All the machines are in place and the walls of the cafe are ready to come down now that 8.5 tons of asphalt and insulation has been cleared from the roof. It will take about six days work to flatten it.


The Station Master's building being demolished.

Most of the Station Master's building has been demolished and removed in skips. It would have been totally taken down if the 'pecker' on the Cat machine hadn't broken near the end of the day. The weight limit of 9 tons on the flat-bed truck also limits how much material can be removed in one trip by the train.


Using the 'pecker' to collapse the reinforced concrete roof of the Station
Master's building.

A most welcome sight for the men working at the summit is the appearance of a portacabin; although it isn't fitted out yet and needs tying down! But soon they'll be able to enjoy a proper tea-break that only comes with a freshly brewed cuppa. There is even rumours of a micro-wave oven being installed.


Loading the skips on to the flat-bed truck.


Home time.

Surprisingly during the recent week of high winds, only one day of work has been lost at the summit and on a couple of others it has meant finishing early since the workmen had to walk down to Rocky Valley to meet the train.


Bagging the insulation for removal prior to demolition.

The time consuming task of manually removing the insulation off the roof before the building can be knocked down is nearly completed. Under the roof tiles is thick layer of asphalt that has to be cut up in order to get at the foam layer below.


The thick layer of asphalt has to be cut into manageable sections with a saw.


The skip loading area with the station manager's building behind.

The inside of the building is now totally gutted with the internal walls gone and by early next week reducing the carapace of the summit building complex to rubble will begin. The sections of portacabin that are now at the summit also need putting together to give the workers shelter.


One of the last meals to be had in the old cafe before it's knocked down.


 

Saturday was like a summer's day on top of the highest peak in England and Wales. Many of the runners in the Pedol Peris fell race, that includes the summit as part of its 17.5 mile course, longed for a breeze to cool them down.


Another glorious day.

Inside the old building it was dusty work as Jack Owen skilfully maneouvred his Bob Cat to claw away fittings from the walls and ceiling. It's obvious he's time served when it comes the demolition business and a real grafter. He has tried to retire once already but only lasted a few months before returning to work. Jack used to smoke 120 cigarettes and drink 10 pints of milk during an 18 hour working day. Five years ago he packed in the smoking and you'll even see him eating apples now!


Demolition man Jack Owen.


Jack in his Bobcat expertly tearing down the inside of the building.

All the tiles on the roof have to be carfully removed before the building is collapsed later this week to get at the polystyrene insulation underneath. This will then be removed by hand to ensure that none of it blows away on to the open mountain.


All the roof tiles have to be removed to get at the insulation underneath.

Overseen by 'Demolition Jack' and no his second name isn't hammer, work continued inside the building taking out the 'soft fittings' which will effectively leave just a shell before the roof is taken off. All the debris is loaded into small skips, which are put onto a purpose built flat-bed truck that is taken up and down the mountain by train. Everything is being moved using the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Helicopters are not involved.


Walkers and contractors mingle around a sunny Snowdon summit.

The flat-bed truck can carry up to 9 tonnes but the single heaviest item that can be loaded onto it is two tonnes: the maximum weight the crane can lift. Aside from such logistical challenges the weather is always going to play a large part in this unique project. While today you couldn't have asked for better conditions, yesterday the workmen had to walk down to Clogwyn Station since the wind was two m.p.h. over the operational cut-off for the train (42 m.p.h). The Heras fence that will be erected around the site will need to be able to withstand gusts of up to 120 m.p.h.


Gutting the building before the roof is taken off.

Some walkers arriving at the summit were obviously disappointed to discover the cafe was no longer open and one even enquired with the surveyor if the toilets were still working!


Empty skips passing Clogwyn Station on their way back-up.

Demolition officially began today on a cloud cloaked Snowdon summit, of what was once famously described by Prince Charles as Wales's "Highest slum". The Welsh Assembly Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside, Carwyn Jones struck a series of symbolic blows to the exterior of the existing cafe complex and former hotel. Carwyn Jones was joined by Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services, Sue Essex. It wasn't quite as dramatic as the Berlin Wall coming down but did mark the start of work on the new £8.3 million replacement building.


Hard hitting politics from Welsh Assembly Minister, Carwyn Jones,
on Snowdon's summit.

The Welsh Assembly Government are supporting the project with £3 million along with £4 million from the European Regional Development Fund. Other support is coming from Visit Wales, the Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Snowdon Mountain Railway Company and an ongoing public appeal.


Park Chairman, Caerwyn Roberts, speaking at the 'demolition ceremony' on Snowdon summit.

Carwyn Jones took the opportunity to make a personal first by walking up to the top for the ceremony, while Sue Essex travelled on a packed train from Llanberis that included among others the press, film crews, architects, Park officials and local school-children.

It was an important day for the Snowdonia National Park Authority who have driven the re-development forward and at times were seriously concerned it would not happen owing to a lack of funding. Aneurin Phillips, Chief Executive of the Park, said: "It has been a very long journey for us and we have been deeply encouraged by the amount of support we have received since the project began five years ago. Today, we are now a step nearer in seeing our dream come true as this ugly building will be replaced with a new, high quality and sustainable one."


Ray Hole, architect responsible for the new building with Minister Carwyn Jones
outside Sir Clough Williams-Ellis 'concrete bunker'.

This blog aims to track the progress of re-developing Snowdon's summit by Snowdonia National Park. The appointed contractors, Carillion, responsible for constructing the new building on the highest peak in England and Wales, take over on September 11th and a 'demolition ceremony' on September 12th will mark the start of this long awaited and contentious project. The previous building has served as a cafe and train terminus since being built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in 1936. The new £8.3 million building has to be completed by the summer of 2008 to be eligible for the European sponsorship.