Crafnant

Alternative name

Coed Crafnant

Location

Parish

Owners

1886–1887		Merionethshire Mining Co.
1918		Cambrian Manganese Co.?

Production and Employment

	(tons)	Manpower underground surface
1886	19	7	2
1887	8	4	0
Total	27

Transport

Track leading via Pont Crafnant to Cwm Bychan road at SH61642891

Remains

Mostly surface workings in woodland. (October 2002)

In Coed Crafnant.

Solicitors’ letters and papers exist concerning the lease of mines on Crafnant farmlands by Robert Prys Owen of Ael y bryn, Dyffryn to Thomas O Williams of the Cambrian Manganese Co. between September 1917 and December 1918 [GAS DAO: Z/DAM/630]. In July 1918 Williams reminds Owen that he (Williams) is waiting for a take note for manganese at Crafnant and says if a take note is not to be granted then what about “the wood on south side of the valley”. The papers include a draft take note and two draft leases.

The tip and cutting marked ‘Possible manganese mine’ on the plan originates from two entrances. The entrance in line with the cutting leads to a short horizontal level which appears to be a mineral trial. The entrance on the right at the end of the cutting leads to a short strike-aligned level which may have been a trial on the manganese bed.

Workings

Looking north from SH62222927 along surface workings.

The bedding dips down to the right of the picture.

Entrance to underground working

The entrance leads to a small (5 m x 2m) chamber which may have been a trial as there is no evidence of manganese having been mined in it, although it appears to be on the same bedding as the previous picture.

There are also remains of copper mines (described as “lately opened” in 1853 [MJ 1853: p. 637]) which were worked 1869–1891, manager Pearce [Morrison 1975: 84]. A location of SH622289 (the more northerly of the two copper mines on the plan) is given for this and there are references in Stock Exchange Loan and Company Prospectuses 1824–1880, The Mining Journal 1847–1859 and the Home Office List of Mines 1886–1887 [Wilkinson 2003: 12480]. There are the remains of a dressing floor and a small (3 m x 3 m internal dimensions) smithy at this location.