Castell y Waun a Plas yn Rhiw Gerddi Cymru

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-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 doorstep.

-Yes, it's the golden age

-of the garden.

-Welcome to Gerddi Cymru.

-North-East Wales.

-This lovely area attracts

-visitors from across the globe.

-They visit the historic town

-of Llangollen.

-Take a leisurely trip

-along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

-And visit the small town of Chirk.

-It's like heaven on earth.

-And yes,

-that's England in the distance.

-The view should be admired and shows

-Chirk's proximity to the border.

-This is a great and clever location

-to build a castle...

-..but we must remember

-that we're on a hilltop.

-It means

-that there will be strong wind...

-..rough weather and unfertile soil.

-It isn't the best combination

-for a wonderful garden...

-..but somehow, they managed

-to accomplish just that.

-Chirk Castle

-Its early history

-dates back to the Middle Ages.

-This was a period of constant war

-between the Welsh and English...

-..when King Edward I

-attempted to rule the wild Welsh.

-Roger Mortimer.

-SPITS

-The land around Chirk...

-..was given to Rog'

-by Edward I to build a castle...

-..for his role in the murder of

-Llywelyn Our Last Leader in Cilmeri.

-The castle remained

-a symbol of oppression...

-..to keep the Welsh under the thumb.

-Certain areas of the castle

-have remained the same for years...

-..and house relics that remind us

-of the period before its renovation.

-By the end of the 16th century,

-in about 1595...

-..the general belief was that

-defences were no longer needed...

-..so castles became homes.

-Sadly, nobody had noticed Cromwell

-galloping over the hill!

-We'll have more about him shortly.

-New homely rooms were added...

-..and areas of the castle

-were redesigned as living areas.

-Today, there are fantastic gardens

-surrounding the building.

-Dedication and passion have been

-thrown into these gardens...

-..for them to be in the condition

-that you see today.

-The history of the castle

-is as colourful as the gardens...

-..as Catrin Wager explained.

-Chirk Castle has a chequered past.

-Yes, a long and chequered past.

-The castle dates from Edward I's

-reign and has always been occupied.

-The other castles

-aren't homes like this one.

-No, and the castles at Caernarfon

-and Beaumaris are ruins.

-This castle is a house and

-it has been a home from the start.

-In 1595,

-the castle enjoyed a conversion...

-..when it was purchased

-by Thomas Myddelton.

-Thomas Myddelton was the son

-of the governor of Denbigh Castle.

-He was one of nine sons and had

-to find his own way in the world...

-..and became the apprentice

-of a London grocer.

-How does a grocer's apprentice

-buy this place?

-He was a founder

-of The East India Company...

-..that traded with the Far East.

-This is how he made his fortune.

-He bought the castle for 5,000

-which is 11 million today.

-The second Thomas Myddelton was

-in residence during the Civil War.

-When the Civil War broke out...

-..he was one of the few

-Parliamentarians in the area.

-The king's supporters

-successfully seized the castle...

-..but he regained the castle

-by bribery.

-The Civil War

-continued for a long time.

-Thomas disliked

-the military methods of Cromwell.

-Cromwell was a dictator...

-..so Thomas opened communications

-with Charles II who was in exile.

-As a result of this,

-his castle was attacked.

-The Parliamentarians

-he had supported at the start...

-..demolished two towers

-and made it uninhabitable.

-Stick with one side!

-Yes, that makes sense.

-The castle taught us the lesson of

-not betraying the ones we support.

-From that point, it grew into

-the noble home that we see today.

-The interior is more like that

-of a country house than a castle.

-This is the castle's eastern side.

-It sustained the most damage

-by Cromwell during the Civil War.

-When this room was rebuilt...

-..they added portraits to show

-their wealth and connections.

-They also wanted to exhibit the wild

-exterior via these large windows...

-..and showcase the garden

-for the first time.

-But it wouldn't be

-a traditional garden.

-They employed the 18th century

-landscape architect, William Emes...

-..to transform the land

-around the castle.

-He didn't just plant

-a few pansies or dahlias!

-The floral designer,

-Sioned Edwards knows his story.

-Isn't this avenue wonderful?

-You wouldn't usually associate

-this kind of feature...

-..as being part of the garden

-but it is!

-This is typical feature

-of the designs of William Emes.

-He came here in 1764 and wanted to

-transform the garden and the park.

-This is the perfect path from the

-house through the entire garden...

-..to the spectacular view.

-This was very important in his work.

-There's a fantastic picture

-of the garden as he designed it.

-It's massive and looks like

-a piece of patchwork of trees...

-..and has walkways

-to guide you around the garden...

-..that ensure the stunning views

-can be enjoyed from the house.

-When that section of the house

-was rebuilt...

-..they added large windows

-to savour the views from the house.

-Yes, and they needed large windows

-to see all of this.

-After 150 years

-of the smart designs of Mr Emes...

-..they got fed up

-and planted these hedges.

-Yes, that's exactly right.

-They wanted smaller gardens

-that were more like rooms.

-There's a tennis court

-surrounded by yew bushes.

-They planted the enclosed

-Rose Garden during that period...

-..and the Laundry Garden.

-Well, well.

-The weird and wonderful shapes

-of the shrubs are now iconic.

-It's one of the reasons why so many

-visitors flock to the gardens.

-By the onset of the 20th century,

-the Myddletons needed money.

-They sold some of the land...

-..and the house was rented

-by the Scott-Ellis family...

-..or the eighth

-Lord Howard de Walden.

-The new tenant was an eccentric.

-He was raised in London

-but was an honorary Welshman.

-Gwyneth Craft is a castle guide

-and knows all about the family.

-Why did he rent this house

-when he had many other homes?

-He had many homes

-and another castle.

-He liked the idea of the castle

-more than the place itself.

-It was a great location

-near Wrexham.

-Why was he interested

-in the language?

-He loved North Wales...

-..and promoted Welsh culture

-and learnt Welsh.

-How did he promote the culture?

-How did he promote the culture?

-

-He wrote short Welsh dramas.

-They established the first national

-Welsh drama company in Llangollen.

-Howard and his wife

-were the founders.

-Yes.

-He was also linked with

-the Gorsedd of Bards.

-He was a member of the Gorsedd.

-What was his bardic name?

-What was his bardic name?

-

-Tommy o'r Waun.

-Tommy o'r Waun.

-It doesn't sound like

-the name of a man who owns a castle!

-EISTEDDFOD FANFARE

-Norah Lindsay was a friend

-of the family of Tommy o'r Waun.

-She became a well-known garden

-designer by the mid 20th century.

-Her work was revived

-by Lady Margaret Myddleton...

-..when the family returned to the

-castle after the Second World War.

-We've reached the 20th century

-and the work of Norah Lindsay.

-She was a very famous

-garden designer.

-She designed this section

-as a vegetable garden.

-After the war, things were difficult

-in the garden...

-..and they struggled to get staff...

-..so Lady Margaret transformed it.

-She retained the vegetables but also

-chose to plant some perennials...

-..so that it was easier for them

-to tend to the garden.

-She changed a lot of the garden...

-..and did a lot of

-the gardening herself.

-But let's return to Norah Lindsay

-for a moment.

-Norah often stayed here and

-that is when she started gardening.

-She enjoyed coming out

-into the garden...

-..and decided to start

-charging people for the gardening.

-Norah wouldn't just help friends

-but started charging for her work.

-She became well-known and worked in

-many famous gardens across the UK.

-At the age of 70, she would get up

-at 5.00am to work in the garden.

-There must have been

-something wrong with her!

-The castle

-is the main attraction of Chirk...

-..and the Myddleton family made it

-their home for so many centuries.

-As a result,

-there are wonderful gardens...

-..that deserve their moment

-in the spotlight.

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-The coast of the Lleyn Peninsula...

-..has a diverse landscape

-that is full of seaside towns...

-..that overflow with visitors

-during the summer.

-It's no surprise as it has glorious,

-golden beaches around every corner.

-Some are the best in Wales.

-Aberdaron is the most western

-village on the Lleyn Peninsula.

-Leave the village and cross the hill

-to find our next garden at Rhiw.

-I haven't seen such a fantastic view

-from a garden before.

-The view is just as important

-as the contents of this garden.

-I doubt the garden would be as

-successful were it not for the sea.

-Since the Iron Age, the sea

-has attracted people to this area.

-The archaeological remains...

-..give an idea of life

-over 1,000 years ago.

-In Medieval times...

-..pilgrims travelled along the coast

-to St Hywyn's Church in Aberdaron...

-..before crossing to Bardsey Island

-where 5,000 saints are buried.

-It's no surprise that someone

-chose this breathtaking area...

-..to build a house and

-develop a glorious garden around it.

-Plas yn Rhiw

-dates back to the 16th century.

-It was once a grand building but it

-fell into ruin over the centuries.

-In 1939, the Keating sisters from

-Nottingham purchased the house...

-..and life was restored.

-When the sisters bought the site...

-..the garden was nothing more

-than trees and brambles.

-It was impossible to see the door

-so they climbed through a window!

-With the help of the architect

-and friend, Clough Williams-Ellis...

-..the sisters

-started to restore the house.

-At first glance, the work would have

-been too much for most normal men.

-That's a rule.

-A house falling to pieces.

-Sapling trees thrusting up the slabs

-of the terrace.

-Ivy growing in through

-broken windows and plaster.

-An altogether very sad sight indeed.

-But the potentialities were clear.

-Mary Thomas

-is the curator of Plas yn Rhiw.

-She told me about its history.

-I'm sure the Keating sisters would

-enjoy afternoon tea on the lawn.

-Yes, I agree.

-Why did they come here?

-The youngest sister,

-Honora Keating...

-..was a student at the

-Slade School of Fine Art in London.

-She became friends with someone

-who had connections with Aberdaron.

-Honora came here on holiday in 1914

-and fell in love with the location.

-She encouraged her mother

-and sisters to come here.

-The house had been empty

-for 20 years.

-They paid 500 for the house and

-57 acres which was mainly woodlands.

-We just bought the property

-to save these woodlands.

-We never thought we could restore

-the house.

-We had to get rid of all the scrub.

-The whole garden

-was given up as lost.

-With elbow grease and dedication...

-..they restored the gardens at

-Plas yn Rhiw with stunning results.

-They have used this box hedge...

-..as a border around the smaller

-gardens within the large garden.

-It means that there's a surprise

-around every corner.

-There's a quarter of a mile

-of box hedging in the garden...

-..so the surprises

-come thick and fast!

-This is one surprise.

-If you have a stream

-running through your garden...

-..you can put a toilet above it!

-But there's two holes here

-so I should call it a two-let.

-They would come here

-to do their business.

-"The water runs to the hollow."

-And not just the water!

-TOILET FLUSHES

-The organic tradition continues

-but not as literally as before!

-This is the only organic

-National Trust garden in Wales...

-..and one of three in Britain.

-The plants are flourishing

-but there's another reason for this.

-If you shiver

-in a hoodie in Pwllheli...

-..you'll be sweating in a vest here.

-There's a microclimate in the area

-so even the rain is warmer.

-Everything here develops faster

-than it would in other gardens.

-Today, the head gardener,

-is Llifon Jones

-You're the only gardener here,

-Llifon.

-Yes, that's right.

-Is it a lot of work

-to tend to the garden?

-This is a full-time job

-over five days a week.

-Do you feel that you're maintaining

-the heritage of the Keatings?

-Yes, I think so.

-It's important to use the same

-method of management as the sisters.

-We grow wild flowers

-and allow wildlife to thrive.

-They put in so much effort

-so we should do the same.

-I've noticed that it's much warmer

-in this area...

-..than it is at Rhiw.

-Yes, that's right.

-In the winter, you can usually see a

-difference of four or five degrees.

-Does that affect the plants

-that you grow here?

-The best example we have

-is the tree fern...

-..which is originally

-from New Zealand.

-In North Wales, they are packed in

-bubble wrap or hay for the winter.

-We leave them out and they thrive.

-Little has changed

-since the days of the sisters...

-..as the garden remains true

-to their vision.

-The same is true for the mansion

-where time has stood still.

-The house is displayed

-as if the sisters never left.

-You can see their shoes, clothes

-and furniture all over the house.

-It feels as if

-they've just popped out.

-The practical items speak volumes.

-There's good quality,

-expensive furniture...

-..and practical items

-in the kitchen...

-..such as the iron and toaster.

-You knew two of the sisters

-so what were they like?

-I came here as a child

-and they were kind.

-They were very determined

-in all of their campaigns...

-..but especially in conservation.

-They opposed any developments...

-..that would ruin the view and

-the coast of the Lleyn Peninsula.

-The sisters were at the forefront

-of protecting rural Wales.

-They opposed the building of a

-nuclear power station at Cwmistir...

-..on the northern coast

-of the Lleyn Peninsula.

-They would stop any plans to build

-a caravan park or a wind farm...

-..or anything

-that would ruin the view.

-They were ahead of their time in

-their conservation of the landscape.

-Llifon and the National Trust

-are looking to the future.

-There are no plans

-to develop the garden...

-..but the next field was transformed

-into an orchard of fruit trees...

-..with the help of local children.

-A tenant

-was using the field for grazing.

-We wanted to make it traditional,

-like the orchards of the past...

-..and grow Welsh fruit.

-All these trees

-were sourced in Wales.

-Last year, we had 15 types of apple.

-The Bardsey apple

-grows very well here.

-The Anglesey Pigs Snout and

-Pig Skin apples also grow well here.

-A garden doesn't have to be big

-to be wonderful.

-The small gems are often

-the most beautiful.

-And think about it.

-Nothing beats glorious weather

-and a special garden.

-It's a place for the soul

-to be at peace.

-On my journey

-around the gardens of Wales...

-..I've seen aristocratic,

-small and personal gardens...

-..as well as majestic gardens.

-Every one has its virtues

-and is a feast for the eyes.

-It only confirms that this is

-the golden age of gardens in Wales.

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