Quarrying Collection (#6)

Quarryman drilling, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
A quarryman drilling into the rock at Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Bungalow with patterned slate roof, North Wales
A bungalow with an elaborately patterned slate roof, somewhere in North Wales where the slate is quarried

Foundry mark, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A foundry mark in the blacksmiths shop at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales

Carving a block, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A pattern maker carving a block in the machine shop at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales. The gear wheel is a wooden pattern to be cast later in the foundry

Window detail, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A window detail on the main workshop building at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales. Wooden patterns for the ironwork, including these frames

Lowering a tram, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
Lowering a tram full of slate onto the rails at Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. From here the slate will be transported to the dressing sheds

Llyn Padarn, Llanberis and Dolbadarn Castle, North Wales
View of Llyn Padarn, Llanberis and Dolbadarn Castle, with Snowdon and Elidir Fach, in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales

Workman pushing slate quarry tram, North Wales
A workman pushing a slate quarry tram with a large block of slate resting on top of it, somewhere in North Wales. These small trams can carry up to half a ton of raw slate

Tramway, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
View of part of the tramway at the top of Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales, with rope haulage and brake equipment

Slate tram and building, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
View of a slate tram and part of the main buildings at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales

Municipal bench, Nantlle Valley, North Wales
Close-up view of a municipal bench with a decorative iron dragon support, in the Nantlle Valley, North Wales. A pile of slate waste indicates that the bench is not far from a closed-down slate quarry

Slate fence and chapel, Corris, Gwynedd, North Wales
View of a fence made of slate, and a chapel building in the middle distance, in the village of Corris, in the historic county of Merionethshire, Gwynedd, North Wales

Gents toilet with slate roof, North Wales
A circular gents toilet, built in 1850 with stone walls and a slate roof, somewhere in North Wales where the slate is quarried

Young quarryman, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
A young quarryman waiting for the dust to settle after the rock has been blasted, at Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Two quarrymen, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
Two quarrymen, one young, one older, at Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Chapel building, Penyrorsedd, North Wales
A large chapel building at Penyrorsedd in the Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales, with a ramshackle stone wall and what looks like an old iron bedstead in the foreground

End of shift, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
Scene at the end of a days shift at the Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. Quarrymen climb a 360 foot wooden ladder out of the slate pit

Blondin system, Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, North Wales
View of the Blondin high wire and truck at Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Slate tram, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
View of a slate tram and part of the main buildings at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales

Stoking furnace, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A foundryman stoking the foundry furnace at Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales

Abandoned equipment near Penyrorsedd, North Wales
A steam Blondin winder, abandoned above Penyrorsedd Slate Quarry, Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. There is a pile of broken slate in front of it

Slate milestone, Pen y Gwryd, North Wales
A fine example of an early 19th century slate milestone, standing by the roadside at Pen y Gwryd, near Llanberis, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Penrhyn tomb, Llandegai Church, North Wales
Detail of the Penrhyn tomb in Llandegai (or Llandygai) Church, near Bangor, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. The tomb was sculpted by Richard Westmacott for the first Lord

Derelict slate workings, Nantlle Valley, North Wales
View through an open window of derelict slate workings in the Nantlle Valley, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. When an industry dies, the area dies too, and only the pollution is left

Slate milestone near Penmachno, North Wales
A slate milestone, probably early 19th century, near Penmachno, Betws-y-Coed, North Wales

House with decorative slate tiling, North Wales
View of the front of a house with decorative slate tiling, somewhere in North Wales. The house is double-fronted, but appears to be either terraced or semi-detached

Derelict building, slate quarrying area, North Wales
View of a derelict building in a slate quarrying area of North Wales. The roof of this house has several tiles (probably made of slate) missing

Slate roof, Blaenau Ffestiniog Slate Quarry, North Wales
Intricate patterning made from slate on the roof of an abandoned weighbridge building at Blaenau Ffestiniog Slate Quarry, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Slate covered bungalow, Porthmadog, North Wales
A slate covered bungalow in Porthmadog, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales. The town of Porthmadog developed in the 19th century as a port exporting slate to England

