Shut down during the early to mid seventies, the quarries in Wales were mostly left undisturbed. I visited this one in 1976. Because I used slide film, and it was such a long time ago, the images have deteriorated and the quality isn't that great. However, I bought myself a new toy several Christmases ago - a slide and negative scanner - so I couldn't resist adding this to the explores on my former website, and now on my blog.
The slate quarry is near to the Craig Goch reservoir in the Elan Valley (on the other side of the lake, if memory serves me correctly), and not far from Rhayador in Radnor. The photos above show the dam, one of several made in a series of reservoirs which were constructed during the latter part of the 19th century and opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on 21 July 1904.
There were several derelict buildings, but it's hard to tell in hindsight which were works buildings, housing for the manager - or even for the quarry workers themselves, which some of the Welsh mines and quarries had due to the remote location.
I'm only guessing here, but the scaffolding below looks like the housing for some sort of pulley system. It wouldn't be an engine or winding house itself as they were proper brick buildings needed to take the weight. Maybe just some remains of a temporary building. Dunno!
Contrary to what I'd written previously on other quarry articles, this was my first quarry explore. I'll get it right in a minute! I sometimes forget this one as it was just a few random photos on a day out with a friend. It was such a fabulous place though, and I really wish I'd taken some film shots and had prints to scan instead of the slide film. Although the blueness adds to the otherworldliness of the landscape it would have been nice to have clearer views of the buildings and workings.
And below, another view of the dam with a fabulous domed building complete with a weather vane. This is a Valve Tower, which regulates water flow.
No comments:
Post a Comment