Penrhyngerwin (Lovedon) Lead Mine (United Kingdom)

This is a small mine situate adjascent to the main Machynlleth to Aberystwyth road.
The mineral stats show the earliest working in 1855 as Lovedon United, after which nothing appears to have been done until 1880 and the mine was worked on and off until 1940. This probably makes it the last mine to be worked in the county.
There is a convenient place to park in a lay-by at SN669941. At the back of the lay-by can be found the now filled in head of a stope on the lode. Opposite the lay-by, there is a minor road and the main adit and engine shaft can be found between the two roads. Further along the main road towards Aberystwyth, to the south of the bridge is a fine wheel pit. This appears to have been for an undershot wheel and the power train appears to have passed through a shallow tunnel under the road the reach the engine shaft.
Below the main road and adjacent to the square engine shaft are several flat areas with concrete machinery bases. The whole area is now heavily overgrown. The entrance cutting to the main adit is easily found. Near its start, and behind a fall of rock, is a short trial to the south, which can be explored on knee-deep water. Close to its entrance is a tallow candle, which is hoped, will remain where it is.
Following the line of the cutting towards the engine shaft are two large hollows, which represent collapses into the workings. The one nearest engine shaft is a collapse into an understope and has a large landslide to the south. This is shown in a section in O.T.Jones, and the ground here is marked as “Loose Ground”, and the working here must have been supported on timber that has rotted and collapsed.
In 2005 there was an attempt to reopen the deep adit by members of WMS. This was unsuccessful. The ground here is a conglomerate of broken mudstone and pebbles, hence the “Loose Ground” description.
The Engine Shaft was also descended and the adit found to enter the shaft in its northwest corner, pass through the shaft to continue inbye from its southeast corner. There was a solid fill in the shaft that may have been rubble resting on a timber platform. Looking along the adit outbye, at least one timber adit tree could be seen, the water in there being up to the roof.
Inbye, the water was almost up to the roof; however it was decided to explore the level as far as possible. However, some distance in exploration was prevented by a hole in the floor that would require a buoyancy aid.
It is interesting to compare the results of this exploration with the O.T. Jones section. All together the adit must extend for a distance of about 120 metres. If the hole in the floor were passed, about 40 metres further one would probably encounter a solid collapse corresponding with the filled in stope by the layby. Further to the east, O.T. Jones shows two more “Old Shafts”, none of which can be seen today.
On the face of it, the engine shaft was sunk in a silly place, as it cuts the vein at adit level, a north-south section in O.T. Jones shows cross cuts connecting the shaft with the lode below adit. Prof Jones comments that the “shaft was sunk too far to the south for economical working”.
There are rumours of the workings being very extensive, possibly based on the amount of spoil below the mine. This area was in fact once a council rubbish tip and the spoil came from the widening of the main road just out of Machynlleth, being nothing to do with mine. The spoil from the engine shaft is the higher bank at the back, and at one time the road was crossed by a bridge to enable dumping.

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Penrhyngerwin underground exploration Trip / Report / 15Kb Last modified 21/08/2007 16:53:43 by royfellows.

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Last modified 21/08/2007 16:51:02 by royfellows.

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