Talysarn village and Dorothea quarry explore Part 1 video

This is the first part of Our trip to North wales to explore Talysarn village and Dorothea Quarry. Dorothea Quarry and the village of Talysarn, located in the Nantlle Valley of North Wales, are deeply intertwined, with the quarry expanding so much in the 19th and early 20th centuries that it forced the original village to be relocated. Dorothea Quarry: History: The quarry commenced operations in 1820 under Lancastrian William Turner. Originally called Cloddfa Turner, it was renamed Dorothea after the wife of the local landowner.Growth: By 1848, it employed 200 men and was the dominant quarry in the region. Production peaked in 1872 at 17,442 tons of finished slate.Tragedy & Technology: The quarry famously suffered from severe flooding issues, leading to the drowning of several men in an 1884 disaster. Because of this, massive Cornish beam engines were installed to pump water out. One such engine, installed in 1906, was used up until 1951.Closure: After World War II, production dropped, and the quarry permanently closed in 1970. Talysarn Village: Relocation: As Dorothea and surrounding quarries expanded, the original village of Talysarn was completely displaced. The main road was shifted to the south in 1927.The "Lost" Village: The original, abandoned village site was left to be reclaimed by nature, heavily overgrown with ivy and trees. Because of its haunting, jungle-like aesthetic, it is sometimes referred to as the "Welsh Angkor Wat". Present Day: The relocated, modern village of Talysarn sits just to the west and is home to nearly 2,000 residents. The old, abandoned Dorothea pit has since flooded, creating deep, turquoise-blue lakes. In July 2021, the site was officially recognized and incorporated into the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site by UNESCO.