17821782–1903 · Bethesda and Llanberis, Gwynedd
Slate quarrying in north-west Wales
In 1782 Richard Pennant, whose fortune came from Jamaican sugar estates worked by enslaved Africans, took over slate working near Bethesda, and Penrhyn grew into the largest slate quarry in the world. Dinorwic and the Ffestiniog mines followed, roofing cities across Britain and beyond, while Welsh-speaking quarry villages grew around them. The Penrhyn lockout of 1900–03 was one of the longest disputes in British industrial history.
Sites
- Site 1: Penrhyn Castle, BangorNeo-Norman castle built on sugar and slate money; the Jamaica story is told inside.Map ↗
- Site 2: National Slate Museum, LlanberisDinorwic quarry workshops, a giant waterwheel and quarrymen's cottages.Map ↗
- Site 3: Penrhyn Quarry, BethesdaTerraced pit still worked above the quarry town.Map ↗
- Site 4: Llechwedd slate caverns, Blaenau FfestiniogUnderground slate mine chambers open to visitors.Map ↗
Guides who take you there
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Also in North Wales: Conwy, Caernarfon and Snowdonia
More from the 18th & 19th Century
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Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.