Dyffryn Banw Cynefin

-*

-Wales, a land

-of mountains and valleys.

-The terrain defines our country,

-from the coast to the border.

-This canal ran from Newtown

-to Llangollen.

-I'm the only one here.

-Wales against the Saxons.

-Princes against kings.

-It all happened here.

-This time, we're in the Banwy valley

-and Welshpool areas...

-..where the hills

-rise menacingly towards the border.

-As you'd expect from its location,

-it's dotted with battle sites.

-More than anywhere else in Wales.

-By now, though,

-it's comparatively quiet here...

-..and, as you can see, glorious.

-It's an agricultural area that has

-defended the language and culture...

-..and an area full of secrets

-laden with remnants from the past.

-Castles, old canals and industries.

-But this area

-doesn't just belong to the past.

-It's evolving

-and recreating itself...

-..building layer upon layer

-on the foundations of the centuries.

-This is our habitat.

-The rivers Banwy, Severn,

-Rhiw and Vyrnwy cross the area...

-..and many interesting travellers

-have made their way to these parts.

-Celtic leader Caradog

-is said to have fought...

-..his final battle

-against the Romans here.

-On the western side of the valley,

-near the source of the Banwy...

-..life is a little more relaxed.

-We're in Llangadfan,

-in the Banwy valley.

-It's a fairly wide area.

-It's part of Montgomeryshire.

-You've heard the saying

-"mwynder Maldwyn".

-The gentleness of Maldwyn.

-It's a fair description

-of the gentle terrain, first of all.

-We're gentle people as well,

-but we have an inner strength.

-We're within a few miles

-of Offa's Dyke.

-The fact that the language

-has lasted here as long as it has...

-..is proof of that strength.

-We're proud of our language.

-It is an interesting dialect,

-with your own unique words.

-We do have certain words, yes.

-What if I asked you

-when you last ate "ffebrins"?

-I've no idea what it means.

-"Ffebrins" is certainly

-a Montgomeryshire word.

-It means gooseberries.

-Oh, right.

-As for birds,

-we'd say "clegar glas".

-That's "creyr glas", or a heron.

-And A is often pronounced

-like the Welsh E.

-Linguistic gems aren't the only

-treasures in Llangadfan.

-I've got a few things to show you.

-You open that door

-and I'll open this one.

-We'll see what you think.

-Good grief!

-These are just a few

-of the old things I've collected.

-It's like a museum.

-It's like a museum.

-

-I suppose it is, in a way.

-Most of them are from this area,

-the work of local craftsmen.

-Do you know what this is?

-Do you know what this is?

-

-Something to do with a candle?

-It's a rush-candle.

-In September, they'd cut reeds

-and rushes to about this length.

-They'd strip the reeds,

-taking off a lot of the outer husk.

-If you hold that for me.

-They then had a rush pan.

-They'd then heat mutton suet

-over the fire...

-..and let the reeds

-absorb all the suet...

-..then dry them.

-After it had dried,

-the reed would be about this length.

-It was then placed into this.

-And lit to light the house.

-You've heard the saying,

-burning the candle at both ends.

-I've done lots of that!

-What happened was,

-they'd place the reed there...

-..and light one end of it.

-But when much of it

-had burnt away...

-..they'd light the other end.

-Burning the candle at both ends.

-That's the origin.

-That's the origin.

-

-Here's another object.

-This is a piece of local history,

-but do you know what it is?

-No.

-As you can see,

-it's a piece of something.

-An aeroplane came down

-in the Twrch valley...

-..at my wife's home.

-This was in 1977,

-and there was a huge explosion.

-They went out

-and the sky was full of fire.

-The field where the plane came down

-was originally two fields.

-One was Cae Tu Ucha'r Sgubor,

-and the other was Cae Ffynnon.

-But the plane

-made a huge crater.

-It's called Cae Eroplen

-to this day...

-..despite the farm changing hands!

-It's incredible

-to look at this collection.

-These must mean the world to you.

-These must mean the world to you.

-

-It does give me a lot of pleasure.

-In this technological age,

-it's easy to forget about the past.

-About what has gone by.

-John Ellis Lewis

-sums it up perfectly.

-"I often ask the question,

-but it sounds so foolish, they say.

-"Will we ever see the old area

-back the way it was one day?"

-May he rest in peace.

-That's how I see it.

-There are more battlefields here

-than anywhere else in Wales.

-Given that we're so near the border,

-that doesn't come as a surprise.

-I'll try to locate a lost battle

-site north of Castle Caereinion...

-..and follow Owain Glyndwr's

-footsteps to Welshpool...

-..then head to Buttington

-on the trail of Vikings.

-Somewhere here,

-five miles south of Welshpool...

-..was the likely site

-of the Battle of Rhyd-y-Groes.

-In the year 1039, a group of Saxons

-from Mercia gathered here.

-We don't know much about them...

-..expect for some names

-that have survived.

-Edwin, Thurkil and Elfget.

-But we can picture the scene.

-Back then, trees covered this land.

-The Saxons gripped their weapons...

-..fearful of any movement

-among the leaves.

-They were right to be afraid.

-Hiding in the trees

-was Gruffudd ap Llywelyn...

-..who had just proclaimed himself

-King of Wales, and 500 of his men.

-They wore light clothes to allow

-them to move swiftly and quietly.

-The Welsh descended on the Saxons...

-..forcing them back into the Severn

-in their heavy armour.

-This was truly guerrilla warfare,

-almost 1,000 years before Vietnam.

-The name Rhyd-y-Groes survives,

-but on a caravan park.

-It's the only remaining echo

-of the Welsh victory on that day.

-Past battle sites may be lost,

-but, north of Welshpool...

-..there are signs

-of an old local industry.

-These lime kilns near Buttington...

-..date from the early 19th century.

-You can imagine the scene back then.

-People coming,

-loading the coal and the limestone.

-It burned for three days,

-cooled for a couple of days...

-..and the lime was then unloaded.

-The process took about a week,

-and they moved from kiln to kiln.

-At its hottest, the temperature

-would have been about 900 Celsius.

-Very hot.

-But how did the limestone

-and the coal get here?

-And how was the lime taken away?

-This was before roads and railways.

-The Montgomeryshire Canal was once

-part of a nationwide network.

-It was an important focus

-for local employment.

-At one time, two woollen factories,

-five breweries, corn mills...

-..and gas and timber works

-were clustered around the canal.

-Life and livelihoods

-rose out of its waters.

-By today, only 11 kilometres

-of the canal remains.

-I'm the only one here,

-sailing gently towards Welshpool.

-.

-*

-A few miles from the border,

-the Montgomeryshire Canal...

-..would have run

-all the way to Newtown...

-..when it was opened

-at the turn of the 18th century.

-Canals played a vital role

-in the Industrial Revolution...

-..carrying goods across the country.

-But the advent of railways

-and lorries...

-..rendered canals

-increasingly irrelevant.

-This canal was closed in 1944.

-But since the 1970s,

-a group of volunteers...

-..has worked hard

-to reopen the canal.

-One of the first sections to reopen

-was this one, through Welshpool.

-"Trallwng" means a dirty

-or marshy pool.

-The English name Welshpool

-is much less poetic.

-It used to be called Pool.

-The Welsh was added in 1835...

-..to differentiate it

-from other places of the same name.

-Poole in Dorset, for example.

-But if you listen

-to local Welsh speakers...

-..they pronounce

-the town's name as "Trallwm."

-Here we are, the lovely

-market town of Welshpool.

-This is the Cross,

-literally the centre of town.

-This street is Broad Street.

-As you can see, it's very wide

-because of the market.

-There was a market that way,

-the Smithfield, but not until 1862.

