ICLOK
  • ICLOK
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie Topic Starter
15 years ago
Hi all, I keep hearing about all these wonderful slate quarries and mines but what would be best rated ones in terms of industrial archaeology... perhaps based on underground and surface remains seperately.

Dinorwig I know but that apart.. what would be the recommended sites and what order would you rate them in... also which site has most to offer from a photography point intact machinery/drumhouse rems etc...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!
RJV
  • RJV
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
15 years ago
Away from Wales, the Old Man workings at Coniston have a heck of a lot to see on the surface.

Boilers, winches, ropeway remains and so on. Very photogenic if the weather works for you. Which it didn't for me unfortunately.
Tamarmole
15 years ago
Personnal favorites:

Hafod Las above Bettws Y Coed is fascinating - good surface remains (although detioriorated in last few years).

Maen Offeren is a classic. The 19th century boring machine drives are incredible.

Cwt y Bugail, Blaen Y Cwm and Rhiwbach, linked by the Rhiwbach Tramway.

Also worth a look is the Gorseddau tramway which has the most incredible slate mill.

Dorothea, Pen Yr Orsedd and the Nantlle Tramway
Vanoord
15 years ago
We still owe you an underground trip, Mr. ICLOK ;)

On the surface, Dinorwig is particularly special - I have something like 200 photographs queued to be tweaked, but "more interesting" things keep getting in the way...
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
JohnnearCfon
15 years ago
My personal favourite is Maen Offeren, and has been for many years.

I used to think a nice days walk was to park the car somewhere convenient in the middle of Blaenau. Then walk roughly south along the High Street until you get to Manod. Then climb the 3 Graig ddu inclines. Then go cross country (following the old telegraph poles until they go down a steep hillside) then you follw a path into Manod Quarry.

Follow the Rhiwbach Tramway looking at Rhiwbach, Bleanycwm and Cwtybugail. Descend down Rhiwbach No3 incline to Maen Offeren. Then descend through Votty back down to Blaenau again.
hymac580c
15 years ago
I really enjoy visiting all of the slate quarries, underground and on the surface especially on a fine day.
But if I were to chose one favourate place to be it would be the 'caban' at Dinorwig, Llanberis.
I like to have a sandwich and a mug of tea there and then to just imagine what it would be like there at 'amser panad' (tea break) on say a Monday morning. Their conversation, perhaps discussing their weekend or 'Saturday night' etc. And just general conversation.

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
blondin
15 years ago
I second that!I know Dinorwig is probably overlooked due to the amount of people who have visited the place,but for me it still has a very special atmosphere there.Many times I walked from the museum car park,up the C inclines,then up the foxes path to Garret,Australia,Braich and Lernion galleries.If nothing else you get a sense of the difficult conditions people worked in(and how much of a job it was just getting to work).There is a strange sense of quiet in this vast derelict place,what a different place it must have been when working.Nice to see and hear the train going up Snowdon in the distance!
It is also surprising how the weather can change these sorts of landscapes for the purposes of photography.
blondin
15 years ago
:oops: `A inclines`lead from the museum to the main parts of Dinorwig!

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