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I'm in a small town with a huge name. So, just for you... | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
Llanfair - pwllgwyngyll... | 0:00:04 | 0:00:07 | |
gogerych - wyrndrob... | 0:00:07 | 0:00:09 | |
wllllantysilio... | 0:00:09 | 0:00:11 | |
gogogoch. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:12 | |
Easy! Dim problem. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
This week, I've got two walks at either end of the country. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:40 | |
Later on, I'll be walking between Caerphilly Castle | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
and Castell Coch just outside Cardiff. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:46 | |
But first I'm on Anglesey at a place with a record-breaking name. | 0:00:46 | 0:00:51 | |
It also has another big claim to fame. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:55 | |
Britain's first branch of the Women's Institute was set up right here in 1915. | 0:00:55 | 0:01:01 | |
And so in their honour, my guides today are three of the WI's finest. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:06 | |
-Hello, ladies. Sut mae? -Hello, how are you? Welcome to Llanfairpwll. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:12 | |
-I'm Angela. -Hello, I'm Fiona. Nice to meet you. -Hello, and I'm Glynne. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
So, this is a very special place and where it all started. | 0:01:16 | 0:01:19 | |
It all started 100 years ago in 1915. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:23 | |
The WI was founded at the height of the First World War | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
to encourage Britain's women to grow and preserve their own food for the war effort. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:31 | |
And then in 1921, the WI managed to buy this ex-officer's mess | 0:01:31 | 0:01:38 | |
from Kinmel camp in Bodelwyddan and the WI is still going very, very strong here, as well. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:43 | |
And you've got a nice little walk lined up for me today? | 0:01:43 | 0:01:45 | |
-We've got a lovely walk lined up for you, yes. -So, shall we get going? | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
-Yeah. -OK, off we go. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
Llanfair PG sits a stone's throw away from the banks of the Menai Strait. | 0:01:53 | 0:01:58 | |
The walk starts at the home of Britain's first WI, | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
before heading down to Pwllfanogl by walking along the waterfront. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:05 | |
We then pass Nelson's statue, before stopping at the Britannia Bridge. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:10 | |
Making our way along the Anglesey Coastal Path, we cross a causeway | 0:02:10 | 0:02:14 | |
to Church Island and finish slap bang in the middle | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
of the Menai Suspension Bridge. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:19 | |
It's a total of 4.3 miles and you can get a bus back to the start. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:24 | |
Leaving the village, we're on the main road for a bit, | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
before turning off and joining the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:32 | |
So, when did you three all start walking together? | 0:02:33 | 0:02:35 | |
Well, it was about three years ago now. | 0:02:35 | 0:02:38 | |
Each WI were set the challenge to walk the distance | 0:02:38 | 0:02:42 | |
equivalent from the WI hut in Llanfair PG to the Olympic Stadium, | 0:02:42 | 0:02:48 | |
which was a total of about 200 miles. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
So, we set up a walking group so that we could complete the challenge. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:56 | |
-And we've been talking together ever since, really. -Yeah. | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
Sometimes, it's just the three of us. The Three Musketeers! | 0:03:00 | 0:03:03 | |
-I thought we might need to find somewhere to shelter. -Yeah, hoods up! | 0:03:09 | 0:03:13 | |
The thing is, Anglesea does have a microclimate, doesn't it? | 0:03:13 | 0:03:16 | |
Does that mean it rains a lot? | 0:03:16 | 0:03:18 | |
It can be pouring down in Llanfair PG and sunny in Menai Bridge. | 0:03:18 | 0:03:22 | |
Oh, is that right? | 0:03:22 | 0:03:23 | |
'How's that for fantastic forecasting!' | 0:03:23 | 0:03:26 | |
MUSIC: Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage | 0:03:26 | 0:03:30 | |
But the shower soon passes and we brave a quick detour | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
to the little hamlet of Pwllfanogl. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
I'd like to show you this house, Derek. This is Min-Y-Mor. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
This is the house where Kyffin Williams returned back to Anglesey | 0:03:45 | 0:03:49 | |
-to live in in 1973. -The famous artist? -Yeah. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:53 | |
This is where he did a lot of those famous paintings - the palette knife style - | 0:03:53 | 0:03:58 | |
and he had the lovely views across here of the straits and the mountains beyond. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:03 | |
-And even on a day like this, it's very special here, isn't it? -It is. It really is. | 0:04:03 | 0:04:07 | |
Kyffin loved the light here so much that his friend the Marques of Anglesey | 0:04:12 | 0:04:17 | |
adapted this house into a studio for him. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:20 | |
He painted here for over 30 years until his death in 2006. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:25 | |
OK, Derek, we're going to go back onto the Anglesey coastal path now, | 0:04:25 | 0:04:29 | |
we're going to go through this little gate, which always reminds me of the book The Secret Garden. | 0:04:29 | 0:04:33 | |
Do you remember it? No. It was more of a girl's book really, I suppose. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:36 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:04:36 | 0:04:38 | |
-It's a bit tucked away in here, though. -It is, but it's beautiful. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:42 | |
Dropping down to the Menai Strait, adds a striking contrast to the walk | 0:04:42 | 0:04:47 | |
and a glimpse of the first of our bridges. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:50 | |
-We've got beautiful views of the Britannia Bridge up here. -Oh, Yes. | 0:04:50 | 0:04:53 | |
Derek, if you want to have a look at it... Pretty impressive, isn't it? | 0:04:53 | 0:04:57 | |
-Great from this angle. -Yeah, it's lovely. | 0:04:57 | 0:04:59 | |
But take care when walking down here and stick to the designated route. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:05 | |
The strait is tidal and high spring tides can cover the path. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:09 | |
And once again it's time to take cover! | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
Well, the weather's closed in again, | 0:05:22 | 0:05:24 | |
-but would you normally go walking in conditions like this? -Yeah. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:27 | |
-We usually go in any weather, don't we? -Yes, we turn up, if anyone else turns up, we walk. | 0:05:27 | 0:05:31 | |
-You're a hardy lot, then? -We are. -Tough as old boots. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
And, of course, it's true what they say, | 0:05:34 | 0:05:36 | |
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing." | 0:05:36 | 0:05:39 | |
-And this is what I call wet rain. -Is there any other kind? -No. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:44 | |
THEY CHUCKLE | 0:05:44 | 0:05:46 | |
-Let's carry on. -OK. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:48 | |
MUSIC: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by BJ Thomas | 0:05:48 | 0:05:53 | |
-Quite nice walking on the seaweed, isn't it? -Yes. -All squelchy and you can hear it popping. | 0:05:57 | 0:06:03 | |
'Next, we walk past a statue to a British hero. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:07 | |
'It's not as big as the one in Trafalgar Square, | 0:06:07 | 0:06:09 | |
'but this Nelson's column is still pretty impressive. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:13 | |
'Nelson called the Menai Strait, "One of the most treacherous stretches of sea in the world." | 0:06:13 | 0:06:18 | |
'And coming from him, that's really saying something.' | 0:06:18 | 0:06:21 | |
Just beyond Nelson's statue, we reach the first of our two bridges, | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
the Britannia Bridge. Before we look at the bridge itself, | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
Fiona, Glynne and Angela have a surprising bit of history to show me. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
-It's like we're the Army! -Yes! It is! | 0:06:39 | 0:06:43 | |
Well, here we are, Derek. We're now underneath the Britannia Bridge. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:49 | |
The best views are down that way, | 0:06:49 | 0:06:51 | |
but I want to show you something first, so head this way. | 0:06:51 | 0:06:55 | |
MUSIC: The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Tight Fit | 0:06:55 | 0:06:59 | |
-Well, Derek. Did you know that we had lions? -What? Lions here? | 0:06:59 | 0:07:03 | |
-Yes. -No way! -Yes. | 0:07:03 | 0:07:05 | |
And there's been a poem written about them, as well. By a local poet called John Evans. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:11 | |
Pedwar llew tew, heb ddim blew... Two fat lions without any hair... | 0:07:11 | 0:07:15 | |
Dau 'ochr yma, dau 'ochr drew... Two over here and two over there. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:20 | |
-Two a bald, fat lions here? I don't believe it! -Yeah. -Yeah, absolutely. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:24 | |
-Show me. -OK. Watch your back! | 0:07:24 | 0:07:26 | |
# In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight... # | 0:07:26 | 0:07:32 | |
-And here they are. -They're magnificent, aren't they? | 0:07:32 | 0:07:36 | |
-What are these doing here, then? -They were here as part of the original Britannia Bridge | 0:07:36 | 0:07:40 | |
when it was just a single railway line and people on the train | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
could see them as they were coming over the bridge. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
But unfortunately they can't be seen by people driving over the bridge, | 0:07:46 | 0:07:50 | |
which has been built since. So, it's a real shame that they're just hidden down here. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:54 | |
-That's a real pity, isn't it? -It is. -It is. -It would be lovely to see them again. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:58 | |
Do you think there's any chance maybe they could raise them up? | 0:07:58 | 0:08:01 | |
Well, there's a lot of people who'd like to see them raised up, but I think it's the cost | 0:08:01 | 0:08:04 | |
and maybe they're a bit too fragile to move. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:07 | |
But whether that will ever happen in our lifetime, we don't know. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:10 | |
The Bridge now carries cars and trains, but when it was built in 1850 | 0:08:13 | 0:08:18 | |
it was a pioneering railway bridge, | 0:08:18 | 0:08:20 | |
taking passengers across the Strait and onwards to Ireland. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:24 | |
Unfortunately, Derek, the bridge looks nothing like it did in 1850. | 0:08:24 | 0:08:30 | |
I've got some photos with me to show you what it looked like | 0:08:30 | 0:08:34 | |
when it was finished. If you can see there, Derek, | 0:08:34 | 0:08:39 | |
it didn't have the road on the top and it also didn't have these arches, | 0:08:39 | 0:08:43 | |
Which actually made it look quite plain, but very, very smart. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:48 | |
The tubular design was revolutionary | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
and lasted over 100 years until one fateful night in May, 1970. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:56 | |
'The famous tubular bridge that had stood for so long was now ablaze. | 0:08:57 | 0:09:02 | |
FIRE ROARS | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
'The fire had been started by a group of youths | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
'playing about in one of the tubular bridges - an accident, | 0:09:08 | 0:09:11 | |
'but what an accident it proved to be.' | 0:09:11 | 0:09:14 | |
The bridge had to be completely rebuilt, with the road deck on top added later | 0:09:18 | 0:09:22 | |
and the railway running underneath. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:24 | |
They've certainly done a good job in rebuilding it and it looks very impressive today. | 0:09:24 | 0:09:29 | |
It does, Derek. Yeah. Right, let's move on. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:32 | |
This stretch of water between the two bridges is known as The Swellies | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
and is the most treacherous section of the Menai Strait. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:45 | |
And in one of those kayaks, I'd soon be up the creek without a paddle! | 0:09:45 | 0:09:49 | |
-I told you it was going to brighten up. -You were right! | 0:09:57 | 0:10:01 | |
For once! | 0:10:01 | 0:10:03 | |
The path takes us through Coed Mor | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
with magical glimpses of our final destination, | 0:10:08 | 0:10:12 | |
the Menai Suspension Bridge. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:14 | |
And there's even time for a quick stop to enjoy the fruits of our labour | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
and do a spot of bird-watching. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:31 | |
-Look at that view! I should've bought my binoculars. -Yes, you should have done! | 0:10:33 | 0:10:38 | |
It's a wonderful sight and look - there's a seal in the water, as well! | 0:10:38 | 0:10:43 | |
I could sit here all day, but we've still got to finish the walk, haven't we? | 0:10:44 | 0:10:47 | |
-We have. -So, don't get too comfy! -Right, come on then. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:51 | |
Get a wriggle on. | 0:10:51 | 0:10:53 | |
MUSIC: Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Zoe | 0:10:53 | 0:11:00 | |
We've almost reached the Menai Suspension bridge, | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
but there's still time to visit a sacred site surrounded by water. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:26 | |
And this, Derek, is an ancient causeway leading to Church Island. | 0:11:28 | 0:11:33 | |
-A very pretty spot on Anglesey. -It looks it. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
-What a wonderful place to have a church. -Yeah, it's a lovely place. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:48 | |
It's one of my favourite places on Anglesey. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
There's been a church on the island since the 7th century | 0:11:51 | 0:11:55 | |
and it's dedicated to Saint Tysilio. | 0:11:55 | 0:11:57 | |
Well, this is awesome! | 0:11:58 | 0:12:00 | |
I think, Derek, this is the best place to view the two bridges. | 0:12:00 | 0:12:05 | |
The Britannia Bridge and Telford suspension bridge. | 0:12:05 | 0:12:09 | |
It's also a great spot to keep an eye on the weather. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
The next front is moving in from the Atlantic. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:14 | |
-So, maybe we should head towards the Menai Bridge. -Yeah, let's get going. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:18 | |
Yeah. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:20 | |
Our final leg takes us along the Belgian Promenade, | 0:12:20 | 0:12:23 | |
named after the Belgian war refugees who built it in 1916 | 0:12:23 | 0:12:28 | |
as a thank you for their warm welcome here. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:30 | |
And finally we reach the superstar of suspension bridges. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:38 | |
Can you imagine what it must have been like to build something like this? | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge | 0:12:44 | 0:12:47 | |
was the largest of its kind in the world | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
and an amazing feat of engineering. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
Built after Great Britain and Ireland were brought together to become the United Kingdom. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:57 | |
The Act of Union had been signed in 1801 | 0:12:57 | 0:13:00 | |
and the politicians et cetera needed to get from Ireland to Holyhead | 0:13:00 | 0:13:04 | |
and down to London on a much safer and quicker route. | 0:13:04 | 0:13:08 | |
Now, before they had the bridge, there was lots of ferries | 0:13:08 | 0:13:11 | |
going backwards and forwards from the mainland to Menai Bridge | 0:13:11 | 0:13:15 | |
and it was dangerous, people died, et cetera. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:17 | |
So Telford was commissioned to improve the road - which he did - | 0:13:17 | 0:13:21 | |
and that was the easy bit. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
Then he had this structure to contend with | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
and it was no mean feat. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:27 | |
It took from 1819 | 0:13:27 | 0:13:30 | |
to 1826 to build. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:33 | |
-So, how would you fancy taking a closer look? -I think so, yes. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
Yeah - quick, before the rain comes! | 0:13:36 | 0:13:38 | |
Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge was his crowning glory | 0:13:42 | 0:13:46 | |
and at the time, had the world's longest span, | 0:13:46 | 0:13:49 | |
measuring 176 metres. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:52 | |
The 16 huge chains each weigh 121 tonnes | 0:13:52 | 0:13:57 | |
and it also needed to be high, with a 100ft clearance | 0:13:57 | 0:14:01 | |
to allow the tall ships of the time to sail underneath. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
Well, here we are, Derek. We've made it. We're at the end of our walk, on the bridge. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
Thank you so much, ladies, for showing me this wonderful walk between two bridges. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:19 | |
A walk that's full of history, | 0:14:19 | 0:14:22 | |
scenery and sheer feats of engineering. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
I'm no Thomas Telford, but I do know a rain cloud when I see one. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
-So, come on, ladies. Let's take cover. -Great! | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
And if you fancy trying this | 0:14:34 | 0:14:36 | |
or another of our walks, go to our website. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:39 | |
It's got detailed route information and walking maps | 0:14:43 | 0:14:46 | |
for you to print off. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:48 | |
Or you can download it onto your tablet and take it with you. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:52 | |
I've always wanted to be a knight in shining armour. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
Today, I'm on a walk between two castles. | 0:14:57 | 0:14:59 | |
Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:02 | |
Mind you, I'm not sure I can do it in all this lot. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:05 | |
My quest starts in Caerphilly, north of Cardiff. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:11 | |
We begin at the castle, before heading up through the town | 0:15:11 | 0:15:14 | |
and onto the top of Caerphilly Mountain. | 0:15:14 | 0:15:17 | |
From there we follow the Ridgeway path passing an old Roman road, | 0:15:17 | 0:15:21 | |
before heading along the sculpture trail in Fforest Fawr. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:25 | |
Finally, we arrive at Castell Coch | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
just outside the village of Tongwynlais. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:30 | |
It's just over four and a half miles | 0:15:30 | 0:15:33 | |
and there's a bus that takes you back to Caerphilly. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:36 | |
Pointing me in the right direction is Andy Jenkins. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:41 | |
He comes from Caerphilly and works as a guide at Castell Coch. | 0:15:41 | 0:15:45 | |
He's also an expert on medieval combat. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:48 | |
-Hi, Andy. Great to meet you. -Lovely to meet you, too. How's things? | 0:15:50 | 0:15:53 | |
All right, thanks. I've got to say, I love this place. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:56 | |
Well, welcome to Caerphilly Castle. Of course, this is where we're starting from today on our walk, | 0:15:56 | 0:16:00 | |
-so would you like to go in and take a little look? -I think we should. -I think we should definitely. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:05 | |
MUSIC: Knights Of Cydonia by Muse | 0:16:05 | 0:16:10 | |
Caerphilly castle is the second largest castle in the whole of Britain. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:22 | |
It was built in the 1260s by the Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare, | 0:16:22 | 0:16:26 | |
to keep the troublesome Welsh locals at bay. | 0:16:26 | 0:16:29 | |
He needed to - as soon as it was finished, | 0:16:29 | 0:16:31 | |
the Welsh attacked and tried to burn it down. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:35 | |
But Gilbert rebuilt it bigger and better | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
and a lot of that still survives today, | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
nearly 750 years later. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:42 | |
-So, which part of the castle is this? -Well, this is actually the original entrance, | 0:16:44 | 0:16:48 | |
it is the oldest part of the castle. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:50 | |
And beyond the gates there, that was the frontier. It was all heavily forested, | 0:16:50 | 0:16:53 | |
so the Welsh lords of Senghenydd had control of that power base. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:58 | |
-It's a huge castle, isn't it? -It is. I think what's even more amazing | 0:16:58 | 0:17:01 | |
is that the main bulk of it was actually built within four to five years. | 0:17:01 | 0:17:05 | |
And for a site of this size - that's quite a feat. | 0:17:05 | 0:17:07 | |
You know what, we could spend all day here looking around, | 0:17:07 | 0:17:10 | |
-but we've got a walk to do. -Yeah, we have, haven't we? This way. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:14 | |
MUSIC: A Kind Of Magic by Queen | 0:17:14 | 0:17:17 | |
The other thing the castle is famous for is its leaning tower. | 0:17:17 | 0:17:21 | |
Damaged in the Civil War and then tipped further through subsidence, | 0:17:21 | 0:17:25 | |
the south east tower actually leans more than the one in Pisa. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
Caerphilly Castle still casts its spell | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
and our first stop just up the road has another magical connection. | 0:17:35 | 0:17:39 | |
-Well, I know who this guy is. I used to love him. -Yes, Tommy Cooper. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:44 | |
It's a lovely statue. Of course, born in Caerphilly, | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
Llwyn Onn Street, in Energleyn. And I think Caerphilly's very proud. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:52 | |
-Hey, I've got a joke for you. -What's that? | 0:17:52 | 0:17:54 | |
A guy walks into a doctor's with a strawberry on his head. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:57 | |
Dr says, "I've got some cream for that." AS TOMMY COOPER: Just like that! | 0:17:57 | 0:18:00 | |
-I'll tell you what, just like that, we're going to go this way. -OK. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:05 | |
Caerphilly dates back to Roman times, | 0:18:05 | 0:18:07 | |
but it was the medieval castle that put it on the map. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:10 | |
-So, the town grew up around the castle? -It certainly did. If it hadn't have been for the castle | 0:18:10 | 0:18:14 | |
being built, then the town would never have probably been sited here. It was there to serve | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
-as the garrison inside the castle. -And then much later, of course, came the coal mines. -That's right. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:22 | |
A very important part of the area in general. | 0:18:22 | 0:18:25 | |
The South Wales coal fields ends here on the escarpment around Caerphilly Mountains. | 0:18:25 | 0:18:30 | |
So, a lot of mines in the area. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
And you've lived in the town all your life, I bet you've seen | 0:18:33 | 0:18:35 | |
-a lot of changes over the years. -Yeah, certainly. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:37 | |
The only parts of old Caerphilly that really exist | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
is actually above the shop fronts. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:42 | |
And that's still where you can find old Caerphilly. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:46 | |
Before long, we leave the bustle of Caerphilly behind | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
and head up into the hills. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
-It's a bit of a steep climb up here. -It is. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:54 | |
There's no easy way up, I'm afraid. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:55 | |
But we are going to be cutting off just by here and this is a little bit less steep. | 0:18:55 | 0:19:00 | |
But we'll be going up on to Caerphilly Mountain then. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
-I bet there's a good view from the top. -Stunning. Absolutely stunning. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:07 | |
The path takes us past the local golf course, | 0:19:09 | 0:19:12 | |
but Andy's got this walk off to a T and we carry on climbing up. | 0:19:12 | 0:19:16 | |
It's hard work, but I like a challenge. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
Oh, wow! That's amazing. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:30 | |
-Stunning views. -Absolutely gorgeous. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
-Castle down there... -Brilliant. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
It's a perfect location, you can see that, right there in the centre. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:39 | |
Looking north, we can see the Brecon Beacons | 0:19:39 | 0:19:41 | |
right across to the Black Mountains. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
It's such an important location, because it is an important communication centre. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:47 | |
Newport that way, with Cardiff behind us, | 0:19:47 | 0:19:50 | |
Swansea off down that way. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:52 | |
And, of course, just beautiful. | 0:19:52 | 0:19:54 | |
-Amazing. It's worth coming up here, isn't it? -Definitely. Definitely. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:57 | |
And if we go on just a bit further, there's some other things that I'd like to show you, as well. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:02 | |
Well, this looks interesting. What is it? Is it Iron Age? | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
No. It's far more modern, actually. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:08 | |
It was done during the Second World War! | 0:20:08 | 0:20:10 | |
It was actually used by the Home Guard, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:12 | |
it was their practice trenches. | 0:20:12 | 0:20:14 | |
I've got a really interesting photograph you might like to have a look at. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:17 | |
It was taken of my father on Caerphilly Mountain here, | 0:20:17 | 0:20:20 | |
he's with his auntie and it was taken on the 3rd September, 1939. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:24 | |
The moment after that photograph was taken, | 0:20:24 | 0:20:27 | |
my gran came over to the cottage | 0:20:27 | 0:20:29 | |
and actually said, "We're at war with Germany". | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
So, that photograph was taken during the last moments of peace. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:36 | |
An important day in history and a very thought-provoking photograph. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:40 | |
MUSIC: On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons | 0:20:40 | 0:20:44 | |
And with one last push, we finally reach the top of the mountain. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:59 | |
Well, the views from here are even better. We can see Cardiff in the distance, | 0:21:06 | 0:21:10 | |
right across the Bristol Channel, 360 degree views. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:15 | |
-Absolutely stunning, isn't it? -So, how high are we here? | 0:21:15 | 0:21:18 | |
It's actually 888 feet. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:20 | |
The designation to qualify as a mountain is 1,000 feet. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:25 | |
And of course on Gwaelod-y-Garth, | 0:21:25 | 0:21:26 | |
they put a little mound there to make it 1,000 feet. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
-Well, that's cheating! -It is. You only have to walk up this mountain to know it's a mountain. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:33 | |
-You don't need a mound to tell you that. -Yeah, you couldn't call it a hill, could you? -No, certainly not. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:38 | |
-Caerphilly Mountain sounds better. -Much better. This way, yeah? | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
As we descend from the top of Caerphilly Mountain, | 0:21:46 | 0:21:49 | |
we join the Ridgeway Walk, a popular trail that runs 27 miles | 0:21:49 | 0:21:53 | |
from Machen to Taff's Well. | 0:21:53 | 0:21:56 | |
We're heading for Castell Coch, crossing a modern road | 0:21:56 | 0:22:00 | |
before finding one that's much older. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:02 | |
Right, I'm just going to stop you up here a second, Derek. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:06 | |
Because we're actually standing on what was once the Roman road, | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
which came from the garrison fort down there in Caerphilly | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
-and ran all the way to Cardiff. -It looks like an old track to me. -It doesn't look much now, does it? | 0:22:12 | 0:22:17 | |
But in its heyday, you would have been able to follow this road all the way to Cardiff | 0:22:17 | 0:22:20 | |
and then you could have jumped on a ship and gone to Rome. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:24 | |
-So, where are we now? -We're just coming down to a little place called Waunwaelod. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:33 | |
It's where David Williams was born | 0:22:33 | 0:22:35 | |
and he actually helped to write the French constitution. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:39 | |
I've got to say, you certainly know your history, Andy. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:41 | |
I've always had an interest in history. And not just about the kings and the queens, | 0:22:41 | 0:22:45 | |
I think about the common person. I think that's far more interesting than personalities. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:49 | |
-Covers people like me, then! -Yeah, I think we can both class ourselves with that one. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:54 | |
It can be a bit muddy along here, | 0:22:54 | 0:22:56 | |
so make sure you wear a good pair of boots. | 0:22:56 | 0:22:59 | |
Well, this is gorgeous, Andy. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
It's hard to believe we're so close to Cardiff and Caerphilly. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:06 | |
No, that's right. It's a bit of an oasis, isn't it? | 0:23:06 | 0:23:08 | |
Just there between it all. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
-And here we are, back out into the sunshine. -It's gorgeous, isn't it? | 0:23:11 | 0:23:14 | |
Next, it's down some country lanes | 0:23:21 | 0:23:23 | |
with masses of wild garlic everywhere, | 0:23:23 | 0:23:26 | |
before going into the Fforest Fawr woodland trail. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:29 | |
-This looks interesting. -Yes. It's the start of the sculpture trail. | 0:23:32 | 0:23:35 | |
If we follow it on, there's a lot more as we go into the forest. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:38 | |
The sculpture trail was opened in 2007 and is designed for children, | 0:23:41 | 0:23:45 | |
who can follow the clues in the different statues. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:49 | |
-Well, this is a good one. -It is, isn't it? -It looks like Roy Noble with a toadstool on his head. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:56 | |
It does a bit, doesn't it?! | 0:23:56 | 0:23:57 | |
But I think that's the nice thing about it, isn't it? It's very fun. | 0:23:57 | 0:24:00 | |
It's got to be more fun for families and it makes forests more accessible | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
if they're going to survive in the future. | 0:24:03 | 0:24:06 | |
-Shall we carry on? -Definitely. | 0:24:06 | 0:24:08 | |
-Well, I didn't realise this was here. What is it? -It's the Three Bears Cave. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:21 | |
You can see it's called Three Bears Cave because you've got three entrances. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:24 | |
You've got the mummy Bear, the daddy Bear and the baby Bear. | 0:24:24 | 0:24:27 | |
-Is it natural, or was there a mine here once? -Well, there was an original system here, I think, | 0:24:27 | 0:24:31 | |
which was exploited then by miners for different minerals and things. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:34 | |
-What are these guys doing? -I think they're actually doing training. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
They're the fire service and they train on how to get people out of difficult locations. | 0:24:37 | 0:24:42 | |
-I reckon they're looking for Goldilocks! -They probably are! | 0:24:42 | 0:24:46 | |
Fforest Fawr is a really beautiful woodland walk with lots to look at, | 0:24:55 | 0:25:00 | |
but Andy and I have to keep moving as we've almost got to our Holy Grail, | 0:25:00 | 0:25:05 | |
Castell Coch. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:07 | |
Well, we've finally reached the end of our walk. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:09 | |
-And how spectacular is that? -It's a real gem, isn't it? | 0:25:09 | 0:25:13 | |
-And it's very often overlooked. -But it's not a real castle, is it? | 0:25:13 | 0:25:16 | |
-Well, actually, it is. And if you'd like to come with me, I'll show you just how old it is. -OK. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:21 | |
If we stop here, this is really a good place to chart that early history of the castle. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:28 | |
If you look at the bottom courses of stonework, they're different to above | 0:25:28 | 0:25:31 | |
and we think that was put there by the Welsh about 1150. | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
But then after that, it reverted to Anglo Norman roughly about 1190. | 0:25:34 | 0:25:37 | |
You can see it's more dressed. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
If you look over that way towards the glacis, which is that sloped wall, | 0:25:39 | 0:25:42 | |
that was put there by Gilbert de Clare when he strengthened the side | 0:25:42 | 0:25:46 | |
before building the second part of Caerphilly. | 0:25:46 | 0:25:49 | |
So, it's not a fairytale castle at all, and we can actually see | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
the different layers of history by the different colours of stone. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
I never realised that Castell Coch was so old, | 0:25:57 | 0:26:00 | |
but most of the castle was built in the late 19th century | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
by the Marquis of Bute as a summer residence. Beats camping! | 0:26:04 | 0:26:08 | |
-I thought I was going to get stuck coming through there. -Oh, it was gracefully done! | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
Too many apple pies! | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
Well, this is lovely. Who designed all this? | 0:26:25 | 0:26:28 | |
Well, it was actually designed by William Burgess, | 0:26:28 | 0:26:31 | |
who was a very close friend of the third Marquis of Bute. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:34 | |
But sadly William Burgess didn't get to see the fruition | 0:26:34 | 0:26:38 | |
of his work at Castell Coch, because he passed away in 1880 | 0:26:38 | 0:26:42 | |
and this was the first room completed in 1881. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:45 | |
But even the stencilling on the walls was taken from medieval examples. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:50 | |
It was very important to keep that theme of the medieval. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:53 | |
Castell Coch is beautifully decorated, | 0:26:54 | 0:26:57 | |
but in reality, medieval life was brutal. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
Andy's an expert on this, so he took me out into the courtyard | 0:27:00 | 0:27:04 | |
to be kitted up in medieval combat gear. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:07 | |
Right, let's get you all dressed up. | 0:27:07 | 0:27:09 | |
First of all - arming cap - very important. If you'd like to do it up underneath. | 0:27:09 | 0:27:13 | |
It also acts like a sponge, to take any sweat away from your brow. | 0:27:13 | 0:27:17 | |
Then we've got your coif, which is your chainmail balaclava. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:22 | |
OK there? | 0:27:22 | 0:27:24 | |
-There you are. -Not too rough! -I'm so used to it, see. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:28 | |
How about that? If you could just turn that round slightly for me. | 0:27:30 | 0:27:33 | |
That was a lot easier, wasn't it? See, there's a technique. | 0:27:33 | 0:27:36 | |
-Does it suit me? -It does, actually. You look very good in that. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:39 | |
I'll give you this. This is your helm. The eyes really should be in the right place | 0:27:39 | 0:27:44 | |
and they won't rattle. OK? | 0:27:44 | 0:27:48 | |
-Do you want to put the gauntlets on? -Why not? | 0:27:48 | 0:27:51 | |
In for penny, in for a pound. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:53 | |
We've got this one here. | 0:27:53 | 0:27:55 | |
It's going to go in on that side. There you are. | 0:27:56 | 0:27:59 | |
That adds extra weight to the blow that you'll be giving. | 0:27:59 | 0:28:03 | |
The moment of truth, sir. You've got thy blade. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:05 | |
Your good and trusty medieval light. | 0:28:05 | 0:28:08 | |
Four and a half pounds in weight. | 0:28:08 | 0:28:10 | |
-There you are. -Don't go anywhere without one of these. -A weapon of many uses! | 0:28:10 | 0:28:14 | |
-Derek The Weatherman is ready to do battle. -Definitely. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:19 |