welsh mine preservation trust newsletter december 2004

8/6/2019 Welsh Mine Preservation Trust Newsletter December 2004

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NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2004

Welcome to the latest edition of the Trust Newsletter. This has been a successful year for the Trust,we have continued our work at Catherine & Jane Consols Mine, holding two well attended

weekends there. We held our first Mid Wales weekend at Cwmystwyth over the August Bank

Holiday Weekend, on the Saturday we held a Heritage Day at the mine for local residents. Work

continues at the Glyn Pits at Pontypool and we have commenced a project to carry out restoration

of the Engine House at Pen Y Clun Mine.

I am very grateful to Simon Hughes for providing me with another excellent article on the mines

around Talybont (Ceredigion).

At present the Trust has 69 members, unfortunately 20 members have still not paid their

subscriptions for 2004, this is unfortunate, as we have paid the insurance for these members. If youhave paid your subscriptions you will see 2004 Membership Paid in the box at the top right hand

corner of this newsletter. Thank you for your continued support of the Trust.

If it says 2004 Membership Not Paid in this box, it means that you have not paid for this year. In

which case I will be more than happy to receive your contribution as soon as possible. I fully

understand that some members may feel that they cannot continue to support the Trust, due to the

increase in membership fees, due to the increased cost of insurance. I also understand that some

members may find themselves having to reduce the number of organisations they belong to again

due to increased cost of membership. If this applies to you please send me a letter or an email and I

will cancel your membership, it will save the Trust the cost of your insurance and postage on

newsletters.

I have done my best to maintain accurate records, but if you have paid and it says not paid at the

top of your newsletter, please let me know.

This year we welcome three new members to the Trust; Bryan Grimston of Porthmadog, Christine

Smith and Steve Oliver from Llangurig, welcome, each one of you. Also welcome to Jenny Gowing

who will be joining the Trust in 2005.

SIMON HUGHES Honorary Life Membership.

At this years AGM held in October at the Pound House, Newent. The Trust resolved unanimously

to award Simon Hughes Honorary Life Membership of the Trust, in recognition of his fundraising

for the Trust.

As most of you will know Simon has compiled a CD containing his well known book The

Cwmystwyth Mines, plus many other items on Cwmystwyth Mine, plans, photographs etc., the

CD is full to bursting point with very interesting material on this mine. Simon is most generously

donating all the proceeds from the sale of this CD to the Trust.

To date these donations have reached 200. Copies of the CD are still available, (price 10) from

either Simon at Lery Mills, Talybont, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY24 5ED, or from myself.

Thank You Simon, we are very grateful.

12004

Membership

Paid


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WMPT WORKING WEEKEND 15/16 MAY 2004 at Catherine & Jane Consols Mine

We held another very successful working weekend at the mine over the weekend 15/16 May. The

weather was glorious, unbroken sunshine all weekend. As last time, I must thank Harold Morris for

his assistance arranging the weekend, and his help in obtaining permission from CCW, now parts of

the site have been designated a SSSI.

My thanks also to Tilhill Economic Forestry for their continued permission, to allow our work to

continue. I must also thank the Countryside Commission for Wales for granting us permission to

work at the SSI site.

Over the weekend we carried out the following work:-

1) Biglands Wheelpit

The stream that runs into the wheel pit was diverted, so it now flows down the right hand side of the

pit, into the gully below. The drainage outlet from the pit was also cleared and some of the silt that

had accumulated in the bottom of the pit was removed. Although in times of flood the stream willstill flow through the pit, the effects of erosion will be limited.

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The working party at Catherine & Jane 15/05/2004

L to R Graham Levins, Bryan Grimston, Paul Smyth, Dave Seabourne,

John Alder, Harold Morris and Roy Quilliam.


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Nigel and Simon Chapman clearing the outlet

from the wheelpit

Biglands wheelpit, with stream flowing into it.


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2) The Smithy

Some lintels were replaced, and the stone work supporting them was consolidated. Some

more vegetation clearance was carried out around thebuilding remains.

Paul Smyth deserves a special mention for the excellent job he has done in rebuilding the

dry stone wall at the Smithy.

