0:00:02 > 0:00:06In this series, I'll look at some of the jewels of Wales and the wildlife associated with them.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08These are landscape gems.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10My choice of some of the very best
0:00:10 > 0:00:14natural and industrial landscapes of Wales.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'll be meeting people who live, work and play
0:00:19 > 0:00:21in this spectacular scenery.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I'll be finding out why they love it so much.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It's a national treasure, really, you've got everything here.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I'll be exploring the sea.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34And I'll be visiting industrial sites,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37once exploited, but now being won over by nature.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I'll be finding out how the Welsh landscape is being used today,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45and discovering some very surprising wildlife
0:00:45 > 0:00:48right amongst this dramatic activity.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Wales has terrific landscape,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and it's been enjoyed and exploited for centuries.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57It's been shaped by nature and by man.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08In this part of my journey through the Jewels of Wales,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I'm looking at industrial Wales
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and its effect on the Welsh landscape and wildlife.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19How industry re-shaped the land, and, as the work ended,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21how nature returned.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Also, the secondary effects of industry on the Welsh landscape,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30such as canal and railway building.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And the fabulous wildlife that lives in these new habitats.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Also the great parks created by industrial riches,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41which in turn led to a wealth of wildlife.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52The biggest industry in north west Wales during the past 200 years
0:01:52 > 0:01:53was slate mining.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The whole region is full of old slate quarries.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Most, like Dorothea Quarry in the Nantlle Valley,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04which is only a stone's throw from Snowdon,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05have closed.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Industrial work finished here nearly 40 years ago.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11It's now nature's turn to work the slate.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I love coming to old slate quarries like this.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Whenever I come, it makes me wonder what it was like 100 years before.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27All the men, probably hundreds of them,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30the noise, the shouting, the dust,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34the pollution here, and I bet they never thought the work would end.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38And they wouldn't have thought that less than 50 years after the quarry closed
0:02:38 > 0:02:41that nature would be taking over completely.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45You've got birch and you've got willow, and even ash and oak
0:02:45 > 0:02:49taking over everywhere and that's dragging in the birds as well.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Willow warblers and dunnocks singing away over here.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And give another 100 years and I bet that they'll be very few signs
0:02:56 > 0:03:02of the quarry left at all, it'll be completely taken over.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Dorothea slate quarry is a magnificent landscape,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and probably one of the best examples in Wales
0:03:11 > 0:03:13of re-colonisation by nature.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18As the quarrymen left and the tipping of slate waste stopped,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20plants such as mosses and ferns began to colonise.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26As these plants died, they helped to form soil on the tips,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and eventually there was enough root hold and nourishment for trees.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Soon after, woodland birds such as the robin returned.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's a rich and stunning landscape, and one of Wales' industrial jewels.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Some of the slate mining in north west Wales was underground,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04particularly in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It's a big mining region and some quarries are still being worked.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11High up above Gloddfa Ganol quarry,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14which at one time was the biggest slate quarry in the world,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16is Cwmorthin.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19All right, lads.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23'And in the cwm is the entrance to a huge disused quarry.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'I'm joining two cavers, John Osbourne and Roger Sexton,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31'who know the quarry well and have agreed to help me explore the hidden landscape.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'The entrance is usually locked.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'You need special permission and expert help to enter the quarry.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'And for good reason - it's a very dangerous place.'
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It's deep, isn't it?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'The mine has many miles of tunnels and hundreds of chambers.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:06These would be the trolleys to carry out the slate?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08They would have been to take out waste.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Mind the big drop on the right.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'It's full of old tracks, tools and machinery.'
0:05:22 > 0:05:24'There are many treacherous dead ends.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Dangerous place again, isn't it? Long way down there.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33'The mine began its life during the first part of the 19th century,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37'with over 500 men employed at its peak.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:40All this machinery just lying around.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'The work dwindled during the first half of the 20th century
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'due to the decline of the slate industry,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48'and finally ended around 30 years ago.'
0:05:48 > 0:05:53What I find incredible is they had to bring all this down here in the first place.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56We must be 100 feet down by now, and more,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and this weighs tonnes and they put it all together
0:05:59 > 0:06:03and it looks as if they've just left it as if they were expecting to come back
0:06:03 > 0:06:07on the Monday morning again, but for some reason, that's it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12'The mine has many levels,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14'and the deeper you descend the wetter it gets.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:19'With the water pumps switched off,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'the quarry constantly fills with water.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Oh, wow!
