Aberteifi Y Dref Gymreig

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-This is a series

-about typically Welsh towns...

-..of which Cardigan

-is a fine example.

-The inaugural National Eisteddfod

-was held here in the 12th century.

-In this programme, we'll trace the

-history of the town and the area...

-..through its architecture.

-Welcome to Y Dref Gymreig.

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-In this programme,

-the streets of Cardigan...

-..Small World Centre

-and a Norman Castle.

-A Georgian manor

-on the outskirts of town...

-..a glimpse of the future

-of Welsh homes...

-..and we meet the vet

-at Penrallt Ddu.

-Our journey begins in a warehouse

-on the banks of River Teifi.

-The aim of this new series called

-Y Dref Gymreig...

-..is to focus on one town

-and the surrounding area each week.

-Our journey begins in Cardigan.

-Our journey begins in Cardigan.

-

-Yes, my home town.

-I love this place.

-Every Welsh town

-should be like this.

-It has a castle,

-a bridge, a river, small shops...

-..and a strong community.

-Cardigan port was very important,

-at one time.

-Yes, especially

-in the early 19th century.

-Over 1,000 men worked

-on the 300 ships registered here.

-It was very busy.

-Unfortunately, all that has gone

-and it's now very quiet.

-Gladys is its one remaining boat.

-The only remnants of all that

-activity are these warehouses.

-And now is a great time

-to look at this one...

-..as it's being converted

-into flats.

-There's early graffiti

-on this original plaster.

-One of the warehousemen scratched

-pictures of ships in the plaster.

-He saw all these ships at a time

-when the port was busy and bustling.

-The castle tells us

-this is an ancient town.

-Cardigan Castle

-may look a bit sad these days...

-..but the council is raising funds

-to restore the walls and building.

-This castle has a varied

-and fascinating history.

-Yes, it was held by the Welsh,

-then the Normans, Welsh again...

-..then held by the English.

-It was privately owned

-for most of the 20th century.

-The county council

-recently purchased it...

-..so it's back in the hands

-of the people of Cardigan, at last.

-Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd

-had strong links with this castle.

-Yes, the first

-National Eisteddfod was held here.

-It's an important building.

-What happened after medieval times?

-The castle

-has gone through major changes...

-..especially

-within the castle walls.

-This area was landscaped as a

-private garden in the 19th century.

-This villa was built

-in the early 19th century...

-..right in the castle's centre.

-Is it a remarkable building?

-Is it a remarkable building?

-

-It's certainly interesting.

-At the rear you can see

-where the old castle towers stood.

-This Georgian villa stands

-in front of the old towers.

-It's covered in scaffold

-and it's in poor condition.

-To see a Georgian villa

-that's in good condition...

-..on we go to the next location.

-We've travelled a few miles

-out of Cardigan to Llangoedmor...

-..to Plas Treforgan.

-Tell me about this manor house.

-It was built circa 1800.

-It's an elegant house

-with perfect proportions.

-It was built for a solicitor

-called Evan Davies.

-He came into money

-through marriage...

-..and they decided to build

-this Regency style manor.

-You can see that

-in the lovely bay windows behind us.

-It's said this house was designed

-by John Nash, the famous architect.

-Is there any truth in that?

-The Listing says this is a house

-"inspired" by Nash.

-I'm not sure about that.

-John Nash was working locally

-when this was built, circa 1800.

-This was his style and some of

-the details inside are totally Nash.

-I think it is a Nash house.

-It looks a bit primitive but that

-may be because it's lost its render.

-I think Nash designed this.

-The lack of render allows us

-to see the stone beneath.

-Rendered walls would blend better

-with those pillars.

-Yes, especially at the front

-where there's a wonderful porch.

-It's a classic design with columns.

-This top class Georgian work

-seems out of place...

-..next to the primitive work

-on the Cilgerran stone.

-The eaves are very deep,

-in typical Nash style.

-In Georgian times, the depth

-of the eaves reflected one's status.

-Deep eaves suggested

-the family had deep pockets.

-Is the same thing true of the bays?

-Yes. Bays became popular

-in the early 19th century.

-They're seen all over Brighton.

-As soon as you enter the house...

-..there's evidence that it's Nash's

-work or has been inspired by Nash.

-The floor plan is exactly the same

-as Llanerchaeron.

-The multi-arched hall is similar

-to the features of Llanerchaeron.

-Yes, there's magnificent plaster

-work in both houses.

-It's top quality work.

