Slate is a very recyclable building material. The roof of the Dyfi Wildlife Centre has been covered in reclaimed Welsh slates that were quarried from Penrhyn Quarry in Snowdonia. Our roofer Duncan Vaughan not only sorted, drilled and fitted each slate by hand but he also etched the names of those who have sponsored a slate onto each piece.
In order to reuse the slates from a terrace of houses in Llanberis Duncan had to re-hole each one by hand - there are around 4000 slates on the roof of the Dyfi Wildlife Centre!
Slate was one of the main cargoes carried on the Dyfi River and exported around the world. It is so important to the history of the area that we have also used it on the walls inside the centre so that you can get up close and see for yourselves this incredible, durable building material.
As well as engraving the slates on the roof Duncan has also carefully etched images of the the slate industry on to some of the slates for you to enjoy.