Plas Cadnant ac Abaty Cwmhir Gerddi Cymru

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Did you know that Wales has hundreds

-of registered gardens?

-Big or small, formal or wild.

-Every garden delights the visitors

-that arrive every year.

-I'll visit some to show you the

-wealth that is on our own doorstep.

-Yes, it's the golden age

-of the garden.

-Welcome to Gerddi Cymru.

-Anglesey is one of the largest and

-most beautiful of Britain's islands.

-It's an island full of history

-and known as the Mother of Wales...

-..as it was believed...

-..that her fertile lands

-could feed the whole of Wales.

-To reach Anglesey,

-one of two bridges must be crossed.

-Menai Bridge is the most beautiful.

-The suspension bridge

-was designed by Thomas Telford...

-..and completed in 1826.

-Locally, the bridge

-is known as Pont y Borth...

-..as it takes you to the town

-of Porthaethwy, or Menai Bridge.

-The busy town hides one

-of Wales' most secret gardens...

-..in a wooded valley

-on its outskirts.

-This garden is recognized as one

-of Anglesey's biggest secrets...

-..especially as few people

-know about it.

-Like any good secret,

-it's here to be discovered.

-Once you enter these lovely gates,

-you won't regret it.

-The garden covers over 200 acres.

-Its centrepiece

-is this huge walled garden.

-Beyond the walls is an interestingly

-planted magical forest.

-It follows the valley to the Cadnant

-river on the banks of the Menai.

-For centuries, this coastline has

-been a favourite for the wealthy.

-One example is Plas Newydd, the

-seat of the Marquesses of Anglesey.

-In its day, Plas Cadnant was also

-a grand and luxurious mansion...

-..and home to the Price family.

-Its design took

-thought and imagination.

-But who provided the wealth

-to produce such splendour?

-The historian, Catrin Wager

-explains the background.

-We don't know much about John Price,

-who built the house...

-..but he had an interesting job.

-He was an agent

-for the Mona Mine Company...

-..a company that mined

-at Parys Mountain.

-In its time, it was one

-of Europe's biggest copper mines.

-It was a site of incredible growth

-in the Industrial Revolution.

-As an agent for that company...

-..he must have used his wealth

-to build these amazing gardens.

-Yes, an agent was quite wealthy,

-despite being employed by others.

-They were one of 23 families who

-owned most of Anglesey at that time.

-It shows how much money

-was to be made.

-However, whenever people make money,

-others will suffer.

-There was a lot of poverty

-in Amlwch.

-The land around Amlwch

-had become a wasteland...

-..because of the poisonous gases.

-There was a shortage of food which

-resulted in riots by the workers.

-Life in Amlwch was very different

-to the one found here.

-Indeed, and the breeze here

-would have been fresh and sweet.

-Yes, when compared to the stench

-over there.

-With its wealth of plants and the

-natural feel of the entire garden...

-..you might think

-that it's been here for ever.

-But everything,

-apart from the large trees...

-..was planted in the last 20 years.

-When I came here, you didn't

-actually know this was here.

-On a map, you could see the

-resemblance of a walled garden...

-..but it was a huge screen of trees.

-Most of it hadn't been touched

-for 70 years.

-It was, basically, derelict.

-We've cleared an area at a time.

-Starting with the walled garden, the

-upper valley and the lower valley.

-At two acres, it's the

-biggest walled garden I've seen.

-That's enough to hold

-a football pitch and the stands!

-Instead of using it for vegetables,

-the owner has laid a perfect lawn.

-The pyramid-like geometric shapes...

-..lead the eye from the entrance

-down to the pond at the bottom.

-The walled garden is of interest to

-the floral designer, Sioned Edwards.

-At first glance...

-..some people might think that

-using the walled garden as a lawn...

-..is very wasteful.

-Yes, but it is so beautiful.

-Your eye is drawn by the

-pyramid-like geometrical shapes...

-..all the way down to the bottom.

-The walls are also wonderful.

-The architecture is clever.

-They follow the shape of the

-landscape down through the valley.

-As well as running downwards, the

-garden makes a central 'V' shape.

-The walls on both sides run down to

-the middle to make that 'V' shape...

-..which draws us down to the bottom

-and makes the garden feel bigger.

-I can't think of another walled

-garden with a hollow in the middle.

-It's quite unusual.

-It's quite unusual.

-

-Yes, it's unique to Plas Cadnant.

-It's a lovely pond.

-Yes, with the bergenias

-around the sides.

-On Boxing Day in 2015,

-we almost lost the entire garden...

-..when a huge storm struck

-and destroyed the gardens.

-Visitors usually visit Plas Cadnant

-near Menai Bridge for the gardens...

-..but the water has washed away

-this wall...

-..and destroyed over 20 years

-of hard work.

-The valley above the garden

-covers 50 or 60 acres of land.

-All that water gathered

-and it has to come this way.

-The walled garden

-started to fill like a tank.

-Eventually, it got higher and higher

-and higher until the wall collapsed.

-A lot of the walled garden

-was carried 200 yards...

-..to the river at the bottom.

-Few would have started

-from scratch once again...

-..but Anthony was determined

-to keep going.

-Following a winter of rebuilding,

-recreating and replanting...

-..the garden has been returned

-back to its former glory.

-This garden has been designed

-very carefully.

-One special feature is the

-wooded vale threaded with paths.

-It's a unique paradise

-in a hidden corner of the garden.

-This is the current

-owner's attempt...

-..to recreate the traditional,

-picturesque landscape in a garden.

-It was popular during

-the Victorian era.

-What was that tradition?

-In Victorian times...

-..people were moving to the cities

-from the countryside to find work.

-They had more money,

-travelled further...

-..and visited countries

-with wonderful landscapes.

-They would buy paintings of this

-scenery and hang them on the walls.

-That's how the idea of

-picturesque gardens became popular.

-Their gardens were made

-to look like the paintings...

-..with something in the foreground,

-in the middle...

-..and also a background.

-There had to be texture,

-shape, shadow, light and colour.

-Everything required for a painting

-was brought into the garden.

-This is where we see

-the work of Humphry Repton.

-Yes, and he was a unique designer...

-..who presented his work

-by painting a picture.

-Instead of preparing a sketch,

-he used watercolours.

-He would paint a picture

-of his garden design.

-They were called Red Book paintings.

-He kept them in a book

-with a red cover.

-The irony is that instead of

-painting a picture of the garden...

-..you painted the picture and

-then used it to design the garden.

-There's something nice about

-being led through this garden.

-We know it isn't natural but

-it has such a natural feel to it.

-It feels like it's always been here.

-It really makes us appreciate...

-..all the hard work that's gone into

-making something look so natural.

-It doesn't just happen.

-It doesn't come easy.

-It doesn't come easy.

-

-No, not at all.

-This was once a private,

-family garden.

-Today, the Plas Cadnant gardens

-has visitors from across the world.

-With some of the buildings now used

-as holiday cottages and a cafe...

-..there are more opportunities than

-ever to visit the lovely gardens.

-Anthony's tenacity and dedication...

-..has brought the Price's paradise

-back to life.

-Come to one of Anglesey's best-kept

-secrets before the buses arrive!

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Some areas of Wales are more

-inaccessible and remote than others.

-This is one of them.

-With its forests and mountains,

-this valley in Mid Wales...

-..is the perfect location to build

-a grand mansion and unique garden.

-This is The Hall at Abbey Cwm Hir.

-It's a gothic whopper built in 1833,

-during the Victorian era.

-You would expect to see a Victorian

-garden here, and there is one...

-..but this garden

-does have some unusual elements.

-Elements that reflect the humour

-and taste of the present owners.

-The Hall and garden of Abbey Cwm Hir

-are in a village of the same name...

-..in a hidden valley

-north west of Llandrindod.

-It's a wonderful location.

-The Hall, on the side of the valley,

-makes the most of the scenery.

-From the mid 1800s...

-..the house was owned

-by the prosperous Philips family.

-Their wealth allowed them

-to develop the garden.

-This walled garden

-ticks a lot of boxes.

-The high wall provides shelter

-from the wind.

-It obviously faces the sun.

-When building a house on a slope...

-..it's inevitable that

-the back garden is on one too...

-..so it gets the best

-of the sunshine every day.

-You can see the garden from every

-window at the back of the house.

-Lastly, and most importantly...

-..when you reach the top

-of the garden, the view is superb.

-Ten out of ten,

-a tick and a gold star!

-Planting within the walled garden

-concentrates on shape and texture.

-As well as colourful flowers...

-..the trees and contrasting plants

-are a feast of green for the eyes.

-Helen Scutt is a garden designer.

-It's her first visit here and she's

-delighted with what she has seen.

-This terrace was obviously built

-for a specific purpose.

-There would have been greenhouses

-here.

-At the back, there would have been

-one for peaches.

-In the front, they had warmer beds

-to grow things like melons.

-They were status symbols

-and grown to show off!

-This was the Victorian age.

-Yes, it went with the wall

-circling the garden.

-Are we looking

-at a Victorian garden?

-Not really as there would have been

-more vegetables grown here.

-The walled garden created a warmer

-microclimate for the fruit and veg.

-Yew trees are very Victorian

-and there are plenty here.

-They also had long herbaceous

-borders and we have them here...

-..and a rose garden.

-There are more conifers here today.

-I don't like too many conifers

-but they really suit this garden.

-That's because the landscape

-is covered in conifers.

-This is like a bowl within the hills

-and the conifers sit inside nicely.

-The garden stretches

-further than the walls.

-A beautiful forest

-surrounds the walls.

-A boating lake was also added

-to complete the scene.

-It was fashionable and

-produced power for the local mill.

-I've always said that a garden

-reflects the character of its owner.

-As we walk around

-this small garden...

-..we can tell that the owners

-are a bit eccentric.

-They also like to have a bit of fun.

-It's very sociable to have

-three beach huts in your garden.

-They're very funky

-and it's all done ever so well.

-We have visited so many gardens that

-don't have any seats or benches.

-People work in their gardens

-but don't tend to relax in them.

-Here, it's about relaxing and being

-creative, not just about gardening.

-This job is much tougher

-than you would imagine.

-After the colour and Victorian

-planning of the walled garden...

-..other parts of the garden might

-contain a caravan, for example.

-But one caravan isn't enough

-in a corner of a mountain.

-There's also a gypsy caravan

-and a traditional shepherd's hut...

-..to allow you to change location

-every few days, if you wish.

-The man responsible for putting

-this unique stamp on the garden...

-..is the present owner,

-Paul Humpherston.

-I think gardens should be fun

-and they should be unexpected.

-This is a garden of secret places

-and narrow pathways.

-You come around the corner

-and see a set of beach huts...

-..purely for the enjoyment of

-visitors and also for our enjoyment.

-A lady from Nottingham

-came a few weeks ago and said...

-.."Is this the set

-for the remake of The Prisoner?"

-Things like that are quite nice.

-People get a lot of pleasure

-in the house and the gardens.

-That's a nice thing to see.

-The house is listed Grade II star.

-Paul and his wife plan to restore

-all of the 52 rooms.

-If the garden incorporates different

-elements, then the house does too.

-The unusual collections...

-..keep you interested

-in the house and garden.

-There is, however,

-a wider appeal to Abbey Cwm Hir.

-In front of the house...

-..is the abbey

-which gave the village its name.

-It is still a major attraction

-in these parts...

-..especially as Llywelyn,

-Our Last Leader is buried here.

-Three-quarters of him.

-By all accounts,

-his head went to London.

-The history of the abbey

-and its surroundings is important...

-..as the historian, Catrin Wager

-can explain.

-It dates back to around

-the mid to late twelfth century.

-There are conflicting dates

-about when it was established.

-It is a Cistercian abbey.

-The Cistercians were known

-for choosing quiet, rural locations.

-They lived a very simple life of

-gardening and growing food to eat.

-It would have been a peaceful life.

-At this time, many monasteries

-were built in Wales and Europe.

-This one is striking

-because of its size.

-It is one of the longest in Europe,

-measuring at 78 metres.

-Westminster Abbey is 71 metres and

-Strata Florida is 41-metres-long.

-This one is huge.

-Like many other abbeys

-in the sixteenth century...

-..Cwm Hir was destroyed...

-..in Henry VII's

-Dissolution of the Monasteries.

-Its remains are still present as

-they built a village from the ruins.

-There now stands another

-striking place of worship here.

-We are standing on a private path

-belonging to the owners of The Hall.

-It leads to the church through

-private gates over a private bridge!

-They would have had a private seat

-at the front of the church too.

-That is a real status symbol.

-It states that this is

-the main house in the village.

-There is a special quality

-to this place.

-It feels like a village estate.

-There is an architectural unity as

-the buildings have similar windows.

-It was all designed with one vision

-in mind and it hasn't changed since.

-It's a lovely place.

-There had been a church on this site

-which was in ruins by Wilson's time.

-The Philips family arrived in 1870.

-They tore it down to build a church

-to complement the village's style.

-It cost 2,000

-which was quite a large sum.

-It was all about status but there's

-still a lovely atmosphere here.

-The owner of the garden also wants

-to create a lovely atmosphere.

-I think he's done a good job.

-It suits the landscape

-and the house.

-He likes to create little areas

-with narrow paths connecting them.

-How do the non-horticultural

-elements fit into the garden?

-They fit into the garden

-because it is their garden.

-They take delight in creating

-a special, funky place.

-There's no doubt that it is a

-very personal and beautiful garden.

-It's also a bit eccentric.

-That is what makes life

-so interesting.

-Not every garden is the same

-and thank the Lord for that!

-S4C Subtitles by Tinopolis

-.