People have lived on our Slate Islands for between five and six thousand years. The Slate Islands Heritage Trust has, since foundation in 2000, concentrated mainly on the years between 1745 and 1960: the 215 years of industrial slate quarrying. This is because our founders could see that the physical and social evidence of that period was fast disappearing and, without local effort, would be lost for ever.

That project has seen both success and failure. The expensive aspects of conservation and stabilisation have been neglected by all the public servants who might have intervened: a serious failure. That which could be achieved by local volunteers has not been completed but has been impressive and is well placed to continue for many years: a wonderful success.

It is perhaps time to widen our horizons, to recognise that as the physical evidence of quarrying declines; much of our inheritance from other periods is becoming more obvious, while also threatened with extinction. The creation of an arbitrary list of dates and years might help to start a discussion. How about?

An arbitrary division the Slate Islands’ history, into 4 periods:

1. Early settlers to Hill Forts, 4000BC to 700BC, 3300 years, 58.1%.

2. Castles, wars and progress, 700BC to AD1745, 2100 years, 37%.

3. Industrial Slate, 1745 to 1960, 215 years, 3.7%.

4. Island life without Slate, 1960 to 2021, 61 years, 1.2%.

Total 5676 years, 100%

WANT TO KNOW MORE? A SHORT PAPER PREPARED FOR THE TRUSTEES IS AVAILABLE