Parys Mountain copper mine

Parys Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey is one of Anglesey’s must-visit locations! For the general public, there is a network of walks around the weird landscape of the ancient copper mine at Parys Mountain starting from the car park on the B5111 from Amlwch to Llanerchymedd. A well marked track leads to the viewpoint overlooking the spectacular Great Opencast – shaped by miners using nothing more than picks, shovels and gunpowder! There is a level walk around the top of the Great Opencast and a viewing area with a stunning panorama that shows off the excavation’s amazing colours – an artist’s palette of reds, oranges, pinks, browns, purples, blacks, greens, yellows, and greys. Advice on visiting can be found on the Visit Anglesey tourist website

Stunning drone footage by Geoviewdrones

Youtube on underground in Parys mine – well worth watching for science and simple views

See news item on drilling starting November 2021

PhD thesis on metal pollution here

Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey general view from viewpoint over Great Opencast — general view from viewpoint over Great Opencast [S Campbell]

Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey general views over mined area with piles of roasted ore giving amazing colours [J Conway] — Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey ; general views over mined area with piles of roasted ore giving amazing colours [J Conway]

Windmill on summit originally powered a pumping engine[J Conway]

Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey general view over the Great Opencast [J Conway] — Mountain copper mine , Amlwch, Anglesey ;general view over the Great Opencast [J Conway]

GeoMôn information

For the geologist or industrial archaeologist, there are some more detailed trail leaflets. GeoMôn has two for you to download and follow, one around the surface exploring the stunning esoteric landscape at Parys Mountain Trail leaflet, once the biggest copper mine in the world, the other explores the port facilities at Porth Amlwch trail leaflet from where the copper ore was exported to Swansea for refining. Parys Underground Group maintains an excellent website all about the mine, its geology, history and social history. Topping the mountain are the recently restored remains of a windmill, originally used to power a pumping engine on the nearby shaft.

it's hard to find any copper ore these days but in the very base of the Great Opencast these veins of pyrite, galena and small traces of chalcopyrite can be found. [J Conway] — it’s hard to find any copper ore these days but in the very base of the Great Opencast these veins of pyrite, galena and small traces of chalcopyrite can be found. [J Conway]

precipitation pits, where scrap iron was placed in mine drainage water causing the precipitation of cooper from solution [J Conway] — precipitation pits, where scrap iron was placed in mine drainage water causing the precipitation of copper from solution. BEWARE this water is sulphuric acid and extremely corrosive (pH <2) [J Conway]

filamentous bacteria growing in mine drainage water. BEWARE this water is sulphuric acid and extremely corrosive (pH <2) [J Conway]

The Parys Mine is probably unique amongst large mines in never having a railway; ore was transported by horse and cart down this trackway to Porth Amlwch[J Conway]

Core samples from drilling in 1980[J Conway]

"New" shaft erected in 1980 for trials by Anglesey Mining[J Conway] — “New” shaft erected in 1980 for trials by Anglesey Mining[J Conway]

small cone crusher used during trials in the 1980s [J Conway]

rotary ball mill used during trials in the 1980s [J Conway]

The Amlwch history website contains interesting background information on Parys mine, on social history, shipbuilding and many more topics related to activites in Amwlch and Porth Amlwch.

Welsh ballad praising the copper ladies of Parys

Cerdd O Glod I ferchaid mynydd parys

Mae enw mynydd paris

Yn glodus gan bob pen,

A’i fwn sy’n adnabyddys,

Gan bawb o dan y nen

Ac nid oes chwaith ei debyg,

Drwy Gymry lwys I gyd,

A’i Fwn-wyr-dynion diddig,

Hwy haeddynt glod y byd.

I Ferchaid mynydd Parys,

Sy’n curo’r mwn y fan,

Boed dwy oes I bob dynes,

A glwys bo’u bwthyn glan.

A Poem of Praise To the girls of Paris Mountain

The name of paris mountain
Is praised by everyone,
And his fwn (ore?) is known,
By everyone under the sky
And there is none like it,
All through Wales,
And its placid Fwn-wyr-dynion (ore-something-men???),They deserved the world’s praise.

To the girls of Parys mountain,
Who beat the ore there,
May every woman (?) have two lives,
And (it is nice/they are glad??) that their cottage is clean.

(access original here)

This is a photograph of one of the women workers, known locally as ‘copar ledis’, who worked at the Amlwch copper mines on the island of Anglesey. The women were employed to clean and break up the copper ore. The ‘copar ledis’ wore a thick glove on their left hand with iron rings around the fingers in order to handle the ore.(source)

Modern day Mining

Anglesey Mining plc is a UK mining company founded in 1984 and currently has interests in projects in Wales, Sweden and Canada. It is exploring and developing its Parys Mountain property which hosts a significant polymetallic zinc, copper, lead, silver and gold deposit where there is a head frame, a 300m deep production shaft, planning permission for operations and freehold ownership of the minerals and land. There is a very good geological summary on their website. Infrastructure is good, political risk is low and the project enjoys the support of local people and government. Visit the website for details of its activities and estimates of future economic prospects for the site.