The Clogau (pronounced "clog-eye") Gold Mine (also known as Clogau St David's) is a
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
mine near
Bontddu
is a small settlement just east of Barmouth, near the town of Dolgellau in Gwynedd, Wales. It is in the community of Llanelltyd.
Description
Bontddu consists of a small collection of dwellings, a former chapel and a pub called The Halfway Ho ...
in
North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
.
History
The Clogau mine was opened to exploit the copper and lead veins in the area north of Bontddu. In 1854, gold was discovered at the mine in a vein of
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
. The main gold-bearing vein was named the "St. David's lode", and in 1860 arrangements were made with the
Crown Estate
The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priva ...
to work the gold commercially. Operations started on 28 August 1860.
Clogau produced significant amounts of gold in the 1890s. In 1899, it produced £60,000 worth of gold ().
In 1919, exploration of the mine found new gold veins. A new crushing plant was installed and the mine was re-opened.
In 1989 the Clogau Gold Mine was re-opened by William Roberts, founder of Clogau Gold of Wales Ltd. Gold extraction re-commenced between 1992 and 1998, with small-scale mining providing the gold for Clogau Gold jewellery. Mining eventually ceased in 1998 due to high cost of mining and diminishing quantities of gold being found.
Future mining
A 2012 report conducted by Snowdon Mining Consultants on behalf of the previous majority owners of the mine, Gold Mining Wales Ltd (GMW), suggested that as much as 500,000 ounces of gold could be lying untouched in the area surrounding the mine, giving hope that gold may again be extracted from the Clogau Gold Mine. Alba Mineral Resources are now the majority owner of the mine and are currently drilling to assess the commercial viability of reopening parts of the mine. Previous samples taken from a 200 metre long area returned gold grades of 30.2 to 263 grams per tonne,
suggesting that previously unrealised supplies of gold could potentially exist.
See also
*
Gwynfynydd
Gwynfynydd Gold Mine is near Ganllwyd, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales. The lode, which was discovered in 1860, was worked from 1884. It has produced more than 45,000 troy ounces of Welsh gold until mining ceased in 1998. The equivalent of 1,400 ...
Gold Mines
*
Dolaucothi Gold Mines
The Dolaucothi Gold Mines (; ) (), also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The gold mines are located within the ...
*
Welsh gold
Welsh gold is gold found in natural geological deposits in two distinct areas of Wales in the United Kingdom. It has been prized for its origin and scarcity, particularly by members of the British royal family. It is not a unique material subst ...
References
External links
Photos of natural Welsh Gold from the Clogau mineAditnow- Photographic database of Clogau Gold Mine
"What Clogau gold rock looks like"(blog)
Clogau Gold of Wales Ltd. Website
{{coord, 52.7618, -3.9647, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Gold mines in Wales
Mines in Gwynedd
Industrial railways in Wales
2 ft gauge railways in Wales
Llanelltyd