Blaenau Ffestiniog Cynefin

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-Wales.

-A land of contrasts.

-Nature and industry,

-history and legends.

-But our story is also contemporary,

-created anew every day.

-This train no longer carries slates

-but rather thousands of tourists.

-The past feels so close at times...

-..as we walk paths

-where tales rise from the land.

-This place is amazing,

-but its legends are even better.

-This week,

-we're in the Vale of Ffestiniog...

-..an industrial area surrounded

-by outstanding natural beauty.

-There are wonders

-around every corner.

-An easy place to hide.

-I hope I don't get lost.

-People have quarried here

-for almost 200 years.

-Today, it's an ideal place to roam,

-both above and below ground.

-Past and present,

-mountains and streets.

-The Vale of Ffestiniog

-has them all.

-Beneath me here

-is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog...

-..nestling on the slopes...

-..and protected

-by the hills and mountains.

-They also provide

-employment and pleasure...

-..and a reason

-for the town's existence.

-This is our habitat.

-We start our journey

-in Blaenau Ffestiniog...

-..before venturing

-into the surrounding countryside.

-At the height of the slate industry,

-the town had a population of 12,000.

-By now, it has more than halved...

-..but local people

-haven't forgotten the slates.

-Indeed, their history

-has been etched into the slates.

-This is the sort of sight that

-welcomes you to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-I'm sure you'll agree,

-it's spectacular.

-I can imagine the impact of coming

-off the train and seeing them.

-As you can see, they've been laid

-at an angle of 30 degrees.

-That reflects how the rock lies

-within the mountain itself.

-Are the words we see on the sides

-local sayings?

-Quarrying terms, often,

-and lines of verse...

-..that convey ideas

-associated with quarrying...

-..and the kind of town

-in which we live.

-As far as I'm concerned,

-this is the best line of them all.

-"The quarrel closed down,

-and all here is still.

-"Submerged is the level,

-and quiet the mill."

-Who wrote that?

-Ah! You!

-Ah! You!

-

-That's why it's the best of them!

-I agree, Vivian.

-As part of the scheme

-to transform the town centre...

-..these small slates were laid...

-..to convey the wit and humour

-prevalent in the quarry cabins.

-It's important for people to know.

-It's important for people to know.

-

-What is this one here?

-"A face like a five month."

-Some months run into a fifth week.

-That meant an extra week's work

-before they'd get their wages.

-So, a face like a five month

-meant a sad look.

-Yes, because they had to work

-an extra week before being paid.

-They're gems, aren't they?

-This is a line from an englyn...

-..recited at the 1898

-National Eisteddfod...

-..the only time

-it has been held here.

-There were fears

-about holding it here...

-..because of the hoary old cliche

-that it always rains in Blaenau.

-"The festival

-was free of umbrellas."

-Praise for holding it here,

-and it was a dry week.

-"Barefoot lobscouse."

-What do you think that means?

-What do you think that means?

-

-No idea.

-Lobscouse with no meat in it.

-It's a sign of the times then.

-Money was tight

-and they couldn't afford meat.

-Barefoot lobscouse.

-Lobscouse, or cawl, without meat.

-This is the end of the trip,

-where we see the last saying.

-"Away from the cow's backside."

-Backside? Oh, right.

-Backside? Oh, right.

-

-This is what it means.

-When a farmhand

-has found a job at the quarry.

-He's come away

-from the cow's backside.

-I love this idea.

-Not many places can boast as many

-legends as the Vale of Ffestiniog.

-I'm in Llan Ffestiniog...

-..on the trail of both historic

-and legendary characters.

-Then I'll head north

-through Blaenau itself...

-..on the trail of more contemporary

-but no less interesting stories.

-These are the Cynfal Falls,

-and the water is extremely powerful.

-Over hundreds

-of thousands of years...

-..the falls and the river have worn

-all kinds of shapes into the rock.

-In the 17th century, Huw Llwyd,

-a local man from Maentwrog...

