Llandeilo Y Dref Gymreig

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-"A city that is set on a hill cannot

-be hidden", according to the Bible.

-That's what makes Llandeilo

-so attractive.

-It can be seen from near and far.

-It also has a very colourful

-architectural history.

-Welcome to Y Dref Gymreig.

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-The town of Llandeilo offers

-a feast of architectural treats.

-We'll visit a magnificent mansion

-and an ancient castle.

-We'll also see a church tower,

-a fine bridge and a Neo-Tudor home.

-Finally, we'll explore the interior

-of one of the town's old banks.

-We're in the market town

-of Llandeilo.

-It's an important town

-in the history of Carmarthenshire.

-There was a real buzz

-about this town in Victorian times.

-It was teeming with people.

-Cattle was sold

-opposite the church...

-..and pigs were sold on

-the street behind us - King Street.

-Horses were sold

-on Carmarthen Road.

-Tywi Valley corn was famous.

-Corn, cheese and milk

-were sold in Shire Hall.

-It was a busy town.

-There were over 70 shops here

-in Victorian times!

-Llandeilo

-is named after Saint Teilo...

-..and this places the town

-in the age of the saints.

-Yes but this isn't a medieval town.

-The majority of what you see

-is Georgian.

-There are also

-a lot of Victorian houses here.

-Our journey begins

-on the outskirts of the town...

-..at Dinefwr Castle.

-Dinefwr was the seat

-of the Princes of Deheubarth.

-This important Welsh castle...

-..was built by Rhys Grug,

-Rhys Mewchyll and Rhys Fychan.

-It eventually fell to Edward I

-in 1277.

-What a great location!

-It's a great strategic location.

-You can see for miles from here,

-all the way down to the valley...

-..and down to Dryslwyn Castle.

-This location was strategically

-important even in Roman times.

-The Romans built a temple.

-They also built forts

-in what is now Dinefwr Park.

-This area was very important

-in Rhys's time.

-Llandeilo Fawr is adjacent to it.

-This is one of the most important

-of the Welsh castles.

-This was

-an important Welsh cultural centre.

-That's why the Normans

-wanted to capture it.

-They did just that

-in the late 13th century.

-CADW has since restored the castle.

-We're familiar with a painting of it

-taken from the bridge...

-..by Turner, the famous artist.

-Our next destination

-is that bridge...

-..and in particular,

-the house next to it.

-In the 1840s,

-county surveyor William Williams...

-..designed

-a new bridge for Llandeilo.

-The project was completed

-by Edward Haycock in 1851...

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

-This was known

-as one of the wonders of Wales.

-People came to see it.

-It was one of the largest bridges

-in Britain.

-It still looks fantastic today...

-..although we're familiar

-with modern bridges.

-The bridge and the new road

-gave this town a new image.

-It looks almost

-like a continental village.

-To me, this bridge

-feels like the boundary...

-..between west and south Wales.

-After crossing the bridge,

-there's a different feeling.

-Let's look at the first house

-we see after you cross the bridge.

-Moreb, Tudor-style house.

-Moreb has its own unique style

-within the town of Llandeilo.

-When was it built?

-It's a Neo-Tudor style.

-Alterations

-were carried out to it...

-..and most of what is seen today

-dates back to the Victorian era.

-The original house stood here...

-..before the bridge was built

-in the 1840s.

-Who lived here originally?

-Who lived here originally?

-

-The agent of the Gelli Aur estate.

-Lord Cawdor decided

-to build this house for the agent.

-It stands on the very edge

-of the Gelli Aur lands.

-It's a very strange choice

-of location.

-This is the entrance

-to the Dinefwr estate...

-..but Lord Cawdor

-built a house here for his agent.

-I've never seen a house like this

-with such a fancy porch before.

-Isn't it wonderful?

-It's a shame

-no-one who builds houses today...

-..can afford to spend money

-on fancy porches.

-They used stonework

-which was chiselled by hand.

-In the Victorian age,

-people had enough money...

-..to be able to splash out

-on fancy porches.

-External details such as porches,

-windows and doors were important.

-They used the same stones

-to build Gelli Aur.

-Ornate windows and a wonderful door.

-The original bell still works.

-There are some lovely details here.

-Miranda Jones and her family have

-lived in Moreb for over 20 years.

-What attracted you to this house?

-It's beautiful...

-..and it looks like a castle.

-It's in a good position,

-on the edge of town.

