Mineshaft and waste lagoon

Image: © Jonathan Wilkins Taken: 20 Sep 2019

Marked on the map as an air shaft, this is now covered by a "Clwyd cap" (named after its inventor, apparently) which makes the area safe but allows ventilation and the passage of bats. The flat area at the foot of the valley comprises ancient settling ponds which were known to contain fine, residual ores and would eventually be re-processed. The luxuriant growth of trees by the river is an entirely modern feature, since the area was entirely occupied by the industry, either as mines, dumps, ponds or works for arsenic and ochre. The acidic ground is home to characteristic heather and gorse.

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