Mystery Powys Mine

JamesDavies1991

JamesDavies1991

New member
Hi all, i'm wondering if anyone here has heard of a small(ish) mine just north of Beulah (near Builth Wells) called Chwarel Pen-y-Ceulan, there is no history that I have been able to find and i'm wondering if someone can shed some light on it. I've visited a few times now and just investigated the hill opposite the mine/ quarry on Sunday, where there are signs of trials although nothing substantial. I am having trouble trying to figure whether it is a small slate mine or a metal mine, it seems to give signs of both...
There is an upper level on the top most plateau of waste slate material that heads in for maybe 50ft with two drifts left and right, the left heads into a small stoped out chamber with a large shelf that you can climb up to, the right comes very close to the surface where light is visible through fractures in the roof, this then leads to a collapse, I'm unsure if the level would have continued.
The lower level is substantially bigger than the upper and heads into a large chamber that has all the characteristics of a slate mine, there is a large shaft at the far end and a passage that carries on to the right of the shaft but abruptly stops.
I will try and share some photos if it will allow...
 
There is a small section in the slate gazeteer under the name Penceulan "Open quarry/Underground. An old quarry of convenience with a notable attempt to chamber work in the meirionnydd manner. 1889 15 Tons"
 
I think it's valid to replicate some more from the gazeteer for discussion.

This adit penetrates about 50 metres. Part way along a start was made on a cross heading along the strike, opposite this is a strike tunnel from which there are two roofing shafts cut up the dip, one sound, the other collapsed. No extraction appears to have been made.
Lower down site there possibly two other levels with adits collapsed/tipped over.
At lowest level there is a further adit leading to 2 small chambers one of which opens up to level above, which has been worked out to bank.
Click to expand...

So, it looks like someone with formal mine planning knowledge was involved - which is a bit at odds with the quarry of convenience label?

Sounds like you've unearthed an interesting little site there.

Robin
 
I wouldn't say quarry of convenience is a bad label. Many of the slate quarries in the Gwydir forest were much the same and many of them managed to carry on until the late 1800s with a lot of infrastructure involved.

I would say from its position Penceulan mainly served its local area (Hence quarry of convenience) until someone attempted more serious working attempting to go underground. It would be nice to find out if it was people from North Wales who went to work the quarry.
 
Yes, that's fair enough.

I think what I meant was displaying a greater degree of planning than might be expected at such a site.

It would be nice to find out if it was people from North Wales who went to work the quarry.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's a very intriguing possibility.
 
It's relativity local for me, I'm the other side of the Epynt, have visited it a few times. There's nothing to add to the above answers James and you've seen all there is!
There's another slate quarry (even smaller - a pit with short damp adit) few miles away with even less to see! :)

Happy exploring!
 
I suggest taking a grid reference (ideally 8 figures) and plotting the site on the 1:50,000 scale geological map - the local slate rock is commonly destratified and has sandstone layers which could have been useful as 'stone'. I have seen no evidence for mineralisation thereabouts.
 
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