There was an aerial ropeway at the Clogau Gold Mine at the turn of the last
century. It carried ore from the Tyn Y Cornel Level (then the deep adit)
down to Vigra Mill where it was processed. An old pic is reproduced in
George Hall's authoratitive book on the Gold Belt. Somewhere I have digital
images of same courtesy of old photos that I borrowed & scanned from Gethin
Williams, Jack's grandson.
When the Llechfraith Level holed through early in the 20th Century, its
purpose became redundant as the ore could then be shot down and trammed out
to a spot close to the processing plant - one of the main reasons why the
Llechfraith was driven with such gusto!
Last night I gave a talk to a very interesting group of people in Barmouth
and in the tea & chat session afterwards I chatted with an elderly lady who
had lived all her life in Bontddu, had a relation who had a ring of Clogau
gold - which metal had been obtained from Jack Williams yars ago - had
relatives who had worked in the mine in the old days - and remembered the
ropeway from long ago when she was a little girl. Her words opened up a
window in my imagination on times that had long passed by the time I was
born in the 1960s - and I also had a fascinating insight into the way the
plan to dredge the Mawddach Estuary for gold (by RTZ) in the late 1960s had
divided the community. I had always assumed unanimous opposition. I was
wrong!
Cheers - John
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