The history of the local football teams, by Mel ap Ior Thomas
Blaenau Ffestiniog grew around its slate quarrying and mining industry, which dominated the town for over a century. The great Ffestiniog quarries — Llechwedd, Oakeley, Votty and Bowydd — employed thousands of local men at their peak in the late nineteenth century.
The Ffestiniog Railway, opened in 1836, was built primarily to carry slate from the quarries down to Porthmadog harbour for export around the world. The town's distinctive terraces of quarrymen's cottages reflect this industrial heritage.
By the mid-twentieth century, the industry had declined significantly. Many families left the area in search of work elsewhere. However, the remaining slate landscape has become a point of local pride and a major tourist attraction — Llechwedd Slate Caverns still draws visitors from across Wales and beyond.
See our historical photograph galleries for images of Blaenau Ffestiniog from the early twentieth century, including scenes from the slate quarries, local buildings and community events.
The Blaenau Project is an initiative to research and document the full history of the town and surrounding area, encompassing the period from the earliest settlements through to the twentieth century. Much has been written about the slate industry, but far less about the daily life of the town itself — its churches, chapels, schools, societies and community events.