Porth Penrhyn Commemorative Stones, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales
Posted by: 
Meirion
N 53° 14.004 W 004° 06.645
30U E 425861 N 5898810
A slate monument at the port to mark the millennium and the importance of Porth Penrhyn in the slate trade, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales.
Waymark Code: WMDTVP
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/24/2012
Views: 2
When Richard Pennant took over the ownership of the Penrhyn Estates he appointed Benjamin Wyatt in 1786 as his agent. Wyatt was charged to address the problem of moving slate from the Pennent family quarry in Bethesda to the port for export.
In 1790 the construction of a stone wharf was started at the mouth of Afon Cegin and this was later extended in 1829-30. A final extension taking place in 1855 with a breakwater on the eastern side, forming the inner basis of the port and bringing the port to its present form.
To address the problem of bringing slates from the quarry at Bethesda to Port Penrhyn Wyatt built a rail line between the two sites.
In its heyday Porth Penrhyn was one of the major global sources of slate which made the Pennent family very wealthy.
The monument is comprised of two large blocks of slate. One on there is a bi-lingual plaque that reads:
GOSODWYD Y LLECHFEINI HYN GAN
DEULU DOUGLAS PENNANT
I GOFFAU'R MILENIWM A CHYSYLLTIAD
PORTH PENRHYN GYDA'R DIWYDIANT
LLECHI ERS 1786
---- I . I . MM ----
THESE STONES WERE LAID BY
THE DOUGLAS PENNANT FAMILY
TO COMMEMORATE THE MILLENNIUM AND
PORT PENRHYN'S CONNECTION WITH
THE SLATE TRADE SINCE 1786