0:00:10 > 0:00:13The coast of south-west Wales.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19Our earliest ancestors came to the edge of our islands for sustenance
0:00:19 > 0:00:21from land, sea and sky.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27But this cathedral of the elements didn't only nourish their bodies,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29they also found succour for the soul.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Far on the horizon lies the vanishing point
0:00:34 > 0:00:36between the sea and sky.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Out there, it seems as if the heavens and the earth meet.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43No wonder then that natural "walkways to eternity",
0:00:43 > 0:00:46like this one, where the land snakes out into the sea,
0:00:46 > 0:00:51are special places with spiritual power for pilgrims and pagans alike.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59We're on a journey from one great finger of land, at Worm's Head,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02to another on the Llyn Peninsula.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Travelling up the heavenly west coast of Wales to explore divine
0:01:06 > 0:01:11and devilish goings-on along this stunning shore.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17On the Isle of Skomer, Miranda explores a seabird paradise.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23There's a taste of military shock and awe, 13th-century-style, for Mark.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Iron gate there, iron gate there...
0:01:26 > 0:01:28The famous murder holes.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33And Alice tries to solve the riddle of the singing sands.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Quiet, please, we are recording the squeaky beach.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41This is Coast.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Having crossed from Brittany,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13we're still in the land of the Celts, but back on home turf.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Our journey continues, heading for Anglesey,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19starting at Worm's Head in Gower.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27These long fingers of land on the western edge of Britain
0:02:27 > 0:02:29reach out to caress the Irish Sea.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39Gower was the UK's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and at the very tip
0:02:39 > 0:02:45of the Gower Peninsula lies this remarkable headland - Worm's Head.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Viking's coined its name "ormr" from the Old Norse for serpent.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I can see why that green spine of land reminded the Vikings
0:02:53 > 0:02:57of a serpent reaching out to sea.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Those same Norsemen buried their dead in tombs they built
0:03:00 > 0:03:02over there on Rhossili Down.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Who would dare disturb the spirits of their departed
0:03:06 > 0:03:09with such a fierce beast guarding the shore?
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Even today, you've got to be brave to take on the Worm's Head.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16The scramble across the jagged causeway
0:03:16 > 0:03:20that connects it to the mainland isn't for the faint-hearted.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I've got to read the tides right - the currents that come swirling in
0:03:23 > 0:03:28across the rocks can easily cut you off, or wash you away.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35You can't afford to hang around.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39One adventurer who got himself marooned out here
0:03:39 > 0:03:40was the poet Dylan Thomas.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45He told tales of being trapped on the rocks by the rising tide as darkness fell.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Now it gets really tough.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Just as I need to get a move on, the landscape and the elements are against me.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Once you've scrambled along the rocks of the low neck,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04you reach a jagged arch, cut by the sea clean through the body of the beast.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It takes you to the outer head - the loneliest tip of Gower.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13They call this the Devil's Bridge, and I'd love to cross over and carry on,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17but I'm going to leave that little slice of heaven to the birds.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I'm here in May, and at this time of year,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22the tip of Worm's Head is out of bounds
0:04:22 > 0:04:25because the seabirds are busy nesting.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I'm glad to get a head start on the tide.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34It's scary how fast the sea rushes in to make this an island once more.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43But there'll be other great walkways into the sea to explore
0:04:43 > 0:04:46as I venture westward along the Welsh shore.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Worm's Head is just a tiny little snake of land poking its head
0:04:52 > 0:04:55out of the Gower Peninsula, which itself
0:04:55 > 0:05:00pokes out like a pimple on the face of the South Wales coast.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02But this is no unsightly blemish,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06more a site of serene beauty scraped clean by the last ice age.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15We continue our journey westward along Carmarthen Bay.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Crossing the water into Pembrokeshire, Tenby's sweeping golden beaches
0:05:21 > 0:05:26are just a taste of the majestic shoreline that awaits us.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32Some of the best surfers in the world are drawn to open, wind-blown bays, like Freshwater West.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Hi, I'm Kirsty Jones, I'm a professional kitesurfer.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I'm Kitesurf World Wave Champion and I've come to Freshwater West
0:05:47 > 0:05:50to train for my next World Cup competition.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's my favourite beach to come surfing.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59It's a world-class surfing break and it's also really great for kitesurfing.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05It's a really special place for me because that's where my roots are from
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and it's always nice to come back, even though I travel all over the world.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13OK, here we go.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19I'm going to hit the wave on this one!
