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Alexandra quarry

Dyffryn NantlleSlate industry in WalesSlate mines in GwyneddUse British English from July 2022
Quarry pool (geograph 5803711)
Quarry pool (geograph 5803711)

Alexandra quarry was a slate quarry in North Wales, on the slopes of Moel Tryfan in north Gwynedd. It was part of one of the major slate quarrying regions of Wales, centred on the Nantlle Valley during the 19th and 20th centuries. Output increased when a connection to the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways branch to Bryngwyn was created. It closed in the late 1930s, but was subsequently amalgamated with the Moel Tryfan quarry, and production continued until the 1960s.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Alexandra quarry (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Alexandra quarry
Cae Fron,

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Wikipedia: Alexandra quarryContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.083 ° E -4.2117 °
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Address

Cae Fron
LL54 7BN
Wales, United Kingdom
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Quarry pool (geograph 5803711)
Quarry pool (geograph 5803711)
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Nearby Places

Y Fron
Y Fron

Y Fron, also known locally as Cesarea, after the chapel, is a country village on the south-west side of Moel Tryfan, overlooking the Nantlle Valley, in North Wales, near Rhosgadfan and Carmel, on the tail of Mynydd Mawr, with epic views of Trum Y Ddysgl and Craig Cwm Silyn. It is in the community of Llandwrog. During the 19th century (1890s) the nearby Moel Tryfan slate quarry was a significant local employer along with a few other quarries in the local area. During this time, Y Fron was home to a bustling community and had several commercial outlets; Butcher/Abattoir, General store, Shoe shop, Post Office, Bakers, Barber, Chip shop, furniture store. Although Moel Tryfan quarry is closer to Rhosgadfan, the railway track which carried slate to Slate Quay in the Royal town of Caernarfon passed through Y Fron and around to the area called "Drumhead" near Bryn; (the road between Y Fron and Rhosgadfan). Some of the slate waste heaps or Slag heaps that were left behind from hundreds of years of mining are now being put to use as materials for roads. In 2002 the Moel Tryfan quarry was used to film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The village school, Ysgol Bronyfoel, was established in 1844 as the first school in the Nantlle Valley. It has a sloping football pitch and a small play park attached. The school closed its door for the last time in July 2015 after being open for a 171 Years. Supported by money from the Big Lottery and the Welsh Government, the local community has converted the former school into a Community Centre called Canolfan Y Fron complete with café, shop and bunk house. The historic 'Cesarea' Chapel was demolished in 2009. Capel Bwlch-Llyn is now the only surviving religious building left standing in the village. (There may have been 3-4 chapels here in the past) The village attracts many walkers throughout the year, who begin their venture towards Mynydd Mawr and eventually around Snowdonia and onto Trum Y Ddysgl and Craig Cwm Silyn. Annually, during the spring (April), Y Fron plays host to a small endurance race called Ras Mynydd Mawr; Big Mountain Race. The race begins, with registration at the local school, Ysgol Bronyfoel and continues to the peak of Mynydd Mawr, which is approximately 3.75 miles, raising 1500'.

Waunfawr railway station
Waunfawr railway station

Waunfawr is a station on the narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway, which was built in 1877 as the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Moel Tryfan Undertaking, to carry dressed slate to Dinas Junction on the London and North Western Railway. Passenger services ceased on 26 September 1936 and the station was reopened on 7 August 2000 following the reconstruction of the railway from Dinas to Waunfawr. The train services are operated by the Festiniog Railway Company. "Waunfawr" is Welsh for "Big Heath". In 2000, in order to remodel the layout of the station, the old building was carefully taken down. Although carefully dismantled by the WH Heritage Group, the numbered and stored stone was inadvertently used as fill for the embankments, or to build a stone wall, by the contractor. Following reconstruction, the section from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu was formally reopened by the Prince of Wales on 30 July 2003. Prince Charles travelled from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu by special train. The station flower and shrub beds were laid out and are maintained by the local community enterprise charity, Antur Waunfawr. The Snowdonia Park Hotel adjoins the station and was built originally as the station master's house. Entrance to and exit from the station platform is by way of the hotel car park. The station footbridge links with a car park and a caravan park. Snowdonia Sherpa Bus services call at the station. In 2018–19, after a substantial donation, the station building was rebuilt in the style of the original NWNG building of 1877, but to modern building standards.