Ynys Cybi Cynefin

-*

-Wales, where the sea

-is an integral part of our history.

-It has defined us

-and shaped us as a nation.

-There are hundreds of them...

-..and they have flown

-thousands of miles.

-When the Romans crossed here...

-..they had no idea

-what awaited them on the other side.

-Anglesey and Holy Island

-are the focus of this programme...

-..and other smaller islands.

-Each one has an identity

-and individuality of its own...

-..along with a complex relationship

-between land and sea.

-Anglesey and Holy Island

-are the two largest Welsh islands.

-Over the years,

-it's not surprising...

-..that we have tried

-to link them together.

-There are signs of millennia

-of civilization and change...

-..in the landscape,

-industry and transport.

-Over the years, so many people

-have passed through this area.

-But if you paused for breath,

-there are gems to be discovered...

-..in these islands.

-Over there is Holyhead, a maritime

-town with its own unique story.

-This is our habitat.

-Holyhead may be

-Anglesey's largest town...

-..but it's actually on Holy Island.

-With a population of over 12,000...

-..it's home to almost 20%

-of the people of Anglesey.

-For at least 200 years,

-it's had strong links with Ireland.

-Post, goods and travellers

-arrive and depart daily.

-Today, the port handles

-over two million passengers...

-..and 500,000 lorries annually.

-But at one time,

-everyone and everything...

-..came to Holyhead

-via the railway station.

-I'll take you back 75 years now...

-..to tell you a bit

-about the station's history.

-That's when you first worked here.

-Yes, as a 15-year-old boy.

-As young as that?

-Yes, as young as that.

-I then worked my way up.

-I ended up as stationmaster...

-..after 50 years

-at the same station.

-The trains were packed with people

-and carried all the mail back then.

-The mailbags all had to be emptied.

-You're talking about hundreds,

-not dozens, of mailbags.

-Horse-drawn wagons

-would take them away.

-Two wagons carrying beer

-would go out almost every day.

-One went out carrying flour.

-There were so many bakeries

-in Holyhead at the time.

-You're creating a picture

-of a busy, bustling atmosphere.

-So much going on.

-So much going on.

-

-Oh, it was extremely busy here.

-Rail was everything.

-There were no lorries.

-They were good days.

-Howel, you didn't just work

-in the station itself.

-You were on the train as well.

-I spent 25 years as a guard.

-Most of that time, 13 years...

-..running to London

-with the Irish Mail...

-..twice a week.

-You were caught up

-in a frightening incident.

-Yes, yes, in 1963.

-We were attacked by the gang

-behind the Great Train Robbery.

-The same gang.

-What do you remember

-about that incident?

-I'd locked everything in the van

-carrying all the mail to Ireland.

-I went up the train

-to help Tommy check the tickets.

-I opened a door and there were

-four or five men in the compartment.

-One very tall man stood up...

-..and passed me to get out

-into the corridor to Tommy.

-That moment,

-he struck me to the floor...

-..and pushed Tommy in

-among the other men.

-That was when they coshed him.

-He was bleeding from the head.

-I was dragged back to the van.

-They threw me face down among the

-mailbags they'd opened and torn...

-..then tied me up.

-My legs and my hands,

-and I couldn't move.

-The first thing Tommy did,

-and he'd been badly hurt...

-..was to shout at me,

-"How, do something."

-"Blow your whistle, do something."

-I answered, "How b***** can I?"

-I was bound hand and foot!

-It became a bit of a joke

-once we recovered.

-Through the mists of time,

-transport and travellers...

-..have been an integral part

-of many local stories and legends...

-..be they Irishmen,

-Romans or saints.

-My journey this time

-starts here in Holyhead...

-..looking at things that have drawn

-people here over the centuries.

-I'll go to Rhoscolyn,

-in the south of Holy Island...

-..looking at old and new tales...

-..then I'll cross the water

-to Anglesey without a boat.

-We'll see how that turns out.

-Usually, we think of Holyhead

-as a place to pass through...

-..on the way to somewhere else.

-But people have always settled here.

-Tracing their history

-is a journey in itself.

-Looking down on the harbour

-is St Cybi's Church.

-It's built within

-a very unusual Roman fort.

-It only has three walls.

-The fourth boundary was the sea,

-which came all the way up to here.

-Believe it or not,

-these ruins were old...

