Bronze Age Gold from Wales

An auction catalogue listing lots for sale at the Dinorwic Slate Quarries. The catalogue lists lots which were to be sold on Friday 12th December, 1969, and Saturday 13th December, 1969, by the auctioneers Edward Rushton Son a Kenyon. The auction was held at one of the quarry’s large saw sheds, at the Wellington Level of the quarry.

Dinorwic Slate Quarries officially closed on the 22nd August 1969. From which date a receiver, Mr K.A.Millichap, was appointed to sell all the quarry machinery and fixtures and fittings. A total of three auctions were held to sell the quarry’s assets – one on Wednesday 29th October 1969, selling tractors, bulldozers, dump trucks, compressors etc; another which lasted two days, 12th and 13th December 1969, selling all the quarry and dry dock’s machinery, locomotives, spare parts, quarry stock, etc; and the third on Tuesday 23rd June, 1970, selling the 2,000 acres of land owned by the Dinorwic Slate Quarries.

Some of the lots listed in this auction catalogue e.g. lot 319, can be seen at the National Slate Museum. Many items were saved by Caernarvonshire County Council in order to establish a museum at the Gilfach Ddu workshops (now NSM).