Following a River Through History

A journey through the landscape and history of the River Dee The Dee: Following a River Through History traces the River Dee from its beginnings in the mountains around Bala through a landscape shaped by centuries of human history. The film links places along the river to memorable people and events, including Owain Glyndŵr, the Ladies of Llangollen, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, King Edgar and the cartographer John Speed of Farndon.

An early seventeenth-century map provides the film’s recurring visual thread, connecting the river’s geography with the stories that unfolded along its course. Richard Nicholson of Chester appears throughout to interpret the map and add historical context, revealing the Dee not simply as a natural feature, but as a route through the political, cultural and industrial history of the Welsh–English borderlands.