0:00:00 > 0:00:00- *
0:00:01 > 0:00:06- Wales, a country transformed - by the old heavy industries...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- ..but which still amazes us - with its natural treasures.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- It's very narrow here, - even for a little chap like me.
0:00:18 > 0:00:24- An area that has kept its identity - while wielding global influence.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- This time, - we focus on the Amman Valley...
0:00:29 > 0:00:34- ..an area influenced heavily - by what was found beneath our feet.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- In the shadow - of the Black Mountain...
0:00:38 > 0:00:42- ..there are communities - that owe their existence to coal.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46- But coal changed much more - than the size of the odd village.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- Beneath my feet lie miles of caves.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- But they can wait, for now.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- Ammanford, Brynaman, Glanaman.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10- The Black Mountain - gazes down upon them all.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14- The mountains gave life to the area, - and laid the foundations...
0:01:14 > 0:01:18- ..for an industry - that raised towns from the earth.
0:01:22 > 0:01:28- Industries old and new, crafts, - characters and lost tales.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32- You'll find them all - in this part of the country.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34- This is our habitat.
0:01:43 > 0:01:49- Until the late 19th century, - there wasn't much to Ammanford.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- It was just a small village - in the parish of Llandybie.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- They couldn't even agree - on its name.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58- Initially, it was Cross Inn...
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- ..until a committee - opted for Ammanford in 1880.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06- By today, there's lots to see here, - thanks to the coal industry...
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- ..which played a pivotal role - in the Industrial Revolution.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16- But given the pits' importance - and how many they employed...
0:02:16 > 0:02:21- ..there are few visible reminders - of the activities of the past.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26- We'll first pass the site - of the pit...
0:02:26 > 0:02:28- ..then up to Betws mountain.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30- Here?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33- Those buildings - are where the old offices were.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- The showers are still there.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37- The showers are still there.- - Are they?
0:02:39 > 0:02:45- Over there, where the houses are, - was what we called Cable Belt House.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46- So, it started here?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48- So, it started here?- - It finished there.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- It started underground.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Here we are, the Amman Valley.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- The view from Betws mountain...
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- ..would have been different - less than a generation ago.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15- The coal tips, or as Gwenallt said, - South Wales' black pyramids...
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- ..would have been everywhere.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Just look across these valleys.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23- On Llandybie mountain, - you had Pencae colliery.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Then you had Pantyffynnon, Wernos...
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- ..Delanair and Pullmaflex...
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- ..and over there, on the right, - was Betws colliery itself.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35- There?
0:03:35 > 0:03:36- Yes, there.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- As we look at it, the drifts - went under the mountain here...
0:03:41 > 0:03:42- ..for two miles.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45- That's where I worked, - under the mountain.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47- Under here?
0:03:47 > 0:03:48- Under here?- - Under here.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- You can see - that the mountain rises and falls.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- The coal seam - did the same underground.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- That's how Betws worked.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- If the coal went up, - we had to go up to get it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- If you look at this map...
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- ..it shows you - where we worked underground.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- So, this is a map - of what's under our feet now.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- It shows where we worked.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- At the end, Betws used - the pillar and stall method.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- The old way?
0:04:21 > 0:04:22- The old way?- - The old way.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- You can see these fingers.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- These are the pillars and stalls.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- The coal - was extracted from the stall...
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- ..and the pillar - was left to hold the roof up.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- We can look back - to when Betws closed.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- That's 1991 there.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- We started back - with the pillar and stall...
0:04:44 > 0:04:49- ..when it was reopened privately - after a management buyout.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50- In 1998.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- That was Betws Anthracite Limited.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- But this is an example - of what was underground.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- If we turn around, - we see a wind farm.
0:05:01 > 0:05:07- On the surface or underground, - Betws mountain still provides power.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- The Amman Valley has a lot to offer.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- The Amman Valley has a lot to offer.- - Yes, it does.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- People would think of Ammanford - as an industrial town.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- I'll be circling the town...
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- ..on the trail of tales - with a distinct French flavour...
