Collections Online

Map showing the names of f Dinorwig Quarry 'ponciau' (galleries).

A ‘ponc’ is a gallery or step on the mountainside where the quarrymen would work. The ‘ponciau’ (gallery) system was an effective way to work the rock with the quarrymen able to work upwards and backwards at the same time to get to the slate. Ponciau (galleries) were first introduced at Penrhyn Quarry during the 1780s, and subsequently other slate quarries in the area followed the same pattern of work.

The ‘ponciau’ (gallery system) was adopted by Dinorwig Quarry in around 1809, and by 1830 approximatley five ‘ponciau’ (galleries) were being worked. By the 1960s there were about 60 of them, covering over 700 acres of land.

Each ‘ponc’ (gallery) had a unique name. Ponciau were named after: Old smallholdings e.g. Muriau, Hafod Owen, and Pant y Ceubren; Countries and places e.g. New York, California, Llangristiolus; Personal names e.g. family members of the quarry owners, the Assheton Smith family - Veronica, Enid, and Matilda; Special events and dates e.g. work began at Ponc Wembley around 1923/4 - the same year Wembley stadium was built; Biblical names e.g. Toffet.

In 2020/21 a former Dinorwig Quarry quarryman set about recording the original names of the ‘ponciau’ (galleries) in map form, working with other former quarrymen to record as many names as possible. This map is the fruit of their labour.