History
Abercwmeiddaw Slate Quarry is located on the immediate north side of Upper Corris, on the hillside above the village. It opened in 1876 and comprised both open and underground workings. By 1882, 188 men were producing 4173 tons. The quarry produced hard slate slabs that were transported from the quarry via a tramway to the Corris Railway. At first material was lowered by incline to the mill, but as work developed material was brought out on the level by a locomotive worked tramway. When extraction deepened into a pit problems of uphaulage, rubbish disposal and pumping were solved by boring a tunnel from the pit bottom to a point below the mill.
The remains are extensive. The constricted nature of the site required high retaining walls to contain tipping. Other features include machine-bored tunnels, the original tramroad formation, some small buildings (now in re-use), mill wheel pit, parts of the incline plane system, and some fine large-scale drystone walling.
The quarry closed in 1905 though some small-scale working has taken place since.
Explore
I had wanted to visit this quarry for a while, the Machine boreholes made the site of large interest to me since it isn't the kind of thing you normally see in former quarries. The quarry itself also had some sort of small adit/Tunnel (since a branch lead out into a river) that while was not the most impressive, was still interesting with obvious wire cutting and the former trambed location. I certainly recommend a stop here if in the Corris area.
borehole just visible at the top right of the slate spill.
a closer look.
Was far more Drain than mine!
now heading towards the adit.
standing inside the small lake at the quarry, was an extremely peaceful place!
some old ruins by the quarry, could be an old mill?
So this was my first of three mines of the day, and probably my least impressive photography wise (wish i got some better shots in the adit!) but will be posting tne next mine (Ratgoed) pretty soon.
Abercwmeiddaw Slate Quarry is located on the immediate north side of Upper Corris, on the hillside above the village. It opened in 1876 and comprised both open and underground workings. By 1882, 188 men were producing 4173 tons. The quarry produced hard slate slabs that were transported from the quarry via a tramway to the Corris Railway. At first material was lowered by incline to the mill, but as work developed material was brought out on the level by a locomotive worked tramway. When extraction deepened into a pit problems of uphaulage, rubbish disposal and pumping were solved by boring a tunnel from the pit bottom to a point below the mill.
The remains are extensive. The constricted nature of the site required high retaining walls to contain tipping. Other features include machine-bored tunnels, the original tramroad formation, some small buildings (now in re-use), mill wheel pit, parts of the incline plane system, and some fine large-scale drystone walling.
The quarry closed in 1905 though some small-scale working has taken place since.
Explore
I had wanted to visit this quarry for a while, the Machine boreholes made the site of large interest to me since it isn't the kind of thing you normally see in former quarries. The quarry itself also had some sort of small adit/Tunnel (since a branch lead out into a river) that while was not the most impressive, was still interesting with obvious wire cutting and the former trambed location. I certainly recommend a stop here if in the Corris area.
borehole just visible at the top right of the slate spill.
a closer look.
Was far more Drain than mine!
now heading towards the adit.
standing inside the small lake at the quarry, was an extremely peaceful place!
some old ruins by the quarry, could be an old mill?
So this was my first of three mines of the day, and probably my least impressive photography wise (wish i got some better shots in the adit!) but will be posting tne next mine (Ratgoed) pretty soon.
