Braichgoch Slate Mine

Braichgoch Slate Mine was a large slate mine located in Corris Uchaf, north Wales. It was worked continuously from 1787 until closure in 1970, apart from a hiatus in the 1900s. Most of the surface workings of the quarry were removed as part of a road widening and landscaping scheme in 1983. Part of the underground mine workings are now open to the public as the King Arthur's Labyrinth tourist attraction. The landscaped site is also home to the Corris Craft Centre.

History

Slate quarrying in the Corris district dates back to the 14th. century when the Foel Grochan quarry at Aberllefenni is believed to have first been worked.

In 1787, David Williams leased the quarrying and mineral rights at Gaewern and Braich Goch from John Edwards, representing the Vanes Estate. It is not certain when quarrying began on this land, but certainly slate extraction had started by 1812. The early mining took place at Gaewern, the northern of the two quarry areas, under the auspices of the Merionethshire Slate Company.

It was not until 1836 that quarrying began at Braich Goch proper, under the name the North Wales Slate & Slab Company. By 1838 the lease, still from (now) Sir John Edwards, was expanded. In 1840 an incline was constructed to easy movement of slate within the quarry. In 1843 the company surrendered the lease to Arthur Coulston a civil engineer. He obtained a new lease directly from the Vanes Estate, thus removing the sub-leasing arrangement with John Edwards.

Meanwhile the neighbouring Gaewern quarry was struggling and in 1848 the Merionethshire Slate Company was dissolved after the discovery of serious financial mismanagement. In 1853 the property was taken over by a company known as the Alltgoed Consols who also owned the Ratgoed Quarry. They restarted quarrying at Gaewern.

In 1851 new partners were brought in to the North Wales Slate & Slab Company, which was reformed under the name Braich Goch Slate and Slab Company. However an attempted floatation of the company failed to attract enough investors and the partners were brought out by John Rowlands, who owned Gaewern and Ratgoed quarries through the Alltgoed Consols. At this time Braich Goch quarry included 2 waterwheels, 6 planning machines, 9 sawing engines, 2 miles of tramway and inclined planes and 6 hand sawing machines amongst other equipment.

By 1856 shareholders in the Alltgoed Consols were increasingly discontented by the lack of profits from the three quarries.

In 1859 the Corris Tramroad opened, connecting the Corris district with Machynlleth and the River Dyfi beyond. The Birley family saw the opportunity of this new transportation route for improving profitability of the local quarries and purchased the lease for Braich Goch from Rowlands, forming Braich Goch Slate Quarry Ltd. Rowlands continued with Gaewern, though without financial success and in 1868 sold it to the Talyllyn Slate Company. That same year employment at Braich Goch had grown to over 200 men. cite book|author=Richards, Alun John |title=Slate Quarrying at Corris |publisher=Carreg Gwalch |id=ISBN 08363812791 |year=1994]

Transport

By the mid 1840s, Braich Goch quarry maintained a wharf at Machynlleth, slate being shipped there by horse cart.

Braich Goch was connected to the Corris Railway via the horse-worked Upper Corris Tramway.

References

External links

* [http://www.kingarthurslabyrinth.com King Arthur's Labyrinth]
* [http://www.ecodyfi.org.uk Eco Dyfi Valley Partnership]
* [http://www.corriscraftcentre.co.uk Corris Craft Centre]