Sealyham Quarry originally a small hillside working was a source of slate to be used on the Sealyham Estate. William Tucker Edwardes, whose father had married into the family, seems to have commenced commercial exploitation when he inherited in 1825.

When Watkin Scale bought the lease in 1847, it is clear that he had great confidence in his purchase because he engaged William Pritchard an experienced North Wales (from Llanwrda) (who happened to be my great-great grandfather) quarryman, and within three weeks of taking possession was advertising the quarry as the “Best Blue Slates, equal in quality and superior in strength to the best North Wales, while it far exceeds any slate that has yet been discovered in South Wales.”

But lack of trade forced Scale to give up in 1851, Edwardes advertised for new tenants, stating that, ‘It is situated about half a mile from the South Wales Railroad’. What he was referring to here was the proposed Fishguard line, construction of which was suspended later that year and only resumed by the GWR over 50 years later.

However, no let was made until 1855 when it was taken by brothers Thomas & John Rees of Broadmoor Farm, Wolfscastle. But in June 1862, Thomas Rees became bankrupt, and the partnership collapsed.

Four years later a new lease was granted to Hugh Davies at a rent of £100 per year plus 1/40^th commission on sales. He was joined in 1869 by Elias & Samuel Hughes from Caernarvonshire. Their workforce wasn’t large, because the 1871 ensus showed only 10 men in the parish as slate workers In 1876 the Hughes’ dropped out and Thomas Williams, manager at Porthgain, unhappy at the way things were going became a partner to Hugh Davies. The energetic Williams set about clearing the pit of debris, but within months water broke in, flooding the pit.

Williams had big ideas, installing new more modern machinery, intended to employ in excess of 130 men in the quarry, build cottages in Wolfscastle to house the increased workforce. But, little of these plans were carried out.

Williams left in 1881, but despite his departure, Sealyham Slate was formally registered as a company in 1883. By 1885 having done little or no business, 115,000 slates were auctioned, the quarry plant was sold.

But, downhill the business went, with very little or mining done for many years. But, records do show that there may have been restricted mining at the quarry during the slate shortage around the beginning of the last century.

If you walk passed the old quarry today, you will see some remains of the equipment, the original course of the River Anghof can be seen. Of course the ‘old’ carriage drive used to transport the slates to the roadway can be seen beyond Bryn Gomer.