Inspiration
World Heritage Status Given To North Wales Slate Mines
North Wales has a rich industrial heritage and the region has been recognised with World Heritage Status given to North Wales Slate Mines
How North Wales became the adventure capital of Europe
How North Wales became the adventure capital of Europe: the story behind some of our region’s most exciting attractions.
An underground adventure: exploring the slate industry of North Wales
Expect gripping adventure and poignant storytelling when you visit Llechwedd’s deep mine tour. A weatherproof must-do for your next holiday to North Wales
10 THINGS TO DO THIS HALF TERM IN NORTH WALES
If you are coming to Snowdonia for February half term, we have lots of great things on offer for all age groups. To give you a bit of inspiration, here are 10 things to do this half term: GO BELOW Go below is the ultimate underground experience. It’s a journey through the Snowdonia mountains where you zip line through caverns, climb vertical shafts, boat across an underground lake, traverse over an abyss, scale a waterfall and abseil down to the deepest point in the UK. ZIP WORLD Fforest Coaster (an alpine coaster that runs through the forest at exhilarating speeds) opened last year to a great response at the Zip World Betws-Y-Coed location. A total of 5 activities are located here including Zip Safari (a series of 23 zip lines through the trees), Plummet (jump from a 100ft tower), Skyride (Europe’s highest 5 seater swing), Treetop Nets (nets suspended in trees 60ft above the…
EXPLORING THE SLATE INDUSTRY IN NORTH WALES
Stretching back as far as the Roman times, slate mining has been a core part of the region for so many years. Its hey day saw a workforce of 17000 working the quarries and mines and the biggest mine in the world was located here in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Along with great anecdotes of The National Gallery in London re-locating all of its 2000 works of art to the mines during WW11 for protection, the history of these places is fascintaing. If exploring the slate industry in North Wales is something of interest, then you’ll want to visit these places: THE NATIONAL SLATE MUSEUM | LLANBERIS The most notible place to visit when it comes to the slate industry. Set in the original quarry workshops, the museum re-creates the slate industry showing how the community lived and worked; ‘…it is as though the quarrymen and engineers put down their tools and left the courtyard for home just…
Snowdonia, Things To Do When it Rains
Facts and figures Before we start, it’s only fair to point out that it doesn’t actually rain in Wales as much as you might think. The west coast of Snowdonia in particular, fairs better, weather wise, than most of the UK. Met office statistics show that the number of ‘wet days’ (days with rainfall total of 1mm or more) during the summer months averages 25 in Valley on Anglesey compared to an average of 30 days in Upper Castern, the Met Office site in the midlands. When comparing ‘hours of sunshine’ the western coast of wales again, tends towards the top of the UK table. (metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk) But you’re right of course, this isn’t Spain, and yes it might rain. So what to do? Underground Adventures Like the treasures of London during the Blitz, you might want to seek refuge in some of the slate caverns of Blaenau Ffestiniog. In 1940, on the orders of Winston Churchill,…