-..came up here to stand on a rock

-above the falls...

-..to recite poetry,

-to preach and to talk to ghosts.

-He thought he was safe on the rock

-because the Devil feared water.

-There are tales about Huw Llwyd

-travelling Wales weaving magic...

-..fighting witches in Betws-y-Coed

-and luring thieves in Pentrefoelas.

-He did the latter by making

-an animal horn grow out of a table.

-The thieves froze on the spot

-until morning...

-..by which time

-the police had come to arrest them.

-I'm not sure about that story,

-but this is Huw Llwyd's Pulpit...

-..where he ranted about things

-that were enchanting at the time...

-..including hypnotism.

-He was also a minister, a soldier,

-a poet and clearly a brave man!

-Look where the rock is!

-No, sorry, I'm not going near it.

-With our feet closer to the ground,

-we'll return to the town itself.

-CellB is a former police station

-that draws both young and old.

-It's a cafe, a bar,

-a hostel and a cinema.

-That gives us a chance to look at

-an unusual local mode of transport.

-This is the old LNWR,

-later the LMS railway station.

-At the back here,

-you can see a path.

-We called it the crooked path,

-because it zigzagged up...

-..all the way to the Oakeley

-and Gloddfa Ganol quarries.

-This was the path that the quarrymen

-walked to work every morning...

-..and back down in the evening.

-We'll move on to Graig Ddu quarry.

-They travelled differently here.

-The smith at the quarry in the 1860s

-came up with his own patent.

-It was called the car gwyllt -

-the wild car.

-It's earned its place

-in Ffestiniog's history.

-It was a form of skateboard

-with an iron rod attached...

-..designed to travel along rails.

-They came down three inclines

-all the way from Graig Ddu quarry.

-It doesn't look very substantial.

-And it travelled at a fair speed.

-I want to show you one more photo.

-It shows one woman

-who used this contraption.

-Is that her?

-Is that her?

-

-Yes, there she is.

-Her name was Kate Hughes.

-Rhiwbach quarry is on the border

-between here and Cwm Penmachno...

-..some 1,500 feet up,

-where a small village had developed.

-In 1908, parents in the village...

-..demanded a school be set up

-for the two dozen children there.

-Kate Hughes

-was appointed headmistress.

-How did she get there?

-She'd set off

-from Sgwar Diffwys in town...

-..and was winched up the inclines.

-Then she taught.

-Then she taught.

-

-She taught all day.

-Then back down on the car gwyllt.

-Then back down on the car gwyllt.

-

-You've heard the story!

-No, I've seen her photo!

-Imagine her coming down,

-her skirt over her face...

-..among all the men.

-There wasn't much dignity involved.

-There wasn't much dignity involved.

-

-Quite a woman!

-Reminders of quarrying are

-everywhere in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-The wheels may have long since

-stopped turning on some wagons...

-..today's quarrymen are well aware

-of their honourable predecessors.

-I'm from a family of quarrymen.

-I've worked at the quarry

-for over 15 years.

-I'm the fourth generation to do so.

-I'm the fourth generation to do so.

-

-Slate must be in your blood!

-I'm steeped in slate, yes.

-And the products are roof slates.

-Yes, these are two examples.

-Yes, these are two examples.

-

-Different colours, I notice.

-The purple Caernarfon slate is older

-than the blue Meirionnydd slate.

-That's the best one, obviously.

-That's the best one, obviously.

-

-I won't argue with you.

-Blaenau Ffestiniog

-isn't just one large quarry, is it?

-No, there are several quarries.

-Sadly, many of them have closed.

-The main ones were the Oakeley...

-..once the world's largest

-subterranean slate quarry...

-..Llechwedd, Maenofferen, Lord,

-Diffwys, the first, and Manod.

-This device here

-was unique to Manod quarry.

-The famous car gwyllt.

-The famous car gwyllt.

-

-This is the actual car gwyllt?