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- ..and, on Mynydd y Gwair, a modern - story straight out of Star Trek.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- Early one morning in 1934, - the peace was shattered...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- ..by an aeroplane - flying low over the mountains.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- The pilot - was Harry Grindell Matthews...
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- ..a Gloucestershire scientist - seeking a site for his new lab.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- Before long, he found it - in this incredible spot, Tor Clawdd.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- Here is the mad scientist himself.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- His inventions - included a radio telephone...
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- ..a very early sound film...
0:06:16 > 0:06:21- ..and a device that shone a light - onto clouds, like a Batman prop.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26- But he's mostly remembered - for his weapons, one in particular.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- An invisible ray, which he claimed - could paralyze people...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- ..to shoot planes out of the sky - and kill people.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- In other words, a death ray.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- The government banned Harry Matthews - from selling his idea to anyone.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- But they were too late.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- By then, he had fled to Paris, - taking his big idea with him.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- When he came back to Ammanford - years later...
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- ..he was a bit of a joke - in scientific circles.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- All his ideas had come to nothing.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- He spent his final seven years - up here on the mountain...
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- ..unsuccessfully working on ideas - for explosives and radar systems.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13- But the idea for his death ray - is still in France's patent office.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19- There's time yet for Harry Grindell - Matthews to hit the headlines.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20- You never know.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36- There are many interesting lakes - in the Amman Valley area.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- Some are linked - to folk tales and legends.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Others are interesting - for very different reasons...
0:07:43 > 0:07:44- ..that are unique to the UK.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- This is Pantyllyn, and we're lucky - to be able to see it at all.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- This is a seasonal lake or turlough.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00- It's the only one - in the whole of Wales.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- It's usually full - from autumn to spring...
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- ..but by June, - all the water has gone...
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- ..despite no visible trace - of a stream or river.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- The key here - is the limestone underfoot.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18- Over thousands of years, rainwater - has dissolved the limestone...
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- ..forming potholes and cracks.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- The water then flows through them, - emptying the lake.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30- In autumn, the water table level - rises, filling the lake once more.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- Of course, as the lake dries up, - it causes problems for wildlife...
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- ..as their habitat - disappears with the water.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51- Frogs, newts and water beetles - make the best of Pantyllyn...
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- ..when they can.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- The cracks under the lake - aren't huge...
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- ..but in other places around here, - they are bigger.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01- Much bigger.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07- East of here, an extensive - cave system awaits me.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- I'm going to have the honour - of exploring their deepest recesses.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- Like the waters of Pantyllyn, - I hope to resurface as well!
0:09:30 > 0:09:36- Over 15 years have passed since - Ammanford's last colliery closed.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- It's easy to look back fondly - at the industry...
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- ..and to forget all the hardship, - which was also abundant here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- The town's darkest hour - came in the summer of 1925.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- All the local mines were by then - in the hands of two organizations.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Workers' rights weren't a priority.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03- Between that and the cheaper price - of Polish and German coal...
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- ..it was clear - that trouble was coming.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- The strike started on 13 July, - and things got uglier and uglier...
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- ..between the miners, - the owners and the police...
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- ..as the weeks dragged on.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Then, on 4 August, came the battle.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- On one side of the Amman Bridge, - 200 policemen.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- On the other side, the miners.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- The battle raged - for four and a half hours.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- Eventually, 58 miners were jailed...
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- ..and the authorities - stood firm against them.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- A year later came the hardship - of the General Strike...
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- ..when the miners - were out for seven months.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11- But their relentlessness - and brotherly love came to the fore.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- Miners from nearby pits gave - twopence a week from their wages...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- ..to build a splendid theatre...
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- ..to provide education - and entertainment for the strikers.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- Local talents include Ryan Davies, - Hywel Bennett and John Rhys-Davies.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- Who knows what influence - this tiny stage had....
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- ..on some of Wales' biggest stars...
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- ..who, like the local coal, went - to all four corners of the world.
0:11:48 > 0:11:48- .
0:11:53 > 0:11:53- *
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- The Black Mountain - usually offers superb views...
