Graig Goch Mine

Location
SH 742 443

Directions
It’s miles from anywhere.

It is marked on the O/S map as “levels (dis)” although the map mark is at the very north tip of the workings and the main area is slightly south (at the grid ref above).

The easiest way is to park at the parking area by Llyn Dubach on the B4407 from Ysbtay Ifan heading to Llan Ffestiniog just before you come to a T junction with the B4391 (The location of Foel-gron mine). Then head up the old miners track and past Foel-gron mine and head directly north over it until you reach a lake (Llynnau Gamallt). Go to the left of the lake past a stone fishing hut then head directly west towards a valley edge. The workings are invisible until you are down in that valley and are along the base of the valley running south to north.

There is a public footpath marked on the O/S map to reach the mine from a different direction but it is much further. Good luck )

Access
Unknown. Ungated.

Suggested Equipment
None

Length
Adit #1 100 feet
Adit #2 Unknown
Adit #3 100 feet different directions

There is at least one more adit that was blocked and could not be entered.

Flood risk
Adit #2 is flooded to about waist depth with little head room and is LOWER than a stream running just off to the side of it. It is very likely this floods completely in wet weather.

The other two adits will probably not flood althou adit #1 has knee deep water for the first part which quickly goes dry.

Mine Attributes
Probably lead as we found galena in the spoil heaps

Description
Firstly, I may have the name of this mine wrong as I don’t actually know it. I have used the nearest “name” on the O/S map so if anyone knows it’s real name, please post it here.

This appears to be a vein that has come to surface along a fault within a valley. On the oneside there is limestone and the apparent lead workings with a number of small adits (except adit #2) and on the otherside is a trial but this is slate.

The main two adits are by a building at the south end of the workings although one of these is blocked. The main adit here is adit #3 and forks in several directions quickly but all passages are short.

Adit #1 is north by several hundred yards and is a straight run of around 100 feet with knee deep water at the entrance.

Adit #2 is between the two and is located in the centre and middle of the valley floor and is almost invisible (and is exaclty where you would NOT expect to find an adit). When you stand up on the valley rises you can actually see that a great deal of spoil has come out of this adit but now forms a good part of the valley floor and is overgrown with grass and the like.

The entrance is immediately flooded to knee depth and becomes deeper with less head room quickly although it is possible to continue for an unknown distance. The walls are in poor condition and the rock is shale and loose certainly for the first 20-30 feet.

The adits are largely barren with a little mineralisation of calcium in Adits #1 and #3 but otherwise they are featureless. (except for a few random dead sheep)

Unexplored Passages
Adit #2 is unexplored as well as a clearly blocked adit by the stone building.

Digs
None known

Links
None Known

Adit #1






An Adit #1 resident (long stay)






Adit #1 wall goo





Looking out of Adit #1

The entrance to Adit #2 in the valley floor





Inside Adit #2

Adit #3 (behind the stone building)





Adit #3





Another long term resident (Adit #3)





Adit #3

The building at the south of the workings






Looking back across the valley at the works (your approach is from above)






A rock we broke open from the spoil heap revealing galena