Another small metal mine in the rolling hills near Llanfair Talhaiarn, called either Rhyd-yr-Eirin or Brant-Nantllech, presumably because two of the entrances lie between farms with those names.
There are also a few shafts and a level (tunnel) further north on the other side of the hill.
Speaking to the local land owner this one was filled in at least 50 years ago, although water is still emerging at the general location.
As usual there are no pictures available, and little information other than it was copper mine which operated from some time after 1875 (judging from maps) until 1895.
Starting with the left (east) level, this had to be excavated a bit to get in - I covered it again afterwards to stop sheep sliding down.
It starts off in mid-chest water then gets shallower, going a fair distance before stopping abruptly.
Little obvious mineralization to be seen - this white streak seemed to be finely divided quartz in a calcite matrix.
Back out from the end.
The cow which had been following me around was still waiting.
Nothing much on the waste tip so maybe this was a trial or wasn’t very productive.
The western level was also wet but not as deep.
Rails can be felt underfoot, and the base of a little cart soon appears under a few feet of water.
It carries on a short distance beyond a rockfall to a worked-out space in greasy mudstone-type stuff.
There’s a stream coming through another fall at the end so it probably went further.
Back out.
There was more of interest on the waste tip of this one, plenty of green traces of copper along with other things - a bit of rail, some quartz and a nice flute cast (fossilised negative of flow ripples).
There are also a few shafts and a level (tunnel) further north on the other side of the hill.
Speaking to the local land owner this one was filled in at least 50 years ago, although water is still emerging at the general location.
As usual there are no pictures available, and little information other than it was copper mine which operated from some time after 1875 (judging from maps) until 1895.
Starting with the left (east) level, this had to be excavated a bit to get in - I covered it again afterwards to stop sheep sliding down.
It starts off in mid-chest water then gets shallower, going a fair distance before stopping abruptly.
Little obvious mineralization to be seen - this white streak seemed to be finely divided quartz in a calcite matrix.
Back out from the end.
The cow which had been following me around was still waiting.
Nothing much on the waste tip so maybe this was a trial or wasn’t very productive.
The western level was also wet but not as deep.
Rails can be felt underfoot, and the base of a little cart soon appears under a few feet of water.
It carries on a short distance beyond a rockfall to a worked-out space in greasy mudstone-type stuff.
There’s a stream coming through another fall at the end so it probably went further.
Back out.
There was more of interest on the waste tip of this one, plenty of green traces of copper along with other things - a bit of rail, some quartz and a nice flute cast (fossilised negative of flow ripples).
