Discover Tanygrisiau: Slate Mining, Railways and Walking Trails

When looking for a hotel in Tanygrisiau, you can plan your stay around the themes that define the area: slate mining, The Quarryman route and walking trails with different destinations. The places and routes described each have their own highlights: preserved structures and traces of quarrying, tunnels and a railway spiral, or paths by the lake, high above the village and to structural remains. This lets you plan your trip according to whether you are most interested in mining history, a railway route or walking.

Slate mining and preserved traces

“Cwmorthin slate quarry, mine, railway and ancillary features” is designated as a Scheduled Monument. The surviving remains of Cwmorthin Quarry include surface buildings, inclined planes, spoil heaps and a quarry railway. The quarry lies between Cwmorthin and Tanygrisiau. Its mining heritage therefore encompasses more than the site of extraction: buildings, landforms and the quarry railway are also among the preserved traces.

Cwmorthin Quarry was established as an open quarry in 1810 and became an underground operation in the 1860s. These two dates mark different phases in its development: first open extraction, followed by underground operations. Those interested in industrial history can consider not only the preserved structures but also how the method of extraction changed over time.

Railway route by the reservoir

The Quarryman reaches Tanygrisiau station at the upper end of the Llyn Ystradau reservoir. The route to Tanygrisiau follows the reservoir, passes through a long tunnel and loops around a spiral near Dduallt. This sequence is easy to distinguish from the quarry remains when planning your visit: here, the focus is on the station at the upper end of the reservoir, as well as the water, tunnel and railway spiral. If you are particularly interested in railway routes, this one offers a distinctive view of Tanygrisiau and its surroundings.

Choose walking trails by distance and destination

Two trails can be compared by distance and destination. The Afon Cwmorthin Trail is a varied, 1.5-mile route that passes Tanygrisiau Reservoir and continues to a footbridge over the Afon Cwmorthin. The Dolrhedyn & Afon Barlwyd Trail runs high above Tanygrisiau through tunnels beneath the Ffestiniog Railway and is two miles long—half a mile longer. They differ both in the stated distance and in their notable features: one leads to the footbridge over the river, while the other stands out for its elevation and tunnels. Check trail conditions before setting out on either route.

The Cwmorthin Trail follows the shore of Cwmorthin Lake. Another walking trail through Cwmorthin Valley follows an old tramway past Llyn Cwmorthin to a ruined chapel. The route to Rhosydd Quarry passes the ruins of an old mill. Wrysgan Quarry offers a different highlight: this disused upland slate mine lies high above the village of Tanygrisiau. Together, the trail descriptions offer different points to consider when choosing a route—from lakeshores and old transport routes to mill ruins and an upland mine.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Beddgelert, Aberllefenni, Aberdovey, Ffestiniog, Llanllyfni, Pwllheli, Sarn Meyllteyrn, Deiniolen

For the broader travel overview: Gwynedd.