I went for a look at Ystrad Ironstone mine today and was fascinated by the size and stile of the workings. If any one has any info or may know of any books I would be most grateful.

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Do you have a Grid Ref? PM me if you do not want to advertise it.

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Hi rhychydwr.I have got a grid ref thanks just need some info times worked and anual output.

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I'm assuming you're talking about the iron mine at Betws Garmon. It, or another part of the set is also know as Garreg Fawr. There was an interesting thread on the aerial ropeway here last year http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?t=2961 

There might be some information in the Cwm Gwyrfai book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cwm-Gwyrfai-Quarries-Highland-Railways/dp/0863818978/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278246515&sr=8-1 

I've got a copy at home and will have a look tonight.


Robin

The Cwm Gwyrfai book, that BertyB. has linked to, is probably the best summary that I can find, although its entry is under Garreg Fawr. It's interesting to note that in the same book, under the Brynfferam entry, that Thomas Savin and Thomas Brassey were "big name" investors in the Garreg Fawr Slate and Mineral Company circa. 1862.
Boyd's Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire Volume One, pages 195-197 has some interesting snippets of information.
"Gareg-fawr iron mines were worked by Sir Alfred Hickman Ltd. and in 1911 employed over thirty men below ground. Work was abandoned in October 1913. Ystrad Mine hard at hand was worked by Bettws Garmon Iron Ore and Smelting Co. Ltd. up to 1916, and in 1919 by Silurian Iron Ore Co. Ltd. It shut down on 21st February, 1920.
At the incline foot a crusher could produce 100 tons a day; the incline was 460 yards long with 25lbs/yard flat-bottomed rail on 6"X3" wooden sleepers; but 128 yards of track in the quarry had rails but of 14lbs/yard; the aerial ropeway was no less than 2,466 yards long. In 1917 the Geological Survey reported that the railway was moving 300 tons of ore per week from Ystrad Mine."

Is that quote from Boyd starting off referring to both mines then getting the two rolled into one?

Sir Alfred Hickman Ltd is probably an error for Alfred Hickman Ltd, owners of Spring Vale Iron Works, Bilston Staffordshire which in this period possessed five blast furnaces. Whilst he was knighted, the registered company name omitted his title. (Riden & Owen 'British Blast Furnace Statistics 1790-1980', Cardiff, 1995)

Strahan et al in 'Memoirs of the Geological Survey: Special Reports on the Mineral Resources of Great Britain: Vol.13: Iron Ores (continued). Pre-Carboniferous and Carboniferous Bedded Ores of England and Wales', London, 1920, detail both Ystrad Mine and, seperately, Garreg-fawr Mine.

According to Strahan et al, in 1917, Ystrad, owned by The Silurian Iron Ore Co Ltd of Swansea, was working 300 tons a week of pisolitic ore containing 38% iron, from Cambrian rocks and was described as being 'won by open cuttings and by short levels or galleries driven into the hillside; of these there are eight, numbered from above downward. The ore is excavated by overhand stoping ... timbering is unnecessary, an occasional pillar of ore or dyke rock being left to support the roof. Some of the ore is crushed to four-inch lumps in a jaw crusher driven by a dynamo worked by a gas-engine. None of the ore is calcined. A German calcining-kiln bought by a previous company and tried, proved to be a failure... The ore is put into trucks at an adjacent siding of the N.W.N.G. Rly. and conveyed about 5 miles to Dinas Junction (L.& N.W.), where it is reloaded into trucks of standard gauge. Formerly some of the ore was sent to Brymbo; but in 1917 the whole output went to Messrs. Baldwins Ltd., of Landore, Swansea.' It appears that the Silurian Iron Ore Co may have been a subsidiary of Baldwins, a major south Wales iron, steel and tinplate manufacturer.

Strahan et al described Garreg-fawr Mine, owned by W.J.Roberts of Bryn Meddyg, near Bangor, which was disused, as comprising 'open works and day-levels north-east of the Ystrad Mine ... higher up the side of the valley' and working the same ore and states that 'it is probable that referecnes to iron-ore having been dug at Bettws Garmon at intervals for over 50 years refer to this property.' Alfred Hickman Ltd had abandoned the mine in 1913: 'towards the end of the 1908-13 period the ore was transported by aerial ropeway about 2 1/2 miles north-eastward over the mountain, and delivered at Llanberis Station (L. & N.W.). The ore at that time was smleted at Messrs. Hickman's works.'

Strahan at al also described two other mines at Bettws Garmon:

Tyddyn-bach Mine, also owned by W.J.Roberts, was located half a mile south west of Bettws Garmon Church and was 'an open quarry situated on the outcrop worked at Ystrad across the valley, the bed of ore being 18 feet thick... At the time of our visit (14th Aug., 1917) ore had not been sent away, but some 2,000 tons were ready for despatch.'

Cwm-bychan was very briefly covered: 'in August 1917, Messrs. E.J.Morris and T.H.Roberts were carrying on explorations for ironstone near Cwm-bychan, about a mile south-east of Bettws Garmon ... the bed is presumably different from that worked at Bettws Garmon.'

Somewhere I have seen a builder's photograph of a standard gauge steel hopper wagon for iron ore lettered for Alfred Hickman Ltd, empty to Llanberis. If I can recall its source, I will post it on this thread.

Thank you all very much for your helpful info, I will be shore to invest in the book. Does anyone know if there is much to see underground?

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James

There's not much that you get into. I found it disappointing.

Jon

There is an article on iron ore mining in Caernarfonshire by Jeremy Wilkinson in British Mining No. 78 Memoirs 2005, NMRS. It includes a history of the Betws Garmon mines and a plan and elevation of at least part of them.

Other than the worked-out chambers there's not much to see underground but it is possible to do a short through trip by going in on one of the levels then following the chambers up the hill to emerge near the top of the workings. There's some interesting surface remains (inclines, ropeway head end etc.) and the whole site is well worth a wander round on a sunny afternoon.

Dave

Thanks John and Dave. Book is now on its way looking forward to seeing the plan. I will be shore to have a wonder underground to complete my my photo album, make a nice chance from the mid Wales lead mines I have grown up with.

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This time of year bracken will be all over the place. On the plus side - the authorities - whoever they may be have fenced off various falling down points.

I had a look round a couple of years ago, it is quite photogenic. I was told by a local that there was a large near spherical chamber in there somewhere - I didn't find it though, although I did rip the bottom out of my trousers. 😞

There's a really photogenic opencut you can walk into with care, lower down the hillside right by the path.

Still lots of lower-grade or pyrite-contaminated ore to be found, plus quartz veins with very coarse siderite, probably late diagenetic in origin.

Cheers - John