-The quarrymen rode on this

-at the end of the shift.

-It's a simple enough device.

-Two wheels formed from iron

-attached to a piece of wood.

-And it just rested on the line.

-And that's the brake.

-And that's the brake.

-

-This is the brake, yes.

-Everyone had one of their own.

-You can see the initials here, RP.

-You can see the initials here, RP.

-

-Robert Parry, probably!

-And he'd own this.

-And he'd own this.

-

-This belonged to him, yes.

-How many quarrymen

-went home using these?

-About 200 of them

-would have raced down the incline.

-In one long line!

-Were there any accidents?

-Were there any accidents?

-

-Very few, I think, on the whole.

-Sit there, and throw your leg over.

-Facing this way?

-Both legs stretched out, crossed.

-One hand on the brake.

-One hand on the brake.

-

-OK, on the brake.

-The other one leaning left.

-Let's give it a go.

-It still works, fair play.

-Is this how you go home?

-Not quite!

-Things have changed a lot!

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-We're in the Vale of Ffestiniog...

-..on the trail of local history,

-legends and natural wonders.

-Later, I'll sample produce

-that grows wild around us.

-But first,

-I need to find my bearings...

-..and I have the ideal guide.

-It's a nice place to go walking,

-and there are lots of paths.

-I've led tours now

-for over seven years...

-..and I'm still finding new paths,

-even though I grew up in Blaenau.

-You can walk and see no-one.

-If you do see someone,

-you have a chat and move on.

-There's so much history to see,

-round houses and so on.

-There's wildlife galore.

-Everything you need, in a way.

-It's also a good way to keep fit.

-Nordic walking

-uses 90% of your muscles.

-The only other sport

-that does that is swimming.

-It's good for the core muscles.

-It's good for batwings.

-And it's only a hop,

-step and jump from town.

-Here, you can see round houses.

-The circle comes around this way.

-The circle comes around this way.

-

-Yes, it's clear here.

-The main circle itself

-goes all the way round...

-..the other side of that stone wall

-and back this way.

-Maybe they kept their animals there,

-but we don't know.

-We'll go this way now

-and I'll show you more.

-Take care - the stones are slippery.

-This view takes your breath away.

-This view takes your breath away.

-

-Isn't it great?

-That's Moelwyn Bach over there,

-then the Stwlan dam...

-..then across to Moelwyn Mawr,

-Moel yr Hydd and Craigysgafn.

-In the hollow, that's Cwmorthin,

-a remarkable place.

-Make sure you go there.

-Then over there,

-Craig Nyth-y-Gigfran...

-..and the Oakeley quarries...

-..later known as Gloddfa Ganol,

-then over to Llechwedd...

-..with the zip wires and Antur

-Stiniog's downhill mountain biking.

-That has transformed

-Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-It's just...

-..the best place in the world.

-Further down the valley is something

-you wouldn't expect here in Wales.

-Woods with similar characteristics

-to the world's most famous forests.

-I'm walking through a rainforest,

-not far from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-Essentially, there's not much

-difference between Coed Felenrhyd...

-..and the enormous Amazon forests.

-The special conditions,

-the moisture and humidity...

-..help a wide variety

-of plants and wildlife to flourish.

-That Felenrhyd is a rainforest

-isn't the only surprise.

-It's also exceptionally old.

-This is wood sorrel.

-It's a small, pretty flower.

-If you see wood sorrel, bluebells...

-..maybe wood anemones in woodland...

-..you can be fairly certain

-that they're ancient woods.

-Rory, this tree is enormous.

-It's an oak.

-It has to be over 500 years old.

-It was probably a sapling...

-..when William Morgan was busy

-translating the Bible into Welsh.

-Is there a record

-of people using the woods?

-These woods formed part

-of the Oakeley estate.

-Ffestiniog slates have been

-exported all over the world...

-..in ships made from timber

-from these very woods.

-Very interesting.

