Tai'r Ffin Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru

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-Houses boasting their owner's wealth

-were built in every era...

-..but none more so

-than the 17th century.

-You will see no finer examples...

-..than the houses

-of the Welsh Marches.

-These are elaborate

-but very beautiful houses...

-..that owe their beauty to oak.

-That's Powys oak,

-from Montgomeryshire...

-..Radnorshire and Brecknockshire.

-They're all close neighbours

-of England.

-Let's travel back to the time

-of Guy Fawkes and the Civil War.

-The days of Cromwell

-and the execution of the king.

-William Morgan's Welsh Bible

-had just been published.

-There were about 200 schools

-in Wales...

-..with a similar number

-of Welsh books available.

-Puritanism was a prevalent feature

-of the century.

-There was a strong reaction

-to its negativity.

-The houses which we'll visit

-were part of that reaction.

-Eurwyn, Plasauduon looks out

-over the valley.

-It's a perfect location.

-Yes, and it was erected here

-for a reason.

-They made sure

-that everyone could see it.

-The farmer could also sit here

-and look out over his fields...

-..the source of his wealth.

-He enjoyed

-looking at his bank balance!

-This is the origin of this type

-of building - the oak tree.

-There were a lot of oak trees

-in Powys.

-Is that why there are so many

-timber-framed houses in the county?

-Yes, the traditional builder

-always chose materials...

-..that were

-readily available locally.

-In Powys and the Marches,

-oak was the natural choice.

-The oak is the king of the forest.

-It was the most enduring tree

-and it grew for centuries.

-However, once it was felled...

-..it was used to build houses

-that survived for centuries.

-Imagine the work that it took

-to turn this tree into that house.

-No plans on paper have survived.

-One very wise historian remarked...

-..that written plans are a portent

-of a disappearing tradition.

-The customer knew what he wanted

-and the builder knew those needs.

-The architect and the client

-would have discussed the plans.

-Their vision

-would come to life on the site.

-In the past, when you moved house,

-you could literally move your house.

-People moved

-and took their house with them.

-All you needed was a mallet

-to knock out the pegs...

-..and you were away.

-What makes Plasauduon

-a typical Welsh Marches house?

-Two main features.

-First, the extensive use of oak

-in the construction.

-It was the norm in this area

-and typical of the Marches house.

-The second feature is the form,

-which is unique to this area.

-This is known

-as a lobby-entry house.

-You enter the house through

-an impressive, storeyed porch...

-..and you must then turn

-either right or left.

-The combination

-of those two features...

-..make it a typical Montgomeryshire,

-Denbighshire and Flintshire house.

-Plasauduon, near Newtown,

-was built in the mid 17th century...

-..after the Puritan age of Cromwell.

-It had a stone roof,

-rather than a thatch.

-It had two chimneys.

-The central chimney

-allowed access through a lobby.

-Its classic oak frame made it

-strong enough to last for centuries.

-The whole house

-was built on a stone foundation...

-..to prevent the timber rotting.

-This masterpiece is the legacy

-of an unknown local architect.

-The ceiling structure

-is interesting.

-These two beams

-stretch out to the corners.

-Yes, and you'll see this

-inside the house too.

-It's a technique of supporting

-the upper floor of the porch.

-These dragon beams

-stretch out to the corners...

-..and support the weight

-of the floor above.

-This decorative door-head

-is another period feature.

-This pattern is known as an ogee,

-or Cupid's bow.

-It resembles puckered lips

-and is beautiful.

-This again was a display of wealth.

-Almost half of this length of wood

-was wasted.

-To the left of the lobby

-is the parlour.

-This is a splendid room,

-with oak covering all four walls.

-Were parlours common

-in houses from this period?

-This was the start of the fashion

-for houses with a parlour.

-The parlour was the height

-of fashion in the mid 17th century.

-The family would retreat

-to this room and relax.

-This is the most private part

-of the house.

-Is all the wood in here original?

-Yes, I'd imagine so.

-If this isn't the exact panelling

-that was here originally...

-..it's very similar

-to the original panelling.

-This was the golden age of oak.

-People were obsessed with timber.

-This is the first era

-in which entire rooms were panelled.

-You often see guardian figures

-above the fireplace.

-In addition to the porch

-and the entrance to the house...

-..the fireplace

-was a very important area.

-All sorts of myths surround the

-importance of guarding the hearth...

-..and guarding the house

-from evil spirits and witches.

-Tell me about the ceiling.

-Was it common to see a ceiling

-painted in such a vibrant colour?

