Editing Cilgerran (section)

== Slate quarrying<span class="anchor" id="slate quarries"></span><span class="anchor" id="Slate quarries"></span> ==
A substantial degree of slate quarrying was carried out in and near Cilgerran, mostly situated on the south side of the [[River Teifi]]'s [[gorge]].<ref name=QuarriesCoflein>{{Coflein|desc=Cilgerran Slate Quarries |num=420663|access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref> They played a significant role in [[Slate industry in Wales|Wales' slate industry]], being the only significant quarries in [[South Wales]] apart from those around [[Rhoshill, Pembrokeshire|Rhoshill]].

Most slate was transported to the port at [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] for export<ref name=QuarriesCoflein/> by sea. Some of the slate was used for buildings within the town, or exported directly by railway for use within Britain.<ref name="Tucker1983" /> Wharves were built east of the town on the River Teifi (at {{coord|name=Cilgerran Wharves|52|03|25.7|N|4|36|54.7|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}), where slate could be loaded onto boats to take it to Cardigan.<ref name=WharvesCoflein>{{Coflein|desc=Cilgerran Wharves, River Teifi |num=420659|fewer-links=yes|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

Slate was first quarried at Cilgerran by John Edwards, in the late 1790s. He opened a quarry north of the town, in the land known as 'Forest' (near the Caernarfon Farm), called the Lower quarry or Forest quarry – at the site of what became Quarry Caernarvon. Later, with his two sons John and Thomas, Edwards opened another quarry slightly higher up the river, known as the Gigfran quarry ('Gigfran' is Welsh for '[[Carrion crow]]').<ref name=1867Quarries>{{cite book |last=Phillips |first=John Roland |date=31 December 1867 |title=History of Cilgerran |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=sIjSAAAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA165 |publisher=Russell Smith |pages=165–167 }}</ref> Soon afterwards, John Bowen opened the Plain quarries, and around this time the Castle quarries and Moses' quarry were also opened, by George John and David John, and Moses Griffith, respectively.<ref name=1867Quarries/> Upon the death of John Edwards (around 1830), Thomas Lloyd, of Coedmawr, and Oliver Lloyd, of [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]], acquired the Lower quarries, and began expanding them on a large scale. However, they sold the quarries soon afterwards, to James Stephens, of [[Llechryd]].<ref name=1867Quarries/>

In the late 1830s, another quarry was opened in the 'Forest' estate, by Mr. James Mathias of Cilgerran. It was called 'Quarry Forever', and situated adjacent to Gigfran quarry. About the same time, Gigfran quarry became exhausted and was thus given up.<ref name=1867Quarries/> The industry peaked in the late 19th century, its continuance until that time supported by the coming of the railway in 1869.<ref name="Tucker1983">{{cite book |last= Tucker |first= Gordon & Mary |editor-last= Griffith-Jones |editor-first= Bill |title= The old slate industry of Pembrokeshire and other parts of South Wales |publisher= National Library of Wales journal |location= Aberystwyth |volume= XXIII/2, Winter |date= 1983 |url= http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/Archives/NLWjournals/Slate}}</ref>

There were two groups of quarries at Cilgerran – the ones north of the town, known collectively as the '''Forest quarries''', and those to the east of the town, around Cnwcau, sometimes called the '''Town quarries'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/HLC/lowerteifivalley/cilgerrangorge.htm |publisher=Cadw |title=Cilgerran Gorge |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref> The Forest quarries were almost immediately opposite (the other side of the Teifi Gorge from) Rhoshill.<ref name=1867Quarries/>

The major quarries were:
{|class=wikitable
!Name
!Coordinates
![[Ordnance Survey National Grid|OS grid reference]]
!Source
|-
|colspan=3 align=center|'''Forest quarries''', '''Fforest quarries''', or '''Lower quarries'''
|<ref>{{Coflein|desc=Forest Quarries |num=40619 |fewer-links=yes |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>
|-
|'''Quarry Caernarfon'''
|{{coord|name=Quarry Caernarfon|52|04|28.7|N|4|38|34.6|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 18895 45150}}
|<ref>{{Coflein |desc=Quarry Caernarfon, Fforest Quarries |num=418885 |fewer-links=yes |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>
|-
|'''Quarry Tommy'''
|{{coord|name=Quarry Tommy|52|04|19.4|N|4|38|28.2|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19006 44858}}
|<ref>{{Coflein |desc=Quarry Tommy, Fforest quarries |num=418884 |fewer-links=yes |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>
|-
|'''Quarry Ffynnon'''
|{{coord|name=Quarry Ffynnon|52|04|23.6|N|4|38|29.5|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 18986 44989}}
|
|-
|'''Quarry Bach'''
|{{coord|name=Quarry Bach|52|04|17.3|N|4|38|22.7|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19109 44790}}
|
|-
|'''Gigfran quarry'''
|{{coord|name=Gigfran quarry|52|04|10.1|N|4|38|17.8|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19194 44564}}
|
|-
|'''Quarry Forever'''
|{{coord|name=Quarry Forever|52|04|07.5|N|4|38|17.0|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19206 44483}}
|
|-
|colspan=3 align=center|'''Town quarries''' or '''Upper quarries'''
|
|-
|'''Cefn quarry'''
|{{coord|name=Cefn quarry|52|03|21.2|N|4|37|05.2|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 20521 43004}}
|
|-
|'''Plain quarry'''
|{{coord|name=Plain quarry|52|03|17.8|N|4|37|15.8|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 20315 42906}}
|
|-
|'''Pwdwr quarry'''
|{{coord|name=Pwdwr quarry|52|03|17.5|N|4|37|40.4|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19847 42914}}
|
|-
|'''Dolbadau quarry'''
|{{coord|name=Dolbadau quarry|52|3|18.5|N|4|37|44.8|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19764 42947}}
|<ref>{{Coflein |desc=Dolbadau Quarries |num=40618 |fewer-links=yes |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref>
|-
|'''Cilgerran Castle quarries'''
|{{coord|name=Cilgerran Castle quarry|52|3|24.2|N|4|37|58.7|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
|{{gbmappingsmall|SN 19506 43133}}
|<ref>{{Coflein |desc=Cilgerran Castle Quarries |num=40617 |fewer-links=yes |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref>
|}