Dinorwic Quarry
Encyclopedia
The Dinorwic Slate Quarry is a large former slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
and Dinorwig
Dinorwig
Dinorwig is a small village located high above Llyn Padarn, near Llanberis, in Wales.It is thought that it was part of the territory of the Ordovices tribe, and that 'Dinorwig' means "Fort of the Ordovices".The village has a long history of slate quarrying...
in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world, after the neighbouring Penrhyn Quarry
Penrhyn Quarry
The Penrhyn Slate Quarry is a slate quarry located near Bethesda in north Wales. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the world's largest slate quarry; the main pit is nearly long and deep, and it was worked by nearly 3,000 quarrymen. It has since been superseded in size by slate quarries...
.. 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
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
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 FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, taxes and transportation costs limited the development of the quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
. 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.
Railways to Port Dinorwic
The original connection between the quarry and the company's port at Y FelinheliY Felinheli
Y Felinheli is a village lying beside the Menai Strait between Bangor and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The population is about 2,200.-Etymology:...
was the Dinorwic Railway
Dinorwic Railway
The Dinorwic Railway was an early narrow gauge industrial railway connecting the slate quarry at Dinorwic in Caernarvonshire with the coastal port at Y Felinheli.- History :...
, a gauge line built in 1824. This was worked by horses and it soon became apparent that it was inadequate for the traffic generated by the quarry. A number of surveys of alternative routes were undertaken by members of the Spooner family
The Spooners of Porthmadog
The Spooners of Porthmadog refers to the Spooner family of Porthmadog, North Wales who made important contributions to the development of narrow gauge railways both locally and throughout the world. James Spooner, together with his sons James Swinton and Charles Easton and other members of their...
, the result of which was the construction of a new railway which opened in 1848: the gauge Padarn Railway
Padarn Railway
The Padarn Railway was a narrow gauge railway line in Wales, built to the unusual gauge of . It was built to carry slate from the Dinorwic Quarry to Port Dinorwic. It opened in 1842, replacing the previous Dinorwic Railway. The Padarn Railway closed in 1961 .An unusual feature of the railway were...
which operated as the quarry's main transport link until closure in 1961.
Internal tramways
The first use of railways at the quarry came around 1800 when the first internal tramways were in use. These first lines were worked using horse- and hand- power. For the next seventy years the tramway system grew until it reached the point where more powerful traction was required. The first steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s used were small vertical boilered locos supplied by De Winton
De Winton
De Winton & Co were engineers in Caernarfon, Wales. They built vertical boilered narrow gauge locomotives for use in Welsh slate mines and other industrial settings. At least six De Winton locomotives have been preserved...
's of Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
. In 1870 the first locomotive supplied by the Hunslet Engine Company
Hunslet Engine Company
The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
arrived at the quarry, and the majority of the locomotives that worked at Dinorwic were eventually supplied by Hunslet.
Between 1935 and 1949 the Quarry acquired 22 light internal combustion rail tractors for use on the levels. Half of these were new, the other half second-hand. Their survival rate did not match those of the steam locomotives, and when the quarry closed in 1969 only 3 still survived.
Although a nominal "2 foot gauge", the actual gauge between the rails at Dinorwic was 1 ft 10¾in (577mm) in common with its neighbour Penrhyn, but fractionally narrower than the public lines of the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
or North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway which were 1 ft 11½in (600mm).
Steam locomotives used in the Quarry
Early steam locomotives used by the Quarry, and built by de Winton & Co :| Orig. name / number | Later name | Builder | Year of acquisition | Year of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington | - | de Winton | c1870 | 1898 |
| Harriet | - | de Winton | 1874 | pre 1895 |
| Peris | - | de Winton | 1875 | pre 1895 |
| Victoria | - | de Winton | 1876 | pre 1895 |
| Padarn | - | de Winton | c1898 | ? |
From 1870 the Quarry acquired most of its locomotives new from the Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. These were purpose built, and after 1886 these fell into one of 3 classes, as shown below, depending on their intended use in the quarry.
However, prior to the designation of the classes, the Quarry also used a number of other "unclassified" locomotives :
| Orig. name / number | Later name | Builder | Year of acquisition | Year of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinorwic | Charlie | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1870 | by 1919 |
| George | Minstrel Park | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1877 | by 1919 |
| Louisa | - | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1877 | by 1989 |
| Sybil | - | W.G.Bagnall Ltd. | 1906 | ? |
| No.70 | - | A.Barclay & Sons Co. Ltd. | 1931 | 1962 |
| Elidir | - | Avonside Engine Co. Ltd. | 1933 | 1966 |
Steam locomotives in the "Alice" class were small, and designed for light work on the quarry levels :
| Orig. name / number | Later name | Builder | Year of acquisition | Year of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velinheli | - | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1886 | ? |
| Alice | King of the Scarlets | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1889 | 1965 |
| Enid | Red Damsel | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1889 | 1969 |
| No.1 | Rough Pup | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1891 | 1968 |
| No.2 | Cloister | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1892 | 1962 |
| The First | Bernstein | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1892 | 1967 |
| The Second | Covercoat | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1898 | 1964 |
| Wellington | George B. | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1898 | 1965 |
| No.3 | Holy War Holy War (locomotive) Holy War is a preserved narrow gauge steam locomotive built in 1902, currently based at the Bala Lake Railway in North Wales. It was the last steam locomotive to operate in a Welsh slate quarry.- Construction :... |
Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1902 | 1968 |
| No.4 | Alice Alice (locomotive) Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis, in North Wales. Built in 1902, as Works No. 780, the locomotive was originally called ‘No. 4’. There was an earlier Alice which was built in 1889 Alice, a Hunslet , used to work in the Dinorwic slate quarries at Llanberis,... |
Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1902 | 1972 |
| No.5 | Maid Marian Maid Marian (locomotive) Maid Marian is a preserved narrow-gauge steam locomotive built in 1903, currently based at on the Bala Lake Railway in North Wales.- Construction :... (briefly Covertcoat) |
Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1903 | 1966 |
| No.6 | Irish Mail | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1903 | 1969 |
| No.7 | Wild Aster | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1904 | 1969 |
The larger "Port" Class steam locomotives were designed primarily to work at Port Dinorwic (though "Michael" never did) :
| Orig. name / number | Later name | Builder | Year of acquisition | Tear of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1 | Lady Joan > No.1 | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1922 | 1967 |
| No.2 | Dolbadarn | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1922 | 1969 |
| Michael | - | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1932 | 1965 |
The steam locomotives in the "Tram" or "Mills" Class worked on marshalling duties on the Padarn - Peris Tram Line, which linked the quarry mills to the Padarn Railway
Padarn Railway
The Padarn Railway was a narrow gauge railway line in Wales, built to the unusual gauge of . It was built to carry slate from the Dinorwic Quarry to Port Dinorwic. It opened in 1842, replacing the previous Dinorwic Railway. The Padarn Railway closed in 1961 .An unusual feature of the railway were...
(for transportation to Port Dinorwic) :
| Orig. name / number | Later name | Builder | Year of acquisition | Year of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaenol | Jerry M | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1895 | 1967 |
| Port Dinorwic | Cackler | Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. | 1898 | 1966 |
Slate removal
The slate vein at Dinorwic is nearly vertical and lies at or near the surface of the mountain, allowing it to be worked in a series of stepped galleries .Closure
The quarry closed in July 1969, the result of industry decline and difficult slate removal . During the 1950s and 1960s extraction had become difficult, because after 170 years of extraction many of the unsystematically dumped tips were beginning to slide into some of the major pit workings, and after an enormous fall in the Garret area of the quarry in 1966, production had ceased almost permanently. It was however decided that some final work could be done by clearing some of the waste from the Garret fall. This involved making an access road for more modern quarry vehicles across some of the terraces, to the rock fall. This amount of slate won by this method was small and all production stopped by 1969.At the Receiver's instruction a public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
was arranged, intended to pay off some of the quarry's debts. The auctions were held on 12 and 13 December 1969. The auctioneer's national advertisement (in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
29 November 1969), the event was described as "An auction sale of machine tools and stocks, four Hunslet locos, and engine and boat fittings". The locomotives referred to, lots 613 - 616, were "Dolbadarn", Red Damsel", "Wild Aster" and "Irish Mail".
Before the bidding started, it was announced that Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
County Council had placed a Preservation Order on the Gilfach Ddu workshops, and many items within it.
Marchlyn quarry
The nearby Marchlyn quarry was opened in the 1930s to provide access to the main slate vein higher up the mountain.After closure
Llanberis Lake Railway
The Llanberis Lake Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs for along the northern shore of Llyn Padarn in north Wales in the Snowdonia National Park. The starting point is the town of Llanberis at the eastern end of the lake , with the western terminus at Pen Llyn in the Padarn...
over part of the trackbed of the Padarn Railway.
The quarry has been partly reused as part of the Dinorwig power station
Dinorwig power station
The Dinorwig Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, near Dinorwig, Llanberis in Snowdonia national park in Gwynedd, north Wales...
, a pumped storage hydroelectric
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric power generation used by some power plants for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. Low-cost off-peak electric power is used to run the pumps...
scheme.
Many of the little Hunslet locomotives built to work in the quarry and at the port have been preserved on several of Britain's narrow gauge heritage railways. More recently, new build versions of the class have been built by the Exmoor Steam Railway
Exmoor Steam Railway
The Exmoor Steam Railway is a narrow gauge steam railway and locomotive manufacturer, located at Bratton Fleming in North Devon.-12¼ in gauge:The railway was built by the Stirland family and first opened as a tourist attraction in August 1990...
, and by a new Hunslet company at the Statfold Barn Railway
Statfold Barn Railway
The Statfold Barn Railway is a mixed gauge railway of , and gauges, near Tamworth, Staffordshire. It is privately owned by Mr Graham Lee, chairman of LH Group Services Ltd – which in 2005 bought what remained of the Hunslet Engine Company....
.
Part of the film Willow
Willow (film)
Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and produced/co-written by George Lucas. Warwick Davis stars in the film, as well as Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Patricia Hayes...
was shot in the disused Dinorwic Quarry, in June 1987 on some of the lower terraces next to the Pumped storage scheme. Scenes from Street Fighter were filmed on the south side of "Watford Gap" near the Matilda hole. As of July 2009 the Harriet hole is the site for one of the sets of the new film Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
.
The quarries are now also used as an adventure rock climbing venue. The Blue Peris Mountain Centre, operated by Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council, conducts various outdoor activities at the quarries.
External links
- AditNow - Photographic database of Dinorwic Slate Quarry
- Penmorfa - Brief history of Dinorwic
- Clash of the Titans Filming Locations
- Blue Peris Mountain Centre