Introduction
Welcome, or Croeso as we say in Wales.
Hello, I am Iwan the miner, and I am your guide to the many years of industrial history hidden in the hills of this county of Ceredigion. If you click on me here I will take you through a mineline of 4000 years of history.
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So where are we then?
Well, Ceredigion is a picturesque and sparsely populated rural county within Cardigan Bay on the west coast of Wales in the United Kingdom.
Although it is one of the largest counties within Wales, Ceredigion is one of the least populated. The resident population of just over 70,000 people - the majority of whom are fluent speakers of both Welsh and English - is spread over some 150 small towns, villages and scattered rural communities.
Aberystwyth, the largest town on the entire west coast of Wales, houses a population of only 15,000 with a substantial proportion, during term time, being University students!
The modern county of Ceredigion is not immediately associated with mining. As you travel towards Aberystwyth on the coast, following the inland valleys of the Ystwyth, Rheidol and the Mynach rivers in the northern part of our county. You could be mistaken in thinking that the economy of Ceredigion - formerly known as Cardiganshire - had always been dependant on agriculture.
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As you journey through the hills take a closer look at the changing landscape and a different story unfolds. Driving from one rural settlement to another, the ancient landscape hides many stories, traditions and intrigues of the years gone by.
Mining for metals such as Copper, Lead, Zinc and Silver has been an important part of the economy of the county for nearly 4,000 years.
The scattering of small communities such as Ponterwyd, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ffair Rhos, Cwmystwyth, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Goginan, Ystumtuen, Pontrhydygroes, Cwmsymlog, Taliesin and Talybont - often have nothing seemingly in common. They do have one theme linking them all ……… the history and legacy of metal mining. All these locations and more can be found on GIS Mapping
Spirit of the Miners seeks to remind people of this important part of our heritage and to encourage communities/organisations to celebrate the legacy of mining by providing a grant scheme to put ideas into action.
This website is divided into sections to help you explore the region, its mining history and the environment.
• The History section guides you through a chronology of events split into generally accepted historical periods with its mineline and guide.
• The Environment section explains in more detail the geology and biodiversity of these sites and how bats and other flora & fauna are using the legacy of mining in nature's own way.
• The Things to See and Do section gives more information on places to visit and what do within the northern part of the county.
• The Gallery is just that and will be developed as the project progresses
• The Project Details section tells you more about Spirit of the Miners, the variety of projects being funded form the grant scheme and how to apply to the scheme.
• The Links and Further reading sections are self explanatory and in their way acknowledge sources of information and contributors to this site.
The Spirit of the Miners team would like to thank those organisations and individuals that have helped the project develop, especially those that have been patient enough to help the development of this website, including but not limited to:
David Bick (dec.), Roger Bird, Peter Claughton, Roy Fellows, Michael Freeman, Peter Lloyd Harvey, Simon Hughes, Robert Ireland, Robert Protheroe-Jones, Graham Levins, John Mason, Tom McOwatt, Robert Pritchard, Simon Timberlake.