Hafod Y Porth Mine

Subject: Hafod Y Porth Mine Mon 03 May 2010, 11:02 am

Location
SH 612 507

Directions
Take the “Watkin Path” up to the summit of Snowdon (you will only be on this path for 15 mins) which is located on the A498 at Nantgwynant. At the base of an obvious (and huge) incline, turn off the path to the left and follow a track with a sign pointing to “Craflwyn”. Follow this for around 1 mile until you see the obvious mine area.

The mine is split into two areas, the lower having 4 adits with buildings and the upper having 3 adits and no buildings.

Access
All ungated, no known permissions required

Suggested Equipment
None.

Length
Around 8 adits; the longest adit is no more than 200 metres, the others are shorter.

Flood Risk
No apparent risk of flooding.

Mine Attributes
Copper

Description
Adit #1
Knee deep water exists at the entrance but quickly gives way to dry ground and a railway line left in situ. The adit is approximately 300 feet in length and is heavily decorated with minerals such as copper sulphate, sulphur, iron and so on. The adit runs blind.

Adit #2
This adit is immediately flooded to over waist depth. Sunlight can be seen around 30 feet into the adit and a quick scramble above it yields a shaft leading down. The adit turns the corner here but it was not entered. The amount of spoil outside suggests it will be short.

Adit #3
Located just to the left of Adit #2, this adit is collapsed within 3 feet of the entrance and cannot be entered.

Adit #4
Located above Adit#1, this is the most interesting of all the adits. Water is around wellie depth for the first part but it does become dry. A short “tunnel” takes you to a mined/quarried patch (open to surface) where the vein is visible. The minerals here are fantastic with sulphurised gypsum crystals scattered around.

An adit leads into the mountainside from this enclosed area which, again, has it’s railway line intact. The passage forks left and right after around 400 feet with the left fork running quickly blind. The right fork continues and the passages meanders in different directions passing an open shaft (to the surface) with falling water.

This adit runs blind shortly after this but there are several small chambers which are fantastically decorated with mineral intrusions and a nice (small) iron stalactite chandelier.

Adit #5
This adit is slightly higher and by the side of the open shaft with falling water described in Adit #4. It has wellie height water at the entrance and again the railway line is present. However, it does not contain the same array of decoration and is no more than 75 feet in length.

Adit #6
This adit is away from the main workings and is the first of three which are somewhat higher up the mountain (possibly 300-400 yards away, look for the spoil heaps). It is immediately flooded to waist depth and has a pretty formation on the floor.

The spoil outside indicates it is short (because there isn’t much of it) and walking in would destroy the fragile formation underwater – so we did not enter.

Adit #7
Just above Adit #6, this is another short adit of around 75 feet. It is interesting in that it is mineral rich with well decorated walls. The spoil outside contains plenty of fool’s gold (the only spoil heap I found it in).

Adit #8
This isn’t an adit at all but you won’t find that out until you visit the top spoil heap and find nothing there or you read this.

Unexplored Passages
Adit #2 was not entered and Adit #3 is immediately blocked

Digs
None

Links
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Hafod-y-Porth-Copper-Mine/

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Hafod-y-Porth-Copper-Mine-User-Album-Image-35747/