-Yes, it was very common.

-This is a natural colour,

-literally so in this instance.

-Originally, it would have been

-coloured with blood.

-It's a well-documented tradition.

-The builder wasted nothing.

-They used the whole of the pig

-apart from its squeal!

-We'll leave the parlour...

-..which was, apparently,

-once a court of law.

-Allegedly.

-That's an important caveat!

-We've now entered

-the main room of the house.

-This is an even better example

-of dragon beams.

-We can clearly see the relationship

-between that truss...

-..and the beams that fork off it.

-It's a classic example

-of dragon beams.

-Is the pattern we see here

-typical of this area?

-Yes, it's completely typical

-of mid Wales.

-Even today, on the streets

-of Aberaeron and Rhayader...

-..you still see this pattern

-in pitched stone floors.

-This was very common in farmhouses

-and cottages in this area.

-Thousands of stones

-have been used here.

-This is a very rare

-surviving example.

-Sleeping habits changed

-during this period.

-Upstairs bedrooms were created

-for the first time.

-The medieval tradition

-of sleeping on the ground floor...

-..was gone for good.

-One of the upstairs bedrooms

-at Plasauduon is enormous.

-The one above the porch

-is relatively small.

-The end of this moulding

-is particularly interesting.

-We've already seen

-the ogee moulding downstairs.

-This is the other moulding

-that dates from the same period.

-This is ovolo moulding.

-We know that the Puritans

-ran the show after the Civil War.

-They frowned

-upon demonstrations of wealth.

-It seems as though some farmers

-had saved their money for 25 years.

-Little wonder that the Restoration

-triggered a wave of building work.

-We think that this house was built

-very soon after the Restoration...

-..when Charles II came to power.

-It was probably built

-very close to 1660.

-That's suggested by the combination

-of mouldings that we've found here.

-Plasauduon is a real gem.

-Apart from a few features,

-it has survived remarkably intact.

-That isn't true

-of all the houses we'll visit.

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-Rhyd-y-Carw is the embodiment

-of Peter Smith's favourite houses.

-He is the author

-of Houses Of The Welsh Countryside.

-If we look at the map

-of oak-framed houses in the book...

-..it's clear that there was

-a division in Wales.

-No oak-framed houses were built

-to the west of Pumlumon.

-This beautiful black and white

-building isn't far from Plasauduon.

-The pattern is quite similar.

-The porch, for example,

-is exactly like Plasauduon's.

-The big difference between them

-is that it has no central chimney.

-It had one originally.

-Chimneys were added

-on both gables at some point.

-That would have been a big job.

-Most of the house must have been

-demolished in order to achieve it.

-This may be the most famous

-black and white house of them all.

-Gregynog.

-The home of the Davies family...

-..and once a popular destination

-for the world's gentry.

-It is now an arts centre.

-Incredibly, there's no wood at all

-in the frame of this building.

-It's made of concrete.

-This is an interesting experiment.

-Concrete from 1840 imitating

-the style of two centuries earlier.

-This isn't Gregynog.

-This is real timber.

-The oak you see here

-is in excellent condition.

-This is Penarth, which isn't far

-from Rhyd-y-Carw and Newtown.

-The real points of interest for me

-are the extensions on either side.

-They're almost like lean-tos.

-They follow the roof line

-all the way down...

-..but surely there was little need

-to widen this magnificent house.

-The next house we'll visit

-is another wide, magnificent house.

-Talgarth was built in 1660

-and it's wonderful.

-The timber in this house

-is unpainted.

-Have you ever seen

-so much timber in one house?

-I've given this house a headcount.

-Between 250 and 300 mature trees

-were felled to build the frame.

-Five to seven acres of oak trees

-were cleared to build one house.

-That's amazing.

-When you say mature, you mean

-oak trees that are 150 years old?

-Yes, the trees would have been

-between 150 and 250 years old.

-Unlike Plasauduon,

-this timber hasn't been painted.

-That's right.

-Black tar wasn't used here.

-Victorians thought

-that tar preserved wood...

-..but this has been left

-to breathe and it has lasted well.

-How long would it take

-to build a house like this?

-We have a copy of the contract...

-..drawn up between the carpenter

-and Sir John Wynn.

-It stated that it had to be built

-within a certain timeframe.

-Things haven't changed much

-since those days.

-The carpenter also had to promise

-not to move on to another job...

-..before this house was completed.

-From start to finish, it took

-six months to build this house.

-A good group of carpenters

-would have worked in the yard.

