0:00:06 > 0:00:11This is the story of Britain, but a Britain we rarely see.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Britain as an undiscovered country.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Our glorious landscape isn't just spectacular.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24It's full of secrets and surprises.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31We asked you to share your secret places.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34It's absolutely beautiful.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And the response was overwhelming.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41You're taking us to some remarkable sites.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43How bizarre.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I've never climbed anything this high in my life.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50We'll also share a few secrets of our own.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'I really enjoy discovering secret wild swimming spots.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Oh, that's amazing!
0:01:03 > 0:01:07'This is Britain as you've never seen it before.'
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Oh, my word!
0:01:10 > 0:01:11HE LAUGHS
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- If you want to know a secret... - Then come with us.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43The great British weather.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Love it or loathe it, the rain keeps our land green and pleasant.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Essential for farmers like me.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And for walkers like me... watery wonderlands spring up.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But some of our best water features are the most secret.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Their charms only known to the fortunate few.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Hunting for those idyllic spots, spurred on by your suggestions...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31We've come to South Wales and the Brecon Beacons.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38On the western border of the Beacons, the Black Mountain rises.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Crowned with a majestic ice age lake.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50To the east is the glorious ribbon of the River Wye.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58And in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, a water world of surprises.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Waiting to be discovered.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Our first watery secrets got us up at first light.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I hope it's worth it, it's so early!
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- It's certainly a beautiful morning. - Yeah, it's good.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'We're in search of the fabled Dragons' Breath -
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'not fire, but water.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'It appears just a few times a year.'
0:03:38 > 0:03:42'Simon Powell has long hunted for the watery Dragons' Breath.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- Simon, how are you doing? - Great, thanks.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'Thanks to Simon's obsession,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53'he's filmed the secrets of the magical vapour,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56'which occasionally visits this valley.'
0:03:56 > 0:03:57'So we are in for a rare treat.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Wow, look at that!- Oh, my goodness!
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It's just mist. Myth would have it
0:04:23 > 0:04:24that the Dragon lives in the cave
0:04:24 > 0:04:25obviously through the day
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and then in the night, comes down to the valleys,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30looking for unsuspecting souls.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And this is his breath after a good meal?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- I love that!- After a night's hunting.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37If you wake up in the morning and you see a good dragon's breath,
0:04:37 > 0:04:42the dragon's had a good feed and we will all be safe for a wee while!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It just totally absorbs all civilisation.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51- You sound like you really love being here.- Oh, yeah. How can you not?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Do you feel like it's part of you? - Oh, definitely.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57So while we're here, what should we try and see?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59If you're brave and you're bold,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01some of the caving systems around here are spectacular.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And there's a cave which is so far in that it takes a complete day to get in there,
0:05:05 > 0:05:10and then you camp overnight - why you would want to camp overnight underground in a cave, I never know!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- That's one of my biggest fears! - Ellie is little and nimble.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I might have a go at that.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17You can then push over to waterfall country.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20That's spectacular. Lots of large waterfalls.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Cascading waterfalls.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Llangorse Lake is a must. You've got to visit Llangorse Lake.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29People have been drawn to Llangorse Lake since the beginning of time.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33You cut me, I'll bleed Llangorse Lake!
0:05:33 > 0:05:34THEY LAUGH
0:05:34 > 0:05:37You've set us off on our journey beautifully.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I can't wait to get out there and see some of this.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43You'll have a great time, you really will. And it'll stay with you for a long time as well,
0:05:43 > 0:05:44this little patch of Wales.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- Thanks for sharing it with us, Simon.- Pleasure. Enjoy your travels.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Simon is our springboard to aquatic adventure.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00He's revealed a secret water world where sky is sodden.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And land is overrun.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- We can't wait to get on the water. - And in it!
0:06:14 > 0:06:19To explore its untold stories and drink in its secret delights.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26With so many trips to squeeze in, we're going solo for a while.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33I'm making for one of our top tips - Llangorse Lake.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48This place is very atmospheric.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53There's a warm wind and rather strange light.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Makes it feel rather magical.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I just want to soak it all in.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13But what's so secretive here?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20'My guide Mark Redknapp has a passion for the puzzles of this place.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Mark, where are we headed?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27We're headed over to this wooded island here, in actual fact, it's not an island.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31An island that's not an island. That's quite a mystery.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33People aren't normally allowed to land on it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- But we've been given special permission.- Wow.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42What is this place?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46We are actually standing on this completely man-made island.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Man-made? Wow! How did they make it?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51You first lay out bundles of brushwood,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54you pin those down with oak stakes, timbers like this.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56So how old is it?
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Well, luckily, we can use tree ring dating to date oak
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and that tells us that some of the oak, like the one down there,
0:08:03 > 0:08:09was actually felled between the years 889 and 893 AD.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Incredible.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15'A post hammered in place over 1,000 years ago.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'That oak and many more laid the foundations.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27'But who built this island from scratch?
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'Their secret skills have stood the test of time.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'Now trees have taken over,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41'but once this artificial island was crowned with grand wooden houses.'
0:08:45 > 0:08:51The Royal Palace, built around 900 AD, made for a Welsh king.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But that King had a powerful English enemy.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Queen Aethelflaed -
0:09:02 > 0:09:06her Anglo-Saxon warriors laid waste to this royal residence.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Now, 1,000 years on, it's the birds who lord it over the lake.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Water has been at the centre of life here for thousands of years.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33If you know where to look,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36you'll find that it's hiding all kind of secrets.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49'Your suggestions for surprising stories are inspiring Ellie and me.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52'As we explore the secret water world of South Wales.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56'Whose mountains are massive collectors of moisture.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Snow and rain saturate the ground.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Water that feeds mighty rivers.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Rivers that run with fish.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18And fish attract fishermen.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Landing a prize catch is a closely guarded secret.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Those in the know head to the Brecon Beacons and the River Usk.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Hiding somewhere in these restless waters
0:10:38 > 0:10:41are some of Britain's best brown trout.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Trout with a taste for flies.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Tempting me to reveal a secret of my own.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I got the bug for fly-fishing as a teenager,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and it's all very well having all the right equipment,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04but what you really need to do is find the best spots to fish in.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Young me struggled to discover those secret spots for a big catch.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12But now, I've got renewed motivation.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16What I'd love to do is take my 12-year-old son Alfie,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18who's just getting into fishing,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and go off and discover our own little secret places to fish in.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28So I'm hooking up with a master of the mysterious arts,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31a world championship contender with reel and line,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35who is well practised at plucking trout from the River Usk...
0:11:36 > 0:11:38..Kim Tribe.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43I can say to people, "Think like a fish." How do you think like a fish?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Well, it's not easy. Nobody can speak fish.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I'd be out of a business otherwise.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Looking at the water, where do you think the fish might be?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54You've got a big conveyor belt bringing food down to the fish.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Aquatic insects, the nymphs from under the stones, dry flies
0:11:58 > 0:12:01that are hatching out, any insects that fall from the trees.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04They are all coming down in that chute of water.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Fish predominantly like to stay on what they call a seam, or a crease,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- just where it changes speed. - So it's a little bit slower.- Yes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13They'll sit in the slow water,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17when something comes past them in the fast water, they'll grab it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21The trick is making sure the trout grab our fly
0:12:21 > 0:12:23rather than a real one.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27So Kim is deploying his secret weapon.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I'm going to use a little caddis imitation.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34They are quite bright, so you can see it on the top.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35You can see it on the top.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38That's what you want to be able to see in low light conditions.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41But the fish don't see that yellow bit,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43the fish sees the underneath of the fly.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I fished a lot as a boy, but not much lately.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56It's not about distance casting, it's about controlling the line.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01The closer you can get to the fish without scaring it, the better.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06This is great fun, isn't it? But quite tricky.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Yes, we spooked a couple of fish there, you know.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The water is on its bones at the moment, it's really low.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21If you want to catch a fish in low water conditions, it's tough,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25so you've got to be able to move around.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31I'd be delighted if you can take me to one of your little secret spots.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Would you let me into that? Will you?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So long as you don't tell anybody else, OK?
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Rather surprisingly, we are turning our back on the water.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50I'm no expert, but I didn't expect to find fish in a forest.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53This is a secret.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Goodness me. That was a bit of a journey.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Is this it?
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Oh, no, this isn't it.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Where now, then?- Follow me.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12In between these stones now.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- So, has anybody fished this before? - Only me, and only once or twice.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This spot is my last chance.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27So, time to deploy my own secret weapon.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30My childhood fly box.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33As a boy, I was so keen on my fishing,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I used to make my own flies.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38And in fact, I used to tie the feathers
0:14:38 > 0:14:42onto the shafts of earrings and send them up to my sister in London
0:14:42 > 0:14:45who used to sell them to her trendy friends.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I had a good little business going there.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Oh, this is quite a fiddle.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54So, if I can catch one of these little wild brown trout
0:14:54 > 0:14:58with my own flies, that will be superb.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Right, there we go.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05OK.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It's got to go at the same speed as those in bubbles on the flow
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and then they'll take it.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- Yes, get ready now, whoa, don't pull it.- Yes. Yes!
0:15:13 > 0:15:16THEY LAUGH
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Hold on, hold on, hold on.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Yes! So, what have we got there?
0:15:23 > 0:15:27We've got a little salmon parr here, perfect. As nature intended.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- Yes, on my rod. Let's have a little hold of it.- OK, so wet hand.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37Well, there we are. A wonderful little young, wild fish.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42So releasing the fish, hold it in the water, face it upstream,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45let it swim away under its own devices.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50Kim, thank you so much for letting me in on your beautiful secret spot.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51My pleasure, Adam, my pleasure.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01The spot most people make for in the Brecon Beacons
0:16:01 > 0:16:03is the highest peak, Pen y Fan.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It's a great view, for sure.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10But this heavenly slice of South Wales has much more in store.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12If you know where to look.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Your tip-offs have set us hunting for hidden gems.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Special sites squirrelled away in this Welsh land of legend
0:16:23 > 0:16:26that's soaked in watery secrets.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34These hills were polished smooth in the ice age.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39When the ice melted, people poured in.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Ancient folk, folk whose ways we struggle to make sense of.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52This stone has kept their secrets for thousands of years.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Now, archaeologist Natalie Ward looks after it.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03She's waiting for sun and stone to align.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07And...she's waiting for us.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- How are you doing, Natalie? - Hi. Good, thanks.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- Wow!- That's a big lump of stone, isn't it?- It is, it's a whopper.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- You can't miss it, can you?- What sort of rock is it?- Old red sandstone.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Gosh, all these lichens and mosses.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Who put it here? Do we know anything about them?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It's from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30- That's about 4,000 years ago. - That's a hugely heavy rock.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32How on earth did they get it to stand up?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34We don't really know.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37It's a proper feat of engineering, but at least a quarter, or third,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41of it must be below ground, so we're talking a big chunk of rock.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And what about the obvious question, why?
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Exactly what it meant is sort of lost in the mists of time, really.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Actually, there's a myth attached to this stone
0:17:49 > 0:17:52that on midsummer, in the evening, just as the sun is setting,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55the stone actually moves and goes down to the river to drink.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58If you look round, it casts a really long shadow.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02We think it's the shadow that goes like a tongue down to the river.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Look at it, it's the nearly there now.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Is it lucky if it hits the river or anything like that?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I've not heard of anything to do with the myth.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13So often with these sorts of sites, there is that sort of connotation.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16We can start our own myths, can't we?
0:18:16 > 0:18:17You come into fortune.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I'm going to go down there if it's going to be lucky.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- It's nearly there.- It's not far off. - It is nearly touching.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28It must be 60 metres from the stream back to the stone.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I reckon it's on this rock.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I think we're there, Ellie. It's here.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40The stone is now drinking from the stream.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Bringing me luck.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45You've been licked by the legend of the luck stone.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52My legend of the luck stone shall endure for another 4,000 years.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56I doubt it.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12In the high country of South Wales,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16stone and water are surprisingly close companions.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The tiniest trickle will, over time, erode the rock.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Feeding rivers carving their course along the valleys.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Putting on a spectacular show for the tourists.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39But the water also has a secret life few get to see.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42When it seeps deep into the earth.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I'm going with the flow under the mountains
0:19:49 > 0:19:51into a cave cut by water.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56To get underground, I'm going to need help.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Gary Evans is with some members of the South Wales Caving Club.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I'm hoping they know the way in...
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and out.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Hello. So, where are we heading, then?- We are heading to this cave.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09This is called Ogof Ffynnon Ddu.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11This is the deepest cave in the UK,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- just over 300 metres from top to bottom.- Wow!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15We're going to see a river running through the cave.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17And what's special in here,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21we're going to see formations called the Bee's Knees. And the Ballerina.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25And they are just exquisite, they are really fine formations
0:20:25 > 0:20:27and very few people have seen them.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Amazing. So we are going into this secret world.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- And these formations - all been created by water?- Yes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36We've got an over-suit for you. That will protect your clothing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It'll keep you warm as well. Do you like that?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- I'm not sure "like" is the word, but functional is absolutely right.- OK.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46I feel a bit nervous, you know.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53Why do people do this again?
0:20:59 > 0:21:04Soon, we'll lift the lid on a mysterious, pitch-black water world.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And they say it's not only what you discover underground,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12but what you discover about yourself.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23We are unlocking the cave's secrets.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25OK, guys.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'And one of mine.'
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Perhaps now is a good time to tell you that I'm a bit claustrophobic.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I even freak out in a tight wetsuit, I'm not even joking.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I'm not going to see daylight again for 10 hours.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Wish me luck.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51It's a wall of cold air.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Oh, I don't like this.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07To make things worse, we are not alone down here.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11If you can hear that, it's running water.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It sounds like a lot of running water.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20'Water with the power to carve this passage through solid rock.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23'What more secrets are in store?'
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Wow, what have we got here?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27This looks like a solid waterfall.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I know, it's all calcites, so it's all limestone
0:22:29 > 0:22:31that was dissolved and has reformed as calcite.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- But it does look like a waterfall, doesn't it?- It looks incredible.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36We're going up there.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- It looks treacherous.- It's not. - Look how shiny that is.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Let's get you into there. OK, take in.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Grab hold of this side, and pull it there.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- OK, on rope.- Lines are ready. - Take the strain.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50OK. Do a bit of walking up here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Crikey. Oh, wow.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55It looks so slippery, but actually it isn't, is it?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- It's all right, isn't it? - It's remarkable.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Sorry. Wow, look at that, I'm up, I'm up. Hurrah!
0:23:13 > 0:23:14Crikey!
0:23:14 > 0:23:18The environment of the cave has changed completely.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- It has, hasn't it?- All this water wasn't on the floor before,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24it's not just dripping down from the ceiling any more, it's gushing down.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27That's right, we're in the main stream here. It's a bit low today,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29but this is taking water from all the way up the cave.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It can flood over our heads.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34How quickly have you seen it go from that to above head height?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You wouldn't want to be here when it happens,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38but I've been here in the morning and it's been fairly low,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40then come back in the afternoon after heavy rain
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and it's been right up here somewhere,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- you can just see it from above.- Really?- I know.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47For now, we are the only ones who can see this.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And the rock has changed as well, it seems very dark now.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Yes, that gives the cave its name. So, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
0:23:53 > 0:23:55means "cave of the black spring".
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And the black being this black limestone.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01It's incredible, it feels like a secret world underneath the world.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20I'm in the freak-out zone, Gary. You know I hate this.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- It does get a bit smaller here, as you can see.- Yes.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28So we're hands and knees for a little while now.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- You'll be able to drag your bag behind you.- Right.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33If your bag gets stuck at all, just kick it with your feet.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- It opens out further on.- I'm better off not even looking at it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I'm just going to deal with it as it happens.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41At the moment I'm pretending the sky is just there.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43After you. Go on, then.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47He makes it look so easy.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Oh, my goodness, that's way more crawling than I thought.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56'Be brave, Ellie. Gather your courage. We'll be back.'
0:25:07 > 0:25:09If it's any consolation,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13up top, things are also taking a turn for the worse.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24The weather here in the Brecon Beacons
0:25:24 > 0:25:26can change incredibly quickly,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28with low cloud or mist coming off the tops
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and wrapping round the hillside like a blanket.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Low cloud can be a killer for pilots, as you've told us.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44You astonished us with stories of plane crash sites,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46especially in the Brecon Beacons.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Wow, this is where a Lancaster bomber crashed
0:25:56 > 0:26:00during the Second World War. This mangled burnt wreckage.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03This is part of the engine.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And then down here, the twisted and bent crankshaft.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12It would have come down with serious impact.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34This is a memorial to the eight young men who lost their lives.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38And the crash site is one of many on the Brecon Beacons,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41scattered all over the hills.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45It's a grim reminder of how the fog and mist and low cloud
0:26:45 > 0:26:47can take lives up here.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57But, incredibly, there's one man that was in a plane crash
0:26:57 > 0:27:00up here in the Brecon Beacons and he survived.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Frank Stokes was an RAF radio operator.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Aged just 19, he was on a training flight.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16It was January 12th, 1945.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Now 89, Frank knows the secrets
0:27:21 > 0:27:25of surviving a collision with these mountains in low cloud.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Hello, Frank. Lovely to meet you. - Hello, nice to meet you too.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Whereabouts was the crash?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Well, on a misty day like this, we can't be very precise,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39- but somewhere up along the top there. - What about the plane?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Well, in fact, I've got a picture here to show you, there.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48That's where the pilot sits, on this side.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And the radio operator on the other side.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- So just the two of you in the aircraft.- Just the two, yes.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58As we took off, there was snow all over the airfield,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00it was a very cloudy day.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Did you have any indication that you were going to crash?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Well, no, the first hint that I got
0:28:08 > 0:28:10was a change in engine noise.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15And I took my gaze away from what I was doing and looked ahead,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17that's when I first saw the mountain there.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19And the impact was strong enough
0:28:19 > 0:28:23to throw the pilot some distance out of the plane.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26What sort of state was he in when you got to him?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Well, he was in deep unconsciousness.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31He was breathing very heavily and there was blood coming from his nose.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33There was nothing that could be done.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36And you decided to walk off the mountain.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38That was the best thing to do.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42The ground sort of fell away in that direction, so I went.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Snow everywhere, the like of which I'd never seen before.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52I got to a point, I could see the road from Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil
0:28:52 > 0:28:56and it was extreme chance that this guy should come around
0:28:56 > 0:29:00in his car and offered to take me to the hospital.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I got out about teatime, actually.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07I seem to remember a young nurse coming along
0:29:07 > 0:29:10and feeding me sausages and mash.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14And they discovered that you had got a broken back.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18It was only later on that an RAF doctor told me
0:29:18 > 0:29:21that I'd fractured my spine.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22Goodness me!
0:29:22 > 0:29:27- And the pilot, sadly, did die later. - They wouldn't tell me right away.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28I had to ask a couple of times,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31but then they told me that he died.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38- Do you think luck was on your side? - Oh, it must have been, yes, yes.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45As a teenager, Frank faced a date with destiny on this mountain.
0:29:49 > 0:29:5470 years later, he has three children, 11 grandkids
0:29:54 > 0:29:56and two great-grandchildren...
0:29:59 > 0:30:03..all because Frank lived to tell the tale
0:30:03 > 0:30:06when lost in the swirling mist of this secret water world.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24Even in clear skies, these mountains conceal watery surprises.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Some of the rain is stored, but more seeps deep underground.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36That's where I am, Adam, in Britain's deepest cave.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Passages carved by the irresistible force of water.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49And I'm told tiny water drops have also created amazing formations
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and crystal jewels few have ever seen.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Secrets I can't wait to see.
0:30:58 > 0:31:04That's the good news. The bad news is everything else.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Oh, no.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I hate this, I absolutely hate this. Ugh.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15I'm happy with spiders, snakes...
0:31:17 > 0:31:20..even clowns, but squeeze me through a hole
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and I'm going to pass out with stress.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Nearly there.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Don't like that at all.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Oh, my God.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36SHE GROANS
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Oh, I hate this.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46Ooh.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- Even my bag won't fit through. - You OK?- Oh, thank God!
0:32:01 > 0:32:02GARY CHUCKLES
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Gary, I just don't know why you do this. Why do you do this?!
0:32:07 > 0:32:08SHE SIGHS
0:32:08 > 0:32:12I just hate that squeezing. Of all the things in all the world,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- I can cope with so much, but just... - Do you know why?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17What is it about it...?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20I don't know, it's just innate, it's something deep within me,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22even just the idea of it actually makes me
0:32:22 > 0:32:25kind of want to look away, I can't even think about it.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- Well, you see, with practice, it'll get better.- Good.- Shall we practise?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- I suppose we should go on.- Yeah, we should head on.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34No more of those, thank you very much.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Knee up onto this one?
0:32:45 > 0:32:49'Thankfully, as the passage opens up, after one last struggle,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52'we're close to our watery secrets,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56'known to cavers as the Ballerina and the Bee's Knees.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- 'I hope my legs hold out.' - Whoa, steady there.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- SHE LAUGHS - Just ahead of us here,
0:33:04 > 0:33:05this should be worth looking at.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Oh, wow.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12They really are stunning. Why so white like that?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It's all just pure calcium carbonate.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17They're almost see-through, aren't they?
0:33:17 > 0:33:19So that's the Bee's Knees?
0:33:19 > 0:33:20- SHE LAUGHS - Yes.- Is that why it's
0:33:20 > 0:33:22called the Bee's Knees? Cos it's the shape of a knee!
0:33:22 > 0:33:26- Exactly right. Were you expecting something else? - I wasn't sure what I was expecting!
0:33:26 > 0:33:31- And the Ballerina?- Just step forward and look back at it again.- Oh, yeah.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33That's the Ballerina.
0:33:33 > 0:33:39Really serene. Gosh, in this secret place. Gosh, aren't they incredible?
0:33:47 > 0:33:49'The drip-drip-drop of eternity.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56'Water working in secret.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'Each drop leaves a minuscule deposit of calcium...
0:34:00 > 0:34:03'..the same mineral that builds our own bones.'
0:34:06 > 0:34:08When we're all gone and the cave's quiet, they're just sat there,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10quietly doing what they do.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13We're so lucky to see these. It's very atmospheric.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- And there's more to see?- There's more to see.- Shall we keep going?- Yep.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Oh, my word, Gary, this is something else!
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Looks like snow all over the roof the cave.
0:34:34 > 0:34:35GARY LAUGHS
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- And sparkling as well.- I know. - Wow, what is it?- This is gypsum.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46'Crystal gems glistening like jewels.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53'Hidden treasure of this Welsh water world, precious few have ever seen.'
0:34:55 > 0:34:59It's just here in secret all the time until we come along
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and throw these lights up, and the whole place just sparkles.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06There have been parts of the journey where I wasn't sure,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08- BUT...it was worth it. - That's good.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12SHE LAUGHS Even the squeezes. It's made it worth it.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18BREATHLESS: Now just the small matter of finding my way out.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35In the Brecon Beacons, it's water, water, everywhere.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38Even the odd drop to drink.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48This natural pool was here long before it was dammed.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53It's known as Llyn y Fan Fach, a lake steeped in mythology.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Yes, the tragic tale of a beautiful lady born from this water
0:35:58 > 0:36:00and betrayed by a man.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05These showcase sites and their stories captivate allcomers.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07But we're delving deeper.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We're told this dense thicket conceals a dark secret
0:36:19 > 0:36:20for us to discover.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Ah, the legendary Witches' Pool of Pwll-y-Wrach.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27- WELSH ACCENT: - Yes, Ellie, the Witches' Pool.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29That's not a bad accent, actually!
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- I'm half-Welsh, you know.- Are you? - Yeah, on my mother's side.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Well, I thought you were Scottish with the red hair.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36HE LAUGHS
0:36:36 > 0:36:40So did you enjoy your journey into the underworld kingdom?
0:36:40 > 0:36:42LAUGHING: I didn't see any goblins.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44I was glad to have got there, but very glad to have got out.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46You'll have a go next time.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47HE LAUGHS
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Hmm.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Well, we're looking for a pool apparently.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Yeah, and there's a waterfall by it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Well, here's the water.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Ah, look at this.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05These weird faces in the tress.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Whoa, that suggests the dark art of the occult, doesn't it?
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- They look a bit modern to me.- Yeah. - And that's not much of a waterfall.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15I can't believe this is it. There must be some more clues somewhere.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Goodness, look at this.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24HE READS NOTICE ALOUD
0:37:28 > 0:37:32- Have you found anything? - A phone box, does that help?- What?!
0:37:32 > 0:37:33HE LAUGHS
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- Look at this, no phone but loads of intel.- Here we are, "You are here."
0:37:39 > 0:37:42- Look, waterfall is there. - Oh, nice one.- Not there yet.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44You going to change into your Superman costume?
0:37:44 > 0:37:48As long as you put your fairy outfit on - or are you a witch?!
0:37:48 > 0:37:50THEY LAUGH
0:37:50 > 0:37:52'Following the tip-off from the telephone box,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54'we're on track for the Witches' Pool.'