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The Smithy

John Alder, Roy Quilliam and Harold Morris diverting the stream.


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The dr stone wall at the Smith ollowin rebuildin b Paul Sm th

View of Smithy showing replaced lintel


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3) Vegetation clearance was carried out inside and around the other two buildings above theSmithy.

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Bryan Grimston cementing a lintel in position

The building above the Smithy with the interesting chimney, there is adoorway beneath; the fireplace is in the right-hand wall.


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4) Lower Dressing Floor More of the slate slab floor was exposed.

My thanks to the following members of the Trust and the Welsh Mines Society who attended over

the weekend, John Alder, Nigel & Simon Chapman, Lyndon Cooper, Bryan Grimston, Simon

Hughes, Tony King, Harold Morris, Roy Quilliam, Dave Seabourne, and Paul Smyth.

WMPT WORKING WEEKEND 30/31 OCTOBER 2004 at Catherine & Jane Consols Mine

Tilhill Forestry had expressed some safety concerns about Catherine Jane Consols, following our

work over previous weekends. They were very pleased with the work we have carried out at the

mine, but had concerns that visitors to the forest could be tempted to climb on the building remains.On the 21st June, Simon Hughes, Harold Morris, Lyndon Cooper and myself attended a meeting at

the mine with Tilhills Forest Manager, to discuss these concerns. It was agreed that fences would

be erected alongside the footpath, at the Engine House, the two buildings below and the Smithy.

These fences would only consist of posts and three strands of wire. Tilhill agreed to supply the

materials and the Trust agreed to provide the manpower to erect the fences. Suitable warning

notices will be placed by Tilhill. The meeting and its result is an example of the good relationship

the Trust has developed with Tilhill, and I wish to record my thanks to Alan Miller, the Forest

Manager for his assistance with our work at Catherine & Jane.

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Another view of the building, with undergrowth neatly trimmed.


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Over the weekend 30/31 October we erected fencing at the Engine House and the Smithy, with thematerials provided by Tilhill. My thanks to the following Trust and WMS members who attended,

Harold Morris, Bryan Grimston, Barry Clarke, Dave Seabourne, Tony King, Barry & Mary Dupree,

Christine Smith and Steve Oliver.

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Tea Break left to right Barry Clarke, Christine Smith, Steve Oliver,Harold Morris, Bryan Grimston, Barry & Mary Dupree

Barry puts life and limb at risk, by letting Christine loose with the sledge hammer,

while Sam and Harold look on.


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Fencing at the Smithy left to right Harold, Barry (Clarke),Christine, Steve, Barry (Dupree)

The completed fencing near the Middle Adit. Left to right Mary, Christine and Harold


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The next working weekend at Catherine & Jane will be over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend

30 Apr/1 May. We will meet at the forestry gate as usual at 1030. If anyone who has not beenbefore is interested in attending, please contact me and I will give you details.

CWMYSTWYTH WEEKEND AND HERITAGE DAY

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend the Trust held a very successful weekend of events at

Cwmystwyth Mine, for members of the Trust and the Welsh Mines Society. It was decided that the

Saturday would be a Heritage Day to which the people of Cwmystwyth and the surrounding area,

would also be invited. Along with Simon Hughes and David James, I wanted the Trust to build

links with the local community. The intention of the Heritage Day was to let local people know

about the Trust and our aims, and to enable them to find out about the history of the mine which has

been the main focal point of their village for hundreds of years. I also sent out invitations to thevarious bodies who have an interest in the mine and its surroundings. Thanks to the efforts of David

James, details of the Heritage Day were published in the Cambrian News. The Cambrian News

sent along a photographer and a very good report was published after the event. A copy of this

report is included with this newsletter.

Expecting about twenty or so people to attend I was pleasantly surprised to see over fifty people

gather at the mine on the Saturday afternoon. The event started with a talk by David James on the

geology of the area around Cwmystwyth, I was amazed to hear David explain a very complex

subject in a simple way that everyone could understand. Simon Hughes then led a walk around the

lower parts of the mine site, giving talks on the history of the mine and the ruined buildings. Simon

also brought along with him various old plans and photographs to illustrate his talks.

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David James (centre) explaining the geology of Cwmystwyth


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The days events continued at the Church Hall (Ysgoldy Goch) in the evening. The hall was packed,

with even more attending than the afternoon event. Around the hall were displays of Geologicalmaps and plans prepared by David James, an excellent display on mining in Ceredigion by Simon

Hughes and a display of artefacts from Cwmystwyth Mine collected by Reg Budd from the Old

Post Office at Cwmystwyth.

The evening started with a talk and slide show by Ifor Richards. Ifor has a wonderful collection of

slides that show his underground explorations at Cwmystwyth over the years, some parts of which

are either no longer accessible or too dangerous to enter today. This was followed by a talk and

slides presented by David Bick on William Waller and the Mine Adventurers, which coincided with

the publication of his latest book Wallers Description of the Mines in Cardiganshire. (Copies of

this very interesting book are available from David at The Pound House, Market Square, Newent,

Glos, GL18 1PS 9.99 +p&p).

It was a very successful day, with many local people attending, and hopefully learning a little about

their villages heritage and history. I was also pleased to meet Richard Jones from CADW and Peter

Austin the Tourism Officer from Ceredigion County Council, who both attended the Heritage

Day.

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Simon Hughes giving his talk at Cwmystwyth


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The rest of the weekend was for members of the Society and the Trust to enjoy the delights of

Cwmystwyth. On the Sunday twenty attendees were taken on a walk up Copa Hill, as well as

exploring surface remains and the ancient open workings, some were taken underground into

Aldersons, Herberts and Cross Road Adits.

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George Hall and Simon Hughes in deep discussion, amid the crowd

Barry Clarke with the rescued sheep on Copa Hill


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The Bank Holiday Monday started with a rescue of a sheep which had fallen into an open stope on

Copa Hill (close to Queens Adit). The day then continued with an underground tour of Level Fawr,

those who came underground were able to see the recently inserted pipe through the collapse on theKingside Lode.

I would like to thank The Crown Mineral Agency, Mrs Raw of Ty Llwyd, Cwmystwyth and Mr &

Mrs Morgan of Pentre, Cwmystwyth for granting permission for the weekends events to take

place. I must also thank Simon Hughes, David James, Ifor Richards and David Bick for their

assistance in planning the weekend and their contributions to the Heritage Day, thanks also to

Barry Clarke for his assistance with the sheep rescue and the underground trip into Level Fawr.

I am planning to hold another Cwmystwyth weekend over the August Bank Holiday next year, full

details in next newsletter.

COED Y FEDW MINE, COLOMENDY

In June this year I was advised by Trust director Tony King that plans had been submitted to

Denbighshire County Council to build an Outdoor Recreation Centre at Coed Y Fedw Mine,

Colomendy, Denbighshire. With Tonys help I corresponded with The County Archaeologist at

Denbigh C C, and the developers Axis, who are acting on behalf of Liverpool City Council, raising

concerns about damage to the mining remains at this site by the development. The developers have

taken our concerns into account and have made revisions to their plans, moving planned

constructions away from sensitive areas at the mine. Last week I received a phone call from one

of the directors of Axis telling me that they now planned to build a heritage centre as part of the

development, so youngsters using the Outdoor Recreation Centre can learn some of the siteshistory and heritage. Tony King will continue to monitor the situation and will attend the planning

meetings.

This is another aspect of the Trusts role, where hopefully we can have an input into schemes that

could affect or destroy historic mining remains.

SPIRIT OF THE MINERS PROJECT CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL

I have received the following letter from Peter Austin, Tourism Development Officer, Ceredigion

County Council.

Ysbryd y Mwynwyr Spirit of the Miners

(The Ceredigion Uplands Mining Heritage Project)

You may recall that I wrote to you in May of this year to advise you that Ceredigion County

Council was in the process of developing an Objective 1 project that aimed to use the legacy of

metal mining in the Ceredigion Uplands as a means of Community regeneration, and I thank those

of you that replied.

I have pleasure in advising you that the application was successful and that the Welsh European

Funding Office have agreed to fund the project from the European Agricultural Guidance andGuarantee Fund, matched by Ceredigion County Councils allocation of Wales Assembly

Governments Local Regeneration Funds. I am extremely pleased to advise you that the

Countryside Council for Wales have also allocated funding to this project.

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The project will run until the end of November 2007 and has a total project value of 464,000

which will fund a Project Officer for the duration of the project, will fund the marketing exerciseand website development that will support the project, and will provide a grant scheme for

Community groups, organisations and businesses to access to aid project development.

The next stage of the project is to advertise for the Project Officer post and to assemble a steering

group; should you be interested in being part of this steering group please let me know.

I would like to take this opportunity again to thank those of you that responded to my original

correspondence as this played a vital part in the success of the application. I will contact you again

in the near future with more news when available.

MORE METALLURGICAL DISCOVERIES NEAR TALYBONT SIMON HUGHES

Further to the account in the last issue, Cambria Archaeology returned to the Erglodd causeway at

the start of June 2004. A date of 970 1010 AD has now been ascribed to repairs carried out on an

overlying younger structure. At the southern end of the causeway, at SN 6486-9060, there is an

abundance of charcoal immediately below the turf and on closer examination this layer was found

to contain a high proportion of black vesicular slag of the type normally associated with lead

smelting. Further excavation suggests that an industrial operation of some magnitude must have

taken place with the slag & cinder dump being at least ten metres in diameter and nearly a metre

deep. Granulated slag and dross possibly mixed with tailings appears to have been used to construct

part of the causeway, or to dress the surface. Most of this material appeared to be crushed androughly sized to 4 or 5 mm. thus suggesting that the slag was dressed in a similar manner to the ore

to recover the trapped metal. I estimate that we are looking at several tens of tonnes of material

imported and treated on this site, possibly over a fifty year period, rather than hundreds or

thousands of tonnes accumulated over several centuries forensic archaeology will tell us more in

due course.

Set near the centre of this dross, and partly overlain by the causeway is a 60 cm diameter base of a

furnace with three tapping points cut into the ground. The ground is badly burned and baked in this

area. Two of these have been badly damaged by subsequent road making and later repairs but the

third appears to be relatively intact and is to be further excavated. Whatever stonework existed in

this hearth appears to have been robbed for road-making along with some of the tailings and slag, a

small mortar stone about 20 cms in diameter was also recovered from the fabric of the causeway.

Beneath the hearth, are 10 or 15 definite layers of charcoal mixed with slag and lead dross and now

largely cemented together by white and bluish secondary mineralisation. Several pieces of furnace

lining were recovered and suggest that it was constructed from a mixture of stone and porous brick

or clay. The inner side of the lining was coated with a thin film of yellow-green glaze to which

pieces of black vesicular slag had adhered along with fragments of brick or baked clay. The slag

still retained globules of metal, litharge and fragments of ore and my initial opinion is that the

furnace ran at too low a temperature to be really efficient but it is possible that there were other

processes applied to recover some of the high losses and improve the general quality of the finished

product. The product would appear to have been pig lead and we must therefore consider theremains to be Romano British until some firm radiocarbon dates are obtained.

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The site of the furnace is about 200 yards away from the nearest stream and there are no indications

that the furnace was blown by anything other than a natural draught or by hand bellows.

Traditionally, bole furnaces of this type are built in an elevated position to take advantage of theprevailing wind but this site must be a contender for the lowest example in Britain being only a

metre or two above present sea level. I am at a total loss as to why this furnace was constructed at

this location, the surrounding mines are all in an elevated position and appear to be far more

enticing sites upon which to build a bole furnace. It is of course possible that there was a better crop

of wood available at this location on the edge of Cors Fochno and that the poorer draught was of

less consequence than we now imagine. For the bole to have been used over a period of so many

years suggests that it cannot have been a failure, or only used for a trial run.

Several interesting points arise from this discovery :-

1) Were these furnaces associated with the Roman Fort at Erglodd ( SN 6527-9035 ? Almostcertainly, which then raises the question about the dates of the furnaces at Erglodd Mine ( SN 6563-

9037 ). My inclination is that these must be later, possibly Medieval and pre-dating the

development of larger furnaces alongside the River Leri at SN 6528-8908. (#22),

Plan of Alltycrib and Llwynadda Mine

2) From which mines was the ore obtained ? From what I have seen so far I am more inclined tothink that the ore was derived from Alltycrib and Llwynadda rather than Erglodd, but without

proper analysis and examination this is no more than a personal hypothesis.

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3) Was the causeway built to carry ore from

Llancynfelin Mine or for carrying timber to the

furnace as fuel ? From what we know of the Spanish

Mines during the Roman occupation, the smelters

burned everything in the area and were forced to scour

the surrounding countryside for fuel. For this reason I

suspect that it was predominantly used to carry fuel.

A few hundred metres to the west of Erglodd Fort, at

SN 6515-9015, lies the Tanyrallt Mine which, initially,

appears to be a late 19th century venture. However,

there is a long narrow opencast which was discoveredsome years ago and was of indeterminable age.

Recently, a rather fine stone hammer was discovered

very close to this opencut and when the foliage is less

dense, it is hoped that a better examination can be

undertaken. Were these workings an easterly extension

of the Llwynadda Mine, I suspect so.

Having dug into a dusty corner of my archive and looked through my thesis I find that there is a

good entry for Llwynadda, also known as North Alltycrib, which is worth updating and expandingupon at this time. The name is best translated as Adams Grove and there can be no doubt that the

workings on this hillside are of considerable antiquity, particularly the opencast on the crest of the

hill above the Alltycrib Engine Shaft, #10 on the plan. Without doubt, the Coffin Level (#12) is a

particularly fine example of a pick-cut adit which must pre date the Myddelton and Bushell era. The

large but shallow tank, Cistern II on the plan but commonly known as Llyn Jack and associated

leats at SN 6484-8943, (#11) can only have filled during the winter rains and their purpose was

never fully ascertained. There are only minor signs of hushing and the tanks are not particularly

well placed for impounding washing water, however, several bucking stones, or querns, were found

in this area with one being incorporated into the turf wall of the tank. Having wondered around this

hillside for nearly forty years, it saddens me to see the manner in which, so called agricultural

improvements are gradually obliterating our heritage.

Returning to Alltycrib, it is largely due to the field work of Roy Fellows, that I have now been able

to identify the western end of Bushells, or the Chapel Level, (#2) which we know dates from a

little after 1641. We now know that this adit was never driven much past Felixs Whim Shaft (#8)

and never connected with either the long winze below Wilkinsons or the Old Engine Shaft (#10),

which was later sunk below the deep adit (#1) during the 19th century but never yielded much ore in

comparison with the old workings. Myddelton and Bushell both appear to have been getting their

ore from stopes off the Engine Shaft, the Whim Shaft (#3) and from the Steel Ore Stopes (#7) now

accessible through Wilkinsons Adit.

By a process of elimination, it can be demonstrated that both the Tally Ho Adit ( SN 6520-8947 )

(#6) and the adit at SN 6482-8936, dubbed Myddeltons, both pre-date Bushells work whilst the

Llwynadda Coffin Adit, is of a considerably earlier age. It is only of recent years that I have become

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Tanyrallt Hammer Stone

10cm scale


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aware of Godolphins visit to the Talybont mine and smelting works in 1623, during Myddeltons

tenure, to investigate the claims of Levine van Hack a phoney Dutch metallurgist of little acclaim.

Of the two main ore shoots, the Steel Ore stopes are the best defined and most accessible whilst the

Old Engine Shaft, at SN 6483-8941, has run in a catastrophic manner and appears to have

obliterated all the workings in the vicinity. Some felling of the dense conifers may reveal potential

sites for finding shallow workings. Before the driving of the deep adit in the 1840s, this shaft was

drained by an adit, vaguely coffin shaped, which seems to have been that described by Godolphin in

1623, There is a similar adit, named the Tally Ho Level driven into the steel ore stopes which

appears to be more or less contemporary with that just described and both must pre date Bushells

Adit of 1641.

Plan and Section of Alltycrib Mine 1850

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Regarding Childs Shaft, at SN 6497-8941, (#9) this appears to have been sunk to meet a poor shoot

on the back of Wilkinsons Adit (#4). About 15 metres below the surface it was possible to get intoanother adit, driven east from SN 6488-8937, which predated Wilkinsons. I think that the shaft was

sunk during the 18th century and was later intersected by the branch of Wilkinsons that follows the

South Lode. I am not sure about the story regarding the shaft being sunk using child labour as Child

was not an uncommon surname; Job Sheldon, who worked in these parts around 1800, had a

particularly poor reputation for social welfare and it is therefore not beyond the bounds of

possibility.

Felixs Shaft (#8) lies at SN 6505-8942 between Childs Shaft and the Steel Ore Stopes with its

collar at about 478aod. It was formerly known as the Whim Shaft and in more recent times was

referred to as the Airshaft. This can be confusing as there is another airshaft (#20) on the back of the

later Deep Adit. Much work has been done here over the years, it appears to have been one ofBushells targets in 1640, again in the mid 1850s during Wilkinsons tenure and finally in 1910

when Pryses Level (#5) was commenced to cut the ore left standing by the old men. The old man

had in fact missed nothing and the ground was all but barren below the old stopes. According to the

various mine plans, the floor of Wilkinsons adit at the portal lies at 383.77 or 387.5 but the

Ordnance Survey show the 400 contour running just below the portal. The last time I looked at this

shaft, and the various stopes running off it, it was in a very poor condition and was not a place to

dwell for any great of time.

The old workings which are met with in Felixs Shaft, 40 feet, or so, below Wilkinsons Adit,

cannot be anything other than the western end of Bushells Adit or The Chapel Level as it was later

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Section along South Lode


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dubbed by Capt. Matthew Francis. On the 1913 plans, another level, named Loders, meets Felixs

Shaft at 36 (352 aod) below Wilkinsons and very near to the old workings. This has intrigued me

for many years and I think that I may now have found an answer to a long standing anomaly. Thedumps from Wilkinsons Adit quite obviously overlie an earlier dump, of similar magnitude, which

cannot be readily explained. There is a little dampness where one would expect the portal and it lies

at the same altitude as Bushells Level; could Loders Level be a misguided pre Wilkinson attempt

at easing the congestion on the old level by bringing a westerly continuation to the surface ? Quite

possibly.

I have long been fascinated by Bushells adit ( SN 6536-8949 at about 350aod. ) (#2) which lies

above my old primary school and have made several unsuccessful efforts to gain access over the

past 35 years. The incident of the Smokey Banquet of 1641 is described by Thomas Brodway and

has been frequently recited. Briefly; One Bartholomew Clocker and partners, not wishing to foul

the air, had withdrawn to the portal for a smoke, when the water suddenly, and without warning,broke out of the old workings. After flooding the houses lying below the adit, Fisher with more

curiosity than wit , ventured back into the adit, kindled some flammable gas with his candle and

was somewhat scorched for his efforts. The level has been driven along the lode as a drift and we

know from Lewis Morriss description that it was narrow and winding and desperately needed

widening to be useful in the 1750s. Would the effort of digging the portal clear yield a reasonable

result, probably not. It may reveal a few metres of modified and widened level before the next fall.

It seems to have been abandoned by 1840.

We have both a date of commencement for this adit and know that it holed through into the Steel

Ore Stopes (#7) on 27/28th of June 1641. We do not know when it was extended to Felixs Shaft

(#8) and as the whole industry fell into turmoil after Bushells departure from the area on the 28 th ofSeptember 1642 and development thereafter must have been erratic.

Bartholomew Clocker and two Fishers are noted in Bushells List of Miners along with several

other alien names Baltiser, Cockler, Emblin, Edriser, Ficharet & Tyson. They may well have been

the children of the German miners who had settled in Keswick, when the Society of Mines Royal

was commenced, and were then transferred to Cardiganshire around 1585 or a little later as the rich

copper ores ran out and the demand for silver increased.

We also know that Bushells (#2) was the principal adit for nearly two hundred years and I had long

presumed that the ore was taken to the river to be washed, probably in the approximate position of

the mill at the mouth of the later Deep Adit (#1). However, I find that this is not so and that the old

dressing floors were on the west side of the main road and had the chapels and a school built upon

them once the other floors were established. Formerly, the area was known as Pen Rhylog ( derived

from Pen yr Hillock ) and three washers cottages still survive as lockups near the playground at SN

6552-8956. There is no convenient source of water within a hundred yards of this place.

Some fifty metres to the west of Bushells adit is the site of the Old Whim Shaft (#3) alongside the

remains of a whim circle and shallow opencast at SN 6532-8943 / 425aod. This shaft must be

contemporary with the driving of the new adit but the opencast probably pre-dates it. Little more

than a metre square with heavily worn sides, the Forestry Commission thought that it was a hazard

and inserted a tree stump in the mid 1980s before it was possible to explore and survey it. At thattime it was well over 100 deep and is therefore likely to meet Bushells Adit. Easy access would

make a re-opening fairly easy provided that the Commission would consent.

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Between the Old Whim Shaft (#3) and the Steel Ore Stopes (#7), at SN 6527-8947, are a series of

overgrown shallow grubbings and pits along the outcrop of the South Lode. It has never been

possible to determine the depth of these workings and they do not appear to be drained by acontemporary adit. My guess is that they must pre date 1640 when the new adit was being driven.

Prior to the driving of the new forest road this was an area which had changed little in centuries.

None of the workings on the Cwm Leri Lode (#17-18-19) are of any great age; However, near the

north end of the Middle Adit, SN 6474-8921, is a rich shoot, or pipe of ore (#16), which has been

worked down from the surface as part of the Llwynadda Mine. Some pits have been cut along the

course of the lode and it is likely that these also yielded a few tons of ore.

The most north-westerly excavations are Bishops Workings (#15), at SN 6460-8931, where the

Cwm Leri Lode forms a rich shoot, or pipe, as it cuts the Alltycrib South Lode as it heads west, near

the Llwynadda boundary. I am sure that these workings were more extensive than appeared to bethe case thirty years ago when cattle had been using the stope to shelter from the rain. This stope

had vertical walls about a metre apart and the dump was several times the volume of the void. On

the 1857 plan, a shaft is shown nearby which may have been sunk to communicate with Tyrells

Adit. Another trial shaft was sunk between 1857 and 1886 about a hundred yards to the west of

Bishops workings and the older Ordnance maps show a further occurrence of lead on the same lode

at Llwyn Ysgubor Wen, a mile further west.

The main adit to Llwynadda in later years was known

as Tyrells Adit (#14), at approximately 330 aod. a

cross-cut of about 200 metres into the North lode,

driven south from alongside the old chapel at SN6447-8948. Properly Capel Bethania but known

colloquially as Capel Fach Pen-level. There were

simple dressing floors on the northern side of the road

to Dolybont, where there is a paucity of water. The

main cross-cut appears to have been driven during the

early 19th century, there is unfortunately no access

beyond about 100 metres where it meets the first shaft

to the surface, at the collar of which where there is a

considerable run of ground. According to the only

surviving plan, dated 1857, Tyrells adit intersects two

branches of the Alltycrib North Lode. It is said locallythat Tyrells connected with Wilkinsons Adit but this

is a myth.

The next adit above this, which has not been accessible

for a long time, is named Dick Shams (#13) on the

more recent plans but is unnamed on the 1857 version.

Located at SN 6464-8941 and lying at about 400aod.

A little above this lies the Llwynadda Coffin Adit (#12) at SN 6470-8940, and at about 430aod., it isunmarked on all contemporary editions of the mine plans. This was a remarkable discovery by the

North Cardiganshire Mining Club in 1972, and is quite dissimilar to other examples in the area, it is

in my opinion more akin to those at Dolaucothi. A few metres from the portal, it intersects a narrow

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Llwynadda Coffin Level


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stope on the Alltycrib South Lode. This was worked both up to the surface and below the adit.

