that is
0:14:47 > 0:14:51because we find that we can compete against the best in the world.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54We can't say that about every sport that we have in Wales,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58but certainly rugby gives us an identity on a global scale.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I'll continue my exploration of Cardiff in the morning.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I'm joining the railway at Cardiff Queen Street
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and travelling one stop to Cardiff Bay.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Inspired by the example of Captain Robert Falcon Scott,
0:15:34 > 0:15:39I'm going to abandon the decadent luxury of the train for the perils
0:15:39 > 0:15:44of the briny sea, though I may stop somewhere short of the South Pole.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54At the beginning of the 20th century,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59Cardiff's docks handled more coal than any other port in the world.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04The population of what was once known as Tiger Bay had swelled
0:16:04 > 0:16:08in the mid-19th century with immigrants from all over the world.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The Grade I listed pierhead building
0:16:11 > 0:16:14stands a stone's throw from the water.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It was erected in 1897
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and became the headquarters of the Cardiff Railway Company.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28On the trail of Scott's voyage to the last unexplored continent
0:16:28 > 0:16:31on Earth, I'm meeting maritime historian David Jenkins.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33David, how was it that there came to be
0:16:33 > 0:16:36a connection between Captain Scott and Cardiff?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Well, it all came about through the figure of Edward Evans
0:16:40 > 0:16:43who was Scott's deputy on the expedition.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45He had Cardiff connections,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48particularly Cardiff's foremost ship-owner
0:16:48 > 0:16:50at the time, Daniel Radcliffe,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and through that association the scene was then set
0:16:53 > 0:16:56for Cardiff's solid support for the expedition.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Was Cardiff anxious to support something like this?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Well, I think there was a sense in which Cardiff wanted to be
0:17:02 > 0:17:05recognised as an imperial city.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It wasn't recognised as one of the great entrepots of Empire
0:17:08 > 0:17:11where all the wonderful goods, like tea and sugar,
0:17:11 > 0:17:12and all the rest of it came in.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15This was the port that exported this dirty stuff called coal
0:17:15 > 0:17:18which nobody really wanted to know about,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21but actually the British Empire would have ground to a halt
0:17:21 > 0:17:23in a few weeks had it not been for this coal
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and I think the business community of Cardiff
0:17:25 > 0:17:27saw it as their opportunity to shine.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- There was prestige to be had? - Exactly, Michael.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34This was the expedition which they hoped to reach the South Pole
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and claim it for Britain.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42Scott's first Antarctic expedition, between 1901 and 1904, fell short
0:17:42 > 0:17:44of the pole by 500 miles,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47but made it further south than man had travelled before.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Scott returned a hero and was made Commander
0:17:50 > 0:17:54of the Royal Victorian Order by the King, yet he remained
0:17:54 > 0:17:59determined to complete the mission and planned a second expedition.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Where exactly did the Terra Nova depart?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Well, just from behind us here, Michael.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05She sailed out into the Channel,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09she was followed by a massive entourage of local tugs
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and she left Cardiff amidst great flag-waving
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and ceremony on 15th June 1910,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17which was a lovely day, not like today.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Scott realised his dream and became the first British explorer
0:18:22 > 0:18:26to reach the South Pole in January 1912,
0:18:26 > 0:18:31but his achievement was bittersweet as the Norwegian Roald Amundsen
0:18:31 > 0:18:34had beaten him to it by month.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36We all know that the expedition ends in disaster
0:18:36 > 0:18:38and with Scott's death.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39What happens to the ship?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41The ship returns here in 1913,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44obviously a much more solemn occasion
0:18:44 > 0:18:46than her departure of three years previously,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49but the Terra Nova did come back to Cardiff
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and there are a number of memorials around the city
0:18:51 > 0:18:52related to the vessel.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55An extraordinary sort of symmetry between the departure and return.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Exactly, she did return.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Over 100 years after Scott's ill-fated second expedition,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I'm keen to find out whether the spirit of adventure
0:19:05 > 0:19:09is still alive in Cardiff Bay, on a boat that is no stranger to the ice.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Skipper Andy Hall welcomes me on board the yacht Challenge Wales.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Thank you very much. Anyone got a life jacket?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34This vessel has been to Antarctica, has it not?
