CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Llynypandy/Rhydalyn

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 103158
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Gwernaffield
Unitary authority : Flintshire
NGR : SJ19606570
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE / POST MEDIEVAL SILVER MINE

Description :
Lead/Silver (Early 18th century-1913)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone.

Workings
Very early workings in the Llynypandy area date from the 1720s, the period of the Quaker company.

The Llynypandy Vein ran eastwards from the River Alun. Smith (1921) illustrates the shafts along the vein as Mountain, South Shaft, Perrin's, Watkin's, Andrew's, Hodson's, Conqueror of Wales and an adit level on the River Alun. The mine was worked intensively from early nineteenth century and the rich seams made it feasible to construct in 1820, the costly Leete system that ran along the Alyn Valley.

The mine remains lie on the East side of the Alyn Gorge in areas mainly of dense woodland and pasture. Shafts along the vein can be identified at SJ19486564, possibly Mountain Shaft; a shaft substantially capped at SJ19616568, possibly South Shaft; Perrin's Shaft at SJ19706570 and a shaft at SJ19996570, possibly Hodson's. Other shafts and mounds identified in the area are at SJ19436541, SJ19786589, SJ19816571, SJ20406595 and SJ20356610. At SJ20106580 and SJ20206575, two shafts lie in overgrown woodland on land attributed to HHM & T Co Ltd Concrete Structures. Other shafts now lie on the site occupied by the Caravan Park, which would have related to Llynypandy South and the older Rhydalyn Mine, can be identified at SJ19746536, SJ19816537, SJ19826535, SJ19716523 and SJ19436541.

The mines in later years were unwatered by the Halkyn Tunnel, which reached the sett by 1901.

Transport
Carts and horses took the ore to Wilkinson's smelt mills in the 18th century (Williams 1987).

Power
In 1743, the Coalbrookdale Company supplied an engine to Benjamin Perrin to work the Llynypandy mine, probably the Newcomen Engine that worked Perrin's Shaft at SJ19706570.

Between 1825 and 1830, a 44ft waterwheel with 8ft breast worked a pump at Mountain Shaft and a similar wheel pumped Perrin's Shaft; this wheel would have been on the leat below, pumping Perrin's by means of flat rods.

In 1827, a water pressure engine was working Andrew's Shaft.

By 1827-28, an 80" engine was working the Conqueror of Wales Shaft; this was later removed to Cathole and Minera.

A series of water courses supplied water to the mines, dating from the John Taylor period. The leat leaves the River Alun at Loggerheads at SJ19686282 and runs up to Penyfron Mine at SJ19866623. Waste water from the dressing floors could power the waterwheels in the valley below them.

Processing
In 1789 John Wilkinson built a lead smelt at Brymbo to deal with the lead from his Llynypandy mines, which was later sent to Deeside.

Other features
The converted dwelling, Bryn Gwyn at SJ19736566 was the original mine agent's house at the entrance to the Llynypandy mine, built in 1856.

The house, Eureka at SJ19826535, was the mine office for the Llynypandy South mine.

The converted house at SJ19706565 was an 18th century Llynypandy Pumping Engine House of the John Wilkinson period.


Sources :
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN103158
Evans, Paul , 2005 , Richard Ingleby of Springfield ( © Evans, Paul)
Williams, C. J., & Bick, D , 1992 , List of metalliferous mine sites of industrial archaeological importance

Events :

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 103158

Compiled date : 31-01-1985


Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.

April 20, 2025, 12:37 pm - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

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