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Mining in Ceredigion
Mention the words 'mining in Wales' to most people
and they will immediately think of the South Wales Coalfields and
almost certainly not of Cardiganshire - now known as Ceredigion. Yet
in the nineteenth century Cardiganshire was a very important source
of lead and silver and a major employer in Mid / West Wales while
today, the mines are almost all derelict, the buildings destroyed
and most of the shafts filled with rubbish.
Between 400 and 500 million years ago, the present
location of Wales was deep below the sea in what has been called the
'Welsh Basin'. Here, marine sediments - mudstones, siltstones and
sandstones formed and were then buried beneath several kilometres of
more recent sediment - much of which has now been eroded away by the
processes of nature. The older rocks have been
subjected to enormous pressure, and earth movements have caused the
layers or strata of rocks to fold. In places, the rocks have split
and into these 'faults' has flowed hot mineral rich groundwater
which, over millions of years has deposited seams or 'lodes' of
minerals rich in lead, silver and zinc. These lodes are near
vertical seams of rock, typically one or two metres in thickness,
although sometimes much thicker. Mining has been
carried out in this part of Wales for thousands of years, some of
the earliest mines being from the Bronze age - about 2,000 BC at
Cwmystwyth. Cwmystwyth has been important throughout history for its
mining, and in medieval times, the land there was owned by the
Cistercian monks of Strata Florida. The first written records of
mining in Ceredigion are in the form of a mining lease from Strata
Florida Abbot Richard Talley dated 1535. At this time, the mine
workings at Cwmystwyth were described by John Leyland, King Henry
VIII's antiquary: "About the middle of this Ystwith Valley that I
ride in, being as I guess three miles in length, I saw on the right
hand side of the hill side Cloth Moyne, where hath been great
digging for Leade, the smelting whereof hath destroid the woodes
that sometimes grew plentifully thereabout."
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Cwmystwyth - formerly thickly wooded, the trees were
cleared for burning in the smelters by medieval times,
and sheep grazing has since maintained the bare valley
sides now dominated by spoil heaps from the mines.
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Map of Cardiganshire mines 1698 - Aberystwyth is at
bottom left, and the Aberdovey estuary is at top left.
The large hill is Plynlimon (Plymhimmon on the map).
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The most important period in Cardiganshire mining
was from the eighteenth century right through the nineteenth with
the peak being from 1830 to 1880. The greatest output was in 1856
when 8,560 tons of lead ore yielded 38,751 ounces of silver. The
development of mining abroad - in particular the USA and Australia,
led to a rapid decline in mining in the area. The mines have had a considerable impact upon the
landscape. As well as the numerous spoil heaps and ruined mine
buildings. There are a number of lakes created to provide a head of
water for the water wheels used to power the mine machinery. Below
is a photo of the lake, Llyn Frongoch, that provided water for
the large Frongoch mine. Today, the Frongoch mine (below) is the
site of a wood yard producing fenceposts.
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Llyn Frongoch |
The Frongoch mine |
The Metal Mining Strategy for Wales, page 76 states
the following about the Frongoch mine: 'The north-western section
of the mine site, adjoining the road and containing two of the
engine houses along with the crusher house, is a Scheduled Ancient
Monument.' 'Despite the ruinous state of this
historic mine site a large number of features, dating from the
mid-19th century through to the early part of the 20th century, can
still be identified. These include the remains of three engine
houses, a crusher house, a stamps mill, a winding house, the ‘ old’
dressing mill, the structures and earthworks associated with at
least 10 working shafts, a larger open-working, two powder
magazines, the earthworks for a series of watercourses and a
substantial reservoir, structures and earthworks associated with
various ore preparation processes, sundry offices and stores, and
the earthworks of a tramway linking the mine with a later dressing
mill at Wemyss. The mine was at various times worked in conjunction
with the adjoining Wemyss site.
The site was surveyed by the RCAHMW in 1984. The survey identified
the range of features listed above. Since 1984 the site has suffered
from inappropriate use as an off-road and motorcycle course, and the
northern section is used as a sawmill with material being dumped in
the northern open-working. If remedial work is to be carried out it
should be part of an overall programme to protect the site from
further deterioration. Remedial work on the spread of tailings
across the southern part of the site will inevitably impact on the
surviving features in that area. A full archaeological assessment is
required before work commences and a detailed plan should be
formulated to conserve not only those features identified but also
those which might be uncovered during the work.'
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Notable among the buildings associated with
the mining industry, is the row of cottages near Pontrhydygroes
called 'New Row' and the 'New Row Stores' built specifically to
provide the mines and the miners with everything they might
require. The cottages are still inhabited and the stores still
stand, although the building is no longer used as a shop.
New Row and the back of the New Row Stores at Pontrhydygroes.
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New Row, Pontrhydygroes |
New Row Stores |
The mining industry also had
sociological implication in that many mining experts - and indeed
mine workers were brought in from outside of Wales. During
the peak years of mining, some of the work was done by Cornishmen, who with their experience were often
employed as 'Captains' or managers of the mines. Near Pontrhydygroes
the Lisburne Mining Company built a Wesleyan Methodist chapel for
them. This was the first such chapel built in the county. Today it
lies forgotten and in ruins set back from the road among the
ferns and the Oak trees. Italians were also brought in to work the
mines.
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Capel Saeson (the English Chapel)
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The remains of the chapel |
Mines are an important part of Ceredigion's
heritage, with many sites being of National importance. However, the
only one that is presently open to the public is the Llywernog lead
and Silver mine near Ponterwyd where visitors can experience a tour
of the mine and see the mine museum with its display of mining
equipment and old documents relating to mining in the area.
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The Count House at Llywernog built in 1869 contained the
mine office, workshop and smithy - now the mine museum. |
A few old photos remind us of the fifty foot water wheel
this drove the pumps in the main shaft and the ore
crusher. |
Old photos of Llywernog show the count house flanked
on its left hand side by an enormous fifty foot overshot iron water
wheel. Sadly, the wheel was removed before the mine buildings were
renovated, although the massive stone built wheel pit still remains.
Before, entering the mine, visitors are given
hard hats and mining lights. The mine tour takes visitors in through
the original mine entrance and through a tunnel carved out of the
rock to the first workings.
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The Blacksmith's shop or Smithy |
A group takes the mine tour |
The tour takes visitors into the mountain through a
horizontal shaft - the 'prospecting shaft' or 'adit', dug around
1790, and parts of which are about three feet wide and five feet
high. The group stops in a narrow vertical chamber, the space left
when the almost vertical seam or 'lode' of ore has been removed.
Above can be seen the timbers wedged into the narrow cleft with
boards placed over them for the miners to stand on as they dig
higher and higher towards ground level.
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A 'miner' working the lode |
A group of miners |
An Objective 1 initiative seeks to promote the area
as a place for visitors to come and enjoy the stunning scenery while
learning about Ceredigion's industrial Heritage. The 'Spirit of the
Miners', Project Officer Meleri Richards summarises the initiative
as : ' The legacy of mining has many varied aspects with something
to appeal to even the most casual visitor. For some it is the
technical systems involved in the mining process, for others it is
the environment, conservation, tourism or the cultural and social
side that has shaped the settlements of the uplands into what they
are today'. Other projects in the area with similar
aims are the Ceredigion Mines Forum, set up to deal with issues
relating to mining in Ceredigion and promoting communication and the
sharing of ideas. The Central Wales RIGS group is concerned with the
geology of the area and the conservation of important sites relating
to Geodiversity. The Welsh Mines Preservation Trust was set up in
1992 to raise public awareness through heritage weekends, talks and
slideshows and to make the sites accessible to the public and to
ensure their long term maintenance. The 18 mile
Borth to Devil's Bridge footpath has been recently improved with new
waymarkings. It takes walkers high over the Cambrian Mountains, past
the Lead and Silver mining area at Cwmsymlog, then from Bontgoch the
path takes walkers to Nant Yr Arian Visitor Centre and the final
section of the trail winds through Ystumtuen through the Rheidol
valley to Devil's Bridge. At Devil's bridge, with the walk
completed, the Rheidol Valley Steam Railway provides a scenic and
relaxing journey to Aberystwyth.
© Rod Attrill 2007
More information:
www.spirit-of-the-miners.org.uk - the Spirit of the Miners
website
www.welshmines.org -
Welsh Mines Preservation Trust
www.silverminetours.co.uk - Llywernog Silver and Lead Mine -
tour and museum
www.cambriandiscovery.co.uk - Guided sight seeing tours of
the uplands.
www.rheidolrailway.co.uk - The Rheidol Steam Railway |