Tuag at y Ty Modern Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru

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Towards the Modern House

-Our chronicle of the houses

-of the Welsh countryside...

-..reaches a more familiar layout.

-This time, we examine the social

-and architectural elements...

-..that led to the development

-of the modern house form.

-What do we mean by the modern house?

-A building with a central hallway

-and rooms off it on either side.

-This convention

-is so familiar to us...

-..that it's hard to believe

-that it wasn't always this way.

-But this type of architecture

-was once considered to be radical.

-Ask a child to draw a house.

-It doesn't matter what kind

-of house the child lives in.

-The house will be square,

-with windows across the top.

-It'll have a central door, and smoke

-will billow from its chimney.

-We can learn a lot

-from this picture.

-Essentially,

-this is the modern house.

-Pictures and samplers created

-by children 150 years ago...

-..show symmetrical houses.

-This image is somehow embedded

-in our minds as the ideal house.

-This new house,

-with its symmetrical design...

-..became popular across the country.

-It eclipsed distinctive regional

-vernacular architecture.

-Thousands of houses were built

-or adapted across the country.

-They were all based

-on the new, symmetrical design.

-The modern house was born.

-This is Ty Faenor.

-It's a classic modern house.

-Surprisingly, it was built

-in the mid 17th century.

-This important prototype

-of the new house in Wales...

-..was built here in Abbey Cwmhir.

-It was originally

-a symmetrical house.

-A central door, windows on either

-side and chimneys on both gables.

-Where did the windows go?

-In the late 17th century,

-a new tax was introduced.

-It was based on the number

-of windows in each house.

-The obvious move was to block up

-windows at the front of the house.

-That saved money

-and evaded the taxman's scrutiny.

-The modern house

-was tall and square...

-..rather than long and low.

-In that respect, they were

-very different from hall houses.

-The modern house

-superseded the hall house.

-I'll hold on tight

-to this very heavy door.

-There was no porch in the old days.

-You would enter the house

-through this magnificent door.

-The boards used in this door

-are very wide and very long.

-These iron hinges are original.

-They're held in place

-by dozens of nails.

-This proves that the people

-who lived here were very wealthy...

-..because nails were expensive.

-However, the door

-isn't the most striking feature.

-That honour goes

-to this amazing staircase.

-It's special

-because it's a central staircase.

-That provides a balanced design.

-The dog-leg design

-offered access to every room.

-There was no need

-for galleries or corridors.

-The staircase does it all.

-This is simple and familiar to us...

-..but it's impossible to overstate

-how revolutionary a design it was.

-This is the earliest example

-that we have.

-It's a substantial staircase

-and was designed to be just that.

-The fret-cut balusters,

-the newels and huge finials...

-..shout out that this

-is a fashionable new design.

-The stairs in earlier houses

-often spiralled behind a fireplace.

-You also had to walk through

-one room to access another room.

-Now, the central staircase

-facilitated a new way of living.

-Another feature

-of this symmetrical design...

-..was a chimney

-at either end of the building.

-That made it possible

-to have a fireplace in every room.

-The number of pots

-on each chimney...

-..told the world

-how many fireplaces you had.

-Ty Faenor was built

-as a hunting lodge...

-..for Richard Fowler

-of Harnage, Shropshire.

-Despite his huge wealth,

-he recycled stonework...

-..from another part of his estate.

-The abbey of Abbey Cwmhir

-is less than a mile from the house.

-Built by Llywelyn the Great...

-..it fell into ruin after Henry VIII

-dissolved the monasteries.

-John, it's claimed

-that this house...

-..is built of stones

-taken from the abbey.

After Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries...

..the Fowler family bought the estate.

The estate encompassed most of north Radnorshire.

It was a huge estate.

They used the stones from the abbey to build their own hunting lodge.

-Richard Fowler

-must have been a wealthy man.

Yes, money was no object for him.

There's a famous poem about him.

Poor Radnorshire. Never a park and never a deer.

And never a gentleman of five hundred a year.

Except Richard Fowler of Abbey Cwmhir.

-He owned this, of course.

Yes, and the local people were very envious of him.

It was the grandest house in the county.

-What evidence is there

-that the stones came from the abbey?

The evidence is under our feet.

Let's look for it.

-Is this what you mean?

Yes, there they are.

If we remove these and look at the stones...

..you'll see that they have been shaped.

They came from a door or a window.

This is a similar shape, but it's more rounded.

It came from one of the abbey's central pillars.

-This is like medieval Lego!

