Episode 1

Iolo Williams presents Rugged Wales - exploring landscapes that have been enjoyed and exploited for centuries, and where wildlife thrives. Wales has been shaped by both nature and man, and Iolo will be exploring his choice of some of the best wild and industrial landscapes and highlighting the wildlife that lives there. Iolo Williams explores the rugged landscapes of Wales. In this episode, Iolo discovers landscapes created by water and by the exploitation of mineral wealth. With the help of others, he explores a hidden gorge in Snowdonia, kayaks the dramatic River Wye, visits Wales's version of the Everglades on the outskirts of Swansea and goes underground in an impressive disused slate quarry that, at its height, employed 500 men. He also meets a wildlife expert to see how lapwings are thriving amongst one of the largest industrial sites in south Wales, discovers how the now-abandoned railway lines and canals of the industrial era are wonderful wildlife habitats, and learns how one of the huge estates, built with industrial wealth, is now home to a family of tawny owls.