Lode strikes east to west within Silurian Frongoch and Gwestyn formation rocks, with quartz and galena mineralisation.
The mine features five shafts, a deep adit, two levels, and additional trials and opencuts. The shafts are located at SN 8783 9795, SN 8751 9790, SN 8762 9798, and SN 8785 9815, with levels at SN 8765 9790 and SN 8780 9809. Many of these workings have collapsed or are in densely wooded areas with limited access.
Numerous original mine trackways run through the dressing floors, alongside earthwork traces of tramway beds leading from the workings to the dressing floors. A leat from the Cae Conroy valley carried water to the dressing floors.
Power was supplied by two waterwheels. One, located just north of Tyisaf Farm at SN 8796 9820, housed a 50x4ft wheel that pumped the engine shaft via 300 yards of flat rods. The second, at SN 8772 9809, was used for crushing. Smaller wheels likely powered round buddles, though their remains are not clearly visible. Water was supplied to the leats from two artificial reservoirs higher up the valley to the west.
Processing infrastructure included a crusher house/stonebreaker, at least five round buddles, ore bins, picking and washing tables, and jigger platforms. Numerous basal masonry foundations on the dressing floors remain from the crusher house and processing mill.
Additional features on the dressing floors include mine office buildings, a storehouse, and a smithy.
Together with Llanerchyraur, belonged to the Conroy family, and were generally controlled by the same management.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1805 | Worked by Thomas Bonsall who drove a level (possibly the deep adit). |
| c1820 | Worked by Job Sheldon for Flintshire based company. |
| 1829 | Estate purchased by Sir James Conroy, and worked by the family. |
| 1847 | Inspection by Matthew Francis found Ty Isaf was only down to 11 ftm below adit. The lode was desciribed glowingly as ‘a fine Silver-Lead ore much mixed with quartz; ythe vein is of great width, little less than thirty feet where it appears at the surface, and the cropping out or back of the lode is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in mining’. |
| 1857 | Up until this date, mines had been producing 150 tons annually. This year, there was a large drop, and Captain Thomas Owen take on management of both mines on behalf of Sir Edward Conroy. |
| 1858 | Llanerchyraur working well. |
| c1860 | Ty Isaf working well. |
| 1867 | Ty Isaf at its peak. Offered for sale together with Llanerchyraur (which was making £10,000 pa profit. Llanerchyraur deep adit had been completed giving accesss to 100fm of backs. Ty Isaf shaft down to 55fm. |
| 1870 | Properties sold for over £50,000. Ty Isaf orebody was now exhausted. However at end of year, promotion attempted by Conroy Lead Mines Company with £88,000 going to vendors. Report for Llanerchyraur said that good ore was being raised, but given it was past its best, and Ty Isaf was spent, the sale came to nothing. Llanerchyraur continues. |
| 1873 | Fall in adit traps 6 men for several days. Mine closes. |
| 1875-7 | Some ore raised. |
| 1879-81 | Final production burst at amounting to 1764 tons of ore. |
External Links
Publications (8)
- (1922); BGS - Mineral Resources of GB (c1920s) Vol XX - Lead and Zinc: Cardiganshire & West Montogmeryshire; 242 pages
- Bick, D.E. (1991); Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, The; West Montgomeryshire, Aberdovey, Dinas Mawddwy & Llangynog - Part 4; pp. 23-26
- Jones, David H. (2011); Watermills of Montgomeryshire, The, Melin : 27 : 65-95
- Jones, Nigel and Walters, Mark and Frost, Pat (2004); Mountains and Orefields; 208 pages
- Jones, O. T. (1922); Lead and Zinc. The Mining District of North Cardiganshire and West Montgomeryshire
- Liscombe & Co (1880); Mines of Cardiganshire, Montgomereyshire & Shropshire; 52 pages
- Murchison, J.H. (1869); Lead Mines as an Investment; 34 pages
- Williams, R. (1888); A history of the parish of Llanbrynmair , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 22 : 307-320
