Nant-y-Garw Lead Mine

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a 19th century lead mine including its water-management and transport systems, extraction and dressing processes with their power systems. Nant-y-Garw Lead Mine was operated for a short time at the end of the nineteenth century, between 1883 and 1899, and represents the well preserved remains of a single-period mine. The remains include a processing mill, jigger, crusher and stone breaker, a shaft with wooden framework, water wheel pit, level, leats, spoil tips, explosives magazine, and associated buildings such as the office and smithy. The dressing mill was designed to contain George Green's patent machinery made at the Cambrian Foundry in Aberystwyth, and is unique in being situated uphill of the shaft, linked to it by an up-haulage incline.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance and illustrate our knowledge and understanding of mining technology from a single period. Lead mines may be part of a larger cluster of industrial monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.