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Yes, this boat was originally built to race around the world,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41so she's been down into the southern hemisphere
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and down into the Southern Ocean on two occasions now.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46And a century after Scott, Antarctica is still
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- a substantial challenge? - Oh, yes, very much so.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Even the current round-the-world races all have limiting points
0:19:53 > 0:19:55to stop them going too far down into the ice.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58What does the boat do now? What's its function today?
0:19:58 > 0:20:02The boat is now owned by the charity of the same name
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and the purpose of the charity is to take young people out
0:20:05 > 0:20:09on adventurous trips to help develop what's broadly termed "life skills",
0:20:09 > 0:20:12so it's getting them working as a team, setting them
0:20:12 > 0:20:14a challenge, taking them out of their comfort zone,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16getting away from their mobile phone coverage.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Well, I'd like to muck in with that. I'm at your orders, captain.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21OK, that's good.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24If you'd like to make your way forward to the mast,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27then you can help put the sail up and we'll just get
0:20:27 > 0:20:29the starboard running backstay forward, please, team.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Hello, Adrian, reporting for duty.- That's good, Michael,
0:20:36 > 0:20:37- if you'd like to come up to here. - Yes.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40This is the main halyard for the boat
0:20:40 > 0:20:45and this pulls up the mainsail, so it's a bell-ringing action
0:20:45 > 0:20:48first of all and then we pull the rope outwards.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49It is getting harder.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Out and down!
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- Out and down!- Whoa!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- Hello, are you Sophie? - Yes.- My name is Michael.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14How long have you been on Challenge Wales?
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I started coming on board about seven years ago.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Oh, wow, so you're quite a veteran?
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- Yeah.- It's quite hard physical work. Have you adapted to that?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Yeah, cos when you're working altogether, it becomes quite fun.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30The crew is currently in training for this summer's Tall Ships Races,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33one of the largest youth and cultural events in Europe
0:21:33 > 0:21:38for trainee sailors, drawn from many nationalities and backgrounds.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42The event has been an annual fixture since 1956
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and, this year, around 100 vessels will be taking part.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02I'll leave this train at Ebbw Vale, bound for Blaenavon.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05My 1907 Bradshaw's railway map is eloquent.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09There's a greater concentration of railways here in South Wales
0:22:09 > 0:22:12than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15In parallel lines, representing the valleys,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18the trains brought the coal down to the ports.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22In those days, coal was used for everything - in homes,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26in industry for power, by ships and by the Royal Navy.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29With the decline of coal - puff! -
0:22:29 > 0:22:30in 1980, the rail services
0:22:30 > 0:22:34between Blaenavon and Pontypool were terminated,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38but today trains run again - puff-puff!
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- Tickets, please.- Hello. - Hello. How are you?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- Going to end of the line. - OK. Thank you.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52I'm just looking at this old map of the railway lines
0:22:52 > 0:22:53here in South Wales.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Do you have any memory of when every one of these valleys have a line?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I remember a lot of coal industry,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- a lot of coal freight, going down the valleys where I live.- Yes.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07- It's all gone now, but I worked in the mines myself.- Did you?
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Yeah, done it for 15 years, came out of it unscathed, so...
