Pennod 7 100 Lle

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-In this programme,

-we visit Wales's only new town.

-We also discover

-Newport's answer to Versailles.

-Marian Delyth introduces us

-to the Gwent Levels.

-We also visit a grotto in Pontypool,

-but our odyssey begins in Caerleon.

-Welcome to 100 Lle.

-What was the significance

-of Caerleon as a Roman centre?

-It was one

-of three legionary fortresses.

-They were the chief strongholds

-of Roman power in Britannia.

-Those three legionary fortresses

-were Caerleon, Chester and York.

-What makes this different?

-Caerleon is the only place

-in northern Europe...

-..where Roman barracks' foundations

-are visible.

-A Roman legion

-was made up of 5,000 soldiers.

-A building such as this would house

-a century, a unit of 80 men.

-Roman architecture

-was very sophisticated.

-On this site, they even discovered

-the remains of bread ovens.

-There's an array of Roman remains

-in Caerleon...

-..but the most obvious

-has to be the amphitheatre.

-Yes, I think it's the most

-obviously Roman thing in Britain.

-There's nothing quite like it

-anywhere else.

-It's the only amphitheatre

-in Britain to be totally excavated.

-There are striking amphitheatres

-in Rome, Verona and Nimes...

-..but this was

-almost on a par with them.

-The walls were higher than this,

-of course...

-..and it seated 6,000 people.

-There was room here for everyone

-who lived and worked in the fortress.

-It was probably mainly used

-for military training...

-..but it was also used

-for entertainment purposes.

-They kept wild animals here

-to set upon Christians and the like.

-The Romans were fond of cruel sports.

-Legend has it that there was a link

-between Caerleon and King Arthur.

-Mortimer Wheeler, the archaeologist,

-used this tale...

-..to persuade the Daily Mail

-to finance the site's excavation.

-That work took place in the 1920s.

-In 1985, a cover protecting part

-of the bath house was completed.

-The original bath house

-was three times bigger than this.

-The main swimming pool seen here...

-..is almost as long

-as an Olympic-size swimming pool.

-There's also what we would now call

-a Turkish bath.

-The frigidarium, the warm area

-and the hot area were housed there.

-You'd move

-from one room to the next...

-..perspiring ever more heavily

-under your thick coat of olive oil.

-You would then have the oil

-scraped off, leaving you clean.

-These are the best remains

-of a Roman bath in Britain.

-There's a good example in Paris,

-but this is the best in Britain.

-It's all been excavated,

-which is wonderful...

-..but it's also been crafted

-into an experience.

-We can imagine

-how people swam up and down here.

-Yes, and some great work

-has been carried out here.

-I remember coming here

-in the late 1950s...

-..and this area

-was concealed under soil.

-The norm was to excavate,

-investigate then replace the soil.

-Cadw has done great work here.

-When you stand here, it feels as if

-you're seeing a real swimming pool.

-There are also some odd-looking

-people swimming in the water.

-Our Roman tour ends here,

-at the museum in Caerleon.

-Here, we get a clearer picture

-of how Romans lived and died.

-Yes, that's true.

-There are tombstones and bodies

-within this wonderful building.

-It resembles a Roman temple

-and was built in 1850.

-The people of Caerleon always took

-a keen interest in their history.

-It proves that they were very proud

-of their Roman connections...

-..and they've done a great job

-with this wonderful museum.

-Every aspect of Roman life

-is covered.

-Yes, undoubtedly.

-On the way to Cwmbran, it's worth

-visiting Llantarnam Abbey.

-At the back of the mansion,

-there's a unique chapel...

-..influenced by the work

-of modern architect Le Corbusier.

-There has been a religious building

-here since the 12th century...

-..when there was

-a Cistercian monastery here.

-With the 1536 Dissolution,

-it went to rack and ruin.

-The current building's facade

-was built in the 19th century.

-It was built by Reginald Blewitt

-in 1834.

-The place was put up for sale

-in the 1940s...

-..and it became a convent in 1946.

-That Christian circle

-is once again complete.

-This chapel, with its concrete

-arches, was built a decade later.

-The lattice work and the cupola

-behind the altar are wonderful.

-This contemporary building

-leads us perfectly...

-..to the optimism

-of the architecture of Cwmbran.

-When work started on the designs

-for Cwmbran in the 1950s...

-..the work was revolutionary.

-Cwmbran is a symbol

-of 1950s architects' willingness...

-..to adopt modern designs.

-They were influenced

-by the American Radburn system...

-..which separates pedestrians

-from cars.

