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Trefor quarry, part one.
Do you have a "Bucket List"? A list of things like swimming with Blue Sharks, bungee-jumping off the Empire State Building or paragliding naked over the Taj Mahal?Just lately, turning sixty, I've been...
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Trefor Quarry, part 2
We return to the Trefor Granite Quarry to take a look at the amazing crusher house and hoppers which dominate the landscape near Llanaelhaearn. It was another rain-free but hazy day, so we started at...
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A look at Penmnaen West Quarry
I always look forward to driving along the A55 from Bangor to Conwy; while it is highly dangerous at times, depending on how late the HGV's are off the ferry at Holyhead, it also rewards with some...
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Rural Decay: 1
Over the winter, we spent some time discovering and studying a good many deserted dwellings in the Llanllyfni area, on that stretch of high ground to the east above Dyffryn Nantlle. One of the first...
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Penmaenmawr- a closer look.
I should have known better. I'd found a footpath that climbed up the mountain to the top workings of Penmaenmawr Granite Quarry and, checking the road access on Google street view, all seemed perfectly...
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Rural Decay #2: Tal-eithin uchaf
Continuing our study of the deserted farms and dwellings around the ardal Nasereth/Nebo area is this look at a slightly larger structure, Tal-eithin uchaf. It's to be found off the road, but on a...
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Deeper and Down
The mist had closed in, to the extent that I wasn't quite sure where we were. Our footsteps on the slate road sounded as if they were coming from somewhere distant, while the giant five-ton rocks...
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The Coffee Pot Level
Yes, that's right- we finally made it. After some unavoidable business in Porthmadog, I realised that there might just be time to scoot over to Penmaenmawr and visit the old De Winton loco. The roads...
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Mines of the Afon Lledr
We have wanted to look at these mines for many years, but were always put off by the inhospitable terrain. The thought of slogging for hours only to find a few scrapings on the ground didn't seem a...
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The Llyn-y-Gadair Slate Quarry
Thanks to the relatively new Lôn Gwyrfai path, running for for 4.5 miles between Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert, this quarry is very easy to access. Starting at the Rhyd Ddu car park by the WHR Station, the...
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Pen y Ffridd or Llanrhychwyn Slate Mine
Pen-y-Fridd has to be one of the most enchanting mines that I have ever visited. The daylit chambers open out into the woods near Trefriw at SH776612 and in some ways, feel a little like...
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Craig y Penmaen Copper Mine
In the OpencutEarlier this year, we spent a lot of time exploring the area East of the A470 near Bronaber. It seems at first to be a beautiful, but uninteresting slice of Wales until you begin to...
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A Blast from the Past: Dol-y-Clochydd
A little while ago, a friend mentioned to me about an ancient blast furnace near Ganllwyd. This gentleman is a very knowledgeable and precise fellow, not given to flights of fancy, so I felt that I had...
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Dinorwig- Slates in the Mist
I can't say what had been stopping us from exploring Dinorwig before now. We'd always been aware of the place, but somehow felt it couldn't be as good as everyone said...and it had all been...
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Penrhyn Gwyn
An explore made in poor weather during March 2016. Dolgellau is one of my favourite towns...it has the most wonderful vernacular architecture and many of the fine structures would make great subjects...
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The Klondyke Mill
I spotted the Klondyke mill recently, while climbing to Clogwyn y Fuwch, showing a visiting explorer around. Despite this being my third time up there, I hadn't noticed the mill before- now it seemed...
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Glanrafon
Anyone who has looked at Snowdon on Google earth will be aware of Glanrafon; it shows up as a surreal cookie cutter hole, punched in the landscape. Well, Snowdonia is peppered with all manner of mines,...
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The Little Locomotive Sheds of the Very Large Quarry...
Penrhydd Bach combined shed and caban- shed on the right. Last home of "Holy War" from 1961. Before that, "Wild Aster" from the mid forties.Back in the day before the ubiquitous diesel truck, most...
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Burrowing under the Manod
I fought with my conscience over this mine...whether or not to write about it. It was small, insignificant, perhaps completely uninteresting compared to the nearby thrills of Cwmorthin or Rhosydd. Yet...
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Cwmorthin
I am lucky to live less than five minutes away from the car park, yet in the last ten years I have only visited Cwmorthin a handful of times. Couple of years ago, the message boards of AditNow had been...
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The Chapels of Cwmorthin
Capel Rhosydd, seen from the Rhosydd tip.The second of my occasional photographic wanders around Cwmorthin, this time focussing on the chapels. Yes, there are two!The first needs no introduction and is...
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Keeping your powder dry
The Manod Powder Store with the tips of the modern quarry behind.Of all the ancillary structures associated with mines and quarries, gunpowder magazines are, for me at least, among the most fascinating...
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Moving On...
I'm migrating away from Blogger. It's been a good spell, seven years on this platform, but nothing stays the same for long on the internet and I feel I've outstayed my welcome. Google appear to be...
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Latest posts on the new Treasure Maps web site
The Nantlle TramwayA walk along the remains of a 3'6" quarry tramway, from Talysarn, through Dorothea, to Pen yr Orsedd.A climb up the Horse's backA round trip above Cwmorthin, over the airy heights...
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Recent posts on my Treasure Maps site...click the image to go through to the posts.
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