Travel — 27. May 25

Exploring North Wales in March 2025 — Dinorwig Slate Quarry (04/05)

A photographic recap of our five days exploring North Wales in March 2025. In this part (04/05), we explore the Dinorwig Slate Quarry.

After a slow morning and another lovely breakfast at our B&B in Betws-y-Coed, we packed our cameras and drove out toward Llanberis for a more relaxed day. The weather forecast showed clouds rolling in later that day, so instead of heading up into the mountains again, we decided to spend the day exploring the Dinorwig Slate Quarry — an area packed with industrial history and some unique scenery.

We parked at the National Slate Museum, which is a great starting point for exploring the area. From there, the quarry trail starts off gently, winding up through a forested path.

Before we go any further, a quick bit of background. Dinorwig Slate Quarry was once one of the largest slate quarries in the world. Slate from here was shipped all over the globe, especially during the 19th century. The quarry officially closed in 1969, but what’s left behind is quite impressive. Stacked slate piles, old machinery, workers’ barracks, tramway tracks, and many great views.

Our first stop was the Barracks at “Dre Newydd”. These were once home to the quarry workers who stayed up in the hills. You can walk between the buildings and imagine what life must’ve been like up there — especially during the colder months.

From there, we carried on up into the heart of the quarry. There’s a lot to see scattered around — old cable drum houses, winding gear, collapsed buildings, and dramatic cutouts in the slate. With the now cloudy sky, the scenery looked even more dramatic.

Eventually, we climbed up toward the Llyn Padarn Viewpoint, following a steeper track up the hill. From the top, you get a wide view over Llanberis, the lake, and even a glimpse toward the mountains beyond including Mount Snowdon, which we had plans to tackle the next day. We stopped for a quick lunch near the viewpoint and enjoyed the view

After exploring and walking a bit further into the quarry, the weather started to shift. The cloud cover thickened up, and the wind picked up a little, so decided to head back.

We headed back down the same route, taking it easy, stopping for a couple more photos along the way. The whole route only took a couple of hours, but it was precisely what we needed, a quieter, less intense day, but still full of interesting stuff to see, explore and take photos of.