Slate has always figured highly in the history of mankind and is valued to this day for its waterproof, fireproof and aesthetic qualities. Small scale slate quarrying had been taking place in this corner of Wales from medieval times. These quite shallow excavations gave way to the beginnings of an industrialised process in 1816 when the boom in building, spawned by the growth of towns and cities across the world, caused an upsurge in demand. At the time of the boom, Pen yr Orsedd quarry, which at its peak would employ around 450 men, would have dominated every aspect of life in Nantlle.
