![\"Dyffryn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20363035.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\n It is now four years since the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales was granted World Heritage Site status.\n<\/p>\n
\n The region\u2019s latest achievements, developments, investments and conservation work have been highlighted in the Llechi Cymru Partnership Board annual report for 2025.\n<\/p>\n
\n A number of projects have been implemented, including exciting conservation schemes, including the rescue of the old Penrhyn Quarry Hospital at Bethesda.\n<\/p>\n
\n The hospital played an important part in the story of Welsh slate, and in particular the role of health and welfare within the slate society.\n<\/p>\n
\n Following urgent work on the structure in 2024, an ambitious plan got underway to ensure its long-term stability, and with the ambition of making the site publicly accessible with on site interpretation.\n<\/p>\n
\n The project is a partnership between Cyngor Gwynedd \u2013 through the Llewyrch o\u2019r Llechi scheme funded through UK Government, Cadw and Welsh Slate (Breedon).\n<\/p>\n
\n Site visits have been organised in collaboration with Partneriaeth Ogwen, inviting Dyffryn Ogwen residents to visit the structure, learn about its history and understand more about the conservation techniques being used to protect the building.\n<\/p>\n
\n The report also describes how in 2025, an ambitious Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways project came to an end.\n<\/p>\n
\n Between 2022 and 2025, the report notes work on Boston Lodge at Porthmadog \u2013 where work on the oldest railway workshops in the world \u2013 helped save heritage buildings, skills and assets.\n<\/p>\n
\n Activities saw some of the \u201cmost significant heritage buildings\u201d preserved and re-created, and gave opportunities provided for staff and volunteers through a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.\n<\/p>\n
\n Town regeneration projects, with striking artworks installed in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Porthmadog, Tywyn and Penygroes, co\u2011designed with local pupils and community infrastructure schemes led to investments, including the upgrade to venues such as Neuadd Ogwen Bethesda and Yr Aelwyd Blaenau Ffestiniog.\n<\/p>\n
\n At Neuadd Ogwen the report describes how work and investment has \u201ctransformed\u201d the venue, securing it \u201ca prosperous and sustainable future\u201d and enabling a programme of events to be run throughout the year.\n<\/p>\n
\n It attracts world-renowned performers with the technology and venue quality now available in the former slate village.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Dyffryn Nantlle Football Festival (Image Cyngor Gwynedd)\n <\/p>\n
\n Education and heritage schemes saw workshops with primary schools across Gwynedd and community pride events saw a successful Dyffryn Nantlle Football Festival.\n<\/p>\n
\n The report says the playing fields of Y Gloddfa Glai, Talysarn were \u201cbrimming with excitement\u201d in June, as over 200 children from some of Gwynedd\u2019 s quarrying areas came together in a special football festival.\n<\/p>\n
\n It celebrated the official opening of Talysarn Celts Football Club\u2019s revamped football pitches, and the historic connection between the slate quarrymen and the game of football.\n<\/p>\n
\n Twelve primary schools took part, with representation from years 5 and 6 playing in a five-a-side tournament.\n<\/p>\n
\n One of the highlights, was the visit of Rhian Wilkinson, Manager of the Wales Women\u2019s Football Team who called by following her announcement of the Wales Women\u2019s football squad on the summit of Yr Wyddfa earlier in the day.\n<\/p>\n
\n Among community activities, Yr Aelwyd, Blaenau Ffestiniog saw a special event with \u201can emotive and powerful\u201d lecture by Lord Dafydd Wigley on the battle for compensation for slate quarrymen.\n<\/p>\n
\n Other events saw a creative workshop with folktales, songs and crafts, for families, at Llanfair Quarry, with Mair Tomos Ifans, and a discussion panel and activities for children as part of the Bangor History Festival 2025.\n<\/p>\n
\n Whilst visitor experiences saw partnerships offering international experiences, as with the National Slate Museum.\n<\/p>\n
![\"Neuadd](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20363036.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Neuadd Ogwen At Bethesda (Image Cyngor Gwynedd)\n <\/p>\n
\n The National Slate Museum has been undergoing major conservation work and a substantial upgrade, the museum\u2019s presence continued with its \u2018Museum on the Road\u2019 project.\n<\/p>\n
\n This included temporary presences at Penrhyn Castle, Caernarfon Slate Quay and Dinorwig Quarry Hospital and activities held in slate communities during the summer of 2025.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Dafydd Gwyn also gave talk at Cwmystradllyn in conjunction with the National Slate Museum as part of the Museum on the Move tour.\n<\/p>\n
\n Lord Dafydd Wigley, Chair of the Llechi Cymru Partnership Board, said he was \u201cproud\u201d of the work that has been seen across the slate landscape and hoped that report gave \u201ca taste\u201d of what has been achieved.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe designation has led to significant improvements across the area which will reinforce our vision as a partnership \u2018to protect, preserve, improve and convey the area\u2019s important features to reinforce the cultural distinctiveness and strengthen the Welsh language, and become an important catalyst for economic regeneration and social inclusion\u2019,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cOver the years UNESCO designations have attracted significant investment to Gwynedd, and since the designation of the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales as a World Heritage Site in 2021 a total of over \u00a338 million has been secured for the county through sources such as the UK Government, Cadw, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other partners.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
![\"Ysgol](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20363037.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Ysgol Y Garreg Pupil With Their Artwork (Image Cyngor Gwynedd\n <\/p>\n
\n Over the next period further activities of the Llewyrch o\u2019r Llechi project will be delivered as well as another year of LleCHI LleNI activities.\n<\/p>\n
\n Councillor Medwyn Hughes, Cyngor Gwynedd\u2019s Cabinet Member for Economy and Community added: \u201cSince I became Cyngor Gwynedd\u2019s Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, I have been delighted to visit the slate landscape to see the exciting developments that have been underway, the enthusiasm and support in our communities.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cCyngor Gwynedd is delighted to be leading on our World Heritage Site and on the Llechi Cymru partnership; seeing our vision gradually become a reality for the benefit of communities, businesses and the slate landscape of the area is truly encouraging.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThis is a huge story that puts Gwynedd on the world map.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is now four years since the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales was granted World Heritage Site status.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":657966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5010],"tags":[748,4884,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-657965","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wales","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115792062962527240","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/657966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}