Llandeilo Y Dref Gymreig


Llandeilo

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-"A city that is set on a hill cannot

-be hidden", according to the Bible.

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-That's what makes Llandeilo

-so attractive.

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-It can be seen from near and far.

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-It also has a very colourful

-architectural history.

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-Welcome to Y Dref Gymreig.

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-888

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-The town of Llandeilo offers

-a feast of architectural treats.

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-We'll visit a magnificent mansion

-and an ancient castle.

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-We'll also see a church tower,

-a fine bridge and a Neo-Tudor home.

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-Finally, we'll explore the interior

-of one of the town's old banks.

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-We're in the market town

-of Llandeilo.

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-It's an important town

-in the history of Carmarthenshire.

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-There was a real buzz

-about this town in Victorian times.

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-It was teeming with people.

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-Cattle was sold

-opposite the church...

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-..and pigs were sold on

-the street behind us - King Street.

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-Horses were sold

-on Carmarthen Road.

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-Tywi Valley corn was famous.

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-Corn, cheese and milk

-were sold in Shire Hall.

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-It was a busy town.

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-There were over 70 shops here

-in Victorian times!

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-Llandeilo

-is named after Saint Teilo...

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-..and this places the town

-in the age of the saints.

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-Yes but this isn't a medieval town.

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-The majority of what you see

-is Georgian.

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-There are also

-a lot of Victorian houses here.

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-Our journey begins

-on the outskirts of the town...

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-..at Dinefwr Castle.

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-Dinefwr was the seat

-of the Princes of Deheubarth.

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-This important Welsh castle...

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-..was built by Rhys Grug,

-Rhys Mewchyll and Rhys Fychan.

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-It eventually fell to Edward I

-in 1277.

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-What a great location!

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-It's a great strategic location.

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-You can see for miles from here,

-all the way down to the valley...

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-..and down to Dryslwyn Castle.

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-This location was strategically

-important even in Roman times.

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-The Romans built a temple.

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-They also built forts

-in what is now Dinefwr Park.

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-This area was very important

-in Rhys's time.

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-Llandeilo Fawr is adjacent to it.

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-This is one of the most important

-of the Welsh castles.

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-This was

-an important Welsh cultural centre.

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-That's why the Normans

-wanted to capture it.

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-They did just that

-in the late 13th century.

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-CADW has since restored the castle.

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-We're familiar with a painting of it

-taken from the bridge...

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-..by Turner, the famous artist.

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-Our next destination

-is that bridge...

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-..and in particular,

-the house next to it.

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-In the 1840s,

-county surveyor William Williams...

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-..designed

-a new bridge for Llandeilo.

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-The project was completed

-by Edward Haycock in 1851...

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-..at the huge cost of 23,000.

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-This was known

-as one of the wonders of Wales.

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-People came to see it.

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-It was one of the largest bridges

-in Britain.

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-It still looks fantastic today...

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-..although we're familiar

-with modern bridges.

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-The bridge and the new road

-gave this town a new image.

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-It looks almost

-like a continental village.

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-To me, this bridge

-feels like the boundary...

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-..between west and south Wales.

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-After crossing the bridge,

-there's a different feeling.

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-Let's look at the first house

-we see after you cross the bridge.

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-Moreb, Tudor-style house.

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-Moreb has its own unique style

-within the town of Llandeilo.

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-When was it built?

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-It's a Neo-Tudor style.

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-Alterations

-were carried out to it...

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-..and most of what is seen today

-dates back to the Victorian era.

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-The original house stood here...

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-..before the bridge was built

-in the 1840s.

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-Who lived here originally?

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-Who lived here originally?

-

-The agent of the Gelli Aur estate.

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-Lord Cawdor decided

-to build this house for the agent.

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-It stands on the very edge

-of the Gelli Aur lands.

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-It's a very strange choice

-of location.

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-This is the entrance

-to the Dinefwr estate...

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-..but Lord Cawdor

-built a house here for his agent.

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-I've never seen a house like this

-with such a fancy porch before.

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-Isn't it wonderful?

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-It's a shame

-no-one who builds houses today...

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-..can afford to spend money

-on fancy porches.

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-They used stonework

-which was chiselled by hand.

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-In the Victorian age,

-people had enough money...

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-..to be able to splash out

-on fancy porches.

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-External details such as porches,

-windows and doors were important.

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-They used the same stones

-to build Gelli Aur.

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-Ornate windows and a wonderful door.

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-The original bell still works.

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-There are some lovely details here.

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-Miranda Jones and her family have

-lived in Moreb for over 20 years.

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-What attracted you to this house?

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-It's beautiful...

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-..and it looks like a castle.

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-It's in a good position,

-on the edge of town.

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-I like the high ceilings

-and the spacious rooms.

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-They're not too big.

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-Every single room is really lovely.

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-We're in the hall...

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-..which leads from the front door

-to the rear of the house.

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-It's possible

-the agent worked from home.

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-There are four reception rooms here.

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-A pair at the front

-and a pair behind the stairs.

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-The agent's study or office

-may have been at the front.

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-There's a Victorian fireplace there.

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-The other internal features

-date back to the 1800s...

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-..the time when the house was built.

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-In a house of this status...

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-..one would expect to see

-a splendid staircase.

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-We actually have a fine staircase...

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-..but it somehow falls short of

-the status of the rest of the house.

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-It's made of oak,

-so at least it's not made of pine.

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-The craftsmanship is good and it's

-a design that dates from 1800.

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-It's narrow and it looks like

-a servants' staircase.

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-The house was remodelled...

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-..so maybe they had no room

-to build a fancy staircase.

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-The doors and the architraves

-are top quality.

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-Craftsmen from the mansion were

-available to work on this house.

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-One of Llandeilo's problems

-had been...

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-..access up the steep hill from the

-bridge and around the churchyard.

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-In 1815, a road running

-through the churchyard was built.

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-That road was widened and improved

-when this bridge was built in 1851.

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-One of the perks of this job

-is accessing areas...

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-..which are out of bounds

-to everyone else.

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-Yes, we're at the top

-of the church tower.

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-The town was named after Saint Teilo

-and so was this church.

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-This tower was built

-circa the 16th century.

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-It looks like a Norman tower.

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-The church was founded here during

-St Teilo's time, in the 6th century.

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-Teilo was a famous man and he lived

-in the same era as Saint David.

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-A cult developed around him

-and his name.

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-Were parts of this church

-redesigned by the Victorians?

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-Yes, that's true.

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-Apart from this tower,

-the church was demolished in 1850...

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-..and rebuilt by famous Victorian

-architect, George Gilbert Scott.

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-He was an important man.

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-He was an important man.

-

-Yes, this is an important town.

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-The architecture

-is of the highest quality.

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-These are

-18th and 19th century buildings.

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-We're standing outside The Cawdor

-on Llandeilo High Street.

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-This is the main

-coaching inn of the town.

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-Llandeilo was a centre

-where people gathered...

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-..and this was

-the main meeting point.

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-Farmhands stood outside here

-on market day...

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-..in the hope of a farmer

-hiring them for the following year.

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-Tell me about the building.

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-When was it erected?

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-Most of what you see

-dates back to the 18th century.

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-It was redesigned circa 1840.

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-The bay windows

-date back to that period.

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-One can sit in the bay window

-with a pint or a cuppa...

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-..watching the world go by.

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-The next house for us to visit

-was built by Edward Rice in 1660.

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-This magnificent house is now

-the property of the National Trust.

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-We're a mile from the centre

-of Llandeilo, in Dinefwr Park.

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-The house is called Newton House.

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-What stands here today

-looks relatively new.

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-Yes, it looks Victorian.

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-The exterior seems unexciting

-but it's full of surprises.

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-This facade of Victorian stonework

-conceals a 17th-century manor.

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-This style

-is called Venetian Gothic.

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-It refers

-to the shape of the arches...

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-..and to the striped stonework

-above them.

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-That's a feature seen

-in Venice in Gothic times.

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-It also reminds me

-of mansions seen in Scotland.

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-It's very Baronial.

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-The towers look French to me.

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-Yes, it's a fusion of styles.

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-The Victorians took elements

-of all sorts of styles...

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-..and blended them to erect romantic

-historic-looking buildings.

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-They're not historic, of course.

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-We're at the rear of the house.

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-Oh, wow!

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-What a splendid staircase!

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-This is evidence

-that this is no Victorian house.

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-It's a fantastic,

-17th-century staircase.

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-Is this glorious plaster work

-original?

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-Yes, it's all original.

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-The ceiling right at the top

-is papier mache...

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-..so that's definitely Victorian.

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-The plaster work beneath the stairs

-is 17th century.

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-The house was built circa 1660.

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-This looks like an open

-cantilevered staircase...

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-..and yet, there are columns.

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-It's said the stairs were unstable

-in Victorian times...

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-..so they added

-these quite ugly columns.

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-Massive paintings are needed

-to fill these huge walls.

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-Who are these people?

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-They're portraits

-of the Rice family.

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-Edward Rice and his wife.

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-My favourite paintings

-are in the hallway.

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-They show how the house looked

-when it was built in 1660.

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-They're fantastic.

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-We're standing on the roof

-of the mansion - Newton House...

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-..looking towards Llandeilo,

-Garn Goch and Ffairfach.

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-In front of the mansion,

-we see the famous Dinefwr cattle.

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-Park Whites are an important part

-of the heritage of Dinefwr Park.

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-It's believed to be

-the oldest breed in Britain.

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-It's great to see them here

-after 1,000 years.

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-This is a wonderful park.

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-It's one of the best in Wales.

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-I'm fond of the clumps of trees

-planted here.

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-Capability Brown worked here.

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-He was the most important

-landscape architect in history.

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-That's the castle we saw earlier...

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-..and the outbuildings

-look like a separate village!

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-The name Newton House refers to the

-new town built behind the mansion.

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-Yes, Newe Towne

-was built by Edward I.

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-When they captured the castle,

-they established a new town here.

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-In the Middle Ages,

-you had the Welsh town of Dinefwr...

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-..the English Newe Towne here...

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-..and Llandeilo over there.

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-Let's head back there now.

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-Something draws people to Llandeilo.

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-Something draws people to Llandeilo.

-

-It's a great place to have a cuppa.

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-Maybe I should say cappuccino!

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-This town has changed.

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-A century ago it was

-full of farmers and full of pubs.

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-There were over 20 pubs here...

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-..which equated to one pub

-for every 10 houses!

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-Cafes, delicatessens and boutiques

-have taken over from the pubs.

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-There's still money

-coming into the town.

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-Yes, money plays an important part

-in Llandeilo's history.

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-We're back on the old road

-into the town.

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-This was the main road into the town

-before the bridge was built.

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-Is that why

-the houses here are so big?

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-Yes, this would have been

-the main terrace.

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-They're wonderful, Georgian houses

-with views of the valley.

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-That's why they're so elevated.

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-Almost every building on this street

-was a bank, at some point.

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-This was the main bank -

-The Black Ox Bank.

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-It was built in 1887

-by a London company.

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-The architect was Calder of London.

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-A thatched cottage stood here

-until 1887.

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-There's a link between the bank

-and the house next door.

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-The original branch

-of the Black Ox Bank was next door.

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-The banking took place

-in the front rooms of the house.

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-The bank flourished, so they rebuilt

-the thatched cottage...

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-..and created this majestic bank.

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-Like today, a lot of banks

-went out of business...

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-..and people were concerned

-about their money.

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-A new building of status

-with studs on its doors...

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-..seemed like a safe place to bank.

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-There's a clue to its function

-above the door!

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-Yes, just in case you forget!

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-Here we are, in the banking hall,

-which hasn't changed a bit.

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-In a building of this age...

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-..I'd expect it to have been

-divided into rooms to create a home.

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-It was renovated during the 1970s...

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-..and the owner preserved

-all the original features.

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-This is a lovely

-Victorian fireplace.

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-The counter was a kitchen worktop

-in the 1970s...

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-..but it's an office today.

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-Helen and Osian Rees own the company

-located in the old bank.

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-Very conveniently,

-they also live in Bank House...

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-..the house next door.

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-We knew nothing about its history.

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-We saw it and thought,

-"Wow! It's perfect for our office."

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-We did some research into its

-history at the museum in Abergwili.

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-We found out

-about the Black Ox Bank...

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-..and the fact

-this was the bank manager's house.

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-It was important to us to be able

-to reunite the two buildings.

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-It works brilliantly for us...

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-..on a business level

-and on a personal level.

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-You have a photocopy

-of one of the Black Ox bank notes.

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-Where did you get it?

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-We found a picture of one and we

-gained permission to photocopy it.

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-Curiously, as legend has it...

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-..drovers had more respect for Black

-Ox notes than Bank of England notes!

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-It's amazing

-that a small, west Wales bank...

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-..was regarded as more solid

-than the Bank of England!

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-Are you tempted

-to unite the two buildings?

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-No, we'll always separate

-home and work.

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-It would be easy to open up

-the old linking doorway...

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-..but we have no plans to do it.

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-Where did they keep the money?

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-Where did they keep the money?

-

-Under the counter.

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-When I say under the counter,

-I mean right under it!

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-The old bank vaults are here.

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-Mind your head on the way down.

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-This is huge.

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-There must have been a lot of money

-in Llandeilo!

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-It's like something out of Indiana

-Jones and the Temple of Doom!

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-Look at the thickness of this door!

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-There's also a gate here.

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-This is where they stored

-bank documents.

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-It's used

-for a similar purpose today.

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-There's another iron door here.

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-They stored gold and money in here.

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-You knew

-your money would be safe here!

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-Customers were brought down here...

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-..to see the security measures

-for themselves.

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-Our journey around Llandeilo

-has come to an end, Greg.

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-Little has changed here

-in 150 years.

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-No, just the colours.

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-It's a pretty town.

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-Local people are aware

-of its beauty...

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-..and want

-to safeguard the architecture.

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-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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