Wemyss Lead & Zinc Mine
Overview
The abandoned Wemyss Mine is 15km southeast of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
It is located at the head of the Cwmnewydion valley, a tributary of the River Magwr, which joins the River Ystwyth at Abermagwr.
The mine worked the Frongoch mineral lode alongside Frongoch and Graig Goch mines.
Wemyss became an integral part of the larger Frongoch Mine and cannot be considered in isolation from its more illustrious neighbour.
In the 1840s both mines came under the same ownership and the Wemyss drainage adit was extended to also serve the Frongoch workings, becoming the Frongoch Adit we know today.
The mines continued to be operated together with varying success throughout the latter half of the 19th century until they were acquired by the Belgian company ‘Société Anonyme Miniére’ in 1898.
The Belgians invested heavily in modernising and electrifying the mining operations, which included constructing a state-of-the-art hydro-electric power station at Pont Ceunant and a large ore dressing mill at Wemyss.
However, the venture was short-lived and by 1904 the company were in liquidation and all of the mine’s machinery and effects were sold at auction.
Today, the Wemyss site is dominated by the ruins of the dressing mill and its large spoil tips which are bordered to the south by the Cwmnewydion Stream and to the west by the smaller Mill Race Stream.
There are also the remains of the wheel pit for a 56-foot waterwheel, which was fed by a leat from Frongoch.
Wemyss is a significant source of metal pollution and is causing a chemical and ecological impact on downstream watercourses.
Possible Migitation Options
- Mine water treatment
- Surface water management e.g. Mine site drainage
- Sediment control
- Mine waste reprofiling
- Mine waste capping
- Watercourse management e.g. separation
Project Progress
Over the past few years we have been gathering information to better understand the pollution risk from Wemyss Mine, Graig Goch Mine and Frongoch Adit to identify a list of potential mitigation solutions. Graig Goch Mine and Frongoch Adit are being progressed together under one project called Cwmnewydion, while Wemyss Mine is being progressed as a separate project within the overall Programme. The two project teams are working closely to seek efficiencies and maximise benefits. We have commissioned a Scoping Report that includes both Graig Goch Mine and Frongoch Adit and conducted archaeological and ecological assessments, in order to identify the problems that are causing pollution of the watercourse/ water quality issue and which need addressing.
At Wemyss Mine a Feasibility Study identified that the primary pollution sources are the metal-rich spoil heaps that characterise the site. Erosion, mobilisation and leaching of metals is occurring where the watercourses and rainfall interact with this mine waste.
Next Steps
At Wemyss Mine we are currently taking a number of surface water management engineering interventions to outline design. Outline design isn’t the final plan for the site; it represents the key components of a system we think will be implemented.
The interventions include flow management, spoil reprofiling, spoil scour protection, stream diversion and enhanced drainage. The goal of these interventions is to prevent water from interacting with metal-rich spoil heaps in this area, which will reduce the amount of harmful metals entering into the watercourses.
Current Timeline
Newsletter
2023
Further Information
Should you wish to request a specific information, please contact the team via cwmnewydion@metalmineswales.co.uk.
Website links
Related document downloads
Keeping in touch and how to get involved
We want to hear from you as we progress the Wemyss and Cwmnewydion Mine Projects and explore the wider environmental and social opportunities that can be developed as part of the preferred strategy for this site.
If you’d like to share your views, be added to an email mailing list, or have any questions please get in touch on the details below:
cwmnewydion@metalmineswales.co.uk
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- Metal mines
Interests
- Metal mines
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