The Story of Wales
Huw Edwards presents this history of Wales, showing the country in ways it's never been seen before. From prehistoric times, to power struggles with the barons, and England, through to the industrial revolution and today this history is comprehensive and is a compulsive viewing.
- 2012-2012
- 1 season
- Documentary
Huw Edwards presents this history of Wales, showing the country in ways it's never been seen before. From prehistoric times, to power struggles with the barons, and England, through to the industrial revolution and today this history is comprehensive and is a compulsive viewing.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2012
Episode 1
The Makings of Wales
58 mins
The story begins with the drama of the earliest-known human burial in Western Europe. Huw delves into the biggest prehistoric copper mine in the world, and looks at the importance of Wales for the Bronze age. He visits the mesmerising site of an Iron Age hillfort and reveals the true scale of the Roman occupation.
Episode 2
Power Struggles
58 mins
This episode of The Story of Wales spans seven centuries, from the building of a great frontier to Owain Glyndwr's epic struggle for independence. We meet the medieval kings who shaped Wales and watch a nation emerge out of their lust for power and land.
Episode 3
England and Wales
58 mins
It is 1485: a young nobleman sails to the land of his fathers from exile in France. His mission - to capture the English crown. For the first time, a self-proclaimed Welshman will be king of England. And so begins the reign of the Tudors. Under the reign of Henry I Wales becomes united with England.
Episode 4
Furnace of Change
58 mins
The Industrial Revolution turns Wales into a global player once again with their copper and iron mines. From Parys Mountain on Anglesey to Copperopolis, Swansea, in the south, the copper trade transforms the landscape and economy. Iron does the same for Merthyr Tydfil, making it a world-class centre of technology. This brave new Wales fuels massive social turmoil, riots and uprisings - and leads to the first national demands for democracy and workers' rights.
Episode 5
A New Beginning
58 mins
It's boom time as Wales becomes known the world over for one particular product - Welsh steam coal, the best you can get. In the space of 50 years, 'black gold' builds a new Wales. The coalfield pulls in hundreds of thousands of migrants with a different language and culture, becoming a bustling modern world of its own. Yet no sooner has Wales found itself at the centre of global trade, than the Depression causes an industrial crash with a bitter social fallout.
Episode 6
Wales and Britain
58 mins
In the last seventy years, Wales changes more rapidly than ever. In this final episode, a Welshman battles to set up Britain's most cherished institution, the NHS, the British parliament votes to drown a Welsh valley, a new generation of sporting heroes sets the flags waving and television itself becomes part of the story of Wales.