Home Town and Huw Tom

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0:00:02 > 0:00:06There are footpaths, tracks and trails opening up all over Wales and very soon,

0:00:06 > 0:00:12sections like this one will be linked up to make the daddy of all of them, the Wales Coast Path.

0:00:12 > 0:00:18815 miles of continuous seaside rambling, right around the Welsh coastline.

0:00:18 > 0:00:21What are you waiting for? Let's go for a walk!

0:00:21 > 0:00:23Are you ready?

0:01:07 > 0:01:13Whether you're a walking veteran or a newcomer, here in Wales there's something for everyone.

0:01:13 > 0:01:17You could say we're spoilt for choice and in this programme,

0:01:17 > 0:01:24I've got two very different walks that will whet anybody's appetite for some fresh air and exercise.

0:01:24 > 0:01:27North and south,

0:01:27 > 0:01:30town and country,

0:01:30 > 0:01:32inland and on the coast.

0:01:32 > 0:01:36Coming up, will be one walk up North starting in Penmaenmawr

0:01:36 > 0:01:41and ending in picturesque Rowen above the Conwy Valley.

0:01:41 > 0:01:45Our other walk is in the deep south, beginning in my hometown of Barry

0:01:45 > 0:01:50and going along the coast to finish at Rhoose Point.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54This walk is a trip down memory lane for me.

0:01:54 > 0:01:56This is the house in Barry where I grew up

0:01:56 > 0:02:02and where I first became interested in the weather, during the long, hot summer of 1976.

0:02:02 > 0:02:09But in those days, the furthest I used to walk was up the road to the chippie and back.

0:02:10 > 0:02:14This is the station for Barry Docks, the start of our walk.

0:02:14 > 0:02:20Conveniently, our walk ends at a station further down the line, so you can get the train back.

0:02:20 > 0:02:22What could be easier?

0:02:22 > 0:02:28Barry is located just eight miles south-west of Cardiff on the Glamorgan coast.

0:02:28 > 0:02:33Starting from the railway station, our eight-mile walk takes us past the old docks offices,

0:02:33 > 0:02:37round the end of Barry Docks and onto Barry Island.

0:02:37 > 0:02:43We then follow the coast to Cold Knap, Porthkerry Park and Rhoose Point.

0:02:43 > 0:02:48From there, it's a short stroll up to the station at Rhoose and a train back to the start.

0:02:52 > 0:02:56This used to be my home turf, my family still live here,

0:02:56 > 0:02:59but the place has changed quite a bit over the years.

0:02:59 > 0:03:03Later on in my walk, I'll be meeting one or two locals

0:03:03 > 0:03:07to help plug some of the gaps in my knowledge of a place

0:03:07 > 0:03:10that I still call my real home.

0:03:10 > 0:03:14Right next to the railway station is this striking building,

0:03:14 > 0:03:18the old headquarters of the outstandingly successful Barry Docks and Railway Company,

0:03:18 > 0:03:22which flourished at the beginning of the 20th century.

0:03:22 > 0:03:27Built in 1898, it's now a listed building and home to the Vale Council.

0:03:27 > 0:03:34Out front is a statue, a memorial to a remarkable man who put Barry on the map.

0:03:34 > 0:03:41This is David Davies, holding the plans to Barry Docks, which he built in the 1880s.

0:03:41 > 0:03:46Originally from Montgomeryshire, he was a remarkable man who rose from poverty

0:03:46 > 0:03:52to become one of the leading entrepreneurs of the Industrial Revolution.

0:03:52 > 0:03:54The Richard Branson of his day, Davies built the docks

0:03:54 > 0:03:58to secure an overseas market for his Rhondda coal.

0:03:58 > 0:04:03And by 1913, it was the largest coal exporting port in the world.

0:04:03 > 0:04:06Today, you're lucky if you see a single ship in there.

0:04:10 > 0:04:14The next bit of the walk takes us along the dock,

0:04:14 > 0:04:19once crowded with ships loaded by a growing army of workers.

0:04:19 > 0:04:26In just 30 years, Barry's population grew from 400 to over 40,000.

0:04:26 > 0:04:32Like many old ports these days, the docks have become a development area of modern apartment blocks.

0:04:32 > 0:04:35As they say, it'll be nice when it's finished!

0:04:35 > 0:04:38And let's hope things continue to progress -

0:04:38 > 0:04:41Barry deserves a change of fortune.

0:04:43 > 0:04:48As I head off towards Barry Island, these days it's difficult

0:04:48 > 0:04:51to visualise how it was once an island cut off at high tide.

0:04:51 > 0:04:56Let's wind the clock back and see how I'd be swimming across today

0:04:56 > 0:05:01had David Davies not filled in this land around his docks.

0:05:01 > 0:05:05But they kept the name and that's why it's still called Barry Island.

0:05:07 > 0:05:11And waiting for me on the island is local historian Andy Hinton,

0:05:11 > 0:05:16whose mum, as it happens, used to be one of my teachers in school.

0:05:16 > 0:05:19Here behind the railings is the ruined church of a saint

0:05:19 > 0:05:22whom Barry is actually named after.

0:05:22 > 0:05:24Tell me about St Baruc. Who was he?

0:05:24 > 0:05:28St Baruc was a sixth century Welsh hermit.

0:05:28 > 0:05:30He was a follower of St Cadoc.

0:05:30 > 0:05:33He actually died not far out there,

0:05:33 > 0:05:36between here and the island of Flatholm.

0:05:36 > 0:05:38The body was washed up here on Barry Island.

0:05:38 > 0:05:43Since then the place, especially during the 15th century, has become a place of pilgrimage.

0:05:43 > 0:05:48Thousands of people visiting the island over a period of time.

0:05:48 > 0:05:52Sort of figures they'd like to see it today, around the fairground.

0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Shall we go walking?- Certainly.

0:05:54 > 0:05:56# Do you want to go to the seaside?

0:05:56 > 0:06:01# I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go... #

0:06:01 > 0:06:05If you want to top-up your suntan away from the crowd,

0:06:05 > 0:06:09Jackson's Bay might be the place - a hidden gem of a beach,

0:06:09 > 0:06:13just around the point from the more familiar bit of Barry Island.

0:06:15 > 0:06:19Whitmore Bay, I built a few sandcastles there over the years.

0:06:19 > 0:06:22And just to the right, on Nells Point

0:06:22 > 0:06:25there used to be a big holiday camp.

0:06:25 > 0:06:28# We're all going on a summer holiday... #

0:06:28 > 0:06:32This, of course, was the famous Butlins holiday camp.

0:06:32 > 0:06:34Incredibly popular in the '60s and '70s,

0:06:34 > 0:06:41the camp had over 800 no-frills chalets and could accommodate close to 5,000 holidaymakers.

0:06:41 > 0:06:46It had all the usual Butlins activities and for a time,

0:06:46 > 0:06:50it also boasted the biggest bar in Europe.

0:06:50 > 0:06:53# We've seen it in the movies

0:06:53 > 0:06:57# Now let's see if it's true... #

0:06:57 > 0:07:01I can remember as a child going on the cable car, things like that

0:07:01 > 0:07:06and the roller-skating rink, on top of the shelter on this side of the island.

0:07:06 > 0:07:10- You're showing your age now. - I know. It's terrible.

0:07:10 > 0:07:15In 1986, Butlins changed hands and became the Barry Island Resort.

0:07:15 > 0:07:21But times had changed. The heyday of holiday camps was over and the camp finally closed in 1996.

0:07:21 > 0:07:26Permission was given to construct a housing estate on the headland,

0:07:26 > 0:07:29despite local opposition and sadly,

0:07:29 > 0:07:33what ended up being built isn't to everyone's liking.

0:07:33 > 0:07:36The holiday camp may have gone,

0:07:36 > 0:07:38but Barry Island still has a fine promenade

0:07:38 > 0:07:41and a beach it can be proud of.

0:07:41 > 0:07:45# Tell me tomorrow, I'll wait by the dresser for you... #

0:07:49 > 0:07:53And these days, visitors also come here for another reason.

0:07:53 > 0:07:56What's occurrin' 'ere then?

0:07:56 > 0:08:01It's Marco's Cafe, made popular by the TV programme Gavin and Stacey.

0:08:01 > 0:08:04This is where Stacey handed out the ice creams.

0:08:04 > 0:08:09- Have you got your camera? - I've got my camera.

0:08:10 > 0:08:12There we are.

0:08:12 > 0:08:15Gavin, Stacey and Derek.

0:08:15 > 0:08:17OK, smile!

0:08:17 > 0:08:21# Tell me tomorrow, I'll wait by the dresser for you... #

0:08:22 > 0:08:25I knows a lush ice cream will be tidy, like,

0:08:25 > 0:08:27but we've got a walk to finish.

0:08:27 > 0:08:32We're now heading around to the entrance to a small harbour.

0:08:32 > 0:08:36This is where the fishing boats tied up when Barry was just a village

0:08:36 > 0:08:38and the Island was still an island -

0:08:38 > 0:08:41at least when the tide was in.

0:08:41 > 0:08:44There's the Causeway that links Barry Island to the mainland,

0:08:44 > 0:08:47carrying traffic and the railway as well.

0:08:47 > 0:08:51This is one of the best points where you can appreciate Barry Island as an island.

0:08:51 > 0:08:57You can imagine the effect this would have had on the island, as far as visitors were concerned.

0:08:57 > 0:09:03One August, 1933, they recorded 400,000 visitors to the island on one day.

0:09:03 > 0:09:07You can imagine them cramming across the Causeway, then getting back home at the end of the day.

0:09:07 > 0:09:09It's what the traders would've loved.

0:09:09 > 0:09:12We've got to take this long way round now.

0:09:12 > 0:09:15Yes, the long way round and back down the Causeway.

0:09:18 > 0:09:21# In the summertime, when the weather is high

0:09:21 > 0:09:24# You can stretch right up and touch the sky

0:09:24 > 0:09:25# When the weather's fine

0:09:25 > 0:09:28# You got women, you got women on your mind... #

0:09:28 > 0:09:33When I was a kid, this flat patch of grass was the site of an iconic landmark

0:09:33 > 0:09:37where people came in droves to cool down on a hot day.

0:09:37 > 0:09:40I'm now standing in the deep end of the Lido.

0:09:40 > 0:09:43When I was a youngster, I was too scared to swim here.

0:09:43 > 0:09:45I'd be down at the shallow end.

0:09:45 > 0:09:50The older teenagers would jump off the high board into the water,

0:09:50 > 0:09:54but for me, it was too cold and too deep.

0:09:54 > 0:09:59Today, all that's left is an outline traced by footpaths where the Lido used to be.

0:09:59 > 0:10:02120 yards long and 30 yards wide,

0:10:02 > 0:10:08it was one of the largest open-air pools in Britain and people flocked here.

0:10:08 > 0:10:12I remember days during the school holidays when literally thousands came here.

0:10:12 > 0:10:16It didn't matter how crowded it was, the more the merrier.

0:10:16 > 0:10:19This was the place to be on a sunny day.

0:10:19 > 0:10:24Unfortunately, the pool fell into decline in the '80s

0:10:24 > 0:10:28and despite fierce opposition, with a petition of 15,000 signatures,

0:10:28 > 0:10:32in 1996, the plug was pulled on the Lido.

0:10:32 > 0:10:36It's ta-ra to Andy now and to Barry Town proper,

0:10:36 > 0:10:40as we head out along the coast to Porthkerry Country Park,

0:10:40 > 0:10:44where my guide is waiting for me for the next lap of my walk.

0:10:47 > 0:10:51He may look like Eddie Jordan, but my guide isn't the Formula 1 pundit.

0:10:51 > 0:10:53This is Rob Pritchard,

0:10:53 > 0:10:58who's been head warden at Porthkerry Country Park for nearly 30 years.

0:10:58 > 0:11:02There's not much he doesn't know about park life in Porthkerry,

0:11:02 > 0:11:05or the story behind the name of these steps.

0:11:05 > 0:11:07We're at the top of the Golden Stairs.

0:11:07 > 0:11:09Why are they called that?

0:11:09 > 0:11:12There's a couple of theories, actually.

0:11:12 > 0:11:16My idea is that when the sun is setting and in the autumn

0:11:16 > 0:11:21with the leaves, it gives off a lovely yellow-golden glow.

0:11:21 > 0:11:24- There's another reason, is there? - Erm...

0:11:24 > 0:11:27I've been told that when the steps were made,

0:11:27 > 0:11:31there was a golden sovereign put at the base of one of the steps

0:11:31 > 0:11:35and it's gone down in popular myth that there is gold to be found at these steps.

0:11:35 > 0:11:39Now and again, we get people coming along and having a look.

0:11:39 > 0:11:42- To try and find the gold sovereign? - That's right, yes.

0:11:42 > 0:11:45# Golden brown, texture like sun... #

0:11:45 > 0:11:48I should have brought my metal detector with me!

0:11:48 > 0:11:52The steps lead us down to the open parkland, popular with Barry folk

0:11:52 > 0:11:55for their fix of fresh air for as long as I can remember.

0:12:03 > 0:12:07How long has Porthkerry Park been here?

0:12:07 > 0:12:11It was bought in 1812 by Sir Samuel Romilly,

0:12:11 > 0:12:14who was Master of the Rolls with the government at the time

0:12:14 > 0:12:21and he bought it as a small country estate, which he used as a sort of holiday home.

0:12:21 > 0:12:26And he ran the park as a working farm for over 100 years,

0:12:26 > 0:12:29until he sold it to the local authority in the 1920s.

0:12:29 > 0:12:35I used to come here a lot when I was a kid. I still come here for a picnic.

0:12:35 > 0:12:37You've got everything -

0:12:37 > 0:12:40the pitch and putt, somewhere to kick a football,

0:12:40 > 0:12:44you can go for a walk in the woods and you've got the beach as well.

0:12:47 > 0:12:52And there's the famous iconic structure of Porthkerry Park, the viaduct.

0:12:52 > 0:12:54Tremendous structure.

0:12:54 > 0:12:56Built in late Victorian times

0:12:56 > 0:13:00for bringing coal to the port of Barry from Bridgend.

0:13:00 > 0:13:04Nowadays, coal goes the other way, to Aberthaw power station.

0:13:04 > 0:13:09I'll be catching the train back over the viaduct to Barry Docks later on.

0:13:09 > 0:13:10You'll enjoy it.

0:13:16 > 0:13:20- Who lives in a place like this? - Well, nowadays it's privately owned.

0:13:20 > 0:13:25But when the Romilly family came to the area,

0:13:25 > 0:13:28this is the Georgian mansion that they built.

0:13:28 > 0:13:32- It's actually for sale now. - How much?- 1.5 million to you.

0:13:32 > 0:13:34I'll put an offer in!

0:13:35 > 0:13:39Rob is involved in a survey of the adder population in the park,

0:13:39 > 0:13:44important in keeping an eye on declining numbers of this protected snake,

0:13:44 > 0:13:46so they don't become a threatened species.

0:13:46 > 0:13:49Lift this up gently.

0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Look, there's one.- Three.

0:13:51 > 0:13:56They'll only bite you if you go to pick them up or disturb them.

0:13:56 > 0:14:02You'd have to do something silly. The last fatality in Britain was in 1964.

0:14:02 > 0:14:05That was probably someone who wasn't very well.

0:14:05 > 0:14:08But an adder's bite is venomous and extremely painful.

0:14:08 > 0:14:16So leave well alone and don't disturb them, unless you happen to have the head warden as your guide.

0:14:21 > 0:14:26Leaving Porthkerry Park, we climb up through the woods

0:14:26 > 0:14:29to emerge abruptly at a rounded grassy field.

0:14:29 > 0:14:32It might look a bit like Teletubbie land today,

0:14:32 > 0:14:35but this was the site

0:14:35 > 0:14:39of an important Iron Age hill fort 2,500 years ago.

0:14:39 > 0:14:43Known as the Bulwarks, it was used to defend the fertile land

0:14:43 > 0:14:48from the warring tribes arriving overland from the north.

0:14:48 > 0:14:51These days, people arrive here from the sky,

0:14:51 > 0:14:57touching down next door at today's Cardiff International Airport.

0:14:57 > 0:14:59I don't know whether you know this,

0:14:59 > 0:15:02but this caravan park was used in Gavin and Stacey.

0:15:02 > 0:15:07I think that caravan was where Nessa, Dave and Baby Neil stayed.

0:15:07 > 0:15:10I didn't know that.

0:15:17 > 0:15:22- We're approaching the end of our walk.- Yes, nearly there.

0:15:22 > 0:15:24The southern tip of Wales!

0:15:24 > 0:15:26These dramatic cliffs

0:15:26 > 0:15:30with their layers of deeply eroded limestone and shale

0:15:30 > 0:15:33were formed millions of years ago

0:15:33 > 0:15:36when Wales was submerged beneath the sea.

0:15:36 > 0:15:40Rhoose Point itself is marked by a stone circle.

0:15:41 > 0:15:45Here we are, Rob. We've finally reached Rhoose Point.

0:15:45 > 0:15:50I can now say I've been to the most southerly tip of mainland Wales.

0:15:50 > 0:15:52It's a very special place.

0:15:52 > 0:15:54Thanks very much, Rob, It's been a fantastic walk.

0:15:54 > 0:15:58We could go on for miles down the coast, but I've got a train to catch.

0:15:58 > 0:16:01- See you again.- All the best.

0:16:02 > 0:16:05The slate slab came from a north Wales quarry.

0:16:05 > 0:16:07As a swap, a chunk of Rhoose shale

0:16:07 > 0:16:11was transported to the most northerly point on mainland Wales.

0:16:11 > 0:16:14What a nice idea.

0:16:14 > 0:16:20Doing this walk has made me realise what a special place Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan is.

0:16:20 > 0:16:23I've discovered new places, been reminded of the past

0:16:23 > 0:16:27and I also feel very lucky to have grown up next to the sea.

0:16:29 > 0:16:32If you fancy trying one of the walks from the series,

0:16:32 > 0:16:36go to bbc.co.uk/weathermanwalking

0:16:36 > 0:16:40and take a look at our all-singing, all-dancing website.

0:16:40 > 0:16:43It has everything you need.

0:16:43 > 0:16:47From detailed route information for each walk, as well as photos we took along the way.

0:16:47 > 0:16:52And walking maps for you to print off and follow.

0:16:52 > 0:16:53For our next walk,

0:16:53 > 0:16:57we're heading north to the old quarrying town of Penmaenmawr,

0:16:57 > 0:17:00to follow in the footsteps of a great Welsh socialist.

0:17:02 > 0:17:04Our walk today is a six-mile route

0:17:04 > 0:17:08following in the footsteps of local quarrymen.

0:17:08 > 0:17:12They made this journey twice a day to and from their place of work

0:17:12 > 0:17:17in Penmaenmawr's famous Graig Lwyd quarry about 100 years ago.

0:17:17 > 0:17:22These days, they call it the Huw Tom Walk.

0:17:22 > 0:17:28To give me the low-down on Huw Tom and the walk named after him

0:17:28 > 0:17:30is Sian Williams, my guide for the day.

0:17:30 > 0:17:34Sian works as a countryside access warden and through her work,

0:17:34 > 0:17:40she's been closely involved in establishing a network of fabulous walks in this area.

0:17:44 > 0:17:47We might be setting off from Penmaenmawr,

0:17:47 > 0:17:49but I'm meeting my guide, Sian,

0:17:49 > 0:17:51at a place that suggests we're in North America

0:17:51 > 0:17:53rather than north Wales.

0:17:54 > 0:17:59- Nice to meet you.- You too. - We're going this way?- We are, yes.

0:17:59 > 0:18:01So why are these called New York Cottages?

0:18:01 > 0:18:04They were built for the men that worked in the quarry,

0:18:04 > 0:18:07but there was a slump in the work at one point

0:18:07 > 0:18:11and a lot of the workers were going to America to look for work

0:18:11 > 0:18:13and the builder was worried he wouldn't fill them.

0:18:13 > 0:18:17Somebody suggested - why don't you call them New York Cottages?

0:18:17 > 0:18:20Not quite the explanation I was expecting.

0:18:20 > 0:18:23Just a jokey remark by a wag with an ironic sense of humour.

0:18:23 > 0:18:29Penmaenmawr lies between Bangor and Conwy, on the north Wales coast.

0:18:29 > 0:18:31From the New York Cottages,

0:18:31 > 0:18:34our walk rises steeply to the crest of the coastal ridge

0:18:34 > 0:18:36and meanders across the foothills

0:18:36 > 0:18:40of Snowdonia's Carneddau Mountains towards the Conwy Valley to reach,

0:18:40 > 0:18:45after six miles of walking, the charming village of Rowen.

0:18:45 > 0:18:51And to get you home, there's a regular bus service via Conwy back to the start.

0:18:51 > 0:18:54Before the 1830s, there were only a few farms here,

0:18:54 > 0:18:58but when the quarries opened and with the coming of the railway

0:18:58 > 0:19:02and tourism in Victorian times,

0:19:02 > 0:19:07the population shot up from around 200 to 4,000 in just 20 years.

0:19:07 > 0:19:11And perched on the hillside above the town is the old quarry clock.

0:19:11 > 0:19:15It's been marking time here for the past 80 years.

0:19:15 > 0:19:17And yes, it does still work.

0:19:17 > 0:19:19A nice little street, Sian.

0:19:19 > 0:19:22Yes. This is one of the streets where we've got housing

0:19:22 > 0:19:25built for the men that worked in the quarries and their families.

0:19:25 > 0:19:29We can see the quarry just behind where they worked.

0:19:29 > 0:19:33This is the accommodation created for the workers,

0:19:33 > 0:19:36around 1895, something like that.

0:19:36 > 0:19:38The houses were also described as palaces

0:19:38 > 0:19:41compared to what they lived in before.

0:19:41 > 0:19:44- They're still nice to live in now. - They are.

0:19:44 > 0:19:47They're built of granite, they've got character

0:19:47 > 0:19:51and we think the slate was from the Penrhyn Quarry over in Bethesda.

0:19:51 > 0:19:54They're very local and characteristic.

0:19:54 > 0:19:56- Shall we carry on up the hill? - Yep, great.

0:20:05 > 0:20:08A lovely view of the town from here.

0:20:08 > 0:20:13Yes, it might be worth us stopping here to have a look.

0:20:13 > 0:20:20Down below us, past the original Victorian resort of Penmaenmawr

0:20:20 > 0:20:23one famous person that stayed here was Gladstone,

0:20:23 > 0:20:28who was the prime minister of Britain during Victorian times.

0:20:28 > 0:20:32- He actually came here 11 times to stay.- 11 times?!

0:20:32 > 0:20:35- It must have been a good B&B! - It definitely was!

0:20:43 > 0:20:46And just up here, we have Graig Lwyd Farm,

0:20:46 > 0:20:49one of the oldest houses in Penmaenmawr.

0:20:49 > 0:20:54If we just turn round, I don't know if you can spot the quarry clock?

0:20:54 > 0:20:58That clock was there to keep the workmen on time

0:20:58 > 0:21:00and it was also a good beacon

0:21:00 > 0:21:04for the boats that were coming into the jetties in Penmaenmawr,

0:21:04 > 0:21:09they could see it as a landmark that they were at Penmaenmawr.

0:21:09 > 0:21:12It seems to be keeping good time after all these years.

0:21:12 > 0:21:16- But we're not, so we'd better crack on.- Right, great.

0:21:16 > 0:21:18Amazingly, over the years,

0:21:18 > 0:21:23quarrying has reduced the height of Penmaenmawr Mountain by around 400ft

0:21:23 > 0:21:28and unfortunately, consumed a prehistoric hill fort in the process.

0:21:28 > 0:21:32- The path's disappeared. We're not lost, are we?- Not at all.

0:21:32 > 0:21:37We're just heading straight ahead. We'll come out by the Jubilee Path.

0:21:39 > 0:21:41The view's getting even better now.

0:21:41 > 0:21:44You can see right across to Anglesey.

0:21:47 > 0:21:51This pillar marks the start of the Jubilee Path,

0:21:51 > 0:21:57built to commemorate the 1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

0:21:57 > 0:22:02The flat circular walk around the rounded hill of Foel Lys

0:22:02 > 0:22:08was created so that the Victorians could enjoy a not too strenuous stroll with a terrific view.

0:22:10 > 0:22:12This path goes right round this hill

0:22:12 > 0:22:16with stunning panoramic views in almost all directions.

0:22:16 > 0:22:22Yes, it really is quite a spectacular path and a resource for Penmaenmawr.

0:22:22 > 0:22:25It's worth going along but we're not going that way today.

0:22:25 > 0:22:26Definitely worth going.

0:22:26 > 0:22:29It'll probably take an hour at the most to walk,

0:22:29 > 0:22:31but we're going to head off this way today.

0:22:38 > 0:22:44- This path we're on is called the Huw Tom Trail.- Yes.- Who's Huw?

0:22:44 > 0:22:48Huw Tom worked in the quarries in Penmaenmawr

0:22:48 > 0:22:51from about the age of ten onwards.

0:22:51 > 0:22:53so, very humble beginnings.

0:22:53 > 0:22:56But through his influence on Welsh life and politics,

0:22:56 > 0:23:01he came to be known by some as the unofficial prime minister of Wales.

0:23:01 > 0:23:07That's amazing that he went on to become such a prominent figure

0:23:07 > 0:23:11- from such a humble background. - Yes, it's a story worth telling.

0:23:11 > 0:23:15And here, we're walking along the path he would have taken,

0:23:15 > 0:23:19walking every morning and evening and in the middle,

0:23:19 > 0:23:23he would have done at least an eight hour shift at the quarry.

0:23:23 > 0:23:28- It goes to show anything is possible if you put your mind to it. - Definitely.

0:23:32 > 0:23:34The landscape has really changed now.

0:23:34 > 0:23:40We've left the town behind and we're into open countryside.

0:23:40 > 0:23:43This is Tal Y Fan, the start of the Carneddau range of mountains.

0:23:43 > 0:23:47We'll be heading in that direction, towards the Conwy Valley.

0:23:52 > 0:23:54Nice little bridge.

0:24:00 > 0:24:04- So what's the name of this river? - This is the Afon Gyrach.

0:24:04 > 0:24:07- What does that mean? - We're in the area called Waun Gyrach.

0:24:07 > 0:24:12Waun meaning moor and then gyrach,

0:24:12 > 0:24:15either it comes from the Irish word meaning a swamp,

0:24:15 > 0:24:18there were Irish people in the area,

0:24:18 > 0:24:23or it could come from the Welsh word "gwrach", which means witch.

0:24:23 > 0:24:26I can imagine this place being really spooky when it's foggy.

0:24:26 > 0:24:29Definitely, yes!

0:24:35 > 0:24:40Crossing this high plateau is a bit like being on top of the world.

0:24:40 > 0:24:43Having left the hubbub of life on the coastal strip behind,

0:24:43 > 0:24:47it feels like you could just keep on walking.

0:24:49 > 0:24:53Oh, wow! That's amazing! Just look at that!

0:24:53 > 0:24:56- We can see for miles! - Isn't it a fantastic view?

0:24:56 > 0:24:58We can see the River Conwy.

0:24:58 > 0:25:03- Yes, we can and then coming round this way...- A few settlements.

0:25:03 > 0:25:07Yes, and we're looking over to Llangelynin Church as well,

0:25:07 > 0:25:11- which you have to walk to to get to. - That's what we want!

0:25:11 > 0:25:16- We don't want people driving, we want people walking.- Definitely.

0:25:20 > 0:25:26Just to our left, we have an example of a tyddyn, which is a smallholding.

0:25:26 > 0:25:28Farmers used to live in these old buildings

0:25:28 > 0:25:32and now they're in the valley where the climate is more kind.

0:25:32 > 0:25:36There's definitely a bigger population down there today.

0:25:36 > 0:25:40- I wouldn't mind living in there. - The views are fantastic.

0:25:40 > 0:25:44We've got Conwy Castle in the background

0:25:44 > 0:25:48and looking over towards Llandudno, Colwyn Bay as well.

0:25:48 > 0:25:51So when Huw Tom walked this route to work,

0:25:51 > 0:25:55there would have been a close-knit community of smallholders

0:25:55 > 0:25:58and their families here, but like so many of them,

0:25:58 > 0:26:01he was soon to leave this life behind.

0:26:01 > 0:26:04Becoming involved in the quarry's trade union

0:26:04 > 0:26:08was the spark that ignited a distinguished career

0:26:08 > 0:26:11as a leader of many national organisations -

0:26:11 > 0:26:14a highly respected mover and shaker in Welsh life.

0:26:16 > 0:26:21And this is where it all began, his birthplace of Pen y Ffrith Farm.

0:26:21 > 0:26:26Can you imagine living up here, walking all the way over the hill to work,

0:26:26 > 0:26:29doing a day's work and coming back again, tired,

0:26:29 > 0:26:32it's pouring with rain, you're starving...

0:26:32 > 0:26:36- It was a hard life. - Yes, I think it was quite harsh.

0:26:36 > 0:26:37We're looking at it today

0:26:37 > 0:26:41and thinking wow, fantastic views, what a lovely place!

0:26:41 > 0:26:46It definitely is that, but to work in this environment would have been quite hard.

0:26:47 > 0:26:52My admiration for Huw Tom has grown with every step we've taken today.

0:26:54 > 0:26:58We now head downhill and further back in time,

0:26:58 > 0:27:01about 5,500 years in fact, as we pass a Neolithic burial chamber

0:27:01 > 0:27:06called Maen Y Bardd, the Rock of the Bard.

0:27:06 > 0:27:09It's a bit of a mystery who the poet might have been,

0:27:09 > 0:27:11but as burial sites go,

0:27:11 > 0:27:14it's not a bad spot for your last resting place.

0:27:26 > 0:27:29The end of our walk is the pretty little village of Rowen.

0:27:29 > 0:27:34Here in the village is where a memorial stone to Huw Tom has been erected.

0:27:34 > 0:27:36It pays tribute to the local lad,

0:27:36 > 0:27:39born in the farm overlooking the village,

0:27:39 > 0:27:43not only for his achievements in public and political life,

0:27:43 > 0:27:45but also for his writing.

0:27:47 > 0:27:49He wrote his own autobiographies,

0:27:49 > 0:27:54he wrote poetry and he also wrote articles for newspapers.

0:27:54 > 0:27:56So, quite a lot really.

0:27:56 > 0:28:01For the whole of his life, he was awarded a knighthood,

0:28:01 > 0:28:03but in true character to him,

0:28:03 > 0:28:06he was uncomfortable with that and actually declined it.

0:28:06 > 0:28:12- So, as a true socialist, he did all this not for himself, but for the greater good.- Yes.

0:28:12 > 0:28:17I think it's quite a nice memorial, the wording on it suits him down to the ground.

0:28:17 > 0:28:22"Huw T. Edwards, Hewn from the rock."

0:28:22 > 0:28:27- So he never became Sir Huw Tom? - No, no. Just Huw Tom Edwards.

0:28:27 > 0:28:32- We've got a bus to catch back to Penmaenmawr, so let's go.- OK, great.

0:28:35 > 0:28:38# A working class hero is something to be

0:28:42 > 0:28:45# If you want to be a hero, well just follow me... #

0:28:49 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:28:51 > 0:28:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk