Better Slate Than Never

[RIP]

Obviously I’ve already bunged a few snippets up about my North Wales “QuarriesQuest” in the BaM thread but I thought I’d elaborate a little more here, in the very unlikely event that anyone else is remotely interested in photos of rusty bits of metal on damp remote Welsh hill sides. I’m afraid plain old “scenery” rarely does it for me these days, I need a backstory, a bit of history, something to nose around. Can’t say you haven’t been given fair warning, so no complaints after I’ve wasted half an hour of your lives please . For anyone who IS interested, you have my sympathy as a fellow sufferer. I’m not feeling very literary today, but maybe the photos will speak for themselves to anyone happy enough to listen to them .

So I spent a very chilled out train journey aimlessly staring out of the window at the passing scene, supping a couple of ales. I’m the sole person who actually does that on trains these days of course so I get weird looks - everyone else seems to be glued to a screen with headphones on for some unfathomable reason. My pleasant reverie was rudely interrupted when I was chucked out onto Bangor station platform at 9.20pm with a bike and no idea where to kip. I decided to follow the Lon Las Ogwen bike trail on the basis that it would eventually lead me to the nearest quarry at Bethesda, but it turns out there’s not many reasonable Spots in close proximity to it. I scanned the graveyard and industrial estate, both of which were fenced off to deter body snatchers and stuff snatchers, then gave up and headed for the coast.

My "Spot Radar' had automatically activated on the train just after Penmaenmawr and I had vaguely noticed a few copses down by the Menai, so headed in that direction. On the way I passed up a perfectly serviceable bird hide because it had CCTV(!), then set off along the coast path. Amazingly the first tiny copse looked good and was right at the water’s edge, so I set the Gatewood up in double-quick time and spent half an hour watching the sun set over Anglesey listening to the sea birds pecking around on the sand. The only drawback turned out to be I’d rolled out onto a big bed of wild garlic – my sleeping kit reeked of garlic for the rest of the trip!

[RIP]

Up at 05.30am for a first breakfast on the beach, then back to regain the Lon Las Ogwen at Tregarth.

Sadly all the cafes in Bethesda were shut, as indeed were most of the shops apart from Spar so I picked up a few supplies from there as usual, then away over to Penrhyn Quarry. By a stroke of luck I arrived at 08.30 just as their café was opening so I nipped in to a/ partake of a coffee and veg sausage bap, and to b/ have my helmet nicked by some scumbag meaning I rode “baldy” for the next three days. Loads of punters were already arriving to have a go on the monster ziplines – 500ft high and the fastest in the world at 118mph – but I’ll reserve that for another visit as I was more interested in the quarry remains. As Wikipedia will obviously tell you, it was the world’s largest at one time: 1200ft deep, over 1 mile long, 3000 quarrymen. As ever, the owner, Baron Penrhyn, siphoned off most of the proceeds leaving his workers to once resorting to the longest strike in UK history in 1900. The quarry is the last still operating of hundreds, along with a couple in Blaenau Ffestiniog and one in Nantlle.

One of the unusual original “water balance” slate wagon lifts:



Slate sculpture. Zipline starting point on the far hill top, crossing over the whole pit and off to the left of the photo:




Second breakfast…



Suitably refreshed I set off up the hill towards Elidir, pausing to admire the bus-stop-library at Llandegai. I don’t think Monty Python can improve much on my current trip as a meaning of life.





First water top-up from the Dinorwig hydro electric storage lake at Marchlyn. My 500ml probably powered your telly for 10 seconds the previous day .



After ticking off the abortive Marchlyn Quarry – intended as a replacement for Dinorwig in the 1960s - I finally reached the very top level of Dinorwig quarry at 2200’. Luckily I’d picked 2021’s sunny-day-in-Wales and the views across the quarry to Snowdon were stupendous. I was also able to inspect the top-most inclines and the cables and mechanisms used to lower the wagons of slate down to the cutting sheds lower down the quarry.











Sadly most of the quarry equipment had been removed by the scrapman after it closed in 1969 but I’d read about the amazing remnants still left on one of the upper levels called “Australia”. It’s hard to get to from below, up some dodgy inclines, so I’d decided to mount my attack from above. I’d no idea if it was possible but I eventually dumped the bike by the hydro-electric surge pool and slid and slipped 450’ down the grass and tussocks to Australia. Of course this also meant I had to climb 450’ back up afterwards . I hoped it was worth it. It most certainly was.























On a lower level can be found the remains of the “Blondin” hoists. These were cables stretched from one side of the quarry to the other, upon which were mounted cradles to lift slate wagons from the quarry floor far below then haul them across to the sides for dismounting and taking to the cutting sheds. The ladder on the right is one of several that extend hundreds of feet to the quarry floor – rather you than me.







Having indulged in my orgy of slate there then remained the small matter of climbing 450’ back up to retrieve the bike, make my way across the top of the quarry and down the old inclines to Llanberis for a late (3pm) third breakfast at Pete’s Eats, which doesn’t seem quite like the place it used to be.

Suitably fortified it was then off up past Glynrhonwy Quarry, where huge amounts of redundant WW2 ordnance was stored for many years, and up Telegraph Valley to Bwlch Maesgwm, a route very similar to The Gap in the Brecon Beacons. Snowdon an ever-present lump in the background of course.





I’d spotted a bridleway near Waenfawr that seemed to lead to a nice spot for the night, but obviously it was the usual ethereal “Welsh bridleway” and hardly existed on the ground. I should have known of course. Still, I foolishly ploughed on anyway, lacerating my legs to ribbons on the thorns and nettles, eventually popping out near Bontnewydd on the main coast road. I decided to head for the coast under the misguided impression there might be some farm sheds or barns on offer, but nothing presented itself by the time I’d actually reached Caernarfon. Room at the castle for the night perhaps?



I stopped on the nearby sea wall contemplating my fate and got chatting with a lady who took an interest in my bike and gear. Upshot was she owned the farm round the corner, and in the nick of time I found myself with an invitation to kip in one of her, er, luxury outdoor accommodations, known to normal people as “a field”. Then again it did have a superb view of the sun setting over the Menai straits so who was I to turn down a kind offer. I therefore passed a very pleasant hour enjoying the sunset while eating and quaffing. When was the last time anyone had a tin of fruit cocktail?!

It began to drizzle as I set the Gatewood up, and the midges came out in force. Not for the first time I was very glad that I’d brought the S2S Nano-net, as seen deployed here (oh, it's not. Well it would be soon). The Gatewood now sports my mods including 0.5mm lines courtesy of Stu, a mini carabiner on the door lines, a bit of thin wire in the hood to keep it slightly open, and internal lines to hang the midge-net from at variable locations.

[RIP]

Light rain continued throughout the night but the Gatewood did its job admirably, 360 coverage and midge protection all for the price of 390g, less than many bivvy bags. It was still raining at 5am and I enjoyed working through my “getting dressed, fed, and packed up while inside the Gatewood and not touching the wet sides” contortions, but just try it at my age with my creaking bones. I’m sure you all have your own set sequence of events whilst doing this, get one step wrong and you are drenched along with your sleeping gear.

The usual porridge and ovaltine set me up for the morning, and having had to drop down to the coast the previous night, it was time to climb back up to where most of the quarries were. Having read about the Nantlle vale quarries I wanted to particularly visit Pen Yr Orsedd which reputedly has the very last “Blondin” hoist still in position. There were several only a short while ago, all Scheduled Monuments, but all but one had “mysteriously” fallen over at about the same time. It’s a great shame that industrial monuments often aren’t accorded the reverence that “natural” wonders attract. Let’s hope the last of the line was still standing.

Near Waunfawr I picked up the Bryngwyn trail which follows an old slate railway up to the quarries of Moel Tryfan, one of the much less known areas of Snowdonia. Almost nobody was around, and plainly the place has seen better times. Then again there’s an obvious pride in the Welsh nationality hereabouts, with very little condescension to English speakers like Reg! After nosing around the pits of Moel Tryfan, Braich, Alexandra and Fron I found a nice little community café in Y Fron which rustled me up a coffee and a bit of cheesecake.







Back out into the rain – Welsh slate quarries are always best explored in the pouring rain, it lends a bit of extra melancholic atmosphere - to try and find a way over to Pen-Yr-Orsedd which I can see further south. Various dead-ends, barbed wire, disused allotments, and alleyways finally led me to the old back entrance to the quarry. Over the gate we go and…. yes! There was my holy grail….













I have since read a highly amusing story about a chap who went to inspect the Blondins in 1974 (curiously this was one year later than the last time I saw them in 1973) when amazingly they were still just about operating. He had to inspect the winch, tower, hoist carriage and ropes and the only way to view the latter was to travel on the carriage itself 400 yards across the quarry 400’ above the floor. A variety of handsignals misunderstood with the winchman (he was obviously Welsh so probably didn’t speak English handsignals….) made it extra entertaining, as did a huge explosion from below which rocked the carriage at one point since they were still blasting (presumably “accidentally” specially for the Englishman). Sadly he discovered that the woodwork of the system was now made of cheese after 100 years of faithful service and that proved to be the final day of operation.

