Pengwern Mine

[Ian A]

Location
SH 053 265

Directions
Whilst stood in the village of Llandynog, you will see a huge mountain with two gaping holes halfway up. This is it although the actually entrance to the mine is to the left of these two holes.

Access
All ungated, no known permissions required

Suggested Equipment
None. However, there is at least one chamber inaccessible without rigging equipment and the route is NOT bolted.

Length
Unknown, but there are 5 known chambers

Flood Risk
No apparent risk of flooding but unknown lower down

Mine Attributes
Slate

Description
The entire mountainside appears to be slate workings with an incline running centrally up to the mid point where the mine itself is.

Inside there are two accessible levels with the upper bearing two chambers and the lower 3 chambers.

On the lower floor the adit goes to a fall where the roof is in a seriously bad way and is totally impassable in any event.

There is some winding gear left in situ at the connection between the upper and lower level.

Additionally, next to this winding gear is an adit which requires a climb to enter. This takes you to another chamber below but it cannot be entered with a deathly plunge (and it is not bolted). Outside of the mine and to the left (and mostly hidden), there is another small hole (with water running in) that also takes you to the same chamber but requires an equally deathly plunge to enter. It is not known how many other chambers or adits are down there.

It is interesting to note that the incline goes over the top of an earlier lead mine (see Ochr y Craig Lead Mine)

A strange lead mine in that it exists on the face of a slate quarry and it certainly predates the slate workings.

Unexplored Passages
The inaccessible chamber was not entered

Digs
None

Links
None Known

[Ian A]

The entrance is to the left of the two "holes" halfway up and central on the mountain