Bawso at Llanberis Slate Museum

In the heart of Llanberis, lies the Slate Museum—a testament to the region’s rich industrial heritage. As the women stepped through the museum’s weathered doors, they were so excited to see the cottages and  they immediately started asking questions about the rich heritage and taking pictures to remember this rare occasion.  

Later the women were guided into a room where they watched an informative demonstration of slate splitting, the room was echoed with the sounds of bustling, as exhibits showcased the arduous process of slate mining that once dominated the area. But what truly set this experience apart from the other areas they visited, was how the work was done manually with bare hands. One attendee was so emotional and related it how her father worked in the same way, shaping building bricks.  

But it was not just the aspects of mining that captured the women’s imagination of how mining was done but also sharing their stories of resilience, solidarity, and the unbreakable spirit of being part of the Bawso  community.  

Memories were ignited and shared during this visit, emotions taking the better part of the visit and an urge to ‘tell it all.’ The environment and the objects offered a good therapeutic escape from the women’s busy lives in Wrexham. Ideas flowed freely in the room, and we look forward to reading more stories from the women about the visit and their own personal histories.  

The women remain grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the grant that enabled them to see more of Welsh heritage and the beautiful North Wales landscape. 

Lasting memories in pictures

One service user was so emotional, she said the stools gave her memories of her dad who was using similar tools to shape building bricks.  

The photo was a heart shaped slate given to Bawso women to keep good memories of slate Museum, appreciated by all the women who visited the museum.  

This photo is from one of the Llanberis workshops reminded one of the service users of life back in her country where she said they still use those types of cups and kettles.