Subject: Bridge Rails - Bryntail lead mine
Alan - thanks for your enlightening reply - the bridge rails that I found
were short lengths being used to reinforce the fence posts around the
garden
of the cottage (used as a school adventure centre) adjacent to Bryntail
farm. The rail was about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across the foot and about 2
inches high - quite light and I would guess only suitable for 'manual'
power.
I used to stay at the cottage in the early 1960's when the cottage was
owned
by Central Grammar School ( Birmingham) but even then I don't recall any
real trace of a tramway on the ground. One of the buildings (now
demolished) between the farm and the cottage was always referred to as "the
dry" and was reputedly where the miners changed out of their wet clothes at
the end of a shift. I had the 'pleasure' of sleeping in there on a straw
palliasse (filled from the farm barn) on an iron bedstead amongst assorted
ironmongery on one occasion - mainly agricultural by that time I assume - I
think this is when the seeds of interest in mining history must have been
sown ;-))
As ever it makes you wish that more attention had been paid at the time!!
I'll try and contact one of the people who have the old journals from the
camp and see if they have any knowledge of the original history of the site
Kind regards
Clive Sanbrook
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Automatic digest processor" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "Recipients of mining-history digests" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 12:05 AM
> Subject: mining-history Digest - 16 May 2004 to 17 May 2004 (#2004-104)
>
>
> > There is one message totalling 64 lines in this issue.
> >
> > Topics of the day:
> >
> > 1. Bryntail
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 01:19:23 +0100
> > From: Alan Campbell <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Bryntail
> >
> > Clive,
> >
> > I have visited this site a few times, and remain confused. Firstly, I
> > think David Bick published something in one of his books, I don't have
> > it immediately to hand, but IIRC it showed quite clearly a tramway
> > running down the hill. Now, I have just checked on old.maps.co.uk, it
> > looks as if the map there is of slightly different vintage, because it
> > shows dotted lines where I thought David Bick's map showed tramways.
> > The tramway, or strictly, inclined plane, ran virtually straight down,
> > from the shaft just west of the farm, very slightly west of south, to
> > some structures about halfway between the end of the woods and the road
> > bridge. there is not much to see there on the ground, this is some way
> > east of the main group of buildings. A branch at the top went to the
> > other pair of shafts at the east side of the farm.
> >
> > I don't know anything about how this operated, it must have used some
> > kind of mechanical apparatus, maybe a waterwheel at the botton, for
> > winding, as no horse would pull an empty tub up that gradient, or
> > restrain a full one on the way down. I have walked up there through the
> > field a number of times times, it is not too easy, and it looks as if
> > there must have been a change of gradient halfway. It looks from the map
> > and on the ground (although I was last there 3 years ago, my memory is
> > not quite clear) that the lower footpath in the woods follows the line
> > of a leat which fed the waterwheel. Actually, as I write I am looking at
> > the map, upstream it is definitely labelled "Mill Race", and at a higher
> > level, "Old Mill Race". They can both be discerned on the ground in
> > places today. The weir is, I think, under the dam.
> >
> > I have always assumed that there was no connection between the two sets
> > of buildings at the bottom, one being for lead, the other for barytes.
> > There is certainly no trace of any tramway or road on the ground, only
> > the leats. But, another curious thing that you may have seen, if it is
> > still there, is a sign, IIRC at a bend on the easy path to the top,
> > pointing to the "spoli adit", which looks as if it must have been by the
> > waterwheel. I have looked for the adit a few times without success, the
> > only one I found is the obvious one with grille to prevent access, by
> > the main buildings. But, there is a very wet patch near where I guessed
> > the so-called spoil adit might be.
> >
> > I strongly suspect that this site is very confused by being called a
> > lead mine, when it was mainly barytes. There is a leaflet available
> > locally, e.g. from tha cafe above the dam, which contains some
> > information, much of it dubious. The "preservation" by the DoE in the
> > 1960s (or 1950s?) may well have obliterated important features, it
> > certainly looks nice as far as the general public are concerned, but I
> > would have preferred it as it was.
> >
> > Where did you find the bridge rails, were they at the main group of
> > buildings, or downstream, or by the farm?
> >
> > I hope this minor amount of info is of some use. I think the site is
> > worth a proper investigation.
> >
> > Alan
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > End of mining-history Digest - 16 May 2004 to 17 May 2004 (#2004-104)
> > *********************************************************************
>
>
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