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- ..but not when it's misty, sadly.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06- Fortunately, even on such a day, - you can still see some fine views.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- I grew up in the area, - and I enjoy walking and climbing.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- I started caving - about seven years ago now.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- It's a perfect area for it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- There are so many caves - to explore locally.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- It's one of the best places - in Britain to go caving.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28- How many caves are there?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- How many caves are there?- - Thousands, across South Wales.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40- We have to climb to the entrance - to the cave, up where Gary is.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- Matt down here will help us.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- When was this cave discovered?
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- It was first opened up in 1946.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- Two brothers from Ammanford - went in to explore it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- The cave entrance - was lost in the 1950s...
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- ..after excavation work - at a nearby quarry.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- It was found again - in the late 1970s.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09- Getting to it, up a steep slope, - is an adventure in itself.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11- Great!
0:13:19 > 0:13:20- So, this is the entrance behind me.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- So, this is the entrance behind me.- - Yes, the entrance to Ogof Pasg.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28- It's fairly tight initially, - but it opens up once you're in.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30- How far does it go?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- The cave links with another cave, - Ogof Foel Fawr.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38- You can go in this way and come out - on the other side of the mountain.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39- How far is that?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42- That's about 800 metres.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- That's quite a lot.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- This is a map of the cave itself.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- We'll go in this way - and follow this round.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- There are lots - of pretty things to see.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- Here, we'll go down the pitch itself - to the bottom of the cave.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59- We'll go and have a look.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02- In we go!
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- Many businesses have been set up - in this area over recent decades.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- One of them takes us back - to the golden age of coal...
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- ..and it's still going strong today.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- At the end of the 19th century, - the heyday of heavy industry here...
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- ..knitting socks wouldn't have been - everyone's idea of a moneymaker.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- But the simple ideas - are often the best ones.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05- Over 120 years later, the company, - founded by Rhys Jones, survives.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13- The company was founded in 1892 - by my great-great-grandfather.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- He sold socks to the miners.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- So, he took the socks to the miners.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- He took them by horse and cart - to sell to the miners.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- They kept them for best, - their Sunday socks.
0:15:25 > 0:15:31- So, if I'm right, you are - the fifth generation in charge.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36- Looking at the factory today, - it feels like a family, a community.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- Has that always been important?
0:15:38 > 0:15:39- Has that always been important?- - It has.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- Some of the current workers...
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- ..their great-grandmothers - worked with my great-grandfather.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- A lot have been here - for a long time.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57- Although the company's reputation - is mainly down to socks...
0:15:57 > 0:16:03- ..every generation has introduced - new ideas and machinery.
0:16:05 > 0:16:11- My father brought in these machines - to produce all the knitwear.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12- Do you want a go?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- Do you want a go?- - What? On this?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- Go on, try it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- Ann will show you what to do.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20- Ann will show you what to do.- - That off first, and cross it over.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- I know - I'm going to make a huge mistake.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25- Can you be with me?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28- Can you stay there, please, Ann?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- Up, and down.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- Can I leave those there?
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- Oh! Have I wrecked your garment?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- Have I wrecked it? Are you sure?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- Well, Heledd, you're sacked!
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- Before I started!
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- We have over 150 colours.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04- Once garments are finished, - they're all washed and tumble-dried.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- Hopefully, they shrink - to the size we want.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- So, you make them bigger - and shrink them.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- All fabrics shrink differently...
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- ..so we make tension swatches.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19- There's a bit of mathematics!
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- There's a bit of mathematics!- - There's a lot to do, isn't there?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- Before they are washed, - the socks must be knitted.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33- The machines allow the company - to make 500 pairs of socks daily...
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- ..but it's the luxury socks...
0:17:36 > 0:17:42- ..hand-knitted on the original - 1892 Griswold machines...
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- ..that have made Corgi - a leading brand.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- When people hear the name Corgi, - they think of socks.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- This is a hand-knitted sock here.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- Julie here makes five pairs a day.
0:17:58 > 0:18:04- They're smaller at this point, - then they get bigger again.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- That's how that's made.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Then it's round once more, - then the same again.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10- The top.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12- Ah!
