: Slate Development

I know, archaeology is not something you would automatically associate with the Slate Museum – it’s usually geology! But in December, three volunteers joined us to take part with the archaeological surveying required for the enabling works of the redevelopment project at National Slate Museum, Llanberis.

Archaeology Wales were commissioned to survey and record two features at the Gilfach Ddu workshops, where the museum is based. They were recording a post-1970s staircase in the Foundry, and original railway tracks outside in the yard. This surveying is required due to the Gilfach Ddu workshops being a listed building, and to ensure anything changed during the redevelopment project is recorded. The staircase is being replaced with a more accessible and safer design, whereas the railway tracks will be replaced once drainage has been installed beneath them. 

Three volunteers, Nicola, Donna and Shay, joined buildings archaeologist Emily to draw and photograph these features, creating a permanent record for the future. This provided volunteers with a good base of knowledge of buildings archaeology and how to survey features by drawing and photographing. It also gave a great opportunity to learn about the Slate Museum redevelopment and the improvements being made. 

DIOLCH Nicola, Donna a Shay! 

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The project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Government via Cyngor Gwynedd as part of the Llewyrch o'r Llechi project, Welsh Government including the Community Facilities Programme, the Wolfson Foundation and The Garfield Weston Foundation and other funders. We are extremely grateful to all our funders for their support. 

It's been an extraordinary twelve months for the National Slate Museum Redevelopment Project. 

Since we temporarily closed our doors in November 2024, the team has undertaken the incredible feat of preparing the museum for redevelopment. 

We've been successful with a hugely ambitious £12m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This, together with the investment from our other supporters, has finally enabled us to realise the full ambition of the project.  

We've safely packaged  and moved our collections to their temporary home at Llandygai Collections Centre and we've appointed MPH Ltd as lead contractor and started the exciting and highly specialised work of conservation and repair on site. 

During the enabling works phase, we've seen the demolition of the old shop and café buildings in preparation for the new developments on site. It has been incredible to see these parts of the site temporarily returned to how they looked when the workshops were in operation.

Our staff and collections have taken the museum experience beyond the museum walls into partner locations across the World Heritage Site with our ambitious 'Museum on the Move' campaign. Some of our staff are located at the Quarry Hospital here in Llanberis where we've introduced a new Museum character - Margaret the Matron!  Our slate quarrymen have made themselves at home in their temporary location at Penrhyn Castle, a powerful and symbolic moment for the story of slate and its place in the history of our local communities here in northwest Wales. Our Blacksmith meanwhile has a space at Crefft Migldi Magldi in the slate quay in Caernarfon working alongside another young Blacksmith. 

We've also been working very hard on designs for some of the key areas for reinterpretation in the Museum which has been very exciting. 

Below is a list of some of the things that have taken place thanks to the dedication of our extraordinary team and wider partners. 

• 123 people attended our Silent Spaces Tours of the Museum before closing. 
• 27,643 people have visited our semi-permanent locations
• We’ve been to 19 community events where we’ve met and engaged with 1068 people. 
• 1,115 children have enjoyed our digital and in person Learning activities including the Quarryman’s Day, the waterwheel challenge and 'Strike!' 
• We used 1,734 cable ties to label all the original nails in the walls of the Museum. 
• 165 objects have been boxed up at the Museum to protect them from damage.
• We've packed away 13,208 objects to our new collections centre in Llandygai by 
• The collections team have hosted 13 visits to the Llandygai Collections Centre and provided guided tours to 119 people.

It feels like a good time to pause, reflect and celebrate what we have achieved over the last year but the pace of the project shows no signs of slowing! 

Over the next two years we will continue to evolve the visitor experience on site including the exhibitions that will define a truly world-class gateway to the world heritage site of the Slate Landscapes of North-West Wales alongside our partners across this special region. Watch this space! 

Telling a story is a complicated process - especially a Museum story! 

Objects, information panels and websites do a good job of giving information and films are invaluable at setting context - but what we all want to know more about are the stories of the people who were there at the time.  And there's no better way of doing that  than by bringing them back to life! (sort of!)   

Rhian Cadwaladr - a popular local actor, has been telling 'stories' and creating 'characters' at the museum for over 25 years, and her latest creation, Margaret the Matron, has recently taken up residence at the Quarry Hospital in Llanberis as the Museum is temporarily closed for redevelopment. 

Margaret (or Gladys as she was more popularly known) was quite a character! An excellent nurse but also an excellent singer. She worked at the Hospiatl for many years and Rhian has meticulously researched her history so that she's able to answer all visitor questions that might come her way! 

Rhian first worked with the Museum back in the autumn of 1997 when she was asked to become a character in the Museum’s then newly restored Chief Engineer’s house.  Over the years she has portrayed various characters from the original Elizabeth, the Chief Engineer’s maid,  to Hanna the Chief Engineer’s wife and Anti Marged, who brings to life the 'washday' for local schoolchildren. 

As Hanna, Rhian would tell people all about her life in the Chief Engineer's House and the many objects in it  – from the beautiful willow pattern crockery on the dresser to the handmade rag rugs on the floor. She would also draw attention to the ubiquitous SALEM painting on the wall – a common find in many Welsh homes circa 1919 due to the brilliant advertising mechanisms of sunlight soap! 

During Christmas events at the Museum 'Hanna' was often surrounded by families helping her to make Victorian oranges – leaving a gorgeous festive aroma through the house.

Whilst families enjoy these activities, they are learning that these  are places where people lived. Hanna spends a lot of her time making fires to warm the house and cook the food. She makes the rag rugs on the floor and polishes the brasses that have been passed down from generation to generation. Her favourite possession is the slate fan made by her father to show his skill as a quarryman. 

“Bringing our history to life, not only to generations of Welsh people but to people from all over the world has been an honour,” said Rhian, who is originally from the village of Llanberis and whose grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather worked at Dinorwig quarry. 

"People are so willing to imagine that they have stepped back in time and are meeting a ghost from the past - though I must admit some people, who have not expected to see me there, can be a bit spooked to start with!"

Another character Rhian brought to life with local schoolchildren is 'Anti Marged'.  These sessions focused on the traditional washday – from intense scrubbing with carbolic soap to pushing clothes through the mangle to drying and ironing – all centred around a warm coal fire of course and all a far cry from the convenience of our electric washing machines, tumble dryers and electric irons today. School children are always gob-smacked by the fact that the whole thing takes so long compared to the modern-day set-up!  

Another actor who has worked at the museum for a number of years is Leisa Mererid. Leisa would regularly take on the role of a 1901 housewife struggling to cope with the hardships brought about by the Great Strike at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda a difficult story!  Based in 1901 Leisa’s Quarryman husband is on strike – during the Great Lockout of Penrhyn Quarry. She has little bread on the table and life is generally a struggle. Most prominent in the house where she ‘lives’ is a large conch shell which she and others who are married to men who are on strike, hoot through at the men who have decided to break the strike and go back to work. They are ‘bradwrs’ (traitors) but as the sign in Leisa’s window states “Nid oes Bradwr yn y ty hwn” (There are no traitors in this house!) 

In May 2022, the National Slate Museum celebrated its 50^th birthday and introduced a new character – ‘Wil the Fitter’ – a former engineering fitter at the Gilfach Ddu workshops. The script for this was written by Rhian...and in 2024 Gwyneth was created - a character who was based in the 1969 House of the Fron Haul Quarrymen's Houses.

This Summer, as the Museum is temporarily closed for redevelopment, Rhian takes on the role of yet another character - Margaret the Matron at the Quarry Hospital, located in the shadow of the Quarry but overlooking the beautiful Padarn Lake. Here she tells people about the type of injuries and illnesses that are treated at the Hospital, the Doctors who treat them, the type of work the Matron and other staff carry out day to day and just how progressive this amazing community Hospital is. There are many sad stories to be heard but it's also a story of innovation and of a community working together to provide an essential service for the Quarrymen and their families. 

Said Elen Roberts, head of National Slate Museum:

“Being a museum actor is a hard role to take on! The depth of knowledge they have to accumulate is huge because the questions that can be asked are extremely wide ranging – from basics such as how to tell if the iron is hot enough to more complicated issues such as the political events of the day. We’re incredibly lucky to have such talented actors as part of our museum family; they’ve added so much value and enjoyment to thousands of visitors’ experiences over the years.”

Day 1 

What did we do today?

On our first day we went for a walk around the area expanding our understanding of the history of the quarries. In addition, we visited the Quarry Hospital learning more about illnesses and diseases that the quarries would face.

What skills did we learn from the experience?

School pupils had come to visit the Museum, so we learned how to work with visitors - especially younger children, and learned more about the area from listening to the presentation. While walking around the area, we certainly learned a lot more about the history of the quarries and the quarrymen.

Day 2

What did we do today?

Today we went to Penrhyn Castle. Here, we walked around the castle and watched a slate splitting demonstration. At the demonstration we learned more about the influence of slate, not only in Wales, but across the world. We also gathered feedback from viewers. While visiting the Castle, we discovered a bed made entirely from slate!

What skills did we learn from the experience?

When gathering feedback from the audience of the demo, we developed public engagement skills and received feedback and it was a means to gain confidence and communication skills.

Day 3

What did we do today?

A historic day today at the Quarry Hospital. We were able to expand our historical understanding of the hospital, the area, the quarries and the quarrymen. We then came back to the office to work on our blog and for a meeting.

What skills did we learn from the experience?

By working on the blog we have strengthened our design, proofreading and language skills. And of course, by spending time at the Quarry Hospital we were able to expand our historical understanding.

Day 4

What did we do today?

A historic day today at the Quarry Hospital. We were able to expand our historical understanding of the hospital, the area, the quarries and the quarrymen. We then came back to the office to work on our blog and for a meeting.

What skills did we learn from the experience?

By working on the blog we have strengthened our design, proofreading and language skills. And of course, by spending time at the Quarry Hospital we were able to expand our historical understanding.

Day 5

What did we do today?

Today we helped set up the Slate Museum stand for the Snowdonia Trail Marathon 2025. After that we came back to the office to finish our blog and the reels.

What skills did we learn from the experience?

By setting up the stall we strengthened our teamwork skills and our physical skills! By finishing the blog and the reels it allowed us to strengthen your editing and technology skills.

Head over to Facebook to see a Reel Cari and Mali made to document their time on work experience! 

In June 2023 Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru started a craft volunteering role to create 6 rag rugs for the education programme. We recruited 6 volunteers, and Isabel de Silva was part of the group. She started volunteering while she was finishing her master's degree at Bangor University, and her reason for volunteering was to gain experience for a job or career.

As well as creating rag rugs, Isabel and the volunteers had to engage with visitors at the Chief Engineer's House to explain how they were made and share the history of the tradition. When Isabel started volunteering, she was quite shy and lacked confidence. To work on this further, Isabel volunteered to help us at Christmas with rag wreath making workshops too – it was a busy and lively environment! Her confidence grew as she spoke to more and more visitors and dealt with the many questions about the rugs from enthusiastic visitors.

"Volunteering with the Slate Museum helped me to improve my confidence, improve my communication skills and learn a new practical skill." - Isabel de Silva

Isabel has since graduated and completed her master’s degree, and since gaining confidence and developing work skills, has now got a job with the Gwynedd Libraries Service and at Storiel, Gwynedd's museum and gallery. Isabel also completed a wonderful rug by herself by July 2024… it took a year of volunteering once a week!

"Through my volunteering I learned so much about the history of the local area, and the impact of the quarry on the lives of the people of North Wales today. That knowledge inspired me to do my part in preserving and sharing the history of Wales, and I have had the opportunity to do that through my job at Storiel." - Isabel de Silva