Y Ty Neuadd Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru

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-Wales is a treasure trove

-of special buildings.

-In this series,

-I'll step back through the ages...

-..to visit several of them...

-..from early hall houses...

-..to the modern house.

-We can learn much

-from studying history...

-..but only by studying

-architectural history...

-..can we form a picture

-of how people lived from era to era.

-Welcome

-to Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru.

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-This remarkable book

-was published 30 years ago.

-Houses Of The Welsh Countryside

-is the work of the Royal Commission.

-This is the bible

-of traditional Welsh architecture...

-..and a milestone

-in our understanding of it...

-..and of our understanding

-of British vernacular buildings.

-It was the first systematic study

-of the history of Welsh buildings.

-It remains the best book

-on the subject today.

-Many other countries,

-including our closest neighbours...

-..don't have such resources

-to refer to.

-In this series, I'll tell the story

-of Welsh architecture...

-..as featured

-in Peter Smith's amazing book.

-In this programme, I look

-at the earliest medieval houses...

-..and visit

-some of Wales's finest examples.

-The Royal Commission in Wales...

-..has no record of a house

-dating from before 1400.

-This cut-off seems fundamental.

-Obviously, there were great houses

-before 1400...

-..but we have no evidence of them.

-That absence of houses

-can probably be attributed...

-..to the devastating effect

-of Owain Glyndwr's rebellion.

-Houses built after the rebellion

-were hall houses.

-Hall houses are splendid,

-open homes...

-..that existed during

-an exciting period in Welsh history.

-This was the era of the patricians

-and the poets sponsored by them.

-It was also when carpenters

-developed their incredible craft.

-The Royal Commission on the Ancient

-and Historical Monuments of Wales...

-..in Aberystwyth

-is our starting point.

-The Commission investigates

-and archives historical monuments.

-Houses Of The Welsh Countryside's

-author, Peter Smith, says...

-..that this is the most important

-map in the whole book.

-It notes the distribution

-of tower houses...

-..which were

-fortified medieval dwellings.

-This map

-covers the whole of Britain.

-It indicates that various

-architectural features...

-..weren't common

-to all parts of Britain.

-Why was this?

-Scotland and Ireland

-had lots of tower houses...

-..but they were rare in Wales,

-which was a peaceful nation.

-Welsh houses were associated

-with hospitality and entertainment.

-The architecture of hall houses

-developed into a high craft form...

-..that was found in the dwellings

-of lords and peasants alike.

-That remarkable fact is the crux

-of Houses Of The Welsh Countryside.

-The first hall house we visit...

-..is Ty Mawr,

-near Castle Caereinion.

-It's one of the best surviving

-hall houses in Wales.

-It dates back to 1460.

-Who would live in a house like this?

-It would have been

-the home of local gentry.

-It was someone

-halfway up the social ladder.

-He would have made his money

-from farming.

-He probably farmed cattle and sheep.

-In that respect,

-he was quite self-sufficient.

-Naturally, professionals

-would have built the house.

-We might expect a stone house,

-but this is timber-framed.

-Yes, timber-framed houses

-were common in the 15th century.

-They were built across Wales

-in medieval times.

-Timber-framed houses were the norm

-and wood was in plentiful supply.

-It's a misconception that Wales

-was a land of stone houses.

-Were any other types of houses

-built in the 15th century?

-No, they were all hall houses,

-as far as we know.

-They varied in size, complexity

-and decoration...

-..but, essentially,

-everyone lived in a hall house.

-The houses of the poor have vanished

-and we know nothing about them.

-The Grade I listing

-of Ty Mawr is remarkable.

-In the early 1970s,

-it resembled a dilapidated barn.

-It was earmarked as a historic

-building by the Royal Commission.

-Cadw then instigated

-its restoration in 1998.

-According to Peter Smith...

-..Ty Mawr was one of the most

-important discoveries of his career.

-We can now appreciate how it looked

-when it was built in 1460.

-We're standing in the open hearth,

-in the centre of the building.

-It's one of the main features

-of a hall house.

-We're standing on the site

-of the original open hearth.

-That fireplace was added

-150 years later.

-It's irrelevant to us.

-The staircase is modern too.

-This is an open hall house.

-The owner, who was a member

-of the gentry, would live here.

-He would live his public life

-in this space.

-The top table would be behind us.

-The servants, the family

-and members of the public...

-..would be around him here.

-His wife and his close relatives...

-..lived their private lives

-behind the dais screen.

-At the bottom end of the house,

-there would be a parlour...

-..or, in some cases, a byre.

-This was a three-unit hall house.

-The crucks support this building.

-That's typical of a hall house.

-What can you tell us about these?

-What can you tell us about these?

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-This house has one pair of crucks.

-They're arched timber crucks.

-These crucks usually start

-at floor level...

-..and reach the roof apex.

-These were very common

-in medieval times.

-This was the normal way

-of constructing a building.

-Timber crucks

-follow the tree's natural shape.

-You simply slice a tree in half,

-down the middle...

-..to create a pair of crucks.

-The process of creating a cruck

-starts before you fell the tree.

-Finding a suitable tree

-is half the battle.

-You must select a tree

-that has a sturdy branch...

-..and cut the crucks

-from this section.

-You then slot them together

-to create a pair of crucks.

-Crucks are a sign that Welsh

-medieval houses have survived.

-To appreciate the dominance

-of timber houses in Wales...

-..simply study the maps

-in Houses Of The Welsh Countryside.

-If we turn to the maps...

-..we see different building patterns

-in Wales through the ages.

-This one shows cruck-framed houses

-in Wales.

-You can draw a line

-from Machynlleth to Newport.

-Most cruck-framed houses were built

-north and east of that line.

-Let's look at another map.

-This map shows the location

-of stone-vaulted houses.

-These were primarily built

-in Pembrokeshire.

-It's a national pattern

-of architecture.

-The maps were vital

-to Peter Smith's research.

-But why were they so important?

-From these maps,

-we can see for the first time...

-..that Wales has many

-architectural personalities.

-These come to light

-on a regional basis.

-Things that appear very basic

-to us today...

-..were groundbreaking in 1975.

-At that time,

-these findings were revolutionary.

-Another defining feature of a hall

-house is the cross-passage.

-There are doors opposite each other

-at both ends.

-There was no chimney, so smoke

-escaped through doors and windows.

-The original beams

-are smoke-blackened.

-Another important feature

-of Ty Mawr is its aisle posts.

-This post and the truss

-that supports it...

-..create an aisle

-on either side of the open hall.

-It gives it an ecclesiastical feel.

-The crucks

-create a feeling of space...

-..but aisle posts used more wood

-and were more expensive to build.

-This gentleman expressed his status

-by spending money.

-By this point in Welsh history...

-..you needed a licence to build

-anything that resembled a castle.

-Houses were no longer fortified.

-But there was no bar

-on borrowing castle imagery...

-..such as these crenellations,

-and using them as decorations.

-The top of this pillar

-looks like a castle turret.

-Ty Mawr is an important hall house.

-However, hall houses changed

-over time, but in what way?

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-Ty Mawr was the home

-of local gentry...

-..but this one

-belonged to a higher class.

-Don't be fooled

-by the agricultural equipment.

-Some splendid halls

-are part of the agricultural world.

-Architecurally,

-Bryndraenog was astonishing.

-It reflected the ambition

-of the man who built it.

-According to Peter Smith,

-on behalf of the Royal Commission...

-..this was the most glorious

-timber-framed hall in Wales.

-Much of that external timber

-has now vanished.

-Bryndraenog was built

-in the lordship of Maelienydd...

-..in the county of Buddugre,

-here in Cwmyrhingyll.

-There's a clue

-in the name Cwmyrhingyll.

-The rhingyll, or the reeve...

-..was responsible for the judicial

-administration of the lord.

-The reeve, Llywelyn Fychan ab Ieuan,

-built Bryndraenog in 1436.

-He had connections

-with the Duke of York...

-..the father of Edward IV

-and Richard III.

-This hall has important

-and influential connections.

-This hall had lordship status

-and poets performed here.

-It was magnificent in its day.

-It's hard to imagine how this

-looked when it was first built.

-We must ignore the central section,

-which is a 17th century addition.

-This was originally a hall,

-with outer wings at both ends.

-What makes this house

-truly remarkable...

-..is the exceptional storeyed porch

-with a first-floor room.

-It proves that the house

-had two storeys from the outset.

-Look at the size of this porch

-and its amazing timber.

-These trees were felled

-over 500 years ago.

-You can see every hard winter

-we've had since it was built!

-The porch establishes

-the owner's status.

-Here we are in the main hall, Alwyn.

-It's big now, but was even bigger

-when it was originally built.

-Yes, indeed.

-This would have been one big room.

-The gallery we now see wasn't here.

-It's rather imposing.

-The wall behind you

-isn't original either.

-The top table, where the master

-feasted and held court, was there.

-There was an open hearth here,

-which is hard to believe.

-This wall wasn't here either.

-The room went all the way back

-to that panelled wall.

-Look at it for a minute and you

-can read this place like a book.

-The crucks make this really special.

-There are three bays here.

-The crucks which go all the way

-to the roof apex...

-..are both very rare and amazing.

-The original ceiling

-was made entirely of timber.

-It must have looked incredible.

-This is a gem - it's all still here,

-but it's now hidden.

-Today, we can use computer graphics

-to interpret old houses.

-It's an effective way to appreciate

-how Bryndraenog originally looked.

-The detail of the roof timbers

-is breathtaking.

-These simulations take us through

-the porch, into the cross-passage.

-As we enter the hall...

-..we experience what the lord saw

-when he lived here 600 years ago.

-The open hearth, the top table...

-..and beyond the dais screen,

-the owner's private chamber.

-The hall changed, over time...

-..and the gallery which was added

-in 1636 is still here.

-It's impossible to overstate

-the importance of the base crucks.

-This sort of architecture

-was quite common in England...

-..but by the time this was built,

-it was old hat across the border.

-Why was Bryndraenog built

-in this way?

-The people who lived here

-knew about English fashion...

-..so it was a conscious decision

-to use this plan.

-The theory is that they strove

-for a link with grand families.

-That depth of history you get

-in old families and old houses.

-The types of houses that stood

-in Owain Glyndwr's time.

-The modern carpets and plaster

-ceilings of Bryndraenog...

-..mask the astonishing craftsmanship

-of the carpenters that built it.

-If we look carefully, we can see

-trefoiled tracery in the windows.

-There are delicate mouldings

-and chamfers on the beams.

-As in Ty Mawr, there are

-some crenellations here.

-We're in the left wing of the house,

-which was the service wing.

-Is there anything different here?

-This part of the building

-was erected in a different way.

-There are no crucks here.

-It's what's known as a box-frame.

-The timbers are still huge,

-but are shorter and easier to source.

-A box-frame is a more common

-building technique.

-You have a corner post and a beam,

-which supports the first floor.

-The trusses and the roof above

-are separate.

-They're not part of the frame,

-as in a cruck-framed house.

-An early poem

-by Ieuan ap Hywel Swrdwal...

-..in praise of Llywelyn ab Ieuan

-of Bryndraenog...

-..is testament to the hall's status.

-Dr Dylan Foster Evans

-knows a lot about this poem.

-How common was it for poets

-to perform at medieval halls?

-When this poem was written

-and this house was built...

-..was on the eve of a very

-productive period for the poets.

-By the 1440s and 1450s, dozens

-of poets visit dozens of houses...

-..throughout the whole of Wales.

-The 15th century,

-more than any other century...

-..was the golden era

-of Welsh poetry.

-Poets liked to think of themselves

-as craftsmen.

-They used craftsmen's phraseology.

-Yes, they considered themselves

-to be craftsmen.

-They often described their poetry

-in building terms.

-They sang about axes

-and plumb lines.

-They used the image

-of the set square...

-..to express the perfection

-of their poetry.

-This very rich imagery

-comes from the carpenter's tools.

-What does Ieuan ap Hywel Swrdwal

-say about this house in his poem?

-Maybe we should look

-at the poem itself.

-It's over 500 years old,

-so parts are difficult to decipher.

-The incredible thing is...

-..there are parts of it

-that are easily understandable.

-"There is patronage here for us,

-in this strath of windows."

-The windows that he saw are still

-here, which is truly amazing.

-"The duke has many houses

-but none shall discipline him."

-None of those houses

-are greater than Bryndraenog...

-..or dominate it in any way.

-I can't leave without having a look

-at the glorious roof.

-It's concealed by the plasterwork,

-of course.

-I feel a little bit

-like Indiana Jones!

-Here we are. We're in the roof.

-I'm looking down, along the roof.

-Well, how wonderful!

-I can see through the crucks,

-all the way to the far end.

-That's incredible.

-Some of those cusped wind-braces

-are still in place.

-That one, for example.

-Here's another one.

-It has fallen down.

-This piece of wood

-and its decorative section...

-..is almost 600 years old.

-It's truly amazing.

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-We've now moved north,

-to the Llandudno area.

-This is the ancestral home

-of the Mostyn family...

-..an influential family

-in both Wales and England.

-This is Gloddaeth Hall.

-It's surrounded by buildings

-from various periods...

-..but the hall

-is our main point of interest.

-Gloddaeth was built of stone.

-There is no timber in these walls.

-It makes

-an intentionally robust statement.

-The Mostyn family

-were important landowners.

-They apparently flourished after

-championing Henry VII at Bosworth.

-Their wealth can be seen

-in the walls of Gloddaeth Hall...

-..which was built

-in the early 16th century.

-So far, we've focused

-on timber-framed halls.

-Gloddaeth Hall is a blend

-of traditional carpentry...

-..and stone construction.

-This is the first time we've seen

-a hall in its purest form.

-There's nothing here to detract

-from the original, simple form.

-This is also the first

-end-passage house that we've seen.

-The cross-passage runs along

-the building's most westerly point.

-There is no service wing

-beyond the passage.

-This was the original size

-of the hall.

-At the far end,

-we have the all-important step.

-It's only a couple of inches high...

-..but it separated the lord

-from the peasants.

-There was a wall and a gallery

-in Bryndraenog.

-In Ty Mawr, a chimney

-and a staircase had been added.

-This is the first time

-we've stepped to the top table.

-The windows are huge,

-considering when they were built.

-They were a declaration of affluence

-by the owners.

-Apart from the windows,

-the main feature is this mural.

-It proudly shows

-the Tudor coat of arms.

-At the other end, there is a mural

-and a 17th century gallery.

-Unlike many other halls...

-..there was never an open hearth

-in the middle of the floor.

-This hall was built

-with this splendid fireplace...

-..as part of the architecture.

-It displays the family coat of arms

-both here and on the fireguard.

-This is the Mostyn family motto.

-Without God, without anything.

-God is enough. Amen.

-Below it, there's a French motto.

-Honi soit qui mal y pense...

-..shame be to him

-who thinks evil of it.

-Apparently, Henry VII hid

-up this chimney at some point.

-You can stand in there,

-so it may be true.

-How much timber would you need

-to create this roof?

-A dozen large trees.

-It probably took 20 smaller trees

-to create the panels.

-The trees used

-would be centuries old.

-The grain of the wood

-on the end of each hammer beam...

-..shows that the trees used in those

-were about 150 years old.

-Welsh oak trees grow quite slowly.

-They are slow-growing trees...

-..compared with the French

-and Dutch oak trees we see today.

-Welsh oak tends to be hard

-and extremely heavy.

-It takes a strong roof

-to hold the weight of the wood.

-Some are arched, as you can see.

-You see that in oak trees today.

-Welsh oaks are arched

-against the prevailing west wind.

-The're ideally suitable for ships,

-crucks and roofs like this.

-It gives the hall

-a very organic shape.

-Because the oak trees

-are naturally arched?

-They treated the trees to ensure

-that they grew with an arch...

-..so that they could use them

-for roofs like this.

-Are there clues here to tell us

-how this roof was constructed?

-The timber has darkened

-quite considerably...

-..both by smoke and by time...

-..but you can see marks made by

-tools such as saws and chisels.

-You can also see marks...

-..where the wood was split

-in the coppice.

-Some of the trees

-were long, straight oaks...

-..which were then quartered,

-I should imagine.

-How do you know that?

-How do you know that?

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-I know that from experience.

-You can see tear marks

-on the face of the purlin.

-Those are the telltale marks.

-Hendre'r Ywydd Uchaf

-is now at St Fagans.

-It was moved to the museum

-from the Vale of Clwyd.

-We often think of the hall house

-as a grand gentry house...

-..with a magnificent open space.

-As Houses Of The Welsh Countryside

-has proved...

-..rather than being

-an aristocratic dwelling...

-..the hall house

-is a typical, medieval Welsh house.

-Few examples of cruck-framed

-peasant halls have survived.

-Those that have survived

-follow the same pattern.

-A single-bay hall,

-a parlour at the top end...

-..a passage and, unusually here,

-a byre at the bottom.

