Glyn Rhonwy RAF Bomb Store

Glyn Rhonwy, a photo by [davidrobertsphotography] on Flickr.

A visit today (in appalling weather) to the former RAF Bomb Store in Llanberis.

In 1939, The Air Ministry took over the former Slate Quarry at Glyn Rhonwy for use as an Ammunition Store. They built a two storey concrete building within the former quarry and piled 40 feet of slate waste on top to disguise it. Unfortunately, a poor design meant that a large section of the building collapsed, burying thousands of tonnes of ammunition and an entire train. As 20% of the entire RAF ammunition supply was stored here, this was a major calamity. The collapsed section was cleared but not rebuilt. The site continued in use until the 1950s. Then it was discovered that hundreds of tonnes of faulty explosives etc had been simply dumped in the lakes by the sides of the quarry. This resulted in a major clean up operation which lasted until 1976. The site is now awaiting development.

Full information about this site can be found here:
www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/llanberis/index.shtml

Maenofferen Slate Quarry

Maenofferen, a photo by [davidrobertsphotography] on Flickr.

An exploration this weekend of the vast abandoned Maenofferen Slate Quarry at Blaenua Ffestiniog. Once one of the largest slate quarries in the area, it eventually closed in 1998.

The large complex of buildings where the slate was cut and dressed remains intact, even down to narrow gauage railway engines and wagons standing as they were left on the final day. Time, theft and vandalism have taken their toll but much still remains and the quarry is an important relic of the industry that once employed thousands of local men.







A full photo tour of Maenofferen can be found on my Flickr website at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davellandudno/sets/72157629875750261/

Bad Day for Piers..

Blue Skies, a photo by [davidrobertsphotography] on Flickr.

The news that the Heritage Lottery Fund have declined to contribute £4.9m towards the restoration of Colwyn Bay Pier is certainly a setback to community group Shore Thing's plans, but not a fatal one.

Personally, I think Shore Thing would be better served just harnessing the goodwill within the community and get stuck in to tidying the pier up and getting the shoreward end building reopened - it's tatty, certainly, but perfectly usable with a few repairs. Get the cafe going again (maybe in the old bar area to take advantage of the panoramic views), get the tackle shop reopened to bring in some rent, have a display of plans/ideas for the pier, an art gallery etc etc. All this could be done for a few thousand pounds and some volunteer labour.

Surely a display of effort and enthusiasm from the local community would make organisations such as the HLF far more likely to contribute in future?