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Beautiful as it is in this Italianate village of Portmeirion, | 0:00:00 | 0:00:05 | |
you can't keep me a prisoner here. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:08 | |
No, I'm off into the hills for a spot of walking. | 0:00:08 | 0:00:11 | |
Are you ready? | 0:00:12 | 0:00:13 | |
MUSIC | 0:00:58 | 0:01:00 | |
Portmeirion is famous for its cream teas, pottery and architecture. | 0:01:00 | 0:01:05 | |
It's visited by thousands of people every year. | 0:01:05 | 0:01:08 | |
Its creator, Clough Williams-Ellis, couldn't be held captive here. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:12 | |
He was most at home in the foothills of Snowdonia | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
on his beautiful and beloved Brondanw Estate. | 0:01:16 | 0:01:19 | |
'That is where we'll be heading for the first of our walks. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:22 | |
'A proper hill walk. | 0:01:22 | 0:01:24 | |
'The other will be a gentler affair on the level, the Gwent Levels. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:29 | |
'Down by the sea just outside Newport.' | 0:01:29 | 0:01:32 | |
Two walks, as different as chalk and cheese you might say. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:36 | |
The chalk, or limestone of coastal South Wales. | 0:01:36 | 0:01:39 | |
The cheese? Swiss cheese, perhaps. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
Today, we're climbing the Matterhorn, the Welsh Matterhorn. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:46 | |
'On the fringes of Snowdonia National Park, | 0:01:46 | 0:01:50 | |
'a few miles inland from Portmeirion, | 0:01:50 | 0:01:53 | |
'our walk will take us to the summit of Cnicht, to give the mountain its proper name. | 0:01:53 | 0:01:58 | |
'Seen from the southwest, I could be persuaded. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
'It deserves its title of the Welsh Matterhorn. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:04 | |
'I do like pointed peaks.' | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
All I need now is a guide with some local knowledge, | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
just like the Alpine guides who lead their clients up the Matterhorn. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:16 | |
'Based in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Ceri Cunnington works as chairman | 0:02:16 | 0:02:23 | |
'of Antur Stiniog, a project to develop outdoor activities | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
'and provide work in the area's old slate mining communities. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:33 | |
'In his spare time, he's also a musician and a singer in a band. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:37 | |
'Here is my musical mountain guide on his mountain bike. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:42 | |
'Today's walk starts from the village of Croesor. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:46 | |
'At first, its easy walking. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
'But as you approach your target, things start to get steeper. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:52 | |
'From the summit of Cnicht, | 0:02:52 | 0:02:53 | |
'the ridge to the northeast is more straightforward. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:57 | |
'Then a change in direction takes us towards disused slate quarries | 0:02:57 | 0:03:01 | |
finishing with a descent down old quarrying paths | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
'and tramways to Croesor.' | 0:03:04 | 0:03:07 | |
To our right is our destination today. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:11 | |
-It looks a bit steep from here. -It really is the Welsh Matterhorn. | 0:03:11 | 0:03:16 | |
'Croesor village is part of the Brondanw Estate. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
'Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect of Portmeirion, | 0:03:19 | 0:03:22 | |
'took it over from his Dad in 1908. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:24 | |
'Clough was not a conventional landowner. He was an arty type. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:29 | |
'Over the years, creative people have been drawn to the valley. | 0:03:29 | 0:03:32 | |
'Ceri himself first moved here to write music with his band, Anweledig.' | 0:03:32 | 0:03:38 | |
-You used to be a rock star, didn't you? -Not quite a rock star. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
We were in a band for over ten years. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:46 | |
-What was it called? -Anweledig. It was good fun while it lasted. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:51 | |
But we sort of grew up. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
-Did you sell a lot of albums? -Erm, a dozen. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:59 | |
# Dwi'n meddwl weithiau am y byd mawr crwn | 0:03:59 | 0:04:01 | |
# Sut yn y byd daeth y gofod hwn o allai ddim esbonio | 0:04:01 | 0:04:05 | |
# Nid gwyddonydd ydw i a segnnai'm...# | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
'Through his work, Ceri tries to encourage local people to find jobs | 0:04:10 | 0:04:15 | |
'in the growing area of outdoor activities. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:18 | |
'Until recently, much of this work has gone to incomers.' | 0:04:18 | 0:04:21 | |
It's still true to some fact, but I think the tide is turning. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:26 | |
I think the next generation, hopefully, will take advantage of it. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:31 | |
I think it's only 5% of local people | 0:04:31 | 0:04:34 | |
actually work in the outdoor industry in Northwest Wales. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:39 | |
That's really surprising, surprisingly low. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
I doubt it's seen as a traditional way of making a living. | 0:04:42 | 0:04:45 | |
Tourism is becoming more important. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:47 | |
We're about 20 minutes from the village now. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:51 | |
But it's starting to open out already. It's just stunning. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:56 | |
-It's a bit hazy, but it's dry. -Yes and it will be dry all day. | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
Well, I'm not sure about that! | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
-Don't say that. -I can feel a shower brewing. | 0:05:02 | 0:05:08 | |
We can see down into Cwm Croesor now. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:14 | |
A lovely u-shaped valley. Moelwyn Mawr looking very imposing. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:19 | |
Moelwyn Bach is just beside it, under its cap, Moelwyn o dan ei gap. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:24 | |
-Onwards and upwards? -Onwards and upwards. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:27 | |
'The remnants of this area's slate industry, | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
'are not yet obvious in the hills around us. | 0:05:32 | 0:05:35 | |
'But opening up behind is a rather misty view of Traeth Mawr. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:39 | |
'The land was reclaimed from the sea when William Madocks built a wall, | 0:05:39 | 0:05:44 | |
'the Cob, across the Glaslyn Estuary.' | 0:05:44 | 0:05:47 | |
What's amazing is that when Madocks built the Cob, | 0:05:47 | 0:05:51 | |
the Glaslyn had to go somewhere. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
It diverted and snaked across the Cob and created this natural harbour. | 0:05:54 | 0:06:00 | |
It was of benefit to Madocks. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:03 | |
He was able to export the slate from the harbour around the world. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:08 | |
I think we have to get going because the weather is closing in. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:13 | |
Nice one. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:15 | |
MUSIC | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
We're getting closer, but it still looks blinkin' hard to me. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
That's the first and last pull. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
I'm feeling a bit tired now, I have to admit. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:46 | |
-It's quite a climb up there. -Yes. | 0:06:46 | 0:06:49 | |
He keeps telling me we're getting closer and I believe him. | 0:06:49 | 0:06:52 | |
This is amazing. We can see the whole valley from top to bottom. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:07 | |
We had snippets of it earlier. But you see the scale of the thing now. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:10 | |
It's a classic u-shape. Mind blowing views, even in this weather. | 0:07:10 | 0:07:14 | |
You see the old Croesor tramway going into the distance. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:20 | |
The quarry there, Chwarel Croesor. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:23 | |
You can see just the tops of Rhosydd Quarry over there. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:28 | |
We'll be exploring that later on, but we should get a move on. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:33 | |
'Well, we can see the summit, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:40 | |
'Now for the really steep bit.' | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
What I'm worried about is how we'll pick our way to the top. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:51 | |
-There's no path. -There is, you just can't see it from here. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:55 | |
This is the final stretch. It looks a bit hairy, but you'll be OK. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:59 | |
After you. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:01 | |
-So far, so good. -Is it as bad as you thought? -Not really, no. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:22 | |
Once you get the momentum and keep going. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:26 | |
-You're like a mountain goat! -Something like that. | 0:08:26 | 0:08:30 | |
-See the false summit. -This one? Where's the real one? | 0:08:31 | 0:08:38 | |
-About two miles that way. -Get off. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
You're having me on. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:44 | |
'I'm glad to say he was having me on. This is the real summit.' | 0:08:47 | 0:08:52 | |
We've done it. The top of the Welsh Matterhorn. Copa'r Cnicht. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:02 | |
-Llongyfarchiadau. -A chithau hefyd. Congratulations. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
-A real sense of satisfaction. -How do you feel now? -Relieved. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:10 | |
It is wonderful. You've got to do it. Where do we go from here? | 0:09:10 | 0:09:16 | |
