Ynys Cybi Cynefin


Ynys Cybi

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-Wales, where the sea

-is an integral part of our history.

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-It has defined us

-and shaped us as a nation.

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-There are hundreds of them...

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-..and they have flown

-thousands of miles.

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-When the Romans crossed here...

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-..they had no idea

-what awaited them on the other side.

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-Anglesey and Holy Island

-are the focus of this programme...

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-..and other smaller islands.

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-Each one has an identity

-and individuality of its own...

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-..along with a complex relationship

-between land and sea.

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-Anglesey and Holy Island

-are the two largest Welsh islands.

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-Over the years,

-it's not surprising...

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-..that we have tried

-to link them together.

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-There are signs of millennia

-of civilization and change...

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-..in the landscape,

-industry and transport.

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-Over the years, so many people

-have passed through this area.

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-But if you paused for breath,

-there are gems to be discovered...

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-..in these islands.

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-Over there is Holyhead, a maritime

-town with its own unique story.

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-This is our habitat.

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-Holyhead may be

-Anglesey's largest town...

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

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

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-..it's home to almost 20%

-of the people of Anglesey.

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-For at least 200 years,

-it's had strong links with Ireland.

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-Post, goods and travellers

-arrive and depart daily.

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-Today, the port handles

-over two million passengers...

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-..and 500,000 lorries annually.

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-But at one time,

-everyone and everything...

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-..came to Holyhead

-via the railway station.

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

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-..to tell you a bit

-about the station's history.

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-That's when you first worked here.

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

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-As young as that?

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-Yes, as young as that.

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-I then worked my way up.

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-I ended up as stationmaster...

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-..after 50 years

-at the same station.

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-The trains were packed with people

-and carried all the mail back then.

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-The mailbags all had to be emptied.

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-You're talking about hundreds,

-not dozens, of mailbags.

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-Horse-drawn wagons

-would take them away.

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-Two wagons carrying beer

-would go out almost every day.

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-One went out carrying flour.

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-There were so many bakeries

-in Holyhead at the time.

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-You're creating a picture

-of a busy, bustling atmosphere.

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-So much going on.

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-So much going on.

-

-Oh, it was extremely busy here.

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-Rail was everything.

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-There were no lorries.

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-They were good days.

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-Howel, you didn't just work

-in the station itself.

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-You were on the train as well.

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-I spent 25 years as a guard.

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-Most of that time, 13 years...

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-..running to London

-with the Irish Mail...

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-..twice a week.

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-You were caught up

-in a frightening incident.

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-Yes, yes, in 1963.

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-We were attacked by the gang

-behind the Great Train Robbery.

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-The same gang.

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-What do you remember

-about that incident?

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-I'd locked everything in the van

-carrying all the mail to Ireland.

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-I went up the train

-to help Tommy check the tickets.

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-I opened a door and there were

-four or five men in the compartment.

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-One very tall man stood up...

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-..and passed me to get out

-into the corridor to Tommy.

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-That moment,

-he struck me to the floor...

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-..and pushed Tommy in

-among the other men.

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-That was when they coshed him.

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-He was bleeding from the head.

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-I was dragged back to the van.

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-They threw me face down among the

-mailbags they'd opened and torn...

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-..then tied me up.

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-My legs and my hands,

-and I couldn't move.

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-The first thing Tommy did,

-and he'd been badly hurt...

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-..was to shout at me,

-"How, do something."

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-"Blow your whistle, do something."

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

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-I was bound hand and foot!

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-It became a bit of a joke

-once we recovered.

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-Through the mists of time,

-transport and travellers...

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-..have been an integral part

-of many local stories and legends...

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-..be they Irishmen,

-Romans or saints.

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-My journey this time

-starts here in Holyhead...

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-..looking at things that have drawn

-people here over the centuries.

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-I'll go to Rhoscolyn,

-in the south of Holy Island...

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

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-..then I'll cross the water

-to Anglesey without a boat.

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-We'll see how that turns out.

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-Usually, we think of Holyhead

-as a place to pass through...

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-..on the way to somewhere else.

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-But people have always settled here.

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-Tracing their history

-is a journey in itself.

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-Looking down on the harbour

-is St Cybi's Church.

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-It's built within

-a very unusual Roman fort.

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-It only has three walls.

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-The fourth boundary was the sea,

-which came all the way up to here.

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-Believe it or not,

-these ruins were old...

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-..even when St Cybi arrived here

-around the sixth century.

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-It's said that this was the camp

-of a gang of Irish thieves...

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-..led by a giant called Sirigi.

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-Legend has it that Sirigi was killed

-in a fierce battle with the Celts...

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-..and was then buried here,

-somewhere beneath my feet.

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-During restoration work

-almost 400 years ago...

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-..it's said that a stone coffin

-was discovered under the church...

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-..containing a human skeleton.

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-It was a very big skeleton.

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-This vestry is known as Eglwys

-y Bedd, church of the grave...

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-..and as Capel Llan y Gwyddel,

-chapel of the Irishman's enclosure.

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-Maybe Sirigi and his gang

-really were here.

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-The Anglesey Coastal Path

-starts here.

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-There are so many stories

-waiting for me along it.

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-Off I go.

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-The Coastal Path doesn't reach

-all of Anglesey's islands.

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-Indeed, there's no path at all

-to the islands I'm visiting.

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-Human visitors aren't usually

-welcome there at all.

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-I'm on my way to the Skerries

-for the first time ever.

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-They're about seven miles north

-of Holyhead.

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-Without the presence

-of the lighthouse that's there...

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-..you can imagine how the islands

-looked to generations of travellers.

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-Sharp, menacing rocks on the

-horizon, and a danger to shipping.

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-But for Arctic terns,

-it's the perfect place to nest.

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-The Skerries

-are an RSPB nature reserve.

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-The 40-acre site,

-about 15 football pitches...

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-..is home

-to over 4,000 pairs of terns.

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-I'm joined by a local ornithologist.

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-The main attraction for me

-is the variety of seabirds there.

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-I'm looking forward

-to seeing the birds close up...

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-..in such numbers.

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-What can we expect there?

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-We've already seen

-a lot of birds flying past us.

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

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-There'll be thousands of birds

-there, a few yards from us.

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-There are a few wild tales

-about the islands.

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-In the 19th century...

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-..local poachers came here regularly

-to catch seals.

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-Now, the wildlife

-is happy enough to fight back.

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-Watch that nest.

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-Oh, I see it now.

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-I bet you're glad

-you're wearing a hat.

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-You're right.

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-Why are they attacking?

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-We're on a tiny island

-with 4,000 pairs of terns.

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-We're never far from a nest,

-and that's what these birds do.

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-One stays with the nest

-while the other catches fish.

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-But they're both very protective

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

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-Why the interest in birds,

-and how long has it been a passion?

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-I've always

-been interested in birds.

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-I got my first serious bird book

-when I was seven.

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-Good grief.

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

-this place is very hard to beat.

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-.

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-*

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-Maybe not everyone is aware

-that Holyhead has its own island.

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-Ynys Cybi, or Holy Island.

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-The channel between it and Anglesey

-has many tales associated with it.

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-Welcome to the playground.

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-I played here when I was five,

-and I still play here.

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-We're on Anglesey here...

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-..but that bridge

-leads to Holy Island.

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-Those of us who live there

-know the village as Bont.

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-Pontrhydybont.

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-Over there, ships used to dock.

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-The quay was on Stryd y Sachau,

-the street of sacks...

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-..because of the sacks

-that were unloaded there.

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-Flour from Felinheli, perhaps,

-or salt from the Isle of Man.

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-After unloading the flour,

-everyone went to the pub.

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-The one with blue windows

-in the middle.

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-There's a tollhouse

-a mile from here.

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-People were reluctant

-to pay the tolls.

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-As a result, they used fords.

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-There were several fords

-between this side and Holy Island...

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-..before the cob was built.

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-The channel between the islands

-is known in Welsh as Y Lasinwen.

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-In order to get a better idea

-of the fords, the old crossings...

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-..you have to make your way

-out onto the water.

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-Here we are, Heledd,

-on the causeway...

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-..between Holy Island and Anglesey.

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-This place has changed so much...

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-..since this map was drawn in 1816.

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-That was when the cob,

-the Stanley Embankment...

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-..was built by Thomas Telford.

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-The dotted red lines are the fords,

-and this one was an important one.

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-The main ford

-between the islands...

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

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-There was a choice

-of two fords at Leurad.

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-Leurad y Felin from Trwyn Cwta...

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

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-..through Treddaniel to Holyhead.

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-You mentioned the cob earlier.

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-This is the cob here.

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-And this changed things.

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-Yes, it did indeed.

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-After the cob was built...

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-..the pattern of the tide

-changed completely.

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-There was no tide, as it were.

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-The sea coming in,

-the sea going out.

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-The area has changed.

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-The sea has silted up

-over 200 years.

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-It's become pasture, almost.

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-There was a mill at Felin-heli.

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-The business was lost overnight.

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-There was no tide

-to power the mill.

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-Ynys Wyddog was an island,

-but it isn't any more.

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-The same is true of Ynys y Gof.

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-The water went up to Trwyn Capel.

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-At one time, the sea...

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-..would have flowed

-all the way through...

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-..making at least two islands...

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-..of what is Holy Island today.

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-OK?

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-OK?

-

-OK.

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-Straight ahead.

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-Straight ahead.

-

-Just straight?

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-Yes, straight.

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-Yes, straight.

-

-As straight as I can!

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-Looking towards the Skerries,

-it's hard to envisage...

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-..the enchanting terrain

-that awaits you there.

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-Another thing that strikes you...

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-..is just how noisy

-4,000 pairs of terns can be.

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-Rhys, you wanted to come here...

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-..and were so glad

-when we landed on the island.

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-I'm not sure why,

-with all these attacks.

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-Why do they pick these rocks?

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-We're on an island,

-and seabirds always favour islands.

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-There are no predators,

-foxes, cats...

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-..to eat the chicks and eggs.

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-The chicks are reared here, then

-fly south to the Antarctic Ocean.

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-That means that these birds...

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-..see more daylight

-than any other creature on earth.

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-In summer, they're pretty far north.

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-Then they're down south when it's

-summer in the southern hemisphere.

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-One has been logged with a tracker

-as flying 59,000 miles in one year.

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-When you consider

-that they live for over 30 years...

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-..they fly for many hundreds

-of thousands of miles.

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-Seabirds like to raise chicks

-on islands.

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-They also like high cliffs.

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-Not many predators

-can get to them there.

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-Take South Stack,

-a few miles away from us.

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-There are lots of seabirds there.

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-They're left alone

-because they nest on cliffs.

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-What are an Arctic tern's

-main predators?

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-There are great black-backed gulls

-here, which eat anything.

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-That's why terns nest

-in such a dense colony.

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-They attack anything

-that disturbs them.

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-Not just one, a bunch of them.

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-If you look at the island,

-the terns are here...

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-..and the gulls are over there.

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-They don't nest among each other.

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-Any terns that did nest among

-the gulls probably didn't survive...

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-..and any gulls

-that disturbed the terns...

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-..probably had a hard time

-and went back to the other gulls.

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-We hear about the conservation work

-that's undertaken on the islands...

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-..back in the lighthouse's kitchen.

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-The RSPB has been here

-since the mid 1980s.

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-At that time, there were

-only 190 pairs of birds here.

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-There's a record

-from the early 20th century...

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-..of 10,000 pairs

-of Arctic terns here.

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-What exactly does the RSPB do here?

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-There are two wardens here

-for three months...

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-..between May and August.

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-Their work is literally

-to watch the colony.

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-Watching the birds,

-monitoring nests.

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-Monitoring how the chicks are fed,

-what the chicks eat, and how often.

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-Why is it important?

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-The Skerries is a Site

-of Special Scientific Interest.

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-In conjunction with Trinity House,

-which runs the lighthouse...

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-..the RSPB can get to grips

-with monitoring and conservation...

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-..to boost the numbers of birds

-in the colony here.

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-This colony

-is now the biggest in Britain...

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-..so the partnership is working.

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-I've felt more than once...

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-..that there's a place

-which can't be named...

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-..between the sea and the land.

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-A place to contemplate,

-somewhere to just be.

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-You don't worry

-about anything, almost.

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-I like to use my hands,

-I do like to make things.

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-Making contact with things

-physically.

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-Until you've touched something,

-you don't truly know it.

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-I've made a conscious decision...

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-..to start every painting

-with no set idea.

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-It's bolder, more challenging

-and much more interesting.

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-There's always

-something new happening.

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-The way I work is more physical

-because I rub things down...

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-..remove and add things

-and build a patina...

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-..so that the work has a history.

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-I feel that I'd like to do

-the things that a farmer does.

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-He works the land,

-he ploughs it and leaves a mark.

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-In a way, that's what

-artists ultimately do.

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-They try to leave a mark.

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-Well, there it is, Heledd.

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-Y Lasinwen on a lovely afternoon,

-the mountain wearing its cap.

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-That's a sign of fine weather.

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-Ahead of us, down there,

-is a causeway.

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-I believe that this is the Leurad.

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-Because Ynys Leurad is over there.

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-Yes, Ynys Leurad,

-and this is the Leurad.

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-The point where the tide

-went out first.

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-The place that dried first.

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-That's the meaning of the word?

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-That's the meaning of the word?

-

-The word leurad, yes.

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

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-..I worked here at Penbont.

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-This field had a crop of oats.

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-Now, there's a crop of caravans.

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-Over at Ynys Leurad, there are

-remains of unusual ditches.

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-There's no formal explanation,

-but there is as least one theory.

0:20:560:21:01

-These are the salt pans.

0:21:040:21:06

-At least, that's what

-I called them as a lad.

0:21:060:21:09

-I jumped over them.

0:21:090:21:11

-Places to produce salt

-from the sea.

0:21:120:21:16

-Every high tide, spring tide...

0:21:160:21:21

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

0:21:210:21:23

-..and filled these pans.

0:21:240:21:26

-They stopped it escaping

-by creating a dam.

0:21:260:21:30

-Over a period of two weeks...

0:21:310:21:33

-..after the spring tide...

0:21:340:21:36

-..the sun heated the water

-and crystallized the salt.

0:21:360:21:42

-The salt was scraped off...

0:21:420:21:45

-..and carried

-to the brine pan up there.

0:21:450:21:49

-There, it was boiled

-to make pure salt.

0:21:510:21:54

-I think we're standing

-in the brine pit here.

0:22:080:22:11

-The reason I think that...

0:22:120:22:14

-..is because, as a boy,

-I'd find coal around here.

0:22:140:22:18

-In piles?

0:22:180:22:19

-Not piles, just lumps of coal.

0:22:190:22:23

-They used coal to heat the water...

0:22:240:22:29

-..to make the salt.

0:22:290:22:30

-There's another thing too.

0:22:310:22:32

-If I pick these up...

0:22:330:22:35

-..you'll see

-some small insects leaping.

0:22:370:22:40

-They're sand beetles.

0:22:400:22:43

-Sand beetles like a salty habitat.

0:22:430:22:48

-Seawater doesn't come up this far.

0:22:480:22:51

-So, where does the salt come from?

0:22:520:22:54

-From the old brine pit.

0:22:550:22:57

-That's what I think.

0:22:570:22:58

-What about dates?

0:23:000:23:01

-How far back are we talking?

0:23:010:23:03

-We could say the 15th century.

0:23:030:23:05

-Or earlier.

0:23:060:23:08

-There are places like this...

0:23:080:23:11

-..all around the British coast...

0:23:120:23:15

-..and in Spain and Brittany.

0:23:160:23:20

-The Romans had salterns...

0:23:210:23:24

-..in some parts of the country too.

0:23:240:23:27

-The jigsaw makes perfect sense.

0:23:280:23:30

-I can fit any nodule

-into any gap, if I try!

0:23:300:23:34

-I'm on my way past

-the Black Arch and the White Arch...

0:23:430:23:47

-..on the western side

-of Holy Island...

0:23:470:23:50

-..on the trail of a woman who has

-left her mark on the terrain.

0:23:500:23:54

-Most people

-have forgotten her story.

0:23:540:23:57

-It was a time of clashes

-between pagans and Christians.

0:23:580:24:02

-A young woman called Gwenfaen

-came this way.

0:24:020:24:05

-She was a Christian

-on the druids' home turf.

0:24:060:24:09

-A dangerous combination.

0:24:090:24:11

-With wild druids chasing her...

0:24:110:24:13

-..Gwenfaen ran

-until there was no land left.

0:24:130:24:16

-Here, at Porth Saint,

-the druids cornered her.

0:24:160:24:21

-She had no choice

-but to fall over the cliff.

0:24:210:24:25

-As she was about to drown,

-angels or birds appeared...

0:24:280:24:32

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

-to rescue her.

0:24:320:24:35

-She was raised from the water

-and carried up to heaven.

0:24:360:24:40

-St Gwenfaen's Church isn't far,

-its roots from the seventh century.

0:24:400:24:44

-We'll hear more about it later.

0:24:450:24:47

-But the roots of St Gwenfaen's Well,

-near Porth Saint, are less clear.

0:24:470:24:52

-The well is still blessed

-on 4th November every year.

0:24:530:24:57

-It attracts visitors to this day.

0:24:570:25:00

-Making an offering, like a penny,

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

0:25:000:25:05

-..is supposed to heal injuries

-or inspire someone.

0:25:050:25:08

-I'm feeling healthy, thankfully...

0:25:120:25:15

-..but I could do

-with a bit of inspiration.

0:25:160:25:18

-How long is it meant to take?

0:25:300:25:32

-The Skerries lighthouse

-can be seen clearly from Anglesey.

0:25:380:25:43

-It has assisted sailors

-for centuries now.

0:25:430:25:46

-There's been some sort of lighthouse

-on this site for over 250 years.

0:25:480:25:53

-A traditional type, like this one,

-has been here for 200 years.

0:25:530:25:58

-No-one mans it now, mind you.

0:25:580:26:00

-It runs completely automatically.

0:26:000:26:02

-The only keepers on the island

-are those who protect the birds.

0:26:030:26:07

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

0:26:110:26:14

-..and the lighthouse gets to work.

0:26:140:26:17

-The birds may be noisy, but it's

-still somehow enchantingly tranquil.

0:26:170:26:22

-Islands are unique places.

0:26:230:26:26

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

0:26:260:26:28

-..nor are they part of the sea.

0:26:280:26:30

-But there are elements

-of both of them here.

0:26:310:26:34

-They are marginal,

-peripheral places...

0:26:340:26:37

-..but still a part of the habitat.

0:26:380:26:42

-.

0:26:470:26:48

-Subtitles

0:26:540:26:54

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:26:540:26:56

-We're roaming Anglesey

-and Holy Island...

0:27:000:27:03

-..where the sea has had such

-an influence over the centuries...

0:27:030:27:07

-..on both work and leisure.

0:27:080:27:10

-But if you're near the sea,

-you're never far from a tragic tale.

0:27:100:27:14

-We've already heard

-the story of Gwenfaen...

0:27:210:27:25

-..who fell off the cliffs

-here in Rhoscolyn...

0:27:250:27:28

-..but who was rescued

-and made a saint.

0:27:290:27:32

-It's a good story,

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

0:27:320:27:35

-But another story is hiding

-outside St Gwenfaen's Church.

0:27:350:27:40

-This one can be proved.

0:27:400:27:42

-In 1920, a steamer called the Timbo

-was sailing off Anglesey...

0:27:450:27:49

-..when she got into trouble

-in storm-force winds.

0:27:500:27:54

-The lifeboat Ramon Cabrera

-from Rhoscolyn...

0:27:540:27:57

-..went out to rescue her.

0:27:570:27:59

-But the Ramon Cabrera itself

-got into trouble in the huge waves.

0:28:000:28:04

-It took seven hours

-to reach safe harbour in Llanddwyn.

0:28:050:28:09

-By then, it had capsized twice...

0:28:090:28:12

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

0:28:130:28:15

-Two of them were buried

-in the same grave.

0:28:180:28:21

-Richard and Evan Hughes.

0:28:210:28:23

-Richard was only 17 years old

-when he was washed over the side.

0:28:230:28:28

-His relative, Evan, lost his life

-after diving in to rescue him.

0:28:280:28:34

-None of them

-returned from the sea that day.

0:28:350:28:38

-A village as small as Rhoscolyn

-was hit hard by such a tragedy.

0:28:400:28:44

-The loss from the Ramon Cabrera...

0:28:460:28:48

-..was too much for the lifeboat

-and the village to withstand.

0:28:490:28:53

-A few years later, the old

-lifeboat house was closed forever.

0:28:530:28:58

-But even today,

-you can still see the old slipway.

0:28:580:29:03

-It has broken in half now...

0:29:040:29:06

-..and at low tide,

-it doesn't quite reach the water.

0:29:060:29:09

-It's launched its last boat.

0:29:090:29:11

-Anglesey's fairly flat terrain

-is perfect for growing crops.

0:29:160:29:20

-Not without reason is it called

-the Mother of Wales.

0:29:200:29:23

-At one time, it was said...

0:29:230:29:25

-..that a windmill

-was always within sight here.

0:29:260:29:29

-Only one working windmill

-remains in the whole of Wales now.

0:29:300:29:34

-I'm rolling up my sleeves

-to help the miller.

0:29:340:29:37

-We're now turning the mill

-around into the wind.

0:29:380:29:42

-It weighs 15 tons,

-and we need to turn it.

0:29:430:29:45

-We do that by pulling this chain.

0:29:460:29:48

-The top of the mill...

0:29:480:29:50

-..turns.

0:29:540:29:56

-Have a go.

0:29:560:29:57

-Have a go.

-

-Good grief, it's heavy!

0:29:570:29:59

-Do you want some help?

0:30:010:30:02

-Do you want some help?

-

-Please.

0:30:020:30:03

-Pull it like this.

0:30:030:30:04

-The whole top

-turns around into the wind.

0:30:050:30:09

-That's what the black posts are for.

0:30:090:30:12

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

0:30:120:30:16

-The next step is to climb the sails

-and attach the canvas.

0:30:170:30:21

-While the sails are dressed...

0:30:220:30:24

-..I find out more about the history

-of the island's windmills.

0:30:250:30:29

-We had watermills for years.

0:30:290:30:32

-But the farmers

-turned to windmills...

0:30:320:30:34

-..because of the flat terrain

-and the sea winds.

0:30:350:30:38

-At one time, Anglesey had

-up to 50 windmills grinding flour.

0:30:390:30:44

-Now, this is the only

-working windmill left in Wales.

0:30:440:30:48

-How did Melin Llynnon survive?

0:30:480:30:51

-Anglesey Council

-bought it in 1979...

0:30:510:30:54

-..the year I was born,

-as it happens.

0:30:550:30:57

-In the 1980s,

-they spent three years restoring it.

0:30:570:31:01

-It was in a dilapidated state,

-but it's back working now.

0:31:010:31:05

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

0:31:050:31:07

-..and this is how I remember it.

0:31:080:31:11

-It must attract lots of visitors.

0:31:120:31:14

-It must attract lots of visitors.

-

-It's like a magnet, yes.

0:31:140:31:16

-We have a cafe and a shop here.

0:31:160:31:18

-Once it's turning, people see it

-from miles around and flock here.

0:31:180:31:22

-By land and sea, travellers

-have shaped Anglesey's west coast.

0:31:280:31:33

-There are tales of shipwrecks

-and piracy all along the coast.

0:31:330:31:39

-But there are modern tales too.

0:31:390:31:42

-They started on the island,

-then roared off across the world.

0:31:430:31:47

-Not everyone is aware that

-one famous and iconic vehicle...

0:31:480:31:52

-..started its journey being tested

-on the Newborough dunes.

0:31:530:31:57

-But one keen collector...

0:31:570:31:59

-..knows the significance

-of this gem in his collection.

0:32:000:32:03

-Everyone must recognize this,

-the Land Rover Series 1, 1956.

0:32:040:32:09

-The first Land Rover

-was designed at Newborough...

0:32:100:32:13

-..and tested on the dunes there.

0:32:130:32:15

-It'll go anywhere,

-but it's not built for comfort!

0:32:160:32:19

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

-and it does the job.

0:32:200:32:24

-How was it developed?

0:32:240:32:26

-How was it developed?

-

-Maurice Wilks had a WW2 Willys jeep.

0:32:260:32:29

-He put a Land Rover engine in it.

0:32:290:32:32

-Every farm in the country

-must have one, they're everywhere.

0:32:320:32:36

-I know nothing about cars.

0:32:370:32:38

-But it's not like modern cars.

0:32:390:32:41

-This feels different.

0:32:410:32:42

-It has an aluminium body.

0:32:430:32:44

-It has an aluminium body.

-

-Aluminium? So, it doesn't rust?

0:32:440:32:46

-They don't rust,

-but they dent easily.

0:32:470:32:49

-It's like big Lego,

-so easy to work on.

0:32:490:32:52

-Technology, to hold the bonnet up.

0:32:530:32:55

-Technology, to hold the bonnet up.

-

-High-tech!

0:32:550:32:56

-There it is.

0:32:580:32:59

-How easy is it

-to work on a car like this?

0:33:000:33:03

-It's very easy,

-compared to modern cars.

0:33:030:33:07

-You can take the whole engine out

-in two hours.

0:33:070:33:11

-Two hours? The whole engine?

0:33:110:33:13

-Modern cars

-have electronic ignition.

0:33:140:33:17

-This just has

-a small distributor cap.

0:33:180:33:20

-There's nothing special,

-it's so easy to repair.

0:33:220:33:25

-OK, even I can understand it.

0:33:260:33:28

-Let me try to put this back.

0:33:280:33:30

-It goes in there.

0:33:300:33:32

-Oops.

0:33:320:33:33

-Where's the clip? Here it is.

0:33:330:33:35

-And just pull it up?

0:33:360:33:37

-Press down.

0:33:370:33:38

-Press down.

-

-I can't do it!

0:33:380:33:40

-They were simple enough

-for farmers to fix themselves.

0:33:410:33:45

-They didn't have to pay a garage.

0:33:450:33:47

-It's just a tractor.

0:33:470:33:48

-It's just a tractor.

-

-A tractor, yes.

0:33:480:33:50

-Do you know anything about Maurice

-Wilks and the Land Rover...

0:33:500:33:55

-..that many people wouldn't know?

0:33:560:33:58

-My friend, Gwilym Parc, who died

-four or five years ago now...

0:33:580:34:03

-..lived very close to Glanrafon,

-where Wilks lived.

0:34:030:34:07

-As a child aged ten or twelve,

-he'd visit Mr Wilks.

0:34:080:34:11

-He had a prototype

-with a central steering wheel...

0:34:110:34:15

-..which he tested

-on Newborough dunes.

0:34:150:34:18

-Gwilym told me that Wilks

-had rolled it on a steep slope.

0:34:180:34:23

-Both Gwilym and him were thrown out.

0:34:230:34:26

-He asked Gwilym if he was OK,

-and Gwilym asked the same to him.

0:34:260:34:30

-They rolled it back

-onto its wheels and off they went.

0:34:300:34:34

-At Dwyran school, near Newborough,

-there's a tribute to Maurice Wilks.

0:34:480:34:53

-The former headmaster

-was delighted by the fact...

0:34:530:34:57

-..that this iconic vehicle

-had a strong link with Anglesey.

0:34:570:35:01

-I'm sure that the link

-between Land Rover...

0:35:080:35:12

-..and Dwyran school

-started back in 2009.

0:35:120:35:16

-We knew that Maurice Wilks

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

0:35:170:35:22

-..just over a mile from Dwyran.

0:35:220:35:25

-The Wilks family

-visited Anglesey regularly.

0:35:260:35:30

-That's where they first saw

-their father playing around...

0:35:300:35:34

-..with what would become

-the first Land Rover.

0:35:350:35:38

-This is Maurice Wilks, is it?

0:35:380:35:41

-A very versatile man...

0:35:410:35:44

-..with an obsession

-for cars and machines.

0:35:440:35:48

-He was a man

-ahead of his time, I think.

0:35:490:35:53

-This is a photo

-of the first Land Rovers...

0:35:530:35:56

-..coming off the production line.

0:35:560:35:59

-What was interesting, apparently...

0:35:590:36:02

-..was that there were gallons

-and gallons and gallons...

0:36:020:36:06

-..of green paint

-left over after the war.

0:36:070:36:10

-It had been used

-to paint aeroplanes.

0:36:100:36:13

-They decided to paint

-all the Land Rovers...

0:36:130:36:16

-..in this famous shade of green.

0:36:170:36:19

-If Maurice Wilks could come back...

0:36:190:36:22

-..and see, after the humble

-beginnings here on Anglesey...

0:36:220:36:26

-..what's happened to the

-Land Rover brand over the years...

0:36:260:36:30

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

0:36:300:36:32

-I had the great honour of meeting

-Maurice Wilks' son, Stephen.

0:36:330:36:38

-This was a question

-that we put to him.

0:36:390:36:43

-What would his father say

-if he saw the brand today...

0:36:430:36:46

-..and the label

-in countries across the world?

0:36:470:36:51

-He said that his father

-would have been delighted.

0:36:510:36:54

-But as he was such a modest man,

-he wouldn't have made a fuss.

0:36:540:36:59

-He'd just have been proud to have

-created something successful.

0:36:590:37:03

-.

0:37:160:37:16

-*

0:37:220:37:22

-Not far from Newborough,

-on Anglesey's west coast...

0:37:230:37:27

-..is the famous island of Llanddwyn.

0:37:270:37:30

-Thanks to its link with St Dwynwen,

-it's a popular tourist haunt.

0:37:300:37:34

-No-one lives on Llanddwyn now...

0:37:350:37:38

-..but it was once home...

0:37:380:37:40

-..to the pilots who navigated

-ships along the Menai Strait.

0:37:400:37:45

-I grew up in this part of Anglesey.

0:37:490:37:51

-I spent lots of time here,

-swimming, fishing and having fun.

0:37:520:37:56

-My grandfather was one

-of four pilots who lived here.

0:37:560:38:00

-They lived in the houses behind me.

0:38:000:38:03

-The white cottages.

0:38:040:38:05

-That service continued

-until the Second World War.

0:38:050:38:10

-What's the significance

-of these towers?

0:38:100:38:14

-They're unlike ones

-I've seen before.

0:38:140:38:17

-As I understand it,

-the port of Caernarfon...

0:38:170:38:22

-..decided to build this tower...

0:38:220:38:26

-..so that incoming ships

-could see where the rocks where.

0:38:260:38:31

-I think they realized from the off

-that it wasn't high enough.

0:38:310:38:36

-It was then decided

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

0:38:360:38:40

-..similar to an Anglesey windmill,

-hence the shape of that tower.

0:38:410:38:46

-You come here often.

0:38:470:38:49

-Has it changed a lot

-from when you came here as a child?

0:38:490:38:54

-A big change.

0:38:550:38:56

-When we came here as children,

-there was hardly anyone else here,

0:38:560:39:01

-Over the years, it has become

-more and more popular.

0:39:010:39:06

-That's changed.

0:39:060:39:08

-A lot of the wild birds that nested

-here, such as terns, have left.

0:39:080:39:14

-That's probably the biggest change.

0:39:140:39:18

-Apart from reminiscing,

-what brings you here now?

0:39:180:39:23

-It's a nice place to relax

-and enjoy the fresh air...

0:39:240:39:27

-..and, if lucky,

-warm and sunny weather.

0:39:270:39:30

-I don't blame you in the least.

0:39:310:39:33

-It's a remarkable place.

0:39:330:39:35

-Llanddwyn became a designated

-nature reserve back in 1955.

0:39:410:39:45

-It was one of the first sites

-in Wales to achieve that status.

0:39:460:39:50

-With thousands

-visiting the island annually...

0:39:500:39:53

-..the conservation work here

-is more important than ever.

0:39:530:39:57

-My job as manager

-of the National Nature Reserve...

0:39:570:40:00

-..is to protect

-the wealth of wildlife...

0:40:010:40:03

-..on the island,

-on the dunes and in the forest.

0:40:040:40:07

-I was speaking

-to Dr Owens earlier...

0:40:070:40:10

-..about the terns

-that used to nest here.

0:40:110:40:14

-I've been to the Skerries,

-where there are thousands of them.

0:40:140:40:18

-They're no longer here.

0:40:190:40:20

-Not for decades, unfortunately.

0:40:200:40:23

-That's down to human influence

-on the habitat, essentially...

0:40:230:40:28

-..and the fact that terns

-are very easily disturbed.

0:40:290:40:34

-We have lost them for decades.

0:40:340:40:37

-It's a matter of keeping a balance.

0:40:370:40:39

-That is the important thing.

0:40:400:40:42

-Maintaining a balance between

-the way people treat the site...

0:40:420:40:46

-..and how we manage people

-on the site.

0:40:460:40:49

-I hear that there are

-special rocks here as well.

0:40:500:40:54

-Yes, the rocks are pre-Cambrian.

0:40:540:40:56

-They were formed to the south

-of where New Zealand is today.

0:40:570:41:01

-Molten lava sprayed from the earth

-under the sea...

0:41:020:41:07

-..and created these ancient rocks.

0:41:080:41:09

-..and created these ancient rocks.

-

-What about the future?

0:41:090:41:11

-The future is to continue

-to manage this site...

0:41:110:41:16

-..maintaining its condition...

0:41:160:41:19

-..and the balance between people and

-wildlife to enable both to flourish.

0:41:190:41:24

-Travelling around Holy Island

-is easy enough today...

0:41:380:41:43

-..but it was different long ago.

0:41:430:41:45

-The southern tip of Holy Island,

-over there...

0:41:450:41:49

-..almost touches Anglesey here.

0:41:490:41:51

-Before bridges linked the islands,

-it made sense to cross here...

0:41:520:41:58

-..at the most shallow point,

-but the Romans were braver than me.

0:41:580:42:02

-It made sense for them to cross here

-to get to Holy Island.

0:42:030:42:06

-Remains have been found nearby

-which prove they came here.

0:42:070:42:10

-Roman historian Tacitus

-mentions a major battle on Anglesey.

0:42:110:42:17

-Some have set the battle

-on the Menai Strait...

0:42:170:42:20

-..and others here, on Cymyran beach.

0:42:200:42:23

-The Romans were on the shore, here.

0:42:240:42:27

-Across the water, on the other side,

-stood the druids.

0:42:270:42:31

-Men and women clad in black...

0:42:310:42:33

-..carrying torches

-and screaming like lunatics.

0:42:330:42:37

-Big, wild Celts.

0:42:370:42:40

-Maybe they looked like me!

0:42:400:42:42

-But they managed to scare

-the Romans even.

0:42:420:42:45

-So many people have passed this way,

-and thousands still come.

0:42:480:42:53

-Not to conquer, but for a holiday.

0:42:530:42:55

-One thing unites travellers

-down the centuries.

0:42:560:42:59

-Wet feet are wet feet.

0:43:000:43:02

-Melin Llynnon near Llanddeusant

-is Wales' only working windmill.

0:43:100:43:15

-It grinds flour exactly as it did

-at the end of the 18th century.

0:43:160:43:21

-Lloyd, the sails are turning,

-so the mill's ready to work.

0:43:230:43:27

-It's turning quickly at the moment.

0:43:270:43:29

-There's enough power to raise

-the grain to the top to be milled.

0:43:290:43:34

-The grain has reached

-the bin floor...

0:44:020:44:04

-..where the process

-of making flour begins.

0:44:050:44:08

-On this floor?

0:44:080:44:09

-On this floor?

-

-The bin floor, yes.

0:44:090:44:11

-You remember the mill as a ruin.

0:44:110:44:13

-Yes, as a boy from Llanddeusant.

0:44:130:44:16

-I also remember it being restored

-to its current condition.

0:44:160:44:20

-And you worked here too.

0:44:200:44:21

-And you worked here too.

-

-Yes, I spent 17 years here.

0:44:210:44:24

-You're a part of the mill.

0:44:240:44:26

-You're a part of the mill.

-

-A Llanddeusant boy at the mill.

0:44:260:44:28

-Right, grain in?

0:44:280:44:29

-I'll give you a hand.

0:44:290:44:31

-There you are.

0:44:340:44:35

-And I just pour it in?

0:44:350:44:36

-And I just pour it in?

-

-Yes, pour it in.

0:44:360:44:37

-We've stopped the mill now...

0:44:460:44:48

-..before the next process,

-engaging the stones.

0:44:480:44:51

-If you pull this,

-the cogs will engage.

0:44:510:44:54

-We're now ready for the millstones

-to turn and grind flour.

0:44:540:45:00

-How old is the mill?

0:45:000:45:02

-It was built in 1775, 1776.

0:45:020:45:05

-It cost over 500 at the time.

0:45:050:45:09

-That's about 60,000

-in today's money.

0:45:090:45:13

-But building one from scratch now...

0:45:130:45:16

-..would probably

-take 1.5 to 2 million.

0:45:160:45:19

-When you see all the machinery...

0:45:200:45:22

-If you look at the cogs,

-they are so enormous.

0:45:220:45:25

-The technology

-was ahead of its time...

0:45:250:45:28

-..and powered solely by the wind.

0:45:280:45:31

-This is the end of the process.

0:45:390:45:41

-This is the flour coming out.

0:45:410:45:44

-We bag it from here.

0:45:450:45:48

-Years ago, of course,

-they'd have had sacks.

0:45:480:45:51

-It's warm.

0:45:510:45:52

-It's warm.

-

-It is, nice and warm.

0:45:520:45:54

-The millstones grinding

-heats the grain, in a way.

0:45:540:45:57

-The more we grind,

-the warmer it gets.

0:45:570:46:00

-That's unique

-to stone-ground wholemeal flour.

0:46:010:46:04

-The miller had a major role.

0:46:040:46:06

-The miller had a major role.

-

-He was important to the community.

0:46:060:46:09

-He was an undertaker, a wheelwright,

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

0:46:090:46:15

-..just to make a living

-when the windmill wasn't turning.

0:46:160:46:20

-He had to be trustworthy.

0:46:200:46:21

-What came in had to go out.

0:46:220:46:23

-He couldn't keep anything.

0:46:240:46:26

-Having been here with you, I sense

-that you and the mill are as one.

0:46:270:46:31

-After 17 years here,

-I know the mill well.

0:46:310:46:34

-Every nook and cranny,

-every moving part, every bolt.

0:46:340:46:38

-That's what was nice.

-Taking time to learn a craft.

0:46:380:46:42

-On this journey, we've seen

-yesterday and today coexisting...

0:47:030:47:07

-..and people's pride...

0:47:080:47:09

-..in the wealth, beauty

-and history of this area.

0:47:100:47:13

-It's a firm footing for the future,

-and the sails are still turning.

0:47:140:47:19

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

0:47:340:47:36

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0:47:360:47:36

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