Scene of gold mining speculation, and perhaps some skullduggery. Adit is open for 90fm leading to dangerous timbered workings.
Mine Location
The location given for the mine correct and is that as in the original Cambrian Mine Registry - to the east of Maesglase. Bick in book #5 is at a loss to place the location of either the actual mine or the processing plant. He suggests the Pumryd Valley to the east of Dinas Mawddwy as a possible location.
However in Book #6, Bick states that the location was resolved by and visited by the Welsh Mines Socity. Excavation revealed the base of Perkes’ huge machine.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1852 | Red Dragon formed promising investors ‘extraordinary and unerring indications of mineral wealth’, the prospectus detailled five valuable lodes including a ‘Grand Champion lode, 6ft wide of beautiful gossan, flookan and carbonate of limes with spots of lead’. Matthew Francis as engineer. |
| 1853 | Blacksmith, carpenter’s shop, water wheel and blowing machine (for ventillation) installled. |
| 1854 | Crosscut 61 fm long, some 9fm short of the lode. Announcement made that gossan passed through Mr Samuel Perkes Patent Crushing & Amalgamation machine had yielded payable gold. John Sunley, chairman told the lucky investors they could soon look forwards to dividends of 200% ! Some month later was some rather disconcerting news *. |
| 1855 | Although tests with the contrivence by Captain Nicholas Bray supposedly yielded 5oz of gold per 24 tons of gossan, the investors were informed that Perkes machine could not operate without heavy loss of expensive mercury. |
| 1856 | With most of the men and mine Captain gone, and with purser W.H. Smith allegedly with hands in the till, the company collapses. |
*From the Mining Journal Sept 1954
At the eleventh hour Mr Perkes has discovered that he has sent down a wrong machine for which he has received the sum of £1050 - no small item to the debit of the adventurers, but who have however the satisfaction of knowing they have upwards of 100 tons at surface of richly auriferous mundic. The machine in its present state, is utterly useless and moreover a totally different one from that which was ordered by the committee. It is therefore, contemplated that there will be some employment offered to Gentlemen of the long robe.
External Links
Publications (3)
- Bick, D.E. (1991); Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, The; Miscellany, A - Part 6; pp. 38-41
- Bick, D.E. (1991); Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, The; West Montgomeryshire, Aberdovey, Dinas Mawddwy & Llangynog - Part 5; pp. 18-21
- Welsh Mines Society (Aut 2010); Newsletter 63; pp. 43-44
