All language subtitles for The.World.From.Above.S08E03.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-AlfaHD_track3_[eng]

(wind howling)

(triumphant music)

- Our journey
begins at Symonds Yat,

in an area of outstanding
natural beauty in England.

Our flight takes us south to north

across the counties that
straddle the Anglo-Welsh border.

In Herefordshire, we
visit the medieval ruin

of Goodrich Castle.

At Hereford,

we look down on its magnificent cathedral

and the home of a rare medieval treasure.

We continue on to Stokesay Castle,

one of the best preserved
medieval fortified houses.

In Welshpool,

we explore a beautiful
garden at Powis Castle,

as well as a Victorian experimental farm.

We then fly north

to one of the greatest 18th century

engineering feats near Llangollen,

before ending our journey
at the Dee Estuary.

Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley

is a protected area of
outstanding natural beauty.

(calming instrumental music)

The River Wye meanders
through 72 kilometers

of protected unspoiled
British countryside.

It's often said

that it is this section

where it's most beautiful.

Throughout history,

people have always left their
mark on Britain's landscape,

tangible links to what
life was like in Britain.

On this journey,

we're seeking out some of these landmarks

as we go up through the counties

that straddle the Anglo-Welsh border,

a once greatly contested frontier.

This borderland is known
as the Welsh Marches,

lands once under the rule
of the Marcher lords.

After William of Normandy
conquered England in 1066,

his Norman companions
established themselves

at the border of an unconquered Wales.

(calming instrumental music)

Like the swans of England and Wales,

who by the way have been

under royal protection
since the 13th century,

the Marcher lords were afforded
virtually royal status.

In exchange for guarding the Welsh border,

they were left to rule
their Marcher territories

as they wished.

(calming instrumental music)

These virtual kingdoms shaped life

at the border for generations,

which explains why it's
here in the Marches

that you'll find the highest concentration

of castles in Britain.

Three miles further
north along the River Wye

we find our first
fortress, Goodrich Castle.

It's well positioned
to keep a watchful eye

on Wales to the west.

First constructed in timber at the start

of the 12th century,

it was rebuilt in stone during the 13th.

It has a rectangular
Norman keep in the center

with later defensive
towers in three corners,

and a gatehouse in the fourth.

The castle was still in use
in the mid 17th century,

when civil war broke out in England.

A parliamentarian army
battered the royalist castle

with a specially made cannon
nicknamed "Roaring Meg,"

which survives and is on
display in the courtyard.

(crow cawing)

The castle was then slighted,

which means intentionally destroying it

to make it useless as a fortress.

It's been a ruin ever since,

and today is a very
popular place to visit.

Close by is the small
market town of Ross-on-Wye.

It's said that this is the birthplace

of the British tourist industry,

when in 1745 the local
vicar offered boat trips

down the River Wye for
friends and colleagues.

It soon blossomed into a
more professional concern

for all those seeking a
picturesque landscape.

And in 1808, a guidebook
of the area was published,

the first in Britain.

We now cross the border into Wales

as we head for Monnow Valley

and Skenfrith Castle.

The first fortress was established here

soon after the Norman conquest of 1066,

but this stone version
dates from the 13th century,

and built by the Marcher
Lord Hubert de Burgh.

He had spent time
fighting on the continent,

and brought back with him
new construction ideas.

He also built more
comfortable domestic quarters

for his family,

so making the castle more
of a lordly residence.

Close by is the medieval
church of St. Bridget's,

which was enlarged in the century

after Hubert de Burgh's time.

Norman lords were often very pious,

and built substantial
churches in close proximity

to their castles.

And in the name of god,

they subjugated the local population

with often cruel punishments.

Nearby is Grosmoth Castle,

another largely rebuilt by Hubert de Burgh

over the top of an earlier
Norman fortification.

When he eventually fell from grace

the castle returned to royal hands,

and King Henry III then
granted it to his second son

who said about turning it
into a more suitable residence

for a noble family.

This can be seen in
Grosmoth's distinctive feature

the tall octagonal chimney,

known as "Eleanor's Chimney".

Eleanor was the wife of King Henry,

and the fireplace must've once
warmed the royal apartment

when they visited.

But by the time of the English civil war

in the 17th century, the
castle was already a ruin.

So the visiting king Charles I

had to be put up for
the night in the town.

Across the border in
England is Garway Hill,

a 400 meter high natural landmark

which overlooks an impressive house

in the Monnow Valley
below, Kentchurch Court.

(calming piano music)

The house had been connected

with the Scudamore family since 1042,

when Stonemason Ralph Scudamore
moved here from Normandy

to build castles.

The house itself dates
from the 14th century,

though much altered and
improved over the years.

And in the next century another Scudamore

married the daughter of
the Welsh rebel leader,

the last prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr.

His rebellion against English rule failed,

and he disappeared without a trace.

Legend has it that this is
where he went into hiding

to live out the rest of his days.

Continuing north across
the lush countryside

of Herefordshire sees us
reunited with the River Wye.

This is farming country

with the fields creating
picturesque patterns

in the landscape.

(peaceful instrumental music)

For centuries the river has carved its way

through the countryside
as it gradually meanders

towards the county capital,

the city of Hereford,

and its great landmark
the Norman cathedral.

(choir singing)

There's been a cathedral on this site

since the days of the
Saxons in the 10th century,

and dedicated to one of
their kings, Aethelberht.

With the arrival of the Normans

a new cathedral was begun,

and over the centuries,

added to and rebuilt in the latest styles:

Romanesque, then Gothic,
followed by early English

and finally perpendicular.

Stored safely inside the cathedral

is the Hereford Mappa Mundi,

a medieval world map
from the 14th century.

In the historic heart of Hereford

are many fine and old buildings

like this old inn in the High Street.

The city also has another
religious building,

the ruins of the 14th
century Blackfriars Priory.

This was home to the order of preachers

who later become the Dominican Order.

Close by the Knights of Saint John,

who fought in the Crusades,

built a refuge which acted
as a simple hospital.

Later in 1614,

Thomas Coningsby incorporated
the existing buildings

in his old servator's hospital.

And so old became new.

It's now a museum,

and one of the many
attractions that Hereford

has to offer visitors.

Heading north,

we come to the picturesque
village of Weobley.

Its name possibly derives
from "Wibba's Ley,"

a ley being a woodland glade

and Wibba being a local Saxon landowner.

The village is known

for its old black and
white cottages and houses.

However, it was the
Victorians in the 19th century

who popularized this style
and created this iconic look.

Originally the houses might've
been painted with a limewash

with an added pigment to provide color.

Weobley's church is part Norman.

It has perpendicular Gothic elements

which emphasizes vertical
lines in its design,

as its looming 14th
century spire demonstrates.

(birds chirping)

We now enter the county of Shropshire,

and a key location in the history

of England and Wales, Ludlow Castle.

It was one of the first
stone castles in England

built soon after the
Norman conquest in 1066

as a Marcher stronghold.

In the following centuries it grew in size

and also importance as
the administrative center

for governing Wales.

It was also in this castle that the story

of the Princes in the Tower began.

When Edward, age 12, became king in 1483,

he was here with his younger
brother, the Duke of York

when his father Edward IV died in London.

The two boys left this
castle for the city,

and within a year both had
died in the Tower of London.

It's suspected, but never proved,

that they were murdered by their uncle,

who then became King Richard III.

The town of Ludlow grew up
in the shadow of the castle

and remarkably was laid out
in a symmetrical grid plan.

In this old section there are
over 500 protected buildings,

many dating back to medieval times.

As a result this historic and
picturesque town and castle

has become a very popular place to visit.

This is Stokesay Castle in Shropshire

and it's not strictly a castle at all,

but one of the earliest examples

of a medieval fortified
house from the 13th century.

There's still a castle tower
and a stone curtain wall,

but the main building
is not truly fortified.

It was built for a successful
local wool merchant,

Laurence of Ludlow,

and begins for the first time
to look like a real house.

There was still no glass
in the main windows

and oak shutters had to
keep out the wind and rain,

but there was a private
room called a solar

for Laurence and his family.

This remarkable survival
is largely due to the house

being abandoned in later centuries,

and only rediscovered
in the late 19th century

when restoration began.

Stokesay Castle is considered
one of the best preserved

medieval fortified
manor houses in England.

(classical instrumental music)

We're now approaching the Shropshire Hills

and the Long Mynd,

which has been declared an area

of outstanding natural beauty.

It's long been a popular place to walk,

and one of the favorite
trails is the Jack Mytton Way

named after an eccentric
Shropshire land owner.

Nestling in the foothills is
the village of Church Stretton,

nicknamed "Little
Switzerland" by the Victorians

who came to explore the area

and turned it into a tourist resort.

Close by is the old volcanic
hill of Caer Caradoc.

From the top it's possible
on a clear day to see the

high rise buildings of
Birmingham nearly 40 miles away.

And on the top are the remains
of a 2000 year old hill fort

which local legend tells
us was the last stand

of a chieftain called Caractacus,

against the might of Rome
during its conquest of Britain.

With fuel running low,

we need to cross the
border again into Wales

and head for the small
airfield at Welshpool.

This is the only airport
in the mid border area.

(techno music)

On the edge of the
airfield and over the trees

is a very distinctive castle.

In the 14th century,

this was rebuilt and named Powis Castle.

During the civil war of the 16th century,

the Powis family sided with the king

and the castle was taken by the Roundheads

and suffered considerable damage.

In the 1660s, it was repaired and enlarged

with a new garden planned in
a series of formal terraces.

The original clipped yew trees still stand

along with the beautiful lead statues

of shepherds and shepherdesses.

Powis somehow avoided the
fashion for landscaping

in the 18th century

which makes this a very
rare garden indeed,

and one of the few places in Britain

where a true baroque garden
can be fully appreciated.

(classical music)

Today the castle and garden

are in the care of the National Trust,

who over the years have
undertaken extensive

restoration programs to secure its future.

Close by is the market town of Welshpool

which has a long agricultural past

and hosts one of the largest
livestock markets in the world.

It also has an ancient history,

and in 1400 was largely
destroyed by the Welsh leader

Owain Glyndwr during
his ill-fated rebellion

against the English.

Overlooking Welshpool is a rare
example of a Victorian farm

built on an industrial scale.

John Naylor, who lived in Leighton Hall,

spent around $300,000 on the construction,

the equivalent of over $9
million in today's money.

The railway once ran through the complex

to add speed and efficiency
to the operation.

The two round constructions
are a piggery and a sheephouse.

Most of the Leighton farm
buildings are now listed,

meaning that they are protected
from any future development,

and it's hoped that this
rare and fascinating site

will be restored.

This is Lake Vyrnwy,

a reservoir which was
constructed back in 1881

to provide the growing population
of the city of Liverpool

with a much needed fresh water supply.

The city fathers also purchased
the surrounding 24,000 acres

to control the purity of the water.

And for fisherman, the
new reservoir was stocked

with 400 thousand Loch Leven trout.

The lake took two years to fill

after the new dam was finished.

And as there were so many
sightseers and dignitaries

who came to see it,

a hotel was built on a hill
overlooking the new lake,

and it's still open to visitors.

The most famous site
is the Victorian Gothic

water filtering tower
standing out into the lake.

It would seem that no expense was spared

into making this a very picturesque place.

Back in the 18th century,
canals were the new

and quickest form of transport.

They inspired some of the
greatest engineering feats

of their day.

One of the great 19th century
engineers, Thomas Telford,

was asked to get a Llangollen Canal

across the River Dee at Chirk.

He achieved this by
building the magnificent

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

This enormous metal and brick aqueduct

rises 120 feet from
the valley floor below.

On one side of the cast iron
trough is a narrow towpath.

And on the other,

a thin metal lip only
a few centimeters wide

and half a meter above the water line.

It looks frightening enough from up here,

let alone crossing it in a boat.

60 massive arches carry
the canal across the valley

in one of the great engineering feats

of the early 19th century.

In fact, it was so famous

that at the time it was
admired right across Europe.

A plaque on one of the piers

sums up the pride of the builders

who created this industrial wonder

at the end of the 18th century.

The nobility and gentry
of the adjacent counties,

having united their efforts

with the great commercial
interest of this country

in creating an intercourse
in union between England

and North Wales,

caused the first stone of
the aqueduct of Pontcysyllte

to be laid on the 25th of July, 1795.

Within 50 years a much faster form

of transport arrived, the railways.

And within sight of the
now out of date aqueduct,

the Cefn Viaduct was built.

This was a faster and more
reliable form of transport

which was to power Britain
in the 19th century

into becoming the most important
industrial nation on Earth.

As we approach Hawarden
airfield in North Wales,

a strange looking aircraft
is on final approach.

This is a Beluga transport plane,

and it's designed to
carry heavy long loads,

because this is where airbus industries

make the wings for their
production aircraft.

The Beluga Super Transporter
came into service in the 1990s

and was adapted from an Airbus A300

by adding the enormous fuselage

on top of the original aircraft,

giving it the appearance
of a gigantic whale,

hence its name.

There were only five built
and all are still in service,

carrying aircraft parts from around Europe

to the main assembly
plant in Toulouse, France.

However, the wings of the A380,

the world's largest passenger aircraft,

are too big for the Beluga.

So they are taken on
trolleys to the River Dee,

floated on barges and
then onto larger ships

in deeper water for transport
to Bordeaux in France.

Ahead of us is the Flintshire Bridge,

which was opened by Queen
Elizabeth II in 1998.

It is the largest asymmetric
cable-stayed bridge

in the whole of Britain.

On the side of the Dee
Estuary is Flint Castle,

guarding the entrance to the river

and the city of Chester.

It was built by King Edward
I in the 13th century

to oppress the Welsh,

and was the first of many
great castles in his Iron Ring

around North Wales,

all of which survive today.

Flint Castle is interesting

because it was heavily
influenced by French designs,

which the king had seen as he passed

through France on his way to the Crusades.

This can be seen in the
large corner tower, or keep,

which appears to be separate
from the main castle.

This design was not repeated
in his other Welsh castles,

and is unique in Britain.

Having withstood several attacks
and being partially rebuilt

after one of them,

it was eventually destroyed or slighted

during the civil war in the 17th century,

and was left to become a
romantic medieval ruin.

Our journey ends here on the Dee Estuary

where the border between England and Wales

runs down the middle.

It's unusual in that it's
very shallow and as a result

is a haven for wildlife,

and one of the most
important estuaries in Europe

for its populations of
waders and wildfowl,

and consequently designated
as a nature reserve.

Other wildlife also finds
a home in the estuary

like this colony of grey seals.

This type of seal can be found

around much of Britain's coastline.

Having once been hunted,
they are now protected

under an Act of Parliament of 1970,

and so can enjoy life in
safety on this sandbar

separating England and Wales.

This is a border that has seen rebellion,

and the building of great castles.

And that history is now enjoyed
by the thousands of visitors

who come to this
beautiful part of Britain.

And as the sun sets over the Dee Estuary,

this really is the perfect
place to end this journey.

(triumphant music)

(air whooshing)