-It isn't ostentatious.

-It's elegant, just like

-the cantilevered staircase.

-That staircase

-is a feat of engineering.

-Look at the balusters.

-They're simple and extremely thin.

-Simple and plain design was

-the early 19th century fashion.

-As we know, this house was built

-in the early 19th century...

-..but the contents of this room

-comes from the Victorian age.

-Yes, its present owners

-adore the country house style.

-Their fantastic collection

-of china and furniture...

-..is on display here.

-They also own Georgian pieces,

-such as this lovely table.

-This room has some great features...

-..including a lovely fireplace and

-great cornice work on the ceiling.

-This early eastern wallpaper

-is very striking.

-Was it hand painted or blocked?

-If you look closely,

-you see it's blocked.

-It must have been expensive.

-It's hard to tell if it was

-made in China or in Japan.

-It looks Japanese to me but

-it may have been made in Britain.

-The shape of this room is lovely.

-The shape of this room is lovely.

-

-Yes.

-It must be wonderful to dine at this

-table and look out at the garden.

-Before those trees grew, there was

-a view of Cardigan from here.

-The beautiful scenery is reflected

-in the table's polished surface.

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-Welcome back to Y Dref Gymreig.

-We'll now focus on more recent

-architectural gems of Cardigan.

-Our journey

-along High Street continues.

-It was designed in medieval times

-but the buildings didn't survive.

-What we have here is architecture

-from the 18th century onwards.

-The Black Lion Hotel

-was built in 1780.

-It's an example

-of the early use of bricks.

-A recent restoration grant scheme...

-..has transformed windows

-and shop fronts.

-When I think of Cardigan,

-I think of this.

-Not the castle or the bridge

-but this building.

-It's the building that typifies

-the town's characteristics.

-Yes, the Guildhall and

-the market below is fantastic.

-It's an example of the

-Gothic revival inspired by Ruskin.

-It was built in the 1850s.

-It's now being renovated.

-Opposite is an example of the

-brickwork which was popular here.

-From what period does that date?

-From the late 19th century.

-There was a brick producing factory

-in Cardigan.

-You see them in Newcastle Emlyn

-and in Cardigan town itself.

-A lot of those Cardigan Bricks

-were produced.

-It's a pretty,

-relatively soft brick.

-You see it

-in several High Street buildings.

-Those bricks

-are synonymous with Cardigan...

-..as is the building technique

-of having thick and thin layers.

-It's really decorative.

-Yes, it's a characteristic feature

-of Cardigan.

-Mixing different coloured stones

-is also typical of Cardigan...

-..and so is that sort of front door.

-Cardigan is a small town

-but it's bursting with character.

-I was born upstairs here.

-Sister Griffiths refused

-to let anyone consume alcohol.

-She was the teetotal midwife

-who delivered me.

-Three vets lived here at that time.

-Apparently, they got a bottle of

-Black Label whisky from somewhere...

-..and they drank it out of jam jars!

-That's what happened

-on the night of my birth!

-Richard Thomas, or Dic y Vet,

-and Elizabeth, his wife...

-..live in Penrallt Ddu.

-Dic followed his father

-into the veterinary world.

-The family home functioned

-as a vet's surgery for a time.

-You've always lived in Cardigan.

-You must have seen huge changes

-during that period.

-Yes, Cardigan and the whole area

-have changed.

-Cardigan has relied entirely

-on agriculture.

-As agriculture changes...

-..so the character

-of Cardigan changes.

-Farmers were the backbone

-of Cardigan.

-If they flourished,

-Cardigan flourished.

-We've moved on

-a couple of centuries.

-What is the history of Penrallt Ddu?

-It was built

-at the turn of the 20th century.

-Most of the houses in Cardigan

-were built around that time.

-Cardigan was developing as a

-market town rather than a port town.

-It was built for a solicitor,

-as was Treforgan...

-..but this was built a century later

-and the style is vastly different.

-We associate render such as this

-with the 1950s and 1960s.

-Roughcast render was used

-in Georgian times...

-..with lime rather than cement.

-The original wooden columns

-were replaced...

-..but everything else is original.

-I love the arches above the doors.

-These would have been ordered

-from a catalogue...

-..and delivered by train from

-London, Liverpool or Birmingham.

-There are two staircases

-in this house.

-That suggests there were maids.

-Yes, that's true.

-There were maids and a gardener.

-My father pioneered

-artificial insemination...

-..and it all started

-in his laboratory outside.

-They collected

-from two or three bulls...

-..and Jac y Crown

-did the inseminating.

-We kept five Jersey

-milking cattle here.

-We sold milk, buttermilk and butter.

-The vet was part of the community.

-The longer you stand here, the more

-you see where the money was spent.

-This kink serves no purpose

-but it's wonderful.

-People spent money on

-the reception areas of the house.

-We now spend money on kitchen units

-and bathroom fittings.

-In other words, we spend money

-on the house's private areas.

-The fireplaces, the doors

-and the stairs took precedence...

-..as those were the areas

-visitors would see.

-This is the heart of the public area

-of the vet's house.

-What are the rooms

-around the staircase?

-The house was built for a solicitor.

-The solicitor and probably the vets

-used this room as an office.

-Behind there, in the service area,

-was the vet's dispensary.

-Those are the original cupboards.

-These were private family rooms -

-the drawing room and the parlour.

-This house is part of my life.

-It's only bricks and mortar

-and it isn't a pretty house...

-..but I'm a part of this house.

-I've lived here all my life

-and it's a very homely house.

-This is Small World Centre,

-Cardigan's newest building.

-It's so new, it isn't finished!

-It's good to see it before they add

-the finishing touches.

-The community wanted to create

-something sustainable.

-We can see

-just how sustainable it really is.

-You can see the lime render here.

-You can see willow wattle walls...

-..and the sedum roof.

-This is the time to see

-this building's eco credentials.

-What are those eco credentials?

-What are those eco credentials?

-

-There's something everywhere.

-Everyone who worked on this building

-lives within 20 miles of Cardigan.

-That's fantastic.

-Many people buy green goods

-sourced from far away.

-Here, not only are the materials

-local but the workers are too.

-It looks a bit like a pagoda.

-It looks a bit like a pagoda.

-

-Yes. It's lovely.

-It's one huge space inside.

-It's a theatre.

-The arts scene in Cardigan

-is vibrant.

-This is Small World Centre

-and Theatr Mwldan is next to it.

-The old slaughterhouse nearby has

-been converted into creative units.

-It's only a small town

-of something like 3,000 people....

-..but it's a lively place.

-Do buildings such as this

-inspire people to build homes...

-..which are more sustainable?

-Yes, it certainly does.

-Next, we'll see a new house built

-using green materials and ideas.

-We've reached the estuary

-of River Teifi.

-Yes, we've travelled

-two miles from the town.

-Pembrokeshire is across there

-and this is Ceredigion.

-We're here

-to see this wonderful house.

-Ceredigion

-is famous for its bungalows.

-This is almost a single-storey house

-but it's a contemporary gem.

-Yes.

-It's in a stunning location too.

-It's raised on stilts, which gives

-you a great view of the estuary.

-Ceredigion planning department has a

-reputation for being conservative.

-People don't think they can

-build something modern like this.

-One of the reasons planning

-permission was granted here...

-..is it's a very sustainable design.

-In addition to

-sustainable building materials....

-..Nant Saeson uses

-sustainable fuel - wood pellets.

-Rainwater is collected from the roof

-and used in the toilets.

-Insulation is provided

-by waste newsprint fibre.

-Isn't this a magnificent room?

-You see why Dai and his wife

-wanted to build a home here.

-You also see

-why they wanted it to be elevated.

-This is one of the best views

-in Ceredigion.

-Yes, it's a wonderful canvas.

-This must be

-the only house on this road...

-..from which you can see

-along the river, down to the sea.

-The floor plan is very simple.

-It's open plan.

-There's a kitchen,

-a dining area and a lounge.

-They dropped the level

-to create a private lounge area.

-I think that's great.

-It reminds me of 1970s designs.

-Yes, it's sunken almost.

-The structure of the house

-you see outside...

-..is part of the beauty of the house

-on the inside.

-The wood

-adds to the warmth of the house.

-The wood adds to the sustainability

-of the house.

-The pine comes from forests

-where they replant trees constantly.

-All the oak you see in the house...

-..came from one huge oak tree which

-had to be felled after a storm.

-Even in the midst

-of all this modernism...

-..there will come a point during the

-Welsh summer when it's too hot here.

-Yes but they've got that covered!

-Look - I have a toy!

-This is the remote control

-for the blinds.

-There's a blind on every window.

-It's possible to have privacy even

-in a house which has so much glass.

-It's very James Bond.

-Shaken not stirred, Greg!

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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