Overview

This is a slate mining town that used to be in “Merionethshire” North Wales, but nowadays is in “Gwynedd” pronounced as ( GWIN - neth ) PHOTO ONE, The Welsh town of Blaenau Fffestiniog ========== The full name means “uplands of Fffestiniog” Broke down Blaenau. Meaning. “Uplands, or remote place” Ffestiniog. More than likely “Territory of Ffestin” who held land here. You would say as a Welsh person, BLI - NA. FFEST IN IOG PHOTO TWO. Slate quarry of Oakeley. =========== Slates have finished being in production now, so the town has become a tourist destination, where you may view the Slate quarries mines with its waste products. You can learn about the history of this world famous Black and blue mountain slate, that has roofed so many houses not just in Britain, but world wide. PHOTO 3. Born in this cottage on outskirts of town. ======== My Grandfather worked as a young man at Oakeley quarry, and I was born in a small cottage on the slopes of Oakeley. Many cottages like this were built to house the workers. Other quarries developed quickly, such as Llechwedd, which lies above Ffestiniog to the north, and the quarry at Cwmorthin, which lay west of town, and I lived here as a young child after moving the few miles up into the mountains and near the lake of Cwmorthin. PHOTO 4 and 5. Old train and slate wagons ============ The slates would have been transported along the narrow gauge rail PHOTO 6. Wagons standing at car park ========== These wagons stand alongside the main town car park, with a number of disabled spaces available free of charge for blue badge holders. There are public toilets opposite, near to bus station, and the car park overlooks quarries and those near to MANOD. During the Second World War, an unused quarry near here was used by the British government to house many of its treasures that were housed in London museums, and quickly removed from London to this quarry above Manod. ========================= Before 1750, when the slate industry came into use, Blaenau was a farming community, working the uplands of the mountains that surrounded the area. These were in the region of Snowdonia, and most the land were owned by large estates. Then as the slate came into demand, the town was built to support the miners and their families. During 1818, slate began to be quarried at Allt-Fawr owned by the Oakeley family, and ten years later, three quarries merged to form Oakeley quarry, and by 1878 it became the largest underground quarry in the world. PHOTO 7. =========== Crossing over High Street at the traffic lights, you pass the 40 feet high Slate structures that have been designed to showcase how the slate industry grew and helped the town to prosper, each of the structures hav poetry engraved on the slate. You will also see slate bands set in the pavements to help the thousands of tourists who arrive every year to see the history of the town. PHOTOS 8 and 9. Slate being used to produce household items =============== Recently, most of the slate is now being used to produce items that a household may need, and for decorative use, which can be seen at a small yard at the north end of town, turning left at the island. PHOTOS 10 and 11 ================ Ahead of the tall pillers, and by turning left by the bus stop you arrive at the Blaenau rail station, which holds the narrow gauge Ffestiniog railway line platform, which stands over to the left, and opened in 1836 to transport Slate from town to the coast at Portmadog. During 1865, the first passenger station was created, and these photos also show the main line platform for the train journey along the Conway valley to reach Llandudno. Sadly, the Second World War brought about the end of many mines still operating, so that by 1946, the Fffestiniog railway closed. Oakeley quarry finally closed in 1970, although a far smaller scale mine managed to survive until 2010. High above Blaenau, at Llechwedd, there is still a working quarry, but it far better known now as a tourist destination, where visitors are able to ride deep down into the depths below, at the slate caverns situated here. ( We include descriptions of various attractions at the quarry, on our REVIEW OF TANYGRISIAU, that will be our next review after this one ) The Ffestiniog railway re-opened as a tourist rail, very famous today due to the delightful journey you can take from Blaenau right down to the coast at Portmadog. Its platform stands next to the main line station, which originally was the terminus of the Great Western line, and for myself it was a route I often enjoyed in the past, catching the the steam train from Birmingham Snow Hill station, changing at Ruabon, then Bala, and across to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Another station stood at the northern end of Blaenau, and this line took you along to Betwys y coad, then along the Conway valley to Llandudno, but nowadays that station closed many years ago, and they diverted this line to now end at The town centre, next to the narrow gauge line. ============================== PHOTOS 12 to 15. Caffi break ================ Now it’s time for a coffee break, so cross back again over high street at the traffic lights and arrive at the small cafe. There is a narrow ramp available at the far end of the cafe on main road to get you up to doorway. Coffee was quite good, and hot. Food is available if needed. Notice the small old Welsh dresser, which many cottages in wales had in their homes. =============================== Blaenau has one of the highest rainfall in wales, and this supply of water allowed the Ffestiniog Hydro Power station to be built here, it was commissioned in 1963, the first pumped storage system in the uk. (Please read the history of the plant, on our review of TANYGRISIAU ) ========================================================================= PHOTO 17. The Moelwyn mountain range. ============= The Stwlan dam, built high up above the lake, holds the water Supply for Blaenau, built between the two mountains of Moelwyn Bach (small) and Moelwyn Mawr (large) The Ffestiniog railway ran across the fields below the mountains, but closed its station at TANYGRISIAU on 15th September 1939 and this quickly saw the final blow when the full line was closed in 1946. The land here was then flooded when the dam was built. So the railway line remained unused until it re-opened as the new line that opened as a tourist attraction with a small station being open at TANYGRISIAU on 24th June 1978. PHOTO 18, 19 and 20. Blaenau town centre ==================== The town has seen recent regeneration to the centre, although the old historical past can still be seen with its waste slate hills surrounding the town. The one Main Street remains as it was when Blaenau was first developed to cope with the huge influx of miners in the early 1800’s. But now a new bus station has been built, the railway station has been improved to allow visitors to come and enjoy the many surrounding attractions created to draw them in. If plans go ahead, they hope that Blaenau will have the uk,s first Velo-rail installed. This is a metal open ended platform pedal cart, adapted so that users can pedal along the former unused rail lines, taking about four passengers at a time for an enjoyable experience from the town centre. It means that two people will need to pedal while others, perhaps youngsters can sir alongside family members. This is very popular in France, so let’s hope Blaenau will soon introduce this to the uk. Trials have already been tested, when a short unused section of rail was cleaned and prepared, and supporters hope it will be in use shortly, although no dates have been suggested yet. Finally, Blaenau has a strong music tradition, starting in its old quarrying years, with male Voice choirs, brass bands, and a popular jazz scene. During the 1930’s my grand father was a conductor of the town choir, and my mother having a beautiful Welsh voice, allowed them both to represent Blaenau at the Esteddfod music festival, held in those days at Llangollen.

Transport & Parking

Nice smallish carpark in the centre of town, with disabled bays available

Access

Easy enough to get around, but payments can be a bit difficult at times on uneven ground

Toilets

Did not use

Staff

Not that friendly

Photos