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Clwyd Metal Mines Survey


Coed Du

Coed Du lies in the community of Cilcain in the county of Flintshire. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SJ19106640. The mine is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 100244 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

Lead/Silver (Early 18th-1882)

Geology
The Coed Du cross-course runs north-south through the Carboniferous Limestone beneath Coed Du Wood.

Workings
The numerous shafts and workings within the area of Coed Du Woods and Cefn Cilcen Mine indicate early mining. Modern spar workings relating to Cefn Spar Mine remain on the site to the north-west of the woods at SJ18706650 and the area to the south-west of the woods has been intensely quarried. Smith (1921) refers to the Cefn-Cilcain Vein being entered from an adit from near the River Alyn in 1880 and the sett also worked the north-south Coed Du cross-course vein. Evidence of 19th century mining remains as shafts spread over a very large area of woodland. To the north and across the road from Cefn Farm, within an area of rough pasture, there remains; a large shaft and whim circle at SJ19426605 and an Engine Shaft at SJ19426607. The semi-circular wall of an earlier shaft seems to lie to the north of the above shaft. The workings on this vein to the west have been lost to quarrying. Further shafts to the south of this area, probably on the same vein can be identified at SJ19356583, SJ18956599 and SJ18856560. The larger shafts and spoil mounds identified through the woodland cutting north to south are located at SJ18726622, SJ18846640, SJ18646655, SJ18686660, SJ19046664, SJ19066665 and SJ19176675.

Transport
No evidence.

Power
A stone-built engine house stands at SJ19426607, with its bob-pit and adjacent boiler house partly intact. Some of the mounting bolts remain in situ and the cylinder base indicates a 36" engine. The whim circle remains at SJ19426605.

Processing
The site lies uphill from the site of the River Alyn smelt mill.

Other features
No evidence.


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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