Much of waste dumps removed in 1920s. Borehole near the new Vaughan Shaft drilled in 1971.
Bick:
Its three Cornish Engine houses and many other structures are now in a sad state of decay, but nevertheless are probably the best collection of 19thC mine buildings in Wales.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1759 | First leased. |
| c1790s | Developed for few years by John Probert and partners. |
| 1834 | Lisburne Mines Co. formed by John Taylor to take over nexpired lease of Lisburne Estate. Included Frongoch, Logaulas, Glogfawr and Glogfach. Much work done at Frongoch, with 24 and 14 fm levels extended and a croscut to the lode, |
| 1841 | 40“ Cornish Engine installed as there was no water for driving a whee, although fuel transport proved to be prohibitive. l |
| 1846 | Use of engine discontinued, but mine activity appears to have continued regardless. |
| c 1860 | Visit by French engineer Moissenet, who noted mine active down to 78fm, using 60hp, 55’ diameter water wheel. Workings extened 3/4 mile, and lode varied from 10’ to 30’ wide. 14,000 tons of lead concentrates had been produced in past 10 years. |
| 1863 | Depth reaches 103 fm. |
| 1868 | Re-introduction of 60’ steam engine in Engine Shaft, and 25’ for winding in Taylor’s Shaft. Engines again abandoned after few years. |
| 1878 | Up to this year, over £500.000 worth of lead ore had been produced. Now lower lead prices and high royalties prevented profit being made. Taylor disposes of property. Taken on by The Frongoch Mines Ltd. company with £25,000 capital. Capt. John Kitto of the IOM Foxdale Mine becomes manager. |
| 1880 - c1900 | Three pumping shafts, Vaughan’s the deepest at 6fm below 142 fm level. The mine had vast reserves of untouched zinc, of which 50,000 tons were raised during this 20 years as well as a few thousand tons of galena, providing scant profit, but £8,000 in royalties to Lord Lisburne. |
| 1899 | Taken over by Societe Anonyme Metallurgique of Liege. Electrical plant equipment installed powered by Pelton wheel and steam engine. Dressing floor built. Employed 250 men, half of them Italian for a while. Together with sucessor company - Lisburne Development Syndicate, raised 10,000 tons of ore - mainly blende. |
| 1910 | Mining ceased. |
Publications (45)
- (1848); BGS - Memoirs Vol II, Part II; 425 pages
- (1850); Lisburne & Frongoch - MJ Articles; 1 pages
- (1918); Frongoch - Mineral Resources Dept. Report; 1 pages
- (1922); BGS - Mineral Resources of GB (c1920s) Vol XX - Lead and Zinc: Cardiganshire & West Montogmeryshire; 242 pages
- (1942); Frongoch - Letter; 1 pages
- (1945); Frongoch - Non Ferrous Min Dev Report; 2 pages
- (1989); CATMHS - Newsletter 024-August; 32 pages
- (1989); CATMHS - Trip Report Easter - Easter Wales Meet; 5 pages
- (2004); Frongoch Sale Details; 6 pages
- Anon (1870); Frongoch 1870 Plan; 1 pages
- BGS - Mine Plans (large, zoomable) - Fron Goch,wmys And Lisburne Mines Workings; 1 pages
- Bick, D.E. (1991); Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, The; South of Goginan - Part 1; pp.13-16
- Bick, David; NMRS (1996); British Mining 30; Frongoch Lead and Zinc Mine
- Davies, E. Henry (1902); Frongoch Machinery; 8 pages
- Edwards, Paul and Murphy, Frances (2015); PDMHS (Peak District Mines Historical Society) 19-3 Sum - Managing the Environmental Legacies of Frongoch Lead and Zinc Mine; 5 pages (3-7)
- Fellows, Roy (2002); Frongoch - NAMHO 2002 Guide; 2 pages
- Fellows, Roy (2004); Frongoch - WMS Article; 2 pages
- Fellows, Roy (2007); Frongoch Power Station Report; 2 pages
- Fellows, Roy; Frongoch - An Underground Exploration; 7 pages
- Fellows, Roy; Frongoch - Explorers Guide; 2 pages
- Francis, Absalom (1874); Frongoch; 4 pages
- Garland, Thomas (1903); Frongoch - Company Report; 2 pages
- Garland, Thomas (1903); Frongoch - Company Report; 7 pages
- Hugher, S.J. (1995); Frongoch - Atgofion Elias Jones 1894-1903; 7 pages
- Hugher, S.J. (2005); Cardigan Recolections Elias Jones 1894-1945 ; 24 pages
- Hughes, Simon (2005); Frongoch WMPT Report; 2 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (1971); BSA Proceedings Vol VI, No 46 - Mineral Field of Mid Wales, The; 8 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (1976); Cardiganshire - Its Mines and Miners; 52 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (1988); UK Journal of Mines & Minerals No 5 - Decline of Mining in Mid Wales and Prospects of Revival, The; 10 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (2004); Brief History of the Ystumtuen Mines, A; 18 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (2006); 30 Years of Prospecting in Cardiganshire; 5 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (2006); Miner's Lot, The - Version 1; 6 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (2006); Miner's Lot, The - Version 2; 13 pages
- Hughes, Simon J.S. (2007); Pont Ceunant Power Station; 2 pages
- JNCC (2010); Mineralization of England and Wales; pp. 372-378
- Liscombe & Co (1880); Mines of Cardiganshire, Montgomereyshire & Shropshire; 52 pages
- Liscombe (1870); Frongoch; 3 pages
- Misc; Frongoch Maps & Plans Misc; 1 pages
- Nancarrow (1919); Nancarrow Cardiganshire Report; 21 pages
- Palmer, Marilyn and Neaverson, Peter (1989); PDMHS (Peak District Mines Historical Society) 10-6 Win - Comparative Archaeology of Tin and Lead Dressing in Britain during the Nineteenth Century, The; 32 pages (316-347)
- Rees, D. Morgan (1969); Frongoch - Mines, Mills & Furnances; 10 pages
- Spargo (1870); Frongoch; 2 pages
- Tucker, D.G. (1977); Sacking of the Francises by John Taylor 1841-2, The; 5 pages (14-18)
- Welsh Mines Society (Win 2014); Newsletter 71
- Williams, David (1940); Frongoch District Report; 3 pages
