welsh mine preservation trust newlsetter november 2002

8/6/2019 Welsh Mine Preservation Trust Newlsetter November 2002

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NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER 2002

Welcome to the 2002 Welsh Mines Preservation Trust Newsletter. This year has seen

the retirement of two directors of the Trust, Christopher Williams and Rob Vernon.

The Trust thanks them for the valuable work they have done over the years and

wishes them all the best for the future. The directors of the Trust for the following

year are Terry Evans (Chairman), David Bick, George Hall, Tony King, Nigel

Chapman, Simon Timberlake and Graham Levins (Secretary).

The Trust has been invited to join the National Library of Wales, Mining Heritage

Trust of Ireland, Welsh Mines Society and the Geological Survey of Ireland, in the

securing funding for the Mining Journal Digitisation Project. The aim is to have theMining Journal 1835 to 1920 scanned and recorded in a digital format, that will be

accessible via the Internet. The Preliminary Information Release is contained in this

newsletter. At present the Trust is considering its involvement. When a decision is

made, an article will be placed in the Welsh Mines Society Newsletter.

NEW SECRETARY

Following the retirement of the Trust Secretary Christopher Williams in February this

year, Graham Levins has taken over the role of Secretary.

His address is 1 Stonecrop Close, Broadfield, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 9EP.

Email:- [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONSDue to a large increase in the insurance premium the Trust has to pay for each

member. We have had to increase the Membership Subscription from £3.50 to £5.00

for the forthcoming year. With the insurance world going crazy since September 11th

2001 and also a large claim being made within the leisure industry, it is likely there

will be a further increase next year. We may well have to consider whether or not we

take out insurance for Trust members. You will find a membership renewal form at

the end of this newsletter.

WORKING DAY/WEEKEND

The Trust are planning to have a joint Welsh Mines Society, Welsh Mines

Preservation Trust working day or perhaps a weekend, next summer. Sites that have

been suggested so far are Dylife and Red Dragon. If anyone has any ideas of a minesite in Wales that would benefit from a day or two of cleaning up, undergrowth

clearance or minor repairs, please let me know. There is also the possibility that a

longer-term project could develop. A decision on the location and date of the working

day/weekend will be made at the WMS meeting at George Hall’s next March and will

be published in the next WMS newsletter. This will be a great opportunity for us to

put something back into mining history to repay the enjoyment we all get from

visiting and exploring old mine sites. So think about coming along and getting your

hands dirty, and I am sure the day will end with a good meal and a few pints.



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DATABASE OF UNDISTURBED MINE SITES

The Trust is committed to the preservation of relatively undisturbed mine sites in

Wales. The first step is to create a database of these sites, we would be grateful for

any suggestions, along with details. Each location will be considered with a view to

protecting and preserving it, and what could be done to achieve these aims. The Trustis in contact with CADW regarding the possibility of getting further mine sites

scheduled, we would be much obliged if members would advise us of any which they

think should be included.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY’S METAL MINE STRATEGY FOR WALES

The Agency’s Strategy document has now been published. It can be seen by going to

their website at www.enviroment-agency.wales.gov.uk

For those that do not have access to the internet, a photocopy of the Executive

Summary (8 pages) can be obtained from Graham Levins, please send A4 SAE.

NORTH EAST WALES NEWS

The Trust has previously been consulted about a draft conservation plan for the CliveEngine House at Talargoch Mine. Denbighshire County Council are keen to purchase

the site and to proceed with the conservation work. Unfortunately the owner will not

sell at the valuation price. However, the Welsh Development Agency have funded

both a limited structural survey and a geophysical survey of the surrounding site.

Following suggestions from the Trust, Denbighshire County Council have agreed to

carry out limited conservation work on two mine sites, which are on land that the

council owns. This will include:-

a) consolidation work on the waterwheel pit at the Glan Alyn Mine at

Loggerheads,

b) the clearance of a hundred years growth of vegetation, from the sole intact

mine reservoir and associated leat system at the Maes y Safn Lead Mine at

Maeshafn.

Both projects will be funded by the Welsh Assembly’s Environment Development

Fund, as the sites lie within the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Work on the later project is due to start in November 2002.

Tony King

DIGITISING THE MINING JOURNAL.

Preliminary information release

A proposal to create an indexed digital archive of the Mining Journal, 1835 to 1920.

The Mining Journal, which is still published to this day, provides the single most

comprehensive and detailed account of the evolution of the mining industry in Britain

and Ireland, and elsewhere internationally. The journal was initiated in 1835 as a

specialist journal dedicated to recording and commenting upon all facets of the

industry, technical, legal, economic and social, as they arose and as they developed

over time. Now it is an enormously valuable research and general knowledge

resource. However, locating and accessing copies of the Journal is difficult. Less than

half a dozen libraries in Britain and Ireland have anything approaching a continuous



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run from 1835. Added to this extant copies have become increasingly fragile.

Microfilm copies can be obtained, and are used by some libraries, but these have a

limited life as working copies and are prohibitively expensive for individual

researchers.

To address these access and conservation issues a consortium of agencies in Wales

and Ireland, including the Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland, Welsh Mines Society,

National Library of Wales, and the Geological Survey of Ireland, are exploring the

potential for funding from the Interreg IIIA Programme, a European Union initiative

promoting cross-border co-operation, to establish a digital archive of the Mining

Journal. The archive would contain scanned images of every weekly issue from 1835

to 1920, with a subject and geographical index for those Welsh and Irish mines

located within the designated Interreg area. If feasible, character recognition

techniques will be used to create a searchable text database. The archive will be

accessible free on the Internet using the World Wide Web, and available offline using

appropriate digital technologies.

The consortium believe that such an archive will be of considerable benefit to both

Ireland and Wales with their long history of mining activity. Parts of Eastern Ireland

and West Wales have a potential asset in their mining history and archaeology. A

substantial market exists for heritage tourism within which mining has a significant

role. Environmental issues, including remedial work on abandoned mine sites to

improve water quality, will have an impact on the archaeological and landscape

values of both areas. The proposed archive will provide an information resource

relevant to sustainable development of mining heritage and environment, and in doing

so will foster co-operation between Eastern Ireland and West Wales.

Whilst investigations are taking place to see whether the Interreg IIIA programme

could provide funding for the project, the consortium will still require up to 25

percent from other sources. The National Association of Mining History

Organisations (NAMHO) has already agreed to provide funds towards planning costs,

but implementation of the project will be reliant on the generosity of other sources in

Ireland and the UK.

Peter Claughton

THE CWMYSTWYTH MINES by Simon Hughes

Members may be interested to know that Simon is shortly going to publish an

enlarged version of his book The Cwmystwyth Mines. It will be published on a CD,

this will allow many more photographs and plans to be included. It costs £5, and can be obtained from Simon Hughes, Lery Mills, Talybont, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

SY24 5ED. At £5 it is a bargain, you will not be disappointed.



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GLYN PITS CONSERVATION WORK

This year has seen the start of conservation work at the Glyn Pits,.

Following the Trust AGM on October 6th

2002, the Directors visited the Glyn Pits to

see the progress of the work. Pictured left to right are Graham Levins, David Bick,

Terry Evans and Nigel Chapman.



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The Engine Houses shrouded in scaffolding, a sure sign that work has begun.

Please note:- Would anyone planning to visit the site please note, at present the site is

classed as a building site and for your own safety please do not climb over the fence

or gate. There will be plenty of time to see everything when the work is complete.

FUTURE NEWSLETTERS

It is very difficult to produce a newsletter if I have very little news to publish. I would

be most grateful if members would send me items for inclusion.

NADOLIG LLAWEN, BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA.

All that remains is for me to wish each and everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy

and Prosperous New Year, and please do not forget to send your Membership

Subscriptions.

P.S.

At a meeting of Trust Directors held on 17/11/02, it was decided that the Trust would

join the consortium, planning to digitise the Mining Journal. We will apply for £25,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Peter Claughton was also elected as a

director of the Trust. More details in next Newsletter.

All articles and photographs by the Secretary, unless otherwise stated.

Graham Levins

Secretary WMPT



Nov 2002

welsh mine preservation trust newlsetter november 2002

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