Eddie Butler traces the history of Pontypridd in this new series featuring important towns and cities in Wales. A relative newcomer dating back only 250 years, Pontypridd has more than made up for its late start. Originally a crossing point on the pilgrim route to Penrhys, its stylish bridge of 1756 first put the town on the map. Then it was only a few cottages, but with the industrial revolution Ponty started to grow. First to open was the Brown Lenox chainworks which made anchor chains for the biggest British ships of the 19th century. In the 1870's the sinking of deep coal mines saw the town's population rocket from just 5000 to over 40,000 by 1911. But perhaps Pontypridd's biggest claims to fame are musical. The Wesh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, was written there by father and son Evan and James James. Tom Jones grew up there as did opera singers Geraint Evans and Stuart Burrows.

Eddie Butler explores the story of Cardigan. Today it's a quiet market town, but it has a rich and turbulent history dating back over 900 years. The town first made its mark in the 12th century when Rhys ap Gruffudd ousted the Norman invaders and built his own castle there. In celebration, he held a festival of music and poetry - the first ever Eisteddfod. In the early 19th century, Cardigan became Wales's busiest port and a centre for shipbuilding, employing a thousand men in its maritime industry. The railway ended Cardigan's heyday as a port, but the town continued to prosper with its stylish Guildhall and busy market. In the 21st century Cardigan has struggled like many small towns, but a 10 million-pound grant to restore its castle will hopefully give the town a new lease of life.

Eddie Butler tells the story of how saints, scholars and slate shaped the city of Bangor. He discovers the longest high street in Britain, walks halfway to Anglesey on a Victorian pier and wonders at the riches in the biggest private house in Wales.

Eddie Butler returns to the town of his birth to trace the story of Newport through 1,500 years of history. He'll show how a hamlet round a church on a hilltop became a booming port at the heart of the industrial revolution, and finally achieved city status in 2002. And he'll discover a fascinating cast of characters...from Welsh saints to punk rockers.