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"Quarry Caernarfon", "Quarry Tommy", "Quarry Bach", "Gigfran quarry", "Quarry Forever", "Pwdwr quarry", and "Plain quarry" redirect here. For other uses, see Caernarfon, Tommy (disambiguation), Bach (disambiguation), Nyth-y-Gigfran quarry, Forever (disambiguation), and Quarry (disambiguation).

The slate quarries at Cilgerran are various former slate quarries, around the town of Cilgerran, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom. They were mostly situated on the south side of the River Teifi's gorge.[1] They played a significant role in Wales' slate industry, being the only significant quarries in South Wales apart from those around Rhoshill.

The quarries' produce was mostly transported to the port of Cardigan for export[1] by sea, although some was used for buildings within the town,[citation needed] or exported directly by railway for use within Britain.[2] Wharves were built east of the town on the River Teifi (at 52°03′25.7″N 4°36′54.7″W / 52.057139°N 4.615194°W / 52.057139; -4.615194 (Cilgerran Wharves)), to load slate into boats for transport to Cardigan.[3]

There were two groups of quarries at Cilgerran – the ones north of the town, known collectively as the Forest quarries(sometimes spelled as Fforest quarries), and those to the east of the town, around Cnwcau, sometimes called the Town quarries.[4] The Forest quarries were almost immediately opposite (the other side of the Teifi Gorge from) Rhoshill.[5]


History

[edit]

Slate was first quarried at Cilgerran by John Edwards, in the late 1790s. He opened a quarry north of the town, in the land known as 'Forest' (near the Caernarfon Farm), called the Lower quarry or Forest quarry – at the site of what became Quarry Caernarvon. Later, with his two sons John and Thomas, Edwards opened another quarry slightly higher up the river, known as the Gigfran quarry ('Gigfran' is Welsh for 'Carrion crow').[5] Soon afterwards, John Bowen opened the Plain quarries, and around this time the Castle quarries and Moses' quarry were also opened, by George John and David John, and Moses Griffith, respectively.[5] Upon the death of John Edwards (around 1830), Thomas Lloyd, of Coedmawr, and Oliver Lloyd, of Cardigan, acquired the Lower quarries, and began expanding them on a large scale. However, they sold the quarries soon afterwards, to James Stephens, of Llechryd.[5]

In c.1837,[2] another quarry was opened in the 'Forest' estate, by Mr. James Mathias of Cilgerran. It was called 'Quarry Forever', and situated adjacent to Gigfran quarry. About the same time, Gigfran quarry became exhausted and was thus given up.[5] The industry peaked in the late 19th century, its continuance until that time supported by the coming of the railway in 1869.[2]

List of quarries

[edit]
Name Coordinates OS grid reference Source
Forest quarries, Fforest quarries, or Lower quarries [6]
Quarry Caernarfon 52°04′28.7″N 4°38′34.6″W / 52.074639°N 4.642944°W / 52.074639; -4.642944 (Quarry Caernarfon) SN 18895 45150 [7][8]
Quarry Tommy 52°04′19.4″N 4°38′28.2″W / 52.072056°N 4.641167°W / 52.072056; -4.641167 (Quarry Tommy) SN 19006 44858 [9]
Quarry Ffynnon 52°04′23.6″N 4°38′29.5″W / 52.073222°N 4.641528°W / 52.073222; -4.641528 (Quarry Ffynnon) SN 18986 44989 [8]
Quarry Bach 52°04′17.3″N 4°38′22.7″W / 52.071472°N 4.639639°W / 52.071472; -4.639639 (Quarry Bach) SN 19109 44790 [8]
Gigfran quarry 52°04′10.1″N 4°38′17.8″W / 52.069472°N 4.638278°W / 52.069472; -4.638278 (Gigfran quarry) SN 19194 44564 [8]
Quarry Forever 52°04′07.5″N 4°38′17.0″W / 52.068750°N 4.638056°W / 52.068750; -4.638056 (Quarry Forever) SN 19206 44483 [8]
Town quarries
Cefn quarry 52°03′21.2″N 4°37′05.2″W / 52.055889°N 4.618111°W / 52.055889; -4.618111 (Cefn quarry) SN 20521 43004 [8]
Plain quarry 52°03′17.8″N 4°37′15.8″W / 52.054944°N 4.621056°W / 52.054944; -4.621056 (Plain quarry) SN 20315 42906 [8]
Pwdwr quarry 52°03′17.5″N 4°37′40.4″W / 52.054861°N 4.627889°W / 52.054861; -4.627889 (Pwdwr quarry) SN 19847 42914 [8]
Dolbadau quarry 52°3′18.5″N 4°37′44.8″W / 52.055139°N 4.629111°W / 52.055139; -4.629111 (Dolbadau quarry) SN 19764 42947 [10]
Cilgerran Castle quarries 52°3′24.2″N 4°37′58.7″W / 52.056722°N 4.632972°W / 52.056722; -4.632972 (Cilgerran Castle quarry) SN 19506 43133 [11][8]

Geology

[edit]

The slate quarried at Cilgerran is from the upper part of the Nantmel Mudstones Formation.[12] This slate formed in the Ashgill part of the Ordovician era,[13] which lasted from approximately 448 to 443.8 years ago.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Cilgerran Slate Quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Tucker, Gordon & Mary (1983). Griffith-Jones, Bill (ed.). The Old Slate Industry of Pembrokeshire and Other Parts of South Wales. Vol. XXIII/2, Winter. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales journal.
  3. ^ "Cilgerran Wharves, River Teifi". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Cilgerran Gorge". Cadw. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e Phillips, John Roland (31 December 1867). History of Cilgerran. Russell Smith. pp. 165–167.
  6. ^ "Forest Quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Quarry Caernarfon, Fforest Quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Waters, R.A.; Davies, J. R.; Prigmore, J. K. (1997). "A geological background for planning and development in the Afon Teifi catchment" (PDF). British Geological Survey (Technical Report WA/97/35). Contributors: R M Carruthers, B C Chacksfield, L M Coleby, J R Hallam, R E Heaven, P R N Hobbs, K J Northmore, N S Robins, S J Self, P Shand and P R Wilby. Keyworth, Nottingham. pp. 92–96. Retrieved 18 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Quarry Tommy, Fforest quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Dolbadau Quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Cilgerran Castle Quarries". National Monuments Record of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  12. ^ Waters, R.A.; Davies, J. R.; Prigmore, J. K. (1997). "5.3: Solid Rocks". A geological background for planning and development in the Afon Teifi catchment (PDF) (Technical Report WA/97/35). Contributors: R M Carruthers, B C Chacksfield, L M Coleby, J R Hallam, R E Heaven, P R N Hobbs, K J Northmore, N S Robins, S J Self, P Shand and P R Wilby. Keyworth, Nottingham. p. 31. Retrieved 18 June 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Waters, R.A.; Davies, J. R.; Prigmore, J. K. (1997). "4.2: Nantmel Mudstones Formation (Ntm)". A geological background for planning and development in the Afon Teifi catchment (PDF) (Technical Report WA/97/35). Contributors: R M Carruthers, B C Chacksfield, L M Coleby, J R Hallam, R E Heaven, P R N Hobbs, K J Northmore, N S Robins, S J Self, P Shand and P R Wilby. Keyworth, Nottingham. p. 23. Retrieved 18 June 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Category:Slate mines in Pembrokeshire Category:Cilgerran

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