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Castell Mine (Dyffryn Castell Mine; New Castell Mine; West Esgair Lle Mine; Gwaithddu Mine; Cripiau Bach Mine), Ponterwyd, Cwmrheidol, Ceredigion, Wales, UKi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Castell Mine (Dyffryn Castell Mine; New Castell Mine; West Esgair Lle Mine; Gwaithddu Mine; Cripiau Bach Mine) | Mine (Abandoned) |
| Ponterwyd | - not defined - |
| Cwmrheidol | - not defined - |
| Ceredigion | County |
| Wales | Country |
| UK | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
52° 24' 52'' North , 3° 48' 4'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
UK National Grid Reference:
SN775812
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Capel Bangor | 256 (2017) | 11.5km |
| Pontrhydfendigaid | 712 (2017) | 15.3km |
| Bow Street | 1,572 (2017) | 15.6km |
| Llanilar | 1,085 (2017) | 16.5km |
| Llanidloes | 2,929 (2017) | 18.1km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Dyfed; Cardiganshire
Castell mine was first recorded as being opened by Thomas Bonsall in 1785 for sphalerite. It appears to have been closed by 1803. The vein is a major fault system which has been traced for several kms, and has been exploited by a number of mines and trials along its lenth.
The next recorded working was in 1850, and was reworked on at least 11 more occations, the last opening was in 1916-17.
Recorded output:
5365 tons of zinc ore
139 tons of lead ore
25 tons of copper ore
Beside the A44, 1.5km east of Ponterwyd where the small side road turns south to Devil's Bridge.
Shown on the 1887 OS map as the West Esgair Lle Mine (Lead) this section appears to have worked an east-west lode that runs obliquely up the hillside and is marked by a series of fenced off shaft collars and towards the crest of the hill by a large scar (behind the large shed at the time of writing), possibly left when a stope collapsed below ground. The crusher house stands centrally in the site and adjacent to this is a wheel pit. The 1887 OS map shows an aqueduct feeding the wheel with branched aqueducts further up the hillside.
The foreground of the site between the crusher house and the A44 road is principally mounds of stamp sand which has spread over time to cover most of the area with a thin dressing. Where the small river runs along the bottom of the site the deposits can be seen as distinct layers with fine slimes at the bottom and coarser sand washed over the top.
The tips appear to have been more extensive until quite recently with a great deal of fresh digging and levelling having taken place on the slope between the crusher house and the shafts. The tips offer abundant sphalerite, whilst chalcopyrite and galena are found as occasional grains.
Further buildings including possibly a wheelpit are at SN778814, 500m east-north-east of the engine house and are also shown as part of the West Esgair Mine on the 1887 OS map. These are presently in the corner of a grassy field without any open tips.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
16 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Albite ? Formula: Na(AlSi3O8) |
| ⓘ 'Apatite' Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) Habit: Tabular Colour: Colourless to white Description: Occures as tabular crystals to 0.6mm with quartz and muscovite. As part of an early alpine-type phase, that is presulphide. Although exampes of apatite are rare from this mine. Thay are far richer than simular specimens from Bryn yr Afr mine. Which was the first recorded occurance of alpine type cleft minerals. References: |
| ✪ Aragonite Formula: CaCO3 Habit: Prismatic-bladed Colour: Colourless-white Description: Xls to 4mm |
| ⓘ Aurichalcite Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 Habit: Drusey crusts Colour: Pale blue to light blue-green Description: Druses crusts to 1cm |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 Habit: Sphenoidal crystals Description: Xls to 5mm |
| ⓘ Dolomite Formula: CaMg(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite Formula: Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS Habit: Massive |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ Hemimorphite Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| ⓘ Hydrozincite Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 Habit: Botryoidal Colour: White Fluorescence: Weak blueish white Description: Thin druse-botryoidal crusts to 3cm |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 Habit: Acicular crystals, botryoidal Colour: Green Description: Xls to 1mm |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 Habit: Cubes, capillary Description: Capillary xls to 1mm |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
| ⓘ Rutile Formula: TiO2 Habit: Acicular References: |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS Habit: Massive Colour: Brown |
| ⓘ 'Wad' |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Rutile | 4.DB.05 | TiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Dolomite | 5.AB.10 | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ | var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | 5.AB.10 | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Aurichalcite | 5.BA.15 | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Hydrozincite | 5.BA.15 | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Hemimorphite | 9.BD.10 | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| ⓘ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Albite ? | 9.FA.35 | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Wad' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Apatite' | - | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Hydrozincite | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| C | ⓘ Hydrozincite | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| O | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Hydrozincite | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Rutile | TiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| O | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| Mg | ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH) |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | ⓘ Rutile | TiO2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Dolomite var. Iron-bearing Dolomite | Ca(Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Zn | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Zn | ⓘ Hydrozincite | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
- AvaloniaVolcanic Arc
EuropeContinent
UK
- Wales
- Cambrian MountainsMountain Range
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Castell Mine, Ponterwyd, Cwmrheidol, Ceredigion, Wales, UK