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[Pic 1] Allt Ddu Quarry - Transporter incline winding house (Aug 1982)

North west of the main Dinorwig Quarry workings (and close to the village of Dinorwig) lies the old Allt Ddu quarry - or at least it used to until intensive landscaping obliterated all traces of it in the mid 1980's. Prior to this there was a host of interesting remains to be seen - including a great example of an incline that uphauled product from a connection to Chwarel Fawr quarry (located slightly to the north west) using a side loading transporter.

Pic 1 (above) shows the ruins of this inclines winding house* shortly after it had virtually been demolished and its drum removed. Note the old incline in view behind the winding house was redundant prior to the first world war, being replaced by a steeply rising tramway connection to the 'Village branch' line that connected Allt Ddu with the Dinorwic mills.

* There is a fine photo of the intact remains of this winding house on Page 35 of 'Delving in Dinorwig' by Douglas C. Carrington / Published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch

[Pic 2] Allt Ddu Quarry - The big embankment and tunnel to Allt ddu pit (Aug 1982)

One connection into the big deep Allt Ddu pit was via a short tunnel through an impressive embankment (see Pic 2 above) which led to a steep uphaulage incline from the pit bottom. Another route was through a long tunnel (on a lower level) who's entrance was on a level with, and slightly east of, the base of the transporter incline to Chwarel Fawr (mentioned above) which was used to uphaul useable product, while waste from this level carried on along the lengthy Domen Fawr waste tip. Note: The short tunnel is just in view (lower centre) behind the overgrowth and the rusting remains of an old car.

[Pic 3] Allt Ddu Quarry - Looking west along the waste tips (Aug 1982)

Pic 3 (above) shows the view west from around the Allt Ddu mills area (these mills were disused by 1870*) with the tramway connection from the 'Village branch' line coming in on the left. The small building in the distance was, presumeably, a weighbridge. The length of this tip, and the even more impressive Domen Fawr tip below it, used to serve as a measure of the extent of the excavations that had taken place over the years in both Allt Ddu and Chwarel Fawr.

* Source: Gazeteer of the Welsh Slate Industry / Alun John Richards / Published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch.

(Continued on Page 2)

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