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  1. #1
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    Default A North Wales Slate Mine, Gwynned, March 2012

    Visited with -Walsh-

    HISTORY

    The first slate quarrying here was from open pits before 1840. Quarrying for slate slabs continued underground with several headings but there was never a high extraction rate despite a standard gauge connection.

    The quarry eventually closed but was reopened and re-equipped in 1872 and for a short period a workforce of over 100 produced an annual extraction of 100 tons per annum. A new larger mill with 40 machines was built on the valley floor. By 1894 the workforce had been reduced to 20 with 550 tons of slate being produced.

    Production continued to decline until the quarry closed in 1925, by this time there were only 3 saws and 2 planers. Tramways throughout the quarry were an unusual gauge of 2ft 4 1/4in; today much of the tramway still remains in place both on the surface and underground.

    On the opposite side of the pit is the adit into the underground workings with random headings and chambers; all workings below adit level are now flooded. It is possible to climb out through an air shaft of one of the chambers. Some plant still remains in place including several winches, climbing chains and a boiler.

    THE VISIT

    A long walk up a mountain by the old incline on a lovely morning. On reaching the top, we discover a path up through the adjacent forest ! Ho hum. While the day was great outside, inside was very misty which made taking photographs difficult to say the least due to the vast size of the place and the lights picking up every bit of mist !

    1. The fully lined and slate 'bricked' drainage adit through which you must go to access the main adit.


    2. View in the main adit. A truck for transporting slate waste stands half submerged in the trapped water.


    3. A pile of deads stacked off the first chamber.


    4. A winch still in place in one of the chambers.


    5. Climbing chain to upper adit.


    6. Winch pulley waiting to be used again some day.


    7. An interesting design on the chamber ceiling made by a boring machine.


    8. Entrances to two chambers.


    9. Climbing chain to the upper level. Distance from camera to light at the top (and lenght of chain), approx 90 feet.


    10. Wooden crane submerged in chamber lake.


    11. Sections of soot lined ceramic pipes that took the boiler's smoke to the surface through an adjoining chamber, breaking out to daylight further up the hillside.


    12. A short climb up to an upper balcony.


    13. Heading out and light beckons.


    14. The last leg, out through the drainage adit.


    Thanks for looking and any comments / advice, much appreciated.
    Last edited by cunningcorgi; 24-03-2012 at 01:43 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: A North Wales Slate Mine, Gwynned, March 2012

    Fab stuff!
    Would be nice to see more of that submerged crane though?

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to fenrir For This Useful Post:

    cunningcorgi (31-03-2012)

  4. #3
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    Default Re: A North Wales Slate Mine, Gwynned, March 2012

    Quote Originally Posted by fenrir View Post
    Fab stuff!
    Would be nice to see more of that submerged crane though?
    Aye, would have been very nice but we visited on a great day outside but dismal inside. The mist was coming out the adit when we went in and because it is very wet in there and the chambers are huge, it proved nigh on impossible to light the place as the mist got worse.

    -Walsh- has a shot of the whole chamber here - http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthr...664#post200664

    Will go back someday and hope its not so bad photography wise !

  5. #4
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    Default Re: A North Wales Slate Mine, Gwynned, March 2012

    I think you have captured it well

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    cunningcorgi (31-03-2012)

  7. #5
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    Default Re: A North Wales Slate Mine, Gwynned, March 2012

    Wow, this is fantastic and your photos are superb!
    My blog page is Here

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    cunningcorgi (31-03-2012)

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