Wales has a new Unesco World Heritage Site.
The industrial heritage of North Wales has just been named as the UK’s 33rd Unesco World Heritage Site.
The award reflects the international significance of Welsh slate in “roofing the 19th century world”.
It’s the fourth site in Wales alongside the castles of Edward I, the Blaenavon industrial landscape and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Llangollen.
The pockmarked, post-industrial landscape had been ‘slated’ for Unesco status since it was first nominated by the UK Government in 2018.
The bid focused on six disparate slate-mining areas, divided by mountain ranges.
These include the Penrhyn slate quarry at Bethesda, the Dinorwig quarry near Llanberis and Blaenau Ffestiniog’s slate mines [quarryman turned guide Brian Jones at Llechwedd pictured above].
Some of the attractions fall within the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
Roland Evans of Gwynedd Council, which led the bid partnership, is keen to use the win to entice visitors away from the national-park honeypots:
“The bid champions the social and economic regeneration of our slate valleys, restoring pride to those communities, and documenting their social history through community tourism.”
Read the rest of my feature via Telegraph Travel, Move over Taj Mahal, these Welsh slate quarries are just as fascinating.
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