MineArchiveNantiago Mine
| Location | Hafren Forest, eastern flank of Plynlimon, Powys — 52.4560, -3.7750 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodities | Lead, Zinc |
| Type | Metal |
| Worked | before 1846–c.1918 |
| Operators | William Lefeaux |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A lead and zinc working on the eastern flank of Plynlimon, in the Hafren Forest, worked in repeated bursts between before 1846 and 1918 and powered by water diverted from the Nant Iago via a network of leats.
History
Nantiago Mine -- also recorded as Plynlimmon Mine -- lies on the eastern flank of the Plynlimon range, in what is now Hafren Forest. It was already at work before 1846, when surviving records begin, and was worked again in 1853 and 1860-64; it was reopened in 1872 and developed until 1888, and worked once more from 1900 until around 1918. William Lefeaux is recorded working the mine, though a complete list of its operators has not been located. Recorded production totalled 1,709 tons of lead ore and 1,929 tons of zinc ore.
Workings
Water diverted from the Nant Iago via a network of leats drove three waterwheels and two Pelton wheels, used for pumping, ore-drawing and processing. Surviving remains include an uncapped engine shaft with part of its pump rod still in place, the foundations of a winding or drum house, wheelpits, reservoirs, dressing floors, ore bins, a crusher house and culverts.
Closure
Worked in several separate bursts, the last recorded activity being around 1918.
What remains
A well-preserved multi-period lead and zinc mine, its surface remains recorded in detail by an Archaeology Data Service survey of the site's leat system.
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.
- Recorded production totalled 1,709 tons of lead ore and 1,929 tons of zinc ore. 1
- Water from the Nant Iago, diverted via leats, drove three waterwheels and two Pelton wheels for pumping, ore-drawing and processing. 2
- Nantiago was worked in several separate bursts: before 1846, in 1853, in 1860-64, from 1872 to 1888, and from 1900 to around 1918. 1
Sources
- (secondary) Nantiago Mine (Plynlimmon Mine) — mindat.org
- (secondary) Nantiago Mine, main leat — Archaeology Data Service
Record created: 1 September 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026