The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
Overview
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales illustrates the transformation that industrial slate quarrying and mining brought about in the traditional rural environment of the mountains and valleys of the Snowdon massif. The territory, extending from mountain-top to sea-coast, presented opportunities and constraints that were used and challenged by the large-scale industrial processes undertaken by landowners and capital investors, which reshaped the agricultural landscape into an industrial centre for slate production during the Industrial Revolution (1780-1914). The serial property comprises six components each encompassing relict quarries and mines, archaeological sites related to slate industrial processing, historical settlements, both living and relict, historic gardens and grand country houses, ports, harbours and quays, and railway and road systems illustrating the functional and social linkages of the relict slate industrial landscape. The property was internationally significant not only for the export of slates, but also for the export of technology and skilled workers from the 1780s to the early 20th century. It played a leading role in the field and constituted a model for other slate quarries in different parts of the world. It offers an important and remarkable example of interchange of materials, technology and human values.
About The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
The existence of a slate industry in Wales is attested since the Roman period, when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then rapidly during the Industrial Revolution in Wales until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in northwest Wales. These sites included the Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda, the Dinorwic Quarry near Llanberis, the Nantlle Valley quarries, and Blaenau Ffestiniog, where the slate was mined rather than quarried. Penrhyn and Dinorwig were the two largest slate quarries in the world, and the Oakeley mine at Blaenau Ffestiniog was the largest slate mine in the world. Slate is mainly used for roofing, but is also produced as thicker slab for a variety of uses including flooring, worktops, headstones as well as high quality surfaces for games such as shove ha'penny, snooker and billiards.
Read more on WikipediaSelection Criteria
(ii)(iv)
Components(6 locations)
- •Bryneglwys Slate Quarry, Abergynolwyn Village and the Talyllyn Railway1633-006
- •Penrhyn Slate Quarry and Bethesda, and the Ogwen valley to Port Penrhyn1633-001
- •Ffestiniog: its Slate Mines and Quarries, ‘city of slates’ and Railway to Porthmadog1633-005
- •Nantlle Valley Slate Quarry Landscape1633-003
- •Dinorwig Slate Quarry Mountain Landscape1633-002
- •Gorseddau and Prince of Wales Slate Quarries, Railways and Mill1633-004
Details
- Countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- ISO Codes
- GB
- Area
- 3,259.01 ha
- Coordinates
- 53.1208, -4.1150
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The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
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The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
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The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales