Rhaglen 1 Tir Cymru

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-Some 20,000 years ago,

-Wales was gripped by the Ice Age.

-Apart from parts of south Pembroke

-and the Vale of Glamorgan...

-..the whole of Wales

-was covered in ice.

-It's difficult to imagine it today,

-even during the cold winter months.

-Only the highest peaks of Wales

-were visible 20,000 years ago.

-The valleys were full of ice.

-Fast forward to 11,500 years ago,

-and the ice had melted.

-The mountains, valleys

-and coast of Wales...

-..had been formed

-long before the Ice Age.

-However, they were transformed

-by the ice.

-Wales had a new landscape.

-During the ensuing 10,000 years,

-a picture of Wales was created...

-..the picture

-which is familiar to us today.

-Creating a Picture

-This is a part of Wales

-with which we, as Welsh speakers...

-..are perhaps less familiar

-than we should be.

-I'm standing on Stanner Rocks,

-in east Radnorshire.

-The border runs along

-the bottom of the valley.

-That's the famous Hergest Ridge.

-You can see the shape of the hills

-from this vantage point.

-This is typical of mid Wales.

-In very simple geological terms...

-..the rocks are quite hard

-where there are hills and mountains.

-Where there are valleys,

-the rocks are softer.

-Stanner Rocks are actually formed...

-..from the oldest rocks

-in the whole of Wales.

-When these were formed,

-Wales was close to the South Pole.

-The land stood around the area

-where South Africa now stands.

-Stanner Rocks

-is over 700 million years old.

-It was formed under the sea.

-Wales has been under water

-many times...

-..over the course

-of the past 700 million years.

-The sea created the framework

-of the land of Wales.

-There is evidence

-that the mid Wales uplands...

-..were levelled by the sea.

-The Lleyn Peninsula's

-coastal flatland...

-..with Garn Fadryn above it...

-..Anglesey's agricultural land...

-..and the Pembrokeshire lowlands...

-..were all levelled by a sea

-which flowed over the land...

-..during the past

-five million years.

-Ancient seas

-created the plateaus of Wales.

-Peaks like the Rivals

-on the Lleyn Peninsula...

-..survived because they were formed

-from hard rock.

-They were harder to erode...

-..and the waves

-had less of an impact on them.

-These hills were once islands.

-Other forces have affected

-the landscape of Wales.

-The mountains of Snowdonia

-were pushed upwards...

-..as continental plates moved

-and crashed into one another.

-Prior to that, many of the rocks

-were mud on the seabed.

-Some of the rocks

-were created by volcanoes.

-Gradually, over millions of years,

-rocks rose to form mountains...

-..which were far higher

-than the peaks we see today.

-Then, over the course

-of millions of years...

-..the weather,

-sometimes extreme...

-..eroded the softer land

-around the ancient mountains.

-This left the rocky crags and the

-glorious landscapes we see today.

-Across the whole of Wales,

-rugged crags dot the landscape.

-They survived because they're hard.

-Carn Menyn, Pembrokeshire,

-known locally as Carn Meini.

-It's a dramatic location.

-Rocks reach skywards

-like outstretched fingers.

-These rocks

-are over 400 million years old.

-They are volcanic, and survived

-because of their hard nature.

-Like the rocks of Snowdonia...

-..they were split and shaped

-by extreme weather conditions.

-Some claim that stones

-from Carn Menyn...

-..were transported by humans

-to build Stonehenge.

-Others believe the stones were

-moved there by a stronger force...

-..huge glaciers which were here

-around 20 million years ago.

-The framework of Wales's landscape

-was formed over millions of years...

-..long before the Ice Age...

-..but the glaciers

-had a huge effect on the landscape.

-Penmaenpool bridge

-on the River Mawddach.

-A sight such as this

-is rare in Wales these days.

-The estuary is frozen.

-It takes a hard winter

-and a very cold period to do this.

-When it does happen,

-everything grinds to a halt.

-The ice has a short period of time

-in which to impact on the landscape.

-In the current climate,

-it will melt in a day or two.

-It will last a little longer

-in the uplands.

-The Migneint, near Llan Ffestiniog,

-in the depths of winter.

-It's been over 20 years since I

-last saw a frozen Cynfal waterfall.

-It's astonishing to see it

-during a period of global warming...

-..but it gives an idea of the way

-ice can transform the landscape.

-Given enough time,

-ice can split rock.

-When it thaws, rock fragments

-are carried down the valley.

-When ice remains in place

-for thousands of years...

-..it can change the landscape

-completely.

-That's precisely what happened

-during the Ice Age.

