Welsh Slate

This tour of the Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda, Gwynedd will take in the old workings at the North Quarry and current workings at the South Quarry. It will show the slate quarrying process and help you to understand the following topics:
- The history of slate extraction and quarry development issues
- Working practices and equipment used including block selection, sawing, hand and mechanical splitting, dressing and packing and storage. Plus opportunity for hands on slate splitting experience
- Quality checking procedures and audit trail
- Products produced including roofing products and aggregates

The tour is by invitation only, it lasts approximately 2 hours and is limited to 8 people. Protective clothing and equipment will be provided, some areas will have uneven surfaces which may limit access. Attendees can be collected from Bangor Railway Station which is 20 mins away. Overnight accommodation at a bed and breakfast can be arranged.

This seminar aims to provide an understanding of the quality criteria required to specify natural slate as well as practical advice on design.