1 00:00:36,181 --> 00:00:38,302 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Hello and welcome to Nature Fix with me, 2 00:00:38,522 --> 00:00:39,483 Claire Hickinbotham. 3 00:00:40,463 --> 00:00:43,246 Every month we take you with us as we meet the people who spend 4 00:00:43,266 --> 00:00:46,928 their time outside and join them in a place that most inspires 5 00:00:46,988 --> 00:00:48,890 them. Today we're in Bannau Brycheiniog or the Brecon 6 00:00:48,950 --> 00:00:52,373 Beacons, to meet Emma Kolano-Rogers, who had a change 7 00:00:52,374 --> 00:00:56,176 of heart really early on in her career and left the job she 8 00:00:56,256 --> 00:01:00,099 trained for at uni for one that would have her outside in all 9 00:01:00,159 --> 00:01:00,599 weathers. 10 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,622 We've met you where, Emma? 11 00:01:08,342 --> 00:01:10,584 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: We are just on the edge of the Brecon 12 00:01:10,624 --> 00:01:13,926 Beacons. We're on the eastern side of Carmarthenshire County 13 00:01:14,567 --> 00:01:17,689 and we're about to go and try and find the Lady Of The Lake. 14 00:01:18,470 --> 00:01:22,273 We're about as rural as it gets here, but for me that's ideal. 15 00:01:22,813 --> 00:01:24,234 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: The hills are big, aren't they? The 16 00:01:24,275 --> 00:01:27,837 valleys are big and the skies therefore are big. We've got a 17 00:01:28,218 --> 00:01:32,141 tumbling cascade of water bobbling over the rocks next to 18 00:01:32,142 --> 00:01:32,261 us. 19 00:01:32,601 --> 00:01:35,084 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: And it gets so loud, it's only when you walk 20 00:01:35,144 --> 00:01:37,426 higher up the hills and you don't hear the river anymore you 21 00:01:37,446 --> 00:01:40,709 really get the whole silence of the rural area. Some people 22 00:01:40,769 --> 00:01:44,311 really struggle with just pure silence so for the people that 23 00:01:44,331 --> 00:01:47,154 come and visit areas like this the river can kind of be that 24 00:01:47,254 --> 00:01:49,736 white noise machine for them - can be quite calming. 25 00:01:51,057 --> 00:01:52,878 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I'm already starting to get out of breath. 26 00:01:54,239 --> 00:01:55,140 We are going up. 27 00:01:55,500 --> 00:01:59,003 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yes which is pretty much every single walk in 28 00:01:59,004 --> 00:02:01,865 the Beacons area you park your car and then it's just this 29 00:02:01,945 --> 00:02:04,604 straight vertical climb up and then you have the views and then 30 00:02:04,644 --> 00:02:06,324 it's a straight vertical climb back down. 31 00:02:07,564 --> 00:02:11,184 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So you're newly into the job of a ranger 32 00:02:11,324 --> 00:02:12,144 at the National Trust? 33 00:02:12,784 --> 00:02:15,044 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yes, in September I started as an 34 00:02:15,045 --> 00:02:19,464 apprentice ranger so I didn't have any previous experience. I 35 00:02:19,504 --> 00:02:22,944 started my career as an illustrator and then moved into 36 00:02:23,004 --> 00:02:26,904 design work and just realised it was not for me. I'd always get 37 00:02:26,944 --> 00:02:30,664 this feeling on a Sunday night of that's my free time over and 38 00:02:30,665 --> 00:02:32,544 now I've got five more days of work ahead of me. 39 00:02:33,564 --> 00:02:36,704 Yeah, I would just get the Sunday blues knowing I was going 40 00:02:36,705 --> 00:02:39,264 to have to go back into this office environment, especially 41 00:02:39,284 --> 00:02:42,044 when the sun was shining. That's the last place I wanted to be. 42 00:02:42,884 --> 00:02:47,004 So I started volunteering with conservation charities. And then 43 00:02:47,044 --> 00:02:48,604 this apprenticeship role came up. 44 00:02:48,904 --> 00:02:51,824 And the only criteria they needed was that you didn't have 45 00:02:51,864 --> 00:02:55,684 any previous experience. I just feel like I found my place. To 46 00:02:55,704 --> 00:02:58,384 come from a job that you know fundamentally is just the wrong 47 00:02:58,484 --> 00:03:02,333 fit for you into a job where every morning you wake up and 48 00:03:02,334 --> 00:03:06,556 you look forward to what you have in store. Like it doesn't 49 00:03:06,557 --> 00:03:07,457 even feel like a job. 50 00:03:09,078 --> 00:03:10,980 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So you've not done this walk before up to 51 00:03:10,981 --> 00:03:11,740 the lake, have you? 52 00:03:12,541 --> 00:03:14,523 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: No, this will be my first time up here as 53 00:03:14,563 --> 00:03:18,986 well. And I'm absolutely just amazed by the scenery. Like the 54 00:03:19,046 --> 00:03:22,209 whole track we're walking along on the way up, there's just this 55 00:03:22,289 --> 00:03:25,691 stunning river running alongside it. We've just come to the bits 56 00:03:25,771 --> 00:03:29,961 now where it looks like there's tiny waterfalls cascading down 57 00:03:30,022 --> 00:03:32,383 into it and I'm just yeah completely enamoured by it. 58 00:03:33,084 --> 00:03:35,586 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I think the Brecon Beacons is quite well 59 00:03:35,606 --> 00:03:37,067 known for its waterfalls isn't it? 60 00:03:37,207 --> 00:03:39,609 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yeah waterfall country there's rivers 61 00:03:39,689 --> 00:03:44,032 there's waterfalls there's valleys whether you go to Pen Y 62 00:03:44,052 --> 00:03:47,215 Fan where you'll maybe see thousands of people in a day or 63 00:03:47,755 --> 00:03:49,757 somewhere like here where I think we've seen about three 64 00:03:49,797 --> 00:03:53,790 people all together so far it's just yeah whatever you need it's 65 00:03:53,790 --> 00:03:54,881 it's got it to offer. 66 00:03:55,461 --> 00:03:57,023 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: You've mentioned the Lady Of The Lake. 67 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,580 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yes. Within Welsh culture, the folklore and 68 00:04:01,581 --> 00:04:06,680 the myths and the legends shape a lot of the history and a lot 69 00:04:06,681 --> 00:04:08,820 of the modern culture today as well. 70 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,180 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And is it something you're exposed to from 71 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:12,780 a very young age in Wales? 72 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:17,160 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yes and no. I think everyone that went to a 73 00:04:17,180 --> 00:04:20,600 Welsh primary school probably knows stories like Beth Gellert. 74 00:04:21,140 --> 00:04:24,280 I think it depends as well where you're brought up. I know people 75 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,841 brought up in the valleys might have much more of a cultural tie 76 00:04:27,842 --> 00:04:30,543 to Wales, whereas for me it came a lot later on in life. 77 00:04:31,344 --> 00:04:35,988 I kind of got taught Welsh in school and because it was forced 78 00:04:35,989 --> 00:04:40,151 on me, I had this reluctance to embrace it and it was only in my 79 00:04:40,431 --> 00:04:44,414 later life where I wanted to explore more of my roots, I 80 00:04:44,454 --> 00:04:48,017 started learning Welsh myself. That's when the real passion for 81 00:04:48,077 --> 00:04:49,758 understanding my culture came from. 82 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,701 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So Emma, as we were just walking up a little 83 00:04:53,721 --> 00:04:56,439 bit of the path, we're sniffing a bit. 84 00:04:58,832 --> 00:05:02,935 And I didn't bring a tissue. But you told me that rangers don't 85 00:05:02,975 --> 00:05:03,816 need tissues. 86 00:05:04,056 --> 00:05:06,418 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: So it's a rather gross realisation I had 87 00:05:06,598 --> 00:05:11,302 probably on day two of my time as a ranger, is that no one 88 00:05:11,322 --> 00:05:14,124 takes tissues around with them because when you are out in 89 00:05:14,184 --> 00:05:18,728 nature, the combination of the cold, the pollen and everything 90 00:05:18,788 --> 00:05:22,431 else going on, you constantly have a runny nose. So all my 91 00:05:22,491 --> 00:05:25,733 fellow rangers have tried convincing me that the only 92 00:05:25,773 --> 00:05:29,024 thing I need to do is snot rocket all of my snot out and 93 00:05:29,064 --> 00:05:30,644 I'll never need to carry a tissue again. 94 00:05:31,204 --> 00:05:34,404 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I've never heard of the ranger's secret 95 00:05:34,484 --> 00:05:35,824 snot rocket. 96 00:05:36,384 --> 00:05:38,324 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Anyone can do it. All they need to do is 97 00:05:38,364 --> 00:05:41,844 cover one of their nostrils and send one sharp puff of air out 98 00:05:41,845 --> 00:05:44,404 of one of their nostrils to clear it and then do the same on 99 00:05:44,405 --> 00:05:48,184 the other side. And I suppose it's saving the world one tissue 100 00:05:48,204 --> 00:05:49,124 at a time as well. 101 00:05:49,484 --> 00:05:51,144 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I think you can gross out now knowing that 102 00:05:51,145 --> 00:05:52,024 you're saving the planet. 103 00:05:53,144 --> 00:05:55,064 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yeah, I'm still not quite there myself, 104 00:05:55,184 --> 00:05:56,084 but maybe one day. 105 00:05:56,864 --> 00:05:57,884 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So do you think we're nearly there? 106 00:05:58,272 --> 00:06:00,654 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yeah, so we kind of verge around the corner 107 00:06:01,214 --> 00:06:04,657 and then you can see where the sun is reflecting off that one 108 00:06:04,717 --> 00:06:09,801 part of the hill over there. I'm hoping it will be this wild 109 00:06:09,841 --> 00:06:12,263 moment where it just presents itself to us. 110 00:06:15,245 --> 00:06:19,629 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: We must be close. How many steps do you 111 00:06:19,630 --> 00:06:21,010 reckon until we can see it? 112 00:06:21,050 --> 00:06:22,431 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Ten. Massive steps. 113 00:06:26,984 --> 00:06:28,644 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: That's my 10. Have you done 10? 114 00:06:28,884 --> 00:06:30,244 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: I've done 10. Can you see it? 115 00:06:31,644 --> 00:06:32,204 Almost. 116 00:06:35,004 --> 00:06:35,564 Here it is. 117 00:06:40,904 --> 00:06:44,564 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: It's got ever such a slight volcanic 118 00:06:44,724 --> 00:06:46,784 crater look to it, hasn't it? 119 00:06:47,084 --> 00:06:50,684 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Absolutely. The hill directly behind it must 120 00:06:50,724 --> 00:06:56,084 have what must be, what, an 80 degree decline on it. So there's 121 00:06:56,124 --> 00:07:00,704 just this dramatic drop from the top of that ridge down into the 122 00:07:00,764 --> 00:07:01,144 Lake. 123 00:07:01,924 --> 00:07:03,244 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And then the other half of the crater 124 00:07:03,284 --> 00:07:06,144 just opens up to the valley doesn't it? Yeah. Oh wow look at 125 00:07:06,145 --> 00:07:10,624 that view! Those extra 10 steps and it's changed again hasn't 126 00:07:10,625 --> 00:07:10,744 it? 127 00:07:10,784 --> 00:07:13,264 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: I know with every step it changes so much. 128 00:07:13,844 --> 00:07:15,764 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So what's the Lady Of The Lake story that 129 00:07:15,844 --> 00:07:17,304 involves this Lake that we're at today? 130 00:07:18,944 --> 00:07:20,984 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: There was a man called Gwyn who lived on a 131 00:07:21,024 --> 00:07:25,318 farm with his mother. He often had to take his cattle to graze 132 00:07:25,758 --> 00:07:30,682 and he was enjoying some rye bread and cheese when he noticed 133 00:07:30,722 --> 00:07:33,585 there was a woman on the other side of the Lake almost 134 00:07:33,625 --> 00:07:34,485 appearing to float. 135 00:07:34,986 --> 00:07:38,628 She was ethereal, she seemed to possess this supernatural power 136 00:07:38,969 --> 00:07:41,411 and he was completely enamoured. To the point where he couldn't 137 00:07:41,511 --> 00:07:45,154 speak and the only thing he could do was extend this crusty 138 00:07:45,254 --> 00:07:49,177 old loaf to her. So she floated across the Lake and when she saw 139 00:07:49,178 --> 00:07:52,173 it was just some barley bread she laughed and she dove into 140 00:07:52,193 --> 00:07:52,674 the Lake. 141 00:07:53,934 --> 00:07:56,757 So he went home and told his mother what he saw. And she 142 00:07:56,897 --> 00:07:59,259 thought that was because the bread was too old and too 143 00:07:59,319 --> 00:08:02,621 crusty. I'll make you a softer loaf of bread. So he went back. 144 00:08:02,881 --> 00:08:05,924 She came a lot closer to him this time, and he was able to 145 00:08:06,004 --> 00:08:09,827 see the green and brown specks of her eyes. This time she 146 00:08:10,067 --> 00:08:13,950 accepted the new loaf of bread. And he took her hand, asking for 147 00:08:13,990 --> 00:08:17,173 her to marry him. She said, I will marry you on two 148 00:08:17,213 --> 00:08:17,873 conditions. 149 00:08:18,233 --> 00:08:22,610 The first condition is that you never reveal to anyone where 150 00:08:22,670 --> 00:08:26,453 I've come from or the origins of my powers. And the second is 151 00:08:26,513 --> 00:08:29,936 that if you ever strike me three times, I will leave without 152 00:08:29,996 --> 00:08:33,899 saying a word and you will never see me again. So Nelferch, Gwyn 153 00:08:34,119 --> 00:08:38,042 and all their cattle left the Lake and they had a really 154 00:08:38,462 --> 00:08:43,947 happy, successful life and three strong, healthy sons. And this 155 00:08:44,047 --> 00:08:47,670 lasted for years until he struck Nelferch 156 00:08:49,448 --> 00:08:53,511 After this, his temperament did improve, but he struck Nelferch 157 00:08:53,591 --> 00:08:56,554 for a second time. Unfortunately, it didn't take 158 00:08:56,594 --> 00:08:58,795 long before he struck her a third time. 159 00:08:59,936 --> 00:09:03,459 She was already leaving for the door. And when he got to the 160 00:09:03,519 --> 00:09:07,482 foot of the Lake, she dove into the Lake and he went mad with 161 00:09:07,542 --> 00:09:12,066 grief. His sons were equally overcome with grief. A few years 162 00:09:12,126 --> 00:09:14,808 after their father's passing, their mother appeared to them 163 00:09:14,948 --> 00:09:18,831 one final time. She said that she only had one day with them. 164 00:09:19,316 --> 00:09:22,619 And she set a mission on them to be the healers of mankind. 165 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:28,083 She taught them herbalism and the healing properties of plants 166 00:09:28,663 --> 00:09:31,366 and wanted them to spread this knowledge with the local 167 00:09:31,406 --> 00:09:34,648 community and pass it down through generations. And then 168 00:09:34,768 --> 00:09:38,031 she embraced each of them, returned to the Lake and was 169 00:09:38,091 --> 00:09:38,911 never seen again. 170 00:09:40,012 --> 00:09:41,333 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And does the Lady Of The Lake ever 171 00:09:41,413 --> 00:09:41,894 reappear? 172 00:09:42,875 --> 00:09:45,597 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Not as far as I know. It says that because 173 00:09:45,598 --> 00:09:49,391 she was an immortal being, her love and grief won't diminish or 174 00:09:49,431 --> 00:09:51,875 fade, she'll have to live with that for eternity. 175 00:09:52,616 --> 00:09:54,379 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Well she picked a very nice spot to have 176 00:09:54,419 --> 00:09:55,501 eternal life didn't she? 177 00:09:56,482 --> 00:09:58,385 Let's go and have another sneak peek of it. 178 00:09:58,907 --> 00:10:01,669 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Where we are now, the sun is right above it 179 00:10:01,689 --> 00:10:04,612 and it's glistening, like the whole Lake is glistening. 180 00:10:06,793 --> 00:10:09,435 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I mean, we've walked up here with the 181 00:10:09,475 --> 00:10:14,759 sound of the stream and it's a very different sound to a Lake 182 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,421 lapping against a shore, isn't it? 183 00:10:17,021 --> 00:10:20,184 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: This one for me is kind of meditative and 184 00:10:20,185 --> 00:10:21,205 it's very calming. 185 00:10:22,526 --> 00:10:25,428 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Do you find that as part of your ranger job 186 00:10:25,508 --> 00:10:28,880 there is a kind of... Meditative quality to the work that you're 187 00:10:28,901 --> 00:10:29,181 doing. 188 00:10:29,521 --> 00:10:32,203 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yeah, 100%. The fact that you're doing a 189 00:10:32,223 --> 00:10:35,346 task and then you maybe take a little break and you are in the 190 00:10:35,347 --> 00:10:38,228 middle of the most beautiful landscape you could imagine is 191 00:10:38,288 --> 00:10:42,351 the first thing that I just find very good for the soul. And then 192 00:10:42,352 --> 00:10:45,774 the second is that the work you're actually doing is going 193 00:10:45,814 --> 00:10:48,296 into conservation and preserving the landscape. 194 00:10:48,876 --> 00:10:52,059 It's the perfect balance because I get to experience the rural 195 00:10:52,319 --> 00:10:55,643 countryside in my job, but then I get to go back and be in the 196 00:10:55,663 --> 00:10:58,843 hustle and bustle of the city in Cardiff. And I think if I just 197 00:10:58,863 --> 00:11:01,703 had one or if I just had the other, my lifestyle wouldn't 198 00:11:01,723 --> 00:11:06,623 work. It was scary making this change. It took years of 199 00:11:06,663 --> 00:11:10,263 deliberating. I knew I wasn't happy. And I think that was my 200 00:11:10,863 --> 00:11:15,363 driving force, is that I knew fundamentally there was a very 201 00:11:15,683 --> 00:11:19,443 big issue in my lifestyle and it was affecting my ability to go 202 00:11:19,523 --> 00:11:23,663 out and socialise because I had anxiety at times because I had 203 00:11:23,703 --> 00:11:27,117 that crisis of what am I doing with my life I'm not in the 204 00:11:27,137 --> 00:11:29,519 right career I'm not on the right path. 205 00:11:29,519 --> 00:11:32,762 It was a really big decision to make the career change but one I 206 00:11:32,982 --> 00:11:37,305 I'm so glad I did so when people say to me oh I'm very envious of 207 00:11:37,886 --> 00:11:42,649 your job I think part of it they just think I'm always out on a 208 00:11:42,689 --> 00:11:46,232 sunny day I'm always in the hills and that that is great but 209 00:11:46,233 --> 00:11:49,375 I think part of it's because they're not happy in their job 210 00:11:49,415 --> 00:11:51,576 and I always say to them you know if you're not happy other 211 00:11:51,636 --> 00:11:52,857 things you can change about it. 212 00:11:53,171 --> 00:11:56,971 Is this temporary? Do you think it will get better? And if the 213 00:11:57,051 --> 00:12:00,711 answer is fundamentally no, then I would just encourage them 214 00:12:00,811 --> 00:12:03,931 gently to change certain aspects of their life to make their 215 00:12:03,971 --> 00:12:05,131 happiness a priority. 216 00:12:05,911 --> 00:12:07,711 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I think at this point we should say that 217 00:12:08,051 --> 00:12:10,331 not all of your ranger days are out in the sunshine. 218 00:12:10,591 --> 00:12:14,011 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: I have had ranger days where it's taken a 219 00:12:14,031 --> 00:12:16,531 considerable amount of time to regain the feeling in my 220 00:12:16,591 --> 00:12:20,751 fingers. I've had ranger days where I've fallen into bogs and 221 00:12:20,752 --> 00:12:23,972 had to be pulled out by my rucksack. But they have all been 222 00:12:24,072 --> 00:12:26,874 so unique and so rewarding and so different. 223 00:12:27,314 --> 00:12:30,497 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: We've left the lady and her Lake behind, 224 00:12:30,777 --> 00:12:30,917 Emma. 225 00:12:32,979 --> 00:12:34,100 We're heading back down now. 226 00:12:35,421 --> 00:12:38,163 We've got a lot more stories we could go into, but there's a 227 00:12:38,183 --> 00:12:40,124 couple more I think that you really like. 228 00:12:40,785 --> 00:12:42,826 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: There is one story called the Radnor Forest 229 00:12:42,867 --> 00:12:47,030 Dragon. It's essentially about a dragon that would terrorise the 230 00:12:47,050 --> 00:12:50,631 local community. It would eat the livestock. It would burn 231 00:12:50,711 --> 00:12:55,235 down its infrastructure and it was the angel Saint Michael who 232 00:12:55,335 --> 00:12:59,158 came and slayed the dragon and became this massive hero figure 233 00:12:59,178 --> 00:12:59,798 for the village. 234 00:13:00,459 --> 00:13:04,562 The villagers built five churches around the dragon to 235 00:13:04,582 --> 00:13:08,605 contain its body and each of these churches was built on one 236 00:13:08,606 --> 00:13:12,348 of the pre-existing mounds of the landscapes. The legend has 237 00:13:12,428 --> 00:13:18,233 it that if any of these churches were to be destroyed the dragon 238 00:13:18,273 --> 00:13:22,299 would reawaken and continue to cause terror over the villages. 239 00:13:23,359 --> 00:13:26,579 This story is great because it ties into the natural landscape. 240 00:13:26,959 --> 00:13:29,979 There's some old remains of an Iron Age hill fort called 241 00:13:29,980 --> 00:13:34,139 Llandegli Rocks and it's on the edge of a ridge and the way the 242 00:13:34,599 --> 00:13:38,759 rocks have kind of fallen over the years, a lot of the locals 243 00:13:38,839 --> 00:13:41,379 say that it's the long spine of the dragon. 244 00:13:42,479 --> 00:13:45,259 I always like it when you hear a story and it's got a real 245 00:13:45,319 --> 00:13:48,699 location to it that you can go and kind of imagine this all 246 00:13:48,759 --> 00:13:49,339 unfolding. 247 00:13:50,331 --> 00:13:53,634 It just draws people back into that cultural history, the 248 00:13:53,754 --> 00:13:57,977 heritage and the history of Wales. And storytelling is one 249 00:13:57,997 --> 00:14:01,880 of the oldest forms of passing down documents and important 250 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:05,503 information through generations, especially with kids, to 251 00:14:05,583 --> 00:14:11,067 interact them into these historical fables and myths. It 252 00:14:11,688 --> 00:14:15,070 is just going to give them that greater sense of understanding 253 00:14:15,071 --> 00:14:16,552 the culture in which they've come from. 254 00:14:17,672 --> 00:14:19,494 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: When we first started out this morning, 255 00:14:19,554 --> 00:14:23,934 Emma, you mentioned in passing Beddgelert. I think most people 256 00:14:24,034 --> 00:14:27,777 do know the story. It's a very well-known one, but I think you 257 00:14:27,797 --> 00:14:30,859 should tell it anyway. But I hesitate to ask you to tell it 258 00:14:30,860 --> 00:14:33,441 because it's always one that makes me so sad. 259 00:14:33,861 --> 00:14:36,043 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: Yeah, it's quite a tragic one, this one. So 260 00:14:36,083 --> 00:14:39,946 you have the Prince Of Gwynedd, also known as Llywelyn the 261 00:14:39,986 --> 00:14:45,330 Great, and his trusty noble hound, Gelert. The prince left 262 00:14:45,350 --> 00:14:50,027 to do a hunt one day and left his newly born heir, his son in 263 00:14:50,028 --> 00:14:55,055 the capable hands of Gelert. And when Prince Llewellyn left, a 264 00:14:55,135 --> 00:14:56,778 wolf had entered into the castle. 265 00:14:57,392 --> 00:15:00,815 There was an immense fight with lots of blood and Gelert 266 00:15:01,055 --> 00:15:05,118 actually managed to kill the wolf. During the chaos, the 267 00:15:05,198 --> 00:15:10,342 son's crib had been tipped over and moments later, upon hearing 268 00:15:10,462 --> 00:15:15,006 Prince Llewellyn return from his hunt, Gelert bound out to greet 269 00:15:15,146 --> 00:15:19,709 his master and Prince Llewellyn was completely shocked by the 270 00:15:19,750 --> 00:15:24,533 sight of his hound covered in blood and immediately ran to see 271 00:15:24,534 --> 00:15:28,532 if his son was okay. And when he entered the son's bedroom he 272 00:15:28,612 --> 00:15:33,292 realised that the cot had been overturned and in a moment of 273 00:15:33,332 --> 00:15:37,512 pure rage he plunged his sword into Gelert's heart and as he 274 00:15:37,592 --> 00:15:41,332 did this he heard a faint cry from underneath the cot and when 275 00:15:41,333 --> 00:15:45,532 he picked the cot up his son was there completely unharmed and 276 00:15:45,592 --> 00:15:49,452 lying next to him was the dead wolf covered in blood from 277 00:15:49,612 --> 00:15:49,932 Gelert. 278 00:15:50,732 --> 00:15:53,272 And after realising that he'd jumped to the complete wrong 279 00:15:53,332 --> 00:15:57,120 conclusion the prince picked up Gelert, took his body to the 280 00:15:57,180 --> 00:16:00,540 edge of the castle grounds and buried him, so that the 281 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,920 community and villagers would know he was a hero and come to 282 00:16:03,940 --> 00:16:08,080 pay his respects. and whilst he was really relieved that his son 283 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,880 was safe and sound, it's said that from that day on Prince 284 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,500 Llewellyn never smiled again. So Beddgelert literally translates 285 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,980 to the grave of Gelert. Beddgelert is up in Eryri in 286 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,780 Snowdonia, and if you go there, you can actually see a stone 287 00:16:24,820 --> 00:16:27,870 that's been erected to commemorate the grave of Gelert. 288 00:16:28,250 --> 00:16:30,552 I actually went up there last summer and it brought the whole 289 00:16:30,592 --> 00:16:32,814 story to life, made it feel real. 290 00:16:33,494 --> 00:16:34,815 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: We're nearly back at the car park, 291 00:16:34,895 --> 00:16:37,377 Emma. We've gone past the very noisy waterfalls. 292 00:16:39,539 --> 00:16:41,581 Thank you ever so much for taking me on this walk. 293 00:16:41,921 --> 00:16:43,662 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: It's been a new one for me and it's been my 294 00:16:43,722 --> 00:16:46,885 absolute pleasure to take you on the walk and tell you more about 295 00:16:46,925 --> 00:16:47,986 some Welsh folklore. 296 00:16:48,406 --> 00:16:50,648 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Well, and about you as well and about how 297 00:16:51,328 --> 00:16:55,808 being out in nature is... It brings you so much joy and 298 00:16:56,348 --> 00:16:57,548 comfort, I suppose. 299 00:16:57,828 --> 00:17:00,988 EMMA KOLANO-ROGERS: It's the antidote to life, nature. It 300 00:17:01,048 --> 00:17:04,368 just helps. Being out in nature just helps clear your head of 301 00:17:04,408 --> 00:17:09,588 certain stresses and gives you the space to order your thoughts 302 00:17:09,688 --> 00:17:12,608 and make a little plan of action of what you want out of your 303 00:17:12,628 --> 00:17:13,808 life and how you can get it. 304 00:17:20,628 --> 00:17:22,696 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Thanks for listening to Nature Fix. We'll 305 00:17:22,697 --> 00:17:25,859 be back next month with a new episode. Why not give us a 306 00:17:25,899 --> 00:17:29,161 follow on your favourite podcast app? And if you've got the time, 307 00:17:29,401 --> 00:17:31,443 leave us a review. Bye for now.