-Llyn y Fan Fach,

-in the Brecon Beacons.

-This view was created by ice.

-This is a wonderful valley.

-Llyn y Fan Fach is over there.

-I called it a valley,

-but it's technically a cirque.

-It's a spectacular example.

-A cirque is a bowl-shaped valley

-formed during the Ice Age.

-The landscape is very revealing

-once you learn to read the signs.

-In this instance,

-it's fairly obvious.

-These steep cliffs behind me

-stretch for miles to the east.

-They were created when the glacier

-worked its way down.

-Furthermore, I'm standing

-on a moraine.

-A moraine is made

-of millions of tons of stones.

-You can still see

-some of the stones here...

-..but they're now covered

-in soil and vegetation.

-This wall locked the lake in place.

-The Ice Age left its mark

-on almost every Welsh valley...

-..and on every Welsh hill.

-Steep valleys shaped by glaciers.

-Rocky mountainsides

-and boulders deposited by glaciers.

-But the effect of glaciers extends

-far further than the mainland.

-Cardigan Bay, around ten miles

-off the coast of Harlech.

-Saint Patrick's Causeway.

-A shingle reef under the sea.

-According to legend,

-this was a pathway to Ireland.

-Actually, it's formed from glacial

-deposits left during the Ice Age.

-Beneath the waves are huge rocks

-deposited by glaciers.

-Unlike on land, where rocks

-are bare with no vegetation...

-..here, they are covered

-in flora and fauna.

-When we're on land,

-we ask whether it's rocky...

-..is it forest or grassland,

-upland or lowland?

-The same applies

-at the bottom of the sea.

-Are we on sandy or stony ground?

-Is it deep or shallow?

-How much light is there?

-How much water

-flows past this point?

-That all has an impact

-on the wildlife that lives here...

-..just as it has on land.

-The wildlife found in the sea

-around Wales...

-..lives on a landscape

-deposited here during the Ice Age.

-The sand and stones

-were carried from the mountains.

-The wildlife

-which has developed here...

-..is affected by the currents

-along the Welsh coast.

-On the Menai Strait, huge boulders

-are covered in creatures...

-..which can withstand strong tides.

-The shingle bed

-in the bay near Pwllheli...

-..is a result of ceaseless currents.

-Near Dinas Dinlle,

-where the sea is relatively calm...

-..there are underwater

-seaweed fields.

-Around Skomer Island,

-there are forests of seaweed...

-..which have adapted

-to strong currents.

-On the west coast of Anglesey...

-..shipwrecks create an additional

-framework on which wildlife grows.

-This rich wildlife

-developed around Wales...

-..during the past 10,000 years.

-There was no sea here previously.

-We were in the middle

-of the Ice Age...

-..and a huge sheet of ice

-separated Wales and Ireland.

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-Around 11,500 years ago...

-..the Ice Age came to an end.

-500 years later, the Welsh climate

-was similar to the climate today.

-Wet.

-It took a further 3,000 years

-before trees grew here.

-Wildlife was also

-re-establishing itself.

-By 7,000 years ago,

-Wales was covered in thick copses.

-The oak was Wales's primary tree.

-While the trees grew,

-water changed the landscape.

-Streams and rivers shaped the rocks.

-They continue to do so today.

-This torrent flows over rocks on

-the River Goedol, Llan Ffestiniog.

-The impact of water

-upon rocks of differing hardness...

-..gives us one of Wales's

-most magnificent landscapes.

-This is the waterfall region

-of the Brecon Beacons.

-Hard rock meets soft rock,

-beneath the surface.

-When this happens,

-a waterfall is formed.

-This is Sgwd Yr Eira, one of many

-waterfalls on the River Hepste.

-It's a striking sight, especially

-when the river is in full flow.

-It's the only waterfall in Wales

-which you can walk behind.

-The highest Welsh waterfall

-is near Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.

-This is Pistyll Rhaeadr.

-I think it's at its best when the

-snow is melting on the mountain...

-..and the water cascades down.

-It was formed

-where hard rock met soft rock.

-The water flows on hard rock,

-up there...

-..and the arch, halfway down,

-is also hard rock.

-The river has thrust itself

-into every weak spot in the stone.

-Can you see the natural arch?

-It was formed by hard rock

-lying above soft rock.

-The water gushes out over there.

-It's blown against the rock...

-..creating a perfect habitat

-for plants such as mosses and ferns.

-The effect of water on rock is also

-evident in the Brecon Beacons.

-Parts of the Beacons are formed

-from a special type of rock.

-A rock which slowly dissolves

-in water.

-Limestone.

-When limestone dissolves,

-it forms caves.

-This is Porth yr Ogof.

-Looking at this vegetation,

-you could think I was in Africa...

-..but I'm in Ystradfellte

-in the Brecon Beacons.

-It's a beautiful place.

-People have been coming here

-to see it for centuries.

-I marvel at the vegetation

-and at the dipper's nest...

-..stuffed into the crevice here.

-This is the largest entrance

-to any cave in Wales.

-The River Mellte flows into it...

-..but we only see

-a small fraction of the water.

-The majority of the water

-flows into the cave underground.

-There are several caves

-in the Beacons...

-..all of which were formed

-when water dissolved limestone.

-This is Ogof Ffynnon Ddu.

-Beneath the surface,

-rivers continuously erode the rock.

-This creates tunnels.

-There are caves all over Wales...

-..but you'll only find large caves

-like Ffynnon Ddu in the Beacons.

-I expected this to be a quiet,

-almost lazy place.

-We've had very little rain

-for over a week...

-..but water flows continuously

-in here.

-It flows everywhere

-in this very busy cave.

-Mini waterfalls join the river

-as it flows downwards.

-The colours, forms and shapes

-of the rock also change.

-There's something different to see

-around every corner.

-The water creates the shape of

-small whirlpools on the cave walls.

-In places,

-lime from the limestone reforms...

-..creating stalactites

-and stalagmites.

-It's an image of Wales

-we rarely see...

-..but there are striking landscapes

-beneath the surface.

-Soon after

-the Ice Age glaciers receded...

-..the Welsh climate was reasonable

-enough to sustain human life again.

-There followed a period which

-lasted for around 3,000 years...

-..when man and wildlife in Wales

-coexisted as one.

-5,000 years ago, nomadic

-hunter gatherers were superseded...

-..by people who tended to settle

-in their birthplace.

-Stone Age and Bronze Age monoliths

-can be seen in all parts of Wales.

-One of our earliest structures

-is in Pembrokeshire.

-Since the Ice Age ended...

-..man has had the biggest impact

-on the landscape.

-From the early days, man used

-materials that were found locally.

-This is the famous

-Pentre Ifan burial chamber.

-Imagine the work which went into

-lifting these huge stones.

-Even by the time

-this chamber was built...

-..they had already cleared much of

-the trees which blanketed the land.

-By the Iron Age, Wales's population

-was between 100,000 and 200,000.

-Around 600 hill forts

-had been erected.

-Considerable resources

-were needed...

-..to sustain a large hill fort

-like Tre'r Ceiri in Lleyn.

-They needed trees for furniture

-and to use as building material.

-They needed pasture for animals.

-They had to fell trees

-and tame the land.

-Over 5,000 years,

-the landscape was transformed...

-..from untamed forests

-to agricultural land.

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-The Conwy Valley and Pen-y-gaer.

-On the hill,

-there's an Iron Age fort.

-The foundation of the landscape

-we see today...

-..was laid by the people who lived

-in the fort around 2,000 years ago.

-They ruled the valley...

-..and they and other people

-under their rule farmed the land.

-There were no fields with hedges,

-as we know them today.

-The land was probably wetter

-and there were certainly more trees.

-Towards the end of the era

-of the Pen-y-gaer people...

-..the Romans came to Wales.

-The Romans built their fort

-at the bottom of the valley.

-The land had been sufficiently tamed

-to make it a safe location.

-The walls of the fort

-can be seen clearly from the air.

-They surround Caerhun church...

-..and part of a wooded pasture.

-The church only takes up

-a small corner of the fort.

-The old fort

-was at least four times bigger.

-The Romans came here

-to quarry metal...

-..and to take any other

-valuable resource, including wood.

-They brought some plants

-with them...

-..including chestnut trees.

-Very few Roman remains

-are visible today.

-The Roman road Sarn Helen

-in the Beacons is like a farm track.

-Traces of more recent people are

-far more prominent on the landscape.

-Dryslwyn Castle in the Tywi Valley.

-A castle built by the princes

-of Deheubarth.

-The thing I like

-about the castles of Wales...

-..especially native castles,

-is their location.

-Take this area, for example.

-The Tywi Valley.

-The River Tywi is over there,

-snaking its way down to the sea.

-This is low-lying land

-which the river floods regularly.

-There's one obvious promontory

-and you can see it behind me.

-A castle was built on it.

-In this case,

-it's Dryslwyn Castle...

-..the most dramatic of ruins.

-When it was built,

-it said two things very clearly.

-Firstly, it warned people

-not to attack the owner...

-..because he could defend himself.

-Secondly, and perhaps

-more importantly...

-..it sent a clear message

-to people for miles around.

-This is my castle,

-and this is my land.

-In medieval times, farming developed

-in places such as the Tywi Valley.

-The warmer climate

-helped farmers.

-It was around two degrees warmer

-than it is today.

-During the same period, the land

-was claimed by Cistercian monks...

-..who came here from Europe

-with new ideas about how to farm.

-They rented the land

-from Welsh princes.

-As a part of the agreement...

-..they were to clear the woodland

-to create pastures and new fields.

-In Norman times, monks owned

-around 10% of Wales.

-They farmed fertile valleys

-like the Conwy Valley.

-They transformed the land and

-created an agricultural landscape...

-..similar to that still seen today.

-They had also started the process...

-..of turning the uplands

-into grazing land for sheep.

-It was a huge operation.

-The nature of the uplands had been

-changing for thousands of years.

-This is a peat bog

-on the Brecon Beacons.

-Mile upon mile of the

-mid Wales uplands look like this.

-Around 7,000 years ago,

-deciduous trees grew here.

-Over a period spanning several

-generations, trees were felled.

-This coincided with

-a deterioration in the climate...

-..and it turned very wet.

-Some people believe

-those two elements...

-..caused bogs to form

-on the uplands.

-The combination of wetlands forming

-and pastures being created...

-..transformed the uplands of Wales

-into the bare expanses we see today.

-Eventually, every lake disappears.

-Lakes such as Cregennan Lakes

-in Merioneth...

-..are temporary features

-on the landscape.

-After hundreds or thousands

-of years, a lake will empty...

-..or fill with sediment.

-At some point in a lake's history,

-it turns into a bog...

-..before vanishing completely.

-That's precisely what's happening

-at Cors Erddreiniog on Anglesey.

-Only a small pond remains

-where there was once a large lake.

-The same thing happened

-in Cors Goch nearby.

-Over thousands of years,

-this large, ancient lake...

-..filled with dead plants and

-stones from the surrounding land.

-The lake became clogged

-and a bog was created.

-There are bogs all over Wales.

-This is Cors Caron, near Tregaron.

-Each bog is different

-in terms of wetness and vegetation.

-They also differ according to

-their developmental stage...

-..but they're all ancient lakes.

-Storms raged along the Welsh coast

-during the 14th century...

-..and the landscape changed

-almost overnight.

-Sand was blown further inland

-off the beaches.

-Huge sand dunes formed.

-Some sand dunes already existed...

-..but they expanded

-in areas like Morfa Harlech.

-The force of the sand drift

-was such...

-..that it caused huge problems

-for Welsh coastal communities.

-In Kenfig, near Port Talbot,

-a whole village was lost.

-These are the ruins

-of Kenfig Castle.

-Huge sand drifts made it impossible

-for people to clear the land.

-They had to move and leave

-the sand dunes to the wildlife.

-It's now one of the

-most important habitats in Wales...

-..due to the diverse array of plants

-and animals found here.

-Gregynog, near Newtown, is one of

-my favourite places in mid Wales.

-We're focusing on man

-changing the landscape...

-..but it's important to remember

-it's not a new phenomenon.

-Two, three, four centuries ago...

-..wealthy people would buy land

-and build big houses on it.

-Landscapes were transformed.

-They imported trees from America

-and shrubs from the Far East.

-Those would be blended with the best

-of the land's natural resources.

-In this case, ancient oak trees.

-By accident, they created

-perfect habitats for wildlife.

-Many manor houses like Gregynog

-were built during the 19th century.

-However, the estates

-already existed.

-The gentry that lived here

-played an important role...

-..by planting trees.

-By 1700, there were fewer trees

-in Wales than there are today.

-They were almost all

-deciduous trees.

-One of the few evergreen trees

-on the landscape was the yew.

-It may have been saved

-thanks to its religious links.

-During the 18th century,

-a lack of wood became a problem.

-Man needed wood

-to build villages and boats.

-By the end of the century, Britain

-was at war with Napoleon in France.

-It was also a period when explorers

-travelled to distant lands...

-..and brought new plants to Britain.

-All these factors led to new trees

-appearing in rural Wales.

-Exotic trees were planted

-in the gardens of stately homes.

-Trees which were new to Wales

-were planted on the uplands.

-These were grown

-for building purposes.

-Wood was again in short supply

-after the First World War.

-More trees had to be planted.

-The Forestry Commission

-was established...

-..with the aim of creating woodlands

-in every part of Wales...

-..chiefly on the uplands, as it

-wasn't useful agricultural land.

-Private landowners

-also planted woodlands.

-Among the most prolific of those

-were English water companies.

