Pennod 4 Straeon y Ffin

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-Boundaries are there to be pushed.

-I'm Gareth Potter,

-a DJ and actor by profession.

-My parents didn't speak Welsh.

-I've always been aware

-of linguistic boundaries.

-This series is about

-a real, geographical boundary.

-I want to understand the

-borderlands' history and culture...

-..and meet the people who live here.

-Does living on a border

-create its own unique identity?

-Come with me

-on a journey to find out.

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-My route has taken me

-from Holywell and Chester...

-..all the way to Welshpool.

-Today's journey starts

-in a beautiful rural area.

-It's a part of Wales that

-stretches into England on the map.

-To the south of Montgomery,

-there's an old watermill...

-..which is quite famous worldwide.

-I think a lot about food

-after cycling so much.

-I've called here to meet chef

-and food consultant Nerys Howell.

-She has worked

-closely with the mill.

-The mill has produced

-flour since 1575.

-Matt and Anne Scott live here now.

-They moved here

-from over the border.

-The mill was a museum.

-But they decided to give it

-a new lease of life...

-..and produce flour milled the old

-fashioned way for the modern market.

-One of their aims is

-to maintain an old rural tradition.

-It's quite a famous brand now.

-Yes, they've won several awards.

-It's a special flour.

-They won awards for the flour

-and the natural packaging...

-..which reflects the landscape

-and image they want to convey.

-The flour is unique.

-It is stoneground,

-ground by stones here.

-The bed stone,

-the lower one, stays still.

-The upper stone turns.

-There are grooves on the stones.

-When flour of this quality

-is ground this way...

-..the wheatgerm is retained...

-..with its nutrients and taste.

-That's what this process does.

-So the taste is quite different

-from flour ground at a higher grade.

-We think these days it's better

-to eat brown and wholemeal bread.

-Has it always been like that?

-No.

-In the Middle Ages...

-..ordinary people

-ate rougher bread...

-..containing all the grains.

-The more refined, whiter bread...

-..was for the rich and the gentry.

-That's what they would eat.

-Rough people ate rough bread!

-This high quality flour

-is sold worldwide.

-Yes. I've travelled the world

-promoting Welsh food and drink.

-I was surprised and excited when

-I went to a Hong Kong supermarket.

-I saw a row of Bacheldre Flour.

-I felt very proud!

-The business is flourishing.

-They produce several types of flour,

-using local grain when possible.

-These are the amazing

-stones they use.

-They have white, wholemeal,

-spelt, rye and oak smoked flour...

-..as well as many blends.

-Which one is your favourite?

-Maybe this one.

-It contains five types of seed.

-It's malted too.

-The seeds include pumpkin,

-sunflower, fennel and linseed.

-Fennel gives it a unique taste.

-Aniseedy.

-Aniseedy.

-

-Yes.

-The bread has a nice texture too.

-Long ago, when the mill

-was here first...

-..the miller was a very important

-member of the community.

-I agree.

-He was important, because

-everyone came to the miller.

-It's one of the oldest

-and most essential crafts.

-Everyone came here and had a chat

-while the flour was ground...

-..discussing the crops, and so on.

-So he was very important

-in the community.

-It's marvellous to see

-a Welsh mill doing so well.

-This is real borderland flour...

-..using grain from

-both sides of Offa's Dyke.

-I think it's time

-to get to know Offa...

-..who has featured so much

-in my journey so far.

-Where is the Offa's Dyke Centre?

-Knighton.

-The border runs next

-to the River Teme here...

-..and is very close

-to the Offa's Dyke Path too.

-I meet Jim Saunders,

-who works in the centre.

-He has written a book about

-Offa's Dyke, he's a photographer...

-..and has been an Offa's Dyke

-Path officer for 18 years.

-How did they build

-this enormous thing?

-With difficulty!

-It's 1,200 years old.

-It was much bigger

-than this when it was new.

-How high would it be?

-The highest bits that we've got

-today are about 25 feet high.

-Really?

-So it's about halfway up this tree.

-They didn't have JCBs

-or even Spear & Jackson spades.

-They had primitive timber tools,

-with iron tipping maybe.

-The population was nothing like now.

-They'd have had to drag in

-a lot of labour...

-..to hump soil and rocks

-from the ditch up to the bank.

-It's a fantastic engineering feat.

-No-one is sure

-why the dyke was built.

-A popular theory

-is that King Offa of Mercia...

-..ordered building a wall

-to prevent Welsh attacks.

-We're on the bank. There is a ditch

-down there. That's fairly typical.

-Approaching it from Wales...

-..you'd fall into the ditch,

-then have to scramble up.

-If I was here, lobbying rocks at

-you, it would slow you down a bit.

-The other theory is, it couldn't be

-defensive. How could you defend it?

-That brings up

-an even more unlikely idea...

-..that it was just

-a huge vanity project.

-Look what I can do!

-Don't mess with me.

-A hundred and seventeen miles

-of the dyke still exist...

-..between Prestatyn and Chepstow,

-with thousands of visitors annually.

-Offa's Dyke is now officially

-an ancient monument.

-So it's illegal to dig,

-plant or erect a fence on it.

-But what does

-the dyke mean to the English now?

-People still say crossing, or going

-the other side of Offa's Dyke.

-Culturally, it's still

-a kind of symbol of the border...

-..between England and Wales.

-In some places,

-it actually still is the border.

-But it's very much

-still 1,200 years old.

-It still exists in popular culture,

-quite extraordinarily.

-Going back to the idea of it

-being a King Offa vanity project...

-..certainly,

-his name has lived on.

-Indeed.

-Knighton is literally

-between Wales and England.

-The railway station

-is in Shropshire, England...

-..and the rest

-of the town is in Powys, Wales.

-It has a rich history, having been

-inhabited since the Stone Age.

-But most of the town

-dates back to the Middle Ages.

-One of the most interesting

-parts is called The Narrows...

-..very old, narrow streets.

-Knighton is mentioned

-in AE Housman's A Shropshire Lad.

-"We still had sorrows to lighten,

-one could not always be glad

-"And lads knew trouble at Knighton

-when I was a Knighton lad"

-Most unusually these days...

-..the livestock market

-is still held in the town centre.

-Parts of this church

-date back to the 11th century.

-But most of it was built

-in the 19th century.

-Unusually,

-it's called St Edward's Church.

-There are only two churches

-to St Edward in Wales.

-The fact that one is in Knighton...

-..emphasizes

-the town's border nature.

-This Edward was England's

-patron saint before St George.

-Until the mid 18th century,

-if a man wanted a divorce...

-..apparently, he could bring

-his wife here and sell her.

-It'd save lawyers' fees.

-Above the town, there's a fine

-vantage point to see Offa's Dyke.

-The centuries

-have left their mark...

-..but it's still a marvellous sight.

-We've had permission to come here

-from the farmer who owns the land.

-He has lived on the border all

-his life. He doesn't speak Welsh.

-I ask Andrew

-about life as a borderer.

-Where exactly are we here?

-Knighton, our market town,

-is in the valley, south of here.

-All the way up is the upper Teme

-Valley, with Beacon Hill behind us.

-This is our family farm,

-which it's been since the 1800s.

-We're just in the English bit of the

-Welsh side of Offa's Dyke, really.

-So you're in England

-but sort of in Wales.

-Their nearest town is Knighton,

-on the Welsh side of the border.

-But when it comes to things

-like emergency calls...

-..sometimes, living

-on the border can be a problem.

-The farm is in England.

-A call for an ambulance

-would go to a centre in England.

-It might send an ambulance from

-the nearest centre in England...

-..not taking into

-consideration help is at hand...

-..down the road in Knighton, Wales.

-It seems to be a lack,

-or has been over the years...

-..a lack of joined up control

-of these various services.

-If you needed the police...

-..I don't know how confident

-we'd be that we'd get Welsh police.

-Would West Mersey or

-Dyfed Powys respond?

-We just feel not very confident.

-This is the situation.

-Nobody can give us straight answers

-as to how responses will be met.

-Knighton is literally five minutes

-away from your farm.

-Everything we do is

-orientated towards Knighton.

-It's in the valley.

-Everybody works in valleys.

-We wouldn't go over the hill

-to Bishop's Castle.

-I went to Young Farmers in Knighton

-and played rugby for Knighton.

-We were always affiliated to

-the Welsh and Radnor Young Farmers.

-Do you identify yourself

-as English or Welsh?

-You're a border person. We support

-the Welsh in rugby, and always have.

-Some would say, "Why are you doing

-that? You don't live in Wales."

-It's the way we feel.

-The view we see everyday while

-we're working is a view into Wales.

-It's the one we love.

-And that from a man who lived

-in the shadow of Offa's Dyke.

-Coming up,

-I fulfil a personal ambition.

-Wow!

-I turn my sights towards Ludlow.

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-In Part 1, I got to know King Offa

-and his dyke a little better...

-..in Knighton.

-Before leaving...

-..I'm having a go at creating art

-and realizing a personal ambition.

-I'm visiting Tony Hall, a potter.

-Yes, a potter.

-He has won numerous awards.

-Does my surname stem from

-one of my forefather's talents?

-It's your turn.

-Oh, right.

-Will the craft come naturally to me?

-A bit faster.

-Get that cone coming up, then go

-down with the heel of your hand.

-Arms on the tray. Try to keep

-that hole right in the middle.

-Pull your thumbs apart.

-Steady, steady, steady.

-Finger and thumb on one hand.

-Thumb on the other. That's it.

-Wow!

-That was amazing.

-I've always wanted to do that.

-I've fulfilled my destiny.

-The potter in me has made

-an appearance, at last!

-It's time to continue along

-the border and head over to Ludlow.

-It's in the middle

-of what was known as the Marches.

-Strategically important

-in the Middle Ages...

-..it was a meeting place for the

-Council Of Wales And The Marches...

-..in the 15th century.

-The Shropshire town is ten miles

-from the modern border.

-The old buildings are testament

-to its medieval history.

-The castle was renovated.

-Parts of what we see date back

-to the 13th century.