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- So, both blue sections - are made using the same process.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17- They're the same, then.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18- They're the same, then.- - Yes, the same.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- It's all been stitched up now...
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- ..and you can't - feel the seam at all.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- It's completely flat.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- That's a mark of quality.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42- It shows that it's been - made by hand, perfectly.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43- Do you want a go?
0:18:44 > 0:18:45- Come on!
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- Come on!- - Do I have a choice?!
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- All of these... go up here.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01- You place this here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- Every V goes right across...
0:19:06 > 0:19:08- No... I'm going off again.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- Right, that's it, ish.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15- Ish?
0:19:15 > 0:19:16- Ish?- - Ish, sort of.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17- What happens afterwards?
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- What happens afterwards?- - There are pedals under the table.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Whoa, whoa, stop, stop, stop.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30- Press it in just a little.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32- A bit more.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- There you are, sorted.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40- There's a hole!
0:19:41 > 0:19:42- Turn it inside out.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46- Isn't that good?!
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- I'll never look at socks - in the same way again.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- What socks do you wear?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- What socks do you wear?- - Corgi, but not this instant!
0:19:55 > 0:19:56- It's summer!
0:19:58 > 0:19:59- You got away with that.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- We're not sure who Owain is - in Llyn Llech Owain.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- But some say he was Owain Lawgoch, - an important man.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- His great-grandfather's brother - was Llywelyn the Last...
0:20:19 > 0:20:23- ..so Owain had the right - to call himself Prince of Wales.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- But as a young man, he left Wales...
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- ..to fight for the cause - of King Philip of France.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- For over 20 years, - Owain forgot Wales...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- ..and Wales forgot Owain.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- His lands in Britain - were then seized by the government.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47- Immediately, he remembered - the land of his fathers.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- He tried to return several times - to incite a rebellion.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58- But he never managed it - and was killed in France in 1378...
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- ..by the order - of England's King Richard II.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- State-sponsored murder.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- Owain wasn't in Wales long...
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- ..but legends about him survive.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- It's said that he often brought - his horse here to drink from a well.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- But one day, he forgot to replace - the stone on top of the well.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- The land flooded, - forming this huge lake.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- He galloped around the lake - to stem the flow of water...
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- ..but by then, it was too late.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- Some say that Owain still sleeps - in the woods around here.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- For Wales to become free - under his leadership...
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- ..all we need to do is to wake him.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47- But given the stone and the well, - I don't really trust the bloke.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48- Let him sleep.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57- Under the Black Mountain - are the Llygad Llwchwr caves...
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- ..bearing such poetic names - as Ogof Gwynt yr Eira...
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- ..Pwll Cwm Sych - and Ogof Dan yr Odyn.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- They attract cavers - from far and wide.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- We're exploring Ogof Pasg.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- It was narrow at first, - but there's lots of room here.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- This is one - of the biggest chambers.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- On the map, we're at this point.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- We're going down this route here...
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- ..to one of the deepest points - in the cave system.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- Great. On we go.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41- Take care down here.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42- Take care down here.- - OK.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47- As we make our way through, - it's easy to see the attraction.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- It's a privilege - to see the natural wonders...
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- ..formed by the limestone - over thousands of years.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00- But the curtains and stalactites - aren't the only wonders here.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- There's a bat just up here.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- It's unusual to see them - in this area.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- We won't touch them, - we'll move on this way.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26- What we have here - is a calcite flowstone.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- It has flowed over the other stones.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- It looks similar to a candle - with molten wax running down it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- It does flow down, - almost like ice...
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- ..but not as slippery, thankfully.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- It's very hard as well.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- This black part is limestone...
0:23:52 > 0:23:54- ..coming through the calcite.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56- This is a limestone cave.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- The limestone itself - is 330 million years old.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- It originally formed - down near to the equator.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09- It formed from marine creatures - compacted over time.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15- I always think that it looks - like a wall, these straight lines.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- As an archaeologist, - when I see limestone...
