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Penrhyn quarry
 Penrhyn Slate Quarry, in 1852 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Penrhyn Location in Gwynedd | |
| Location | near Bethesda |
| County | Gwynedd (formerly Caernarfonshire) |
| Country | Wales |
| Coordinates | 53°10′01″N 4°04′01″W / 53.167°N 4.067°W SH 61840 65347 |
| Production | |
| Products | Slate |
| Type | Quarry |
| Greatest depth | 1,200 feet (370 metres) |
| History | |
| Opened | pre-1570 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Welsh Slate Ltd. |
| Website | www |
| Year of acquisition | 2007 |
| Railways | |
| History | |
| Opened | 25 June 1801 |
| Closed | 24 July 1962 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm) |
The Penrhyn quarry is a slate quarry located near Bethesda, North Wales. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the world's largest slate quarry; the main pit is nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 1,200 feet (370 metres) deep, and it was worked by nearly 3,000 quarrymen. It has since been superseded in size by slate quarries in China, Spain and the USA. Penrhyn is still Britain's largest slate quarry but its workforce is now nearer 200.
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