The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List – making it the fourth World Heritage Site in Wales.
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said: “Today’s announcement recognises the significant contribution this part of North Wales has made to the cultural and industrial heritage not only of Wales, but of the wider world. Welsh slate can be found all over the world.
“The quarrying and mining of slate has left a unique legacy in Gwynedd, which the communities are rightly proud of. This worldwide recognition today by UNESCO, will help preserve that legacy and history in those communities for generations to come and help them with future regeneration.”
Led by Gwynedd Council, the inscription is the culmination of over 15 years of hard work by partners including Cadw to record, safeguard and recognise the living legacy of the slate landscape of Gwynedd.
Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden recently visited the National Slate Museum, and said “This is such fantastic news for the area and for Wales. Working on – and submitting the bid has been a real team effort – and I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved. This news has made all the hard work worthwhile!
“Gaining World Heritage Site Status is an excellent celebration of the pride in our slate communities – and a driver for future regeneration.”
The new World Heritage Site is a serial property in six parts including spectacular quarry landscapes such as Penrhyn, Dinorwig, the Nantlle Valley and Ffestiniog. It also includes the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Penrhyn Castle and the famous Ffestiniog and Talyllyn Railways, built to transport the slate from quarry to markets around the world and both later transformed through the dedication of volunteers into heritage railways.