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- ..I see perfect circles and - straight lines, seemingly man-made.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24- But it's the action of water.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- But it's the action of water.- - Yes, and it forms the entire cave.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- It is narrow here.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- The further we go into Ogof Pasg, - the more I feel like a proper caver.
0:24:47 > 0:24:53- Reaching the lower chamber involves - an uncomfortably tight squeeze.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- Which mountain are we under now?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- We're under Foel Fawr at the moment.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- Most people aren't aware - that the caves are here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19- No, a lot of local people don't know - that all this is beneath their feet.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- There are lots - of undiscovered caves as well.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- I don't think - I'm an instinctive caver.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37- I prefer to see the sun, but it's - been an exhilarating experience.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- Incredible, to be honest.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Right, I hope they can guide me out!
0:25:48 > 0:25:48- .
0:25:54 > 0:25:54- *
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- We're in the Amman Valley this week.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- It's an area heavily influenced - by subterranean discoveries.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- There are communities - around the Black Mountain...
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- ..that wouldn't exist - if it weren't for coal.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- But coal changed much more - than the size of some villages.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- We're in Brynaman, but it wasn't - called that originally.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- We're in Neath Port Talbot, - south of the river Amman.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- Up there was a smallholding - known as Y Gwter Fawr.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33- It was one of around 20 holdings - that formed Gwter Fawr village.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- The gwter or gutter was formed...
0:26:36 > 0:26:41- ..when people dug for coal - and washed it in the water.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- That's what the Gwter Fawr was.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- It ran down from the smallholding - to the river Amman.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02- Around this corner, - there used to be two stations.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- The GWR station this side...
0:27:06 > 0:27:08- ..and on the other side, the LMS.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13- It went down through Cwmllynfell, - Ystalyfera, and on to Swansea.
0:27:13 > 0:27:19- That station was right - in front of Brynamman House.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25- By the way, it was the first house - here to have a slate roof, in 1838.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- When the railway - and station was built...
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- ..the LMS printed tickets...
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- ..with the name Brynamman on them, - because it was by Brynamman House.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- That's how, years later, - the village became Brynaman.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- That's how Brynaman - was born from Gwter Fawr.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46- As simple as that.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- We're now at the bottom - of Mountain Road.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07- This road was built - by John Jones in 1819.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09- Who was John Jones?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- I think he was - an entrepreneur in his day.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- He realized that the trade - from Llangadog to Brynaman...
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- ..needed to be improved.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- It used to stop by the former - Gwter Fawr farmhouse.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24- The smallholding.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30- But to expand, given the increased - population through heavy industry...
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- ..a better road was needed, - and he built it.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38- He didn't want the money - to go beyond Gwter Fawr.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- Not down to Waen - and the Amman Valley!
0:28:41 > 0:28:42- Keep it here.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43- Keep it here.- - Not until years later.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- So, in a way, you claim - a part of the Black Mountain.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51- Yes, definitely. - Brynaman owns the Black Mountain.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05- Back in Ammanford, an old craft - has given a new lease of life...
0:29:05 > 0:29:08- ..to one of the old - Betws colliery buildings.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- This is an old building.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- Behind it, the coal came down - on a conveyor belt.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23- It made a terrible noise, - but it was a wonderful thing.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- I've taught all over the world...
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- ..but what gave my father - more pleasure than anything...
0:29:36 > 0:29:40- ..was that I now worked - in the colliers' old building.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42- That's what was important to him.
0:29:43 > 0:29:49- I must say, Welsh slate - is the best in the world.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53- As a Welshman, - knowing that is a great pleasure.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02- You can engrave - small, neat letters...
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- ..or huge letters, - as big as you want.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- The slate will respond - to all my needs.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15- Whatever I want to do, the slate - will let me do what I want to do.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- People often ask me - if it requires patience.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- Of course it requires patience.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- But more important than patience - is perseverance.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- That's the only way - you can instil love into the work.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54- This is Glynhir mansion, - north of Ammanford and Glanaman...
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- ..in the shadow - of the Brecon Beacons.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59- It's a hotel now.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- But how many guests are aware - of its incredible history?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- It dates back to the 17th century.
