Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Wooden chair, painted dark red, that was used in one of Dinorwig Quarry’s incline winding huts.

Dinorwig Quarry had a series of inclines - inclines were an inventive, cost effective way of transporting slate down the mountain. It worked on a very simple principle - loaded wagons would travel down the incline, and their weight would haul empty wagons back up to the quarry using the force of gravity. Dinorwig Quarry had four main series of inclines – the ‘A’ inclines (operating from the Gilfach Ddu to the ‘Garret’ section of the quarry); the ‘B’ inclines (mainly ‘tank’ inclines situated in the middle section of the quarry); the ‘C’ inclines (operating from the ‘Hafod Owen’ section to the ‘Braich’ section of the quarry); and the ‘V’ inclines (operating at Vivian Quarry).

‘Brakemen’ controlled the operation of the inclines, and a small building was often located next to the winding drum to provide shelter to the brakeman. This chair was used in one of these shelters on the ‘A’ series of inclines.