Pennod 10 04 Wal

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-Tonight, we'll visit

-houses of all shapes and sizes.

-We'll see

-artist, Gwenllian Beynon's home.

-We will travel to leafy London

-to meet Pauline Rowlands...

-..at her home

-in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

-First, we visit Bryncrug...

-..to see Iwan Gruffydd Ellis's

-prospective home.

-Welcome to 04Wal.

-A house made of wood, designed

-to respect the environment...

-..built on private land

-has caused quite a stir.

-It's amazing!

-Did you see Iwan Gruffydd Ellis's

-log house on the news?

-His planning application

-was rejected.

-That issue hasn't been resolved

-but Iwan remains undaunted.

-What sort of house

-does he want to build?

-Why did you choose this location?

-I chose it because

-this is the old, family farm.

-My grandfather, my father

-and my uncle farmed this land.

-It's a sunny spot

-and the view is stunning.

-It's special to me.

-This house of yours doesn't

-have foundations, as such, does it?

-No. It sits on these huge feet.

-This Douglas fir tree

-came from Corris.

-I had to raise the house

-a metre off the ground.

-Sea water may rise back up here,

-one day.

-I'm not sure if the wood will rot,

-underground.

-Sea water is salty and I hope

-it acts as a preservative...

-..to prevent the wood from rotting.

-If it should rot, it's possible

-to replace it with a new one.

-It's very unlikely to happen,

-mind you.

-How would you replace it?

-How would you replace it?

-

-I'd use a high-lift jack, dig the

-old one out and slide a new one in.

-Wow!

-You make it sound easy!

-You make it sound easy!

-

-Yes, but you never know

-what might happen.

-Yes, but you never know

-what might happen.

-What about the building process?

-You need some sort of sealant

-between the logs, don't you?

-No, they sit on top of each other,

-with moss in the gaps between them.

-Will the logs shrink,

-over the years?

-Yes, they'll shrink

-over a period of six to eight years.

-They'll shrink an inch per foot,

-I'm told.

-Give it 50 years

-and you'll end up with a shed!

-What makes you so determined

-to build a log house?

-It's a healthy environment

-because wood breathes.

-It doesn't need to be plastered

-or painted.

-That suits me!

-Iwan took me to see Alun Griffiths's

-log house in Goginan, Aberystwyth.

-This will give me a better idea

-of what he hopes to achieve.

-This is a very distinctive

-style of house.

-Yes, it's unique.

-There's something special about the

-feeling you get when you go inside.

-I like it.

-Will your house resemble this?

-Will your house resemble this?

-

-Yes, it will be similar to this.

-The shape will be different but

-it will be built in the same way.

-Let's take a look at the kitchen.

-The chimney runs all the way up

-through this house.

-How is the chimney

-attached to the wood?

-It isn't attached to the wood

-in any way.

-It's an important part

-of a log house.

-The wood shrinks

-and the house sinks.

-The chimney must go from the bottom,

-out through the roof.

-It must be

-completely separate from the house.

-Will the wood stop shrinking?

-Will the wood stop shrinking?

-

-Yes. It will settle, in time.

-This staircase leads

-from the kitchen to the first floor.

-This is the bathroom.

-This is the biggest bathroom window

-I've ever seen!

-This is no ordinary bathroom.

-It also boasts a sauna!

-It works very well

-and it has some stunning views.

-We then make our way out

-of the bathroom, past the shower...

-..through these double doors

-and into this glorious room.

-This glass room

-is warm all year round.

-It's so warm,

-the owners grow grapes in here!

-I've lived in a stone house

-and a brick house.

-Nothing beats living in a log house.

-Will your house have a balcony?

-Will your house have a balcony?

-

-Yes.

-I think it's important

-to have a balcony.

-I'd love to open my bedroom door

-and walk out into the sunshine.

-You should build it in Spain!

-You should build it in Spain!

-

-Yes, I'll walk out

-into the rain here!

-Gwenllian Beynon's home,

-in Pontrhydfendigaid...

-..is striking, in many ways.

-It's a colourful canvas, it's

-the home of her printing work...

-..and it's central to the lives

-of both her and Dafydd, her son.

-What drew you to Pontrhydfendigaid?

-What drew you to Pontrhydfendigaid?

-

-Well, property is really cheap here

-and this house is really old.

-This house is steeped in history

-and I like that.

-It's called Butter Hall.

-It was on the drovers' route.

-They collected milk and made butter

-and it was sold from here.

-It was one large property,

-originally...

-..but it was split into two houses

-in 1860.

-There was a cottage

-where my bathroom is today.

-A lady called Siani

-used to live there.