-I like the high ceilings

-and the spacious rooms.

-They're not too big.

-Every single room is really lovely.

-We're in the hall...

-..which leads from the front door

-to the rear of the house.

-It's possible

-the agent worked from home.

-There are four reception rooms here.

-A pair at the front

-and a pair behind the stairs.

-The agent's study or office

-may have been at the front.

-There's a Victorian fireplace there.

-The other internal features

-date back to the 1800s...

-..the time when the house was built.

-In a house of this status...

-..one would expect to see

-a splendid staircase.

-We actually have a fine staircase...

-..but it somehow falls short of

-the status of the rest of the house.

-It's made of oak,

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

-The craftsmanship is good and it's

-a design that dates from 1800.

-It's narrow and it looks like

-a servants' staircase.

-The house was remodelled...

-..so maybe they had no room

-to build a fancy staircase.

-The doors and the architraves

-are top quality.

-Craftsmen from the mansion were

-available to work on this house.

-One of Llandeilo's problems

-had been...

-..access up the steep hill from the

-bridge and around the churchyard.

-In 1815, a road running

-through the churchyard was built.

-That road was widened and improved

-when this bridge was built in 1851.

-One of the perks of this job

-is accessing areas...

-..which are out of bounds

-to everyone else.

-Yes, we're at the top

-of the church tower.

-The town was named after Saint Teilo

-and so was this church.

-This tower was built

-circa the 16th century.

-It looks like a Norman tower.

-The church was founded here during

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

-Teilo was a famous man and he lived

-in the same era as Saint David.

-A cult developed around him

-and his name.

-Were parts of this church

-redesigned by the Victorians?

-Yes, that's true.

-Apart from this tower,

-the church was demolished in 1850...

-..and rebuilt by famous Victorian

-architect, George Gilbert Scott.

-He was an important man.

-He was an important man.

-

-Yes, this is an important town.

-The architecture

-is of the highest quality.

-These are

-18th and 19th century buildings.

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-We're standing outside The Cawdor

-on Llandeilo High Street.

-This is the main

-coaching inn of the town.

-Llandeilo was a centre

-where people gathered...

-..and this was

-the main meeting point.

-Farmhands stood outside here

-on market day...

-..in the hope of a farmer

-hiring them for the following year.

-Tell me about the building.

-When was it erected?

-Most of what you see

-dates back to the 18th century.

-It was redesigned circa 1840.

-The bay windows

-date back to that period.

-One can sit in the bay window

-with a pint or a cuppa...

-..watching the world go by.

-The next house for us to visit

-was built by Edward Rice in 1660.

-This magnificent house is now

-the property of the National Trust.

-We're a mile from the centre

-of Llandeilo, in Dinefwr Park.

-The house is called Newton House.

-What stands here today

-looks relatively new.

-Yes, it looks Victorian.

-The exterior seems unexciting

-but it's full of surprises.

-This facade of Victorian stonework

-conceals a 17th-century manor.

-This style

-is called Venetian Gothic.

-It refers

-to the shape of the arches...

-..and to the striped stonework

-above them.

-That's a feature seen

-in Venice in Gothic times.

-It also reminds me

-of mansions seen in Scotland.

-It's very Baronial.

-The towers look French to me.

-Yes, it's a fusion of styles.

-The Victorians took elements

-of all sorts of styles...

-..and blended them to erect romantic

-historic-looking buildings.

-They're not historic, of course.

-We're at the rear of the house.

-Oh, wow!

-What a splendid staircase!

-This is evidence

-that this is no Victorian house.

-It's a fantastic,

-17th-century staircase.

-Is this glorious plaster work

-original?

-Yes, it's all original.

-The ceiling right at the top

-is papier mache...

-..so that's definitely Victorian.

-The plaster work beneath the stairs

-is 17th century.

-The house was built circa 1660.

-This looks like an open

-cantilevered staircase...

-..and yet, there are columns.

-It's said the stairs were unstable

-in Victorian times...

-..so they added

-these quite ugly columns.

-Massive paintings are needed

-to fill these huge walls.

-Who are these people?

-They're portraits

-of the Rice family.

-Edward Rice and his wife.

-My favourite paintings

-are in the hallway.

-They show how the house looked

-when it was built in 1660.

-They're fantastic.

-We're standing on the roof

-of the mansion - Newton House...

-..looking towards Llandeilo,

-Garn Goch and Ffairfach.

-In front of the mansion,

-we see the famous Dinefwr cattle.

-Park Whites are an important part

-of the heritage of Dinefwr Park.

-It's believed to be

-the oldest breed in Britain.

-It's great to see them here

-after 1,000 years.

-This is a wonderful park.

-It's one of the best in Wales.

-I'm fond of the clumps of trees

-planted here.

-Capability Brown worked here.

-He was the most important

-landscape architect in history.

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

-..and the outbuildings

-look like a separate village!

-The name Newton House refers to the

-new town built behind the mansion.

-Yes, Newe Towne

-was built by Edward I.

-When they captured the castle,

-they established a new town here.

-In the Middle Ages,

-you had the Welsh town of Dinefwr...

-..the English Newe Towne here...

-..and Llandeilo over there.

-Let's head back there now.

-Something draws people to Llandeilo.

-Something draws people to Llandeilo.

-

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

-Maybe I should say cappuccino!

-This town has changed.

-A century ago it was

-full of farmers and full of pubs.

-There were over 20 pubs here...

-..which equated to one pub

-for every 10 houses!

-Cafes, delicatessens and boutiques

-have taken over from the pubs.

-There's still money

-coming into the town.

-Yes, money plays an important part

-in Llandeilo's history.

-We're back on the old road

-into the town.

-This was the main road into the town

-before the bridge was built.

-Is that why

-the houses here are so big?

-Yes, this would have been

-the main terrace.

-They're wonderful, Georgian houses

-with views of the valley.

-That's why they're so elevated.

-Almost every building on this street

-was a bank, at some point.

-This was the main bank -

-The Black Ox Bank.

-It was built in 1887

-by a London company.

-The architect was Calder of London.

-A thatched cottage stood here

-until 1887.

-There's a link between the bank

-and the house next door.

-The original branch

-of the Black Ox Bank was next door.

-The banking took place

-in the front rooms of the house.

-The bank flourished, so they rebuilt

-the thatched cottage...

-..and created this majestic bank.

-Like today, a lot of banks

-went out of business...

-..and people were concerned

-about their money.

-A new building of status

-with studs on its doors...

-..seemed like a safe place to bank.

-There's a clue to its function

-above the door!

-Yes, just in case you forget!

-Here we are, in the banking hall,

-which hasn't changed a bit.

-In a building of this age...

-..I'd expect it to have been

-divided into rooms to create a home.

-It was renovated during the 1970s...

-..and the owner preserved

-all the original features.

-This is a lovely

-Victorian fireplace.

-The counter was a kitchen worktop

-in the 1970s...

-..but it's an office today.

-Helen and Osian Rees own the company

-located in the old bank.

-Very conveniently,

-they also live in Bank House...

-..the house next door.

-We knew nothing about its history.

-We saw it and thought,

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

-We did some research into its

-history at the museum in Abergwili.

-We found out

-about the Black Ox Bank...

-..and the fact

-this was the bank manager's house.

-It was important to us to be able

-to reunite the two buildings.

-It works brilliantly for us...

-..on a business level

-and on a personal level.

-You have a photocopy

-of one of the Black Ox bank notes.

-Where did you get it?

-We found a picture of one and we

-gained permission to photocopy it.

-Curiously, as legend has it...

-..drovers had more respect for Black

-Ox notes than Bank of England notes!

-It's amazing

-that a small, west Wales bank...

-..was regarded as more solid

-than the Bank of England!

-Are you tempted

-to unite the two buildings?

-No, we'll always separate

-home and work.

-It would be easy to open up

-the old linking doorway...

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

-Where did they keep the money?

-Where did they keep the money?

-

-Under the counter.

-When I say under the counter,

-I mean right under it!

-The old bank vaults are here.

-Mind your head on the way down.

-This is huge.

-There must have been a lot of money

-in Llandeilo!

-It's like something out of Indiana

-Jones and the Temple of Doom!

-Look at the thickness of this door!

-There's also a gate here.

-This is where they stored

-bank documents.

-It's used

-for a similar purpose today.

-There's another iron door here.

-They stored gold and money in here.

-You knew

-your money would be safe here!

-Customers were brought down here...

-..to see the security measures

-for themselves.

-Our journey around Llandeilo

-has come to an end, Greg.

-Little has changed here

-in 150 years.

-No, just the colours.

-It's a pretty town.

-Local people are aware

-of its beauty...

-..and want

-to safeguard the architecture.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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