Welsh Slate overview
The slate industry in North Wales dates back to the third century when slates were used to roof the Segontium, now modern Caernarfon. The industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, although records exist of slates being commercially sold and shipped to Ireland as far back as 1413. Indeed, in 1980 a shipwreck dating from 1272 was found in the Menai Straights. It was full of Penrhyn roofing slates which were intact and unaffected by their seven hundred years immersion in salt water.
Slates from Wales (and in particular Penrhyn) have a long association with Ireland and have been used to cover most of the county's roofs over the last 600 years. By the late 1500s over 100,000 slates were exported from Wales to Ireland every year. By the late 1600s, this number had increased 10 fold to over 1 million slates per year. Today over 2 million slates per annum are sold into Ireland. Slates shipped to Ireland were traditionally known by the name of the port from which they were exported. Llechwedd and Ffestiniog slates were known as Porthmadog slates, slates from the Llanberis Valley were shipped from Port Dinowic, Nantile slate were shipped from Caenarfon, and Penrhyn Heather Blue slates shipped from Bangor were known as 'Bangor Blues'.
At its peak in the late 19th century, the slate industry in North Wales had almost 400 quarries and employed over 20,000 workers.
In 2008, a company directly linked with LBS purchased the Welsh Slate, bringing these iconic products into Irish ownership. With a workforce of over 200 people, Welsh slate remains one of the largest employers in the area and exports it products all over the world. In addition to roofing, Welsh Slate is also a significant player in the local aggregates industry (for both decorative and construction purposes) and also produces a range of slates for flooring, paving and landscaping applications.