Rhaglen 4 Darn Bach o Hanes
Similar Content
Browse content similar to Rhaglen 4. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Transcript
| Line | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
-Subtitles | 0:00:00 | 0:00:00 | |
-Subtitles - -Subtitles | 0:00:00 | 0:00:02 | |
-Wales's geographical location -and mountainous terrain... | 0:00:02 | 0:00:07 | |
-..makes it an ideal -country for rain. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:10 | |
-I should know. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:14 | |
-I live in Ffestiniog, one of wettest -places in Wales, so they say. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:19 | |
-It's interesting to see -how our relationship... | 0:00:19 | 0:00:22 | |
-..with our most abundant -natural resource has evolved. | 0:00:22 | 0:00:27 | |
-In 1965, it was -a very emotional relationship. | 0:00:27 | 0:00:31 | |
-In 2005, forty years -after this valley was submerged... | 0:00:31 | 0:00:35 | |
-..the city of Liverpool -made an official apology. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:40 | |
-But Tryweryn's history should be set -in a broader chronological context. | 0:00:40 | 0:00:45 | |
-I'm going to look at the way -the concept of water ownership... | 0:00:45 | 0:00:50 | |
-..and its politics, has changed -in Wales over the years. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:54 | |
-Water is always in the news. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
-Last year, there were terrible -floods all over the country. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:28 | |
-Although these events cause anxiety -and destruction in the short term... | 0:01:29 | 0:01:34 | |
-..the consequences -of increasing water scarcity... | 0:01:34 | 0:01:37 | |
-..could be even more grave. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
-Scientists have radical solutions. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:42 | |
-The huge Thames Water Desalination -Plant in East London... | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
-..is one radical solution, -although not cost effective. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:52 | |
-It looks as if we'll have to revert -to a field of technology... | 0:01:53 | 0:01:58 | |
-..that was at its zenith -over two centuries ago. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:02 | |
-In 1889, this was the largest -artificial lake in Europe. | 0:02:09 | 0:02:15 | |
-It's Lake Vyrnwy. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:17 | |
-It was created when a huge dam -was built across the River Vyrnwy... | 0:02:17 | 0:02:22 | |
-..drowning a whole valley. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:25 | |
-This was Wales's first -large-scale reservoir. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:32 | |
-It generated a fierce scramble -for other valleys in Wales. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:38 | |
-But before we rush to judge -the Victorian engineers' scramble... | 0:02:41 | 0:02:46 | |
-..to drown our vales and valleys... | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
-..let's look at the motives -that led them here to Wales. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:53 | |
-In the Industrial Revolution... | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
-..thousands flocked to towns and -cities to work in the new factories. | 0:02:55 | 0:03:00 | |
-Liverpool, for example, -experienced amazing prosperity. | 0:03:00 | 0:03:05 | |
-Its port was one -of the busiest in Europe. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:09 | |
-But the rapid growth -in population led to problems... | 0:03:09 | 0:03:13 | |
-..as an exhibition -in the town's museum shows. | 0:03:13 | 0:03:17 | |
-This is a replica -of one of the courts... | 0:03:20 | 0:03:25 | |
-..where workers -and their families lived. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:29 | |
-They were dark, poky places... | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
-..where people lived -on top of each other. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:35 | |
-A whole family lived behind -each of these doors, in one room. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:39 | |
-Sixty or more people -lived in one court. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:43 | |
-They all shared one toilet, -with no running water. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:48 | |
-You can imagine what struck you when -you entered a court like this... | 0:03:48 | 0:03:54 | |
-..the stench of sewage. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:57 | |
-It's no wonder deadly diseases -like cholera, TB and measles... | 0:03:59 | 0:04:04 | |
-..thrived here. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:06 | |
-It became obvious -to the city authorities... | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
-..that much more was needed than -a few small water pumps like this. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:17 | |
-What they needed was piped -water and a sewage system... | 0:04:17 | 0:04:21 | |
-..to prevent disease -and extend people's lives. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:25 | |
-After all, it was the people -living in these courts... | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
-..who provided the manpower to drive -the busy wheels of industry... | 0:04:30 | 0:04:35 | |
-..and to maintain economic growth. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:37 | |
-For years, private companies -supplied cities with water... | 0:04:38 | 0:04:43 | |
-..either from nearby lakes, -rivers or deep wells. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:47 | |
-But the water quality -was criticized. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
-The belief grew that water -was the chief carrier... | 0:04:51 | 0:04:55 | |
-..for the deadly -diseases of the age. | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
-To try to deal with the problem... | 0:05:00 | 0:05:02 | |
-..a growing number -of towns and cities... | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
-..with Liverpool one of the first... | 0:05:06 | 0:05:08 | |
-..bought these private companies... | 0:05:08 | 0:05:10 | |
-..bringing water -into public ownership. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:13 | |
-This set a precedent -for a kind of civic socialism... | 0:05:14 | 0:05:17 | |
-..where the council -provided for its citizens. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:21 | |
-So it wasn't central government -that became responsible... | 0:05:21 | 0:05:26 | |
-..for the most innovative -steps in social health care. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:31 | |
-It was local government. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
-Water was scarce in Liverpool. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:39 | |
-The city council had two options... | 0:05:39 | 0:05:41 | |
-..raising the water level in one -of two lakes in the Lake District... | 0:05:41 | 0:05:46 | |
-..or drowning Llanwddyn Valley -in Montgomeryshire. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:51 | |
-We know which option they chose. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
-I've come back to Vyrnwy... | 0:05:54 | 0:05:56 | |
-..to meet Professor Owen Roberts -of Aberystwyth University... | 0:05:57 | 0:06:01 | |
-..who has written about its history. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:03 | |
-Owen, I apologize -for dragging you out today. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:07 | |
-It's alright. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:08 | |
-If you study the history of water, -you often go to pretty wild places. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:12 | |
-This project obviously benefited -the health of Liverpudlians. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:17 | |
-But what about the effects -on the local community? | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
-A new village was built -down the valley. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
-But about 200 people -lost their land and living. | 0:06:24 | 0:06:30 | |
-There were protests at the time. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:33 | |
-A petition was gathered locally. | 0:06:33 | 0:06:35 | |
-But there was no wider protest... | 0:06:35 | 0:06:38 | |
-..as we saw in 1950s and 1960s. -It's a different context. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:42 | |
-Even a paper like Y Faner... | 0:06:42 | 0:06:44 | |
-..expressed pride that a huge -dam was being built in Mid Wales. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:49 | |
-What about the project's legacy? | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
-Did it inspire other -cities to do the same? | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
-Yes, other cities wanted -to follow Liverpool's example. | 0:06:56 | 0:07:00 | |
-Several cities wanted to build -dams, some of which were realized. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:06 | |
-Was it a competition between -the cities, a kind of imperialism... | 0:07:06 | 0:07:12 | |
-..to occupy valleys in Wales? | 0:07:12 | 0:07:14 | |
-In Africa, different European -countries occupied different areas. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:19 | |
-You could say the same -thing happened in Wales. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:23 | |
-Liverpool bought -everything in this valley. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
-Other cities followed suit -in different parts of Wales. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:31 | |
-The dam is quite imposing. It must -have been quite a job to build it. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:37 | |
-It took ten years. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:39 | |
-The huge dam was built with rocks, -an innovative plan, like the pipe. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:45 | |
-It was a statement by Liverpool... | 0:07:45 | 0:07:47 | |
-..about their status, -importance and enterprise. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:52 | |
-I prefer a valley with people -and animals in it, not water. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:56 | |
-But I must admit, -the dam and lake are striking. | 0:07:57 | 0:08:00 | |
-It'd be a good place for a hotel. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:02 | |
-Now there's an idea. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:04 | |
-In a flash of typical -entrepreneurial inspiration... | 0:08:06 | 0:08:10 | |
-..the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel -was opened in 1890... | 0:08:10 | 0:08:13 | |
-..seeking to profit from the new -dam's touristic potential... | 0:08:13 | 0:08:17 | |
-..and offering a place to stay... | 0:08:17 | 0:08:19 | |
-..for the engineers and bigwigs -of the Liverpool Corporation. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:25 | |
-It's very grand here and warmer -than out there. The view is superb. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:30 | |
-We can see why -it attracted Liverpool's VIPs. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:33 | |
-Was that part of the package? | 0:08:34 | 0:08:35 | |
-The hotel was part -of Liverpool showing off. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:40 | |
-Many rich businessmen wanted -to live like the upper classes. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:45 | |
-They came here to fish, -hunt and enjoy the area... | 0:08:45 | 0:08:50 | |
-..owned by Liverpool -in the heart of rural Wales. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:54 | |
-It sounds like an ideal -package to attract people. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:59 | |
-But there were quite a few doubts -about locating the reservoir here. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:04 | |
-There was a lot -of public debate in Liverpool. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
-Water quality -was an important factor. | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
-The engineer, George Deacon... | 0:09:11 | 0:09:13 | |
-..sent his employees to -the Lake District and Lake Vyrnwy. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:18 | |
-His opponents accused him of -sending them here when it snowed... | 0:09:18 | 0:09:22 | |
-..on a day much like this... | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
-..to get a sample of water -from snow, rather than the lake. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:29 | |
-I happen to have a sampling kit. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
-It tells if the water -is hard or soft. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:36 | |
-I have lake water here. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:38 | |
-I know it's snowing, but -I promise this isn't melted snow. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
-Industrialists wanted soft water. | 0:09:43 | 0:09:45 | |
-They didn't want underground water -because it contains many minerals. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:51 | |
-In industrial systems, -it leaves deposits in machines. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
-So Liverpool's industrialists -preferred the Lake Vyrnwy scheme. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:59 | |
-I'll put this in. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:02 | |
-If it's hard water, -it should turn purple. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:06 | |
-What colour is yours? | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
-What colour is yours? - -It's green. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:09 | |
-This is green too, showing that -it's soft water. Deacon was right. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:16 | |
-Some people claimed -that hard water wasn't the problem. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:19 | |
-This water is -a brownish green colour. | 0:10:19 | 0:10:22 | |
-The colour of peat. | 0:10:22 | 0:10:24 | |
-Some people were -concerned that peaty water... | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
-..would make Liverpudlians ill. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:31 | |
-The engineer George Deacon -had to build a plant in Oswestry... | 0:10:32 | 0:10:36 | |
-..to remove peat from the water. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:39 | |
-People like Deacon said -it was like pale sherry. | 0:10:39 | 0:10:43 | |
-A good way to promote it. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:45 | |
-Who wouldn't want -to drink pale sherry? | 0:10:45 | 0:10:49 | |
-Later, I'll need my walking shoes... | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
-..as the story takes me -to even more remote places. | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
-. | 0:10:56 | 0:10:57 | |
-Subtitles | 0:11:01 | 0:11:01 | |
-Subtitles - -Subtitles | 0:11:01 | 0:11:03 | |
-I'm looking at -the history of water... | 0:11:07 | 0:11:10 | |
-..and how it affected the landscape -and the lives of people in Wales. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:15 | |
-We've seen how foreign Victorians... | 0:11:16 | 0:11:18 | |
-..came here to take -advantage of our supply. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
-But in 1910, -going against the current... | 0:11:22 | 0:11:25 | |
-..a Llanuwchllyn farmer decided -to don the engineer's top hat... | 0:11:25 | 0:11:30 | |
-..and divert water -to his own devices. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