-There is no greater vote of faith in

-the future than building a new town.

-It wasn't built to oppress people,

-as in Edward I's day...

-..but to create

-living and work space.

-It was decided that a new town,

-decked in concrete...

-..should be built in Cwmbran...

-..in accordance with the 1945 Labour

-government's social planning vision.

-In the 1940s,

-14,000 people lived in the area.

-By 2001, Cwmbran

-had over 40,000 inhabitants.

-It's in the top ten of Wales's

-biggest towns and in our top 100.

-Pathways were created

-and that was an innovation.

-The large houses were all within

-walking distance of local amenities.

-Cast concrete makes it look

-more Californian than Welsh.

-JCP West was the chief architect of

-Cwmbran Development Corporation...

-..between 1950 and 1962.

-He sought to create

-an island of capitalism.

-Relatively few people owned cars

-and there were no motorways...

-..but JCP West could see a time

-when traffic would swamp towns.

-He created a retail island.

-Cars and buses go around the edges,

-almost like chariots.

-Amazingly, that plan

-still works effectively today.

-It was totally revolutionary,

-at the time.

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-A lot of a photographer's work

-is done in a studio...

-..but you're lucky

-to have this extra resource.

-You have a mobile studio, Marian.

-Yes. I'd struggle to do my work

-without it.

-I take shots early in the morning

-and late at night.

-This van is my second home

-for three-quarters of the year.

-We're parked up in Ynys-las,

-looking across at Aberdyfi...

-..but we're going to talk

-about the Gwent Levels.

-Yes, that wonderful area of land

-around Cardiff and Newport.

-The landscape

-looks more Dutch than Welsh.

-In the book, John mentions

-that, since Roman times...

-..people have tried to control the

-sea and keep it away from the land.

-In the 19th century, a network

-of canals and drains was created...

-..to drain the water

-away from the land.

-This created

-a very unusual landscape for Wales.

-There are villages

-and churches there too.

-That's unusual on such flat land.

-That's unusual on such flat land.

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-They're hidden gems.

-How many Cardiffians know

-about these glorious villages?

-The churches are also really pretty.

-I photographed several churches...

-..but only St Brides Wentlooge

-church made it into the book.

-In addition to the usual images

-you see in a church...

-..a plaque there commemorates

-the great flood of 1606.

-You feel as though

-you're stepping into history...

-..in the tranquillity

-of these churches.

-Having photographed the churches,

-I went to the sea defences.

-It's popular with walkers.

-I enjoyed seeing the patterns

-created by people as they walk.

-It's a continuation of the theme

-of people as one with the landscape.

-What I find interesting

-in this photograph...

-..is that the country and the town,

-or the country and the city...

-..have come together in one frame.

-It creates a funny situation.

-The animals seem baffled

-by people taking a Sunday stroll.

-I also like the industrial landscape

-in the background...

-..in contrast with the agricultural

-scene in the foreground.

-We now move on

-to the western fringe of Newport.

-In his book, John says that

-it's worth seeing the IOR factory...

-..which produces microchips.

-This unusual building is comparable

-with the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

-Staying with the French theme,

-we go from an industrial marvel...

-..to a mansion that some say

-resembles the palace of Versailles.

-Welcome to a glorious Welsh mansion,

-which was built in the 17th century.

-It could be said to be the finest

-building ever erected in Wales.

-Tredegar House

-was the home of the Morgan family.

-We don't know who built this house

-or who designed it.

-We suspect that it's by Roger

-and William Hurlbutt of Warwick...

-..but only because it's similar

-to other buildings designed by them.

-Some think that it was designed

-by a local carpenter or mason.

-Before you enter the house,

-it's hard to ignore the gates.

-They were designed by William and

-Simon Edney between 1714 and 1718.

-They cost 1,000,

-which was a fortune 300 years ago.

-As you enter the house and walk

-through the assembly hall...

-..on your right is the Brown Room.

-It's exceptionally brown!

-Every wall is covered

-in exquisitely carved oak.

-This was the formal dining room.

-The interior is probably

-as old as the house.

-The idea was that dinner guests

-would marvel at this carpentry.

-It demonstrated great wealth

-and a sense of style.

-There's one confusing feature here.

-There are two carved heads

-on the panel at the far end.

-They're thought to depict Charles I,

-dressed as a mouse or as a cat.

-Charles I was beheaded, of course.

-This house

-wouldn't have been built...

-..had the monarchy not been restored

-under Charles II.

-Why then would the owner

-of this house mock Charles I?

