Rhydaman Cynefin

-*

-Wales, a country transformed

-by the old heavy industries...

-..but which still amazes us

-with its natural treasures.

-It's very narrow here,

-even for a little chap like me.

-An area that has kept its identity

-while wielding global influence.

-This time,

-we focus on the Amman Valley...

-..an area influenced heavily

-by what was found beneath our feet.

-In the shadow

-of the Black Mountain...

-..there are communities

-that owe their existence to coal.

-But coal changed much more

-than the size of the odd village.

-Beneath my feet lie miles of caves.

-But they can wait, for now.

-Ammanford, Brynaman, Glanaman.

-The Black Mountain

-gazes down upon them all.

-The mountains gave life to the area,

-and laid the foundations...

-..for an industry

-that raised towns from the earth.

-Industries old and new, crafts,

-characters and lost tales.

-You'll find them all

-in this part of the country.

-This is our habitat.

-Until the late 19th century,

-there wasn't much to Ammanford.

-It was just a small village

-in the parish of Llandybie.

-They couldn't even agree

-on its name.

-Initially, it was Cross Inn...

-..until a committee

-opted for Ammanford in 1880.

-By today, there's lots to see here,

-thanks to the coal industry...

-..which played a pivotal role

-in the Industrial Revolution.

-But given the pits' importance

-and how many they employed...

-..there are few visible reminders

-of the activities of the past.

-We'll first pass the site

-of the pit...

-..then up to Betws mountain.

-Here?

-Those buildings

-are where the old offices were.

-The showers are still there.

-The showers are still there.

-

-Are they?

-Over there, where the houses are,

-was what we called Cable Belt House.

-So, it started here?

-So, it started here?

-

-It finished there.

-It started underground.

-Here we are, the Amman Valley.

-The view from Betws mountain...

-..would have been different

-less than a generation ago.

-The coal tips, or as Gwenallt said,

-South Wales' black pyramids...

-..would have been everywhere.

-Just look across these valleys.

-On Llandybie mountain,

-you had Pencae colliery.

-Then you had Pantyffynnon, Wernos...

-..Delanair and Pullmaflex...

-..and over there, on the right,

-was Betws colliery itself.

-There?

-Yes, there.

-As we look at it, the drifts

-went under the mountain here...

-..for two miles.

-That's where I worked,

-under the mountain.

-Under here?

-Under here?

-

-Under here.

-You can see

-that the mountain rises and falls.

-The coal seam

-did the same underground.

-That's how Betws worked.

-If the coal went up,

-we had to go up to get it.

-If you look at this map...

-..it shows you

-where we worked underground.

-So, this is a map

-of what's under our feet now.

-It shows where we worked.

-At the end, Betws used

-the pillar and stall method.

-The old way?

-The old way?

-

-The old way.

-You can see these fingers.

-These are the pillars and stalls.

-The coal

-was extracted from the stall...

-..and the pillar

-was left to hold the roof up.

-We can look back

-to when Betws closed.

-That's 1991 there.

-We started back

-with the pillar and stall...

-..when it was reopened privately

-after a management buyout.

-In 1998.

-That was Betws Anthracite Limited.

-But this is an example

-of what was underground.

-If we turn around,

-we see a wind farm.

-On the surface or underground,

-Betws mountain still provides power.

-The Amman Valley has a lot to offer.

-The Amman Valley has a lot to offer.

-

-Yes, it does.

-People would think of Ammanford

-as an industrial town.

-I'll be circling the town...

-..on the trail of tales

-with a distinct French flavour...

-..and, on Mynydd y Gwair, a modern

-story straight out of Star Trek.

-Early one morning in 1934,

-the peace was shattered...

-..by an aeroplane

-flying low over the mountains.

-The pilot

-was Harry Grindell Matthews...

-..a Gloucestershire scientist

-seeking a site for his new lab.

-Before long, he found it

-in this incredible spot, Tor Clawdd.

-Here is the mad scientist himself.

-His inventions

-included a radio telephone...

-..a very early sound film...

-..and a device that shone a light

-onto clouds, like a Batman prop.

-But he's mostly remembered

-for his weapons, one in particular.

-An invisible ray, which he claimed

-could paralyze people...

-..to shoot planes out of the sky

-and kill people.

-In other words, a death ray.

-The government banned Harry Matthews

-from selling his idea to anyone.

-But they were too late.

-By then, he had fled to Paris,

-taking his big idea with him.

-When he came back to Ammanford

-years later...

-..he was a bit of a joke

-in scientific circles.

-All his ideas had come to nothing.

-He spent his final seven years

-up here on the mountain...

-..unsuccessfully working on ideas

-for explosives and radar systems.

-But the idea for his death ray

-is still in France's patent office.

-There's time yet for Harry Grindell

-Matthews to hit the headlines.

-You never know.

-There are many interesting lakes

-in the Amman Valley area.

-Some are linked

-to folk tales and legends.

-Others are interesting

-for very different reasons...

-..that are unique to the UK.

-This is Pantyllyn, and we're lucky

-to be able to see it at all.

-This is a seasonal lake or turlough.

-It's the only one

-in the whole of Wales.

-It's usually full

-from autumn to spring...

-..but by June,

-all the water has gone...

-..despite no visible trace

-of a stream or river.

-The key here

-is the limestone underfoot.

-Over thousands of years, rainwater

-has dissolved the limestone...

-..forming potholes and cracks.

-The water then flows through them,

-emptying the lake.

-In autumn, the water table level

-rises, filling the lake once more.

-Of course, as the lake dries up,

-it causes problems for wildlife...

-..as their habitat

-disappears with the water.

-Frogs, newts and water beetles

-make the best of Pantyllyn...

-..when they can.

-The cracks under the lake

-aren't huge...

-..but in other places around here,

-they are bigger.

-Much bigger.

-East of here, an extensive

-cave system awaits me.

-I'm going to have the honour

-of exploring their deepest recesses.

-Like the waters of Pantyllyn,

-I hope to resurface as well!

-Over 15 years have passed since

-Ammanford's last colliery closed.

-It's easy to look back fondly

-at the industry...

-..and to forget all the hardship,

-which was also abundant here.

-The town's darkest hour

-came in the summer of 1925.

-All the local mines were by then

-in the hands of two organizations.

-Workers' rights weren't a priority.

-Between that and the cheaper price

-of Polish and German coal...

-..it was clear

-that trouble was coming.

-The strike started on 13 July,

-and things got uglier and uglier...

-..between the miners,

-the owners and the police...

-..as the weeks dragged on.

-Then, on 4 August, came the battle.

-On one side of the Amman Bridge,

-200 policemen.

-On the other side, the miners.

-The battle raged

-for four and a half hours.

-Eventually, 58 miners were jailed...

-..and the authorities

-stood firm against them.

-A year later came the hardship

-of the General Strike...

-..when the miners

-were out for seven months.

-But their relentlessness

-and brotherly love came to the fore.

-Miners from nearby pits gave

-twopence a week from their wages...

-..to build a splendid theatre...

-..to provide education

-and entertainment for the strikers.

-Local talents include Ryan Davies,

-Hywel Bennett and John Rhys-Davies.

-Who knows what influence

-this tiny stage had....

-..on some of Wales' biggest stars...

-..who, like the local coal, went

-to all four corners of the world.

-.

-*

-The Black Mountain

-usually offers superb views...

-..but not when it's misty, sadly.

-Fortunately, even on such a day,

-you can still see some fine views.

-I grew up in the area,

-and I enjoy walking and climbing.

-I started caving

-about seven years ago now.

-It's a perfect area for it.

-There are so many caves

-to explore locally.

-It's one of the best places

-in Britain to go caving.

-How many caves are there?

-How many caves are there?

-

-Thousands, across South Wales.

-We have to climb to the entrance

-to the cave, up where Gary is.

-Matt down here will help us.

-When was this cave discovered?

-It was first opened up in 1946.

-Two brothers from Ammanford

-went in to explore it.

-The cave entrance

-was lost in the 1950s...

-..after excavation work

-at a nearby quarry.

-It was found again

-in the late 1970s.

-Getting to it, up a steep slope,

-is an adventure in itself.

-Great!

-So, this is the entrance behind me.

-So, this is the entrance behind me.

-

-Yes, the entrance to Ogof Pasg.

-It's fairly tight initially,

-but it opens up once you're in.

-How far does it go?

-The cave links with another cave,

-Ogof Foel Fawr.

-You can go in this way and come out

-on the other side of the mountain.

-How far is that?

-That's about 800 metres.

-That's quite a lot.

-This is a map of the cave itself.

-We'll go in this way

-and follow this round.

-There are lots

-of pretty things to see.

-Here, we'll go down the pitch itself

-to the bottom of the cave.

-We'll go and have a look.

-In we go!

-Many businesses have been set up

-in this area over recent decades.

-One of them takes us back

-to the golden age of coal...

-..and it's still going strong today.

-At the end of the 19th century,

-the heyday of heavy industry here...

-..knitting socks wouldn't have been

-everyone's idea of a moneymaker.

-But the simple ideas

-are often the best ones.

-Over 120 years later, the company,

-founded by Rhys Jones, survives.

-The company was founded in 1892

-by my great-great-grandfather.

-He sold socks to the miners.

-So, he took the socks to the miners.

-He took them by horse and cart

-to sell to the miners.

-They kept them for best,

-their Sunday socks.

-So, if I'm right, you are

-the fifth generation in charge.

-Looking at the factory today,

-it feels like a family, a community.

-Has that always been important?

-Has that always been important?

-

-It has.

-Some of the current workers...

-..their great-grandmothers

-worked with my great-grandfather.

-A lot have been here

-for a long time.

-Although the company's reputation

-is mainly down to socks...

-..every generation has introduced

-new ideas and machinery.

-My father brought in these machines

-to produce all the knitwear.

-Do you want a go?

-Do you want a go?

-

-What? On this?

-Go on, try it.

-Ann will show you what to do.

-Ann will show you what to do.

-

-That off first, and cross it over.

-I know

-I'm going to make a huge mistake.

-Can you be with me?

-Can you stay there, please, Ann?

-Up, and down.

-Can I leave those there?

-Oh! Have I wrecked your garment?

-Have I wrecked it? Are you sure?

-Well, Heledd, you're sacked!

-Before I started!

-We have over 150 colours.

-Once garments are finished,

-they're all washed and tumble-dried.

-Hopefully, they shrink

-to the size we want.

-So, you make them bigger

-and shrink them.

-All fabrics shrink differently...

-..so we make tension swatches.

-There's a bit of mathematics!

-There's a bit of mathematics!

-

-There's a lot to do, isn't there?

-Before they are washed,

-the socks must be knitted.

-The machines allow the company

-to make 500 pairs of socks daily...

-..but it's the luxury socks...

-..hand-knitted on the original

-1892 Griswold machines...

-..that have made Corgi

-a leading brand.

-When people hear the name Corgi,

-they think of socks.

-This is a hand-knitted sock here.

-Julie here makes five pairs a day.

-They're smaller at this point,

-then they get bigger again.

-That's how that's made.

-Then it's round once more,

-then the same again.

-The top.

-Ah!

-So, both blue sections

-are made using the same process.

-They're the same, then.

-They're the same, then.

-

-Yes, the same.

-It's all been stitched up now...

-..and you can't

-feel the seam at all.

-It's completely flat.

-That's a mark of quality.

-It shows that it's been

-made by hand, perfectly.

-Do you want a go?

-Come on!

-Come on!

-

-Do I have a choice?!

-All of these... go up here.

-You place this here.

-Every V goes right across...

-No... I'm going off again.

-Right, that's it, ish.

-Ish?

-Ish?

-

-Ish, sort of.

-What happens afterwards?

-What happens afterwards?

-

-There are pedals under the table.

-Whoa, whoa, stop, stop, stop.

-Press it in just a little.

-A bit more.

-There you are, sorted.

-There's a hole!

-Turn it inside out.

-Isn't that good?!

-I'll never look at socks

-in the same way again.

-What socks do you wear?

-What socks do you wear?

-

-Corgi, but not this instant!

-It's summer!

-You got away with that.

-We're not sure who Owain is

-in Llyn Llech Owain.

-But some say he was Owain Lawgoch,

-an important man.

-His great-grandfather's brother

-was Llywelyn the Last...

-..so Owain had the right

-to call himself Prince of Wales.

-But as a young man, he left Wales...

-..to fight for the cause

-of King Philip of France.

-For over 20 years,

-Owain forgot Wales...

-..and Wales forgot Owain.

-His lands in Britain

-were then seized by the government.

-Immediately, he remembered

-the land of his fathers.

-He tried to return several times

-to incite a rebellion.

-But he never managed it

-and was killed in France in 1378...

-..by the order

-of England's King Richard II.

-State-sponsored murder.

-Owain wasn't in Wales long...

-..but legends about him survive.

-It's said that he often brought

-his horse here to drink from a well.

-But one day, he forgot to replace

-the stone on top of the well.

-The land flooded,

-forming this huge lake.

-He galloped around the lake

-to stem the flow of water...

-..but by then, it was too late.

-Some say that Owain still sleeps

-in the woods around here.

-For Wales to become free

-under his leadership...

-..all we need to do is to wake him.

-But given the stone and the well,

-I don't really trust the bloke.

-Let him sleep.

-Under the Black Mountain

-are the Llygad Llwchwr caves...

-..bearing such poetic names

-as Ogof Gwynt yr Eira...

-..Pwll Cwm Sych

-and Ogof Dan yr Odyn.

-They attract cavers

-from far and wide.

-We're exploring Ogof Pasg.

-It was narrow at first,

-but there's lots of room here.

-This is one

-of the biggest chambers.

-On the map, we're at this point.

-We're going down this route here...

-..to one of the deepest points

-in the cave system.

-Great. On we go.

-Take care down here.

-Take care down here.

-

-OK.

-As we make our way through,

-it's easy to see the attraction.

-It's a privilege

-to see the natural wonders...

-..formed by the limestone

-over thousands of years.

-But the curtains and stalactites

-aren't the only wonders here.

-There's a bat just up here.

-It's unusual to see them

-in this area.

-We won't touch them,

-we'll move on this way.

-What we have here

-is a calcite flowstone.

-It has flowed over the other stones.

-It looks similar to a candle

-with molten wax running down it.

-It does flow down,

-almost like ice...

-..but not as slippery, thankfully.

-It's very hard as well.

-This black part is limestone...

-..coming through the calcite.

-This is a limestone cave.

-The limestone itself

-is 330 million years old.

-It originally formed

-down near to the equator.

-It formed from marine creatures

-compacted over time.

-I always think that it looks

-like a wall, these straight lines.

-As an archaeologist,

-when I see limestone...

-..I see perfect circles and

-straight lines, seemingly man-made.

-But it's the action of water.

-But it's the action of water.

-

-Yes, and it forms the entire cave.

-It is narrow here.

-The further we go into Ogof Pasg,

-the more I feel like a proper caver.

-Reaching the lower chamber involves

-an uncomfortably tight squeeze.

-Which mountain are we under now?

-We're under Foel Fawr at the moment.

-Most people aren't aware

-that the caves are here.

-No, a lot of local people don't know

-that all this is beneath their feet.

-There are lots

-of undiscovered caves as well.

-I don't think

-I'm an instinctive caver.

-I prefer to see the sun, but it's

-been an exhilarating experience.

-Incredible, to be honest.

-Right, I hope they can guide me out!

-.

-*

-We're in the Amman Valley this week.

-It's an area heavily influenced

-by subterranean discoveries.

-There are communities

-around the Black Mountain...

-..that wouldn't exist

-if it weren't for coal.

-But coal changed much more

-than the size of some villages.

-We're in Brynaman, but it wasn't

-called that originally.

-We're in Neath Port Talbot,

-south of the river Amman.

-Up there was a smallholding

-known as Y Gwter Fawr.

-It was one of around 20 holdings

-that formed Gwter Fawr village.

-The gwter or gutter was formed...

-..when people dug for coal

-and washed it in the water.

-That's what the Gwter Fawr was.

-It ran down from the smallholding

-to the river Amman.

-Around this corner,

-there used to be two stations.

-The GWR station this side...

-..and on the other side, the LMS.

-It went down through Cwmllynfell,

-Ystalyfera, and on to Swansea.

-That station was right

-in front of Brynamman House.

-By the way, it was the first house

-here to have a slate roof, in 1838.

-When the railway

-and station was built...

-..the LMS printed tickets...

-..with the name Brynamman on them,

-because it was by Brynamman House.

-That's how, years later,

-the village became Brynaman.

-That's how Brynaman

-was born from Gwter Fawr.

-As simple as that.

-We're now at the bottom

-of Mountain Road.

-This road was built

-by John Jones in 1819.

-Who was John Jones?

-I think he was

-an entrepreneur in his day.

-He realized that the trade

-from Llangadog to Brynaman...

-..needed to be improved.

-It used to stop by the former

-Gwter Fawr farmhouse.

-The smallholding.

-But to expand, given the increased

-population through heavy industry...

-..a better road was needed,

-and he built it.

-He didn't want the money

-to go beyond Gwter Fawr.

-Not down to Waen

-and the Amman Valley!

-Keep it here.

-Keep it here.

-

-Not until years later.

-So, in a way, you claim

-a part of the Black Mountain.

-Yes, definitely.

-Brynaman owns the Black Mountain.

-Back in Ammanford, an old craft

-has given a new lease of life...

-..to one of the old

-Betws colliery buildings.

-This is an old building.

-Behind it, the coal came down

-on a conveyor belt.

-It made a terrible noise,

-but it was a wonderful thing.

-I've taught all over the world...

-..but what gave my father

-more pleasure than anything...

-..was that I now worked

-in the colliers' old building.

-That's what was important to him.

-I must say, Welsh slate

-is the best in the world.

-As a Welshman,

-knowing that is a great pleasure.

-You can engrave

-small, neat letters...

-..or huge letters,

-as big as you want.

-The slate will respond

-to all my needs.

-Whatever I want to do, the slate

-will let me do what I want to do.

-People often ask me

-if it requires patience.

-Of course it requires patience.

-But more important than patience

-is perseverance.

-That's the only way

-you can instil love into the work.

-This is Glynhir mansion,

-north of Ammanford and Glanaman...

-..in the shadow

-of the Brecon Beacons.

-It's a hotel now.

-But how many guests are aware

-of its incredible history?

-It dates back to the 17th century.

-For over 150 years, it belonged

-to a French family, the De Buissons.

-During the Napoleonic Wars...

-..the De Buissons' extended family

-stayed here for a while.

-But they weren't here long.

-Back in France,

-the country was being torn apart.

-Some of the family had to return

-to protect their lands and property.

-There was only one way to send

-an emergency message back to Wales.

-This is the old dovecote.

-Before email, phones or telegrams...

-..pigeons were the best way

-to send long-distance messages.

-When the De Buissons

-returned to France...

-..they took some pigeons

-from this dovecote with them...

-..just in case.

-Then came the Battle of Waterloo,

-18 June, 1815.

-The De Buissons

-didn't waste any time...

-..in letting their relatives here

-know the outcome of the battle.

-Thanks to the pigeons, they were

-the first people in Britain...

-..to learn that Napoleon

-had lost at Waterloo.

-Caroline De Buisson immediately

-rode on horseback to London.

-When she got there, no-one

-had heard any news of the battle.

-Caroline couldn't believe her luck.

-She knew the secret, and knew that

-Britain would benefit from victory.

-She put all of the family's money

-into government stocks.

-The timing was perfect.

-The stocks went through the roof

-and she made a fortune.

-With the money, she built

-a local school for girls...

-..and this, Llandyfan church,

-not far from Glynhir mansion.

-Fair play to them.

-In a small garden in Glanaman,

-hundreds of thousands of bees hide.

-The twenty hives each produce

-several kilos of honey annually.

-It was won awards

-at the Royal Welsh...

-..but it's not the hives'

-only valuable product.

-It's in the Bible.

-Eat honey, my son, for it is good.

-Honey from the comb

-is sweet to your taste.

-This is honeycomb in its frame,

-straight from the hive.

-How much honey is there?

-How much honey is there?

-

-About two and a half pounds.

-It's full but not overflowing.

-I'd remove the caps,

-the white stuff.

-That's only wax.

-That's the cleanest, purest wax.

-I'd then extract the honey.

-Keep it safe.

-After extracting the honey,

-I collect all the caps.

-These are the caps.

-You can smell the honey on them.

-We then wash these.

-Now, if I so fancied,

-I'd use that water to make mead.

-Oh, right.

-But I don't make mead.

-You deny it now.

-I haven't had permission yet!

-I'd wash this in water

-to get all the honey out of it.

-The first time,

-I'd pass it through an old stocking.

-I'd take the wife out of it first,

-then pour the wax through it.

-We'd be left with this.

-That is filtered and melted wax.

-It's ready to be poured

-into a mould.

-Can I try to do it?

-Pour it in.

-Keep pouring it in slowly,

-just as you are doing.

-Wait for 15-20 minutes

-until it hardens...

-..then remove it slowly.

-It's a complete circle.

-The bees in the garden...

-..the honey from the hives,

-and the beeswax for the candles.

-Incredible.

-Incredible.

-

-All that's missing is the money!

-You can't have everything.

-This is a traditional plain candle.

-That's worked very well.

-A bit of dirt there, but that's all.

-Great.

-This one has worked as well.

-It has a fine aroma.

-Beeswax has a distinct aroma, yes.

-This one has a pattern, does it?

-Yes, this one does.

-These look splendid.

-Your work,

-and the bees' work as well.

-There's something sacred

-about a candle...

-..especially a beeswax candle.

-The Laws of Hywel the Good...

-..referred to bees and beekeeping.

-They noted that the bee

-is a sacred creature.

-That God sent the bee from heaven

-to produce wax to make candles...

-..to burn for salvation

-in the churches.

-That's why Hywel the Good's laws

-protected bees and beekeepers.

-And there you have it.

-You can see why.

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-The Black Mountain can be seen

-from across the Amman Valley.

-It's a northern boundary

-between Carmarthenshire and Powys...

-..and the westernmost edge

-of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

-It also bears scars of an industry

-that's even older than coal.

-Up here is one of the lime kilns.

-It's said that lime...

-..has been refined in this area

-since Roman times.

-They certainly dug for lime here

-in the 18th century...

-..when the road from Llangadog

-over the mountain to Gwter Fawr...

-..was a turnpike.

-As the number of coal mines

-in the village grew...

-..the coal could be carried up here

-and lime was carried back down.

-Meanwhile,

-the two railway stations...

-..enabled trade to expand

-beyond the village as well.

-Lime had a lot of uses.

-Probably. Farmers used it locally.

-The village had a brickworks,

-and silica also went down there.

-One thing fed the other.

-The industry was on the doorstep,

-and traces of it remain.

-You can see signs

-of fossils in this rock.

-Just small patches here and there.

-It's proof of how old

-this rock that was quarried here is.

-Millions of years old, probably.

-It's the same

-for every lime kiln up here.

-There were so many,

-they all had names.

-Interesting enough names

-like Pen y Byd and Seren.

-Penrhys, Cuckoo.

-The Cuckoo's Bend.

-Some think that the kiln

-is named after the hairpin bend.

-Others that the bend

-is named after the kiln.

-Who knows?

-Then you have odd names

-like New Zealand and California.

-Why? I don't know.

-Sadly, I don't think

-there's anyone left in Brynaman...

-..who could even tell you

-which was which.

-Details of the kilns' names

-have been lost...

-..but towards the top

-of the mountain...

-..names for natural features

-are still in widespread use.

-Here we are,

-up on the Black Mountain.

-But it isn't just black.

-Other colours are ascribed

-to so many things up here.

-For example, streams.

-Nant Melyn, Nant Gwyn, Nant Gwinau.

-They all flow through Brynaman.

-Further down,

-but with a source up here...

-..there's Nant Glas,

-Nant Coch and Nant Du.

-We have names like Garreg Lwyd,

-the highest point here.

-Brest Cwm Llwyd.

-Rhiw Ddu, Pen Rhiw Wen,

-where all the lime kilns are.

-Watcyn Wyn referred to it

-as the "white city of Pen Rhiw Wen."

-All the lime kilns there.

-And the "white gold

-of the Black Mountain".

-If you want a symbol to unite

-Ammanford, try the Twrch Trwyth.

-It's on the local rugby club shirts,

-and the local school jumpers.

-The Twrch Trwyth festival

-is held annually...

-There was even a motorcycle club...

-..modelled on the Hells Angels.

-It's from the Welsh legend

-of Culhwch and Olwen...

-..but it's a legend

-with international links.

-The Twrch Trwyth was a wild boar,

-and when I say wild, I mean it.

-It lived in Ireland,

-but no-one went close to it...

-..because of the destruction

-it left in its wake.

-Then Culhwch turned up.

-He had to hunt the beast

-in order to marry Olwen...

-..and that's what he did...

-..across the sea to St David's,

-through Pembrokeshire...

-..to here, Ammanford.

-There was widespread destruction.

-But on Mynydd Amanw

-and in Dyffryn Amanw...

-..the first victory ensued.

-Two of the Twrch Trwyth's young,

-Banw and Benwig, were killed.

-That drove it wilder still.

-Luckily, Culhwch's cousin helped.

-Some chap called King Arthur.

-Culhwch, Arthur and the knights,

-like some medieval Avengers...

-..took the hunt on towards Llyn

-Llech Owain, where I was earlier.

-The Twrch killed two of Arthur's

-knights, avenging its offspring.

-Next, they went to England,

-along the Cornish coast...

-..until the Twrch

-ran out of land.

-It plummeted into the sea

-and eventually drowned.

-But these legends

-are never straightforward.

-The Twrch was originally a man,

-turned into a boar by magic.

-Twrch fab Taredd.

-Maybe he's the same man as Tor,

-son of Ares, in French mythology.

-So, we've had a knight and a

-scientist who both fled to France...

-..a French family that made

-a fortune because of pigeons...

-..and now, Tor the boar.

-C'est la vie, boys!

-Salut!

-Above Glanaman is one of the

-valley's most striking buildings.

-It was here

-long before the coal industry.

-Long before many things, actually.

-At one time, this was the only road

-from Brynaman to Llandeilo.

-There was no community

-down in the valley...

-..until coal came

-in the 19th century.

-This is Hen Fethel,

-as we now know it.

-The chapel wasn't called Bethel.

-Bethel means a place of worship.

-This was the community's

-first place of worship.

-When was it built?

-The stone building

-was built in 1773.

-In the 19th century, they built

-a new chapel down in the valley.

-Industry meant a growing population.

-They worshipped at New Bethel.

-But the farmers and smallholders

-around the Black Mountain...

-..refused to let go of this chapel.

-I think that's where

-the custom began...

-..of holding the annual

-early-morning Christmas service.

-It's still held to this day,

-the only service that's held here.

-Well, what a place.

-There's a fireplace too.

-I've never seen a fireplace

-in a chapel before.

-Nothing has changed here since

-it was renovated in the 1830s...

-..except for the colour, maybe.

-As you can see,

-there are pews for every family.

-Unusually,

-there's one pew at the front....

-..which is higher

-than even the deacons' pew.

-That's the Harris family pew.

-Harris, gentleman of this parish,

-who's buried by the door.

-They owned Cwmffrwd farm.

-I think that they gave the land

-on which the chapel was built.

-They then got the honour...

-..of sitting in front of,

-and above, the congregation.

-So, not everyone was equal.

-So, not everyone was equal.

-

-No, not in the Amman Valley anyway!

-Next to their pew is the pulpit.

-That's a bit unusual too.

-It's what's known

-as a wine-glass pulpit.

-And you supply the candles

-for the Christmas service?

-I come up here at about midnight

-on Christmas Eve...

-..to check the fire.

-I'm back at 4.45am to open up

-and light the candles...

-..then I'm here until people

-start to arrive from 5.30am onwards.

-How many people come here?

-How many people come here?

-

-About 150 sometimes.

-It must be an experience.

-The darkness outside,

-candlelight and a packed chapel.

-It's extremely spiritual.

-Christmas morning wouldn't be

-the same without the early service.

-One thing that has become apparent

-in this area...

-..is that industry and nature

-coexist in perfect harmony.

-Although coal and lime

-aren't produced here any more...

-..the memory of them is still alive.

-In their absence, the gap

-is filled by other industries.

-As much as ever, the Amman Valley

-can stand on its own two feet.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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