Many quite substantial
buildings were erected on piles of waste rock. As the
waste rock has settled
over the years this is the inevitable result. Many
irreplaceable structures
have been lost in this way.
The very high rainfall
in parts of North Wales means that all exposed metalwork is likely to rust
away eventually. In the view above there was formerly a tank fed
from a pipe. The pipe remains but the tank is now little more than
a pile of rust.
The
Cwm Llan incline
Two views of the Cwm Llan incline. This incline and a well engineered tramway were built to connect the South Snowdon slate quarry to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway. Unfortunately the NWNGR was never built and slate continued to be carried by horse and cart from the bottom of the incline to Porthmadog.
Still
standing on a disused weigh bridge, this is the end
of
the line for a rubbish wagon.
This lonely rowan tree
graces the ruins of Cwm Eigiau quarry which closed in the 1870's.
It has thrived by rooting
itself just a few inches away from the grasp of the omnipresent sheep.
This quarry was the starting
point of a tramway to Dolgarrog which also served Cedryn
Quarry.
Arthog
quarry
Looking across the Mawddach
estuary at the remains of Arthog quarry.
Now
that's what you call a slate roof!
This splendid roof adorns
a bungalow in the small town of Penygroes.
The simple beauty of a
dry stone retaining wall made out of slate offcuts.
Some of the wild goats
of Dinorwic quarry. In the interests of "conservation" 38 of these
magnificent creatures were killed over the weekend of 11th and 12th November
2006 by a marksman employed by Gwynedd County Council.