BBC Cymru Wales has launched a major, new landmark series filmed on location in north Wales. Snowdonia 1890, filmed mainly in Rhosgadfan as well as other locations around the area, sees two specially selected families embark on an epic journey as they commit to living as closely as they can to the 1890 way of life.
Viewers will see the families swapping their comfortable existence for a life as smallholders, keeping animals, working the land and selling home produce to supplement the meagre wages of the men, who will be taking on the life of quarrymen. They will have to quickly master the craft of splitting and shaping slate and making their way daily to the quarry along a mountain trail. The women will be the homemakers and housewives whilst the children of the families will attend school, Victorian style.
The families will be helped along by a host of local north Wales individuals, who appear as 1890 versions of themselves.
Llanfairfechan farmer Gareth Jones can currently be seen in the TV trails and advertising campaign. He becomes a crucial part of the families’ efforts to master the smallholder’s life.
“It was a huge ask of them,” says Gareth, who farms Ty’n Llwyfan farm in Llanfairfechan, near Conwy “They came to it not having any experience with livestock whatsoever. And that in itself presented challenges, and then the added twist of doing it as they would’ve in 1890… I honestly didn’t think they were going to last a day.”
Also seen in the trails and ad campaign are quarry workers Bobby Jones, from Porthmadog, and Mick Jones, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, who will be seen working side by side with the men at the quarry.
The minister charged with whipping the family into spiritual shape 1890-style is Bethel, Caeathro and Llanrug minister Marcus Wyn Robinson.
“The challenge was portraying the powerful, solid character that a minister would have been then, keeping a hawk’s eye on the moral standards of the community,” he says.
The series, created by Indus, the makers of the hit series Coal House, starts on Monday, October 18 on BBC One Wales and continues every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings for three weeks.
bbc.co.uk/snowdonia1890 is also now live with interviews, features and details of the series.