-Before that, for many centuries,

-the market was on the street here.

-Cattle, pigs, horses, sheep.

-All kinds of animals, for centuries,

-going back to the Middle Ages.

-But the town

-was established earlier.

-In the Middle Ages,

-was it an English town?

-It was a Welsh town, oddly enough.

-A castle, about a quarter of a mile

-that way, defended the valley.

-A borough was established here

-in the mid 13th century...

-..by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn.

-At that time, the castle was moved

-to the present site of Powis Castle.

-It was known as Castell Coch then.

-It was known as Castell Coch then.

-

-So, a medieval Welsh town.

-It's busy and noisy

-with all the cars today...

-..but it would have been

-busier then.

-Not far away is a building

-I didn't expect to have survived...

-..especially in an area

-where so many battles took place.

-This is the cockpit,

-octagonal in shape, as you can see.

-It's the only one in Wales

-in its original location.

-It would have been linked

-to a tavern there, the Castle Inn.

-That was probably built around 1720.

-Was it built as a cockpit?

-Was it built as a cockpit?

-

-Yes, purpose-built.

-And always used as a cockpit?

-There are records

-that it was also used as a theatre.

-All kinds of people came here,

-wealthy and poor alike...

-..they'd bring their drinks, beer,

-tobacco pipes and so on, to bet.

-You'd have 32 cockerels

-fighting each other, a knock-out.

-There'd be one winner at the end

-taking the prize money.

-It's said that people

-went into that chapel over there...

-..with a cockerel under their arm,

-to pray for good luck.

-If they lost, they'd go to the pub

-and drink to forget their woes.

-Two different buildings,

-and very different behaviour!

-That's how the story goes.

-The cockpit was the halfway point.

-I've seen several Tudor buildings.

-There's the pub behind me,

-once the Mermaid, now The Black Boy.

-The Talbot across the road,

-a few down there.

-There are records from Tudor times

-pertaining to Welshpool.

-One that stands out

-deals with a local yeoman farmer...

-..called Humphrey Pierce.

-He was accused of having a cabin

-outside his house...

-..in which tennis was played.

-Playing any game

-was illegal in Tudor times...

-..be it tennis or even football.

-The emphasis was on archery.

-Illegal tennis. Whatever next?!

-Wales' rich history!

-West of Welshpool

-in a peaceful rural valley...

-..lives a young man who's also

-part of Wales' rich history.

-He's the youngest ever to create

-the National Eisteddfod chair.

-But this workshop has produced much

-more than the 2015 Meifod chair.

-I've learnt a lot from

-the older generations of my family.

-The tools I now use

-belonged to my grandfather.

-The instincts for the craft

-run in my family...

-..from both sides, really.

-It's important for me

-to use Welsh wood.

-The oak and ash that I use

-comes from Wales.

-It's quality timber,

-it has grown more slowly...

-..and often under tough conditions.

-That gives a closer grain,

-and makes really nice furniture.

-When I can, I mill timber from trees

-on our farm or nearby farms.

-People very kindly

-give me trees to mill.

-When I can, I make a note

-of where the timber came from.

-I've been able to use trees...

-..that my grandfather milled

-when he was alive.

-Being able to do that is special.

-What I try to do

-is introduce modern design to it.

-I use old skills, old joints

-and old tools, to some extent...

-..while introducing the design

-in a way that suits the wood...

-..but that also suits modern houses.

-I've been very lucky

-in my life so far.

-I've got a career

-that makes me happy.

-The area has seen its share of

-bloody tales through the centuries.

-But some are more modern and not

-confined to the fields of battle.

-This is the Twrch valley,

-and we're on Foel Lwyd farm.

-We're standing under

-a very famous tree.

-Ceubren Foel Lwyd, a hollow tree.

-This is a photo of a section

-of the tree from a century ago.

-You can see two people in the photo.

-The late butcher, John Evans,

-and the farmhand, Sam Francis.

