Menai Strait and Castell Coch Weatherman Walking


Menai Strait and Castell Coch

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Transcript


LineFromTo

I'm in a small town with a huge name. So, just for you...

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Llanfair - pwllgwyngyll...

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gogerych - wyrndrob...

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wllllantysilio...

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gogogoch.

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Easy! Dim problem.

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This week, I've got two walks at either end of the country.

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Later on, I'll be walking between Caerphilly Castle

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and Castell Coch just outside Cardiff.

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But first I'm on Anglesey at a place with a record-breaking name.

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It also has another big claim to fame.

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Britain's first branch of the Women's Institute was set up right here in 1915.

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And so in their honour, my guides today are three of the WI's finest.

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-Hello, ladies. Sut mae?

-Hello, how are you? Welcome to Llanfairpwll.

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-I'm Angela.

-Hello, I'm Fiona. Nice to meet you.

-Hello, and I'm Glynne.

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So, this is a very special place and where it all started.

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It all started 100 years ago in 1915.

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The WI was founded at the height of the First World War

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to encourage Britain's women to grow and preserve their own food for the war effort.

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And then in 1921, the WI managed to buy this ex-officer's mess

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from Kinmel camp in Bodelwyddan and the WI is still going very, very strong here, as well.

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And you've got a nice little walk lined up for me today?

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-We've got a lovely walk lined up for you, yes.

-So, shall we get going?

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-Yeah.

-OK, off we go.

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Llanfair PG sits a stone's throw away from the banks of the Menai Strait.

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The walk starts at the home of Britain's first WI,

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before heading down to Pwllfanogl by walking along the waterfront.

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We then pass Nelson's statue, before stopping at the Britannia Bridge.

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Making our way along the Anglesey Coastal Path, we cross a causeway

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to Church Island and finish slap bang in the middle

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of the Menai Suspension Bridge.

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It's a total of 4.3 miles and you can get a bus back to the start.

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Leaving the village, we're on the main road for a bit,

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before turning off and joining the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path.

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So, when did you three all start walking together?

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Well, it was about three years ago now.

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Each WI were set the challenge to walk the distance

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equivalent from the WI hut in Llanfair PG to the Olympic Stadium,

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which was a total of about 200 miles.

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So, we set up a walking group so that we could complete the challenge.

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-And we've been talking together ever since, really.

-Yeah.

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Sometimes, it's just the three of us. The Three Musketeers!

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-I thought we might need to find somewhere to shelter.

-Yeah, hoods up!

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The thing is, Anglesea does have a microclimate, doesn't it?

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Does that mean it rains a lot?

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It can be pouring down in Llanfair PG and sunny in Menai Bridge.

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Oh, is that right?

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'How's that for fantastic forecasting!'

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MUSIC: Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage

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But the shower soon passes and we brave a quick detour

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to the little hamlet of Pwllfanogl.

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I'd like to show you this house, Derek. This is Min-Y-Mor.

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This is the house where Kyffin Williams returned back to Anglesey

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-to live in in 1973.

-The famous artist?

-Yeah.

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This is where he did a lot of those famous paintings - the palette knife style -

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and he had the lovely views across here of the straits and the mountains beyond.

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-And even on a day like this, it's very special here, isn't it?

-It is. It really is.

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Kyffin loved the light here so much that his friend the Marques of Anglesey

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adapted this house into a studio for him.

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He painted here for over 30 years until his death in 2006.

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OK, Derek, we're going to go back onto the Anglesey coastal path now,

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we're going to go through this little gate, which always reminds me of the book The Secret Garden.

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Do you remember it? No. It was more of a girl's book really, I suppose.

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HE LAUGHS

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-It's a bit tucked away in here, though.

-It is, but it's beautiful.

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Dropping down to the Menai Strait, adds a striking contrast to the walk

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and a glimpse of the first of our bridges.

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-We've got beautiful views of the Britannia Bridge up here.

-Oh, Yes.

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Derek, if you want to have a look at it... Pretty impressive, isn't it?

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-Great from this angle.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

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But take care when walking down here and stick to the designated route.

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The strait is tidal and high spring tides can cover the path.

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And once again it's time to take cover!

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Well, the weather's closed in again,

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-but would you normally go walking in conditions like this?

-Yeah.

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-We usually go in any weather, don't we?

-Yes, we turn up, if anyone else turns up, we walk.

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-You're a hardy lot, then?

-We are.

-Tough as old boots.

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And, of course, it's true what they say,

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"There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing."

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-And this is what I call wet rain.

-Is there any other kind?

-No.

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THEY CHUCKLE

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-Let's carry on.

-OK.

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MUSIC: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by BJ Thomas

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-Quite nice walking on the seaweed, isn't it?

-Yes.

-All squelchy and you can hear it popping.

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'Next, we walk past a statue to a British hero.

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'It's not as big as the one in Trafalgar Square,

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'but this Nelson's column is still pretty impressive.

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'Nelson called the Menai Strait, "One of the most treacherous stretches of sea in the world."

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'And coming from him, that's really saying something.'

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Just beyond Nelson's statue, we reach the first of our two bridges,

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the Britannia Bridge. Before we look at the bridge itself,

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Fiona, Glynne and Angela have a surprising bit of history to show me.

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-It's like we're the Army!

-Yes! It is!

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Well, here we are, Derek. We're now underneath the Britannia Bridge.

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The best views are down that way,

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but I want to show you something first, so head this way.

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MUSIC: The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Tight Fit

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-Well, Derek. Did you know that we had lions?

-What? Lions here?

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-Yes.

-No way!

-Yes.

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And there's been a poem written about them, as well. By a local poet called John Evans.

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Pedwar llew tew, heb ddim blew... Two fat lions without any hair...

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Dau 'ochr yma, dau 'ochr drew... Two over here and two over there.

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-Two a bald, fat lions here? I don't believe it!

-Yeah.

-Yeah, absolutely.

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-Show me.

-OK. Watch your back!

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# In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight... #

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-And here they are.

-They're magnificent, aren't they?

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-What are these doing here, then?

-They were here as part of the original Britannia Bridge

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when it was just a single railway line and people on the train

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could see them as they were coming over the bridge.

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But unfortunately they can't be seen by people driving over the bridge,

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which has been built since. So, it's a real shame that they're just hidden down here.

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-That's a real pity, isn't it?

-It is.

-It is.

-It would be lovely to see them again.

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Do you think there's any chance maybe they could raise them up?

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Well, there's a lot of people who'd like to see them raised up, but I think it's the cost

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and maybe they're a bit too fragile to move.

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But whether that will ever happen in our lifetime, we don't know.

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The Bridge now carries cars and trains, but when it was built in 1850

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it was a pioneering railway bridge,

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taking passengers across the Strait and onwards to Ireland.

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Unfortunately, Derek, the bridge looks nothing like it did in 1850.

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I've got some photos with me to show you what it looked like

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when it was finished. If you can see there, Derek,

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it didn't have the road on the top and it also didn't have these arches,

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Which actually made it look quite plain, but very, very smart.

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The tubular design was revolutionary

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and lasted over 100 years until one fateful night in May, 1970.

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'The famous tubular bridge that had stood for so long was now ablaze.

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FIRE ROARS

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'The fire had been started by a group of youths

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'playing about in one of the tubular bridges - an accident,

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'but what an accident it proved to be.'

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The bridge had to be completely rebuilt, with the road deck on top added later

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and the railway running underneath.

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They've certainly done a good job in rebuilding it and it looks very impressive today.

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It does, Derek. Yeah. Right, let's move on.

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This stretch of water between the two bridges is known as The Swellies

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and is the most treacherous section of the Menai Strait.

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And in one of those kayaks, I'd soon be up the creek without a paddle!

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-I told you it was going to brighten up.

-You were right!

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For once!

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The path takes us through Coed Mor

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with magical glimpses of our final destination,

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the Menai Suspension Bridge.

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And there's even time for a quick stop to enjoy the fruits of our labour

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and do a spot of bird-watching.

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-Look at that view! I should've bought my binoculars.

-Yes, you should have done!

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It's a wonderful sight and look - there's a seal in the water, as well!

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I could sit here all day, but we've still got to finish the walk, haven't we?

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-We have.

-So, don't get too comfy!

-Right, come on then.

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Get a wriggle on.

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MUSIC: Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Zoe

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We've almost reached the Menai Suspension bridge,

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but there's still time to visit a sacred site surrounded by water.

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And this, Derek, is an ancient causeway leading to Church Island.

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-A very pretty spot on Anglesey.

-It looks it.

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-What a wonderful place to have a church.

-Yeah, it's a lovely place.

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It's one of my favourite places on Anglesey.

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There's been a church on the island since the 7th century

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and it's dedicated to Saint Tysilio.

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Well, this is awesome!

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I think, Derek, this is the best place to view the two bridges.

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The Britannia Bridge and Telford suspension bridge.

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It's also a great spot to keep an eye on the weather.

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The next front is moving in from the Atlantic.

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-So, maybe we should head towards the Menai Bridge.

-Yeah, let's get going.

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Yeah.

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Our final leg takes us along the Belgian Promenade,

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named after the Belgian war refugees who built it in 1916

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as a thank you for their warm welcome here.

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And finally we reach the superstar of suspension bridges.

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Can you imagine what it must have been like to build something like this?

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Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge

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was the largest of its kind in the world

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and an amazing feat of engineering.

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Built after Great Britain and Ireland were brought together to become the United Kingdom.

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The Act of Union had been signed in 1801

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and the politicians et cetera needed to get from Ireland to Holyhead

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and down to London on a much safer and quicker route.

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Now, before they had the bridge, there was lots of ferries

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going backwards and forwards from the mainland to Menai Bridge

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and it was dangerous, people died, et cetera.

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So Telford was commissioned to improve the road - which he did -

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and that was the easy bit.

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Then he had this structure to contend with

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and it was no mean feat.

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It took from 1819

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to 1826 to build.

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-So, how would you fancy taking a closer look?

-I think so, yes.

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Yeah - quick, before the rain comes!

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Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge was his crowning glory

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and at the time, had the world's longest span,

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measuring 176 metres.

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The 16 huge chains each weigh 121 tonnes

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and it also needed to be high, with a 100ft clearance

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to allow the tall ships of the time to sail underneath.

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Well, here we are, Derek. We've made it. We're at the end of our walk, on the bridge.

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Thank you so much, ladies, for showing me this wonderful walk between two bridges.

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A walk that's full of history,

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scenery and sheer feats of engineering.

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I'm no Thomas Telford, but I do know a rain cloud when I see one.

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-So, come on, ladies. Let's take cover.

-Great!

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And if you fancy trying this

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or another of our walks, go to our website.

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It's got detailed route information and walking maps

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for you to print off.

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Or you can download it onto your tablet and take it with you.

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I've always wanted to be a knight in shining armour.

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Today, I'm on a walk between two castles.

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Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch.

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Mind you, I'm not sure I can do it in all this lot.

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My quest starts in Caerphilly, north of Cardiff.

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We begin at the castle, before heading up through the town

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and onto the top of Caerphilly Mountain.

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From there we follow the Ridgeway path passing an old Roman road,

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before heading along the sculpture trail in Fforest Fawr.

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Finally, we arrive at Castell Coch

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just outside the village of Tongwynlais.

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It's just over four and a half miles

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and there's a bus that takes you back to Caerphilly.

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Pointing me in the right direction is Andy Jenkins.

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He comes from Caerphilly and works as a guide at Castell Coch.

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He's also an expert on medieval combat.

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-Hi, Andy. Great to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you, too. How's things?

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All right, thanks. I've got to say, I love this place.

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Well, welcome to Caerphilly Castle. Of course, this is where we're starting from today on our walk,

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-so would you like to go in and take a little look?

-I think we should.

-I think we should definitely.

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MUSIC: Knights Of Cydonia by Muse

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Caerphilly castle is the second largest castle in the whole of Britain.

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It was built in the 1260s by the Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare,

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to keep the troublesome Welsh locals at bay.

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He needed to - as soon as it was finished,

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the Welsh attacked and tried to burn it down.

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But Gilbert rebuilt it bigger and better

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and a lot of that still survives today,

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nearly 750 years later.

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-So, which part of the castle is this?

-Well, this is actually the original entrance,

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it is the oldest part of the castle.

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And beyond the gates there, that was the frontier. It was all heavily forested,

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so the Welsh lords of Senghenydd had control of that power base.

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-It's a huge castle, isn't it?

-It is. I think what's even more amazing

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is that the main bulk of it was actually built within four to five years.

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And for a site of this size - that's quite a feat.

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You know what, we could spend all day here looking around,

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-but we've got a walk to do.

-Yeah, we have, haven't we? This way.

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MUSIC: A Kind Of Magic by Queen

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The other thing the castle is famous for is its leaning tower.

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Damaged in the Civil War and then tipped further through subsidence,

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the south east tower actually leans more than the one in Pisa.

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Caerphilly Castle still casts its spell

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and our first stop just up the road has another magical connection.

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-Well, I know who this guy is. I used to love him.

-Yes, Tommy Cooper.

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It's a lovely statue. Of course, born in Caerphilly,

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Llwyn Onn Street, in Energleyn. And I think Caerphilly's very proud.

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-Hey, I've got a joke for you.

-What's that?

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A guy walks into a doctor's with a strawberry on his head.

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Dr says, "I've got some cream for that." AS TOMMY COOPER: Just like that!

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-I'll tell you what, just like that, we're going to go this way.

-OK.

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Caerphilly dates back to Roman times,

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but it was the medieval castle that put it on the map.

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-So, the town grew up around the castle?

-It certainly did. If it hadn't have been for the castle

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being built, then the town would never have probably been sited here. It was there to serve

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-as the garrison inside the castle.

-And then much later, of course, came the coal mines.

-That's right.

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A very important part of the area in general.

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The South Wales coal fields ends here on the escarpment around Caerphilly Mountains.

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So, a lot of mines in the area.

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And you've lived in the town all your life, I bet you've seen

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-a lot of changes over the years.

-Yeah, certainly.

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The only parts of old Caerphilly that really exist

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is actually above the shop fronts.

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And that's still where you can find old Caerphilly.

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Before long, we leave the bustle of Caerphilly behind

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and head up into the hills.

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-It's a bit of a steep climb up here.

-It is.

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There's no easy way up, I'm afraid.

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But we are going to be cutting off just by here and this is a little bit less steep.

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But we'll be going up on to Caerphilly Mountain then.

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-I bet there's a good view from the top.

-Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

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The path takes us past the local golf course,

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but Andy's got this walk off to a T and we carry on climbing up.

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It's hard work, but I like a challenge.

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Oh, wow! That's amazing.

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-Stunning views.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

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-Castle down there...

-Brilliant.

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It's a perfect location, you can see that, right there in the centre.

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Looking north, we can see the Brecon Beacons

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right across to the Black Mountains.

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It's such an important location, because it is an important communication centre.

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Newport that way, with Cardiff behind us,

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Swansea off down that way.

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And, of course, just beautiful.

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-Amazing. It's worth coming up here, isn't it?

-Definitely. Definitely.

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And if we go on just a bit further, there's some other things that I'd like to show you, as well.

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Well, this looks interesting. What is it? Is it Iron Age?

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No. It's far more modern, actually.

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It was done during the Second World War!

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It was actually used by the Home Guard,

0:20:100:20:12

it was their practice trenches.

0:20:120:20:14

I've got a really interesting photograph you might like to have a look at.

0:20:140:20:17

It was taken of my father on Caerphilly Mountain here,

0:20:170:20:20

he's with his auntie and it was taken on the 3rd September, 1939.

0:20:200:20:24

The moment after that photograph was taken,

0:20:240:20:27

my gran came over to the cottage

0:20:270:20:29

and actually said, "We're at war with Germany".

0:20:290:20:32

So, that photograph was taken during the last moments of peace.

0:20:320:20:36

An important day in history and a very thought-provoking photograph.

0:20:360:20:40

MUSIC: On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons

0:20:400:20:44

And with one last push, we finally reach the top of the mountain.

0:20:540:20:59

Well, the views from here are even better. We can see Cardiff in the distance,

0:21:060:21:10

right across the Bristol Channel, 360 degree views.

0:21:100:21:15

-Absolutely stunning, isn't it?

-So, how high are we here?

0:21:150:21:18

It's actually 888 feet.

0:21:180:21:20

The designation to qualify as a mountain is 1,000 feet.

0:21:210:21:25

And of course on Gwaelod-y-Garth,

0:21:250:21:26

they put a little mound there to make it 1,000 feet.

0:21:260:21:29

-Well, that's cheating!

-It is. You only have to walk up this mountain to know it's a mountain.

0:21:290:21:33

-You don't need a mound to tell you that.

-Yeah, you couldn't call it a hill, could you?

-No, certainly not.

0:21:330:21:38

-Caerphilly Mountain sounds better.

-Much better. This way, yeah?

0:21:380:21:41

As we descend from the top of Caerphilly Mountain,

0:21:460:21:49

we join the Ridgeway Walk, a popular trail that runs 27 miles

0:21:490:21:53

from Machen to Taff's Well.

0:21:530:21:56

We're heading for Castell Coch, crossing a modern road

0:21:560:22:00

before finding one that's much older.

0:22:000:22:02

Right, I'm just going to stop you up here a second, Derek.

0:22:040:22:06

Because we're actually standing on what was once the Roman road,

0:22:060:22:09

which came from the garrison fort down there in Caerphilly

0:22:090:22:12

-and ran all the way to Cardiff.

-It looks like an old track to me.

-It doesn't look much now, does it?

0:22:120:22:17

But in its heyday, you would have been able to follow this road all the way to Cardiff

0:22:170:22:20

and then you could have jumped on a ship and gone to Rome.

0:22:200:22:24

-So, where are we now?

-We're just coming down to a little place called Waunwaelod.

0:22:290:22:33

It's where David Williams was born

0:22:330:22:35

and he actually helped to write the French constitution.

0:22:350:22:39

I've got to say, you certainly know your history, Andy.

0:22:390:22:41

I've always had an interest in history. And not just about the kings and the queens,

0:22:410:22:45

I think about the common person. I think that's far more interesting than personalities.

0:22:450:22:49

-Covers people like me, then!

-Yeah, I think we can both class ourselves with that one.

0:22:490:22:54

It can be a bit muddy along here,

0:22:540:22:56

so make sure you wear a good pair of boots.

0:22:560:22:59

Well, this is gorgeous, Andy.

0:23:000:23:02

It's hard to believe we're so close to Cardiff and Caerphilly.

0:23:020:23:06

No, that's right. It's a bit of an oasis, isn't it?

0:23:060:23:08

Just there between it all.

0:23:080:23:11

-And here we are, back out into the sunshine.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

0:23:110:23:14

Next, it's down some country lanes

0:23:210:23:23

with masses of wild garlic everywhere,

0:23:230:23:26

before going into the Fforest Fawr woodland trail.

0:23:260:23:29

-This looks interesting.

-Yes. It's the start of the sculpture trail.

0:23:320:23:35

If we follow it on, there's a lot more as we go into the forest.

0:23:350:23:38

The sculpture trail was opened in 2007 and is designed for children,

0:23:410:23:45

who can follow the clues in the different statues.

0:23:450:23:49

-Well, this is a good one.

-It is, isn't it?

-It looks like Roy Noble with a toadstool on his head.

0:23:510:23:56

It does a bit, doesn't it?!

0:23:560:23:57

But I think that's the nice thing about it, isn't it? It's very fun.

0:23:570:24:00

It's got to be more fun for families and it makes forests more accessible

0:24:000:24:03

if they're going to survive in the future.

0:24:030:24:06

-Shall we carry on?

-Definitely.

0:24:060:24:08

-Well, I didn't realise this was here. What is it?

-It's the Three Bears Cave.

0:24:170:24:21

You can see it's called Three Bears Cave because you've got three entrances.

0:24:210:24:24

You've got the mummy Bear, the daddy Bear and the baby Bear.

0:24:240:24:27

-Is it natural, or was there a mine here once?

-Well, there was an original system here, I think,

0:24:270:24:31

which was exploited then by miners for different minerals and things.

0:24:310:24:34

-What are these guys doing?

-I think they're actually doing training.

0:24:340:24:37

They're the fire service and they train on how to get people out of difficult locations.

0:24:370:24:42

-I reckon they're looking for Goldilocks!

-They probably are!

0:24:420:24:46

Fforest Fawr is a really beautiful woodland walk with lots to look at,

0:24:550:25:00

but Andy and I have to keep moving as we've almost got to our Holy Grail,

0:25:000:25:05

Castell Coch.

0:25:050:25:07

Well, we've finally reached the end of our walk.

0:25:070:25:09

-And how spectacular is that?

-It's a real gem, isn't it?

0:25:090:25:13

-And it's very often overlooked.

-But it's not a real castle, is it?

0:25:130:25:16

-Well, actually, it is. And if you'd like to come with me, I'll show you just how old it is.

-OK.

0:25:160:25:21

If we stop here, this is really a good place to chart that early history of the castle.

0:25:240:25:28

If you look at the bottom courses of stonework, they're different to above

0:25:280:25:31

and we think that was put there by the Welsh about 1150.

0:25:310:25:34

But then after that, it reverted to Anglo Norman roughly about 1190.

0:25:340:25:37

You can see it's more dressed.

0:25:370:25:39

If you look over that way towards the glacis, which is that sloped wall,

0:25:390:25:42

that was put there by Gilbert de Clare when he strengthened the side

0:25:420:25:46

before building the second part of Caerphilly.

0:25:460:25:49

So, it's not a fairytale castle at all, and we can actually see

0:25:490:25:52

the different layers of history by the different colours of stone.

0:25:520:25:56

I never realised that Castell Coch was so old,

0:25:570:26:00

but most of the castle was built in the late 19th century

0:26:000:26:04

by the Marquis of Bute as a summer residence. Beats camping!

0:26:040:26:08

-I thought I was going to get stuck coming through there.

-Oh, it was gracefully done!

0:26:130:26:17

Too many apple pies!

0:26:170:26:19

THEY LAUGH

0:26:190:26:21

Well, this is lovely. Who designed all this?

0:26:250:26:28

Well, it was actually designed by William Burgess,

0:26:280:26:31

who was a very close friend of the third Marquis of Bute.

0:26:310:26:34

But sadly William Burgess didn't get to see the fruition

0:26:340:26:38

of his work at Castell Coch, because he passed away in 1880

0:26:380:26:42

and this was the first room completed in 1881.

0:26:420:26:45

But even the stencilling on the walls was taken from medieval examples.

0:26:450:26:50

It was very important to keep that theme of the medieval.

0:26:500:26:53

Castell Coch is beautifully decorated,

0:26:540:26:57

but in reality, medieval life was brutal.

0:26:570:27:00

Andy's an expert on this, so he took me out into the courtyard

0:27:000:27:04

to be kitted up in medieval combat gear.

0:27:040:27:07

Right, let's get you all dressed up.

0:27:070:27:09

First of all - arming cap - very important. If you'd like to do it up underneath.

0:27:090:27:13

It also acts like a sponge, to take any sweat away from your brow.

0:27:130:27:17

Then we've got your coif, which is your chainmail balaclava.

0:27:170:27:22

OK there?

0:27:220:27:24

-There you are.

-Not too rough!

-I'm so used to it, see.

0:27:240:27:28

How about that? If you could just turn that round slightly for me.

0:27:300:27:33

That was a lot easier, wasn't it? See, there's a technique.

0:27:330:27:36

-Does it suit me?

-It does, actually. You look very good in that.

0:27:360:27:39

I'll give you this. This is your helm. The eyes really should be in the right place

0:27:390:27:44

and they won't rattle. OK?

0:27:440:27:48

-Do you want to put the gauntlets on?

-Why not?

0:27:480:27:51

In for penny, in for a pound.

0:27:510:27:53

We've got this one here.

0:27:530:27:55

It's going to go in on that side. There you are.

0:27:560:27:59

That adds extra weight to the blow that you'll be giving.

0:27:590:28:03

The moment of truth, sir. You've got thy blade.

0:28:030:28:05

Your good and trusty medieval light.

0:28:050:28:08

Four and a half pounds in weight.

0:28:080:28:10

-There you are.

-Don't go anywhere without one of these.

-A weapon of many uses!

0:28:100:28:14

-Derek The Weatherman is ready to do battle.

-Definitely.

0:28:140:28:19

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