Yes, but there are no small studs to help them click together.

The back of the stone is flat, of course.

To build the house, they turned them back to front.

The flat surface of the stone was on the outside...

-..and the decorative, curved edges

-are all on the inside.

That was done in many houses.

-It's really clever.

-By the 17th century, modern houses

-were being built across Wales.

-Early hall houses were redesigned...

-..to give the impression

-that they too were modern houses.

-This house points the way

-to the future.

-Symmetrical houses

-with central staircases...

-..sprang up all over Wales

-in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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-To understand the modern house form,

-we have to look at previous forms.

-Here at Old Beaupre,

-we have a pre-modern house...

-..that was remodelled and extended

-in Renaissance fashion.

-The Renaissance had a huge impact

-on the whole of Europe...

-..from the 15th century onwards.

-Science, the arts and architecture

-were all transformed.

-The journey towards the modern house

-in Wales starts here.

-This ruin shows the influence

-of the Italian Renaissance...

-..on architecture in Wales.

-The original L-shaped house

-was built during the 14th century.

-It was completely transformed

-during the 16th century.

-The manor was arranged

-around three inner courts.

-This layout was inspired directly

-by Renaissance designs.

-The main approach is through

-a magnificent gatehouse.

-It boasts fluted pilasters

-and the Bassett coat of arms...

-..which bears the motto

-Better Death Than Dishonour.

-It's dated 1586.

-The exterior

-would have been smooth and white.

-This was undoubtedly

-an important local building.

-But the gatehouse only hints

-at the grandeur within.

-The main reason

-for visiting Old Beaupre nowadays...

-..is to see this amazing feature.

-This porch is breathtaking.

Yes, it's remarkable.

Personally, it's one of the Seven Wonders of Wales.

It was built in 1600 by Richard Bassett.

It's on a par with the best porches built in England...

..in places such as Kirby Hall or Oxford's Bodleian Library.

It's an incredible piece of architecture.

Richard Bassett wanted to show the world...

..that he was an educated nobleman who was immersed in the new culture.

This new culture was introduced to England and Wales from Italy.

To demonstrate that he was indeed a modern nobleman...

..this porch proved his knowledge of architecture's classical orders.

These are Doric columns at the base.

These stood in some of the earliest Greek temples.

Further up, there are Ionic columns.

They represent the later development of Greek architecture.

The columns at the top are playful and ornate.

They represent Corinthian architecture.

This porch was built to demonstrate how fashionable Richard Bassett was.

He knew about the very latest European fashions.

He teamed grandeur with grandeur to create greater grandeur.

That was the whole point.

-Beaupre is a French name,

-so was this castle built by Normans?

Yes, it was built by the Bassett family.

Many people have mistakenly called it Beaupree over the years.

The Bassett family came from Beaurepaire.

In French, basset means short and stocky.

Beaurepaire, their family home in Glamorgan...

..means a beautiful relaxing haven.

They were Normans, but Welsh blood came into the family.

They even sponsored poets.

The family was totally Welsh by the 16th century.

-Let's go through the porch

-into the original building.

-We think of fireplaces

-and chimneys...

-..as heat sources for the house,

-but chimneys were a status symbol.

Yes, and they were crucial in the whole modernization process.

Having a chimney to extract smoke from the rooms...

..was a very important part of modernization.

It was one of the biggest social changes that happened...

..to create modern architecture.

Chimneys and fireplaces were essential.

Before the addition of fireplaces and chimneys...

..everyone lived together in a hall such as this one.

-The Renaissance

-influenced more than architecture.

Yes, much more.

It was a new culture.

The Italians taught us that spitting in your home...

..was socially unacceptable.

They taught us not to wipe our noses on our sleeves...

..but to use a handkerchief.

They taught us what was socially acceptable.

The Italians taught us how to behave.

They educated their children in grammar schools.

The children were taught both Greek and Latin grammar.

It was a new culture.

-Despite its grandeur, Old Beaupre

-descended down the social scale.

-By the 18th century,

-it was a farmhouse.

-It's a crying shame...

-..that one of the most fashionable

-houses of the Tudor period...

-..is now derelict.

-At the Royal Commission archive

-in Aberystwyth...

-..over 1.5 million pictures, plans,

-drawings and documents are stored.

-It's a real treasure trove

-of information...

-..and it's all accessible

-to the public.

-The Renaissance, which influenced

-the architecture of Old Beaupre...

-..had become prevalent across Wales

-by Elizabethan times.

-Plas Mawr in Conwy...

