Charles III
62-590: Penrhyndeudraeth ( Welsh pronunciation: [pɛnr̥ɨnˈdeɨ̯draːɨ̯θ] ; lit. ' peninsula with two beaches ' ) is a small town and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd . The town is close to the mouth of the River Dwyryd on the A487 nearly 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Porthmadog , and had a population of 2,150 at the 2011 census, increased from 2,031 in 2001. The community includes
124-436: A commercial centre to a local landowner, David Williams of Castell Deudraeth near Minffordd , who in the mid-19th century drained the swamp and dried the pool and constructed many streets. Adopting a scheme of town planning evolved by the builder of Tremadog and his Italian craftsmen, Williams gave Penrhyndeudraeth broad streets and wide open spaces. The main square is a road junction with choice of four roads - one leading to
186-403: A new parish of Penrhyndeudraeth was created in 1897. For 130 years, the explosives works were the economic backbone of the town. Historically, the population depended on employment offered by the slate industry at Blaenau Ffestiniog and the trade in raw materials through the busy harbour at Porthmadog . An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward extends north to Llanfrothen with
248-467: A population of 12,000 at the peak development of the slate industry, but fell with the decline in demand for slate. The population of the community , including the nearby village Llan Ffestiniog , was 4,875 at the 2011 census: the fourth most populous in Gwynedd after Bangor , Caernarfon and Llandeiniolen . The population not including Llan is now only about 4,000. The meaning of Blaenau Ffestiniog
310-621: A series of downhill mountain biking trails by Antur Stiniog . A kilometre-long zip-wire has been erected at Llechwedd Slate Caverns , which is popular with thrill-seekers. If plans go ahead, Blaenau Ffestiniog will have the UK's first vélo-rail , which is popular in France. Many artists come to Blaenau Ffestiniog for the landscape around it, perhaps inspired by the harshness of the slate tips. They include Kyffin Williams and David Nash . During
372-695: A short-cut to the Harlech road. The bridge is also shared with the Cambrian Coast railway mainline. A new £20m road and rail bridge was opened in 2015, replacing the old wooden structure. For generations, the Grade II listed Pont Briwet carried the Cambrian Coast Railway, allowing people to cross Afon Dwyryd from Penrhyndeudraeth to Llandecwyn along a narrow road suitable for cars only. The new bridge allows all road vehicles to cross and
434-888: A total population of 2,587. The first explosives factory in Penrhyndeudraeth was established in 1865 as the Patent Safety Guncotton Company . It was licensed in 1875 and became part of the New Explosives Company , manufacturing explosives from guncotton , starch and India rubber . By 1908 it was the Steelite Explosives Company Ltd . In 1915, the vast majority of the then factory was destroyed by an explosion. Along with this accident and another at Nobel’s Explosives in Scotland, Britain faced fighting
496-601: A watershed between the River Lledr flowing north as a tributary of the River Conwy and the River Dwyryd flowing west. Ysgol y Moelwyn is the main secondary school, covering Blaenau, Manod, Tanygrisiau, Llan Ffestiniog, Trawsfynydd, Gellilydan, Maentwrog and stretching into the Vale of Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelan . It had 309 pupils in 2016. Some pupils travel to neighbouring towns. There are five primary schools in
558-500: Is "uplands of Ffestiniog". The Welsh word blaenau is the plural of blaen "upland, remote region". Ffestiniog here is probably "territory of Ffestin" (Ffestin being a personal name) or could possibly mean "defensive place". The English pronunciation of Blaenau Ffestiniog suggested by the BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names is / ˈ b l aɪ n aɪ f ɛ s ˈ t ɪ n j ɒ ɡ / , but
620-664: Is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest tier of local government in Wales . Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England but, unlike English parishes, communities cover the whole of Wales. There are 878 communities in Wales. Until 1974 Wales was divided into civil parishes . These were abolished by section 20 (6) of the Local Government Act 1972 , and replaced by communities by section 27 of
682-476: Is a slate plaque at the top of the factory site known locally as “Klondike” to commemorate them and everyone who worked there. Another 19th-century industry in the district is Garth Quarry at Minffordd , established in 1870 to make granite setts for road building in towns and cities. Like the explosives industry, the quarry relied heavily on the coming of the Cambrian Railways in 1872. The quarry
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#1732791125049744-607: Is held annually at the Memorial Hall. The village is home to the Snowdonia National Park Authority headquarters. There are many language traces of Old Welsh to be found in the place names in the Penrhyndeudraeth area, such as “Pont Briwet /Briwet Bridge (Briwet is cognate with the Breton word "Brued" meaning bridge). Remains of old huts can be found near Ty’n y Berllan , which date back to
806-510: Is still operational, and owned by Breedon Group , producing roadstone and railway ballast. The town is at the junction of the A487 with the A4085 which connects with Beddgelert and Caernarfon . The first section of this road is very narrow and rises steeply through Upper Penrhyn. In places it is so narrow that only a single vehicle can pass. To the south is the new Pont Briwet bridge providing
868-458: The Bronze Age . Penrhyndeudraeth's Alun 'Sbardun' Huws wrote a song, Strydoedd Aberstalwm (approximately "streets of long ago"), in tribute to the village. His well-known band Y Tebot Piws also recorded their farewell album at Penrhyndeudraeth Memorial Hall in 2011. Penrhyndeudraeth F.C. has a senior team and several junior teams. The senior team are currently in their second season in
930-644: The Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns , a former slate mine open to visitors. Llechwedd is often placed among Wales's top five visitor attractions. Near Blaenau Ffestiniog there are miles of mountain landscape with derelict quarries, rivers, various lakes and walking routes. Several mountain biking trails have been created, some suitable for competitions. Bikes are available for hire. The town centre has recently been regenerated, as funding from organisations, grants and
992-531: The First World War with a shortage of much needed munitions. The then newly appointed Minister for Munitions, David Lloyd George , ordered a Government requisition of the factory, which led to it being rebuilt to produce munitions and was known as HM Factory Penrhyndeudraeth, employing 349 workers. Following the end of the First World War, production continued at the factory, but in 1921, it
1054-538: The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 and the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 . Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog ( Welsh pronunciation: [ˈbleɨ̯naɨ̯ fɛstˈɪnjɔg] ) is a town in Gwynedd , Wales . Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire , it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns . It reached
1116-474: The Miner’s Safety Explosives Company from Essex, to Penrhyndeudraeth. In 1927, the factory in Penrhyndeudraeth suffered another explosion, destroying the whole southern section of the site, which saw it unable to produce Nitroglycerin. Facing the potential failure of his business being unable to fulfil orders, R.T. Cooke had no option but to seek the assistance of his then rivals, who were
1178-506: The Second World War ensured that Cooke's explosives company was once again at the forefront of the war effort, producing an estimated 17 million hand grenades between 1939 and 1945. Following the war, the factory returned to producing Nitroglycerine once again, employing over 300 people. 1957 saw the site's third serious accident since its inception, leading to further damage to its production facilities. The four workers killed in
1240-647: The Snowdonia National Park HQ, but standing apart, is Hendre Hall, where, in 1648, Humphrey Humphreys was born. He became Bishop of Bangor from 1689 to 1701 and then of Hereford. He died in 1712. One of the family carvings at the Holy Trinity Church Penrhyndeudraeth is of him. There is also an oak chest which Richard Humphreys gave to Llanfrothen Church while working as its warden in 1690. The property named "Cae Ednyfed", between Penrhyndeudraeth and Minffordd,
1302-522: The Welsh Government of £4.5 million are spent. A new bus station has been built along with new viewing areas for neighbouring mountain ranges. Several slate structures have been built with poetry engraved on them. These are about 40 ft tall and intended to respond visually to the slate hills and mountains. Poetry and local sayings have also been engraved on slate bands set in pavements in the town centre. Various walkways have been installed, and
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#17327911250491364-705: The "Gwynedd Safeflue" and "Bob Owen Memorial" Shields. The junior teams (under 14, 12, 11, 9 and 7s) all play in the Llyn and Eifionydd Junior Football League. Community (Wales) Heir Apparent William, Prince of Wales First Minister ( list ) Rt Hon Eluned Morgan MS ( L ) Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS ( L ) Counsel General-designate – Elisabeth Jones Chief Whip and Trefnydd – Jane Hutt MS (L) Permanent Secretary Sixth Senedd Llywydd (Presiding Officer) Elin Jones MS ( PC ) Leader of
1426-530: The 1980s and 1990s, such as Llwybr Llaethog and Anweledig , and more recent bands such as Gai Toms , Frizbee and Gwibdaith Hen Frân . The local alternative-music training school Gwallgofiaid has over a dozen bands at its centre at the Old Police Station in Park Square, served by five rehearsal rooms, a 24-track studio and Cwrt performance space. In birth date order: Blaenau Ffestiniog
1488-792: The 2nd Division of the Welsh Alliance League , after finishing third in their first season at this level in 2012-13 and also winning the Take Stock Van Hire Cup (for Division 2 clubs), runners-up in the Mawddach Challenge Cup and also receiving a trophy for the best official matchday programme in the League's 2nd Division. This followed a very successful campaign in the Gwynedd League (2011–12) when they finished as League Champions and also won
1550-654: The A470 climbs steeply to the Crimea Pass and meets the A5 at Betws-y-Coed , giving access to Llangollen , Wrexham and Shrewsbury in the east and Bangor and Holyhead in the west. Town bus services are mainly provided by Arriva Buses Wales and Llew Jones, with routes to Porthmadog, Dolgellau and to Llandudno via Betws-y-Coed and Llanrwst . Town circular services via Tanygrisiau are operated hourly on weekdays by John's Coaches. Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station , on
1612-479: The Crown . In Wales, all town councils are community councils. There are now three communities with city status: Bangor , St Asaph and St Davids . The chair of a town council or city council will usually have the title mayor (Welsh: maer ). However, not every community has a council. In communities with populations too small to sustain a full community council, community meetings may be established. The communities in
1674-555: The Ffestiniog Railway closed. In August 1945 the secluded farmhouse of Bwlch Ocyn at Manod, belonging to Clough Williams-Ellis , became the home for three years of the writer Arthur Koestler and his wife Mamaine. While there, Koestler became a close friend of his fellow writer George Orwell . The remaining quarries served by the Rhiwbach Tramway closed in the 1950s and 1960s. Oakeley closed in 1970, with
1736-512: The Oakeley family from Tan y Bwlch . Within a decade, three slate quarries were operating on Allt-fawr. These amalgamated to form Oakeley Quarry , which became the largest underground slate mine in the world. Quarrying grew fast in the earlier 19th century. Notable quarries opened at Llechwedd , Maenofferen and Votty & Bowydd , while Turner and Casson's Diphwys Casson flourished. Further off, Cwmorthin and Wrysgan quarries were dug to
1798-667: The Opposition Andrew RT Davies MS ( C ) Shadow Cabinet ( current ) Prime Minister Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP ( L ) Secretary of State for Wales Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP (L) Principal councils ( leader list ) Corporate Joint Committees Local twinning see also: Regional terms and Regional economy United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections (1979–2020) Local elections Police and crime commissioner elections Referendums A community ( Welsh : cymuned )
1860-625: The Second World War, the National Gallery stored art treasures in one of the mines in the town, to protect them from damage or destruction. The large steel gates are still standing preserving the paintings that remain in the caverns. Blaenau Ffestiniog has a strong musical tradition from quarrying days, ranging from the Caban, male voice choirs and brass bands , to Jazz/Dance bands like "The New Majestics", popular rock bands of
1922-472: The aim of preventing another catastrophic accident that had blighted the factory over the decades. This unprecedented level of investment in the factory led it to be the world's most advanced nitroglycerine factory. Its success saw ICI relocate its nitroglycerine production from its site in Ardeer, Scotland and base it exclusively at Penrhyndeudraeth. By the 1970s the factory in Penrhyndeudraeth supplied 90% of
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1984-525: The area. Most Blaenau Ffestiniog people habitually speak Welsh. At the 2011 census, 78.6 per cent over the age of three said they could speak it, as against 80.9 per cent at the 2001 census. The latest inspection reports of the town's primary schools, Ysgol Maenofferen and Ysgol Y Manod, both in 2016, put the proportion of pupils speaking Welsh at home at 87 and 85 per cent. At the town's secondary school, Ysgol y Moelwyn, 82 per cent of pupils came from Welsh-speaking homes in 2014, making its Welsh-speaking intake
2046-399: The armed forces and production fell. There was a short post-war boom, but the long-term trend was towards mass-produced tiles and cheaper slate sourced from Spain . Oakeley Quarry took over Cwmorthin, Votty & Bowydd and Diphwys Casson, while Llechwedd acquired Maenofferen. Despite this consolidation, the decline continued. The Second World War brought a further loss of workforce. In 1946,
2108-576: The blast were named as Elizabeth Catherine Lloyd, Annie Owen, Laura Williams, and Eric Evans. In 1958, R.T. Cooke retired and ICI bought the remaining shares in Cooke's Explosives Company, now making it a fully owned ICI subsidiary within the ICI Explosives division known as Nobel’s Explosives Company Ltd which also had an extensive production site in Ardeer , Ayrshire. Although now a part of ICI,
2170-706: The community boundaries within their area every fifteen years. The councils propose changes to the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales , which prepares a report and makes recommendations to the Welsh Government . If the Welsh Government accepts the recommendations, then it implements them using a statutory instrument . For example, in 2016 four new communities were created in the City and County of Cardiff . The legislation surrounding community councils in Wales has been amended significantly in
2232-500: The explosives for the British coal industry in the form of nitroglycerine-based explosive products. The prolonged miners' strike of 1984 and the competition from foreign coal imports resulted in wholesale pit closures which, in turn, reduced the demand for mining explosives to the point where production was no longer economic and the site was finally closed in 1995 and cleared in 1997, bringing nearly 130 years of explosives production at
2294-403: The factory was still known as “Cooke’s Works”. The Cooke name lives on in Penrhyndeudraeth, as the name of a small industrial estate on part of the former factory site. ICI's priority following its full acquisition of Cooke's Explosives was to introduce safer methods of working and heavily investing in modern technology, leading to some automation and remote control of production processes, with
2356-538: The few local inhabitants relied on agriculture and small-scale copper mining . Some men worked boats on the River Dwyryd , carrying slate from Maentwrog to the sea for export. Local women at that time gathered cockles in the estuary for sale in local markets. Penrhyndeudraeth is still known locally, especially by the people of Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog , as Penrhyn Cocos (or "Cockletown" in English). Halfway between Penrhyndeudraeth and Minffordd, next to
2418-402: The first word is pronounced [ˈbleɨna] in the area, reflecting features of the local Welsh dialect. Before the slate industry grew, present-day Blaenau Ffestiniog was a farming region, with scattered farms working the uplands below the cliffs of Dolgaregddu and Nyth-y-Gigfran. A few of the historic farmhouses survive at Cwm Bowydd, Neuadd Ddu, Gelli, Pen y Bryn and Cefn Bychan. Much of
2480-510: The highest among secondary schools in the former county of Meirionnydd and fourth highest among those in Gwynedd . The main access to Blaenau Ffestiniog is the A470 road north to Llandudno and south to Dolgellau and beyond. The A496 runs south to the coastal resorts of Harlech and Barmouth and connects with the A487 towards Porthmadog and the Llŷn Peninsula . Just north of the town,
2542-564: The land was owned by large estates. Blaenau Ffestiniog town arose to support workers in the local slate mines. At its peak, it was the largest in Merioneth. In 1765, two men from the long-established Cilgwyn quarry near Nantlle began quarrying in Ceunant y Diphwys to the north-east of the present town. The valley had long been known for slate beds worked on a small scale. The original quarry has been wiped out by subsequent mining, but it
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2604-643: The latest Estyn inspection report of the village's primary school, Ysgol Cefn Coch, 79% of pupils come from homes where Welsh is spoken. In an incident in June 2011, with new English landlords of the Royal Oak pub in Penrhyndeudraeth, customers left the pub in anger and were threatened with an airgun after being told to stop ordering their drinks in Welsh. The pub subsequently had a change of management. The Penrhyndeudraeth Children and Young People's Chaired Eisteddfod
2666-467: The loss of many local jobs. It re-opened in 1974 on a much smaller scale and was reworked until 2010. Maenofferen and Llechwedd continued, but Maenofferen finally closed in 1998. Llechwedd is still a working quarry, working the David Jones part of Maenofferen (level two-and-a-half). As the slate industry shrank, so did the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which fell to 4,875 in 2011. Tourism became
2728-463: The much safer nitroglycerine . This however was found to be impossible at his site in Stanford le Hope due to the factory being too close to a Shell petrol refinery. Cooke knew he'd need to locate a new factory if his venture was to succeed. On his train journey back from Essex to Durham, Cooke came across a newspaper advertisement listing government owned factories that were up for sale following
2790-590: The new religion before himself being converted. He chastised the Methodists mercilessly before burning all their critical poetic works in a public bonfire in the village square. The Old Methodists' original communion chalice is to be seen in the National Library in Aberystwyth . The town was originally in two Anglican parishes, Llanfrothen and Llandecwyn . Holy Trinity church was built in 1858 and
2852-402: The only other producers of Nitroglycerin, the newly formed industrial giant, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). ICI agreed to fulfil Cooke's Nitroglycerine orders whilst the factory in Penrhyndeudraeth was rebuilt, on the condition that they could buy a majority stake in Cooke's Explosives Company. Cooke agreed and was allowed to stay on at the company as a Managing Director. The outbreak of
2914-664: The original toll is no longer applied. The town has two stations, Penrhyndeudraeth railway station on the southern side of the village on the Cambrian Coast Railway from Pwllheli to Shrewsbury and to the north, Penrhyn railway station , on the A4085 near the top of the hill, on the Ffestiniog Railway . According to the 2011 Census , Penrhyndeudraeth is the 19th most Welsh-speaking community in Wales, with approximately 76% of its residents aged three years or older stating that they could speak Welsh . According to
2976-487: The same Act. The principal areas of Wales are divided entirely into communities. Unlike in England, where unparished areas exist, no part of Wales is outside a community, even in urban areas . Most, but not all, communities are administered by community councils , which are equivalent to English parish councils in terms of their powers and the way they operate. Welsh community councils may call themselves town councils unilaterally and may have city status granted by
3038-593: The site of the former Great Western station, is used by the Ffestiniog Railway and the Conwy Valley Line , their previous stations being no longer in use. The Conwy Valley line runs to the North Wales coast at Llandudno Junction , with links to Chester , Holyhead and Manchester. At various times the town has been the terminus for four independent railway lines, each with its own station or stations: Blaenau Ffestiniog's tourist attractions include
3100-482: The site to an end. The site is now in the hands of the North Wales Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve notable for the presence in summer of nightjars . The nature reserve is officially known as “Gwaith Powdwr” (Powder Works) a befitting homage to its explosive industrial past, ensuring its continued place firmly in the history books. Many people died in accidents at the works, and there
3162-535: The south of the town, while at the head of Cwm Penmachno to the north-east, a series of quarries started at Rhiwbach , Cwt y Bugail and Blaen y Cwm . To the south-east another cluster worked the slopes of Manod Mawr . The workforce for these was drawn initially from nearby towns and villages such as Ffestiniog and Maentwrog . Before the arrival of railways, travel to the quarries was difficult and workers' houses were built nearby. These typically grew up round existing farms and roads between them. An early settlement
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#17327911250493224-485: The station, one to Porthmadog, one to Maentwrog and the other to Llanfrothen and the Pass of Aberglaslyn. Williams' daughter, Alice , built the first Institute Hall for one of the first British Women's Institutes in the country in Penrhyndeudraeth. Prior to the many 19th century land reclamation projects (including The Cob at Porthmadog ) and the building of the Ffestiniog Railway , both of which spurred economic growth,
3286-513: The town hall, was completed in 1864. By 1881, its population had reached 11,274. The slate boom gave way to a sharp decline. The 1890s saw several quarries lose money for the first time, and several fail entirely, including Cwmorthin and Nyth-y-Gigfran. Blaenau Ffestiniog hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1898. The slate industry recovered only partly from the recession of the 1890s. The First World War sent many quarrymen into
3348-560: The town is in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park , the boundaries exclude it and its substantial slate-waste heaps. Blaenau Ffestiniog has one of the highest rainfalls in Wales. It has several reservoirs, one of which supplies the Ffestiniog Hydro Power Station. Stwlan Dam lies between two of the mountains in the area, Moelwyn Bach and Moelwyn Mawr . The mountains round the town form
3410-759: The town's largest employer, with the development of Gloddfa Ganol in the Oakeley quarry and the Slate Caverns at Llechwedd quarry. The revived Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd remain popular attractions, as does the Antur Stiniog downhill mountain-biking centre, and more recently the Zip World Titan zip-line site, which includes the Bounce Below slate-mine activity centre. Some local villages, notably Tanygrisiau and Manod , are sometimes taken to be parts of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Although
3472-551: The urban areas of the cities of Cardiff , Swansea and Newport do not have community councils. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census , there were 869 communities in Wales. 84 percent, or more than 730, have a council. They vary in size from Rhayader with an area of 13,945 hectares (34,460 acres) to Cefn Fforest with an area of 64 hectares (160 acres). They ranged in population from Barry with 45,053 recorded inhabitants to Baglan Bay with no permanent residents. The twenty-two principal area councils are required to review
3534-428: The villages of Minffordd and Portmeirion . An older settlement of a few cottages at Upper Penrhyn was originally called Cefn Coch ('Red Ridge') and that name is perpetuated by the Penrhyndeudraeth primary school , which is known as Ysgol Cefn Coch; but the town proper is comparatively modern. The ground on which it stands was a malarial swamp encircling a huge stagnant pool. The present town owes its existence as
3596-420: The war. HM Factory Penrhyndeudraeth drew his eye immediately and Cooke decided to visit the site and found it was perfect for the production of Nitroglycerin due to it being located in a series of valleys. In 1922, the production of explosives restarted in Penrhyndeudraeth and became known as Cooke’s Explosives Limited . Such was the site's success, R.T. Cooke expanded the factory and subsequently decided to move
3658-453: Was at Rhiwbryfdir, for the Oakeley and Llechwedd quarries. As early as 1801, new roads were built specifically for the quarries. By 1851, there were 3,460 people living in the new town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. During the 1860s and 1870s the boom in the slate industry fed the nascent town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. It gained its first church and first school and saw much ribbon development along its roads. The Old Market Hall , which also served as
3720-501: Was closed and put up for sale. This was merely just the beginning and not the end for the factory however. Durham born businessman, R.T. Cooke, who had coal mining interests in the north-east of England and was also the majority shareholder of the Essex-based Miner’s Safety Explosives Company was keen to capitalise on growing demand for explosives in the mining industry and wanted to start production of
3782-400: Was once the property of Ednyfed Fychan , commander-in-chief to Llywelyn ap Iorwerth . The town has not always been very religious. Early in the history of the Methodists, they established chapels, and fellowship meetings ( seiadau ) were established. There is a history of revivalists such as Daniel Rowland who held meetings at Tyddyn Isaf and the poet Dafydd Siôn Siâms who publicly cursed
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#17327911250493844-552: Was probably at or near Diphwys Casson Quarry . Led by Methusalem Jones, eight Cilgwyn partners took a lease on Gelli Farm for their quarry. In 1800, William Turner and William Casson from the Lake District bought the lease and expanded production. Turner also owned Dorothea quarry in the Nantlle Valley , adjacent to Cilgwyn. In 1819, quarrying began on slopes at Allt-fawr near Rhiwbryfdir Farm, on land owned by
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