Ystrad Einon Copper Mine, Ceredigion

The Ystrad Einon Copper Mine is a historic metal mine located in Cwm Einion (also known as Artist’s Valley) in north Ceredigion, mid-Wales. It is one of the most northerly metal mines in the county and worked primarily for copper, with some lead, zinc and traces of silver also recorded.

Mining at Ystrad Einon probably began on a small scale in the eighteenth century. However, its main period of development came in the late nineteenth century. In the 1890s the mine was leased from the Pryse family of Gogerddan by a Lancashire entrepreneur, Adam Mason. He invested approximately £3,000 in modernising the site, installing new machinery and constructing an extensive water-management system.

A long leat was cut to bring water from the River Einion to power the mine. This drove several waterwheels used for pumping, winding and ore processing. Most notably, the mine contains a rare surviving underground waterwheel, one of only a few of its kind still extant in Britain.

The underground workings extended through four levels connected by shafts and adits. Some shafts reached depths of around 90 metres. Despite the ambitious investment, the workforce remained small. In 1891 only about eleven men and boys were employed. Output was limited and disappointing: recorded production included small quantities of silver-bearing lead, zinc and copper ore, insufficient to make the enterprise profitable.

Falling metal prices and competition from richer overseas deposits further undermined viability. The mine closed in 1903 after little more than a decade of serious operation.