CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
The following information is from the on-line database 'Archwilio'.
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Cefn-y-Gist

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 18035
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Penycae
Unitary authority : Wrexham
NGR : SJ24254880
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE / POST MEDIEVAL SILVER MINE

Description :
Lead/Silver (Late 19th century)

Geology
Cefn-y-fedw Sandstone overlying Carboniferous Limestone.

Workings
The Cefn-y-gist company worked the sett from 1880-1883. A large shaft is substantially capped at SJ24254880 with a large whim cicle of approx 9.5m diameter forming a hollow to the south of the shaft. Its central pivot is a visible hollow. Spoil mounds surround the east and north-western perimeters of the shaft. Two smaller shafts lie to the north and south of the large whim shaft.

A pond remains to the east of the whim shaft at SJ24304880.

The vein can be traced as a line of shafts running north-westwards from the whim shaft. A large shaft at SJ24004880 has an ore waggon in the infill. Smaller shafts surround this area and much waste. Small platform areas surround the large shaft and a small hut of approx 3 x 1.5m lies to the east of these spoilheaps; the area being to the west of the Lead Wash.

An adit level was driven in to the limestone half a mile to the west of Cefn-y-gist (Smith 1921). This appears to be driven in to the east slopes above Aber Sychnant at SJ23304910, where a blocked level appears below the road amid spoil heaps. A trial shaft and an opencut lie slightly to the north of the above adit and a blocked level to the south. The levels and trial pits in this area could pre-date the 19th century workings higher up the mountain.

To the east of the road that runs up from Minera, and attributed to West Minera on Brenton Symon's Map of 1865, shafts remain being to the west of Cefn-y-gist and along the lie of the Cefn-y-gist Vein at SJ23704895, SJ23754940, and SJ23904990.

Transport
A tramway incline runs from the large whim shaft at SJ24254875 in a north-easterly direction towards an ore bin and picking floor, from which area it continues to the Lead Wash area (SJ241048980). The 1914 edition OS shows a track leaving the Lead Wash area and going eastwasrds to Youdes' shaft. All tracks from the Cefn-y-gist sett are masked by the dense heather.

Power
A fine example of a large horse whim circle remains at SJ24254875.

The pool at SJ24304880 and the natural springs that run downhill in the area would have served the dressing floor areas.

Processing
The 1914 OS marks the area of SJ24104880 as the Old Lead Wash. The area remains cleared of all structures having only the stone walls of one rectangular building surviving. The area remains barren in a moorland of dense heather, with debris of odd dressed stone blocks, iron jig plates, slate roof tiles.

A fine ore bin remains and washing and picking platform along the tramway incline.


Other features
No evidence.

Sources :
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN18035

Events :

Related records

Compiled date : 31-12-1995


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 19, 2025, 1:04 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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