‘Vital’ conservation of an historic Gwynedd hospital site which tells the story of health and welfare in the North Wales slate industry is getting underway.

An extensive programme of “sensitive conservation works” will be carried out at Ysbyty Chwarel Penrhyn – the Penrhyn Quarry Hospital at Bethesda.

Built in the 1840s, the hospital provided rapid treatment for quarrymen injured at work and would help pave the way to future advances in social and hospital care.

Conservation work of the site, located next to the Lôn Las Ogwen cycle track, is set to begin in November 2024 and expected to last around seven months.

Access to the cycle track which connects Port Penrhyn to local communities will not be affected.

Safer for visitors

Organisers say the work will focus on halting further deterioration of the site and to make it more stable and safer for visitors.

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

The slate landscape and mountains beyond fall within the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site.

The latest phase of work follows a programme of recording and emergency repairs including vegetation clearance and masonry work, carried out earlier in 2024.

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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 and conserving the remaining architectural and historic details within and managing vegetation growth.

Ensuring the structure is safe will allow for ongoing future maintenance, they say.

Open days

Open days will be arranged during the work period to allow members of the public to see firsthand what is going on.

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.

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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.”

Conservation

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.”

Cultural investment 

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.