-Four oak crucks support the roof

-of Hendre'r Ywydd Uchaf.

-The walls don't support the roof.

-They have been limewashed,

-as was common practice.

-The structural framing wasn't used

-as external decoration...

-..until the 16th century.

-When you mention a hall house,

-people expect to see something huge.

-This is a hall house...

-..and what defines it as such

-is the open hearth.

-We've touched on this many times...

-..but this is the first example

-we've seen.

-It certainly proves

-that it's a hall house.

-We've seen everything

-in this house before...

-..but this is on a smaller scale.

-We can touch the framework here

-and appreciate its scale.

-I referred to this

-as a peasant hall.

-Is that misleading?

-Yes, the word 'peasant'

-can be misconstrued.

-A successful person built this.

-This person may not have had

-financial wealth...

-..but they created enough produce

-to eat well, to dress well...

-..and to have a social life.

-What about this house

-leads you to believe that?

-It's big and it's well-built.

-It has survived since 1504,

-so the structural work was sturdy.

-That's usually a good pointer.

-One important thing that cements

-the house it in its period...

-..is that it has no windows.

-Natural light is an important part

-of modern architecture.

-At this time, if it was light,

-you would be outdoors.

-Airing the building and keeping

-people warm were the priorities.

-These small openings are big enough

-to expel the smoke.

-How would people live in this room?

-There were benches on either side

-and light work would be done here.

-Herbs would be hung

-from the roof to dry.

-Meat was also smoked there.

-Candles were created...

-..by using fat from the meat

-which they cooked on the fire.

-A reed was pulled through the fat

-to create a wick for the candle.

-People would weave and do

-more intricate work in this space.

-Would this have been an earth floor?

-Would this have been an earth floor?

-

-Yes, earth and reeds.

-We think of 16th century people

-as being smelly, like Baldrick...

-..but they used reeds and herbs,

-which include oils such as citrus...

-..and they brushed the floor

-with them to release the aroma.

-It sweetened the air.

-By the time the peasants

-caught up with the latest fashion...

-..the gentry who had lived in halls

-for some time had moved on.

-What sort of houses did they build?

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-We've now reached

-the north-west coast of Wales.

-This is Egryn Hall.

-When we enter the hall,

-we step into a Victorian vestibule.

-It's beautiful, but far more modern

-than the era we're discussing.

-But this was the cross-passage.

-The door opposite this one

-has disappeared.

-Everything at the bottom end

-has also disappeared...

-..and been rebuilt at a later date.

-This really is a hall house.

-Through here, we'll see a feature

-that we haven't yet seen.

-That revolutionary feature -

-a ceiling.

-This ceiling

-isn't original to Egryn...

-..but it's important

-because it shows that halls evolved.

-The hall was built in 1510.

-It was modified a century later.

-Egryn has now been restored

-by the National Trust.

-It shows our changing attitudes

-to space across the centuries.

-Liz, apart from the ceiling...

-..what else has changed at Egryn?

-Before the ceiling was added,

-there was an open fire on the floor.

-The smoke would rise up

-to the roof.

-The biggest modification

-was the addition of this fireplace.

-The mouldings are very posh.

-They were the height of fashion.

-They created a new lounge...

-..with the addition of a ceiling

-and first-floor bedrooms.

-Windows were also added at that time.

-What spurred them on

-to make these modifications?

-It was partly due

-to the new fashion.

-Keeping up with the Joneses

-was always important.

-We all want to create more space

-in our homes.

-This opportunity presented itself.

-They created bedrooms for the family

-and more private rooms.

-It evolved into a family home.

-The great advantage of a ceiling...

-..was that the owner could create

-a private chamber for himself.

-In this case, several chambers.

-The advantage for us is a close-up

-view of the roof structure.

-We can even embrace the apex

-of the cruck, for the first time.

-It's wonderful

-to be able to do that.

-We can see the old and the new,

-joined together with these pegs.

-They've even recreated

-the quatrefoil bracing...

-..by reconstructing

-the cusped braces.

-There are more quatrefoils

-in the roof.

-These are wind-braces

-to strengthen the roof.

-Another feature

-which we haven't yet seen...

-..is this flower,

-which is known as a boss.

-That's an original boss

-and it's a rare sight in Wales.

-They're becoming less rare...

-..because they've added a new one

-on this aisle beam.

-It's a joy to stand here,

-surrounded by this symphony of wood.

-Houses Of The Welsh Countryside...

-..has maps guiding us

-to each house's important features.

-This map shows where to find

-the bosses I mentioned earlier.

-It appears to be a fashion

-that filtered across the border.

-You'll find them in Denbighshire

-and Flintshire...

-..but bosses are rare

-in the rest of Wales.

-This is where the 16th century

-and the 21st century meet...

-..to create a revolutionary home.

-This conversion at Rhyd-y-Carw

-is bold, honest and contemporary.

-The open spaces within hall houses

-are perfect for keeping stock.

-It's fair to say

-that many hall houses were saved...

-..because they were useful

-agriculturally.

-This hall escaped the fashion

-for rebuilding walls in stone...

-..or additions like extra doors,

-internal staircases and fireplaces.

-Rhyd-y-Carw hall house was built

-in Trefeglwys, Powys, in 1525.

-It was then modified into a barn

-during the 17th century.

-This building was only a home

-for 150 years.

-The recent contemporary conversion

-has breathed new life into it.

-You usually enter a hall house

-through a cross-passage.

-In this modern house, you enter

-through a glorious glass tunnel...

-..that leads into an ultra-modern

-black and white Japanese kitchen.

-These are elements

-which belong to the 21st century.

-There's little here to suggest

-that we're in a hall house.

-Only when you step into the hall...

-..do you see the building

-in all its glory.

-They have recreated the top table...

-..where the householder would dine,

-near the dais screen.

-They have also hung a tapestry

-on the wall.

-There would have been a tapestry

-here years ago, of course.

-That's a cross-passage, one end

-of which has been blocked off.

-It amazes me to see how well

-a modern lounge sits in this space.

-It seems to fit perfectly within

-its 500-year-old surroundings.

-In addition to deft weaving

-of the old and the new...

-..sustainability has been

-at the core of this redevelopment.

-Which features

-of this 16th century house...

-..make it suitable

-for modern living?

-I think it's the vast possibilities

-offered by Rhyd-y-Carw.

-It's our responsibility to strive

-to reduce our carbon footprint.

-This house has great potential...

-..and the new owners

-realized that potential.

-This side of the house

-is south-facing.

-Most of the windows

-are on this side of the house.

-There are a few windows

-on the east and west walls...

-..and, wisely, almost nothing

-on the north-facing wall.

-There's a ground source heat pump

-beneath the lawn.

-A heated liquid is then pumped

-into the underfloor heating boiler.

-What energy-saving technology

-has been used here?

-If you look at the windows, you can

-see the thickness of the walls.

-They've been insulated with cellulose

-from recycled newspapers.

-The double-glazed windows

-have low emissivity glass.

-It changes frequency when it's sunny

-and traps heat in a room.

-These window frames

-are made of local oak.

-They were custom-built

-by a local craftsman.

-There's a heat recovery

-ventilation system on the ceiling.

-Fresh, dry air enters the building

-and it circulates.

-The stale air is extracted here

-to minimize condensation.

-As an architect,

-are you fond of this house?

-Yes, because the old and the new

-interweave well.

-You can see the old

-and you can celebrate it...

-..but you can also enjoy

-21st century comforts.

-The bedroom actually slots

-between the pair of crucks.

-On the other side, where previous

-owners raised the roof level...

-..they have created a dressing area

-and a bathroom.

-It's three periods in one room.

-The old cruck, the barn

-and the new house meld perfectly.

-It's glorious.

-What they've created here

-is genuinely brave.

-They were brave to tackle the work

-in the first place.

-The importance of the original

-hall house didn't frighten them.

-They didn't try to pickle it

-in an ambiguous 'old' period.

-What they've created

-belongs to the here and now.

-Its feet are planted in the past,

-but it looks to the future.

-As our tour of magnificent

-hall houses ends...

-..we return to Ty Mawr

-in Castle Caereinion...

-..to hear from Peter Smith, author

-of Homes Of The Welsh Countryside.

-Is Ty Mawr your favourite?

-Yes, it's my favourite.

-There are some other

-magnificent hall houses in Wales...

-..but Ty Mawr

-is probably my favourite.

-Look at what you see here today.

-When I first saw the interior

-of this house...

-..I recalled the words

-of Howard Carter in Egypt.

-"I can see wonderful things."

-The greatest triumph of my life.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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