Pennod 8 04 Wal

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-Tonight, Treberfedd farmhouse,

-post-restoration.

-We'll see its amazing collection

-of ancient paintings.

-We'll also visit

-Gwyn Morgans's Victorian house...

-..which is a mixture

-of the old and the new.

-Finally, a house which was a mill

-and a scrap yard...

-..before Hefin Davies

-turned it into a comfortable home.

-Welcome to 04Wal.

-This is Treberfedd farmhouse,

-in the parish of Dihewyd.

-The land was once

-connected to Plas Llanllyr.

-A reference is made to Treberfedd

-as far back as 1649.

-The farmhouse, in its present form,

-dates back to 1802.

-The building

-had deteriorated badly...

-..and the task of restoring

-this important building...

-..has fallen to architect,

-Huw Emlyn Davies.

-What work must be carried out

-to secure the house?

-The house

-is in very poor condition.

-The walls

-have bowed quite considerably.

-A large section of the house

-must be demolished.

-Almost the whole of the front wall,

-for example, must be pulled down.

-The same will happen to other walls,

-at the rear of the house.

-Those walls will then be rebuilt

-but they will be plumb, this time!

-They will be as near to an exact

-copy of the walls you see today...

-..as we can achieve.

-We will then put a new roof

-over it all.

-It will be a thatched roof.

-There's already a thatched roof

-underneath the corrugated iron.

-We're very keen to rebuild it

-in its original form.

-The interior was untouched.

-The wooden, in and out partitions

-were still there...

-..just like the day

-the house was built.

-The partitions are still intact,

-on both floors of the house.

-The only modernisation

-carried out here...

-..was the addition of a bathroom.

-Shame on them!

-The wall paintings are among

-the house's most important features.

-Examples can be seen in East Anglia

-but they're rare in Wales.

-They date back

-to a time before 1800.

-We're back in Treberfedd two years

-later to see the finished house.

-The house is now used

-as an educational centre.

-It must have felt as though

-you'd never finish this house, Huw.

-Did you encounter

-any serious problems?

-No, we didn't come across

-any big problems.

-Nothing more serious than you'd find

-on any building site.

-The scaffold was a big bonus,

-over the winter.

-It meant we could demolish

-the walls, to the desired level...

-..and rebuild them.

-It also gave workers

-shelter from the rain.

-That meant work could continue,

-even in adverse weather conditions.

-Work continued unhindered...

-..and the walls were protected,

-during the rebuilding process.

-We put everything back

-as we found it, more or less.

-The corrugated iron roof

-is the exception to that, of course.

-The windows, walls, doors

-and slate roofs...

-..have been put back in the places

-where they stood originally.

-In we go,

-through the tradesman's entrance.

-Was this the kitchen?

-Was this the kitchen?

-

-Yes, we think this was the kitchen.

-There's a big fireplace

-with a louver chimney here.

-This is an example of something

-that we had to reproduce.

-There were traces of it here

-but it had been removed.

-We estimated its shape

-and reproduced it.

-What about the wooden panels,

-behind me?

-Did you salvage them

-and put them back?

-Yes, a lot of them were salvaged.

-Some of the timber was unusable,

-due to woodworm damage...

-..but we recreated those panels,

-using newer wood.

-We created them in the same pattern

-and mouldings as the originals.

-We then used them side-by-side

-with the original panels.

-A huge effort was made...

-..to furnish the house

-in keeping with the period.

-It was always the intention to

-furnish it with old, Welsh pieces...

-..and, broadly speaking,

-it's a success.

-Up we go, to the bedrooms.

-There are acres of wood here

-and most of it is old.

-They rescued

-as much of the old wood as possible.

-The ambience is unaltered.

-There are three bedrooms here -

-one large one...

-..and one small bedroom,

-boxed in by wooden partitions.

-The master bedroom is here.

-Here it is.

-As you can see,

-the floor is original.

-The planks

-are wider than modern ones.

-The old furniture

-adds to the character.

-The chair, the fantastic wardrobe

-and the bed...

-..make this house feel cosy and old.

-Huw, these wonderful wall paintings

-are partly why we came here.

-Do you know

-anything about their history?

-No, they're a mystery.

-We have no idea why they're here...

-..in a house that dates back

-to the early 19th century.

-From what I can gather...

-..wall paintings were fashionable

-in the mid-16th and 17th centuries.

-The mystery

-of the wall paintings deepens...

-..when you realise the picture

-was cut off by the ceiling.

-That suggests it went higher,

-at one point.

-It begs the question...

-..was this floor added some time

-after the building was erected?

-An expert

-has worked on these paintings...

-..to draw them out and make them

-a little more prominent.

-The colours had faded substantially.

-Our expert also brought more details

-to the surface...

-..by scraping away

-some of the whitewash.

-He did a remarkable job.

-Seeing the house finished,

-like this, gives me great pleasure.

-It's very satisfying...

-..to know I've helped save a part

-of our heritage here, in Ceredigion.

-It's wonderful to see a house which

-is important to the local area...

-..recapture its former glory.

-It's just as it was, centuries ago,

-and that's wonderful.

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-I come from the Brecon area.

-I was raised

-in a farmhouse called Yscir Fawr.

-That's why

-I called my house Yscir Fach.

-Much of the old furniture

-in the house came from Yscir Fawr.

-I bought some of the other items

-in local shops.

-Gwyn Morgans

-is the owner of Yscir Fach.

-He's a musician

-who now designs houses and gardens.

-When did you buy this house, Gwyn?

-When did you buy this house, Gwyn?

-

-I first saw the house

-around seven years ago.

-It was in a terrible condition...

-..but I knew instantly

-there was great potential here.

-The doors and the windows

-were in good condition...

-..and the walls were OK.

-We had to start from scratch,

-with everything else in the house.

-The builders helped, of course.

-What style did you give the house?

-What style did you give the house?

-

-We wanted to keep

-the house's character...

-..so we chose a Victorian style

-for one part of the house.

-The parlour, the kitchen...

-..and elements of the bedroom

-are Victorian.

-Other parts of the house

-are quite contemporary.

-This is the hall.

-It's very traditional, other than

-the red shade used on the walls.

-The walls would originally have been

-dark brown - a coffee colour.

-The red walls are very welcoming

-when you come in through the door.

-The black and white floor tiles

-make it an interesting composition.

-It's nice.

-The parlour is to my right.

-This is like

-stepping into Granny's parlour!

-It's less damp and it isn't as cold,

-you don't need five jumpers...

-..and it's a room that's used,

-unlike many other parlours.

-Gwyn is a musician

-and he'd be lost without his piano.

-I can hear a ticking clock and it

-reminds me of my granny's parlour.

-This is a pleasant experience,

-mind you.

-This room is used regularly

-and it's warm and cosy.

-The staircase leads to the bedrooms.

-The red walls continue,

-as we go upstairs.

-In stark contrast, the guest bedroom

-is very, very light and modern.

-The bed frame is contemporary.

-And yet, it isn't out of place.

-It doesn't feel as if

-it belongs in some other house.

-Something links every room.

-Gwyn sacrificed one bedroom

-to create that bathroom.

-The layout has been changed here,

-which makes this a dark area.

-This dark tunnel leads to

-the light, bright master bedroom.

-Like the guest bedroom,

-this is contemporary and light.

-The striking thing about this room

-is the view over the fields.

-Isn't it fantastic?

-Which is your favourite room, Gwyn?

-Which is your favourite room, Gwyn?

-

-The conservatory

-is my favourite room.

-I had it built last year.

-I love sitting in here.

-It's an extension of the garden.

-It's wonderfully light.

-It's a perfect place to grow plants

-and it's a great party room.

-I'm very happy in Yscir Fach.

-It's in a quiet spot,

-in the countryside...