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Swirling with a dark secret, fed by a waterfall.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09This must be it, Ellie.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13It's beautiful, isn't it? It really is.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Lovely, rusty red colour all down the waterfall.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Yeah, beautiful sandstone.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20- Not much light, though, is there? - No, it's quite enclosed.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31It's Welsh name is Pwll-y-Wrach - "Pool of the Witches".
0:38:31 > 0:38:36So the dark legends are that this pool was used to try witches,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38they would have been drowned because of their craft.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46I was going to go for a swim in that pond,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49but, um...not sure the mood is right.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59'I could well believe it was a witches' pool.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01'We'll never know for sure.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05'But what a beautiful sight for such a heartbreaking secret.'
0:39:09 > 0:39:13It's spurred me on to find a more suitable spot for a wild swim.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Not a witches' pool, no, I've got a bit of a hike, but at the end
0:39:19 > 0:39:23of my walk there's the promise of finding an enchanted fairy pool.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30While you're away with the fairies,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Ellie, I'm on my own amazing journey.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39For a farmer like me, it's no surprise to be in a field.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40But just you wait.
0:39:43 > 0:39:49Unlikely as it seems, hidden in these trees are old farmsteads.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54Apparently, cattle grazed here for centuries. But where?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00A traditional way of life's been lost.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06The evidence lies in secret somewhere in these woods.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I want to uncover one family's forgotten story
0:40:12 > 0:40:13that's generations old.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22And there's some clues over here. That wall is definitely man-made.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Ah, this is what I'm looking for.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34This is one of the old farmsteads that was here before
0:40:34 > 0:40:35the wood was planted.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42And now it's tumbled down, and the bracken and thorn
0:40:42 > 0:40:48and bushes have taken over. But it's got great big thick walls.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51This looks like it would have been quite a big room in here.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Before the trees were here, of course,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57this was all grassland with grazing animals, they would have
0:40:57 > 0:41:01planted their own vegetables, and it wasn't all that long ago.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04The trees were only planted late sixties, early seventies,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07so they've grown up very fast,
0:41:07 > 0:41:12and this old farmstead has just disappeared into the undergrowth.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Nature has forgotten the farm, but, fortunately,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21a few people do remember.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Edwina Cartwright carries those memories
0:41:26 > 0:41:28from a century ago with her.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Great to meet you.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33'Her mother's told Edwina the secrets of life on this old farm.'
0:41:33 > 0:41:38- So remote, isn't it? So who've you got there?- That's my mother.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41How old do you think she was then?
0:41:41 > 0:41:45She was, I think, 10, 11. She was living here at the time.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- So she'd have lived in the house here?- Yeah.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Incredible, isn't it?- I know. And my grandmother.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55- My word, what an outfit. - Gorgeous, isn't it?
0:41:55 > 0:42:00- So slim as well. My grandfather. - What's his name?- Christmas.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- Christmas?! - Yeah.- What a great name.- Yeah.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06We're quite remote, they'd have had to run everything on candlelight
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- and those sorts of things. - There was an outside toilet,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and I think they had to get water from the stream.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Make their own bread, their own butter.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19My auntie and my uncle used to go over on a horse and cart
0:42:19 > 0:42:21to Penderyn, on to Aberdare,
0:42:21 > 0:42:25to sell milk, in churns then.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28And how old is your mother now?
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- She's 91 in October.- And does she still talk about the place?
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Oh, yeah. She'd love to come up here herself, but...
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Well, it was a job for me getting here!
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Can understand why a 91-year-old wouldn't be able to make it.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45'85 years ago, Edwina's mum discovered her own secret spots
0:42:45 > 0:42:50'in a magical landscape, as she began to explore.'
0:42:52 > 0:42:53She used to walk to school,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56across the river and down into Pontneddfechan.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58- How long was that? - I think four miles.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03- Goodness me, there and back every day.- Rain, hail or shine.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Come on, let's go and retrace her steps
0:43:06 > 0:43:08- and see which way she would have gone.- OK.
0:43:14 > 0:43:20'Edwina's mum, when she was just six years old, often set off alone.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25'A wonderful walk, but a challenge for those young legs.'
0:43:27 > 0:43:30My word, Edwina, that's a serious river to cross!
0:43:30 > 0:43:35- How did she get through here?- When it rains, it rises very quickly.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38- Making it even more difficult. - Yeah, yeah.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41'But the secret path to cross the river took that little girl
0:43:41 > 0:43:43'to a breathtaking sight.'
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Memories of this glorious waterfall still sparkle for Edwina,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03and her mum.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10There's a path right behind the waterfall,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13and that's how she travelled, she walked behind.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15My grandfather used to go behind there on a horse,
0:44:15 > 0:44:20and he'd take cattle and sheep.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22- The only way to cross this valley.- Yeah.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24Let's go and take a look.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34My word!
0:44:34 > 0:44:38- It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?- I know.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43- It's gorgeous. - With the sun shining through.- Yeah.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47- To think your mum used to do this in her school clothes every day!- Yeah.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- I'm not sure I want to ride a horse through here.- Oh, no.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I suppose after a while the livestock
0:44:52 > 0:44:54- and horses would have got used to it.- Yeah.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57It's called Sgwd-yr-Eira, and it means "falling of the snow".
0:45:32 > 0:45:35So thank you so much for sharing your family secrets,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38it's been wonderful, and please send my love to your mum.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40I will, yeah.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49- Your secret stories... - Take us to special places.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00This isn't the only watery short cut we've heard about.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05A secret tale from the banks of the River Wye sparked our interest.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Crossing this great divide put us in contact with a couple
0:46:08 > 0:46:10who had a story to share.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14- I'm Maggie.- And I'm Graham. - And our secret is...
0:46:14 > 0:46:16BOTH: ..we bought a bridge!
0:46:19 > 0:46:23- Why DID we decide to buy this bridge, Graham? - Well, it was over lunch.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28MACHINE BEEPS
0:46:28 > 0:46:31I said, "We're going to buy that." Your reaction?
0:46:31 > 0:46:34"Oh, no, not another one of your harebrained schemes."
0:46:35 > 0:46:41- We fell in love with it. Something different in our lives.- Absolutely.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Let me introduce you to the bridge, our beautiful bridge.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48It was built here in 1774, the secret route between
0:46:48 > 0:46:50England and Wales.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56The bridge is definitely a secret to a lot of people, and we find
0:46:56 > 0:46:57that when they arrive and say,
0:46:57 > 0:47:02"But the sat nav brought me here. I didn't know this existed."
0:47:02 > 0:47:07Over two centuries old, the bridge has been bypassed by new roads.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Now it's a secret short cut, but it isn't a free ride.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14For unlimited crossings by car, it's just 80p a day.
0:47:17 > 0:47:18- Hello, there.- Hi, you all right?
0:47:18 > 0:47:2180 pence, thank you very much indeed, and that's the return...
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Money that pays to keep the bridge going.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Good afternoon, how are you doing today?
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Parliament grants the bridge owners the right to charge,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32but not to charge what they like.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37For us to increase the prices of the toll requires us
0:47:37 > 0:47:39to get an Act of Parliament passed.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41So it would have to be
0:47:41 > 0:47:43a very significant increase for us
0:47:43 > 0:47:48to make it worthwhile to apply for that, which we have no plans for.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- Hello there, that's just 80 pence, please.- There you go.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54There's a steady stream of income.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57But it's not all plain sailing making a bridge your home.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02- We've had probably four, five floods?- Each year!
0:48:02 > 0:48:03Yeah, since we've been here.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07But it doesn't come into the house, fortunately, it's just very damp.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11And the biggest issue is the debris we catch on the bridge.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13We have had some very large trees wedged on,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16we then need to get guys with chainsaws out to cut them up for us.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23You never know what's going to flow under your bridge.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30But it's a constant joy to relax and soak in the secret life of the river.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43We had wanted to move to the sea,
0:48:43 > 0:48:45and we'd been talking about getting nearer to the water,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48and we said, "Well, there's more water here than we could ever want."
0:48:48 > 0:48:50What a beautiful spot.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Particularly the views from the bridge upstream
0:48:52 > 0:48:53are just out of this world.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01Living near the River Wye is just magical.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15We're on the trail of hidden, secret stories.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20It's a quest that's brought us to South Wales
0:49:20 > 0:49:24and the Brecon Beacons, a realm of watery delights.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Right now, I'm on a one-man mission to immerse myself completely
0:49:31 > 0:49:34in this watery world -
0:49:34 > 0:49:37the best way I know.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Since we're sharing secrets, one of mine is that when I was growing up
0:49:41 > 0:49:45I wanted to be the youngest person to swim the English Channel.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48I didn't actually do it in the end, but I still love swimming,
0:49:48 > 0:49:52and now I really enjoy discovering secret wild swimming spots.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00What makes the lake that I'm going to so special is that it's
0:50:00 > 0:50:02a watery gateway to another world,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04and who can resist a legend of the lake?
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Not this lady?
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Ho-ho!
0:50:22 > 0:50:23Wow! It's so unexpected,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26walking all the way up this mountain, you don't
0:50:26 > 0:50:28even see it until you're right on top of it.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32SHE SIGHS Looks glorious.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35There's always something quite special about water
0:50:35 > 0:50:39that's collected high up, because obviously it always floats downhill.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44So to have this secret pool hidden from the world...
0:50:44 > 0:50:45gives it a real magical quality.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53'I'm not the only one enchanted by this fairy-tale pool.'
0:50:53 > 0:50:56- How are you doing, Neil?- Hi there, Ellie, how are you?- I'm good.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58- Have a seat.- Thank you.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Cor, what a spot!
0:51:00 > 0:51:01'Believe it or not,
0:51:01 > 0:51:06'there's a magical rock sitting in the middle of this lake.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10'Sadly, we can' see it, because, of course, being a fairy kingdom,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12'the rock's invisible.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18'I have conjured up man of mythology Neil Thomas to tell me the tale.'
0:51:20 > 0:51:22On the first crow of the cockerel on each May Day,
0:51:22 > 0:51:27the rocks would cleave apart to reveal a magical tunnel which
0:51:27 > 0:51:31took anybody who wanted to go on to the kingdom of the fairies,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34and see the great beauty of the place.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36But a local man came to see the fairies,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39but his wife was very ill at home and she didn't come.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42And he thought he would take some flowers
0:51:42 > 0:51:44back for her from the fairy kingdom.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46So he left, taking with him some flowers,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49and the entrance sealed behind him...
0:51:49 > 0:51:50DOOR GROANS AND SLAMS
0:51:50 > 0:51:52They never opened again.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54And that's because he took the flowers,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56even though he was not supposed to.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58That's a sad story.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01It is in a way, but what an ideal place to have a fairy kingdom.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03- Exactly, this is where it would be.- Yes.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05That makes me want to swim even more now.
0:52:09 > 0:52:15Neil slips away as silently as he appeared, leaving me alone.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Well, apart from the fairies.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21This place is amazing,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25so it's time for my own magical transformation, into a wetsuit.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30'Tiptoeing into the fairy kingdom,
0:52:30 > 0:52:34'you soon discover it has its own guardians.'
0:52:34 > 0:52:35Oh, there are leeches everywhere!
0:52:35 > 0:52:40There's a big one and loads of little ones. I'm going to get in quicker.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43I've been told it's 27ft deep in the middle,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45so there's plenty of room for the fairies to hide.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47Oh, my goodness, it's really slippy.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49I'm just going to have to launch,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52that's the only way over the slippy bit. Agh!
0:52:56 > 0:53:01Oh, that's amazing! This is awesome.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Like being a child again.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05SHE SIGHS CONTENTEDLY
0:53:12 > 0:53:15This is unlike any place I've ever been before.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22Totally secluded, and the mountains just bear down on you as you swim.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30For this small snapshot of time, it's been my own secret, magical world.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54We've been soaking in surprising stories from a secret water world.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00- It's so rich in treasures... - We're struggling to sum them all up.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06- So we're stepping out of the water... - And into the fire.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11With a man who's here to inspire.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15If you're looking for someone who's good with words,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17who better to ask than a poet?
0:54:17 > 0:54:22A poet who loves this landscape and its secret delights.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- Christopher Meredith lives here... - And writes here.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34So we're taking this man of words aloft...
0:54:34 > 0:54:38- For a poet's-eye view...- ..of this magical, mythical kingdom.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42- The heat from the burner is just extraordinary.- Incredible, isn't it?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51This is a first for me, in a balloon. Fairly terrified.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53I like things with engines.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54THEY LAUGH
0:54:58 > 0:54:59Farmer's-eye view from up here.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01ADAM WHISTLES TO SHEEP
0:55:01 > 0:55:04Away! Sheepdog's going mad down there now.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06LAUGHING: It's bringing the sheep in!
0:55:11 > 0:55:16- How high up are we, skipper? - 4,500ft.- 4,500ft.- That's...
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Just an old wicker basket and a balloon.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Don't say that.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26So every time we look down we're just getting this feeling about the place.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30You can see why it's inspired so many people, it must inspire you, Chris.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33It does, yes, and last March I was down there with my son,
0:55:33 > 0:55:36we were looking at the peat bogs on the top there,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39and we got completely lost in some of this cloud,
0:55:39 > 0:55:42in a landscape that we know really well.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45I think we made an eight-mile walk into a 20-mile walk by getting lost.
0:55:45 > 0:55:46THEY LAUGH
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Somebody I was with one day picked up a Neolithic arrowhead from the
0:55:49 > 0:55:53top of the ridge, so somebody walked along that ridge 5,000 years ago.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56Man, this is a fantastic place to live.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Chris, your poetry is about this area,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01this seems like the best place to hear some.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Well, this is a poem about the Black Mountains,
0:56:04 > 0:56:07and it's about the ridge that's just cloaked in cloud
0:56:07 > 0:56:08to the north of us there.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Taking colour from those clouds that blow across the sun
0:56:16 > 0:56:21Falling and swelling to where that edge of upland bites the sky
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Goes home Resolves at last to almost silence
0:56:25 > 0:56:27In white noise of living air.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Goodness me, the hairs have stood up on the back of my neck!
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- Floating in the sky, you can just savour that moment.- Yeah.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Actually, travelling this slowly over the landscape you can
0:56:53 > 0:56:55contemplate the pattern.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Human beings are makers of patterns, and also,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00to make a poem is to make a pattern.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03And so it connects with that idea too.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05As a farmer, it's really interesting looking down
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and seeing the patterns of the fields, with round bales
0:57:08 > 0:57:12and sheep, cultivated land down in the valleys,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16and then up into forest and these wild, desolate hills.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19I'm going to bring the tone down, I've got a poem now.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23There once was a farmer from Leeds Who swallowed a packet of seeds
0:57:23 > 0:57:25It soon came to pass He was covered in grass
0:57:25 > 0:57:27But has all the tomatoes he needs!
0:57:27 > 0:57:28THEY LAUGH
0:57:28 > 0:57:33- A wonderful limerick!- You're so welcome.- We'll let you know.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Yeah. "We'll call you."
0:57:39 > 0:57:42What a journey we've enjoyed.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46- Your suggestions for your special secret sites...- Haven't let us down.
0:57:46 > 0:57:52- We've been inspired.- And admired a wonderful Welsh water world.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03- We've got to land yet.- I know.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06With all our hot air, we might stay up here for a lot longer.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08LAUGHTER