0:31:06 > 0:31:12- For over 150 years, it belonged - to a French family, the De Buissons.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- During the Napoleonic Wars...
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- ..the De Buissons' extended family - stayed here for a while.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- But they weren't here long.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26- Back in France, - the country was being torn apart.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32- Some of the family had to return - to protect their lands and property.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- There was only one way to send - an emergency message back to Wales.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- This is the old dovecote.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44- Before email, phones or telegrams...
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- ..pigeons were the best way - to send long-distance messages.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- When the De Buissons - returned to France...
0:31:51 > 0:31:55- ..they took some pigeons - from this dovecote with them...
0:31:55 > 0:31:56- ..just in case.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03- Then came the Battle of Waterloo, - 18 June, 1815.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- The De Buissons - didn't waste any time...
0:32:07 > 0:32:12- ..in letting their relatives here - know the outcome of the battle.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- Thanks to the pigeons, they were - the first people in Britain...
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- ..to learn that Napoleon - had lost at Waterloo.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- Caroline De Buisson immediately - rode on horseback to London.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28- When she got there, no-one - had heard any news of the battle.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Caroline couldn't believe her luck.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42- She knew the secret, and knew that - Britain would benefit from victory.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47- She put all of the family's money - into government stocks.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- The timing was perfect.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54- The stocks went through the roof - and she made a fortune.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- With the money, she built - a local school for girls...
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- ..and this, Llandyfan church, - not far from Glynhir mansion.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- Fair play to them.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18- In a small garden in Glanaman, - hundreds of thousands of bees hide.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24- The twenty hives each produce - several kilos of honey annually.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- It was won awards - at the Royal Welsh...
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- ..but it's not the hives' - only valuable product.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36- It's in the Bible.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- Eat honey, my son, for it is good.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- Honey from the comb - is sweet to your taste.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46- This is honeycomb in its frame, - straight from the hive.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48- How much honey is there?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- How much honey is there?- - About two and a half pounds.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- It's full but not overflowing.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58- I'd remove the caps, - the white stuff.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01- That's only wax.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03- That's the cleanest, purest wax.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05- I'd then extract the honey.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10- Keep it safe.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15- After extracting the honey, - I collect all the caps.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19- These are the caps.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- You can smell the honey on them.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25- We then wash these.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- Now, if I so fancied, - I'd use that water to make mead.
0:34:30 > 0:34:31- Oh, right.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- But I don't make mead.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35- You deny it now.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- I haven't had permission yet!
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- I'd wash this in water - to get all the honey out of it.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- The first time, - I'd pass it through an old stocking.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53- I'd take the wife out of it first, - then pour the wax through it.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55- We'd be left with this.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00- That is filtered and melted wax.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- It's ready to be poured - into a mould.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05- Can I try to do it?
0:35:07 > 0:35:08- Pour it in.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- Keep pouring it in slowly, - just as you are doing.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19- Wait for 15-20 minutes - until it hardens...
0:35:19 > 0:35:21- ..then remove it slowly.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22- It's a complete circle.
0:35:23 > 0:35:24- The bees in the garden...
0:35:24 > 0:35:28- ..the honey from the hives, - and the beeswax for the candles.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30- Incredible.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Incredible.- - All that's missing is the money!
0:35:33 > 0:35:34- You can't have everything.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- This is a traditional plain candle.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48- That's worked very well.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52- A bit of dirt there, but that's all.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55- Great.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57- This one has worked as well.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00- It has a fine aroma.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- Beeswax has a distinct aroma, yes.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- This one has a pattern, does it?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- Yes, this one does.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19- These look splendid.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- Your work, - and the bees' work as well.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- There's something sacred - about a candle...
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- ..especially a beeswax candle.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33- The Laws of Hywel the Good...
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- ..referred to bees and beekeeping.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43- They noted that the bee - is a sacred creature.
0:36:43 > 0:36:49- That God sent the bee from heaven - to produce wax to make candles...
