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
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
