British Mining No 26
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“Llangynog was perhaps the richest vein of lead ore, for the time it lasted, of any yet discovered in this island.” John Williams 1789 Natural History of the Mineral Kingdom “The mine of Llangynog . has proved one of the most considerable Works in Europe.” Martin O’Connor 1751 Secretary to the Governor and Company of Mine Adventurers of England. [1] FRONTISPIECE: Portrait of William Herbert (1665-1745), Second Marquess of Powis by Michael Dahl. The Marquess owned the Powis section of the Llangynog Mine and was a key figure in the development of the mine from 1705 onwards. (Courtesy of the Courtauld Institute of Art). [2] ISSN: 0308-2199 ISBN: 0901450278 BRITISH MINING No.26 THE OLD MINES OF THE LLANGYNOG DISTRICT (North Powys, Mid-Wales) by R.A. WILLIAMS, BSc, ARSM. NB This publication was originally issued in the A4 format then used by the society. It has now been digitised and reformatted at A5. This has changed the original pagination, which is given in square brackets. ********* A MONOGRAPH OF THE NORTHERN MINE RESEARCH SOCIETY 1985 [3] © R.A. WILLIAMS, 1985. Typesetting by COMMERCIAL SERVICES Moorgate Road, Rotherham. Printed by HENRY BOOT DESIGN AND PRINT Thompson Street, Chesterfield. For the Publishers THE NORTHERN MINE RESEARCH SOCIETY, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND. [4] CONTENTS Page Preface 7 Acknowledgements 8 PART I GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LLANGYNOG MINING DISTRICT 1. Introduction 11 2. Geographical Setting 11 3. Geological Setting 13 4.Pre-eighteenth Century History 15 5. Eighteenth Century History 17 6. Nineteenth Century History 18 7. Twentieth Century History 19 PART II THE LLANGYNOG LEAD MINE 1. Geology 21 2. Land Ownership 24 3. Seventeenth Century History 26 4. Eighteenth Century History – The Powis Section a) The Powis Estate 26 b)Early Activity (1705-1723) 27 c) Sudden Success and Decline (1724-1744) 28 d)“Like a Dying Man” (1745-1760) 30 e)Leasing Commences (1760-1880) 33 5. Eighteenth Century History – The Chirk Section a) The Chirk Estate 34 b)Early Activity (1718-1728) 35 c) London Lead Company (1729-1736) The Company’s Background 35 The Disappointing Venture 35 The People Employed 38 The Materials Used 41 d) Sporadic Activity (1737-1800) 42 6. Nineteenth and Twentieth Century History a) Salopian Adventurers (1800-1828) 42 b) Hughes & Co. and Other Ventures (1829-1840) 42 c)Jones and Company (1840-1850) 48 d)Chirk Castle Company (1850-1859) 48 e) United Rhiwarth & Pengwern Co. (1849-1856) 51 f) Llangynog United Company (1856-1869) 52 g) New Llangynog Company (1870-1885) 61 h) Vieille Montagne Company (1898-1899) 63 i) Berwyn Granite Company (1908-1956) 63 7. Production Figures 63 8. The Mining Remains 63 9.The Associated Smelting Sites 69 PART III OTHER OLD MINES AND TRIALS IN THE LLANGYNOG DISTRICT 1. Craig-y-mwyn (lead) 75 2. Craig Rhiwarth (lead) 89 3. Cwm Orog (lead) 94 4. Cwm Glanhafon (lead) 101 5.Craig Ddu (lead) 102 6.Hirnant (lead) 103 7. West Llangynog (lead) 105 8. Nant-y-blaidd (lead) 106 9.Blaen-y-glyn and Pen-y-graig (lead) 107 10. Bwlch Creolan (lead) 108 11. Miscellaneous Lead Trials 111 12.Outlying Lead Mines and Trials 112 13. The Phosphate Mines 114 14.The Slate Mines and Quarries 116 15. The Stone Quarries 119 Bibliography 121 Index 127 [5] LIST OF FIGURES, PLATES AND TABLES FIGURES Page 1. Metal Mining Areas of Wales 9 2. Regional Setting of the Llangynog Mining District 10 3. The Llangynog Mining District – Mine Location Map 12 4. Simplified Geological Map of the Llangynog Mining District 14 5. Chart of Activity for Mines in the Llangynog District 19 6. Llangynog Mine – Vein System c1810 24 7. – Ownership Map 25 8. – Rules and Regulations c1829 43 9. – Mining Journal Advertisement, 1838 45 10. – Mine Section cl838 and Key 46 11. – Plan of Pengwern Portion in 1849 51 12. – Share Certificate of the Llangynog Utd. Co. 54 13. – Pengwern Working in 1858 55 14. – Mine Plan in 1859 56 15. – Llangynog Utd. Co. Sale Catalogue, 1869 57 16. – Mine Section in 1877 59 17. – Mine Plan in 1877 60 18. – Mine Plan of Western Workings, 1880 62 19. – Industrial Archaeology of the Site 66 20.Location Map of Associated Smelting Sites 73 21. Craig-y-mwyn Mine – Plan and Section of Workings in 1855 76 22. – East Llangynog Co. Share Certificate 80 23. – Mining Journal Advertisement in 1870 82 24. – Plan and Section of Workings in 1871 83 25. – Industrial Archaeology of the Site 86 26. Craig Rhiwarth – Industrial Archaeology of the Site 93 27.Cwm Orog Mine – Sketch of Lead Vein in 1909 95 28. – Sketch Plan of Workings in 1750 95 29. – Industrial Archaeology of the Site 100 30.West Llangynog Mine – Sketch of Alleged Veins 105 31.Bwlch Creolan Mine – Abandonment Plan, 1882 109 32. Phosphate Mines – Section of Strata at the