All walks › Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian MountainsCwmystwyth Mines
Hillside stripped bare by four thousand years of metal mining, with Bronze Age workings, Victorian engine houses and almost nothing growing on the spoil.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 15
- Ascent
- 250 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
The route climbs through the workings from the valley road and loop back. Rough underfoot with loose spoil.
Worth knowing
- Mining here goes back to the Bronze Age and continued to 1921, which makes it one of the longest-worked sites in Britain.
- The spoil is heavy with lead and zinc. Keep dogs from drinking and wash hands before eating.
- Do not enter any adit or shaft.
What you’ll see
Engine houses and dressing floors, enormous spoil runs, and the Ystwyth valley.
Background
Lead, zinc and silver were worked here from around 2000 BC. The landscape is essentially industrial waste and is protected as such.