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Yeah, congratulations.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- Well, thank you very much. - Yeah, thank you.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- Have a nice journey.- Thank you.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23At the start of the First World War, coal exports from Wales
0:23:23 > 0:23:27were at their peak, at more than 10 million tons annually.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32During that industrial heyday, the big pit mine
0:23:32 > 0:23:35was in full production and the town of Blaenavon could be
0:23:35 > 0:23:40reached from Ebbw Vale via a western branch on the Monmouthshire line.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42WHISTLE BLOWS
0:23:42 > 0:23:48Built in 1866, this stretch of track closed to passengers in 1941
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and to cold freight in 1980.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54WHISTLES BLOW
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It's now a heritage line,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01preserved by the Pontypool and the Blaenavon Railway Society.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Retired railway civil engineer Paul Dally used to maintain tracks
0:24:05 > 0:24:07in West Wales.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09This is a splendid vehicle. What is this?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12This is an ex-Great Western Railway inspection saloon
0:24:12 > 0:24:15that was used by the engineers to inspect the track
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and it's mounted on an even older underframe that came
0:24:18 > 0:24:22from the 1880s, so this coach would have been built in about 1912.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I never think much about rail inspections.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Tell me how it was done.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Well, track inspection is principally down on foot.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33You've a patrolman who walks the line regularly to ensure it's safe.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37And you, of course, have to maintain heritage railways.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- You have to be certain that the track is safe.- Absolutely.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41The same principles that were carried out
0:24:41 > 0:24:44during the Edwardian times still apply today.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Not on the filthy wet day like today?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Track patrolling has to be done whatever the weather,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50even in the snow.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Gauge down, turn knob. Is that satisfactory?
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Yes, that is good because 1,435
0:25:04 > 0:25:06is four foot eight and a half in imperial
0:25:06 > 0:25:10and this is slightly over, so this is all well within tolerance.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14This is a fun thing to do in wet weather!
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- Yes, it's not very nice, but then you can see the dips.- Oh!
0:25:17 > 0:25:19What's causing this?
0:25:19 > 0:25:20Well, in this instance,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24it's probably down to the amount of mining that's been done in the area.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Old mine workings do subside.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28That would have to be put right at some point.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Yes, that would be planned in for the local gang to come
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and lift the track and pack, to get the rails exactly level.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Well, I think I might leave you to put it right.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I was I was rather hoping to take another ride.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41That will be excellent, thank you.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Alex. May I come aboard? - Of course.- Thank you.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50WHISTLE BLOWS
0:25:52 > 0:25:53BLOWS AGAIN
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Alex, it's a wet day and you've got quite an incline here.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Is it difficult to drive the locomotive in these conditions?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16There's a little bit more skill required, but...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19You can slip on the rails if you're not careful?
0:26:19 > 0:26:24- You can, yes, very much so.- What is the gradient?- It's about one in 40.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And the valleys here are so beautiful, aren't they?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Even on a wet day, it has a majesty about it, doesn't it?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33It certainly does.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And filled with steam and smoke, it looks at its best.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And we're coming towards our last station. What's the name of that?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- This is the Whistle Inn. - The Whistle Inn?
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- That demands a whistle, don't you think?- It does indeed.- Here we go.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49WHISTLE BLOWS
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- Wow! I enjoyed that. - It's a pleasure.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Thank you, Alex.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04- And thank you, Wayne.- A pleasure. - Bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye now.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14At the beginning of the 20th century,
0:27:14 > 0:27:19South Wales was known around the globe for its coal -
0:27:19 > 0:27:22the fuel of British manufacturing industry
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and of the most powerful navy in the world.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31The departure of Captain Scott from Cardiff to Antarctica boosted
0:27:31 > 0:27:37the region's prestige and the Welsh anthem swelled in the valleys
0:27:37 > 0:27:40when the national team triumphed over the All Blacks.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The men who toiled in the coal mines
0:27:43 > 0:27:48and those who carried the coal along these lines were justly proud.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52They knew that the might of the British Empire
0:27:52 > 0:27:54rested on their brawn.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Next time, a cinematic experience hits a high note...
0:28:02 > 0:28:03CINEMA ORGAN PLAYS
0:28:06 > 0:28:07That's absolutely brilliant.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09This is Mary.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12..I learn about the fight for female emancipation.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14How do you feel about those women, those suffragettes?
0:28:14 > 0:28:18They knew what they wanted and in the end they got it, didn't they?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20..and prepare for a smooth landing.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23The toilets are no longer in use.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Cabin crew, resume your seats, please.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Oh! That is amazing.