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0:00:24 > 0:00:28- There's something about a cottage - that warms our hearts.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- It's a symbol of a romantic past...
0:00:31 > 0:00:36- ..a lost world representing life - before the modern industrial age.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41- Essentially, a stone cottage - is merely a cave with windows.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45- They don't stand above fields, - dominating landscapes.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- They squat in dells - and peek over hedgerows.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55- In this programme, we trace - the humble cottage's contribution...
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- ..to our architectural heritage.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13- Our journey, inspired by the book - Houses Of The Welsh Countryside...
0:01:14 > 0:01:15- ..is drawing to a close.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24- It can be argued that the cottage - is our favourite Welsh home.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- We tend to look at the cottage - through rose-tinted spectacles.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- Cottages weren't cosy, - cute little homes.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- They were the homes - of rural peasants.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45- Many of them were built overnight.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48- This was the original shanty.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- A shed that was thrown together.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- Over time, the cottage developed.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- It's crucial to our understanding - of Welsh peasant life.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- Nant Wallter, St Fagans, - is the quintessential Welsh cottage.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12- A limewashed thatched cottage - with smoke rising from its chimney.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29- We tend to think of cottages - as the oldest buildings in Wales.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31- That's not true, is it?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- No, although they appear - to be ancient.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39- They seem primitive to us - and many have deteriorated...
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- ..but this is the most contemporary - of all the Welsh houses.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47- We have no evidence...
0:02:47 > 0:02:52- ..that cottages were built - before the mid 18th century.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- When was Nant Wallter built?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- When was Nant Wallter built?- - It was built in 1770 or thereabouts.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01- Where did it come from?
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- From Carmarthenshire.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09- It comes from the Taliaris estate - and is built from local materials.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- A thatched roof and clay walls.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- You needed heavy clay - to build these walls.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Was clay freely available - in Carmarthenshire?
0:03:20 > 0:03:21- Yes, very much so.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- That's the essence - of traditional building.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- It's more evident in the cottage - than in any other form.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- These were the homes of peasants, - after all.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- The clay used to build this cottage - was taken from a nearby field.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- The materials used to build cottages - reflect the local community.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- They represent the geography - and geology of Wales...
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- ..more so than any other - traditional building.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Let's take a look inside.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- Who would live in a house like this?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- We don't know the names - of the people who built this house.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- That's true of most Welsh cottages.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- Records weren't kept - prior to the 1801 census.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- The peasants who built cottages...
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- ..weren't wealthy enough - to leave wills.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- They didn't keep diaries either.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- We know very little about the people - who lived in cottages.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- This was a farm labourer's cottage - on the Taliaris estate.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- Most cottages were occupied - by farm labourers and craftsmen.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Life wasn't a bed of roses - in these cottages.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04- They may seem romantic to us, - but life was tough.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10- The fireplace looks as though - it projects outside the gable wall.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16- A substantial fireplace - was essential.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- The fire provided heat - and was also used for cooking.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- This was the Aga of its time!
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- As well as cooking food, - they also boiled water.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34- Water was boiled endlessly - for washing and for laundry.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- The work was never-ending.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Legend has it - that the fire was never out.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- It was banked up overnight.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48- There are stories - about farmhouses, in particular...
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- ..where fires burned for centuries - without a single break.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- If your fire did happen to go out...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- ..you'd go next door - to borrow some fire.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- You'd carry it - from room to room, for example.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- Like the hall houses we saw - at the start of the series...
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- ..many cob cottages - like Nant Wallter...
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- ..were built with timber crucks.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- A cruck is an arched truss.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32- In cottages, they used - scarfed crucks or false crucks.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38- A scarfed cruck is two pieces - of wood joined together with pegs.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- This was a cheaper building method.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- If we refer to the book - Houses Of The Welsh Countryside...
0:06:50 > 0:06:55- ..another of its fantastic maps...
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- ..shows us where cottages - with scarfed crucks were built.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- More importantly, - we'll see where they weren't built.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- They were all built in Ceredigion - and Carmarthenshire.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- This was the poorest part of Wales - when these were built.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30- Next, we head to Ceredigion - to a cob cottage called Felin-coed.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35- Unlike Nant Wallter, this cottage - is in the process of being restored.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- It gives us an opportunity - to see its very fabric.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- It's quite an open layout inside.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- There's a Victorian fireplace - with a variety of ovens.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01- It's believed that there was - an open fire here originally...
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- ..with a louvre chimney - of wickerwork and mud...
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- ..stretching to the roof.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- This central structure - is all Victorian.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- It was a later addition - to the building.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- If we enter the parlour, - we see the structure of the house.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- Similarly to Nant Wallter, - it has scarfed crucks.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- The structure of Nant Wallter - is buried in the walls.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- That's partly true - of Felin-coed as well...
0:08:29 > 0:08:34- ..but it's wonderful to come here - and see the structure laid bare.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39- You can see the scarfed crucks - before they're buried in new cob.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- I won't ask you - to date this house, Dafydd.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54- Phew!
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- When did people first use - this building technique?
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- When were cob walls first erected?
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- Some 16th century cob cottages - are still standing in Wales.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- That takes you back some 500 years.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- They were certainly built to last.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Why did they use cob?
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- It's an extremely easy - building method.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Anyone can do it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- You don't need any particular skill.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- You mix the cob with your feet...
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- ..then you lay it on the wall - and compress it.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32- It's easy.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Is it common - to erect a stone foundation...
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- ..and build cob walls on it?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Yes, it's a very common technique.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- You don't want the wall - to touch the soil...
0:09:44 > 0:09:49- ..or moisture will seep into it - and turn it back into soil.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- They say that a cob cottage - needs a thick hat...
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- ..and a sturdy pair of boots.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- It should then last for centuries.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00- The hat being the roof?
0:10:00 > 0:10:01- The hat being the roof?- - Yes, the thatch.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- I think we're now mixing some cob.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- I think we're now mixing some cob.- - Yes, that's right.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Should I adopt - a particular technique?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Your technique is pretty good.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21- You fold the straw into the mud - and carry on till it has mixed well.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- Yours looks ready to me.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- I see - you fold the mixture - back into itself.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- It's like kneading bread.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34- What exactly is in this mixture?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- Subsoil, clay and sand.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- In this case, we're remixing - part of the collapsed wall.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- We're recycling the wall - of the original house.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- If you add water to it, - it reverts to its original state?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Well, well!
0:10:54 > 0:10:59- When the owners bought Felin-coed, - the walls were in disrepair.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- Unfortunately, - one gable collapsed completely.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- Conveniently, however, - the cob can be reused.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Now then, where do we go from here?
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- You have to spread it out a bit.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- We need a six-inch thick layer.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- You use this cudgel - to spread it out and compact it..
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- ..so that it's nice and hard.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36- Tear up chunks of cob.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- This squeezes out the water.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- You go right around the wall - in one session.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49- It's a lot of work.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- It's a lot of work.- - Yes, it is.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- According to tradition...
0:12:00 > 0:12:05- ..the best time to build a cob house - was when a swallow built its nest.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10- The long days and warm sun - helps to dry and harden the walls.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21- Many interesting items - were found during the restoration.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Most were stuffed into the thatch - as draught excluders.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- This is a corset.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33- The woman who wore this - must have been tiny.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- It really isn't very big.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- There are lots of holes - in this tunic...
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- ..but you can see its style.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- The bottom is flared - and it has no collar.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47- It must be very old.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54- Pieces of paper from different - periods have also been found.
0:12:55 > 0:12:56- This is a 1950s calendar.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- This exercise book - belonged to Annie Davies.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- It comes from the turn - of the 20th century.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- We know that she was 16 years old - when she used this book...
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- ..because she died two years later.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Her grave is in the cemetery - across the valley.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- This is a real treasure trove.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- This is wonderful.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- It's a Christmas card.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26- "A warm, homely greeting - to everyone in your unsullied home.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32- "From Ifan and Mari Maesllan - to all at Felin-coed. Good luck."
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0:13:51 > 0:13:56- Our study of the Welsh cottage - brings us to Pontbrenmydr...
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- ..in the Vale of Aeron.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- We're about to see - an interesting feature.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- Pontbrenmydr is owned - by the National Trust.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- They were responsible - for its restoration.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- Martin, this is the first time - that we've seen a door on the gable.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- They usually have a central doorway.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- Yes, it's a common - symmetrical element in cottages.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- This is more old-fashioned - and it's quite a common feature.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- Like the longhouse, - there was a passage here...
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- ..and the cowshed - was on the right hand side.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- The fireplace - was behind this wall.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- The main entrance was there, - in the longhouse.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54- It's exactly the same.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- It's exactly the same.- - It's a throwback to the longhouse?
0:14:57 > 0:14:58- Yes. It's an old house.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- I doubt we had symmetrical houses - in this valley when it was built.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- The pattern of the windows - is also unusual.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Yes, they put windows - where they wanted a window.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- After the 19th century, - houses had a central doorway...
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- ..with a window on either side.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- That's how I think - of the traditional cottage.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26- The windows here - were put wherever they were needed.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- Is the old cob visible inside?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- Is the old cob visible inside?- - Yes, and the trapdoor into the attic.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- There's a ladder there. - You can climb up.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- We've closed it off so that people - who holiday here can't access it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- It's very rough, - but that's how people lived.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49- The wood has been blackened, - which suggests an open hearth.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- Traditional rough-topcoat thatch - is very rare today.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- They were once very common in Wales.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07- People used gorse and rushes - as well as straw for the thatch.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- The finish varied from area to area.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15- The Glamorgan thatch is neat, - held in place by hidden scallops...
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- ..with swept eyebrows - above first floor windows.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- In West and North Wales, - the top coat was more loose.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- In Cardiganshire and Ceredigion - in particular...
0:16:28 > 0:16:33- ..the thatch was secured - by decoratively-laid straw ropes.
0:16:34 > 0:16:40- Later, zinc sheeting was used - to protect the thatch...
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- ..as at Pontbrenmydr.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54- What lessons can we learn - from the way it has been renovated?
0:16:54 > 0:16:58- Don't overdo it. - That's the best way.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- They haven't ripped up the floors.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- The partitions and the ceilings - haven't been touched.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- Repair things, - but don't make drastic changes.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- That's the message.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18- From a house that's been adapted - to 21st century life...
0:17:18 > 0:17:23- ..across the fields to Wig-wen Fach, - a cottage not afforded such love.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- Not yet, anyway.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Wig-wen Fach is also - a National Trust property.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- It's a part - of the Llanerchaeron estate.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- Like Pontbrenmydr, it was built - by the people who lived there.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Such cottages are known - as home-made homes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09- This is Wig-wen Fach.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- This is one of the features - that I wanted to show you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- This louvre chimney.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Very few of these remain in Wales.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- Some have been recreated, - but this one is original.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- It isn't a solid stone structure.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- This chimney was built - above the internal wall.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- It's a wickerwork and mud chimney.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- It's a big basket, - to all intents and purposes.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- The reason that so few - have survived...
0:18:42 > 0:18:43- ..is that they're flammable.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- Here, we can also see crucks - built into the wall.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- They don't reach the floor.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- They start halfway to the roof - and again, they're scarfed crucks.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- There's also - a wickerwork partition...
0:19:01 > 0:19:03- ..dividing the two parts - of the house.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- As you can see, - it's a plastered partition.
0:19:20 > 0:19:26- Llainfadyn cottage at St Fagans - comes originally from Rhostryfan.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- This cottage was built - during the Industrial Revolution.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- The first striking thing - about Llainfadyn is its structure.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Unlike cob cottages - such as Nant Wallter...
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- ..that have - relatively smooth walls...
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- ..this is a stone cottage.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- Every stone - has a character of its own.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- This came with three acres of land - and outhouses.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- That suggest agricultural links, - but it also has industrial links.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- Llainfadyn - was a quarryman's cottage.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- We're familiar with the open - cottagey feel of these properties.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33- It's one large room...
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- ..a third of it partitioned off - as a sleeping area.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- It's very difficult - to date these buildings.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46- They were built between the mid 18th - and mid 19th centuries.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52- Fortunately, someone carved the date - into the lintel here...
0:20:52 > 0:20:54- ..and that date is 1762.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- That makes this - an early Welsh cottage.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Llainfadyn - has an interesting history.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23- We link cottages with society's - most impoverished members...
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- ..but this wasn't a peasant's house.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- We link cottages with farm workers - and craftsmen.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- Llainfadyn belonged to a quarryman - and his family.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45- We've furnished the house - to make it look as it did in 1870.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53- This was the golden age of the - slate industry in the north-west.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- That's reflected - in the quality of the house.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- Some of the items here - are original to the house.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05- Yes, some are original to the house, - including that cupboard...
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- ..and some of the chairs.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- The remainder - is from the museum's collection.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- How would they live in this house?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- How many people lived here?
0:22:16 > 0:22:20- Believe it or not, - at least ten people lived here.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- According to the 1861 census...
0:22:23 > 0:22:28- ..Llainfadyn was the home - of Huw Williams, his wife, Ann...
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- ..their six children, - a maid and a lodger.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Is there evidence of slate - being used in the house?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- Yes, most certainly.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- There's an early refrigerator - made of slate in the corner.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- It looks like metal or wood - from here, but it is slate.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51- They stored meat, butter, cream - and milk in the refrigerator.
0:22:51 > 0:22:58- Under the cupboard, - there's a kind of platform.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03- This protected the furniture - from damp rising from the floor.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08- On the window sill in the corner, - there are ornaments.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13- These are things the quarryman - would have made in his spare time.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25- .
0:23:26 > 0:23:26- 888
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- 888- - 888
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- This is Cae'r Gors, - the home of Kate Roberts...
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- ..in Rhosgadfan, near Caernarfon.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Like Llainfadyn, - it's a simple cottage.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05- It has a central door - with a window on either side of it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- A byre and a pigsty - were added at some point.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- The biggest difference between it - and Llainfadyn is the structure.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- There are big, rounded boulders - in the walls of Llainfadyn...
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- ..but here we see smooth walls.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- The reason behind - the greater sophistication here...
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- ..is that this was built - 50 years after Llainfadyn.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- There are some other differences - inside the house.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- Cae'r Gors has now been saved - for the nation.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- A heritage centre - has been founded here.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- It is both an educational - and a community resource.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- The most surprising aspect - of this house is its size...
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- ..and the fact - that it has solid internal walls.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- That offers real privacy - between the rooms.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14- This house had three bedrooms - before the parlour was added there.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- A spacious dairy was also added - to the rear of the house.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23- When Kate Roberts lived here, - it was a fairly comfortable house.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49- Is it fair to say that this house - wouldn't be in this condition...
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- ..if it weren't - for the Kate Roberts connection?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Yes, it's fair to say that.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- This house was empty - after the end of the 1950s.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- When Kate visited her family, - she'd pop over to see the house.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09- She saw the deteriorating condition - and broken slates on the roof.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14- She came up with the idea - of buying it for the nation.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- How long did she live here?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Her family moved here in 1895...
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- ..when she was four years old.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- She lived here for 14 years.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- She left home when she was 18 - to go to university in Bangor.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- Her family lived here - until the mid 1920s.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- When they became too old - to run a smallholding...
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- ..they moved to a house - in the village.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- They moved to a landless house?
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- Yes, they had a garden but no land.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- This is a smallholding.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- How do you define a smallholding?
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- A quarryman's smallholding...
0:26:57 > 0:27:01- ..is a house with between three - and six acres of land.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- They were never large enough - to be categorized as a farm.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- Smallholdings weren't big...
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- ..but they were big enough - to boost the family's income.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19- Judging by the statistics - of the mid 1840s tithe...
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- ..the land was divided - fairly equally...
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- ..between grazing land - and crop fields.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- They grew crops - such as turnips and oats...
