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0:00:21 > 0:00:23- Welcome to the series 100 Lle...
0:00:24 > 0:00:28- ..based on Wales - The 100 Places - To See Before You Die...
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- ..a book by John Davies - and Marian Delyth.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34- The 100 places we'll visit - are remarkable...
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- ..because they're the work of man - rather than nature.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- This week, I'll be on Anglesey...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44- ..to enjoy - some of the island's wonders.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49- I'll then see Bangor through the - eyes of photographer, Marian Delyth.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- We'll view Telford - and Stephenson's work...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- ..and explore - Anglesey's chambered tombs.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02- John Davies joins me in Beaumaris - and here, on Parys Mountain.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23- Wales - 100 Places To See - Before You Die...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- ..won the 2010 - Welsh Book of the Year.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31- It's a personal volume and, assisted - by John Davies and Marian Delyth...
0:01:32 > 0:01:37- ..this series aims to bring - their vision to life on television.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48- You've researched - the history of Welsh industry.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50- Tell us about Parys Mountain.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54- Yes, it's Wales's most dramatic - industrial landscape.
0:01:54 > 0:02:00- South-east Wales was industrialized - far more intensely than Anglesey.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- It's strange that industry left - its most dramatic remains here...
0:02:06 > 0:02:08- ..on the northern edge of Anglesey.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13- The colours of the rocks - and the soil are very stunning.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- In respect of beauty and drama, - Parys Mountain is totally unique.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- From what I can gather, Roland Puw - discovered the rich vein...
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- ..on the 2nd of March, 1768.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29- This vein of copper - generated a 7 million profit.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- That was a huge sum of money - in the 18th century.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- Roland Puw was rewarded - with a bottle of whisky...
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- ..and a rent-free cottage for life.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- Where did the copper go, - when it left here?
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- It went to Amlwch which explains - why there was a harbour there.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53- Amlwch was half the size of New York - in the late 18th century!
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- The ore was broken into small pieces - to extract the sulphur.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- That explains the colour - of the rock and the soil.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- They mined copper sulphate.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- I'd urge anyone to visit - Parys Mountain and Amlwch.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13- They're among the most interesting - places in the whole of Wales.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- The work on Parys Mountain - was very hard...
0:03:19 > 0:03:23- ..and the women's task was to crush - chunks of rock into gravel.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28- The Copper Ladies are still - part of the folklore of the area.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- How many people worked - in the copper mine at its peak?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- It was in the thousands.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- Most of them lived in Amlwch.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46- The economy hadn't developed - to maintain that sort of activity.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- There wasn't enough cash - in circulation, for example.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Thomas Williams, - or Twm Chwarae Teg...
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- ..minted Anglesey Pennies - with copper from here.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- The coins were essential - to maintain the economy.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- He minted around 12 million - Anglesey Pennies.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- They're now collectors' items.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- The Bank of England removed them - from circulation in 1821.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- For the first 20 years - of the 19th century...
0:04:17 > 0:04:21- ..the people of Anglesey - used their own currency.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- I take it this crater was created - when the work was at its peak.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32- Yes, it was created in the late 18th - century and into the 19th century.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- That's when they used gunpowder - to blast the rock.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39- This is a steep cavern...
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- ..but the mine actually went - 1,000 feet below the surface.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- The shafts and the tunnels - bore deep into the earth.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- The location is - a remarkably stunning site.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05- Well, I've seen - the exterior of this mine.
0:05:05 > 0:05:11- I'm now venturing below the surface - with the Parys Underground Group.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- OK, boys?
0:05:14 > 0:05:15- It's cramped here.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19- There are over 20km of tunnels - below Parys Mountain...
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- ..most of which are now flooded.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27- Conditions were tough.
0:05:27 > 0:05:33- Men had to buy their own tools - - gear such as candles and explosives.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- They were often in debt to managers.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- We continue our descent.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44- We hope to reach a chamber where - the tunnel opens out quite soon.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- These tunnels are very narrow.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- We've descended around 60 feet - to an open chamber.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- This is known - as the Pisanite Chamber.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- This is the pisanite.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13- Pisanite is iron sulphate crystals - which contains copper.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- It grows out of the rock.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Isn't it wonderful?
0:06:25 > 0:06:26- This is amazing.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Above my head is a shaft...
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- ..which was chiselled into the rock - in the early Bronze Age.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- It was created using fire and rocks.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- They warmed the rock, then struck it - until pieces of rock fell away.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- The piece of wood you see here - is 4,000 years old.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- Isn't that incredible?
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Parys Mountain is one - of the rare sites in the world...
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- ..where you'll find evidence - of Bronze Age and Roman mining.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- The wonders of Wales can be seen - below and above the ground.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- The bridges across the Menai Strait.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17- Both were built in the first half - of the 19th century.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- First came Thomas Telford's bridge, - in 1826...
