Lewis and jh denton, sb, a4 94pp, 2018 edition this was a much sought after and rare publication, peter burgess facilitated this new production in a4 format with an easier to read typeface and clearer pictures the book gives a detailed description of the slate quarry mine its working methods and features throughout. Morgan is listed as one of the participants of the industrial archaeology group, still continuing at plas tanybwlch, which did the site work for lewis and dentons rhosydd slate quarry book. The neighboring east twll suffered a massive collapse in. Walk around the edge of deep open workings at the rhosydd. In 1974, the list of available literature covering mining history of any kind was not particularly long. Rhosydd slate quarry by mjt lewis and jh denton, isbn 0 9522979 0 6. Rhosydd slate quarry lies on the north side of the moelwyn range, 2 miles west of blaenau ffestiniog. It was overshadowed by the much bigger rhosydd quarry a little further to the west. Report rhosydd quarry surface remains 201620172018. Once home to many working class families who gathered there in the boom years of the 19th century slate rush, joining a farming community that had lived there for centuries before. In their book on rhosydd quarry, lewis and denton describe the dwellings in detail as follows. Nov 26, 2014 walk around the edge of the the west twll a deep open quarry, the early workings of rhosydd slate quarry that was started in the 1840s. I hope that any visitors to this site will be sufficiently interested to study the subject further and i would recommend this book. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide.
Rhosydd slate quarry lies in a mountain pass between the croesor and cwmorthin valleys. Im going to try and go into a bit more detail than usual on the photographs, all information is from rhoysdd slate quarry by m. The quarry owners liked the wooden wagons because they were kinder to the slate, absorbing a lot of the shocks. I have never heard of this person before but i will enquire. The book was effectively the published results of a couple of weeklong field courses in practical industrial archaeology, run by the department of adult education of the university of hull in 1971 and 1972, the. However, keys are freely available to borrow by suitably experienced and equipped persons. Moel yr hydd is also at the heart of an important slate quarrying area. May 24, 2003 rhosydd quarry gcg7bf was created by besss friends on 5242003.
Cwmorthin slate quarry is available to all who wish to explore it. Gcg7bf rhosydd quarry traditional cache in north wales. It also has links to the slate mining history that is so ingrained in the history of the oakeley. Wrysgan is the easiest of these to include in an ascent of moel yr hydd, with its incline through a tunnel being an obvious feature seen from the cafe at llyn tanygrisiau. Rhosydd means moors and is a medium sized quarry lying very high up and remote. Cwmorthin slate quarry is a large and spectacular disused slate mine of victorian age that provides potentially years of exciting exploration opportunity at all levels from simple walkaround trips to complex and committing srt routes. Moelwyn slate mine nant gefailymeiars nantlle tramway on stravaiging pant mawr slate quarry peat huts pen y gaer plas bryncir pont scethin prehistoric sites prince of wales 1 prince of wales 2 ratgoed ratgoed part 2 remains of back in the day rhos quarry rhosydd rhosydd and cwmorthin. Lewis and denton, in their vade mecum rhosydd slate quarry 1974, cottage press hint that it may have been built to utilise water flowing out of floor 9 adit, some 60 feet higher up the hill. A rather small slate mine nestled in between cwmorthin and rhosydd. A history of the fullers earth mining industry around bath. Rhosydd a ffestiniog slate quarry transport from and to the quarry in the earliest days of quarrying at rhosydd the route used to transport the slate to market was via a well constructed packhorse track from the west twll around the east shoulder of moelwyn mawr and over the high pass between moelwyn mawr and moelwyn bach. Although the 59 incline has collapsed since the book was published, making the trip from the west twll to the 9 adit slightly more exciting. Cwmorthin quarry is a slate quarry west of the village of tanygrisiau, north wales.
We were pretty cautious and refrained from whooping in the chambers, despite the tempting acoustics. Smallscale working of the site began in the 1830s, but was hampered by the remote location, and the lack of a transport system to carry the slates to markets. Its a regular size geocache, with difficulty of 3, terrain of 3. It is enjoyed by a large contingent of recreational explorers but also sees use as a training and. Conglog quarry was a small enterprise situated to the northwest of tanygrisiau, near blaenau ffestiniog in wales. Rhosydd quarry was a slate quarry northeast of porthmadog in north wales.
The rhosydd slate company was formed in 1853, and became a limited company in 1856. Clockwise from the north are, conclog, cwmorthin, wrysgan, moelwyn, croesor and rhosydd quarries. In 1860 it was connected to the ffestiniog railway. Rhosydd slate quarry by mjt lewis and jh denton, isbn 0 9522979 0 6 contains full surveys of rhosydd. Rhosydd is located 4 miles from blaenau ffestiniog and 8 from porthmadog in north west wales. Rhosydd slate quarry a classic book republished darkness. In 1900 it was acquired by the nearby oakeley quarry and the two were connected underground. Rhosydd slate quarry a classic book republished a new print run of rhosydd slate quarry, by m. Bryn eglwys 1979 remains of the welsh slate industry. Plas cwmorthin was built around 1860 with four rooms on each floor. The quarry prospered for a while, but then profitability declined, and in 1900, a large section of the underground workings collapsed.
Today the workings are not in particularly good condition due to numerous falls of ground over the years. Rhosydd slate quarry west and east may 2014 croydon. Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. At the foot of the steep track down the head of cwmorthin the rhosydd slate co built a row of six cottages, rhosydd terrace. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone. The book is an excellent resource of the history and remains of the quarry from the beggining until it was written in 1993. The two main entrances are both locked to discourage unequipped passersby from entering the workings. The great mines of rhosydd and cwmorthin, the smaller but no less important workings of wrysgan and conglog. This was the house for the manager of rhosydd quarry and is hidden amongst the trees to your right. Much has been written on the state mines of the cwm. Report rhosydd slate quarry new years day 2018 mines.
Huge piles of slate spoil are seen at the abandoned rhosydd slate quarry. Dec 07, 2017 moelwyn slate mine nant gefailymeiars nantlle tramway on stravaiging pant mawr slate quarry peat huts pen y gaer plas bryncir pont scethin prehistoric sites prince of wales 1 prince of wales 2 ratgoed ratgoed part 2 remains of back in the day rhos quarry rhosydd rhosydd and cwmorthin. However, they required a lot of maintenance and in 1857 the decision was made that future construction would only be of iron. Cwmorthin and rhosydd quarry from tanygrisiau snowdonia. Slate was found on this site in the 1830s by two men from croesor who then applied to the landowner for permission to quarry there, this led to confusion of who actually owned the site as there was no clear border on land which was no more than boggy moorland. Jul 18, 2009 beyond that more ruins can be found including plas cwmorthin. The ground floor was probably the stable, with a leanto at the back and an upper floor, approached by an outside entrance, which may have been a hay loft. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Rhosydd is on the smaller side even though it has some 170 chambers. Aug 12, 2017 the quarry was auctioned in 1874, and the new rhosydd slate quarry company ltd was formed. Should you wish to learn more about the welsh slate industry, i have two other websites to view.
Exploring these slate mines is a relatively serious undertaking. A partial translation into polish is now available here, thanks to valeria aleksandrova. Gc12v moel yr hydd south snowdonia traditional cache in. It was active from 1854 to 1910, and was operated by an individual, two partnerships and four separate companies over this period. It overlooks llyn lake cwmorthin, which itself is some 1050 feet above the sea. Inside the wheel pit, the date 1887 appears, although this doesnt really mean much. Peter burgess facilitated this new production in a4 format with an easier to read typeface and clearer pictures the book gives a detailed description of the slate quarry mine its working methods and features throughout. The first slate from it came over the fr in 1854 and quarrying ceased in 1930.
Jun 21, 2015 5 at bwlch y rhosydd, youll see the remains of the rhosydd quarry, though care needs to be taken here in mist that you can find the track back down. Struggled with the photos as the whole mine was full of mist. The date was almost certainly 186566 when considerable quantities of building materials for domestic use were imported via. It was a full study of the rhosydd underground and im pleased to be able to make it.
The slate industry of north and mid wales and rhiwbach quarry and its tramway. Walk around the edge of the the west twll a deep open quarry, the early workings of rhosydd slate quarry that was started in the 1840s. Rhosydd slate quarries began in 1840 and employed 200 men at its peak in the 1880s when over 6,000 tons of saleable slate a year was produced. Rhosydd slate quarry, originally published in 1974, set a new standard for detailed observation of the slate quarries of north wales. View topic rhosydd slate quarry mine exploration chat. In 1864 it was circuitously connected to the fr at porthmadog via its own spectacular incline a 671 vertical fall over a horizontal distance of 1250, engineered by charles easton spooner and the croesor tramway. The scenery is nothing short of beautiful and the abandoned quarry ruins and houses are hauntingly striking. Near the track is the rhosydd stable and further down lies rhosydd terrace.