0:27:29 > 0:27:34- ..which were used as animal fodder - rather than food for the family.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39- They would grow potatoes, beans - and onions in a corner of a field...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- ..to feed the family.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- Unlike other North Wales quarries, - these were private dwellings.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- They weren't part of the estate - of the quarry owner.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- No, and that's - the main difference...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- ..between the Faenol - and Penrhyn estates.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02- These cottages - were built on common land...
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- ..and they were owned - by the local people.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11- We hear a lot about how tough - life was for the quarrymen.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16- Was it really tough or has history - pulled the wool over our eyes?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- We've probably been led to believe...
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- ..that they were more impoverished - than was perhaps the case.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28- According to our standards, - life was incredibly tough for them.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32- You only have to read - Kate Roberts's work to know that.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- If you led a frugal life, - you were relatively comfortable.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42- The descriptions in Kate's work - of the rooms, the furniture...
0:28:42 > 0:28:47- ..and the clothes they wore - didn't convey extreme poverty.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01- She herself wrote more than once...
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- ..that she never really left - Moel Tryfan.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08- The house and the area - were always in her heart.
0:29:18 > 0:29:26- These are the wild, remote places - that I described in my stories.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31- The people who lived in these parts - at the turn of the century.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34- People who were full of endeavour.
0:29:37 > 0:29:38- I myself am now old.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- I endeavour to write.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03- We've seen Llainfadyn - and Cae'r Gors.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- This is another type - of industrial house.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- This is Stack Square, Blaenavon.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14- Is this terrace relevant - to a programme about the cottage?
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- The answer is yes.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30- We sometimes neglect our industrial - and historical heritage.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36- The fact that Blaenavon Ironworks - is now a World Heritage Centre...
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- ..allows us to see - how people lived and worked...
0:30:41 > 0:30:43- ..during the Industrial Revolution.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- From the outside...
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- ..this looks like a terrace - of whitewashed farmhouses.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54- The farmhouse and the cottage - are similar in design...
0:30:55 > 0:31:00- ..in that they have windows - on either side of a central door.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- The stable door - is also a feature of the farmhouse.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- The interior - is similar to a cottage...
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- ..in that it's split in two.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- The larger room is a kitchen - and living area.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- The other room - is a sleeping chamber.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20- The big difference between - the cottage and these houses...
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- ..is that you would have - a loft in a cottage...
0:31:23 > 0:31:29- ..whereas these have a purpose-built - floor accessed via a staircase.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33- This is an early - industrial terrace...
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- ..that borrows ideas - from the rural cottage.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Why are Blaenavon Ironworks - so important?
0:31:58 > 0:32:03- Because it gives us an insight - into a late 18th century ironworks...
0:32:03 > 0:32:06- ..during the Industrial Revolution.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12- Everything needed to create iron - was on this site.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- There was enough of a slope - to build against the wall...
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- ..and use gravity - to throw things in there.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- You couldn't have an ironworks - like this on level ground.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30- This may be the most important site - in the world for the iron industry.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- We're here to see - the workers' housing in Blaenavon.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38- We can date this terrace - to the late 18th century.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- That's early in the period - of this kind of house, isn't it?
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Yes, most certainly.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49- Houses built later - in Ceredigion's lead mining areas...
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- ..were nowhere near this standard.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- Of course, these houses - had no sewerage...
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- ..or any of the things - that we consider basic amenities.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05- But they were comfortable houses, - for their time.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10- Essentially, they wanted the workers - to live near the ironworks.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- The ironworks are only - three minutes away from the houses.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- The South Wales coalfield - developed...
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- ..on the presupposition - that people could walk to work.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27- Companies attracted workers - by offering good accommodation.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- Work brought a lot of rural people - to the industrial areas.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- Life in the countryside - wasn't perfect, was it?
0:33:53 > 0:33:58- When we read horrendous accounts - of life in Merthyr or Blaenavon...
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- ..and we hear about cholera - and the dangers...
0:34:02 > 0:34:04- ..we wonder why people came there.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- The truth is that life - was even worse in rural areas.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12- The Industrial Revolution - improved living standards.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- These houses were cosy.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- This is the living room, - with its fireplace.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- That's a second bedroom. - There's another one upstairs.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- That's a pantry - and then you have a lean-to.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- That's a more recent addition.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- Interestingly, the windows - are all made of iron.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36- Iron was the cheapest material - available in this area.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43- This was a coal mining area, - so coal must have been cheap too.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- Coal miners often had free coal.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50- There's a description by Bert, - who came from Herefordshire...
0:34:51 > 0:34:55- ..to work - in the South Wales coalfield.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00- In Herefordshire, they never - stacked coal above the bottom bar.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04- He came here and saw coal - stacked above the top bar.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- The house was warm and, compared - to Ceredigion and the Preseli...
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- ..living in Blaenavon - was a real privilege.
0:35:22 > 0:35:23- .
0:35:25 > 0:35:25- 888
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- 888- - 888
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- The custom of squatting - on common land...
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- ..was quite widespread - in the 18th century.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- Building one-night squatter cottages - was a familiar concept to the Welsh.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46- It's possible that many cottages - on Lleyn were built that way.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- A squatter house - only had to stand for one night...
0:35:50 > 0:35:54- ..before it could be rebuilt - in stone taken from the fields...
0:35:54 > 0:35:58- ..thus creating a solid - permanent structure.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04- Pwll Melyn cottage - has been extended at both ends.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- This is the journey's end - for the traditional cottage.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13- There are some more primitive - cottages nearer to the sea.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29- Scattered rural cottages - have survived in good condition...
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- ..in two areas of Wales.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- North Pembrokeshire - and here on Lleyn.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42- The apparently random dispersal - of cottages on the hillside...
0:36:43 > 0:36:47- ..suggests that some started life - as one-night cottages.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53- There simply wasn't enough land - for people to own and build on it.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59- People resorted to breaking the law - by stealing chunks of common land...
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- ..and building a house overnight.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08- People believed that if you could - build a house in one night...
0:37:08 > 0:37:12- ..and have smoke in the chimney - in the morning...
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- ..then you owned the land - upon which the house stood.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- That wasn't legal. Common land - isn't there for the taking.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- All land belongs to someone...
0:37:22 > 0:37:26- ..but people believed that you - could lay claim to common land.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- Much of Wales's common land - was very unwelcoming...
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- ..but having a cow, a pig - and a field of potatoes...
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- ..made it possible to settle - in the most unlikely places.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01- This is Fron Deg and we've reached - the foot of the social ladder.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02- It only has three rooms.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- This is the kitchen and living room.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- The parlour is there - and the loft above it.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14- There's no suggestion - that a kitchen was ever added...
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- ..so all the cooking - must have been done here.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24- Pots and plates would have - been stored on this dresser.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29- It also creates a partition wall - to block out gusts of wind.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34- The striking thing about the house - and the stone walls outside...
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- ..is the standard - of the building work.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- I think that this house - was created by a stonemason.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04- The standard of the building work - can be seen clearly on the exterior.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- The walls are remarkably smooth.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11- It's not only what the builder did - with the stone that's impressive.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- He also showed resourcefulness - with what was already here.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21- This wall remains - in a remarkably good condition.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- You can imagine how perfect it was - when it was built.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- This is the most remarkable feature - of this house.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- It may look like an Iron Age - dwelling of some sort...
0:39:36 > 0:39:38- ..but it's actually a pigsty.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40- This is the pig's enclosure...
0:39:41 > 0:39:45- ..and in there, beneath - this wonderful mound of stones...
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- ..is the sty itself.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- This pigsty gives us an idea - of the way...
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- ..people carved a usable building - out of the landscape.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16- The spirit of the one-night house - can be seen here, near Fron Deg.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29- We go on to Blaen y Buarth - in Penmachno.
0:40:29 > 0:40:35- This is a world away - from the early primitive cottage.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- Many of these houses were built - with a ground floor and a loft...
0:40:50 > 0:40:54- ..though a full first floor - was then added to many houses.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- Blaen y Buarth was built - to resemble a Georgian farmhouse.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03- It has windows on both sides - of a central door...
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- ..and a central staircase.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10- We often see those on the bottom - rung of the social ladder...
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- ..trying to elevate their status - through architecture.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19- This unassuming farmhouse - in Penmachno looks Georgian.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- There's a clear development here.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- Welsh influences - such as this simple slate porch...
0:41:33 > 0:41:37- ..are combined with classic - symmetrical elements.
0:41:37 > 0:41:43- The owners' ambition is underlined - by it being a two-storey house.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50- As you enter the house - through this central door...
0:41:50 > 0:41:55- ..you find yourself in a lobby - created by two partitions.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- Inside this partition - are paintings of foxgloves...
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- ..that have probably been here - for years.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- Many of the features here - are original to the house.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14- The boxed stairs at the heart - of the house is original.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- If we walk through the lobby, - we reach the parlour.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23- This staircase leads - to two remarkably private rooms.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28- This is the first such staircase - we've seen in this programme.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42- It could be argued that this cottage - has developed into a house...
0:42:43 > 0:42:48- ..but the cottagey elements here - still capture the imagination.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54- The contemporary transformation - makes Blaen y Buarth...
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- ..an idyllic haven - from 21st century life.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- Our odyssey ends - at Bryncyn in Carmarthenshire.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09- This house includes - an unexpected development...
0:43:09 > 0:43:12- ..in the history - of the Welsh cottage.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29- Despite its contemporary feel...
0:43:29 > 0:43:35- ..this falls within the spectrum - of what you expect from a cottage.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39- But the extension - to the right of the house...
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- ..belongs to another planet!
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- It is, in essence, a concrete box.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- This is no ordinary - concrete box, mind you.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50- It has been shuttered.
0:43:50 > 0:43:56- A timber wall was constructed - and concrete pushed against it.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01- The timber was removed, - to leave wood grain in the concrete.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06- It gives the feel of a log cabin, - despite the fact that it's concrete.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14- This slice of light above my head - gives it a Japanese feel.
0:44:15 > 0:44:20- The crowning glory of the design - is this enormous window.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22- It opens out completely...
0:44:23 > 0:44:27- ..to give great access to the garden - and to the wonderful patio.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56- I'm sure most viewers appreciate - something modern in their home.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01- Why did you go a step further - and create this concrete box?
0:45:03 > 0:45:05- I wanted to create a trick.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10- When you first come here, - you see a traditional cottage.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15- The first room you see - fits into that traditional mould...
0:45:15 > 0:45:21- ..but when you step into this room, - there's an element of surprise.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30- We wanted to push the boundaries - of what we could do to a cottage.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35- As you can see, - there are pieces of concrete...
0:45:36 > 0:45:39- ..that are almost suspended - in mid-air.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43- That helps to create - that element of surprise.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50- Dorian, what is the future - of the traditional Welsh cottage?
0:45:51 > 0:45:56- It's hard to live in a traditional - cottage in a traditional way...
0:45:56 > 0:46:01- ..because we use so many modern - inventions in our everyday lives.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05- Hopefully, I've shown - what can be done with an old cottage.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11- I wanted to breathe new life - into a traditional cottage...
0:46:11 > 0:46:16- ..and move it forward - to cater for 21st century living.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35- If we turn to Peter Smith's book, - Houses Of The Welsh Countryside...
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- ..there's a chapter - that deals with cottages.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- It's been the same story - across the centuries.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46- The hall house owner - who had an open hearth...
0:46:46 > 0:46:50- ..aspired to a house - with a fireplace and a chimney.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52- It's the same thing here.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57- This is a modernized cottage with - a revolutionary concrete extension.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01- This echoes - a different architectural style.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05- It links us to our history - but also looks to the future...
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- ..and to international architecture.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11- Why turn old houses into museums?
0:47:11 > 0:47:15- It suggests the that past - is more important than the present.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- That's a fallacy.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20- Welsh architecture - has a present and a future.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22- History is boundless.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:47:46 > 0:47:47- .