-John Evans lived

-in that house up there.

-I've got a good story about it.

-Have you? Mmm!

-Apparently, John Evans

-had gone down to the Cann Office...

-..for a special lunch

-that was held once a year.

-It was called Clwb Cann.

-He met a man whom he hadn't seen

-for quite a while, Rowland Llywarch.

-Apparently, they had a pint or two.

-It would appear that John Evans...

-..invited Rowland Llywarch

-to stay the night...

-..as far as we know.

-But things didn't turn out

-as they expected.

-Here we are at Foel Lwyd.

-Something horrific happened here.

-A double murder.

-A double murder.

-

-In this house?

-In this very house.

-The following morning,

-the farmhand, Sam Francis...

-..came to work

-through that gate, as usual.

-He got to the farmyard

-and all was quiet.

-As the story goes locally,

-he looked towards the door...

-..and saw blood flowing

-under the door out into the yard.

-The first thing he saw

-was the old butcher, John Evans...

-..who had been murdered

-with his own knife.

-He went into another room

-and saw Jane Evans.

-She had also been murdered.

-The next problem,

-where was Llywarch?

-He had vanished,

-no-one knew where he was.

-It became a manhunt,

-all over the local area.

-Someone saw him by a bridge

-that we know today as Pont Sgadan.

-The police came and found Rowland

-Llywarch hiding under the bridge.

-Because he wasn't in his right mind,

-they had no right to hang him.

-He was imprisoned.

-This is a postcard

-that was published...

-..showing the house

-as it was at the time.

-If you look at that wall...

-..you can see the outline

-of an old door.

-You can imagine the blood

-flowing out underneath it...

-..if that was actually true.

-But the murder was only one thing.

-The victims had to be buried,

-and arrangements were made.

-Why he murdered the butcher,

-who knows.

-But the equipment to kill him

-was there.

-The old butcher's knife was around,

-and that was that, finished.

-Here, near the border, fights

-and battles are never far away.

-Somewhere down there is the site

-of the Battle of Maes Moydog.

-In the 13th century...

-..Madog ap Llywelyn

-proclaimed himself Prince of Wales.

-He started a rebellion

-against King Edward I.

-He seized Caernarfon,

-Ruthin, Denbigh and Cricieth...

-..and came close to beating

-the King himself in Conwy.

-No wonder the King wanted to end

-the rebellion once and for all.

-We know that the English army

-marched all night on 4 March 1295.

-They came across Madog and his men

-early the next morning.

-The English

-had two clear advantages.

-They had bows,

-whereas the Welsh had spears...

-..and, crucially, they had control

-of the high ground you saw earlier.

-The Welsh had no hope.

-Arrows sprayed down onto them.

-700 of them were killed

-at the Battle of Maes Moydog...

-..compared to 100 English soldiers.

-There's also talk of a second battle

-to the north-west of here...

-..when another 100 Welsh soldiers

-or so were killed.

-We even know that the English

-had an army of 2,847 that day...

-..each earning a good wage

-of threepence a day.

-We don't know the exact site

-of the Battle of Maes Moydog.

-It was probably around here,

-near Castle Caereinion.

-It's a shame

-this old oak can't talk...

-If you drive

-along the A458 near Llangadfan...

-..you'll pass the Cann Office,

-a pub with an interesting name.

-But why the name?

-There has been an office here

-since 1662...

-..where the messengers

-of noblemen and bishops...

-..changed horses and slaked thirsts.

-But not every messenger could read.

-That called for a sign outside

-which everyone could understand.

-The answer was to place

-three cans outside the pub.

-The original meaning of can

-is a vessel that held a drink.

-These were outside the office...

-..to show what they could expect

-when they went in.

-The can office.

-One of the rooms in the pub

-also has an interesting name.

-Cut Lloi - the calves' shed.

-It has also inspired

-the formation of a singing party.

-They keep the tradition

-of plygain singing alive locally.

-It was a room where anyone

-could have a drink...

-..in their working clothes

-and no-one would mind.

-It was a homely place.

-Is that a reflection of the sound

-that Parti Cut Lloi produces?

-We're out here

-in western Montgomeryshire.

-The mountains come to meet you.

-We're out in the countryside...

-..and the songs we sing

-have links to rural life...

-..and farming and rural traditions.

-Sadly, they're dying out today,

-but we try to keep them alive.

-For example, in winter,

-the tradition of plygain singing.

-You're from a long line of them.

-I was steeped in the tradition...

-..by my father and forefathers,

-in a way.

-It was a tradition...

-..and it's great to see it

-alive and kicking in this area.

-It's important to keep

-these traditions alive.

-It's something of which we can be

-extremely proud as a nation.

-.

-Subtitles

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-

-Subtitles

-We're roaming in the Banwy valley

-and Welshpool area this week.

-In Welshpool itself,

-there are several narrow alleys...

-..that hide

-rather unpleasant tales.

-This is by no means wide, Dewi.

-This is by no means wide, Dewi.

-

-You're right, it isn't.

-It's narrow, to say the least.

-It's called Hopkins Passage.

-It's one of many

-narrow alleyways in Welshpool...

-..where poor people

-would have lived.

-Pigs would run free here.

-Raw sewage, no toilets and so on.

-The stench would have been awful.

-There were complaints

-about the smell even at the time.

-Are there records of that?

-Are there records of that?

-

-Yes, there are records.

-Fortunately for us, a detailed

-report was published in 1849...

-..by George Thomas Clarke.

-He carried out extensive research

-into the appalling conditions here.

-There were concurrent outbreaks

-of two diseases in 1849...

-..cholera and scarlet fever.

-The percentage

-who died in Welshpool...

-..was higher than any other town

-in north and mid Wales.

-You first, go on.

-Thank you.

-This really is narrow.

-This is the narrowest of them all.

-This is Powell's Lane.

-I know you've researched

-the census for this area.

-I found a record

-of a man called Anthony Protheroe.

-I had to read it a few times

-to make sure I was reading it right.

-Under occupation, it said thief.

-Why would he admit that?

-Why would he admit that?

-

-It was an outbreak of honesty.

-It gives a sense of the people here.

-Not everyone did that, of course.

-Hold onto your bag, in case

-Anthony Protheroe is still here.

-I have to ask about the name.

-Daxe's Row?

-Daxe's Row?

-

-An interesting and unusual name.

-The Daxes were a local family

-here in Welshpool.

-They lived here

-since at least the 17th century.

-This is named after them.

-The word row is interesting,

-suggesting a row of houses.

-An inquest was held here

-in September 1849.

-A Doctor Harrison

-came here to help.

-He was stunned

-by the living conditions.

-The deceased was called Elizabeth

-Hill and she died of cholera.

-There were six houses here,

-all under one roof.

-There was no toilet

-in the entire street.

-Harrison lived

-more or less across the road...

-..at Park Lane House that Daxe's Row

-was unfit for human habitation.

-But thanks to people like Harrison,

-Clarke's report and local clerics...

-..there came an awareness

-that the situation had to change.

-Now, the name remains...

-..as a tribute to people

-like Elizabeth Hill and others..

-..who have been forgotten

-by history, in a way.

-So, there you have it.

-So, there you have it.

-

-Daxe's Row.

-This is another interesting part

-of town, Nant Lledan.

-The stream goes under the canal,

-under this aqueduct here...

-..and continues towards the Severn.

-At the time we've been discussing...

-..it would have been full

-of raw sewage, with an awful stench.

-But thanks to the likes of Clarke,

-it's very different here today.

-We can hear the ducks

-quacking in agreement.

-As we hear Welshpool's history,

-the past comes alive.

-It happens easily

-when you have a good guide.

-But at this time of day, when the

-traffic noise starts to die down...

-..it's easier to imagine

-what this place was like years ago.

-There are battlefields

-around us everywhere.

-To the south,

-the north and northeast.

-But I'm currently

-on the Glyndwr's Way path.

-It starts far to the south,

-in Knighton...

-..and passes through hills,

-towns and rural areas...

-..over 217 miles,

-before ending here in Welshpool.

-A lot of people must have ended

-their walk in a pub like this one.

-But do they know why they are

-following in Glyndwr's footsteps?

-The rebellion was just starting

-when Glyndwr attacked Welshpool.

-Fresh from attacks

-on Ruthin and Colwyn Bay...

-..he and his men came here

-in late September 1400.

-They say that history

-is written by the victors.

-But only one record remains

-of the fierce fighting here...

-..in an English court document.

-"They made their way in a warlike

-manner to the town of the Pole...

-"..and on the Thursday

-immediately following...

-"..they feloniously and totally

-despoiled the said town...

-"..and the people living in it."

-In other words,

-they wrecked the place.

-The English give the same impression

-about all of Glyndwr's attacks...

-..portraying him as wild and

-merciless, living outside the law.

-But other evidence

-sometimes tells a different story.

-We'll never really know

-what welcome Glyndwr got here.

-But thanks to Glyndwr's Way and the

-thousands who walk it annually...

-..his name will be linked

-to the town for years to come.

-Princes, Glyndwr, and battles

-between the English and the Welsh.

-But a few miles off,

-a remarkable story hides away.

-One thing that's apparent is that

-local people are proud of the area.

-The same is true of the canal.

-Volunteers come from far and wide.

-I moved here with my work

-almost 40 years ago.

-I was born and bred

-in Aberystwyth, by the sea.

-And here I am, by the water again.

-A canal, not the sea.

-Why the interest in the canal?

-Why the interest in the canal?

-

-I don't know.

-There's something about the peace.

-We're among nature's beauty...

-..and it has

-an interesting history.

-The first section

-was opened in 1797.

-The intention was to open a canal

-from Ellesmere near Oswestry...

-..all the way to Newtown.

-For what reason?

-Limestone came down

-from the quarry in Llanymynech.

-It came down the canal and the lime

-was then scattered onto the land.

-So, it was an agricultural industry?

-So, it was an agricultural industry?

-

-That's what it was, yes.

-What's your involvement with it?

-What's your involvement with it?

-

-I'm one of the Friends of the Canal.

-These people work hard,

-and there's always something to do.

-Maintenance and upkeep.

-Maintenance and upkeep.

-

-A lot of maintenance, yes.

-You have to keep the water clear.

-The boats can't travel along it

-if there's too much growth.

-After battling so hard

-to reopen this 17-mile stretch...

-..and despite only one barge

-travelling along it currently...

-..the Friends are determined

-to keep it open.

-You're busy

-and it looks like worthwhile work.

-What sort of stuff do you do?

-What sort of stuff do you do?

-

-It varies.

-Anything from clearing trees

-that have fallen across the canal...

-..we have to react quickly...

-..to painting the locks,

-and maintenance on the locks.

-The canal, it seems to me, is

-a very important part of Welshpool.

-If it's not maintained,

-it'll die again.

-We're doing our best,

-and enjoying it, put it that way.

-As I'm enjoying my canal trip,

-it's only fair that I help out...

-..and volunteer to clear it.

-It's almost impossible

-to see the bottom.

-Thank you, Pat.

-As an archaeologist, I spend most

-of my time looking for rubbish.

-But it's usually much older

-than the stuff that's in here!

-But it's all archaeology...

-..and evidence of human behaviour.

-They're everywhere!

-We've collected 60 or 70 bottles

-in about 15 minutes.

-This maintenance work is vital

-to secure the canal's future.

-These volunteers

-do very important work.

-Southwest of Welshpool

-is Powis Castle.

