Welsh Slate

This tour of the Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda, Gwynedd will take in the old workings at the North Quarry and current workings at the South Quarry. It will show the slate quarrying process and help you to understand the following topics: - The history of slate extraction and quarry development issues - Working practices and equipment used including block selection, sawing, hand and mechanical splitting, dressing and packing and storage. Plus opportunity for hands on slate splitting experience - Quality checking procedures and audit trail - Products produced including roofing products and aggregates The tour is by invitation only, it lasts approximately 2 hours and is limited to 8 people. Protective clothing and equipment will be provided, some areas will have uneven surfaces which may limit access. Attendees can be collected from Bangor Railway Station which is 20 mins away. Overnight accommodation at a bed and breakfast can be arranged.

This seminar is designed to help architects and specifiers to understand the provenance, manufacturing process and the potential applications of slate as a building material.  It will explain the advantages and problems with slate and clarify the difference between slates from around the world. The presentation will inform delegates of the variety of applications for slate and provide information on the standards, accreditations, classifications and fixing methods.  At the end of the presentation each delegate will have a good understanding of how slate can be used as a building material.