CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Minera Mines, Boundary Shaft

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 104367
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Minera
Unitary authority : Wrexham
NGR : SJ26125182
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE / POST MEDIEVAL SILVER MINE

Description :
Lead/Silver (1864-1919)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone.

Workings
The area contains evidence of early mining and quarrying on the wooded slopes Esclusham Mountain.

Boundary shaft is located at SJ26125182 with its horse whim circle in an area of woodland much disturbed by mining, on the south side of the disused Mineral Railway.

The area bears the scars of earlier mining, visible as shallow workings, now covered in dense vegetation.

The 19th century shafts in the area can be identified as the Cornish Shaft at SJ20205180, immediately alonside a siding on the mineral railway, being fenced off and having caving access, the Busy Bee at SJ26165176 and the adjacent Royle's, and Grand Turk at SJ26305170, where a chimney base and stonework remains of the winding engine house are hidden in the underegrowth.

Until 1849, when a day-level was driven through from the Minera Mines to the south-east, Boundary and other shafts in its vicinity worked separately. They later became incorporated into the workings of Minera Union (1858-88) and the United Minera Mines (1852-1913). Boundary marked the north-western extremity of the Minera Mines workings on the Main Vein and Red Vein.

In 1919, the shaft was re-opened and worked the North Vein until 1933, using a whim for winding. Ladders were used for man access.

Transport
The line of the 1850s mineral railway, which served the lead mines remains as a public footpath linking the main shaft areas from Meadowshaft and the Smelt Works at New Brighton to the Limestone quarries. Some of the sleepers still remain in situ.

The private railway ran on GWR guage, ensuring interchanges of engines to facilitate the bringing in of coal, timber etc.

Little evidence remains of the tramways that serviced the individual sites.

Power
Two reservoirs remain visible at SJ26205150 on the road up to Esclusham Mountain. The channels that carried the water downhill to work the machinery and serve the processing areas are visible along the roadside.

Processing
The Minera Lead Mining Company built ther own smelt works at New Brighton, SJ27605050. A later plant was constructed at New Minera (Burton's Shaft site. PRN 18185).

Other features
The woodland slopes above Boundary Shaft conceal the old limestone quarries that serviced the battery of three kilns, known as the Atcherley Kilns (SJ26005017). They were built by 1840 and evidence remains of the incline that brought the lime to the mineral siding below.

The larger battery of Hoffman Kilns are in the quarry to the north-west at SJ25605020.

See PRN 104371.

Sources :
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN104367
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) 104263

Compiled date : 31-07-1985


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 19, 2025, 5:30 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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