Parys Mountain | |
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![]() Parys Mountain | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 147 m (482 ft) |
Prominence | 66 m (217 ft) |
Coordinates | 53.22.56 N, 4.21.9 W |
Geography | |
Location | Anglesey, United Kingdom |
OS grid | SH445905 |
Topo map | OS Landranger 114 |
Parys Mountain (Welsh : Mynydd Parys) is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. Originally known as Trysclwyn, the high ground is reputed to have gained its current name when it was given to Robert Parys, Chamberlain of North Wales by Henry IV. [1] It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century. Parys Mountain is a mountain in name only, being a hill with an elevation of less than 150m.
Parys Mountain was mined for copper ore in the early Bronze Age, as shown by sub-surface debris nearly 4,000 years old revealed during excavations in 2002. Since then, access has been regained to the sealed underground workings of the Parys mine, revealing further evidence of ancient mining. Parys Mountain is thus one of the few sites in Britain where there is evidence for the prehistoric beginnings of the British metal mining industry. [2]
The 18th century miners recognised that they were following in the steps of much earlier workers, an observation that was then linked to the discovery locally of copper ingots bearing Roman inscriptions. [3] Conclusive evidence that the Romans worked the mine, e.g. datable pottery, has yet to be found and may have been obliterated by the mining in the 18th century.
In 1762, Alexander Frazer convinced the owner, Sir Nicholas Bayly, to allow him to search for copper, but he failed to find it in economically viable quantities. [3] [1] In 1764, Charles Roe of Macclesfield approached Sir Nicholas Bayly wanting to lease the copper mine at Penrhyn du, on the Llŷn Peninsula. [1] This was agreed provided they also took a lease on part of Parys Mountain and continued the exploration work recently abandoned. After considerable expenditure searching for copper ore at Parys Mountain, they decided to instruct their agents to cease the search for new veins. [3] However a last-ditch attempt was successful when their agent, Rowland Pugh, a local miner, discovered the "Great Lode" on 2 March 1768 and was rewarded with a bottle of whisky and a rent-free house for his lifetime. The vein, discovered only 7 feet down, was to prove so valuable that 2 March was celebrated locally by a festival at least until 1858. [3]
A further discovery of ore was made in 1775 further to the West of "the Great Lode" by The Reverend Edward Hughes, who was co-owner of that area with Sir Nicholas Bayly, and to exploit this he formed the Parys Mine Company that same year. [4] The 21 year lease of Charles Roe expired in 1785, and so the Earl of Uxbridge (who had succeeded Sir Nicholas Bayly), decided to form the Mona Mine Company. [5] The production from Parys Mountain by these two adjacent companies dominated the world's copper market during the 1780s, when the mine was the largest in Europe. [6] Its rise severely damaged the mining industry in Cornwall. [7] The ore was exported via Amwlch, which grew to a substantial town. A loading pier was built at Amwlch harbour in 1782, and in 1793 by act of parliament the port was enlarged and dredged with the addition of piers, buoys and mooring posts to accommodate the seaborne traffic. [8] The copper from the mine was used to sheath the British Admiralty's wooden ships of war, to prevent the growth of seaweed and barnacles and to protect the wood from attack by shipworms. This increased the speed and manoeuvrability of the vessels, and enabled them to remain at sea for longer as there was less need to return to port for maintenance (see Copper sheathing for further details).
Although the ore here was of variable quality, this was more than compensated for by the fact that it occurred in two large masses close to the surface. [7] Initially ore was worked on the surface from shallow shafts, next by open-pit mining, and finally underground from adits or shafts. The ore was broken into small lumps by hand, the best ore being shipped to Lancashire or to the Lower Swansea valley in South Wales through the port of Swansea for smelting. Copper was concentrated and extracted from the remainder using kilns and furnaces on site. It was also discovered that purer metal could be obtained efficiently, although in small amounts, by its precipitation from drainage water with scrap iron in purpose-built ponds. Associated with the mines, important chemical industries were established on the mountain based on by-products such as ochre pigments, sulphur, vitriol and alum. The processes were described by the German writer and translator Augustin Gottfried Ludwig Lentin (1764–1823), who visited Parys Mountain in the 1790s and published his findings in Briefe über die Insel Anglesea: vorzüglich über das dasige Kupfer-Bergwerk und die dazu gehörigen Schmelzwerke und Fabriken (Leipzig: Crusius, 1800).
In response to a national shortage of small currency, the Parys Mine Company produced its own coinage between 1787 and 1793. The Parys Penny, also known as the Anglesey Penny, was used by the mine to pay workers, and also by the populace at large. It is thought that around ten million pennies and half pennies were minted. [9]
Underground mining of Parys Mountain ceased in 1904, however precipitation of copper from mine water continued. A dam was built inside one of the main drainage adits, and the water was periodically released into the precipitation pits by opening valves. In 1927 it was hoped that work on the mines could be restarted and The Welsh Copper Trust (Ltd) was formed. In a survey of the mine published in a pamphlet in 1928 the precipitation pits were still in use with water being drained 3-monthly. It was claimed in the survey that the tailings of the old workings contained considerable copper as the old method of hand picking the ore generally rejected ore with less than 6% copper as uneconomic. It was also claimed that a 10 foot vein containing 2 to 3% copper had been left below ground as uneconomic. [10] Linked to The Welsh Copper Trust Ltd was another company, the Mona Copper Co (Ltd) formed in October 1928. However it appears these attempts to restart the mine came to nothing.
This operation of the precipitation pits appears to have ceased around 1940, and in the 1990s it was realised that the large volume of water held back by a decaying dam and inoperative valves posed a flood risk. As a result a dewatering exercise took place in 2003, and with pumps operating at 50 litres per second it took 8 weeks to sufficiently dewater the mine, after which the dam was breached to prevent the problem re-occurring. [11] This operation dropped the water levels by 70 metres (230 ft), and gave access to many more passages and to a connection to the nearby previously inaccessible Mona Mine. The entry into these sections was filmed for the TV series Extreme Archaeology. [12] Due to the high chemical content of the water, snottites thrive in the until recently submerged passages. [12] [13]
There is a waymarked trail around the mountain, giving views of Amlwch Port to the north and the nearby Trysglwyn wind farm to the south. [14] Those wishing to explore the historic mine levels need to contact the Parys Underground Group.[ citation needed ]
Renewed exploration of Parys Mountain by drilling resulted in the discovery of copper rich stockwork in 1962 - now referred to as the Northern Copper Zone. Several other zones of mineralisation were subsequently discovered and in 1988 the new public company, Anglesey Mining plc was formed. This owns the western part of the mountain and between 1988 and 1990 it sunk a 300m deep shaft and drove 850m of levels so as to remove minerals for processing in a pilot plant. Unfortunately a recession caused a big fall in metal prices and the project was shelved.
Further drilling since then has better defined the as yet unexploited resources, which include 6,500,000 tonnes containing 10% combined zinc, lead and copper with some silver and gold. The company has permits and a plan to restart mining operations at 350,000 tonnes per year. [15] Drilling to better define the Northern Copper Zone started in late 2023, with the target of improving the confidence of the mineral estimates for inclusion in the feasibility study, and explore adjacent areas as yet undrilled.
Due to the high level of soil contamination, plant life is sparse on or near the mountain, but there are a number of examples of rare plants and bacteria. The bare, heavily mined landscape give the mountain a strange appearance which has been used in the filming of science fiction films and television shows such as Mortal Kombat Annihilation .[ citation needed ]
Mynydd Parys is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. [16]
The volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit is located at the border of the Ordovician to the Llandovery epoch. The ore is covered by an overlying layer of volcanic rhyolites. [17] [18]
The mineral Anglesite, with the chemical formula PbSO4, was first recognised by William Withering in 1783, who discovered it in the Parys copper-mine; the name was given by F. S. Beudant in 1832.
An adit or stulm is a horizontal or nearly horizontal passage to an underground mine. Miners can use adits for access, drainage, ventilation, and extracting minerals at the lowest convenient level. Adits are also used to explore for mineral veins. Although most strongly associated with mining, the term adit is sometimes also used in the context of underground excavation for non-mining purposes; for example, to refer to smaller underground passageways excavated for underground metro systems, to provide pedestrian access to stations, and for access required during construction.
Amlwch is a port town and community in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. As well as Amlwch town and Amlwch Port, other settlements within the community include Burwen, Bull Bay (Porthllechog) and Pentrefelin. The town has a beach in Llaneilian, and it has significant coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it was a booming mining town that became the centre of a vast global trade in copper ore. The harbour inlet became a busy port and significant shipbuilding and ship repair centre, as well as an embarkation point with boats sailing to the Isle of Man and to Liverpool. The community covers an area of about 15 square kilometres.
The Dolaucothi Gold Mines, also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The gold mines are located within the Dolaucothi Estate, which is owned by the National Trust.
Thomas Williams was a Welsh industrialist and Member of Parliament. At the time of his death, he was the richest man in Wales.
The Anglesey Central Railway was a 17.5-mile (28.2 km) standard-gauge railway in Anglesey, Wales, connecting the port of Amlwch and the county town of Llangefni with the North Wales Coast Line at Gaerwen. Built as an independent railway, the railway opened in portions from 1864 to 1867. Due to financial troubles the railway was sold to the London and North Western Railway in 1876, which invested significantly in the infrastructure. Operation continued under various companies during the 20th century, but passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as part of the Beeching Axe. Industrial freight services continued until 1993. The railway's tracks remain and local groups have demonstrated an interest in restoring services as a heritage railway.
Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early to mid twentieth century. It was key to the Industrial Revolution in Wales, and to the whole of Great Britain.
Michael Hughes was a Welsh industrialist best known for his role in the copper mining industry.
Anglesey is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island and some islets and skerries. The county borders Gwynedd across the Menai Strait to the southeast, and is otherwise surrounded by the Irish Sea. Holyhead is the largest town, and the administrative centre is Llangefni. The county is part of the preserved county of Gwynedd.
GeoMôn UNESCO Global Geopark is a Geopark covering the entire island of Anglesey in north Wales. It was admitted to the European Geoparks Network and to the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in May 2009. It was the second Geopark to be designated in Wales, the seventh within the United Kingdom and the thirty-third in Europe. The UNESCO Geopark designation reflects the diversity of the island's geology, which encompasses solid rocks from the Precambrian to the Neogene with some Miocene sediments and extensive Pleistocene glaciation features from the Quaternary period. GeoMôn covers 720 square kilometres and has 125 miles of coastal walks.
Consolidated Mines, also known as Great Consolidated mine, but most commonly called Consols or Great Consols was a metalliferous mine about a mile ESE of the village of St Day, Cornwall, England. Mainly active during the first half of the 19th century, its mining sett was about 600 yards north–south; and 2,700 yards east–west, to the east of Carharrack. Although always much troubled by underground water, the mine was at times highly profitable, and it was the largest single producer of copper ore in Cornwall. Today the mine is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.
The Amlwch Lighthouse is a lighthouse tower situated on the outer pier of Amlwch, at the northeast tip of Anglesey, Wales. The existing lighthouse, a square tower erected in 1853, is the fourth on this site. It has original fine, but battered, ashlar masonry to a height of 4.6 metres (15 ft); the present lantern was added on top at a later date.
Penysarn is a small village located within Llaneilian Community, in the north-eastern corner of Anglesey, Wales, and on the north-eastern side of Parys Mountain, at approximately 140–150 feet above sea level. The settlement expanded in the 18th century with the arrival of miners working at the nearby copper mines. The population as of the 2011 census was 595.
Augustin Gottfried Ludwig Lentin was a German chemist. He was a lecturer at the University of Göttingen and subsequently inspector of saltworks, and a writer and translator of works on chemistry and metallurgy.
St Eleth's Church, Amlwch is a parish church built in the Neo-classical style in 1800 in Amlwch, a town on the island of Anglesey in north Wales. It stands on the site of earlier buildings, with the first church here said to have been established by St Elaeth in the 6th century. Increasing prosperity in the town through copper mining during the 18th century led to the construction of a new church to serve the growing population.
Pengorffwysfa is a village in Anglesey, in north-west Wales. It is one of several dispersed settlements in the central area of Llaneilian Community, north of Penysarn and south of Llaneilian village.
Rhosybol is a village and community in Anglesey, Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 1,078. Located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of the town of Amlwch, the village is close to both Llyn Alaw, the largest body of water on the island, and Parys Mountain, the site of the historic copper mines which lies just to the north. It is to the mines that the village owes its existence as it was one of several built to house the miners. During the 1960s noted painter Kyffin Williams produced an oil painting of the village.
Parys Mountain Windmill is a Grade II listed building located on the highest point of Parys Mountain near Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales. The structure was built in 1878 to assist a local copper mine in the removal of water from mine shafts. It was the last tower mill built in Wales. The windmill remained in use until the mine's closure in 1904.
Anglesey Mining plc is a United Kingdom based mining company. The company is listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker AYM in the mining sector. The company has three projects, Parys Mountain in Wales, Grängesberg in Sweden, and Labrador Iron Mines in Canada.
The Great Laxey Mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine located in Laxey, in the parish of Lonan, Isle of Man. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft (670 m) and consisted primarily of three shafts: the Welsh Shaft, the Dumbell's Shaft and the Engine Shaft; each of these shafts was connected by a series of levels.
The natural resources of Wales have contributed substantially to the economic wealth of the United Kingdom from pre-Roman times to the present. Wales has a complex and varied geology with a wealth of natural minerals. Although Wales has been strongly associated with the coal industry, it has also been the world's leading supplier of slate and of copper at different times. The country lies along the western side of Great Britain and is buffeted by the prevailing South-Westerly trade winds which bring year round rain and wind but also maintain an equable temperate climate. The combination of climate and physical geography and geology have given rise to many different types of landscape and biomes rich in species variety.