Pennod 10 100 Lle

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-In this programme...

-..we see Tenby through the eyes

-of photographer Marian Delyth.

-We discuss

-the laws of Hywel Dda...

-..and discover

-Bishop Gower's holiday home.

-The Botanic Garden

-is worth seeing all year round...

-..but our journey begins

-in Carmarthen.

-Moridunum, meaning fort by the sea,

-was the original name of Carmarthen.

-It has Roman roots and some believe

-it's the oldest town in Wales.

-Moridunum was the main centre

-of the territory of the Demetae.

-The remains of a Roman amphitheatre

-stand on the outskirts of the town.

-The Roman town was the old town...

-..but a thousand years later,

-a new town grew around the castle.

-A castle was built here,

-on the ridge above the Tywi...

-..at the turn of the 12th century.

-It was a timber and earth castle.

-Stone castles were first built

-later in the 12th century.

-The plan was to build

-an ambitious castle...

-..in the power base of the King

-of England in south-west Wales.

-Owain Gwynedd and Llywelyn the Great

-tried to take it.

-Owain Glyndwr succeeded,

-and destroyed much of it.

-As a result, it was renovated

-in 1410, following the Revolt.

-The 15th century gatehouse is the

-most striking part of the castle.

-What you see today is just a quarter

-of the size of the castle...

-..that stood here

-in the 13th century.

-Sections were demolished

-to build a prison.

-The prison was designed

-by the famous architect John Nash.

-Very little of it remains...

-..because the prison

-was demolished in the 1930s...

-..to make way

-for Carmarthenshire County Hall.

-Percy Thomas

-designed this handsome building.

-The chateau.

-The chateau.

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-Yes, and built between 1938 and 1955.

-It resembles a French chateau

-standing above the river.

-It's an eye-catching building.

-A similar design was used

-for Pantycelyn Hall, Aberystwyth.

-The students who live there are

-more interesting than the staff here!

-Spilman Street

-leads to St Peter's Church.

-Its limewashed tower

-makes the exterior interesting.

-The tomb of Rhys ap Thomas makes

-the interior just as interesting.

-He was one of Henry Tudor's

-main allies at Bosworth...

-..as he tried

-to capture the English throne.

-I can't think

-of another Welsh town...

-..that has so many finely-crafted

-places of worship.

-Yes, and the English Baptist

-Church on Lammas Street...

-..is the best of the lot.

-It's tucked away

-and it suddenly looms large.

-As you approach the chapel...

-..you think you're about to enter

-an ancient Greek temple.

-In truth, it was completed in 1870.

-It was designed by George Morgan.

-He was a member,

-and indeed a minister, here.

-Preacher-architects made a huge

-contribution to Welsh chapels.

-The Corinthian pillars outside

-make it look like a Greek temple...

-..but, in fact,

-it isn't quite a classical design.

-The gap

-between the central pillars...

-..is wider than the gaps

-on either side.

-That affects the classical element,

-but it's still wonderful.

-Along with Bethesda chapel in Mold...

-..this must be

-the most beautiful chapel in Wales.

-Our visit to Carmarthen

-ends on the banks of the river...

-..that is the main reason

-for the town's existence.

-You can navigate the Tywi

-to the sea.

-That explains the name Moridunum,

-or fort by the sea.

-That's why Carmarthen thrived

-in the Middle Ages.

-A stone bridge was built

-across the river in the 13th century.

-Stone bridges were very rare

-in Wales at that time.

-This rich agricultural area

-exported its produce from here.

-In 1586, William Camden called it

-the chief city of the country.

-The National Botanic Garden

-stands on the Middleton Estate.

-The gardens of the past have been

-resurrected with present efforts...

-..and with the efforts

-of one gifted architect.

-Only the footprint

-of Middleton House remains.

-It was commissioned by William

-Paxton in the late 18th century.

-Paxton Tower,

-which stands on top of the hill...

-..was built as a monument

-to his close friend, Nelson.

-The house had many owners before

-it became council property in 1931.

-Almost immediately,

-the mansion burnt to the ground.

-All that remains are the

-servants' block and the stables.

-The new buildings are the real

-glory of the Botanic Garden.

-This is the main entrance,

-a building called the Gatehouse.

