CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Pool Park Mine

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 104352
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Minera
Unitary authority : Wrexham
NGR : SJ24905070
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL SILVER MINE / POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE / POST MEDIEVAL ZINC MINE

Description :
Lead/Silver/Zinc (1860-1881)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone outcrops cutting into Cefn-y-Fedw Sandstone.

Workings
The Pool Park Vein and the South Minera Vein intercept below the most westerly workings and processing areas of the Park setts.

The Schedule of buildings for Minera Mountain Sett, from an inventory of 1899, lists an engine house, cabin, washing shed and smithy for Pool Park.

A large shaft and whim circle remain at SJ24955007, having a small hut or coe to the west of the whim.

A water filled hollow at SJ25005008 could be the main shaft; the building foundations to the north-west of it being an engine house.

Numerous smaller shafts are on the sett.

Boundary Shaft lies to the south-east of the main site at SJ25155005. A large area of waste surrounds the large shaft and the stone foundations of an ore bin underlie the turf; the ore bin drops to the raised track to connect these workings with the main site.

A track connects Boundary with an old shaft at SJ25255045, which is capped with concrete. Stone foundations of a small rectangular building lie under turf mounds to the east of the shaft.

The Mary Ann Shaft or Kyrke's Shaft is to the east of this old shaft at SJ25405040. It remains as a very deep shaft with whim circle with the stone surround of the pivot in situ.

The adit level for the mine, known as the Gomerian Level was driven from a point near Cae Llwyd Reservoir (SJ27004780).

Transport
A raised tramway connects the main shaft and dressing area with the road up from Minera, past Park Farm. A tramway also runs out to a second shaft at SJ25055006 and continues to Boundary shaft at SJ25155050.

Power
A very substantial leat system appears as an earthen bank running around the perimeter of the sett above the Aber Sychnant Valley. An immense amount of water was necessary for the washing and separation of lead. The Minera Mines in the valley were also fed by the large leats that ran off the Esclusham Mountain.

The 1899 inventory lists two engines at work for Pool Park

Processing
The dressing floor areas lie to the west of the main whim shaft (SJ24955007).

The large area of jigger waste indicates the dressing floor areas above Aber Sychnant.

Other features
A square two roomed structure, poorly made of dry-stoned walls, probably providing shelter or storage remains alongside a shaft at SJ24805080.
(CPAT Metal Mines Survey)

1. Location

1.1 Pool Park Mining Company (1860-81) worked the Pool Park and South Minera Veins, which run south-eastwards from the Aber Sychnant valley, crossing the dense moorland of Esclusham Mountain (see Plate 7). The site is located alongside the mountain road from Minera to Llangollen.

2. Geology

2.1 Solid geology - Carboniferous Limestone outcrops dipping east to Cefn-y-fedw Sandstone. The Pool Park and South Minera Veins contained galena, sphalerite and some silver with calcite and quartz gangue. A series of natural caves and passages known as Ogof Llyn Park underlie the mine sett.

3. The Survey

3.1 The survey was restricted to the main mine site, east of Aber Sychnant, where ore from the Minera Mountain Mines was processed. The Minera Mountain Company was formed in 1877 and incorporated the Pool Park and South Minera Mines. There was little production after the 1890s, although the setts were taken over by the Halkyn Mining Company 1898-1913.

3.2 Workings

3.2.1 Brenton Symons's map of 1865 records workings along two veins which intersect or pass close to shafts PRNs 18721 and 18722. The Pool Park Vein continues towards Mary Ann Shaft (PRN 18179) and the South Minera Vein trends south-eastwards via shafts PRN 18721-2, to Pool Park Boundary Shaft (PRN 18144), continuing towards Walker's Shaft (PRN 18199) in the South Minera sett, all outside the survey limits. The most productive period was the 1860s, according to the mining returns.

3.2.2 Included in the 1849 sale particulars for the estate of James Kyrke (D/GR/353) are "one-fifty-third share in Park Lead Mine and Plant and materials thereof". Details of this Lot 31 are recorded as "horse gin, sundry cast-iron rails, castings and other mining implements and materials" and "the mine is in operation and working at a profit". No engine power is recorded at this date. In June 1896, Captain Matthew Francis had prepared a report (D/GR/431) for the directors of the Minera Mountain Mining Syndicate, stating "Pool Park Shaft is equipped with a 15" winding engine with Cornish crusher rolls attached and there is ample boiler power not only to wind, crush and dress, but to work a small compressor and engine which is available for carrying out the trial quickly with rock drills". He also commented on the "abundant and constant supply of water for all purposes, dressing on a large scale included".

3.2.3 Correspondence and leases relating to the period 1870-1890 (D/GR/427-30) record the forfeiture of leases at Pool Park (21.10.1878 and 25.10.1882), the liquidation of the Pool Park Mining Company (22.11.1884) and the take-over of the Minera Mountain Lead Mining Company, which had occurred in 1893. Maps accompany some of the documents, but contain little information other than defining the mine sett.

3.2.4 The Engine Shaft (PRN 18292), now capped with a substantial concrete slab with caving access, appears to be on the South Minera Vein. Ore was raised from the shaft initially by a horse whim, the circle of which (PRN 18293), c.13m diameter, lies to the south of the shaft.

3.2.5 The bed for a horizontal winding engine (PRN 18294), which must have supplemented or superseded the whim power at the engine shaft, has poor structural remains. The large dressed stone blocks that remain form the engine bed and flywheel slot, but are partly displaced. The flywheel pit is aligned to the engine shaft to the west. Large dressed stone blocks form the basal foundations of the presumed crusher house (PRN 18295) which measures c.6.3 x 6m internally and adjoins the south wall of the engine house (see Plate 8). Both are mentioned in Captain Matthew Francis's report (D/GR/431). The crusher house has an entrance door in its east wall and an open-fronted building (PRN 18784) adjoining its east wall. The engine house complex does not appear on OS map of 1872, but is recorded by the OS in 1899.

3.2.6 To the west of engine shaft (PRN 18292), a large shaft (PRN 12019) and spoil tip is located with a small horse whim circle (PRN 12003), c.6m in diameter, south-west of it. The whim may have raised ore from shaft PRN 12019 or from the shaft immediately north of it (PRN 12004). The run of shafts that include PRN 12019 appear to lie on the South Minera Vein.

3.2.7 The earlier workings on the South Minera Vein are located to the north the main engine shaft (PRN 18292). The main shaft PRN 12011 is located on the south side of track PRN 18290. It has an extensive spoil tip of development rock which masks the remains of a small building (PRN 12010), probably a shelter on its east side. There is no remaining evidence to suggest how ore was raised from this shaft.

3.2.8 The South Minera Vein workings (PRN 18719) can be followed generally between the tracks PRNs 18289 and 18290. South-east of shaft PRN 12011 the line of shafts, spoil tips and areas of collapse continues towards Engine Shaft (PRN 18292). Areas of deep collapse lie to the north-west of shaft PRN 12011.

3.2.9 An outlying shaft and surrounding spoil tip (PRN 18732) is located to on the west side of the site, close to a line of sink-holes which run in a north-west to south-east direction.

3.2.10 Further west, and outside of the survey area, further evidence of workings are located in the Sychnant valley.

3.2.11 To the north of the main site two shafts (PRNs 18786 and 12095) are located on the northern bank of the stream which flows west into the Aber Sychnant.

3.2.12 Sink-holes are located intermittently on the site and surrounding moorland. An underground system of caves and natural passages (now designated an SSSI) provided natural drainage for the mine. In the second half of the 19th century, the South Minera Vein was drained by the "Gomerian Level", an adit driven westwards from a point near the Cae-llwyd Reservoir (SJ27004780), c.3.5km south-east of the mine site.

3.3 Hushing Evidence

3.3.1 To the north of the main mine site and north-west of the two shafts PRNs 18786 and 12095, there is evidence of hushing as a form of prospecting for a vein along the north bank of the stream.

3.3.2 The remains of two silted reservoirs survive, leading to a substantial hushing channel (PRN 12018) on the east side of the valley below. The upper reservoir (PRN 12016), c.15 x 13m, directly fed the lower reservoir (PRN 12017), c.9 x 8m. The hushing process may have been fed by leat PRN 18253 or by water drawn from the moorland upslope to the south. The prospecting appears to have been unsuccessful, since there are no workings in proximity to the hushing.

3.4 Water Sources

3.4.1 Leat PRN 12090 is sluiced off the Aber Sychnant at SJ23504990 and was supplemented by moorland water as it flowed north. It enters the site as leat PRN 12090 and feeds a large storage reservoir (PRN 12015), c.30 x 15m max, via a culvert under the Boundary Shaft Tramway (PRN 18256) and would appear to be the main source of water for the boilers and the dressing floor areas at the east end of the site. The reservoir, leat and tramway were recorded by the OS in 1872 and on the undated mine plan DD/WN/310. From the reservoir, the leat flows north as leat PRN 18253 to feed the small leat PRN 18729 and possibly the hushing ponds PRNs 12016 and 12017. Beyond Pool Park, the leat runs north to the Park Mine Western Shaft (PRN 104373) dressing floor area, where it feeds a reservoir before continues downhill to the main Minera Mines below.

3.4.2 A subsidiary leat (PRN 18255) runs along the eastern side of the road and cuts across moorland to join the main leat (PRN 18253) east of the main Pool Park site.

3.4.3 The main Aber Sychnant Leat (PRN 18181) contours the valley sides to the west of the mine site. The leat, described as "Old Water Course" on modern editions of the OS maps and "Water Course" on 1st and 2nd edition OS maps (1872 and 1899), is sluiced off the Aber Sychnant at SJ24315025 and enters the mine site from the south. It was bridged across the stream at SJ24855096 via a timber aqueduct, the site of which can be identified although the structure has gone. The leat continued north-eastwards, running through the Park Mines and taking water to the main Minera Mine sites in the valley. There is no evidence to suggest that water from this leat was used at Pool Park.

3.4.4 A subsidiary leat PRN 18731 draws water from a stream and runs north-westwards to feed into the Aber Sychnant leat above the aqueduct.

3.4.5 A large pond (PRN 18730), still retaining water, lies south of tramway PRN 18291, located in a boggy area. It now appears as a natural water-filled hollow now, but it may have originally formed water storage for the boilers. There is some evidence to suggest a culvert (PRN 12109) beneath tramway PRN 18291, in the form of areas of collapse to either side, 18m north-west of the pond.

3.4.6 A small reservoir (PRN 18723), c.12 x 10m, stored water north-west of the large enclosure (PRN 18296). Below the reservoir, two small reservoirs (PRNs 18724 and 18725) lie at the head of a water channel (PRN 18726) on the south bank of the stream. Although the small reservoirs and water channel may seem to parallel the hushing system on the opposite bank of the stream, they do not have the same appearance. The water channel has been dug by hand and has spoil banks to either side, but with no evidence of use.

3.5 Processing

3.5.1 The earlier dressing floors appear to have been at the north-west end of the site near the Aber Sychnant leat. Areas of jig waste and the two building platforms, PRNs 12008 and 12009, suggest the processing of ore from the earlier shafts. The shafts PRNs 18732 and 12011 are already recorded as "old shafts" by the OS in 1872.

3.5.2 To the south of shaft PRN 12011 lies the remains of a circular platform, c.8m diameter, presumably a buddle site (PRN 18718), located in an area where a large spread of buddle waste has been washed down.

3.5.3 A second possible buddle (PRN 18733) is located in a spread of waste to the north of shaft PRN 12019. Any evidence of how these buddles were powered has been lost. West of the possible buddle, a linear gully of unknown function is located. A building platform (PRN 12079), c.8 x 7m, is located north of the buddle waste.

3.5.4 The main processing areas are located at the east end of the site. Large spreads of jig waste cover most of the features, some of which have been damaged by modern tracks and the subsequent removal of waste and robbing of stone. Several platforms, including PRNs 12005 and 18727-8, are located amongst the jig waste, some of which presumably formed the bases for jiggers.

3.5.5 To the north of the jig platforms, four fixing bolts and stonework for a waterwheel protrude from the waste at the wheelpit site (PRN 12014) that presumably powered a buddle or jiggers in this area. The wheel was fed from leat PRN 18254, off the main leat PRN 18253. An E-W section of leat fed by leat PRN 18253, appears on the 1872 1st edition OS map and appears to run to a wheelpit.

3.6 Buildings

3.6.1 The schedule of buildings for Minera Mountain Mine Sett (D/GR/428) submitted by Captain Sampson Mitchell, the chief agent, in August 1899, lists an engine house, cabin, washing shed and smithy for Pool Park. This presumably refers to the features around the engine house complex (PRNs 18294 and 18295 etc) which were in use at the later period before the mine closed. The schedule was drawn up for the proposed sale of Minera Mountain Mines to Halkyn Mining Company. A letter dated October 1899 (D/GR/431) refers to the above schedule and includes notes on the state of buildings: the engine house at Pool Park was in fair condition; the smithy and cabin in ruins and the ore shed in very poor condition. Apart from the large dressed limestone blocks of the engine house complex and the substantial smithy, most of the buildings were built of random dry-stone walling. Yellow and red bricks, which supplemented the later stonework buildings, are scattered near the east end of the site.

3.6.2 A building (PRN 18297), recorded by the OS in 1872 and 1899 has substantial remains that suggest a former engine house, the boilers of which could have been fed by the reservoir PRN 18723. However, there is no record of a second engine house at Pool Park and the building is not aligned to any visible shaft. The structural remains, although levelled and buried by rubble, contain substantial stone and brickwork. The building is located to the west of the large enclosure PRN 18296. The building foundations appear to have an adjoining chimney on its north wall and an area of collapse on its east side, filled with displaced stone and brick. It is presumed that this is not an engine house, but could possibly be the remains of the smithy referred to in 1899. A small building, PRN 18299, is located west of the presumed smithy complex. The enclosure, possible smithy and building PRN 18299 are all included on the undated mine plan (DD/WN/310) and on Brenton Symons's Map of 1865. The building PRN 18299 is recorded as "office" on Brenton Symons's Map.

3.6.3 A rectangular building (PRN 12013), c.10 x 4m, is located at the end of the main entrance track (PRN 18259) that leads into the mine from the Minera side. It appears on the 1871 and 1899 OS maps, when a track led from it to the buildings PRNs 18297 and 18299. The building is recorded on the undated mine plan DD/WN/310.

3.6.4 The line of buildings located amid areas of jig waste, now identified by platforms PRNs 12006 and 12012, survive as a water-filled hollow, may have been the washing sheds. They are recorded on the undated mine plan as an L-shaped structure with building PRN 12006 at the eastern end and the platform area as part of open-fronted structures, which may have been ore-bins. They pre-date the engine house complex, west of them, which is not recorded on the plan.

3.6.5 The remains of a rectangular building (PRN 12002), c.4 x 3m, is located south-west of the whim circle PRN 18293, and is recorded on the 1st edition OS map of 1872 (D.27.12), but not on the 2nd edition of 1899.

3.6.6 The two-roomed building (PRN 12001), c.7 x 7m overall, located alongside the track (PRN 18290) towards the Sychnant valley, is possibly an early mine office or stores. The dry-stone walls survive to a maximum height of 0.90m and form two rectangular rooms. The building would be in use at the same time as shaft PRN 12011. More recently, the ruins have been used as a sheepfold. The features at this end of the site appear to have been no longer in use in 1899.

3.6.7 A small building platform PRN 12007 is located north of reservoir PRN 18723, probably a small shelter.

3.7 Transport

3.7.1 Two substantial raised tramways were constructed to transport ore to the dressing floors, located in the area of jig waste alongside the mountain road. From the Engine Shaft (PRN 18292), tramway PRN 18291 runs east, passing south of the presumed crusher house (PRN 18295). It is possible that ore was fed into the crusher from this tramway, although no evidence of this survives. A second tramway (PRN 18256) runs from Boundary Shaft (PRN 18144) to the south, to join the engine shaft tramway near platform PRN 12006.

3.7.2 The main entrance track (PRN 18259) led in south-westwards from Minera. All the ore was transported from the mountain by horse and cart. Similarly, coal and tools had to be hauled uphill. The cost of haulage probably precipitated the closure of Pool Park, Park Mines etc before the veins were totally exhausted.

3.7.3 It is likely that the large rectangular enclosure, PRN 18296, is a corral for the mine horses. The enclosure measures c. 35 x 32m and the banks survive to 0.5m high x 1.3m wide at best. The enclosure has an entrance in its western bank next to the possible smithy complex (PRN 18297).

3.7.4 The entrance track (PRN 18259) divides, leading into the processing areas of jig waste and the smithy complex, continuing through the site, probably as the track PRN 18258 which also appears on the OS 1st and 2nd edition maps and runs west to cross the Aber Sychnant leat by a footbridge.

3.7.5 A track (PRN 18288) which leads into the processing areas from the east terminates at platform PRN 12006, where it joins the end of the tramways.

3.7.6 A track (PRN 18257) leads in from the south-west and passes between shaft PRN 12004 and its whim circle PRN 12003. The track runs parallel with the leat PRN 12090 and may have been a service track for the leat. Both the track and the leat can be traced south-westwards beyond the survey area. Track PRN 18785 runs from the whim circle (PRN 12003) towards the shelter PRN 12002.

3.7.7 Two tracks PRNs 18289 and 18290 follow the line of workings north-westwards to the Aber Sychnant. Although substantial trackways, they are not recorded on the 1st or 2nd edition OS. Track PRN 18290 leads on to the earlier jig platforms on the edge of the Aber Sychnant leat.

3.8 Boundaries

3.8.1 A low boundary bank (PRN 18783) runs north-eastwards from the north bank of the stream towards the Park Mines.

3.8.2 A short length of N-S bank PRN 12091 is located west of shaft PRN 18786.

4. Recommendations

4.1 The hushing reservoirs and channel are a unique discovery in Clwyd.

4.2 The leat which contours the western slopes of the site along the Aber Sychnant valley is probably only one of two leats that can be traced from their original source and remain in a good state of preservation; the River Alyn "Leete" being the second.

4.3 These features are rare and are recommended for scheduling.
(CPAT Metal Mines Survey - ground survey)

Sources :
Bennett, J , 1995 , Minera Lead Mines and Quarries
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN104352

Events :

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 104352

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.

June 16, 2025, 3:31 am - 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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