0:06:37 > 0:06:41'Some of the chambers created by the quarrymen are enormous.'
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Oh, man, what a place! What a place to come and work.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Aye, it is impressive.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So would there be many workers on this face here?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52As I understand it, no, it would have been one, possibly two,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54on the face at one time,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56with a couple of helpers down on the floor.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00That would have been generations of work just to dig this one chamber.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Yeah, each shot holder's hours of work, it was all done by hand.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It's an incredible achievement.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07And deadly work sometimes, wasn't it?
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Very. This mine had an entertaining nickname of the Slaughterhouse.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Was it? The Slaughterhouse.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And I've walked the moors above here many a time and I just didn't
0:07:17 > 0:07:21realise that I was really walking over what is now a hollow mountain.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Incredible, absolutely amazing place.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Tell you what, light the flares, let's see just how big it is.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47'There's very little nature here.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50'But it's a time capsule of Welsh industrial life,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52'an incredible hidden jewel
0:07:52 > 0:07:55'and a memorial to the quarrymen who worked here.'
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Wales has a great deal of valuable geology.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07And much of the landscape has been exploited for centuries.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11This old limestone quarry is at Llanymynech
0:08:11 > 0:08:14on the border with England, south of Oswestry.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16It has the distinction of being a nature reserve
0:08:16 > 0:08:18both in England and Wales.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28I'm on the Welsh part, owned by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33During spring, it's full of cowslips,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35forget-me-nots,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and a whole range of insects and butterflies.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Even dragonflies pop in.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But what I like most are the cliff faces formed by quarries -
0:08:48 > 0:08:51they're ideal nesting sites for many birds.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59And one bird that's exploited this new habitat
0:08:59 > 0:09:04probably more that any other one is the peregrine falcon.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08There's a male perched high up on one of the ledges here.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12He's got a fantastic vantage point - he can see probably a mile and more,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15so, any prey passing by, he's going to dash off.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19And this one's interesting as well because most peregrine males
0:09:19 > 0:09:21have got this slatey grey back,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24they've got the dark mask and they're very pale,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27almost white chest there,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29but this one is a dark individual.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33And peregrines have been able to move into new areas,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35thanks to these quarries.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38So peregrines are actually commoner in Wales now
0:09:38 > 0:09:40probably than they've ever been.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00In addition to valuable stone, Wales also has mineral wealth,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and there's no richer prize than gold.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And gold has been mined in Wales for thousands of years.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13This is the Mawddach River near Dolgellau in Mid Wales.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16As it courses through Coed y Brenin Forest,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20the river cuts into the rock to form a gorge.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's not only a stunning location,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27but the site of one of Wales' biggest old gold mines.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32The riverbanks are full of relics belonging to Wales' gold rush past.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Gold was mined here very recently, some 20 years ago,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and George Hall was the mine's last manager.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45George, what's the history of gold and gold mining in this area?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I feel sure that somebody must have discovered gold around here
0:10:49 > 0:10:52maybe 3,000 years ago,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and got some gold.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But the knowledge of it seems to have been forgotten.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Then, of course, in 1849,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03gold was found in California.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06And then it was found in Australia and people thought,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09"Well, wait a minute, maybe there is gold around Dolgellau."
0:11:09 > 0:11:12There were several different mines around here
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- all at the same time?- Oh, yes, there must have been a dozen mines
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- around here, working on a small scale.- Gwynfynydd would have been
0:11:18 > 0:11:21one of the biggest, when was it at its height?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25The big gold rush here was 1861.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28And in its heyday, how many men would have been working here?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Oh, at least 250.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- That many? - Oh, yes. Goodness me, yes.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35And I suppose the million-pound question has to be,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38is there a lot more gold down there, do you think?
0:11:38 > 0:11:41In my opinion, yes. There's a lot of gold in this district.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I reckon there's a lot of gold still in Gwynfynydd. The problem is,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48do you spend more money driving tunnels to find it
0:11:48 > 0:11:51than you actually get out when you come across the gold?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54That's the problem - you've got to really be very canny.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01In the meantime, the old mine buildings
0:12:01 > 0:12:03have been occupied by wildlife.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Redstarts and coal tits both nest here.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13It's an ideal location for pied wagtails.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15There's plenty of insects and water
0:12:15 > 0:12:18around the old ruins and spoil heaps.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22And the gaps under the roof are ideal nesting sites.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Like other birds, a pied wagtail looks its best during spring,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32when the black and white colours are particularly striking.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The big industry in South Wales was, of course, coal mining.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Most of the mines are now closed,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53but this vast industrial operation at Ffos y Fran near Merthyr Tydfil
0:12:53 > 0:12:56is part of a long-term scheme, which is recovering coal
0:12:56 > 0:13:00from old mines and tips that used to exist on this site.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The old mines and tips are being removed,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and the huge industrial site will be re-landscaped back to moorland.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10What is surprising is that surrounding this enormous industry
0:13:10 > 0:13:13lives one of Wales' rarest breeding birds.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21The lapwing, and what's even more remarkable is that they nest here.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Although you'll see plenty of lapwings around Wales,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31especially during the winter near the coast,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33this sight is exceptional these days.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37There are very few breeding pairs of lapwings left in Wales.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44The ecologist that looks after the lapwings
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and other wildlife on the site is Kylie Jones.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50It's funny - you think of lapwing as being a farmland bird,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55but, in Wales, more and more now they're on these industrial sites.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58You know, the damp bare areas, which is really good for them.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Do they do all right here? - They do. They type of ground up here
0:14:01 > 0:14:04is perfect for them. They're not here in the winter,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07they come back to nest now at this time of year.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08They do pretty well,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11but unfortunately they are heavily predated by gulls and crows
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and that's the main thing that is affecting them.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15I tell you the other thing -
0:14:15 > 0:14:19lots of them behind us now singing - skylarks.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Yeah, a lot of skylarks on site. - Yeah, it's good, isn't it?
0:14:22 > 0:14:28It's nice to hear, and it's amazing to think that we're here in the middle of all this machinery.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32What's going to happen in the end, cos you're going to have to fill all of this in?
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We're moving some of the rock to take some of the coal out,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38but we've already started back-filling there in the distance.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42The scheme's going to run for about 21 years in total,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45but that's with complete restoration after care.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50So the site will be grassed over and put back to habitat to attract back the wildlife we have around here.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And the lapwings, of course, will arrive in very early spring up here?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Yeah. Usually about actually December, January time
0:14:57 > 0:14:59is the first sightings we see.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- That early, are they? They're up here, then?- Yeah, they are.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05They come up, but they don't actually use this area to begin with.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09They tend to stick in a different area. We've got a couple of nice ponds -
0:15:09 > 0:15:13they use that to feed. You can see up to 15, 16 birds there
0:15:13 > 0:15:15early on in the season, then they tend to disperse
0:15:15 > 0:15:19to different areas on the site and around the site as well.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Oh, that's quite nifty. And I suppose they pair up
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and you see this fantastic display they do and everything else?
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Beautiful display. You can't really miss the lapwing.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53The other big industry in South Wales was iron production,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and the Cyfarthfa Ironworks
0:15:55 > 0:15:58at Merthyr was one of the biggest in Britain.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Remnants of the old blast furnaces are still standing
0:16:02 > 0:16:06and have been left as a reminder of Wales' industrial heritage.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It's only when you're standing right underneath these blast furnaces
0:16:11 > 0:16:15that you realise how impressive, how enormous they are.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And can you imagine being here 150 years ago?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Fires everywhere, noise, shouting.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It would have been a vision of hell, really.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And just look at it now at dawn.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33These holes dotted all along the walls are full of jackdaws.
0:16:33 > 0:16:3830 or 40 birds over there, a few more over this side as well.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42They've just moved into these holes, they're roosting there overnight.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Later on in the year, they'll be nesting in there, too.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48I find it incredible that...
0:16:48 > 0:16:51this massive building that man has built,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56abandoned, has now been taken over by jackdaws.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The jackdaws have pretty much taken over every nook and cranny.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05And they give a great display at dawn,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08as they roll call before setting off for the day to feed.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15I couldn't imagine many people visiting
0:17:15 > 0:17:19this industrial heritage site at Cyfarthfa, especially at dawn.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22But this is not only a special historical site,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25but a great location for birds, too.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38The industrial age brought with it the need
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and the ability to build railways.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Like in the rest of Britain, there was large-scale railway construction
0:17:44 > 0:17:46in Wales during the 19th century.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48There was one big difference in Wales -
0:17:48 > 0:17:51the landscape was very difficult for track-laying.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55This resulted in the building of many impressive viaducts
0:17:55 > 0:17:56all over the country.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02This is one of those hidden little gems that I think
0:18:02 > 0:18:06makes Wales a very special place.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Pontsarn viaduct, incredible place.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We're right on the edge of the Brecon Beacons
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and yet, on the other side, right on the edge of Merthyr Tyfil.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18The railway line here would have linked the two,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23running from the South Wales valleys and the towns there
0:18:23 > 0:18:25over the mountain to Brecon.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31And, in its heyday, Pontsarn Station n a Sunday in the summer,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34it would have been full of hundreds of people all coming up here
0:18:34 > 0:18:38to picnic, to walk, to enjoy the view,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40just as I'm doing today.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45It must've cost a fortune to build the railways,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49especially this one that connected Bala with Ffestiniog in North Wales.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54This is Blaen y Cwm viaduct in Cwm Prysor near Trawfynydd.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It's one of 70 viaducts and bridges
0:18:57 > 0:19:00built on 25 miles of railway line.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05It's one of the most expensive railways built in its time.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Many cuttings also had to be dug for the tracks,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and in hard rock that must have been very labour intensive,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16but it has produced a wonderful wildlife habitat.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I like these disused railway lines -
0:19:19 > 0:19:22there must be thousands of miles of them all over Britain -
0:19:22 > 0:19:24but this is my favourite.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's become a real haven for wildlife.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29It's a linear nature reserve, really,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and you see some of the upland plants have moved in.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36There's a small woodland here mainly of birch and mountain ash
0:19:36 > 0:19:38and a lot of heather as well.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42And those will attract in birds like willow warblers and redstarts.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46But what the engineers have done on this particular section,
0:19:46 > 0:19:51completely by accident, is they've created an artificial gorge.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55And it's got all the properties of a natural gorge in that
0:19:55 > 0:19:59it doesn't receive much sunlight, it's also incredibly wet.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03And because of that, you've got a whole host of plants
0:20:03 > 0:20:05that flourish in there.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08There's fir club moss, but, more than anything else,
0:20:08 > 0:20:13it's the mosses and the ferns and they carpet the whole wall
0:20:13 > 0:20:17for a long, long part of this section here.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20The ferns and mosses look stunning throughout the year,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but during the spring and summer
0:20:23 > 0:20:27the old railway cutting fills with colour.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31In a way, the plants here represent at least three different habitats.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32The wet parts of the cutting
0:20:32 > 0:20:36are ideal for liverworts, mosses and ferns.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The drier areas suit flowers like betony -
0:20:39 > 0:20:43a plant that you associate with drier grassland or woodland.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49There are also open moorland plants here.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52This is a butterwort, which has long, slippery leaves.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54When a small insect lands on them,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57it slides to the base of the stem and becomes trapped.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00The plant then slowly digests the insects.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07The other insect-eating plant found here is sundew.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10It has a similar way of trapping insects.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13When an insect is trapped in the hairy gluey tentacles
0:21:13 > 0:21:17of the leaves, they'll close and the insect will be digested.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Even before railways, canals had been built in Wales
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to provide transport for industry.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34This is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It was built during the early 1800s
0:21:36 > 0:21:40to carry the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and a World Heritage Site.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Canals are used for leisure these days,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54but, of course, they're great wildlife habitats.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Probably the best in Wales for wildlife
0:22:04 > 0:22:07is the Montgomery Canal near Welshpool.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Not far from the village of Llanymynech, the canal has to cross
0:22:10 > 0:22:12the River Vyrnwy.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The aqueduct may not be on the scale of Pontcysyllte,
0:22:15 > 0:22:20but it's nonetheless quite stunning, and certainly full of wildlife.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I'm going to have a closer look underwater.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43This is the Montgomery Canal, which goes from the English border
0:22:43 > 0:22:45right across into the heart of Wales.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48And it's one of my favourite canals.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's been closed for about 60-odd years now, and in that time
0:22:51 > 0:22:54it's become a great place for wildlife.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58I'm trying to film some fish here. There were lots earlier
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and once I put the camera in, they've all disappeared
0:23:01 > 0:23:05into the vegetation. But I'm hoping I can get something now in a minute.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10And the canal has acted as a kind of compensatory area for Mid Wales
0:23:10 > 0:23:13because a lot of the ponds and lakes have been drained,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16so you find the wildlife that would have been there in this canal.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20It's packed full of frogs and toads and newts,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and quite a few fish - if only I could find them.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27And most of the canals were built because of industry,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30because of heavy industry - steel and coal -
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but this one's a little bit different, as it was built in an agricultural area,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38so it was built to carry limestone into the heart of Wales
0:23:38 > 0:23:43to improve the land, and then to carry meat and wool the other way
0:23:43 > 0:23:46to the heart of the English Midlands.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51The canal is full of tadpoles,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55which shows just how important it is for frogs and toads.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01Eventually, the fish reappeared, and there were shoals of them.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04These are rudd, a fish that's present in big numbers in the canal.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The rich plant growth is ideal for freshwater snails.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13They really do well here.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24And the wildlife above the water is equally as rich.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's an exceptional site for a whole range of damselflies.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33These are beautiful demoiselles.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The male has very bright blue-green metallic colours.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41The females are less colourful.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43The demoiselles are pairing up
0:24:43 > 0:24:46above the rich pools created in the old locks.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It's a perfect site for egg laying and for their larvae to live.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03The big industries in Wales brought wealth, but wealth for the few.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06In North Wales, they were the owners of slate quarries,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and this wealth enabled the owners to build huge mansions
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and design magnificent parks on their land.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18This is Penrhyn Castle on the outskirts of Bangor,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22and it's not one of those castles that was built centuries ago
0:25:22 > 0:25:26to repel invading armies. It's only 200 years old.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31It was built by Lord Penrhyn, a man who, in his day,
0:25:31 > 0:25:36would have been a multi-millionaire - money made from slavery,
0:25:36 > 0:25:41made from the sugar cane plantations further west
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and also from local industry.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47And, at that time, the biggest industry in North Wales
0:25:47 > 0:25:49was the slate industry.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52He would have built the castle in a nice quiet area.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57He wanted tranquillity and, because of that,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01surrounding the castle you've got these wonderful grounds.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04They're not gardens - they're bigger than that. It's more like a parkland
0:26:04 > 0:26:09and they are packed to the rafters full of all kinds of wildlife.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13The castle is set in a superb location
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and is overlooked by the Carneddau Range of Snowdonia.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It's probably the best example
0:26:19 > 0:26:21of industrial wealth and power in Wales.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26It's today owned by the National Trust and open to the public,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30so it's become a parkland jewel that can be enjoyed by everyone.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And it does have some great wild areas.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35There are fields full of bluebells in the spring.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And what's really good about public parks like this
0:26:41 > 0:26:44is that the birds here are used to people.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58This is a particularly nice part of the garden here.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's woodland. Let me show you around some of it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It's a mix of native and exotic trees.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06We've got oak and we've got beech here,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but we've also got monkey puzzle tree over there,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11some exotic pines as well.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15And the birdsong, there's a blackbird singing here, blue tits,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18robins, chaffinch calling.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21And what I really want to show you is down the bottom there,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26about 60-odd metres away, is a big old beech tree.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Now some of these trees - the oaks, the beech -
0:27:28 > 0:27:30would have been here when the castle was built
0:27:30 > 0:27:34because some of them must be 300 years old, and even more than that.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38And a branch has fallen off years ago and a hole has formed.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42In there is tawny owl nest. And, at the moment, as I speak,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45one of the adults is perched at the entrance to the hole,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49looking up, just making sure that I don't go any nearer than this.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54The owl is guarding her chicks,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57which you can just about see in the background.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Here's the shot again with the chicks highlighted.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10If there's a better view of a tawny owl with chicks in broad daylight,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12I've yet to find it.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18In the next programme, I'll be taking you
0:28:18 > 0:28:21to a wonderful woodland and wetland.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25I'll be exploring Wales' biggest estuary,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29and I'll be walking along a fantastic stretch of coast.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32I'll even be venturing underwater.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37It's my pick of the best landscape and wildlife of lowland Wales.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:48 > 0:28:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk