0:00:02 > 0:00:05Sea, sand and sunshine. But what's missing?
0:00:05 > 0:00:10A super stroll and somewhere where they make home-made chocolate.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14And that's it for today. I'm off!
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Here we are in sunny west Wales for another two wonderful walks,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41ONE done by the sea - in fact, surrounded by the sea,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45the other up in the hills with an iconic castle as its centrepiece.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49So later in the programme,
0:00:49 > 0:00:54we'll be heading on a circular walk around Carreg Cennen castle
0:00:54 > 0:00:59but first, we're heading for Caldey, a beautiful and very walker-friendly
0:00:59 > 0:01:04little island near the Pembrokeshire seaside town of Tenby.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09And what better way to start a walk than with a relaxing boat trip.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Just a 20-minute hop across the water, Caldey Island is
0:01:13 > 0:01:17a popular day trip destination. Well-known for its monastery,
0:01:17 > 0:01:23monks and lavender perfume, it's also a super place for a sunny stroll.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27My guide around the island is Jonathan Miller whose family,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31would you believe, run a chocolate factory on the island.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Jonathan and his brother Matthew grew up on Caldey
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and went to primary school there.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39He's now a third-year medical student and
0:01:39 > 0:01:42though the family all now live on the mainland, he still returns to the island
0:01:42 > 0:01:46to help with the chocolate business during his summer holidays.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Because of the low tide today,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52the boat leaves from the pontoon on the beach.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55At higher tides, it goes from the harbour.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59- Hi, Jonathan.- Morning, Derek. How are you doing?- All right, thanks.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03The trip takes about 20 minutes and during the height of summer,
0:02:03 > 0:02:04eight or nine boats shuttle back
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and forth, carrying up to 40 visitors each journey.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11So what's it like for you, then, going back home?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's quite a strange feeling, really. Obviously, Caldey has been...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18You know, I've always considered it home.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21But I've been coming back and forth for a long time now
0:02:21 > 0:02:26obviously had to move off part-time to the mainland for school.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29It closed when I was eight years old.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33But it's always going to be a special place for me and I do love going home, especially on a day like today.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Well, this is my first ever visit to Caldey, so I'm really looking forward to it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Well, this is gorgeous. We could be in the Caribbean.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Yeah, we certainly could. This is Priory Bay.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This is sort of low tide now but when the tide comes in,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09all you can see, it covers right up to here.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11So now is probably the best time to be on it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Does it ever get busy here?
0:03:13 > 0:03:17To a certain extent, but it's never heaving. It's never busy, busy.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22There's always space and you'll always be able to find somewhere nice and quiet.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So here we are in sunny South Pembs,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29just three miles across Caldey Sound from Tenby.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Our figure-of-eight route takes us up from the jetty past the monastery and small village,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37calling in at the old priory on our way to the Lighthouse.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41From there, a new extended section leads to West Beacon Point,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45then back to the village and another loop around the woodland walk,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48returning to the jetty before we miss the last boat back to
0:03:48 > 0:03:53Tenby, having walked a peaceful and easy-going four-and-a-bit miles.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05- Do many people live here, then? - Yeah, there's a dozen or so monks full-time.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09There's obviously the island community as well. They help out with certain things, running the shops
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and things like that, making the chocolate.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Um, looking after guests who come to the island.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- And they live here full-time?- Yes. Yes, the majority of them do, Yeah.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- Well, I wasn't expecting this. - Yeah, this is the monastery.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Very striking, isn't it?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Yeah, it was designed by John Coates Carter,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32supposedly a leading light of his time in the Arts and Craft movement.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36The building was finished in 1913 and it wasn't actually intended to be the final monastery.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It was going to be a boys' prep school and there was going to be a much larger, grander monastery,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45built through the woods. Unfortunately, the Benedictine monks at the time run out of money
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and this was converted to be a full-time monastery.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It reminds me of some of the buildings you see in Portmeirion in north Wales.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59As well as the abbey, the monks are well-known for their perfume
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and this is the perfume shop just here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05It started off in the 1950s when they were selling bunches of sort of wild
0:05:05 > 0:05:09flowers, such as lavender and gorse and it went on from there, really.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- The lavender perfume especially today is well-renowned. - I'll have to get some for my mum.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18At various points along our walk today,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22we've arranged to meet some of the monks. Pleased to meet you.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25First up to take us to the old priory and St Illtyd's church
0:05:25 > 0:05:26is Brother David.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29The Cistercian monks who live
0:05:29 > 0:05:32permanently on the island have a strict daily routine,
0:05:32 > 0:05:38beginning very early at 3.30am with the first prayer service of the day.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Monastic life is not a cushy number.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48It was relatively recently in the 1920s that the Cistercian order
0:05:48 > 0:05:53took over from the Benedictines, whose old priory and St Illtyd's church next door,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57with its leaning spire, date back to the 14th century.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- It does feel very old but very beautiful as well, here.- Yes.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08This is the sanctuary of the church we are coming to now.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Amazing floor made of pebbles.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Yes, they would be pebbles from the beach.- What's this old stone here?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16This is the Ogham stone.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Ogham was a very early form of writing in Ireland,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24with an alphabet of simple strokes along a line.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29You see here, a Latin inscription. Here you see the Ogham markings.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30It's faded now and broken away.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34But you can see from the markings, perhaps you can see one line,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37two lines, three lines, they formed an alphabet.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Ogham stones are mostly found in Ireland
0:06:40 > 0:06:42but also on the west coast of Britain,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44carved by Celtic tribes,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49who settled on both sides of the Irish Sea about 1,500 years ago.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Whilst we now head off towards the lighthouse,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55we leave Brother David to attend a prayer service
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and to get on with his gardening and librarian duties.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Most people who visit Caldey manage to get as far as the lighthouse and
0:07:04 > 0:07:08even if you don't go any further, it really is worth a stroll up here.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13This is the lighthouse just above Chapel Point here.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15It's been here since the early 1800s.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17This is where the original lighthouse was built,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19on the site of a chapel.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24It works in conjunction with the lighthouse over on Lundy.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Together they guide the shipping in the Bristol Channel.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Either side of the light tower are two identical old lighthouse
0:07:31 > 0:07:35keepers' cottages where Jonathan and his family lived for a while.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I remember the noise made by the windows.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's a howling noise whenever the wind came up so yeah, it's a
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- lovely place to be.- And you can see for miles from here, can't you?
0:07:45 > 0:07:46You can see what, across to Gower?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Yeah, that's the Gower over there and Worm's Head.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And even the North Devon Coast, a little bit hazy and Lundy Island.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- Yeah, that's Lundy Island over there. - Fantastic.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Shall we carry on? - Yeah, let's go for it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02# We could be lifted
0:08:02 > 0:08:05# Lifted
0:08:05 > 0:08:08# Lifted
0:08:09 > 0:08:11# We could be lifted
0:08:11 > 0:08:14# From the shadows
0:08:14 > 0:08:18# Lifted... #
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Waiting for us at a junction with the cliff-top path
0:08:21 > 0:08:24is Father Daniel, abbot of the monastery,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28the main man here on Caldey, head of the household.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Originally from Belgium, he was a monk in Germany
0:08:31 > 0:08:34before coming here 23 years ago.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- Absolutely gorgeous today. - It's beautiful.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42- But, of course, it's not always like this.- You are lucky today, Derek.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45It's exceptional but the weather can be quite different here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Some very severe weather
0:08:47 > 0:08:50but, actually, I don't mind too much, severe weather.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I like it, it energises me.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Then I really go out for a brisk walk.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- You like walking in a force 10, do you?- Yes, I do.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02How do you feel about the number of visitors that come to the island?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Do you think there's a conflict between the peace and tranquillity
0:09:06 > 0:09:07that you have here?
0:09:07 > 0:09:09No, not really.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11It may appear as a conflict
0:09:11 > 0:09:15but they come from 10:30 in a morning,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18until about 5:30, 5:15 in the evening.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23There's also a part of the island, the visitors see not everything.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27There is a substantial part that we keep for ourselves.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Erm...
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Apart from that, I think it's very important that we meet visitors
0:09:33 > 0:09:37and listen to their story, their experience in life.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Because, otherwise, there's always a danger to take things for granted
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and we should not do that.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47We're now at West Beacon point, the southwestern tip of the island,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51which, until recently, was out of bounds to the general public.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54I'm so glad that, at last,
0:09:54 > 0:10:00the visitors are able to experience Caldey as an island.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Before that it was only from the jetty to the lighthouse and back.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Now they really can experience and breathe in
0:10:07 > 0:10:08the healthy, fresh, sea air.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- And these wonderful views. - Definitely. I'm delighted.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17And I'm so delighted that you took time to come and see us, Derek,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19but, I'm afraid, I have to go.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It's only half an hour away that I have to go to my prayers.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- Take care, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Wow, what a beautiful beach.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- Yeah, this is Sandtop Bay.- And there's no-one on it, not a soul.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42No, unfortunately, this part of the island isn't accessible to visitors.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Why is that, the tide?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Yeah, unfortunately there have been one or two tragic incidents
0:10:46 > 0:10:48here over the years.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51There's a very strong undercurrent and rip tide.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53There's a few caves over there, isn't there?
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Yeah, a lot of them were explored by the monks in the 1960s
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and found remains and tools, and things like that,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04that they think might date back as far as 5,000 years ago, something like that.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- What is that island called over there?- That's St Margaret's Island.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10You can see the ruins over there, the old quarrying houses used
0:11:10 > 0:11:12to house the quarry workers.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15The island is out of bounds now, it's a bird sanctuary.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- It is a gorgeous spot here, though, isn't it?- It is lovely.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Looking across to Tenby and you can see the Preseli Hills as well.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30And now for the bit I've been looking forward to all day...
0:11:30 > 0:11:31..chocolate.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34The monks started making chocolate here on Caldey in the 1980s
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and the business is now franchised to Jonathan's dad
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and this is where it's made.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Dad? You've got customers.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- Hello.- Shwmae.- Shwmae.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Welcome to Caldey.- Great to be here.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- And you brought the sunshine with you, as well.- Of course.- Oh, bless..
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Right, can I have some chocolate?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Spanish Cistercian monks were, in fact, making chocolate
0:11:55 > 0:11:57way back in the 1500s,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01when cocoa beans and a recipe were sent back from Mexico
0:12:01 > 0:12:03to a monastery in Spain
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and so started the 500-year-old custom of chocolate making
0:12:07 > 0:12:09by the Cistercians.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Thank you very much. - Thank YOU very much.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Well, this lot should keep me going for a while.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Leading us on the next short section of our walk
0:12:23 > 0:12:26is Brother Teilo who became a monk at the grand old age of 68,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29more than 50 years after a visit to Caldey
0:12:29 > 0:12:32that made a lasting impression on him.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36He finally gave in to the call of monastic life 14 years ago.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40So here we are at the old school,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43which has been closed now for about ten years
0:12:43 > 0:12:47because the pupils went down to two, or even one.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Yeah, that's right. I was actually the last student here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52They had to close the school
0:12:52 > 0:12:55because the next year I would have been the only one on the island
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and the council just couldn't afford to fund one-to-one teaching.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- That's a shame, wasn't it? - It is a shame. Yes.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It was sad, very sad, indeed.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08We are heading up to the statue of St Samson now.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10St Samson, the patron saint of the island.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Very important to us.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16St Samson was the second abbot here back in the 6th century,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20before he left to work as a missionary in Cornwall,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21and later Brittany.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25In Wales we have forgotten about him, to a large extent, except on Caldey.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27But here he is very precious
0:13:27 > 0:13:31and we have our annual holiday on his feast day, 28 July.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Do you get a day off? - We do in the monastery, yes.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's a holiday for us.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41St David's, the island's parish church
0:13:41 > 0:13:43stands on a pre-Christian burial ground,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46probably going back as far as 2,000 years.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Today, the simple wooden crosses mark the graves
0:13:50 > 0:13:51of both monks and islanders,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56but the Celtic burials may have been of people from the mainland,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58in keeping with the Celtic belief
0:13:58 > 0:14:01that islands represented a bridge, or stepping stone
0:14:01 > 0:14:03to the afterlife.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- What a beautiful little church. - It is lovely, isn't it? Yes.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Look at those stained glass windows. They're beautiful, aren't they?
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Absolutely.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16One of the Benedictine monks in the early 1920s,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Theodore Bailey, was a remarkable stained glass artist.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22If you look up there above,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26you can see the tree of life window which he put in.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30You can see the three trees and the sun above.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35That's symbolic of the three crosses on Calvary.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- Vivid colours.- Absolutely vivid.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We say farewell to Brother Teilo,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and Jonathan and I head along the last leg of our walk,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55a short loop around Caldey's woodland.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- How beautiful are the daisies. - Yeah, they're lovely, aren't they?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03A perfect time of year for them.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10It's a great effect with the sunlight shining through the trees.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Here we are now at Paul Jones Bay,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22named after the famous 18th-century pirate, Paul Jones.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Born in Scotland, Paul Jones was a ruthless marauding pirate
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and he often moored up in this sheltered bay,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35hidden from the mainland, to take on a supply of fresh water.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39When it got a bit too hot for him around here,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41he want across the Atlantic, over to America
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and is credited with being one of the people who founded the American Navy.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50An amazing tale of villain to hero, if ever there was.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Well, I'd love to stay a little longer
0:15:58 > 0:16:01but Jonathan needs to get back to chocolate making
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and I need to catch the last boat back to Tenby.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06- See you again.- See you again. - All the best.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Well, one day on this gorgeous island is just not enough
0:16:11 > 0:16:14to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern day life.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I'll definitely come back another day.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19And, besides, this won't last long.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And if you fancy trying this,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38or another one of our walks,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42go to bbc.co.uk/weatherman walking
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and take a look at our website.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's got everything you need,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49from detailed route information for each walk,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51to walking maps for you to print off.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54There are also some photos we took along the way.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Our next walk is also in West Wales
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but this time we're heading for the hills.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07In Wales, you're never far from a quarry, or a castle,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and you guessed it, in this walk we have some quarries
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and a very special castle.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Carreg Cennen in Carmarthenshire, the most dramatic, photogenic
0:17:18 > 0:17:21and romantic castle in Wales.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I don't know whether Bernard Llewellyn, my guide for the walk,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30is a romantic but true love brought him here from Pembrokeshire
0:17:30 > 0:17:32when he married Margaret, the farmer's daughter.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Besides the farm, they also happen to own the castle
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and, over the years, they've gradually developed the farm
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and castle as a tourist attraction, with a cafe, shop
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and a place to tie the knot.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Now there's romantic for you.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Good morning, Bernard. - Good morning.- Good to meet you.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Good to meet you, sir.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Does a farmer really have time to take me on a walk like this?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Perhaps I don't but I think perhaps we should do it anyway.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00- Shall we get going?- Absolutely.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Just a few miles east of Llandeilo,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07at the western end of the Brecon Beacons National Park,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10our circular route takes us up to the castle
0:18:10 > 0:18:13before dropping back down to cross the River Cennen.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Rising back up the other side through woods
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and fields onto open moorland,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21we follow a short level section of quiet mountain road
0:18:21 > 0:18:24before dropping down to the Cennen again
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and back to the castle having walked a very undulating 5.5 miles.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35This is a very dramatic location for a castle, Bernard,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40and I believe it's been voted the most romantic castle in Wales.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42That's probably due to the fact that an awful lot of people
0:18:42 > 0:18:44come here to get engaged,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47or I should say, for the gentleman to propose.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- Does it make you a romantic? - HE LAUGHS
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I don't think my wife would agree!
0:18:52 > 0:18:54# Let's get married
0:18:54 > 0:18:55# I love you!
0:18:55 > 0:18:58# And I want to stay with you... #
0:18:58 > 0:19:02The Llewellyn family are in the rather unique position
0:19:02 > 0:19:04of being the owners of this Scheduled Ancient Monument,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07which they bought by accident!
0:19:07 > 0:19:09When they drew the deeds up
0:19:09 > 0:19:12they put this red line around the outside
0:19:12 > 0:19:14of the circumference of the farm.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17In reality, I suppose, what they should have done was put
0:19:17 > 0:19:20a red line around the castle to exclude it. That was never done.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24As you say, we are the owners of the castle.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Do you get lots of visitors here?
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Yeah, we get about 100,000 visitors a year
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but only about 40,000 of them actually go to the castle.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34I mean, that's probably what they come for, in reality.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I think it's just an amazing view.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The Black Mountain, you can see across the top there,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42with the burial mounds, can you see those little...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45They look like little humps from here, anyway.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Then it goes all the way round to the Carmarthenshire vans
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and eventually then the Brecon Beacons are beyond it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54We're going to go down the path there
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- but perhaps we'll have a little look from the castle first. What do you think?- Good idea.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02MEDIEVAL MUSIC
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Perched on its dramatic cliff top pedestal,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11this striking 12th century fortress,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15which changed hands between the Welsh and the English numerous times,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19seems to have been more of a status symbol than a strategic stronghold.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23The present castle was basically built as a Welsh castle,
0:20:23 > 0:20:28modified quite a bit by the English as time went on.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Basically, it was a presence as far as they were concerned,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33where the English were in charge.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Then the English dismantled it, basically to stop the Welsh
0:20:36 > 0:20:37using it as a stronghold.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We now head downhill through an oak woodland
0:20:43 > 0:20:46that's protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51More insect species live on oak trees than any other native tree.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Along with the insects, acorns are a valuable food source
0:20:55 > 0:20:57for a variety of wildlife.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03So we're coming down to the River Cennen now?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Yeah, that's the Cennen, running down towards the Towy,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08which is the main river in Carmarthenshire.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11We'll go across the bridge here, Derek,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and out towards the hill.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Sturdy bridge. - The Army built this.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22They've done quite a lot of work on this footpath as a result
0:21:22 > 0:21:24of them being allowed to use the Black Mountain for training.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31This is the piece of the path that's probably most relevant to me,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33as a farmer, from just back down there.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37It's the way they used to take the sheep to the mountain.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39It was, well, as a lot of these paths are,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41it had a very practical purpose.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43It was an access to the hill.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Onto the open hillside now?
0:21:52 > 0:21:55That's the last of the farmland for a while.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57We go out onto the hill now.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06For the next section of the walk, we've arranged to meet
0:22:06 > 0:22:10geologist Alan Bowring, who is the Fforest Fawr Geopark officer.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13This area is of particular geological interest.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16If you're into your rocks, then this is the place to come.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- How are you?- Good.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23We've come to quite a good spot here.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I think it's worth just taking a look at the landscape
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and, you know, trying to read it, if you like.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33We have been walking up these slopes
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and we have been on the old red sandstone.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Here is an outcrop of rock which is clearly quite different,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40it's a sort of grey colour.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Geologists call it the grey grits, but it what it marks
0:22:44 > 0:22:47is the end of the old red sandstone and we're now into the limestone.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50All of this, this short cropped grass here,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and there's the remains of a limekiln here, it tells us we're in limestone country
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and, if you look beyond, we're looking up to the sandstone hill.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It is layer after layer
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and it's all tilted down to the south.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And these rocks are millions of years old?
0:23:06 > 0:23:10If we had been stood on this spot around about 340 million years ago,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14we would have been up to our necks in tropical seawater.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17That's where the carboniferous limestone started out.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19It was a shallow, tropical sea,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22a little bit like the Florida Keys today.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Well, it's a shame that this bit of the earth's crust
0:23:25 > 0:23:27migrated north, I'd say.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30A walk in the tropics would suit me just fine!
0:23:30 > 0:23:33We now find ourselves walking through an area
0:23:33 > 0:23:35of small grassy craters.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37This whole landscape is dotted with holes.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Some of them unnatural
0:23:39 > 0:23:42but these particular ones were made by our ancestors.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44They were looking for limestone.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49They'd work the limestone, put it into kilns, burn it
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- and then spread it on the land.- OK.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54It's an old industrial landscape,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56if you like but now it's a national park.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59It's quite a change.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Brrrr! There's nothing tropical about these hailstones.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07A huge crater in the ground here, Alan. What's caused this?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10It's quite something, isn't it, this hole.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Limestone is a special sort of a rock.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It dissolves in water, weak acidic water.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20What we're seeing here is the result of limestone
0:24:20 > 0:24:23dissolving underground to form a cave
0:24:23 > 0:24:28and what happens at the surface is, the surface collapses.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31There's a lot of them in this area, sinkholes.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Lots of these funnel shaped pits in the landscape.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36We have a bit of a stream coming in.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It's disappearing underground into that cave system
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and who knows where it's heading.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It amazes me how water, a pretty harmless liquid,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52can actually dissolve solid rock,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55but Alan is about to give us a simple scientific demonstration
0:24:55 > 0:24:58to show how rain water, a weak acidic liquid,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01manages to dissolve limestone.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05So, limestone is calcium carbonate.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08If we put acid onto calcium carbonate,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11then something interesting happens.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I happen to have with me some acid,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16some lemon juice.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And if we put a few drops on, if we look very closely,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24you can see bubbles.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's the acid reacting with the calcium carbonate.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29We can only just about see the tiny bubbles
0:25:29 > 0:25:31from the reaction with lemon juice.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So, to make it clearer,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Alan carefully uses a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43This chemical reaction is taking place all over this landscape,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46with rainwater falling onto the limestone?
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And the caves are developing as a result.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53So weak acid, rainwater, is a weak acid dissolving limestone away.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Having opened our eyes to the extraordinary changes
0:26:01 > 0:26:03that have taken place in this landscape over millions of years,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Alan heads off but we've got a few more miles to conquer yet.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Now remember the small stream that disappeared into that sink hole on the hill?
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Well, on its journey underground, it seems to have joined forces
0:26:20 > 0:26:25with a few other sunken streams to become a fully formed river,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29the Llwchwr, and by the look of it, it's burst out of the darkness
0:26:29 > 0:26:30into daylight right here.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39For me, this is probably one of the highlights of the walk in reality.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43The eye of the Llwchwr, where it comes out of the rock.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46This is not actually the source of the Llwchwr, though, is it?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49No, it probably four or five miles, possibly, back under the mountain.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54This is the first time it really comes out from under the ground.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58The other thing is, and I'm sure you're interested in that,
0:26:58 > 0:27:03that little hole up there, that's part of the cave complex
0:27:03 > 0:27:06that goes on from here back to the other sinkholes as well.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- Have you been down there? - Many, many years ago.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11I don't think I fancy it.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Quite frankly, I regretted it when I went down, anyway.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20These days this is a very popular area for caving
0:27:20 > 0:27:24but amazingly the Llygad Llwchwr caves were first explored,
0:27:24 > 0:27:30way back in 1841, by an adventurous and remarkable young local man
0:27:30 > 0:27:32called Thomas Jenkins.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35We know this because, in fact, it's recorded in his diary,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38which I just happen to have with me.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Not only was he a caver but also, as far as we're concerned,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44he was a great long-distance walker.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48It's recorded here on May 3 in 1836,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51that he left Llandeilo at a 1:15 in the morning
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and he walked to Haverfordwest.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56This is 30 miles away!
0:27:56 > 0:27:59When he got there he went sightseeing around the churches
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and then he walked home the next day.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Do you think we're up to that?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I can't imagine many people doing that these days.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Well, it does say here that when he returned home
0:28:09 > 0:28:12he had very sore feet at 11 o'clock at night.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14I'm not surprised!
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I've got sore feet and I've only walked about five miles...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19so far.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Well, we may not have walked as many miles
0:28:25 > 0:28:27as the remarkable Thomas Jenkins
0:28:27 > 0:28:29but we've certainly had an adventurous outing
0:28:29 > 0:28:32in a fascinating and dramatic landscape.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I think we deserve a cuppa in Bernard's cafe
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and even a Welsh cake.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40# And I would walk 500 miles
0:28:40 > 0:28:43# And I would walk 500 more
0:28:43 > 0:28:48# Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
0:28:48 > 0:28:51# To fall down at your door...#