-..even when St Cybi arrived here

-around the sixth century.

-It's said that this was the camp

-of a gang of Irish thieves...

-..led by a giant called Sirigi.

-Legend has it that Sirigi was killed

-in a fierce battle with the Celts...

-..and was then buried here,

-somewhere beneath my feet.

-During restoration work

-almost 400 years ago...

-..it's said that a stone coffin

-was discovered under the church...

-..containing a human skeleton.

-It was a very big skeleton.

-This vestry is known as Eglwys

-y Bedd, church of the grave...

-..and as Capel Llan y Gwyddel,

-chapel of the Irishman's enclosure.

-Maybe Sirigi and his gang

-really were here.

-The Anglesey Coastal Path

-starts here.

-There are so many stories

-waiting for me along it.

-Off I go.

-The Coastal Path doesn't reach

-all of Anglesey's islands.

-Indeed, there's no path at all

-to the islands I'm visiting.

-Human visitors aren't usually

-welcome there at all.

-I'm on my way to the Skerries

-for the first time ever.

-They're about seven miles north

-of Holyhead.

-Without the presence

-of the lighthouse that's there...

-..you can imagine how the islands

-looked to generations of travellers.

-Sharp, menacing rocks on the

-horizon, and a danger to shipping.

-But for Arctic terns,

-it's the perfect place to nest.

-The Skerries

-are an RSPB nature reserve.

-The 40-acre site,

-about 15 football pitches...

-..is home

-to over 4,000 pairs of terns.

-I'm joined by a local ornithologist.

-The main attraction for me

-is the variety of seabirds there.

-I'm looking forward

-to seeing the birds close up...

-..in such numbers.

-What can we expect there?

-We've already seen

-a lot of birds flying past us.

-They're there, then they're gone.

-There'll be thousands of birds

-there, a few yards from us.

-There are a few wild tales

-about the islands.

-In the 19th century...

-..local poachers came here regularly

-to catch seals.

-Now, the wildlife

-is happy enough to fight back.

-Watch that nest.

-Oh, I see it now.

-I bet you're glad

-you're wearing a hat.

-You're right.

-Why are they attacking?

-We're on a tiny island

-with 4,000 pairs of terns.

-We're never far from a nest,

-and that's what these birds do.

-One stays with the nest

-while the other catches fish.

-But they're both very protective

-of the nest, so we'd better move.

-Why the interest in birds,

-and how long has it been a passion?

-I've always

-been interested in birds.

-I got my first serious bird book

-when I was seven.

-Good grief.

-I do like to roam, but I must admit,

-this place is very hard to beat.

-.

-*

-Maybe not everyone is aware

-that Holyhead has its own island.

-Ynys Cybi, or Holy Island.

-The channel between it and Anglesey

-has many tales associated with it.

-Welcome to the playground.

-I played here when I was five,

-and I still play here.

-We're on Anglesey here...

-..but that bridge

-leads to Holy Island.

-Those of us who live there

-know the village as Bont.

-Pontrhydybont.

-Over there, ships used to dock.

-The quay was on Stryd y Sachau,

-the street of sacks...

-..because of the sacks

-that were unloaded there.

-Flour from Felinheli, perhaps,

-or salt from the Isle of Man.

-After unloading the flour,

-everyone went to the pub.

-The one with blue windows

-in the middle.

-There's a tollhouse

-a mile from here.

-People were reluctant

-to pay the tolls.

-As a result, they used fords.

-There were several fords

-between this side and Holy Island...

-..before the cob was built.

-The channel between the islands

-is known in Welsh as Y Lasinwen.

-In order to get a better idea

-of the fords, the old crossings...

-..you have to make your way

-out onto the water.

-Here we are, Heledd,

-on the causeway...

-..between Holy Island and Anglesey.

-This place has changed so much...

-..since this map was drawn in 1816.

-That was when the cob,

-the Stanley Embankment...

-..was built by Thomas Telford.

-The dotted red lines are the fords,

-and this one was an important one.

-The main ford

-between the islands...

-..was this one here, Rhyd y Gored.

-There was a choice

-of two fords at Leurad.

-Leurad y Felin from Trwyn Cwta...

-..or along the old main road...

-..through Treddaniel to Holyhead.

-You mentioned the cob earlier.

-This is the cob here.

-And this changed things.

-Yes, it did indeed.

-After the cob was built...

-..the pattern of the tide

-changed completely.

-There was no tide, as it were.

-The sea coming in,

-the sea going out.

-The area has changed.

-The sea has silted up

-over 200 years.

-It's become pasture, almost.

-There was a mill at Felin-heli.

-The business was lost overnight.

-There was no tide

-to power the mill.

-Ynys Wyddog was an island,

-but it isn't any more.

-The same is true of Ynys y Gof.

-The water went up to Trwyn Capel.

-At one time, the sea...

-..would have flowed

-all the way through...

-..making at least two islands...

-..of what is Holy Island today.

-OK?

-OK?

-

-OK.

-Straight ahead.

-Straight ahead.

-

-Just straight?

-Yes, straight.

-Yes, straight.

-

-As straight as I can!

-Looking towards the Skerries,

-it's hard to envisage...

-..the enchanting terrain

-that awaits you there.

-Another thing that strikes you...

-..is just how noisy

-4,000 pairs of terns can be.

-Rhys, you wanted to come here...

-..and were so glad

-when we landed on the island.

-I'm not sure why,

-with all these attacks.

-Why do they pick these rocks?

-We're on an island,

-and seabirds always favour islands.

-There are no predators,

-foxes, cats...

-..to eat the chicks and eggs.

-The chicks are reared here, then

-fly south to the Antarctic Ocean.

-That means that these birds...

-..see more daylight

-than any other creature on earth.

-In summer, they're pretty far north.

-Then they're down south when it's

-summer in the southern hemisphere.

-One has been logged with a tracker

-as flying 59,000 miles in one year.

-When you consider

-that they live for over 30 years...

-..they fly for many hundreds

-of thousands of miles.

-Seabirds like to raise chicks

-on islands.

-They also like high cliffs.

-Not many predators

-can get to them there.

-Take South Stack,

-a few miles away from us.

-There are lots of seabirds there.

-They're left alone

-because they nest on cliffs.

-What are an Arctic tern's

-main predators?

-There are great black-backed gulls

-here, which eat anything.

-That's why terns nest

-in such a dense colony.

-They attack anything

-that disturbs them.

-Not just one, a bunch of them.

-If you look at the island,

-the terns are here...

-..and the gulls are over there.

-They don't nest among each other.

-Any terns that did nest among

-the gulls probably didn't survive...

-..and any gulls

-that disturbed the terns...

-..probably had a hard time

-and went back to the other gulls.

-We hear about the conservation work

-that's undertaken on the islands...

-..back in the lighthouse's kitchen.

-The RSPB has been here

-since the mid 1980s.

-At that time, there were

-only 190 pairs of birds here.

-There's a record

-from the early 20th century...

-..of 10,000 pairs

-of Arctic terns here.

-What exactly does the RSPB do here?

-There are two wardens here

-for three months...

-..between May and August.

-Their work is literally

-to watch the colony.

-Watching the birds,

-monitoring nests.

-Monitoring how the chicks are fed,

-what the chicks eat, and how often.

-Why is it important?

-The Skerries is a Site

-of Special Scientific Interest.

-In conjunction with Trinity House,

-which runs the lighthouse...

-..the RSPB can get to grips

-with monitoring and conservation...

-..to boost the numbers of birds

-in the colony here.

-This colony

-is now the biggest in Britain...

-..so the partnership is working.

-I've felt more than once...

-..that there's a place

-which can't be named...

-..between the sea and the land.

-A place to contemplate,

-somewhere to just be.

-You don't worry

-about anything, almost.

-I like to use my hands,

-I do like to make things.

-Making contact with things

-physically.

-Until you've touched something,

-you don't truly know it.

-I've made a conscious decision...

-..to start every painting

-with no set idea.

-It's bolder, more challenging

-and much more interesting.

-There's always

-something new happening.

-The way I work is more physical

-because I rub things down...

-..remove and add things

-and build a patina...

-..so that the work has a history.

-I feel that I'd like to do

-the things that a farmer does.

-He works the land,

-he ploughs it and leaves a mark.

-In a way, that's what

-artists ultimately do.

-They try to leave a mark.

-Well, there it is, Heledd.

-Y Lasinwen on a lovely afternoon,

-the mountain wearing its cap.

-That's a sign of fine weather.

-Ahead of us, down there,

-is a causeway.

-I believe that this is the Leurad.