Cherubs on Penrhyn tomb, Llandegai Church, North Wales
A detail of cherubs splitting slate on the bas relief of the Penrhyn tomb in Llandegai (or Llandygai) Church, near Bangor, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Remains of a slate quarry, North Wales
The remains of a slate quarry in North Wales, with a mountain of slate waste, railway earthworks, retaining walls and walkways

Slate used on office building, Slate Wharf, Caernarfon
Terracotta, yellow brick and Caernarfon slate used on an office building on Slate Wharf in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales

Slate tiling, Blaenau Ffestiniog Slate Quarry, North Wales
Intricate patterning made from slate on an abandoned weighbridge building at Blaenau Ffestiniog Slate Quarry, Caernarvonshire (now Gwynedd), North Wales

Remains of Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
View of the remains of Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales. The National Slate Museum is nearby

Granite quarry, Aswan, Egypt
Granite quarry, Aswan, unfinished obelisk, 41.75 m = 137 ft, 1152 tons, cracked. If it had remained whole, it would have been the largest obelisk ever raised. Photograph by Lionel Coates

CHALK PIT
Working a chalk pit

Chalk Quarry
Quarrying chalk at Faxo, probably in Denmark

Stone Quarry France
A somewhat idealised quarry where the slate (french : ardoise) is cut out in neat slices and winched up to the surface

Bellers Nap Quarry
Working the stone quarry at Bellers Nap, Barrow, Gloucestershire

Penrhyn Quarries - 1
The slate quarries at Penrhyn, Bethesda, Anglesey, Wales. (1 of 3)

Penrhyn Quarries - 3
The slate quarries at Penrhyn, Bethesda, Anglesey, Wales. (3 of 3)

Gilmerton Quarry
Working the quarry at Gilmerton, Tayside (Scotland)

French Stone Quarry
Horses drag a wagon-load of stone from a French quarry : a massive windlass is used to raise the stone from the workings to the road

Penrhyn Quarries - 2
The slate quarries at Penrhyn, Bethesda, Anglesey, Wales. (2 of 3)

QUARRYING / 1867
A view in the Carrara, the Ravaccione Quarries

Carrara marble, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

Men walking past clean faces for block extraction in granite quarry, Budduro, Sardinia, Italy, Europe

Pneumatic drilling of blast hole, Nantlle Slate Quarry, Snowdonia, north Wales, Wales, United Kingdom, Europe

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Quarrying, a timeless practice that has shaped landscapes and fueled industries for centuries. From the rugged Polkanuggo Quarry in Stithians, Cornwall to the picturesque Buddon Wood in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, these locations hold stories of labor and perseverance. In September 1902, at Polkanuggo Quarry in Stithians, Cornwall, the air was filled with anticipation as workers prepared to extract precious materials from deep within the earth. The echoes of their tools reverberated through time, leaving behind a legacy etched into the very fabric of this historic site. Meanwhile, in Dinorwig Slate Quarry nestled amidst North Wales' majestic scenery, a lone figure tirelessly toiled against nature's might. With each strike of his pickaxe and every load he carried on his back, he contributed to an industry that built nations. Venturing further south along England's coast lies Pulpit Rock - Portland Bill. Here stands a testament to man's ingenuity as quarrying techniques were employed to shape nature itself into magnificent structures that defy gravity. Moving westward towards Bethesda in Snowdonia lies Penrhyn quarry - an awe-inspiring sight that stretches as far as the eye can see. This colossal slate quarry holds its place among giants and remains one of Wales' most iconic landmarks. General view of Dinorwig Slate Quarry showcases not only its sheer magnitude but also highlights how human determination can conquer even the harshest terrains. It serves as a reminder that our quest for resources knows no bounds when it comes to shaping our world. Wheal Coates Mine in St Agnes tells tales of Cornish miners who delved deep underground searching for tin treasures beneath their feet. Their bravery and resilience are forever etched into this coastal landscape where history meets natural beauty. Across borders we find ourselves transported to Apuan Alps in Tuscany where blocks were meticulously cut from marble quarries, destined to be transformed by the hands of masters like Michelangelo.