Flintshire Lead Mining

 

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01. Home
02. General Lead Mining History
03a. Halkyn Mines: History
03b. Halkyn Mines: A few artefact photos
03c. Halkyn Mines: info downloads
03d. Halkyn Mines: Don Richardson - electrician
03e. Milwr Tunnel: Recent work
04. MAP: Veins of Halkyn Mountain
05. Blaen-y-nant vein, Eryrys
06. Westminster vein, Eryrys
07. Fron Fownog Flats, Gwernaffield
08. Pilkington's vein, Loggerheads
09. North Henblas Mine, Milwr
10. Deterioration of the mining record
11. Talargoch Mine
A. Mines lighting old & new
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Flintshire Lead Mining

 
An information resource by Cris Ebbs

 

Reinforced section of the Milwr Tunnel between Olwyn Goch Shaft and Pen-y-Bryn Shaft       
Photo copyright:  Edward Coghlan

 
Click on photo to enlarge.....
 
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Quick notes or tips on using the site

 

These few random pages have been put together simply to make available some of the information that's been lying around the house for too long, together with one or two pieces of more recent work on the lead mines of the Halkyn Mountain -  River Alyn Area of Flintshire and parts of Denbighshire.

 

Feel free to use any of the information within (except the map reproduced with the consent of the BGS on the North Henblas page) if only for non-commercial use, but if doing so, kindly credit the author, photographer or source. 

All uncredited photos are by the author. 
 

 

Archaeologists tend to favour the use of mine company names when making reference to mining areas. This can however confuse those interested in the underground workings, as many companies worked varying veins throughout their histories. The names of lead veins tend to change far less throughout the history of lead mining and provide a more reliable understanding of the complex system of veins and workings of the area. Vein names are therefore used wherever possible on this site, with the notable exception of Halkyn District United Mines.


For further information or constructive criticism please e-mail Cris Ebbs at:  cavecomment@hotmail.co.uk 
 

Choose a topic from the Navigation bar on left of page

  

Download PDF files from Page 03. Halkyn Mines: Info downloads"

 

A bibliography can be found under "Further reading"

 

NB   Photos cannot be enlarged unless stated

 


Other downloads
 

Articles on North Henblas Mine and Mining at Halkyn Mountain (similar to pages 02 and 10 on this site) are available as PDF downloads here: https://independent.academia.edu/CrisEbbs  although you will need to register with your e-mail address.......
 

Need to find out who owns the mineral rights under your property?
 

In Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham, just a few mineral owners own most of the rights. These include Grosvenor Estate, Mostyn Estate, The Lords of Mold, Wynnstay Estate. Although they own mineral rights over large swathes of the area, remaining mineral rights can be held by individual householders, as indicated on their property deeds.
 

To research mineral rights for any location, there is a very good website that explains how to go about it: http://www.mineralhub.com/2010/04/how-can-i-locate-who-owns-the-mineral-rights-under-my-land/  
 

Publications: (see Further Reading page for fuller bibliography).....   
 
Rediscovering the Lead and Zinc Production of North-East Wales by WILLIAMS, C.J. & WILLIAMS, R. ALAN (2012)
Welsh Mines Society Journal, Welsh Mines and Mining, No 2 (2012).
A nineteen page paper on the history and production of the area. An authoritive assessment analysing the royalty accounts of Grosvenor estate from 1635. The authors conclude that the total production of the lead mines of Flintshire & Denbighshire amount to 1.66 million tons of ore concentrates; a figure only exceeded in the UK by lead mines of the northern Pennines.
The paper forms part of a larger publication which can be ordered at the Welsh Mines Society website at:   http://www.welshmines.org/wms/publ/02_flier.pdf
 

Hidden Bullion: Silver Production in North-East Wales  by WILLIAMS, R. ALAN (2012)

Welsh Mines Society Journal, Welsh Mines and Mining, No 2 (2012).

An eleven page accompanying paper to the one above. This also analyses the royalty accounts of Grosvenor estate from 1635 and concludes that the importance of "silver production in north-east Wales should be given more emphasis when considering the history of the orefield, especially prior to the nineteenth century".
The paper also forms part of a larger publication which can be ordered at the Welsh Mines Society website at:   http://www.welshmines.org/wms/publ/02_flier.pdf
 
Lead Mines of the Alyn Valley (Flintshire Historical Society). WILLIAMS, C.J. (1980).  Although published in 1980, this classic work has now been made available online: http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1218518/llgc-id:1218642/llgc-id:1218707/get650

Powell's Lode Cavern beneath Rhosesmor on Halkyn Mountain. Prior to the lowering of water tables by mining, water passed through this cavern on its way to St. Winifride's Well at Holywell over two miles to the north-west. Both the well and part of the cave system were drained in 1917 when the driving of the Milwr Tunnel broke into a limb of the cave system near the hamlet of Windmill. Behind the cameraman lies the 'bottomless' lake........

Photo: Copyright Edward Coghlan

Website Copyright Cris Ebbs and hosted by Cambrian Mines Trust.