Overview

PHOTO 1. Tanygrisiau =========== TANYGRISIAU is a small village on the outskirts of Blaenau Ffestiniog in the county of Gwynedd, north wales. ( it is pronounced as “ Gwin eth “ PHOTO 2. The stepped slopes above the village. ========== it lies in Snowdonia. The name may well mean “under the steps” which refer to the stepped cliffs above the village, a popular training area of rock climbing. It lies at the height of 640 ft (195m ) and the village dates back to 1750. PHOTO 3. Main Road in TANYGRISIAU ============= TANYGRISIAU was a slate industry village, built to house miners employed by the near quarries that line the famous railway line from Blaenau Ffestiniog, through TANYGRISIAU and onward to the coast at Portmadog. It consists of many miners cottages, with an old post office hardware store and typical groceries. The main church stood on the corner junction. It is famous for its black slates, as well as its blue slate, used world wide. The main quarry stands above the village at Cwmorthin, on the southern area of Cwmorthin lake. They started quarrying here in 1810, when a small mine was opened, and the veins of the mine sloped downwards at between 20 and 45 degrees, so a need had to be found to quarry underground. However, the mine was closed by 1830. Ten years later in 1840, it opened again under new management. Around 1859 the quarry was being worked by a group, and they leased a wharf at Portmadog harbour in 1860. sometime after 1861, the Cwmorthin tramway was built, a two-rope railway incline was built so that slates could be carried downhill to connect the quarry with the Ffestiniog railway, at a newly built station at TANYGRISIAU. These ruins of the old mines can still be seen today. The slates were now split and dressed to form roofing slates, at a small mill up on the eastern shore of Cwmorthin lake, eventually a second mill was built further down the valley to make use of the stream water running out of the lake that was used to feed a water wheel here. On the walk up from the village, amoungst the waste slate, you can see the ruins of these mills, as well as a few ruined old cottages. Some 96,000 tons of slate left the quarry netween 1861 and 1876, indicating that around one million tons of slate were extracted, and the waste still lines the mountain top of Cwmorthin. However, the quarry gained a reputation because of the poor working conditions, and gained the name of “the slaughterhouse” as 21 deaths were reported in Cwmorthin. Many of the stone houses lying below the lake at Dolrhedyn were built to house the workers, and following my birth, my own family lived at Dolrhedyn terrace during the 1940’s, although the family did not work for the quarries. During 1897 some 290 miners were employed, the majority working underground, but by 1970, as its main owners of Oakeley quarry closed, Cwmorthin was sold off separately, and only a few men worked on a very small scale, until all work ended in the 1980’s ================================= PHOTO 4. Narrow gauge railway =========== The narrow gauge Ffestiniog railway, which carried the dressed slates from Cwmorthin to Portmadog harbour had built a small station at TANYGRISIAU, which opened in March 1866, with a paid station master who had been employed by April 1871, and he had a small office where he lived. However, a stone built station building, a a small house was then constructed in 1879, the material used for these buildings came from the slate rubble. Six years later, the official passenger service began to be run. When first built the line had three different levels The first which was in use from 1836, was built during the horse drawn tramway ere, and had a continuous downhill gradient so that once the slate train left from Blaenau it would run non stop all the way down to the sea harbour at Portmadog. The horses would have been loaded into boxes, and workers would have to jump aboard by stepping into the open air wagon compartments, holding on to seats while the train continued moving along, because it was doing so by the gravity of the downhill slope. For the return journey, the wagons were pulled uphill by the horses. The second alignment was built in 1852, which then saw the end of the horse drawn era, for then steam trains had taken over. This line had a more suitable alignment, and had been built slightly higher than the first line. During the Second World War, Ffestiniog lost many miners having been sent to war, so the quarries suffered because of their loss, and many mines now started to be closed. TANYGRISIAU station closed on 15th September 1939, and by 1949, the main Ffestiniog railway was finally stopped, as the industry had suffered while many miners serving in the war died. From then on the narrow gauge railway line was left to rot away, and the station became a Shell, before finally being pulled down after 1960. . . ==. ========================== PHOTO 5 Dolrhedyn terrace =========== During the boom years of slate mining in the 1800’s many of my own family line had moved to Blaenau to take advantage of the work available, my grand father working at Oakeley quarry when he was a young man, my grand mother moved from Harlech when the married, and shortly afterward they bought a small shop and post office in Blaenau, and I was then born there. We moved up to Dolthedyn after my father left the forces in 1945. PHOTO 6 and 7 Tanygrisiau school =========== I attended school at TANYGRISIAU when old enough. ============================== PHOTO 8. FFESTINIOG HYDROELECTRICITY POWER STATION =========== When a young man, and having left Blaenau, all my holidays with my family was spent at Blaenau, and I was so disappointed when land at TANYGRISIAU was flooded to make way for the Ffestiniog power station to be built. Work commenced in 1957, with the building of roads required for the dams, then work could start on the pumped two reservoirs required to supply water to the power station. The upper reservoir was created by building a dam at Llyn (lake) Stwlan, high on the slopes of the mountain Moelwyn Mawr ( large or big) PHOTO 9. The lower dam =========== This was created with the building of a dam on Llyn Ystradau at TANYGRISIAU Which then flooded the land now holding the disused Ffestiniog railway line. This concrete gravity dam is some 1800 fr long, 82 feet high from its base. PHOTO 10. The reservoir ============ Several streams run into the reservoir, helped by the annual rainfall of 85 in 2160 mm. The main power station had to have 140,000 tons of rock removed to accommodate the vertical shafts needed below the operating level of the power station as this would be operating the generators needed. It was finally opened on 10th August 1963 by Queen Elizabeth 11. PHOTO 11. Water pumped up to Moelwyn Mawr. ============ How it operates is by the use of water which is pumped up from the lower reservoir and then up to lake Stwlan during the night for around six or seven hours,and a further four hours during the day. PHOTO 12. The reservoir ============= Although a tourist attraction when first opened, due to increased worries about being attacked nowadays, it can no longer be visited, nor can the drive up to the top dam be made anymore, although many visitors will still visit the area to see the dams and the power station. PHOTO 13. Car park and cafe ============== There is a car park available before you reach the power station, with very good views over the dam and power station, and lovely mountain range views. Now a problem became evident. During 1952, plans had been produced to restore the Fffestiniog railway, but the building of the new power station and its lower dam, would mean the old line could not be used as it would then have been underwater when the reservoir would be completed, so the railway took on what would become the longest legal British case in history, demanding compensation for the loss of the railway line, and it was not until 1972 the case was finally settled. However, the restoration went ahead, and the first passenger train from Porthmadog ran to Boston Lodge ( the maintenance depot for this railway line ) on 23rd July 1955. Repairs completed on the double Fairlie train Talisman, meant the trip could then be extended to Minfford station on 19th May 1956 ( my Grand mother at one time being head mistress at the school here). On the 5th June 1957 a ride could be taken along to Penrhyn, and finally up to Tan-y-Bwlch on the 5th April 1958. This was the terminus for many years, and in 1961 while on holiday with my wife to be and her parents, I took my last ride on the Ffestiniog railway. PHOTOS 14 and 15. TANYGRISIAU terrace ================ A year later, my new wife and self enjoyed our honeymoon at TANYGRISIAU Terrace at my grand mothers cottage in TANYGRISIAU terrace. Between 1965 and 1978 the long 2 1/2 mile length of track had to be built so as to reach TANYGRISIAU. Why this long for such a short trip ? Because a completely new line had to be constructed, which would now be higher up than the two previous routes because of the reservoir that had flooded the old line, which allowed the power station to be built. After leaving Tan-y-Bwlch station, the next stop was at Ddualtt, opened on 6th April 1968, and from here on a remarkable and unique spiral formation was constructed, which included a bridge, that formed a circular rode by raising the new line by 35 feet (10.7m ) to climb above the old flooded track. Then a new tunnel had to be built to replace the old Moelwyn tunnel, which had to be lined with a liqued cement reinforced steel mesh, now known as “shotcreting” This new line had an uphill gradient with a steep incline. Finally, on 24th June 1978 the narrow gauge railway reached Tanygrisiau. PHOTOS 16 and 17. Tanygrisiau station ================= The newly built station here housed a temporally second hand wooden hut with a shop, and a portable wooden toilet, and remained the terminus until 25th May 1982, until the completion of the full line into Blaenau Fffestiniog a number of years later. Today it has stone built buildings that are more modern, but keeping the old historical look of the past. It is now only a halt station, and passengers are required to hold an arm up to attract the driver, and to advise the company you intend to board or alight. ========================================= Blaenau has one of the highest rainfalls In wales, and this ready supply of water allowed the Hydro power station to be built here. It was commissioned in 1963, the first pumped storage system in the UK. The dams allow water to run down through large pipes to the lower dam, that formed the basin of Avon Ystradau lake. PHOTOS 18, 19 and 20. Llechwedd caverns ==================== High above Blaenau Ffestiniog, at Llechwedd, there is still a working quarry, but today this land is more famously as a tourist destination, with visitors able to ride into the depths of the earth at the slate caverns situated here. Also here you will find a number of downhill mountain bike trails that are well used. You will also find a kilometre zip-wire ride, SEE PHOTO 19, And you can just make out two riders racing along the line. However, this unique visitor attraction also holds a deep mining tour experience that can transport you 500 feet into the earth, along caves and 10 tunnels, and has an underground lake, these areas lit up by suberb electric lightening. You can also enjoy an army truck ride to explore the old quarries. And then there’s the fantastic four wire zip-line where you can race each other over 1080m of wire at 60 miles an hour. The youngsters can enjoy “bounce below” a six netted unique trampoline style thrill, which takes in a walk along the giant spiral, and a slide down 4 slides. For all the family, there’s Evan a 18 hole “ underground golf” course. FIND OUT MORE AT “zipworld.co.uk

Transport & Parking

Not easy to get around as the village has unattractive narrow streets, lined with houses, and packed with local cars. However, a disabled person can enjoy the sights and see the history of the village.

Access

Difficult, so best to stay in car as you drive around

Toilets

Staff

Photos