A wander around Rhyd and Bwlch-y-plwm

[Graigfawr]

Coming late to this thread but I hope this note may be of use...

The two mines featured at the start of the first post on this thread have short entries in J.R.Foster-Smith, "The mines of Merioneth" (British Mining no.6), NMRS, Sheffield, 1977:

Ty'n-y-ddol is mine no.10 on page 7, NGR SH 637/426 "A trial level was driven here in search of lead and copper ores in Ordovician slate. No reference to this working has been seen."

Bryntirion is mine no.11 on page 7, NGR SH 636 / 422 "A small mine or trial in Ordovician slate, probably worked for copper and lead ores, but no details of the workings have been seen."

Foster-Smith does not reference any source (including Bob Owen Croesor's book which is absent from his bibliogaphy), so he likely picked these workings up through his scan of 1:25,000 and 1:10,560 OS maps. "Old Levels" are marked on the 1:10,560 maps from the 1887 survey onwards.

 

[davel]

There is a very brief mention of Ty'n y ddol mine in "Diwyydiannau Coll" by Bob Owen 'Croesor' [1885-1962] ...

I've added that reference to the Ty'n y ddol entry in Mines and Quarries of North Wales https://www.hendrecoed.org.uk/Wilkinson

In connection with this, if any kind person who is familiar with Bob Owen's papers would care to pass on similar references to be added to the gazetteer I would be very grateful.

Dave

 

[davel]

... I've not got a copy of Wilkinson ...

As mentioned in my previous post, 'Wilkinson' (full title Gazetteer and Bibliography of the Mines and Quarries of North Wales) is an online resource https://hendrecoed.org.uk/Wilkinson.

From what I can make out it's an open shaft in the floor around 10ft by 3ft and looks about 15ft deep. There is a second adit which is run in further down slope and a scree heap further down in the shape of something that's been dumped. Someone knows something about it as there is the remains of an incredibly old fence surrounding the shaft.

If that's the shaft I think it may be at SH632413 in the woods between Bwlch y Plwm and Catherine and Jane I've been down it (it's no more than 7 m deep) to land on a pile of spoil with deep water on both sides. I think it may be connected to a level with low airspace to the north.

Dave

 

[Graigwen]

I've added that reference to the Ty'n y ddol entry in Mines and Quarries of North Wales https://www.hendrecoed.org.uk/Wilkinson

In connection with this, if any kind person who is familiar with Bob Owen's papers would care to pass on similar references to be added to the gazetteer I would be very grateful.

Dave

Half a century ago my late wife translated in manuscript all the chapter on mining from Bob Owen's book. The book is difficult to get hold of and she worked from a copy borrowed from the National Library. I used a typed copy as an appendix to a postgrad thesis in the 1990s. I don't think I have it as a computer file but at worst I'll be able to provide a set of images. Give me a few days to find it........


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