By John Lloyd

Inigo Jones Slate Works is celebrating its 150^th anniversary in 2011 (1861 – 2011) having worked continuously at the Tudor Slate Works at Groeslon site since it was set up in 1861 to produce school writing slates.

Mr Alun Ffred Jones Minister for Heritage today March 4^th 2011 unveiled an engraved Welsh slate plaque to commemorate the 150^th anniversary.

The Heritage Minister said “ I’d like to congratulate John Lloyd and his team on reaching this significant milestone.They’ve stayed faithful to the raw material of Welsh slate, the quality of which is second to none but have developed their products to keep up with the needs of the customer.The workshop is also a well known visitor attraction in the area giving an insight to working with slate”

John Lloyd one of the company’s directors said   “ The reason the company has survived for so long is because of the versatility and quality of Welsh slate. A new free exhibition also opening today shows the different products prefabricated from Welsh slate over the last 150 years, which includes writing slates, electrical panels, memorials and honing stones. Today the company produces architectural , memorial, craft, landscape and garden products using the same raw material namely 500 million year old natural Welsh slate ”

The company is now also a major tourist attraction and the company offers a self guided tour of the works and also has a superb showroom where its slate products can be purchased as well as other Welsh slate craft products.

John Lloyd added “ Tourism is now an essential part of the business and I anticipate it will be even more important in the future, as will web sales that continues to grow year on year , and allows us to supply our products all over the world. We are investing again this year to improve our visitor facilities and upgrading our website”

EVENTS FOR 150^TH ANNIVERARY CELEBRATIONS

• Friday March 4^th opening of slate plaque to commence 150^th  anniversary by Alun Ffred Jones A.M. Minister of Heritage and Culture and the new free exhibition “The versalility of Welsh Slate”
• Thursday March 31st “ The History of Inigo Jones 1861 – 2011.”  Talk by Dr Gwynfor Pierce- Jones 7pm Tickets £3.50
• Saturday April 16^th Charity sponsored Walk to Glynllifon for Ty Gobaith 11am start.
• April 21^st  12.30pm Book Relaunch “ Slate Quarry Album” Gordon & Ann Hatherill.
• May 31^st – June 3^rd Ieuan Rees Lettercutting and Calligraphy Day Workshops 9.30am – 4.30pm. £70 per delegate restricted number.
• Tuesday May 31^st  – Calligraphy for Beginners. Tickets £3.50
• Wednesday June 1^st – Lettercutting Course. Tickets £3.50
• Thursday June 2^nd –  Intermediate Calligraphy Course. Tickets £3.50
• Thursday June 2^nd – Lecture by Ieuan Rees “ Living with Letters” 7pm. Tickets £3.50
• Friday June 3^rd – Lettercutting Course. Tickets £3.50
• Tuesday July 12^th Talk by Dr Gwynfor Pierce-Jones “ The History of Inigo Jones 1861-2011” 7pm. Tickets £3.50
• Monday July 25^th Talk by Dr Gwynfor Pierce-Jones “ Slate Quarrying in the Nantlle Valley” 7pm. Tickets £3.50
• Thursday July 28^th  “Aberllefenni Slate Quarry” Talk by Jon Knowles 7pm.  Tickets £3.50
• Sunday September 4^th sponsored charity walk to Glynllifon for Air Ambulance  Wales. 11am start.

For further information or to book go to website or ring 01286 830242.