This is a disused quarry next to the tramway running from Rhiwbach round to Maenofferen.
Although only a small place, on nothing like the scale of the better known workings in this area, it hasn’t featured on here before.
The pictures are from two visits, in July 2019 and Aug 2020.
Background from https://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/40531/details/blaen-y-cwm-quarry
The quarry…”comprised three distinct workings, both pit and underground, the earliest dating from the 1820s. Much developed during the 1870s when the mill was built (possibly water powered with steam back-up), and the powered connection to the Rhiwbach Tramroad made. The quarry is unusual in lying below its exit railway. The underground workings lower down the site to the east appear not to have been successful.
Prior to the use of the tramroad via Blaenau Ffestiniog, material was carried via Cwm Machno to Trefriw. The quarry closed in about 1914.
Remains are extensive. Main surviving features (1991) include the mill, engine house and coal store, mill waste chutes, and several buildings including a barracks of four separate units each of two rooms. There is a also a lavatory block built over a large pit - the wheel pit of an earlier mill - and a small reservoir dug behind the Rhiwbach Tramroad formation.”
First a map showing the tramway (red), the processing mill with incline up to the tramway, and three pits.
View of the mill and associated ruins from near the top of the incline, with the Rhiwbach waste tips in the background.
Another view of the mill from the bank of the water reservoir, with the waste tips of the next quarry along (Cwt-y-Bugail) visible at the top of the picture.
The reservoir, now a bog, and what may have been the culvert where the water came out of the front wall.
The water was probably channeled down to the waterwheel by a wooden launder supported on stone pillars.
Outside wall of the wheel pit, with steps going up.
Front views of the mill, showing the wheel pit on the left in the first one.
Waste slate was tipped down chutes into wagons running on rails at the bottom of the trench.
Remains of the boiler from a steam engine which at one time hauled slate up the incline to the tramway - the water supply was apparently never sufficient for quarries in this area.
Turning to the workings, the oldest is pit 1 (‘Fridd’) which used to have a tunnel leading under the tramway to the mill.
The entrance is still there but the deep mud and coils of rusty barbed wire didn’t look too inviting so I gave this one a miss.
The other end of this tunnel now seems to be blocked.
Pit 2 (‘Gatty’s’) also had a tunnel under the tramway, but it’s blocked by a collapse not far in.
Pit 3, which was originally an underground working, is the largest, with a tunnel which emerges not far from the mill.
The incline coming down on the right (‘Watson’s incline’) was for transporting slate from pit 1 down through this tunnel to the mill.
Looking for entrances to underground workings, I checked out an adit on the other side of the tramway near where the incline from the mill joins, but it seemed to be trial one which only went in about 30 yards.
After a bit more wandering around I came across a partially flooded old level which did extend some distance underground to a large chamber.
Looking back towards the entrance.
Part of the huge space, which was filled with fine mist making photos difficult - the object in the background is someone’s lilo.
There are two tunnels off this chamber - one goes past a partial fall to a longish passage.
At one stage this had tracks but eventually just stops and seems to be another failed trial.
The other one leads to a smaller chamber with the remains of equipment for hauling around blocks of stone.
The submerged pulleys are actually near the adit entrance.
This little quarry is just one of many such old workings in the slate areas of Wales.
If you’re in the area and don’t fancy a mammoth underground trek round around one of the big ones, Cwt-y-Bugail next door is probably better value.
Although only a small place, on nothing like the scale of the better known workings in this area, it hasn’t featured on here before.
The pictures are from two visits, in July 2019 and Aug 2020.
Background from https://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/40531/details/blaen-y-cwm-quarry
The quarry…”comprised three distinct workings, both pit and underground, the earliest dating from the 1820s. Much developed during the 1870s when the mill was built (possibly water powered with steam back-up), and the powered connection to the Rhiwbach Tramroad made. The quarry is unusual in lying below its exit railway. The underground workings lower down the site to the east appear not to have been successful.
Prior to the use of the tramroad via Blaenau Ffestiniog, material was carried via Cwm Machno to Trefriw. The quarry closed in about 1914.
Remains are extensive. Main surviving features (1991) include the mill, engine house and coal store, mill waste chutes, and several buildings including a barracks of four separate units each of two rooms. There is a also a lavatory block built over a large pit - the wheel pit of an earlier mill - and a small reservoir dug behind the Rhiwbach Tramroad formation.”
First a map showing the tramway (red), the processing mill with incline up to the tramway, and three pits.
View of the mill and associated ruins from near the top of the incline, with the Rhiwbach waste tips in the background.
Another view of the mill from the bank of the water reservoir, with the waste tips of the next quarry along (Cwt-y-Bugail) visible at the top of the picture.
The reservoir, now a bog, and what may have been the culvert where the water came out of the front wall.
The water was probably channeled down to the waterwheel by a wooden launder supported on stone pillars.
Outside wall of the wheel pit, with steps going up.
Front views of the mill, showing the wheel pit on the left in the first one.
Waste slate was tipped down chutes into wagons running on rails at the bottom of the trench.
Remains of the boiler from a steam engine which at one time hauled slate up the incline to the tramway - the water supply was apparently never sufficient for quarries in this area.
Turning to the workings, the oldest is pit 1 (‘Fridd’) which used to have a tunnel leading under the tramway to the mill.
The entrance is still there but the deep mud and coils of rusty barbed wire didn’t look too inviting so I gave this one a miss.
The other end of this tunnel now seems to be blocked.
Pit 2 (‘Gatty’s’) also had a tunnel under the tramway, but it’s blocked by a collapse not far in.
Pit 3, which was originally an underground working, is the largest, with a tunnel which emerges not far from the mill.
The incline coming down on the right (‘Watson’s incline’) was for transporting slate from pit 1 down through this tunnel to the mill.
Looking for entrances to underground workings, I checked out an adit on the other side of the tramway near where the incline from the mill joins, but it seemed to be trial one which only went in about 30 yards.
After a bit more wandering around I came across a partially flooded old level which did extend some distance underground to a large chamber.
Looking back towards the entrance.
Part of the huge space, which was filled with fine mist making photos difficult - the object in the background is someone’s lilo.
There are two tunnels off this chamber - one goes past a partial fall to a longish passage.
At one stage this had tracks but eventually just stops and seems to be another failed trial.
The other one leads to a smaller chamber with the remains of equipment for hauling around blocks of stone.
The submerged pulleys are actually near the adit entrance.
This little quarry is just one of many such old workings in the slate areas of Wales.
If you’re in the area and don’t fancy a mammoth underground trek round around one of the big ones, Cwt-y-Bugail next door is probably better value.