0:06:19 > 0:06:26Kitesurfing is using a big power kite to pull you along on the water,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and you can do tricks, you can do jumps.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I'm going to do a little grab now.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Freshwater West is just amazing
0:06:35 > 0:06:36when it's like this.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46There's something really special about
0:06:46 > 0:06:50the feeling of the sea air and the sea coming back to Wales.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53I just love it.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Many Welsh islands owe their names to travellers.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Often Vikings can take the credit,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and Skomer is no exception.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15Skomer derives from the Old Norse word "skolm", meaning short sword.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22Vikings aren't the only adventurers that have been attracted to these islands.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28This is a seabird paradise that welcomes some of the greatest airborne travellers on the planet.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37Miranda's exploring this lush outcrop seeking out old friends and new arrivals.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I've visited Skomer quite a few times
0:07:42 > 0:07:43and it's lovely to be back,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47but every time I come here it's like I've got to get to know the island
0:07:47 > 0:07:53all over again, it's ever-changing. It's a place of so many different facets.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56One of the most precarious habitats is the Wick,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01a sheer cliff with ledges ideally suited to nesting birds -
0:08:01 > 0:08:05razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars.
0:08:05 > 0:08:12I'm going to explore this fantastic abundance of birdlife, not just by day, but at night too.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17In daylight, it's puffins that rule the roost.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And it's not rocky sea cliffs but rabbit burrows
0:08:20 > 0:08:23that's their idea of a perfect des res.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28This is one of the most important puffin colonies in north-western Europe.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34The best way to appreciate the puffin's lifestyle is to get in the water with them.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Island warden Jo Milborrow is going to help me snorkel right up close.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I'm absolutely dying to get in. It's been a warm day and the water
0:08:41 > 0:08:44looks so inviting and there are loads of puffins behind us.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Yeah, they're great, aren't they? - Yeah, hope we can get close!
0:08:47 > 0:08:52- Hopefully, if we go in they'll come and have a look at us.- Brilliant.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Oh, it's cool! It's very cool.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- That's chilly!- It's very chilly.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Puffins are easily spooked, so we have to be patient and move slowly.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But we're soon rewarded with a rare chance
0:09:10 > 0:09:13of swimming within just a few feet of them.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Some of Skomer's grey seals are lounging nearby, but for me,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28it's the puffins that steal the show.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Absolutely surrounded by puffins, maybe just five or six feet away from me.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Some of them just skimming over the top of my head.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Incredible, they just seem to be oblivious to the fact
0:09:40 > 0:09:44I was there, maybe I just fooled them that I was a seal.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Puffins certainly steal the limelight during the daytime.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54But Skomer attracts vast numbers of globe trotters
0:09:54 > 0:09:58who are much harder to spot until night falls.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Every summer, Skomer welcomes back a flock of old friends,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04birds from the island who've travelled way out
0:10:04 > 0:10:07to the coast of South America, a round trip of 18,000 miles,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12and they come back here to the island, often to within just a few feet
0:10:12 > 0:10:14of where they were born, to mate and breed.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19I'm in search of one of the greatest adventurers of the animal kingdom -
0:10:19 > 0:10:20the Manx shearwater.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24This tiny island off Wales
0:10:24 > 0:10:28becomes an extraordinary landing strip for Manx shearwaters,
0:10:28 > 0:10:34returning after winter from fisheries far down in the South Atlantic.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Because they're shy, nocturnal birds, you'd be hard pushed to see them in daylight.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46But, as the sun sets, the atmosphere really changes.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47SQUAWKING
0:10:47 > 0:10:51That cacophony means the Manx shearwaters are arriving
0:10:51 > 0:10:55in their thousands, and I can just glimpse them in the darkness.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Professor Tim Guildford is going to help me get a closer look.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- They're everywhere.- They are, the place is absolutely littered with them.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18And this guy has probably just landed.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I'm guessing this is a non-breeder.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Fabulous!
