Pennod 5 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 people who live here.

-Does living on a border

-create its own unique identity?

-Come with me

-on a journey to find out.

-My journey has taken me

-from Holywell and Chester...

-..to Knighton and Ludlow.

-I've met people and visited places

-I'd only passed through before.

-Today, I'm in Presteigne.

-The obvious place to start

-is the bridge on the town outskirts.

-Herefordshire, Radnorshire.

-England.

-Wales.

-The River Llugwy is the boundary.

-The little town

-is full of character.

-Independent shops and cafes

-are thriving.

-Norman in origin...

-..Presteigne was old Radnorshire's

-main town until 1888...

-..which is why

-the county courts were here.

-The court is part of

-the Judge's Lodging Museum.

-It has won numerous awards

-for bringing history to life.

-It opened as a museum in 1997.

-The court was still

-in session until 1990.

-Imagine being found guilty

-and walking down the stairs.

-Take him down.

-The walk down to the cells

-is quite frightening.

-Even worse,

-they weren't all villains.

-Some were sent down for being poor.

-What fate awaited them?

-Death, transportation to Australia?

-Ugh!

-I've slept in worse places.

-Luckily for me,

-the door wasn't locked this time.

-The Radnorshire Arms

-is another historical building.

-It's an outstanding

-Jacobean building.

-It was a house, originally.

-A big posh house, I'd say.

-Former teacher Dai Hawkins

-is a local historian.

-After the death

-of Llywelyn The Last...

-..a chain of towns built in Wales...

-..and along the border.

-They were English strongholds.

-In the late Middle Ages...

-..the local country folk...

-..all spoke Welsh.

-The town dwellers were English.

-Little by little,

-the Welsh moved in.

-In 1397...

-..the Bishop Of Hereford

-came round the area...

-..to hold some sort

-of church court...

-..and collect money.

-By now...

-..in towns like Knighton...

-..and Presteigne...

-..and Kington in England...

-..Welsh speakers

-outnumbered the English.

-English is the main language now.

-When Welsh was a living language,

-the dialect was unique.

-You've researched the local dialect.

-It's amazing.

-The people of Radnorshire spoke

-with a strong South Wales accent.

-It was some sort of Gwenhwyseg.

-Unlike South Wales,

-they didn't harden consonants.

-They said "wedws e",

-not "dywedodd e".

-They had phrases like

-"cwni yn y bore"...

-..and "bagle" for legs.

-If they were injured,

-they had painful "bagle".

-George Borrow visited Presteigne.

-George Borrow visited Presteigne.

-

-He stayed in this tavern...

-..maybe in this room.

-He asked the maid,

-"Are we in England or Wales?"

-She replied,

-"No, we're in Radnorshire."

-I said farewell

-to Dai in Presteigne...

-..and headed for Radnor Forest.

-It isn't a forest of trees.

-The old meaning of forest

-is open land designated to hunting.

-A long time ago, so the story goes,

-a dragon lived in the forest.

-It traumatized the locals.

-Four churches

-dedicated to St Michael...

-..were built

-to imprison the dragon.

-St Michael fought

-the dragon in the Bible.

-This is Llanfihangel Cefnllys.

-The dragon is sleeping

-somewhere in the forest.

-Ssh. I hope it doesn't wake up.

-I head off on my bike

-to one of my favourite towns.

-It's famous for its midsummer

-festival, alternative residents...

-..and books.

-Where else, but Hay-on-Wye?

-There are traces

-of two Norman castles here.

-The star attraction

-was once William de Braose's castle.

-Llywelyn Ap Iorwerth

-had him hung in 1230...

-..for having an affair

-with his wife, Joan.

-The owner now is Richard Booth.

-He decided Hay

-should be famous for something...

-..selling second-hand books.

-Hay is an eccentric town.

-It's right on the border.

-Part is in England,

-part in Wales.

-Some people claim

-Hay isn't on the border...

-..but that

-it's an independent country...

-..a kingdom, all on its own.

-That's how Richard Booth

-drew attention to the place.

-He declared himself

-the King Of Hay...

-..from his castle

-which was now a bookshop.

-Half a million visitors

-come every year.

-The castle is an integral part

-of the experience.

-It was bought in 2011 by a Trust

-that still looks after the place.

-Another reason for visiting Hay

-is to see an old friend.

-What did she think

-of the town's identity?

-Pat Morgan, of the band Datblygu,

-comes from the Amman Valley.

-She has lived in Hay for many years.

-What kept you here?

-The mountains and

-the way the town constantly changes.

-There are a lot of friendly

-people here.

-I've made friends.

-I've put down roots.

-I can't leave now.

-I think it's fantastic.

-I couldn't wait to get here.

-Some people behave

-as if they still live in London.

-It's like a suburb of North London.

-Mmm.

-Hampstead could be

-just round the corner.

-What's the best thing about Hay?

-It's a place that generates

-all sorts of original ideas...

-..and people make them happen.

-The first time I came here...

-..I lost track of time.

-I didn't know how long

-I'd been here. I lost myself.

-There was something interesting

-that drew me to it.

-People can do what they want.

-There's a laissez-faire feel.

-All the weirdoes are left alone!

-That's why I moved here!

-Your house is on the border.

-On Offa's Dyke - the Welsh side.

-So you just about live in Wales.

-So you just about live in Wales.

-

-Yes.

-Do people feel

-they're on the border?

-Is it important to them?

-There is a history of not wanting

-to be Welsh.

-If a woman who lived on the border

-was about to give birth...

-..she'd cross the border...

-..so the baby was born in England.

-Well, well.

-Well, well.

-

-Oh, yes.

-I hear stories

-like that all the time.

-Do people still feel like that?

-Do people still feel like that?

-

-No. Things have changed.

-That's how they used to feel.

-In Victorian times.

-What's it like, to be Welsh in Hay?

-In the beginning...

-..I really missed

-not hearing the Welsh language.

-People took the mick out

-of my Welsh accent.

-I had to go somewhere

-to hear Welsh being spoken...

-..to feel better.

-It's improved now.

-People accept that

-we must have Welsh and English.

-The two languages work.

-Not many people speak Welsh here.

-There's no opposition to it.

-Things have changed.

-# And the doubts disappear

-# I swallow tranquilizers #

-Datblygu's new album, Porwr Trallod,

-was released recently.

-I can't not ask Pat about it.

-The band greatly influenced

-the Welsh music scene.

-How would you describe

-the new Datblygu record?

-It's different

-from what we did before.

-This is a new period for us.

-It has to be relevant

-to how we feel now...

-..what's happening in our lives.

-David and I always

-mess about with ideas.

-He writes,

-and I pick up sounds I like.

-Your presence has been

-important on Datblygu's records.

-It's more prominent now.

-It's more of a partnership.

-We say what's on our mind,

-all the time.

-# But now this, but now this

-# But now this #

-Later, Pat and I try

-something different from music.

-I continue on my journey

-along the border.

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-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I've arrived in Hay-on-Wye

-on my border journey...

-..and met an old friend, Pat,

-a member of the band Datblygu.

-As well as bookshops, many

-craftspeople have shops in Hay now.

-Pat likes this small

-shop's glass products.

-She has arranged for me

-to try my hand at glassblowing.

-Paul Brown and partner Rowena create

-fine pieces in their workshop.

-It looks easy,

-but that's because of their skill.

-Molten glass comes out of

-the furnace at over 1,000 degrees.

-One technique is

-blowing glass to create a shape.

-He shows us how

-to make a simple globe.

-Now, it's my turn.

-Keep it level, on track.

-Slowly.

-It's harder than it looks.

-Oh! I'm pleased with that.

-Go on, Pat. It's your turn.

-BLOWING SOUND

-GIGGLES

-It looks great.

-That's fantastic. Wowee!

-That goes in there.

-It stays there until tomorrow,

-to cool down overnight.

-Can we pick it up in the morning?

-Can we pick it up in the morning?

-

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

-Well done! Your first bauble.

-The first of many.

-I see a new career coming on.

-The next morning, our baubles

-have cooled and hardened.

-It's been great to see Pat again.

-You have it, as a small gift.

-You have it, as a small gift.

-

-Thanks!

-I have to get on my bike.

-I have to get on my bike.

-

-Of course.

-I'll see you soon.

-I'll see you soon.

-

-Great. Ta-ra.

-So I set out on my bike

-to continue my border journey.

-I'm heading south from Hay to

-the heart of the Black Mountains...

-..to a place that

-shouted out for a stop...

-..Capel-y-ffin,

-the chapel on the border.

-I pass the old priory of Llanthony.

-Dating back to the 12th century,

-it's a fine sight in the sunshine.

-But I carry on to meet

-Frank Olding in Capel-y-ffin.

-The River Honddu

-flows through the village.

-Here's the chapel

-which gives the village its name.

-At eight by four metres, it's

-one of Wales's smallest chapels.

-But we continue up the mountain

-to another sacred building.

-This monastery was founded

-in 1869 by Joseph Leycester Lyne...

-..or Father Ignatius,

-as he was known.

-He couldn't have chosen

-a more striking spot.

-What are those mountains' names?

-That's Y Pigwn in front of us.

-It's part of Mynydd Y Gader,

-or Hatterell Ridge in English.