-Its design is based

-on the Celtic roundhouse.

-Smoke would exit through a hole

-in the roof of a roundhouse...

-..but here, we have

-a wonderful water feature...

-..called Thirty Three Thousand,

-Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight.

-That was the number of plant species

-threatened by extinction...

-..when the Garden opened in 2000.

-This is the Circle of Decision.

-This is where you decide which path

-to take around the garden.

-It takes the form

-of the cross-section of an ammonite.

-The fountain is fed by water

-that snakes down the hill...

-..echoing the way the Tywi

-wends its way down the valley.

-It also commemorates Edward Llwyd,

-the botanist and architect.

-I'm not sure

-what he'd have made of the dome.

-My decision is made.

-I'll head for the Great Glasshouse

-at the top of the hill.

-The glass dome

-is the crowning glory of the garden.

-It was designed

-by Norman Foster and Partners.

-This is the world's largest

-single span glasshouse.

-It's 110 metres long

-by 60 metres wide.

-The dome is tilted by seven degrees

-on its axis to face south...

-..to capture the maximum amount

-of sunlight each day.

-The glass dome

-may look amazing from the outside...

-..but nothing prepares you

-for the majesty of the interior.

-The contrast between iron, concrete

-and glass and wildlife is stunning.

-Even if you're not interested

-in botany, it's a magical place.

-We think of castles

-and ancient buildings...

-..as things

-that enrich the landscape.

-This uncompromisingly

-modern building...

-..also enhances the landscape.

-Without a shadow of a doubt,

-it merits its place on the list.

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-Photographer Marian Delyth

-is inspired by the sea this week.

-Editing is always hard...

-..especially in

-such photogenic locations as Tenby.

-In the end, I drew on my childhood

-memories of visiting the beach.

-There's a photograph

-that represents the beach.

-I also needed a collection of shots

-depicting various aspects of Tenby.

-There are small photographs...

-..above the titles

-of the chapters in the book.

-They are, of course,

-the 100 place names.

-I trimmed one shot to make the

-colourful houses its focal point.

-Some lovely shots

-weren't included in the book...

-..simply because there was no room.

-The sun was setting

-when you took this photograph.

-That shadow

-brushes the top of the island.

-I captured this a few seconds

-before the sun sank further...

-..and plunged the whole island

-into shadow.

-Because there are a few people

-on the beach...

-..you get an idea of the size

-of St Catherine's Island.

-The dramatic fort stands at the top.

-There's something magical about it.

-Yes, and it also looks Continental.

-It doesn't look like Wales.

-I eventually

-came to the conclusion...

-..that the shot of golden sands

-was most suitable for the book.

-The tracks

-give it a strong graphic element.

-The sheer simplicity of this

-photograph appealed to me.

-The light wasn't ideal, so I went

-for a wander along the beach.

-Photographers love to work

-on beaches, of course.

-It's a very rich subject,

-in the context of images.

-When the sun comes out...

-..there's a lovely quality

-to the light in Pembrokeshire.

-I think it's wonderful.

-Next, two places for the price

-of one - Lamphey and Manorbier.

-This is Bishop's Palace, Lamphey.

-It was built over three centuries...

-..and included a deer park,

-fish ponds and a huge granary.

-The bishop himself lived 30 miles

-in that direction, in St David's.

-Rather surprisingly,

-this was his summer residence.

-As the Queen goes to Balmoral,

-the bishop came to Lamphey.

-The Western Hall was built for

-Richard Carew in the 13th century.

-Essentially,

-it was a banqueting hall.

-The dining table was on this floor.

-There was a kitchen

-and a cellar below it.

-The plastered walls were decorated

-with red and gold paint.

-Remarkably, the lines and the red

-flower beneath the arch survived.

-The craftsmanship of the masonry

-around the window is impressive.

-They ate the best food and there

-was a roaring fire in the corner.

-Everyone wanted

-an invitation to dine here.

-A century later,

-Bishop Henry de Gower...

-..commissioned the building

-of a second hall.

-During the 14th century,

-the bishops were the jet set.

-In 1546, the Bishop of St David's

-surrendered Lamphey to Henry VIII.

-The King then granted it

-to Richard Devereux.

-The buildings then deteriorated,

-but are now in Cadw's safe hands.

-Manorbier Castle

-is a stone's throw from Lamphey.

-Virginia Woolf

-spent her childhood summers here.

-Long before then, it was the home

-of another famous writer.

-Manorbier Castle

-and the land that surrounds it...

-..was gifted to Odo De Barri

-in 1093.

-It was a gift for his help...

-..in the Norman campaign

-to conquer Pembrokeshire.

-A comfortable baronial home

-was then built here.

-It was easy to import luxury goods

-because the sea is nearby.

-To the Welsh, Manorbier Castle

-is most important...

-..because it's the birthplace

-of Giraldus Cambrensis.

-We know Giraldus Cambrensis

-as Gerald the Welshman.

-In reality, he was only a quarter

-Welsh, through his grandmother.

-He was a confident man

-who indulged in self-praise.

-He was also an acclaimed writer.

-He described Manorbier

-as "the pleasantest place in Wales".

-He aspired to become Bishop

-of St David's but was thwarted.

-Before you leave the area,

-visit King's Quoit burial chamber.

-It stands here,

-above the cliff and the beach...

-..where Giraldus's brothers

-built sandcastles.

-Giraldus, on the other hand,

-built sand cathedrals!

-This is a special experience.

-En route to Whitland, we stopped

-at St Mary Magdalene's Church.

-This church is in St Clears

-and this is why we're here.

-This magnificent arch.

-This magnificent arch.

-

-Yes, indeed.

-It's the sole example of Romanesque

-architecture in Carmarthenshire.

-The church was a priory of the

-Order of Cluny in around 1100.

-This arch is really striking.

-It was built in the second half

-of the 12th century.

-It can be compared

-to the famous arch at Strata Florida.

-The Buildings Of Carmarthenshire

-notes that it's crude but robust.

-That's a wonderful description.

-This is just a pit stop

-on our way to Whitland.

-We're really here to see Whitland.

-The Hywel Dda Centre

-opened in Whitland in 1984.

-Hywel Dda was the king

-of the whole of Wales.

-The memorial was designed

-by the artist Peter Lord.

-Six gardens represent

-an aspect of Hywel Dda's laws.

-There are several small gardens here.

-Each has a tree at its centre...

-Each one commemorates

-a different aspect of the laws.

-Behind us are references

-to the law pertaining to women.

-There are some interesting comments.

-I'm very fond of this one.

-A woman is free to go

-where she likes...

-..for there is no bondage for her.

-Not every European law

-allowed that...

-..in the eighth, ninth

-and tenth centuries.

-Hywel's laws allowed it.

-We should be proud

-of our civilized laws.

-The Willow Garden

-includes feminine symbols...

-..such as a crescent-shaped pool.

-The Ash Garden represents

-the laws of property.

-The Oak Garden represents laws

-pertaining to the King and Court.

-The Interpretive Centre...

-..was designed by Dafydd Thomas

-from the Prys Edwards Partnership.

-In the centre, you can see copies

-of Peniarth 28.

-That's the manuscript

-drawn up in the 13th century...

-..to record Hywel's laws.

-The interesting thing about it

-is that it had pictures.

-That was very unusual.

-This was an attempt by someone,

-300 years after Hywel's time...

-..to draw portraits of him.

-The drawings of animals include notes

-pertaining to their value.

-Hywel's laws went into detail

-about the value of horses and cattle.

-They also note the value of bulls,

-deer and, intriguingly, cats.

-A cat was worth a penny

-when it was born.

-It was worth two pennies

-when it opened its eyes.

-It was worth four pennies

-after it had killed a mouse!

-There are whimsical elements to it.

-There are whimsical elements to it.

-

-Yes, but it's very practical.

-If you have a cat and someone

-kills it, there's a set compensation.

-It was useful to have laws

-about these things.

-A millennium may have passed...

-..but many of these laws

-are still relevant today.

-Yes, although Hywel's laws faded

-under the influence of English Law.

-The Act of Union nullified them.

-The law is now changing,

-in relation to women's rights...

-..and in relation to victims

-of other people's actions.

-We're moving back towards the ideas

-behind Hywel Dda's laws.

-In time, we'll live

-under Hywel's laws once again.

-Let's hope so, anyway.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones