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0:00:00 > 0:00:05- This programme takes us so far east, - we're only just still in Wales.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06- Until recently...
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- ..the people of Monmouthshire didn't - consider themselves to be Welsh.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16- That has no effect - on the quality of the houses.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- In fact, Monmouthshire is home...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22- ..to some of the best-preserved - early homes in Wales.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24- Welcome to Y Ty Cymreig.
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0:00:48 > 0:00:52- In this programme, - a fine 17th-century gentry house.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- An old farmhouse - which has a remarkable barn.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- A romantic castle - with echoes of the Taj Mahal.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06- One of Monmouthshire's best - Tudor manors.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13- When I think about Monmouthshire, - I think of heavy industry...
0:01:14 > 0:01:15- ..in the Newport area.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19- But, in essence, - it's an agricultural county.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21- Yes, and it's beautiful too.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- The architecture is splendid.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30- Its wealth came from sheep and the - wool industry, in the highlands...
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- ..and from grain production - here, in the lowlands.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37- The status of the farmhouses - reflects this.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- Has Monmouthshire - always been a part of Wales?
0:01:42 > 0:01:46- Yes, it's always been a part - of Wales but that's been disputed.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52- That's because it was omitted from - the second Act of Union in 1543.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- It's definitely a part of Wales, - for our purposes!
0:01:57 > 0:01:58- Yes, we'll see Welsh houses today.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20- This is a wonderful way - to start the programme, Greg.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21- You must love it!
0:02:21 > 0:02:22- You must love it!- - Yes, it's great.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26- Who built this - and where did he make his money?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- This money was made in London.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- William Jones - lived here in an ordinary house...
0:02:32 > 0:02:37- ..but he inherited a fortune from - his uncle Philip, a London merchant.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42- He demolished his home and built - a new one, in the latest style.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- It has - a fancy Renaissance-style porch.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50- One glance at that roof tells me - a few alterations have been made.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55- Yes, look at the chimney and you'll - see the outline of an old gable.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- There were four attic rooms - on the front of this house.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04- It was traditional to build a sunken - stone wall to keep cattle away.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Yes, it's called a ha-ha.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- You can't see the ha-ha - from the house...
0:03:10 > 0:03:15- ..so it feels as if the house - is sitting in its natural landscape.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- They were fashionable - in the 18th century.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- It would be no laughing matter - if you fell off!
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- No, but it keeps Minti off the lawn!
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- This is a very baronial room.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- Baron Samuel!
0:03:49 > 0:03:50- Baron Samuel!- - Baron Greg and Minti!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- This is the main reception room.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59- If you had the money to build a - huge house, you needed a party room.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- That's what the banqueting hall was.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Was it a reception area - as well as a banqueting hall?
0:04:06 > 0:04:11- There was a raised platform there, - on which was the top table.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18- There would have been a huge table - running the full length of the room.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- That's why they needed - two sets of double doors.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Tell me about this screen.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- This screen has always been here...
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- ..but it was moved to Llanarth Court - during the Victorian era.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36- The owner was worried because - he rented the house to farmers...
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- ..and they stored grain in here!
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- There was grain up to here - and the screen was rotting.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- The present owner purchased it back - during the past decade...
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- ..and fitted it - back in its original place.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- We're at the back of the house - to see my favourite feature.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- A splendid 17th-century staircase.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- It's so high!
0:05:14 > 0:05:19- This is the tallest staircase from - this period in the whole of Wales.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- It covers four floors.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- The posts aren't load bearing, - from what I can see.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- That's right - it's cantilevered.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- The sheer scale of it - is breathtaking.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33- Look at this newel post.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- I'm nearly six feet tall - and it dwarfs me.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- The balusters are the same.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- It's all over-the-top.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- Was this commonplace, at that time?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Was this commonplace, at that time?- - No, not at all.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- I've never seen a staircase - on this scale before.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- It's as if the carpenter - got his measurements wrong!
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- It's amazing.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- It isn't very comfortable either.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- When you walk upstairs, - the rail is really high.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- You look like a child!
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- This is the great chamber - above the main hall.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- The dimensions of the rooms - are exactly the same.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Look at that magnificent ceiling!
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- I've never seen one - quite like that before.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35- Only this section has survived - but it's hugely impressive.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- There's something about windows - where you must crane your neck...
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- ..to see over the window sill.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- You can view - the whole estate from here.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Where did Dadi Greg go, Minti?
0:07:04 > 0:07:05- Greg?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Greg?- - Aled! Aled! I'm down here.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10- What are you doing?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- Having a laugh!
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- I'm told this is a priest's hole.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- Lots of people - claim to have a priest's hole...
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- ..but almost without fail, - what they really have is a cupboard.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- I think this is a priest's hole.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30- We know the Jones family was - Catholic, back in the 17th century.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- During the 1950s renovation - of this property...
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- ..a picture of Mary Magdalene - in Jacobean dress was found in here.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44- It seems highly likely - this was a genuine priest's hole.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Where is the picture you mentioned?
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- It's down here.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56- Aled!
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- It's an entirely different - landscape from yesterday.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- We're in the highlands, - among the Black Mountains.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32- I've just read the Bruce Chatwin - novel - On The Black Hill.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37- I imagine the brothers in the book - lived on a farm such as Ty Mawr.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- Ty Mawr means Big House - but you've brought me to a barn.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- We're here because this - is an interesting barn.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- It's twice the size - of the main house...
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- ..and it explains - the history of this valley.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- This valley is dotted - with 16th and 17th century houses.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- Income from the wool industry - paid for it all.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- We won't see much through this hole - so let's go around to the bottom.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- This barn is built on a slope - for a good reason?
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- Yes, these are called - Monmouthshire Bank Barns.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- They're always - set into the slope of a hill.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31- The grain was loaded into the barn - through the hole at road level.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- This is a threshing barn, hence - the double doors on either side.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- They did the threshing here - and the cattle were down there.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- For most of the year, - it was used to store wool.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- The construction work is amazing.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- The quality of the stonework - on the gable is incredible.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- That's local, red sandstone.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- It's perhaps the best - building material in Wales...
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- ..because when cut, - it gives you such flat edges.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- It looks like a perfect wall.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Why was the wool produced here - so valuable?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- It was top quality wool.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- In the 16th century, - the people of Flanders...
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- ..were happy to pay high prices - for the world's best wool.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- The wool left here and was - taken to market in Abergavenny...
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- ..then on to Bristol, from where it - was exported to Spain and Flanders.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40- This is called Ty Mawr but, with all - due respect, it isn't a big house.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- No, this isn't a big building.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47- The name comes from the house - which stood here prior to this.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- We're standing on what was - the Ty Mawr farmhouse.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58- Those low walls are the foundations - of the original hall house.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- That was the old gable end - of the Ty Mawr large house.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20- This is the new part of the house, - which was built in around 1630.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- It was completely different - from the open, cold hall house.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29- Here we have a fireplace - and a very fancy ceiling.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- There are two windows in here.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- It's a light, warm room.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- How big is this new unit?
0:11:38 > 0:11:44- This beam is one pole's length - - that was the measurement.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- Aled, - let's use this old tape measure.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58- Yes, it measures 16 feet and 6 - inches, which is one pole's length.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- The room isn't this size by chance.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- Carpenters cut beams - to the same length every time.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- This is one of the pantries.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- It's a very practical room.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- It's great to have one.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20- The stonework is wonderful around - what was the hall house front door.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26- It's the only house I've seen with - a 15th-century door in the pantry!
0:12:26 > 0:12:30- Yes, and this house - has not only one but two of them!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- There's another doorway - in the buttery, next door.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- It dates back to around 1500.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Here we are, on the first floor.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- Again, the ceiling - is very well made.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- The shape of the doorway is lovely.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- It's a characteristic - of Monmouthshire architecture.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57- That's remarkable too.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- Yes, and here's the third one, - leading to the attic.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- Look at these tree trunks!
0:13:04 > 0:13:06- Yes, aren't they great?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- They're huge!
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- Here we are in the attic.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- The oak structure is obvious.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- It was extended at some point.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- The pitch of the roof was adjusted - to create more space.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24- They've created a comfortable, - modern home in an old house.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- Houses like this suit modern life.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Houses like this suit modern life.- - Yes, and it's in a great location.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- This is an enchanting valley.
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0:13:46 > 0:13:48- 888- - 888
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- Welcome back to Monmouthshire.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- If Walt Disney had been an architect - in Georgian times...
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- ..he'd have come up with something - as ridiculous and romantic...
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- ..as Clytha Castle.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- Welcome to Disneyland Clytha!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- I've never seen - anything like this before.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- What's this castle's history?
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- Wales is famous for its castles - but I'm very fond of this one.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- It isn't a real castle but a folly - which was built in 1790.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- There's a sad story - behind its creation.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- William Jones of Clytha House - built it...
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- ..to remind him - of his late wife's beauty.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- She died in 1786.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46- This was a memorial to his wife, - Elizabeth Morgan of Tredegar.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- This is Wales's Taj Mahal.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Did William Jones live here?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- No, he lived in the mansion.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00- This was something to look at, - on the brow of the hill.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- He had picnics on the lawns, maybe.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- It was mainly a quiet place - where he could remember his wife.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12- There can't be a better view than - this in the whole of Monmouthshire.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- That's probably why - he built this on the hill.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- Let's have a look inside.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- It's a huge door!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- The door is interesting.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- The front looks like - an old, studded castle door.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- The inside looks like - an ordinary, Georgian door.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40- Many of the features are pieces - you'd find in a Georgian parlour.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- I know the exterior is misleading - and it isn't a real castle...
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- ..but I didn't expect - to see a parlour.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- It's an interesting blend.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55- The architect designed - Gothic-shaped windows...
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- ..fitted with ordinary, - Georgian sash windows.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- It was fashionable at the time.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29- This is the master bedroom, - with six Gothic-shaped windows.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- Has it always been a bedroom?
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- Yes, it seems William Jones - slept here occasionally.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- The fireplace makes it a cosy room.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- There was Gothic-shaped furniture - in here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- We know from receipts - that he bought silk...
0:16:47 > 0:16:51- ..French chintz and handmade - wallpaper for this room.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56- It probably felt more ornate - than it looks nowadays.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Monmouthshire, in all its glory!
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- That's Sugar Loaf Mountain.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- That's Clytha House, - the home of William Jones.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- It's a very fitting tribute - to William Jones's wife.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28- She inspired this folly.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33- Yes. We must also pay tribute - to the Landmark Trust...
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- ..which now manages this building.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- The Landmark Trust has renovated - the house and preserved its spirit.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- You couldn't build - something like this today.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- You'd never get planning permission - for a fake castle.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- The fun has been lost - from architecture.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- This is so much fun, - it has a ha-ha in the garden!
0:18:17 > 0:18:22- Nicholas Arnold, a 17th-century MP - for Monmouthshire, built this house.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- He was a man - who took his horses seriously!
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- He built - a truly splendid home for them!
0:18:42 > 0:18:46- Yes, he built a home for them, - not a stable block!
0:18:47 > 0:18:52- This building dates back to 1630, - during the reign of Charles I.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- It's amazing...
0:18:54 > 0:19:00- ..that there were luxury stables - such as this in 17th-century Wales.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- Cadw has made this - a Grade I listed building.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04- Just this stable block?
0:19:04 > 0:19:05- Just this stable block?- - Yes.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- It's a brick-built building, - using up-to-the-minute technology.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Londoners built brick houses - but he built brick stables!
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- They're visible from the house.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- It would have been an essential part - of a tour of the house.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27- He imported horses from Flanders - and put them in this palatial home.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- That's what I call a warm welcome.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- That's what I call a warm welcome.- - Yes, straight into the hall.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- Is this - the largest room in the house?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- Yes, and it's the most important - room in the house.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- You walk in and you see - his fancy Tudor fireplace.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Who redesigned - this part of the house?
0:20:08 > 0:20:13- The Arnold family did the work - and you see their dates everywhere.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- What's the date on this? 1694.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- There's also a date - on the charcoal oven in the kitchen.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- It was an early version - of the Rayburn!
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- People were proud of the work - they carried out...
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- ..when they renovated and extended - their mansions.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- The style is important.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- We can look through the open door - out across the fields.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- That sense of balance - is obvious throughout the house.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- Yes, as you can see - in the painting of the estate.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- If all houses had a picture such as - that, our job would be easier!
0:20:57 > 0:20:58- We leave the hall...
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- ..and enter what we think - is the oldest part of the house.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Yes - what a mood change!
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- It feels like a private family room. - A drawing room, perhaps.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- Another amazing ceiling!
0:21:14 > 0:21:15- Another amazing ceiling!- - Yes, that's right.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21- That's what makes this an important - part of Welsh architectural history.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26- The collection of ceilings here, - in itself, makes this worth seeing.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- This splendid staircase - leads to the bedrooms.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- Yes, it's made of yew - which is unusual.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- Yew is a difficult wood to carve, - so why use it?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- It reflected the family's status.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- It's expensive and it's quite rare.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- People used oak, - or pine if they were poor.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- Let's go and see the bedroom.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- Before we go upstairs, - I'll call Minti down.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09- Come here, Minti!
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- These are original - 17th-century gates.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17- Their function is to keep - dogs downstairs, where they belong.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Sorry, Minti!
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- What happened to the ceiling?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- In a house - full of interesting ceilings...
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- ..this is the only one - without the original plaster.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57- It's great to see the structure used - to create arched ceilings.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- You can see how it looked - in the next room.
0:23:00 > 0:23:06- There's some great plasterwork in - the great chamber above the hall.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08- What makes this room special?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- What makes this room special?- - Its history.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- It's known as the Charles I Room.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17- It's said Charles I slept here...
0:23:17 > 0:23:23- ..and this panel - is actually from the bed he used.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24- There's an inscription.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- There's an inscription.- - "Kofia Dy Ddechre"...
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- ..which means - "Remember Your Origins"
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- In Monmouthshire, - the most Anglicized Welsh county...
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- ..people used Welsh inscriptions - in the 16th century.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41- Considering it was Charles I, it - should have read "Keep Your Head"!
0:23:42 > 0:23:46- Is this an English house - rather than a Welsh house?
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- "Kofia Dy Ddechre", Aled!
0:23:48 > 0:23:49- It goes back 400 years.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- This is definitely a Welsh house.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:24:26 > 0:24:27- .