-It was home to the Herbert family,

-from Sir Edward Herbert in 1595...

-..to Earl George and Countess

-Violet almost 400 years later.

-The original castle

-was built by the princes of Powys...

-..to defend the area

-from the princes of Gwynedd.

-The original castle

-was built in the 13th century...

-..by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn.

-Initially a military castle,

-it then became a home.

-That's why we have

-these fantastic gardens.

-Is this plant here

-native to Powis Castle itself?

-That's right,

-Artemisia Powis Castle.

-In the 1970s, the head gardener

-found it among another plant.

-He took a cutting and planted it on.

-The original plant is up there.

-The original plant is up there.

-

-Am I allowed to touch it?

-This section dates back

-to the start of the last century.

-Countess Violet changed this area.

-It used to have greenhouses

-and a kitchen garden.

-But she wanted

-a formal garden instead.

-She had it all changed...

-..and now these lovely flowers

-and apple trees grow here.

-It looks much nicer from the castle

-than a kitchen garden would have.

-So, that was the plan.

-Wow!

-It's fantastic, isn't it?

-It takes your breath away.

-It takes your breath away.

-

-I wanted to show you this view.

-It's one of my favourite spots.

-I'm not surprised.

-You can see the different periods.

-You can see the different periods.

-

-Yes, how the gardens have developed.

-I've got a photo here.

-You can see the yew trees up there.

-They're the same ones?

-They're the same ones?

-

-Yes, that's right, the same ones.

-So, they're 300 years old?

-So, they're 300 years old?

-

-Yes, over 300 years old.

-Seven full-time gardeners

-maintain the Powis Castle gardens.

-But you can never have

-too much help.

-There we go.

-And then just go straight?

-And then just go straight?

-

-Yes, straight then upwards.

-Quite close in to the hedge.

-Stand back!

-Stand back!

-

-I will stand back!

-Slightly more upright.

-There we are.

-There we are.

-

-Is that too much?

-In the 100 years

-it's been in existence...

-..has anyone else

-made such a mess of it?!

-The good thing about yew,

-it grows back very quickly.

-It has become a custom...

-..for gardeners to cut patterns

-into the lawns at Powis Castle.

-In the Great War's centenary year,

-this year's pattern is a poppy.

-I'll start mine.

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-*

-Beyond the famous baroque gardens,

-Powis Castle houses many treasures.

-While much of the castle

-is open to the public...

-..we are fortunate enough

-to be able to see some items...

-..that are usually

-under lock and key or hidden away.

-After seeing the gardens

-then approaching this entrance...

-...you can see

-centuries of history.

-These particular walls

-date back to the 13th century.

-These marks in particular

-are very interesting.

-That's where they sharpened their

-arrows before going into battle.

-These doors lead you on

-into the 19th century.

-This is interesting.

-This is based on the coat of arms

-of the Herbert family.

-Sir Edward Herbert

-bought the castle in 1580.

-The family lived here

-for the following 400 years...

-..and filled the house

-with treasures.

-One of the finest pieces

-is this particular table.

-It's made of marble,

-and was made in Italy 450 years ago.

-The Herbert family

-were staunch Catholics...

-..and the table

-was a special gift from the Pope.

-If you look closely,

-there's an inverted pear.

-The Italian for a small pear

-is peretti...

-..and Peretti was the family name

-of Pope Sixtus V.

-This part of the castle

-isn't open to the public.

-Maintenance and restoration work

-is constantly going on here.

-Before I go up,

-take a look at the banisters.

-Pineapples are a symbol

-of a warm welcome and hospitality.

-Let's see what's in store.

-This is a fine room.

-Some of us have a parlour,

-a room for special occasions.

-This would have been it.

-The bedroom where special guests,

-or even royals, would stay.

-It's said that Prince Charles

-himself has stayed the night here.

-Something else that hides

-in this room is this.

-Behind the curtains,

-this detail on the window.

