National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
This film is part of Free
Spotlight: Welsh Sheep Farm
Machine threshing and the ancient arts of wheelwrighting, blacksmithing and ploughing are beautifully demonstrated here.
From the collection of:
Overview
Ion Trant and his wife Janet (nee Owen) farmed at Maesmawr Hall, near Welshpool, and here you will see lambs being sorted and weighed and happy pigs fed. The Trants also worked both the adjoining farm Cefn Du, where threshing is seen in progress, and Esgairdraenllwyn Farm, Llaithddu, Llandrindod, where Janet bred Hereford cattle crossed with Welsh Blacks – look out for the appealing black calves with white faces. Ploughing, wheelwrighting and blacksmithing also feature.
Ion Trant, brought up on Dovea Farm in Tipperary, Ireland, felt a gulf was emerging between town and country and welcomed school visits to the farms he ran with his wife, Janet Owen (Maesmawr Hall, Cefn Du, Esgairdraenllwyn). He also devised, filmed, edited and scripted the "Country Close-Up" series for children (BBC - 1956-62), often featuring his own three. As a result of this series, he was offered work as a freelance cameraman on the BBC's weekly farming programme and he also ventured further afield, travelling as cameraman with sports commentator Max Robertson to the West Indies and with George Cansdale, field naturalist and ex-Superintendent of London Zoo, to Palestine and Israel.