-Because Ynys Leurad is over there.

-Yes, Ynys Leurad,

-and this is the Leurad.

-The point where the tide

-went out first.

-The place that dried first.

-That's the meaning of the word?

-That's the meaning of the word?

-

-The word leurad, yes.

-When I was a boy, aged eleven...

-..I worked here at Penbont.

-This field had a crop of oats.

-Now, there's a crop of caravans.

-Over at Ynys Leurad, there are

-remains of unusual ditches.

-There's no formal explanation,

-but there is as least one theory.

-These are the salt pans.

-At least, that's what

-I called them as a lad.

-I jumped over them.

-Places to produce salt

-from the sea.

-Every high tide, spring tide...

-..the water came over the top...

-..and filled these pans.

-They stopped it escaping

-by creating a dam.

-Over a period of two weeks...

-..after the spring tide...

-..the sun heated the water

-and crystallized the salt.

-The salt was scraped off...

-..and carried

-to the brine pan up there.

-There, it was boiled

-to make pure salt.

-I think we're standing

-in the brine pit here.

-The reason I think that...

-..is because, as a boy,

-I'd find coal around here.

-In piles?

-Not piles, just lumps of coal.

-They used coal to heat the water...

-..to make the salt.

-There's another thing too.

-If I pick these up...

-..you'll see

-some small insects leaping.

-They're sand beetles.

-Sand beetles like a salty habitat.

-Seawater doesn't come up this far.

-So, where does the salt come from?

-From the old brine pit.

-That's what I think.

-What about dates?

-How far back are we talking?

-We could say the 15th century.

-Or earlier.

-There are places like this...

-..all around the British coast...

-..and in Spain and Brittany.

-The Romans had salterns...

-..in some parts of the country too.

-The jigsaw makes perfect sense.

-I can fit any nodule

-into any gap, if I try!

-I'm on my way past

-the Black Arch and the White Arch...

-..on the western side

-of Holy Island...

-..on the trail of a woman who has

-left her mark on the terrain.

-Most people

-have forgotten her story.

-It was a time of clashes

-between pagans and Christians.

-A young woman called Gwenfaen

-came this way.

-She was a Christian

-on the druids' home turf.

-A dangerous combination.

-With wild druids chasing her...

-..Gwenfaen ran

-until there was no land left.

-Here, at Porth Saint,

-the druids cornered her.

-She had no choice

-but to fall over the cliff.

-As she was about to drown,

-angels or birds appeared...

-..no-one's ever sure which,

-to rescue her.

-She was raised from the water

-and carried up to heaven.

-St Gwenfaen's Church isn't far,

-its roots from the seventh century.

-We'll hear more about it later.

-But the roots of St Gwenfaen's Well,

-near Porth Saint, are less clear.

-The well is still blessed

-on 4th November every year.

-It attracts visitors to this day.

-Making an offering, like a penny,

-or a white pebble if you're skint...

-..is supposed to heal injuries

-or inspire someone.

-I'm feeling healthy, thankfully...

-..but I could do

-with a bit of inspiration.

-How long is it meant to take?

-The Skerries lighthouse

-can be seen clearly from Anglesey.

-It has assisted sailors

-for centuries now.

-There's been some sort of lighthouse

-on this site for over 250 years.

-A traditional type, like this one,

-has been here for 200 years.

-No-one mans it now, mind you.

-It runs completely automatically.

-The only keepers on the island

-are those who protect the birds.

-As the sun sets, the birds roost...

-..and the lighthouse gets to work.

-The birds may be noisy, but it's

-still somehow enchantingly tranquil.

-Islands are unique places.

-They're not part of the mainland...

-..nor are they part of the sea.

-But there are elements

-of both of them here.

-They are marginal,

-peripheral places...

-..but still a part of the habitat.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-We're roaming Anglesey

-and Holy Island...

-..where the sea has had such

-an influence over the centuries...

-..on both work and leisure.

-But if you're near the sea,

-you're never far from a tragic tale.

-We've already heard

-the story of Gwenfaen...

-..who fell off the cliffs

-here in Rhoscolyn...

-..but who was rescued

-and made a saint.

-It's a good story,

-but I'm not sure if it's true.

-But another story is hiding

-outside St Gwenfaen's Church.

-This one can be proved.

-In 1920, a steamer called the Timbo

-was sailing off Anglesey...

-..when she got into trouble

-in storm-force winds.

-The lifeboat Ramon Cabrera

-from Rhoscolyn...

-..went out to rescue her.

-But the Ramon Cabrera itself

-got into trouble in the huge waves.

-It took seven hours

-to reach safe harbour in Llanddwyn.

-By then, it had capsized twice...

-..and five of the 13 crew had died.

-Two of them were buried

-in the same grave.

-Richard and Evan Hughes.

-Richard was only 17 years old

-when he was washed over the side.

-His relative, Evan, lost his life

-after diving in to rescue him.

-None of them

-returned from the sea that day.

-A village as small as Rhoscolyn

-was hit hard by such a tragedy.

-The loss from the Ramon Cabrera...

-..was too much for the lifeboat

-and the village to withstand.

-A few years later, the old

-lifeboat house was closed forever.

-But even today,

-you can still see the old slipway.

-It has broken in half now...

-..and at low tide,

-it doesn't quite reach the water.

-It's launched its last boat.

-Anglesey's fairly flat terrain

-is perfect for growing crops.

-Not without reason is it called

-the Mother of Wales.

-At one time, it was said...

-..that a windmill

-was always within sight here.

-Only one working windmill

-remains in the whole of Wales now.

-I'm rolling up my sleeves

-to help the miller.

-We're now turning the mill

-around into the wind.

-It weighs 15 tons,

-and we need to turn it.

-We do that by pulling this chain.

-The top of the mill...

-..turns.

-Have a go.

-Have a go.

-

-Good grief, it's heavy!

-Do you want some help?

-Do you want some help?

-

-Please.

-Pull it like this.

-The whole top

-turns around into the wind.

-That's what the black posts are for.

-After we turn it, it won't move.

-The next step is to climb the sails

-and attach the canvas.

-While the sails are dressed...

-..I find out more about the history

-of the island's windmills.

-We had watermills for years.

-But the farmers

-turned to windmills...

-..because of the flat terrain

-and the sea winds.

-At one time, Anglesey had

-up to 50 windmills grinding flour.

-Now, this is the only

-working windmill left in Wales.

-How did Melin Llynnon survive?

-Anglesey Council

-bought it in 1979...

-..the year I was born,

-as it happens.

-In the 1980s,

-they spent three years restoring it.

-It was in a dilapidated state,

-but it's back working now.

-I grew up a stone's throw away...

-..and this is how I remember it.

-It must attract lots of visitors.

-It must attract lots of visitors.

-

-It's like a magnet, yes.

-We have a cafe and a shop here.

-Once it's turning, people see it

-from miles around and flock here.

-By land and sea, travellers

-have shaped Anglesey's west coast.

-There are tales of shipwrecks

-and piracy all along the coast.

-But there are modern tales too.

-They started on the island,

-then roared off across the world.

-Not everyone is aware that

-one famous and iconic vehicle...

-..started its journey being tested

-on the Newborough dunes.

-But one keen collector...

-..knows the significance

-of this gem in his collection.

-Everyone must recognize this,

-the Land Rover Series 1, 1956.

-The first Land Rover

-was designed at Newborough...

-..and tested on the dunes there.

-It'll go anywhere,

-but it's not built for comfort!

-I think it's a tractor with a cab,

-and it does the job.

-How was it developed?

-How was it developed?

-

-Maurice Wilks had a WW2 Willys jeep.

-He put a Land Rover engine in it.

-Every farm in the country

-must have one, they're everywhere.

-I know nothing about cars.

-But it's not like modern cars.

-This feels different.

-It has an aluminium body.

-It has an aluminium body.

-

-Aluminium? So, it doesn't rust?

-They don't rust,

-but they dent easily.

-It's like big Lego,

-so easy to work on.

-Technology, to hold the bonnet up.

-Technology, to hold the bonnet up.

-

-High-tech!

-There it is.

-How easy is it

-to work on a car like this?

-It's very easy,

-compared to modern cars.

-You can take the whole engine out

-in two hours.

-Two hours? The whole engine?

-Modern cars

-have electronic ignition.

-This just has

-a small distributor cap.

-There's nothing special,

-it's so easy to repair.

-OK, even I can understand it.

-Let me try to put this back.

-It goes in there.

-Oops.

-Where's the clip? Here it is.

-And just pull it up?

-Press down.

-Press down.

-

-I can't do it!

-They were simple enough

-for farmers to fix themselves.

-They didn't have to pay a garage.

-It's just a tractor.

-It's just a tractor.

-

-A tractor, yes.

-Do you know anything about Maurice

-Wilks and the Land Rover...

-..that many people wouldn't know?

-My friend, Gwilym Parc, who died

-four or five years ago now...

-..lived very close to Glanrafon,

-where Wilks lived.

-As a child aged ten or twelve,

-he'd visit Mr Wilks.

-He had a prototype

-with a central steering wheel...

-..which he tested

-on Newborough dunes.

-Gwilym told me that Wilks

-had rolled it on a steep slope.

-Both Gwilym and him were thrown out.

-He asked Gwilym if he was OK,

-and Gwilym asked the same to him.

-They rolled it back

-onto its wheels and off they went.

-At Dwyran school, near Newborough,

-there's a tribute to Maurice Wilks.

-The former headmaster

-was delighted by the fact...

-..that this iconic vehicle

-had a strong link with Anglesey.

-I'm sure that the link

-between Land Rover...

-..and Dwyran school

-started back in 2009.

-We knew that Maurice Wilks

-was buried in St Mary's Church...

-..just over a mile from Dwyran.

-The Wilks family

-visited Anglesey regularly.

-That's where they first saw

-their father playing around...

-..with what would become

-the first Land Rover.

-This is Maurice Wilks, is it?

-A very versatile man...

-..with an obsession

-for cars and machines.

-He was a man

-ahead of his time, I think.

-This is a photo

-of the first Land Rovers...

-..coming off the production line.

-What was interesting, apparently...

-..was that there were gallons

-and gallons and gallons...

-..of green paint

-left over after the war.

-It had been used

-to paint aeroplanes.

-They decided to paint

-all the Land Rovers...

-..in this famous shade of green.

-If Maurice Wilks could come back...

-..and see, after the humble

-beginnings here on Anglesey...

-..what's happened to the

-Land Rover brand over the years...

-..what do you think he'd say?

-I had the great honour of meeting

-Maurice Wilks' son, Stephen.

-This was a question

-that we put to him.

-What would his father say

-if he saw the brand today...

-..and the label

-in countries across the world?

-He said that his father

-would have been delighted.

-But as he was such a modest man,

-he wouldn't have made a fuss.

-He'd just have been proud to have

-created something successful.

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-*

-Not far from Newborough,

-on Anglesey's west coast...

-..is the famous island of Llanddwyn.

-Thanks to its link with St Dwynwen,

-it's a popular tourist haunt.

-No-one lives on Llanddwyn now...

-..but it was once home...

-..to the pilots who navigated

-ships along the Menai Strait.

-I grew up in this part of Anglesey.

-I spent lots of time here,

-swimming, fishing and having fun.

-My grandfather was one

-of four pilots who lived here.

-They lived in the houses behind me.

-The white cottages.

-That service continued

-until the Second World War.

-What's the significance

-of these towers?

-They're unlike ones

-I've seen before.

-As I understand it,

-the port of Caernarfon...

-..decided to build this tower...

-..so that incoming ships

-could see where the rocks where.

-I think they realized from the off

-that it wasn't high enough.

-It was then decided

-to build a tower on a higher rock...

-..similar to an Anglesey windmill,

-hence the shape of that tower.

-You come here often.

-Has it changed a lot

-from when you came here as a child?

-A big change.

-When we came here as children,

-there was hardly anyone else here,

-Over the years, it has become

-more and more popular.

-That's changed.

-A lot of the wild birds that nested

-here, such as terns, have left.

-That's probably the biggest change.

-Apart from reminiscing,

-what brings you here now?

-It's a nice place to relax

-and enjoy the fresh air...

-..and, if lucky,

-warm and sunny weather.

-I don't blame you in the least.

-It's a remarkable place.

-Llanddwyn became a designated

-nature reserve back in 1955.

-It was one of the first sites

-in Wales to achieve that status.

-With thousands

-visiting the island annually...

-..the conservation work here

-is more important than ever.

-My job as manager

-of the National Nature Reserve...

-..is to protect

-the wealth of wildlife...

-..on the island,

-on the dunes and in the forest.

-I was speaking

-to Dr Owens earlier...

-..about the terns

-that used to nest here.

-I've been to the Skerries,

-where there are thousands of them.

-They're no longer here.

-Not for decades, unfortunately.

-That's down to human influence

-on the habitat, essentially...

-..and the fact that terns

-are very easily disturbed.

-We have lost them for decades.

-It's a matter of keeping a balance.

-That is the important thing.

-Maintaining a balance between

-the way people treat the site...

-..and how we manage people

-on the site.

-I hear that there are

-special rocks here as well.

-Yes, the rocks are pre-Cambrian.

-They were formed to the south

-of where New Zealand is today.

-Molten lava sprayed from the earth

-under the sea...

-..and created these ancient rocks.

-..and created these ancient rocks.

-

-What about the future?

-The future is to continue

-to manage this site...

-..maintaining its condition...

-..and the balance between people and

-wildlife to enable both to flourish.

-Travelling around Holy Island

-is easy enough today...

-..but it was different long ago.

-The southern tip of Holy Island,

-over there...

-..almost touches Anglesey here.

-Before bridges linked the islands,

-it made sense to cross here...

-..at the most shallow point,

-but the Romans were braver than me.

-It made sense for them to cross here

-to get to Holy Island.

-Remains have been found nearby

-which prove they came here.

-Roman historian Tacitus

-mentions a major battle on Anglesey.

-Some have set the battle

-on the Menai Strait...

-..and others here, on Cymyran beach.

-The Romans were on the shore, here.

-Across the water, on the other side,

-stood the druids.

-Men and women clad in black...

-..carrying torches

-and screaming like lunatics.

-Big, wild Celts.

-Maybe they looked like me!

-But they managed to scare

-the Romans even.

-So many people have passed this way,

-and thousands still come.

-Not to conquer, but for a holiday.

-One thing unites travellers

-down the centuries.

-Wet feet are wet feet.

-Melin Llynnon near Llanddeusant

-is Wales' only working windmill.

-It grinds flour exactly as it did

-at the end of the 18th century.

-Lloyd, the sails are turning,

-so the mill's ready to work.

-It's turning quickly at the moment.

-There's enough power to raise

-the grain to the top to be milled.

-The grain has reached

-the bin floor...

-..where the process

-of making flour begins.

-On this floor?

-On this floor?

-

-The bin floor, yes.

-You remember the mill as a ruin.

-Yes, as a boy from Llanddeusant.

-I also remember it being restored

-to its current condition.

-And you worked here too.

-And you worked here too.

-

-Yes, I spent 17 years here.

-You're a part of the mill.

-You're a part of the mill.

-

-A Llanddeusant boy at the mill.

-Right, grain in?

-I'll give you a hand.

-There you are.

-And I just pour it in?

-And I just pour it in?

-

-Yes, pour it in.

-We've stopped the mill now...

-..before the next process,

-engaging the stones.

-If you pull this,

-the cogs will engage.

-We're now ready for the millstones

-to turn and grind flour.

-How old is the mill?

-It was built in 1775, 1776.

-It cost over 500 at the time.

-That's about 60,000

-in today's money.

-But building one from scratch now...

-..would probably

-take 1.5 to 2 million.

-When you see all the machinery...

-If you look at the cogs,

-they are so enormous.

-The technology

-was ahead of its time...

-..and powered solely by the wind.

-This is the end of the process.

-This is the flour coming out.

-We bag it from here.

-Years ago, of course,

-they'd have had sacks.

-It's warm.

-It's warm.

-

-It is, nice and warm.

-The millstones grinding

-heats the grain, in a way.

-The more we grind,

-the warmer it gets.

-That's unique

-to stone-ground wholemeal flour.

-The miller had a major role.

-The miller had a major role.

-

-He was important to the community.

-He was an undertaker, a wheelwright,

-a farmer, a carpenter, and so on...

-..just to make a living

-when the windmill wasn't turning.

-He had to be trustworthy.

-What came in had to go out.

-He couldn't keep anything.

-Having been here with you, I sense

-that you and the mill are as one.

-After 17 years here,

-I know the mill well.

-Every nook and cranny,

-every moving part, every bolt.

-That's what was nice.

-Taking time to learn a craft.

-On this journey, we've seen

-yesterday and today coexisting...

-..and people's pride...

-..in the wealth, beauty

-and history of this area.

-It's a firm footing for the future,

-and the sails are still turning.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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