Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Slate Museum
MUSEUM While surrounded by so much tranquil-
ity and natural beauty, you could easily forget that Snowdonia was, until recently, a
place of toil and hardship. The courtyard here once echoed to the industrial din of
crushing, hammering, and splitting—this great gray building housed the workshops
that kept nearby Dinorwic Quarry running. The impressive museum chronicles the
methods, machinery, and men that dug 90,000 tons of slate a year from the moun-
tainside. Particularly poignant are the relocated quarrymen's cottages, each dressed
authentically at important moments in Snowdonia's industrial past, including 1969—
when Dinorwic closed.
Llanberis.
&
01286/870630.
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/slate. Free admission. Easter-Oct daily
10am-5pm. Closed Nov-Easter. In Padarn Country Park,
1
⁄
2
mile east of Llanberis.
BETWS-Y-COED TO BLAENAU FFESTINIOG
Betws-y-Coed
was once an isolated Snowdonia village, surrounded by tumbling riv-
ers, waterfalls, and mountains, nestled in the tree-lined valley of the River Conwy.
There's still an alpine feeling about the place, but it gets busy in summer these days.
However, as a base it's well located for exploring Snowdonia, and is well stocked with
affordable B&Bs.
The town is known for its eight bridges, most notably
Waterloo Bridge
at the
village's southern end, the cast-iron construction of Thomas Telford in 1815. The
most popular local beauty spot is the
Swallow Falls
, beside the A5, 2 miles west
of the center. It comprises a series of waterfalls strung together, creating a mist. Drop
a £1 coin into a tollbooth to get access to the path anytime you want, night or day.
Standing lonely on a ridge,
Dolwyddelan Castle,
about a mile south of the ham-
let of Dolwyddelan (
&
01690/750366;
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk), was the birthplace
in 1173 of Llywelyn the Great, according to tradition. It was certainly his royal resi-
dence, looking out on the rugged grandeur of Moel Siabod peak. A medieval road
from the Vale of Conwy ran just below the west tower, which made this a strategic
site to control passage. To enter, adults pay £2.70, children £2.30; a family ticket
costs £7.70. It's open April to September, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday
from 11:30am to 4pm; off-season hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sun-
day from 11:30am to 4pm.
The mining village of Blaenau Ffestiniog is the eastern terminus for the scenic,
13
1
⁄
2
-mile
Ffestiniog Railway
19
, linking it with the slate port of Porthmadog. See
p. 727.
Llechwedd Slate Caverns
HISTORIC SITE There are 25 miles of tun-
nels and mine chambers buried in the great gray hill above Blaenau Ffestiniog, many
of them still part of a working slate mine that opened in 1846. At Llechwedd, you can
don hard hats to make two separate but complementary half-hour visits underground.
The
Deep Mine
takes you 122m (400 ft.) below ground on a self-guided visit helped
by eerie audio commentaries emanating from the darkness, and ends at a giant sub-
terranean lake. The
Miners' Tramway
starts with a ride about a half-mile into the
slate mountain, and continues with a more didactic talk on the geology of the mine
and the working life of the 19th-century miner. On a wet day in high season, arrive
early to minimize waiting times.
Blaenau Ffestiniog.
&
01766/830306.
www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk. One tour £10 adults, £9
seniors, £8 children 3-15; 2 tours £16 adults, £15 seniors, £12 children. Apr-Sept daily 10am-5:15pm,
Oct-Mar daily 10am-4:15pm. Beside the A470, 1 mile north of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