-While I continue

-my walk through the woods...

-..among the houses

-that cling to the rock...

-..you'll find some very unlikely

-crafts being pursued.

-The whole process is very complex.

-It's taken a hold of me

-and I can't let it go!

-I couldn't afford one...

-..so I decided to try to make one.

-I went to see a few people...

-..and eventually found a method

-that worked for me.

-But I had

-a lot of firewood initially!

-When you deal with wood,

-there isn't much leeway.

-A pine face,

-with maple back and sides.

-You wouldn't believe how many

-measurements I have to take.

-I'll make a violin sometimes...

-..with the exact same wood,

-strings and varnish...

-..and one sounds better

-than the others.

-Why? I don't know.

-I saw four big beams of Douglas fir

-supporting the chapel rooves.

-I made some violins out of them

-and they sounded so good.

-It's an art not many can aspire to.

-Apparently, they played

-Y Car Gwyllt in the Oakeley cabins.

-As it progresses, it gets faster,

-and there were no brakes.

-The second part sounds like a train

-hitting the barriers.

-This air was played

-in the quarry cabins.

-In 1934, it's said, a special stone

-was discovered down there...

-..on the bed of the River Cynfal.

-And here it is.

-It's been laid on dry land now.

-It has a unique feature,

-a perfect hole right through it.

-If you believe the stories,

-it didn't happen by chance.

-According to the Mabinogi...

-..Lleu Llaw Gyffes's girlfriend,

-Blodeuwedd, ran off with Gronw Pebr.

-Lleu wasn't too happy,

-so he chased after them.

-Gronw threw a spear at him.

-But Lleu turned into an eagle

-and flew away.

-Later, of course, the time came

-for Lleu to seek revenge.

-Once again,

-they were on the riverbank...

-..but this time,

-Lleu held the spear.

-He threw it across the river...

-..and it hit a stone between him

-and Gronw, which explains the hole.

-It then pierced Gronw's heart.

-That's the story, anyway.

-Llech Ronw

-stands on Bryn Saeth farm.

-Legend has it that it's so named...

-..because Lleu threw the spear

-from here all the way to the river.

-You're not allowed

-to hunt with spears any more...

-..but I was Year 7

-javelin champion in 1998...

-..so I'll have a go.

-Not even close.

-It's a load of nonsense.

-Legends aren't the only things

-that grow on trees here.

-The views are guaranteed

-to make your mouth water.

-You can even

-get a taste of the area...

-..by sampling some fare

-that grows wild at the roadside.

-This is a favourite of mine,

-sheep's sorrel.

-The base of the leaf

-resembles a ram's horns.

-Try a bit of that.

-The French make soup with it.

-It contains oxalic acid,

-which is poisonous.

-But you'd have to eat a lot of it.

-That won't kill you!

-These nettles have flowered.

-That leaves these seeds.

-They're considered

-a superfood nowadays.

-They contain up to 20% protein...

-..vitamins A, C and D,

-and potassium.

-It's remarkable stuff.

-If you get stung, cut the stem.

-Ignore dock leaves, they don't work.

-That's what I always use.

-Cut the stem and apply the sap

-from inside the stem.

-A wealth of benefits.

-A wealth of benefits.

-

-And free.

-Would you like to try this?

-Would you like to try this?

-

-What is it?

-Water and flowers.

-A small flower called meadowsweet.

-You can make champagne with it,

-as with elderflower.

-It's an exceptional plant.

-That's nice.

-It's very fresh.

-It contains salicylic acid,

-which is the basis of aspirin.

-This is the original aspirin.

-You can make champagne with it...

-..and drink it next day

-to clear the hangover!

-There's something else here, sloes.

-They're also called blackthorns,

-and they're sour!

-You'd use these to make sloe gin.

-You'd use these to make sloe gin.

-

-Oh!

-A third of sloes, a third of sugar

-and a third of cheap gin.

-Mix it daily until Christmas

-and enjoy it.

