Countryfile

Exciting things happening at the mine! On Tuesday 17th February 2009, John Craven and his film crew were at the Mine, shooting for a Countryfile Special Welsh Edition to be aired on BBC1, Sunday, March 1st. Countryfile visited the Mine to hear about the story of the mines, how silver was found in the lead ore and what it was like to have been a working miner all those years ago.

Paul Sambrook and Jenny Hall from Trysor (an Archaeology/History Consultancy) were also on site as Paul was reading/translating passages from the diary of a Welsh Miner who worked in Esgair Hir Copper Miners in 1901.

The film crew and John Craven were due to arrive at Llywernog at 1.30 (Paul and Jenny were there on time!) but we then got a rather apologetic phone call from the producer - they were all still at the source of the Severn on the Hafren side of Plynlimon!!! Two hours later they were with us and the interview with Paul about the old 1901 Diary took place on a picnic table outside the main building. Paul read extracts in Welsh and translated for John Craven. A nice touch for St David's Day.

John Craven and the crew were underground in the Llywernog Mine for well over an hour, filming an interview with Peter Lloyd Harvey who began this mammoth project over 36 years ago! The interview ranged from the geology of the mineral vein to an inspection of the little group of miners initials chiselled into the wall of the adit level in the 1790's. Darkness had engulfed the Cambrian Mountains when the party emerged from the tunnel at about 7.00pm.

By 7.00pm, when they left, the mine was in total darkness and the crew headed back to the studio in Birmingham.

WATCH THE VIDEO ON BBC iPlayer.

Some pictures from the filming of Countryfile at the Mine

 

 

Esgair Hir

The 1890 reopening of EsgairHir was a real last gasp attempt. A worn out mine and a gullible group of Indian Army Officers who were persuaded to form a new Company!!! The Army Officers took over in the late 1890's and by 1900 the mine had produced just one ton of Silver-Lead Ore, nothing in 1901 when our miner wrote his diary account of working there. It was closed down finally not long afterwards. The venture closed rapidly and our Welsh Miner (name will be on Countryfile) moved down to South Wales and continued life as a collier.

The Peak District Mines Historical Society has details of mining activity in mid wales during this time. You can see how the capital was spent as the Welsh Mines Corporation spent the army officers capital like water! Look under Esgair Hir for the details. In 1896, the venture was just up-&-running!