Dinorwic Quarry

[Newtrix]

Has anyone been to this old slate mine before? Hoping to visit when we're in Wales in the summer but can't seem to find where the entrance is. Also is parking at National Slate museum the best option?

Many thanks

Been to the slate museum. There is plenty of parking. Went as part of a generous half day using the small railway around the lake, though, so arrived on the train, which was enjoyable, and it was easy to get there and leave when ready. Parked at Llanberis but I remember there being several car parks of varying prices that were a pretty easy walk to the station, just some of them a bit further.

I grew up near Llanberis and can help you out.

There’s a visitor centre/museum/train in the village and some walking higher up. You can walk from the visitor centre or park higher up. I’ll add a map in a bit.

Anglesey Barracks is worth a walk to

There isn’t an entrance as such - just the old workings. It’s a nice place to explore, especially the old barracks, and the Slate Museum and Quarry Hospital museum are worth a walk around.
If you want to actually go into a mine try Llechwedd Caverns near Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Do you like walking?

The quarry is just behind the slate museum and the slate museum carpark is the nearest. There are nice walks in the woods behind the railway and depending how much uphill you want to do a lovely view of Padarn lake if you take the route near the entrance to the hydroelectric power station. It also leads you up to the actual old quarries.
If it’s these you want to see ( and don’t want the uphill ) then drive to Dinorwig and park in bus stop quarry (if you are going in the summer it may be busy!)

This is a nice walking route that mostly follows public footpaths. Best done anti-clockwise due to the steep uphill start.

There is a free parking spot further up the hill that I’ve crossed on the first map. Issue with here is that the quarries has so many paths and snickets that they don’t show up on a map and you need to follow your nose a bit. Just be really careful as it is an old crumbling quarry with lots of cliff edges and unsafe buildings/workings. Particularly higher up

It’s worth the walk up

The carpark I’ve marked is the bus stop one that a pp has mentioned. It’s only small and gets busy with climbers in the summer

The walk you have marked is one I do regularly ☺️

I used to climb there a lot as I lived in the next village along. Always parked at the bus turning/stop on the top road.

It used to be a regular one for me too… until we moved to England!! 😣

Thank uou all so much especially @Gwdihooooo and @Tealfish . We're both fit and enjoy walking, fancied exploring somewhere new when we visit Wales in June. Any other recommendations would be wonderful.

Walking round Llyn Padarn is nice… there’s a lovely cafe called Caban in Brynrefail half way round… if you start in Llanberis.

One of my fave low level walks in N Wales is Cwm Bwchan which starts from Llyn Dinas nr Beddgelert. Of you like old quarries then you might like this one A’s you walk past old mine workings. It also has a lovely walk along the River in to Beddgelert. I’ll map it for you…. I love maps! 😀

Here it is. I usually do it clockwise as it’s nice to have a cafe stop in Beddgelert after the longer part of the walk.

The walk from Ogwen Cottage to Llyn Idwal is nice. here I did it when I was 8 m on the pregnant.