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Hello. Manabeer Castle is a remote and beautiful Norman ruin on the Pembrokeshire coast in South Wales. The earliest surviving description of the building was written in 1191 by historian who declares it, the most delightful spot in the whole country.

Although he then admits that he may be biased since he was born there. The writer's name was Gerald and Wales and the description of his birthplace appears in one of his most famous books, The Journey Through Wales.

Gerald's a priest and scholar who worked at the Court of the English King and wrote propagandist and then gauging accounts of his travels in Ireland and Wales.

He was the first foreigner to describe Ireland and his vivid sometimes grotesque and controversial despictions of animals, legends and historical events as well as and he was also the first known, he also wrote the first known description of a Welsh male voice choir.

These making one of the most important writers of the Middle Ages. Manabeer's works are still in print today, more than 800 years after they were written.

The community discussed Gerald and Wales are Henrietta Leiser, Emeritus Fellow of St Peter's College University of Oxford. Michelle Brown, Professor Emeritor and Medieval Manuscript Studies at the School of Advanced Study, University of London and Hugh Price, Professor of World History at Banger University.

Henrietta Leiser, we don't know Gerald's exact birth date but he was born about 1146. Can you give us some idea of the historical background at that time?

He's born, it's actually the period of the so-called Anakin England when Matilda and Stephen are fighting for the throne, which gives the Welsh a bit of a break because the children and Stephen are much too busy fighting in England.

But, of course, by the time he's, well, in adolescence, there's been a dramatic change. The throne of England is now occupied by Henry II, who is an Angeline who brings with him vast continental possessions both in his own right and via his wife.

And so the scene changes very considerably. Well, Wales again becomes an object of interest. And it must also be said that Henry II's court becomes a very glittering place to be whether a lot of academics or quasi-academics, politicians, theologians or jostling for a place.

So there are lots of bitter rivalries and it's both an intriguing and interesting place to be and also a very unpleasant place. Hell is, well, the court is like hell as somebody, more to map, I think it is, says.

The 1066-1146, there isn't such a gap, is there, was there still a great overhang from the brutal norm and invasion, the biggest, one of the biggest land grabs we've ever seen, takeover of official language, takeover of institutions, takeover of all the primary posts? Was that still vibrant and a sore?

Well, it's still a sore and of course, Wales is in a particular case goes to begin with. The idea is that the law will be sort of March a Lord who will keep the Welsh in check.

But of course, this doesn't quite work out because the March a Lord and the Selves then think, oh, actually will go and conquer a bit of Wales.

And then they get, as you might say, over might its subjects and the king wants to intervene and make Wales his own.

And Henry, the first has a very aggressive policy towards Wales and even introduces Flemish settlers to try and sort of dilute the native population so that he will come forward a hold.

I'm sorry?

You mean genetically?

Yes, really.

So that adds to the sort of mix. And of course, also, I don't think you can really talk about Wales any more than England as one country.

I mean, Wales is also divided itself among a number of warring princes.

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