0:11:24 > 0:11:28So this one's probably just a recent prospector
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- who's looking to mate. - He's beautiful.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I don't know if you can see on the top of the beak there, there's two little holes.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39These nostrils are actually salt-excreting glands.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Yes, like a storm petrel. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46That allows this whole family of birds to live in the open ocean
0:11:46 > 0:11:49without ever having to drink, so they can essentially either create
0:11:49 > 0:11:52their own water metabolically,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57or they can excrete salt sufficiently not to need fresh water.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00They look a bit hopeless on land, the legs are placed
0:12:00 > 0:12:03so far back on the body that they can't balance well.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06They flatten themselves out, don't they?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08They're sort of waddling very low.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- It's a very strange gait, isn't it? - A very strange gait, yeah.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20'There are more than 100,000 breeding pairs on Skomer,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24'and nest cameras provide new insights into how they rear their young.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30'Researchers like Tim have also been tagging the birds with electronic geo-locators.'
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- OK, that's great.- OK.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Here they come.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39- Brilliant, so this is one of the tagged birds?- And on this leg...
0:12:39 > 0:12:42That's the geolocator? It's so small.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Yeah, on this leg is the geolocating device...
0:12:45 > 0:12:50The electronic log of this bird's position is downloaded to produce detailed maps.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56This tells us, for every day and night of the year, where the bird has been.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01So at last, now, we can reconstruct its entire migratory journey.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The male is the black one and the female is the purple one.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10We see this outward migration down the west coast of Africa,
0:13:10 > 0:13:15across to Brazil and then down to Argentina to over-winter.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18They head back then in the early spring,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21they take slightly different routes, but what you do see
0:13:21 > 0:13:24is this extraordinary curve through the Caribbean.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27They don't come back the way they went out.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- Isn't that incredible, they're not doing the same journey there and back?- It is.- I wonder why.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35We think they're exploiting the North Atlantic currents,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37this circular current.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40So the currents and the weather systems move like this
0:13:40 > 0:13:43so they're basically following weather systems,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45making it efficient, using the winds.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And soon they're off, back out to sea.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55By daybreak, the shearwaters have vanished,
0:13:55 > 0:14:02perhaps the most remarkable secret of this magical seabird sanctuary on the Pembrokeshire coast.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Across St Bride's Bay is the tiny harbour of Solva.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23We're nearing the western edge of Wales.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28St Davids is Britain's smallest city with Wales's biggest cathedral.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32The nation's patron saint established a monastery here in the sixth century,
0:14:32 > 0:14:38when the sea was a religious highway spreading the word around early Christian Britain and Ireland.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Pembrokeshire has Britain's most coastal national park,
0:14:49 > 0:14:55a glorious shoreline that you can walk from beginning to end
0:14:55 > 0:14:58enjoying a coast path 186 miles long.
0:14:58 > 0:15:04It helps to get your walking boots on to find the surprises tucked away along this shore.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Like here, at Abereiddi.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The locals call this place the Blue Lagoon,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and its aquamarine colour
0:15:15 > 0:15:19gives it the look of a tropical pool, but it's far from natural.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Now it's a playground for divers and coasteers,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26but this place is a clue
0:15:26 > 0:15:31to an industrial boom that happened here more than 100 years ago.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It's not just the sea that's been eating away at this coast.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The locals have done their share of nibbling too.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43This was a slate quarry that once employed around 100 workers.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49And just along the coastal path, another giant hole in the ground.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53An exceptionally hard stone - dolerite - was blasted out
0:15:53 > 0:15:58of the cliffs here, an ideal material for buildings and roads.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The rock was hauled a short distance by rail
0:16:05 > 0:16:07to the tiny harbour at Porthgain.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14The village is still dominated by enormous brick hulks.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19Here the stone was crushed and graded in five separate bunkers,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21then it cascaded down a loading chute
0:16:21 > 0:16:23into boats waiting at the quayside.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Today, you see just the odd boat going in and out of the harbour, fishing for crabs and lobsters.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34But when the quarry was going full tilt, the company had six steam coasters
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and at one time there were 100 other vessels, all registered at the port,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and they're not entirely forgotten either.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The nameplates of many of them are inside the pub, nailed to the walls and above the tables.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52A remarkable industrial operation dominated the surrounding area
0:16:52 > 0:16:54right up until the 1930s.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Unearthing this lost world of endeavour
0:16:57 > 0:17:03is a bit of archaeology anyone can do, so much still remains.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The Teifi Estuary marks the dividing line between Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire,
0:17:10 > 0:17:16with its own popular holiday destinations - resorts like Newquay
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and the Georgian seaside town of Aberaeron.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33Further north is Aberystwyth, a University town used to gowns...
0:17:33 > 0:17:34and beach towels.
0:17:37 > 0:17:44That dual personality is captured in this grand Victorian building, the Old College.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It was conceived as an opulent resort hotel,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50but it went bust before it was finished,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55only to be snapped up for a bargain price in 1872
0:17:55 > 0:17:59by the founders of Wales's very first university.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It was all made possible by 70,000 donations from the public,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06people like miners and quarrymen who were passionate
0:18:06 > 0:18:09that education was the path to a better life.
0:18:09 > 0:18:16Now, Aberystwyth is known as the university founded on the pennies of the poor.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29North from Aberystwyth to another Victorian seaside resort - Barmouth.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39The Mawddach Estuary, where the Snowdonia National Park sweeps down to the sea.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47The poet William Wordsworth called the mix of coast and mountain here "sublime".
0:18:49 > 0:18:52But there'll be no time to stand and stare for Nick.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05I'm about to find out what it takes to compete in one of the world's
0:19:05 > 0:19:09toughest sporting challenges, a race on land...
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and at sea.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Every year since 1977,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19teams gather in Barmouth to launch an assault
0:19:19 > 0:19:22on Britain's highest mountains.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I've come here to train with the crew of the Mistral
0:19:25 > 0:19:30as they prepare for the gruelling Three Peaks Yacht Race.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31- Hi, Helen.- Hello!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- Very good to meet you, can I come on board?- Welcome aboard!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- Thank you.- There you go.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41The course works its way up the west coast, stopping at Snowdon,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46the highest peak in Wales, Scafell Pike, England's highest peak,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and they save the hardest till last.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Britain's tallest challenge, Ben Nevis.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55To get between the climbs, contestants take to their boats,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57all the way to Fort William.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Right, I'm ready.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Yeah, go for it.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Can we just ease that sheet a little bit, please?
0:20:11 > 0:20:13What's the wind blowing at?
0:20:13 > 0:20:17That last gust was about an eight,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19so 40 knots of wind.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- How does it feel?- The boat feels great, how does everybody else feel?
0:20:28 > 0:20:29Yay!
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Mind the sheet.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32OK, guys, ready to go?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37There's a crew of five -
0:20:37 > 0:20:41the skipper, two specialist sailors and two runners.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Every second saved at sea is a stride up the mountain,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46so they run a tight ship.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The race is timed for boat performance speed
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and catching the right tide, and if you catch the right tide,
0:20:52 > 0:20:53you can get 6-12 hours ahead
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- of people who missed that tide. - Will you sail at night?
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Our first difficult navigation is coming through
0:21:01 > 0:21:04the sand bar at Caernarfon at 2am, which will be dark.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06That sounds a complete horror story.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Yeah, essentially. It can be tricksy and quite difficult.
0:21:09 > 0:21:16In all, they'll have to sail nearly 400 miles to get between Britain's three tallest peaks.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20When they arrive at a climb, they've got to get inland quick.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25The first port of call is Caernarfon, the stopping-off point for Snowdon.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Whatever the weather, tourists will pay to take the train to the summit,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40but the race contestants will have to run up it.
0:21:48 > 0:21:55Our brief training run over, we get to do something they won't do during the race itself -
0:21:55 > 0:21:56take a rest!
0:21:56 > 0:21:59This is just a taster, I guess,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03of what you're going to be facing when the race kicks off properly.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06How many miles are you going to be running on the whole race?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08In total, there's over 100km.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12The leg we're on today, the Snowdon leg, is 36km.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14You're running up here at night, aren't you?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Yeah, it will probably be about 4am
0:22:17 > 0:22:20which is going to be rather unpleasant for both of us.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23What happens when things get really difficult or go wrong?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Instead of a sleeping bag, we carry a blizzard bag which is...
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- Which I can show you here. - It weighs about 300g,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32so a lot of the runners will be carrying these
0:22:32 > 0:22:37which are double-foil blankets, so they insulate you a bit.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38They're a bit like a sleeping bag.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So in a race like this, every gram counts,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44every gram saved is another few seconds you can cut off the race.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Exactly, faster up the hill, yeah.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49So let's roll this out,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53find a nice little hole for you to sleep in and go in.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Just wriggle inside do we?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Do you take your shoes off first?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- I guess you would?- No, not at all.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It's cosy, isn't it?
0:23:06 > 0:23:11And if it was really cold, we'd be in there with you as well!
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Go on then, Maria.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22It took the team five days - and 38 minutes, to be exact -
0:23:22 > 0:23:26to reach Fort William. Of the 32 yachts at the start line in Barmouth,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29they came in a creditable 13th.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33I only wish I could have stayed with them on their epic journey.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Struggle's no stranger to this coast.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43People come to pit themselves against the landscape.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47But the landscape has also been pitted against the people.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51This coast doesn't only promise a paradise of freedom,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54it's also been transformed for terror
0:23:54 > 0:23:56here at Harlech.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05At the end of the 13th century, an English King invaded Wales,
0:24:05 > 0:24:11determined the locals would submit to his divine right to rule.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17On this spiritual shore, Edward I of England hatched a devilish plan
0:24:17 > 0:24:22to enshrine his authority over the Welsh - in stone!
0:24:22 > 0:24:26What a piece of work and truly awe-inspiring.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It looks terrifying now,
0:24:28 > 0:24:33but can you imagine what it would have looked like 800 years ago?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38I want to bring this building back to its former glory
0:24:38 > 0:24:43and discover what made this one of Britain's most formidable fortresses.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Although the stone walls are largely intact,
0:24:52 > 0:24:58Harlech Castle has been stripped of its strongest defence -
0:24:58 > 0:25:00the sea.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Back when it was built, I would have been walking on water,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08not the sand dunes that are here now.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Rhian Parry knows what's happened to the coast
0:25:14 > 0:25:16since the castle was constructed.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22We do know from this map of 1610 by Speed
0:25:22 > 0:25:25that it was quite a different picture.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You can see, here's the castle.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We're presumably somewhere by that mermaid.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And look at the ships going in and out of the estuary.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37The tradition is, and there's some documentary evidence, of course,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41that there was a port for Harlech at Ynys at Ty Gwyn y Gamlas,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45which literally means the white house of the canal,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and it's likely that this was all marsh
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and at high tide was under water completely.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- So, Ynys island is... - Yes, is this one here.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57So, if that was an island then, in the medieval period,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00this was all marsh and open water.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Indeed, and there are lots of little islands, and the place names tell you they were islands
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and people didn't call them islands for nothing.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12Restoring the sea to lap against the walls of Harlech castle
0:26:12 > 0:26:15is step one of my medieval make-over.
0:26:15 > 0:26:23This is how it looked when Edward I of England built it to conquer the Welsh.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28But the sea was more than a barrier. It was also a gateway.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Andrew, why have you brought me to this lump of masonry?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35The name is explanatory in itself - this was the water gate,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and the implication is that the water was adjacent to it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43The sea actually lapped up onto the side of these rocks?
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It did. So you've got to imagine water down here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- With jetties and ships and everything? - Certainly a bustling harbour,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52because they had an enormous amount of material to get up.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56All the stone and iron they were bringing in, food.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- They were feeding 900 men at one point.- So how do you get up there?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03There's a path that goes up and I'll show you where that is.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08The site of the castle starts to make sense.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13With water guarding one side and steep slopes on the other,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17there was only one way in - a landward gate
0:27:17 > 0:27:19which was heavily fortified.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Just look at them, those towers!
0:27:22 > 0:27:25One, two, three, four towers!
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Yeah. They give an enormous aspect, don't they?
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Any attacker who got this far would have to breach the gatehouse,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37a massive defensive obstacle that dominates the castle.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41You're making a huge statement, that this is the strongest bit.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Yeah, very definitely.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45And this is sort of the chamber where...
0:27:45 > 0:27:48This is the chamber where you didn't want to be.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Two arrow slits. - Two arrow slits either side.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53So, crossbows would have come through there.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55You've got iron gate there, iron gate there...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- And attack from above as well. - Murder holes.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Murder holes pouring down onto you. - Boiling oil...
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Yeah, that sort of thing.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08This concentric design, walls within walls,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11held back the hostile Welsh nearby.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17That's the Snowdonia range of mountains over there, and there's Snowdon.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And this was of course the Welsh stronghold
0:28:20 > 0:28:22of the Princes of Gwynedd.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26This was the real point that Edward had to get to, the bit he had to crack.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28So what was his big idea?
0:28:28 > 0:28:30He was going to encircle it with castles.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So Harlech is one, Caernarvon is the other on the north
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and then you've got Conwy, and then slightly later,
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Biwmares was built as well.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42And this really represented, finally, the conquest of the Welsh.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It did, yes, yes, very definitely.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50It's likely the grey stone walls of Harlech Castle
0:28:50 > 0:28:52looked very different in its heyday.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57Edward had the structure plastered with a white render of lime mortar
0:28:57 > 0:28:59and we're looking for the evidence.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Let's see if we can find some.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I think you'll be lucky!
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Presumably, you find it in, sort of, corners, where it's protected.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Hang on, what's up here?
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- That looks like it, doesn't it? - What's that?
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- Oh, goodness.- There it is,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19just a little bit. That's presumably the protective face.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Yes, it's overlaying the stones there.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Yes, I would suggest that is some of it.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29- There's the original Edwardian mortar, lime render. - I think it will be.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Look, it's just like, look behind...
0:29:31 > 0:29:33I know that's inside.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Yes, inside the window reveals that, that's astonishing, isn't it?
0:29:37 > 0:29:42- There it all is. So you've got render, and then lime wash on the outside.- Yes.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48Wouldn't it be great to lime wash the castle bright white?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51But I guess no-one's actually going to let me do that,
0:29:51 > 0:29:57but I have found a wall just down the road where we can try the stuff out.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02The castle's coating of lime render was probably finished off
0:30:02 > 0:30:06with this stuff - bright white lime wash.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Lime wash is the most marvellous material,
0:30:11 > 0:30:16one of the great forgotten things from the Middle Ages.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21It absorbs carbon dioxide and hardens just like stone.
0:30:21 > 0:30:27The trouble is, to keep it bright and white, you have to do it every year.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It's bad enough painting a little wall like this.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Can you imagine what it was like painting a whole castle?
0:30:41 > 0:30:44So the question is, why bother?
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Modern weapons are all about stealth, but in an earlier age,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54this fortress was very much about broadcasting a message.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58The building wasn't hiding, it was standing out,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01a brutish display of English power.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04This was the castle in full glory,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07the shock and awe of the 13th century.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13Can you imagine what that castle would have looked like painted all white?
0:31:13 > 0:31:18A symbol of the conquest of Wales, but also a provocation.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Just across Tremadog Bay, from the battlements of Harlech Castle,
0:31:25 > 0:31:30you can glimpse another, less menacing fortress.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I'm on the Llyn peninsula at Cricieth.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48Mark Horton, over the water at Harlech, isn't the only one with a castle on this coast.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51There are plenty to go around.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55The original Cricieth Castle wasn't built by the English Edward I,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58but by his opponents, the Welsh Princes,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn the Last.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03I think his name, Llywelyn the Last,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06tells you all you need to know about how things worked out.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11The Welsh, from their power base in the mountains of Gwynedd,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15rose up in a war of national independence in 1282.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18But they were fatally divided and Edward crushed them.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23Llywelyn was separated from his army and killed by the English at Cilmeri.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28Edward then took over this Welsh castle at Cricieth and remodelled it.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31But 100 or so years after the defeat by Edward I,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33the Welsh were back for more.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35There was another great uprising in 1400,
0:32:35 > 0:32:38led by the charismatic Owain Glyndwr.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Owain was a truly national leader,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43with powerful allies like the King of France.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49By 1403, much of Wales was under Owain's control.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53He even captured the mighty Harlech and held it for five years.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56At Cricieth he tore down much of the castle
0:32:56 > 0:32:58that the English had extended,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02a grand gesture that ultimately proved futile.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04The English struck back.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Owain's Glyndwr's revolt stuttered on, but he became a hunted man,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10a fugitive and a guerrilla,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and nothing certain is known about him after 1412.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17He slipped away then into the shadow world of myth and legend,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19a so-called Son of Prophecy,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21who would return from his mountain hideout
