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Snailbeach Lead Mine Heritage
Open Weekend 11-12th
September 2010 |
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Over a weekend in September every year, there is a
Heritage Weekend all over Europe where sites of historical interest which are
not normally open to the public are made so. For details of the national
scheme and what is happening elsewhere visit the National Heritage Days Website The Shropshire Mines Trust and the Shropshire Caving
& Mining Club will be opening Snailbeach Lead Mine on those dates (see
below for details of activities). |
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Location The mine is located
in the village of Snailbeach near Minsterley, Shropshire. From
the North - head for the A5
Shrewsbury bypass from either east or west and turn down the A488 south
signposted for Bishops Castle. Follow the A488 through Hanwood and
Pontesbury. At Minsterley turn left at the roundabout along the A488 and
after 2 miles look for a bus shelter on the right. Turn left just after this
along a minor road signposted to Snailbeach. Follow this up the hill and,
where the road flattens and turns right, look for the Village Hall on the
right hand side. From
the South - head for Bishops
Castle and take the A488 north signposted for Shrewsbury. Follow the A488
until you go down a steep wooded hill. A mile after this look for a bus
shelter on the left. Turn right just before this along a minor road
signposted to Snailbeach. Follow this up the hill and, where the road
flattens and turns right, look for the Village Hall on the right hand side. |
click on map to get larger version
There is ample free
parking so please ensure that you park behind the Village Hall, either on the
car park or the grass field below. Do NOT drive up the small road to
Lordshill or park on the roads. Car Park Location Grid
Reference - NGR SJ375822 Satnav
Coordinates - N - 52.61384º W - 2.92736º Nearest Postcode (within 200 metres) - SY5 0NS Everyone should go
to the Village Hall first on arrival to book in and find out what is
happening. . |
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Opening Times Activities will
take place from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Please note, however, that you may not be
able to join an underground trip if you turn up after 3.30pm. If you turn up
in the morning then you can be sure of participating in everything. When you have parked, book in at the village hall first where there
are a number of stalls. |
Costs In keeping with the
spirit of Heritage Day, there is no charge for access to the surface or
buildings of the mine. However, visitors wishing
to go underground will be asked to pay a small charge towards our
Preservation Fund so we can continue to carry out preservation work and buy
more mining artifacts and machinery. |
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Surface Buildings Snailbeach Mine has
the best set of surface lead mine buildings in the country and you can
explore these throughout the day. It takes about 1 hour
to go round on the surface and you should note that only part is accessible
to disabled persons due to either rough ground or steep climbs. In addition,
part of the route climbs a steep hill so you must be reasonably fit. Disabled persons will be allowed to park
near the buildings – ask one of the helpers. The following are
the main buildings :- a) Locomotive Shed This used to house
steam locomotives which operated the light railway to Minsterley, taking away
lead ore and bringing back coal for the boilers. It now contains a number of
artifacts found on site and there are future plans to install displays of
mining techniques. b) Blacksmiths Shop This used to
produce all the metalwork for the mine and sharpened the miners' tools. It
has been recently refurbished and the forge will be operating during the day.
The resident blacksmith will show how it worked and will be making items out
of iron. You will also be able to see lead being melted and poured into
moulds to make small ingots. c) Visitor Centre This used to be the
Miners Dry (where they dried their working clothes). You will be able to see
displays and watch a video about the mine. Adjacent to this is the
reconstructed wooden headgear and winding wheel on George's Shaft. There will be
volunteers in each of the buildings to show you around and answer questions.
There is also a self-guided surface tour leaflet. |
Underground Mine Tour If you wish to
participate, you will be asked to pay a small charge towards our Preservation
Fund which finances the cost of looking after the site and preserving mining
machinery. The charge will be £5.00 – Adult £2.00 – Child £12.00 – Family (up
to 3 children) Note that access is
by TICKET ONLY. You can buy tickets at the Reception Desk in the Village
Hall. Visitors will be
taken into Perkins Level, which was a 20th century access tunnel driven to
meet several chambers where barite was mined. It also connected with workings
deep in the mine. There is the chance to see a big barite vein as well as
traces of galena (lead ore) in the rock. There is usually
ankle deep water at the entrance so wellies are advisable or bring spare
shoes. Helmets will be provided but this mine is not lit so it is essential that you
have your own light. A few
headlights and pairs of wellies may be available on the day. Note that the
shorter Day Level will not be open during the weekend unless demand for an
underground trip is high. There may be
queues outside Perkins Level waiting for tours. If this happens we may advise you to wait
for a while at the main site. REMEMBER We
provide - helmet You
bring - wellies, torch, old clothes |
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Disabled Access There are parts of
the site that would be very difficult for a disabled person to access due to
steep slopes and uneven ground.
However, the buildings are all accessible and there is limited parking
for disabled persons’ cars at the mine – ask a helper. We regret that we are unable to arrange
underground tours for disabled persons during this weekend but ask about what
is possible on other dates. Refreshments There will be light
refreshments for sale in the Village Hall, next to the car park. If you wish for a cooked meal then the
Stiperstones Inn nearby will cater for your needs (children welcome). |
Tankerville Mine This is another lead
mine, a few miles to the south, which is owned by the Trust. It
has an almost complete engine house and chimney, as well as other features,
which have been recently preserved.
You are welcome to visit it during the day and, if you are part of a
large group, ask a helper to see if we can provide a guide. |
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Staying in the area If you wish to stay over in the area we recommend
the |
Further information If you wish to enquire further about any of the
activities:- Adrian Pearce T. 01952-405369 |
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Last
revised: 20 February 2010