Votty
| Alternative name | Foty | ||||||||
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| Location | SH676213 (Area map showing location.) | ||||||||
| Parish | Llanelltyd | ||||||||
| Geology | The bed dips at 8–10° N.W. Its thickness is .3–.36m and it contains about 30% manganese [Dewey & Dines 1923: 68]. | ||||||||
| Owner | 1918 Andrew Anderson agent C Roberts | ||||||||
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| Transport | Presumed to be by cartage over bridge and along track across valley floor to join track from New Diphwys mine to Bontddu. (But see note relating to this track below.) | ||||||||
| Remains | Three adits and asociated tipping at bottom of outcrop – the lowest adit runs aproximately at right-angles to strike for 10 m to small working on manganese bed, middle and upper (16 m and 14 m respectively) are strike-aligned on manganese bed. Middle adit has some development up bed and breaks out to surface near entrance. Opencast workings above becoming shallow and overgrown towards the top of the hill. Stacks of mined ore and small semi-undergound shelter with stone slab seat at SH67622150. Bridge over stream SH67362135. Loading bank or ore stacking platform at SH66962114. Possible stable at SH67412142. (Site visit December 2008) | ||||||||
In 1923 the mine was described as having been opened up and being ready for stoping, but with only a small quantity of ore removed. The work was said to be held up awiting the contruction of a track across Cwm Llechen to join the Diphwys track to Bont Ddu. [Dewey & Dines 1923: 68].
The extant track across the valley floor and the stone bridge suggests that the track referred to above did eventually get constructed. However, the considerable amounts of mined ore remaining stacked higher up in the workings suggests that perhaps only material from the three adits and the open workings immediately above them was taken out along the track.
See also Votty & Diphwys.
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Stacked ore
Looking uphill at stacks of ore by open workings at SH67622150. A small pile of waste rock is visible on the right of the picture. The stacks are sitting on masonry platforms built from the local country rock. |
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Stacked ore and shelter
Looking down on stacks of ore by open workings at SH67622150. What appears to be a pile of waste rock at 10 o’clock to the person's head is the roof of a semi-underground shelter.
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Shelter
The wall and roof over the semi-underground shelter at SH67622150. The person is emerging from the shelter access-way on hands and knees. The shelter consists of a slot in the ground, surrounded by rock on three sides and with a roof and front wall of stone waste. It contains a seat improvised from a stone slab and support. |
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Open workings
Looking down on open workings (the dark trench-like feature) imediately above the adits. | |
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Top adit
Entrance to top adit. |
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Middle adit
Looking along middle addit towards entrance, development up bed with opening to surface visible top right. |
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Bottom adit
Manganese bed working in small chamber at end of bottom adit. |
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Loading bank
Structure (SH67402132), presumed loading bank, at level of bottom adit. |
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Bridge
Bridge (SH67362135) leading to track from mine to junction with track from New Diphwys to Bontddu. The closing-off of the gap in wall and the provision of a stile is obviously subsequent to the working period of the mine. |
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Loading bank
Loading bank or ore stacking platform at SH66962114 near junction of track from mine with track from New Diphwys to Bontddu. The figure is standing on the track from the mine. |
| Front page | Index of mines | Area maps: Arenig, Harlech |