Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
North-eastern aerial ropeway revetment, incline and associated buildings
Llanllyfni, Gwynedd, Wales
A Grade II listed building in Nantlle, Llanllyfni, Gwynedd, designated on 21 July 2000.
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Industrial
- Date of designation
- 21 July 2000
- Locality
- Nantlle
- Community
- Llanllyfni
- Unitary authority
- Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 53.05530, -4.23778
- Cadw reference
- 23688
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1795 map "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1795 · To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most… (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales)
- 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1896 · Sheet 7. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1899 · 118 Nevin (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 9 and 10. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Location
Located above the east side of the North Dorothea Slate Quarry between Pen-y-Bryn to the north-east and the ruins of the former slate mill to the south-east.
History
The Dorothea Quarry in the centre of the Nantlle Vale was opened in 1829 by William Turner and John Morgan. From 1853 until its closure in 1970 the quarry was owned by the Williams family. The reveted structure and incline are shown on an Ordnance Survey map of 1889. The purpose of the revetment was to house engines which drove chain or cable inclines at an angle of about 45 degrees, enabling quarry wagons to be pulled up and let down using further cables.
Exterior
Large ziggurat-like structure of sawn slate blocks, aligned roughly east-west. The sides are strongly battered with offsets on the north face; remains of slate-built structures on top at south end. Projecting from the south end, in a north-westerly direction, is a slate-built inclined plane with the remains of a winding house at its head.
Reason for designation
Included as one of a pair of large and unique aerial ropeway revetments, impressive for the scale of their engineering and having strong group value with the Cornish beam engine house at this important C19 slate quarry.
Scheduled Ancient Monument (No.199).
Nearby in the register
- Strainer arches and retaining wallsIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Pen-y-brynDomesticunder 1 mi
- Cloddfa'r Lon Slate QuarrySlate Millunder 1 mi
- Nantlle Railway and Old TalysarnRailwayunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.