0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's official - it's the closest thing to perfect exercise,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07it lifts your mood, helps you sleep and it's free.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Bore da! Good morning!
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Oh, and it's sociable. Let's go for a walk.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Are you ready?
0:00:59 > 0:01:03In this programme, we've got two smashing walks
0:01:03 > 0:01:05as different as chalk and cheese -
0:01:05 > 0:01:08one up north, inland with plenty of ups and downs,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12the other in the south, along the coast, and on the flat.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18So, later in the programme we'll be walking beside the Loughor estuary,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20near Llanelli, though I'm not sure
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I'll be able to keep up with one of my guides.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But first we're in the shadow of Snowdon, Wales's highest peak,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30following in the footsteps of quarrymen.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Most people who come to Llanberis head off to the summit of Snowdon,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39either by foot or by train,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42but I'm going thataway for a journey back in time.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48My guide today is former Welsh language
0:01:48 > 0:01:50punk revolutionary Rhys Mwyn.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54But don't worry, I'm told he's calmed down a bit recently.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56He's still involved with music, but these days
0:01:56 > 0:01:59he's also gone back to his other passion
0:01:59 > 0:02:02for Welsh history and archaeology - working as a tour guide,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05showing people the highlights of historic Wales.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Today he's my own personal tour guide, here to lead me
0:02:11 > 0:02:14through this dramatic landscape and the story of slate.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15- Shall we go?- Let's go.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Just seven miles inland from Caernarfon and the coast,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23our walk starts in the centre
0:02:23 > 0:02:25of the popular tourist town of Llanberis.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28We call in on Dolbadarn Castle
0:02:28 > 0:02:30before heading for the Vivian Quarry,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32then on to the old quarry hospital,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and up through the woods
0:02:34 > 0:02:36of Padarn Country Park.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Above the tree line, we head into
0:02:38 > 0:02:40the impressive old Dinorwic quarry,
0:02:40 > 0:02:41then down disused inclines
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and quarrymen's paths back to the start.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46A compact four-miler,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48but quite a steep up and down.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Right, we're going to turn up here, Derek,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55show you something that people quite often miss in this area.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57So we'll go down here.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01'Mention North Wales and you may well think of quarries and castles -
0:03:01 > 0:03:04'one of the world-famous Norman castles along the coast, perhaps.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06'But here in Llanberis,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'we have a little gem of a castle that's home-grown.'
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Oh, wow. It's not Caernarfon Castle,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14but it's still very impressive, isn't it?
0:03:14 > 0:03:15It is.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20'But unlike Caernarfon Castle, you don't have to pay to go in.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:23What we have here is Llywelyn the Great.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26He's the Welsh prince of all Wales,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and he's mimicking the round tower of Pembroke Castle,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32so in effect, you've got a statement here, haven't you?
0:03:32 > 0:03:34"I'm the Prince of Wales, here's my castle,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37"and you are under my control." It's brilliant.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Well, they say it's all about location, location, location,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and this certainly has it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Absolutely...you know, you have stunning views
0:03:46 > 0:03:49over Llyn Padarn, Dinorwic Quarry.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55The castle's built in the valley, in the pass, Nant Peris,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58so it's strategic in the sense
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Llywelyn was controlling access to and from Snowdonia.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So what happened to the castle once Llywelyn the Great had passed on?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Well, his brother Dafydd carries on the rebellion for a few months,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11but in the end, this is captured by the English,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the forces of Edward I, and of course,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16he establishes his castle in Caernarfon,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20so once Caernarfon's established, this is really the end of Dolbadarn.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The story of Dolbadarn comes to an end.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So we're coming up to the National Slate Museum now.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I've been here before and it's well worth a visit.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41It is indeed, and it's the site of Gilfach Ddu, the old workshops,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45and Dinorwic Quarry was completely self-sufficient,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48so the lads working here in the workshops produced everything
0:04:48 > 0:04:53from the trains to the tracks, everything done here. Superb.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And it's been left pretty well as it was.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Closed in 1969, the museum opens in the early '70s.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04They were in early enough to preserve things, and they've just been left.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It does have that feel that people finished work,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10whatever the date was in 1969, and they've left things.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It's in effect what you could call a time capsule, isn't it,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17that you step back in time as it would have been.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Right, then. Before we go up into the woods,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24we'll just take a detour into the Vivian Quarry, the old quarry here.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's like another world in here.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34It is, and you'll notice now that the quarry's filled with water,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37which is what happens if you don't pump the water out.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Streams run in here.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- So it's a bit different now to what it used to be like?- Well, it is.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45If you got back 100 years, you can imagine people hanging on ropes
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and they used to tie one rope round the legs
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and hang in there loosening stone, and the noise and the sounds
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and the dust must have been a sight, you know.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59But they're still climbing here, interestingly enough,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02not to quarry but for pleasure. And of course, the other thing here,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04because they've stopped draining the site,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05people now come here to dive,
0:06:05 > 0:06:11so the slate quarry has become an outdoor activity area.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26OK, so we've got Llyn Padarn here, Lake Padarn, obviously,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and what we have here which is exceptional is the Arctic char,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34a rare fish, and it's a leftover from the Ice Age
0:06:34 > 0:06:37that has been stranded here in the lakes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- And it's quite rare in this part of the world.- It is in Britain,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and there have been concerns recently
0:06:43 > 0:06:46about the future of the Arctic char, and what they've done,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49they've created reserves in other lakes in Snowdonia and collected
0:06:49 > 0:06:53the eggs so at least then there's a future, cos obviously it'd be
0:06:53 > 0:06:56a great shame if we lost this unique fish from this lake.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The path now leads across a footbridge
0:07:06 > 0:07:07over the lakeside railway.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10At one time it carried slates down to ships
0:07:10 > 0:07:12in the Menai Straits at Port Dinorwig,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16to be exported all over the globe - to "roof the world".
0:07:16 > 0:07:20These days, it carries tourists down to the end of the lake and back.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27'And next stop on our walk is another fascinating time capsule.'
0:07:27 > 0:07:31So here we are, Derek, Ysbyty Chwarel, the quarry hospital.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Built in 1860 and really designed
0:07:35 > 0:07:38to get the workers back to work as soon as possible.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46If we take you into this first room on the right here...
0:07:47 > 0:07:50'Despite some of the gruesome and primitive-looking equipment
0:07:50 > 0:07:52'used to treat some horrific injuries -
0:07:52 > 0:07:56'many involving broken or crushed limbs and amputations -
0:07:56 > 0:08:01'in its day, the hospital was quite advanced.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'This early X-ray machine was used here
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'soon after its invention in Germany.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:08And this is one of the wards?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Yes, I think this brings it to life, you know.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The quarrymen paid a sous,
0:08:13 > 0:08:18a shilling from their wages every month towards hospital costs,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and this is obviously before 1948,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23before we had the National Health Service.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Very, very atmospheric place,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and you can still smell the hospital smell.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It still smells like a hospital, oddly enough, doesn't it?
0:08:39 > 0:08:40Nice bit of woodland here.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46It is. What we have here is an ancient woodland of native trees.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48It's well known for its Sessile Oaks.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53So what's a Sessile Oak?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Well, this is a form of oak.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Stunted oak, a smaller oak that grows in areas of poor soil.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02What we've got here, really,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05are the remnants of the Royal Forest of Gwynedd,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08so you're going back to the same period as Dolbadarn Castle,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12the time of Llywelyn, when they had these forests for hunting.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19It's a rare thing these days, an unspoilt natural wood,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and it's lucky in a way,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25the side of the hill was too steep for clearances for sheep farming.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Must be nice to come here in the autumn
0:09:31 > 0:09:32when the colours are changing.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Stunning, of course.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Stunning.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It's amazing, isn't it, Rhys,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52the sheer size of all that waste slate?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It is. One of the things with slate quarrying,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58it's somewhere in the region of 80 to 90% waste.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00In its day, in the 1880s,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04this was the second largest quarry in the world,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07second only to Penrhyn Quarry, which is literally over the mountain,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12and it was producing 100,000 tonnes of slate for roofs
0:10:12 > 0:10:17and employing 3,000 people, so the scale of it is immense.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Amazing view now, Rhys, and that's what I love about the north,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32the sheer size of the mountains.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36They're like the backbone of the country. You can't beat it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42We're now in the heart of the old quarry,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46but a safe and level track leads to a fabulous viewing point.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49And from here, we can just about see the summit of Snowdon
0:10:49 > 0:10:51peeping through a gap in the cloud.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Well, you can see just about everything from up here.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57Including the castle.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Including our Dolbadarn Castle.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02It's almost as good as an aerial view, isn't it?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05And just visible down by the lake
0:11:05 > 0:11:08is the entrance to the underground hydro-electric power station,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11also known as Electric Mountain.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15It's the largest man-made cavern in Europe,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and it's used at peak times. The idea is,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21water's dropped down from Llyn Marchlyn above
0:11:21 > 0:11:24down to Llyn Peris here, turns the turbines,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28and the joke is that it supplies people with electricity...
0:11:28 > 0:11:30You know the times when you've got the FA Cup final
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and everybody has a cup of tea at half-time...
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- There's a big surge? - There's a surge.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36And that's what this supplies.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42What we should do is have a little chair and picnic table up here
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and just stay here a couple of hours and enjoy the views.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52As we leave the viewpoint heading for a path down an old incline,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56the sight of this massive quarry in front of us is breath-taking.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00It does feel as if we're walking through history here.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03What we have here, Derek, now,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05is part of the system of the inclines,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09obviously bringing the slate down from the higher levels,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11down to the mills at the bottom,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and we'll see as we walk down parts of the old tramway.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It does feel like it's towering above us, doesn't it?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28As long as it doesn't all come crashing down.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33So we're coming through one of the drumhouses on the incline.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Surprising how quickly things deteriorate, really, isn't it?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42With a workforce in the quarry of over 3,000 men at one time,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46of course not all of them were locals and so they needed lodgings.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49You get people from places like Brynsiencyn
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and Llangristiolus coming here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55So they're commonly known as the Anglesey barracks.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58They've come here early on a Monday morning,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00worked throughout the week
0:13:00 > 0:13:02and then leave at lunchtime on Saturday,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04so they don't have much of a home life,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and the incredible thing here is four to a house.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10There are 22 cottages here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13There's something special about the cottages, isn't there?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Well, you're looking at people's homes, aren't you?
0:13:16 > 0:13:18That's what you're looking at.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22They came here after long days, cold, wet.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25They do have fireplaces, so they had at least
0:13:25 > 0:13:27a chance of drying their clothes before the next day.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29It was a tough life.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36After a surprise visit by the local Public Health Inspector in 1948,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the barracks were condemned as unfit for human habitation.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44After that, the Anglesey quarrymen became commuters,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46travelling by bus each day.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Well, Rhys, thanks very much. Not far to go now.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52It's been a pleasure, Derek.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Diolch yn fawr iawn.- Croeso.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Well, there we are.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I'm glad I didn't go up Snowdon today along with
0:13:58 > 0:14:00all the other tourists.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I definitely made the right choice in following
0:14:02 > 0:14:04in the footsteps of the quarrymen.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07It's been fascinating, and I fully recommend it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13And if you fancy trying this,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15or one of the other walks from the series,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20go to bbc.co.uk/weathermanwalking
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and take a look at our interactive website.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It has everything you need,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27from detailed route information for each walk,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30as well as photographs we took along the way,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and walking maps for you to print off and follow.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38For the next walk in this programme, we head south and west
0:14:38 > 0:14:41for a much flatter walk through the Millennium Coastal Park
0:14:41 > 0:14:42near Llanelli.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I've got a lengthy stretch of coastline to cover,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and along the way I'll be meeting up with some locals
0:14:51 > 0:14:55to share their knowledge of this much-changed landscape...
0:14:55 > 0:14:56..so I'd better get a move on.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01So here we are, on a stretch of the Carmarthenshire coast
0:15:01 > 0:15:04near Llanelli. Starting from the Bynea car park,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07a footbridge takes us straight down to the edge of the Loughor estuary,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11on past the Wetland Centre and the Machynys Peninsula,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14to reach the halfway point at North Dock Visitor Centre.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Then on through Sandy Water Park, and just beyond Burry Port harbour,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20the end of our walk.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24A flat 11-miler with a regular bus service back to the start.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33It's difficult to believe that just 15 minutes from the M4 motorway,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and I'm surrounded by rural countryside on the one side
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and a stunning coastline on the other.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43And almost immediately the path leads down to the water's edge,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47with views across to North Gower and the town of Penclawdd,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49famous for its cockles.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55This is a far cry from what much of this area looked like
0:15:55 > 0:15:58at the height of its industrial past.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02For nearly 200 years the tall chimneys of steel,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06copper and tinworks dominated the North Loughor skyline.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13A little further along the path is the National Wetland Centre,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16where I'm due to meet up with my first guide of the day.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Nigel Williams has worked here since the centre first opened
0:16:19 > 0:16:25more than 20 years ago, first as a volunteer and now as the boss.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- Hello, Nigel.- Hello, how are you? All right? Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33'Now it would be great to spend a few hours in the centre,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'but I've got about 10 miles to go, so we'd better keep trucking.'
0:16:41 > 0:16:43So what's that building behind us?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Nothing to do with the Wetland Centre?
0:16:45 > 0:16:49No, no, that's the Trostre Steelworks, the last link with tin
0:16:49 > 0:16:53or steel for the town, really. We'll see some other parts of
0:16:53 > 0:16:57our industrial sites as we go along the walk.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59So it doesn't put off the birds and wildlife then?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Not at all, no. And in fact, in the evenings, it's actually because
0:17:03 > 0:17:06it's lit up at the side of the building there,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09it actually does help to draw in birds to the reserve, really,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11so it can be an advantage, yeah.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'Along this section, the path runs behind and below the sea wall,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'but here and there are places where you can climb up to take a look
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'at the estuary, and at the right time of the year,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27'tens of thousands of migrating wildfowl and wading birds.'
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So what's special? What's unique about this area?
0:17:30 > 0:17:34This area is really one of the last remaining salt marsh areas
0:17:34 > 0:17:36on the north shore of the inlet.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It's of outstanding national importance really. One, the habitat,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44and two, its bird numbers and its bird populations, in particular
0:17:44 > 0:17:47because we get up to 50,000 birds that actually spend their winter
0:17:47 > 0:17:50on the entire estuary, which is an awful lot of birds.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52So why do they choose to come here specifically?
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It's usually cold weather in the winter because they come through
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Siberia, a lot of the birds, and the colder it gets,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00the further west they come.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The colder it is, we enjoy lots more birds at this particular stretch
0:18:03 > 0:18:06of Southwest Wales, really.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10So winter is the best time to come here, to come bird-spotting?
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Absolutely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17'Legend has it that, during the sixth century, there was a splendid
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'monastery on an island somewhere near here.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22'The island was called Mynach Ynys,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'which means Monk's Island in Welsh.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29'Then, in the 1800s, the island became part of the mainland
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'when they reclaimed some of the estuary as land for heavy industry.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37'But the island lives on in this area's name today -
0:18:37 > 0:18:39'that's Mach Ynys Golf Course over there.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:46That's an amazing view, Nigel.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Looking right up the Loughor estuary.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51So what exactly are we looking at here?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53What we can see, looking out towards the mouth of estuary,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56is Whitford Burrows off to the left.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58You can see, just about, the Whitford lighthouse
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- that you see on the horizon. - Been there!- Yes!
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And just across from there you can see the Pembrey Sands,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07the start of, and then moving across Burry Port and back around
0:19:07 > 0:19:10to the town of Llanelli, back off to the right here.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- It's lovely, isn't it?- Beautiful. My favourite part of the walk, this.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- And you can feel the sea breeze today.- Yeah, yeah.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21There's a bench here, Nigel,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23with Bwlch y Gwynt on it - Windy Gap.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Yes, and this is to commemorate the lost village, really,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30the village that used to lie here, beyond this here,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and this is a little plaque just to commemorate that, really.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36"Near to this site stood the lost village and community
0:19:36 > 0:19:39"of Bwlch y Gwynt, 1880-1973."
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Yes, so here there would've been a community and lots of heavy
0:19:44 > 0:19:46plant factories, big employers.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'Despite opposition, the residents lost their homes
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'when they were demolished in the 1970s
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'and they were rehoused in other parts of Llanelli.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'I wonder what they'd make of the executive homes
0:19:59 > 0:20:01'just around the point today.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06'As we continue around this landscaped
0:20:06 > 0:20:10'and redeveloped old industrial and dockland area,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13'our route leads us beside a silted-up old shipping channel.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This area is the channel that leads up to North Dock area
0:20:19 > 0:20:24just behind us here. And this, at one time, would have been quite a deep
0:20:24 > 0:20:28and a wide channel that would have taken large boats and ships
0:20:28 > 0:20:33at one time up along here. But when I was a young lad back in the '70s
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I was in the Sea Cadets, so I used to spend a lot of time here,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and at that time there was a naval ship that was doing a survey
0:20:39 > 0:20:43of the estuary then and they said that in 30 years or so that this will
0:20:43 > 0:20:47be like a bowling green, and it's something we never believed but now.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- They were right.- Yes!
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- You wouldn't get very far today. You'd get stuck in mud.- Yes!
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'After crossing the bridge over the North Dock entrance,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'I say cheerio to Nigel
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'and head off to meet up with my guide for the next bit of the walk.'
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Based here at Parc y Scarlets Stadium,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Lisa Pudner works with Disability Sport Wales and goes out
0:21:13 > 0:21:16to schools in Carmarthenshire to share her experiences
0:21:16 > 0:21:21as a Paralympian who competed in the Sydney 2000 Games,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23coming 4th in the power lifting.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Lisa often used the coast path when training
0:21:29 > 0:21:34and these days still regularly uses it to walk her Heinz 57 dog.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Hello, Lisa. - Hiya, Derek, how are you?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Nice to meet you.- Thank you. - And who's your friend?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- This is Jazz, my rescue dog. - Lovely, isn't he?- Yes.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- Shall we go?- Yes, off we go. Come on then.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49So why's it called Sandy Water Park?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51VOICES FADE
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Well, I knew Llanelli was the town of the saucepan
0:21:55 > 0:21:59with its steel and tinworks, but I wasn't expecting this.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Yes, it's been hidden behind the industrial units and now,
0:22:02 > 0:22:07since the millennium, it's been opened for the public as a right of way
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and it's traffic-free.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13And you come down here most days, taking Jazz for a walk?
0:22:13 > 0:22:18Yes, and we meet at a dog walkers' and have a lot of fun and exercise
0:22:18 > 0:22:19at the same time.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23So you work for Disability Sport Wales. Places like this
0:22:23 > 0:22:25must really help you in your work.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Yes, as you say, the Carmarthenshire Leisure Division
0:22:29 > 0:22:32is "More people, more active, more often."
0:22:32 > 0:22:36So, whatever ability, you could use different parts of the path
0:22:36 > 0:22:42for leisure or serious training, whatever you feel fit,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44or just have a look at the views.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48'We now have a bit of a climb to take a look at Sandy Water Park,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52'whose transformation from industrial dereliction to a green
0:22:52 > 0:22:56'and watery Teletubbie land was the catalyst for the creation
0:22:56 > 0:22:59'of the whole 13-mile long Coastal Park.'
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Here we are, Derek, at the glorious Sandy Water Park.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08- We made it!- We made it. And, as you can see, the Gorsedd Stones
0:23:08 > 0:23:12or the Eisteddfod, which was held here in the millennium, in 2000.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17And across there is the Eisteddfod Festival Fields,
0:23:17 > 0:23:18where the concerts were held.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Of course, it never used to look like this, did it?
0:23:21 > 0:23:24No, here until 1980 was the Duport Steelworks,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27so there used to be billowing smoke everywhere
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and people didn't used to come here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33So, since the millennium, it's been right of way then
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and people can access it and have leisure and recreation
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and see the wonderful wildlife.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Thank you very much, Lisa, for bringing me this far.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I've got to hurry up now and meet my next guide.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Thank you very much, Derek, you're welcome.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- Take care.- Bye.- Bye, Jazz.- Bye.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56And my guide for the next part of the walk is Richie Powell
0:23:56 > 0:24:00from Ffos Las, a few miles outside Llanelli.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Richie is a world-class wheelchair athlete who's been racing
0:24:04 > 0:24:06for over 20 years.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08'He trains along this stretch of the Coastal Park
0:24:08 > 0:24:12'up to five days a week, come rain or shine.'
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- Right, so going this way, towards Burry Port.- Yep.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- It's about a mile and a half. - Not too far then.- Not too far.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- Shall we get going?- Yep.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- It's a lovely day for it.- Oh, it's wonderful. Absolutely glorious.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So, Richie, what makes this path special for you?
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Well, apart from the climate, the weather's pretty good
0:24:31 > 0:24:35all year round. The path itself, in its structure, is very smooth,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38very flat. It's very wide as well for a cycle path.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Most cycle paths I see around the country are quite narrow,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43so you can only fit a couple of bikes side by side.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47But this is more like a road, and because we're so close to the sea
0:24:47 > 0:24:50there's a lot of headwind, which you don't get inland.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53So I'm constantly training against the elements as well
0:24:53 > 0:24:57so I find I'm a lot stronger than most of the other athletes competing.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07We're not too far from Gower just over there but you don't have to go
0:25:07 > 0:25:11that far, do you, to come across a wonderful beach?
0:25:11 > 0:25:15No, Derek. Burry Port wasn't really renowned for having a beach
0:25:15 > 0:25:19but the last couple of years, the tide has shifted quite heavily here
0:25:19 > 0:25:23and deposited quite a lot of sand on the front of Burry Port harbour
0:25:23 > 0:25:29and down the coastline in front of us, and it's just all really nice,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32soft sand out there at the moment and the place has totally changed.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- Big pond here, can you go fishing?- Yeah.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Actually, all the lakes and the ponds on the side of the cycle path
0:25:44 > 0:25:47all the way up you can see are run by Llanelli Angling Club,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51so if you want to come down and fish you just get in contact with the club
0:25:51 > 0:25:55or the local tackle shop and you can fish any one of them.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I actually fished the World Championships in 2001
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- on the lake down the bottom. - Did you win?
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- I won on the second day.- Is there nothing you're not good at?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20'Burry Port harbour was built
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'to export coal mined in the nearby valleys.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27'These days it's a modern marina for yachts and fishing boats.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- Nice little harbour, Richie. - Yeah, it's wonderful, isn't it?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33You've still got the original lighthouse over there,
0:26:33 > 0:26:38which was built in 1842 for the costly sum of £32, I think it was.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40But the marina itself, I think,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43has brought a lot of business to Burry Port town itself
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and it's very picturesque as well, it's a lovely place to be.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Right, where to next?- We've got to move round the other side -
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- I've got something special to show you.- Sounds intriguing.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I've brought you to the other side of the harbour to... If you look
0:27:09 > 0:27:12on the floor here, as you can see it's in commemoration
0:27:12 > 0:27:14of Amelia Earhart.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19Amelia came over from America, she was a passenger in a sea plane
0:27:19 > 0:27:23that landed just off the coastline in the Burry estuary over there.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And at the time, which was 1928,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29she was the first woman ever to do such a feat.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And she got very famous in America
0:27:32 > 0:27:36and obviously it's a famous story for the locals around here as well.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40'A few years later she flew across the Atlantic again, solo,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42'and became an American icon.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:47It is an amazing story and it certainly put Burry Port on the map.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48It certainly did.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54'Just a bit further on is Richie's regular snack stop
0:27:54 > 0:27:58'after a hard day's training - and how could I resist?
0:27:58 > 0:28:02'I must've burnt off a few calories on my walk today.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05'And this is also where I say cheerio to Richie
0:28:05 > 0:28:07'and head off towards the end of my walk.'
0:28:08 > 0:28:13And what a great place to finish, at Pembrey Old Harbour
0:28:13 > 0:28:17with a cracking view back up the inlet to Llanelli,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Machynys and beyond.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Well, there we are.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29What a fascinating walk through a landscape of change
0:28:29 > 0:28:33and transformation, packed into an 11-mile stretch of beautiful
0:28:33 > 0:28:34and accessible coast.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39The path continues on to Pembrey, Cefn Sedan and beyond.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41But I think I'll leave that for another day.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd