The site features a NE-SW striking lode within Ordovician Van Formation grits and mudstones, with mineralization consisting of galena, witherite, and barytes.
There are three main shafts: Murray’s Shaft at SN 9200 8710, Gundry’s Shaft at SN 9181 8700, and the Western Shaft at SN 9133 8690. Additionally, a deep adit is located at SN 9132 8690. Older workings include two filled-in shafts at SN 9155 8690 and a possible filled-in level to the east at SN 9166 8699.
Transport infrastructure includes well-preserved earthwork incline tramway track beds between Gundry’s Shaft and the eastern dressing floors, as well as between Murray’s Shaft and the top of the incline. A leat contours the hillside in Gelli Wood, connecting the eastern and western dressing floors and supplying water to the upper mill crushers.
A pumping and winding engine house was built at Murray’s Shaft in 1877, though it has been almost entirely destroyed due to backfilling and later use for farm storage. A large scheduled building east of Gundry’s Shaft housed pumping and winding machinery powered by flat rods connected to a 60ft waterwheel on the lower dressing floors. Remnants of this two-storey structure include brick arches, culverts, and mounting bolts. The western dressing floor and barytes mill were powered by a leat running through Gelli Wood from a nearby stream, with an additional leat supplying water from the Clywedog. Two wheelpits on the upper dressing floors were used for crushing, winding, and pumping, one containing a 25x5ft wheel.
The barytes mill at SN 9133 8680 is well-preserved due to scheduled protection and limited reconstruction. It features two crushers, ore bins, roasting ovens, and precipitation tanks. The eastern dressing floors at SN 9175 8665 consist of a terraced dressing mill with ore bins, jigger placements, washing and picking floors, and three round buddles. A linear arrangement of seven slime pits descends to the river, while a 60ft wheelpit drove pumping rods to Gundry’s Shaft, of which only one wall remains intact. Additional rooms adjacent to the ore bins exist, though their functions are unclear.
Other site features include mine offices, a smithy, and store buildings on the western dressing floors. A circular, roofless magazine is located at SN 9166 8700. Some buildings at Bryntail Farmhouse may have historically served as mine offices or storehouses, though direct evidence is lacking.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1708 | As ‘Printile’, one of the Mine Adventurers’ mines. Two levels, upper 120m, lower 150m in length. Six shafts with 9 inches of good ore. |
| 1788 | Some trials made by James Lowe for John Probert. |
| early 1800s | Worked by several companies including William Lefeaux. |
| 1850 | Deep adit 1/2 mile long to the south of the lode. Waterwheel driven crusher at work on western end of lode. |
| 1851 | Another crusher at work, 384 ton or lead ore raised. |
| 1853 | James Roach as mine captain, adit cleared as far as old engine shaft. |
| 1863 | Work concentrated on 25fm and 10fm level on the northerly lode. West engine shaft being sunk by the river with horse whim and pumps. |
| 1864 | West engine down to 30 fm, but company doing badly and mine closes. |
| 1869 | New company formed called Van Consols ! Thomas Gundry of Frogmorton Street amongst directors with Captain Thomas Corfield in charge. Despite its name, barytes was identified as prime saleable commodity. Captain Cobley in charge of installing elaborate barytes processing mill, to be replaced by a Mr Heald who managed to produce weekly quantities of barium sulphate and chloride. |
| 1870 | 60’ waterwheel installed to help develop eastern end of lode where better prospects were hoped for. Pumping Gundrys’ Shaft and drawing from both Gundry and Murray’s Shafts. |
| 1870 | Aquired nearby Glyn for £225. |
| 1872 | James Roach returns as mine captain, clearing deep adit - essentially driving a new level as old adit was so collapsed. |
| 1876 | Amalgamated as United Van Consols & Glyn Lead & Baryte Mining Company. |
| 1882 | New Van Consols & Glyn Company formed, with Captain Vercoe in charge. Murray’s Shaft sunk to 70fm below adit, Gundry’s each 50fm level, draining western end. Company collapses. |
| 1930’s | Worked for barytes by Isaac Jones of Llanidloes. |
Since 1845, Produced 3000 tons of lead ore. 1028 tons barytes between 1869-1883.
External Links
Publications (6)
- (1922); BGS - Mineral Resources of GB (c1920s) Vol XX - Lead and Zinc: Cardiganshire & West Montogmeryshire; 242 pages
- BGS - Mine Plans (large, zoomable) - Welsh Van Mining Co Ltd. Map Of Mines Montgomeryshire Sheet Xlise. Mines-Aberdaunant,brynytail,penclun And Van Mines; 1 pages
- Bick, D.E. (1991); Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, The; West Montgomeryshire, Aberdovey, Dinas Mawddwy & Llangynog - Part 4; pp. 35-40
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (1991); UK Journal of Mines & Minerals No 9, Spring - Van Mine, The; 21 pages
- Jones, Nigel and Walters, Mark and Frost, Pat (2004); Mountains and Orefields; 208 pages
- Liscombe & Co (1880); Mines of Cardiganshire, Montgomereyshire & Shropshire; 52 pages