0:33:21 > 0:33:24to free Wales in her hour of need.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Owain's yet to return to claim Cricieth Castle.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33For now, it stands a silent sentinel,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36guarding the sainted lands beyond,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39the holy places of the Llyn Peninsula.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47At the western tip of Llyn is the fishing village of Aberdaron.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50And on the beach, the Church of St Hywyn,
0:33:50 > 0:33:55the last stop for pilgrims on their way to the island of Bardsey.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Three pilgrimages here were said to be equivalent to one visit to Rome,
0:33:59 > 0:34:04and tradition has it that 20,000 saints are buried on Bardsey island.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15The Welsh coast is a fertile shore for the making of myths.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Here, legend tells of a city lost to the sea -
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Cantre'r Gwaelod, the Welsh Atlantis.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29And then you come to Porth Oer.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Here, there's more than a grain of truth in a local claim to fame.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Alice is on a mission to solve the riddle of the Singing Sands.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38SQUEAKING
0:34:38 > 0:34:42If you believe its name, this beach isn't just heavenly to look at,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45it's also rather wonderful to listen to.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48It's called the Whistling Sands.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55It's not the wind that's whistling, supposedly it's the sand itself that squeaks.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00To get to bottom of it, I'm joined by our acoustics expert David Sharp
0:35:00 > 0:35:01from the Open University,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04who'll be listening for the special music of this place.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- Hi, David, how are you? - Hello, I'm fine, thank you.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12Now squeaking sand, I'm getting a tiny squeak as I'm walking along, but it's very quiet.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17OK, well, just try scuffing your foot through quite hard and see what happens.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Why don't we walk along a little bit and see if we can get that...
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- SQUEAKING - Oh, there we go. - Oh, that was a good one.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26- This looks quite mad.- That's it.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Brilliant, I'm getting it really nicely on the screen.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35That's really squeaking!
0:35:38 > 0:35:40I've never heard that before on a beach.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45But we need more feet for the full effect.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51Quiet please, we are recording the Squeaky Beach.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Yes, come on.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55We'll make a line, I think.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59What we probably need to try to do is to get in step.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14- How did that sound, David? - Oh, it sounded excellent. We've got a really good recording.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17And is this beach unique in making this sound?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Well, it's not unique.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23There are around 30 beaches in the UK that will have these properties,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26but this is one of the better ones.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30There's a good chance you're close to a whistling beach,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33particularly on the west coast.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35But why aren't there more?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37What makes these beaches special?
0:36:38 > 0:36:42I'm with coastal scientist Rod Jones
0:36:42 > 0:36:45to find out what makes some sand sing.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50What is it that makes the sound at a particular beach special?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Why isn't all sand the same?
0:36:52 > 0:36:57Well, sound is affected by the energy of the environment where it sits.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00So you've got your waves coming in and that's sorting the sand,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04and it's taking some grains and pulling them offshore,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and others it's pushing to the top end of the beach.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11And you've also got the process of wind, so when the tide's out,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14these sands will dry, and the wind will blow across them
0:37:14 > 0:37:18- and blow the finer particles up to the top of the shore.- Right.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21And the balance of the wave energy, wind energy,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24and the supply and grain size of the sediments that you've got
0:37:24 > 0:37:28at the back there, will define what the particle size
0:37:28 > 0:37:30and characteristics are of the beach sediment.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35How the wind and waves sort the sand depends on the shape of a bay.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38We compared samples from two different beaches,
0:37:38 > 0:37:44from here at Whistling Sands and from Cricieth nearby.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Right, shall we try this sand first? Which is from Cricieth.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50If I just zoom in on it...
0:37:50 > 0:37:55So, large grains and also a variety of different grain sizes as well.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57- And shapes as well.- Yeah.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01You can actually see little particles of slate there,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03as well as quartz and a lot of other things.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05It's a very varied sort of sand.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08OK, shall we have a look at the sand from Whistling Sands now?
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Let's compare it with the last one and see how different it is.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16That looks very different.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17It is, isn't it?
