History Maenofferen Quarry

the restored maenofferen slate quarry shed @ minffordd yard on ffestiniog railway

maenofferen first worked slate men nearby diphwys quarry shortly after 1800. 1848 slate being shipped via ffestiniog railway, traffic on railway ceased in 1850. in 1857 traffic resumed briefly , apart gap in 1865, steady flow of slate dispatched via railway. initial quarry on site known david jones quarry highest , easterly of became extensive maenofferen complex.

in 1861 maenofferen slate quarry co. ltd. incorporated, producing around 400 tons of slate year. company leased wharf @ porthmadog in 1862 , shipped 181 tons of finished slate on ffestiniog railway following year.

during nineteenth century quarry flourished , expanded, extending workings underground , further downhill towards blaenau ffestiniog. 1897 employed 429 people half of working underground. ffestiniog railway remained quarry s major transport outlet products, there no direct connection ffestiniog s terminus @ duffws. instead slate sent via rhiwbach tramway ran through quarry. incurred shipping costs rival quarries did not have bear.

in 1908 company leased wharf space @ minffordd, installing turntables , siding allow finished slates transshipped standard gauge railway there.

in 1920 company solved high shipping costs building new incline connecting mill votty & bowydd quarry , reaching agreement ship products via company s incline connection ffestiniog railway @ duffws.

modern untopping operations @ maenofferen. uncovered chambers of bowydd workings visible

in 1928 maenofferen purchased rhiwbach quarry, continuing work , use associated tramway until 1953.

when ffestiniog railway ceased operation in 1946, maenofferen leased short length of railway s tracks between duffws station , interchange lms railway, west of blaenau ffestiniog. slate trains continued run on section until 1962, maenofferen becoming last slate quarry use part of ffestiniog railway s route. 1962 slate shipped quarry road, although internal quarry tramways including stretches of rhiwbach tramway continued in use until @ least 1980s.

the quarry purchased nearby llechwedd quarry in 1975 bowydd, incorporated old votty workings: these owned maenofferen company. underground production @ maenofferen ceased during november 1999 , end of large-scale underground working slate in north wales. production of slate recommenced on combined maenofferen site, consisting of untopping underground workings recover slate supporting pillars of chambers. material recovered quarry tips recovered crushing , subsequent use.