Cwmystwyth mines are located in Cwmystwyth

Cwmystwyth

Cwmystwyth is a village located in Ceredigion, Wales near Devil's Bridge, and Pont-rhyd-y-groes.The Ordnance Survey calculates Cwmystwyth to be the Centre point of Wales, - History :See Cwmystwyth Mines...

, Ceredigion

Ceredigion

Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

Mining heritage

Cwm Ystwyth is considered the most important non-ferrous metal mining site in Wales

Mining in Wales

Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century....

 providing a premier example of mining heritage

Industrial heritage

Industrial heritage is an aspect of cultural heritage dealing specifically with the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, often forming a significant attraction for tourism.The...

 in Ceredigion. Within the site there is evidence for all phases of mining activity; from the Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

, through the medieval period, to its revival in the 18th century and the peak of activity with a subsequent decline in the late 19th and the early 20th century. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

. The site also features prominently in the Upland Ceredigion Landscape of Historic Interest.

History

Silver, lead and zinc have been mined in the valley of the River Ystwyth

River Ystwyth

The River Ystwyth is a river in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Its source is a number of streams that include the Afon Diliw, located on the border of Ceredigion and Powys in the Cambrian Mountains....

 since Roman times

Mining in Roman Britain

Mining was one of the most prosperous activities in Roman Britain. Britain was rich in resources such as copper, gold, iron, lead, salt, silver, and tin, materials in high demand in the Roman Empire. The abundance of mineral resources in the British Isles was probably one of the reasons for the...

, an activity that reached its peak in the 18th century. The largest of the very many mines was Cwmystwyth Mine. It is reputed that the average age at death of the miners in Cwmystwyth was 32, largely because of acute lead poisoning

Lead poisoning

Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...

. There is no longer any active metal mining in the Ystwyth valley.

Water use

Water was extensively used during the silver and lead mining process to extract the ore. In the case of Cwm Ystwyth mine, much of the water was brought in by contour hugging leat

Leat

A leat is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond...

s from several miles upstream. The channel of the leat can still be followed on the hillside and is clearly visible from the road on the opposite side of the valley. Much of the water was used for hushing

Hushing

Hushing is an ancient and historic mining method using a flood or torrent of water to reveal mineral veins. The method was applied in several ways, both in prospecting for ores, and for their exploitation. Mineral veins are often hidden below soil and sub-soil, which must be stripped away to...

, prospecting and working the ore in the open.

Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc

In October 2002 the Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc

Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc

The Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc is a small, decorated, gold ornament discovered at Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It most likely was part of a funerary garment and is more than 4,000 years old, which makes it the earliest gold artifact found in Wales....

 was discovered on the mining site. The disc is over 4,000 years old, which makes it the earliest gold artifact

Artifact (archaeology)

An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...

discovered in Wales.

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