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- ..followed by Stephenson's - Britannia Bridge, in 1850.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- Both were built to create better - access from London to Ireland.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- We tend to take Menai Bridge - for granted.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- In 1826, Telford's feat - of engineering was remarkable.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- At the time, this was the longest - suspension bridge in the world.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- People flocked here to see it...
0:07:48 > 0:07:52- ..like they flocked to Paris - to see the Eiffel Tower.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- Thomas Telford was acclaimed - for several projects.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- He built a road from London - to Holyhead, through Snowdonia...
0:08:04 > 0:08:08- ..and he also built this bridge - across the Menai Strait.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- It's 580 feet, or 177 metres long.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- The bridge also allowed ships - with masts of up to 100 feet...
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- ..to pass safely beneath it.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53- Britannia Bridge carried trains - across the Strait 25 years later.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- This was a revolutionary design.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- A tower was built - in the middle of the Strait...
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- ..and tubes, with no support, - carried the weight of trains...
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- ..from one tower to the next.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- The structure above my head - was constructed...
0:09:11 > 0:09:16- ..when the bridge was redesigned - after being badly damaged by fire.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- That happened in the 1960s.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24- It carries both trains and cars - nowadays and the tubes have gone.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38- This is the only section - of the old tubes which has survived.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43- This is one section of the long - tubes which supported the weight...
0:09:43 > 0:09:49- ..when trains moved along the rails - between the towers across the water.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- This old structure - needed a lot of maintenance.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- That's why - these channels were created.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01- Engineers went on their backs - on a type of skateboard...
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- ..to make sure all the rivets - were still tight.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- The history of the bridges - and the men who built them...
0:10:26 > 0:10:27- ..ends on an ironic note.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Just as their bridges - lie cheek by jowl...
0:10:31 > 0:10:36- ..Telford and Stephenson are buried - cheek by jowl in Westminster Abbey.
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0:11:01 > 0:11:04- We'll see many of the locations...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- ..in Wales - 100 Places To See - Before You Die...
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- ..through the eyes of photographer, - Marian Delyth.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Marian took the photographs - and she designed the book.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- This week, we'll take a look - at the city of Bangor.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- I accepted the invitation - to photograph 100 places...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- ..as chosen by John Davies.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- The brief wasn't restrictive...
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- ..in the sense I had to photograph - specific details.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- I simply took the locations - as my starting point.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- There's a variety of images - in the book.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- Some of them serve purely - as a pictorial documentary.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50- Others include a personal element - and my reaction to the locations.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- I tried to capture - the essence of the 100 places...
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- ..and I tried to ensure - the images complemented the text...
0:12:00 > 0:12:05- ..to create an item which encouraged - people to look at their heritage.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10- We hope to inspire people - to find out more about these places.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15- Without being disparaging, - the images on the screen...
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- ..look like postcards from Bangor.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- Yes, and that was my dilemma.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Should I choose traditional - photographs?
0:12:25 > 0:12:30- Though popular, they don't inspire - me but they are functional.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- They give you an idea - of the main sights of Bangor...
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- ..for those who haven't been there.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- That element didn't excite me.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- I remember walking down - Siliwen Road...
0:12:44 > 0:12:49- ..and suddenly, - the pier appeared through the trees.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- It was the starting point - for my journey...
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- ..when I photographed that area.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04- These photographs of Bangor pier - are far more personal...
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- ..but they're not included - in the book.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11- Personally, I like images - which include reflections...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- ..or a strong graphic element.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- But they may not be suitable - for a project such as this.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- For example, I took some shots - through the glass on the pier.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- For me, they convey the essence of - Bangor where students walk around.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38- I took one photo of the pier - and its rounded little shelter.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- There's a hint of colour - in that photograph...
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- ..and that's the beauty - of that photograph, for me.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- It's a subdued photograph - which contains a flash of red...
0:13:51 > 0:13:52- ..and a hint of blue.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- This photograph - is a snapshot of life.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- When I'd photographed the pier...
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- ..I looked across, towards Anglesey.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- That's when I realized...
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- ..that the image I'd like - to capture...
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- ..was a photograph of Bangor - in midwinter.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17- There's snow on the mountains.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- The sky isn't blue. - It's stormy, in fact.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- There's a special feel - to the place...
0:14:23 > 0:14:27- ..so that's the photograph we used - as the main shot of Bangor.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- Our journey goes from Barclodiad - y Gawres to Bryncelli Ddu...
0:14:37 > 0:14:43- ..viewing several places in between, - including a memorial to a lost king.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08- A Welsh saying says life is savage - but the grave is snug.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- It's far more snug in here today - than it is outside.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- Barclodiad y Gawres was built - as a public tomb for local people.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- It was created - between 3000 and 2500 years BC.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- The Egyptians - were building the Pyramids...
