DESCRIBED as a hidden gem, the mountainside of Dinorwig Quarry is a sight to behold – so it’s no wonder the area has become a TikTok hotspot.
But the stunning slate mine and it’s “lost-in-time”; village has been besieged by tourists since it went viral online – so much so that one resident says she’s been forced to sell her home.
Villagers have complained that the numbers are so “out of control the only road in is clogged with miles of , with litter being left to rot by disrespectful visitors.
The situation has sparked heated rows and left locals being trapped in their homes, with many begging for better parking to cope with the sudden influx.
Locals say human faeces is even being left in surrounding fields.
One woman has even admitted that she has now sold her home after being fed up with so many tourists.
The Dinorwig Quarry in the village in Snowdonia, North Wales, has become a phenomenon on the social media site TikTok, with users, including the official ‘visitwales’ account, posting stunning views of the landscape.
I am leaving the village and moving because of all the tourists. I put the house on the market and have accepted an offer. I am just waiting for it to go through.”;
Phoebe Griffithlocal resident
The area has been declared an and was once the world’s second largest slate mine, but there are very few car parking facilities.
Bank holiday ‘mayhem’
The problem was even worse over when up to 1,000 cars clogged the road, with queues stretching back two miles to another village.
Tattooist Phoebe Griffith, 29, who lives locally, said: “It’s got totally out of control.
“It was mayhem here over Easter with so many TikTok tourists and others.
“Without doubt, it’s gone absolutely crazy with the number of tourists coming here.
“They have shattered the peace of the place. I came to live here because it was quiet, but it’s not anymore.
“In fact, I am leaving the village and moving because of all the tourists.
“I put the house on the market and have accepted an offer. I am just waiting for it to go through.”;
Author Ronna Halsall, 63, who writes psychological thrillers, said: “So many tourists are spoiling the place, which is a shame as it is so beautiful with views of Snowdon.
She says: “It gets put on social media and one of the top five most beautiful sites in Wales so everyone comes. It’s ridiculous.”;
Retired business consultant Rose Cantrell, 75, who lives near the quarry, said: “It’s a nightmare at the weekends or bank holidays.
“It has got a lot worse recently as people have put it on TikTok.
“The main problem is parking as there is just not the infrastructure to support the number of visitors especially as it is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
“There have been arguments over parking.
“Sometimes it can take three-quarters of an hour to get out of the village as cars are parked on both sides of the road and they get blocked.
“The TikTok tourists have shattered the peace of the place.
“They leave excrement by the side of the road and they leave litter all over the place.
“It is upsetting. We have called on the council to do more to solve the problem.”;
Student Emily Walker, 17, said: “It can be a nightmare with all the traffic and problems caused by tourists.”;
‘It’s a good thing’
But some locals are able to see the positives of having more tourists visit the sleepy town – as long as facilities are improved to go with them.
Builder Russell Williams, 59, told The Sun: “I think it’s a good thing so many people to visit us. But sometimes there are too many cars.”;
Paid-for parking for the quarry is available in Llanberis – but this involves a climb up the mountain to reach a site billed as the “place where time stood still”;, reports NorthWalesLive.
Old barracks, sheds, adits and cabins hark back to a time when the quarry was a hive of activity, offering a fascinating glimpse into an industry that once roofed the world.
John Horrigan, who lives next to the quarry, told the local news outlet: “The traffic there at the weekend was the worst I’ve ever seen.”;
Free parking is available up on the mountain itself at Allt Ddu bus terminus, and this offers an easier route to the quarry.
And it was clogged with 30 campervans over Easter.
“You look anywhere online and this is where people are advised to park,”; said John, adding it meant on Good Friday, in particular, it was “packed with ‘vanlifers'”;.
He said people were parking on blind bends with no repeater signs making things “extremely dangerous”;.
John said of people unfamiliar with the area: “They’re driving up and down at speed despite there being sheep on the roads and kids stepping out from behind cars.”;
He added that a woman with a walking stick was also recently knocked over by a car.
“If it continues like this someone is going to get killed,”; he said.
Some have even called for a “tourist tax”; in a bid to control the number of visitors to the area.
Picturesque spot
The picturesque spot boasts old barracks covered in tumbleweeds, piercing blue waters, sheds adits and cabins harking back to the time whey the quarry was the hub of an industry that once roofed the world.
One TikTok creator captioned their snapshot of cliff diving into the turquoise waters, “Can you believe this in the UK?”;
TikTok fame has also repopularised the “secret waterful”; for divers, which is locally known as the “pool of death”; as 22 divers have died there since 1994.
Online explorers have been flocking to the site, flouting the clear “Keep Out”; signs.