-Three feathers, a royal symbol...

-..again underlining the royal

-connections of this room.

-Everything's just a touch grander

-than the rest of the castle.

-There are so many

-magnificent items...

-..for the public to see

-at Powis Castle.

-But some treasures

-aren't on public display.

-We're very fortunate

-to be able to see this.

-It really is a gem.

-It's a greeting from

-the local people, the tenants...

-..to the Earl

-and Countess of Powis...

-..George and his wife, Violet...

-..on the birth of their first son,

-Percy, Viscount Clive.

-It's very interesting,

-and in Welsh as well.

-"We, your Lordship's tenants...

-"..on the estates

-of Llymystyn and Mathrafal...

-"..wish to congratulate you on

-the birth of your son, Lord Clive."

-It goes on

-to praise them as a family.

-"Our wish is that God bestows

-plentiful blessings upon you."

-However, their son and heir

-died at the age of 24 on the Somme.

-I'm now in Buttington.

-The English border

-is seven miles that way...

-..and Welshpool

-is 15 minutes away by road.

-Over 200 years ago,

-under this church...

-..they found 400 skulls

-and human bones.

-They were probably the remains of

-soldiers killed in a battle in 893.

-One of the most striking battles

-in the history of Wales.

-It was wet, and the Severn

-had burst its banks.

-Believe it or not, a group

-of Vikings found themselves here...

-..a very long way from the sea.

-However, we don't know

-where they intended to go.

-But when the river level fell,

-they had nowhere to turn...

-..and were deep in enemy territory.

-They had no choice

-but to destroy their ship...

-..and turn it into a fortress.

-At the time, fighting

-between the Welsh and the Saxons...

-..was at its most fierce.

-But they somehow joined forces

-to despatch this new enemy.

-A siege developed.

-The starving Vikings

-were forced to eat their own horses.

-The Saxons to the east...

-..and the Welsh to the west.

-They had nowhere to turn.

-Their only choice was to flee

-back in the direction of the river.

-Some may have sacrificed themselves

-so that many others could escape.

-Did anyone get away? Who knows.

-There's nothing to mark the site.

-No plaque,

-no information board, nothing.

-But there may be

-one reminder of the battle.

-This old yew tree behind me,

-in the churchyard.

-It's been dated to the exact

-same year as the battle, 893.

-As I leave Welshpool

-and head south...

-..the journey becomes less serene.

-There are several locks,

-all examples of superb engineering.

-They allow both the canal and boats

-to ascend steep hills...

-..with a bit of physical strength.

-It's a great shame

-that the Montgomeryshire Canal...

-..ends eight miles short of Newtown.

-But there are exciting plans afoot

-to try to reopen this section...

-..and attracting more boats

-to use it.

-There's a long dry section

-north of Newtown at the moment.

-But the aim is to reopen it.

-At the moment, the canal ends

-just south of Berriew, at Refail.

-Is that Berriew there?

-Is that Berriew there?

-

-Yes, that's Berriew.

-So, Newtown would be

-the end of the line.

-And as for northwards,

-where have you reached?

-The canal is complete

-as far as Arddleen, here.

-Unfortunately, the A483

-has crossed the canal.

-A lot of money

-would need to be spent.

-But once we do that...

-..we'll have access

-to 3,000 miles of canals.

-The British network?

-The British network?

-

-Yes, that's right.

-It runs from Llangollen

-to Frankton Junction...

-..where the Montgomery Canal began,

-and it goes on from there.

-That would transform the area.

-Yes, completely.

-Tourists could come on the network

-all the way down here.

-A world of difference.

-There's lots of work to do...

-..but Frankton Junction

-is the target, then the world!

-Powis Castle is a patchwork

-of different periods.

-It's also true of this area.

-One story after another,

-piled on top of each other.

-Some are familiar,

-others are hidden.

-But they all play a part

-in the process...

-..of turning an area into a habitat.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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