1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,440 Britain's railways were once the envy of the world. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,080 You could get a train from almost anywhere 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,360 to almost anywhere else. 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,400 They were the network that supported an industrial superpower. 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,400 This is about as close as you can get to the early steam locos. 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,680 But today... 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,640 Ah, lovely! 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:35,880 ..4,000 stations and 8,000 miles of track lie silent... 9 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,560 This station feels truly lost. 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,800 ..so I'm setting off to discover more 11 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,040 of Britain's lost railways. 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,480 This is amazing! 13 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:50,400 Woo! 14 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:53,200 They tell a story... 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,280 Look at this. 16 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,000 ..of how we once lived... 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,440 This is not what I was expecting. 18 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,480 ..and how we once worked... 19 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,760 It looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. 20 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,640 ..and they help reveal how our world has changed today. 21 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,000 Come on! 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,920 HE LAUGHS 23 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,000 I'm on my way to the far north west tip of Wales - 24 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,760 and with its miles of coastline and the mountains of Snowdonia, 25 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,120 this is a part of Britain that I always love coming to. 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:42,560 People flock to this corner of Wales to walk, climb 27 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:47,480 and simply bask in some of the best scenery this country has to offer. 28 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,880 But before the visitors came the railways, 29 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,360 built to access and serve a region 30 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,200 becoming famous for one special rock - slate. 31 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:09,680 My access point, thanks to the surviving mainline from England, 32 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:10,760 is Bangor. 33 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,040 Welsh slate is known as the finest in the world, and for 150 years, 34 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,400 the industry here was massive. 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:26,880 It built railways, employed thousands and made vast fortunes. 36 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,200 From Bangor, I'm going to be following the old Coast Line railway 37 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:39,200 around to medieval Caernarfon, before heading inland to the heart 38 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,840 of Snowdonia's slate-filled mountains. 39 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,560 At Llanberis, I can still ride the railway that's carried visitors 40 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,440 to the top of Snowdon for over 120 years. 41 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,640 But before I leave Bangor, 42 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:58,120 there's a small and much older railway to investigate. 43 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,640 At the eastern edge of the city lies Port Penrhyn, 44 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:07,080 once the gateway to the biggest moneymaking operation 45 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:08,240 in North Wales. 46 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,240 It's very peaceful and tranquil down here today. 47 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,440 But if I'd been here - just across the water from Bangor - 48 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,320 a century ago, 49 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,520 this port would have been bustling with people 50 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,240 busy loading slate onto ships, 51 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,520 ready to be taken off all around the world. 52 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,200 And transporting all of that slate down from the hillside quarries 53 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,520 to this point was a railway. 54 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,360 The tiny Penrhyn Railway was just six miles long 55 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,480 and did nothing but move slate and its workers 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,520 to and from the local quarry. 57 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,440 But in these parts, it was an absolute game-changer. 58 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,240 I've only come a few metres along the old railway line here, 59 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,840 which is now called the Slate Trail, 60 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,320 and there's a reminder straight away of what drove the whole economy 61 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:07,600 of this area. 62 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,760 It's a slate fence! 63 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,200 I've never seen that before. 64 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,280 Slate has been quarried around here since the Roman Age 65 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:21,160 and used to floor and roof all manner of buildings. 66 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:23,400 But for centuries, 67 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,960 the problem was always how to move the very heavy stone 68 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,200 to a seaport where it could be shipped far and wide. 69 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,800 This problem wasn't solved until the Industrial Revolution 70 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,640 and the arrival of a primitive railway. 71 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,480 Well, this is an interesting little feature of this lost railway. 72 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,680 It looks like there's a split in the line 73 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,240 cos you've got two bridges going across the river. 74 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,520 In fact, this was the original bridge - 75 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,680 and it's a beautiful stone arch bridge. 76 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,160 And that was built for the horse-drawn wagons, 77 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,360 taking slate from the quarries down to the port. 78 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,200 And that opened up around the turn of the 19th century, 79 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,920 whereas this bridge here was built a good 70 years later 80 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,000 for steam-powered trains, 81 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,320 leaving our poor little sister down here sadly redundant. 82 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,280 Fortunately, though, she's still there today. 83 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,440 Because not only do I enjoy a lost railway, I love a good bridge too. 84 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,320 Whether horse-drawn or steam-powered, 85 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,200 this railway was always privately owned. 86 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,680 And it was overlooked by the home of the family who paid for it. 87 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,440 One thing's for sure - they could afford it. 88 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,320 The size of this place is just phenomenal! 89 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,440 Penrhyn Castle is nothing short of awesome. 90 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,960 Perched on its own hill outside Bangor, 91 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,160 it dominates the landscape. 92 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,320 Good morning, Nerys. Hi, Rob. 93 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,240 How are you doing? Fine, thank you. Welcome to Penrhyn Castle. 94 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,880 And what a castle it is! This is phenomenal. 95 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,040 This place looks fit for a Norman lord, 96 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,360 but as Nerys Jones can explain, 97 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,960 Penrhyn is a medieval impostor. 98 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,760 So who built this castle, then? 99 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,480 This castle was built for the Pennant family, 100 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,120 who owned the Penrhyn estate. 101 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,720 They were huge landowners. They had farms. 102 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,160 They employed the local quarrymen. 103 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,440 They also consolidated lots of little slate quarries and made 104 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,760 this huge big Penrhyn quarry. 105 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:38,800 The Penrhyn Quarry. Yes. 106 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,800 And they invested heavily, improving the local roads around the estate, 107 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,200 building schools in the local area. 108 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,080 And to top it off, then, this big fairy tale castle. 109 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,160 It is absolutely enormous. 110 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,160 I mean, this must have cost not even a small fortune, a large fortune 111 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:56,400 when it was built. Yeah. 112 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,240 It's rumoured that it cost around £150,000, 113 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,560 which, in today's money, is over £50 million. 114 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,440 Is it really? 115 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,360 I mean... That is a huge amount of money... 116 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,600 I'm not that surprised cos the sheer scale of this place 117 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,440 is enormous! 118 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,200 It makes a real statement in this landscape for sure. 119 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,520 This was built on the proceeds from the slave trade in the West Indies. 120 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,120 The Pennant family managed sugar plantations out there. 121 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,240 That money then was brought back over here and it was ploughed 122 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,720 into improving the Penrhyn estate. 123 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,240 So this shows off the amount of power and wealth 124 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,680 that the family had. 125 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,720 So despite the fortress-like appearance, 126 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,960 Penrhyn was actually a fantasy creation of the Industrial Age. 127 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,400 LAUGHS: Look at this! 128 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,240 This is some welcome here, Nerys. 129 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,200 The grandeur on the outside, 130 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,120 it's absolutely brought inside as well, isn't it? 131 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,800 It definitely is. And this is the Grand Hall. 132 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,520 Absolutely stunning! 133 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,160 It feels like there's a lot of different design styles as well, 134 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,640 with different shaped arches and triangles. 135 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,280 It's a lot to take in, Nerys. 136 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,320 Yeah. It does look like an old medieval castle. 137 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,840 But there are lots of signs - even in this room - that, actually, 138 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,120 it was built in the 19th century. 139 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,400 Go on. You're going to have to enlighten me on those. OK! 140 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:24,360 You can see over here this door, it's slightly off-centre 141 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,000 with what looks like a larger door arch. 142 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,200 So, you would think that there was once a big Norman castle door 143 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,360 in here and the castle's since been renovated and moved on 144 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,040 and requires a smaller doorway. Very clever. 145 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,240 There's also new technology used in the building of this castle. 146 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,120 And there's an example over here. 147 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,680 It was one of the first households in Britain to have what is a form 148 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:47,280 of central heating. 149 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,760 It's an underground duct system. 150 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,720 So, you would have hot air coming up from here. 151 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,200 The hot air would blow up and heat this space, 152 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:56,960 along with the fireplaces. 153 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,160 You can feel air coming up from it now. 154 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,360 You can. There's definitely air flowing from there. 155 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,800 So there will be other ducts like this throughout the property? 156 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,000 Yeah. So, they're obviously all linked together. 157 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,200 But just like how ornate this is... It's beautiful. 158 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,440 There's nothing that's purely functional here. 159 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,440 There's this form behind every single aspect 160 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,560 of this amazing castle. 161 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:24,600 This lavish home couldn't be more different from the gritty reality 162 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,360 of what went on outside. 163 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,720 I'm following the Penrhyn Quarry Railway as it progressed 164 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,040 inland to the quarry itself. 165 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:46,240 For 161 years, empty slate wagons trundled slowly up this short route, 166 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,000 pulled by small locomotives, puffing hard as they climbed 167 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:51,880 towards the Welsh hills. 168 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:59,080 Just short of the quarry and 150 metres higher than the port, 169 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,520 a collection of original buildings still survive. 170 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,720 The line's brought me here to this small industrial estate 171 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,640 in the hills just above Tregarth. 172 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,440 This was actually the terminus at the quarry end 173 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,880 of the slate railway line. 174 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,960 But this was also the engineering works for the quarry. 175 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,560 And it was in all of these buildings around here where the processing 176 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,880 and the cutting of the slate would take place, 177 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,960 to cut these huge chunks like this down into the small finer slates 178 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:38,480 that would then get loaded onto wagons and taken off down the port. 179 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,440 That process continued until the railway closed in 1962. 180 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,480 But by then, it had had a lasting impact. 181 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,520 But by then, it had 182 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:49,720 But by then, it had had a lasting impact. 183 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:50,800 Yes! 184 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:51,960 Here we go. 185 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,560 This is why I've come up here. Just look at that. 186 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,160 The Penrhyn Slate Quarry. 187 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,800 This is the reason the slate line existed. 188 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,080 And it is just vast! 189 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:11,080 Slate had been quarried here since the 16th century - 190 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:12,960 but until the railway arrived, 191 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,440 very little of it could leave the local area. 192 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:21,800 This gigantic hole was a product of the railway age. 193 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,560 It's roughly a mile in length and 1,200 feet deep. 194 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:30,480 And you can't really get the full extent of that depth 195 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,560 because about half of it now is full of water. 196 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:35,800 That goes way, way down below there. 197 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:41,120 Stood here right now, I feel absolutely minuscule. 198 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,440 By the end of the 19th century, this was the largest slate quarry 199 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:52,720 in the world, producing around 120,000 tonnes of slate every year. 200 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,240 This was a global industry. 201 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:00,440 But today, there's a very different industry in town. 202 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:01,520 Coming up... 203 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,280 Three, two, one! 204 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,840 ..I see what you can do with a giant hole in the ground. 205 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,280 This place is amazing! 206 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,960 ..and I find out how a lost railway helped create the Prince of Wales. 207 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,640 It was the first royal ceremony to go out in colour, 208 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:21,800 watched by 39 million people worldwide. Wow! 209 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:27,720 Here in North Wales, I've found my way to the Penrhyn Slate Quarry. 210 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,960 It is just phenomenal. 211 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,560 From Sydney to South Africa, 212 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:39,440 this site has roofed and floored buildings across five continents. 213 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,160 But none of this could have happened before 1881, 214 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,880 when a ground-breaking railway was built, 215 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,360 linking the quarry to the coast 216 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,280 next to Bangor. 217 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,480 The quarry, too, was once filled with 60 miles of short tracks 218 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:55,720 and wagonways. 219 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,320 Today, their position is flooded with water. 220 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:06,120 But this giant industrial scar has now found a new role. 221 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,520 It's home to the fastest zip line in the world. 222 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,520 So there's only one thing to do. 223 00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:20,000 Fits like a glove. 224 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,560 Let's go for it. 225 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:23,520 The quarry is so massive. 226 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:27,600 There's a three-mile track to reach the top of the zip line, 227 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,240 so I'm grabbing a lift with Tim Pennington, 228 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,760 who works for the new industry in town. 229 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,400 Tim. Hello. How are you doing? Hi. Nice to meet you. 230 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:36,640 I'm in your hands. 231 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,320 Do you get all sorts of people coming and doing this? 232 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:48,400 We do indeed, yes. I think one of our oldest riders was in her 90s. 233 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,600 And we get people from all over the world joining us. 234 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:56,000 This isn't the first time the quarry's drawn a crowd. 235 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,360 The early Victorians used to come here to marvel at a natural wonder 236 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,760 of the Industrial Age. 237 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,080 From the track, you can clearly see the tiered galleries 238 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,040 cut into the quarry walls, 239 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,880 where workers could shelter with their mates from the worst 240 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:12,400 of the Welsh weather. 241 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,960 These days, it's all about racing your mates. 242 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:18,360 Are you ready for this race, Tim? 243 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,880 I am ready for this race. Are you? Ooh! 244 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,040 That was a menacing look you gave me there. 245 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:24,960 I was! 246 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:29,000 This business now employs over 300 people, 247 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,200 a long way short of the 3,000 248 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,800 who once toiled in the quarry below, though. 249 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,280 And without their work, 250 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,440 none of this would be possible. 251 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,920 Feels like I'm going for a massage or something. 252 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,040 I think it's less relaxing, isn't it? 253 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,440 The view from here suddenly got very real. 254 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,160 Ooh! Take the string! 255 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,080 It's a mile long 256 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,160 and I'll be down the other end in under a minute. 257 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,600 If you want to go fast, then the trick is to keep your legs 258 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,320 fully extended, your elbows in and your head forward 259 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,160 so you're nice and aerodynamic. 260 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:12,640 How's everyone feeling? All right? 261 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,040 Nervous! Nervous, good. 262 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:16,840 I'll beat you to the bottom, Rob. 263 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,760 Yeah, Tim, I'll see you there first, boy. 264 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,480 Are we all good? I am ready! 265 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,520 Safety's off. 266 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:26,000 Oh-ho! 267 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,440 And in three, two, one! 268 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,600 Yeah! 269 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,400 Woohoohoo! 270 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,760 Woohoo! 271 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,800 This is so fun, believe me! 272 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:42,720 Wow! 273 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,360 This place is amazing! 274 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:52,000 This place was once full of people quarrying out the slate! 275 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,080 Now it's just me flying over the top! 276 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,240 And I think I'm winning! 277 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,000 Come on! 278 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,720 I've got it! 279 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:02,400 I've got it. 280 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:03,800 Yeah! 281 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,160 Woo! 282 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,120 That is brilliant! Heart is going like the clappers! 283 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,320 Tim, that was wicked, mate! Excellent! Well done! 284 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:16,920 Thank you so much! That was awesome fun! 285 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,200 Beat me by a long way, my friend. 286 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,080 I didn't feel like you were that much behind me. 287 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,520 I was quite away behind. Photo finish. Not quite. I think you won. 288 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,160 That was brilliant, Tim. Thank you so much indeed. 289 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,960 But there's one big question remaining. 290 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,200 Why did the original industry here disappear, 291 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,680 prompting the closure of this slate railway? 292 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,080 To help answer that, 293 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:49,040 I'm meeting Fred Buckley in the neighbouring village of Tregarth. 294 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,840 Hey, Fred. And welcome to Tregarth. 295 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,240 Thank you very much. It's lovely to meet you. 296 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,320 Fred was the fourth generation of his family to work in 297 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:58,680 the slate industry. 298 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,080 It did employ a lot of locals, didn't it, the slate industry? 299 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,520 The quarry was employing all the locals. 300 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:10,200 I always had to travel with the engine driver and the fireman... 301 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,720 On the slate train? ..on the engine. On the engine itself. 302 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,760 Others were travelling on the wagons and there were three engines 303 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:19,000 on the main line - Blanche, Charles and Linda. 304 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:23,240 So, the slate trains would go between the quarry and the port. 305 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,880 I mean, how often...? Four times a day. 306 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:30,080 Every run - we used to call it - had about 60 to 70 wagons. 307 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:40,440 Wales once produced 80% of all British slate, and in 1899, 308 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:46,760 Penrhyn Quarry earned its owners £13.5 million in today's money. 309 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:51,000 But this peak of success led to a dark chapter in the history 310 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,480 of North Wales and - in part - to the slate industry's demise. 311 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:02,000 Lord Penrhyn refused to improve his workers' pay and conditions. 312 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,400 The result was the longest industrial dispute 313 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,600 in British history and deep divisions in the local community. 314 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,960 Some of the blacklegs that broke the strike lived in these houses. 315 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,280 They called it the telltale terrace. 316 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,120 Telltale terrace? Yes. 317 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:23,520 These cottages were built by Lord Penrhyn for workers 318 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,040 who returned to work - 319 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,480 folk who were then turned upon by those living elsewhere. 320 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,720 They used to put cards in the windows 321 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,600 that no blacklegs were living here. 322 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,120 As a statement to say... A statement... .."We're on strike." 323 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:41,200 .."Yes, we're on strike." 324 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:45,200 They were fighting and they were throwing rocks through the windows 325 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,040 at people who broke the strike. Really? 326 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,280 It was a terrible time here, my grandfathers told me. 327 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,320 And Welsh slate would never fully recover. 328 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,040 The halt in production shook confidence in the industry 329 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,800 and cheaper slate was now to be found in Spain. 330 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,040 Does any of that tension or animosity still exist today? 331 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,760 Well, I remember when I started in the quarry... 332 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,280 Yeah. ..at the age of 15, 333 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:16,360 the first thing they wanted to know was, "Who was your grandfather?" - 334 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:20,240 in case your grandfather had broken the strike. Really? 335 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,040 The first thing they wanted to know. 336 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,880 So that's 50 years roughly after the strike. 337 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,200 Yes. It was that strong still? It was still that strong. 338 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,800 To this day, there are still many in Tregarth - and in neighbouring 339 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:36,960 villages - who won't set foot in the home of Lord Penrhyn. 340 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,640 It's time for me to pick up the lost line heading out of Bangor 341 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:49,880 that once hugged the Welsh coastline. 342 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,960 But just two miles along, it passes something 343 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,400 that still very much exists. 344 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:04,040 A few little flash glimpses through the trees here. 345 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,840 There's something I want to show you. 346 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,760 Wales suffered more than most during the railway closures 347 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,800 of the 1960s. 348 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,720 If the infamous Dr Beeching had had his way, then Wales today 349 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,920 might have just one line. 350 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:24,240 The reality was not quite so drastic 351 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:28,400 and the glorious link to the Isle of Anglesey was saved. 352 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,800 It might be a wet day here in North Wales, 353 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,000 but nothing can dampen my spirits when I'm faced with this - 354 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,360 the Britannia Bridge. 355 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:41,200 This isn't the original bridge. 356 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,800 That burnt down - very sadly - in the '70s. 357 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,840 But what does remain from the original bridge are 358 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:51,440 these beautiful stone towers in the middle of the Menai Strait there. 359 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,840 It's absolutely gorgeous. 360 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,120 You can see there's traffic going across the top deck, 361 00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:58,960 but the original bridge was purely a railway bridge, 362 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:04,720 and that took trains across from the mainland, as it still does today, 363 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,680 over to Holyhead on Anglesey. 