0:00:21 > 0:00:24Today I begin my journey on a lifeboat,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26here, off the north coast of Holyhead,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29in the notoriously treacherous Irish Sea.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33From here, I'll be heading due east across
0:00:33 > 0:00:38one of the most beautiful parts of the British Isles, North Wales.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43When I get back to dry land at Holyhead
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I'll travel on to Llanfair PG then on to Capel Curig
0:00:47 > 0:00:51in the heart of Snowdonia and I'll visit the Gwydyr Forest
0:00:51 > 0:00:54before ending my journey at Llangollen.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00Along the way I'll be looking back at some of the best of the BBC's rural programmes.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06One of the most treacherous stretches of water around
0:01:06 > 0:01:10the British Isles lies here, off the coast of North Wales.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Protecting those who set sail in these waters are the volunteers of the RNLI.
0:01:16 > 0:01:23The lifeboat station at Holyhead has a remarkable history, with 70 awards for gallantry.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Today, coxswain Brian Thomson, has invited me to join them on one of their training exercises.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33So, Brian, what are we doing today?
0:01:33 > 0:01:36We're out here in the middle of Holyhead Bay
0:01:36 > 0:01:39doing an exercise with our volunteer crews
0:01:39 > 0:01:43trying to get them up to a standard to become proper lifeboat men.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Earlier on today, some other members of the team headed out to a secret location in the bay.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Rather unceremoniously, they dropped Dead Fred in the water.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Just to clarify, who is Dead Fred?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Dead Fred is a good friend of ours who we use for a man overboard,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05we'll use him in our stretchers.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10He's the same weight as a normal person so he is quite difficult to get out the water.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15It teaches the guys what it's like to get a real person out the water.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Our job today is to find Dead Fred.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Even on a clear calm evening like this, it's incredibly difficult.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27But it's vital training for the less experienced members of the team.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31You are an RNLI volunteer, what does that encompass?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Well, I'm on call, as much as I can be.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38I'm not forced to be here.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I give up my spare time to be here to train and go out and rescue lives.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Do you have a pager that will suddenly go off and you have to leave everything?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Yes. I have a little pager that I keep on me at all times.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54It is next to my bed at night time and the wife doesn't like it at 3am,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57but I carry it at all times.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58What do you do during your day job?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Electrical engineer. At the aluminium smelter factory.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Full time there. They are very sympathetic,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08they'll help out and allow me to leave if I need to.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Even during the night time, I can come in a bit later on as well.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Today, this seems rather idyllic, really, being out flat,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19ocean sunshine, you must go out in some terrible weather.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Yes, I've been out in the night time and in very rough conditions.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26What's the longest you've been out on a rescue?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29A five-hour search for a casualty.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And why do you do it? What inspires you to volunteer?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It's great, actually, because there is a lot of...
0:03:35 > 0:03:39I'm into boats and it keeps you out on the boat and gives you
0:03:39 > 0:03:43a lot of training even for my own sailing and things like that.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And presumably satisfaction that you are helping people?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- Yes, yes, absolutely.- Fantastic.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54'An exercise like this is also a good time to practise complex navigational skills.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'Taking current and wind speed into account,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00'a search plan is drawn up based on information about where Fred was last seen.'
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Each leg of that is timed on a stopwatch.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Is that using the speed of the currents to estimate where he might have moved to?
0:04:07 > 0:04:12That's right. He's drifting down the tide at about two knots
0:04:12 > 0:04:15so we are going up and down the tide line looking for him.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19So while I'm yakking away to you, we should be keeping an eye out.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Presumably this is quite a good area to spot him from a distance?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Absolutely. But behind us we have two of our crew who are doing just that.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30'The mission to rescue Fred reminds me of the time I had to be
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'rescued from some nearby islands in much less favourable conditions.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:52I've just left Holyhead in Anglesey I'm on my way to join the Patricia,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54a ship that's on its way to the Skerries,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59a lighthouse perched on a rocky reef in the middle of the Irish Sea.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03She's owned by Trinity House which looks after all the lighthouses
0:05:03 > 0:05:07and buoys around the coast of England, Wales and the Channel Islands.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Get us under way, please.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Patricia's been patrolling the coast for just over 20 years.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Weather conditions moderate to rough and they are building up to be rough.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23We've got a 30 knots wind, two-and-a-half metres of swell.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26That's likely to build up during the day to about four metres sea.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Now, this is the ship's radar.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31That is us.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35That's the harbour wall and we are heading just out that way.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It's going to take about an hour to get to the lighthouse.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Before we get there, let me show you around
0:05:44 > 0:05:48a rather different and a rather more luxurious side to the ship.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51We take passengers cos we've got the accommodation
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and luxurious cabins for them on board.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55People seem to want to come
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and they seem to prefer coming to see a working ship,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00the working-ship environment,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02without the hustle and bustle of a cruise ship
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and 2,000 to 3,000 passengers milling around all the time.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07What will they do on board?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09They spend their time relaxing as much as they want.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12They can visit the bridge. Walk around the passenger decks
0:06:12 > 0:06:16and watch the general day-to-day work of the ship and the crew on board.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21While the passengers relax, the crew prepares for a day's work.
0:06:21 > 0:06:27Our main role is as a buoy tender for the Lighthouse Service.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Maintaining of the navigational marks around the coast.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Today we're involved with the lighthouse
0:06:33 > 0:06:36where we are delivering building materials and fuel.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38How often does that happen?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Fuelling, generally every six months,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44but we are moving away from diesel-powered lighthouses
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and they are converting this one at the moment to solar power.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50First thing we are going to be doing is
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the PGO - petroleum gas oil, or diesel to everybody else,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57we've got 5,000 litres to deliver to the lighthouse.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59How do you deliver it?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We deliver that in these bags. They hold 400 litres each.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06A helicopter will come in and hover over us
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and two people will go in and hook it on.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- OK.- While it's all going up and down.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I was going to say, it's starting to get a bit rockier on here, isn't it?
0:07:14 > 0:07:18The lighthouse stands on a low outcrop of rock
0:07:18 > 0:07:22directly in the path of major shipping lines between Liverpool and Ireland.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Many vessels have foundered here.
0:07:25 > 0:07:31A light was first lit in 1717 and for more than a century the lighthouse was privately run,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35paid for by the ships that had to pass the Skerries rocks safely.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Well, that's the last helicopter coming in.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48The last sack fuel.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The next cargo is going to be me.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Well, there she is, the lighthouse behind me.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22There to prevent any ships foundering on these dangerous rocks.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Just imagine what it would have been like as a lighthouse keeper
0:08:26 > 0:08:29living on this remote, windy, isolated outcrop.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Personally, I think it would have been absolutely amazing.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36But it must have been quite lonely as well.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Solar power is the future,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42but the first light was just a coal grate and then it was oil powered.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So, in the past, the light had to be continuously manned.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Not a life to suit everyone.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48I certainly enjoyed it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53There is one thing of course, obviously you missed your family.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59In the beginning, we used to do two months on the lighthouse
0:08:59 > 0:09:00and then a month off.
0:09:00 > 0:09:07Over the years Trinity House decided that two months was too long
0:09:07 > 0:09:11on the station and they cut it down to one month on and one month off.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15What was it like being, sort of, marooned there all that time?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18It was quite good. It depended on your crew.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23If you had a good crew it was an excellent job, an excellent place to be.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25What was Christmas like?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29We tried to make it as enjoyable as we could, you see, at Christmas.
0:09:29 > 0:09:35Of course, the RAF used to come out and deliver parcels for us,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38out of the goodness of their heart.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41They used to drop these Christmas parcels
0:09:41 > 0:09:47by their helicopter and it was very well received.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Today, the lighthouse is controlled from Harwich.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Inside the tower I don't suppose much has changed since Bill's time.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56But now the maintenance needed is minimal.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Now, Ken, I know that lighthouses are no longer manned,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04but you're responsible for this one. What does that involve?
0:10:04 > 0:10:08As an attendant, we come here once a month just to check the machinery,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11making sure everything's working, nothing broken.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We have to clean the windows, we have to check the hours on the bulbs
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and report back to Trinity House to tell them how things are.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22What sort of periods of time would you be looking at spending here?
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Usually we are here for most of a day, once a month.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29What's the longest you've ever spent on here?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- About two-and-a-half weeks.- Really?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34We ended up the last three days cos we were stuck for the weather.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Like today, we just couldn't get off.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37'But then the unexpected happens.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'The wind has built up to force eight, and on board the Patricia
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'our helicopter has broken free and been blown overboard.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'It's lost and for the moment, I'm stuck here too.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:50We've now got the Coastguard to come in to rescue myself
0:10:50 > 0:10:54and some of the other contractors that have been working on Skerries.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So far we've heard that the crew are all OK,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00but obviously I'll find out when I get ashore.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04So I leave Skerries courtesy of the Coastguard rescue helicopter.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Back on board the Patricia, it turns out that everyone is safe
0:11:07 > 0:11:10so the ship has sailed on.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13All I need to work out is how I can get across Anglesey
0:11:13 > 0:11:17to reach South Stack lighthouse, which is south of Holyhead.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So, without the Patricia or a helicopter as I'd planned,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29to get to South Stack it's a short drive and then down 400 steps
0:11:29 > 0:11:33to one of the most inaccessible lighthouses around our coast.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37The cliffs on the west coast of Anglesey rise more than 400 feet.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Where they meet the sea, a small islet juts out
0:11:42 > 0:11:44creating another hazard for shipping.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47This is the location of South Stack,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51a lighthouse that's been here for nearly 200 years.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03The first job was to cut the steps into the cliff face with the stone.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07The stone was hewn across and used to build the tower itself.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10There's an impressive bridge there today, has that always been there?
0:12:10 > 0:12:11No, that's an new bridge.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15It's been here since 1997, when we first opened to the public.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Before that it was a series of iron suspension bridges.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20The first bridge was put there in 1829.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So, for 20 years there was no bridge.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They used a rope and basket to wind men and people across.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This is the top of South Stack lighthouse.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Incredibly, the bulb in here is just 150 watts.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44That's only a little more than you would use in the house.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47But this one sends the light to more than 20 miles away,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49all because of the optics.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54They must keep revolving, otherwise the whole lantern would melt under the power of the sun.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Just off the coast, in beautiful conditions,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14I've been taking part in an RNLI training exercise.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18We're searching for a dummy casualty known as Dead Fred.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24We've been at sea for over two hours now, but at last we have a sighting.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- I've just been informed... - RADIO: 'Two points to starboard.'
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Two points to starboard, I have him ahead of us.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Port that side, starboard. So, he's somewhere over there, is he?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- There we go.- We've run across him.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38The two crew behind me have just told me they've spotted him.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40So, there he is ahead of us.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I'll just bring my bows round on to him.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45There's Fred.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's amazing how hard and difficult it is to find something like this.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- It's really obvious now. - Absolutely. But, you can see
0:13:52 > 0:13:55he's no more than a quarter mile off us, but it's very difficult to see him.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00If we had bad sea conditions now, it's almost impossible.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02But the training exercise isn't over yet.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Even lifting Fred from the water is carried out as if he were a real casualty.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Whoa, stop pulling!
0:14:11 > 0:14:16Well, there we have it. Another successful exercise by the RNLI here off Holyhead.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Dead Fred lives for another day.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23On a calm evening like this, it's hard to believe
0:14:23 > 0:14:26the waters around Anglesey can be some of Britain's most treacherous.
