Usually its North Wales for the cavernous slate mines but on this day it was Mid Wales to try 2 mines I've been wanting to see for years! Ystrad Einion's Wheel must be on everyones list whether you do underground stuff or not right? Well the drive upto it was around 5 miles down what seemed to be a dead end road. (having already gone down a dead end road earlier in the day)
We followed the footpath up to the main surface structures then skirted along that level finding an adit that went a few hundred yards then headed down a short climb with water pouring down it. The climb back up didn't look too clever but down i went only to find its a dead end... And that climb back up with water pouring in your face yeah not fun!
Back out into the daylight and somewhat disappointed we began looking and soon found the second adit....DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CAR boom a short walk in and you are greeted by the main attraction. Theres a route through to the base of the shaft apparently the flooded floor could be false though and it looked above welly depth so thats where we turned around but there is a few tunnels on the other side.
Visited with @alex17595
I didn't really take any exterior shots we knew we didn't have much daylight left so concentrated on fining the Adit.
The surrounding woodland is dense and covered in moss, thankfully it stayed dry for us.
The main shaft has an impressive viewing platform.
The wheel really is quite something!
We followed the footpath up to the main surface structures then skirted along that level finding an adit that went a few hundred yards then headed down a short climb with water pouring down it. The climb back up didn't look too clever but down i went only to find its a dead end... And that climb back up with water pouring in your face yeah not fun!
Back out into the daylight and somewhat disappointed we began looking and soon found the second adit....DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CAR boom a short walk in and you are greeted by the main attraction. Theres a route through to the base of the shaft apparently the flooded floor could be false though and it looked above welly depth so thats where we turned around but there is a few tunnels on the other side.
Visited with @alex17595
Site Description 1. Ystrad Einion lead-silver, zinc and copper mine is one of the most northerly metal mines in Ceredigion, situated in the heart of Cwm Einion. Mining had been carried out here in a small way since the 18th century, but the main period of activity came in the final decades of the 19th century, when Lancastrian entrepreneur Adam Mason leased the land from the Pryses of Gogerddan and sank over £3000 in state-of-the-art equipment.
Ystrad Einion was a relatively small mine; a report of 1891 notes just 11 miners working at the site, 9 men labouring underground and 2 lads, aged between 13 and 18 above ground. It also proved spectacular unprofitable, with minimal, if any, returns. In 1891 the mine produced 5 tons of silver bearing lead (value £37), 10 tons of zinc ore (value £15) and 5 tons of copper ore (value £7). The mine was closed in 1903, when much of the machinery was sold or scrapped.
The above ground remains of the mine have been consolidated and are accessible to the public. Here processing to recover the metal ore took place. Water provided the main source of power and was brought to the site via a leat running off from the River Einion 2km up stream. The wheel pits for three waterwheels survive, one wheel powered the pumps and winding drum at the main shaft head, another powered the stone breaker and crusher machinery in the crusher house, where lumps of ore bearing rock were reduced to a manageable size, and the third powered the jiggers and buddles which sorted and separated the metal ore. Other features of the site included waste tips, two stone ore bins, a blacksmiths shop, an ore store, an elaborate system of settling troughs and ponds to purify the poisonous wastewater, a gunpowder magazine set away from the other buildings and a series of tramways together with an incline that transported ore, waste and other materials around the site.
Below ground are 4 levels of workings, accessed through adits cut in the hillside and linked by a number of shafts that reached an ultimate depth of 50 fathoms. A waterwheel (NPRN 415676) which operated drainage pumps and a winding drum survives below ground and is unique in its survival.
Louise Barker, RCAHMW, January 2011.
YSTRAD EINION LEAD, SILVER, ZINC AND COPPER MINE | Coflein
coflein.gov.uk
I didn't really take any exterior shots we knew we didn't have much daylight left so concentrated on fining the Adit.
The surrounding woodland is dense and covered in moss, thankfully it stayed dry for us.
The main shaft has an impressive viewing platform.
The wheel really is quite something!
