0:00:00 > 0:00:02Well, what could be better than this?
0:00:02 > 0:00:06A gorgeous sandy cove next to old, rustic fishermen's cottages
0:00:06 > 0:00:11a stone's throw away from a stunning walk over hills and mountains
0:00:11 > 0:00:12across the bay.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Would you believe it? There's a pub right on the beach
0:00:16 > 0:00:19but best of all, there's no public road here.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22You can only get here by walking.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Are you ready?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'Yes, I've another two superb walks for you
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'at opposite ends of the country.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'One here on the Llyn Peninsula overlooking the Irish Sea
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'and the other on Flat Holm island in the Bristol Channel.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:27In the first walk I hope to end up way down there,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29in what used to be known as the Lost Village.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32But it's not downhill all the way.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Oh no, because first of all we're heading way up there.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44'If the Llyn Peninsula is an arm stretching out into the Irish Sea
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'then we are kind of on its shoulder.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'This is a circular walk and although it doesn't look far
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'be warned, there's a bit of up and down involved.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56'We'll be going up to the top of a mountain
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'where there's something marked on the map as Tre'r Ceiri,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'Town of Giants.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'Then on to a higher summit before dropping down to Nant Gwrtheyrn,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'an old granite quarry village.'
0:02:12 > 0:02:14I've been to Nant Gwrtheyrn before.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I came here a few years ago to learn Welsh.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19It's now the National Language Centre.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Mind you, I was so busy in the classroom
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I didn't get a chance to go walking.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Today I'm going to put that right
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and I need a guide to help show me around.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32'Based up the coast on Anglesey,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'Glyn Davies is a professional photographer
0:02:35 > 0:02:37'or landscape photo artist.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41'It probably means his snapshots are a lot better than mine.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44'Whilst producing a photography book on Nant Gwrtheyrn
0:02:44 > 0:02:49'he spent many months here capturing the mood and spirit of the place
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'in all its changing weather and varied light.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'He came to know this enchanting valley intimately.'
0:02:56 > 0:02:57- Hello, Glyn.- Hi, Derek.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59- Croeso i Nant Gwrtheyrn. - Diolch yn fawr.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03I brought some dramatic weather for you today to take some photos.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I can see that. It's looking interesting, Derek.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I'm hope you'll give me some tips, I've got my camera.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Professional gear, I'm glad to say.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Shall we go?- Yeah, definitely. Let's go for it.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Well, here we go. The start of the hill.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This is the path towards Yr Eifl.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Well, one of the peaks of Yr Eifl anyway.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31This is Garn Ganol. This is the highest of the three peaks.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'Garn Ganol, here in the mist, and Tre'r Ceiri
0:03:35 > 0:03:40'together with a third peak, Garn For, are known as Yr Eifl.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42'The Rivals in English.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'Three distinct summits, each quite separate from the others.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'But even if the weather wasn't good enough to go any further
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'it was worth coming this far.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'Just a few hundred yards from the road there's a viewing point
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'with great views down the Llyn Peninsula and beyond.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I'm going to take a picture of this, Derek.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04You can actually see now that the Llyn is clearing.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08You can actually see from one side of the peninsula to the other.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13What's great about this viewpoint is we're two minutes from the car
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- and we can see so much already. - Exactly, exactly.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19On the peninsula you've got views either side of the hills.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Absolutely brilliant.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24The sun's beginning to break through as well lighting up the land.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29A couple of showers there. You can see curtains of raindrops...
0:04:29 > 0:04:30- It's brilliant.- ..dropping down.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Whoa! Fantastic!
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- You're loving it, aren't you? - Certainly am, Derek.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38This is where I come to life.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You can turn this weather to your advantage.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43To be honest, this is the sort of weather I prefer.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Not necessarily the rain but I prefer moody weather.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Actually at this point we've joined the official Llyn Coastal Path.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11How long is that?