-It wasn't constructed here.

-A house this big

-was constructed in a yard?

-Yes, as we'll see

-when we step inside.

-This was delivered to the site

-in between 500 and 1,000 pieces.

-Every section was marked

-and the pieces slotted together.

-These windows are interesting.

-Yes, they're quite unusual.

-They look like the windows

-on old galleons.

-Yes, there were oriel windows

-like these on the Mary Rose.

-This is what you'd have seen

-looking up at the Mary Rose.

-The British Navy built a memorial

-a stone's throw from Talgarth...

-..in recognition

-of its fleet's debt to Welsh oak.

-Inside, a similar sight greets us

-to the one that at we saw outside.

-The carpenter's marks are visible

-on the close-studded framework.

-Number VII is joined

-to number VII above it.

-The house came to the site

-in hundreds of pieces.

-They used Roman numerals

-to mark the pieces.

-Up here, in the attic, we can see

-the timber at its magnificent best.

-There are no decorative touches.

-It's plain and simple.

-It's all about function.

-Look at the floor and you'll see

-some interesting marks.

-Someone used a chisel

-or an axe here.

-This is how I think

-these marks were created.

-You, as the chief carpenter...

-..would call down to a lowly servant

-and ask for more pegs.

-I'd say, "Yes, sir.

-Right away, sir."

-I'd sharpen the end of the peg

-and hand it to the chief carpenter.

-That leaves marks on the wood...

-..just like the marks you see

-on this ancient piece of wood.

-The wave pattern here...

-..was created by a chisel

-such as this one.

-This would have been done

-in the yard, of course.

-The bark of the oak was removed

-with a chisel such as this one.

-This is how it was used.

-It's a sharp chisel.

-Your toes are at risk on that job!

-Yes, but I'm wearing steel toecaps.

-I made sure of that.

-This gives you an idea

-of the technique used.

-This is exactly what you see here.

-Scalloped edges.

-Let's look at the Mary Rose window.

-I'd like to think that the carpenter

-and his apprentice stood here...

-..over 300 years ago...

-..and the owner stood at the bottom

-and gave them the thumbs up.

-The topping out ceremony.

-The topping out ceremony.

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-That's right.

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-At first glance, Aberbechan

-is rooted in the 17th century.

-Upon closer inspection...

-..some features point

-to a more complicated history.

-I'm toying with the idea

-that this was once a hall house.

-It was then remodelled

-into a lobby-entry house...

-..by adding the chimney

-and building a new cross-wing.

-The early hall house and an extension

-that was built soon afterwards.

-Very little has changed here since

-the second half of the 17th century.

-These chevrons in the timber frame

-are aesthetically pleasing.

-They're also essential

-to the structure of the house.

-Whoever designed these houses

-were more than carpenters.

-They worked within

-a 300-year-old tradition...

-..and were experts

-on structurally-solid construction.

-Let's look at the lower gable.

-This chimney is only connected

-to the rest of the building...

-..through the fireplace.

-Yes, it's an unusual chimney.

-Adding a chimney to a timber-framed

-house isn't the wisest thing to do!

-Timber frames and fireplaces

-aren't a good combination.

-That's why they left a gap

-between them.

-I really like the way

-they've painted the top section.

-It fools no-one from this close...

-..but it looks like a timber frame

-from a distance.

-They've tried to trick the eye

-in several places.

-Bricks painted white and black

-to look like timber.

-This was fashionable

-in the Georgian period.

-Even the downpipes are camouflaged

-to suit the black and white image.

-This is a magnificent screen...

-..but there's been

-a lot of jiggery-pokery here.

-Yes, that's what happens

-over the centuries.

-First and foremost, I think

-that it's an original dais screen.

-It's an oak screen.

-Both panels and posts

-are oak in this section.

-It's a display of wealth.

-It uses more oak and less plaster.

-A section at the far end

-has been plastered.

-I suspect that the doorway

-may have been there originally.

-There's a remnant of something

-at the top of the screen.

-There may have been

-a door there too.

-Origimally, there may

-have been doors at both ends.

-It's very important

-that you see this.

-Oh, it's a cruck.

-That's right.

-We're standing

-at the foot of a cruck.

-This propped up the gable

-of the oldest part of the house...

-..which is behind us.

-That in itself dates it

-back to late medieval times.

-This is older than the chimney

-and the other additions.

-It dates from the time

-that it was a hall house.

-It's clear where the money

-was spent in here.

-Yes, they spent big on the ceiling.

-This was the parlour

-in the later house.

-This is wonderful.

-The shapes of the chamfers

-are quite elegant.

-Yes, they're more decorative

-than the ones in the previous room.

-It suggests a later period,

-but only a few years.

-Aberbechan is a house

-that spans two periods.

-The late medieval period

-and the 17th century.

-It was originally a hall house

-but was then modified.

-Unlike Plasauduon, which has

-retained its original floor plan...

-..this house has developed

-over two or three generations.

-It became

-a typical Welsh Marches house.

-Trewern was built in 1610

-by Roger Francis.

-Everyone who came along the valley

-could see and admire the house.

-It's one of the grandest houses

-in the area.

-Look at how the carved bressummers

-support the jettied upper floor.

-This was 17th century

-decorative work at its best.

-The view from the house reminds us

-how close Trewern is to England.

-That's Breidden Hill,

-which is on the border.

-Abernodwydd isn't as grand

-but follows the same pattern.

-It's now a beautiful yet understated

-St Fagans attraction.

-Tell me about Abernodwydd's history.

-Abernodwydd

-is an interesting building.

-It's one of my favourites.

-When it came here,

-it had a corrugated iron roof.

-The timber frame on the gable

-was masked by stone.

-This was originally a hall house.

-It was built in 1678 or thereabouts

-for a man called Rhys Evan.

-When was it converted

-into a lobby-entry house?

-Probably one generation later.

-We assume that the decision was made

-by Evan Rhys, Rhys Evan's son.

-The house was modernized in 1708,

-30 years after it was built.

-What evidence did you find in here?

-When we started the work

-of dismantling the house...

-..we made a discovery

-beneath the floor.

-Remains of the original 1678 floor

-were found under this floor.

-The hearth

-was in the middle of the floor.

-As it would have been

-in a hall house.

-When the hall house was adapted...

-..the fireplace was moved

-to this location.

-What materials were used here?

-The fireback is made of stone.

-The rest of the structure

-is timber-framed and made of oak.

-The screen has been formed

-to create a settle.

-You can sit inside the fireplace

-to keep warm.

-I imagine that you needed to sit

-near the fire on a winter's day.

-The wind whistled through the house

-because the windows weren't glazed.

-You could get warm

-inside the fireplace.

-What other evidence is there

-that it was originally a hall house?

-The best evidence is that it was

-modified into a storeyed house.

-This beam supports both the ceiling

-and the upper floor.

-Propping up the beam is a post,

-which was added to the framework.

-As you can see, the post has been

-pegged into the original framework.

-Had this been original,

-it would be part of the framework.

-Yes, it would be part

-of the original timber frame.

-Aided by St Fagans, father and son

-Rhys Evan and Evan Rhys...

-..left a simple yet striking legacy.

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-XYLOPHONE MUSIC

-I rarely arrive at a house

-to hear live music.

-That's what happened when I met

-Paul, Esgair-geiliog's owner.

-There are signs of remodelling

-on the front of the house.

-The wall filling has changed

-from wattle to bricks.

-There are a few breeze blocks

-over there too.

-The framework

-is still mostly wood.

-The addition of the two gabled bays

-are the most obvious modifications.

-There's one on the right

-and a larger one on the left.

-From here,

-we can see the decorative woodwork.

-They're almost quatrefoils.

-They're purely decorative

-but are magnificent.

-This is a 17th century

-clapboard gable.

-It's typical of this area

-and of early houses in America.

-These houses were extended

-for several reasons.

-People wanted the increased privacy

-that upstairs bedrooms offered...

-..but they also stored grain

-in the house.

-Houses were extended

-in order to make that possible.

-This bridge was used to carry grain

-to and from the house.

-The room in which grain

-was once stored is now a bedroom.

-I'm stepping through the screen,

-which is marked with paint.

-Flowers have been painted

-onto the wood.

-This was a tradition among those

-who couldn't afford tapestries.

-It was cheaper

-to commission an artist...

-..to paint the designs you'd see

-on tapestries onto screen panels.

-Esgair-geiliog's main attraction

-is this beautiful wooden chimney...

-..and the glorious crucks.

-We can see the house's history

-in this room.

-The arch you see here

-is formed by the apex of the crucks.

-It tells us

-that this was a hall house.

-You wouldn't add mouldings to crucks

-unless you could see them.

-This was visible from the hall

-and there was no floor here.

-Fast forward to the 17th century

-and this timber chimney.

-It belongs to the time

-when the house was remodelled.

-There are wattle and daub panels

-around the chimney.

-That's what creates the funnel

-that extracts smoke from the house.

-If we look at the book

-Houses Of The Welsh Countryside...

-..we see that most of the examples

-of timbered fireplaces...

-..are located in Montgomeryshire.

-There are a few others

-dotted around the place...

-..but most are in this county.

-We've reached the journey's end.

-Every house thus far has been

-within a 20-mile radius of Newtown.

-Plas yn Pentre is further north,

-near Llangollen, Denbighshire.

-What an impressive house.

-The house has stood

-in its current form since 1634.

-At first glance,

-it has an Elizabethan feel.

-That isn't the case,

-as we're about to discover.

-You must think that we have

-undermined our own theory.

-Where is the door

-and where is the lobby?

-There's no sign of it.

-The door was moved over there.

-The house has sagged here.

-If we go inside the house,

-you'll see what I mean.

-As I suspected,

-there's the fireplace.

-If the door were here originally,

-the fireplace would be here...

-..but it's over there.

-I deduce from this

-that the front door was there.

-If the front door was here,

-this would be the lobby.

-You'd walk in and see a wall

-created by the chimney.

-A closer look reveals a moulding

-and the end of a chamfer.

-There it is, at the bottom.

-It goes all the way up to here.

-This was the frame of the old door

-leading to that part of the house.

-This interesting photo

-of Plas yn Pentre...

-..was taken in 1952

-by the Royal Commission.

-It seems that the exterior walls

-were rendered in Georgian times.

-What we see here

-is renovated render.

-The render was stripped away

-in the late 20th century.

-There's something interesting

-about the small window on the right.

-The house today

-looks much as it did in 1634...

-..apart from the door's location

-and the added wing on the left.

-If we look at the moulding

-on the beams...

-..and refer to the book...

-..we see that it's Jacobean,

-from around 1620.

-If we go next door,

-we can see painted gesso.

-That was fashionable

-shortly after that period.

-Look at the decorative work

-on this beam.

-It's wonderful.

-An element of painting

-has happened here.

-That's significant.

-When ceilings were plastered,

-the beams would also be whitened.

-The moulding work

-is particularly beautiful.

-It shows the status of the person

-who commissioned this house.

-They could afford to pay craftsmen

-to do this work.

-There are echoes of a coat of arms

-in the plasterwork.

-The head was associated with both

-the Trevor and Edwards families.

-This plasterwork is typical

-of Denbighshire.

-There was a farm here originally

-that belonged to Valle Crucis Abbey.

-After the dissolution

-of the monasteries...

-..the land was passed

-to William Edwards.

-He worked as a steward

-to the last abbot of the abbey.

-It's believed that he erected

-the first building on this site.

-The Edwards family was an old family

-that held onto the Catholic faith.

-Let's make our way to the top floor.

-There's a priest's hole up here.

-Is there really?

-Yes, it's behind this panel.

-Oh, that's amazing!

-It looked like part of the wall.

-Let me peek inside.

-Well, it really is wonderful.

-There's just enough room

-for one person, maybe two, to hide.

-Holes like this were essential

-for the recusant community.

-It was illegal

-to harbour a priest in your house.

-After the 1570s, we know

-that many Jesuits came to Britain.

-They had been trained

-on the Continent...

-..and came to Wales

-to reconvert people to Catholicism.

-Catholic families would hide them

-in priest's holes such as this.

-There has been a house here

-since 1282...

-..during the heyday

-of Valle Crucis Abbey.

-Drastic alterations

-weren't made until 1634.

-The eastern gable explains much...

-..about the way the house

-was extended over the centuries.

-If we look

-at the original timber frame...

-..it goes from there to here.

-That makes perfect sense.

-The windows, such as they were,

-would have been here.

-If we look up this line,

-we'll see the first addition.

-The dormer,

-which is the triangle at the top.

-This is the most recent extension.

-It gives you

-an additional attic room.

-As with all old houses,

-time has left its mark.

-Plas yn Pentre

-needs some restoration.

-This is a magnificent example

-of a black and white house.

-It represents

-the ambitions of a family.

-It's beautiful.

-It's beautiful.

-

-Yes, amazingly so.

-It's a large and magnificent house,

-but it doesn't feel too formal.

-It's cosy and I could live here!

-It's wonderful.

-The Welsh Marches' oak-framed houses

-are a visual delight.

-They're an integral part

-of Welsh visual art.

-The houses of the Welsh Marches

-were the favourite houses...

-..of Peter Smith, the author

-of Houses Of The Welsh Countryside.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones