Dinorwic quarry

Dinorwic
Vivian quarry, part of the Dinorwic quarry
Location
Map of Gwynedd showing the position of the quarry
Map of Gwynedd showing the position of the quarry
Dinorwic
Location in Gwynedd
LocationDinorwig, near Llanberis
CountyGwynedd (formerly Caernarfonshire)
CountryWales
Coordinates53°07′34″N 4°05′53″W / 53.12611°N 4.09806°W / 53.12611; -4.09806
SH 59631 60860
Production
ProductsSlate
TypeQuarry
History
Opened1787 (1787)
ClosedJuly 1969 (July 1969)

Dinorwic quarry (/dɪˈnɔːrwɪɡ/ din-OR-wig; Welsh: [dɪˈnɔrwɪɡ]; also known as Dinorwig quarry) is a large former slate quarry, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig (formerly Dinorwic) in Wales. At its height at the start of the 20th century, it was the second largest slate quarry in Wales (and thus, the world), after the neighbouring Penrhyn quarry near Bethesda.[1] Dinorwic covered 700 acres (283 ha) consisting of two main quarry sections with 20 galleries in each. Extensive internal tramway systems connected the quarries using inclines to transport slate between galleries.[2] Since its closure in 1969, the quarry has become the site of the National Slate Museum, a regular film location, and an extreme rock climbing destination.

  1. ^ Jones, R. Merfyn. 1981. The North Wales quarrymen, 1874-1922, Studies in Welsh history 4. University of Wales Press; ISBN 0-7083-0776-0
  2. ^ Carrington D.C. and Rushworth T.F. (1972). Slates to Velinheli: The Railways and Tramways of Dinorwic Slate Quarries, Llanberis and the Llanberis Lake Railway. Maid Marian Locomotive Fund.