Coed Du

aka Coetia'r Ysgall

Lead Mine
Worked from early 18C to 1882

Jan 1st, 2024 from Cambrian by Buddle-Bot

Nov 23rd, 2025 by BertyBasset



North Wales
Rhydymwyn
53.1894417, -3.2107501
SJ 1920 6650
Private Land
225m
#253


To the north, across the road from Cefn Farm, a large shaft and whim circle remain at SJ 1942 6605, alongside an engine shaft at SJ 1942 6607. A semi-circular wall, likely part of an earlier shaft, is situated just north.

Mining operations on the western section of the vein have been lost due to quarrying. However, additional shafts, likely following the same vein, are still identifiable further south at SJ 1935 6583, SJ 1895 6599, and SJ 1885 6560. Several larger shafts and spoil mounds are visible along a woodland cutting running north to south, locations including SJ 1872 6622, SJ 1884 6640, SJ 1864 6655, SJ 1868 6660, SJ 1904 6664, SJ 1906 6665, and SJ 1917 6675.

A stone-built engine house remains at SJ 1942 6607, with its bob-pit and adjacent boiler house still partially intact. Some of the original mounting bolts remain in place, and the cylinder base suggests it once housed a 36-inch engine. The whim circle at SJ 1942 6605 is also preserved. The site is located uphill from the former River Alyn smelt mill, which was historically associated with ore processing in the area.

Cris Ebbs site describes mine as

The trip to the cave is one of the dirtiest in the area. The mine appears to have had an underground pumping engine which used as its flue the route taken by cavers to descend. All surfaces are thickly en­crusted with soot and there’s even a liquid soot pool to be crawled through. Once down at adit level, the cave is reached by descending a further 25m internal shaft. The cave and workings below adit level have no soot deposits.

The mine was serviced by an adit. Although the portal is now blocked, the adit can be entered via a 2m climb down on the north side of the road just above the height of the River Alyn (at SJ1970366382 +/-10ft). Once in the adit, after a short distance, a shale collapse blocks the passage completely. If this could be cleared (a large-scale project), it would provide a cleaner and safer route into the mine.

A difficult entrance shaft to find as the area is heavily wooded.



In 1880, an adit near the River Alyn was used to access the Cefn-Cilcain Vein, which was worked alongside the north-south Coed Du cross-course vein.



Publications (2)

  • Foster-Smith, James R.; NMRS (1974); Occasional Publication 7 - Non-Ferrous Mines of Flintshire, The; pp.67-68
  • Williams, C.J. (2008); Lead Mines of the Alyn Valley, The; 42 pages





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