Latest news with #NationalSlateMuseum
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Cambrian News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cambrian News
Welsh Government hands National Slate Museum £3.3m for redevelopment
Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant, visited the site recently to meet Amgueddfa Cymru staff and see the ongoing developments. He said: 'As Culture Minister and a proud north Walian, it's been an ideal summer for me –visiting one exciting development or event in the Gogledd after another. The almost-finished, new-look Theatr Clwyd; the National Slate Museum at the beginning of its own transformation journey; the Maes of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham where I joined tens of thousands of other visitors to celebrate all things Cymraeg and was updated on the progress of the new Football Museum for Wales within Wrexham Museum.
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Closed Gwynedd attraction under redevelopment receives another £3.3m
A major tourism attraction - currently being redeveloped - has received another significant funding boost. The National Slate Museum in Llanberis has been closed since November last year and will reopen in 2026. It is undergoing a significant upgrade to create a new learning centre, play area, shop and café at the museum, as well as making the whole site more accessible. Today Welsh Government announced an additional £3.3m boost to support the re-development. This brings the Welsh Government's total contribution to the project to £5.8m - with £2.5m previously awarded. On top of this the last Conservative UK Government approved £6.2m from the Levelling-Up fund, part of a wider regeneration bid by Cyngor Gwynedd. In addition the project has had £12m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This brings the total investment to £24m - raising expectations of what will be unveiled when the site reopens. As well as paying for the redevelopment funding will also enable the site to continue to develop its role as a living museum by offering training and opportunities for people to learn about and develop traditional heritage skills. The museum has temporarily closed to safely carry out the conservation and renovation work. But Amgueddfa Cymru is taking the museum on the road around local attractions and community events in north Wales and through 'pop up' museums at the Quarry Hospital and Penrhyn Castle. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Today's announcement consists of an additional £3m plus the award of a £300,000 Communities Facilities Programme grant towards the construction of a new café, Learning and Volunteering Centre and Changing Places facilities. Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant said: 'As Culture Minister and a proud north Walian, it's been an ideal summer for me – visiting one exciting development or event in the Gogledd after another. The almost-finished, new-look Theatr Clwyd; the National Slate Museum at the beginning of its own transformation journey; the Maes of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham where I joined tens of thousands of other visitors to celebrate all things Cymraeg and was updated on the progress of the new Football Museum for Wales within Wrexham Museum. 'We have increased day-to-day spend on culture by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in venues and sites compared to a decade ago. But our spend on culture goes far beyond this - it is woven into budgets across Welsh Government. 'Our investment in the National Slate Museum today is an excellent example of how this works in practice with £5.5m from my department's budget combined with community regeneration funding to ensure the redeveloped museum offers a world class experience for visitors to the slate landscape of north-west Wales – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021.' They added that the Government had allocated over £230m this year to culture and cultural programmes outside of the Culture Minister's portfolio - across departments including education, local government, economy, health, the Welsh language, energy and social justice. This includes funding for familiar and culturally significant projects like the National Music Service, the Urdd, National and Llangollen Eisteddfodau, the summer reading challenge across all libraries in Wales, the investment in our film, TV and live music sectors and high-profile events like Tafwyl and the year-long 2025 Richard Burton Centenary programme.
ITV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
National Slate Museum secures £12 million in funding
Amgueddfa Cymru has secured £12 million for the redevelopment of the National Slate Museum in Llanberis. The money was awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and will help protect the future of the museum. The Grade 1 listed building has been home to the National Slate Museum since 1972, when it was first opened to the public after the closure of Dinorwig slate quarry in 1969. Now, the money will go to create a new learning centre, play area, shop and café, as well as improving accessibility throughout the site. Amgueddfa Cymru said that Welsh language will be embedded at all stages of the project to celebrate how the slate industry helped the language thrive in the area. The Chief Executive of the museum, Jane Richardson said: "We are truly thrilled to have been awarded this significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which means we can progress the redevelopment plans with certainty. "This is a key milestone in the Llanberis redevelopment project and is exciting news for us, for the wider community, and for everyone in Wales. "Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now conserve the history of the National Slate Museum for future generations and move towards a more sustainable future for the Museum which will be more inclusive, more accessible, and which will inspire growth and learning. "This will mean even more people can access and enjoy the global success story of NorthWales slate." The building is currently closed to the public, and work is underway to move items from the Museum to temporary locations in preparation for the building works.
