1. The History
Rhiwbach slate quarry, North Wales lies approximately three-and-a-half miles east of Bethania, in the eastern part of Blaenau Ffestiniog, and approximately 2 miles south-east of Cwm Penmachno. This remote site was connected to the Ffestiniog Railway by the Rhiwbach Tramway. Commercial operations began at the quarry circa 1812, and it remained active until its closure in 1952. It was the last Welsh slate quarry where workers lived in barracks on the site. 'Rhiwbach' is Welsh for 'Little Hill'
Owned by Lord Newborough, small scale workings on the site began in the eighteenth century to provide roofing materials for the locals. However, industrial extraction began in 1812. Started by two men, one from Penmachno and the other from Ysbyty Ifan, it soon developed into a five-man partnership. The quarry was then sold on to Robert Owen Mousdale of Bryndyffryn, Llanrwst in 1849. Three years later In 1852, the Rhiw Bach Slate Quarries Company was set up in Manchester, with Charles Edward Cawley as its civil engineer. There were two sets of workings in the quarry: The 'old' workings were located on the North Vein, just to the south on the exit incline, and the 'new' workings on the Back Vein, a little further to the south. In 1853, the Manchester & Ffestiniog Slate & Slab Co Ltd was formed to buy out the quarry for £28,000 (over £2.5m in today’s monies). The quarry was extended underground and was eventually worked on eight floors. It was then incorporated in 1858 as the Ffestiniog Slate Quarry Co Ltd, with a capital issue of £100,000 (the equivalent of £10m today).
In 1860, agreement was reached with the Ffestiniog Railway for the construction of an extension that became known as the Rhiwbach Tramway, financed by the quarry, and built by the Ffestiniog Railway. Completed in 1861, two quarries began using it. At its peak in 1869, output peaked at nearly 8,000 tons of finished slates, although this had reduced to below 4,000 tons within a few years. A steam engine powered the mill, and also powered the incline up to the tramway and other inclines to raise rock from the workings.
The original company was then wound up in 1877 and re-constituted as the Ffestiniog Slate Company Limited. Operations were sporadic until the company was liquidated in 1891, though work continued at the quarry under a Mr H. Humphries, trading as "Rhiw Bach Quarry Owners". The 200-metre Glyn Aber drainage adit was cut in the 1890s to provided natural drainage for the underground workings. By 1896 there were 95 employees, 29 of which worked underground. From 1902, the steam engine also drove an air compressor, which enabled compressed air rock drills to be used.
Humphries continued to work the quarry until 1913, when his company was wound up and the quarry closed. In 1919, Ffestiniog Slate Quarries Company Limited was incorporated in order to work the quarry, and in 1928, the enterprise was sold to Maenofferen quarry. By 1935, the annual output had dropped to 1,000 tons, and steam power was replaced by electricity. Parts of the tramway were re-laid, and they quarry continued to operate up until 1952. After which, the tramway was lifted from Rhiwbach quarry to the junction with the tramway from Cwt y Bugail quarry.
Since then, Rhiwbach Slate Mine has been used for recreational purposes by outdoor pursuits centres (including Go Below) and other commercial ventures for both guided trips and training for Local Cave and Mine Leader candidates. There has also been significant expenditure on fixed aids and other equipment.
Modern map of the mine based on the earlier abandonment plans (courtesy of Gethin Thomas):
2. The Explore
This mine comes up on here from time to time. There’s a really good report by @urbanchemist HERE that alerted me to this place. Access is controlled but can be pre-arranged by BCA insurance holders by contacting Cave Access Limited (CAL) on [email protected]. Alternatively, you can go on an organised trip, as we did, with Go Below. We went as a family, so it was nice for my kids to see what I get up to when I go down caves. We were in a part of about 12 or so. The five-hour trip started with a one or so up-hill hike to the right of Penmachno quarry (which I previously reported on HERE ).
Walking along the path through the wood we came to the bottom drainage adit. There was a lot of water flowing through the adit and our wellies soon got breeched! At the end of the long adit. We then boated over the flooded Level 1 workings. We then looped back on ourselves traversing a zip wire, doing some moderate climbing and an abseil. We then made our way up the main haulage shaft which was a fast-running stream at this time of year, before taking on the waterfall and exiting via the ventilation shaft at the top of the mine. All good fun and the kids really enjoyed it. Then it was time to walk back through the woods and walk down the main track through Penmachno.
3. The Pictures
The tour was quite swift paced, so while I had my SLR and tripod with me, there was no real time to set up. Hence what follows are my opportunistic phone snaps using my torch to light them, bar the overground pictures.
Great views over Penmachno quarry of the way up:
The main incline at Penmachno is a site to behold:
These workings looked interesting too:
We then trek on to the bottom adit and we’re soon in, and it’s wet!
A quick classic trolley shot:
On to a boat and over to the other side, where I found this mining apparatus:
Along the workings we go:
Some of the passages off the track look a bit sketchy:
That’s some drill that did that!
After some abseiling and climbing it’s time to go up the rather we main haulage passage:
And then on to the chambers on what I think was the 5th or 6th level:
Back out again:
And up the haulage route gain:
And on to the waterfall:
And then up again to the 8th floor:
Is that an old metal bedhead?
Before popping out the ventilation shaft at the top of the mine:
The “cathedral” exit:
Sadly, we didn’t have time to look that the former quarry buildings further up. On the way down we passed the former Penmachno quarry dam:
Before winding back down through Penmachno quarry back to our car:
i
Overall, a very fun day. Highly recommended and if organised trips are your thing Go Below are really good. As I mentioned, didn't really get chance to photograph it properly so definitely one to go back to and do at your own pace.
Rhiwbach slate quarry, North Wales lies approximately three-and-a-half miles east of Bethania, in the eastern part of Blaenau Ffestiniog, and approximately 2 miles south-east of Cwm Penmachno. This remote site was connected to the Ffestiniog Railway by the Rhiwbach Tramway. Commercial operations began at the quarry circa 1812, and it remained active until its closure in 1952. It was the last Welsh slate quarry where workers lived in barracks on the site. 'Rhiwbach' is Welsh for 'Little Hill'
Owned by Lord Newborough, small scale workings on the site began in the eighteenth century to provide roofing materials for the locals. However, industrial extraction began in 1812. Started by two men, one from Penmachno and the other from Ysbyty Ifan, it soon developed into a five-man partnership. The quarry was then sold on to Robert Owen Mousdale of Bryndyffryn, Llanrwst in 1849. Three years later In 1852, the Rhiw Bach Slate Quarries Company was set up in Manchester, with Charles Edward Cawley as its civil engineer. There were two sets of workings in the quarry: The 'old' workings were located on the North Vein, just to the south on the exit incline, and the 'new' workings on the Back Vein, a little further to the south. In 1853, the Manchester & Ffestiniog Slate & Slab Co Ltd was formed to buy out the quarry for £28,000 (over £2.5m in today’s monies). The quarry was extended underground and was eventually worked on eight floors. It was then incorporated in 1858 as the Ffestiniog Slate Quarry Co Ltd, with a capital issue of £100,000 (the equivalent of £10m today).
In 1860, agreement was reached with the Ffestiniog Railway for the construction of an extension that became known as the Rhiwbach Tramway, financed by the quarry, and built by the Ffestiniog Railway. Completed in 1861, two quarries began using it. At its peak in 1869, output peaked at nearly 8,000 tons of finished slates, although this had reduced to below 4,000 tons within a few years. A steam engine powered the mill, and also powered the incline up to the tramway and other inclines to raise rock from the workings.
The original company was then wound up in 1877 and re-constituted as the Ffestiniog Slate Company Limited. Operations were sporadic until the company was liquidated in 1891, though work continued at the quarry under a Mr H. Humphries, trading as "Rhiw Bach Quarry Owners". The 200-metre Glyn Aber drainage adit was cut in the 1890s to provided natural drainage for the underground workings. By 1896 there were 95 employees, 29 of which worked underground. From 1902, the steam engine also drove an air compressor, which enabled compressed air rock drills to be used.
Humphries continued to work the quarry until 1913, when his company was wound up and the quarry closed. In 1919, Ffestiniog Slate Quarries Company Limited was incorporated in order to work the quarry, and in 1928, the enterprise was sold to Maenofferen quarry. By 1935, the annual output had dropped to 1,000 tons, and steam power was replaced by electricity. Parts of the tramway were re-laid, and they quarry continued to operate up until 1952. After which, the tramway was lifted from Rhiwbach quarry to the junction with the tramway from Cwt y Bugail quarry.
Since then, Rhiwbach Slate Mine has been used for recreational purposes by outdoor pursuits centres (including Go Below) and other commercial ventures for both guided trips and training for Local Cave and Mine Leader candidates. There has also been significant expenditure on fixed aids and other equipment.
Modern map of the mine based on the earlier abandonment plans (courtesy of Gethin Thomas):
2. The Explore
This mine comes up on here from time to time. There’s a really good report by @urbanchemist HERE that alerted me to this place. Access is controlled but can be pre-arranged by BCA insurance holders by contacting Cave Access Limited (CAL) on [email protected]. Alternatively, you can go on an organised trip, as we did, with Go Below. We went as a family, so it was nice for my kids to see what I get up to when I go down caves. We were in a part of about 12 or so. The five-hour trip started with a one or so up-hill hike to the right of Penmachno quarry (which I previously reported on HERE ).
Walking along the path through the wood we came to the bottom drainage adit. There was a lot of water flowing through the adit and our wellies soon got breeched! At the end of the long adit. We then boated over the flooded Level 1 workings. We then looped back on ourselves traversing a zip wire, doing some moderate climbing and an abseil. We then made our way up the main haulage shaft which was a fast-running stream at this time of year, before taking on the waterfall and exiting via the ventilation shaft at the top of the mine. All good fun and the kids really enjoyed it. Then it was time to walk back through the woods and walk down the main track through Penmachno.
3. The Pictures
The tour was quite swift paced, so while I had my SLR and tripod with me, there was no real time to set up. Hence what follows are my opportunistic phone snaps using my torch to light them, bar the overground pictures.
Great views over Penmachno quarry of the way up:
The main incline at Penmachno is a site to behold:
These workings looked interesting too:
We then trek on to the bottom adit and we’re soon in, and it’s wet!
A quick classic trolley shot:
On to a boat and over to the other side, where I found this mining apparatus:
Along the workings we go:
Some of the passages off the track look a bit sketchy:
That’s some drill that did that!
After some abseiling and climbing it’s time to go up the rather we main haulage passage:
And then on to the chambers on what I think was the 5th or 6th level:
Back out again:
And up the haulage route gain:
And on to the waterfall:
And then up again to the 8th floor:
Is that an old metal bedhead?
Before popping out the ventilation shaft at the top of the mine:
The “cathedral” exit:
Sadly, we didn’t have time to look that the former quarry buildings further up. On the way down we passed the former Penmachno quarry dam:
Before winding back down through Penmachno quarry back to our car:
Overall, a very fun day. Highly recommended and if organised trips are your thing Go Below are really good. As I mentioned, didn't really get chance to photograph it properly so definitely one to go back to and do at your own pace.
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