We do down a different way to Rhosydd Quarry. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:20 | |
Then down the old miners' path. A totally different walk. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:24 | |
-But just as spectacular. Up for it? -Definitely. Come on. | 0:09:24 | 0:09:27 | |
MUSIC | 0:09:27 | 0:09:31 | |
'Well, the weatherman does sometimes get it right. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:36 | |
'The weather has become pretty awful. | 0:09:36 | 0:09:40 | |
'But at least we're now on easy ground along a broad ridge.' | 0:09:40 | 0:09:44 | |
There's a lot of rain up here. What's that patch of water there? | 0:09:45 | 0:09:49 | |
-Llyn Adar. -Llyn Adar. Does that mean, lake of the bird? -Birds. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:55 | |
It's some of the best wild fishing in Wales, they say. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
-You can get brithyll. -What's that? -Trout. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:01 | |
'I don't think we'll be hanging around for wild fishing today. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:05 | |
'This section between the ridge and the quarries is the most difficult to navigate. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:10 | |
'If you're not familiar with the area, | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
'a compass might be handy to use with your map, | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
'assuming you know what to do with it! | 0:10:15 | 0:10:17 | |
'In mists like this, a compass is essential. Time to take a bearing.' | 0:10:17 | 0:10:23 | |
-You need a map and compass up here. -Absolutely. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
-Even when the weather is good. -The path is indistinct here. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:31 | |
We've just come from here, Llyn Adar. OK. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:37 | |
-It's this way. -Yes. -Are you sure? -Yes, follow the compass. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:42 | |
'Before long, we can make out the ruined barracks of Rhosydd Quarry, | 0:10:43 | 0:10:50 | |
'the isolated and grim living quarters for the quarry workers.' | 0:10:50 | 0:10:54 | |
The stories about Rhosydd Quarry are incredible. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:58 | |
The bunk beds were never empty. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:00 | |
When one man finished his shift, another one started. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
They shared bunks. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:05 | |
The stories about the chwain, fleas, are incredible. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:10 | |
When the men left work on Saturday afternoon, | 0:11:10 | 0:11:15 | |
they came back on a Sunday evening or a Monday morning. | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
The chwain were waiting for them, with fangs out, | 0:11:18 | 0:11:22 | |
because they hadn't had a drop of blood since Saturday afternoon. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:26 | |
-What a place to work! -Absolutely. Fair play to them. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
-Tough men. -Hogia go iawn! | 0:11:29 | 0:11:32 | |
MUSIC | 0:11:32 | 0:11:36 | |
'Before heading down to the valley, Ceri is keen to take a detour | 0:11:39 | 0:11:43 | |
'along a remarkable section of tramway dug out of the hillside, | 0:11:43 | 0:11:48 | |
'where slate trucks used to trundle along. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
'It ends abruptly above the steepest incline of any quarry in North Wales.' | 0:11:50 | 0:11:57 | |
Here we are at the end of the Rhosydd tramway, | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
but the beginning of the Rhosydd incline. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:06 | |
'That is steep!' | 0:12:06 | 0:12:08 | |
-What happened here? -This is where the wagons would have ended up. | 0:12:08 | 0:12:13 | |
They would have come from the quarry. | 0:12:13 | 0:12:15 | |
If you look to the right, this is the drum house. | 0:12:15 | 0:12:19 | |
It is 55 feet above the incline. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:22 | |
You can still see some of the cable. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:25 | |
The wagons would have been winched down one at a time. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:29 | |
One would have been brought up at the same time to counter balance the wagons. | 0:12:29 | 0:12:35 | |
-It's mind blowing, really. -It is an amazing feat of engineering. | 0:12:35 | 0:12:39 | |
-And a huge drop down there. -They think it's about 700 to 800 feet. | 0:12:39 | 0:12:44 | |
Can you imagine what it must have been like working up here? | 0:12:44 | 0:12:48 | |
I can't. I don't think any of us could imagine what it was like. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:51 | |
In all kinds of weather! | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
The brakesman would be sitting there in his shelter, which he'd be grateful for. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:59 | |
So, all the rain and gales would have battered this side. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:03 | |
He would go in there and tuck himself away. | 0:13:03 | 0:13:07 | |
'We now retrace our steps to join the Quarryman's Path | 0:13:09 | 0:13:12 | |
'and then the Blaencwm Incline, | 0:13:12 | 0:13:14 | |
'which takes the tramway to the valley floor. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:17 | |
'The building at the bottom of this incline used to be | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
'the hydro electric power station for Croesor Quarry. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:24 | |
'It was built by Moses Kellow, manager and engineer to the quarries. | 0:13:24 | 0:13:29 | |
'By all accounts, he was a bit of a genius. | 0:13:29 | 0:13:32 | |
'A man way ahead of his time.' | 0:13:32 | 0:13:34 | |
In 1904, one of the first things he did was build Blaencwm power station. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:40 | |
He brought electricity to the quarry, but also to the village of Croesor. | 0:13:40 | 0:13:45 | |
The chapel in Croesor were offered electricity, | 0:13:45 | 0:13:49 | |
but they thought it was the work of the devil as they thought it was too much like lightning. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:55 | |
'I bet Moses Kellow would be very proud to know the turbine | 0:13:55 | 0:13:59 | |
'has been renovated and now supplies power to the National Grid.' | 0:13:59 | 0:14:06 | |
Here we are at Bryn. It was Moses Kellow's house. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:11 | |
It was the finest all electric house in North Wales. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:14 | |
-This was before World War I. -Nice place to live. | 0:14:14 | 0:14:18 | |
Absolutely. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:19 | |
I notice all, or most of the houses, are painted blue. Is there a reason? | 0:14:19 | 0:14:25 | |
That's Portmeirion Blue, if you like. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:27 | |
It's the patent colour of the Brondanw Estate. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
Every house under the ownership of the estate is painted that colour. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:35 | |
MUSIC | 0:14:35 | 0:14:40 | |
Here we are, the sun is finally out and we're at Caffi Croesor. | 0:14:41 | 0:14:45 | |
-It's the end of our walk. -Thanks for being my guide, Ceri. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:49 | |
-Diolch yn fawr. -It's been a pleasure to get to the top of Cnicht. | 0:14:49 | 0:14:54 | |
-Really good. -Cool. -Right. Time for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
-Excellent, if it's on you. -You're paying. -No, you're paying. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:02 | |
'If you fancy trying one of the walks from this series, | 0:15:08 | 0:15:11 | |
'then go to bbc.co.uk/wales | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
'and take a look at our Weatherman Walking website. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
'It has everything you need. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:20 | |
'Detailed route information for each walk, | 0:15:20 | 0:15:23 | |
'photos that we took along the way | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
'and walking maps for you to print off and follow. | 0:15:26 | 0:15:29 | |
'For the next walk in this programme, we head down south | 0:15:29 | 0:15:32 | |
'to the opposite corner of Wales and a flatter landscape. | 0:15:32 | 0:15:37 | |
'Our very own Low Country.' | 0:15:37 | 0:15:39 | |
On this walk, we're going to explore a unique, unusual land. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
A slightly strange, but wonderful world | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
of gouts, reens, grips and furrows. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:52 | |
Somewhere, perhaps, that sounds a bit more like Middle Earth | 0:15:52 | 0:15:56 | |
than a little-known corner of Southeast Wales. | 0:15:56 | 0:15:59 | |
A place that exists, at times, below sea level. | 0:15:59 | 0:16:02 | |
'This is part of an area known as the Gwent Levels. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:06 | |
'One of only six lowland areas | 0:16:06 | 0:16:08 | |
'reclaimed in a similar way in the whole of Britain | 0:16:08 | 0:16:11 | |
'and the largest of its kind in Wales.' | 0:16:11 | 0:16:14 | |
If it wasn't for this massive sea wall, | 0:16:14 | 0:16:16 | |
this would look more like that. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:21 | |
'My guide for the day is a wizard of these wetlands. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
'Someone who's studied, researched | 0:16:28 | 0:16:30 | |
'and written about this fascinating place. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:33 | |
'This is archaeologist Rick Turner. | 0:16:33 | 0:16:36 | |
'My Gandalf of the Gwent Levels.' | 0:16:36 | 0:16:38 | |
-Morning, Rick. -Morning, Derek. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:44 | |
-Pleased to meet you. -And you. -Where are we going today? | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
We'll explore the marvellous landscape of the Caldicot Level. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
To start with, we'll walk out to the island of Goldcliff, | 0:16:50 | 0:16:54 | |
stand on the sea wall and see how this remarkable landscape works. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
I think we'd better be quick. There's rain on the way. | 0:16:57 | 0:17:01 | |
-That's very useful. Rain is the story of this landscape, as well. -OK. | 0:17:01 | 0:17:06 | |
'Just a few miles east of Newport, our walk will take us cross-country | 0:17:08 | 0:17:12 | |
'from Goldcliff to Redwick. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:13 | |
'But starting with a detour down to the sea. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
'Returning to Goldcliff village and church, | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
'we then head over fields and footbridges to Whitson | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