-She was such a big lady,

-she sat on her cat and killed it!

-That's one of the stories

-I've heard.

-Tell me about the graffiti

-I can see on that wall.

-You decided to keep that?

-Yes, it was created by two men

-called Geraint and Bodfan.

-They live in the valleys...

-..and they inherited this house

-from their aunt 20 years ago.

-They must have written that

-when they were children.

-I'm fond of graffiti

-and I think it's nice.

-I enjoy collecting things.

-I haven't bought a single thing

-in this house from a shop.

-I find lots of things in skips

-and people give things to me.

-I rarely go out and buy things.

-If I do, I buy second-hand stuff.

-Is the fireplace staying?

-I was thinking about it

-the other day.

-It's a 1950s fireplace and

-it'll be worth a fortune, one day.

-These things are rare

-because people trash them.

-You see them in skips.

-You see them in skips.

-

-Yes. There's a good reason for that!

-They're ugly

-but they're also kitsch.

-That's what's nice about them.

-How much work

-have you done here, Gwenllian?

-A lot of work. It was derelict.

-We lifted the slate floor and

-replaced it with a wooden floor.

-We couldn't save the slate because

-it splintered as it was taken up.

-We raised the ceiling - it only

-reached the height of the door.

-We raised the ceiling height so that

-we could have the two windows.

-They let in much more light.

-We removed the fireplace

-and that was a real headache.

-The walls

-are made of stone and soil...

-..and half the wall collapsed

-when we took out the fireplace.

-We created a pile of dust and rocks!

-A surveyor came here

-and he gave it the all-clear.

-But he added,

-"Don't move another stone."

-There are three bedrooms upstairs.

-This is Dafydd's room.

-He is Gwenllian's son.

-Everything a six-year-old boy wants,

-including a Spanish doll!

-This is the master bedroom.

-Mementoes of Gwenllian's travels

-around the world hang on the walls.

-The smallest bedroom is over here.

-This is the spare room.

-What's known as the Flying Freehold

-is in this room.

-These two feet of the room...

-..have actually been built

-over the house next door.

-Take a look at it from the street

-and you'll see exactly what I mean.

-What do we have over here?

-This is Gwenllian's studio.

-It's more of a storeroom

-than a studio, to be honest.

-There are materials everywhere.

-This window allows natural light

-to flow into the lounge.

-You get the feeling

-a lot of work gets done in here.

-A very creative space.

-That's it!

-This house reflects what you,

-Gwenllian, do for a living.

-There are examples of your work

-on the walls.

-I'm not keen on living with my work

-but it's there to cover the walls.

-I love colour.

-I like the one above the fire.

-It's a celebration of Dafydd's birth

-and it's important to me.

-I enjoy living here,

-even though it's rough and ready.

-It's comfortable

-and I like living here.

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-Say the word, 'London' and dust,

-noise and pollution spring to mind.

-It's hard to believe it but

-there are some leafy havens here.

-Yes, you can find

-small, utopian corners of London...

-..where trees grow

-and birds twitter.

-Hark!

-Could that be

-a cuckoo's plaintive call?

-We're woken by birds every morning.

-My parents come here to stay...

-..and they say it's quieter than

-their home in Drefach, Llanelli!

-Henrietta Barnett established

-Hampstead Garden Suburb in 1907.

-The London slums shocked her and she

-decided the poor deserved better.

-Architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens

-contributed to the project...

-..and everyone wanted to live here.

-Only the rich

-can now afford to live here.

-Jonathan Ross lives nearby.

-Judy and Richard

-and Martin Bell live here.

-Elizabeth Taylor was born here.

-You're in very select company!

-You're in very select company!

-

-Definitely!

-It's a different world from Drefach!

-Pauline Rowlands

-and Nick, her husband...

-..have lived in this area

-for 25 years.

-They've lived in this house

-for three years.

-It's semi-detached

-but it's a four-storey house.

-It's quite big.

-I love the bay window

-and the turrets.

-There's a fantastic bay window

-in the bedroom.

-Light floods in and I love it.

-That's good design.

-It's remarkably light in here.

-You need sunglasses, sometimes!

-I think white

-makes other colours more striking.

-We have a collection of paintings

-and objects.

-We wanted them to stand out

-and white makes that possible.

-What work, other than decorating,

-did you carry out here?

-The kitchen was there

-and this was the dining room.

-The kitchen was the living room,

-so we've changed everything!

-I co-ordinated the project

-and gave up work for six months.

-I'd go to Jewsons, the builders'

-merchants, up to four times a day.

-I now know all about screws and

-plumbing. It's unbelievable.

-This was the lounge.

-You changed it into the kitchen.

-You changed it into the kitchen.

-

-Yes, that's right.

-We chose it as the kitchen because

-it's the biggest room in the house.

-We spend a lot of time in here.

-Pauline, you spend a lot of time

-in here...

-..and it's wonderful

-to be able to see the garden.

-I love looking at the trees.

-It's like being in the countryside.

-The table and chairs

-belong to my husband's parents.

-They're German pieces.

-I enjoy a mixture of modern and old.

-That's an interesting piece.

-If you open it,

-you'll be pleasantly surprised.

-We have lots of 78s.

-You open it

-and you'll see an old record player.

-That's amazing!

-That's amazing!

-

-Yes, it's lovely.

-We enjoy using everything.

-I don't believe in using things

-only on special occasions.

-We use everything every day.

-That includes the cutlery.

-Nick's parents

-gave us some amazing cutlery...

-..and we use it every day.

-They're solid silver.

-There's an 'S' on each piece.

-They're exquisite.

-Is that the family name?

-Is that the family name?

-

-Yes - Salisbury.

-It was Salzburg originally

-but they changed it.

-I delight in using these every day.

-You've done well

-out of your in-laws!

-They gave you

-everything in this house!

-I could have cried when I saw

-the furniture, but I've used it all.

-Is this your study?

-Is this your study?

-

-Yes, I spend most of my time here.

-This is very interesting.

-You open it and look at that.

-Isn't it beautiful?

-Isn't it beautiful?

-

-Yes. It's stunning.

-There's a secret drawer here

-but I won't tell you any more.

-We keep the crown jewels in it!

-This is a bureau, is it?

-This is a bureau, is it?

-

-Yes. Nick's mother's bureau.

-Out we go, into the hall.

-This wonderful oak floor leads from

-the front door to the cloakroom.

-Here's a reminder of the work Nick

-and Pauline have done to the house.

-This masterpiece

-is the work of Welsh plumbers.

-Pauline left it uncovered -

-as a work of art.

-If they were as expensive

-as Llandeilo plumbers...

-..I'm sure it cost

-as much as a work of art!

-Step out, into the hall and you see

-this beautiful art deco piece.

-It looks like

-something from Superman.

-This staircase

-leads us to the first floor.

-There are two bedrooms

-on the first floor.

-This is Pauline and Nick's room.

-This is the bathroom.

-This is the dressing room.

-As you can see, there's no shortage

-of clothes to choose from!

-I do believe

-this is a Vivienne Westwood dress.

-If we leave the dressing room,

-we'll find Hannah Angharad's room.

-She's Pauline and Nick's

-youngest daughter.

-It's a sea of pink, in stark

-contrast to the rest of the house!

-This shade is called

-'Piggy Piggy Pink'.

-There's a lovely bay window

-over here.

-It lets light flood into the room.

-You can see in all directions

-from this window.

-Let's head back out onto the landing

-and see the master bedroom.

-Nick and I sleep in here

-and I love this room.

-It's really tranquil.

-It's a clutter-free zone,

-apart from Nick's books!

-I keep telling him it makes me

-queasy to see his pile of books!

-I do my best to keep it tidy.

-Are these old pieces of furniture?

-Are these old pieces of furniture?

-

-Yes.

-I painted them pale blue.

-I'm fond of pale blue.

-Look at this! I love it.

-You can have a cup of tea, in bed.

-They're really modern.

-Were they made during the 1920s?

-Yes, they're art deco pieces.

-Are there any Welsh pieces

-in this room?

-Yes, this came from Tenby.

-It reminds me of Tenby.

-That's where my heart is, really.

-I look at that

-when I wake up each morning.

-Here we are,

-back on the ground floor.

-We'll walk past the lounge

-and the kitchen...

-..and head downstairs,

-to the cellar.

-We've reached the journey's end.

-This is the largest room

-in the cellar.

-It's a convenient guest area

-for Pauline's family.

-There are two single beds

-over here...

-..and this is

-what's known as a day bed.

-It's handy for those of us

-who need an afternoon snooze.

-If we walk through this door...

-..it's like leaving London and being

-transported to Carmarthenshire.

-Something like that!

-Did Nick's parents buy a house here

-when they moved to England?

-Yes, they came over here

-from Germany...

-..and they bought a house here

-for 500.

-This house is worth somewhere

-in the region of a million pounds.

-Workers could never live here now.

-It's too expensive.

-That's sad, in a way.

-Yes, Henrietta Barnett's dream

-is dead and buried.

-Yes.

-We're lucky

-to live in such a wonderful place.

-S4C subtitles by

-Eirlys A Jones