Total Audio Length: loading...
DESCRIBING: A stone cottage.
SYNOPSIS: A two-story stone cottage fills the frame, fronted by a low whitewashed wall and a small, leafy garden. The facade has three small-paned windows on the upper floor and two on the lower, with a central doorway. A dark gray slate roof tops the house, with a chunky stone chimney at the right ridge. Sunlight from the left brightens the stones and casts mild shadows. A rectangular sign on the right side of the front wall reads, “YR YSGWRN / HEDD WYN.”
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The house exterior is built of irregular, gray-brown stones with light mortar. Window and door frames are painted a pale beige. On the ground floor, a window sits to the left, the open doorway stands at center, and another window is to the right. Above them, three evenly spaced windows align with the openings below. Each window has a grid of small square panes.
The roof is composed of thin, horizontal slate rows, nearly black. At the right end of the roofline rises a sturdy, rectangular chimney made of matching stone. In front, a low wall, whitewashed with gray stone coping on top, runs across the frame. A notch in the wall at the right forms a narrow stairway that climbs toward the house. Mixed green plants spill over the wall and cluster near the doorway. In the background, treetops frame the cottage against a pale blue sky.
DESCRIBING: A wide-angle color photograph of a period-style cottage dining room and hearth.
SYNOPSIS: A honey-brown rocking chair sits in the left foreground, facing a dark stone hearth with a cast-iron stove.
At center, a wooden table with a striped cloth holds simple dishes and a candle.
Behind the table, a tall wooden clock and a large plate cabinet fill the back wall with blue-and-white dishes.
The ceiling shows pale, exposed beams; the floor is dark stone.
Floral wallpaper wraps the room, and a piano occupies the right edge.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Starting at the left, a tall, spindle-back rocking chair with a warm varnish stands on the stone floor. A folded blanket with a red-and-black pattern rests on its seat. Just beyond it, a deep fireplace alcove of blackened stone holds a squat cast-iron stove with a kettle on top; iron hooks and chains hang inside the recess. On a narrow shelf to the right of the hearth, a few books lean together. Above the fireplace, a heavy mantel supports small ceramic jugs and a pair of antlers.
Moving to center, a rectangular wooden table stands on turned legs. A pale yellow-and-white striped cloth drapes over one side. On the tabletop: a small ceramic pitcher, a white bowl, a mug and a short candle in a holder. Two straight-back wooden chairs flank the table, one to the rear left, one to the rear right.
Behind the table, against the back wall, a tall, case-style clock with a round face shows Roman numerals under glass. To its right, a large wooden dresser or hutch fills the wall with drawers below and open shelves above. The shelves display many blue-and-white plates and platters with scenic patterns. In front of the plates sits a small mantel clock and a pair of oil lamps. Three hats perch near the ceiling on a high rail or ledge.
On the far right, the curved side of an upright piano intrudes into the frame, accompanied by a round piano stool. Throughout the room, small-flower wallpaper—mostly red and green on light backgrounds—covers the walls. Overhead, pale beams cross the ceiling; underfoot, large, irregular slate stones form the floor. An open doorway at the back reveals a sliver of bright light. No people are present.
DESCRIBING: A horizontal color photograph of a small museum room.
SYNOPSIS: Two tall, carved wooden chairs sit on separate low platforms against a pale wall. A short wooden rack stands between them. To the right, a green table holds a white washbasin and pitcher, with a framed portrait above. Beige woven flooring ties the room together, and angled placards rest on each platform.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION:
Left side: A dark-brown, high-backed wooden chair with turned front legs and arm supports stands on a rectangular wooden platform. The crest rail carries carved text, and a recessed panel on the back shows a relief of an animal. The seat is broad and flat. A small white ceramic container sits on the platform near a front leg. A slanted, cream placard with dense text rests on the platform edge.
Center: A low, two-shelf wooden rack, about knee height, sits on the floor between the chairs.
Right side: A slightly smaller, high-backed wooden chair, also carved and inscribed at the crest, stands on a matching platform. The back panel shows another animal relief. Its arms are simpler, and scrollwork decorates the seat rail. A small white container rests near a leg, and a similar angled placard sits at the front corner of the platform.
Far right: A narrow, green-painted table with turned legs holds a white ceramic washbasin and matching pitcher. Above it hangs a framed, black-and-white studio portrait of an adult in formal clothing. Light from the left casts soft shadows of the chairs onto the wall and floor.
DESCRIBING: A vertical color photograph of a heavily carved wooden chair.
SYNOPSIS: Picture a single-seat chair centered in frame. Start at the very top edge: a shallow triangle. Move down to a tall rectangle—the backboard—dominated by a cross at center inside a circle. Continue down to the seat, then the front rail with a hanging, shield-shaped ornament, and finally the four square legs on a platform.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Top edge and backboard: the crest is a narrow triangle pointing up, like a low roof. Immediately below, a border of small dots runs horizontally. The backboard, a tall rectangle, is rimmed by a chevron pattern. At its center, a raised cross reaches almost to the rim. Where the arms of the cross meet, a ring encloses four smooth, round knobs spaced like a plus sign. Each quadrant around the cross is filled with tight, braided knots. Arms and seat: thick, rectangular arms run straight from the back to the front posts. Each front post ends in a round cap. Inside the right arm, a flat, dark panel hangs downward. The seat is a plain, flat rectangle that extends to the arm posts. Front rail and legs: beneath the seat, the front rail carries three round spirals in a row, with carved scrolls between them. A central, shield-like piece hangs below. The legs are blocky and square, linked by rails near the floor that are also carved. The entire chair sits on a low wooden platform; a small white label lies at the front edge.
DESCRIBING: A vertical color photograph.
SYNOPSIS: Begin at the very top and move down. A carved inscription crowns an arched, high back between two rounded finials. Mid-back, a dragon in relief sits above the words “PONTARDAWE 1915.” Continue down past a curved lower rail, blocky arms, a flat polished seat and a front apron of repeating ovals.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Top row: An arching crest rail with all-capital Welsh letters; one rounded finial at each corner. Second row: A rectangular, framed panel with a raised dragon seen from the side, its wing up and tail curled, standing on a diagonal ridge. A twisted-rope pattern borders the panel on both sides. Center band: The number “1915” and the word “PONTARDAWE” carved in large capitals below the dragon. Lower back: A shallow U-shaped rail with one centered diamond. Arms: Straight, thick armrests end in square blocks; beneath each, a post carved with stacked ovals like scales. Seat: Smooth, reflective wood. Front apron: Three linked ovals in relief, each with a round knop at the center. Base: Squared, sturdy legs. Background: A plain, cream wall; light from the left produces soft shadows that define the carvings. Readable text in frame: “PONTARDAWE 1915.” Additional Welsh inscriptions are present but not fully legible here.
Only a purple moon
On the edge of the bare mountain;
And the sound of the old river Prysor
Singing in the Valley.