Slate is everywhere in the northeastern reaches of Northampton County. It crackles underfoot in yards. It adorns hills along the country roads. The outskirts of small towns such as Pen Argyl are ...

Down in the pit, gulls float on turquoise water beneath tiers of cut slate and old blasted areas colonised with scrub. Up on the rim of this 425ft deep quarry, overlooked by four tall wind turbines, ...