0:36:49 > 0:36:53- ..to burn for salvation - in the churches.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58- That's why Hywel the Good's laws - protected bees and beekeepers.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00- And there you have it.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02- You can see why.
0:37:03 > 0:37:03- .
0:37:08 > 0:37:08- Subtitles
0:37:08 > 0:37:10- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:37:12 > 0:37:16- The Black Mountain can be seen - from across the Amman Valley.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- It's a northern boundary - between Carmarthenshire and Powys...
0:37:21 > 0:37:26- ..and the westernmost edge - of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31- It also bears scars of an industry - that's even older than coal.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40- Up here is one of the lime kilns.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44- It's said that lime...
0:37:44 > 0:37:48- ..has been refined in this area - since Roman times.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- They certainly dug for lime here - in the 18th century...
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- ..when the road from Llangadog - over the mountain to Gwter Fawr...
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- ..was a turnpike.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04- As the number of coal mines - in the village grew...
0:38:05 > 0:38:10- ..the coal could be carried up here - and lime was carried back down.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13- Meanwhile, - the two railway stations...
0:38:14 > 0:38:20- ..enabled trade to expand - beyond the village as well.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- Lime had a lot of uses.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25- Probably. Farmers used it locally.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30- The village had a brickworks, - and silica also went down there.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35- One thing fed the other.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- The industry was on the doorstep, - and traces of it remain.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02- You can see signs - of fossils in this rock.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06- Just small patches here and there.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- It's proof of how old - this rock that was quarried here is.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12- Millions of years old, probably.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- It's the same - for every lime kiln up here.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- There were so many, - they all had names.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23- Interesting enough names - like Pen y Byd and Seren.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- Penrhys, Cuckoo.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29- The Cuckoo's Bend.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34- Some think that the kiln - is named after the hairpin bend.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40- Others that the bend - is named after the kiln.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41- Who knows?
0:39:41 > 0:39:46- Then you have odd names - like New Zealand and California.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48- Why? I don't know.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54- Sadly, I don't think - there's anyone left in Brynaman...
0:39:54 > 0:39:58- ..who could even tell you - which was which.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05- Details of the kilns' names - have been lost...
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- ..but towards the top - of the mountain...
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- ..names for natural features - are still in widespread use.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- Here we are, - up on the Black Mountain.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- But it isn't just black.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23- Other colours are ascribed - to so many things up here.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25- For example, streams.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- Nant Melyn, Nant Gwyn, Nant Gwinau.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- They all flow through Brynaman.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Further down, - but with a source up here...
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- ..there's Nant Glas, - Nant Coch and Nant Du.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- We have names like Garreg Lwyd, - the highest point here.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- Brest Cwm Llwyd.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49- Rhiw Ddu, Pen Rhiw Wen, - where all the lime kilns are.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53- Watcyn Wyn referred to it - as the "white city of Pen Rhiw Wen."
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- All the lime kilns there.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- And the "white gold - of the Black Mountain".
0:41:18 > 0:41:23- If you want a symbol to unite - Ammanford, try the Twrch Trwyth.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28- It's on the local rugby club shirts, - and the local school jumpers.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33- The Twrch Trwyth festival - is held annually...
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- There was even a motorcycle club...
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- ..modelled on the Hells Angels.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- It's from the Welsh legend - of Culhwch and Olwen...
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- ..but it's a legend - with international links.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- The Twrch Trwyth was a wild boar, - and when I say wild, I mean it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- It lived in Ireland, - but no-one went close to it...
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- ..because of the destruction - it left in its wake.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- Then Culhwch turned up.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- He had to hunt the beast - in order to marry Olwen...
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- ..and that's what he did...
0:42:10 > 0:42:14- ..across the sea to St David's, - through Pembrokeshire...
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- ..to here, Ammanford.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19- There was widespread destruction.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- But on Mynydd Amanw - and in Dyffryn Amanw...
0:42:23 > 0:42:25- ..the first victory ensued.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- Two of the Twrch Trwyth's young, - Banw and Benwig, were killed.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- That drove it wilder still.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- Luckily, Culhwch's cousin helped.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- Some chap called King Arthur.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43- Culhwch, Arthur and the knights, - like some medieval Avengers...
