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Powys Metal Mines Survey


Llangynog

Llangynog lies in the community of Llangynog in the county of Powys . It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SJ05502555. The mine is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 8433 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

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. Many local houses nearby are associated with the mine, eg. Ty Newydd (SJ05262555) which dates to 1708 and was used as a mine manager's 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.

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)


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.