In 1848 a plan was presented to build a harbour at Porthgain involving two stone piers at the entrance and a loading wharf on the western side. A railway line was laid along the valley between the two villages to carry the dressed slate but as a slate workshop already existed at Porthgain at this time it is assumed that slate quarrying was already under way there. In both areas the slate was extracted from deep holes which involved lifting gear and the waste was disposed of by tipping it into the sea. It can rightly be said that there was not a great notion of efficiency.
Bearing that in mind those of us who dislike waste will take some comfort from walls such as this one made from some of the waste slate.