Pennod 5 100 Lle

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-Welcome to 100 Lle.

-We've reached the North Wales coast.

-Across the River Conwy, I can see

-one of Wales's most glorious views.

-From Conwy, we head east to Denbigh

-and St Marcella's Church.

-We see Holywell

-through the eyes of Marian Delyth...

-..before exploring Ewloe

-and Hawarden.

-Dr John Davies joins me

-in Conwy, Rhuddlan and St Asaph.

-Is there a more glorious approach

-to any town than there is to Conwy?

-Before the bridges were built,

-the castle would have reared up...

-..like a magical vision

-across the water.

-It's an alluring example

-of a medieval castle.

-It's a place

-of obvious strategic importance...

-..so why wasn't there

-a castle here earlier?

-There were forts along the River

-Conwy dating back to Roman times.

-Maelgwn Gwynedd commissioned

-a castle in Deganwy, over there.

-He built his castle on that mound.

-It was rebuilt

-by both the Normans and the Welsh.

-There was a castle

-near the Conwy estuary...

-..from the 12th century

-to the late 13th century.

-A castle on a hill isn't as strong

-as one more or less on the river.

-Most of Edward I's strongholds...

-..were within easy reach of the sea.

-It made sense to build a castle

-that was accessible to shipping.

-Apparently, Conwy Castle

-is the most magnificent...

-..of all the castles

-commissioned by Edward I.

-Caernarfon Castle

-is his most high-profile castle.

-The Investiture was held there

-and it's world-famous.

-Conwy Castle is more ingenious

-and more ambitious.

-If you look at the walls,

-they're 1,300 metres long.

-Caernarfon has only 700 metres.

-Conwy was planned as a town

-twice the size of Caernarfon.

-It's evidence that they saw Conwy

-as the capital city of North Wales.

-By 1284, there had been

-a change of heart...

-..and the focus

-shifted to Caernarfon.

-Edward I and Eleanor, his wife...

-..spent much of their sojourn

-in Wales, in 1283 and 1284, here.

-It's a joy to walk among the ruins

-of the most opulent royal rooms...

-..built in 13th century Europe.

-It's also a joy to admire Telford

-and Stephenson's masterpieces.

-Conwy is as famous for its bridges

-as it is for its castle.

-To these, we can add

-the innovative tunnel...

-..that carries the A55 road

-under the river.

-Having crossed the river,

-you'll find St Mary's Church...

-..the burial site

-of Llywelyn the Great.

-Also here is Plas Mawr, a striking

-house built by Robert Wynn in 1585.

-Aberconwy House,

-the oldest town house in Wales...

-..was built in Castle Street

-in around 1420.

-If you were here

-during the 17th century...

-..most houses within the walls

-would have looked like this.

-In the 1930s, an American

-was so taken by this house...

-..that he wanted to dismantle it

-and ship it to Texas!

-This house has ancient roots.

-The woodwork on the ground floor

-dates back to around 1419.

-It suggests

-that the house was renovated...

-..in the period immediately

-following the Glyndwr Revolt.

-It points to a resurgent economy

-in Conwy following the revolt.

-Some claim that parts of the masonry

-are as old as the castle...

-..which is 800 years old.

-You're an expert on crucks

-aren't you, Aled?

-Is this what you'd call a cruck?

-No, I wouldn't call them crucks

-in the conventional sense.

-They're A-frames.

-Is a cruck constructed

-from a single piece of wood...

-..that goes from floor to ceiling?

-No, but it would be a single piece

-of wood from here upwards.

-You've been denied the pleasure

-of seeing a cruck.

-I'll survive!

-I'll survive!

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-A cruck a day keeps the doctor away!

-Having missed out

-on seeing crucks in Conwy...

-..we head to the town of Denbigh.

-Edward I presented Denbigh

-to Henry de Lacy in 1282.

-Above the main door are the remains

-of a statue built to thank him.

-It took around 13 years

-to build this magnificent castle.

-It stands on the hill

-above what is now Denbigh.

-The great gatehouse

-has three towers.

-As Welsh gatehouses go,

-this is the cat's pyjamas.

-It really does have everything.

-An external barbican, a prison,

-two portcullises, a drawbridge...

-..some private quarters and a hall.

-It's worth climbing to the top

-of the hill, through the town...

-..to admire

-this ingenious structure.

-Keep walking

-to the top of the wall...

-..and you'll see why Denbigh Castle

-was built here.

-The views are breathtaking,

-in all directions...

-..from the Vale of Clwyd

-and Moel Famau...

-..across the hills and down

-to the plains and to St Asaph.

-The town stands proudly below us,

-all around the castle.

-It is a truly wondrous sight.

-The former mental hospital

-is visible from the castle.

-There are interesting

-ancient buildings in the town.

-They include the old Gwasg Gee press

-and Theatr Twm o'r Nant.

-Twm o'r Nant leads us

-to the pretty St Marcella's Church.

-Twm o'r Nant was buried here,

-at St Marcella's Church.

-"Here lieth the body

-of Thomas Edwards of Nant...

-"..the Cambrian Shakespeare...

-"..with his wife

-and four of his daughters.

-"Died 5 April, 1810, aged 71."

-There's a poem in Welsh.

-"Despite the glorious natural

-talent of this famous poet...

-"..the muse and his brogue

-are silenced in this quiet spot."

-Isn't that beautiful?

-There is a memorial

-to Humphrey Llwyd in this church.

-His map of Wales

-was published in Antwerp...

-..two years after his death in 1568.

-This is a memorial to the Myddletons

-and their 16 children.

-One memorial is even more amazing.

-It's the tomb of Sir John Salusbury

-and his wife, Joan.

-He was known

-as Sir John of the Thumbs.

-Some say that he was named

-because he had very strong hands.

-Others say that he had two thumbs

-on both hands.

-His fingers have disappeared,

-so we can't confirm that theory.

-At his feet

-lies the Beast of Caledfryn.

-This beast terrorized local people.

-Legend has it

-that Sir John slew this beast.

-Some people think

-that it was actually his dog.

-This face was added to the body

-some ten years after his death.

-The face on Joan's body was created

-while she was still alive.

-It must have been strange...

-..to have an alabaster carving

-of your head made before your death.

-Around the bottom

-are carvings of their children.

-They had nine boys and four girls.

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-In every episode of 100 Lle...

-..we see one location

-through the eyes of Marian Delyth.

-This week, it's Holywell.

-In my ignorance, I thought

-that all Holywell had to offer...

-..was the shrine

-and St Winifred's Well.

-I let the place dictate the content

-of the photographs that I took.

-I took many photographs

-of the general views.

-I also focused on various elements.

-I then realized

-that there's far more to Holywell...

-..than the shrine and the well.

-I enjoyed a glorious afternoon

-walking along the path...

-..around the old industrial area

-of Greenfield.

-I walked through Greenfield

-and came across Basingwerk Abbey.

-Which photographs are in the book

-and why did you choose them?

-John was keen to have a picture

-of the well itself.

-He's interested

-in the architecture...

-..so he asked me

-to include this photo.

-It includes

-the architectural elements.

-We chose a photograph of this

-wonderful 15th century statue...

-..of a porter

-and a stricken pilgrim.

-It was a tradition

-to carry invalids to help them.

-When we move down the valley,

-away from the church and the well...

-..we find a far more recent

-industrial landscape.

-However, they both made use

-of the power of flowing water.

-Yes, as John explains in the book...

-..industrialists harnessed

-the power of the water.

-It helped to create the local wool,

-cotton, coal and copper industries.

-There are graphic and strong images

-of industrial remains.

-All around the remains,

-nature has reclaimed the land.

-That combination of natural beauty

-and industrial remains...

-..works wonderfully well.

-Next, we go to Ewloe and Hawarden.

-Hawarden boasts

-a collection of memorials...

-..to an important figure

-in British history.

-William Ewart Gladstone died

-at the ripe old age of 89.

-He was a Member of Parliament

-for most of his life.

-He served four terms

-as Prime Minister.

-He collected 32,000 books.

-We know that he read 22,000

-of those, as he wrote notes in them.

-He built a library in Hawarden

-to let local people read them too.

-The books weren't for

-the exclusive use of local people.

-This residential library was built

-at the turn of the 20th century.

-It still welcomes guests today.

-This collection could have gone

-to the Bodleian or to London...

-..but Gladstone sought to unite

-readers who had no books...

-..with books that had no readers.

-That's why this collection

-remained in Wales.

-What you get here,

-apart from this wealth of books...

-..are the personal notes

-made by Gladstone.

-For example, there are books here

-from his time at Eton.

-He has doodled on the pages,

-so he wasn't too busy in class!

-He has drawn pictures

-of some of his teachers.

-They're quite funny.

-He made more personal notes

-later in his life.

-This is a book about Wilberforce,

-a man whom Gladstone knew.

-"I had breakfast with Wilberforce

-on the 25th of July."

-That was four days before his death.

-"His conversation was cheerful,

-whimsical and flowing...

-"..his prayer

-like that of one already released."

-That's beautiful.

-The family connection in the church

-next to the library is very clear.

-Gladstone spent a lot of time here,

-in the pews and in the pulpit.

-Before you leave Hawarden,

-it's worth visiting his memorial.

-It's a copy of the original,

-in Westminster.

-Some treasures

-can be seen from afar...

-..but others you have to search for.

-This is one such treasure.

-You'll find a real gem in Ewloe,

-a stone's throw from Hawarden.

-Llywelyn ap Gruffudd

-built Ewloe Castle in 1257.

-What a cheek!

-Building it certainly

-put English noses out of joint.

-But it didn't last long.

-Edward I was probably here

-around 20 years later.

-He did well to find it!

-Ewloe Castle is a compact building.

-This was the most easterly

-of the castles of the Welsh Princes.

-It doesn't have a rich history...

-..but you feel a part of it

-when you visit the ruins.

-Of the 100 places to see in Wales

-before you die...

-..Ewloe Castle

-is among the hardest to find.

-That very fact

-makes it more valuable.

-Ooh! That's priceless!

-From the hidden castle of Ewloe

-to the prominent ruins of Rhuddlan.

-Lying in the shadow of the castle

-is an important historical site.

-MUSIC

-Well, here we are in Rhuddlan, John.

-This may not be

-the most familiar image of the town.

-When most people think of Rhuddlan...

-..they think of the stone castle

-built in the 1270s.

-We're standing on Twthill.

-It's a motte and bailey castle...

-..built for Robert of Rhuddlan

-in around 1073.

-Before the motte was built...

-..the palace of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn

-may have stood here.

-He was the only king

-during the Middle Ages...

-..to unite the whole country.

-The idea is that Rhuddlan

-was the first capital of Wales.

-The defunct Rhuddlan District Council

-had a very noble motto.

-Rhuddlan, Cradle of Wales.

-The roots of the Welsh nation...

-..and a budding Welsh state are here.

-From the late 11th century

-until the 13th century...

-..Rhuddlan changed hands

-many times...

-..between the Welsh,

-the Normans and the English.

-The success of Welsh Princes

-can be measured...

-..by the times

-when they held Rhuddlan.

-When they lost Rhuddlan,

-they were waning.

-This was the benchmark.

-Rhuddlan Castle

-was commissioned by Edward I.

-It was the first

-of the Welsh castles...

-..with which the great architect

-James of St George was involved.

-From the centre of the castle...

-..we can see the imperfect lozenge

-shape to which people refer.

-It's a square that has been

-compressed at both ends.

-It isn't a perfect square,

-that's for certain.

-It's a rectangle.

-There are two single towers

-and two pairs of towers here.

-It doesn't quite

-have the symmetry of Beaumaris...

-..but it's hard to see its glory

-now that it's such a ruin.

-This was a big castle.

-Few realize that Rhuddlan Castle

-is so interesting.

-It played a key role in the history

-of the conquest of Wales.

-It's the only

-imperfect lozenge in Wales.

-Yes, though further research

-is needed.

-Viewer, if you know of another

-imperfect lozenge, let us know!

-Edward I spent heavily

-on strong defences in Rhuddlan...

-..in a bid to ensure it was the seat

-of the bishop of the north-east.

-He asked the Pope to recognize it

-as the centre of a bishopric...

-..at the expense of St Asaph.

-Two miles south of Rhuddlan Castle

-is St Asaph Cathedral.

-The smallest cathedral in Britain

-is one of John's 100 places to see.

-St Asaph Cathedral

-was destroyed by fire in 1282.

-This gave substance to the idea

-that a fresh start should be made...

-..at a more defensible location.

-The Pope didn't reply and what you

-see is the shell of the building...

-..erected between 1284 and 1391...

-..together with the renovation work

-of George Gilbert Scott...

-..between 1867 and 1875.

-The stalls and their canopies

-date back to the 15th century.

-These may be the most interesting

-of the surviving medieval items.

-The ornamentation at the top

-dates back to 1480.

-They're old parts of this cathedral.

-The rest of the chancel

-looks just as it did...

-..in the 1870s.

-This is a copy of the first Welsh

-translation of the Bible from 1588.

-Yes, it's part of the library

-of St Asaph Cathedral.

-William Morgan, who translated it

-into Welsh, was a bishop here.

-He's buried here somewhere.

-There's a memorial to him

-and to the other translators outside.

-The Translators' Chapel is here...

-..so it's fitting

-that they have a copy.

-It's amazing to see it here,

-in such good condition.

-The Old Testament's frontispiece

-has gone but otherwise it's complete.

-Someone has been busy writing

-some sort of graffiti on the pages!

-They didn't realize its importance,

-so they doodled on the pages!

-Graffiti, over the centuries.

-Yes. Isn't that wonderful?

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones