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Clwyd Metal Mines Survey


Lower Park

Lower Park lies in the community of Minera in the county of Wrexham. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SJ25105140. The mine is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 104372 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

Lead/Zinc (1803-late 19th century)

Geology
The Park Vein runs south-easterly from the limestone quarry area through the limestone outcrops and continues for over a mile across Esclusham Mountain.

Workings
The Lower Park Mine worked the high moorland area that is now occupied by the disused Park Farm. Reference is made to a Robert Morgan of Minera Hall sinking a shaft at Park Mine in 1803 and Lower Park Shaft being sunk in 1821 (Davies 1964) on the land then belonging to the Duke of Westminster. The earliest workings on the Park Sett were in the vicinity of Park Farm (SJ24955151). Several shafts have been sunk in the area to a shallow depth and were apparently worked out by 1863 (Earp 1958). A ladder shaft and other shafts remain to the south of the track at SJ25205128. To the north of the track, a large shaft at SJ25205135, approx 10m diameter has a whim with stone wall enclosure that has partly collapsed into the shaft. A linear stone bank has a parallel recessed wall forming a possible coe at SJ25225138, to the north of the whim shaft. To the west of the mine office a large shaft at SJ25135137 has a whim circle approx 7.5m diameter. A line of seven shafts run westwards from the farm track towards the western boundary wall. The third from the west has a stone wall surrounding the top of it and a possible whim platform (SJ25045137). The fourth from the west (SJ24965136) has a circular wall around the top. The stone-lined shaft has a square coe on the east side. Further shafts and spoil mounds lie to the south of the above run, in the vicinity of the pond at SJ24945127. Immediately across the boundary, to the west of the farm wall, there are two shaft mounds at SJ24895137. A linear north-south natural limestone outcrop traverses this western field; it includes trial shafts. The shallow shafts on this part of the site may be some of the earliest workings. A run of shallow shafts and open workings aligned east-west, crosses the field immediately to the west of the farmhouse itself. Further shafts lie in the field to the north-east of the farmhouse, running aligned north-east to south-west. Two shafts are immediately behind the farm buildings at SJ25005153.

Transport
No evidence.

Power
The leat for the Minera Mines encircles the Farm sett to the south-west, crossing the entrance track to the mine. A sunken rectangular stone-lined pond feature (SJ25105138), approx 5 x 3x 1m deep lies to the north-west of the mine office and whim shaft at SJ25205135. Several whim shafts are identifiable on the ground and from aerial photographic evidence. A large pond remains at SJ24945127.

Processing
No evidence.

Other features
The former mine office (SJ25155138), as marked on Brunton Symons Map of 1865, which has the appearance of a derelict cottage, with re-used dressed stone lintels; the stone is similar to that which could have been used on an engine house. The former mine office or agent's house and garden, as it is described in the 1899 schedule of buildins for the sett, is enclosed by a low stone wall.


This HTML page is reproduced from the Powys and Clwyd Metal Mine Surveys which were undertaken between May 1992 and December 1993 by Mark Walters and Pat Frost of the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust with financial support from Powys County Council, Clwyd County Council and Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. Further information about this site is available in CPAT's Regional Historic Environment Record.
Page produced by Rachel Stebbings and Chris Martin.

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