Workshops

Location

Located to the south of the slate mill on Level VI (Bonc yr Offis) of Pen-yr-Orsedd Slate Quarry.

History

Original workshop of c1900 extended and re-clad c1937-8. The quarry opened c1816 when it was worked by William Turner. In 1863 it was bought by W A Darbishire & Co., after which it underwent substantial modernisation, reflected in the use of both water and steam power. During the 1890s about 450 men worked here; it finally closed in 1997.

Exterior

Roughly square complex of workshops, the principal building aligned approximately north-east to south-west. This is a c1900 steel-framed corrugated-iron clad structure of 6 bays with a barrel-shaped roof; it has been clad c1937-8 in sawn slate blocks with 3 large raking buttresses on the south-east side. Projecting at right-angles to the north-west are 3 parallel ranges of c1937-8 constructed of sawn slate blocks with gable-ended slate roofs, probably on the site of earlier buildings, containing the foundry, woodworking shop and stores; brick chimneys. Foundry has continuous ridge light; other lighting mainly through bands of long horizontal windows under the eaves; main doors are horizontally sliding. The 3 subsidiary ranges enclose a small courtyard on the north-west side, closed off by a high slate wall with an entrance gateway. On one side the yard has a row of large slate-slab bins, presumably for storage.

Interior

The foundry has a 3-bay roof with tie beam trusses; king-post roofs to remainder. The original machinery and fittings survive remarkably intact and include tuyere hearths, woodworking equipment, storage racks, an overhead gantry crane and 2 railway lines with a small locomotive table.

Reason for designation

Listed, despite their condition, as a remarkably complete example of slate quarry workshops with much of their original machinery intact, forming part of a larger group of roughly contemporary quarry buildings on this site.