Today the Theme is Slate!

Today we aimed for Llyn Cwmystradllyn, which is picturesquely surrounded by mountains. We could see the remains of the Corseddau slate quarry which was active between 1859 to 1867, but never financially viable. We walked part of the "Corseddau Tramway", both at its Porthmadog and Lyn Cwmystradllyn ends. The tramway originally linked the slate quarry with the Slate Mill and Porthmadog. Using part of the tramway track bed we reached the Pont-y-Pandy Slate Mill (built between 1856-7 and now a Grade II* building in the care of CADW), which of course, we visited.

Felin Llechi "Pont-y-Pandy" Slate Mill

We then went around the northern rim of the lake and afterwards took afternoon tea at the "Café at the End of the Universe". (Apologies to "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy/Universe"!) This unexpected find was officially called "Tyddyn-Mawr" and translates as "Large Smallholding" (a name with a kind of contradiction!).

We had good weather on our walk as our view of Lyn Cwmystradllyn shows.

The weather was mainly dry and indeed, the sun greeted us quite often. However, the paths on the OS® map could not always be found in practice, so that our walk, while leading through pleasant landscapes, was not really circular as originally intended. We also met an interesting stile over a stone wall - steps one side and a sheer drop the other. Luckily, two of our party had long legs and could negotiate the steep drop and then act as supports for those with shorter legs! (See Footnote) All in a day's work!

The length of our walk was about 12 miles or 19 Km. Although our maximum height above sea level was about 236 m, our total ascent approached about ½ Km. (see Link).

Cwm Mawr

From Tremadog we started out on the track bed of the quondam Corseddau horse tramway, which used to bring slate from the Corseddau quarry - just beyond today's destination - down to Porthmadog. We then climbed through the woods and savoured the views of the coast towards Porthmadog and beyond, as well towards and including Criccieth Castle in the other direction. We then reached Cwm Mawr, a farm at the head of the valley with the same name. ("Cwm" means "Valley" and "Mawr", of course, means "Large").

We stop for a while on the track bed of the former Corseddau tramway.




Then we scale the heights and admire
the view across to Porthmadog, the coast and beyond.




Yes, the view is marvellous!




We can also look in the direction towards Criccieth Castle.
In this case, however, I gave preference to bringing
an august member of our group into the photographic limelight!




We head northwards taking in
the typically Welsh landscape - mountains, pastures and sheep.

Lunch by the Slate Mill

Eventually the ruins of the old slate mill came into view. They looked like a monastery or abbey that had fallen prey to Henry VIII's destructive purge of these centres of religious devotion. But no, it was a more recent structure - a Victorian structure from the age when slate was king in these parts. We decided to have lunch nearby, next to what looked like former workman's cottages.

Little did we know it, but we gained energy to conquer the stile just about to present itself to us. The stile was over a stone wall, and - appropriately - had stone steps on our side but there was a shear drop, devoid of steps, on the other side. As mentioned, luckily, two of our party had long legs and could negotiate the steep drop and then act as supports for those with shorter legs! (See Footnote). As we realized, it's good to be prepared for the unexpected, when improvisation saves the day!

Ahead, the Slate Mill arises from the morning mists.
It looks like one of the abbeys or monasteries wrecked and plundered by Henry VIII.




It seems to disappear into the landscape ...




... as we continue along the track bed of the Corseddau tramway.




We come up to what may have seen better days as workers' cottages.




The stones and boulders make ideal seats for having our packed lunches.
The (unique?) stone stile - steps one side and a sheer drop the other - awaits.

The Slate Mill

We had the chance to nose around the ruins of the Pont y Pandy Slate Mill, which was built to "service slate slabs" from Corseddau Quarry two miles away. The mill was built here (1856-1857) because the available water supply (from the Afon Henwy) could be used to drive the water wheel at the lowest level, which in turn powered the machinery elsewhere in the mill. When the Corseddau Quarry closed, it seems that the mill was used to service other quarries established in the direction of Cwm Pennant to the north west.

Slate was brought by horse tramway to the top storey. The finished products (slate slabs e.g. for tiles, flag-stones, dairies and sanitary ware) were removed from the lower floor on the other branch of the horse tramway. Latterly, the mill was used for eisteddfods until the roof was removed in 1906. Did someone have the roof taken down because he or she didn't like the singing? As mentioned, what's left of the mill is now a grade II* monument in the care of CADW. Just a bit of history, if you are interested! Being naturally inquisitive, of course you are!

From the distance, when we saw it in the landscape,
we thought the mill might be the ruins of an old abbey or monastery.




The pit, centre left, housed the over-shot water wheel.




The arches look a tad Roman.
Their shadows on the grass below mark the place where
the finished slabs and other processed slate slabs were loaded onto the tramway wagons,
and taken by horse power to Porthmadog.




Here we are at the point where the upper branch of the horse tramway
brought the raw slate into the upper storey of the mill.
We made sure not to lean on the rusty bars!




Here is a sideways view of the mill.
The upturned slate slabs, in the lower front of the picture, mark the edge
of the path of the upper branch of the horse tramway.
Here, as mentioned, the raw slate was brought from the quarry (or quarries) into the mill.




Here one of our group walks along the lower branch of the horse tramway,
along which the finished slate items (e.g. slabs and blocks) were taken from the mill.




The lower arch on the right seems to span an additional water course which
feeds into the pit where the water wheel was situated.

I wonder if the recessed round space above the window at the top of the mill originally housed a clock to encourage good timekeeping.
Above it is what looks like a chimney. Heat must have been generated in processing the slate, although natural planes of cleavage were probably useful in splitting it.




Here is another view of the surrounding countryside
as seen through the "Roman-style" arches of the Mill.

Mind those rusty railings!
They might disintegrate if you lean on them! Unhealthy Consequences!

Tyddyn-Mawr - Tea and the Lake

After the Slate Mill we continued along the track bed of the former Corseddau horse tramway. We decided to circumnavigate the lake, our Llyn Cwmystradllyn. We may have decided this, but only got around the northern edge before the path petered out. Where did it go to? Had the rest of it sunk beneath the waters of the said lake? We never found out.

Anyhow, it was time for tea. After all, we had unexpectedly found a "Café at the End of the Universe". (Apologies to "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy/Universe"!) This unexpected find was officially called "Tyddyn-Mawr" and translates as "Large Smallholding", which looks like a contradiction in terms! The café's owners spoke to us about what winter was like in these parts. One could be cut off for days and it was important to get in sufficient supplies of food and other necessities of existence. In hot weather, it was important to stock up with enough water because the water from the mountains can run dry. No water, no tea.

After our tea we did try and find a footpath to make our walk circular, but find the path we could not!! Map or no map! To avoid the interesting but unconventional wall stile, we went along the quiet road to the Slate Mill and re-joined our original path after there.

We have left our footpath and approach Tyddyn-Mawr.




The garden of the café has tables for enjoying
the landscape and a nice cuppa and cake at the same time.




So it's time for some refreshment and ...




... to learn some things from the café owner.
Life in winter, life in summer and life speaking Welsh. All part of our education!




Here is another view of the conveniently sited "Café at the End of the Universe".




We then try and make our walk circular,
with perhaps an anticlockwise circum-navigation of the lake.




The scenery is nice even if our mission was not crowned with ultimate success!




So we went around the northern part of the lake.




Here we come!




The path leading to the southern part of the lake has disappeared (under the water?).
Let's regroup for a breather.




We have reached the eastern end of the lake. The footpath has vanished.
The scenery is nice. Time to make tracks for home.

Slate Mill Revisited

The footpaths we had wanted had done a disappearing act. We thus walked a while along a very quiet road, past the other side of the Slate Mill, and I managed to get some more piccies, of our walks and of the said mill. On the way we enjoyed - and were suitably fortified by - the bar of Green's® Organic Dark Chocolate, which Adrian had kindly donated to our group. After that, Helen deduced that we could re-join our original footpath near the stone marked on the map as "Meini Hirion (Stone)". And re-join the path we did. Thanks, Helen for your sharp observation which got us off the - albeit quiet - road! We then knew the footpath, which was the one we had come on in the morning. We worked our way back to Cwm Mawr and our descent to Tremadog.

As we make our way back, the Slate Mill comes into view.




Onwards we go, ...




... getting closer to the Slate Mill.




As we get close up, we can really appreciate
the impressive monument to Victorian industry.




Now you know the Welsh for "Slate Mill". It's "Felin" for "Mill" and "Llechi" for "Slate".
I bet the word "Llechi" was used to exhaustion around these parts.
"Pont y Pandy" means "Bridge the Fulling Mill"; in English, "Fulling Mill Bridge".
Perhaps the slate mill was originally a fulling mill.
Anyway, it's interesting to see how other languages work!
Well, I, in my humble way, think so.

Descent to Tremadog

After Cwm Mawr we found our path down to Tremadog. Going down a path often looks different to going up the same path. So it was this evening. The pictures you see show us taking extra care as we go down the rocky path. Balance is vital and stretching out one's arms appropriately can help to maintain the said balance.

After Cwm Mawr we find our path of descent.




It's rocky and stony, ...




... so some careful balancing is needed.




We are almost down in the valley
and our tramway path into Tremadog and to Porthmadog.

Our Evening at the "Golden Fleece"

For our second and final meal together, most of us met in the "Golden Fleece". A few formed a breakaway group and dined separately at the Union Inn opposite. We certainly had had an adventurous weekend and there was much to talk about - including future away breaks!

Table 1: Raise Your Glasses!




Table 2: Raise Your Glasses!




Table 2: Raise Your Glasses Again!
Apologies! I didn't quite get you all in this time round!

And so it's Goodbye until our next CLOG away break! Thank you Georgina!  Thank you event organisers! Thank you everybody!

Footnote:   An Honest Admission! In my humble way, today I realized once again that footpaths on an OS® Map (however good the map may be) may not always accord with reality or even exist! Such is life! Still, we had a good day out with good exercise and views and a liberal sprinkling of history. Importantly, everyone was happy - at least I think so! Eric.