Afon Gaseg (photo) · AditNow Community

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Elfyn Edwards
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

17 years ago

.I remember this quarry as 'Chwarel Dr. Hughes'. Can anyone shed light as to who he was?

Photograph:

🔗Afon-Gaseg-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[linkphoto]Afon-Gaseg-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[/linkphoto][/link]

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Wyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

I don't know who Dr Hughes was, but I have always thought of this quarry as "Chwarel Dr Hughes" rather than the other excavation further north. I was told this back in the seventies by local farmers. So my who's right? Gwyn you're local can you shed light on this?

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

I'm very sorry that I missed these messages relating to this picture. I only found the thread after reading the comments on Ceunant.
I have a strong suspicion that this is my mistake, mea culpa.
Please give me time to check this out. :surrender:

davel
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

Don't know if this helps but ...

Wilkinson has a DR HUGHES QUARRY SLATE BETHESDA CAERNARFONSHIRE SH653668

with the following references:
Atlas Sir Gaernarfon: Hanes a Daearyddiaeth E H Owen & E Thomas (1954)
Public Record Office: CRES 2 – 1578
Transactions of the Caernarvonshire Historical Society Vol. 54 pp. 29–62

and two quarries named Afon Gaseg, both with alternative names:

AFON GASEG QUARRY SLATE BETHESDA CAERNARFONSHIRE SH647668
References:
Jones, Gwynfor Pierce – List of Slate Quarries
Notes:
also known as Y GARTH QUARRY

AFON GASEG QUARRY SLATE BETHESDA CAERNARFONSHIRE SH652668
References:
Jones, Gwynfor Pierce – List of Slate Quarries
Notes:
see also (same location) GYRN WIGAU QUARRY, GYRN WIGAU SOUTH QUARRY

So I've probably increased the confusion by now ...

Dave

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

Thanks Dave, you're a star!
I've quadruple checked this:-
both Aditnow (AN) and Richardson list SH643672 as being Chwarel Dr.Hughes/Llidiart y Graianyn. Hendrecoed calls the same NGR, Y Garth.
The picture in question (and associated, album others) is of SH652667 which is listed by both AN and Richardson as being Afon (C)Gaseg.
I'm going to sleep on this!
Oh! There's two quarries on Cefn yr Orsedd!

PS No idea who Dr.Hughes was...but I know someone who might!

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

OK. Chwarel Dr. Hughes is at SH653668 which is the quarry (slate) in the picture. I have checked this out with my "informants" by asking "blind questions". I am certain this is correct. Interestingly none know it as Afon Gaseg and none know who Dr Hughes was. One informant suggested that Dr Hughes may have been behind all these small workings on Y Garth/Gyrn Wigau but this is speculation.
I'm still working on this and I'm getting a strong feeling that there is a cascade effect coming into play. I've been lent some old 6" OS maps which seem to really put "the cat in the pigeon loft"!

carnkie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

There was a Dr Thomas Hughes, who was at Dinorwig from 1875 to 1890, and was a big supporter of using an invention of Lord Lister's, where carbolic acid was sprayed in a mist over a patient's open wound. Despite much opposition to this technique, it was very successful in keeping the wound clean and prevented many quarrymen from dying of septicaemia.

Perhaps they named a quarry after him. :blink:

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

Not as :blink: as you may think, Carnkie! Thank you!
One of my informants used to have all the Penrhyn Quarry Hospital records, which he gave to the archives some years ago. It rang no bells with him, but that doesn't mean to say...!
It seems that Dinorwig "pioneered" anti-sepsis in the way you describe and that Penrhyn, at a later date, did the same with radiography.

carnkie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

If it's any help the info came from this site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/quarry_hospital2.shtml

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#10

Thanks, Carnkie! That's me corrected again!