There's this on the 'other site' http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/view_picture.asp?id=15318  which is looking south towards Llanegan. There appears to be an engine house visible on the hill.

found this on street view - not much of an engine house now :(
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Llanengan,+Pwllheli&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.583143,27.729492&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Llanengan,+Pwllheli,+Gwynedd,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.811893,-4.534049&spn=0.00142,0.010858&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.811847,-4.534678&panoid=t-SezVStnX7zpCqMoFP82A&cbp=11,113.76,,1,-10.39 

---

Shame I was hoping that there would be 2 engine houses in the area to visit 😞

---

Some years ago I made a start at summarising all the agent's reports etc from the Mining Journal, with a view to trying to produce grade sections of the various lodes, as well as summarising details of engines etc. This was before Bennett & Vernon's book appeared, I really stopped after that, probably 50% complete. Some of the conclusions I made certainly don't agree with theirs.
Wasn't really planning to continue with this as I don't suppose anyone would really be interested, unless anyone states otherwise...

Sorry to resurrect an old thread like this, but would be very interested to know more of your research Alasdair

I'm currently looking into the remains of the Penrhyn Du end mines, since I work in Abersoch it's quite an easy place to get to for me!

The data I have is just a summary largely of the underground development results, the accuracy of which of course could be regarded as suspect. If you want a copy please let me have a private message.

For the definitive history of these mines see J.Bennett & R.Vernon "Metal Mines of Llanengan: mining ventures in a North Wales parish", Warrington: Gwydyr Mines Publications, 2002, ISBN 095147981, 149pp hardback, £15.00.

Unfortunately long out of print and rare as rocking horse droppings. I stupidly sold my own copy and haven't found one since
😞
Mike

There seems to be one 2nd hand copy on Amazon - at the reckless price of £45.

---

I was wondering if anyone had any additional information or links/references about the lead mine at Porth Neigwl as I am currently reading for a Geochemistry masters course. I am planning to undertake my masters dissertation thesis based on this mine and I am planning to take wool samples from sheep grazing in the area, as well as soil samples to determine the concentrations of metals taken in by the flocks. If anyone has any information I would be thoroughly grateful for your help!

The British Geological Survey Welsh office at Tongwynlais Cardiff (or the UK HQ near Nottingham) may be able to supply useful information. The Environment Agency will very likely hold relevant information but may be less helpful in supplying it; nevertheless it would be worth enquiring.

How many diferent metals will you be tracking? Ag/Cd/Pb/Zn have radically different solubilities and uptake rates. Will you be analysing vegetation? The hugely differing growth rates that will pertain over the next six plus months may have interesting effects which will also vary by plant species. This sort of pollution can be very patchy on a remarkably small scale - what will be your spatial sampling intervals?

When I was in this field we once found Ag hotspots on a Welsh minesite that were so rich that they inhibited all plant growth in c.2m diam circles. If there had been sufficient waste of this richness it would have been viable to selectively reprocess for Ag!

Have got copies of a lot of the agents' reports over the main period of working also copies of mine plans & production figures. These don't entirely agree with what's been previously published.