ÿþ<HTML LANG=en-GB> <HEAD> <HTML LANG=en-GB> <HEAD> <TITLE>The Derelict Miscellany :: Esgair-mwn Mine</TITLE> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="derelict, abandoned, mines, mining, lead, zinc, esgairmwn, esgair, mwn, Mwyngloddiau, Plwm, Sinc, Esgair-Mwn, machinery, ffair-rhos, pontrhydfendigaid, ceredigion, wales"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Article and photographs on the desolate ruins of Ceredigion's last metal mine"> <META NAME="author" CONTENT="D. A. Gregory"> <META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="ALL"> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> </head> <body link="#668b8b" bgcolor="darkgray" text="000000" vlink="#668b8b"> <center> <table width=1044> <tr><td> <table width=1044 cellspacing=0> <tr background="gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg"> <td background="gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg" align=right><A HREF="index.html"><img src=1.jpg border=0></a></td><td background="gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg" align=center> <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" HREF="index.html"><h1>T H E &nbsp D E R E L I C T &nbsp M I S C E L L A N Y</H1></A> R e f l e c t i o n s &nbsp o n &nbsp f o r g o t t e n &nbsp a n d &nbsp a b a n d o n e d &nbsp s p a c e s <br><br> </td><td background="gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg" align=left><A HREF="index.html"><img src=2.jpg border=0></a></td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#EEE9E9"> <center> <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/index.html">{home} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/menu2.html">{menu} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="aboot.html">{about} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="cont.html">{contact} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none"href="http://twitter.com/DerelictMisc" target="blank">{twitter}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="disc.html">{disclaimer}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a href="#" STYLE="text-decoration: none" onClick="window.open('veh/index.html','', 'width=589,height=577,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"> {rusty old cars}</A> &nbsp &nbsp <a href="#" STYLE="text-decoration: none" onClick="window.open('misc/menu.html','', 'width=870,height=482,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"> {miscellany}</A> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="links.html">{links}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="contrib.html">{contribute} </a> </td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=#EEE9E9><table width=100% bgcolor="#EEE9E9"> <td width=13></td><td> <center><br><u><font size=5>Esgair-Mwn Lead and Zinc Mines / Mwyngloddiau Plwm a Sinc Esgair-mwn. </font></u><br> </center> <br> <p align=left> The first word which comes to mind to describe Esgair-mwn is  bleak  acres of cold grey, poisonous mine waste smother the hillside. Its toxicity and exposure to the wind and rain ensure nothing will grow there. <center> <br></b> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/025.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Tailing Lagoon." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_025.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/026.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Tips." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_026.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/033.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="The top of the main tip, further along the wind is too strong to continue." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_033.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/028.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="A water tank probably." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_028.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/029.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Inside the tank." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_029.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/030.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Tips and unidentified structures." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_030.jpg" border=0> </A> <br><br> </center> The mine has several shafts, one near the tip, which is largely intact, another two at the top of the hill filled in with rubbish and a fourth at the bottom of the neighbouring valley, reached by an incline. Of these, I only visited three - I never reached the fourth because my map had by now disintegrated in the rain and I was running out of daylight. <br><br> <center> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/027.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="The works area from the spoil tips." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_027.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/11.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Leather work in amongst the spoil." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_11.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/21.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Leather strap with copper rivets and a kettle handle." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_21.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/032.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="The first Shaft." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_032.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/034.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="Possible head of the incline." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_034.jpg" border=0> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/035.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;" > <img alt="The filled-in shafts." src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/storau-james/dyfed/th_035.jpg" border=0> </A> </center> <br> Perhaps unsurprisingly, little trace is left of the people who worked here. Outside of the office are only scattered oddments of what once was: here and there, sticking out of the eroded spoil heap can be found personal items such as a leather strap with greening copper rivets or the corroded handle of an old fashioned tea-kettle. All else has gone, buried in the spoil or dissolved by the acidic water that drains from the mines. <br> At a height of almost 400m (1312 ) above sea level, <font size=1>[11]</font> the ridge enjoys its own distinct climate quite different to that of the valley below. Rain seems almost guaranteed, and can come at more or less any moment. The wind, too is particularly savage. Twice, while on top of the spoil tips, I had to lie flat to avoid being thrown over the edge, and the noise of the wind tearing and roaring past obstacles was quite incredible. It is easy to complain of the harsh weather here, but uncounted generations of miners in the 18th, 19th and even the 20th centuries had to endure these conditions daily, with the added hazards of rockfall and lead poisoning which led many to an early grave even after its dangers were understood, working hard to support families and households, and that is a humbling thought. <br><br><center><a href="esgairmwn.html">BACK</a></b><br> <br> <font size=1><u>REFERENCES</u><br><br> 1. Davies, D. (1977)  Welsh Place Names and Their Meanings. Self Published. <br><br> 2. Claughton, P, and Freeman, F. (2005)  BBC Mid Wales History - Ceredigion s Mining Heritage retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/history/pages/ceredigionmines.shtml on 25/11/06 Cardiff; BBC Wales. <br><br>3. <i>See 2.</i> <br><br>4. Willies, L. (1999)  Lead and Leadmining (Shire Album No. 85.) Princes Risborough; Shire Publications Ltd. <br><br>5. Cambrian Archaeology (Undated)  Banc Esgair-Mwn and Rhos Tanchwarel retrieved from: http://www.acadat.com/HLC/uplandceredigion/bancesgairmwnrhostanchwarel.htm on 25/11/06. Llandeilo; Cambria Archaeology. <br><br>6. <i>See 5.</i> <br><br>7. Lewis, S. (1834)  A Topographical Dictionary of Wales London; Samuel. Lewis & Co. <br><br>8. <i>See 5.</i> <br><br>9. Bick, D E, 1974 The Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales: Part 1 Cardiganshire - South of Devil s Bridge <br><br>10. <i>See 4.</i> <br><br>11. Ordnance Survey sheet 187, London, H. M. S. O. </font><br><br> <center></font><b> <a href="index.html">Home..</a></b><br> <br> </td><td width=13></td></tr></table> </TD></TR><TR><TD bgcolor="#EEE9E9" ALIGN=CENTER> <font size=1>Derelict Miscellany. Website &amp; content Copyright D. A. Gregory 2005-Present unless stated to be otherwise.</font> </td></tr></table> </font> </body> </html>