364 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,880 But this is the point where I leave the modern railway 365 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,120 and follow the old line south to Caernarvon. 366 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,120 The line followed the Menai Strait, 367 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:25,520 a notorious narrow stretch of water that Nelson described 368 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,440 as the most difficult to navigate in the world. 369 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,120 The old railway line makes for a far more reliable passage... 370 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,480 ..and is taking me to my second Welsh castle. 371 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,640 Caernarvon is the stuff of picture books. 372 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:50,480 And, unlike Penrhyn, there's nothing phoney about this place. 373 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,680 It's been impressing visitors since before the railway age. 374 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:02,400 So when they did come, lines into town kept a low profile, 375 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,160 through a series of cuttings and tunnels. 376 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,840 And all the lines converged here at Slate Quay. 377 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,000 The river mouth area in front of the giant castle 378 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,600 once bustled with railway activity. 379 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,120 And it's where I'm meeting seasoned tour guide Sue Kirk. 380 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:28,320 Hello, Rob. Very nice to meet you. And you too. 381 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,240 This is something, isn't it? Quite a welcome. 382 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,440 The most impressive castle you'll ever see. 383 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,280 How long's the castle been here, then? 384 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,480 The building work started in 1283, 385 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,560 so what you're looking at is over 700 years old. 386 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,160 700 years old! Built by who, then? 387 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,720 Well, built by Edward I - 388 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,080 and it's built to reflect the power that he now held in North Wales 389 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,680 and establish English rule and law here. 390 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,200 Because, of course, here in the castle in 1969, 391 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,360 we had the investiture of Prince Charles, who was invested 392 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:57,680 as Prince of Wales here. 393 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,640 Here, in the castle... In the castle itself. 394 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,120 ..which must have been a huge event for the castle, 395 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:05,120 for the town of Caernarvon, for the whole of North Wales. 396 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,320 It was. 397 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,480 It was the centre of the world because it was broadcast. 398 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,000 It was the first royal ceremony to go out in colour 399 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,520 and it was watched by 39 million people worldwide. Wow! 400 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:18,920 And to start his big day, 401 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,640 what did Charles do but arrive by train? 402 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,720 In fact, he and his family were amongst the last passengers 403 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,360 to travel the line I've just followed from Bangor. 404 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:33,640 The railway closed just months later at the start of 1970. 405 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,240 The rest of that day, though, was a timeless showcase of British 406 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,680 pomp and pageantry. 407 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,680 Wow! 408 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,120 So, we're standing on the dais, which was built specially 409 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,400 for the ceremony for Prince Charles in 1969. 410 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,600 Here, where we're stood here, right now? Right here. 411 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,120 I am going to assume that is local Welsh slate. It is slate. 412 00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:58,760 This came from Penrhyn Quarry. Lovely! 413 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,960 OK, I'm Prince Charles. I'm stood here now, 414 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,760 I'm looking out. What might I have seen here? 415 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,440 Well, you would have just seen a sea of faces. 416 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,160 You'd see everybody in ceremonial dress. 417 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,400 You'd be kneeling before your mother and your father, with the mayors 418 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,240 and choristers all around. 419 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:15,320 Lots of ceremony. 420 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,640 NEWSREADER: The Queen takes the new Prince of Wales 421 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,720 and presents him to his people at the Queen's Gate. 422 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:29,080 As Prince of Wales, Charles received the accepted title of the heir 423 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:34,200 to the throne - and, like dozens of his predecessors, his Welshness 424 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,800 is a little questionable. 425 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,440 Why did that investiture take place here? 426 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,800 Well, it goes back to a much older tradition that the first English 427 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,040 Prince of Wales was born here. 428 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,520 The story is that Edward I had promised the Welsh 429 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,480 a prince born in Wales who could speak no English, 430 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,320 the implication being he'd nominate a Welsh prince 431 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,840 who would speak Welsh. 432 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,160 In fact, he brings his wife here. 433 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,360 She gives birth to a son. 434 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:02,320 And it's his own newborn son that he takes 435 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,360 and presents as the Welsh prince born in Wales, 436 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:07,960 who can't speak English - or anything else. 437 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,400 So a little bit trickery there? A little bit of trickery. 438 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,800 He does become the first English Prince of Wales. 439 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,920 He's known as Edward of Caernarvon all his life. He becomes Edward II. 440 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,120 That's why we have the ceremony here. Wow! 441 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:20,840 But this is the Welshest town in Wales. Right, yeah. 442 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,040 So about 90% of the local population speak Welsh as their first language. 443 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,240 It's what people speak at home. 444 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,600 Children here are taught in Welsh in schools. 445 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:35,400 And part of that identity is a rejection of 446 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,480 the English Prince of Wales, so... 447 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,680 And in that sense, not that much has changed in the 700 years 448 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,560 since the castle was built, I guess. 449 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,760 There is still a slight antipathy there. 450 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:47,280 Yes, you could say that. 451 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,920 That said, I hasten to add, I feel very welcome here. 452 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,640 I think you'll find the Welsh people are the most welcoming people 453 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,240 in the world. I wouldn't disagree. 454 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,480 As long as you're not an English prince! 455 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,800 I can vouch - on the royal dais - that I am not an English prince. 456 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,080 Then you're welcome. Thank you very much, Sue! 457 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:04,800 Coming up... 458 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,600 Can we let gravity do its work? 459 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,920 ..I'm in the mountains to see my steepest railway ever... 460 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,280 It's stunning! 461 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:12,800 Climb when ready, Rob. 462 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,480 ..and I find out just what it took to work in a Welsh quarry. 463 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:18,040 That's proper bravery. 464 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,480 I'm in North Wales, exploring just a few of the many railway lines 465 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,880 that once littered this landscape. 466 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:37,600 This simple beam bridge is a lovely little relic from this lost line. 467 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:41,920 I can't get across it cos it's not actually safe any more. 468 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,480 So many of the lines here were built to carry the local slate, 469 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,160 from the quarries in the hillside down to the coast 470 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,600 to be sent off around the world. 471 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,120 But this one's a little different, 472 00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:59,360 a small local line that ran right into the heart 473 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:04,600 of the Snowdonia Mountains - and it was built with people in mind. 474 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:10,680 Already, I followed the main coastal railway that once ran 475 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,000 between Bangor and Caernarvon. 476 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,920 But now, I've turned inland, 477 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:16,880 following a nine-mile branch line 478 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:21,440 opened in 1869, leading to the heart of Snowdonia. 479 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,960 I'm getting right into the mountains now. 480 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:34,240 The interesting thing about this valley is that it juggled both 481 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,920 heavy industry and tourism, and this was a handy line, 482 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:45,400 bringing in all those visitors from Caernarvon right along the valley 483 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:49,240 to experience the lakes, the forests and, of course, 484 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,440 the highlight of this region - Mount Snowdon. 485 00:27:55,200 --> 00:28:00,760 Wales's great mountain was undoubtedly the big draw. 486 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,280 But for two miles, the railway followed the beautiful shores 487 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:06,960 of Lake Padarn, 488 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,560 ideal for well-heeled and slightly adventurous Victorians, 489 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:16,560 the first folk to visit this mountainous region for fun. 490 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,560 Up there would have been a great spot to watch the steam engines 491 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,240 thundering through from. 492 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,720 At the end of the line was the village now firmly established 493 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,320 as a hub of Snowdonian holidays. 494 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,400 Today, Llanberis is full of cafes and ice cream parlours, 495 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,000 B&Bs and climbing shops, 496 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,120 but you don't have to look too hard to find evidence of this town's 497 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:48,800 industrial past. 498 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,760 It was once one of the great quarrying communities 499 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,160 of North Wales. 500 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:00,400 Until 1969, the village struck a delicate balance between visitors 501 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:01,760 and heavy industry. 502 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:08,080 Today, the visitors rule the roost. 503 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,000 But you only have to gaze across the valley to see the massive scars 504 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,400 of the local industry. 505 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:18,080 At their foot... 506 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:19,600 How are you going? Fine, thank you. 507 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,640 ..I'm meeting Elfyn Jones-Roberts of the National Slate Museum. 508 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,400 Bit of a walk-up now. That's all right. I like walking. 509 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:31,400 These are the best preserved quarry workings in North Wales. 510 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,200 And there's one railway innovation I've come to see. 511 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,680 This is unbelievable, Elfyn! 512 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,680 What exactly are we looking at here, then? 513 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,880 This is the V2 incline 514 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,120 that looked after this particular quarry - 515 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,840 the Vivian Quarry - hence the name V2. 516 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,360 So when you're carrying heavy slate, trying to get that down, 517 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:52,640 this was how it was done? That's how they've done, yeah. 518 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:54,960 So this operates mainly under gravity, then? 519 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,160 That's right. Yeah - gravity-powered. 520 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,840 So, the full wagons would be going down... Yep. 521 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:02,680 ..and they would be pulling the empty ones up 522 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,560 to be refilled with slate. 523 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,160 This incline that's been built out of slate alone... 524 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:08,880 I mean, it's beautifully, actually! 525 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,920 It is - and all that is dry stonewall as well, you know. 526 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,440 It's fantastic, isn't it? Yeah. It's stunning! Yeah. 527 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,720 What's more, if you're prepare to climb to the top, 528 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:20,520 you can still see it working. 529 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,040 Here we are! A few furry friends coming to join us, Elfyn! Yes, yeah, 530 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,080 the local mountain goats. 531 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,880 They tend to come down when the weather's taken a turn 532 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,720 for the worse. Yeah. 533 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:33,400 Well, here they are today. 534 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:36,840 Ah-ha! 535 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,000 So, here we are. 536 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,240 We've got two wagons full of slate, ready to go down the incline. 537 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,480 As soon as the brakeman releases the brake, 538 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:46,720 these wagons start moving. 539 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,080 Can we, well, let gravity do its work? 540 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:50,360 Yeah. Let's go for it. 541 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,080 Stand back. Here we go. 542 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,520 We're off! Here we are. We're off. 543 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,720 Sort of. If we have a look here now, 544 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,560 what we've got is we've got the drum. 545 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,400 And then in the corner there, that's the drum brake 546 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:03,920 to slow the incline down. 547 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,720 So that would have been wooden brake pads on those... 548 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,680 Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Very, very similar to a bicycle brake type of thing. 549 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,600 You know, you squeeze them. Just squeezing the wheel, controlling it. 550 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,400 Controlling the speed, yeah, yeah, yeah. 551 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:16,600 It's so simple, isn't it? So simple - exactly. 552 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,840 But massively effective. Yes. Exactly, yeah. 553 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,280 You've got the other one coming up as well now. That's right. 554 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,680 Yeah, yeah. So they'll be swapping over the wagons. 555 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,400 The full wagons now will be loaded onto the train. 556 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,600 And then these empty wagons coming up, 557 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:31,600 they then will be refilled with slates. 558 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,240 So it's just a continuous cycle. 559 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:38,040 Elfyn, it's just lovely to see part of this now-lost industry 560 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,480 still in action here. Thank you so much. 561 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,280 Well, I should probably say Diolch. 562 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,520 Croeso. Croeso! 563 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,640 Cheerio, Elfyn! Thanks again. 564 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,560 Incline railways like this littered the hills 565 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,280 on this side of the valley. 566 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:58,040 Vivian Quarry alone needed five of them. 567 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:06,480 But elsewhere around the valley, the quarrymen didn't have 568 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:08,200 quite so much to help them. 569 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:15,960 This rare colour film from 1946 shows a quarryman going about 570 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,400 his daily routine. 571 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:22,200 Seems all you need is a solid rope and a decent pair of boots. 572 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,480 These days, a few more things are needed 573 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,920 if you want to try your hand at quarry climbing. 574 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,720 I'm now in the hands of local climbing instructor Iona Pawson. 575 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,880 How difficult is it climbing on slate? It's... 576 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,440 Interesting is the way I put it. 577 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:46,960 It's very technical. 578 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:50,200 A lot of people come here to test their technical rock climbing, 579 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,400 as well as to test their mental ability to stay strong. 580 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:55,120 Well, I'm testing both up here today. 581 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,920 I know you may say this is one of the easiest routes or whatever. 582 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,720 I've got both here - technical ability, head game. 583 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,040 I've looked at it. We've talked about it. 584 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,560 Can we do it? Yeah. Course. 585 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:12,080 And with that, she was off, leaving me and instructor Alice to hold 586 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,080 the all-important rope below. 587 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,960 I'm watching your every move here. 588 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:20,120 It's quite a hard first move. 589 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,000 There's a big left hand hold here 590 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,800 and then a really little one up there. 591 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:30,160 Snowdonia has a history of attracting the very best climbers. 592 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:36,560 The likes of Mallory and Irvine and Edmund Hillary 593 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:39,840 all trained here before their attempts on Mount Everest. 594 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,840 What's going in there now? Those are called what? 595 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,320 These are the nuts. Those are called nuts. OK. 596 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,320 I'm very pleased I'm not having to put these in. 597 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:54,920 I wouldn't trust me doing it. 598 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:05,840 Safe, Rob. 599 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:06,960 Lovely. 600 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,640 So Iona's reached the top now, 601 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,520 and now all I have to do is climb up. This is easy. 602 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:13,800 Climb when ready, Rob. 603 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:14,800 Lovely. 604 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:20,680 So I'm quite side-on. Is that all right for this...? 605 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,800 Yeah, that's quite all right. Yeah. 606 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:26,400 That's it. Lovely! 607 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,000 If I can find another little... Oh, that's good. 608 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,440 Oh, some lovely holds here! 609 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,000 Yeah, it's lovely. This is great. 610 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,640 Really nice texture. 611 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,800 Now... And you went that way to get yourself into there. 612 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:43,080 Hm... 613 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,360 This is brilliant. I'm absolutely loving this. 614 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,040 Incredible views out across here. 615 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,320 I mean, this is beautiful Snowdonia, isn't it? 616 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:52,520 It is stunning. 617 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:56,240 We can see the back end of Snowdon coming down over there as well. 618 00:34:56,240 --> 00:34:58,040 And that's where the railway comes down. 619 00:34:58,040 --> 00:34:59,480 So...it's amazing. 620 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:03,880 That's where I'm hoping to end up - if this goes well here. Yeah. 621 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:08,280 Dozens of people have climbed this man-made rock face before me, 622 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,160 many for fun. 623 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:15,880 But not so long ago, folk did it without harnesses and helmets 624 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:17,600 because it was their job. 625 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,200 What's more, to go down, 626 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:24,120 they simply wrapped their rope around their leg 627 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,840 and descended like an acrobat. 628 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,160 That's something else. 629 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:31,000 I mean, that's proper bravery. 630 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,440 Yeah. I don't think I could do it. Absolutely. 631 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:35,440 That's it. 632 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,000 Hello! Nearly there. 633 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,560 HE GROANS Yes! You've made it. 634 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,280 King of the world! All right! SHE LAUGHS 635 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,320 High-five! Nice job! 636 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,240 Awesome! I've done it! 637 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,160 That's fantastic. 638 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:55,800 It's great fun. 639 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,520 But the whole time, I'm thinking about the old quarrymen 640 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:03,000 and just how different it would have been for them doing similar things. 641 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,480 But once you're there having to actually work the rock face, 642 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:06,960 it's just incredible. Yeah. 643 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:11,840 Coming up... 644 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:16,760 It's almost as though the train is walking up these toothed steps. 645 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,640 ..I investigate a quite remarkable railway... 646 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:20,920 We're off! 647 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:25,960 ..that's carried Victorians, Edwardians and me 648 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:27,960 to the roof of Wales. 649 00:36:34,230 --> 00:36:38,470 I'm in Snowdonia, where railways have tended to mean 650 00:36:38,470 --> 00:36:43,590 one of two things - Welsh slate or tourism. 651 00:36:43,590 --> 00:36:47,590 In fact, some of the tiny slate lines around Llanberis 652 00:36:47,590 --> 00:36:50,590 have escaped closure by turning to visitors. 653 00:36:52,910 --> 00:36:57,230 But before I leave, I can't ignore a famous railway 654 00:36:57,230 --> 00:37:00,270 that's been drawing crowds for generations 655 00:37:00,270 --> 00:37:03,790 and taking them to the top of Wales' highest mountain. 656 00:37:09,070 --> 00:37:13,310 Now, railway engines are notoriously bad at going uphill. 657 00:37:13,310 --> 00:37:17,830 Anything more than a 1-in-40 incline can spell trouble. 658 00:37:17,830 --> 00:37:19,430 When they're fighting gravity, 659 00:37:19,430 --> 00:37:23,390 the wheels just can't get enough grip on the rails. 660 00:37:23,390 --> 00:37:25,670 But this railway is different. 661 00:37:25,670 --> 00:37:30,110 This can deal in anything up to a 1-in-5.5 slope, 662 00:37:30,110 --> 00:37:32,430 which is much, much steeper - 663 00:37:32,430 --> 00:37:36,430 and pretty handy if you're trying to get to the top of Mount Snowdon - 664 00:37:36,430 --> 00:37:38,590 but it can do that because of something called 665 00:37:38,590 --> 00:37:41,070 a rack and pinion system. 666 00:37:41,070 --> 00:37:44,510 And I've been given permission to take a closer look. 667 00:37:44,510 --> 00:37:46,110 Step down. 668 00:37:46,110 --> 00:37:49,590 This tooth rail that runs all the way along the line 669 00:37:49,590 --> 00:37:52,990 in the middle between the two wheel rails is called the rack - 670 00:37:52,990 --> 00:37:55,550 and underneath the engine, there's something called a pinion. 671 00:37:55,550 --> 00:37:58,390 It's a toothed wheel, like a gear. 672 00:37:58,390 --> 00:38:02,270 And the teeth of that wheel, as it turns from the engine, 673 00:38:02,270 --> 00:38:06,270 sits and run along the teeth of the rack here. 674 00:38:06,270 --> 00:38:09,950 And it pulls the train along. And when it gets really steep, 675 00:38:09,950 --> 00:38:15,110 it's almost as though the train is walking up these toothed steps. 676 00:38:15,110 --> 00:38:17,030 Without this system, 677 00:38:17,030 --> 00:38:21,270 there's no way this train could reach the top of Snowdon. 678 00:38:25,270 --> 00:38:30,110 And the system's been working for 123 years now. 679 00:38:30,110 --> 00:38:31,110 We're off! 680 00:38:34,790 --> 00:38:37,150 As long ago as 1869, 681 00:38:37,150 --> 00:38:40,750 when the passenger railway from Caernarvon reached Llanberis, 682 00:38:40,750 --> 00:38:44,470 the idea of a railway to the peak of Snowdon was put forward. 683 00:38:46,430 --> 00:38:50,230 But it was only when a rival line up the other side of Snowdon 684 00:38:50,230 --> 00:38:54,110 was proposed that the landowner here relented 685 00:38:54,110 --> 00:38:57,270 and construction got under way. 686 00:38:57,270 --> 00:39:00,030 This railway opened in April 1896. 687 00:39:00,030 --> 00:39:04,790 It took a labour force of 150 men with shovels and picks and dynamite 688 00:39:04,790 --> 00:39:07,990 to lay about 8km of track. 689 00:39:07,990 --> 00:39:10,310 And that only took them about 14 months. 690 00:39:12,510 --> 00:39:16,430 To late Victorian tourists well used to railways 691 00:39:16,430 --> 00:39:19,510 but not so well used to the great outdoors, 692 00:39:19,510 --> 00:39:25,190 the country's only mountain climbing train was a major success. 693 00:39:25,190 --> 00:39:28,950 Amazingly, three of the railway's original locomotives 694 00:39:28,950 --> 00:39:31,830 are still in operation on the line today. 695 00:39:34,830 --> 00:39:37,630 When you get onto these steeper bits, you can feel the rumble 696 00:39:37,630 --> 00:39:40,590 and you can hear the rumble of the rack and pinion 697 00:39:40,590 --> 00:39:42,310 working away underneath. 698 00:39:43,590 --> 00:39:46,630 We're roughly about the halfway mark here, up the railway. 699 00:39:46,630 --> 00:39:50,950 So we pull in and stop to fill the loco up with water. 700 00:39:50,950 --> 00:39:53,670 Thirsty work coming up here for the engine. 701 00:39:55,590 --> 00:39:59,110 And whilst the locomotive has a drink, there's a chance for me 702 00:39:59,110 --> 00:40:02,790 to speak to Dewy Morris, my train's conductor. 703 00:40:02,790 --> 00:40:05,030 This is still just as popular as it ever was. 704 00:40:05,030 --> 00:40:09,270 Oh, yes, yes. It's more popular now than before. We're always sold out. 705 00:40:09,270 --> 00:40:11,070 And what about the weather up Snowdon? 706 00:40:11,070 --> 00:40:12,830 Is that a limiting factor for the railway? 707 00:40:12,830 --> 00:40:15,070 Cos... I mean, it's changeable up here, isn't it? 708 00:40:15,070 --> 00:40:16,950 Rain doesn't stop it. It's the wind. 709 00:40:16,950 --> 00:40:18,550 If the wind's far too strong for us, 710 00:40:18,550 --> 00:40:20,350 then we have to curtail our services. 711 00:40:20,350 --> 00:40:23,790 So we can usually go up in quite poor visibility, really. 712 00:40:23,790 --> 00:40:26,990 As you can see, the mist is over the summit. 713 00:40:26,990 --> 00:40:30,270 So it may not be so fantastic up there. 714 00:40:30,270 --> 00:40:32,590 It might not be the vistas that maybe I was hoping to get, 715 00:40:32,590 --> 00:40:34,590 but it's a heck of a journey anyway, isn't it? 716 00:40:34,590 --> 00:40:36,470 Yeah. I'm enjoying the ride. 717 00:40:39,670 --> 00:40:41,110 On a clear day, 718 00:40:41,110 --> 00:40:45,990 the views on the railway's upper section are spectacular, 719 00:40:45,990 --> 00:40:50,550 making it clear why 130,000 people use the railway each year... 720 00:40:52,190 --> 00:40:56,190 ..and, in the process, make Snowdon the busiest mountaintop 721 00:40:56,190 --> 00:40:57,470 in Great Britain. 722 00:41:03,910 --> 00:41:06,070 And, believe it or not, 723 00:41:06,070 --> 00:41:08,550 this is the top of Snowdon. 724 00:41:14,590 --> 00:41:17,710 Well, this is it. I have reached the end of my journey. 725 00:41:17,710 --> 00:41:19,430 I'm at the top of Snowdon. 726 00:41:19,430 --> 00:41:23,830 I'd really hope to be rewarded with some kind of glorious view 727 00:41:23,830 --> 00:41:30,110 back out over the northwest coast of Wales - but no such luck today. 728 00:41:30,110 --> 00:41:32,870 But, hey - I'm a tourist and this is tourism. 729 00:41:32,870 --> 00:41:34,790 You never know what you're going to get. 730 00:41:38,910 --> 00:41:42,510 In that sense, nothing in North Wales has changed 731 00:41:42,510 --> 00:41:47,630 since men battled the elements to keep the slate trains loaded. 732 00:41:47,630 --> 00:41:52,790 And if it wasn't for those times, then this modern world of walkers... 733 00:41:54,110 --> 00:41:56,390 ..rock climbers, 734 00:41:56,390 --> 00:42:02,150 and even zip liners would look very different indeed. 735 00:42:02,150 --> 00:42:05,910 Over time, the railways and the landscape have transitioned 736 00:42:05,910 --> 00:42:09,110 more towards serving people and visitors. 737 00:42:09,110 --> 00:42:13,150 And while the slate economy may have suffered a sad decline, 738 00:42:13,150 --> 00:42:17,230 it feels to me like tourism here is booming - 739 00:42:17,230 --> 00:42:21,430 and the railways are still part of that. 740 00:42:21,430 --> 00:42:22,670 Next time... 741 00:42:22,670 --> 00:42:24,670 Bit of work to get here, but it is well worth it. 742 00:42:24,670 --> 00:42:28,110 ..it's the railway that opened eyes to the Scottish Highlands. 743 00:42:28,110 --> 00:42:29,830 Balmoral Castle! 744 00:42:29,830 --> 00:42:32,430 This line was packed with local industry... 745 00:42:32,430 --> 00:42:33,790 She's beautiful. 746 00:42:33,790 --> 00:42:39,430 ..and with Queen Victoria firmly on board, it gave us Royal Deeside. 747 00:42:39,430 --> 00:42:43,150 It was about the best bit of marketing a rural railway ever had. 748 00:43:05,510 --> 00:43:08,950 Subtitles by Red Bee Media