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0:00:00 > 0:00:05- Y Dref Gymreig traces the history - of towns through their architecture.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08- This programme - is about Crickhowell...
0:00:08 > 0:00:12- ..between the Black Mountains - and the Brecon Beacons.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16- 888
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- 888
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0:00:33 > 0:00:38- We'll see a bridge, a castle, - a gatehouse, a triangular square...
0:00:39 > 0:00:43- ..a medieval home - which houses iconic furniture...
0:00:44 > 0:00:49- ..a Georgian mansion and a manor - during our visit to Crickhowell.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- Our journey ends - in the unique Televillage.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05- Here we are, in Crickhowell.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- Yes and it's a lovely town.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12- The town sits beneath Crug Hywel, - the Iron Age fort.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- The town doesn't date back - to the Iron Age, 2,000 years ago.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- The town dates back - to the medieval period.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- There's a 13th-century castle here...
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- ..but our journey begins - in a 15th-century building.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49- Porth Mawr is a gatehouse.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53- It does - exactly what it says on the tin!
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- Yes, it's obviously a gatehouse.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01- Many Welsh people are familiar with - the yellow gatehouse of Crickhowell.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- It's in the heart of the town - and the A40 runs past it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- This road has existed here - since Roman times.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17- The gatehouse was built circa 1480. - Yes, it really is very old.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- It formed the divide - between English and Welsh lordships.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- We're sitting on the best side - - the Welsh side!
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- Who lived in the house - behind this fortified gatehouse?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- Two important families lived here.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37- The Rumseys - the English family, - and the Herberts - the Welsh family.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- Lord Herbert lived in Cwrt-y-Carw...
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- ..a house which was replaced - by an elegant Regency house.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49- That house - was built in the early 19th century.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- Only the gatehouse remains - from the original period.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00- The architecture of the gatehouse - was romanticized in the early 19th.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Those are 19th-century gates.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07- Having said that, 15th-century - gatehouses are rare in Wales.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- It's great to see features - such as that chimney...
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- ..which dates back - to the 15th century.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Most Welsh people - had no chimney back then.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- We can fire cannonballs - at the English from here!
0:03:21 > 0:03:22- Not now, Aled!
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- Not now, Aled!- - After tea, perhaps!
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Crickhowell was established...
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- ..to serve the agricultural - community and local gentry.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36- This medieval town...
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- ..underwent a transformation - in Georgian times.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46- Our journey through the old - Crickhowell starts on the bridge...
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- ..with local conservation officer, - Will Hughes.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55- Was this bridge and the ability - to cross the River Usk here...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- ..part of the reason - the town was built?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- Yes, it seems - there was always a ford here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- We know people lived here - during the Stone Age...
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- ..and there was a stone bridge here - during the reign of Henry VIII.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- This bridge was built in 1706 - and it was widened in 1810.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- Having crossed the bridge, - we'd have to come up this road.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- Yes, the road up from the bridge - to the castle gates.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- Most of the houses on this side of - the road date back to Tudor times.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- This 17th-century house - has a Georgian facade.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Houses on this side are Georgian.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- This may be linked - to land ownership.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- This is a remarkable example - of a shop.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- It's amazing that this road - is in such good condition.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Yes, that's because the shops and - main town centre moved up the hill.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- These houses were then downgraded - and poorer people lived here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25- People who didn't have the means - to make alterations to the houses.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- Thank goodness for that!
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- Thank goodness for that!- - Yes, indeed.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47- We're standing on the motte in what - remains of Crickhowell Castle...
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- ..looking out over the whole town.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Yes, what a great location - to build a caste!
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- The whole valley - can be viewed from here.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- The Normans built this - motte and bailey castle...
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- ..and Owain Glyndwr demolished it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- No-one has lived here - since the days of Owain Glyndwr.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13- Let's go and see a house which has - strong links with this castle.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- This is the most extraordinary house - on Crickhowell High Street.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- Yes, - it's the most interesting house too.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- There are plenty of Victorian - and Georgian houses on this street.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- This house dates back - to at least the 17th century.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Has this always been one room?
0:06:52 > 0:06:57- It's hard to tell but I think - we're talking about two houses here.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- It was a shop for a while, - as the front suggests.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- The windows are delightful.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- There are two fireplaces here - and the house has two staircases.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- It seem likely - this was once a pair of houses.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- What is the aforementioned link - between the castle and this house?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- The fireplaces.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24- I think the stonework around - the fireplaces came from the castle.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- The beams in this house - date back to the 17th century.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- The stop chamfers suggest that.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36- The stonework around the fireplaces - is of the highest quality.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- They're also large fireplaces - for a property of this size.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- We're very close to the castle - and they may have borrowed them.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- The stonework on this side - may have come from a castle doorway.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- They may have fitted - the fireplaces...
