CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
The following information is from the on-line database 'Archwilio'.
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Llanidloes Without, Van Mine

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 5936
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Llanidloes Without
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SN9425087600
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL LEAD MINE

Summary :
Lead mine with activity beginning in the 1850s. Substantial output in 1870s, Closed in 1922.

Description :
Lead (1850-1920)

Geology
Lower Silurian Gwestyn formation and Ordovician Van formation shales and mudstones. The main vein strikes NE-SW with a northern branch. Mineralisation includes galena and zinc.

Workings
These include five shafts, 3 adits and levels. Some early trial adits are located at SN94208810.

Transport
3 inclines were constructed up to Seahams shaft from the dressing floors. One of these inclines aided the haulage of coal to feed the engine. Others lowered ore to the crushers.

An incline ran from the slimes settling tanks to the slimes dump.

A standard gauge railway connection to Caersws was created in 1871 as a branch of the Cambrian Line for hauling concentrate as well as passengers. Much of this line still exists.

A tramway embankment conveyed stone from the nearby quarry to Seahams shaft.

Power
The 50ftx4ft Mary Emma waterwheel constructed in 1866 was used to pump the Old Engine shaft until the erection of the former Blencowe Consols Engine in 1875. Thereafter the wheel was used to drive a crusher. The remains of the waterwheel pit can still be seen.

In c.1890 there were as many as thirteen engines of various sizes working at Van. They were used for pumping, winding, processing and compressing.

A gas producer was erected in 1916 and the foundations for this were rediscovered in June 1992 during the first stage of archaeological works prior to the current reclamation scheme (Hughes SJS. 1992)

The halvans plant engine and an engine base at the foot of the stone piers were also discovered during excavations in May/June 92. They are both designated for preservation


Processing
Between 1865-1871 an extensive dressing and crushing plant was erected which consisted of two crusher houses, stamps, buddles, jiggers and slime pits.

A halvans mill was added in 1876 for reprocessing the spoil tips. The plant included a unique set of steam driven stamps.

A mineral separation brine plant built in 1912 exists as concrete foundations to the east of the main mine area and was later used as a paintworks in the 1930s.

Other features
Also present on the mine site were a sawmill, coalhouses, carpenters shop, mine office and a loading bay or surge bin to hold ore trammed out of the main adit.

The Ceryst and other culverts diverted water from Llyn Y Fan through the dressing area. A large dam (SN92808780) was constructed in the valley to the west to provide water at the dressing floors.

Many of the buildings within the village are former mining accommodation/ administration offices. The miners' chapel and associated library can be seen at SO94928770.

Comments
Overall preservation of building remains on the dressing floors is good where the structures have been deeply buried in processing waste.

There are records of trials in 1850 to 1852 and the first ore was produced in 1866. In 1871 the output was so great that a standard gauge railway of six miles length was constructed to join the Cambrian main line at Caersws. The mine's production started to decline in the 1890s and it eventually closed in 1922 (Bick, 1977)

Sources :
Bick, D E , 1977 , The Old Metal Mines of Mid Wales 4
Bick, D E , 1980 , title unknown - Montgomery Metal Mines list , Archaeology in Wales : 36 : 83
Bick, D E , 1990 , The Old Metal Mines Of Mid-Wales
Bick, D E , 1991 , The Old Metal Mines Of Mid-Wales
Bird, R H , 1977 , title unknown - Ffynnon Fair Well
Chapman, N, A., 2007 , The Van Mines
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1983 , Site visit record - PRN5936
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1984 , Site visit record - PRN5936
Foster-Smith, J R , 1978 , The Mines of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire
Hamer, E , 1872 , A parochial account of Llanidloes (continued) , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 5 : 1-48
Hughes, Simon. J.S , 1991 , The Van Mine, Llanidloes, Powys, Wales ( © )
Hughes, Simon. J.S , 1992 , Results of Investigations at Van Mine near Llanidloes ( © Hughes, S J S)
Jones, J A & Moreton, N J M , 1977 , The Mines and Minerals of Mid-Wales
Jones, O T , 1922 , Lead and Zinc. The Mining District of North Cardiganshire and West Montgomeryshire
Ordnance Survey , ???? , OS map
Poole, Brian , 2012 , Industry and the Industrial Buildings of Montgomeryshire , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 100 : 323-363
Rees, D M , 1969 , title unknown - Van 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)
Williams, C. J., & Bick, D , 1992 , List of metalliferous mine sites of industrial archaeological importance
Williams, D N , 1993 , Y Fan, Llanidloes , Archaeology in Wales : 33 : 89
Williams, D.N , 1993 , Archaeological Excavations: Fan Lead Mines, Llanidloes ( © Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust)

Events :
38672 : Van Mine, excavation, 1970's (year : 1977)
38673 : Van Mine, excavation 1990's (year : 1993)
218044 : Llanidloes, Van Mine, desk-based assessment, 2022 (year : 2022)

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 5936

Compiled date : 31-12-1984


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 22, 2025, 12:48 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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