Bryndyfi 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 the processing area of a 19th-century lead mine including its water-management and dressing processes with their power systems. The Neuadd Llwyd or Bryndyfi lead mine and ore processing works was built in 1881 and is shown in its full state on the Ordnance Survey map 1st edition (1888). A surface plan dated 1882 also survives. Despite a promising start only 24 tons of lead ore were sold and the company was dissolved in 1888. The site is of particular interest in that no expense was spared in providing the best and most up-to-date plant, ancillary buildings, reservoirs, leats, water-wheels and tramway for the venture, the subsequent complete failure of which left them all virtually untouched. Items like the water-wheels and presumably the crushing equipment, however, would have had resale value and have gone. While the scheduled area covers only the processing plant, traces remain nearby of most of the other features, including also the manager’s house and offices. The processing plant had to be positioned such that a sufficient head of water was available to power it, with the result that it lies 600m to the south-west of the mine shafts.

Within the scheduled area, the whole of the processing sequence is represented. At the upper end are two semi-circular ore-bins above a stone-flagged platform leading to a stone-built crusher building, which has a wheel-pit against its southern side. The building still stands to gable height, but the upper window and door lintels have failed. Below this, and to its north-west, stands a second building, possibly a further crusher house, or perhaps just a store for material in transit. It also stands to gable height, but with little trace of any eastern wall. Below this, to the west, is a set of four buddles with another wheel-pit to their south. At the lowest level is a fine set of 18 interconnected slime pits, with an outfall channel running away below them finished at its western end with a brick arch.

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.