Aros Ennyd
If you look carefully, you can see the remains of a hut near the stone wall. These are the remains of Cwt Aidan (Aidan’s Shelter) or 'Aros Ennyd' (Stay a While). The walls are set in a T- shape to have shelter from the wind from any direction. Edward Aidan Davies worked in the main quarry (Gwaith Mawr) and travelled from his home in Llithfaen, along Lȏn Gwaith (the Quarry Path) and down to the quarry. One can imagine that the journey was quite unpleasant in bad weather, and therefore, Aros Ennyd was a comfortable place to take a short break, before facing the rest of the journey. Edward Aidan Davies lived in Tŷ Croes, Llithfaen and was born in 1871. He married Catherine and they had two sons, Elwy and Eifion. He was a sets maker in the quarry. As a rule, the majority of sets makers would sit on a cushion placed on a block of stone, with another block of solid wood in front of him so that he could place the stone on it to turn it around and work it as needed. They would use a patter hammer (morthwyl patro). The word ‘patro’ undoubtedly comes from the English word patter, meaning rapidity - morthwyl patro means therefore, a hammer to strike rapidly, which creates a sound quite similar to hailstones against a window. This was the fastest moving of all the hammers. The most skilled sets maker would patter on his feet, this method was much tougher on the body. The person would stand over the stone and bend down to work. A standing sets maker would produce more sets than a sitting sets maker. His hammer weighed two pounds more - seven pounds compared to five pounds. Furthermore, the handle of his hammer was also longer. A standing sets maker would have more the wear and tear on the front of the shoe, as he would use his feet to manipulate the stone all day. He would use a 'Clem Fawr’, a large steel clamp over the front of the shoe manipulating the stone. That said, the Clem Fawr wouldn't last very long if you were a good worker.
Edward Aidan Davies was active in the chapel and his community. This is a hymn written by him from his work in "Caniedydd yr Annibinnnwyr" (The Independent Hymnbook)
Arglwydd, rho dy wen yn helaeth,
Wrth ymadael o’r gwasanaeth;
Gad im ddychwel mewn llawenydd
Adref, gyda bendith newydd.
Os pechasom yn dy erbyn
Drwy I bethau’r byd ein dil
A sancteiddia ein serchiadau.
Arwain ni i’n cartrefleoedd
Arwain o dan wlith y nefoedd;
Sŵn awelon pen Calfaria
Fyddo’n aros wedi’r oedfa.
He was a country poet, and would win on competitions in local Eisteddfodau, such as commemorative verses odes (penillion). He won several competitions for composing hymn words. He would write verses to mark the occasional important event. In 1905, he won for writing a Pryddest titled “Yr Iesu’n golchi traed y disgyblion” ("Jesus washes the disciples' feet"). His work would be recited a lot at competitions in Eisteddfodau in Welsh communities in England and beyond, such as Manchester.