A very rocky bridleway dropped down into the Nantlle Vale, involving plenty of slips in the rain, and then I had to decide whether to turn right and head for the infamous Dorothea quarry or try and find a route through to the Pennant valley quarries. I decided on the latter course which would hopefully eventually dump me at the seaside for the night. Another long road climb up past Drws-y-coed copper mine, and at the top a film crew were battling to shoot their scene in the rain and wind. I played it very cool, deliberately not asking what the film was, but maybe hoping they had room for a casual bikepacker “extra” part. Sadly they didn’t need one, so no glimpse of Reg in Mission Impossible 12 then.

I was getting pretty peckish by this time so it was time to roll down to Rhyd Ddu and see what was what, a pub or café or something. In fact there were both, but I opted for the café with its interesting Dutch/English fusion menu. I’m not sure they were entirely thrilled to welcome a reeking bikepacker but the Welsh rarebit was superb, as was the Dutch apple cake and ice-cream. A few interesting locals came in and out, and I ended up staying over an hour with a couple of extra coffees and cake. One lady seemed to own most of the farms on Snowdon, with her husband financing various new hydro-electric schemes, running holiday homes, and supporting kids at Uppingham School. Always intriguing to see how the other 0.1% live .



I’d left it rather late to leave, because I’d decided to head past Llyn Y Gader quarry, up through Beddgelert Forest and over the col to the Pennant Valley. As mentioned earlier this turned out to be quite challenging with plenty of scope for wrong turns, falling down old mines, and getting lost in the fog. Having put a DoE group back on the right track I dropped down through the Prince Of Wales quarry into Pennant which is a hidden gem of a valley with hardly anyone around. However the prize was again worth the effort. I dumped the bike in some ferns, and once again hoofed it up a 500’ slope onto a hanging valley above. Here were the remains of the Cipwrth copper mine, too far for the scrapman to bother with, hence an incredible relic has been left behind and now semi-restored by the Welsh Govt. As was frequently the case the mine was a failure but the remains show the extraordinary lengths the adventurers went to to try and find the precious ore. Plenty of glowing mine prospectuses ended up in shareholder acrimony and the courts, including this one. The pumping equipment is almost complete with a 25’ wheel, drive beams and pump rods disappearing into the deep flooded shaft.











Time was getting on so I slowly rode down the Pennant Valley savouring the solitude, but unfortunately not having enough time to divert via Gorseddau quarry making it one of the few I missed, thinking that either Portmadog or Criccieth would provide sustenance and maybe a bed. A look at the map showed a remote church or chapel sat in splendid isolation and that led me in the Criccieth direction where chips and a Cadwaladr’s ice-cream were most welcome. The chapel was a beautiful example of a “friendless church” and I had the choice of the well-stocked graveyard or a cracking lych gate complete with benches and a nice stone floor. I’ve not done a lych gate before so went with that option, the roof providing an ideal place to change and set up out of the rain. The bench provided a perfect breakfast-bar. No apologies for a photo of a BB 22g in full cry – the stove gives me a little giggle of pleasure every time I use it.

[RIP]

Waking up once again at 5am due to the early light, I spent a while on Criccieth beach before enjoying a superb second breakfast, with proper tea cup and everything, at the Tir A Mor café as soon as it opened at 08.30. They’d put a few tables out on the square (“we didn’t ask, but nobody’s said anything”) and it was rather fun sitting under a rain umbrella eating breakfast with the town going about its business around me, although they all probably wondered why my boots kept squelching water all over the pavement. They'd been full since the previous morning and I'd enjoyed the usual delicious pleasure of putting them on again this morning.



Sadly it was time to head back north, using NCN 8 to Caernarfon and Bangor. It’s not the most interesting of cycle trails, but I perked up once I realised that at the half way point were the Nantlle Vale quarries I’d foregone the previous day! Bad luck folks, there’s more . The quarries used to be served by a fascinating railway line linking them all together. It had the very unusual gauge of 3 feet and was horse-worked for its whole life. It was built in 1825 – the same year as the famous Stockton & Darlington railway – and incredibly lasted in the same form until 1963. The most incredible part of all was that horses were used until the day it closed by which time it was actually part of British Railways. Goodness knows whether HQ in London even knew they had a horse-drawn railway. You can imagine the baffled looks upon receiving a claim for expenses…. “oats? horse-shoes? What on earth are they doing up there?”.



As with the quarries in the previous couple of days, one could have spent hours and hours nosing around. I followed the railway track through many pits including Cefn Coed, Talysarn, Cilgwyn, Dorothea, Twll Ballast, Twll Mawr, and Penybryn; all sorts of fascinating structures are hidden in the undergrowth, including Talysarn Hall, a quietly crumbling mansion partly overrun by slate waste tips – many of them looking like standard BBB bivvy spots in different circumstances!





I then remembered it was a good idea to have come back this way because I’d printed a few historical photos and brought them with me to see what has changed. One of them was a picture of the end of the railway where it started to climb an incline into Pen Yr Orsedd quarry only a few yards from where I changed route the previous day. It took rather more than half an hour to find the exact spot, even though it turned out I was more or less standing on it in the first place. For a bit of fun I tried to take a “then and now” photo…. plus a restoration project for someone…







Turning back down the valley, the final port of call would be Dorothea quarry, recent scene of many a diving difficulty sadly. It too has its own unique monument being criminally left to moulder away – a Cornish beam engine, one of the last three ever built, in 1906. It pumped water from over 500’ deep in the quarry until 1951. Apparently grants have even been made available for restoration but work has foundered due to access problems. Everything is still intact although the pump rod has been severed. What a superb addition a restoration would make to Wales’s industrial heritage. Sigh.







Again I’d spent far longer than I intended soaking up the atmosphere, I was still only half way back to Bangor, so it was a quick ride up to Caernarfon, a snap of the castle for form’s sake, then the final leg to Bangor. I have to say that this section of NCN 8 is possibly the nastiest cycle trail I’ve ever been on. It runs next to the main A487 at one point then down into the town. The road was a howling monster, and the route through the town traversed areas that, how can we put it delicately, were not in the peak of urban health. My mood was not enhanced when a tattooed harridan in a BMW pulled straight out in front of me at a roundabout. My fingers-on-brakes and full expectation of this at every roundabout saved me, but of course she thought it was my fault she hadn’t stopped at the give-way lines and jumped out to harangue me. My one Welsh swear word came in handy, but legging it proved the sensible option. And that was Bangor’s fond farewell to me as I went to the station and boarded the 18.05 to Crewe and Milton Keynes.



If you've stuck this out to the bitter end I compliment you. You are now an Official Slate Nerd like me .

Number of nights bivvied: 3
Number of Tunnocks eaten: 4
Number of quarries viewed: 30 (Penrhyn, Marchlyn, Chwarel Fawr, Allt Ddu, Dinorwig, Glynrhonwy Lower/Middle/Upper, Betws Garmon, Alexandra, Moel Tryfan, Braich, Fron, Cilgwyn, Pen Yr Orsedd, Drws Y Coed copper mine, Llyn Y Gader, Prince Of Wales, Gilfach and Cipwrth copper mines, Gloddfar Coed, Talysarn, Cornwall, Gallt Y Fedw, Twll Ballast, Twll Mawr, Pen Y Bryn, Dorothea, South Dorothea)

[Bearlegged]

My one Welsh swear word...

I'm really hoping it was twll tin.
Sounds like an excellent trip though, who'd have thought such an array of obsolete wheels could be so entertaining?

[Verena]

Slightly worryingly, I found that a fascinating read.... , Sunday morning lie in cup of tea in hand...

So I guess you're the easiest person ever for birthday/ Christmas presents? Or are you all overrun by now with slate coasters/ placemats/ decorative signs saying "cwtch/cartref/cariad" etc.?

I am allegedly being "treated" to a screamtastic ride on that quarry zip line for my birthday next year

[Raggedstone]

That was an excellent read for a Sunday morning well done Reg .

A friend came round Friday evening to bring me some plants she does peoples feet and said she had a new client just down the road from me and that he was a Lord . You may be ahead of me here he is Baron Penrhyn so we did some research into the family history and their Slate quarrying and labour relations .Good to see some pictures of the place .

[Bearbonesnorm]

that is all.

[RIP]

Slightly worryingly, I found that a fascinating read.... , Sunday morning lie in cup of tea in hand...

So I guess you're the easiest person ever for birthday/ Christmas presents? Or are you all overrun by now with slate coasters/ placemats/ decorative signs saying "cwtch/cartref/cariad" etc.?

Once nearly bought a slate salad bowl. Wish I had cos they seem to cost a fortune now.

