# rhiwbach slate mine Wales January 2016



## Lavino (Jan 10, 2016)

Visited the slate mine with @the Kwan and @trancentral was another exellent trip with two great lads we never fail to have a good laff on our outings. So much to see and thanks to Kwan for his map reading and navigating us around the many tunnels and levels. So on with the history and photos .....

History

Rhiwbach Slate Quarry, along with Blaen y Cwm, differed from all other quarries in the slate industry in one important aspect. The exit incline from the quarry for the finished product led up and not down. The classic balanced incline, by which the outward loaded slate wagons brought up the empty wagons by gravity, was not possible. The answer for the quarry was to build a substantial engine house to power the incline from the bottom, with the haulage wire passing around a sheave at the top. This engine house also powered the quarry machinery and the underground inclines. The remains of the engine house are a notable feature of the quarry with the tall chimney still an imposing sight.
The quarry was started at the beginning of the 19th century on a site to the South of the later main workings. This area developed into a deep pit working which has now flooded. This part of the quarry was worked out by the 1880's and work transferred to the present site. The pit working here, started in the 1860's, was later developed extensively underground to encompass eight levels. Drainage of the underground workings was through a tunnel which began 350 feet below the surface and emerged onto the side of Cwm Penmachno. The entrance to this drainage tunnel may still be seen today. When the quarry first opened, the slate was taken down on horseback into Cwm Penmachno and eventually to the quay at Trefriw on the Conwy. Later the finished product was taken out in the opposite direction, around the shoulder of Manod Mawr and down to the Afon Dwyryd below Maentwrog.
The Rhiwbach Tramway opened in 1863 and revolutionised the transport arrangements for the quarry. A wharf was opened in Porthmadog and from then on all slate went out along the tramway and down the Ffestiniog Railway. In 1908 the quarry started to use the exchange sidings at Minffordd to transfer their product to the national rail network.
This quarry was one of the most remote in the industry and it was frequently cut off for long periods in bad weather. Because of this, the living quarters almost reached village status. The quite extensive remains of which includes family accommodation, a shop and a school house as well as the barracks for the single men.
Although the quarry occupies a large area, the annual output rarely exceeded 6000 tons and it was closed down several times for quite long periods. Electricity was introduced to the site in 1934 which somewhat relieved the hardships of life at this remote location. The last workers at the quarry still barracked on site and this is believed to be the last quarry where this practice took place. The quarry finally closed in 1951 and all the machinery was removed. Nowadays, although much of the site is ruinous, there is still much to see. The impressive engine house, the entrance to the underground workings - now barred by steel girders, the extensive remains of the "village" area and the flooded pit workings.


Slate mine 2


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## flyboys90 (Jan 10, 2016)

Stunning images Lavino you got some belting ones here.Thanks for sharing.


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## Lavino (Jan 10, 2016)

flyboys90 said:


> Stunning images Lavino you got some belting ones here.Thanks for sharing.



Thank you was a exellent day hopefully be back again soon as we didn't manage get around it all.


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## smiler (Jan 10, 2016)

I enjoyed that Lavino and I agree l with flyboys, you got some stunning image's, it was nice that no-one seems to have robbed the site as often happens, Thanks


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## BikinGlynn (Jan 10, 2016)

Absolute cracking shots, loved it!


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## HughieD (Jan 10, 2016)

Wow! You got deep down in there. Brill stuff...


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## Rubex (Jan 14, 2016)

Wow, that's fantastic I love it  great photos Lavino!


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## Lavino (Jan 14, 2016)

Thanks rubex you should try a mine you'll love it.


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## SlimJim (Jan 14, 2016)

Sweet! Was there much SRT involved or was it a walk in/walk out kind of thing?


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## Mikeymutt (Jan 14, 2016)

Nice set Lavino.I need to get in some of these Welsh mines.it's high on my list for when I go back to Wales again this year.I have been in two chalk mines here in Norfolk and box mine.I do love them though.live the photos with the shimmering blue water


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## H.Darby (Jan 21, 2016)

Sweet pics there man, looks very..erm....wet, lol but some cracking photos, including the big hauling wheel, awesome shots, never done anything in Wales myself,


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## tazong (Jan 21, 2016)

I felt a bit claustrophobic in some of those photos - looks like you defintly need your wellys in there.
cracking pics pal


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## Lavino (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks everyone for the comments there's a video aswell knocking about somewhere I'll see if I can put it up..


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## Lavino (Jan 21, 2016)




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## oldscrote (Jan 22, 2016)

That brought back a few memories of underground explores I used to do.......I'd forgotten how damp the bottomless pits were


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