-That's Y Twmpa.

-In English, it's Lord Hereford's

-Knob, if we're allowed to say that!

-English names

-can be funnier than Welsh ones.

-Yes, in this case, it's Y Twmpa.

-Nant Y Bwch is on the other side.

-Cefn Goch and Darren Goch

-are at the end of the valley.

-Wow.

-We can see Rhos Dirion

-right at the top of the valley.

-Why is this place famous?

-All kinds of people

-have been drawn here.

-In one way, it's an odd place.

-It attracts people

-from different backgrounds.

-It's very remote, for one thing.

-The first people here were monks,

-back in the 12th century.

-Gerald Of Wales said...

-..that the man who founded

-the first monastery...

-..the priory in the middle

-of the valley...

-..came here to hunt

-and got a bit lost.

-He found this remote place

-and had a religious conversion.

-He decided to live

-on his own as a hermit.

-Others followed and the priory

-was founded in the valley.

-The place is mentioned

-in Culhwch And Olwen too.

-Arthur came here...

-..with all the dogs and warriors of

-Britain, to hunt the Twrch Trwyth.

-Another group of monks

-came here in the 19th century...

-..with Father Ignatius.

-What was remarkable about him?

-He wanted to re-establish monastic

-life in the Church Of England...

-..as it was called at that time.

-He had tried to do this in Norwich.

-But there was some

-sort of scandal there.

-They had to leave in a hurry.

-They came to a remote place,

-far from the world's temptations.

-He founded the monastery

-behind us in 1864.

-What about the scandal?

-I heard that women could join them.

-Nuns lived here with the monks.

-Father Ignatius

-often travelled to preach.

-That's how he raised money

-to build the monastery.

-Gigs.

-Gigs.

-

-Exactly.

-When he was away, monastic

-discipline deteriorated a little.

-There was talk of a few scandals.

-But he joined in

-the area's cultural life.

-He was very popular as a preacher...

-..in Abergavenny, Hay and Brecon.

-He was made a member

-of the Gorsedd Of Bards...

-..at the Brecon National Eisteddfod.

-Did he speak Welsh?

-Did he speak Welsh?

-

-He spoke a little Welsh, certainly.

-Welsh was the language

-of the valley.

-He wanted to preach

-to the people in their own language.

-So he learnt some Welsh.

-In 1880, visions of the Virgin Mary

-were seen on the monastery's land.

-This was in August,

-late in the 19th century.

-One of the village

-children saw it first.

-The Virgin came down

-the hill behind us.

-It happened for several nights.

-In the end, the monks

-and Father Ignatius saw her too.

-She came down the hill...

-..and floated above a rhubarb bush.

-Then she disappeared.

-They erected a kind of sanctuary

-where she appeared...

-..the statue behind us.

-They cut leaves from the rhubarb

-bush and sent them to people.

-One of the leaves

-healed a nun's leg.

-That rhubarb leaf...

-..is in Abergavenny Museum.

-The holy rhubarb leaf.

-The holy rhubarb leaf.

-

-The holy rhubarb leaf.

-In the 1920s...

-..a group of artists

-and poets came to live here.

-Eric Gill and David Jones

-were two of the best known.

-David Jones wrote his famous

-poem about World War I here...

-..In Parenthesis.

-TS Eliot called the poem

-"a work of genius".

-In the 1960s...

-..Allen Ginsberg mentioned

-Capel-y-ffin and the mountain...

-..in his poem "Wales Visitation".

-As well as Catholic monks

-in the Middle Ages...

-..and the Anglican monks...

-..the place has a strong

-Nonconformist tradition.

-Walter Craddock and other Puritans

-came here in the mid-17th century.

-They established a chapel the other

-side of the hill, and a chapel here.

-The reason the chapel

-was on the border...

-..was because nonconformity

-in the 17th century was illegal...

-..like Catholicism.

-Sometimes, the county sheriff

-came here to demolish the chapel...

-..and arrest people.

-But if they crossed

-the border to the next county...

-..the sheriff couldn't follow them.

-That's why early

-nonconformist chapels...

-..were very often

-on county borders.

-That's why Capel-y-ffin

-is on the border...

-..between Breconshire

-and Monmouthshire.

-It's a lovely place

-and inspirational, in a way.

-Yes.

-It's a place between worlds.

-It's on several borders.

-The border between

-Wales and England...

-..and Monmouthshire

-and Breconshire.

-But there's also

-a border between worlds.

-Sometimes,

-if you're up here in fog...

-..the border between this world,

-our everyday world...

-..and the otherworld...

-..is very narrow.

-Next week...

-..the end of our journey approaches

-as we reach Monmouth and Chepstow.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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