-Apart from the castle....

-..the Feathers Hotel

-is a famous landmark.

-Built in 1619...

-..it's one of Ludlow's 500 Grade I

-listed buildings.

-The Ludlow Welsh Society meets here

-for a Welsh lesson.

-Hello, everyone.

-Thanks for having me in your lesson.

-Why did you decide

-to learn Welsh in Ludlow?

-I'm originally from Pembrokeshire.

-Oh, right.

-My mother spoke Welsh.

-It's interesting...

-..but difficult.

-But I live in hope!

-Do you speak other languages?

-Do you speak other languages?

-

-Latin and Greek.

-You're a classical man.

-That's why you want to learn Welsh,

-the classiest language of all!

-Since when have you attended

-the class?

-A year and a half.

-They are doing really well.

-Do you enjoy it?

-My heart is in Wales.

-Keep up the good work.

-Yes!

-One day, everyone in Ludlow

-will speak Welsh!

-Who wants a white coffee?

-The best part of any lesson

-is the light refreshments.

-I chatted to the two tutors. Are

-there many Welsh people in Ludlow?

-There's a Welsh Society here.

-I'm the chairperson,

-Mair is on the committee.

-We go to the National Eisteddfod

-every year.

-We used to hold concerts...

-..but a lot of the people died!

-We don't do that now.

-We have a St David's Day lunch

-on the Sunday closest to March 1st.

-Do people feel at all Welsh,

-or mostly English?

-English, I'd say.

-Did you move here

-because of family or work?

-My husband worked

-in the grammar school.

-I was in Cardiff University.

-We married and moved here to live.

-I was a teacher, too,

-a Welsh English teacher!

-You moved here from North Wales.

-I came to look after

-my grandchildren.

-That's why we moved here.

-That's why we moved here.

-

-For your grandchildren.

-Do you enjoy living in Ludlow?

-I've been here 58 years.

-I won't move back to Wales now.

-I go on holiday to Wales.

-Ludlow was famous for

-manufacturing nails and silk hats.

-With its rich history...

-..Ludlow is known as one of

-England's most beautiful towns.

-Ludlow is mostly famous today

-because of food.

-Ludlow's reputation for food...

-..is down to the number

-of local food producers.

-Luckily for me, one place brings

-all the produce together...

-..Ludlow Food Centre.

-It sounds like heaven.

-My friend, Padrig Jones, understands

-food. I met him in the centre.

-The professional chef often comes

-here to search for ingredients...

-..to create interesting dishes.

-What is it about Ludlow

-that makes it famous for food?

-It's a market town.

-The farmers bring quality

-produce here.

-People who move from the city

-to the country have money.

-They want good produce

-and good restaurants.

-There are good butchers here.

-This fantastic place is here. The

-shops are full of amazing produce.

-It's great to see Welsh produce

-sold in England.

-That makes me feel proud.

-That makes me feel proud.

-

-We're on the border!

-Yes!

-Let's taste some of the produce.

-What's this?

-What's this?

-

-Sourdough.

-It's used to make a starter.

-That's what gives it all

-the flavour.

-Rye flour and water

-creates a starter...

-..that's kept alive

-by adding water and flour.

-Some of the starters

-can last for 100 years.

-People keep them going.

-This starter is 25 years old.

-Taste it. It has character.

-Yeah.

-That's lovely.

-This is pear, walnut

-and Ludlow blue cheese.

-Oh, yeah!

-If you have a sweet tooth,

-try the carrot cake.

-Oh! It's lovely.

-It's crunchy.

-This one might be better.

-Vanilla and white chocolate cake.

-I'll have a piece.

-Let's go.

-It's good.

-Is it nice?

-Is it nice?

-

-It tastes nice.

-The meat is over there.

-There is almost

-too much choice...

-..of meat, vegetables and cheeses.

-Some were made in this building.

-Oh, pies!

-We had to visit the deli

-and its pies.

-Is this the Fidget Pie?

-Is this the Fidget Pie?

-

-That's our take on the Fidget Pie.

-Can you tell us a bit about it?

-Can you tell us a bit about it?

-

-It's our own gammon.

-We rear the pigs here

-and butcher them in our butchery.

-We have Bramley apples, Cheddar

-cheese and wholegrain mustard mash.

-Is Fidget Pie

-a special Shropshire thing?

-Our twist on it is

-the wholegrain mustard mash on top.

-Would you eat it cold or hot?

-Both, but I personally

-would prefer it out of the oven.

-It's perfectly fine when it's cold.

-It's perfectly fine when it's cold.

-

-Just as it is.

-There's sweetness,

-acidity from the cheese...

-..saltiness of the gammon

-and spice of mustard.

-It's got it all, I think.

-It's got it all, I think.

-

-Pie and mash all in one. Brilliant!

-I have to dive into one of them.

-I have to dive into one of them.

-

-It's a very nice experience.

-Mustard.

-Special.

-After a feast of food...

-..I left Paj searching

-for exciting ingredients.

-I have to prepare for the next leg

-of my border journey...

-..from Presteigne to Capel-y-ffin.

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