Original subtitles

(lively music)

- Our journey begins at the charming,

literary seaside town of Laugharne.

We travel through the rolling hills of

Southern Carmarthenshire, before crossing through the heart

of the wild Brecon Beacons National Park.

We explore some of the country's

many historic castles and religious monuments.

Followed by the industrial coal mining heartlands,

are the South wild valleys.

At Caerphilly, we find fortresses both ancient and modern,

before we plunge into Cardiff, Wale's thriving capital city.

The last leg of our journey, again takes us from old to new,

the Roman ruins had carried on,

standing cheek by jowl with the city of Newport.

And then on to Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle, a

stone throw from the Severn Bridges, our final destination.

This beautiful, rolling farmland is outside

the historic coastal town of Laugharne,

which nestles on the southern edge of

the royal county of Carmarthenshire.

The land here is a rare surviving example

of an open field system, a medieval land jaring structure

that handed the care and use of the farmland to local people

Each strip of the larger field,

as seen here, is divided by ditches.

This system is still managed today

by unique town institution, the Laugharne Corporation,

founded as far back as 1291 by the local lord,

Sir Guy de Brian.

The aim of the organization was to oversee all local

legal business, including criminal cases and civil suits,

as well of the sharing of these 76 individual

strips of land above the town.

Laugharne's other living relic is it's outstanding castle.

Built originally in the 12th century,

and redeveloped in Shuda times,

its current ruins standing posingly

over the stunning expanse of the glorious Calf Estuary,

where the River Taff flows into Carmarthen Bay.

(soft music)

At the mouth of the estuary,

dropping down off the edge of the town,

is the boathouse home of Laugharne's most famous son,

the world renowned poet, Dylan Thomas.

The rustic charm of the location

gave inspiration for some of his most famous works,

such as "Over Sir John's Hill"

which describes his view of birds

stalking their prey over the sea.

And his masterpiece, "Under Milk Wood"

the radio play that was much inspired

by the wonderfully eccentric community of Laugharne.

The River Taff is one of a number estuaries

feeding into Carmarthen Bay.

As we follow the peninsula hugging Pendine Sands,

we find a wide, blue, estuary waters of the River Towy,

one of Wales' longest waterways, which flows from the

Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales,

situated 121 kilometers to the North.

For over 800 years, the Towy estuary has been guarded

by the magnificent Llansteffan Castle.

A 12th century Norman fortress,

its ruins still stand watch over the mouth of the bay.

Such a prized strategic location however,

has met a tumultuous history.

The 12th and 13th centuries saw regular battles

for its possession between the early Norman conquerors

and the rebellious locals.

These days, its stunning battlements and towers

are listed and protected and is popular tourist destination.

We now head north, following the River Towy

upstream towards its source.

Its course tucks and turns through

typically lush rolling Welsh countryside

before the river plain opens out to Carmarthen.

It lays claimed to be the oldest town in Wales

and is now a vibrant mix of traditional and new.

Dating back to Roman times,

Carmarthen still remains a thriving market town.

As well as its medieval center,

it's also home to a major campus of the University of Wales.

This dramatic change of scenery seasons arrive`on

70 kilometers east, to the mist of the

Brecon Beacons National Park,

a wild and rugged landscape of astonishing natural beauty

that sits on the border of South and Mid Wales.

These grassy and heather-clad mountains have seen

human activity for over eight millennia.

And today, it's in the form of nature lovers the world over,

drawing trekking enthusiasts eager to explore

its often challenging terrain.

The Brecon Beacon Range is the highest in Southern Britain,

and at its eastern most edge are the Black Mountains,

an ancient collection of hills and

richly verdant winding valleys that spread across

the counties of Powys and Monmouthshire

close to the English border.

Deep in the heart of a valley, the secluded vale of Eus

sits the ruins of Flantony Prairie,

built by a order of augustinian monks in the 12th century.

The ghostly but commanding ruins we see today

show evidence of both Norman and gothic architecture,

such as the long arcade of arches.

Alone in its valley, Flantony stands as a stark monument

of a forgotten era.

Leaving the Vale of Eus, we journey up the valley top

to the East, where the Black Mountains

drop down into border country.

Here on the very edge of Wales

is the English county of Herefordshire,

and the picturesque Olchon Valley.

It's where we find the pathwald thickwald keep,

that is Longtown Castle,

built around the turn of the 13th century.

Sitting on a large earthen mound,

the fort was so designed for a very simple reason.

Its task was too serve as an unbreakable bullwog

against Welsh raids from the Black Mountains

across the English border.

And today, its still stands symbolically guarding

the borders with an awesome presence.

This stretch of country is scattered

with similar castles and strongholds

and heading 20 kilometers southeast, we find White Castle,

another typically impressive example for the Norman era.

With its moat, bridge, gatehouse, sprawling battlemans,

it's a picture perfect example of medieval military might.

Originally named after the

neighboring village of Llantillio,

it later came to be known as White Castle

in the 13th century when its walls were line washed

from top to bottom, and the name has stuck ever since.

Another intriguingly named feature in the region

is the looming and iconic Monmouthshire Mountain

called the Sugarloaf, so labeled, unsurprisingly,

for its physical similarity to the old method

of forming and selling refined sugar,

that of a tall cone with a rounded top.

There are several other hills and mountains

around the world with the same name.

Our journey now takes us into the 20th century

and the emotional heart of Welsh Industry,

the South Wales Coal Fields.

Our first stop is here,

at the Big Pit National Coal Museum at Blaenavon,

which symbolizes the importance in inheritance

of the now mostly defaunt Welsh mining industry.

But in its day it absolutely dominated

this whole area of South Wales,

supplying jobs for entire communities

and fueling the Industrial Revolution

during the 18th and 19th centuries.

But with what was seen as the declining importance

of coal mining to the UK government during the 20th century,

many pits were forced to close.

This caused widespread employment and poverty in the region,

the effects of which are still felt to this day.

Big Pit has become an emotionally resident location

for generations of Welsh minors.

As its historic collery buildings

are still as they were when the mine was fully operational,

even though the Pit is now a highly popular destination

rather than a fully working site.

The Welsh coal fields are better known

within Wales as simply, "The Valleys"

and are a hub of tight knit working class communities

recognizable by their traditional rows of tourist houses,

sprawling along the length of the valley floors.

(soft piano)

Journeying south for the industrial heartlands,

we arrive at the town of Caerphilly

and its magnificent castle, one of the finest

of those still standing in Wales.

This 13th century, slumbering giant of a fortress is

surrounded by a series of stunning moats and watery islands

and was the creation of Gilbert "The Red" de Clare,

a red headed nobleman of Norman descent.

It's an extraordinary testament to craftsmanship and power.

The water features alone are entirely artificial

and were created solely for defensive purposes,

whilst its concentric battlements and barricades

are considered some of the finest examples

of classic medieval stone masonry in Europe.

Gilbert "The Red" de Clare was also responsible

for the initial construction of what's considered

maybe Wale's most eccentric castle, Castell Coch.

Sitting on the hillside above the village of Tongwynlais,

the remains of de Clare's originally structure

were bought by the Marquess of Bute in the 19th century,

and redesigned in a neo-medieval style

by architect, William Burges.

At the time, the marquess was one

of the richest men in the world,

having made his fortune in South Wales coal.

And as we can see here, he refashioned Castell Coch

as a dreamlike gothic fairytale castle,

with its pointed towers soaring out

from the surrounding forest.

Today it's considered to be somewhat of a folly,

a beautiful but historically inaccurate mishmash of styles,

a testament perhaps more to the wealth of one man

and his desire to truly live like a medieval king.

From here it's south, towards the sea

and the vibrant city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

For many years, its industrial heart

was to be found here at Cardiff Bay.

Once a thriving port, primarily exporting Welsh coal

to the rest of the world,

the Bay is now the symbolic center of national regeneration.

Classic buildings such as the Pierhead

mixed with a panoply of modern designs and structures.

(bright music)

The Bay's most prominent landmark

is the award-winning Wales Millennium Center

where the defining inscription by poet Gwyneth Lewis,

our motto for the spirit of Cardiff Bay in its entirety:

"In these stones, horizons sing."

And looking to the horizon, we can see

the newly constructed barrage created in the 1990s

to give the Bay its permanent high water line,

as if the tide is always in.

(lively music)

Cardiff itself is in every sense a capital city,

being the chief commercial, cultural, and sporting center

as well as the seat of the Welsh government.

And taking it's pride of place in the center

is Cardiff Castle one of Wale's leading heritage attractions

and a historic site of internationally importance.

To step through these battlements into its grounds

is to embrace over 2000 years of living history.

The outer walls from Norman times are built on Roman ones.

But the castle is known today for its 19th century

towers and battlements designed once again by William Burges

His work here is justly celebrated.

The main castle is a Welsh Victorian Camelot,

of opulent interiors and fairytale towers

that attract visitors from around the globe.

(classy music)

And adjoining the castle grounds is Cafe's Park,

home of the city's municipal buildings

and considered to be one of the finest

of such a states in Britain.

It's where we find the monumental edwardian designed

of the Cardiff City Hall, built in 1906.

And next door is the atrium topped National Museum of Wales.

For the Welsh themselves though,

Cardiff's most precious monument is perhaps this,

the home of the national rugby team, the Millennium Stadium.

If rugby was a religion in Wales,

this would be its cathedral.

On match days, up to 75000 chanting and singing supporters

raise the roof to cheer on Team Wales.

South of Cardiff, in the Bristol Channel are two islands,

Flat Holm and Steep Holm.

Both now uninhabited nature reserves,

but which were previously fortified

as a defense against possible invasion.

Following the coast eastward, we head to Newport.

Previously a thriving industrial hub,

the city is now a shadow of its past preeminence,

following the collapse of the coal

and steel industries in South Wales.

In recent years however, the city's been undergoing

a major regeneration effort.

Newport's industrial past has left some fascinating legacies

like the Transporter Bridge, built in 1906

and now one of only two substructures in the country.

Transporters are unique in that they carry

goods and people across the water

by means of a hanging gaundler,

like the one we can see here docked by the waterside.

Though Newport is very much a city in transition,

it still remains a vital link between wales and England.

It's a permanent stop on the main west coast rail network

that connects Cardiff to London.

And, the major M4 motorway that joins

Carmarthenshire and the West of Wales

with the Southeast of England.

But the history of this region goes back

much further than the Industrial Revolution.

These are the remains of an ancient Roman arena, at Carrion.

Now sitting on the outskirts of Newport,

these remains were once part of a

much larger Roman military Garrison Barracks.

The site is considered to be the

finest example in all of Europe.

In its heyday, this arena could have sat up to

6000 baying and cheering Roman troops.

And many of its original features,

such as its sunken amphitheater entrances and slope terraces

are still intact.

Today the arena is the pride of the village of Carrion

and attracts many tourists from across the globe to Wales,

often to see the amphitheater used

for open air performances, and historical recreations.

Traveling some 20 kilometers north

to the county of Monmouthshire,

we come to another of Wales' board of fortresses.

Raglan Castle was built in the 1430s,

a more recent edition compared to some

of the more older Norman castles we've seen on this journey.

It was created as a lavish home

of a local nobleman and wine trader, William Herbert.

Architecturally, it's noteworthy for its turrets and massive

mullion windows, which would've bathed its rooms in light.

Beyond its opulent design, it was a stronghold too.

Famously withstanding a 13 week siege

during the English Civil War of the 17th century.

Eventually, it fell and the revolution reforces

inflicted much the damage we still see today.

But despite that, plenty or grandeur remains,

and visiting Raglan gives every visitor a visual experience

of what it might have been like

to live with tremendous wealth and power.

Following the border with England

along the peaceful Wye Valley,

we arrive at the haunting ruins of Tintern Abbey.

(haunting music)

For 400 years, it was the home

of the Cistercian order of monks.

Until 1536 that is, when it fell victim to a bitter dispute

between King Henry VIII of England and the Pope in Rome.

In a show of defiance, it was one of 800 religions buildings

destroyed on the monarch's orders.

It came to be known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Lead from the roof was stripped off,

stained-glass windows smashed,

fittings ripped out and left to decay.

But despite the shell of this grand structure

being so open to the skies for so long,

Tintern remains the best preserved medieval Abbey in Wales.

Today, it's a popular destination

for thousands of visitors each year who come to witness

its evocative presence here on the Wye River.

Following the waterways south, takes us

to the last of the major Welsh castles

we'll be visiting on our journey, Chepstow.

This stunning fortress is the oldest surviving

post Roman stone fortification in Britain

and the earliest of the Norman keeps.

Built only a year after the conquest of 1066.

It stands perched between the Limestone River Cliff

and a valley known locally as the Dell on its landward side.

Today the castle is very much a lesson in longevity.

Century after century, it grew along

its narrow clifftop ridge.

The oldest section can be seen here,

The Norman Great Tower, and building work

continued well into the 17th century,

as battlements were modified for guns and cannon.

By the 1700s, the castle began to fall into disrepair,

and it wasn't until the growth of tourism

in the 19th century, that its fortunes started to recover

with flourishing numbers of sight seers.

And finally, and perhaps suitably,

we cross over from Wales to England via the bridges

that join the two neighboring nations

over the magnificent Severn Estuary.

The first of the two, simply called The Severn Bridge,

was built in 1966 and was hailed as the dawn

of a new economic era for South Wales.

(happy music)

The far longer second crossing was opened in 1996

to cope with the enormous amount of traffic

flowing along the M4 motorway.

(happy music)

These modernist constructions have been a

vital component when opening up South Wales

to the rest of the United Kingdom,

particularly, the economic center

of the Southeast of England.

And since 1966, the bridges have carried

more than 300 million vehicles.

But for all their economic and strategic importance to Wales

the Severn Bridges are fixed in a popular imagination

as particularly spectacular examples of British engineering.

To drive across them high above the water on a sunny day

can be quite an experience,

with Wales or England ahead of you,

surrounded by the vast expanse of the tidal estuary,

a fine place to end this journey.

(upbeat music)

(music fades out)

(whooshing)