The most important slate producing places were located in Northwestern Wales. In some places slate was mined rather than quarried. The two largest slate quarries at that time were Penrhyn quarry and the Dinorwig quarry. The largest mine for natural slate was the Oakeley mine located at Blaenau Ffestiniog. Slate is also taken from other parts of the world like The United States.



Until about the end of the 1800's slate was quarried by men who paid landowners to have the privilege of doing this. They would then export the slate to England, France, and other places to make their money. Later the landowners decided that mining the slate themselves on a larger scale would be in their best interest. During the second half of the 1900's, slate dominated the economy of Northwest Wales.

The closing of many slate quarries in Wales followed the great depression and the second War World. Another cause of these closings due to was the introduction of other materials used for roofing. Today slate is produced on a much smaller scale in comparison to those days.

Today slate is still used for roofing, mostly because people just like the way that it looks. Some companies will even offer slate that has been used before in places by Wales, the terminology used for this is reclaimed and is being done with other natural stone and natural woods as well.

Natural slate has a soft texture and can be found in many different colors. There is green, silver, copper, zinc,gold, and more. Natural slate stone is very durable and is used today for a lot more things besides roofing. As with many other types of natural stone, slate is ideal for countertops, walkways, bathtub, shower and pool surrounds, as well as ponds, patios, and fireplace surrounds.

They are easier to care for than some natural stones because they are less porous and resist staining better. If you are thinking about building or remodeling a home, natural slate and its natural beauty and longevity could be a really good choice to use for many, many elements.