North Wales Live
07-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
North Wales tourism attraction gets £12m for 'transformational' change
An attraction has received £12m for its "transformational" redevelopment. National Slate Museum, Llanberis, is already undergoing significant changes after backing from UK and Welsh government funds and Cyngor Gwynedd. Now it has been confirmed that site owner Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has been awarded £12m by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This means that work on the redevelopment can move forward to the next stage. They said it would "guarantee the future of the Museum and the globally significant story of the North Wales slate industry". The Grade 1 listed building in Llanberis has been home to the National Slate Museum since 1972 when it was first opened to the public after the closure of the Dinorwig slate quarry in 1969. Works at the Museum will transform the experience for visitors and create a sustainable future for this internationally significant site. The redevelopment work will retain the essence of the industrial workshops which sit at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in North Wales, while sharing and celebrating the global story of how slate from this small corner of North West Wales was used to 'roof the world'. The redevelopment will create a new learning centre, play area, shop and café, as well as improving accessibility throughout the site and creating more opportunities to discover and enjoy the slate story through new exhibitions and interpretation. Dedicated exhibition spaces will allow Amgueddfa Cymru to share more items from the national collection, bringing more exciting exhibitions to North Wales for the first time and ensuring more people can access and enjoy Wales' national collection. As well as conserving the historic fabric of the site and the collections and stories, the redevelopment will contribute to the regional economy, offering employment opportunities, student work placements and traineeships. The funding will also enable the site to continue to develop its role as a living museum by offering training and opportunities for people from all backgrounds to enjoy, learn about and develop endangered traditional heritage skills. Jane Richardson, Chief Executive of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, said: "We are truly thrilled to have been awarded this significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which means we can progress the redevelopment plans with certainty. This is a key milestone in the Llanberis redevelopment project and is exciting news for us, for the wider community, and for everyone in Wales. "Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now conserve the history of the National Slate Museum for future generations and move towards a more sustainable future for the Museum which will be more inclusive, more accessible, and which will inspire growth and learning. This will mean even more people can access and enjoy the global success story of North Wales slate." Andrew White, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Wales, said: "This transformational £12m investment will firmly establish Amgueddfa Lechi as the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Slate Landscape, unlocking vital opportunities for communities across North Wales. "It will safeguard the future of this Grade 1 listed site, ensuring the powerful story of slate and the lives it shaped continues to inspire future generations. This project is a bold investment in Cymru's globally significant industrial heritage – delivering skills, apprenticeships and employment, while strengthening both the regional economy and cultural landscape." Lord Dafydd Wigley, Chair of the Wales Slate Partnership, said: "As the main hub of the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site, the National Slate Museum has a vital role to play in sharing this important heritage with the public - from local communities to the wider world. This significant investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will help to develop this site as a gateway to our history and culture that will engage and inspire generations today and in the future." Councillor R. Medwyn Hughes, Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, Cyngor Gwynedd, said: "I am delighted to see a sum of this scale being awarded to this heritage location that is so important to Gwynedd, Wales and the World. It recognises the important and rich history that this area has had in roofing the world and will create a deserving resource and boost to the local area." Alongside this significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Amgueddfa Cymru said it is extremely grateful for funding support secured through partnerships with Cyngor Gwynedd (via UK Government) as part of the Llewyrch o'r Llechi project, Welsh Government, and other funders. It is understood total funding is around £21m.
Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Wales Online
CCTV installed at famous North Wales slate quarry after trespass incidents
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info CCTV has been installed at a famous quarry after trespassing incidents. Vivian Quarry, on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) is part of the vast Dinorwig slate complex, once the world's second largest slate mine. Since the Gwynedd slate quarry closed in 1960, rain and underwater springs have filled it 19 metres deep, covering old buildings and mining equipment. The site is now an extraordinary time capsule for an industry that once roofed the world and there is dive attraction there run by Scuba Scape. But they have hit out at people entering the site for "illegal" fishing. This has seen them install CCTV at various locations with a warning they will pursue prosecutions of those caught. The company said: "We've been made aware of illegal fishing and theft of our fish from the quarry. Not only that but we've now found three fish dead underwater with hooks in their mouths. "Fishing at Vivian is prohibited as is trespassing, and you are committing not only a crime but also a civil offense in which we fully intend to prosecute individuals found not only breaking into the quarry but also pursuing criminal prosecution for fishing on private land. "We have now installed a number of CCTV cameras ran by mains and solar throughout the site but mainly focusing on the gates and around the area where the road goes past the quarry, this is backed up with AI recognition and also a direct track to the security firm. "This behaviour will not be tolerated and we will 100% pursue all avenues in catching these people." Scuba Scape are turning the site - situated near the Llanberis Lake Railway station and the National Slate Museum - into an adventure hub. (Image: Dave Phillips/Phoenix Watersports) An escape room concept, Scuba Escape, was first launched at the quarry in 2021 during the pandemic. Pitched at skilled scuba divers, this featured six, 240-minute games which tested diving skills such as buoyancy and navigation. They are developing a new attraction will offer an entirely different means of descending into the quarry's depths, obviating the need for specialised scuba diver training – though the partners are staying tight-lipped about the technology involved. The company want to showcase the heritage of the site alongside providing exciting adventures. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
