CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Talargoch, Central Mine Area

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 18240
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Prestatyn
Unitary authority : Denbighshire
NGR : SJ05808050
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL COPPER MINE / POST MEDIEVAL ZINC MINE / POST MEDIEVAL SILVER MINE / POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE

Description :
Lead/Silver/Zinc/Copper (Early 18th century-1905)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone.

Workings
The Talargoch Mines worked the Talargoch, Pantons and Coetia Llys Veins, which ran parallel in a north-westerly direction, being intersected in the southern end of the mine by various strings, which can be seen openly cutting the sides of Graig Fawr.

The central area of the mine was where the main surface buildings were sited. The area had been continuously mined from the early 18th century at least and powered by very early fire engines and waterwheels. The 19th century main site was worked by the Talargoch, Smedley's, No.1 and Engine Shaft, which had an 80" engine.

Most of the archaeology was destroyed in the 1960's and only spoil mounds remain on the area cleared of waste at SJ05908057, being the area around the Talargoch shaft. Several former mine related buildings are incorporated into modernised housing.

Transport
Horse drawn iron tram waggons were in operation on a surface railway.
A siding from the Prestatyn-Dyserth Railway (1869) ran to the main mine site.

Power
To the west of the former mine office, being below the mineral railway track, the substantial stone walls possibly of an engine house form part of a private garage. A paved area alongside it is unusually raised, possibly as a platform created to mask another large feature.

Alongside the siding of the mineral railway, at SJ80600597 substantial stonework remains at the corner of a small caravan site. It has been incorporated into the enclosure walls on one side, but is the possible engine house for the Talargoch shaft. It remains alongside an area of wasteground and levelled spoil tips, where there are several scattered large slabs of limestone, some holding metal rods.An 80" pumping engine was in operation fed by six 'egg-end' boilers and a 22" horizontal engine for operating the capstan and winding; all working Engine Shaft on the main site.

In 1874 there were fifteen steam engines at work at Talargoch; being the 100", 80", two 24", three 18", a 36", 12" and five donkey engines. They were fed by nineteen boilers supplied with coal from the 1869 Prestatyn-Dyserth Railway. On the sett the 20ft and 40ft waterwheels were serviced by the 1750s and 1844 leats.

Some evidence of the two leats remain on the Talargoch sett. The leats ran from a sluice on Afon Ffyddion, to the west of Pandy Mill Farm. The best preservation of the 1750s leat remains in the woodland below Graig Bach at SJ06057980, where the stonework walls form a approx 2m wide cut.

Processing
The Talargoch Dressing Floors were at Coetia Llys and Maesyrerwddu.

Other features
The 19th century centre of the mine contained offices, smithy, joiners' and fitters' shops, changing rooms and stabling for horses.

The terrace of Talargoch Cottages, once a row of four miners' dwellings, now remains modernised as two cottages constructed of local limestone at SJ80650586. To the south of them, the former mine office remains as a private dwelling. Many of its original architectural features are lost.


Sources :
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN18240

Events :

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 18240

Compiled date : 31-12-1995


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, 12:35 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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