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Clwyd Metal Mines Survey


Halkyn Deep Level

Halkyn Deep Level (also known as Halkyn Pantygo or Halkyn Pantyffrith) lies in the community of Halkyn in the county of Flintshire. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SJ20857010. The mine is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 18092 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

Lead/Silver/Zinc (Early 19th century-1913)

Geology
Carboniferous Limestone with chert beds.

Workings
The extensive mining sett worked the Crockford or Deep Level Vein to the west of the Pant-y-gof Vein. The earliest workings were carried out at Pantyffrith. Little evidence remains of the later large-scale mining operations, the area having been the subject of a land reclaimation scheme in the early 1970s. Two commemorative stones, in the vicinity of what would have been the main mine area reclaimed by the Halkyn Countryside Commission, announce the Prince of Wales award for reclaimation of derelict land to the local residents of Halkyn and The Wimpey Asphalt Pant Quarry. Smith (1921) records the principal shafts on the Pant-y-gof Vein as being Trustees, near Engine House, Pant-y-Gof Shaft, 200yds north-east of Engine House, Eaton's Shaft, along with two levels: Deep Level and one on Eyton's shaft. A large shaft substantialy capped with concrete in 1954, remains on the village green at SJ20907015. It was the site of Lewis's Shaft and the dressing plant of the Halkyn Mining Company in the early 20th century. It appears as a whim shaft alonside the smithy on the OS 1st edition map. The large 20th century workings of the Halkyn District United Mines around the Pen-y-bryn Shaft at SJ20307070 are now lost to the quarry. Remaining evidence is in the form of earth mounds and spoil. The main shafts at SJ20677017, SJ20657010 and SJ20626998 were made safe by the 1970s programme. The Deep Level Mine, as with others in the area, was drained by the Halkyn Deep Level Tunnel, which was commenced in 1818. In 1928, the mine became part of the Halkyn District United Mines Ltd.

Transport
A narrow guage railway transported materials on the surface within the sett. The Halkyn District United Mines ran an underground railway from the Pen-y-bryn Shaft (SJ20307070) along the sea-level tunnel to connect the workings; the cars transported both ore and men (Richardson 1936).

Power
A large reservoir at SJ20657010 now only remains as earthworks.

Processing
Smith (1921) records the ores being dealt with at a concentration-plant near Lewis Shaft. The details refer to the early 20th century procedure: 'Ore is crushed with manganese steel jaws to fragments 8mm or less, this being the size of the largest jig-mesh. It is then sorted by trommels and water classifiers and passed into jigs. Elevator buckets used for re-crushing are also of manganese steel. At the new building the grades obtained from the jigs are mixed and recrushed, put through rollers and again through trommels and water classifiers....further separation of slimes is effected by round buddles.....'. The sieved galena from the Pantygof vein, which contained no fluorspar was sent to the Potteries for glazing. The mixed grades were sent to Purex Ltd, of Greenford, Middlesex for smelting. Galena was sent to Parker & Co. of Bagillt and to Messrs Quirk, Barton and Burns of St Helens. The buildings on this site were demolished in 1972. A new mill was built around the Pen-y-bryn Shaft in 1932 (Richardson 1936) and these buildings wre demolished in the 1960s.

Other features
The 1860s barrack housing stood on the Rhosesmor road and now forms two separate dwellings. An area of workings alongside Pant-y-go Cottage (SJ20837015) have traces of brickwork under earth banks. In the 1930s period of operation by the Halkyn District United Mines, the main workshops were located around the Pen-y-bryn shaft.


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.

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