-This is nice, but I'll fling this!

-Let's go.

-So bitter.

-We'll now make a skin lotion...

-..with items foraged on our walk.

-First, pass me the yarrow,

-the hairy-looking one.

-Two or three of those.

-Pick them, then pennywort.

-This is very good to revive skin.

-Then we can either go for lavender

-or pineapple weed.

-We'll go for lavender.

-We'll go for lavender.

-

-That helps you to relax.

-That's really nice.

-Will the wax help it set?

-Will the wax help it set?

-

-It'll thicken it. This is beeswax.

-Wheatgerm oil

-is also good for reviving skin.

-A bit of elderflower honey.

-And that's it.

-The skin lotion is ready.

-It just has to set now.

-That was so easy.

-That was so easy.

-

-It takes hardly any time.

-You enjoy a nice, relaxing walk

-and it's all there for you.

-It's a nice end

-to a lovely walk.

-And you can take

-the walk home with you.

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-You need to get up early

-to catch the people of Blaenau.

-But some things remain a mystery,

-even to the townspeople.

-I've almost finished my tour

-of local legends.

-I've been after a wizard and

-legendary characters to the south.

-Next, I'm heading north,

-to the edges of Snowdonia...

-..where more recent history

-is etched into the soil.

-If you've ever driven along the A470

-over the Crimea Pass...

-..you're sure to have noticed

-this strange patch of bare soil.

-It's known as Boot Hill.

-It looks like a UFO landing site...

-..but on closer inspection,

-the truth becomes apparent.

-Rusty hobnails and heel caps

-from old boots, thousands of them...

-..burnt in a fire a long time ago.

-In summer, the sun heats the metal.

-Locals will tell you

-that they can feel the heat...

-..through the soles of their

-wellingtons as they go fishing.

-Did the shoes belong to quarrymen

-fed up with working endlessly...

-..and burning their boots

-in protest?

-Or were they left behind by POWs

-before they fled the country?

-The stories are endless.

-The truth, it seems,

-is less dramatic.

-During WW2, there was a factory

-that repaired shoes in the area.

-The shoes came in, were repaired,

-and used again by soldiers.

-Those shoes that had seen better

-days were burned on the mountain.

-For such a recent event, it's

-strange how many stories there are.

-I'm sure the stories will persist,

-even after the remnants disappear.

-Down the valley

-from Blaenau's industrial areas...

-..is a wonder

-that belongs entirely to nature.

-A rainforest

-bearing similar characteristics...

-..to that of the Amazon,

-but here in Wales.

-The damp environment is ideal

-for some rare varieties of lichen.

-This lichen is very interesting.

-If you look at it...

-..you can see

-that it's slightly elastic.

-Lichen itself is interesting...

-..because it's a combination

-of fungi that has algae in it.

-The algae creates food, sugars...

-..and the fungus

-provides the structure.

-As a result, it doesn't need roots

-to get the nourishment it needs.

-It can absorb moisture

-from the atmosphere.

-But that means it can only grow

-in very damp places such as this.

-A rainforest.

-This moisture means that lichen

-grows in every nook and cranny.

-There are unique species

-at Felenrhyd as well.

-Two important finds have been made

-in these woods fairly recently.

-Thelotrema petractoides

-and pyrenula hibernica.

-Quite a tongue-twister.

-Quite a tongue-twister.

-

-Exactly.

-At the time, we didn't know

-of anywhere they grew in Wales.

-They grow on hazel and ash trees.

-One looks a bit like this...

-..and is described

-as blackberries in custard.

-Why do they grow on these trees...

-..rather than oaks and so on?

-The bark of some trees

-is more acidic.

-The bark of others,

-like ash trees, is more alkaline.

-That will be a problem...

-..if ash dieback does strike

-and many ash trees disappear.

-It will be bad news

-for lots of rare lichens.

-There's a vital balance

-in a place like this...

-..with so many

-rare plants and animals.

-Thankfully, it's in the care

-of the Woodland Trust.

-But the woods

-are totally dependent on one thing.

-Water.

-This is Rhaeadr Ddu

-on the River Prysor...

-..flowing from Trawsfynydd lake

-to the sea.

-There are two reasons

-why these woods are so damp.

-We get more than 100 days

-of rain in a year...

-..but we're also in a deep ravine

-with a river flowing through it.

-The resulting spray of water...

-..creates a very wet microclimate.

-If it wasn't for that...

-..we wouldn't have the wealth

-of lichen and flowers that we do.

-As we come down the ravine into this

-open area and see the waterfall...

-..it actually feels

-like a rainforest.

-It's a real gem and it wouldn't

-exist without the rain.

-During the summer of 1940,

-almost a year into World War Two...

-..rumours spread

-in Llan Ffestiniog...

-..that some of Britain's

-greatest treasures...

-..were to be hidden

-in the surrounding mountains.

-First of all,

-people that we didn't know...

-..came around asking questions..

-Naturally,

-my father was very suspicious...

-..of what was happening.

-Eventually, we started to grasp...

-..that something was happening

-in the quarry up at the top.

-What was going on there then?

-What was going on there then?

-

-Lorries brought various loads up.

-Treasures from the National Gallery

-to be stored in the quarry.

-You have a few

-black and white photographs there.

-Take this one.

-This here is the card

-seen in that photo.

-They could work out,

-as I could when I was there...

-..the exact air quality

-at any given time...

-..be it too dry or too humid.

-When you worked there,

-the threat was still ongoing.

-That if war broke out,

-you'd have to do the same...

-..as what happened

-during the Second World War.

-We'd get twelve hours' notice

-should anything have to come in.

-We had to take care of the roof...

-..the rock face itself...

-..and the internal temperature

-and air quality.

-And you looked after all that?

-And you looked after all that?

-

-That was my job there, yes.

-This is a rough map of the chamber.

-We called one the cathedral.

-That one was specially protected.

-It's said that the Crown Jewels

-and the like were kept there.

-In there?

-In there?

-

-Yes, in there.

-How much truth was there in that?

-How much truth was there in that?

-

-I think it was true.

-Yes, I'm fairly certain.

-Was everything there, I don't know,

-but they certainly came there.

-By today,

-nothing is stored at Manod.

-But one current employee...

-..will guide me along

-the same route as the treasures...

-..and give me a privileged glimpse

-of the historic chambers.

-This is where it all started,

-the paintings coming from London.

-The first problem

-was getting under the bridge.

-They had a few large paintings.

-The tarmac was higher

-than it is now, which was a problem.

-There were two large paintings...

-..King Charles I on Horseback,

-and The Raising Of Lazarus.

-It's said there was half an inch

-to spare after deflating the tyres.

-Whether or not that's true,

-I don't know.

-How long did this go on?

-Three containers a day...

-..six days a week, for five weeks.

-About 90 containers,

-a total of some 3,500 paintings.

-Shall we go?

-Yes, why not?

-Why did they choose that location?

-It's such a remote place,

-and it's difficult to get to.

-It's about three miles

-from the village.

-It's all uphill, the road's narrow.

-Apparently,

-Lloyd George recommended it.

-There was so much bombing

-during the Second World War.

-They probably thought

-this was the safest place.

-They were safe underground,

-so that's why.

-Right, this is the start.

-The paintings came up here

-on the wagons to be unloaded...

-..and were taken by narrow gauge

-railway to the far end...

-..and into the chambers.

-The loading bay was here

-and they went to different chambers.

-Great.

-Let's go in then.

-Let's go in then.

-

-Right.

-No-one has been in here

-for many years.

-It's a huge honour to go somewhere

-where time has stood still.

-We're approaching the chambers

-where they kept the paintings.

-As you can see, these levels have

-been expanded to bring them in.

-They were about six feet,

-but they're now about 14 feet high.

-A lot higher.

-Chains to hold up

-sections of the roof.

-Here are the buildings.

-These housed the air con units.

-They kept the temperature

-at a constant 65 degrees.

-The temperature had to be exact.

-It was meant to be constant

-and not fluctuate at all.

-There's something interesting

-on the other side as well...

-..if you'd like to see.

-There are steps going up.

-It's remarkable, isn't it?

-It's remarkable, isn't it?

-

-Yes, it is.

-We're in this area,

-having come all the way through.

-The loading bay was next door,

-then the paintings came in here.

-The other side here?

-Yes, on the other side.

-How long were they here?

-The paintings came here

-from August 1941 until 1945.

-It's incredible to think

-that they were here.

-That we're standing

-in the actual spot.

-Right.

-It's huge!

-Can you see the white squares?

-That's where the paintings were.

-Here?

-Here?

-

-That's right.

-There used to be labels,

-which I've since read about...

-..and there was one Michelangelo

-kept in here.

-I touch this wall and wonder

-which painting was here back then.

-It's said that a quarter

-of Britain's wealth was here.

-I don't know if that's true.

-I didn't know what to expect...

-..but it's truly remarkable...

-..the thought of all those treasures

-stored here.

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-We're in the Vale of Ffestiniog,

-an area of extraordinary diversity.

-There's so much more to the area

-than quarries and slate.

-But I still want to ask

-what the weather is really like.

-The Moelwyn

-isn't wearing a cap today.

-What does that mean?

-What does that mean?

-

-That it's sunny.

-No cap means no mist or cloud?

-The lower the mist descends,

-the more rain falls in Blaenau.

-Are there lots of sayings

-and have you grown up with them?

-Yes, Dad used them often.

-The Moelwyn, maybe mountains

-in general, sometimes appear close.

-That's another sign of rain.

-If the mountains seem distant,

-it's set fair.

-Do all these sayings hold true?

-Nine times out of ten, yes,

-but there are exceptions.

-Even the weather people

-aren't always right.

-You gather information

-about the weather.

-I have done for years.

-I started to keep

-a written record in 1986.

-These old books

-show how I did it at first.

-This is a record of August 1987...

-..when the Eisteddfod

-was in Porthmadog.

-The handwriting's a bit untidy.

-Heavy rain overnight,

-a mess on the Eisteddfod field.

-At that time,

-I kept it in the form of a diary.

-But I've kept daily records

-over the years, without fail.

-Every day?

-Every day?

-

-Yes, every day.

-You've recorded the weather

-every day since 1986.

-Is it true

-that it rains here more often?

-I've got a rough graph

-at the back of this book.

-I'll show it to you.

-It's a simple graph...

-It's a simple graph...

-

-That's good.

-This is rainfall, is it?

-This is rainfall, is it?

-

-Yes, this is rain.

-It starts on the left with 1986.

-1989 was fairly dry,

-but 1994 was very wet.

-But there was worse to come.

-But there was worse to come.

-

-Yes, there was.

-The mountains

-and the fact that we're high up...

-..mean that we catch

-the Atlantic rains.

-There are lots of sayings about

-the different kind of rain as well.

-Light rain, it's pouring down,

-those kind of sayings.

-What would you say?

-"Tatsian y glaw."

-What does that mean?

-Really heavy rain!

-"Tatsian y glaw."

-It's throwing it down.

-When it's raining buckets.

-Or sweeping rain...

-..when the wind blows it and you

-can see it move horizontally.

-Then there are sayings about mist.

-"Mae'n niwl dopyn."

-When you can't see further

-than your nose.

-Winter mist, snow's servant.

-Winter mist, snow's servant?

-A sign that snow would soon follow.

-It's important

-to keep these local sayings alive.

-They describe the area,

-and also feature the local dialect.

-Other areas

-might say something similar...

-..but the odd word here and there

-belongs to us.

