Sam Rowlands, Welsh Parliament Member for North Wales, recently visited the former Penrhyn Slate quarry on the outskirts of Bethesda, currently operated by Welsh Slate. Welsh Slate is part of Breedon, a quarrying and aggregates group.
Slate quarrying has been taken place at Penrhyn since the 1700s, and the opencast Penrhyn Quarry was the largest man made hole in the ground until the 1950s. Even though the Welsh slate industry has shrunk since its heyday in the 1870s, Welsh Slate still employs local people with traditional skills at its quarries at Bethesda, Pen yr Orsedd and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Welsh slate is recognised as the highest quality available anywhere and slate from Penrhyn is frequently sought after for historic and contemporary buildings across the globe. Sam was able to see the quarrying process first hand, from slate being blasted out of the hillside to the cutting and finishing process.
Sam said:
I was fascinated to visit Welsh Slate’s operation at Penrhyn and see how slate quarrying has adapted to the 21st century. The slate quarrying industry had as much of an impact on North West Wales as coal mining did in North East and South Wales – many thousands were employed in the sector and it’s legacy lives on today through working quarries like Penrhyn and attractions like ZipWorld.
Welsh Slate continue to employ local people with traditional skills at Penrhyn, Pen yr Orsedd and Blaenau Ffestiniog, so I was very pleased to find out about their plans for expansion over the rest of the decade. I look forward to seeing the industry continue to thrive in Wales.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ymweld â Chwarel Welsh Slate
Yn ddiweddar, bu Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn ymweld â hen chwarel lechi y Penrhyn ar gyrion Bethesda, sy’n cael ei gweithredu ar hyn o bryd gan Welsh Slate. Mae Welsh Slate yn rhan o Breedon, sef grŵp chwarela ac agregau.
Mae chwarela am lechi wedi bod yn rhan o’r Penrhyn ers y 1700au, a chwarel frig y Penrhyn oedd y twll mwyaf i gael ei wneud yn y tir gan ddyn tan y 1950au. Er bod diwydiant llechi Cymru wedi crebachu ers yr oes aur yn yr 1870au, mae Welsh Slate yn parhau i gyflogi pobl leol sydd â sgiliau traddodiadol yn ei chwareli ym Methesda, Pen yr Orsedd a Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Mae llechi Cymru yn cael eu cydnabod fel y goreuon ac mae llechi’r Penrhyn yn aml yn boblogaidd iawn mewn adeiladau hanesyddol a chyfoes ym mhedwar ban byd. Cafodd Sam weld y broses chwarela, o’r llechi’n cael eu chwythu allan o’r graig i’r broses dorri a gorffen.
Meddai Sam:
Roedd hi’n ddiddorol iawn ymweld â gwaith Welsh Slate ym Mhenrhyn a gweld sut mae chwarela am lechi wedi addasu i’r 21ain ganrif. Cafodd y diwydiant chwarela am lechi gymaint o effaith ar y Gogledd-orllewin ag y gwnaeth y pyllau glo yn y Gogledd-ddwyrain a’r De - cyflogwyd miloedd yn y sector ac mae ei waddol gyda ni hyd heddiw diolch i chwareli sy’n dal i weithio fel chwarel y Penrhyn ac atyniadau fel ZipWorld.
Mae Welsh Slate yn parhau i gyflogi pobl leol sydd â sgiliau traddodiadol yn y Penrhyn, Pen yr Orsedd a Blaenau Ffestiniog, felly roeddwn i’n falch iawn o gael clywed am eu cynlluniau i ehangu yn ystod gweddill y degawd. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld y diwydiant yn parhau i ffynnu yng Nghymru.