0:14:26 > 0:14:34Even on the more sheltered eastern side of the island, the notorious Menai Straits hold hidden dangers.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37This part of the Menai Straits from the Britannia Bridge
0:14:37 > 0:14:40here to the Menai Bridge about a mile away just
0:14:40 > 0:14:43around the corner is one of the most
0:14:43 > 0:14:47dangerous stretches of waterway anywhere in the country.
0:14:47 > 0:14:54It's known as the Swellies and twice a day, 58 billion gallons of water surges through.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03With swirling currents and fast flowing tides
0:15:03 > 0:15:09it needs great skill at the tiller to negotiate a safe passage through.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10It's classed as innavigable.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13If you are bringing anything more than 12 passengers through and you
0:15:13 > 0:15:17haven't got an exemption certificate, you have to have a pilot on board
0:15:17 > 0:15:20to steer the ship through, otherwise it would be too dangerous.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22And why is it so hazardous?
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Because the tides here...
0:15:23 > 0:15:28We have a tidal range difference of two hours from that side of the island to that side.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32You get these massive forces of water pouring through
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and this stretch is almost made entirely of rock and bedrock.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37I can see loads of whirlpools.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41It's the effect of the water rushing through and as the water hits the
0:15:41 > 0:15:46stone slabs, it forces water up causing these back eddies and turbulence on the surface.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And you do a lot of diving around here, don't you?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It's a unique place, the Menai Strait.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54It's mainly soft coral and sponges.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56There's a lot of invertebrates.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04And we've really got caught in this whirlpool now.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08We are getting spun around as we come up over the bank.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12What's the most famous of all the shipwrecks here?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14The most famous is definitely HMS Conway.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18She was being brought through here by two tugs and she got caught in
0:16:18 > 0:16:20one of these whirlpools and ended up on the Platters,
0:16:20 > 0:16:25which we are drifting up to now. When the tide went out, she broke her back and she was finished.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27It was a huge ship.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Close to the Britannia Bridge across the Straits is the little
0:16:33 > 0:16:38island of Gored Goch, which many years ago was inhabited by monks.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Now, the only cottage on the island is a holiday home
0:16:41 > 0:16:45and the other building was a fish smokery until 50 years ago.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48The fish were caught in traps and one of them has been restored.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52How does it work, Scott?
0:16:52 > 0:16:58As the tide comes in, the fish go over the top of a grating system across the back there.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And then these sluices which are open at the moment would be closed
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and the water would dissipate through the rocks.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Eventually, you ended up with a pool of fish lying in the sand.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- Easy pickings, then.- Very much so.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Are there many other fish traps around here?
0:17:15 > 0:17:21This is built on top of a very old fish trap dating back to the 1600s
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and all along the shore side are more fish traps and there's
0:17:25 > 0:17:30another one the other side of the island which would have been working in the day of the monastery.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The Britannia Bridge was built by Robert Stephenson to take the
0:17:34 > 0:17:37railway across to Anglesey and its port of Holyhead.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41It opened in 1850 but it looks rather different today.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45The bridge caught fire in 1970, and it burnt for days.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47The intense heat contorted the girders.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53After long and extensive repairs the bridge was reopened to rail traffic
0:17:53 > 0:17:59and then in 1980, a much-needed dual-carriageway road was built on top.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05Before the Britannia Bridge, this was the only bridge to Anglesey - Thomas Telford's Menai Bridge
0:18:05 > 0:18:12which was completed in 1826 and at the time it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16The pier is made from rough hewn Anglesey stone,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20had to be 100 ft above high-water so tall-masted sailing ships could pass underneath.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26Thick steel chains suspend the road above the swirling currents.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31What difference did the bridge make to this part of Anglesey?
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Well, it completely created the town of Menai Bridge.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39There was nothing here before except a rocky common.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40The common was enclosed,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44the bridge was built and then the town took off.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- Before the bridge, it was an important agricultural area.- Yes.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51How did they get the animals across?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Yes, that is a huge story.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Imagine the black Anglesey cattle
0:18:58 > 0:19:00swimming across.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06By the 18th century, it was calculated 10,000 cattle swam across
0:19:06 > 0:19:10the Menai Straits in one year and it is this stretch of water here.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14It must have been an incredible sight, the noise must have been awful!
0:19:14 > 0:19:19The famous bridge brought the A5 road into Anglesey.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26Yes, it was all part of the huge plan to link London with Holyhead and then the boats to Ireland.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30It was connecting London and Dublin.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Today, the little town of Menai Bridge continues to thrive.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I am heading towards the Menai Bridge myself.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Travelling across Anglesey by train,
0:19:43 > 0:19:49but en route I can't resist a stop at the town with the longest name in the UK.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Often abbreviated to Llanfair PG, the town used to be known as
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Llanfairpwllgwyngyll - quite a mouthful in itself.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01But when the railway was built in the 1850s, a committee was
0:20:01 > 0:20:05put together to try and encourage tourists to stop at the village.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10And that's when a local cobbler came up with the brand new name of...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Llan-fair-pwill-gwin...
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Cut!
0:20:19 > 0:20:22How do you pronounce it, the whole thing?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Llanfairpwillgwyngyll...
0:20:27 > 0:20:29One more time, I will get it, this one.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- Llan-fair...- Gogerychwyrndrob.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Jess!
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Llantysiliogogococh.
0:20:38 > 0:20:45Well, however you pronounce it, the name roughly translates as the church of Mary in the hollow of
0:20:45 > 0:20:52white hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the red cave.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55But as the name was dreamed of as a publicity stunt
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I've decided to find out if all these elements really exist.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Well, I found St Mary's church and what a beautiful spot this is.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09You could even argue this is a hollow so what I need to find now are some white hazel trees.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Now, I am no tree expert but using my guide,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24this looks a bit like hazel.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28It's got the right leaf shape, the bark is light brown.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32I'm not convinced it's white hazel but it will do me.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39That's the Menai Straits that John Craven visited.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41You could describe that as a whirlpool.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56And just down the road I found the Church of St Tysilio.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And that just leaves the elusive red caves.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06There are two theories on this.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11One that it was a mispronunciation lost in translation that in fact means island
0:22:11 > 0:22:14which you can see just over there, and the other is that the red caves
0:22:14 > 0:22:19still exist hidden somewhere beneath one of the bridges.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Crossing Telford's magnificent bridge, I am heading into mainland
0:22:24 > 0:22:30Wales and within a few miles the mountains of Snowdonia begin to rise steeply around me.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33It's a perfect area for a sightseeing trip.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41You might not normally associate buses with a relaxing way to get around but the Snowdon Sherpa
0:22:41 > 0:22:48is supposed be just that, a stress-free way of travelling around the sights of North Wales.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It covers some of the most scenic places around Snowdon
0:22:51 > 0:22:58and has grown from a local service connecting rural communities to a tourist attraction in its own right.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Mastering the timetable isn't too hard, either.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Buses run every hour during the summer months.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It looks like I've got a little bit of time to kill which gives me the
0:23:07 > 0:23:11perfect opportunity to explore my starting point, Llandudno.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Llandudno is the first stop on this section of the route.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18The town is one of the largest seaside resorts in Wales.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Every year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy the long sweeping bay
0:23:22 > 0:23:28and Victorian character which is still evident in the town today.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32John's grandfather was one of the people who helped build the town.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36John himself is now a local historian.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39How did Llandudno evolve into a seaside town?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41It did not evolve, it was built as a seaside town
0:23:41 > 0:23:43by the Mostyn family who lived locally.
0:23:43 > 0:23:50They saw the potential for it as a watering place, as the great fashion at the time for taking
0:23:50 > 0:23:55the waters, bathing in the sea and they saw this would be the ideal place to build it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57They didn't have a railway system at that time.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Everybody had to come in by the sea.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04They came in by steamers and would be rowed ashore and dropped on the beach.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It was quite primitive, actually.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Until about 1858, when the railway arrived.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12This really opened up Llandudno to business.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17It was one of the busiest railway stations in Britain for a period.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, it really developed in the Victorian era?
0:24:20 > 0:24:27Absolutely. Right bang in the middle of the Victorian era, when they went on the bandwagon of
0:24:27 > 0:24:32building resorts all over the country, but this one was unique because it included
0:24:32 > 0:24:39modern facilities like indoor toilets and baths and running water and a proper sewage system.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44It was definitely upmarket by those standards in those days.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Sadly, there's no time for a quick donkey ride on the beach.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I've got a bus to catch.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Taking the bus not only takes the hassle out of driving and parking,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01it leaves you free to make the most of the views.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06I am taking the S2 service from Llandudno to Pen-y-pass at the foot of Snowdon.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11It's just one of the Sherpa routes that take you all over the area.
0:25:11 > 0:25:18I've got my red rover bus ticket so for £4.95 I can travel all over the Snowdon Sherpa network.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I can get on and off as much as I please so I've got my walking
0:25:21 > 0:25:25boots and my timetable, the sun is out, it's going to be a good day.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Thank you very much. Bye!
0:25:36 > 0:25:38My first stop is a visit to Gwydir Castle,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41one of the finest Tudor houses in Wales.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Stunning as the castle itself is, I am here to see the 17th century
0:25:45 > 0:25:50dining room which, astonishingly, has been all the way to America and back.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54The dining room has been on quite a journey, hasn't it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Well, it was bought by William Randolph Hearst
0:25:57 > 0:25:59who people will know as Citizen Kane.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It was bought by him in 1921 at house sale here
0:26:03 > 0:26:08and it was destined for his castle in California
0:26:08 > 0:26:09but he never assembled it there.
0:26:09 > 0:26:17And we went on a detective story, or journey, and found it languishing in the warehouses of the
0:26:17 > 0:26:24Metropolitan Museum in New York and we negotiated with the Metropolitan Museum and were able to buy it back.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27We then reassembled it in its rightful place.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32What sort of state was it in when it came back to you because it had been in crates for quite a long time.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38It had. It was in not too bad condition considering what it had been through.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44The leather frieze was extremely dirty and we took advice from
0:26:44 > 0:26:49various museums and they said use spit, it's a gentle detergent,
0:26:49 > 0:26:56so we did spend three months spitting on this leatherwork
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and you can see, it paid dividends.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- That's what you call lovingly restoring something.- Yes!
0:27:03 > 0:27:06You have been lovingly restoring the whole place for 13 years.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12Yes, it was derelict when we bought the house, so we've been gradually,
0:27:12 > 0:27:17through a careful and phased process of restoration, putting the house back together
0:27:17 > 0:27:22again while still trying to retain its atmosphere.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23When do you think you will be finished?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Never! It's a lifetime's job.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We will devote the rest our lives to it, I think.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30You are doing a good job, it's beautiful.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Thank you.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Sadly, there's no time to help out with the spitting.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I am back on the bus to Snowdon.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47On this bus trip, travelling to my destination is as much
0:27:47 > 0:27:51part of the experience as actually reaching the final stop.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06And reaching my next destination is almost a door-to-door service.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16When you come to the great outdoors in Wales you can't possibly sit on a bus all day.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18You've got to get some exercise.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23Even if you don't fancy climbing the mountain, there are plenty of other things you can do.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25This is the National Mountain Centre.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's an absolutely stunning place.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And you can do all sorts of things here.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36From professional courses to just trying out a couple of hours of something like kayaking.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38A natural.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42You have done this before, haven't you?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- Whee!- Fantastic.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Very good.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51After getting to grips with the basics, it's on to something a bit harder.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Perfecting my wiggle.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Hold your paddle out and give me a wiggle from side to side.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59You are going quite a long way, aren't you?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Yeah. Too far.- That's brilliant.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04You were pretty close to going in there.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05How do you stop yourself from going?
0:29:05 > 0:29:10If you flip the thing over you can push on the surface of the water.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13And armed with that vital piece of information,
0:29:13 > 0:29:18I felt confident about staying dry as we headed to more challenging water.
0:29:30 > 0:29:31Whee!
0:29:36 > 0:29:39And just as I thought I was doing well...
0:29:39 > 0:29:40It's freezing!
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Well, I think I overdid it a bit there. I fell in.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52That was real comedy value, that. I think
0:29:52 > 0:29:54I might get on the back of the bus now.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Fortunately, I've got my dry trousers.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05All dried off again and I am on my way to the final stop of my journey.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10This is when it really pays to sit on the top deck.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12The views as you approach Snowdon are spectacular.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Although it does play havoc with your hair.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25So, 30 miles and £4.95 later,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29here I am at Pen-y-pass at the foot of Snowdon.
0:30:29 > 0:30:35I've reached the end of my trip but it's taken me so long to get here because I've stopped so many times,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40plus my boots are still soaking wet from falling in the water.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43I'm going to have to leave climbing the mountain until another day.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46All I've got to do now is wait for the bus back again.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50But let's face it, it's not a bad bus-stop to wait at.
0:30:57 > 0:31:03Michaela might not have climbed Snowdon but each year, around half-a-million people do.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07In fact, it's been described as probably the busiest mountain in
0:31:07 > 0:31:13Britain and its sparkling new visitor centre is sure to help that reputation alive.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16But I want to get away from the crowds.
0:31:16 > 0:31:24My journey started at Holyhead taking me through Llanfair PG and now I've arrived in Capel Curig.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27I'm hoping to get off the beaten track.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31I followed in Michaela's footsteps to the National Mountain Centre and her canoe instructor
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Martin Chester has offered to take me on one of his favourite walks.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Right, the beginning of the trail.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Where are we heading to today then, Martin?
0:31:44 > 0:31:46This is the old packhorse trail
0:31:46 > 0:31:50that would have been the original trade route, so we are going up through here
0:31:50 > 0:31:54and break right to a Bronze Age burial cairn which gives us a beautiful view
0:31:54 > 0:31:58of the mountains and a nice view point to enjoy the scenery.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01We couldn't have asked for better weather.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Absolutely stunning.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Martin has worked as a chief instructor at the National Mountain Centre for 14 years.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12So, if anyone knows the less travelled paths, it's him.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Snowdon on a busy weekend is absolutely mobbed,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20and if you were to take the footpath that is absolutely mobbed.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22As soon as you come off the beaten track
0:32:22 > 0:32:28or places like this, it's suddenly very easy to find places where there just aren't that many people.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I couldn't help noticing the impressive peak behind us.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33What is that one?
0:32:33 > 0:32:37That is our back garden at the National Mountain Centre.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38It's a beautiful mountain.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43It gets tremendous views of the National Parks, it's stuck out on its own more than the others.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- And what height is she? - It's just under 3,000 feet,
0:32:46 > 0:32:51which means it's tremendously less popular than a lot of the really busy peaks.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54There's 14 peaks in the main range over 3,000 feet.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57For the some reason, people love ticking off these numbers and
0:32:57 > 0:33:02that's just under which is a good thing because it means it's nowhere near as busy.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- One of the hidden gems.- Absolutely.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09We've only walked two or three miles from civilisation and though
0:33:09 > 0:33:13we haven't gained a great deal of height, the views are stunning.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22I have to say, Martin, it's not that often I am very envious of someone else's job.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27Everyone always tells me I've got the luckiest job but look at this.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- The best job in the world. - Where are we now, what's this?
0:33:29 > 0:33:34This is a Bronze Age burial cairn or a cremation cairn depending on who you believe.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39What a view, they would have chosen this spot because of the majesty of the mountains behind us.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43It's a fantastic viewpoint. You can see all the ranges of Snowdonia.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47It would have been an important trade point as the meeting of lots of different valleys.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And I'm led to believe the folks at the time were nomadic
0:33:51 > 0:33:56so what greater way to stake your claim to a bit of land than plonk
0:33:56 > 0:34:03great uncle Winifred in his cairn on the top, and mark the fact this is yours.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06I can think of worse places to be buried. What's really struck me is a
0:34:06 > 0:34:08beautiful hot day and we haven't seen a single soul.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12No, it's amazing. We are away from the beaten track.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- Away from the crowds. - A real little gem.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- Thank you, Martin.- You're welcome.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20These quiet areas of Snowdonia are a good place to spot wildlife.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26Back in 1996, Rachel Morgan was not having much luck.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29I am looking for a pine marten
0:34:29 > 0:34:31and no, it's not a bird.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36I'm told it's a relative of the weasel but it's bigger and fiercer.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And widely thought to be extinct in England and Wales.
0:34:39 > 0:34:47But there are now rumours, strong rumours, that it's alive here in Wales surviving in this wood.
0:34:47 > 0:34:53In Scotland and Ireland, pine marten numbers are recovering after years of being hunted for fur.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55The only real proof, though, that it's survived elsewhere
0:34:55 > 0:34:59is one carcass found after a road accident in Lancashire.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02But could it be that the Welsh variety is fighting back?
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Well, I'd just been making a sound recording of a colony
0:35:06 > 0:35:10of lesser horseshoe bats, which was why I was wandering about here
0:35:10 > 0:35:12in the middle of the night.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I got to about here and out the corner of my eye I saw a fairly
0:35:15 > 0:35:20large animal come bounding down from behind the rocks over here and across the driveway.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23So I shone my torch on it,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27by which time it had its front feet up on the wall, big
0:35:27 > 0:35:32long bushy tail like a squirrel, and it couldn't really have been anything except a pine marten.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Or could it?
0:35:34 > 0:35:37The hunt for the pine marten is on in England and Wales,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39led by Dr Johnny Burke,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42but a sighting does not amount to proof.
0:35:42 > 0:35:48Many claim to have seen the Loch Ness monster, yet the myths and legends refuse to yield it up.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57This is it, this is a stuffed one.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01It was actually found in Lancashire a couple of years ago by Mrs Davies.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04He's a fine male pine marten.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Lovely rich brown colour, quite a long bushy tail,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12prominent ears, quite a long snout and very, very prominent is this
0:36:12 > 0:36:15creamy yellow chest patch, throat patch down here.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20The amount of evidence that we've receiving in the form of sightings from naturalists,
0:36:20 > 0:36:26occasional road casualties like this one is very encouraging evidence that they're still there.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31But the challenge is finding how to survey them and find evidence of them.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35So what are you actually doing to prove that pine martens still actually exist?
0:36:35 > 0:36:40Well, we're trying to get concrete evidence through a variety of things, bait stations,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42looking for droppings and using our remote camera system.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46And this is one of the bait stations that we've developed, and the idea
0:36:46 > 0:36:52is we place these boxes up trees with food at the back and a spring stretched across the entrance.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56And as the animal climbs in and goes for the food, it dislodges
0:36:56 > 0:37:00the spring, which traps and plucks a few hairs from its back.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05I found these this morning quite near here, and I think they're pine marten droppings.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10One of the distinctive things about them is that they smell quite sweet, almost fruity.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11Go on.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Mmm, they are but...
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Ha-ha-ha! You're not too keen!
0:37:16 > 0:37:19- No.- Gorgeous, wonderful smell, it's heaven.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22How does this differ from perhaps a polecat or...?
0:37:22 > 0:37:26A polecat dropping tends to smell nastier.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30- They have quite a rank, sharp, nasty smell. - That doesn't smell too bad at all.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33No, these are quite pleasant to people who are connoisseurs of these things.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Fox droppings tend to be larger, and they also smell really rank as well.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Under cover of night, the pine marten forays forth,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46climbing trees with ease, conquering sheer rock faces effortlessly.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48It will eat anything from fruit to small mammals.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52It roamed the Welsh forest before the birth of man,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55became embedded in Welsh songs, place names and ancient annals.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59But as our woodlands disappeared, so did the pine marten.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02They were persecuted by the estates, by the gamekeepers,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and after all those gamekeepers went to the First World War,
0:38:05 > 0:38:10and of course the pressure from that quarter was lessened,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13then a lot of them were killed in fox traps
0:38:13 > 0:38:18when the Forestry Commission started planting the large forestry plantations,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20so that was the another bout of pressure.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24It's been rare since the last century, now it's a protected species.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29It may be a reality in Scotland and Ireland, but the pine marten's existence - or not -
0:38:29 > 0:38:33in England and Wales is a mystery naturalists need help in solving.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38I'm travelling on from Capel Curig
0:38:38 > 0:38:42and making my way to the heart of the Gwydyr Forest,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46where I'm in meeting Neil Jordan from The Vincent Wildlife Trust,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48who's still looking for pine martens in Wales.
0:38:48 > 0:38:54So since that report was made, how many sightings have you actually had of pine martens here in Wales?
0:38:54 > 0:38:58In Wales, we've had quite a few, but the last one here was in 2003,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02so we haven't had many, but they come through sort of sporadically.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06Confirmed sightings are not just exciting,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10they provide the trust with valuable information that can help them understand
0:39:10 > 0:39:14and potentially help the struggling pine marten population.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16So over the last two days,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19we've had a camera with a motion sensor set up in the forest
0:39:19 > 0:39:22in the hope of catching sight of the elusive creature.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26It's time now to see the results.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29OK, so this is the camera in the waterproof unit.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I know it's quite ambitious that we might catch one, but this sort of information
0:39:33 > 0:39:36that we may or may not have on here would be absolutely crucial to you.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41Absolutely crucial. It would be fantastic to get current evidence of pine martens here now.
0:39:41 > 0:39:47OK, Well, let's see. I will press play there, and let's see.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49OK, there's the platform.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51It's dark, at night. We've got some...
0:39:51 > 0:39:55- I think it's chicken up there. - There are some chicken wings, yeah.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59- What else was there?- A little bit of jam and peanut butter.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00- Always a winner!- Absolutely.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04It's lucky I wasn't wandering round there, I'd be straight up.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Oh... What's... OK, I think those are probably squirrels.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Yes.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12- We know those are squirrels. - Straight for the jam.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Well, there's no disguising that.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19They're a lot smaller, obviously, than the pine marten.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20And a big bushy tail.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Yep, OK, so we're not going to get anything this time,
0:40:24 > 0:40:29but presumably you'll keep asking people to send in any reports
0:40:29 > 0:40:32of scat or actual sightings.
0:40:32 > 0:40:38Absolutely. If anyone sees pine martens, we're very desperate to know, and we'll come and find them.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Leaving the Gwydyr Forest behind,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44I'm heading further east to Llangollen.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49Here the River Dee winds its way from its source high in the mountains of Snowdonia.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52It's a popular salmon river,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56and, with wild salmon becoming rarer, the value of these fish has soared.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Sadly, the high value has brought with it crime.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05So just how bad is it for the salmon here now?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Well, there's a big decline in salmon at the moment -
0:41:08 > 0:41:12mortality at sea and various other things that happen on the river,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16which all contribute to a lack of salmon spawning on the reds.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21So compared to, say, 20 years ago, there's a huge decline, is there?
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Yeah, a big decline.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28I mean, there certainly is nowhere near as many fish in the river now as there used to be.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Rick is an environmental crime officer.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34One of his roles is to track down poachers on the river.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40He often works undercover, and for that reason doesn't want his face to be seen on camera.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42So how do you go about your job?
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Do you receive information, intelligence, tip-offs?
0:41:47 > 0:41:52All of those things, really. Intelligence, for sure. We do work a lot off the intelligence
0:41:52 > 0:41:58that people ring in, they give us information, we come down and confirm or deny it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00It is confirmed, we'll plan a job.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05The whole team will come down, perform the job, hopefully get a result and move on to the next one.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10Acting on intelligence, Rick has been known to stake out a likely spot,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14hiding in the undergrowth to gather evidence of salmon poaching.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19So what sort of means do they use now to poach a salmon?
0:42:19 > 0:42:24- Well, there's gaffs, the normal gaffs.- A gaff, so a pole with a hook on the end?
0:42:24 > 0:42:28You've got snatching equipment, which consists of very large treble hooks
0:42:28 > 0:42:31on leaded line with weights which they pull along the bottom,
0:42:31 > 0:42:37and if they feel a salmon, they'll yank it into the side of the salmon and take the fish that way.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41And you've got static traps, which they put at choke points on the river,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45- which the salmon will swim into... - Choke points are where the river narrows.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Yeah, or waterfalls, things like that.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Home-made tridents.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53A trident is like a pitchfork, if you like, with any number of tines on it
0:42:53 > 0:43:00between three or four up to 14, or with barbs on that they use to spear the fish.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05All these gruesome-looking instruments were confiscated by Rick and his colleagues.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09So they'd literally step out into the water and just jab it.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14Find where the fish is lying, come from behind, stab it and pin it down and take it.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16How gruesome.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20These methods of poaching seem particularly unfair, given the fishes' epic battle
0:43:20 > 0:43:23to make their way all the way upriver to spawn.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Now, just explain the implications.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30One salmon that has been taken from the river illegally
0:43:30 > 0:43:36presumably can have some pretty profound effects on salmon as a whole.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41Sure. I mean, many thousands of fish come from one hen salmon.
0:43:41 > 0:43:48All of the eggs that she produces are the prodigy for future years, so if you're taking the hen fish away,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52potentially 80,000 fish are being taken out of the system.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57And it's just not really very fair, is it, to gaff a salmon at this stage?
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Well, they're practically at the end of their journey.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04They've travelled thousands of miles, jumped many waterfalls to get to this point,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08and they're focused on recreating, and the chaps, and ladies sometimes,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11will come along and finish the job off before it's even started.
0:44:11 > 0:44:16So it could have really profound effects on the population of salmon as a whole.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Sure, and they're already on the decline, and that's going to contribute to it.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Besides being home to the beautiful River Dee,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30the normally quiet rural town of Llangollen comes alive each year
0:44:30 > 0:44:36when 5,000 performers from around the world gather for the International Musical Eisteddfod.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Eisteddfods are embedded in Welsh culture and history.
0:44:45 > 0:44:51Artists of all ages compete in festivals that celebrate literature, music and dance,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55but the idea to extend the Welsh traditions to other parts of the world
0:44:55 > 0:44:58started shortly after the Second World War.
0:44:58 > 0:45:04In 1947, a group of artists and musicians decided to set up a festival to heal the wounds of war
0:45:04 > 0:45:07by bringing nations together through music and dance.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15What was it like on that first festival? Did people turn up?
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Well, this was the great uncertainty, of course.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21There were applications from various countries.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24In fact, there were 14 nationalities who applied to compete,
0:45:24 > 0:45:30but of course nobody knew if they were actually going to turn up. And nerves were getting quite high.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33It was heard that there was a foreign bus in the vicinity,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35and the whole of the town came out onto the street,
0:45:35 > 0:45:43and there arrived a travel-stained bus that had driven all the way from Portugal with a ladies' choir in it.
0:45:43 > 0:45:48And they were quite amazed by the reception they received. They were received as if they were royalty.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53Everybody out on the street clapping and waving - they had a tremendous reception.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55And of course, a great relief, yes, people were coming.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58It was truly going to be an international eisteddfod.
0:45:58 > 0:46:04- And how did the local community accept the overseas visitors? - They must have been a very bemused.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07At the time, bear in mind foreign travel was virtually unknown
0:46:07 > 0:46:11except for the very rich, and the eisteddfod decided from the outset
0:46:11 > 0:46:15that all overseas competitors were to be accommodated in private homes
0:46:15 > 0:46:17and welcomed as members of the family.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Good afternoon. Could you help us to find some accommodation?
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Well, yes, I think we can help you.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27So the hospitality committee had the job of going round
0:46:27 > 0:46:33knocking on doors, asking bemused housewives if they could provide a bed or two beds,
0:46:33 > 0:46:39bearing in mind, of course, that in almost every case communication was by nods, smiles and sign language.
0:46:39 > 0:46:40But it worked!
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Presumably a lot of the countries have experienced some conflict in the past,
0:46:44 > 0:46:46but they still come together through the music.
0:46:46 > 0:46:51Well, this is part of the magic of Llangollen - it's an instrument of reconciliation.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Let me give you an example.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57In 1949, four years after the end of the Second World War,
0:46:57 > 0:47:02we had the first German group here, a choir from Lubeck in Germany.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05And they arrived very nervously,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07wondering what the reception was going to be,
0:47:07 > 0:47:11and they were lined up backstage waiting to come on full of nerves.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15And the presenter on stage said the inspired words,
0:47:15 > 0:47:20"Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome our friends from Germany?"
0:47:20 > 0:47:23The choir came on, they had a tumultuous reception,
0:47:23 > 0:47:26people were clapping and cheering and standing,
0:47:26 > 0:47:31the choir were in tears, the audience were in tears,
0:47:31 > 0:47:32everybody was in tears.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36They had to suspend the eisteddfod for a quarter of an hour
0:47:36 > 0:47:38to let everybody collect themselves,
0:47:38 > 0:47:43and that was a true example of the way that Llangollen brings people together.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49The festival is now in its 61st year,
0:47:49 > 0:47:53and making sure the week runs smoothly is Mervyn Cousins, the eisteddfod director.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55How has it changed over the years?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58The buzz has got greater, the number of people have got greater.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01We're talking about 50-odd countries.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03We started with 13 all those years ago.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05So it's got bigger, and we hope more colourful.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08But the focus remains, the reason for doing it
0:48:08 > 0:48:10is to promote peace and goodwill between nations,
0:48:10 > 0:48:14and it was for that reason that we were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004,
0:48:14 > 0:48:20and for a town and an event to be nominated for a peace prize is just fantastic.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22You've had some famous visitors here, too.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26We certainly have. I suppose the most iconic one is the late and great Pavarotti,
0:48:26 > 0:48:29who first came as a competitor with his father.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33They won the male choir competition in 1955 with the Modena Choir,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and it was that moment that he decided to become a professional singer.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40He came back 40 years later in great triumph as THE tenor of the world.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43In the party atmosphere, it's hard to believe
0:48:43 > 0:48:47that the performers are actually competing against each other.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51- So where are you from?- Tobago. - And are you having a good time?
0:48:51 > 0:48:56We are having a good time, although it's just a bit colder than our country, but it's wonderful.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59- And have you been before? - No, this is my first time.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03- Well, you look amazing. Good luck, have a great time. - Thank you very much.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06High five!
0:49:06 > 0:49:08- Where are you from?- South Africa.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13- Are you gonna win?- Yes!
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Pretty confident!
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Give me the pose with the stick.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35The party mood is infectious.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- We are from Argentina.- Argentina?
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- Yes.- And what sort of music or dance will you be doing?
0:49:57 > 0:49:59We are doing folk traditional music, yes.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02We are three musicians called El Trio Pampa,
0:50:02 > 0:50:06and then six people from Japan, which are performing Argentinian music.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Goodness me! And have you been before?
0:50:08 > 0:50:10For us at least, it is our first time.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- So give us a little rendition.- Yes.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15- What did he say? - Sing a little something.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19Oh, right. What would that be? OK.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23This is a traditional song.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29HE SINGS A BALLAD
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Wonderful, that's lovely, isn't it?
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Isn't that fantastic? Oh, you'll have women melting all over the country.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52I hope so!
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Llangollen's wonderful eisteddfod.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Staying in the area, my journey has brought me to the White Water Active Centre,
0:51:00 > 0:51:04but I'm not canoeing. I'm having a go at something called gorge walking.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10Gorge walking involves climbing, crawling, sliding and even swimming your way
0:51:10 > 0:51:12through a wonderfully wet Welsh gorge.
0:51:15 > 0:51:22Our trip begins with a very slippery scramble, but I've stayed on my feet and so far managed to stay dry.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26Our guide, Lee, assures me that I won't stay dry for much longer.
0:51:26 > 0:51:32So, Lee, this is like the perfect way of making the natural environment into your playground.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Very much so.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36It's good for people to experience this,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38especially people who don't get an opportunity to
0:51:38 > 0:51:42- in their day-to-day life. - And what sort of people do get coming here, doing this?
0:51:42 > 0:51:46All walks of life. We take people, we take children down here,
0:51:46 > 0:51:53we take kids in care down here - sort of rehab programmes, things like that, adults in care as well.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55We take people with disabilities,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58we've taken blind people down here. More or less everybody can do it.
0:51:58 > 0:52:03- And what do people get out of doing something like this? - It depends on the person, obviously.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Some people, it's just an experience, something to chalk up.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12Other people, it gives them something to improve their self-confidence and their self-worth in a lot of cases.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15And do you ever tire of this magnificent landscape?
0:52:15 > 0:52:20Not really. As soon as you end up going somewhere else and you come back, it's good to come back to.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24The next part of our gorge walk involves crawling under a waterfall,
0:52:24 > 0:52:31and I can assure you that water is absolutely freezing.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35In a moment, I'm gonna be abseiling down that waterfall!
0:52:37 > 0:52:40My journey across the spectacular landscape of North Wales
0:52:40 > 0:52:44has taken me from the treacherous waters around Holyhead
0:52:44 > 0:52:48through Llanfair PG and on to Capel Curig in the heart of Snowdonia.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I also visited the Gwydyr Forest
0:52:51 > 0:52:56before ending my journey here in Llangollen.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Right now I'm soaking wet and freezing cold,
0:52:58 > 0:53:03but that's the price you pay for the thrill of gorge walking,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07and we're about to abseil down this dramatic waterfall.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11OK, Lee, this is the bit we've been waiting for, this is the abseil.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14So what do we need to know here?
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- Right, have either of you abseiled before?- I've done a little bit, never down a waterfall, though.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23My gorge-walking partner, Katie, gets to go first...
0:53:25 > 0:53:28..and, apart from a slight slip, makes it look easy.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Very slippy, so you've got to walk slowly. Good.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Well done, Katie.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38Oh, it's slippery.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Well done! Right, my turn!
0:53:42 > 0:53:44'This is a potentially dangerous activity,
0:53:44 > 0:53:49'and I wouldn't recommend anyone to try it without the proper safety equipment and training.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56'On the plus side, abseiling down a waterfall is a first for me,
0:53:56 > 0:54:00'and I can tell you it's truly exhilarating.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:02You didn't need a shower this morning!
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Well done!
0:54:10 > 0:54:11I love this!
0:54:13 > 0:54:19As if we aren't wet enough already, our final challenge is to plunge backwards into a pool of icy water.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21What fun!
0:54:21 > 0:54:26Well, I began this journey on a lifeboat off the glorious coast of Anglesey,
0:54:26 > 0:54:31and I'm finishing it here in this magnificent canyon.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34What a way to end!
0:54:39 > 0:54:40Whoo-hoo-hoo!
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd