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0:00:19 > 0:00:21- Welcome to 04Wal.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25- Our odyssey through the archives - has reached 2007.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30- Many of our rural houses sit - perfectly within their location...
0:00:30 > 0:00:34- ..almost as though - they'd grown there from the ground.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- We'll visit Ceredigion - and Pentrefoelas later...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- ..but first to Glanmerin.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- Inheriting a house - can be a mixed blessing.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06- Alun and Iola Jones started - restoring Glanmerin two years ago.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11- We're back here in the Machynlleth - area to see the end result.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- There has been a home in Glanmerin - since the 17th century.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- Thanks to their hard work - and tenacity...
0:01:31 > 0:01:36- ..Alun and Iola have settled here - with a houseful of children.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- We were last here two years ago.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44- You were totally confident - you'd get this house on its feet...
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- ..but I wasn't so sure!
0:01:46 > 0:01:50- Yes, we originally thought - it would take ten months...
0:01:50 > 0:01:55- ..but we hit obstacles along the way - and the project took two years.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01- What difficulties did you encounter - when you rebuilt the house?
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- We knew we'd have to do things - such as re-roof the place...
0:02:06 > 0:02:11- ..but we used lime plaster and it - took longer than expected to dry.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13- That held us back.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- The walls weren't dry enough when - we had the timber floors fitted...
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- ..and they warped.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39- This room is the heart of the house.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- You can't enter any other room - without walking through here.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50- Basically, it's a walkway, - so do you use it as a sitting room?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- There are four doors here...
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- ..and, as you say, you enter - the other rooms via this one.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01- We sit here in the evenings, - particularly when people visit us.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- It gets more use on weekends. - It's a very versatile room.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- We enjoy relaxing here.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- Are you pleased with this room?
0:03:11 > 0:03:16- Yes. It was far from easy but we're - pleased with the end result.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- Head down the corridor - and you'll reach the master bedroom.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- Here's the master bedroom - at the front of the house.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- Alun and Iola lie beneath - this canopy of ancient beams.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03- This lovely room wasn't a bedroom - in the old layout of the house.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- It was a junk room, basically.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- It has now become a luxurious space.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15- The great thing about this room, - other than these splendid beams...
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- ..is the breathtaking view you - can see through the Velux windows.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- The views are truly spectacular.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- Was the experience of - rebuilding the house a pleasant one?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- It was a nightmare at times, - believe me!
0:05:07 > 0:05:12- Looking back, I did enjoy - doing the majority of the work.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- I'm not sure I'd do it again!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- If we tackled another project...
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- ..it would be to build a new house - from scratch.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- We'd be more in control - and have fewer shocks!
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- We usually talk to the owners - of properties featured on 04 Wal...
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- ..but Jez Danks has been - Hendy's tenant since 1974.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- It must feel - as if the house owns him!
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- What makes the house so special?
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- The history of the place. - Its atmosphere.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- The knowledge that so many people - have raised children here...
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- ..lived here while they farmed - the land, come rain or shine...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- ..and overcome hardship.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- It leaves its mark on you. - I can't explain it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- How were you first drawn - to the house?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- I wanted an old property. - I don't know why.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55- I wanted fireplaces, so I could - gather firewood and burn logs.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- What was the first thing you did - after moving in?
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- I painted my bedroom.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- I painted it cream.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- The ceiling - in the old buttery was rotten...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- ..so I pulled it down.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- There was a bedroom up there - but the timber was rotten...
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- ..so I didn't replace the ceiling.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22- I kept it as a studio.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- It's a feature of my time here...
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- ..that people have always been - around to lend a hand.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35- My neighbours and my children - have always been happy to help me.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42- I had no spare cash when I moved in - so my options were limited.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- I had to leave - as much as possible unchanged.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- I often ask people - if they have plans to move house.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32- That choice whether to stay or go - may not lie in your hands.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37- That's true. - I've rented it for a long time.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40- I don't mind.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46- I enjoy living here and I appreciate - being given the opportunity...
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- ..to live in such a beautiful house.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- Some people work hard on a house - but they never actually move in.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- I think that's a crying shame.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- It's high in the mountains.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43- This is a lovely spot.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49- I can see the Carneddi and Tryfan - through the windows.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- I can even see a small part of - Snowdon from the decking at the rear.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59- It's really exposed to bad weather - but when it's sunny, it's wonderful.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06- Bryn Dedwydd is a happy home - on the outskirts of Pentrefoelas.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- It was an old cowshed - until Paul Weston and Rob Pitwell...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- ..capitalized on - this wonderful location.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- It would have been easier - to build a house from scratch...
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- ..and have lovely square corners!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- It took three years - to complete the project.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- We wanted to enjoy the project - and do the work gradually.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- When we were fed up, - we went on holiday for a week...
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- ..and came back feeling refreshed.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- We never got sick of it.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Were you aware of it - before you bought it?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Yes, I'd been aware of it for years.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05- I never thought I'd get a chance - to do something with the building.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- You created a home - that has lots of character.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- Yes, it worked out really well.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16- It was a long, expensive process - but it was worth it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- I'm delighted with the result.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- This is the new front door.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- There was no original front door - because this wasn't a house.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- The door opens out into the hall.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54- Walk past the cloakroom - and in we go, to the new lounge.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- This was an old cowshed - and it had three doors.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- There was a door - where the window now sits.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- Those doors - lead to the front of the house.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- What a lovely lounge! All the - colours are from the same palette.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12- Red, brown and light brown.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- These old kilims may be worn - but they make good cushions.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- Dotted around the house, - with three examples here...
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- ..are Rob's paintings.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28- His style really suits - the house's character.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33- Here's a lovely feature of the room, - it leads out onto the decking...
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- ..where you can gaze - at Snowdonia in all its glory.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- There's a lovely atmosphere - in the house.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49- Sometimes, you visit old properties - and you feel a bit uneasy.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- That isn't the case here.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- I have no regrets.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- It's a wonderful house.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02- It's always cosy inside, - even when we have rough weather.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14- .
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0:13:20 > 0:13:21- Welcome back to 2007.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- We'll see the home of Hafina - and Mark Davies in Cwmgiedd...
0:13:26 > 0:13:30- ..after we've visited Gelli Fach, - Peter Lord's home.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- We took a look at that remarkable - property not once but twice.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Art historian, Peter Lord and - Ioan, his son, live in Gelli Fach.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Peter is working on an extension.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- It will include an office, - a spare bedroom...
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- ..and a gallery - for his art collection.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04- Until recently, if you wanted - to extend a listed building...
0:14:05 > 0:14:10- ..you had to use the same materials - as the original house.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Those guidelines changed - three years ago.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- The idea then - was what's known as a pastiche.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- You don't have to do that now.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- You must make it different...
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- ..to create a distinction - between the old and the new.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- That's why we used corrugated iron.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- It looks completely different - from the stone house.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- You can see what part is original - and what part is an extension.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47- The exterior is almost complete - but there's work to be done inside.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- We returned to Gelli Fach - some months later...
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- ..to see the newly renovated house.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20- You were keen to create something - contemporary and very unusual.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- You wanted to make a statement.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Did you achieve your goals?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- Is the extension - now a part of the original house?
0:15:30 > 0:15:32- I still feel it makes a statement.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37- The philosophy behind it - is greater than the actual building.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- It takes time - for a building to settle down.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- It still has that brand new look.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- No plants have grown around it - and that will take time.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53- There's a stark contrast - between the two sides of the house.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- Yes, I'd agree with that.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- We're sitting in the area - where the old meets the new.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- What I like about it is the way - it's altered the axis of the house.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- The front door was here, - opening out onto the fields.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- Due to the extension, - another axis has opened up...
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- ..all the way through here.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- I enjoy walking from the old house - into the new house.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- I'm aware of the fact I enjoy it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27- It feels great to leave the old - house, which is dark and cramped...
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- ..and step into an open space.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- I love it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- The link between the two areas - is a success.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- There's an entirely different - atmosphere in here.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- Yes, even the acoustic is different - and I really like that.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- You walk in and it opens right up.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- It's a feature - of David Thomas's work
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- It's a large space - bit it's well-defined.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- There are spaces - within the main space.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- Yes, there are three areas.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15- There's a special ambience upstairs - and we have two ground floor areas.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- I wanted a warmer feel - in this section.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- It isn't just a gallery. - It's a living space too.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27- There's a rich, warm sofa there - and I painted the wall red.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34- An unusual feature of this room - is that it's longer than it is deep.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- The shape is misleading.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40- You expect it to stretch back there - but it doesn't.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- The dark colour - creates the illusion of extra depth.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- Do you prefer the new extension - or the old house, Ioan?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- I like both. - They're both interesting.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- What do you like about this area?
0:18:11 > 0:18:12- What do you like about this area?- - I like the shape.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- I'm really fond - of the shape of the ceiling.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- I like the railings and the fact - you can look out over them...
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- ..and see downstairs.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- It's very light. - How do you sleep here?
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- We close the blind - and we wait until it gets dark.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- Yes, of course!
0:18:47 > 0:18:49- It's enough for me.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- I'm not a megalomaniac.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- I have no desire - to extend it further.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- It suits the way I live.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- I see myself living here - for the rest of my life.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- I hope to have a chance to enjoy - Gelli Fach, just the way it is.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40- This is the fifth generation - of my family to live here.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- My grandmother and my mother - were born here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- My children - are now being raised here.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- My family has been here - for more than 100 years.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- The house was half this size.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55- It was old-fashioned.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- There was no kitchen - and just a small bathroom.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- My grandfather had fitted - large windows to let in light.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- The house was in a poor condition.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- A lot of people thought we were mad - to buy the building.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- Hefina and Mark Davies's home...
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- ..was built as part of Aberpergwm - estate in Glynneath.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24- Hefina and Mark live here with - Elis and Macsen, their children.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- Preparing the house - for the next generation wasn't easy.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- Did you know what style you wanted?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- We tried to preserve its character, - externally.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- We fitted smaller windows - but larger than the original ones.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- We kept the roof and the gables.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49- Despite the extension, the exterior - hasn't changed drastically.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- We spend most of our time - in this room.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- This is the television room.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- The children love it. - It's our family room.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- This was the parlour years ago.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- My grandparents - turned this into a lounge.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- There was a fireplace there - and they'd sit here every night.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Was there a wall here?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- Yes. My grandfather removed it - to give it a sense of space.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- This was a small house.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- The kitchen was out the back, - was it?
0:21:42 > 0:21:43- Yes, this was the kitchen.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- I don't think - the roof has been changed.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55- We took down the ceiling to find - a water tank and electric cables.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- Years ago, - they'd hang a pig from that hook.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- You've changed everything, really.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- Yes, and I think it looks right.
0:22:07 > 0:22:07- It certainly meets your needs.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- It certainly meets your needs.- - Yes, it suits us, as a family.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- This is the master bedroom. - It's a simple, calm space.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- It's a wonderful sleeping area.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- I love the light above the bed.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- There was a guest bedroom - through here...
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- ..but it's now Macsen's room.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- Who needs to invite friends to stay - when you have a room like this?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- Isn't it fantastic?
0:22:44 > 0:22:49- This bedroom has a cowboy theme, - in case you hadn't guessed!
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- Through here is Elis's room.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- Elis is a bit older - and he likes cars.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- This room has - a cars and motorbikes theme.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- Every bedroom offers views over - the garden, down to the river Giedd.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- How do you feel - about being back in this house?
0:23:18 > 0:23:19- I'm delighted.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25- It's wonderful to have been able - to come back to my ancestral home.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- My grandfather wanted it - to stay in the family.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- I hope one of my children will - want to live here in the future.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones