Iolo's Great Welsh Parks - Season 1

1. Bute Park

Aired: 1/6/2013

Iolo Williams explores four historic estates in Wales in this new series, finding out what special places they are for wildlife. These parks are now open for everyone to enjoy but sometimes the wildlife goes unnoticed. Iolo meets with people who have inside knowledge to share, uses his expertise as a naturalist to track down wildlife and finds elusive night time creatures. In this first episode Iolo is exploring busy Bute Park right in the heart of Cardiff. He has a close encounter with a green woodpecker, finds that it's the best place in Wales to see jays and discovers that it's not only dippers and salmon that can be found along the river Taff when he goes in search of evidence of otters.

2. Dinefwr Park

Aired: 1/13/2013

Iolo Williams explores four historic estates in Wales, finding out what special places they are for wildlife. These parks are now open for everyone to enjoy but sometimes the wildlife goes unnoticed. Iolo meets with people who have inside knowledge to share, uses his expertise as a naturalist to track down wildlife and finds elusive night time creatures. In this second episode, Iolo is exploring ancient Dinefwr Park in the beautiful Carmarthen countryside near Llandeilo. He tracks down rarely seen lesser spotted woodpeckers, uncovers the wealth of wildlife found in Dinefwr's special ancient trees and gets up close to brown long eared bats and badgers.

3. Plas Tan-y-Bwich

Aired: 1/20/2013

Iolo Williams explores four historic estates in Wales, finding out what special places they are for wildlife. These parks are now open for everyone to enjoy but sometimes the wildlife goes unnoticed. Iolo meets with people who have inside knowledge to share, uses his expertise as a naturalist to track down wildlife and finds elusive night time creatures. In this third episode, Iolo is exploring an old slate mining family's estate in the Snowdonia National Park. He gets up close and personal with a grass snake, uncovers a rarely seen mammal in the garden and with help from local experts uncovers the varied wildlife found in the wild woodlands surrounding the house.

4. Stackpole Estate

Iolo Williams explores four historic estates in Wales, finding out what special places they are for wildlife. These parks are now open for everyone to enjoy but sometimes the wildlife goes unnoticed. Iolo meets with people who have inside knowledge to share, uses his expertise as a naturalist to track down wildlife and finds elusive night time creatures. In this final episode, Iolo is exploring the dramatic Stackpole estate in Pembrokeshire. Iolo goes underwater in the Bosherston lily ponds to try and find pike, has a wonderful time spotting otters in the rain and gets a glimpse into the nightlife of the old estate buildings where a large breeding colony of greater horseshoe bats can be found.