Dr David Gwyn

Slate, sugar and shells: a local railway technology goes global

Slate is obvious - the Penrhyn railroad of 1801 was an innovative technology for moving slate, but narrow gauge railways on the North Walian model were widely adopted in the sugar industry worldwide  and for moving artillery and shells 1914-1918, as well as in many other contexts. 

Dr David Gwyn is a Bangor-born archaeologist and historian with a long-standing interest in the Industrial and Modern period. He is currently advising Gwynedd Council on their bid for UNESCO World Heritage status for The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.

Dr Dafydd Roberts is Keeper of the National Slate Museum and Roland Evans is Senior Manager, Economy and Community, Gwynedd Council.