Cwmorthin | alan frost photography

Cwmorthin slate quarry in Snowdonia – the upper section

My last post gave a description of Cwmorthin slate quarry and included a number of photographs all taken in the lower section of the valley. You can read this entry here. The upper section is reached from the valley by walking up a fairly steep and long path, but it is well worth the effort. Here there are the remains of more buildings, old machinery and large pieces of slate, set into the ground like tombstones; memorials for the miners who once worked here and gave their lives to this dangerous industry.

A note about processing – This post and the one before it, have a total of ten images all were taken on the same day in similar light and depict the harsh and rather bleak environment of Cwmorthin slate quarry. When grouping images such as these together, I recognise the importance of consistent processing to produce a harmonious set of images. However these photographs were not all processed at the same time. Some were done many weeks ago, others more recently to complete the set. Initially there was a lack of consistency in my approach. I had not used a particular preset, so I found it more difficult to achieve the look I wanted. Having compared and then tweaked all the images, I finally applied a split tone, as I felt this was warranted. In my view it would add something to the look and feel of the photographs, with the aim of reflecting the atmosphere of the location.

Cwmorthin slate quarry in Snowdonia – the lower section

Cwmorthin Quarry – a bleak and now lonely place – previously a place of great activity, endeavour and danger, as miners went about their difficult and very physical work in many miles of dark, wet tunnels below the surface. As I sit at my desk in a warm, well lit room, with a hot cup of tea for sustenance, typing these words on a Mac keyboard, I find it very hard to imagine what life would have really been like for the people who lived and toiled here many decades ago.

Cwmorthin is a substantial Victorian-era slate mine above the village of Tanygrisau, close to the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales. Having left my car in a small car park, I together with a few other photographers walked up a fairly steep incline until we reached Llyn Cwmorthin, a lake overlooked by some derelict buildings which at one time were the barracks for the mine workers. Work on the mine first began in the early 1800’s, with heavy underground development starting around 1860. Some access to the mines is still possible but I for one was very happy to stay above ground, take in the atmosphere, and try and reflect my feelings for this harsh environment through my photography.

Although mine workings largely came to an end in 1970, some small scale mining still took place in the 80’s and 90’s eventually ceasing altogether in 1997. Flooding in mines was always a problem, so large pumps were used to remove water from the many miles of tunnels on a number of floors. Wall and roof failures were a constant hazard for the mineworkers and it’s of no surprise that numerous chambers have collapsed preventing access to large parts of the mine.

The photographs in this entry were taken either by the lake or along a wet and stoney footpath, lined by a slate fence, which took us past a chapel with only a pair of conifers for company. Sadly the roof had been removed from the chapel in fear I guess that it might collapse and be a danger to visitors. Later we climbed a long and fairly steep path to the upper section of Cwmorthin Quarry and this will feature in a future entry.