BertyBasset
13 years ago
I've been aware of the hole above the house at the bottom of Sychnant for a while, but only noticed a second one while walking on the adjacent hill yesterday - see pic. Other hole is at top of scree slope in a rock face on the right. I also came across a large hole along the path that skirst Moel Lus to the south above Penmaenmawr. Does anyone know anything about them. I imagine the Moel Lus one might be some quarry trial, but the other two are quite mysterious.

Robin

Embedding images didn't seem to work, so links below.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6169430238_40bfebd377.jpg 
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6168897641_1aac9fa241.jpg 
BertyBasset
13 years ago
Just to give this a quick bump.

Interestingly the BGS Conwy map shows a total of three adits on Moel Lus. These are in the Conwy rhyolite formation, and although there are no quarries on this particular hill, I'm still inclined to think it's stone related, the adit being wide and roomy.

The Sychnant adits are also in the same formation, but from a distance look more insubstantial. On the other side of the hill above the A55 a felsitic intrusion in the CR has been sporadically quarried. I'm wondering whether veins associated with this intrusion have anything to do with the adits.

Robin

http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/4d8fe3ff878656685b00664d/adit-entrance-the-remains-of-an-adit/en :

Quote:

Adit entrance The remains of an adit constructed in the early years of the 20th century with a view to extracting the silica-rich rhyolite rock for use as 'china stone', which was an additive for the production of high-quality porcelain ware. A common alternative was calcined flint, which was a pure silica. Fortunately, the activities caused great outrage, and the Town Council purchased the mineral rights to the mountain so that a recurrence was impossible.



http://www.penmaenmawr.com/historyQuarry.html 

This one possibly implicates the Sychannt adits as being for the same purpose.
Quote:

About the year 1901-2 a person surnamed Carder made an attempt—fortunately an unsuccessful one, to exploit the lava rock, rhyolite, which constitutes much of the Moel Lus as the source of the silica it contains — a mineral needed as an ingredient in the making of pottery. He made a similar endeavour to exploit the same kind of rock forming Conwy Mountain where signs of his workings remain. On the Jubilee Walk he drove two tunnels, each penetrating six or seven yards into the rock — working a day and a night shift, and laid a rail track between the two tunnels. A bed for a self acting incline was prepared to reach down to behind Trwyn-y-Wylfa farm; it is plainly visible today. These operations, (there was blasting at night), aroused great anger locally. To prevent any such desecrations of the mountains in the future the District Council secured the mineral rights of the mountain common from the Crown authorities.



,although having said that, another part of the same website discussing Dwygyfylchi says

Quote:

Copper - ore and manganese have been found in the parish, in small quantities, and pyrites in large masses ; but the copper mines only are now worked, and that upon a limited scale. There is also an abundance of feldspar, but the works have been nearly discontinued.

Alasdair Neill
13 years ago
There are a few references to earlier mining in the area, will be a while before I can dig them up though. There are some adits along the coast at Penmaenbach which connect to the railway tunnel & I assume were for the construction of the latter rather than anything to do with mining.
BertyBasset
13 years ago
Cheers Alasdair,

I'll have a peep down the beach next time I'm in the vicinity.

Robin
Alasdair Neill
13 years ago
Was obvious they connect to the railway, wandered into one & suddenly was confronted by a train passing at high speed! Wasn't expecting that. The connection to the tunnel was grilled.
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