Cricieth-Afon Dwyryd Arfordir Cymru

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-Our journey around

-the Llyn Peninsula continues...

-..as we search for the stories

-behind some of the place names.

-This is the wonderful story

-of the Welsh coastline.

-This programme will takes us

-from Criccieth to Porthmadog...

-..and up to Ffestiniog.

-Having started our journey

-in Llanberis...

-..we've followed the Llyn coastline

-from Caernarfon to Eifionydd...

-..somewhere that shares much

-with the far end of Llyn.

-History, culture

-and exceptional natural beauty.

-R Williams Parry

-once described Eifionydd...

-..as land between sea and mountain.

-Our focus

-for the rest of the journey...

-..is the sea, the coast

-and the mountain

-The area around Criccieth...

-..has changed greatly

-over the past centuries.

-Artist Robert Cadwalader

-has a keen interest...

-..in the history and landscape

-of his locality.

-Well, Robert, I've visited numerous

-dens but this is one of the best.

-After retiring from the sea,

-I wanted to paint.

-I bought this hut -

-well, it's not a hut, it's a studio.

-You're a man of your locality.

-That's reflected in your work.

-You're in the middle of something -

-tell us more about it.

-This is a view of Criccieth

-from the east...

-..with Ystumllyn in the middle.

-In the 17th century,

-this flowed into the sea.

-Slowly, one end was blocked off

-by gravel...

-..which had moved along

-the coastline.

-Sometimes, the sea broke through

-the bank at Heraig.

-The beach is called Heraig.

-Heraig, Neraig, Hen Eraig.

-There are different pronunciations.

-I call it Heraig.

-Are there any other names

-you can pinpoint on the painting?

-There are names

-that are long forgotten.

-Rhiw-for-fawr.

-Under Rhiw-for-fawr,

-you'll find Ogof Du.

-The peninsula that stretches down

-to Y Greigddu...

-..there's an old name

-that's been long forgotten.

-Trwyn y Pry or Penrhyn y Pryfaid.

-That's a forgotten name.

-Why was it called Trwyn y Pry?

-I was told that

-it came from the word 'prey'.

-It was a good place

-to hunt for rabbits.

-I see, I see.

-What would you find beyond

-this picture, to the right?

-There was an island but it's

-no longer surrounded by water...

-..called Ynyscynhaiarn.

-It's agricultural land now.

-They dried out the land

-after the war.

-You can see the trench

-in this painting.

-That stretches under the railway.

-That's the high tide mark.

-Does the sea every break over

-the ridge these days?

-The last time it occurred was

-just before World War II, in 1938.

-There was a bridge over the Cedron

-at the mouth of the estuary.

-It was destroyed 20 minutes after

-the school train had passed over it.

-After the war, a lot of work

-was done to control the tide...

-..and nothing has happened

-since then.

-It's been tamed finally.

-It's nature - you never know.

-Onwards from Criccieth,

-past Penrhyn y Pry.

-There are three striking caves

-near Y Greigddu.

-Ogof Ddrewllyd (Smelly Cave)

-and Ogof Fawr (Large Cave).

-The Owen Morris was a ship which ran

-aground into the third cave in 1907.

-A short distance around the point...

-..is the vast expanse

-of Traeth Morfa Bychan.

-Land on one side

-and a distant horizon on the other.

-The horizon in front of me

-in the direction of Borth-y-Gest...

-..doesn't appear any closer either.

-The immensity of this beach

-dwarfs a person.

-You feel like a grain of sand

-under your feet.

-Morfa Bychan (Little Marsh)

-is an ironic name.

-The beach ends at this vast estuary

-which leads to Porthmadog.

-Borth-y-Gest is on the way...

-..nestled under Moel-y-Gest.

-I head inland to a town with strong

-links to the shipping industry.

-That link is characterised

-in some of the place names.

-The wooded island behind me

-is Cei Balast (Ballast Quay).

-This is where ships unloaded

-their ballast after a sea voyage.

-Ballast is the weight

-at the bottom of a ship...

-..to steady it in the water.

-Ships from Porthmadog

-sailed around the world.

-There are minerals, rocks

-and plants on Cei Balast...

-..which are alien

-to Llyn and Eifionydd.

-The Llyn coastal path

-ends in Porthmadog...

-..a town which grew to facilitate

-the Ffestiniog slate industry.

-The town was once a bustling port

-where many ships were also built.

-Over 200 ships.

-This growth happened

-during a short space of time.

-Local historian Peredur Hughes has

-a keen interest in the town's past.

-If both of us had stood on this hill

-200 years ago...

-..what would we see here now?

-Well, if the tide was in,

-we'd see nothing but sea.

-This would all be sea.

-As far as the eye could see...

-..all the way to Tremadog.

-It would be nothing but sea.

-More interestingly, you had little

-islands scattered across the sea.

-They can still be seen today,

-although not as prominent as before.

-Many buildings have been constructed

-in Porthmadog around them...

-..but they're very interesting.

-The first one, the nearest to us,

-right in front of us...

-..is Ynys Tywyn.

-It's surrounded by water now -

-the harbour...

-..and what we call Cob Crwn.

-That circular expanse of water.

-In the distance,

-you can see Ynys Cerrig Duon...

-..and Ynys Galch to the left.

-There are other islands that

-can't be seen from this location.

-These islands are still here,

-those are their names...

-..even though they're not islands.

-How did this all happen?

-It wad the vision of one man -

-Williams Madocks.

-He came here and saw the potential

-in drying out the land.

-He constructed a sea wall in 1800.

-It stretches from Porthmadog square

-all the way to Portreuddyn point.

-Tremadog became dry land

-as a result.

-In that direction.

-All the way over to Pen Morfa

-and the Wern estate.

-Since it was such a success...

-..he saw the possibility

-of further development.

-He subsequently constructed

-the Cob...

-..the long strip that goes across.

-Ynys Tywyn used to be far larger

-than it is today.

-Madocks quarried the stone

-from Ynys Tywyn...

-..to construct

-the Caernarfon side of the Cob.

-On the Meirionnydd side,

-he opened another quarry..

-..to construct

-the Meirionnydd side of the Cob.

-Boston Lodge is situated where

-the two sides of the Cob joined.

-Boston strikes me as a strange name

-for a building in this area.

-Boston is a town in Lincolnshire...

-..and Madocks was the MP for Boston.

-That's why it was called Boston

-Lodge and the name remains today.

-This expanse of land stretches

-as far as the eye can see.

-How much land did he reclaim?

-He reclaimed over 1,000 acres.

-He then constructed a slate quay...

-..to export all the slate that came

-down from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-Ships were also being built here

-and it became a very busy town.

-Porthmadog grew into the town

-we see in front of us.

-A boomtown!

-A boomtown!

-

-A real boomtown. Incredible.

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-We're on a journey along

-the North-west Wales coastline.

-We're heading towards the uplands...

-..following the river to the origin

-of the slate industry...

-..which had such an influence

-on the area.

-The Dwyryd reaches the sea

-at its estuary beyond Porthmadog.

-We're following it

-all the way back to Ffestiniog.

-After crossing the newly-built

-Pont Briwet...

-..we encounter

-far more established structures...

-..left behind

-as technology overtook them.

-Slate fields, dormant now...

-..where Ffestiniog slate

-was loaded onto boats...

-..before being transported downriver

-and transferred to larger ships.

-There were nine quays, but when

-the railway was developed...

-..to transport the slate

-more efficiently...

-..the workers on the quays

-became incensed.

-The nickname of the men

-who did this job...

-..was the philistines.

-A philistine is someone

-who opposes...

-..technological

-or scientific development.

-This railway line threatened

-the livelihood of the boat workers.

-They would come up late at night...

-...and vandalise parts

-of the railway line.

-Accordingly,

-they were dubbed the philistines.

-After walking down from the railway

-line, I reach Plas Tan y Bwlch.

-At the end of the 18th century...

-..Margaret Griffiths from Tan y

-Bwlch was searching for a husband...

-..who could improve the estate.

-The ideal man was William Oakeley...

-..a wealthy young man

-from Staffordshire.

-Oakeley's arrival at Tan y Bwlch...

-..heralded a prosperous time

-for the estate.

-He's remembered mainly for his work

-in improving the agricultural land.

-Before his arrival, the tide would

-flow in, the river would overflow...

-..rendering the land useless.

-Oakeley erected an embankment

-to control the river...

-..which veered in front of the house

-to improve the views.

-This happened during

-the Picturesque period...

-..where landscapes

-were formed and framed perfectly.

-I must say, the view from here

-is as good as any you'll see.

-Beyond the mansion house, across

-the river and its manmade turns...

-..the Prysor river flows

-into the Dwyryd...

-..after passing a wooded valley.

-On a map,

-this is called Coed Felinrhyd...

-..but some locals claim

-this is a mistake.

-Eurliw Jones lives in a picturesque

-place above the river...

-..called Felen Rhyd Fach.

-So, Eurliw, how long has your family

-farmed Felen Rhyd Fach?

-Mam and Dad lived here

-when they were married in 1952.

-My father's from Caernarfon and

-Mam's home was Llanbedr, Harlech.

-They found a spot in the middle,

-between both families.

-It's an old cottage.

-It was a small building originally.

-It's been added to over the years.

-The Oakeley estate

-built the far end.

-That's the most recent part of the

-house but it's 200 years old too!

-To reach the farm, I walked

-through a forest called Felinrhyd.

-That's my bugbear -

-it's meant to be Felen.

-'Felen rhyd fach'

-is the crossing point in the river.

-In English, little yellow ford.

-This stretches back

-for many centuries.

-It's mentioned in the Mabinogion.

-The story tells of how Gwydion,

-who lived in Gwynedd...

-..had heard that Pryderi

-was selling pigs in Dyfed.

-They were new animals to the people

-of Gwynedd at the time.

-Pryderi didn't want

-to sell the pigs.

-Gwydion convinced him to sell...

-..by offering 12 white stallions...

-..hunting dogs

-and golden bridles in return.

-The deal was done and Gwydion

-worked his way back up to Gwynedd.

-Gwydion has exchanged magical

-stallions and hunting dogs...

-..but these disappeared within days.

-Pryderi was incensed.

-He travelled to Gwynedd

-with his army to confront Gwydion...

-..and there was a major battle

-on Traeth Mawr, not far from here.

-Pryderi was killed

-and he was buried by Y Felen Rhyd.

-That's the correct name.

-It's important that it's retained.

-It's such a shame

-when names are changed.

-Where does the 'melyn' (yellow)

-come into it?

-It was the colour of the rock.

-The shale that is found here,

-there's a yellow tint to it.

-There's no mention

-of 'felin' (mill).

-There are no mills

-anywhere near here.

-It's a tragedy that the name

-is used incorrectly.

-These names shouldn't be lost.

-Apparently, there was another

-ford in Maentwrog.

-Its location was at 'Maen Twrog'

-(Twrog's stone).

-It's a prominent rock

-outside St Twrog's church.

-Fords were sacred places.

-Twrog and the Devil,

-or the Celtic god of fertility...

-..fought over the ownership

-of the ford.

-After a period of fighting,

-a ceasefire was called.

-Twrog climbed

-to the top of the Moelwyn...

-..and prayed for supernatural

-power and strength.

-This he received

-and he picked up a huge rock...

-..and threw it down

-the mountainside.

-It landed between the Devil's

-hooves, destroyed a pagan altar...

-..and the Devil was so frightened,

-he stood and flew away.

-He refused to land

-until he reached England.

-It is said that he remains there

-to this day.

-The stone

-and the rather colourful story...

-..have survived

-as an explanation of the name.

-Maentwrog.

-Closer to its source, the Cynfal

-is one of a number of tributaries...

-..which joins the river Dwyryd.

-Geraint Vaughan Jones is secretary

-of the Cambrian Angling Association.

-Geraint, our journey started

-on the Seiont...

-..we travelled along

-the Llyn coastline...

-..and followed the river

-to this location.

-Water is a wonderful attraction.

-Indeed. This is the Dwyryd.

-It's a wonderful river.

-You have a family link to the river.

-Yes, according to my father.

-My great-great-great grandfather...

-..use to carry slate,

-on a horsed-drawn cart...

-..down to the quay

-on the lower side of Maentwrog.

-It was loaded on to the boats and

-reloaded onto ships in Porthmadog.

-That's the story.

-A ford is a crossing point

-in the river.

-Where were the 'dwy rhyd'

-(two fords)?

-One of the fords

-would be Felen Rhyd.

-It's mentioned in the Mabinogion.

-The other ford

-would be Rhyd y Sarn...

-..about three-quarters of a mile

-from where we are.

-The origin of the name Dwyryd

-is simple enough.

-For me it is.

-The river and all its tributaries...

-..flows through

-a post-industrial landscape...

-..but there's evidence to suggest

-this was once a bustling place.

-When the slate quarries were

-at their peak a century ago...

-..all the water was required

-to turn the mills...

-..where the slate was treated.

-Some tributaries

-disappear underground...

-..before reappearing elsewhere.

-There are special names for the

-flies you use to fish on this river.

-The association is the one of the

-oldest, if not the oldest, in Wales.

-It was formed in 1885...

-..during a time when houses

-were being built...

-..they called them houses,

-not huts, on every lake.

-On weekends, the quarrymen

-would fish at night, overnight...

-..and through the morning.

-Emrys Evans, who's very

-well-known in these parts...

-..I have his book here...

-Fortunately!

-He maintains

-that during those evenings...

-..when quarrymen would discuss which

-flies worked and which didn't...

-..and they experimented

-with different flies...

-..that numerous local flies

-were created at that time.

-Emrys has described all the flies.

-One name jumps out at you

-immediately.

-Egarych Sgarff Huw Wan.

-There's a story behind it.

-Huw Wan was sat in chapel

-one Sunday night...

-..and a girl in front of him

-was wearing a scarf.

-He was taken by the colour

-of her scarf.

-Somehow or other,

-after leaving the chapel...

-..he took a piece of the scarf

-for his fly.

-It's a simple explanation.

-There are some flies

-named after Nain's brother.

-Here's one -

-Cogyn Ifan John Ty Canol.

-Pluen Sewin Eric Twm -

-Eric died about two years ago.

-He was an accomplished fly tier.

-These characters

-would invent their own flies.

-They would check to see

-if these flies worked first...

-..and once they caught fish...

-..they were considered official

-flies in the Plu Stiniog book.

-You don't want your name

-on something that doesn't work!

-It wouldn't get acknowledged.

-The source of all this water...

-..is Ffestiniog's mountains.

-We're surrounded by slate again.

-Our journey comes full circle

-figuratively and literally.

-As the crow flies, it is only

-a few miles to the north...

-..to the quarries of Llanberis

-where the journey began.

-This grey slate is a bookend

-on either side of the series.

-The beginning and end aren't

-as important as the journey itself.

-As the older generation leave us,

-some names will be lost with them...

-..but in a stronghold

-of the Welsh language...

-..we can only hope

-that local people in their wisdom...

-..create new names

-to replace those that slip away.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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