-Today, 14% of the Welsh landscape

-is forested...

-..but the most common tree

-is the spruce, not the oak.

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-Industry has left its mark

-on the landscape throughout Wales.

-Old industries

-and new industries alike.

-Huge chunks of Wales

-have been commandeered...

-..to create unnatural landscapes.

-And yet, many of those

-industrial landscapes...

-..are images that symbolize Wales.

-Industry has left an indelible mark

-on the north Wales landscape.

-It also created communities like

-Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bethesda.

-I'll ask the same question

-throughout this series.

-Why does the Welsh landscape

-look the way it does today?

-Here, above Blaenavon,

-the answer is simple.

-Man.

-Two centuries ago,

-this looked like a scene from hell.

-The coal mine, the ironworks,

-huge fires and smoke.

-Hundreds of people. Pollution.

-These hills on which I'm standing...

-..were created from waste

-from the coal mine.

-It's really toxic, but despite that,

-heather has started to grow on it.

-There would have been heather here

-centuries before the mine opened.

-Heather seeds can live in soil

-for over a century...

-..even in a place like this.

-Wildlife is returning to the old

-coal tips and ponds of Blaenavon.

-Owls now fly over what was once

-industrial land.

-In other parts of south Wales,

-such as Clydach Vale...

-..the old slag heaps

-blend into the landscape.

-Signs of industry vanish.

-You would hardly recognize this

-as an old coal mining valley.

-Industry impacted on the landscape

-in a different way.

-A way had to be found

-to transport materials and goods.

-Canals were the answer.

-Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

-in the Vale of Llangollen.

-It was built in 1805.

-Designed by Thomas Telford...

-..it carried Llangollen Canal

-across the River Dee.

-It's one of the jewels in the crown

-of transport history.

-Many of Wales's canals were built

-during the Industrial Revolution.

-This is Montgomery Canal,

-near Newtown.

-There is no industrial traffic

-on the canals today...

-..but they have developed

-into rich nature reserves.

-This is an aqueduct across

-the River Vyrnwy, near Llanymynech.

-It's another masterpiece

-of the industrial age.

-This is the best section

-of the canal for wildlife.

-The canals

-had only just been built...

-..when a new mode of transport

-was invented.

-It was a far better mode too.

-The railway

-reached all parts of Wales.

-This too was an engineering feat.

-The railway ran through

-even the most remote areas of Wales.

-This is the Heart of Wales line.

-It climbs one of the steepest

-Welsh hills, near Sugar Loaf, Powys.

-Today, most of the railway lines

-are gone...

-..but their legacy lives on.

-This is a disused line

-in Dryslwyn, Carmarthenshire.

-The tracks have gone

-and this is now a green lane.

-Old railways like this

-are great places for wildlife.

-That's because humans

-no longer interfere with the place.

-This is the old Tywi Valley line.

-It linked Llandeilo and Carmarthen.

-Even when it was open,

-it was a great place...

-..because there was so much growth

-along the edges.

-It would have been full of flowers,

-small mammals, insects and birds.

-It must have been

-a wonderful train journey...

-..in the shadow of Dryslwyn Castle.

-Today, new roads

-have replaced the old paths.

-You're never far from a main road

-these days, even in rural Wales.

-They're not beautiful additions

-to the Welsh landscape...

-..and they've stolen

-large chunks of the land.

-They're a necessity because

-we want to get everywhere quickly.

-Despite the heavy traffic...

-..nature has found a way to live

-among the hustle and bustle.

-At least we can escape

-to secluded areas.

-I'm sitting on the Beacons,

-looking down towards Heol Senni.

-Personally, this scene encapsulates

-Wales and its various landscapes.

-The mountainous land on the top...

-..leads down to mountain pasture

-with bracken and saplings.

-Beneath that, we have some

-traditional agricultural land...

-..with small hedges.

-We then have some marshland

-with the yellow grass on it.

-Further down again,

-we have deciduous trees...

-..and a few pockets of pine trees.

-Over there, you can see

-heather-covered mountains.

-The wonderful thing is that you

-find all this in one small valley.

-Where there's

-such a variety of habitats...

-..there's a huge variety

-of wildlife.

-This is a contemporary picture

-of Wales.

-It's a country

-of different landscapes.

-We're familiar with some...

-..but not with others.

-During the coming programmes,

-I'll study different landscapes...

-..to discover

-why they look as they do.

-I'll also find out

-what lives in them.

-I'll visit locations

-which are new to me.

-The journey takes me

-to the prettiest rural locations.

-I'll look at landscapes

-shaped by industry.

-I'll study the manner in which

-we've created the land of Wales.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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