1. The History
Only small amounts of history on the Clogwyn-y-fuwch slate quarry. Located on the north side of Mynydd Deulyn above the Afon Crafnant near Conwy, in North Wales, the slate workings are predominantly underground and may have begun as far back as the 1700s.
It was operated by William Turner when he came to Wales from the north of England in 1812, before he moved on to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The quarry is a series of large openings up the hillside that used a “cut-and-cover” entrance. The site is unusual in that there are workings on six levels going into a near-vertical scarp, some 400 feet on very steeply sloping ground. Sledges were originally used to transport the slate out of the mine but latterly an incline was constructed to bring the material down to road.
Detail of an old O/S map of the area showing the 6 adits/entrances:
The quarry continued to be worked well into the twentieth century with output averaging about 200-300 tons per annum. Beyond that, there is little history on the web.
2. The Explore
Previously visited on a limited period and predicably ran out of time, so only saw the lower chamber accessed via Level 1. It was only after revisiting @urbanchemist and his excellent report HERE that I realised just how much I’d not seen and decided a revisit was required. So when I found myself staying just a 25-minute drive away, off I set early one morning.
Having parked up, I started to make my way up the footpath. After a moderate climb I reached the base of the incline. I decided to go all the way up to the top then make my way down. The climb was a bit of a challenge given the steepness of the incline and the loose rock. The first entrance, number 6, just takes you into the top of the chamber. The views are breath-taking, but then I retraced my steps and went into Level 5 via a short tunnel. This went into the mid-level of the chamber further than its predecessor, but didn’t go too, so again had to return. Level 4 was the one that allowed you to walk much further as it led onto the floor of the top chamber along the back wall, with some spectacular views back up and out.
After coming back out and moving further down the escarpment, I reached the initially wet Level 3. This was far more mine-like and the adit wended its way into the mountain before it reached the extraction area. Just to the left, before the workings start, there is a rock-cut chute than comes down from Level 4. There weren’t many mining remains but here there was an old wooden ladder with anchoring chain. Having spent most time in this adit, I returned and continued to scramble down the incline. I checked out entrance 2, but this seems to have been the subject of a pretty significant collapse and hence is blocked. Then, further down, we come to the mill building and the cut-and-cover tunnel that leads to entrance 1 into the bottom chamber. After I walked back down the footpath to my car.
3. The Pictures
At the start, at the bottom:
Cute little fireplace:
Surely more than halfway now!
Did I really scramble up all of that?
View over to the top entrance:
In we go via entrance 6. The remains of a small stone hut:
Looking down to the bottom of the chamber:
And looking back out:
Time to turn around and drop down to Level 5. A couple of views from Level 5 down to Level 4. The first one looking back to entrance 5:
And the second down to a small
End of the track, time to turn around:
On to Level 4 and the floor of the top chamber:
The back wall is incredibly beautiful in Level 4:
As is the overall vista:
Onwards we go to Level 3…
And down to adit no.3. Bit of water in here initially:
Love the slant of tunnel in adit 3:
This is deffo the best level:
Little aperture here:
This is the inclined tunnel/chute that comes down from Level 4:
Only small amounts of history on the Clogwyn-y-fuwch slate quarry. Located on the north side of Mynydd Deulyn above the Afon Crafnant near Conwy, in North Wales, the slate workings are predominantly underground and may have begun as far back as the 1700s.
It was operated by William Turner when he came to Wales from the north of England in 1812, before he moved on to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The quarry is a series of large openings up the hillside that used a “cut-and-cover” entrance. The site is unusual in that there are workings on six levels going into a near-vertical scarp, some 400 feet on very steeply sloping ground. Sledges were originally used to transport the slate out of the mine but latterly an incline was constructed to bring the material down to road.
Detail of an old O/S map of the area showing the 6 adits/entrances:
The quarry continued to be worked well into the twentieth century with output averaging about 200-300 tons per annum. Beyond that, there is little history on the web.
2. The Explore
Previously visited on a limited period and predicably ran out of time, so only saw the lower chamber accessed via Level 1. It was only after revisiting @urbanchemist and his excellent report HERE that I realised just how much I’d not seen and decided a revisit was required. So when I found myself staying just a 25-minute drive away, off I set early one morning.
Having parked up, I started to make my way up the footpath. After a moderate climb I reached the base of the incline. I decided to go all the way up to the top then make my way down. The climb was a bit of a challenge given the steepness of the incline and the loose rock. The first entrance, number 6, just takes you into the top of the chamber. The views are breath-taking, but then I retraced my steps and went into Level 5 via a short tunnel. This went into the mid-level of the chamber further than its predecessor, but didn’t go too, so again had to return. Level 4 was the one that allowed you to walk much further as it led onto the floor of the top chamber along the back wall, with some spectacular views back up and out.
After coming back out and moving further down the escarpment, I reached the initially wet Level 3. This was far more mine-like and the adit wended its way into the mountain before it reached the extraction area. Just to the left, before the workings start, there is a rock-cut chute than comes down from Level 4. There weren’t many mining remains but here there was an old wooden ladder with anchoring chain. Having spent most time in this adit, I returned and continued to scramble down the incline. I checked out entrance 2, but this seems to have been the subject of a pretty significant collapse and hence is blocked. Then, further down, we come to the mill building and the cut-and-cover tunnel that leads to entrance 1 into the bottom chamber. After I walked back down the footpath to my car.
3. The Pictures
At the start, at the bottom:
Cute little fireplace:
Surely more than halfway now!
Did I really scramble up all of that?
View over to the top entrance:
In we go via entrance 6. The remains of a small stone hut:
Looking down to the bottom of the chamber:
And looking back out:
Time to turn around and drop down to Level 5. A couple of views from Level 5 down to Level 4. The first one looking back to entrance 5:
And the second down to a small
End of the track, time to turn around:
On to Level 4 and the floor of the top chamber:
The back wall is incredibly beautiful in Level 4:
As is the overall vista:
Onwards we go to Level 3…
And down to adit no.3. Bit of water in here initially:
Love the slant of tunnel in adit 3:
This is deffo the best level:
Little aperture here:
This is the inclined tunnel/chute that comes down from Level 4:
