Pennod 1 Darn Bach o Hanes

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-Wales is famous worldwide

-for its rich history.

-It's part of our make-up

-and defines us as a nation.

-From slate quarries

-to Iron Age hill forts...

-..generations of Welsh people...

-..have left their mark

-on the world around us.

-We've searched for locations...

-..artefacts...

-..and interesting,

-revealing stories...

-..that shed further light

-on our rich heritage.

-Over the coming weeks, we'll share

-some of the fruits of our labour.

-We'll open chests,

-drawers and doors...

-..to uncover

-a little piece of history.

-Later, Rhodri Morgan explains

-the link between our oak forests...

-..and how history was recorded...

-..and Lisa Gwilym learns the secrets

-of a walled garden near Bridgend.

-Falconry, the art of training

-a bird of prey to hunt...

-..is a primitive craft

-dating back 4,000 years...

-..to China, Mongolia

-and Mesopotamia.

-It would, of course,

-be great to visit these places.

-However, I'm in Llandrindod Wells...

-...but with good reason.

-The Radnorshire Museum

-houses a rather special artefact.

-This is it.

-It's a falconer's whistle...

-..which was used

-to call birds of prey.

-It was found in a local field

-by a metal detectorist.

-There are different types,

-and this one's silver.

-It suggests that its owner...

-..was wealthy

-and influential in the area...

-..maybe a minor aristocrat

-or local nobleman.

-Because it's silver...

-..the National Museum of Wales

-was able to date it...

-..by testing

-the purity of the silver.

-Those tests proved

-that it dates to around 1650.

-So how does it work?

-The technique of blowing a whistle

-hasn't changed much in 300 years!

-But something tells me

-there's more to it than that.

-The museum's curator has allowed me

-to borrow the whistle...

-..to conduct a short experiment,

-provided I look after it.

-It should be safe now!

-Next, I need to find

-a location for the experiment.

-The site of Cefnllys Castle is three

-miles east of Llandrindod Wells.

-A bloody battle took place here

-during the 13th century...

-..between the armies of Llywelyn

-ap Gruffudd and Roger Mortimer...

-..and also in the 15th century,

-during the Glyndwr revolt.

-There are only ruins here today...

-..but the Mortimers

-were powerful barons...

-..so it's easy to imagine

-that falcons once hunted here.

-There is a reference to falconers

-in the Laws of Hywel Dda.

-In the Laws of the Court,

-he sets the order of precedence...

-..starting with the king, the queen

-and the designated heir.

-He then lists 24 officers.

-The fourth of those

-was the chief falconer...

-..after the soldiers' captain,

-the priest and the steward.

-High status indeed!

-Despite the views

-from the hilltop...

-..court falconers would have hunted

-down in the valley.

-Islwyn Jones, a latter-day falconer,

-will recreate a medieval scene.

-Alright, Islwyn?

-Alright, Islwyn?

-

-Are you OK?

-It's quieter down here

-than up there on the hill.

-The only thing

-you'd fly up there is a kite!

-I'm told the chief falconers

-were highly respected.

-The king held your stirrup.

-Sadly, it isn't the same today!

-Sadly, it isn't the same today!

-

-Has the respect gone?

-I'm afraid the birds

-are more highly valued than me.

-It's handsome!

-How do you instil loyalty in them?

-Could you send it down the road

-for some chips?!

-It doesn't quite work like that.

-I've often read that it's

-a relationship based on food.

-I don't believe that.

-Don't laugh,

-but my birds watch TV with me.

-They used this 300 years ago.

-Even aged 300, it's as good as mine,

-although mine's bigger!

-Blow it again.

-Blow it again.

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-THEY BOTH BLOW THEIR WHISTLES

-Mine is out of tune.

-It's the same pitch though.

-It's the same pitch though.

-

-Yes.

-That one's better.

-There you go! They do say

-that a small one can be better!

-Islwyn's status as a falconer means

-he has an assistant, Lowri Peacock.

-I'll soon be introduced to Paddy,

-the falcon on Lowri's arm.

-They only eat meat.

-They only eat meat.

-

-There's plenty of meat on me.

-Where's your whistle?

-Here it is.

-Try your best. Off you go.

-DEWI WHISTLES

-He's coming.

-Wow.

-Amazing.

-He's gulping it down.

-Look at that.

-The whistle worked a treat, and now

-I feel like a real chief falconer.

-Not everyone is lucky enough

-to live in a listed building.

-But such a building

-requires care and maintenance.

-This building dates back

-to the late 18th century.

-The former wash house

-is now a family home.

-When the owners

-bought the building in 2001...

-..they soon realized that their

-biggest maintenance headache...

-..would be the garden.

-This walled kitchen garden

-dates back to Georgian times.

-For years, in many respects,

-it was lost.

-It was originally part of the vast

-Goetre-hen estate near Maesteg...

-..an estate built on the proceeds

-of the local coal industry.

-This map dates back to 1877.

-The external walls

-are clearly visible.

-They grew all kinds

-of fruit and vegetables.

-Pears, cherries and figs were grown,

-and there was even a nuttery.

-But the walls or its Georgian roots

-aren't its most unusual feature.

-That, according to Cadw,

-is its terraced layout.

-There are several different levels.

-That's why it's more unusual

-than most late 18th century gardens.

-But this is what amazed me.

-Barely ten years ago, this garden

-was completely overgrown.

-The owners gradually unearthed

-the garden's unique features.

-They rebuilt 4.3 miles

-of stone walls.

-The process is still ongoing.

-I was keen to talk to Mark Weinzweig

-and his son, Eifion.

-Was the project a labour of love?

-Can you give us an idea

-of how much work was involved?

-It was a lot of work.

-Yes.

-It didn't look like this at all.

-There were cypress trees

-and a lawn in the middle.

-We cleared everything

-and started again.

-It has taken years

-to get it to this standard.

-Dad used to have black hair!

-We uncovered many things.

-Like what?

-We found original cobbled paths

-just down there.

-It was great!

-We worked really hard

-to get it as it is now.

-You worked closely with Cadw.

-How important is the relationship?

-It was important to work with Cadw.

-It gave us confidence to tackle jobs

-such as rebuilding the wall.

-They explained everything.

-We made sure we were doing it right.

-The greenhouse caught my eye.

-It was a shed when we arrived.

-Cadw were excited that it dated

-from the Georgian period.

-It took six trailers

-full of rubbish to clear it.

-We rebuilt the roof and front.

-Can I show you how they heated it?

-Let's go and see.

-Let's go and see.

-

-OK!

-Why have you brought us here?

-To show you this hole in the wall.

-This was where the fire was lit

-to heat the greenhouse.

-Rather than depend on the sun.

-Rather than depend on the sun.

-

-Yes.

-What was grown in the greenhouse?

-I'm not sure.

-Possibly bananas.

-Fruits that don't like

-cold weather.

-Who kept the fire going?

-Who kept the fire going?

-

-One of the servants.

-Eifion wasn't here centuries ago!

-Historically, one servant

-looked after the fire.

-He lived in this little cottage.

-I don't want to do that!

-No!

-What do you grow here?

-What do you grow here?

-

-Leeks, beans, apples.

-Parsnips.

-We grow fruit here.

-We also grow carrots, potatoes

-and Jerusalem artichokes.

-We grow whatever we want to eat.

-Thank you.

-This is ideal.

-The kitchen garden is doing

-exactly what it did centuries ago...

-..and it's all thanks to you.

-Congratulations

-and thanks for the welcome.

-You're welcome.

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-Where would we be without ink?

-The world would certainly

-be a poorer place.

-History is created every day,

-and it must be recorded.

-That's why these little marbles,

-or oak galls, were so important.

-For 1,400 years in Europe...

-..they were used to make ink.

-Ink produced by these galls

-filled the inkwells of Hywel Dda...

-..and William Williams Pantycelyn.

-Today, I'm going to make some!

-This is an old oak forest

-in the Bethesda area.

-Naturalist Twm Elias

-will guide me through the process.

-I've come here to collect these.

-Oak galls.

-Oak galls.

-

-What are they exactly?

-They are created

-by a little insect.

-It lays an egg

-under the bark of a young twig.

-This egg produces an odd growth.

-The egg is surrounded

-by this growth.

-It's safe in there.

-Once matured...

-..the insect bores a hole

-and searches for another tree.

-Are they common?

-Yes, normally, but not this year.

-Last year's winter was too harsh.

-Will we be lucky today?

-Will we be lucky today?

-

-There's only one way to find out.

-OK!

-According to Twm, the galls

-tend to grow on young trees.

-We left the depths of the forest

-and ventured to its margins.

-Look!

-Here's one.

-This is on a young tree.

-There's also a little hole here.

-There's also a little hole here.

-

-Our little friend has escaped.

-There are several here.

-People would collect them.

-Vast amounts were found

-in some years.

-Collect as much as you can

-because you can never tell.

-The following year might be poor.

-Make the ink

-when you find the galls.

-They say the best time to cut

-a stick is when you see one!

-We're off to a good start.

-We're off to a good start.

-

-But we've only found two galls.

-We need more to make ink. Let's go.

-To be honest,

-we had a disappointing forage.

-But Twm is like a squirrel

-and had already collected some.

-Come in to the workshop.

-It looks like an ideal place.

-It looks like an ideal place.

-

-Yes! It's full of character.

-We have the ingredients.

-Where do we start?

-Right! We need a recipe.

-This is what it says

-in this Victorian book.

-"For 12 gallons of ink...

-"..take 12 pounds of galls

-and five pounds of gum...

-"..five pounds of green sulphate of

-iron and 12 gallons of rainwater."

-We'll scale it down somewhat!

-How long is the letter

-we want to write?!

-We start by crushing the galls.

-Take a handful.

-It's not easy!

-Oh! OK!

-I'm losing more than I'm crushing.

-I think I'm getting somewhere.

-It's easy

-once you've cracked the shell.

-I've crushed them.

-What next?

-I'd say you have 50 grams

-of crushed galls.

-Add them to 500ml of rainwater...

-..and boil the mixture

-for three hours.

-To save time,

-here's some I prepared earlier.

-Who would have thought?

-Twm Elias morphing into a Blue Peter

-presenter before my very eyes!

-Let's speed up

-this relatively laborious process.

-First, 50 grams of gum arabic.

-50 grams of iron sulphate.

-Add hot water and work into a paste.

-Isn't that rather lumpy, Rhodri?

-It's as good as my gravy!

-Pour the mixtures into a jug...

-..followed

-by the sieved gall liquid.

-As it chilled, Twm assured me

-it would turn a blue-black colour.

-That's the ink.

-I can see the colour.

-It's blue-black.

-Let's find a more suitable bottle.

-We can pour it into the bottle.

-There you are.

-We're ready to write a large tome!

-Paper, pen and start writing.

-Ink!

-The big moment has arrived.

-I'll try this handsome quill.

-I haven't used a quill before.

-It's not easy...

-..as it's plain to see!

-You've rediscovered

-our forefathers' writing method.

-The Pennal Letter. "Dear Pope."

-Why did this ink fall out of use?

-I'll tell you why.

-The biro!

-That's the fate

-that befell ink and quill.

-I'm Vivian Parry Williams.

-I retired from Tanygrisiau

-Power Station in 1994.

-I graduated in Welsh History

-from Bangor University...

-..when I was 58 years old.

-I was interested in local history,

-especially the Penmachno area...

-..and Rhiwbach quarry.

-This is Rhiwbach village.

-There are only ruins here now.

-A community once lived here.

-Up to the First World War,

-around 80 people lived here.

-Rhiwbach was a remote location,

-1,200 feet above sea level.

-Many of my family,

-including my father, worked here.

-I always feel sad when I come here,

-but it's very close to my heart.

-In 1908, they opened a school here.

-A full-time schoolmistress

-was employed here.

-Her name was Kate Hughes.

-She was the lexicographer

-Bruce Griffiths's grandmother.

-She travelled every day

-from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-She sat on empty wagons that had

-left Rhiwbach full the night before.

-She travelled along three steep

-inclines on a tramway.

-She arrived at Rhiwbach school.

-At night, she made her way

-to Craig Ddu quarry.

-They used what was known

-as a wild car.

-It was like a skateboard.

-She rode the wild car

-with the quarrymen.

-You can picture the scene.

-Flying down the inclines,

-her skirt billowing in the wind!

-That's what I call dedication.

-Who would do that today?

-She was paid 30...

-..not a week, not a month,

-but 30 a year.

-There is one artefact from here

-that I treasure.

-The Rhiwbach school bell.

-It's back at Rhiwbach school for

-the first time in almost a century.

-Kate Hughes would ring the bell

-to summon the children back...

-..when they wandered off.

-Come back, children.

-BELL RINGS

-St Fagans National History Museum

-stores thousands of artefacts...

-..not all of which are on display.

-They allowed us to select a few

-for a weekly slot on the programme.

-We'll ask a simple question -

-what is it?

-We have a dangerous-looking tool

-this week. Thanks, Gareth!

-It's like a long pitchfork...

-..with two extremely sharp points.

-Who would use this?

-Was he a farmer,

-a hunter or a soldier?

-So, what is it?

-Send your answers via Facebook.

-I'll tell you what it is next week.

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