Conservation work to safeguard Penrhyn Quarry Hospital, Bethesda begins

An extensive programme of sensitive conservation works at Penrhyn Quarry Hospital will soon be underway.

The project is being carried out in partnership between Cyngor Gwynedd, Welsh Slate (part of the Breedon Group) and Cadw as part of the Llewyrch o’r Llechi scheme, which is funded by the UK Government

This phase follows a programme of recording and emergency works including vegetation clearance and masonry work that was carried out earlier in 2024.

Penrhyn Quarry Hospital is situated next to the Lôn Las Ogwen cycle track which connects Port Penrhyn to local communities, the slate landscape and mountains beyond and is located within the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site. 

The Hospital plays an important part in the story of Welsh slate, and in particular the role of health and welfare within the slate society.

Work will begin in November 2024, and is expected to last around seven months, focusing on halting further deterioration and making the site more stable and safer for visitors. It will include:

• stabilising and consolidating the deteriorating condition of the standing walls by addressing structural defects;
• stabilising and consolidating the masonry and pointing mortar;
• introducing stone copings and flaunching to the wall heads to reduce water ingress into the core of the wall;
• conserving the remaining architectural and historic details within.
• managing vegetation growth

 

Ensuring that the structure is safe will also allow for ongoing future maintenance.

Open days will be arranged during the work period to allow members of the public to see firsthand what is going on at the Penrhyn Quarry Hospital. The project will not affect access to Lôn Las Ogwen.

Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, said:

“We are very happy to see the conservation works at Penrhyn Quarry Hospital progressing. This essential work will safeguard the monument for future generations, facilitating better opportunities for access and interpretation of this much-loved site. 

“Cyngor Gwynedd is pleased to be a partner in this project and is looking forward to working with Welsh Slate and Cadw on the scheme.”

Recclesia Ltd, a contractor experienced in historic building conservation have been appointed to undertake the works under the supervision of conservation architects, Donald Insall Associates.

Elgan Jones of Donald Insall Associates, said:

“The conservation works are being undertaken at a critical point in the history of the building; the removal of the vegetation highlighted the fragile condition of the building fabric and, without this intervention, would likely deteriorate at an accelerated rate, rendering the structure unsafe and eventually result in its collapse. We are thrilled to work alongside a passionate project team with a shared goal to safeguard the fabric and conserve the architectural and historical details, which tells us of its former use and role within the wider slate landscape.”

Barry O’Connor, General Manager - Welsh Slate, Special Aggregates, Circular Economy, Breedon Group, added:

“We are thrilled to be part of the work to conserve Penrhyn Quarry Hospital, we understand the fondness for the site locally, and as landowners want to ensure that the site is maintained as sensitively as possible.

“As a proud partner in the project we are delighted that our contribution of materials towards the work will enable the funding to go further towards the sensitive conservation of the structure.”

Lord Dafydd Wigley, Chair of The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site Partnership Board, said:

“The story of health and welfare within the slate valleys is a vital and fascinating part of its history.  The quarrymen were trailblazers when it came to social care, and these hospitals led the way in many of the treatments and medication we rely so heavily upon in today’s health service.

“Safeguarding this structure is vital in telling the story of healthcare across the World Heritage Site, we have the Dinorwig Quarry Hospital in Llanberis which has been reopened as a museum and the Ffestiniog Quarry Hospital which has long been a private house, so to ensure that the Penrhyn Quarry Hospital is able to relay the story of its location by securing the structure and including interpretation is a fantastic prospect.”

Llewyrch o’r Llechi is a cultural investment programme led by Cyngor Gwynedd worth over £27m in total.  It includes work to create three cultural Hubs in the Llanberis, Bethesda and Blaenau Ffestiniog areas with many projects led by organisations rooted in those communities.

In Dyffryn Ogwen as part of the Llewyrch o’r Llechi project, alongside the investment in Penrhyn Quarry Hospital, improvements are taking place along Lôn Las Ogwen. In nearby Bethesda, Neuadd Ogwen has received funding to upgrade the building in order to cement its status as a vibrant cultural centre for the area.  Local social enterprise Partneriaeth Ogwen will also receive funding to regenerate an empty town centre building into a heritage and community centre.