0:42:43 > 0:42:48- ..took the hunt on towards Llyn - Llech Owain, where I was earlier.
0:42:48 > 0:42:54- The Twrch killed two of Arthur's - knights, avenging its offspring.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Next, they went to England, - along the Cornish coast...
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- ..until the Twrch - ran out of land.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- It plummeted into the sea - and eventually drowned.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- But these legends - are never straightforward.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13- The Twrch was originally a man, - turned into a boar by magic.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15- Twrch fab Taredd.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20- Maybe he's the same man as Tor, - son of Ares, in French mythology.
0:43:20 > 0:43:25- So, we've had a knight and a - scientist who both fled to France...
0:43:25 > 0:43:29- ..a French family that made - a fortune because of pigeons...
0:43:29 > 0:43:31- ..and now, Tor the boar.
0:43:31 > 0:43:32- C'est la vie, boys!
0:43:33 > 0:43:34- Salut!
0:43:37 > 0:43:41- Above Glanaman is one of the - valley's most striking buildings.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- It was here - long before the coal industry.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47- Long before many things, actually.
0:43:48 > 0:43:54- At one time, this was the only road - from Brynaman to Llandeilo.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58- There was no community - down in the valley...
0:43:58 > 0:44:00- ..until coal came - in the 19th century.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04- This is Hen Fethel, - as we now know it.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08- The chapel wasn't called Bethel.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10- Bethel means a place of worship.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14- This was the community's - first place of worship.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15- When was it built?
0:44:16 > 0:44:19- The stone building - was built in 1773.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23- In the 19th century, they built - a new chapel down in the valley.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26- Industry meant a growing population.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28- They worshipped at New Bethel.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33- But the farmers and smallholders - around the Black Mountain...
0:44:34 > 0:44:36- ..refused to let go of this chapel.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40- I think that's where - the custom began...
0:44:40 > 0:44:45- ..of holding the annual - early-morning Christmas service.
0:44:45 > 0:44:51- It's still held to this day, - the only service that's held here.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- Well, what a place.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12- There's a fireplace too.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- I've never seen a fireplace - in a chapel before.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22- Nothing has changed here since - it was renovated in the 1830s...
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- ..except for the colour, maybe.
0:45:25 > 0:45:31- As you can see, - there are pews for every family.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37- Unusually, - there's one pew at the front....
0:45:37 > 0:45:40- ..which is higher - than even the deacons' pew.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42- That's the Harris family pew.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47- Harris, gentleman of this parish, - who's buried by the door.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49- They owned Cwmffrwd farm.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- I think that they gave the land - on which the chapel was built.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- They then got the honour...
0:45:56 > 0:46:00- ..of sitting in front of, - and above, the congregation.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02- So, not everyone was equal.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- So, not everyone was equal.- - No, not in the Amman Valley anyway!
0:46:06 > 0:46:09- Next to their pew is the pulpit.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- That's a bit unusual too.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16- It's what's known - as a wine-glass pulpit.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20- And you supply the candles - for the Christmas service?
0:46:20 > 0:46:25- I come up here at about midnight - on Christmas Eve...
0:46:25 > 0:46:27- ..to check the fire.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31- I'm back at 4.45am to open up - and light the candles...
0:46:31 > 0:46:36- ..then I'm here until people - start to arrive from 5.30am onwards.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38- How many people come here?
0:46:38 > 0:46:39- How many people come here?- - About 150 sometimes.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42- It must be an experience.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46- The darkness outside, - candlelight and a packed chapel.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48- It's extremely spiritual.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52- Christmas morning wouldn't be - the same without the early service.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- One thing that has become apparent - in this area...
0:47:23 > 0:47:29- ..is that industry and nature - coexist in perfect harmony.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Although coal and lime - aren't produced here any more...
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- ..the memory of them is still alive.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40- In their absence, the gap - is filled by other industries.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45- As much as ever, the Amman Valley - can stand on its own two feet.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02- S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.
0:48:03 > 0:48:03- .