CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Llangynog Mine

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 8433
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Llangynog
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SJ0527625619
Site Type (preferred type first) : MULTIPERIOD LEAD MINE

Description :
Lead (1692-1869)

Geology
The main vein strikes E-W and divides metamorphic rocks to the south and igneous to the north. The vein splits into two branches on the western side.

Mineralisation includes galena with gangues of slate and igneous rock together with quartz and copper carbonates.

Workings
There are four levels, six shafts, a number of level trials on the top of the hill at SJ05482559 and opencuts at the top of the quarry which probably mark the position of the earliest workings at SJ05322558. Some shaft-mound trials were noticed in the field immediately west of the dressing floors at SJ05102550.

Transport
No evidence.

Power
Leats running from the watershed to the west fed the reservoir known as Llyn Y Mynydd at SJ00802510 from where leats traversed the hillside down to the dressing floors. Two more storage reservoirs are located on the dressing floors at SJ05502560.

A pumping and crushing waterwheel pit formerly existed on the dressing floors but has since been infilled. The foundations of the 1871 engine and boiler house can still be seen in an overgrown plot close to the road at SJ04982565 along with the chimney base.

Processing
All surface evidence of the dressing floor structures has been destroyed by recent quarrying of the area for roadstone. Two poorly preserved round buddles are all that is left and they will probably be destroyed by continuing small-scale removal of stone for local use.

Other features
There is an 18th century magazine above the quarry at SJ05542566 which consists of 2 concentric walls, a single doorway, and windows. A small tree is growing between the two walls on the western side and will ultimately cause collapse.
(CPAT, Powys Mines Survey, 1993)

Lead first discovered in 1692, seemingly associated with a granite outcrop which has since been removed by quarrying. The mine was mentioned by Pennant in Tours of Wales. The mine was evidently profitable in its early years as the royalties paid to the Earls of Powis apparently amounted to £20,000 per annum for its first 40 years. It was choked by flooding around 1732 and remained abandoned until the latter part of the 18th century, probably the 1790s. Further flooding caused its abandonment in 1800, and as a result drainage levels were cut in the period between 1809 and 1832 to solve the flooding problems so that by 1848 the mine was again in full production. From the early 1850s the mine was apparently called ‘The Chirk Castle Mine’ which implies that it was then working the western end of the sett, beyond ‘Boundary Shaft’. The mine was finally abandoned in 1877. (pp121-4)

Subsequent to the abandonment of the lead mine, there was some renewed interest by the Vielle Montagne Co in the 1890s (p124), but the next industrial activity on the site was the opening of the Berwyn Granite Quarry in 1910, an enterprise which exploited the granite outcrop mentioned above. The material seems to have been largely used as roadstone, both as an aggregate and mixed to form tarmacadam. Working continued through both World wars and finally ended in 1956.
(Wren, 1968, 161-2)

Many local houses nearby are associated with the mine, eg. Ty Newydd (SJ05262555) which dates to 1708 and was used as a mine managers office. Workshops and storerooms are located to the north of Ty-Newydd and are very ruinous (SJ05252560).

Evidence of post-medieval bole hill smelting may be demonstrated by the finding of heavy ferrous vesicular slags near the southern extent of the mine close to Rock level at SJ05402553.
(RH, CPAT, 2010)

The Llangynog Mining Company made returns for 'Chirk Castle' in 1861.

From 1852 to 1860 inclusive Llangynog Mine appears to have been known and worked as the Chirk Castle Mine.
(Dewey & Smith, 1922)

Some possible hammer stones were observed in the spoil below the main mine area by the writer in
the past. A further stone was apparently recovered from the area of a water tank at the base of the
south slope of Craig Rhiwarth (SJ 0554 2640), but the material from around this probably originated
in the South Llangynog area. All suggest that there was some prehistoric mining in the area, which is
not surprising given the presence of Craig Rhiwarth
hillfort and the fact that prehistoric smelting
evidence was found in excavations at Llwyn Bryndinas, further down the valley.
(RH 13/01/2010)

A record (PRN18040) was mistakenly made for a Chirk Castle Mine (see Dewey & Smith above), but this has now been cancelled and any associated detail incorporated into this record
(Jeff Spencer, 2013).


Sources :
Bick, D E , 1978 , The Old Metal Mines of Mid Wales 5
Bick, D E , 1990 , The Old Metal Mines Of Mid-Wales
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1978 , Site visit record - PRN8433
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1983 , Site visit record - PRN8433
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1987 , CPAT Project Archive
Dewey, Henry and Smith, Bernard , 1922 , Memoirs of the Geological Survey. Special Reports on the Mineral Resources of Great Britain. Vol. XXIII - Lead and Zinc Ores in the Pre-Carboniferous Rocks of West Shropshire and North Wales. Part II - North Wales ( © Dewey, Henry and Smith, Bernard)
Evans, Paul , 2005 , Richard Ingleby of Springfield ( © Evans, Paul)
Foster-Smith, J R , 1978 , The Mines of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire
Hankinson, R , 2010 , Mines and Quarries. The Scheduling Enhancement Programme ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Hankinson, R & Silvester, R J , 2010 , Llangynog Mountain Biking Centre. Cultural Heritage Assessment ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Lewis , 1968 , title unknown - Cwm Orog Mine
Lewis, W J , 2000 , James Baker and the Pool Quay Smelthouse , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 88 : 25-35
Ordnance Survey , 1887 , OS map
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, R A , 1985 , The Old Mines of the Llangynog District
Wren, W J , 1968 , The Tanat Valley, its railways and industrial archaeology

Events :
115395 : Mines and Quarries: Scheduling Enhancement Project, assessment project 2010 (year : 2010)
113136 : Llangynog Mountain Biking Centre, assessment project 2010 (year : 2010)

Related records
CPAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 8433

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 20, 2025, 12:27 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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