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Dear All Just to put the record straight on Welsh mining landscapes I thought I should point out that the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (Clwyd-Powys, Dyfed, Gwynedd and Glamorgan-Gwent) have been active since 1992 in drawing together a comprehensive database for their respective areas of the non-ferrous metal mines. The initial Powys Mines Survey which I completed was followed by a Clwyd survey and these together were used as the models for survey in the other Trust regions. The intention of the surveys was initially to produce a development control document which could facilitate preservation of mining features within the planning environment but an additional benefit was that we could recommend to Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) that a number of the most important mining landscapes within our area be put forward for scheduling. Scheduling is currently the most powerful protection through legislation that can be given to an archaeological site. The complete mine landscapes scheduled in Powys so far include: The Pen Dylife/Dyfngwm/Castle Rock complex; Nant Yr Eira Mine, Nantiago Mine, Cwm Elan, Dalrhiw/Nant Y Car South, Craig Y Mwyn, Penyclun and Cwm Orog. In Clwyd a number of sites have also been put forward for scheduling with consideration being given to the protection of a large area of Halkyn Mountain, although the progress of the latter may be hampered by complex land ownership and access rights and would require detailed discussions and agreements with the Grosvenor Estate amongst others. You should also be aware of the Cadw/CCW/ICOMOS Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales. Jan. 1998. This is a non-statutory list of the most outstanding historic landscapes in Wales and includes a number of the Welsh mining areas. Halkyn Mountain for example is included in its entirety and a landscape characterisation survey is being completed by the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust this year which will focus on the contribution of mining to this landscape. While this document may have no 'teeth' in the planning or conservation process it does inform planners, potential developers and landowners of the importance of each landscape and creates an awareness that was previously lacking. it is a useful baseline survey from which further intensive survey, conservation and potential designation can hopefully be achieved. I hope this goes some way to allaying fears of mass devastation in Wales ! If anyone is interested in looking at a summary of the historic landscapes register in general have a look at the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust's web site at www.cpat.demon.co.uk Bye for now Mark Walters -----Original Message----- From: Peter Claughton <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Cc: Priscilla Ross-Fox <[log in to unmask]> Date: 22 October 1999 13:55 Subject: Mining landscapes >Going back to the 'railway' discussion for a minute. This list has a broad >remit - all aspects of mining, including transport systems - and these can >be important elements in the mining landscape. > >The was brief discussion a while back on the protection of mining features >in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan USA, which appeared to focus on the >preservation of certain sites and structures rather than looking at the >overall landscape. It happens in the UK when we preserve a particular >structure or site, usually with sound reasoning on its historical merit, >whilst allowing related features around it to be destroyed. > >There are however certain areas within the UK where mining was of prime >importance in the formation of the landscape we see today - and I talk here >in relation to non-ferrous metal mining in the uplands of England and Wales >with which I'm most familiar - in which all the features are interrelated. >Some of the smaller areas, like Grassington Moor in the Yorkshire Dales >National Park, are afforded some protection but others are degraded >piecemeal. That is happening in the Cambrian Mountain area of mid Wales >despite its being recognised and designated as a Landscape of Outstanding >Historic Interest. Such a designation may in the longer term provide some >degree of protection for a unique pattern of scattered mines and mining >related settlements but it is a level of protection with no statutory >obligations, and is apparently unique to Wales. In England it is necessary >to rely on inclusion within a National Park or designation as an Area of >Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the latter can be something of a misnomer. > >Such a designated AONB is the Tamar Valley on the Devon / Cornwall border. >It is an area which provides probably the best example of a historic mining >landscape in the UK, spanning at least seven hundred years of mining >activity, making the Tamar what it is today an area of outstanding but not >necessarily natural beauty. In it can be found the physical evidence for the >beginnings of large scale, capital intensive mining in the late medieval >period through to the final attempts at diversification and the working of >polymetallic deposits in the first half of this century. Virtually all the >features in the landscape are man made and mining related. From the >woodland - managed as a fuel supply for lead/silver smelting - through the >settlement pattern, to the transport infrastructure - water, including >canal, based until the arrival of the railways in the early 20th century - >it was influenced by mining. The structures of mining are in some cases >preserved and still dominate the skyline but the evidence for ore >preparation in particular has already been targetted for elimination in the >reclamation of 'derelict' land. > >The designation of an area like the Tamar Valley as an AONB suggests that it >is a natural landscape and provides an excuse for the elimination of >manmade, mining features. What is required, in my opinion, is a form of >designation which recognises and gives precedence to the manmade elements in >a historic, in this case a historic mining, landscape. > >Your ideas, opinions and experiences please. > >Peter > >______________________________________________ > >Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen, >Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE. >Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 0831 427599 > >University of Exeter - Department of History >School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies >E-mail: [log in to unmask] > >Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list. >See http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/mining-history/ for details. > >Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/ > >_____________________________________________ > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%