Votty & Bowydd

The remains of the maincable-worked-incline flight through Votty & Bowydd quarry
Location
Location	nearBlaenau Ffestiniog
County	Gwynedd
Country	Wales,UK
Production
Products	Slate
Type	Quarry
History
Opened	1870 (1870)
Active	1870 - 1962; 1980s - present
Owner
Company	Greaves family

Votty & Bowydd quarry (also known asLord quarry)^[1] is a majorslate quarry in the town ofBlaenau Ffestiniog,North Wales. It was one of the major users of theFfestiniog Railway. It opened in 1870 In the quarry's peak years around 1900, the quarry produced around 17,000tons-per-annum (15,000tonnes-per-annum) of slate, employing 500 men. It continues to produce crushed slate on a limited scale under the ownership of the nearbyLlechwedd quarry.

To the north east of the town ofBlaenau Ffestiniog is the valley ofCenunant y Diphwys. The land was owned by Lord Newborough, Glynllyfon (this is why Bowydd quarry is sometimes calledLord quarry). In the 1760s men from the long establishedCilgwyn quarry nearNantlle started quarrying in this area, which was known for its slate beds. The exact location of this original quarry has been obliterated by subsequent mining activity, but it is likely that it was on the site ofDiphwys Casson quarry, near the boundary with Votty & Bowydd.^[1]

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The Bowydd quarry was first commercially worked by John Whitehead Greaves ofBarford,Warwickshire, in 1833; it had previously been worked on a small scale from c.1800s, but not commercially. Greaves also later founded the nearbyLlechwedd quarry, in 1846.^[1]

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The Votty quarry was first commercially worked in the 1850s, by the Percival family, fromNorthampton; it also had previously been worked on a small scale since the c.1800s.^[1]

In 1870, the Votty and Bowydd quarries merged.^[2] The new (merged) Votty & Bowydd quarry was owned by the Percival family, who continued to own it, latterly with others, until 1933.^[1] By 1882, the merged quarry was producing nearly 12,100 tons of slate and employing nearly 350 men. Its peak output, at the end of the nineteenth century, was over 17,000 tons annually and employing 500 men.^[2]

In 1899, a major roof collapse occurred at the quarry, on floors A, B, and C, in the Old Vein and Back Vein workings beyond chamber 6.

In 1899-1900, Votty & Bowydd became the first quarry in North Wales to undertake a significant electrification scheme, building a hydro-electric power station at Dolwen.^[1]

After theFirst World War, the slate industry declined. Votty & Bowydd was acquired in 1933 by the owners of nearbyOakeley quarry. It continued to be worked until 5 October 1962 when it was closed down.^[3] The company was liquidated in 1964.^[4]

The workings were sold to the owners of the adjacentMaenofferen quarry, which in turn was acquired by the Greaves family, owners ofLlechwedd quarry. Since the mid-1980s, Llechwedd has beenuntopping the Votty & Bowydd underground chambers.^[1]

The Bowydd quarry was primarily anopen-cast quarry. The Votty quarry was furthereast and considerably lower, and was anunderground mine. After the upper Votty chambers reached the lower workings of the Bowydd quarry the quarries were combined and further working was primarily underground.^[1] The main adit was on the office level at the top of an incline fromDuffws station. The adits on the higher levels were mostly abandoned before the Second World War.^[3]

Votty quarry, which operated from 1830,^{[citation needed]} never had any direct rail access, the slate being brought out via Bowydd. In 1854 a direct connection from Bowydd quarry to the Festiniog Railway was made by anincline, though in 1863 this was replaced by the Rhiwbach No. 1 incline of the newly constructedRhiwbach Tramway. By 1880 most slate was going out by a connection made part-way down the Diffwys incline.

The followinglocomotives are known to have worked at Votty & Bowydd:

Media related toVotty & Bowydd quarry at Wikimedia Commons

• Slate mines in Gwynedd
• Ffestiniog Railway
• Railway inclines in Wales

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