Some years ago it was possible to squeeze down into a stope on the back of Dick Shams Adit but it

was not possible to get into the adit. At about 100 metres from the portal, the Coffin Level meetslater workings and the passage is then blocked by rubble which has accumulated at the bottom of a

narrow shaft. This would be a worth-while dig as it is quite likely that the more recent workings are

simply enlargements of the earlier one. There may well be more un-enlarged old workings beyond

the fall which, after another 140 metres, ought to eventually emerge on the south side of the hill,

somewhere in the area above the Old Engine Shaft (#10). Another reason that I greatly value this

adit is that it is the only local example of a coffin level to exhibit an abandoned forebreast with the

remnants of the central cut. Unlike Cwmystwyth or Grogwynion, at Llwynadda there is a thin film

of calcite covering most of the walls of the adit with tiny stalactites in places which suggests that

the latter is of much greater antiquity than the former examples

Simon Hughes

All plans and photographs supplied by Simon Hughes

PLANS FOR 2005

Since taking over as Secretary I have been keen to make the Trust more active and provide hands

on events for the members, such as our working weekends at Catherine and Jane. I arranged the

weekend at Cwmystwyth to build links with the local community as well as providing an

entertaining weekend for Trust members (also WMS members). Living in Sussex means my ability

to attend events in Wales is somewhat limited, if any member would like to arrange a working

weekend, or another event in Wales on behalf of the Trust please contact me. It would be good ifthe Trust could have a project in South Wales.

Catherine & Jane 30 Apr/1 May

Working Weekend at Catherine & Jane Consols 30 April/1 May (May Day Bank Holiday

Weekend). Bearing in mind that Mon 2 May is a Bank Holiday, I will arrange something, if anyone

is interested in staying on for a further day. Let me have your ideas.

Cwmystwyth Survey of Wallers Stamp Mill July

I am pleased to announce that Simon Timberlake has agreed to organise the survey, it is hoped that

this will take place during July, subject to permission being obtained for an in depth survey from

CADW. If any member is interested in assisting or just wants to come along you will be more than

welcome. Full details in next newsletter.

Cwmystwyth/Mid Wales 27/28/29 Aug

I am keen to build on the success of this years weekend at Cwmystwyth. I am planning a weekend

of events at Cwmystwyth and the surrounding area over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Full

details in next newsletter.

I would like the Saturday to be for local people, similar to this years Heritage Day, with a series

of talks/slides on the Saturday evening, if anyone has any suggestions for this weekend, please

contact me.

Catherine & Jane October

The next of our ongoing series of working weekends, details in next newsletter.

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31 October 2005 - AGM Birmingham

The 2005 AGM will be held at Nigel Chapmans home in Birmingham, (14 Dorset Road, Egbaston,Birmingham), starting 12 noon, members are more than welcome to attend.

PEN Y CLUN ENGINE HOUSE

The Trust has been approached by CADW to carry out a restoration scheme at Pen Y Clun Engine

House, near Llanidloes. CADW are willing to provide a grant for 100% of the restoration costs.

George Hall represented the Trust during initial discussions with CADW, but was unable to devote

the time required to manage the project.

At this years AGM, new members Christine Smith and Steve Oliver offered to manage the project

on behalf of the Trust. Whilst it was great to see new members attending the AGM, it was evenbetter to see them volunteer to work on behalf of the Trust. Many thanks Christine and Steve. They

are at present obtaining estimates from contractors for the restoration work. It is hoped the work

will take place during 2005. Once the work has been completed, I hope to arrange a working

weekend at the mine to carry out some undergrowth clearance and tidy up the site.

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION 2005

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Pen Y Clun Engine HousePhoto by Christine Smith


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Unfortunately this is the time of the year when I have to ask you to get your cheque books out.

Following all the problems we had obtaining insurance last year resulting in the rise from 5.00 to

8.00, the Trust finances are healthy. At this years AGM it was agreed that the membershipsubscription would be held at 8.00 for 2005. Form included with this newsletter.

I had hoped to include a copy of the AGM Minutes with this newsletter, but due to family and work

commitments the minutes have not yet been typed up, they will be included with the next

newsletter.

NADOLIG LLAWEN

I hope you all enjoy this latest edition of the Trust newsletter, thanks again to Simon Hughes for his

excellent article. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

All articles and photographs are by the Secretary, unless otherwise stated.

Graham Levins

SecretaryWelsh Mines Preservation Trust

1 Stonecrop CloseBroadfield

Crawley

West Sussex

RH11 9EPEmail:[email protected]: 01293-510567

Mobile: 07880-817370

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

welsh mine preservation trust newsletter december 2004

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