-Electricity was rare -in 1910, of course... | 0:11:34 | 0:11:38 | |
-..limited mainly -to large towns and cities. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:42 | |
-The fact that there was street -lighting here in Llanuwchllyn... | 0:11:42 | 0:11:47 | |
-..at that time, was amazing. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
-The engineer was Richard Edwards, -here on the right. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:55 | |
-His son, Antur, is on the left. | 0:11:56 | 0:11:58 | |
-Between them is the hydroelectric -system they built... | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
-..to produce electricity. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:04 | |
-The system still -produces electricity. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
-Richard's great-grandson, -Huw Antur Edwards, will tell us... | 0:12:10 | 0:12:13 | |
-..about the small power plant. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:16 | |
-Huw, why did your -great-grandfather build this? | 0:12:16 | 0:12:21 | |
-It's a very good question. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:24 | |
-It seems he was quite -a character and an inventor. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:28 | |
-He was an engineer too. -It was in his blood. | 0:12:29 | 0:12:32 | |
-The family was a mixture -of farmers and millers... | 0:12:32 | 0:12:37 | |
-..who worked with water wheels. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:39 | |
-The idea originated -at the end of the 19th century. | 0:12:39 | 0:12:43 | |
-My great-grandfather went -to Birkenhead, to an exhibition... | 0:12:44 | 0:12:48 | |
-..about electricity, -a fairly new concept at the time. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:52 | |
-The exhibition was -called Electric Light. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:56 | |
-Something clicked there. | 0:12:56 | 0:12:58 | |
-A light went on in his head. | 0:12:58 | 0:12:59 | |
-A light went on in his head. - -Something lit up. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:01 | |
-He linked two things, -the River Twrch and his designs. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:06 | |
-Soon after that, he began -to dabble with electricity. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:12 | |
-In 1909, he received a request -from Llanuwchllyn Parish Council... | 0:13:12 | 0:13:18 | |
-..to light up the village -street with oil lamps. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:24 | |
-He said he would help. | 0:13:25 | 0:13:27 | |
-But he had a much better idea, to -light the place with electric lamps. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:33 | |
-Was it the first in Wales? | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
-We think it was the first -in North and Mid Wales. | 0:13:36 | 0:13:40 | |
-His contract with the parish -council is worth seeing. | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
-There weren't that many lamps, -maybe fifteen along the street. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:49 | |
-But they didn't want light for -a few nights before the full moon. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:54 | |
-They felt it wasn't needed. | 0:13:54 | 0:13:56 | |
-Like councils now, -switching street lights off. | 0:13:57 | 0:14:01 | |
-Everything goes in circles. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:03 | |
-He called it natural energy. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:05 | |
-The word renewable hadn't appeared -in the dictionary at that time. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:11 | |
-He was a century -before his time, I'm sure. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
-He was a very enlightened man. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:16 | |
-He was a very enlightened man. - -Yes, in more ways than one. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
-The small power plant -produces up to twelve kilowatts... | 0:14:19 | 0:14:24 | |
-..and still provides electricity -in Huw's home and his parents' home. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:29 | |
-That looks like a big beer cask. | 0:14:29 | 0:14:30 | |
-That looks like a big beer cask. - -It's a good one. | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
-The water wheel -is in the black casing. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:36 | |
-Its technical name -is the Pelton wheel. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:40 | |
-Water flows down the big pipes. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:42 | |
-Water flows down the big pipes. - -You can see them and the valves. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:44 | |
-We control them manually, -depending on what we need. | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
-So there are two wheels. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:49 | |
-So there are two wheels. - -Yes. | 0:14:49 | 0:14:50 | |
-One on the far side and one -on this side. Obviously, they turn. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:55 | |
-In turn, that drives the generator. | 0:14:55 | 0:14:59 | |
-We try to look after it. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:01 | |
-The pipes are all original, -almost a century old. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:05 | |
-The Pelton wheels, bearings -and shafts were here at the start. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:11 | |
-We've only had to repair -and renovate around them. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:16 | |
-There is a similar system, but much -larger of course, in Tanygrisiau... | 0:15:17 | 0:15:23 | |
-..near Blaenau Ffestiniog. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
-The Ffestiniog Power Station -began producing electricity... | 0:15:26 | 0:15:30 | |
-..exactly 50 years ago, in 1963. | 0:15:31 | 0:15:33 | |
-It was the first pumped storage -electricity plant in Britain. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:38 | |
-That means that gravity -is used to produce electricity... | 0:15:38 | 0:15:43 | |
-..just like Richard -Edwards's system. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:46 | |
-But here, falling water is stored... | 0:15:46 | 0:15:49 | |
-..and pumped back up, -to repeat the process. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
-I live nearby -and see the dam almost every day. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
-But I know someone much -better versed in its history. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:03 | |
-Vivian Parry Williams -lives in Blaenau Ffestiniog... | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
-..and worked as an engineer -in Tanygrisiau for 27 years. | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
-He saw how projects like this -transformed the local economy. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:18 | |
-This was one of the most -pioneering schemes... | 0:16:18 | 0:16:22 | |
-..for electricity production. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:24 | |
-The proposal of building -a pumped storage reservoir... | 0:16:24 | 0:16:31 | |
-..was first investigated in 1948. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
-Work began here in January 1956. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:38 | |
-Was it very busy here, -when it was being built? | 0:16:38 | 0:16:42 | |
-It created a lot of work. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:44 | |
-About 800 people worked here, -over half of them locals. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:48 | |
-Some came from Ireland, Scotland and -England. Blaenau was a busy town. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:53 | |
-Work began at Trawsfynydd Nuclear -Power Station about that time. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
-You can imagine what it was like. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
-There were great changes -at the time. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:03 | |
-People could afford to buy -houses and cars in the 1960s. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:07 | |
-The area flourished. | 0:17:07 | 0:17:08 | |
-The area flourished. - -It was a bit of a boomtown. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:10 | |
-It was. | 0:17:11 | 0:17:12 | |
-What were the engineering -workings in the plant? | 0:17:12 | 0:17:17 | |
-Two big shafts go down -650 feet into the ground. | 0:17:17 | 0:17:24 | |
-At the bottom of the shafts... | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
-..there are four concrete tunnels, -going down about halfway. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:32 | |
-From there, a steel pipe -goes to the power plant. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:37 | |
-We had to inspect the pipes and walk -up them. I did that a few times. | 0:17:37 | 0:17:42 | |
-Inside the pipes? | 0:17:42 | 0:17:44 | |
-Yes, from the bottom up to Stwlan. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:46 | |
-It wasn't an enjoyable experience, -in mud up to your ankles. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:51 | |
-If there was an important football -match, like a cup final... | 0:17:51 | 0:17:56 | |
-..at half time, thousands -of people put the kettle on. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:04 | |
-This put pressure on the grid. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:06 | |
-A place like this -was handy at those times. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
-You pressed a button -in the control room... | 0:18:09 | 0:18:13 | |
-..and 360 megawatts -were produced in a minute... | 0:18:14 | 0:18:17 | |
-..to boost the electricity supply. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:19 | |
-Thanks to the bloke -pushing the button here... | 0:18:19 | 0:18:23 | |
-..we could have a cuppa -at half-time. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:25 | |
-The technology in places -like Stwlan was used... | 0:18:28 | 0:18:32 | |
-..at Dinorwig Power Station, -Llanberis, in the 1980s. | 0:18:32 | 0:18:36 | |
-Whilst projects like this bring -work to deprived areas... | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
-..and testify to man's -technological development... | 0:18:41 | 0:18:43 | |
-..attempts to rein the power of -nature bring danger in their wake. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:49 | |
-In 1924, the Llyn Eigiau Dam was -completed, high in the Carneddau. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:58 | |
-The dam created a reservoir... | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
-..that supplied a second -reservoir, Llyn Coedty... | 0:19:04 | 0:19:08 | |
-..further down the valley. | 0:19:08 | 0:19:10 | |
-The water would -produce electricity... | 0:19:10 | 0:19:14 | |
-...that would be used -in the Dolgarrog Aluminium Works. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:19 | |
-The upper dam was built -in a style typical of its period. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:26 | |
-It had a foundation -of concrete in the ground... | 0:19:26 | 0:19:29 | |
-..and then a wall of rocks -and concrete built on top. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:32 | |
-But here, the foundations -weren't laid deep enough... | 0:19:32 | 0:19:37 | |
-..to reach the bedrock. | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
-That enabled water -to seep under the foundations. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:43 | |
-On November 2, 1925... | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
-..there was very heavy rain -on the Carneddau, over there. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:50 | |
-The rivers feeding the lake -flowed with great speed and force. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:55 | |
-This is what happened. | 0:19:55 | 0:19:57 | |
-The wall was destroyed -and it was swept down the valley. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:02 | |
-50 million cubic feet of water swept -through the breach down the slope... | 0:20:06 | 0:20:12 | |
-..in the direction of Dolgarrog. | 0:20:12 | 0:20:15 | |
-These amazing pictures -were taken the following morning. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:22 | |
-As you see, the devastation -in the village is clear. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:27 | |
-Today, a memorial trail -takes visitors... | 0:20:33 | 0:20:37 | |
-..around the part of the village -that was swept away by the deluge. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:43 | |
-There's nothing left here now... | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
-..only hundreds of huge boulders -that were swept down the mountain. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:52 | |
-Their size shows -the strength of the flow. | 0:20:52 | 0:20:57 | |
-It's miraculous that only -16 people were killed that night. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:06 | |
-The Dolgarrog disaster -led to changes... | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
-..in the way dams -were designed and built. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:14 | |
-We've seen how the highlands of -Wales became a productive nursery... | 0:21:20 | 0:21:25 | |
-..for pioneering techniques -of water management... | 0:21:25 | 0:21:29 | |
-..either to quench thirst -or to create power. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:33 | |
-I end my journey in Powys... | 0:21:36 | 0:21:39 | |
-..at the Elan and Claerwen Valleys. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
-Five sizeable dams were built here -by the Birmingham Corporation... | 0:21:44 | 0:21:50 | |
-..between 1893 and 1952. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:53 | |
-Today, it seems that -the desire to undertake... | 0:21:56 | 0:22:00 | |
-..grandiose and ambitious -engineering projects like this... | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
-..and its forerunners has waned. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:07 | |
-But is that true? | 0:22:07 | 0:22:08 | |
-Although not openly discussed... | 0:22:09 | 0:22:11 | |
-..politicians and civil servants -would admit off the record... | 0:22:11 | 0:22:16 | |
-..that the Elan Valley -would be a leading candidate... | 0:22:16 | 0:22:19 | |
-..in plans to pump water to London. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:22 | |
-Would that, -like Tryweryn in the past... | 0:22:22 | 0:22:25 | |
-..reignite nationalism and raise -inflammatory political questions... | 0:22:25 | 0:22:30 | |
-..about regional and national -claims for the ownership of water? | 0:22:30 | 0:22:35 | |
-The SNP in Scotland has, for years, -used oil as an effective weapon... | 0:22:53 | 0:22:58 | |
-..when lobbying for independence. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
-Will we see Plaid Cymru -do the same here with water? | 0:23:01 | 0:23:05 | |
-One thing is certain. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:07 | |
-As long-term climate forecasts -predict more periods of drought... | 0:23:07 | 0:23:12 | |
-..worldwide and here in Britain... | 0:23:13 | 0:23:15 | |
-..we will see water... | 0:23:15 | 0:23:17 | |
-..becoming one of mankind's -most precious resources... | 0:23:17 | 0:23:21 | |
-..and Welsh water -one of our most precious. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:27 | |
-S4C Subtitles by Gwead | 0:23:44 | 0:23:46 | |
-. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:46 |