United Cavers Exploration Team

Location
SH 776612


Directions
Drive to Llanrhychwyn, off the B5106, either from the junction at Gwydir castle or from Trefriw. Once in Llanrhychwyn, find somewhere to park....not easy, we had to ask a friendly farmer.  Walk the unclassified road south out of the village towards a farm. It's a public right of way and soon becomes a farm road. Go to the right of the farm and into the woods. There's immediate feint traces of ancient mnining activity amid the dense woodland, from old lead mines here before the slate mine. The path splits into two near a little waterfall ...take the right hand path upwards. Pretty soon, you will see the welcome signs " Pergyl! Danger Old Mines"  Whee!


Access
Ungated. Judging by the signs, they don't want you in here, but according to a local I spoke to there is no problem with access. The mine is on a well-known local scenic walk.


Suggested Equipment
None.


Length
The chambers run up a dolerite sill for a quarter of a mile. There's a small tunnel in one of the chambers that runs for 50 feet, twisting and turning to a shaft (flooded).


Flood Risk
None


Mine Attributes
Slate

Description
This is a very old site, thought to date from 1784. The openings to chambers run underneath an impressive sill, masked by heavy woodland and brambleage. It's a magical place. The chambers have had their pillars robbed to such an extent that it seems as if there is one long cavern. There have been several recent collapses but the site is still a wonderful, if slightly unsettling experience underground. In one of the chambers, the third one up the hill, (I think!) there is a tunnel driven in the face away from the entrance which goes up then twists right and ends in a shaft.

It's well worth an afternoon's mooch, there's much to fascinate- the old forge, the almost completely overgrown tips, a tunnel under the road with arching....although everything is steadily and thoroughly being reclaimed by nature.

Unexplored Passages
The last two chambers uphill..we ran out of time.

Digs
none known.

Links
none known

Suggested reading:
Gwydir Slate Quarries (M. C. Williams & M. J. T. Lewis) Tan-y-Bwylch study centre 1986, reprinted 2010 and available in Browsers Porthmadog at the moment, £1.25... (I've no connection with Browsers!)

Gazetteer of Slate Quarrying in Wales (Alun John Richards) Llygad Gwalch.

Looking up to the entrance in the second chamber.

The old forge.



It's overgrown...