0:05:11 > 0:05:16It's 84 miles and it runs from Caernarfon on the north coast
0:05:16 > 0:05:19right around past Aberdaron and back up to Porthmadog.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- We're not doing 84 miles today, are we?- No, 73!
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Hopefully when we just go round over this shoulder
0:05:30 > 0:05:33we should get the first view of Tre'r Ceiri.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I'm not kissing you there by the way.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Not before lunch. - Too early for that, mate.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It's like another world up here, isn't it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52I love it. There's nobody else around, just the two of us.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It's that solitude I was talking about.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Dyma ni, Derek, Tre'r Ceiri.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Absolutely amazing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04You're walking along this path and all of a sudden it just appears.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Wonderful.- And no cloud, just like you forecast.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08We can see it clearly.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Let's go.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15'Tre'r Ceiri is the name of both the Iron Age hill fort
0:06:15 > 0:06:18'and of the lowest of the summits of yr Eifl.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21'Some say the name means 'home of the giants'
0:06:21 > 0:06:24'as the Welsh for giants is 'cewri'.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'What looks from the distance as a massive pile of shattered rocks
0:06:27 > 0:06:33'is one of the best examples of a prehistoric hill fort in Europe.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It's a bit of a scramble up here.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41It is. You have to take long lunges to get over the big boulders.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45How did they get all the rocks up here, then?
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Just using the existing scree, really, isn't it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54This is one of the outer gateways. There are five gateways in all.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58What's this here then, Glyn?
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Is this one of the old stone houses the Iron Age people used to live in?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06That's right. There's 150 of these huts in the settlement.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10This is one of the best preserved and one of the largest
0:07:10 > 0:07:12of the Iron Age settlements in the UK.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Spectacular in its own right and spectacular for its location
0:07:16 > 0:07:19which is one reason why this is a stunning walk.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21This is over 2,000 years old?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Yes. Built 100BC.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27There was actually people living in this settlement
0:07:27 > 0:07:29right up to the end of the 4th Century.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31The Romans left Britain in 409
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and they reckon it was used almost up to that point.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- And a cracking view as well. - Absolutely.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Oh, a nice breeze.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Wow! Look at that cloud!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- It's like steam boiling upwards. - That's stunning.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58- Wow, it's got to be worth a photy! - It's a bit of stratus cloud rising.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00It might just be a bit of stratus cloud to you
0:08:00 > 0:08:04but that's a stunning piece of composition to me.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I might even take a photograph myself.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11'OK, that's not mine, it's one of Glyn's.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Well, here we are, Derek, at the summit of Tre'r Ceiri.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28So, how does it look compared to how you imagined?
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It's absolutely amazing.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I've been to other hill forts around Wales
0:08:34 > 0:08:36but I've never seen anything quite like this.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's huge. Just trying to imagine what it would have been like
0:08:39 > 0:08:44for those people living here over 2,000 years ago.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48None of the mod cons. No central heating, no electric light.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Just you and the mountain.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Yeah. Very, very impressive.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58'As the mist closes in on this dramatic and atmospheric location
0:08:58 > 0:09:02'our thoughts return to the present and more pressing matters
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'like a spot of lunch and finding our way on from here.'
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I'm glad to see you've brought your map and compass.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13The thing is, to be honest, with the weather doing what it's doing,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16we're going to need to know where the path is
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and which direction we're going.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's not a bad idea to have this with us.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- I'll follow you.- Nice one, let's go.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Just look to your right here you can see one of the original doorways
0:09:36 > 0:09:41where they used to go out to collect spring water for the village.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Well, this is our exit.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- This is the way out?- Yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51You've got to imagine as we go out here we're Iron Age settlers
0:09:51 > 0:09:55walking out of our village into the great wild west of the Llyn.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- The great unknown.- Yes.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'Even in good conditions, the path between the two summits
0:10:02 > 0:10:04'can be indistinct in places.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08'That's hill walking speak for non-existent so take care.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11'But with a local expert to lead the way
0:10:11 > 0:10:14'there's not much chance of me being allowed to wimp out
0:10:14 > 0:10:17'due to a spot of low cloud.'
0:10:17 > 0:10:18Nearly there.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22You've been saying that for the last quarter of an hour.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Derek!- What?- Trig point.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- Thank God for that!- We're there, you've done it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- Sorted.- About time too.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- One minute.- It's a hard slog up here.- It was a bit, wasn't it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40Here we go.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42The top of Yr Eifl.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Yes!
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- Good man.- Well done.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49That was ace. What a view.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Wow, look at that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Tre'r Ceiri just emerging from the fog there.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- That's where we were just now.- Yes.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00The view is just changing by the second.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Look at that awesome drop now to the back of Nant Gwrtheyrn.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06You can see out over the Irish Sea.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So this is the top of the Llyn Peninsula.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15564 metres or 1,850 feet.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Have you just worked that out?
0:11:18 > 0:11:19No, just looked at the map!
0:11:21 > 0:11:25It's amazing though, isn't it, up here away from it all.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It's perfect timing this. Well done.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- It's all my doing.- Yeah.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- Time to go, is it?- Yes.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Down towards Bwlch yr Eifl and back down into Nant Gwrtheyrn.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53We'll see the sea.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54- OK, let's go.- Right.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02'With the weather still changeable this is another bit of the route
0:12:02 > 0:12:04'where we need to tread carefully.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'Thankfully, it's all downhill from here.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:10This is a bit easier than on the way up.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'Even though I say so myself, my forecast was correct.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25'It's now a cracking afternoon.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Right, we've done Yr Eifl. Where are we going next?
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Just over the brow of this hill now we're going to see a fantastic view
0:12:34 > 0:12:36right down over Nant Gwrtheyrn into the valley
0:12:36 > 0:12:40where you can see the old quarry workings and old farms.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I know 'nant' means stream but what or who is Gwrtheyrn?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Gwrtheyrn was a Celtic king.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55Gwrtheyrn is Welsh for Vortigern, a British ruler in the 5th Century.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Over a period of time he made some silly mistakes and got exiled.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01But what an amazing place to be exiled.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05So, we've nearly completed the walk now, Derek.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08We're going to follow this path here
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and make our way back down to the village.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13It's going to be worth doing that extra section.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16'In Wales, it seems you're never far from a quarry or mine.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'This last bit down the road to the village
0:13:19 > 0:13:23'gives us a better view of the old granite quarry workings
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'on the hillside behind Nant Gwrtheyrn.'
0:13:25 > 0:13:30In the 19th Century, a Liverpool based company came in
0:13:30 > 0:13:33to actually extract granite for road building
0:13:33 > 0:13:36in the northern cities like Liverpool and Manchester.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It was shipped out and, although you can't see them today
0:13:39 > 0:13:42because they've all been demolished,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47there were three large jetties where the coasters picked up the granite
0:13:47 > 0:13:49to take it back to Liverpool Port.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53In fact you can see a lot of the remnants of the old inclines
0:13:53 > 0:13:54across the valley.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59This was very much a busy, noisy, grimy, gritty working environment
0:13:59 > 0:14:02but now it's become almost a tranquil paradise.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08'By the 1960s, with the quarry workers and their families gone
0:14:08 > 0:14:10'the houses became derelict
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'with just a few hippies squatting in the buildings.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15'So what happened?
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'Well, one man had the vision that its very isolation
0:14:19 > 0:14:22'would make it the perfect place for a language centre.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'That man was Carl Clowes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28'Whilst Glyn nips off for a cuppa, Carl shows me around
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'and explains how they transformed the village
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'into the thriving language and heritage centre here today.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:39So, Carl, what makes this place so special for you?
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Of course it is the peace and quiet.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It feels away from the rest of the world.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48When you think, that was one of the reasons
0:14:48 > 0:14:51why people warned me this wasn't the right place
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to develop a centre to support the language.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58But in a sense, the very essence of the place,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02that it is quiet, it is detached, people come here motivated
0:15:02 > 0:15:05believing they are cutting themselves off from the very things
0:15:05 > 0:15:09that undermine their confidence in using Welsh day to day.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Even on a day in mid-summer you'll still find the opportunity here
0:15:14 > 0:15:18to feel you've escaped from the world.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24'Since 1982, over 25,000 learners, including me and Janet Street Porter
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'have been here having a go at learning Welsh.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31'They may not have been to the top of Tre'r Ceiri
0:15:31 > 0:15:34'but I'm sure that many of those Welsh learners
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'walked this piece of path towards the sea
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'talking to themselves and practicing their mutations.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'But I'm certain they were captivated by the charm
0:15:44 > 0:15:45'of Nant Gwrtheyrn.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:53'Now we've just got to climb that steep hill to the car park
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'and head off for a cwrw, a beer, in the pub on the beach.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03'If you fancy trying one of the walks in the series
0:16:03 > 0:16:06'go to bbc.co.uk/wales
0:16:06 > 0:16:11'Take a look at our interactive Weatherman Walking website.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'It has everything you need.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16'Detailed route information for each walk,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18'photos that we took along the way
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'and walking maps for you to print off and follow.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23'Hopefully you won't get lost.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'For the next walk in this programme we head south,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30'in fact, as far south as we can go without leaving Wales.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Just over there is the city of Cardiff
0:16:34 > 0:16:37with a population of 325,000 people.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41But I doubt many of them have ever been to the island of Flat Holm
0:16:41 > 0:16:45which is a real shame because it's really easy to get to
0:16:45 > 0:16:48just over there in the Bristol Channel.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The council run a regular boat trip in the summer.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55But a word of warning. Check the timetable and book ahead.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It doesn't sail every day.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01That's the case today, but luckily I have an alternative.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09'At 60 knots an hour, we'll be there in eight minutes flat
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'which is just as well because we have to reach the island's jetty
0:17:12 > 0:17:15'before the tide goes out.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'Landing here can be impossible in stormy weather
0:17:18 > 0:17:20'but it looks like we're OK today.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22'Waiting for me on the jetty is Matthew Lipton,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'one of Flat Holm's two full-time residents
0:17:25 > 0:17:27'and my man Friday for the day.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Hello, Matt.- Welcome, Derek, welcome to Flat Holm island.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Pleased to meet you. You're the warden on Flat Holm.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- I'm going to be your guide for the day.- You'll show me around?
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- I hope you've brought your sleeping bag.- Am I going to need it?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- This wind might pick up.- It's not going to pick up, don't worry.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59'Normally, visitors have about three hours to explore the island,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'which is just about enough time to get a good taste
0:18:02 > 0:18:04'of what there is to see here.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08'Packed on to one small island, a local nature reserve,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13'bags of wildlife, history, geology and even modern technology
0:18:13 > 0:18:15'to investigate.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18'Flat Holm is small, flat and round
0:18:18 > 0:18:21'so you can take a leisurely stroll around the island
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'in just about any direction.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27'We've chosen to head from the jetty through the gull colony
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'to the lighthouse, then past wartime buildings,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33'an old cholera hospital and farmhouse
0:18:33 > 0:18:37'and back to the jetty for a speedy return to the mainland
0:18:37 > 0:18:38'weather permitting.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42'Island life seems to suit Matt very well.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'Flat Holm is now his permanent home
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'having been full-time Head Warden for the past 18 months.'
0:18:48 > 0:18:52There's no cinema, no pub. What makes the island special for you?
0:18:52 > 0:18:57Erm... It's one of those places you either fall in love with or hate
0:18:57 > 0:18:59as soon as you get on the island.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I fell in love with it straight away.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04There's a magical atmosphere over here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06There's so much history on this island.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08This is my office.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12What a fantastic view I have out of my window. Great.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- It is.- There are a variety of jobs that keeps me going.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It's always different, every single day. Never the same.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21And you've got to like seagulls as well.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Oh, yes. You've got to love our feathered friends.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27'There are thousands of Matt's feathered friends here
0:19:27 > 0:19:30'at this time of year - a large protected colony of gulls.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'June and July is their nesting season
0:19:33 > 0:19:35'so there's chicks galore running around
0:19:35 > 0:19:41'and overprotective parents ready to dive bomb unwelcome visitors.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I might want to hand you one of these.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45To keep the sun off my head?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's not the sun we're keeping off our heads.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52All our feathered friends here might try and leave a few presents
0:19:52 > 0:19:53if we're not too careful.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56All these gulls are lesser black-backed gulls.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59At the height of season you'll probably have
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- 15,000-20,000 of these critters flying around.- That's a lot.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And a lot of noise? Lots of noise and mess.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11It adds to the fun of Flat Holm island.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17A lot of people would think of a seagull as being a nuisance.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20You actually protect them here.
0:20:20 > 0:20:27We do, yes. The species is declining in a lot of places around the UK.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29We class them as nature's cleaners.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35They are a scavenger species and they will feed on dead corpses
0:20:35 > 0:20:37and rotting waste.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39They feed on our waste.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44This colony's source of food is on a landfill site on the mainland.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It's food we haven't eaten. They're helping us to eat it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54'Flat Holm is a lump of rock in the middle of a busy shipping area
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'and has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'with strong and dangerous currents.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'Over the years, the treacherous conditions
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'have led to many shipwrecks around the island.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:07One that jumps to mind was the William and Mary
0:21:07 > 0:21:14a sloop that ran aground off the rocky area just off the west side.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Unfortunately, fifty souls were lost
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and those fifty were buried on this island.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24We are yet to find that mass grave. It might appear.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28This building behind us is important for local shipping.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- It's vital. - Can we look inside?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We might. I think I've spotted Trinity Housekeepers.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39They might let us go up. Shall we see if they'll let us go?
0:21:39 > 0:21:44'Being shown around a lighthouse means just that.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48'There's been a lighthouse on Flat Holm for about 280 years
0:21:48 > 0:21:51'but since 1988 it's been fully automated.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56'The light from the lamp can be seen 30 miles away
0:21:56 > 0:22:01'but amazingly, comes from just three tiny 100 watt bulbs
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'powered by solar energy.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07'Luckily, Jim is here to do some maintenance.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11'From thirty metres up, there's a brilliant panoramic view.
0:22:11 > 0:22:17'I can see my Mum's house from here, she's cooking my tea!
0:22:23 > 0:22:28'At the foot of the lighthouse, there's a mysterious hole.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:32What we have here is a Moncrieff disappearing cannon.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I don't want to spoil a good story, you say a disappearing cannon,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- but I can see one! - Yes, it's still here, thankfully!
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- Shall we take a look inside? - Yes, let's go.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48'Moncrieff disappearing guns were part of a line of military defences
0:22:48 > 0:22:53'built in the 1860s against a possible invasion from France.'
0:22:53 > 0:22:56They attached the cannon here?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Yes, it would have sat here on a huge carriage
0:22:58 > 0:23:01with a large counterweight.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03When they activated the counterweight,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06that would have brought the cannon out, fire away,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and the strength of the explosion would force it back into the hole.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The enemy ships had these cannon balls coming at them
0:23:13 > 0:23:14from goodness knows where.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It was top secret.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It was the pinnacle of Victorian engineering.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It was the cruise missile of the Victorian era.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'Despite costing millions to design and build,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'the French never showed up.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31'The guns were only ever fired in tests,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'so we'll never know how effective they might have been.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41'Next on our tour is something that's the size of a tennis court
0:23:41 > 0:23:45'but the balls would quickly end up in one corner.'
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Derek, can you hazard a guess as to what this might be?
0:23:49 > 0:23:54I haven't got a clue but you're going to tell me.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57This is a Victorian water catchment system.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It's simple in design. It collects all the rainwater
0:24:01 > 0:24:07forces it into the bottom corner and into a huge underground tank.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- It holds about 60,000 gallons. - Is it working?
