Dinorwig to Ynys Môn (with a little bit of Yorkshire)
Three things it is best to avoid: a strange dog, a flood, and a man who thinks he is wise. ― Welsh Proverb
Dinorwig Quarry from Llyn Peris
Sony A7R V | 32mm f/8.0 1/160s ISO 100
Dinorwig and Llanberis
The theme for one of our club competitions this year is dereliction, so I went to Wales. That probably sounds harsher than it should. I took the opportunity of Helen being down in Manchester to carry on west and visit the slate quarry at Dinorwig. This location has been on a wish list of locations since I first stumbled across photographs of the now abandoned (and derelict) Anglesey Barracks.
There’s plenty of history surrounding the quarry - Wikipedia has a good article here - and it’s home to the National Slate Museum (unfortunately closed for refurbishment when I visited). I went for the pictures though. What immediately strikes you as you drive along the side of Llyn Peris is the sheer scale of the now abandoned quarry works; getting requires a pretty steep climb from the museum car park, but reward is well worth the effort.
One I’d got my breath back I spent a happy couple of hours wandering and exploring the abandoned barracks and the viewpoints over Llyn Peris to the hills beyond. The extent to which nature is reclaiming the site is fantastic to see and I wonder what it will look like a decade or two from now.
To Ynys Môn
The other reason for heading into Wales was to revisit Ynys Môn and some of the surrounding area. The image below is of Eglwys Cwyfan, commonly known as the Church in the Sea. It’s not a place I’d previously visited, but I think this is probably my favourite from the couple of days I was in Wales.
Eglwys Cwyfan, Aberffraw
Sony A7R V | 40mm f/11 1/125s ISO 100
While at Llanberis exploring the quarry it would have been rude not to have taken in the lone tree on Llyn Padarn as well a a couple of other spots on the mainland. Once on the island I managed to revisit both South Stack and the very magical Ynys Llanddwyn. I also took in a couple of new spots for me, namely Penmon Point and Rhosneigr. Despite that, I left feeling again that there is much more to explore.
A Little Bit of Yorkshire
While Wales was a solo trip, on the way down to Manchester Helen and I decided to treat ourselves to a couple of days exploring the area around Harrogate. The main points of interest we Rievlaux Abbey and Fountains Abbey. I’d been to neither before, which seems remiss, but if all goes will I will be back.
Temple of Piety, Fountains Abbey
Leica M10 | Summicron 50mm f/4 1/250s ISO 200
Both sites are stunning, but the scale and grandeur of Fountains Abbey is really quite impressive. (There is an irony here given that both abbeys were of the Cistercian order which emphasised a stricter and more austere monastic life). If you’re tempted, set aside a day for Fountains Abbey.