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- ..and this is what the Welsh built.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- When this place was examined - in the 20th century...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- ..the cremated remains - of two humans was found.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- There's more than ashes - to Barclodiad y Gawres.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43- The carvings within this chamber - are truly remarkable.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- As this place is 5,000 years old...
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- ..you could argue that this was - Wales's first art gallery.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- From Barclodiad y Gawres, - we move on to Aberffraw.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- This seaside village...
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- ..was once the seat - of the Kings of Gwynedd.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18- The only medieval remains here - can be found in St Beuno's Church.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- In Wales - 100 Places To See - Before You Die, John Davies says...
0:16:22 > 0:16:27- ..the remains of the court - of Llywelyn may lie on this hill.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Next, we move on to another church.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- This is St Cadwaladr's Church, - a mile south of Aberffraw.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- According to Brut Y Tywysogion...
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- ..Cadwaladr was the last ruler - of the Britons.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- His death opened the door - to the English.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- That's not - the most important feature...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- ..of this lovely, - 12th century church.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- This is a memorial to Cadfan, - Cadwaladr's grandfather.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- I'll read the Latin inscription - from the book.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16- Catamanus Rex sapientissimus - opinatissimus omnium regum.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20- "Cadfan, the wisest - and most illustrious of all kings".
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- The stone bears the curly letters...
0:17:25 > 0:17:30- ..favoured by centres of learning in - mainland Europe in the 7th century.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- That in itself proves how important - King Cadwaladr was...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- ..but that's all we know about him.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39- It's a mystery.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18- Brycelli Ddu is one of the best of - Anglesey's twenty Neolithic sites.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- There was a stone circle here - originally.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24- This chamber was then built.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- The dome was added in the 1950s.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32- Light shines through the passage - and into the chamber at sunrise...
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- ..only on one day of the year.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40- That day is the summer solstice, - the longest day of the year.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46- It proves that the chamber - has astrological significance...
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- ..just like Stonehenge.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Few Welsh places have French names.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23- That's true.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- Beaupre, in the Vale of Glamorgan, - is another example.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Beaumaris is the only Welsh town - to carry a French name.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- Beau Maris means beautiful marsh.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- It was built as a new town...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- ..in the wake of the losses suffered - by Llywelyn the Great.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- When he died, there was a threat - of a Welsh revolt.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- The most important sea port - in the kingdom of Gwynedd...
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- ..was Llanfaes, - which is very close to Beaumaris.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- They didn't want Llanfaes - to compete with Beaumaris...
0:19:58 > 0:20:03- ..so they evicted the residents - and created a new village for them.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08- That village was Newborough, - on the other side of Anglesey.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14- They built this castle, then a town, - market and port sprung up here...
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- ..but it was never meant - to be a hub of Welshness.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- There has hardly been - a Welsh influence here...
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- ..compared with Caernarfon.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- The coffin of Joan, - wife of Llywelyn the Great...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- ..lies in the parish church - of Beaumaris.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- Apparently, - before it was moved here...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- ..it was used as a cattle trough.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48- Beaumaris Castle was the last and - largest of the castles of Edward I.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54- Built in 1295, it was designed by - the architect, James of St George.
0:20:54 > 0:21:00- It was never completed but it's - one of the best castles in Britain.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08- Standing here, on the internal wall, - we can see its strategic importance.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Yes, this castle faces the northern - mouth of the Menai Strait.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- Having a sturdy fortress here - strengthened the king's position.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- The path which led into Anglesey - crossed the estuary, over there.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- People could cross the estuary - on horseback.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- The water is shallow - when the tide's out...
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- ..but you need a boat in the middle.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38- This was the pathway into Anglesey - from Abergwyngregyn...
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- ..which was - Llywelyn's favourite home.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- You could access Anglesey from here.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- That's why this area - had to be defended.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52- The king wanted to build something - which told the defeated Welsh...
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- ..that his resources knew no bounds.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- It's a statement rather than - a fortress, in some respects.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- It was Edward I's atomic bomb!
0:22:04 > 0:22:05- It was Edward I's atomic bomb!- - Yes, I suppose so.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11- You don't intend to use it - but everyone knows you possess it.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13- That's the real deterrent.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- What about the castle layout?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- It isn't similar to Caernarfon - or Conwy.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- No, it's a different type of castle.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- The concentric castle was designed - in the 14th century.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36- The Crusaders of the Middle East - first built concentric castles.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42- Krak des Chevaliers, which is now in - Syria and which was built in 1250...
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- ..is considered to be the prototype.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49- A concentric castle - is a castle within a castle.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- In effect, a castle - which has two layers.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57- The walls of the inner ward are - higher than those of the outer ward.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01- You could shoot arrows - over the outer wall.
0:23:01 > 0:23:07- You can see the castle's reflection - in the moat around the perimeter.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- It's perfect.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16- Its symmetry - makes Beaumaris Castle a real gem.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:23:56 > 0:23:57- .