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Clwyd Metal Mines Survey


Pool Park

Pool Park lies in the community of Minera in the county of Wrexham. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SJ24905070. The mine is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 104352 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

Lead/Silver/Zinc (1860-1881)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone outcrops cutting into Cefn-y-Fedw Sandstone.

Workings
The Pool Park Vein and the South Minera Vein intercept below the most westerly workings and processing areas of the Park setts. The Schedule of buildings for Minera Mountain Sett, from an inventory of 1899, lists an engine house, cabin, washing shed and smithy for Pool Park. A large shaft and whim circle remain at SJ24955007, having a small hut or coe to the west of the whim. A water filled hollow at SJ25005008 could be the main shaft; the building foundations to the north-west of it being an engine house. Numerous smaller shafts are on the sett. Boundary Shaft lies to the south-east of the main site at SJ25155005. A large area of waste surrounds the large shaft and the stone foundations of an ore bin underlie the turf; the ore bin drops to the raised track to connect these workings with the main site. A track connects Boundary with an old shaft at SJ25255045, which is capped with concrete. Stone foundations of a small rectangular building lie under turf mounds to the east of the shaft. The Mary Ann Shaft or Kyrke's Shaft is to the east of this old shaft at SJ25405040. It remains as a very deep shaft with whim circle with the stone surround of the pivot in situ. The adit level for the mine, known as the Gomerian Level was driven from a point near Cae Llwyd Reservoir (SJ27004780).

Transport
A raised tramway connects the main shaft and dressing area with the road up from Minera, past Park Farm. A tramway also runs out to a second shaft at SJ25055006 and continues to Boundary shaft at SJ25155050.

Power
A very substantial leat system appears as an earthen bank running around the perimeter of the sett above the Aber Sychnant Valley. An immense amount of water was necessary for the washing and separation of lead. The Minera Mines in the valley were also fed by the large leats that ran off the Esclusham Mountain. The 1899 inventory lists two engines at work for Pool Park

Processing
The dressing floor areas lie to the west of the main whim shaft (SJ24955007). The large area of jigger waste indicates the dressing floor areas above Aber Sychnant.

Other features
A square two roomed structure, poorly made of dry-stoned walls, probably providing shelter or storage remains alongside a shaft at SJ24805080.


This HTML page is reproduced from the Powys and Clwyd Metal Mine Surveys which were undertaken between May 1992 and December 1993 by Mark Walters and Pat Frost of the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust with financial support from Powys County Council, Clwyd County Council and Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. Further information about this site is available in CPAT's Regional Historic Environment Record.
Page produced by Rachel Stebbings and Chris Martin.