Votty & Bowydd Quarry

Votty & Bowydd Quarry (sometimes historically known as Lord Quarry) is a major slate quarry in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales. It was one of the major users of the Ffestiniog Railway. It continues to produce crushed slate on a limited scale under the ownership of the nearby Llechwedd quarry.

To the north east of the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog is the valley of Cenunant y Diphwys. In the 1760s men from the long established Cilgwyn quarry near Nantlle 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 of Diphwys Casson Quarry near the boundary with the Votty & Bowydd Quarry.

Votty & Bowydd was formed in 1870 when the neighbouring Votty and Bowydd quarries were merged. By 1882, it 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.

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

After the First World War, the slate industry declined. Votty & Bowydd was acquired in 1933 by the owners of Oakeley Quarry. it continued to be worked until 1962, when it was closed down, and the company was liquidated in 1964. The workings were sold to the owners of the adjacent Maenofferen Quarry, which in turn was acquired by the Greaves family, owners of Llechwedd quarry. In recent years, Llechwedd has been untopping the Votty & Bowydd underground chambers.

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

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