The Explore
Was looking on Google Maps satellite view for somewhere to camp for the weekend, and found this little fellow. It’s not the most epic explore and beyond a bit of a trek it’s not much of a challenge, but it’s neat enough and might be new to someone.
Klondyke Mill
Klondyke Mill near Trefriw in Wales, also known as Geirionydd Mill and New Pandora Leadworks, was built in 1900 by the Welsh Crown Spelter Company to process lead ore. The ore came from the Pandora mine two miles away, via a tramway that followed the shore of Llyn Geirionydd, a nearby lake, then down from the hill above to the upper floor of the mill by an aerial runway.
In 1900 the shareholders were informed that the future was bright, with lots of work afoot and tales of vast ore reserves, but by the end of 1901, two years after the mill was completed, there were still no profits. The owners blamed teething problems, but even in the summer of 1902 they still hadn't even processed any ore.
It wasn’t until the end of the year that production began, but it quickly became clear that the mine’s reserves were not as great as predicted, and in 1903 shareholders were told that the company had in fact not investigated the stopes left by the previous owners sufficiently, and that it was found necessary to discard them and begin mining fresh ground.
In 1905, after having spent over £70,000, only £4,950 of which was spent on the original purchase of the mine (or £8,000,000 vs £550,000 in today's money), the company ceased operation and went into voluntary liquidation. The mill continued operation until 1911 under various owners including the North Western Spelter Syndicate in 1906, who went bust after a year, then a Liverpool colliery owner, who formed the New Pandora Mining Syndicate Ltd, but they also went bust in 1912.
In 1918, the mine became part of a scam that gave it its name, after the Klondyke Gold Rush. It was purchased under lease from the Trefriw Mining Company by the Crafant and Devon Mining Syndicate Ltd under Joseph Aspinall, who had previously been declared bankrupt, and in fact never stumped up the money for the lease. On May 6th 1920, the Mining Journal reported that the company had struck a rich lode of silver, almost 70oz per ton, and that the mill machinery was modern and in full working condition, capable of dressing 1500 tons a week. Prospective shareholders would be brought to the mill from London with first class train fairs and accommodation, and then when brought to the mill, Aspinall would toot his horn - a signal to tell the workers to ‘act’ their roles. The entrance to the mine was cleaned and then decorated with lead concentrate to make the walls sparkle, and galena had been purchased to give them impression of the mine having some output. Unfortunately for Aspinall, Charles Holmes, a proprietor of a nearby mine, became suspicious, notified Scotland Yard, and Aspinall was eventually sentenced to 22 months in prison after fleecing almost £166,000 from investors (£16,000,000 in today's money!) He then moved to France where he attempted a similar scam and was jailed for 5 years, then in 1927 received another 4 years in jail for an oilfield scam.
Now the mill lies in total disrepair, and the on-site Klondyke mine entrance was blocked by a grill in 2009 for safety reasons.
The pics
The tiny Klondyke mine
Looking back at the mill
Hope you enjoyed
Was looking on Google Maps satellite view for somewhere to camp for the weekend, and found this little fellow. It’s not the most epic explore and beyond a bit of a trek it’s not much of a challenge, but it’s neat enough and might be new to someone.
Klondyke Mill
Klondyke Mill near Trefriw in Wales, also known as Geirionydd Mill and New Pandora Leadworks, was built in 1900 by the Welsh Crown Spelter Company to process lead ore. The ore came from the Pandora mine two miles away, via a tramway that followed the shore of Llyn Geirionydd, a nearby lake, then down from the hill above to the upper floor of the mill by an aerial runway.
In 1900 the shareholders were informed that the future was bright, with lots of work afoot and tales of vast ore reserves, but by the end of 1901, two years after the mill was completed, there were still no profits. The owners blamed teething problems, but even in the summer of 1902 they still hadn't even processed any ore.
It wasn’t until the end of the year that production began, but it quickly became clear that the mine’s reserves were not as great as predicted, and in 1903 shareholders were told that the company had in fact not investigated the stopes left by the previous owners sufficiently, and that it was found necessary to discard them and begin mining fresh ground.
In 1905, after having spent over £70,000, only £4,950 of which was spent on the original purchase of the mine (or £8,000,000 vs £550,000 in today's money), the company ceased operation and went into voluntary liquidation. The mill continued operation until 1911 under various owners including the North Western Spelter Syndicate in 1906, who went bust after a year, then a Liverpool colliery owner, who formed the New Pandora Mining Syndicate Ltd, but they also went bust in 1912.
In 1918, the mine became part of a scam that gave it its name, after the Klondyke Gold Rush. It was purchased under lease from the Trefriw Mining Company by the Crafant and Devon Mining Syndicate Ltd under Joseph Aspinall, who had previously been declared bankrupt, and in fact never stumped up the money for the lease. On May 6th 1920, the Mining Journal reported that the company had struck a rich lode of silver, almost 70oz per ton, and that the mill machinery was modern and in full working condition, capable of dressing 1500 tons a week. Prospective shareholders would be brought to the mill from London with first class train fairs and accommodation, and then when brought to the mill, Aspinall would toot his horn - a signal to tell the workers to ‘act’ their roles. The entrance to the mine was cleaned and then decorated with lead concentrate to make the walls sparkle, and galena had been purchased to give them impression of the mine having some output. Unfortunately for Aspinall, Charles Holmes, a proprietor of a nearby mine, became suspicious, notified Scotland Yard, and Aspinall was eventually sentenced to 22 months in prison after fleecing almost £166,000 from investors (£16,000,000 in today's money!) He then moved to France where he attempted a similar scam and was jailed for 5 years, then in 1927 received another 4 years in jail for an oilfield scam.
Now the mill lies in total disrepair, and the on-site Klondyke mine entrance was blocked by a grill in 2009 for safety reasons.
The pics
The tiny Klondyke mine
Looking back at the mill
Hope you enjoyed
