CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Llanymynech Ogof Mine

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 30
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Carreghofa
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SJ2656522212
Site Type (preferred type first) : MULTIPERIOD COPPER MINE / MULTIPERIOD LEAD MINE
Status : scheduled monument

Summary :
Lead/Copper mine (Pre-Roman?/Roman/19th century). No evidence to suggest that the mine is prehistoric was found but it was suggested that the mine has characteristic features of Roman and perhaps immediately pre-Roman origin.

Description :
Lead/Copper (Pre-Roman ?/Roman/19th century)

Geology
Carboniferous limestones altered to dolomites in places with mudstone bands. The main lode strikes NNE with lead & copper ores, cerussite & malachite, as secondary oxidation products.

Workings
The main level is entered via a cavernous entrance from which radiate a number of narrow galleries connecting small chambers.

There are numerous calcited stacked deads at least one group of which are thought to be Roman in date. Many of the small galleries are choked at the back by waste material.

The 19th c. shaft, sunk in 1823, connects to a central main chamber (the Shaft Chamber) which was clearly not acessible from the entrance chamber at this time. Many of the earliest narrow workings were widened out in at least two recognisable subsequent phases of extraction at a later date.

Some shot-holes have been recognised in the Shaft Chamber area.

Transport
No evidence.

Power
No evidence.

Processing
Lead smelting is perhaps evidenced by the reported former existence of 'bole hills' on top of the hill which were destroyed by the golf course.

Other features
No evidence.

Comments
Members of the Early Mines Research Group visited Llanymynech Ogof on 16/3/92. No evidence to suggest that the mine is Prehistoric was found but it was suggested that the mine has characteristic features of Roman and perhaps immediately Pre-Roman origin.

Sources :
Adams, D R , 1970 , Survey of Llanymynech Ogof: Roman copper mine
Adams, D R , 1992 , The Mines of Llanymynech Hill
Anon , 2014 , More human remains unearthed in caves on Shropshire border
Anon , 2014 , Tests continue on human bones find near Shropshire border
Barnwell, E L , 1870 , The early antiquities of the county of Montgomeryshire , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 3 : 415-52
Boon, G C , 1966 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Cadw , 2015 , Scheduled Monument consent letter
Cathrall, W , 1855 , History of Oswestry
Chitty, L F , 1947 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1978 , Site visit record - PRN30
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1983 , Site visit record - PRN30
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1984 , CPAT Project Archive
Davies, O , 1935 , Roman Mines in Europe
Fewtrell, J , 1878 , A parochial history of Llanymynech , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 11 : 179-232
Forrest, H E , 1937 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Foster-Smith, J R , 1978 , The Mines of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire
Green, M J , 1978 , Roman Cult Objects
Guest, Peter & Wells, Nick , 2007 , Iron Age and Roman Coins of Wales ( © Guest, Peter & Wells, Nick)
Hartshorne, C H , 1841 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Haverfield, F , 1908 , Victoria County History, Salop
Jones, Aimee , 2014 , Human remains unearthed in cave system
Jones, N W, Hankinson, R and Silvester, R J , 2012 , Llanymynech Hill: Cultural Heritage and Management ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Leonard, J., Preshous, D., Roberts, M., Smyth, J., and Train, C., 2000 , The Gale of Life: Two Thousand Years in South-West Shropshire
Ordnance Survey , 1972 , OS record card SJ22SE 10
Ordnance Survey , 1982 , OS record card SJ22SE 6
Ordnance Survey , ???? , OS map
Owen, Pete , nd , Recent finds in the Llanymynech Ogof
Parkes, D , 1828 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Pearce, A J , 1992 , The Mines of Llanymynech Hill , Shropshire Caving and Mining Club Account : 14 : 8
Pennant, T , 1781 , Tours in Wales
Portable Antiquities Scheme , Portable Antiquities Scheme Database
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Monmouthshire , 1911 , Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of the County of Montgomery ( © Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Monmouthshire)
Savory, H N , 1966 , NMW Acquisitions , Archaeology in Wales : 6 : 4
Timberlake, S , 1996 , Ogof copper mine , Archaeology in Wales : 36 : 68-70, 79
Toms, G , 1969 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Tyler, A , 1982 , Prehistoric and Roman mining in England and Wales
Tyler, A, Burgess, A & Richardson, J , 1999 , Human and faunal remains from the Ogof [Roman mine] Llanymynech Hill , Shropshire History and Archaeology : 74 : 75-6
Unknown , 1735 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Unknown , 1841 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine
Walters, M , 1993 , Powys Metal Mines Survey , Archaeology in Wales : 33 : 43-44
Walters, M , 1993 , Powys Metal Mines Survey 1993: consultation draft ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Watkin, W T , 1879 , Roman Shropshire , Transactions of the Salop Antiquarian Society : 2 : 352-3
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1980 , Scheduling map - Mg030(POW)
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1981 , Schedule of Ancient Monuments in Wales
Wright, T , 1888 , title unknown - Llanymynech Ogof Mine

Events :
19261 : Llanymynech Ogof Mine, excavation 1969 (year : 1969)
49138 : Llanymynech Ogof Mine, topographical survey 1996 (year : 1996)
123899 : Llanymynech Ogof Mine, survey and excavation 1960-66 (year : 1960-66)
123902 : Llanymynech Ogof Mine, survey 1970 (year : 1970)
123937 : Llanymynech Ogof Mine, field visit 1997 (year : 1997)
123894 : Llanymynech Hill: Cultural Heritage and Management, assessment project 2012 (year : 2012)
123896 : Llanymynech Hill: Cultural Heritage and Management, desk based assessment 2012 (year : 2012)
123897 : Llanymynech Hill: Cultural Heritage and Management, site visit 2012 (year : 2012)
151995 : Carreghofa, Llanymynech Hill Lead Mine, field visit, 1994 (year : 1994)
140098 : Llanymynech Ogof, archaeological evaluation, 2016 (year : 2016)

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 30
Portable Antiquities Scheme Ref no. Multiple - See Artefact Recs

Compiled date : 31-12-1980


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 24, 2025, 3:36 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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