Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 39
National Slate Museum
aiming to become world-class
visitor attraction
Culture Secretary Lesley Griffiths has visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis to see how
redevelopment work is aiming to turn the venue into a world-class visitor attraction and has encouraged
people to visit.
Welsh Government funding of more than £1m has
already helped progress the redevelopment, including maximising museum space for collections and activities and
ensuring there is appropriate office space for employees.
“We’re excited to work with the Welsh Government and
our partners, Cyngor Gwynedd and National Lottery Heritage Fund, as we redevelop the Museum into a UNESCO
World Heritage site hub. This transformational project
will allow us to create spaces to support traditional skills,
learning and wellbeing and better connect with everyone,
from local communities to those from further afield,
enabling them to find their story through our national
collection.”
The Museum has also secured funding from the National
Lottery Heritage Fund to continue redevelopment plans
as a main interpretation site for the Slate Landscape
of Northwest Wales UNESCO World Heritage Site,
including the aim of developing new creative spaces.
Based at the foot of what was one of the largest slate
quarries in the world, Dinorwig Quarry, the museum is
housed in what were the original engineering workshops,
built in 1870, which once employed well over 3,000
workers.
The quarry closed in 1969 before reopening as a museum
in 1972. It was redeveloped in 1999 with new facilities
and plans for a further redevelopment are progressing.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice, Lesley
Griffiths said: “The Bank Holiday presents a great opportunity for people to visit our museums and learn more
about the incredibly interesting stories they have to tell.
“The slate industry is an important part of the communities, landscapes and heritage of this part of Wales and the
National Slate Museum offers a unique opportunity to
glimpse into the lives of the slate workers and their
families.
Above, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice Lesley
Griffiths at National Slate Museum
“I have been very impressed with what I’ve seen, and I
am pleased the Welsh Government, along with the
National Lottery Heritage Fund, has been able to provide
funding towards its redevelopment and ensure it
continues to offer great experiences for all visitors.
“I would encourage everybody to visit the Museum and
learn more about the fascinating history of the area’s slate
industry.”
Chief Executive of Amgueddfa Cymru, Jane Richardson
said: "We were delighted to welcome Cabinet Secretary
for Culture and Social Justice, Lesley Griffiths MS to
Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru – National Slate Museum, to
show the breadth and depth of our work in north Wales
and the innovative ways we can tell the story of slate.
Above, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice Lesley
Griffiths and Amgueddfa Cymru Chief Executive Jane
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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