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0:00:23 > 0:00:28- The aim of this unique series is - to explore our landscape's history.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33- These fields guard many secrets - and we want to reveal the truth.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35- Welcome to Caeau Cymru.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44- During the series, we travel across - Wales to visit numerous farms.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- We discover how the landscape - unlocks our history...
0:00:50 > 0:00:55- ..and I'll talk to a host of experts - about subjects which vary...
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- ..from the Welsh wool industry - to the history of Welsh wolves.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04- We hear fascinating stories, - meet colourful characters...
0:01:04 > 0:01:10- ..follow a collection of maps and - marvel at our beautiful landscape.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15- We see how some things have changed - yet others remain the same.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- History is essential to our story...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- ..but names are our starting point.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27- The names of our fields and the use - made of the land are very important.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- Old names like Cae Crwm and Cae Erw.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- New names like Cae Jim John - and Cae Pickup.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Each has its own story - and its own history.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- It's vital - that all these names are recorded.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43- If we lose them, - we lose a piece of our history.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Accompanying me on my journey - across the Welsh landscape...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57- ..is the expert, Rhian Parry.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- Rhian has researched the subject...
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- ..and she's a leading member - of the Welsh Place-Name Society.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Rhian, what's so exciting - about the fields of Wales?
0:02:10 > 0:02:12- For me, it's their names.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- They're interesting - and they're beautiful.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20- They can unlock history - and they can be ancient.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23- Some names date back - to the Age Of Princes.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- If you place the names on a map - and look at an area...
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- ..at more than one farm, - in other words...
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- ..it reveals a great deal - about that parish.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39- It's possible to trace the names - of fields back hundreds of years...
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- ..by referring to ancient documents.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46- When we do that, we realize - just how old they really are...
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- ..and how important it is - to record them and protect them.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- We're in - the National Library Of Wales...
0:03:05 > 0:03:07- ..to trace the history - of field names.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10- Should we start by asking farmers?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- No, start by checking - the Tithe Maps Of Wales.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- What are they?
0:03:17 > 0:03:23- Maps which were drawn as a result - of a review commissioned in 1836.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- Tithes were a form of tax - on possessions and produce.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- Things such as crops and animals - which were reared on the land.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- A sum of 10% of annual profits - was made by parishioners...
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- ..to support the parish church - and its clergy.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- I can see farm names - and a sequence of numbers.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- I can see no field names.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48- I can see no field names.- - That's true.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- Every field is allocated a number...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- ..which corresponds - to a number in the lists.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- These lists - make fascinating reading.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04- They contain some ancient names - dating back 600 to 700 years.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Is this where we'll go this week?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- Yes. This is Plas Capten farm, - Trawsfynydd.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- This farm - has a fascinating history...
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- ..which dates back some 400 years.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27- Gelli Iorwerth, the original name - of this farm, was a large estate.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- In the mid-18th century, - it was renamed Plas Capten...
0:04:32 > 0:04:37- ..after Captain John Morgan, who was - born here in the 17th century.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- He lost his land - to the Roundheads...
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- ..having fought for King Charles I - during the Civil War.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Nest Williams and her husband - now live here.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Some fields carry ancient names - and others modern ones.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Nest, are you interested - in field names?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Yes, I have a keen interest - in field names.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00- When I moved here...
0:05:00 > 0:05:06- ..I was curious about the captain - after whom Plas Capten was named.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14- When I found out that Gelli Iorwerth - was its original name...
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- ..I wanted to delve deeper - into its history.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- Is this part of the original - Gelli Iorwerth?
0:05:21 > 0:05:26- Yes, this wall is part of - the old Gelli Iorwerth gentry house.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27- What about the fields?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Do you use their names - or do you use numbers?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- We always use names.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- There are - some interesting names here.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- This field was known as Cae Cefn Ty - - Field Behind The House...
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- ..which makes perfect sense.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- We've always called it Cae Stalwyn - - Stallion's Field.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- One of the fields - registered on the Tithe Maps...
0:05:59 > 0:06:04- ..has a historical connection - which dates back almost 2,000 years.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- We walked up here - to see a special field.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- This is Cae Penstryd - - Field At The Top Of The Street.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19- It's an ancient name.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24- Street refers to the street, - or the Roman road, Sarn Helen.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30- It leads across the sheep walks - to the old Coed Y Brenin road.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- It was the main road to Dolgellau - in Roman times.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36- Do you still use the name?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40- Yes. We call it Cae Penstryd.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- Let's hope the name is used forever.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- Yes. If these walls could talk, - they'd have a tale to tell!
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- South of Plas Capten, - there was a village in Penstryd.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06- It was a blacksmith's village, - serving drovers and local farmers.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- Crossing Pen Stryd heading south - is the Roman road, Sarn Helen.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15- If we look at the map, we see - the road's path across the valley.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- It runs along Ffridd Wen, Cae Gwyn, - Cae Pen Stryd...
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- ..and past the Myddyrion fields.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29- In a spot called Gilfachwen, - which is part of Plas Capten...
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- ..Sarn Helen can be seen clearly.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- What we have here - is a shelf cut into the slope.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Nest, what is this wonder?
0:07:48 > 0:07:52- We think what we have here are - the remains of a harvest house.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- This is Cae Tai Cynhaeaf - - Harvest Houses Field.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- That's been its name - since ancient times.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- Apparently, this is the footprint - of one of those houses.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11- People would have sheltered from - the elements in this tiny building.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- They did little more - than sleep here.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- The field was their piece of land.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- How did you find these remains?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- How did you find these remains?- - There was a stone cairn here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- My husband was repairing these walls - around six years ago...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- ..and he cleared the cairn - to use the stones in the walls.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- That's what he found beneath them.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- He thought it was very revealing.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46- There remains of some sort of house - at the bottom of the field...
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- ..but there's no slate there.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Cae Tai Cynhaeaf - is the ancient name.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Yes, and we still use it today.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- On the Tithe Map, - near Cae Tai Cynhaeaf...
0:09:07 > 0:09:12- ..there are several fields - called Myddyrion, or Myfyrion.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19- You use Cae Tai Cynhaeaf, but you - don't use Myddyrion. Why not?
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Myddyrion Bach is now Cae Dan Beudy - - Field Below The Cowshed.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- That's because cowshed and the barn - are above this field.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- Myddyrion Ganol is now called - Cae Mownti - Show Field.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- When my father-in-law was a boy...
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- ..a ploughing contest - was held in that field.
0:09:45 > 0:09:51- I also read Blas Ar Iaith Llyn - Ac Eifionydd by Bedwyr Lewis Jones.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- In it, he lists the word 'mownti' - and he says it means 'a show'.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02- My understanding is Nefyn Show - is known as a 'mownti' by some.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07- According to Bedwyr Lewis Jones, - if you were well turned out...
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- ..you were as grand - as a mownti horse.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- There's a story and a reason - behind every name...
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- ..and it's fascinating - to unearth the facts.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27- I head to Bod Y Fuddai, - above Plas Capten....
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- ..to discuss prehistoric agriculture - with John Robert, the archaeologist.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- John, you've brought me - to Ffridd Y Siglan.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Is this really agricultural land?
0:10:43 > 0:10:45- It certainly is rough land...
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- ..but we know the land - was cultivated in the past.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- It was dual-purpose land.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- The high ground - was used as grazing land...
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- ..and crops were grown - on that plateau.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Things like oats and barley.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- In the winter, it's impossible - to imagine people living here...
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- ..but many people lived - at this high altitude in the past.
0:11:17 > 0:11:23- We know this because many Iron Age - and Roman dwellings have been found.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- Describe the remains. - What do we have here?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- An Iron Age homestead.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- There's a cluster - of hut circles here...
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- ..and there are many more remains.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- We're standing on an oval yard.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46- If you look across the slopes, - you see evidence of cultivation.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48- What sort of cultivation?
0:11:48 > 0:11:49- What sort of cultivation?- - Ridge and furrow.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- It gives us an idea - of the way people grew crops.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59- Here, we see evidence of ploughing, - or digging perhaps.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- This site was discovered - by the Royal Commission.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13- The design of the hut group is far - clearer in an aerial photograph.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- The round huts and the oval yard - can be seen clearly.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- You can even see the ancient ridges.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- These sheepwalks are important.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- Yes, and they've been important - right across the centuries.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- Man has always ploughed the land...
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- ..even where there's only - a thin layer of soil.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40- The ridges are very important.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- Through them, we see - the development of agriculture...
0:12:45 > 0:12:46- ..through the ages.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- The experience of being up here, - seeing this old hut group...
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- ..has been a real eye-opener for me.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- All I could see - was a pile of stones...
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- ..but John - unlocked the mystery for me.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- He helped me see - the secrets behind it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- People farmed here back then, - as they do now...
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- ..and they'll continue to do so - until the end of time.
0:13:20 > 0:13:20- .
0:13:24 > 0:13:24- Subtitles
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- Next, I'll visit Yr Ysgwrn, - the home of the poet, Hedd Wyn.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54- This farm was once part - of the Gelli Iorwerth estate.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- I'm here to learn about field names - rather than poetry...
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- ..and to have a chat - with Gerald Williams.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- Gerald, there are some - interesting fields at Yr Ysgwrn...
0:14:09 > 0:14:14- ..in terms of their names - and in terms of what you see there.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15- Yes.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Cae Moch - Pigs Field, - has always been pastureland.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- There ridges made by spades there.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- Before the age - of the working shire horse...
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- ..people had to use spades - to plough the land.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- The top of the field - is so elevated...
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- ..you can see the ridges - they created with their spades.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- That's how people in the olden days - cultivated the land.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48- There's also a small section of - cultivated land in Rhos Y Groom...
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- ..but there are only - five ridges there.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- They're around five yards wide.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55- Are they quite high?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Yes, the ones on lower ground - are quite high.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- They're in a wet area, - so they had to stack up the soil...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- ..so water would drain away - and keep it dry.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- The remains of ridges and furrows - on the fields of Yr Ysgwrn...
0:15:18 > 0:15:23- ..is further evidence of the - area's rich agricultural history.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- These fields - are lower than Ffridd Siglan.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- It's thought farmers - moved down to the lowland...
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- ..as the weather worsened - over the centuries.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40- The remains at Yr Ysgwrn are thought - to date back to Medieval times.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Looking at the name Rhos Y Groom...
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- ..could make you think - it's linked to a horse's groom...
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- ..but there's no - equestrian tradition here.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58- The name Rhos Y Groom was probably - recorded by a non-Welsh speaker.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- That would explain - the English word groom.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06- That person must have misheard - the name the farmer gave to him.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- He recorded Rhos Y Groom - rather than Rhos Y Grwm.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15- It should be grwm, as in - rhych a chrwm - ridge and furrow.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- It's essential, - when you analyze these names...
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- ..to gather local evidence.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- Yes, that's true.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- Who better to ask - than the local farmer?
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- Gerald showed the ridges to us - and explained what they are.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39- We can see for ourselves how - important the written record is...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- ..and also how vital - oral testimony can be.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- The fertile land of the court - in nearby Cwm Prysor...
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- ..was important - during the Age Of Princes.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- The Meirionnydd Stent of 1284...
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- ..states that Ffridd Prysor - sustained 120 cattle.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Valuable land indeed.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10- The land fell to the English crown - and it was divided into four farms.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- On the Tithe Map...
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- ..one Yr Ysgwrn field - is named as Fuches Las - Blue Cow.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18- Gerald milked there.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- One field is called Fuches Las.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Yes. We did the milking there.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- That's why - it's named after blue cattle.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33- It's three quarters of an acre, - enclosed by high stone walls.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- We would herd the cattle there - and milk them.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- You remember doing this?
0:17:39 > 0:17:40- You remember doing this?- - Yes.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- Did you go up there with a bucket?
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- Yes, I'd take a bucket - and a three-legged milking stool.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- The cows were quite happy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- Did you use a three-legged stool - so it wouldn't wobble?
0:17:53 > 0:17:58- No, on a three-legged stool you can - lean forward towards the cow...
0:17:58 > 0:18:00- ..or lean back.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01- In case it kicks you?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Yes, or in case it whacks you - with its dirty tail!
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- We don't milk cows - in the field today.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- When did the tradition end?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I don't remember - when or why it ended...
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- ..but it must have happened - after the War.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- World War II?
0:18:22 > 0:18:23- World War II?- - Yes.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- I don't remember World War I! - Fair play!
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- I do apologize!
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- MUSIC
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Our journey takes us - south of Yr Ysgwrn to Penstryd...
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- ..to meet local historian, - Keith O'Brien.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- He knows a fascinating story - about this field.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- This is unfamiliar, - remote territory to me.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- This is Maes Y Bedd - - The Field Of The Tomb.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- That tomb belongs to Porius.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- The Latin inscription reads...
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- ..Porius hic iacit in tumolo. - Homo planus fuit.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- That means...
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- ..Porius lies in this tomb. - He was a plain man.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- A plain man means 'an honest man'.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47- It was thought Porius was a Roman - due to the Sarn Helen link.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Research suggests - there may be more to it.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- There are no spaces between - the words, as you'd expect...
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- ..but there is a gap - between Homo and planus.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- If you look closely, - you can see two dots in that gap.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- Those two dots - may well be the top of a cross.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- That then changes the inscription to - Homo X pianus fuit.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16- The theory is someone added the foot - of the L to create the word planus.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19- Planus also makes sense - because it's a Latin word.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- Homo X pianus fuit means - 'He was a Christian'.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27- That makes more sense, - with the Cymer Abbey links.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33- Added to that, Maes Y Bedd is named - in Llywelyn's charter...
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- ..as part of the land - given to Cymer Abbey.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41- It seems likely that Porius - was a monk or a prior...
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- ..with ties to Cymer Abbey.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- Does its name, Maes Y Bedd - - Field Of The Tomb...
0:20:48 > 0:20:50- ..mean it was agricultural land?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Yes, this was a fertile valley...
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- ..much like Cwm Prysor, the valley - on the other side of the hill.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- This was equally fertile.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- There's an example of a potato house - further down the hill.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- It was similar to an igloo - but built of stone.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- They grew potatoes - and farmed the land.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- It was a fertile valley.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28- The scars on these stones tell - a story about the passing of time.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33- This stone was once in the ground - and the plough scraped across it...
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- ..over and over again, - leaving these marks.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38- It's now part of a wall.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- The secrets are there, - if you know where to look.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57- I was raised on a farm and I may - over-romanticize these field names.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- It's in my blood. It's in my soul.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- We've seen a lot more - than simply field names.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07- Yes, and these names - are certainly romantic...
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- ..but we've also seen - that they can unlock history for us.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13- They can tell us more...
0:22:13 > 0:22:18- ..about the people who cultivated - this land 2,000 years ago.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- They left their mark - on the agricultural land of today.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- We've also seen how names - have been changed in recent times.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- The old ones haven't been lost, - but they are given new names.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- That's what we found in Trawsfynydd.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- It may be different in other areas.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- It may be different in other areas.- - Yes, that's part of its fascination.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- We'll see differences - from area to area.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- It's a positive thing. - We'll learn as we go along.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:23:21 > 0:23:21- .