You have no advanced search rows. Add one by clicking the '+ Add Row' button

Cwm Dwyfor Copper Mine

Loading Map
NPRN287709
Map ReferenceSH55SW
Grid ReferenceSH5412050575
Unitary (Local) AuthorityGwynedd
Old CountyCaernarfonshire
CommunityDolbenmaen
Type Of SiteCOPPER MINE
PeriodPost Medieval
Description
1. A quarry complex comprising two ruins - a tramway incline and a platform. On the site can be found the housing for the tramway mechanism and the pillars that supported the incline. The housing is 20m east/west and 20m north/south, the walls being constructed from slate blocks, the largest of which being 1m across and the smallest only 0.2m. Walls survive to a height of approx. 5m although there is much evidence of collapse. There is a central channel, open only on the south side, with two chambers about 5m deep on each side, and a large room approx. 7m x 7m to the east of the eastern chamber. The western chambers appear to have no entrance whilst the large room has a door on its east side roughly 1.2m wide. There are eight four-sided pillars, each tapering to the top and seated on bases of 1.5msq. These are set in three staggered rows with each pillar set about 10m apart in its respective row. There are two pillars remaining in the west row, three in the central and three in the east row, and the tallest of these is about 2m high. The platform measures about 7m by 3m and can be found to the north-west of the housing on a north/south alignment. Standing approx. 1m high it is filled with small fragments of slate. The incline extends approx. 100m (in the north) of this first structure. The tramway curves along on the same level roughly 200m to the south-west to another structure of which there are three walls orientated north-south and standing to a height of 1.2m, with the western being the longest at 10m in length and 3m wide. SH5404650428 is the grid ref. for the centre of the second structure. The incline then descends steeply after this structure to the south before curving to the east in the direction of the other quarry. Roughly 300m is visible but it extends beyond view. The incline is approx. 3m wide and raised about 0.4m above ground level. The side walls are slate which appear as edging on the surface. A bridge of slate slabs is half way between the two incline buildings.

Noted during an upland survey conducted by Archaeophysica during 2005-6

2. The complex is noted as a copper mine by the Ordnance Survey.

Louise Barker, RCAHMW, January 2016.