On location for Netflix’s Welsh language drama
Rough Cut was originally screened on S4C as Dal y Mellt. Branwen Jones checks out where it was filmed
NEtflix has streamed a Welshlanguage tv show on its platform for the first time. Originally called Dal y Mellt, the gritty crime drama is known as rough Cut on Netflix and follows a group of misfits as they come together to pull off a heist.
Adapted from a novel written by iwan “iwcs” roberts, Dal y Mellt was made by and aired on S4C.
in January, it was announced that the global streaming service had bought the licence and that it would be made available on demand for uk audiences from this month, where it is known as rough Cut and streamed with English subtitles.
According to Benjamin King, Netflix’s director of public policy uk and Northern ireland, content made in Wales and about Welsh culture “travels extremely well” to audiences around the world. He believes that Netflix could “play a helpful role in complementing the intent to promote and preserve the Welsh language”.
Netflix is the most popular video-on-demand service in Wales, with 74% of viewers over 13 watching it last year, according to Ofcom.
A number of Welsh programmes have made their way on to the subscription service in recent years, including Hinterland and Keeping Faith, but were aired in the English language.
More recently, Netflix has made Welsh subtitles available on certain blockbuster films such as The Adam Project and red Notice because of lead actor ryan reynolds’ connection with Wales as the new owner of Wrexham Football Club.
And, of course, Sex Education, a Netflix comedy-drama series following the lives of students, has garnered a lot of popularity over the years. As many Sex Education’s fans know by now, most of the show is filmed in Wales, showing off the beautiful countryside around the Wye Valley as well as Newport and Penarth.
Dal y Mellt or rough Cut will be another tv series on Netflix added to a list of programmes which are filmed in Wales.
There are a variety of locations included in rough Cut, with the majority filmed in Cardiff such as at National Museum Cardiff, Cardiff Central Market and Clwb ifor Bach to name a few.
But other locations include places outside Cardiff, such as a sailing academy in Pwllheli, a hotel in Caernarfon and areas around Porthmadog.
Here we round up the locations:
Cardiff
■ National Museum Cardiff
This huge national museum in the Cathays area of the city houses millions of artefacts. From art to science, everyday objects to beautiful Van Gogh paintings, there is plenty to find at this museum. in fact, the whole of the first floor is dedicated to Wales’ national art collections, from paintings and drawing to sculpture and ceramics. And to make it even better, admission to the museum is free.
■ Blue Bell pub, High Street
This quaint little pub right in the heart of the city centre is worth visiting. it’s been one of the best-known old-school Cardiff pubs for hundreds of years. in 2021, the High Street pub changed its name from The Goat Major to Blue Bell. The boozer was simply called The Goat when it first opened its doors in 1813, but six decades later it was renamed to Blue Bell. in 1995, The Goat Major name came about as a result of the pub’s association with the Welsh infantry regiment, which famously has a goat for a mascot. in June 2021, however, it was decided to revert back to Blue Bell, which it was first called in 1873.
■ The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the city. Here you’ll find restaurant chains such as Wahacas, Bill’s and Wagamas, shops such as Oliver Bonas and Vivienne Westwood, as well as Cardiff ’s most notable buildings such as St David’s Hall and Central library. Scenes of BBC’S Doctor Who and torchwood have also been filmed here.
■ Cardiff Central Market, St Mary Street
The Victorian indoor market is home to many independent businesses in Cardiff. The market has been trading in one form or another since the 1700s. You can shop for virtually everything here – fruit and veg, fish, meat, a bouquet of flowers, clothes and, of course, some lovely Welsh cakes.
■ Clwb ifor Bach, Womanby Street
For some this might be the “Welsh Club”, but for those who know and love this place, it’s Clwb ifor Bach. The live music venue on Womanby Street in Cardiff was established in 1983 when a group of local Welsh-language activists were determined to establish the capital’s Welsh identity. The venue is still a popular hub to this day.
■ revolution, Castle Street revolution has been on Castle Street for a number of years and is particularly popular with students of the city. it is said to be the “best-loved cocktail bar” in Cardiff.
■ The Gwaelod-y-garth inn tucked away in the north of Cardiff, The Gwaelody-garth inn has a pub, restaurant and rooms. The inn sits on the junction of two roads, which follow the routes of old trackways which passed through the area several centuries ago. As the main road through the village was once an important trackway from llandaf to Merthyr tydfil, travellers and farmers would often move around the area, with an inn providing an opportunity to profit from thirsty passers-by.
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■ Miskin Manor Hotel, llantrisant
The family-owned Grade ii-listed building is set in 25 acres of land. Situated in llantrisant, the four-star hotel is surrounded by glorious countryside.
Anglesey
■ Prince Madog Research Vessel, Menai Bridge The state-of-the-art purpose-built research vessel has been commissioned by Bangor University. The vessel enables the UK’S marine scientists to study the biology, chemistry, geology and physics of our seas. The School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor, and other university departments in the UK also use the vessel as a teaching platform, training the next generation of marine scientists. gwynedd
■ The Brigands Inn, Mallwyd
If you have ever travelled up the A470 from Cardiff to Gwynedd, then surely you’ve passed this pub. Nestled in the Dyfi Valley, the 15th-century coaching inn in Mallwyd is the perfect place for dining, drinking and to stay over at one of its en-suite rooms.
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Plas Heli, Pwllheli
Plas Heli is the Welsh National Sailing Academy. It is situated in the market town of Pwllheli on the Llyn Peninsula and overlooks Cardigan Bay.
■ Celtic Royal Hotel, Caernarfon
This large hotel is a venue steeped in history and gets its “Royal” name from Princess Victoria, when she visited the original main building in 1832 – five years before she became Queen Victoria. It is situated in the historic town of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, with the world-famous Unesco heritage site of Caernarfon Castle just a few hundred yards away.
■ The Goat Inn, Glandwyfach
On the A487, between Porthmadog and Caernarfon, you’ll find Tafarn yr Afr. The traditional pub is currently closed due to refurbishment but is due to reopen at some point this month.
■ Porthmadog’s Harbour
Situated on the Glaslyn Estuary, Porthmadog Harbour is a gateway to a beautiful part of Wales. Not far from Eryri National Park and Llyn Peninsula, Porthmadog’s harbour is the perfect location to bask in the views of the sea and the mountains. The town itself is brimming with shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. The nearby railway can take you to Ffestiniog and Morfa Bychan, with the beautiful idyllic Portmeirion only a short distance away.
■ Porthmadog Cob
If you’re from north-west Wales, you probably remember this road as the place where you’d have to pay just 5p to drive on it thanks to a toll booth that was there up until 2003. The road, alongside the Wales Coast Path and the Ffestiniog Railway, crosses Traeth Mawr on an embankment known as Y Cob. The Cob was completed in 1811 after four years of construction. The opening of the Porthmadog bypass road in 2011 relieved the Cob of traffic and summerholiday tailbacks.