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Broad Vein
The Broad Vein Mudstone Formation (commonly known as the Broad Vein, historically known as the Red Vein and in Welsh as Y Faen Goch) is an Ordovician lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) in Mid Wales. The rock of the formation is silty mudstone, intensely bioturbated in places. It varies in colour from a pale to a medium blue. This formation has been commercially quarried as slate in several locations along its length. The formation is between and thick and runs from Dinas Mawddwy south-west to Cardigan Bay at Tywyn. Outcrops The formation is exposed in a number of locations in Mid Wales where glacial valleys cut across it. It is especially visible in the quarries along its length. Commercial quarrying The Broad Vein is one of the two major slate veins in Mid Wales that were commercially quarried. Broad Vein rock is generally dense, with few natural joints, so most of the commercial use was for slab and products such as mantlepieces, cisterns and (later) elect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abercwmeiddaw Quarry
The Abercwmeiddaw quarry was a slate quarry that operated between the 1840s and 1938. It was located at Corris Uchaf about north of Machynlleth, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The quarry was connected to the Corris Railway via the Upper Corris Tramway which carried its products to the Cambrian Railways at Machynlleth for distribution. History Quarrying at Abercwmeiddaw probably started in the 1840s. Certainly it was a large enterprise when it was recorded employing 80 workers in 1849. In 1869, a lease was granted for the property and there is an 1871 report by John Imray on the quarry which describes a well-developed concern, although it was not then connected to the Upper Corris Tramway. In 1876, the Abercwmeiddaw Slate Quarry Company was formed, with William Bright as the manager, and acquired the lease to the quarry. By March 1877, all the equipment for the new quarry was installed and a large number of men were being hired to work there. The company quickly established th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay ( cy, Bae Ceredigion) is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales. Geography Cardigan Bay has numerous beaches, and marine life. Much of the coast surrounding the bay is fertile farmland, dotted with towns and seaside resorts such as Fishguard Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two p ..., New Quay, Aberaeron, Llanon, Aberystwyth, Borth, Aberdyfi, Tywyn, Barmouth, Porthmadog, Criccieth and Pwllheli on the Cambrian Coast. Smaller coastal villages include Cwmtydu, Nanternis and Llangrannog. Major rivers flowing into the bay include the Afon Glaslyn, Glaslyn, River Mawddach, Mawddach, River Dysynni, Dysynni, Ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hendre-Ddu Tramway
The Hendre-Ddu Tramway was a narrow gauge industrial railway built in 1874 in Mid-Wales to connect the Hendre-Ddu slate quarry to Aberangell station on the Mawddwy Railway. It consisted of a main line long and several branch lines and spurs serving other quarries, local farms and the timber industry. History Construction The Hendreddu slate quarry opened in August 1868, on the north slope of Mynydd Hendre-ddu. The Hendre Ddu Slate and Slab Co. was established by Sir Edmund Buckley. The Company specialised in slate slabs for billiard table beds. Buckley opened the standard gauge Mawddwy Railway in 1867, connecting the Cambrian Railways mainline at Cemmaes Road to Dinas Mawddwy, passing through the village of Aberangell. Buckley's original intention was to build a standard gauge branch from Aberangell to Hendre Ddu Quarry, but access to the required land immediately to the west of Aberangell was blocked by landowner James Walton. To avoid Walton's land, the branch had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maes-y-gamfa Quarry
The Hendre-Ddu Tramway was a narrow gauge industrial railway built in 1874 in Mid-Wales to connect the Hendre-Ddu slate quarry to Aberangell station on the Mawddwy Railway. It consisted of a main line long and several branch lines and spurs serving other quarries, local farms and the timber industry. History Construction The Hendreddu slate quarry opened in August 1868, on the north slope of Mynydd Hendre-ddu. The Hendre Ddu Slate and Slab Co. was established by Sir Edmund Buckley. The Company specialised in slate slabs for billiard table beds. Buckley opened the standard gauge Mawddwy Railway in 1867, connecting the Cambrian Railways mainline at Cemmaes Road to Dinas Mawddwy, passing through the village of Aberangell. Buckley's original intention was to build a standard gauge branch from Aberangell to Hendre Ddu Quarry, but access to the required land immediately to the west of Aberangell was blocked by landowner James Walton. To avoid Walton's land, the branch had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratgoed Tramway
The Ratgoed Tramway (originally known as the Ty Cam branch) was a gauge horse-worked tramway that connected the remote Ratgoed Quarry with the Corris Railway at Aberllefenni. It was long. History Opening Ratgoed Quarry was first opened before 1844. After a period of closure in the second half of the 1840s, it re-opened in 1851. In 1859, the Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad (later renamed the Corris Railway) opened between the village of Aberllefenni and the wharf at Derwenlas. This provided a cost-effective transport link for the slate quarries along the Dulas valley, but its northern terminus was at Aberllefenni more than a mile south of Ratgoed Quarry. The 1858 Act of Parliament that authorised the Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad included the Ty Cam branch which ran from Aberllefenni to Ratgoed. This branch was built in 1864, four years after the Tramroad had arrived at Aberllefenni. The branch was later commonly known as the Ratgoed Tramway and altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratgoed Quarry
Ratgoed quarry (also known as Alltgoed quarry) was the northernmost of the slate quarries served by the Corris Railway. It is one mile north of Aberllefenni in Gwynedd, Mid Wales, on the western side of Mynydd Llwydiarth. The quarry primarily worked the Narrow Vein, though it also produced some Broad Vein slates. Original workings The original workings at Alltgoed Quarry date back to before 1844 when a quarter share of the quarry was put up for sale after the bankruptcy of William Hughes. In the second half of 1840s the quarry was closed. It re-opened in 1851. The quarry expanded in the 1850s and was being run by John Rowlands under the auspices of the Alltgoed Consols, a partnership that also owned the nearby Gaewern and Braich Goch quarries. During the early 1860s shareholder discontent lead to the dismissal of Rowlands, with the quarry now being run by the original owner Horatio Nelson Hughes. Rowlands continued to live at Ratgoed Hall after his dismissal, and was also the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corris Railway
The Corris Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd Corris) is a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire (now Gwynedd) and Montgomeryshire (now Powys) in Mid-Wales. The line opened in 1859 as a horse tramway, running originally from quays on the River Dyfi at Morben and Derwenlas, skirting the town of Machynlleth and then following the Dulas Valley north to Corris and on to Aberllefenni. Branches served the slate quarries at Corris Uchaf, Aberllefenni, the isolated quarries around Ratgoed and quarries along the length of the Dulas Valley. The railway closed in 1948, but a preservation society was formed in 1966, initially opening a museum; a short section of line between Corris and Maespoeth was re-opened to passengers in 2002. The railway now operates as a tourist attraction. A new steam locomotive was built for the railway, which was delivered in 2005. The two surviving locomotives, plus some of the original rolling stock, are preserved on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberllefenni Quarry
Aberllefenni quarry is the collective name of three slate quarries, Foel Grochan, Hen Gloddfa (also known as Hen Chwarel) and Ceunant Ddu, located in Cwm Hengae, just to the west of Aberllefenni, Gwynedd, North Wales. It was the longest continually operated slate mine in the world until its closure in 2003. Foel Grochan is the quarry on the north side of the valley, facing Ceunant Ddu and Hen Gloddfa on the south; all three were worked as a single concern throughout their history. Rock was mainly extracted underground, though all three quarries had open pits as well. History Aberllefenni quarry may have started operating as early as the 14th century. The earliest confirmed date is 1500 when the local house Plas Aberllefenni was roofed in slates from the mine. In the seventeenth century the Lloyd family owned the quarry, and it passed to the Campbell family in 1725. In 1806, John Davies gained control which passed to the executor of his estate, Pryce Jones, in 1824. It was Davi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cwm Hengae
Cwm Hengae is a valley that runs roughly north-west from the village of Aberllefenni in Wales. The Afon Llefenni river runs along the valley and several slate quarries occupy the valley sides. The Roman road Sarn Helen ran along the valley, connecting Aberllefenni with Dolgellau. Hengae House At the point where the Nant Bychan joins the Afon Llefenni, about a third of the way from Aberllefenni to the head of the valley is Hengae House. This was the home of the Anwyl family during the 19th century. Slate quarrying The major industry in Cwm Hengae was slate quarrying. Near the eastern end of the valley lie the three quarries that make up the Aberllefenni Quarry. On the south side of the valley are the Hen Gloddfa and Ceunant Du quarries, while on the north is Foel Grochan, named after the mountain it mined. These may have started working as early as the 14th century; the earliest confirmed date of operating is 1500 when the local house Plas Aberllefenni was roofed in slates fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cambergi Quarry
Cambergi quarry (also known as Wenallt quarry) was a slate quarry in Cwm Hengae, west of Aberllefenni in North Wales. It operated between 1873 and about 1895. History The Cambergi Slate Company Limited was formed in 1873 to work the quarry, with a 10,000 £20 shares offered to the public. It took them company two years to construct the mill, the incline and start the quarry. They proposed that a branch of the Corris Railway was built along Cwm Hengae to the Cambergi mill, but construction of this did not begin. Instead the output of the mill was carted to the Corris Railway, either to the tramway at the Aberllefenni quarry, or all the way to Aberllefenni station. The substantial construction costs bankrupted the original company, who only operated the quarry for a few months in 1875. The lease was taken over by the Griffiths family. Griffith Williams Griffiths who had been working a small quarry at the top of Cwm Hengae for nearly a decade, took over Cambergi. However, the sla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Upper Corris Tramway
The Upper Corris Tramway was a gauge horse-worked tramway that connected the slate quarries around the villages of Corris and Corris Uchaf with the Corris Railway at Maespoeth Junction. It was just over long. History Opening The tramway was originally called the Ty'n y Berth Tramway as it was intended to connect to an incline down from the Ty'n y Berth Quarry to the north of Corris Uchaf. This quarry closed before the tramway was built, so the line was terminated in the village and never reached the quarry it was named for. From the early days of operation, it was called the Upper Corris Tramway, after the English name for Corris Uchaf. The tramway opened in 1859, at the same time as the main Corris Railway. Before the First World War In 1909, part of the tramway was re-sleepered. This was the first track maintenance on the tramway for more than 25 years. Closure Slate traffic along the tramway fell steeply between 1924 and 1926. In 1926, the Corris Railway raised it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd Talyllyn) is a narrow gauge preserved railway in Wales running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1865Drummond 2015, page 17 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain authorised by Act of Parliament to carry passengers using steam haulage. Despite severe under-investment, the line remained open, and in 1951 it became the first railway in the world to be preserved as a heritage railway by volunteers. Since preservation, the railway has operated as a tourist attraction, expanding its rolling stock through acquisition and an engineering programme to build new locomotives and carriages. In 1976, an extension was opened along the former mineral line from Abergynolwyn to the new station at Nant Gwernol. In 2005 a major rebuilding and extension of Tywyn Wharf station took place, including a much-expande ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