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- ..when the house was rebuilt - in the 17th century.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- This has survived for centuries - and seen styles come and go...
0:08:04 > 0:08:09- ..but I love the fact it looks fine - filled with contemporary furniture.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- Yes, it has a splendid - collection of furniture.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- There's nothing here - that reflects Tudor times.
0:08:16 > 0:08:22- What you see here is the cream - of 20th and 21st century design.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23- The contrast...
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- ..between contemporary and original - features works particularly well.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- This ultra-modern extension at - the back of the house surprised me.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- It was built during the 1960s.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57- The kitchen was recently refitted - and I'm very fond of this design.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- I prefer to see a contemporary - kitchen such as this...
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- ..rather than - a Victorian reproduction kitchen.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10- The viewers think of us as stuffy - dinosaurs who only like old houses!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- Well, they think you're a dinosaur!
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- This works well with the old house.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17- Yes, I agree.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- From here, you can see - the 900-year-old Norman motte.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27- You can also see a Victorian brick - nail factory in the garden.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- We're in the 1960s extension - added to a 17th century house.
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0:09:51 > 0:09:51- 888
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- 888- - 888
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- The square and High Street - are well-known sights...
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- ..to those - who drive through Crickhowell.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- When was this square built?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- It dates back to medieval times.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- It's interesting you call it - a square because it's triangular!
0:10:30 > 0:10:35- Every market in market towns - within the old Lordship of Brecon...
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- ..is triangular.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Bernard de Neufmarche grew up - in a town with a triangular market.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- He was the Norman - who established that Lordship.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- Let's look at some of the buildings.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- That's Market Hall.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Yes, it was designed - by Henry Wyatt in 1834.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- It replaced the original - timber market hall...
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- ..which stood right here, - next to this memorial.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- We've crossed the river Usk, - so we're officially in Llangattock.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- The building behind us - is Llangattock Court.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- Yes - Llangattock and Crickhowell - started out as one parish.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- This mansion was built circa 1700.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- The owners had enough money to build - a huge mansion such as this...
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- ..but the original house, - a Tudor farmhouse, is still here.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Most wealthy people - demolished old buildings...
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- ..and replaced them with new ones.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- Here, they kept the old, - primitive farmhouse...
0:12:07 > 0:12:11- ..which stands - next to this splendid mansion.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- The front door is really fancy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- Yes, as is the William and Mary hood - above the front door.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- It's a simple design.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- You sometimes see William and Mary - hoods...
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- ..plastered with clamshell shapes.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- This one is simple.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- The owners had the means - to build a huge, luxurious mansion...
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- ..but details such as - the stone tile roof are vernacular.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- There are no trendy bricks here - but instead, there's local stone.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- It's a combination of the vernacular - and of London trends.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- Here in the wide hallway, - the original staircase has gone...
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- ..replaced by a Georgian example.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- The old staircase may have been - refitted as the servants' staircase.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- An early example of recycling!
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- This is the drawing room.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- This room displays those features - associated with 18th-century houses.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- Yes, what a magnificent room!
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- I'm very fond of the panelling.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00- These chestnut panels would have - been very expensive in the 1700s.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- There's a lovely feel to this room.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06- Warmth oozes from the wood.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11- It's the type of room in which - I'd love to spend the whole winter.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- The fireplace looks Georgian to me.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- It isn't original to the house, - is it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- No, it's a classic, - mid-18th century design.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27- From the outside, I thought the - windows were early 19th century...
0:14:28 > 0:14:33- ..but looking at them from in here, - I'd say they're mid-18th century.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- It seems the owner - remodelled this house...
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- ..fifty years after it was built.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05- We've crossed the mountain - from Crickhowell to Llangenny.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- It's almost a secret valley!
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- Yes, I'm very fond of this area.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- It's packed - with 16th and 17th-century houses.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Before us we see Ty Llangenny.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23- It's a 17th-century manor house - with a collection of outbuildings...
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- ..which have all been converted.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- We're here - to see the manor house itself.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- This house is remarkably old, - as we've already said.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- Some renovation work - has been carried out to it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- Yes, this house was renovated - five years ago.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00- Personally, I feel these walls - should be limewashed...
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- ..but it looks very original.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- This is a lovely oak door.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- It appears ancient - but it's only five years old.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- If the correct material is used, - it weathers and looks natural.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- This door fits in perfectly - with the house.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23- We're talking about a time - soon after the death of Elizabeth I.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27- In that context, - are those windows remarkably large?
0:16:28 > 0:16:29- Yes, they're massive!
0:16:29 > 0:16:33- The Rumseys used those windows - to show off!
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- Dark colours were traditional - for the internal walls.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- Light wasn't important to people - back then.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- They fitted huge windows here - as a mark of the family's wealth.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51- This red sandstone is a common sight - in this part of the world.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56- Yes, it probably had a sandstone - tile roof in pre-Victorian times.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- That was traditional to this area.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01- It must have been really heavy.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02- It must have been really heavy.- - Yes, indeed.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14- Sian Pilling and her family moved - to Ty Llangenny two years ago...
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- ..after the renovation - had been done.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- What do you like about this house?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- What do you like about this house?- - It's a wonderful house.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30- It's a large house - but it's also very comfortable.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- It's a cosy home.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35- It's spacious.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- The renovation was done - to such a high standard...
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- ..there wasn't any work left to do - when we moved in.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- It seems to me this is - the practical side of the house.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- The kitchen and the lounge are here.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57- Yes, it's far more contemporary - than other parts of the house.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58- It's very light.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- We come here during the day.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07- We retire to the other room at night - when we want peace and quiet.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- It's really homely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- Ty Llangenny was ahead of its time.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- Rather than a staircase - curling above the inglenook...
0:18:20 > 0:18:21- ..it has a stair tower.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- Some parts are original - and some have been renovated.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- We're standing - in what was the original house.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Tell me about the floor plan.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- Tell me about the floor plan.- - It's quite complicated.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- It looks like - a hall house floor plan.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- One main room and two rooms - behind the dais partition.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- That's the classic design.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- The extension has turned this - into an L-shaped house...
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- ..with a few smaller extensions - to this side too.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- It's been extended and developed - over the centuries.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- A large family may have lived here, - at one point.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- One part of the family - may have lived here...
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- ..with a grandmother - or extended family living over there.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- Isn't there any evidence - of this being a hall house?
0:19:25 > 0:19:30- No, I doubt it was ever a hall house - but it follows a similar floor plan.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- This is a modern house, of its time.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- It's a fashionable house.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- It had ceilings, floors, - fireplaces and large windows.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44- The floor plan is just an echo - of what people had prior to this.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- Surrounded by these comfy chairs, - it's easy to forget...
0:19:49 > 0:19:50- ..this was once a kitchen.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- People would hang meat - from these hooks.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- Yes, they're a great shape.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- There are notches - for a bread cage...
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- ..in the ceiling - in front of the main fire.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07- A cage was hung there, keeping food - safe and away from the rats.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- It was also dry up there.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- Our journey - through the Crickhowell area ends...
0:20:30 > 0:20:31- ..in the Televillage.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- New homes were built - on the site of an old farmhouse...
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- ..and outbuildings - were converted into offices.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- It allowed people - to live and work here.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- The idea wasn't a total success.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- The offices are now empty, - awaiting further development.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- What part did you play - in getting this development built?
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- I helped the developers - give this place a vernacular taste.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- The National Park wanted it - to reflect its surroundings.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09- We used similar materials - to those used in local buildings.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Sandstone and oak were important.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Local craftsmen were very involved.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21- The window frames are local oak, - the slabs are local stone...
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- ..and the lamps are local pottery.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- The aim was - for it to be sustainable.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- There aren't any cars here.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- No - that was intentional.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36- We provided a quiet, safe footpath.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Cars are parked - at the rear of the development.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43- That keeps the centre quiet.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- People can walk to town - without using their cars.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- This development is interesting.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- It could be the way forward - for many small towns...
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- ..struggling - to justify their existence.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- I'm fond of this place, - especially as cars are excluded.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- People and their homes - are all-important.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- These narrow paths - create a community.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- They're the key to its success.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- It reminds me of Portmeirion.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- Unlike Portmeirion, - people can actually reside here.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- These are no mock Tudor homes.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- The windows are double glazed - and very modern...
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- ..with frames made of local oak.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42- The fusion of old tradition and - modern design makes this place work.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- The architecture is closely linked - to the area and its people.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:23:30 > 0:23:31- .