0:38:17 > 0:38:21The other one was much more varied in terms of grain size,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25whereas this one seems to be much more dominantly composed of quartz.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- And it's much more uniform. - Yes.- In terms of size of grains.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33They're quite well rounded, which means they will stack well together.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35They've been sorted down,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39a lot of the coarser and the finer fraction have been lost.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42So wind and waves here have sifted the sand
0:38:42 > 0:38:46into amazingly uniform, well-rounded particles.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50But how does that produce a squeak?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53David's come up with a super-size model of the sand grains.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55David, what are you doing?
0:38:55 > 0:38:59OK, well, what we've got here is
0:38:59 > 0:39:01normal sand found on most beaches,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03not regular at all. And what we've got here
0:39:03 > 0:39:07is our singing sand, with lots of grains
0:39:07 > 0:39:10of the same size and all very well rounded.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14When you kick your foot through the sand, you cause it to shear.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18- That means, you cause layers to rub across each other.- Right.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Now let's have a look what happens with the normal sand,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25and you can see that the grains just move up and down,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28all at different times, at different rates.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31With the singing sand, if you kick your foot through that,
0:39:31 > 0:39:37what happens is that the grains all move up and down at the same time.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- They all move together.- Yeah.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41So why does that produce a squeak?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Well, it's actually the whole layer moving up and down
0:39:44 > 0:39:48and the whole surface then acts a bit like a loudspeaker,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52vibrating and causing pressure changes in the air above,
0:39:52 > 0:39:53which we hear as sound.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57SQUEAKING
0:39:57 > 0:39:59And not just any sound.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02David's had time to analyse the squeaks he recorded to see if
0:40:02 > 0:40:08the beach is as musical as its nickname, Whistling Sands, suggests.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13The interesting thing is the regularity at which we get these pressure changes,
0:40:13 > 0:40:18so we get these increases in pressure happening at very regular intervals,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and that's all caused by the sand vibrating up and down,
0:40:21 > 0:40:22just like we saw with the balls,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26And that gives us this pitched sound, like a musical note, almost.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29We can actually demonstrate that, if you want to just try
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- singing some notes into the microphone, we'll record that.- OK.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- OK, here we go. Right, off you go. - # Ahhhh... #
0:40:37 > 0:40:40SHE SINGS REGULAR NOTES
0:40:42 > 0:40:44OK, that's brilliant.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47If we zoom in on one of those...
0:40:47 > 0:40:49And again, yes, you can see the regular pattern,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52you've got this regular repetition
0:40:52 > 0:40:54of these increases and decreases in air pressure.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59And it's this regular change that gives us the sense of pitch.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Unlike most sand, this sand actually sings.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04It really does sing, yeah.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Scientists are starting to explain the sound of the sands,
0:41:09 > 0:41:15but there remains a magical quality to this place that's hard to define.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19I love the fact the Singing Sands are still something of a mystery,
0:41:19 > 0:41:24and it's a puzzle that's played out along the beaches of our coast,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26in the sand under our feet.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The golden sands and clear waters of Llyn have a majestic backdrop -
0:41:39 > 0:41:42the imposing mountains of Snowdonia.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46And facing them across the water, Anglesey,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50the island known as Mon Mam Cymru - the mother of Wales.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56On its western edge is Llanddwyn Island, home of Saint Dwynwen,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58the patron saint of Welsh lovers.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Which brings me to my final destination - Llangwyfan.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11I'm on the causeway leading out to the Church in the Sea.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This is Llangwyfan, the church of Saint Cwyfan.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23The Irish knew him as Saint Kevin,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27and he was from Glendalough, not far from the stretch of Irish coast
0:42:27 > 0:42:29directly across the water from here.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38There's been a church on this site since at least as early as 1254.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40It was extended in the 14th and 15th centuries
0:42:40 > 0:42:44so it wasn't always the humble building that's here now,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48because back in the day, there was a lot more land out here than there is now.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Over the centuries, the sea eroded this site
0:42:54 > 0:42:58until the graves started to fall into the water.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So now the church sits here on a tiny promontory,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04that, just like Worm's Head where my journey started,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07becomes an island at high tide.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14Places like this, sometimes part of the land, but sometimes part of the sea,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17are reminders that everything is temporary.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20No matter how hard we hold onto things,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22our grasp of them is momentary.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26And just like the tides around this promontory, we're just passing through.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:42 > 0:43:45E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk