The Dylife Gorge and Afon Twymyn, Powys Mid Wales. SCO 8682
Dylife is a former mining settlement in Powys, Mid Wales, located at the head of Afon Twymyn in the Cambrian Mountains, one mile west of the road between Llanidloes and Llanbrynmair (B4518). The nearby lead mines intermittently sustained mining communities from Roman times until the early 20th century. During the late 19th century, as mining declined after the 1860s so did Dylife's population. The remaining buildings are two former chapels converted into homes and the Star Inn. Lead mining around Dylife took place in Roman times (there is a Roman fort on nearby Penycrocbren) and recommenced in the 17th century on a small scale until the early 19th century. In 1809, the two managers, Hugh Williams and John Pughe, started to negotiate for the lease which they obtained in 1815. The two men operated the mines until the 1850s, although not harmoniously. The mines were expanded with new shafts and machinery was brought in to assist productivity by bringing ore to the surface, pumping out the shafts and processing the ore on the surface. Large waterwheels provided the power source, including Rhod Goch (Red Wheel), which, at 63 feet in diameter, was one of the largest in Britain. The high price of lead and the low wages paid to the workers, compensated for high transport costs over difficult country to the nearest port at Derwenlas on the River Dyfi. From 22 tons in 1809, production peaked in 1862 at 2571 tons and declined thereafter. The price of lead also declined and as the mines' profitability dropped, the owners sold up in 1873. In 1884, two companies having failed to make a success of them, the mines were closed. "Informal" and small-scale efforts were made until 1901 to continue production. Thereafter, they finally closed and soon became flooded.
Size: 6063px × 4035px
Location: Dylife Gorge, River Twymyn. Powys. Mid Wales. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -shaped, action, age, age., carved, channel, cutting, dylife, economy, eroded, fast, fawr, ffrwd, filled, flow, flowing, geomorphology, glaciated, glaciation, glacier, glavial, gorge, ground, headed, ice, landform, lead, left, located, machynlleth, melted, mid, mining, powys, river, run, started, stream, today., twymyn, valley, valley., wales, waterfall, waterfall., waterway, wide
