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Vale of Conwy Lead Mine is a post-medieval and modern lead extraction site located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. The mine exploited veins of lead ore running through the local bedrock of Caradoc Rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Caradocian period. These sedimentary strata, tilted and fractured by ancient earth movements, provided the host rock in which mineralised veins formed, making this locality suitable for lead working during the centuries when demand for the metal drove extensive mining across Wales.
The Vale of Conwy mine represents the industrial heritage of lead extraction, an activity that became particularly intensive from the 17th century onwards as techniques improved and markets expanded. Miners worked the ore-bearing fractures, removing lead-rich material for smelting and refining. The site's survival as a scheduled monument reflects the importance of understanding post-medieval mining landscapes and their impact on the Welsh economy and environment.
Today the mine sits within the distinctive geological setting of the Vale of Conwy, where the ancient Caradoc bedrock continues to shape the landscape. The monument provides evidence of mining technology, labour organisation and resource exploitation during the period when such extraction formed a significant part of rural and industrial activity in north Wales.
Vale of Conwy Lead Mine is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN327. View the official record →
Vale of Conwy Lead Mine is a post-medieval and modern lead extraction site located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN327.
Vale of Conwy Lead Mine dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a lead mine. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Vale of Conwy Lead Mine is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CN327.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pont y Pair (3.4 km), Hafodlas Slate Quarry Mills and Associated Features (3.7 km), Afon Ystymiau, cairns to N of (6.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Vale of Conwy Lead Mine's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Vale of Conwy Lead Mine stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.