Porthgain

Ben Robinson unearths the unique past of Porthgain, a small Pembrokeshire village built for its industry, first as a slate quarry, then exporting brickwork and finally producing a granite-like stone that helped to create the nation’s roads.

The heavy industrial infrastructure that remains in this tiny village is a sight to behold. Porthgain’s prosperity rose and fell over the years, and many of the houses were owned by the quarry companies who mined there. Eventually, the villagers took back control and bought the village themselves.