I'd always associated the Conwy Valley with metal mines rather than slate, but it seems that some of the earlier slate workings were in this area.

In particular, Clogwyn-y-Fuwch http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine/  and Pen-y-ffridd http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Pen-y-ffridd-Slate-Mine/  are suggested as having chambers which initially had the chamber roofs supported by pillars proper, ie columns of slate rather than walls.

This early technique obviously allowed more slate to be won, but was considerably more dangerous, hence the later ubiquitous use of walls rather than pillars.

Clogwyn-y-fwch in particular is described by Alun John Richards as " possibly the first underground working in Wales" and it is suggested that chambers may still be accessible, with evidence of chambering. Similarly Pen-y-fridd may have some chambering still accessible and again there may be evidence of the roof pillars.

Has anyone been to these two - and, indeed, does anyone want to? 🙂

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I went to Clogwyn-y-Fuwch quite a few years ago, some parts were accessible and I beleive other parts higher than we went at the time maybe accessible too.

Would like to go to Clogwyn-y-Fuwch. I heard that it was started by a man who worked at Walna Scar Quarries in Cumbria, or something like that - thus at Clogwyn-Y-Fuwch there are Matt-Spedding tunnels, (a cumbrian method of slate arching), and underground dressing rather than dressing in mills (also a cumbrian method)

regards

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Vanoord and I went to have a look at Clogwyn y Fuwch on Wednesday night.

No pillars, this must apply to Pen y Ffridd, but about 6 floors with chambers, both underground and daylight.

Album here: http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album/ 

Some pics:

Cut and cover tunnel on the lowest level:

🔗Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-016[linkphoto]Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-016[/linkphoto][/link]

Chains and perhaps the remains of a walkway:

🔗Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-012[linkphoto]Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-012[/linkphoto][/link]

A ladder:

🔗Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-011[linkphoto]Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-011[/linkphoto][/link]

Some large chambers - Vanoord providing scale (for reference Vanoord is 11 feet tall):

🔗Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-006[linkphoto]Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-006[/linkphoto][/link]

Underground dressing area (this on the bottom floor):

🔗Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-015[linkphoto]Clowgyn-y-Fuwch-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-015[/linkphoto][/link]

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Nice pics.

The quarry in Cumbria also operated by those who worked Clogwyn-Y-Fuwch has some similaraties:
🔗Walna-Scar-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-012[linkphoto]Walna-Scar-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-012[/linkphoto][/link]

Inside the open chamber is a riving shed very similar to the ones in SimonRL's pic, unfortunatly they're out of view in this shot. I do have one of the hut inside, which I'll have a look for later...

Here's a cut and cover/matt-spedding tunnel at hodge close 🔗Hodge-Close-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-091[linkphoto]Hodge-Close-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-091[/linkphoto][/link]

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I share your opening interest, Vanoord.
It seems to fit in with the Pwll Fanog thread and the exploitation using water transport.
In an odd way, it also fits in with the Hole on Braichmelyn thread, transport routes prior to 1750.
Proximity to water was important. Obviously! A real incentive to get maximum return (hence pillar replacement), from a resource that was easily transported compared with Dinorwig or Penrhyn, even Nantlle.
Imagine trying to transport 1500, 22"X12" best roofing slates by pony, a recalcitrant, Welsh Mountain one at that!
An interesting visit and pictures, thank you both. :thumbsup:

I can see where LAP is coming from with his Cumbrian connection and a further link is water transport. At Clappersgate, near Ambleside, Cumbria, in the nineteenth century, there was a wharf for the slate industry to ship the Langdale and surrounding district slates down WIndermere and thence to Greenodd and Ulverston.

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The other strange similarity was in the colour of the slate; the only other place I've seen such red slate is in Cumbria. Although I suspect this is a co-incidence - coming down from Cumbria to N Wales to open a quarry just because of the slate colour might be taking things a bit far 😉

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It's a long way from here to the River Conwy!

The technique is certainly Cumbrian and the way the vein is aligned to the land is very similar to the pics LAP has posted.

What's particularly interesting is that the people who worked this mine in the 1820s went on to work in Blaenau Ffestiniog, hence this can be viewed as a cradle for Welsh slate mining in the nineteenth century.

I suppose the obvious question is to wonder why Blaenau never seems to have used underground splitting sheds - certainly in later ages the mechanised and powered mills would have had to be close to the water supply for power and thus almost certainly outside the mine/quarry, but I wonder if there was any splitting etc. carried out underground in Blaenau in the first half of the 19th Century?

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