Mines in Gwynedd

Gwynedd's mining heritage splits between two very different industries: the Dolgellau gold belt, whose mines — including Clogau — have supplied the gold for every British royal wedding ring since 1923, and the vast slate quarries of Snowdonia, among them Dinorwig, once the second-largest slate quarry in the world. Copper was worked here too, at sites like Sygun near Beddgelert, possibly since Roman times. Slate from Gwynedd's quarries roofed buildings across the world, and the region's industrial slate landscape was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Open the full map for the year filters and disasters.

Mine	Worked	Commodities
Abercorris Slate Quarry	Mid-1840s–Early 1950s	Slate
Abercwmeiddaw Slate Quarry	1840s–1938	Slate
Aberllefenni Slate Quarry	By 1500–2003	Slate
Alexandra Quarry	1861 (lease)–1914 (closure)	Slate
Benallt Mine	1886–December 1945	Manganese
Blaen y Cwm Quarry	c. 1818–8 May 1914	Slate
Blaenycae Quarry	Around 1830–1930s	Slate
Braichgoch Slate Mine	1787 (lease)–1970 or 1971	Slate
Britannia Copper Mine	Around 1800–1916	Copper
Bryn Eglwys Quarry	1847–1946	Slate
Cambergi Quarry	1875–c. 1900	Slate
Castell Carn Dochan Mine	1862-63–1904 or 1905	Gold, Silver
Cefn Coch Gold Mine	1843–1914	Gold
Cilgwyn Quarry	worked from the 12th century–1956	Slate
Cloddfacoed Quarry	late 18th century–1940s (acquired, unworked)	Slate
Clogau Gold Mine	1854–1998	Gold, Copper
Coedmadoc Quarry	from by 1870s	Slate
Coetmor Quarry	Before 1850–1860s (absorbed by Pantdreiniog)	Slate
Conglog Quarry	1854–1910	Slate
Croesor Quarry	1846–1930	Slate
Cwm Ebol Quarry	From around 1860–1906	Slate
Cwm Eigiau Quarry	Before 1840–1885	Slate
Cwmorthin Slate Mine	1810–1997	Slate
Cwt-y-Bugail Quarry	c. 1840–1961 (sporadic extraction to 1972)	Slate
Cymerau Quarry	Around 1860–October 1946	Slate
Dinorwig Slate Quarry	1787–1969	Slate
Diphwys Casson Quarry	1760s (Methusalem Jones)–1925 (sources differ)	Slate
Dolfrwynog Mine	By 1824–1860s	Copper, Gold
Dolgoch Quarry	January 1868–April 1884	Slate
Dorothea Quarry	1820s–1970	Slate
Drws-y-Coed Copper Mine	Medieval (recorded 1284)–1903	Copper
Fron-Boeth and Pant Mawr Quarry	Around 1850–1918	Slate
Gaewern Quarry	1787–From 1884	Slate
Gartheiniog Quarry	1873 (exploration)–October 1937	Slate
Glasdir Mine	From c. 1852 (surface)–1915	Copper, Silver, Gold
Gloddfa Ganol Quarry	to 1997	Slate
Glynrhonwy Quarry	early 1700s (Lower Glynrhonwy)–25 January 1930	Slate
Gorseddau Quarry	1854–c.1867	Slate
Graig Ddu Quarry	c.1800–1946	Slate
Gwynfynydd Gold Mine	1863 (discovery)–1998	Gold
Hafodlas Quarry	from Working by the early 19th century	Slate
Hafotty Manganese Mine	December 1885–1894 (underground)	Manganese
Hendreddu Quarry	1856–1941	Slate
Llechwedd Slate Caverns	1846–1970s	Slate
Llwydgoed Quarry	—	Slate
Maenofferen Quarry	After 1800–1998 (production)	Slate
Maesygamfa Quarry	1860s–1909 (closure)	Slate
Manod Quarry	1780s–1960	Slate
Marchlyn Quarry	to 1969 (with Dinorwic)	Slate
Minllyn Slate Quarry	Before 1793–1925	Slate
Moel Tryfan Quarry	1745 (lease)–1972	Slate
Moelwyn Quarry	1841–1897	Slate
Nant Gwrtheyrn Quarries	1851–1939	Granite
Nyth-y-Gigfran Quarry	Worked from around 1840–1870	Slate
Oakeley Quarry	1818–1969 (underground)	Slate
Palmerston Quarry	1825 (Welsh Slate Company lease)–1883	Slate
Pantdreiniog Quarry	From around 1825–1930	Slate
Pen-y-Bryn Quarry	By 1808–1950	Slate
Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry	1816–1979	Slate
Penrhyn Quarry	1770s–Still active	Slate
Plassddu Quarry	from By 1855	Slate
Prince Edward Gold Mine	1895–1935	Gold
Prince of Wales Quarry	1873–By 1886	Slate
Ratgoed Quarry	Before 1844–1946	Slate
Rhiwbach Quarry	Around 1812–1952	Slate
Rhosydd Quarry	From 1840–1948	Slate
Sygun Copper Mine	18th century–1903	Copper
Tal-y-sarn Quarry	1845–1934	Slate
Tonfanau Quarry	1892–1998	Granite
Trefor Granite Quarry	1850–1963	Granite
Turf Copper Mine	Early 19th century–By mid-19th century	Copper
Tyddyn Gwladys Mine	Before 1862 (lead and zinc)–1887-89	Gold, Lead, Silver, Zinc
Tymawr East Quarry	Around 1860–Around 1910	Slate
Tymawr West Quarry	By 1860s–1930s	Slate
Vigra Mine	1833–c. 1910 (little work after 1879)	Gold, Copper
Vivian Quarry	1870s–1960	Slate
Votty and Bowydd Quarry	c. 1800–1963	Slate
Vron Quarry	By 1815–1950	Slate
Wrysgan Quarry	1830s–1946	Slate