the kwan
16-05-2012, 08:29 AM
A visit with Xan Asmodi, this slate mine was cold and unfriendly despite the gloriously beautiful walk to reach it, we both agreed that it was just so huge that it sucked up all available light and despite having some lovely features it was not on our list of favourites...having said that the artifacts and fantastic scenery kind of redeemed it...It has been redundant since the 1930's. so here is some history
anyway firstly a short video of our visit, very little underground filming due to the light of 3 Xml t6 torches being woefully inadequate inside this monster....
it is here
http://youtu.be/5VZbfmbpxWA
Penarth (near Corwen, Denbighshire) is a moderately-sized slate quarry, initially comprising terraces and an open pit but later also including underground workings. The remains are generally dated from 1868, when development took place as a result of the arrival of the railway, but some of the open workings are undoubtedly much earlier. The initial working used hand dressing, with the slate being carted by road. Water power may have been introduced with the development of the underground workings during the mid-nineteenth century. In or shortly after 1868, 150 men were said to have been employed but only 10 men were recorded as working at the quarry in 1883, despite a creditable near 500 tons of production at that time. The quarry closed in 1890 but re-opened five years later. An incline connection was made to the railway and a sawmill (possibly with water-powered sand saws) was situated near the foot of the incline. In 1903, it was stated that all sawing was done in this 'wharf' mill. In 1904, a sawing shed opened at the eastern end of the site with a 12 h.p. Blackburne engine. Possibly later than this, a Hornsby 40 h.p. gas engine was installed, which is stated to have operated a 'force pump'. During the years before closure, in 1932, only slab (about 1000 tons per year) was produced. Source: Alun John Richards, 'A Gazeteer of the Welsh Slate Industry' (Llanrwst: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1991), pp. 206-7.
the pictures
After the Yomp to the top we saw the open part of the mine and the access..a very small Xan in the picture
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/out2resized.jpg
Getting inside we realised just how big this place was
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/daveresized.jpg
xan in a chamber with a supporting slate column..look at the roof here
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/dave2resize.jpg
I only had Xan for scale but at over 6ft tall he was dwarfed by the sheer size of this mutha ..see this incline that ran two carts.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/inclineanddresized.jpg
Same incline from the side, also note another adit that we did not explore...here we met Trancentral and Degeneratron..funny who you meet in a mine :)
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/inclineresized.jpg
And from the front, you can see the incline ahead of the cart.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/cart1resized.jpg
Another caverous chamber with a three way cart track..again check that roof.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/threeway1resize.jpg
comms..tefelones I reckon
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/telephonoresize.jpg
A place called the fish house dunno why
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/fishhouseresized.jpg
A cart track that I really liked...MY FAVE:thumb
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/tracktunnelresized.jpg
A winch that was operated by windy millers brother
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/winchresize.jpg
top of the shop
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/topofinclineresized.jpg
Lookin into an incline, Xan fell here and did his arm in!!
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/lookingdowninclineresized.jpg
roof supports
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/roofsupportresize.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/roofsuppresize.jpg
WELLYBOOTS, NOT REQUIRED AFTER ALL:thumb
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/wellyboots.jpg
anyway firstly a short video of our visit, very little underground filming due to the light of 3 Xml t6 torches being woefully inadequate inside this monster....
it is here
http://youtu.be/5VZbfmbpxWA
Penarth (near Corwen, Denbighshire) is a moderately-sized slate quarry, initially comprising terraces and an open pit but later also including underground workings. The remains are generally dated from 1868, when development took place as a result of the arrival of the railway, but some of the open workings are undoubtedly much earlier. The initial working used hand dressing, with the slate being carted by road. Water power may have been introduced with the development of the underground workings during the mid-nineteenth century. In or shortly after 1868, 150 men were said to have been employed but only 10 men were recorded as working at the quarry in 1883, despite a creditable near 500 tons of production at that time. The quarry closed in 1890 but re-opened five years later. An incline connection was made to the railway and a sawmill (possibly with water-powered sand saws) was situated near the foot of the incline. In 1903, it was stated that all sawing was done in this 'wharf' mill. In 1904, a sawing shed opened at the eastern end of the site with a 12 h.p. Blackburne engine. Possibly later than this, a Hornsby 40 h.p. gas engine was installed, which is stated to have operated a 'force pump'. During the years before closure, in 1932, only slab (about 1000 tons per year) was produced. Source: Alun John Richards, 'A Gazeteer of the Welsh Slate Industry' (Llanrwst: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1991), pp. 206-7.
the pictures
After the Yomp to the top we saw the open part of the mine and the access..a very small Xan in the picture
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/out2resized.jpg
Getting inside we realised just how big this place was
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/daveresized.jpg
xan in a chamber with a supporting slate column..look at the roof here
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/dave2resize.jpg
I only had Xan for scale but at over 6ft tall he was dwarfed by the sheer size of this mutha ..see this incline that ran two carts.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/inclineanddresized.jpg
Same incline from the side, also note another adit that we did not explore...here we met Trancentral and Degeneratron..funny who you meet in a mine :)
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/inclineresized.jpg
And from the front, you can see the incline ahead of the cart.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/cart1resized.jpg
Another caverous chamber with a three way cart track..again check that roof.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/threeway1resize.jpg
comms..tefelones I reckon
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/telephonoresize.jpg
A place called the fish house dunno why
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/fishhouseresized.jpg
A cart track that I really liked...MY FAVE:thumb
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/tracktunnelresized.jpg
A winch that was operated by windy millers brother
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/winchresize.jpg
top of the shop
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/topofinclineresized.jpg
Lookin into an incline, Xan fell here and did his arm in!!
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/lookingdowninclineresized.jpg
roof supports
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/roofsupportresize.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/roofsuppresize.jpg
WELLYBOOTS, NOT REQUIRED AFTER ALL:thumb
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/paulc_2007/Penarth%20slate%20mine%20corwen/wellyboots.jpg