-..is one of the most impressive

-Elizabethan town houses in Britain.

-Robert Wynne started the work

-of building the main house in 1576.

-That's astonishing.

-Plas Mawr has a profusion

-of Renaissance detailing.

-They include pediments

-above the windows...

-..geometric plaster ceilings...

-..heraldry and female figures

-supporting cornices.

-It has always been fashionable

-to put a date outside a house...

-..or even inside.

-Some houses have Anno Mundi dates.

-Anno Mundi is a date calculated

-from the world's supposed creation.

-Sometimes, as at Penisa'r Glasgoed,

-Bodelwyddan, both dates are shown.

-There's an inscription noting

-that it was built in 1570...

-..and in Anno Mundi 5552.

-Bodfel Hall in Llannor

-near Pwllheli is interesting.

-This three-storey gatehouse...

-..has an entrance

-recalling a Roman triumphal arch.

-It was created for a huge mansion

-that was never built.

-The family's fortune was lost

-in the Civil War in 1641.

-They were forced to slum it

-in the gatehouse!

-The mansion was never built.

-The new architectural style

-was sweeping the country.

-By the 17th century,

-it had spread to the whole of Wales.

-Even farmhouses were modernized.

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-The journey towards the modern house

-has evolved over a period of time.

-Various architectural developments

-influenced each new generation.

-Mandinam farmhouse near Llangadog

-is no exception.

-At first glance,

-it's a magnificent Georgian house.

-It has great symmetry,

-wonderful windows...

-..and chimneys on both gables.

-But the longer you look

-at the front of the house...

-..the more you start to realize

-that all is not as it seems.

-There seems to have been

-a bigger gap around that window.

-There are other details

-that don't seem Georgian.

-What we have here

-is the skeleton of an old house...

-..that's wearing a Georgian coat.

-The original house

-was built in the 17th century.

-It was a house of great stature

-in this rural area.

-This area has royal connections.

-Charles I's illegitimate daughter

-may have lived here.

-On the morning

-of Charles's execution...

-..Jeremy Taylor,

-his former chaplain...

-..was seen at the prison

-where Charles was held.

-He gave him some jewels...

-..and told him to go to Mandinam

-and marry his daughter.

-He was to sell the jewels

-and use the money to build a house.

-This is that house.

-Jeremy Taylor made big changes

-to the house during his life.

-It was transformed again

-in the Georgian era...

-..thus creating a complicated

-architectural jigsaw.

-What can you tell me from looking

-at the front of the house?

-It resembles a Georgian house.

-You soon realize

-that the front has been raised.

-It was a much lower house

-originally.

-You can see that clearly

-when you look at this gable.

-You can see a line coming down

-from the chimney...

-..almost as far

-as the tops of the windows.

-It wasn't a square-faced house

-when it was built originally.

-It was much longer across the front.

-It's certainly far older

-than the Georgian period.

-The front of the house

-has been changed completely.

-The windows and the front door

-have been moved.

-It looks like a double pile house.

-It has been like this for 200 years.

-It wasn't a double pile house

-prior to that.

-It was a T-shaped house.

-Let me show you what I mean.

-This would have been

-the front of the house.

-The T would be back here.

-The original staircase was here.

-The front of the house

-and the front door would be here.

-This corner was squared off.

-That became the kitchen.

-The other end of the house

-was also squared off.

-That created

-a square Georgian house.

-It also created

-a double pile house.

-Let's go inside

-to look for more evidence.

-Has this staircase always been here?

-In the original T-shaped house,

-this is where it would have been.

-But this isn't

-the original staircase.

-This Georgian staircase

-was moved here from somewhere else.

-It was in the stem of the T,

-not in the main body of the house.

-We can see the old boundaries

-from the thickness of the walls.

-The walls on either side are thick.

-The form of the original

-T-shaped house is obvious.

-The extensions were built

-behind these walls 200 years ago...

-..when it was converted

-into a Georgian house.

-The kitchen is much bigger

-than the original kitchen.

-There's an additional drawing room

-on this side.

-People's needs and expectations

-were changing.

-This is a reflection

-of those changes...

-..as people climbed

-the social ladder.

-There must be

-more Georgian features upstairs.

-When the house was restructured...

-..architectural detail was added,

-such as decorative plasterwork.

-New windows and fireplaces

-were also added.

-Alwyn, you're an architect.

-As such, where would you

-place this house...

-..on the timeline

-towards the modern house?

-The original house dates back

-to the early 16th century.

-When you consider the T-shape

-and the location of the stairs...

-..we're not looking

-at an early modern house.

-Having said that,

-it certainly ploughed a new furrow.

-That's especially true

-when you consider its location.

-I think that it bridges the gap

-between traditional Welsh houses...

-..and the Georgian house

-that was to follow.

-Developments at Mandinam

-in the early 19th century...

-..prove that a new architectural

-trend was gaining momentum.

-This was the start

-of the Georgian period.

-Great House in Laugharne...

-..is an early Georgian house

-from the mid 18th century.

-Like Mandinam, it's a double pile

-house, but this is a town house.

-Georgian architecture

-was based on perfect symmetry.

-At times, it bordered on obsession.

-This is Great House.

-It is great, isn't it?

-These walls were rendered

-and were smooth.

-The exterior would have resembled

-the houses opposite.

-The windows were slightly different,

-but it's magnificent.

-This door-case has caught my eye.

-It's extremely grand

-for a West Wales town house.

-It has Corinthian

-reeded pilasters...

-..and a broad-bracket cornice

-with foliage entablature.

-It may be

-that this impressive door-case...

-..was salvaged from an internal door

-at Rhyd-y-gors near Carmarthen.

-How would an internal door-case

-fit an external door?

-It has been extended

-to raise its level.

-It certainly suits

-this Georgian town house.

-The symmetrical design

-is evident inside the house too.

-A central hallway

-with two rooms off it.

-At the end of the hall,

-there's an arch that is off-centre.

-It breaks the symmetry,

-but frames the wide staircase.

-Stairs were a status symbol

-and became a key part of the design.

-Only when you reach halfway up

-the dog-leg staircase...

-..do you appreciate how big an area

-the stairs actually occupy.

-This magnificent staircase

-takes up a huge chunk of this house.

-Ladies needed wide stairwells...

-..so as not to crush their dresses

-as they swaggered downstairs.

-You'd perhaps expect to see

-this sort of grandeur...

-..in a London town house

-from this period.

-You wouldn't expect to see it

-in Laugharne.

-Hardwood handrails were crafted

-in gentry houses, but this is pine.

-The spindles are quite primitive.

-The spindles in a gentry house

-in England would be flawless.

-This is a rustic interpretation

-of a more sophisticated design.

-We're talking here

-about the can-do Georgian period.

-It was a new dawn,

-and architecture was changing.

-You could buy large panes of glass

-by this time.

-That's why these windows

-are so enormous.

-Natural light floods into the house

-and this was revolutionary.

-Never before had enclosed spaces

-been so light.

-The architecture and design

-of the Georgian period...

-..was a huge leap forward

-towards the modern house.

-It was symmetrical, luxurious

-and practical...

-..and each room

-had a designated function.

-It brought us far closer

-to the way that we live today.

-Simplicity was important

-in Georgian times.

-Clean lines, painted panels

-and subtle fireplaces...

-..created a civilized

-yet simple setting.

-The house was divided into two,

-both structurally and socially.

-The servants would work

-in the rear of the double pile...

-..tucked away, far from view.

-The owners lived

-in the important front rooms.

-They're wonderful, comfortable,

-square rooms.

-The large windows face the road.

-Every visitor to Laugharne

-could see into the house.

-That was considered important

-to the status of the owners.

-The decoration is simple.

-You could say

-that it's very conservative.

-The different shades of paint

-give the panels extra depth.

-There are shutters on the windows

-of this comfortable room.

-It was an elegant style

-and continues to be.

-Small wonder that it swept

-across the country like wildfire.

-You could almost say

-that it killed vernacular design.

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-Countless Georgian town houses

-were built across Wales...

-..in the late 18th

-and early 19th centuries.

-The same is true

-of the whole of Britain.

-There's very little

-regional variation.

-This modern revolution...

-..had an architectural influence

-on Wales's finest manor houses.

-Llanerchaeron is a small

-gentry estate in Ceredigion.

-It was designed

-by the architect John Nash.

-He introduced the new Italianate

-style to rural Wales.

-One of John Nash's characteristics

-was the surprise staircase.

-When you walked

-into one of his houses...

-..you'd enter a fairly light hall

-before entering a darker hall.

-That's when you'd discover this gem.

-A staircase that was usually lit

-by a roof lantern.

-The roof lantern let natural light

-stream into the heart of the house.

-Glansevern Hall, near Newtown, was

-built in the early 19th century...

-..in the Greek Revival style.

-The Revival influence is here

-but in a simple and subtle style.

-The influential Georgian period

-was about to end...

-..and the modern design revolution

-was almost complete.

-It's a centuries-old design...

-..that still inspires architects

-to this day.

-The early modern house design

-is considered the perfect design.

-We continue to build houses

-that are inspired by this design.

-Pennant farm in Pontfadog...

-..looks like an early modern house

-from the late 17th century.

-It's actually recently renovated...

-..but harks back to the past

-for its inspiration.

-Despite the alterations made to it,

-it looks completely natural.

-Yes, which is why it's hard

-to believe that it's a new house.

-It looks like a 17th century house.

-The renovations improved the house.

-The only feature that may not

-suit the building is this porch.

-Yes. I'm struggling

-to get my head around it.

-It blends in with the building,

-because it's quite Elizabethan.

-During the Renaissance,

-every grand house had a porch.

-Having a porch was a status symbol.

-However, this porch

-was only built ten years ago.

-If you stand in the garden

-and block the porch from view...

-..the house takes on

-a different feel.

-I admire the owner's vision

-because this is a real success.

-Yes. He created something new.

-He has added another layer

-to the history of this house.

-Yes, and very much in the spirit

-of the Renaissance.

-He was inspired by historical

-and classical influences.

-This house encompasses

-more than one architectural period.

-It's inspired by Georgian luxury,

-symmetry and subtlety.

-I've never walked into a bedroom

-through a wardrobe before!

-Concealing stairs behind timber

-panels is typically Georgian.

-The house has many hidden doors.

-This room is quite Georgian...

-..but the symmetry of the room

-doesn't quite work.

-There's something quite primitive

-about the ceiling height...

-..unlike the room next door.

-The ceiling level has been raised

-by about a foot in this room.

-As a result, this room

-has a far grander feel to it.

-It has more Georgian splendour

-than the other room.

-This house has undergone

-several renovations.

-It was modernized

-during each renovation.

-There was a house here before

-this was built in the 17th century.

-It was renovated again

-in the early Georgian period.

-It was transformed again

-in the 21st century.

-Essentially, what we have here

-is a modern house...

-..that was influenced

-by the modernity of times past.

-If you can't find an old house

-such as Pennant to renovate...

-..you can always build a new house.

-That's what we have here,

-at Carden Hall in Cheshire.

-Carden Hall is one of a handful

-of country houses...

-..to be built in the past 50 years.

-It looks like a house

-built in the 1820s...

-..but it's totally original.

-It isn't a replica

-of an existing house.

-Why are rural Georgian mansions

-so attractive to us?

-One glance tells you

-that it's perfectly symmetrical.

-If you had the money, who wouldn't

-want to build a house like this?

-A series of mansions

-have been built on the site...

-..during the past 500 years.

-The most recent of those

-was destroyed by a fire in 1912.

-Every architectural detail

-reflects the Regency period...

-..the years between 1811 and 1820.

-Every single 24,000 square foot

-of Carden Hall is stunning.

-Well!

-This is where the design

-bursts into life.

-It's a strange

-but immensely enjoyable experience.

-I feel like the owner

-of a Georgian house 200 years ago.

-The builders have just left...

-..and I'm seeing my new house

-for the first time.

-This isn't a replica

-of an existing mansion...

-..or of any historical building.

-The architect has been inspired

-by different places.

-We've seen Ionic pillars

-in several Georgian houses.

-The open balcony on the landing

-is also a familiar feature.

-In a mansion as large as this...

-..they needed natural light

-in the centre of the house.

-The solution

-was to fit a roof lantern...

-..to allow natural light to flood

-into the heart of the building.

-The architect has drawn

-on the best Georgian elements...

-..to create a cohesive design.

-It really does feel

-like an old Georgian house.

-The Renaissance had a big influence

-on the Georgian era in Britain.

-The architect suggests strong links

-with the Renaissance here...

-..by using Italian marble

-such as this wonderful green stone.

-There are also commissioned works

-in white Italian marble.

-They take their place beautifully

-in this house.

-Every generation

-influences the following generation.

-That's also true

-in the architectural world.

-Some believe that nothing is new,

-that we simply repackage old ideas.

-In a few decades, when ivy and moss

-covers the walls of Carden Hall...

-..it'll be indistinguishable

-from the mansions that inspired it.

-Some consider Georgian design

-to be the pinnacle of architecture.

-The elements that inspire

-designs such as this...

-..include symmetry and light.

-Those key elements

-developed over centuries...

-..and are as attractive today

-as they were then.

-Is the modern house in which we live

-so modern after all?

S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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