In the early days of the Deeside Slab Quarry all splitting of slate was done in this natural glade about a mile above the village at 750 ft elevation. There are reports that the tramway connecting the Deeside slab quarry and Nany-y-Pandy works was built "before" 1876, and merely repaired in that year. The tramway crosses the Nant-y-Pandy at this point. Buildings included the blacksmiths shop, and finishing shed (upper pictures), there was also a joiners shop, office and machine shed (This was probably demolished when the wheel was removed in 1923- parts of it were used at Cwm farm). There was never any electricity at this site- all power was from a 30ft overhead water wheel fed by an upstream reservoir. (The only picture I''ve seen of this wheel is in "The Moel Fferna Quarries" compiled by the Glyndyfrdwy Women''s Institute). This axle drove all the machinery in the adjoining workshop, all lighting at the works was by oil lamps. Broken waste slate was dumped downstream of the works beside the Pandy stream. There is an alternative access at this point used by past workers, to follow a path on the east of the stream from where it crosses the A5 (Limited parking), it goes up to a couple of cottages, but beyond that is overgrown as it skirts the waste dumps. Above this point there were long sections of ladder style iron covered plate rail on longitudinal wooden sleepers. Also sections of "bridge rail" on the waste dumps.
This photograph is by Metman and was uploaded March 7th 2017. © Metman please do not copy or distribute without prior express permission.
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