Day 9 – Vivian Quarry, Llanberis, Wales

10 November

After yesterday’s shore dive, today we were back exploring another quarry, this time the spectacular Vivian Quarry in Llanberis, an old, abandoned slate quarry set deep in the Welsh hills. The drive from our campsite was breathtaking as we wound our way through rolling countryside, the autumn colours painting the landscape in rich shades of gold and orange.

Approaching the quarry, we walked through an old brick archway and suddenly found ourselves in what felt like our second Narnia moment of the trip. The view that opened before us was utterly jaw-dropping. Towering sheer slate cliffs rose dramatically on all sides, their surfaces glimmering in the soft Welsh light. Trees heavy with orange and yellow leaves leaned over the edges, their reflections merging perfectly with the dark water below. For a moment it was hard to tell where the real world ended and the reflection began, a scene of otherworldly beauty.

We were warmly welcomed by Clare and Leanne, who kindly shared the quarry’s history with us. Vivian Quarry is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of a UNESCO World Heritage designation. We were incredibly fortunate to be given a private visit, as the site is currently closed to the public while renovations are underway, on the diving facilities and surrounding area.

The quarry’s story is fascinating. It closed suddenly in the 1960s when the demand for slate plummeted, due in part to the rise of cheaper alternative building materials. There were also challenges with land slips and rock falls, leading to an abrupt halt in operations. As a result, the entire site was left almost untouched, machinery, buildings, and equipment frozen in time, exactly as they were on the day it closed. You can feel the history in every corner.

Entry to the water was flexible, with several options to choose from. Naturally, we went for the most exciting, a mega giant stride! Not one for the faint-hearted, and definitely not to do carrying camera equipment (that was handed across once in the water). We descended into what felt like a time capsule beneath the surface. The dive itself was incredible. Vivian Quarry embraces its industrial past rather than hiding it, and while there are a few newer additions, boats and mannequins among them, they blend into the surroundings without taking away from the powerful sense of history. We swam past blast huts, winch mechanisms, mining carts, and even slate houses, with the towering slate walls always close at hand. You can still see the small circular holes where explosives were once placed, a haunting reminder of the quarry’s working life.

We learned that Vivian Quarry was home to the first mechanical pulley system ever used, an impressive engineering achievement of its time. As primarily ocean divers, we were also fascinated to see the quarry floor covered in fallen autumn leaves, a surreal sight that reminded us how different and unique inland diving can be.

This was our coldest dive so far, with the temperature holding steady at 9°C throughout the full hour underwater, regardless of depth. Our maximum depth reached was 15 metres. The grey, overcast weather somehow added to the atmosphere, making the site feel even more dramatic but we could only imagine how stunning it must look on a bright, sunny day.

We were deeply grateful to Clare and Leanne for their generosity and kindness in allowing us to dive before the official reopening. Vivian Quarry is an extraordinary place, hauntingly beautiful, steeped in history, and unlike anywhere else we’ve dived so far. It truly felt like stepping back in time and witnessing history preserved beneath the water’s surface.