-The Crimea Pass is a steep road...

-..that snakes through the mountains

-near Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-It was opened in 1854,

-during the very bloody Crimean War.

-It was a religious war,

-against Russia.

-Locally, some people believe

-that Russian POWs built this road.

-A little piece of Russia

-on the A470? Perhaps.

-The Crimean War isn't the only war

-to leave its mark on this area.

-Not many people know about a hidden

-wonder by the side of the road.

-A small rock

-with dozens of names carved into it.

-Local youths came here to the exact

-same rock to leave their mark...

-..before setting off

-to fight in wars all over the world.

-It's called St Michael's Stone.

-A spring

-used to rise to the surface here.

-People came here

-for centuries to pray.

-In a way,

-the carved initials are a prayer.

-Local boys, about to leave home

-for maybe the last time...

-..asking for help from God,

-the mountains, anyone who'd listen.

-I wonder how many did come back.

-I've already sampled quarry culture

-here in the Vale of Ffestiniog.

-But seeing the scale of the work

-with your own eyes is amazing.

-In the late 19th century...

-..almost 500 thousand tons of slate

-was quarried here annually.

-The scale of the work is immense.

-Huge blocks of slate

-are treated and split in the mill...

-..to supply the building industry.

-You realized just how noisy it was

-when you took out the earplugs.

-It's also dusty in there.

-My own grandfather

-died of silicosis before I was born.

-Everyone in Blaenau knows someone

-who was affected by the slate dust.

-It takes years to master the art.

-These lads

-have been at it for years.

-The mill and quarry skills

-are similar.

-We split the rock,

-we pillar the rock...

-..only on a much bigger scale.

-We use explosives where the lads

-at the mill use a hammer and chisel.

-As we head to the rock face,

-the source of all these slates...

-..I find that much information

-has been passed down...

-..and remained unchanged

-for generations.

-I can read layers in soil...

-..but the rock is totally different.

-Explain what we have here.

-The rock has various faults,

-and we target them to work the rock.

-The skills are the same

-as they were centuries ago.

-We use precisely the same skills

-that the quarrymen used.

-At the base here,

-we have what we call a "slont."

-There's a slont

-beneath our feet here.

-A fault or weakness, a parallel

-joint that will push the rock out.

-That's a natural fault, is it?

-Yes, that's right.

-A "pleriad", a columnar formation

-that has been dug and blasted.

-This is a vertical fissure,

-a natural weakness in the rock.

-Then a foot-joint, at a right angle

-to the vertical fissure.

-This is like a new language -

-"slont", "cefn", "troed".

-Cwt-y-Bugail quarry maintains the

-quarrying tradition in Ffestiniog.

-Many workers come

-from a long line of quarrymen...

-..for whom reading the rock

-is almost instinctive.

-How do you decide where to place

-the explosives to get at the slate?

-We look for the fissures,

-the natural weaknesses.

-Because we make roof slates...

-..we want the rock out in one block,

-not in fist-sized lumps.

-If I look at the top of the rock...

-..I might find a fissure here.

-I'd drill a hole further back

-from the fissure, and explode it...

-..giving us two blocks

-from only one blast.

-I get it.

-Well, I'm beginning to understand.

-What's happening here?

-Llion is drilling

-the last hole now...

-..down towards the slont.

-Hopefully, the blast will free

-two or three blocks of slate.

-We're almost ready.

-So, it'll explode outwards

-from the holes?

-That was much louder

-than I anticipated!

-As more slate is extracted

-from Ffestiniog's hills...

-..this place is clearly different

-to other industrial parts of Wales.

-The reason for its existence,

-the quarries, are still operating.

-Still splitting the rock.

-Two things have become apparent from

-our time in the Vale of Ffestiniog.

-The extraordinary natural beauty

-and the doggedness of local people.

-Solace and adversity

-are two very different concepts...

-..but in a place like this,

-they go hand in hand perfectly.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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