Phil Scott says the hidden staircase cut into the cliff at North Anglesey (Point Aelianus) Slate and Slab Quarry is one of his favourite sights on the circuit around Anglesey. He also warns that the steps are now very precarious.
The quarry is one of the clearest surviving traces of slate working on the island, and the best view comes from the sea. Visitors can also see it from the Anglesey Coastal Path, but the access point itself is no longer a casual place to linger.
North Anglesey Slate Quarry
GeoMôn Global Geopark said the site at Llaneilian was the most obvious slate quarry on Anglesey itself. It described visible remains including small working faces, some buildings and traces of an access track, with the cliff-cut staircase standing out as the most notable feature.
The same account says there is some indication that underground working was attempted at the quarry. In practical terms, that means the site shows evidence of more than one kind of extraction: the visible open faces, and signs that miners may also have pushed into the rock below ground.
Phil Scott and Rib Ride
Scott, who speaks for Rib Ride, said: “It’s one of my favourite as we circumnavigate the Island. As far as I know, this was one of only two slate mines on the Island but was abandoned in the late 18th century.” He also said: “Rumour is that slate from this mine was used to create a fireplace in Plas Newydd with a particularly green hue.”
He added: “Although the mine is accessible from the coastal path, the steps are now very precarious, so our Round Anglesey Voyagers are one of the best ways to get a view of this remarkable feat of engineering.” For anyone planning to look, the message is simple: use the coastal path for a land view, or approach from the sea for the clearest sightline.
Anglesey slate timeline
The timeline in the quarry record does not line up neatly with Scott’s remark about an abandonment in the late 18th century. GeoMôn Global Geopark said the North Anglesey (Point Aelianus) Slate and Slab Quarry commenced production in February 1870, and by June 1873 it had produced 1,940 first grade slates, 480 second grade slates and 2,700 moss slates.
That leaves the history of the site with a dated industrial record on one side and a different abandonment date on the other. For readers, the useful point is not just that the quarry exists, but that Anglesey still has a visible slate site whose access route, production record and sea-level view make it unusually legible on the ground.