'and end the walk at the village of Redwick. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
'The weather might be a bit blowy, | 0:17:25 | 0:17:27 | |
'but at least it's flat all the way.' | 0:17:27 | 0:17:29 | |
So, here we are, standing right on the sea wall. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:41 | |
Yes. And we're looking towards the Island of Goldcliff. | 0:17:41 | 0:17:44 | |
This is a rocky island that always stood above the waves | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
and above the marshes that surrounded it. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:50 | |
And it's been a focus of settlement for many thousands of years. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:55 | |
You said it's an island, but it's not now. It used to be. | 0:17:55 | 0:17:58 | |
Yes. The sea walls have run up to it, | 0:17:58 | 0:18:01 | |
so the land to our left has been reclaimed. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:03 | |
And we can see out to the right, the sea is held back by the sea wall. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:08 | |
So, if this wasn't here, all this water | 0:18:08 | 0:18:12 | |
would be several miles inland? | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
We're close to high tide today. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:17 | |
And I think if you looked across here, | 0:18:17 | 0:18:19 | |
you'd have four or five feet, a metre and a half modern, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:22 | |
across all the land that we can see. | 0:18:22 | 0:18:24 | |
Some perhaps two or three kilometres inland. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:27 | |
So, who actually built the sea wall, then? | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
The first sea wall here was built by the Romans. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
There's a famous carved stone found just a few hundred metres down there | 0:18:33 | 0:18:37 | |
which records the Roman legionaries from Caerleon | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
building a sea wall in this area. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
What happened after that? | 0:18:43 | 0:18:45 | |
In 1113AD, the Norman lord of Caerleon | 0:18:45 | 0:18:49 | |
granted the Benedictines a priory, | 0:18:49 | 0:18:52 | |
which they built on the Island of Goldcliff. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:55 | |
He also granted them all this land that surrounds us. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:58 | |
They had to win it back from the sea, cultivate it and farm it. | 0:18:58 | 0:19:02 | |
'We retrace our steps back towards Goldcliff village | 0:19:02 | 0:19:06 | |
'and pass alongside Newport Wetlands Reserve. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:09 | |
'This land was deliberately flooded 11 years ago | 0:19:09 | 0:19:12 | |
'to replace the mudflats and feeding grounds | 0:19:12 | 0:19:14 | |
'that were lost when the Cardiff Bay barrage was built. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:18 | |
'Fortunately, the birds seem to have found their way here.' | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
If you look out through the hide here, | 0:19:22 | 0:19:24 | |
you get some impression of what the land would've been like | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
before it was reclaimed. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
You've got a mixture of reed beds, open water and a host of wildlife - | 0:19:29 | 0:19:33 | |
ducks, gulls and waders. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
So this gives you some feel of what it would've been | 0:19:36 | 0:19:39 | |
before the sea walls were erected. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:41 | |
-I should've brought my binoculars. -Yes. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
We're walking along this wide open path here now. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:53 | |
On our left is a freshwater ditch. | 0:19:53 | 0:19:57 | |
Yes. This is a drove way that took the cattle. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:01 | |
They had to marshall them and move them through this landscape. | 0:20:01 | 0:20:04 | |
From the priory, towards the village where we're going next. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:09 | |
And alongside this drove way is what they call locally a reen. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:13 | |
-A reen? -A reen. It's a special type of ditch. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
It collects all the water off the fields, out of the field ditches | 0:20:16 | 0:20:22 | |
and then takes it across the landscape and out into the sea. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:25 | |
Now, how on earth do you get water out to the sea | 0:20:27 | 0:20:31 | |
when there's a big wall in the way, stopping the sea from coming in? | 0:20:31 | 0:20:35 | |
Well, I'm sure Gandalf, my guide, knows how | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
and I suspect the Romans did, as well. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:41 | |
I've brought you over the sea wall now to show you this structure here. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:46 | |
-What's it called? -Well, it's called a gout, locally. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:50 | |
-A gout? -A gout. When we look down, you can see there's a flap. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:53 | |
At high tide this morning, it would have been about here. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
You can see the debris on the steps. | 0:20:57 | 0:21:00 | |
So when the high tide's here, it presses the flap shut | 0:21:00 | 0:21:03 | |
and stops the water coming out, | 0:21:03 | 0:21:05 | |
but it also stops the sea invading the land. | 0:21:05 | 0:21:07 | |
But now the tide's dropped quite a lot, you can see the fresh water | 0:21:07 | 0:21:12 | |
running out from behind the flap and out to sea. | 0:21:12 | 0:21:16 | |
-A very clever idea. -Who thought of it in the first place? | 0:21:16 | 0:21:19 | |
I think the Romans must've had the same system | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
because they had the same problem. | 0:21:22 | 0:21:24 | |
It's an idea I'm sure was used for centuries and is still used today. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:29 | |
It's still highly effective today, | 0:21:29 | 0:21:31 | |
2,000 years after it was probably first used in this location. | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
But no matter how effective our man-made structures might be, | 0:21:34 | 0:21:39 | |
there are times in history when there is no holding back | 0:21:39 | 0:21:42 | |
the destructive forces of nature. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:44 | |
In 2004, we all learnt the meaning of the word tsunami. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:49 | |
But most people don't know we had our own version of one here. | 0:21:49 | 0:21:53 | |
I've brought you to the Church of Saint Mary in Goldcliff. | 0:21:53 | 0:21:57 | |
We're about a kilometre back from the sea wall. | 0:21:57 | 0:21:59 | |
In this church is a plaque that records | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
the great flood of 20th January, 1607, | 0:22:02 | 0:22:06 | |
which affected the whole of the Caldicot Level. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
But a huge area, all the way from Carmarthenshire, | 0:22:09 | 0:22:13 | |
up the Severn Estuary, right down the Somerset side into North Devon. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:17 | |
But here on the wall, this little brass plaque | 0:22:17 | 0:22:20 | |
shows you the height the water reached on that day. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
Do we know what caused the flood? Some people think it was a tsunami | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
and others think it was a storm surge of the Bristol Channel. | 0:22:27 | 0:22:30 | |
The fact that the tide on the morning of that day | 0:22:30 | 0:22:34 | |
reached a height nine foot higher than it did in the evening | 0:22:34 | 0:22:38 | |
suggests some very unusual event | 0:22:38 | 0:22:40 | |
which might mean it could've been a tsunami. | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
Reports were that over 2,000 people drowned. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:47 | |
It was a national disaster, a national event | 0:22:47 | 0:22:50 | |
that everybody took an interest in. | 0:22:50 | 0:22:53 | |
It's a sad farewell to this church, isn't it? | 0:22:53 | 0:22:55 | |
It certainly is, yes. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
What do we have here, then, Rick? | 0:23:06 | 0:23:08 | |
We're looking up a reen here. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
But it's being kept at an artificial level | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
by a dam-like structure called a stank. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
-A stank? -A stank. | 0:23:16 | 0:23:18 | |
And the reason they keep the water up is that in the summer, | 0:23:18 | 0:23:21 | |
it allows the animals to come down and drink from the stream. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:25 | |
Who's in charge of the stank, then? | 0:23:25 | 0:23:27 | |
In the old days, it was the Commissioner of Sewers. | 0:23:27 | 0:23:30 | |
-A bit smelly, is he? -No. He's had a good wash since. | 0:23:32 | 0:23:36 | |
Being all on the flat, it's so different and unusual | 0:23:41 | 0:23:45 | |
to be on a walk without any panoramic views or vistas. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:48 | |
You're never looking down at anything. | 0:23:48 | 0:23:50 | |
As we head off across farmland, | 0:23:51 | 0:23:53 | |
the route now becomes a bit of an orienteering course. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:57 | |
Gates and bridges are like control points | 0:23:57 | 0:23:59 | |
that we try to spot in the far hedgerow. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:02 | |
These are our exits from each field. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:04 | |
So, what have we got here, Rick? It's not a gout, I know that. | 0:24:07 | 0:24:10 | |
But is it a reen, pill, gripe or stank? | 0:24:10 | 0:24:14 | |
It's none of those, Derek. It's something new. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:16 | |
It may look the same, but it's subtly different. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:19 | |
See how the water is clear and it's running? | 0:24:19 | 0:24:22 | |
So, is it coming down off the hills? | 0:24:22 | 0:24:24 | |
Yes. It's a stream that drains the hills we can see in the distance, | 0:24:24 | 0:24:28 | |
then they've got to get all this running freshwater across the levels | 0:24:28 | 0:24:32 | |
and out to the sea without it flooding the land to either side. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
So on the side of this, this is called the Monk's Ditch, | 0:24:36 | 0:24:40 | |
this is the edge of the priory, they've had to build little banks | 0:24:40 | 0:24:43 | |
to keep this water from flowing out to either side. | 0:24:43 | 0:24:46 | |
So it's something very different, Derek. | 0:24:46 | 0:24:49 | |
-And it all makes sense. -It does. Shall we keep going? | 0:24:49 | 0:24:51 | |
We've come onto a Tarmac road now. Where's this taking us? | 0:25:03 | 0:25:07 | |
We're walking through the village of Whitson. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:09 | |
We've left the early reclamation, | 0:25:09 | 0:25:11 | |
which we associated with Goldcliff Priory, | 0:25:11 | 0:25:15 | |
crossed the Monk's Ditch, | 0:25:15 | 0:25:16 | |
and we're now into what we call the back fen. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:19 | |
Lowered land and settled at a later date. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:23 | |
Is this land different to this side of the road? | 0:25:23 | 0:25:26 | |
Yes. It's a little bit lower and much peatier and wetter. | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
So they reclaimed it later in time. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
What we've got here is a village | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
with houses at the front of long, narrow plots that run away from us. | 0:25:35 | 0:25:40 | |
So you've got a house and a plot. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:43 | |
A house and a plot. A house and a plot. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:46 | |
-So it's all regular. -Very regular. It seems to have been planted. | 0:25:46 | 0:25:49 | |
They're very similar to villages | 0:25:49 | 0:25:51 | |
you find in the lowlands of Flanders and Holland. | 0:25:51 | 0:25:54 | |
It's possible the people who settled here came from those countries. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:59 | |
There's a nice little orchard here. | 0:26:00 | 0:26:02 | |
There's a tradition of cider making in Monmouthshire. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:05 | |
It's a tradition people are trying to bring back to life. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
And a lovely church, as well. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
Yes. A nice little church associated with the priory on Goldcliff. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:13 | |
It's probably 12th Century in origin and still in use. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
I can see small depressions in this field. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:29 | |
Is that part of the drainage system? | 0:26:29 | 0:26:31 | |
Yes. Another word to get used to, Derek. These are grips. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:35 | |
-Grips? -Grips. They're little hand-dug ditches | 0:26:35 | 0:26:38 | |
to drain the fields into the ditches. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:41 | |
So it's just a little bit of drainage to take the surface water away | 0:26:41 | 0:26:45 | |
into the ditches, off to the reens and out to the sea. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:49 | |
'This could easily be made into a circular walk | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
'by heading down to the sea wall from here | 0:26:54 | 0:26:56 | |
'and then back to Goldcliff. | 0:26:56 | 0:26:58 | |
'But today, the quaint old village of Redwick is our journey's end.' | 0:26:58 | 0:27:03 | |
It's a really interesting village. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
It's as if it's come from the Midlands and been dropped | 0:27:05 | 0:27:08 | |
on the very edge of Wales. | 0:27:08 | 0:27:10 | |
It's three streets built in a triangle with cottages down each side | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
and the church in the centre. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:16 | |
Except it was an English Marcher lord who planted this village here | 0:27:16 | 0:27:20 | |
probably in the 12th or 13th Century. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:22 | |
So he was bringing something familiar to him | 0:27:22 | 0:27:25 | |
and putting it in his new settlement here in Wales. | 0:27:25 | 0:27:28 | |
It's Jamie Owen's old car. | 0:27:28 | 0:27:31 | |
This mark shows how high the Great Flood reached in 1607. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:44 | |
'Next to the church, on the village green, | 0:27:44 | 0:27:47 | |
'is a bit of a hobbit house. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:48 | |
'A curious little open-air museum that doubles as a bus shelter. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:53 | |
'Built by an eccentric local chap to house historical artefacts.' | 0:27:53 | 0:27:58 | |
This is a cider press. The apples would be in a big square bundle, | 0:27:59 | 0:28:03 | |
press down and the apple juice comes out into this semi-circular bowl. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
So you could have a pint of cider while you wait for a bus. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:11 | |
-If you were lucky. -Makes sense! | 0:28:11 | 0:28:12 | |
And there's some particularly interesting notices on the wall. | 0:28:12 | 0:28:17 | |
Right. That's the end of our walk. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:20 | |
I've learnt all about grips, gouts, pills and stanks. | 0:28:20 | 0:28:24 | |
So, am I now a full member of the Fellowship of the Reen? | 0:28:24 | 0:28:27 | |
Yes. Why don't we celebrate with a pint of cider? | 0:28:27 | 0:28:30 | |
Sounds good to me. I'll buy the peanuts. | 0:28:30 | 0:28:32 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:28:40 | 0:28:42 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:28:42 | 0:28:44 |