CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Top Eisteddfod

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 104274
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Minera
Unitary authority : Wrexham
NGR : SJ24805250
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE

Description :
Lead (18th-19th century)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone.

Workings
The Top Eisteddfod area covers the area to the east of Bryn Eithin (SJ24655255) and to the north of the Quarry. The early mining landscape reveals shallow workings where the limestone outcrops.

The sett appears to have worked the Hush Vein in a line of shafts that continue northwards from the large open-cut workings of the Hush Vein, which runs north from the Ragman sett at the entrance road to the Quarry.

The 2nd edition 1:2500 for 1899 shows an old shaft at SJ24705265, but no evidence remains in this field. A single shaft can be located to the north of the road at SJ24645271, but no other workings are evident in this northern part of Eisteddfod Mountain.

The line of shafts and spoil heaps run north-east to south-west and are accompanied by a leat which has now become the public footpath.

The large open-cut workings surround SJ24745245 and an adit level was located at SJ24825252.

The earthworks of a small reservoir, with sluices visible for the passage of the leat was located at SJ24925250.

The Quarry Buffer Zone has been extended and further workings may have been destroyed.

Any workings on the Rock Vein or the Craig-Boeth Vein have been lost to quarrying.

Transport
No evidence.

Power
A leat system runs through this sett and also circumvents Eisteddfod Mountain via Steddfod Pool at SJ24925265, running through Twelve Apostles and Eisteddfod setts.

Processing
To the south-east of the earthwork reservoir at SJ24965248, are the remains of a stonework ore bin with its adjacent shaft.

Other features
The ruins of a possible shelter or stores, now roof-less remain at SJ25805270.

See also PRN 104272 which may be another reference to this site.
(CPAT Metal Mines Survey)

1. Location

1.1 Top Eisteddfod refers to an area of early mining located east of Bryn Eithin (SJ24645255), the former miners' cottage, and west of Hush Eisteddfod.

2. Geology

2.1 Solid geology - Carboniferous Limestone, which outcrops close to the workings. Mineralisation on the west end of the Hush Vein contained galena with a small silver content and gangue calcite.

3. The Survey

3.1 The survey recorded the north-western workings on the Hush Vein as Top Eisteddfod, an area which has no named mine in the mineral statistics for the second half of the 19th century, but Brenton Symons's map of 1865 records Maes Maelor, West Minera and Rock Setts around this location.

3.2 Workings

3.2.1 The Hush Vein crosses Eisteddfod from Ragman Mine cutting across the western edge of Eisteddfod Reservoir (PRN 18801), which was considerably larger in the 19th century. The densest workings on the vein (PRN 18828) are located at Top Eisteddfod. Immediately west of the Hush Eisteddfod engine house complex (PRN 18811-16), the shafts are characteristically earlier than the eastern workings on the Hush Vein. The majority of shafts and trials are located in close proximity to each other with little development spoil around them, suggesting that they are fairly shallow workings. The workings on the vein continue north-westwards towards Bryn Eithin. A few larger shafts with surrounding tips, presumably post-dating the more intense workings in this area, are located north of the area of quarrying (PRN 18841) which separates the main Hush Vein workings and the workings on a south-eastern string (PRN 18826) off the Hush Vein. There is no evidence to suggest steam power or any presence of horse whim circles at Top Eisteddfod; presumably ore was raised entirely by hand.

3.2.2 An open level (PRN 18807) is driven in southwards to the north of the leat PRN 18818. To the west of it, a second possible level (PRN 18873) was located, now collapsed.

3.2.3 South of the main Hush Vein workings, a NW-SE run of scattered shafts (PRN 18826) are presumably workings on a south-eastern string off the main Hush Vein; they interrupt track PRN 18838.

3.3 Processing

3.3.1 Evidence suggests that the ore was dressed at the northern end of the site. Leat PRN 18823 runs east to feed two small reservoirs (PRNs 18806 and 18822). Several low mounds of jig waste lie to the north and west of these reservoirs.

3.3.2 The stone foundations of a building (PRN 18824) measuring c.9 x 4m lie to the west of the reservoirs, north of the leat.

3.4 Water Sources

3.4.1 Although the main leat (PRN 18744) and the main southern contouring leat (PRN 18818) run through the workings, there is no evidence to suggest that water was sluiced from them for use at Top Eisteddfod. Leat PRN 18744, in its present form, may have been re-dug, after the mining activity in this area and obliterating evidence of the source of leat PRN 18818.

3.4.2 West of leat PRN 18744, lie two small reservoirs (PRNs 18820-1) with no evidence as to how they were fed, or what purpose they served.

3.5 Quarrying

3.5.1 The quarry (PRN 18944) appears to post-date some of the earlier mine working in this area. Several shafts (PRN 18954) are located within the quarry itself and quarry spoil tips partly overlie the shafts at the entrance; other shafts may have been infilled by the later quarrying. Three tracks are located within the scarped quarry leading out northwards. The quarry has been extensively worked with several substantial rock faces exposed, some displaying drill marks.

3.5.2 An area of shallow quarrying and associated spoil tips (PRN 12023) lies east of the main quarry (PRN 18874), and may represent an area of earlier working.

3.5.3 Several smaller areas of quarrying are located at Top Eisteddfod and along the southern edge of the Hush. A small area of quarrying (PRN 18841) presumably for stone for mine buildings, is located at the end of track PRN 18834. East of this, lies an area of further quarrying activity (PRN 12092).

3.5.4 Quarry PRN 18862 is located north of the modern track PRN 18836.

3.6 Buildings

3.6.1 An open-ended building (PRN 18819), c.6 x 3m, of rough stone walling survives to 1.2m high, probably used for storage.

3.6.2 Two building platforms (PRNs 18871-2) are located at the western entrance to the site.

3.7 Tracks

3.7.1 The entrance tracks (PRNs 18829-30) lead into the workings from the west, near Bryn Eithin. Track PRN 18835, which runs through the south-eastern string workings, is probably a continuation of these entrance tracks, which are shown as a footpath on OS maps from 1872.

3.7.2 Branching off PRN 18835, track PRN 18834 runs directly to the old quarry (PRN 18841) and a path (PRN 18840) runs from this quarry towards path PRN 18839.

3.7.3 Track PRN 18837 leads from quarry PRN 12023 to meet the track PRN 18838, which runs north-east from Ty Hir towards the Hush Engine House complex. The track is the footpath surveyed by the OS in 1872 and continues to the Eisteddfod reservoir as path PRN 18839. Southwards from Ty Hir, the track continues on to the sluicing point of the main leat on the Aber Sychnant at SJ24255002. It enters Eisteddfod as path PRN 18839, from the lane to the north of the large reservoir (PRN 18801) and continues past the sluice towards the Hush Eisteddfod engine house complex. Path PRN 18839 diverges on entering the survey area from the reservoir.

3.7.4 Two tracks run downhill and northwards beyond the survey area from the north-west end of the site. PRN 18831 passes west of the reservoirs PRNs 18820-21. It appears to pre-date the cut of leat PRN 18744. On the east side of these reservoirs, track PRN 18832 leads from the building PRN 18819 north-west, and may have been bridged over leat PRN 18744. The tracks may have led to some old shafts on the northern boundary of the Maes Maelor sett, as defined in 1865, which are recorded on the OS 1st edition (1872), outside the survey area.

3.7.5 A track (PRN 18842) leads into the dressing areas from the east.

3.8 Boundaries

3.8.1 The reservoir bank (PRN 12082) follows the line of the present boundary in parts. It is located passing south of the main reservoir (PRN 18801) and crosses the north side of the site, north of the dressing floors (PRN 18825). The reservoir is surveyed as a much larger earthwork in 1865 on Brenton Symons's map.

4. Recommendations

4.1 The workings on the Hush Vein are unique in Clwyd. The area of intense workings on the west end of the vein have medieval and maybe Roman origin.

4.2 The sett is recommended for scheduling both as a mine site and as part of the Historic Mining Landscape of Eisteddfod.
(CPAT Metal Mines Survey - ground survey)

Sources :
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN104274
Kennedy, A E , 2001 , Tir Gofal Management Plan: Heritage Management Information (HE1). Scotland Farm Trewddyn - NE/06/2065

Events :

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 18044

Compiled date : 31-07-1985


Images :



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, 1:02 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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