0:24:10 > 0:24:14No. It's a bit too high maintenance for me and my small team.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16We use these roofs behind us.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19We use the original tank with modern technology
0:24:19 > 0:24:22to make the water safe.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26How do you cope with water during a drought?
0:24:26 > 0:24:31It's a case of not having a shower for a few days!
0:24:31 > 0:24:36- You get a bit smelly! - We do. Don't stand too close!
0:24:36 > 0:24:39'Just around the corner are the stone barracks.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42'They were built to house fifty soldiers.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47'But mostly, there were just half a dozen here.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'However, during World War II, they came in handy.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56'They managed to squash in 350 soldiers, very cosy!
0:24:56 > 0:25:01'Today, they have found a new use as a museum and education centre.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05'But there's more to this place than gulls and relics.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09'Flat Holm is home to a very rare plant.'
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- One of my favourite plants on the island.- What's this called?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16The wild leek. It's a rare plant in the UK.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It only grows in about five places.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24It's a member of the onion family. You might get a smell of that.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- It smells like garlic. - Yes, same family.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30They are protected by law.
0:25:30 > 0:25:36- If I pick it, I'll get into trouble? - Yes. A thousand pound fine.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Who's going to fine me our here?
0:25:38 > 0:25:43I'm not only the warden, I'm the island's policeman as well!
0:25:43 > 0:25:45- So you'd arrest me? - I would.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50- Lovely flower though. - They're fantastic.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59'Another fact about Flat Holm, it's the most southerly point in Wales
0:25:59 > 0:26:01'which means that neighbouring Steep Holm
0:26:01 > 0:26:05'is officially across the border in England.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11'Next on our stroll around the island is a spot of geology
0:26:11 > 0:26:15'and a feature of world importance.'
0:26:15 > 0:26:21We've got a huge wave cut platform. It's a fossilised seabed.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It's one of the finest examples of a fossilised seabed in the world.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27'Having someone to point things out, helps.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'If you look closely, you can see the ripples
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'of an ancient sandy seabed, frozen in time.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:37It's been there for millions of years.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Hopefully, it will be here for millions of years to come.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46'Flat Holm hasn't always been a welcome destination.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'These derelict buildings are the remains of an isolation hospital
0:26:49 > 0:26:53'for cholera victims, and many died here.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56'It's unique in being the only Victorian isolation hospital
0:26:56 > 0:27:01'sited on a British offshore island.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:06This is the farmhouse. One of the main buildings on the island.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09This is where I live at the moment.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11It used to be home to the Harris family
0:27:12 > 0:27:14who farmed this island for several generations.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It also doubled up as a hotel.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- A hotel on Flat Holm? - Yes, five star!
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Not much passing traffic!
0:27:22 > 0:27:27No, but now it's home to the Flat Holm Project and it's our base
0:27:27 > 0:27:31for all our residentials and all the people who come here.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Just in the distance, we have Lavernock Point.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Back in 1897, Flat Holm was the very first place
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Marconi made a wireless transmission across water to Lavernock Point.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Do you know what his first message was?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Are you ready? - Is that it?
0:27:52 > 0:27:57Not the most original message for something so important.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I guess Marconi put Flat Holm on the world map.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04He certainly did. This is where it all started.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10We've got Marconi and Flat Holm to thank for those annoying ringtones.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14RING TONE
0:28:14 > 0:28:19'Even though the grass here could have done with a drop of rain
0:28:19 > 0:28:21'the weather's held, the boat's on the way
0:28:21 > 0:28:25'and it's time to say ta-ra to Matt, my man Friday,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28'and leave him and his feathered friends to their island.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I didn't need my sleeping bag after all.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34The boat's here and it's flat calm.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39Flat Holm is worth a visit if you want to get away from it all.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43It's just a stone's throw from Cardiff and Barry.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Email us at subtitling@bbc.co.uk