-..but it's also close to town.

-Hen Felin was a mill,

-before it became a home.

-This building has gone through

-a remarkable transformation.

-Hefin Davies lives in Hen Felin,

-Betws Gwerful Goch.

-He had the vision

-to transform the mill into a home.

-Had the old mill been in your family

-for some years, Hefin?

-Yes.

-My grandfather worked in the mill.

-He started working there

-in the 1950s.

-My father was interested in cars,

-so he opened a scrap yard.

-People flocked here to buy car parts

-for over 25 years.

-It was in remarkably good condition.

-The roof was intact

-and the joists were usable.

-I played here, as a child.

-It holds some good memories, for me.

-That's why I felt compelled

-to convert it into a home.

-Did you know exactly

-what sort of windows you wanted?

-Yes. I had a clear picture

-in my head of what I wanted.

-I knew what style

-and which colours I wanted.

-I wanted to preserve

-the character of the building.

-I also knew what layout I wanted.

-I'm delighted with the result.

-I had four walls and a roof.

-Apart from the third floor,

-everything was open.

-That's how

-the old mill was designed.

-I had a blank sheet of paper

-and I took it from there.

-I knew the exact layout I wanted.

-I wanted a big, open living room

-and a big kitchen.

-I knew where I wanted the bedrooms

-and the bathroom to be.

-I laid down strips of wood,

-painted red, on the floor...

-..to create the template

-for the builders and carpenters.

-They made sure it fitted.

-What function did you have in mind

-for this room?

-How did you envisage yourself

-using it?

-I wanted a kitchen and living room,

-in one.

-I wanted everyone to gather

-in this room to chat and drink tea.

-I wanted a comfortable, cosy room.

-I'm delighted

-with the way it turned out.

-Why did you

-design the kitchen, like this?

-I wanted to create two rooms,

-without losing the open feel.

-I put bricks and flowers there

-to define the two separate areas.

-Everything ties in neatly

-with the old wood.

-That's amazing.

-Yes, I was fortunate that

-the building was in good condition.

-Time

-hadn't wrecked anything in here.

-All I had to do was clean the wood

-and do the plastering.

-Which other features did you design?

-This is removable, isn't it?

-Yes, this block slides out, like so.

-I designed it like this

-to make it easy to clean.

-I can take it out there

-and give it a good scrub.

-It's huge!

-There's a concealed towel rail

-under there.

-In the pillar?

-In the pillar?

-

-Yes.

-Yes, I see.

-The kitchen

-was built by a local craftsman...

-..but Hefin chose all the furniture.

-Let's climb this new staircase,

-to the first floor.

-There were no stairs here,

-originally.

-There was a door here,

-leading to the field.

-This is now a perfect display area.

-There are traces of the original

-purpose of the building here, too.

-Hefin has kept some pieces of wood.

-The axle went up there.

-This is now the guest bedroom.

-There's a bathroom here.

-Down here is the master bedroom,

-with its en suite shower room.

-This is a French-style bed.

-The wardrobes are over here.

-Everything is tucked away neatly,

-in here.

-This is an ingenious use of space.

-I don't think

-I've seen a more compact en suite!

-There's a shower, a toilet

-and a basin in here...

-..but it doesn't feel cramped.

-That's amazing!

-What do you plan to do up here,

-on the third floor?

-I use it purely as storage space,

-at the moment.

-I keep all my junk up here!

-I hope to put a bathroom

-and two more bedrooms up here.

-You've done incredibly well...

-..to keep so much

-of the mechanics of the mill.

-That's what

-makes this place special.

-I wanted to preserve as much

-of the mill's character as possible.

-The real character of the mill

-is up here.

-Can you see a time

-when you won't live here?

-At the moment, I'd have to say no.

-This will be my home.

-Why?

-I've invested time and energy

-in the place.

-I don't want to move away

-from this village and its people.

-I'm completely happy here.

-S4C subtitles by

-Eirlys A Jones