History
The quarry named Nant Gwrtheyrn opened in 1861, and was serviced by a village on the site of the current language centre called Porth y Nant. Nant Gwrtheyrn produced setts used for road surfacing. The community lived an isolated existence, with product shipped and goods shipped out mainly via the Irish Sea, resulting limited contact with the outside world.
The quarry closed early in World War 2, partly due to a drop in demand and also to transport difficulties. The hillsides of the Nant, through their landscape scars and the ruins of quarry structures, testify to this former existence.
After the quarry was closed, the community dispersed and the cottages fell into disrepair. Occupied by hippies for a time during the 1960s, the site was the subject of several plans for redevelopment, including as an approved school, when it was acquired by a local trust set up to establish a Welsh language centre there.
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