I am allegedly being "treated" to a screamtastic ride on that quarry zip line for my birthday next year

[psling]

Excellent stuff Reg, that's a lot of industrial and social history crammed into a bike ride!!
(might I suggest, 'tis a m1cro adventure to inspire BBBP's latest new member...?)

[GregMay]

Dinorwig is a great place to explore. Used to climb there a lot.

Getting into Australia from below is possible if you're happy to take a circuitous route along some "delicate" paths that climbers and runners use. Worth while exploring into Lost World as well. Amazing spot.

Another "fun" day out is Snakes and Ladders. Though it's a lot less safe than it used to be - for a value of safe where safe > dead.

I do miss living in North Wales.

[MuddyPete]

Reg: you are "The Quarryman" .

[fatbikephil]

[The Cumbrian]

Thanks for that, it was a great read. I've had a look around some obscure Welsh and Cumbrian quarries when it was too dismal to go climbing or get out on the tops. Like you, I hardly ever saw anyone else.

[sean_iow]

I enjoyed that, I'm going to read it again tomorrow so I can see the pictures on a big screen rather than a phone.

[RIP]

That was an excellent read for a Sunday morning well done Reg .

A friend came round Friday evening to bring me some plants she does peoples feet and said she had a new client just down the road from me and that he was a Lord . You may be ahead of me here he is Baron Penrhyn so we did some research into the family history and their Slate quarrying and labour relations .Good to see some pictures of the place .

Oooops, best not show him this thread or next time I'll be stopped at the Gwynedd border and slammed into Penrhyn castle chokey

[RIP]

Excellent stuff Reg, that's a lot of industrial and social history crammed into a bike ride!!
(might I suggest, 'tis a m1cro adventure to inspire BBBP's latest new member...?)

Captain Vimes? Great guy. I'm basically Nobby Nobs .

[RIP]

Dinorwig is a great place to explore. Used to climb there a lot.

Getting into Australia from below is possible if you're happy to take a circuitous route along some "delicate" paths that climbers and runners use. Worth while exploring into Lost World as well. Amazing spot.

Another "fun" day out is Snakes and Ladders. Though it's a lot less safe than it used to be - for a value of safe where safe > dead.

I do miss living in North Wales.

Mmm I saw the 'quarrymens steps' up from below which look reasonably iffy, even more so trying to drag 12kg of bike up them too . I stood on the edge of Lost World and it was quite scary - bad rock fall in there recently apparently - but worse was Mordor from the main through track down below. I take my hat off to anyone climbing in there Greg

[RIP]

too dismal

Perhaps like me you find those are actually the best conditions for nosing around slate quarries. The air of faded grandeur, the glistening rock. I have this internal battle about whether I prefer limestone or slate. Maybe they are both my favourite when in their own natural habitat . Having said that, don't even start me on ironstone. I've got a nine-volume history of iron mining/quarrying in the E Midlands which is just ripe for a bike exploration too .

My boots are still full of water by the way. I've put them outside in the yard because they're upsetting Mrs Perrin

[GregMay]

Long time ago now Reg, when I was younger and stupider. Tend to stick to climbing things that don't fall down these days.

[psling]

Excellent stuff Reg, that's a lot of industrial and social history crammed into a bike ride!!
(might I suggest, 'tis a m1cro adventure to inspire BBBP's latest new member...?)

Captain Vimes? Great guy. I'm basically Nobby Nobs .

Membership here is moving far too fast, the latest as I typed that was none other than Alastair Humphreys

[darbeze]

Thanks Reg,

A marvellous trip which makes for a very interesting and entertaining read.

Si

[boxelder]

Great stuff. Not been there for too long. Last time I bivvied there (for climbing) a tiny beetle thing crawled into my ear - sounds like brawling grizzlies in there when it woke me up. I was panicking assuming it was an earwig Prefer a slug on the face any day.

Housemate of mine did Nikki's Leap once. Head tilted back on splashdown rendered him unconscious Luckily his brother was at water level and got him out. 1:30 here:
https://youtu.be/XfAVDDVI_s8

[The Cumbrian]

Housemate of mine did Nikki's Leap once. Head tilted back on splashdown rendered him unconscious Luckily his brother was at water level and got him out. 1:30 here:
https://youtu.be/XfAVDDVI_s8

A lad I used to climb with did Nikki's Leap too. He wasn't a very confident swimmer so he wore a buoyancy aid, which nearly dislocated his shoulders when he hit the water.

[benp1]