Berwyn and Cwmgwnen Mines, Drawn in 1875 115 PLATES Frontispiece: Portrait of William Herbert, Second Marquess of Powis (1665-1745) 2 1.Llangynog Mine – General View of the Mine and Village c.1900 17 2. – General View of the Mine in July 1909 20 3. – Feature Exposed During Quarrying, c.1920 20 4. – The Prominent Felsite Outcrop and Engine House Ruin c.1913 22 5.Portrait of Robert Myddelton (1678-1733) 22 6. Portrait of Col. Robert Myddelton-Biddulph (1805-1872) 49 7.Llangynog Mine – Tipper Lorry at the Roadstone Quarry c.1920 64 8. – Remains of Eighteenth Century Powder House 64 9. – Remains of c.1848 Engine House in about 1913 68 10. – Roadstone Quarry Incline c.1913 68 11. – Ruins of Ty-newydd 70 12. – Horse Whim Circle 70 13. – Waterwheel Pit Remains 71 14. – Remains of a Small Buddle Circle 71 15. – Brick Chimney of the c.1871 Steam Engine 72 16. Cubil Smelting House Ruin 72 17.Craig-y-mwyn Mine – General View of Mine Site 87 18. – Water Reservoir Embankments 87 19. – Waterwheel and Crushing Rollers 88 20. Craig Rhiwarth Mine – Lead Mine Levels and Slate Incline c.1910 88 21. – Llangynog Village & Craig Rhiwarth c.1900 90 22. – Waterwheel, Buildings and Adit c.1900 90 23.Cwm Orog Mine – Waterwheel, Buddle and Buildings in July 1908 98 24.Ore-slide at the end of the Upper Tramway. 98 25.Hirnant Mine – Pump Rods Emerging from a Shaft 110 26.Bwlch Creolan Mine – 1882 Engine House 110 27. Craig Rhiwarth Slate Miners in 1921 118 TABLES 1. Items at Pool Quay Smeithouse in 1748 31 2. Items at Powis Estate Mines in 1748 31 3. Llangynog Mine – Eighteenth Century Production Figures. 32 4. – L.L.C. Wages and Workforce (1732-1736) 38 5. – L.L.C. Miners’ Names 39 6. – L.L.C. Materials Used (1729-1736) 41 7. – Chirk Castle Co. Accounts 1851 and 1852 50 8. – List of Mine Equipment in 1869 58 9. – Nineteenth Century Production Figures 65 10.Craig-y-mwyn Mine – Production Figures 85 11.Craig Rhiwarth Mine – Production Figures 92 12. Cwm Orog Mine – Production Figures 99 [6] PREFACE Industrial archaeologists, mining history societies, local historians, mineral collectors and curious tourists have all contributed to the surge of interest in British metal mining heritage in the last 15 years. The geological processes of nature have produced mineral deposits in well defined districts scattered throughout the British Isles. Wales is well endowed with old metal mining districts (Figure 1) and this book is the story of one of the smaller and less well known districts in Mid-Wales. The mystery and stark beauty of the old Llangynog lead mines of Mid-Wales have excited my curiosity since childhood. Amongst the deeply glaciated valleys and the lofty mountains of ancient marine and volcanic rocks lie the tantalising remains of past mining activity. Lead mining around Llangynog began over three hundred years ago and only finally ceased at the beginning of this century. The old Llangynog mines aroused within me a fascination for mining and mineralogy which eventually led me to take a degree in Mining Geology at the Royal School of Mines in London. This book is the result of intermittent research started in 1972 and aims to present a detailed account of the mining history of the Llangynog District with some information on the industrial archaeology of the mine sites. A vast amount of new information has been unearthed since the brief accounts of the district were published within existing books. Many of the mysteries and contradictions about the district have been solved, however several riddles still remain. There is considerable potential for future research, especially field work, on many of the sites in the district. ALAN WILLIAMS MARCH 1985 [7] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks to the following individuals and organisations for their assistance with my research. National Library of Wales British Geological Survey Manchester Central Library Oswestry Library Shrewsbury Library Salop Record Office Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Library Liverpool University Archives North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers N.C.B. North Wales Survey Office Public Record Office, Kew North Wales Caving Club Powysland Club Clwyd County Record Office Liverpool Central Libraries Haswell Brothers and Company Mining Records Office, London British (Natural History) Museum Library Wigan Reference Library Chester City Record Office Robert Vernon, David Bick, Robert Valler, Mrs. V. Richards, David Rees- Meredith, Chris Williams, George Hall, Mel Humphreys, Simon Hughes, Alister Neal, Dr. Roger Burt, Peter Appleton, Alan Hawkins, Nigel Williams, P.J. Challis, Dick Bird, Sandra Daly, my parents, my wife and many other people too numerous to mention. GRID REFERENCES AND ACCESS All grid references given in this book refer to the SJ grid square unless otherwise stated.