Dinorwic Slate Quarry, Llanberis - North Wales, January 2013

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Landsker

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Location
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Had originally planned to visit with Cunningcorgi but thanks to the snow he couldnt make it and a 4 hour drive for me turned into a 5 hour drive sliding and skidding all over the icy roads. with the met office advising against travelling at least I had the roads to myself.
Anyway once I got to Llanberis the blizzard conditions made me think otherwise so I returned the next day after retreating to the travelodge. Getting up to the quarry and navigating around it was an adventure with waist deep snow drifts and ice everywhere!


History

Dinorwic Slate Quarry is located close to the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in North Wales, it was once the second largest slate quarry in the world after the neighbouring Penrhyn Slate Quarry. Commercial quarry operations at Dinorwig started in 1787 although it didn't start to flourish until the mid 1820s when a horse drawn tramway was constructed to Port Dinorwic. By the late 19th Century the quarry was employing over 3000 men and producing 100,000 tonnes slate products (mostly roofing slate) each year. The quarry continued in production until 1966 when a major slate waste heap collapse into a working area of the quarry halted production, after that slate was only produced sporadically until the quarry finally closed in 1969.

In the 1970s-80s underground parts of the quarry were enlarged and extended to build a 1,800 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric powerstation.

1 The Path up to the quarry, rather deep snow!



2 Incline winding house



3 Compressor House



4 Compressor and Air reciever



5



6 Incline



7 Buildings and Steps which lead up through the Quarry



8



9 The famous coats



10 Blondin winding huts



11 Australia Level Compressor House



12



13 The Mill



14



15 the Mill, showing how high up they are



16 Incline on Australia Level, compressor house is on the left



17 Last stop on the tour, The Barracks

 
This place looks so tranquil, especially in the snow.

I wish there were more reports from rural sites as they always have some brilliant natural decay, and no vandalism...

Thanks so much for the report, it's great!
 
Ahhh Dinorwic! Such a regular report in the forum. So I sort of sighed and opened it expecting to see the usual stuff, stuff we ourselves have posted in the past too.

And what a surprise I got! These photos are absolutely stunning. What a difference the snow makes to it all.

I particularly like the photo of the "plateau" where the hut is with the ladder up the rock face.

Great job, thanks for posting.
 
I hope you do not mind my using this thread to share this with you:

[ame]http://vimeo.com/56719388[/ame]

- Dinorwic is shown as part of this film.

(And the images were on a material designed to wear away very uickly)
 
Not normally my thing but thats impressive stuff...snowy boots FTW!
 
Pictures are so sharp, love em, thanks for posting looked a cracking place, must get my arse up to Wales for a weekend
 
There used to be a stunning little bistro in the village - looked like someone's front room. You deserve a visit after clambering all the way up there.
 
Totally fantastic pics there! Seen this place a couple times, but oh my this just tops the lot! Great work and dedication to climbing up there, amazing.
 

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