# Dinorwic Quarry Australia Level - Llanberis - July 2011 -



## georgie (Jul 26, 2011)

history from wikipedia

The Dinorwic Slate Quarry is a large former slate quarry, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in north Wales. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world, after the neighbouring Penrhyn Quarry. It covered more than 700 acres (2.8 km2) consisting of two main quarry sections with 20 galleries in each and a number of ancillary workings. Extensive internal tramway systems connected the quarries using inclines to transport slate between galleries.

History

The first commercial attempts at slate mining took place in 1787, when a private partnership obtained a lease from the landowner, Assheton Smith. Although this met with moderate success, the outbreak of war with France, taxes and transportation costs limited the development of the quarry. A new business partnership led by Assheton Smith himself was formed on the expiry of the lease in 1809 and the business boomed after the construction of a horse-drawn tramway to Port Dinorwic in 1824. At its peak in the late 19th century, "when it was producing an annual outcome of 100,000 tonnes", Dinorwic employed over 3,000 men and was the second largest opencast slate producer in the country. Although by 1930 its working employment had dropped to 2,000, it kept a steady production until 1969.






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as many people who have been here know that there is a public footpath or trail you can walk up and along the top of vivian quarry to dinorwic, however if you go off the beaten track at dinorwic after the quarrymans barracks you get to see things that people wouldnt normally see up here ......the good stuff.....and australia level.*

*ive been here a few times now but only managed australia level once, so this is my second visit up here, and its not an easy level to get to i decided to park in the slate museum carpark and do the vivian trail until i got to dinorwic barracks then take it from there, that itself is a killer and believe me if your not fit youll struggle to get up and over vivian quarry.*
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however on arrival at the base of vivian i found out that the trail was closed due to some collapse and i couldnt be arsed walking all the way to another footpath so i just carried on up the vivian trail....didnt really notice any collapse*





*anyway after going up and over vivian quarry and through the wooded area this is the first thing of interest you get to see although still on public footpath and still not urbex yet its always nice to see.
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*the quarrymans barracks*




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welcome to dinorwic quarry*




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along the way you can look down on dinorwic powerstation*





*after leaving that part this is where the real exploring begins. the first place i alway visit is the old tunnels (you can hear dinorwic powerstation buzzing undernaeth you once inside)*









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next up is the quarrymans restroom, then last time i was here there was more than 2 coats hanging on the wall and lots of letters people had wrote and left in there also the sign someone made for the restroom seems to have gone.*




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apparently the once leather jackets left hanging on the walls were half eaten by goats leaving just the top half of the coat where the goat couldnt reach them.*

*this is what it is now*




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and just over 12 months ago*




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the boots and that still remain*





*outside a blondin still attatched to the cable*










*next up is a series of ladders (you dont have to climb them there is an old destroyed quarry mans footpath you can climb up but its good fun if you climb em)*




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this is from the top ladder there actually quite secure to the slate face*





*taking you up to australia level and the first stop the compressor room, from what i can gather work was mainly done by hand ie drilling/sawing the compressors were installed later on to provide air for the drills used for drilling into the slate to get it ready for blasting.*





















incline for the slate wagons










*next up the saw mill used for cutting up the slate*










*i think this was some sort of slate processing room*










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lastly the train tracks of death...i think the remains of the village tramway going off what the map says.the ground has neither gave way underneath or it was blasted its just left suspended in mid air with a huge drop below it, rusted and probably not very safe to walk across nowadays *















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explored with slaphead (although he didnt make it all the way to australia level tut tut)
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heres a vid of the tracks getting walked across
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f0rdy6BByE[/nomedia]

and a short vid on the quarry
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPpWq_Q-1dE[/nomedia]​


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## bilbo (Jul 26, 2011)

Fantastic pictures, what a view you must have had from up there. Looks like you had a great time.

After watching the video link, I'm not sure I'd want to try walking across the tracks myself


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## tommo (Jul 26, 2011)

great to see the different side of this with really good pics and fair play for doing some crazy stuff


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## Andymacg (Jul 27, 2011)

fantastic pictures there, and looks like you had nice weather for it as well

thats one place on my places to visit list, hopefully when i'm on holiday in september ill find time to do it.


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## chizyramone (Jul 27, 2011)

Cracking report and one hell of a mental video!!!


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## crickleymal (Jul 27, 2011)

Great report. I don't think I'd have trusted one of those ladders though.


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## TeeJF (Jul 27, 2011)

Awesome stuff!!!


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## oldscrote (Jul 27, 2011)

Wonderful stuff on a glorious day.Wouldn't have fancied working up there in the depths of winter tho' they must have been hard men indeed.Thanks for sharing.


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## kathyms (Jul 27, 2011)

*mine*

your pic are brilliant, those houses are fasinating. Can i ask what may seem a strange question, why is it called Australian level.


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## Foxylady (Jul 27, 2011)

Really good to see Australia Level again...great photos Georgie, but the heights were just a wee bit too toe-curling for me!


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## burtonbrewery (Jul 27, 2011)

are there still any steam locos up there, id love to go up there i went on the walks not long ago but the mountain rescue were out so didnt venture.


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## georgie (Jul 27, 2011)

oldscrote said:


> Wonderful stuff on a glorious day.Wouldn't have fancied working up there in the depths of winter tho' they must have been hard men indeed.Thanks for sharing.



id love to do it in the winter


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## georgie (Jul 27, 2011)

kathyms said:


> your pic are brilliant, those houses are fasinating. Can i ask what may seem a strange question, why is it called Australian level.



cheers there are houses dotted all over the place up there 

id also love to know why its called australia level but but i cant seem to find out aswell


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## georgie (Jul 27, 2011)

Foxylady said:


> Really good to see Australia Level again...great photos Georgie, but the heights were just a wee bit too toe-curling for me!



cheers it was certainley good to see this place again


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## georgie (Jul 27, 2011)

burtonbrewery said:


> are there still any steam locos up there, id love to go up there i went on the walks not long ago but the mountain rescue were out so didnt venture.



didnt see any locos up there bud...id deffo go bk if i was you its a cracker


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## kathyms (Jul 28, 2011)

*australia*



georgie said:


> cheers there are houses dotted all over the place up there
> 
> id also love to know why its called australia level but but i cant seem to find out aswell



thank you for that, i thought it was me being thick lol.


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