Cell Fechan

Location

Parish

Geology

The ore bed is about .25 m thick, is interbedded with Harlech grits and imediately underlain by a 50mm bed of shaly sandstone containing numerous large cubes of iron pyrites. The whole series dips east at about 70°. The ore consists mostly of carbonate of manganese with hydrated black oxide coating it where exposed to the weather. Associated with the ore are many veins of quartz which sometimes contain copper pyrites. Large botryoidal lumps of manganese also occur. [Dewey & Bromehead 1915: 51]

Owners

1899	Edith M Abraham
1900–1902	Thomas Abraham Down [1980: 63] shows Abraham as Operator 1900–1903
1903	Mary Edith Abraham presumed same person as Edith M Abraham above
1904–1905	Mrs Laura Williams
1906	Edward Jones
1907–1908	Miss Laura Williams presumed same person as Mrs Laura Williams above

Agents

1903	Thomas Abraham

Production and Employment

	(tons)	Manpower underground surface
1899	28
1900	277
1901	150
1902	80
1903	120
1904	90
1905	50
1906	100
1907	41
1908	40	1	1
Total	867

Transport

There is a network of tracks cut into the slope or on stone embankments which possibly served the workings.

Remains

A series of shallow depressions and grassed-over waste tips with two underground workings at SH615167. The workings continue northwards across a ravine (with stream) as Cell Fechan mine and southwards as Barmouth mine. (December 2001)

There are remains of a leat at SH617167 associated with a boggy depression SH618167 which may be the site of an old reservoir. However, it is not known if this was associated with the mine.

The advertisement for the 1899 sale by auction of the estate of John Abraham Esq., deceased, includes the text:

There is a valuable vein of manganese on the estate, which has been proved, and there is a ready sale for the same at a profitable price, and gold veins have also been opened.

Dewey & Bromehead [1915: 51], reporting on Cell Fechan and Hafotty about this time, describe the mines as “abandoned” with the levels flooded and overgrown but with a good deal of ore remaining. (The flooded levels probably refer to Hafotty as no flooded levels are apparent on this site.)

There is mention of manganese being raised at Cell Fechan in 1917. [Barmouth and County Advertiser 22/3/1917 p. 2]

In 1918 it was reported that Barmouth Urban Council had received an offer by a mining engineer “to raise manganese on Cell Fechan Farm”. [Cambrian News 24/5/1918 p. 8]

Entrance

Entrance to worked out chamber at SH615167.

This entrance faces north and is the more northerly of the two underground workings referred to above. The other working has a south facing entrance and is a few metres to the south of this entrance, roughly aligned with it on the other side of a knoll.