The Miners' Tramway
Hear about early health and safety!
Join one of our friendly and knowledgeable guides as Dewi our little Yellow Train takes you on a journey of nearly half a mile into the Mine. The Guide will introduce you to the techniques of working underground over 150 years ago and tell you tales of the harsh working conditions – the very tunnel you enter is where men first dug the ground for slate here at Llechwedd.
Huge fortunes were won and lost in the slate trade of the nineteenth century and our Llechwedd slate went around the world – starting on the Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog before being shipped to Germany, the United States and beyond.
So how did they get the slate out of the ground before the powerful machines of today were invented? Learn about the tools and explosives they used often 50 feet above a sheer drop with only a chain wound around one leg to prevent certain death. These men also knew great fellowship and you will hear about the extraordinary underground social life and perhaps even get to try one of the jumpers they used to make a hole for the gunpowder.
After travelling into the Mine on the train there are two stops where you disembark – there is no substantial walking involved and few steps.