Wedding Cave Mine

Location
SJ 265 540

Directions
At the “main” bend going through Bwlchgwyn (where the parking is), take the turning down the country road. Take the first left and you will shortly see a fork with a nice sign inviting you to Nant y Frith Woods. Park here. Walk through the right hand gate (it’s a driveable track) for about 40 yards where the road swings round and doubles back on itself – take this double back (ignore the other options to go forward at this juncture).

Follow the track for a few hundred yards and it again swings around sharply to the left. At this turn there is a sign warning you of a steep slope (it’s old). Immediately behind the sign is a broken fence and a rough path leads down to the streamway. Follow this path to the stream (there are some concrete steps along the way). The cave/mine is at the bottom of this path by the stream.

Access
Permission requirement unknown

Suggested Equipment
None

Length
Around 200/300 yards

Flood risk
None known

Mine Attributes
Lead and carnonate-cyanotrichite

Description
Originally a cave (although I could not trace any remnants of vadose or phreatic passageways), this underground chamber was mined for both lead and some more uncommon elements found in this locale.

Essentially this is a giant chamber with pillars, shelves and little nooks and crannies where the miners have been particular about their work seeking out the small pockets of mineral.

The chamber could be said to be divided into two halves with the ceiling height varying significantly in many places.

The whole cave/mine is impregnated with rubbish and graffiti. There are the remains of (probably) 100’s of Tee-lights, bear cans, crisp packets and other rubbish. There is evidence of several fires and the walls and ceilings are liberally covered in graffiti. This is an example of a ruined cave/mine.

A great shame really as this “mine” was home to a rare mineral “carbonate cyanotrichite” and there is still some small evidence of it’s existence if you look closely and carefully between some of the spray paints.

Unexplored Passages
None

Digs
None Known

Links
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=42601

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/cy/800/?mineral=163

http://www.ukjmm.co.uk/no15.htm