Afon Maddawch-Afon Dyfi Arfordir Cymru

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-We're on a journey

-to discover names, folklore...

-..and stories along the shoreline

-of Wales' largest bay.

-Cardigan Bay.

-Evidence of our existence here

-is permanently chronicled...

-..in place names, old and new,

-and even in the rock itself.

-This is Arfordir Cymru.

-This week we travel

-from the Mawddach estuary...

-..southwards past Tywyn

-and the Dysynni valley...

-..before veering back towards

-the mainland up the river Dyfi.

-It should come as no surprise

-that art critic John Ruskin...

-..and poet Alfred Tennyson were

-enchanted by the Mawddach's beauty.

-The river is teeming

-with wildlife...

-..and the skies are filled

-with all kinds of birds.

-As a gateway to Snowdonia or a

-starting point along the Mawddach...

-..you can't do better

-than Penmaenpool...

-..on the outskirts of Dolgellau.

-The village was founded

-to service Penmaenuchaf Hall...

-..but it now has plenty to offer

-on its own.

-Rhys Gwynn is the National Park

-warden in this part of the world.

-He's working on a project which not

-only contributes to the landscape...

-..but also secures the names

-of two rivers - Mawddach and Wnion.

-I'm not sure what grabs

-my attention first about this wall.

-It's such an attractive feature.

-People must constantly ask you

-what is this?

-It's attracted a lot of attention.

-It was a project to re-establish

-the garden behind the wall.

-We've created a wild flower garden.

-We saw it as an opportunity

-to include names...

-..and bring a part

-of the area's heritage alive.

-Since we're on the banks

-of the Mawddach...

-..it was decided to include

-the names of old fishing pools.

-Where are we on this wall?

-We're in Llwnc y Penmaen

-on a meander in the river.

-It looks like a gullet.

-You have the Wnion and the Mawddach.

-This is a catalogue of names.

-Yes. There are many more

-but we had no room for anymore.

-We chose the ones that had

-a particular ring to them...

-..names that had

-a certain story attached to them.

-We have Llyn Dy Fendith at the end.

-It sounds wonderful.

-It is. I would say it was a pool

-that yielded a lot of fish.

-Then you have Llyn y Gadair Goch.

-It doesn't exist anymore.

-It was pool under the main bridge

-in Dolgellau.

-That's where witches were drowned

-in Dolgellau.

-The chair was lowered by a rope

-into the pool.

-If the chair and the accused witch

-sunk, she was innocent!

-By then, it was too late.

-If the chair floated, she would be

-lowered again until she sunk.

-That was the law of the land

-at the time.

-Llyn Halen Mawr shows the influence

-of the tide at its highest.

-Y Draill is a wonderful word.

-It's an ancient world relating

-to using nets...

-..casting the nets in the pool

-and trawling for fish.

-You've used

-more than one kind of stone.

-Yes, I've tried to

-use local stone...

-..or stone that reflects

-the local geology.

-There are some hard stones

-which you'll find on Cader Idris...

-..and some smaller stones.

-You'll find different kinds of stone

-in this area.

-To depict the flow of the water,

-I used slate...

-..and as an outline for the river,

-I used copper piping.

-The final characteristic

-is the wood.

-I carved the salmon - it's meant

-to be a salmon, it's close enough!

-I carved it from wood

-sourced in Marchynys...

-..one of the authority's forestries.

-The only part that isn't local

-is the salmon's eye.

-It came from Llanrwst, from

-a company that makes glass eyes!

-How many hours do you estimate?

-That's a very good question.

-On some days, it took

-a major effort to continue the work.

-People would stop to talk and ask

-about the meanings of the names.

-That's why we built the wall...

-..to present

-the heritage and the names...

-..to people who visited the area.

-Great. Its legacy will last a long

-time - it's a solid construction.

-There's plenty of concrete in this!

-It won't go far.

-Rhys has chronicled

-many names on the wall.

-Many more have come from Gwyn

-Williams, Borth y Gest's collection.

-They're scattered along the Wnion

-and around the town of Dolgellau.

-There are fewer pools

-along the Mawddach...

-..because it widens

-towards its estuary...

-..but there are many islands...

-..Ynys Faig, Ynys Graianog

-and Ynys Gyffylog.

-With the river behind us...

-..heading south

-past Llwyngwril and Llangelynnin...

-..we reach Traeth Felin Fraenan.

-It has links to troubled times in

-the history of the Welsh coastline.

-This dark craggy rock

-is Carreg Halen.

-We'll encounter numerous Ogof Halen

-and Traeth Halen on this journey.

-These names emerged as a result of

-activities along the Welsh coast...

-..during the eighteenth century -

-smuggling!

-Wine, spirits and tobacco

-were transferred from ships...

-..to smaller boats

-crewed by large, menacing men.

-They were transported

-to small beaches like these.

-Not only were luxurious goods

-smuggled here...

-..but salt was needed to cure meat.

-There was a hefty tax on it

-in this country.

-It was cheap in Ireland and

-the temptation was very evident.

-You can imagine them smuggling it in

-- there's shelter between two rocks.

-Imagine a boat of around 25 feet,

-maybe less...

-..sailing in at night, men working

-quietly transferring the salt...

-..to others standing

-on Carreg Halen...

-..who transported it inland away

-from the gaze of the authorities.

-When goods landed

-on Traeth Felin Fraenan...

-..they were transported inland

-along this hillside...

-..all the way to Dolgellau

-and further afield.

-Money wasn't always the currency.

-Sometimes smuggled goods were traded

-for legal goods such as butter.

-It was an early form

-of money laundering!

-It was business on a vast scale.

-Every layer of society, from

-the rich to the poor, were involved.

-In 1780, in a diary written

-by a lady from Dolgellau...

-..there is a record

-of a David Williams...

-..challenging the authorities here

-in Hen-ddol, Arthog.

-He had spent extensively on

-the house and divided it into rooms.

-The money spent

-on making alterations...

-..came from dubious sources.

-He was a farmer but he was also

-a spy, a smuggler and a privateer.

-In other words,

-a pirate employed by the Crown...

-..to steal goods from foreign ships.

-He was in dispute

-with his employer...

-..because he didn't share

-his spoils fairly.

-David Williams wasn't the type

-to adhere to rules.

-Owen Owens the bailiff

-arrived to arrest David Williams.

-He owed the Crown 200

-for smuggled goods.

-A siege ensued to rival anything

-from the OK Corral.

-Just like the Westerns, even though

-three bailiffs were wounded...

-..good finally overcame evil.

-When Owen Owens called for more

-back-up, Williams was arrested.

-That was the end of his

-smuggling career, once and for all.

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-We're on a journey

-along Cardigan Bay.

-We're heading inland where

-the sea's influence stretches far...

-..even though the waves disappeared

-a long time ago.

-The origin of Dysynni is very vague.

-The river separates the commotes

-of Ystumanner and Tal-y-bont.

-The name may come from the Welsh

-for 'a river separates'.

-One thing that is certain is it's

-floodplain was wetter years ago...

-..when the sea ebbed and flowed

-across the valley floor.

-The cormorant has nested on

-Craig yr Aderyn since before time.

-This large black bird

-frightens some people...

-..and you could argue

-that it is primitive in appearance.

-They are great fishers.

-In Japan, people tie string

-around their necks...

-..to limit them

-to eating only the smallest fish.

-They then leave the larger fish

-for the fishermen.

-Fortunately,

-that doesn't happen here.

-For one thing,

-we're miles from the sea.

-I'm told that this is the furthest

-inland that the cormorant nests.

-When the sea flowed

-as far inland as this...

-..they would nest

-on Craig yr Aderyn.

-When the sea retreated,

-they stayed here.

-A local farmer told me

-he sees fewer these days.

-Maybe they finally realise

-how far they are from the sea now.

-The Talyllyn train line

-links Abergynolwyn with Tywyn.

-To travel back to the coast,

-I head to Dolgoch station.

-On the station map, you can see

-clearly where the sea once was.

-It flowed up the Dysynni valley

-to Craig yr Aderyn and beyond.

-We're now down here,

-at Dolgoch station.

-We're heading to Tywyn

-in a very special train.

-In 1951, this was the world's first

-line to be awarded heritage status.

-The Reverend Wilbert Awdry

-was a volunteer on the line.

-The colourful little trains

-inspired him...

-..to write

-The Thomas The Tank Engine books.

-Along this line, slate from

-Aberllefenni and Abergynolwyn...

-..were transported to Tywyn

-to be exported on ships.

-The name Tywyn derives from

-the Welsh word for sand dune.

-Extensive sand dunes can still

-be found to the north and south.

-St Cadfan administered a religious

-community here in the sixth century.

-Cadfan also founded a monastery

-on Bardsey Island.

-Here, you will find a church

-dedicated to him.

-It is one of our true treasures.

-The oldest parts of this church

-date back to the 12th century.

-A church stood here prior to then

-and survived a Viking attack in 963.

-This church,

-with its arches and pillars...

-..is a feat

-of Romanesque architecture.

-It has one or two secrets too.

-This is Cadfan's stone.

-It has been given

-little attention...

-..but it shows the earliest

-evidence of written Welsh.

-Some date it from the ninth

-century, some from the seventh.

-It has been exposed to elements

-for long periods.

-Some suggest that it was once used

-as a gate post.

-It's difficult to read

-the writing on the stone.

-Part of the

-Welsh inscription reads...

-.."Tengrumui wedded wife of Adgan,

-a mortal wound remains."

-Agonising words,

-simple in some respects...

-..which became the foundation

-of everything that followed.

-The Dysynni meanders along the

-valley floor towards Broad Water.

-Morgan Vaughan

-is a pillar of this community.

-His roots are deep

-in this fertile land.

-Well, Morgan, there's a lovely view

-of Tywyn from up here.

-Yes, most definitely.

-We're looking out across

-the Dysynni valley in all its glory.

-To the right, Broad Water.

-That large expanse of water.

-The Dysynni flows through it...

-..and out to sea in Tonfannau.

-During wartime,

-there were 10,000 soldiers here...

-..between Tonfannau

-and the sea marsh.

-As many as 10,000 soldiers.

-Your family's roots are in Cwm

-Maethlon, just beyond these hills.

-Most definitely.

-I was born in the highest farm

-in the valley, in Dysyrnant.

-From there, I walked to school.

-These papers here chronicle

-that my father's grandfather...

-..was appointed

-as a constable during his lifetime.

-It shows it here.

-It shows it here.

-

-There's a date on it.

-There's a date on it here.

-1867.

-My family's history stretches back

-in these parts for many years.

-How long have you lived here?

-We look down on your farm from here.

-We're looking down

-on Pall Mall from here.

-You wouldn't expect a local farm

-to be called Pall Mall.

-They tell me that the farmhouse...

-..has been called Pall Mall

-for many years.

-It was built by an Englishman

-from London...

-..and he built another house nearby

-called Piccadilly.

-You farm this flat land

-at the bottom.

-I ploughed these fields for years.

-Even to this day, tree trunks

-can still be found here.

-At one time...

-..trees were grown...

-..across this valley floor.

-Speaking to you here, I can sense

-the pride you have about this area.

-On a day like this, I'm full

-of admiration - it's wonderful.

-Had you been here yesterday,

-it was a different story.

-You could see nothing, you couldn't

-see more than 100 yards ahead.

-Today, it shows the Dysynni valley

-in all its glory.

-We have reason to be grateful.

-We don't show that gratitude

-often enough.

-Cwm Maethlon

-is a sheltered wooded valley.

-It can be found inland

-between Tywyn and Aberdyfi.

-More recently,

-it's been called Happy Valley...

-..following the growth of Aberdyfi

-as a Victorian resort.

-The next substantial river

-we encounter is the Dyfi.

-Dafydd ap Gwilym once

-extolled its serenity in verse...

-..requesting blessed protection

-to cross it.

-Dyfi comes from du (black)

-due to the riverbed's dark colour.

-Its waters have provided life

-and livelihoods to the locality.

-Aberdyfi has two distinct pasts.

-Its earliest successes

-were not due to its harbour.

-It was a flourishing centre

-for herring fishing.

-One night in 1745...

-..Aberdyfi fishermen

-landed a thousand casks of herring.

-Aberdyfi achieved further success

-as a harbour town...

-..after the Cambrian railways

-were founded.

-It was possible to bring slate

-from Abergynolwyn...

-..transfer the load to ships

-and export it around the world.

-The river is a quieter place today.

-It's quiet enough

-to venture out with a fishing rod.

-Few nets can be seen

-on the river today.

-Fishing is more a pastime

-than a livelihood now.

-Rod fishing continues to be popular.

-Illtyd Griffiths has fished the

-Dyfi's dark depths for many years.

-How old were you

-when you started fishing?

-I started fishing

-when I was four years old.

-How long have you fished the Dyfi?

-How long have you fished the Dyfi?

-

-I started in the '70s.

-I had a full permit in the '80s.

-I've been here fishing

-for over 30 years.

-It's a pleasure to fish this river.

-This river

-has a lot of history to it.

-It was a private river.

-The Marquis of Londonderry

-lived in Plas Machynlleth.

-Only friends and the elite...

-The wealthy!

-Only the wealthy

-were allowed to fish the river.

-This incensed the locals

-and a lot of poaching took place.

-In 1929, he transferred

-the right to fish the river...

-..to the people of Machynlleth.

-There were many rules.

-There were many rules.

-

-Many rules.

-You can only fly fish on this river.

-And no fishing on a Sunday.

-And no fishing on a Sunday.

-

-No fishing on a Sunday.

-This is the only river

-in Wales where this happens.

-Many rivers have names

-for different pools.

-The same is true of this river.

-Craig-y-penrhyn is the pool

-down in that corner.

-Above the bridge,

-you'll find Ffridd...

-..St John's, Llyn y Tanc, Glandwr...

-..Llyn y Catch,

-Siwellyn, Siwellyn Fach...

-..Llyn y Cwch, Abergwydol.

-Tell me more about Llyn y Cwch.

-Years ago,

-you could make a living....

-..taking people and livestock

-across the river by boat.

-They could come from Llanwrin to

-the back road along the main road...

-..or they could just

-cross the river.

-A boat would ferry them

-back and forth.

-Are there names from here

-down to the sea?

-You pass Dolau Llwyd, Pen Ddol...

-..the Wattles, Llyn Morgan...

-..Dolgelynen...

-..all the way down to Rhiwlas

-and there's a pool called Lime Kiln.

-I don't know much

-about its history...

-..but Derwenlas was a harbour

-back in the day.

-Does the sea

-influence the river today?

-When the tide comes in,

-it goes quiet.

-When the tide's out,

-fish start biting again.

-After the tide,

-it's a good time to catch fish.

-The sea has influence

-a long way inland.

-And beyond. You can feel its

-influence for miles up this river.

-Yes. I can't tell you why.

-It's not only

-where the sea meets the river...

-..but a lot further upriver.

-As I sit on the riverbank

-late into the day...

-..I can feel the river's

-quiet, enchanting energy.

-Much has changed over the decades...

-..but it still

-has established traditions...

-..echoing a different,

-more relaxed era.

-I must say,

-I find that rather comforting.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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