MineArchiveBwlch Glas Mine
| Location | Tal-y-bont, Ceredigion, Ceredigion — 52.4864, -3.9142 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodities | Lead, Silver, Zinc |
| Type | Metal |
| Worked | 1880s–1923 |
| Maximum depth | 35 metres below the deep adit |
| Operators | Scottish Cardigan Lead Mining Company |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A lead, zinc and silver mine above Tal-y-bont, at its Edwardian peak one of Ceredigion's larger producers before closing in 1923.
History
Lead mining began at Bwlch Glas in the 1880s, but serious production only started in 1909 with a new processing mill and further levels. Output peaked in 1910 at 154 tons of lead and 1,250 ounces of silver, with 135 men working underground and up to 169 on the surface. The Scottish Cardigan Lead Mining Company closed the mine in 1923.
Geology
Worked lodes lie either side of No. 1 adit, which cross-cut two parallel veins; the mine is also noted among mineral collectors for pyromorphite found in a vertical pipe above the adit.
Workings
A shaft from No. 1 adit reached levels at 10, 20 and 35 metres.
What remains
Abandoned and at least partly flooded underground; the surface mill and dressing buildings, dating from around 1909, still stand.
Concrete mill and dressing buildings from the 1909 rebuild survive on the surface.
Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- In 1910, the mine's peak year, 154 tons of lead and 1,250 ounces of silver were produced, with 135 underground and up to 169 surface workers. 1
Images
Sources
- (secondary) Bwlch Glas Mine
- (primary) Bwlch Glas Lead Mine (BGS Mine Plan #23335) — British Geological Survey
Record created: 22 August 2026 · Last researched: 22 August 2026