-It was probably humorous,

-but not everyone would laugh!

-The Gilt Room is the complete

-opposite of the Brown Room.

-Evan Morgan turned this room

-into a Catholic chapel.

-He was the last of the Morgan family

-to live in Tredegar House.

-He was a colourful character

-who wrestled kangaroos!

-He also hosted wild parties.

-This is the master bedroom.

-The master, in this case,

-being Sir William Morgan...

-..who built the house

-as it is today.

-In this bed,

-or in a bed similar to this...

-..his wife, Elizabeth Dayrell,

-twice tried to kill him.

-She attacked him with an axe

-and burned his hair in that grate.

-She was dispatched to Bedlam.

-There's a cedar closet

-at the far end of the room.

-The head of the family

-would dress in there...

-..and he would hold discussions

-and share secrets in there.

-Should those secrets come out

-of the closet, there'd be trouble.

-As John says in the book...

-..it's worth coming here

-just to see the Great Staircase...

-..but this, our Versailles Palace,

-has so much more to offer...

-..and it's just off the M4,

-under our noses.

-Several towns in Gwent represent

-the future and all its vivacity...

-..but Pontypool seems very much

-to hark back to past glories.

-I'm sure that local people hope

-Pontypool also represents the future.

-This was the launching pad for the

-industrialization of South Wales.

-Tinplate was invented here.

-That's the process of layering

-steel and tin to prevent rust.

-Pontypool

-has the richest collection...

-..of 18th and early 19th century

-buildings in Wales.

-By the mid 19th century, Merthyr

-and the like had overtaken Pontypool.

-..but, in many respects,

-this was the starting point.

-This was the only large town

-within the South Wales coalfield...

-..during the 18th century.

-The Hanburys,

-a family of industrial pioneers...

-..made a huge contribution

-to Pontypool.

-The family first settled here

-in 1565.

-Their land has now been gifted

-to the town...

-..and their mansion

-is a secondary school.

-The local museum

-is housed in the old stables.

-The most obvious sign of the wealth

-of the Hanbury family...

-..are these stables.

-The publication

-Buildings Of Monmouthshire...

-..noted that the stables

-were better than the house!

-The horses

-had better living conditions...

-..than most

-of the Hanburys' tenants.

-The stables have now been turned...

-..into what is perhaps

-the best local museum in Wales.

-Perhaps the most striking thing here

-is the Pontypool Japanware...

-..that was produced and painted here.

-It was very expensive.

-This is the grotto, John.

-You can only marvel

-at its over-the-topness!

-Over-the-topness is the word!

-It was constructed

-during the 1830s...

-Such buildings are usually

-18th century creations.

-It was old-fashioned

-by the time it was constructed...

-..but it suggests that

-the Capel Hanburys were a bit odd!

-Apparently,

-they kept a hermit here.

-He had a fireplace

-to keep warm in the winter.

-What was the idea

-behind keeping a hermit here?

-Was it like a zoo?

-Could you come here

-and point at the hermit?

-Yes, and he'd have a long beard

-and he'd speak like a primitive man.

-He was a figure of fun.

-It's not a kind thing to do,

-but it was common practice.

-The walls are covered in seashells.

-Apparently, some of them

-came from Carmarthenshire...

-..and others came from

-far-flung corners of the world.

-Even stranger

-than the seashell roof...

-..is the floor, which is covered

-in oxen bones and teeth.

-I must admit, I like it.

-It's open every weekend

-in the summer.

-If you want to see

-this rather weird wonder of Wales...

-..it's certainly worth coming here

-for a visit.

-A weird wonder of Wales!

-The rain

-has defeated us again, John.

-It will never defeat us!

-We're here, looking at Folly Tower.

-It was commissioned by John Hanbury

-in 1762.

-It's further proof of the Hanbury

-family's interest in follies.

-Unfortunately, it was demolished

-in 1939...

-..because it seemed to point

-to the weapons store at Glascoed.

-People felt it would lead

-German bombers to destroy Glascoed.

-The people of Pontypool were

-so enamoured with their folly...

-..and so proud of the Hanbury

-family's contribution to the area...

-..that they decided to rebuild it.

-It took years to raise the money.

-They founded CRAFT - Campaign for

-Rebuilding the Ancient Folly Tower.

-By 1993, they had raised

-enough money to rebuild it.

-It was completed in 1994

-and is just like the original.

-It's a great symbol of the pride

-that the people of Pontypool take...

-..in their town

-and in their history.

-Pontypool should be near the top

-of the list of 100 places to see.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones