1993

SH7783 : Copper Mine, Great Orme

taken 32 years ago, near to Gogarth, Conwy, Wales

Copper Mine, Great Orme
Copper Mine, Great Orme
This image was taken in 1993 and I cannot recall the view direction.
Quotation from the Great Orme Mines website LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link )
"Uncovered in 1987 during a scheme to landscape an area of the Great Orme, the copper mines discovered below the ground represent one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of recent time. Dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age they change our views about the ancient people of Britain and their civilized and structured society 2,000 years before the Roman invasion."
From Current Archaeology 1993
"The Great Orme itself is a Country Park and as such is meant to be green and full of flora and fauna; Thus the Welsh Development Agency which is charged with the task of tidying up Wales and removing all the unsightly debris of the industrial revolution, began tidying up the Great Orme Head. They proposed to cap the shaft down which access had been obtained, and to bulldoze over all the remains of the 19th Century mineworkings, spread topsoil and put it down to grass. It seemed a pity to remove all the traces of the industrial archaeology in this way, so Tony Hammond pleaded for a stay of execution and persuaded them to cap the shaft 4Oft down to allow access to the early workings as well as inserting a manhole cover for those who wished to explore the Victorian workings 500ft below.
At this point Tony Hammond dreamed his big dream, to set up a company to explore the Bronze Age mines and present them to the public. In this he was joined by his wife Anne as co-director and by two colleagues who are also enthusiasts in the exploration, Andy Lewis, a geologist, and Edric Roberts who was an accountant, and together they set up the Great Orme Mine Company Limited. A crucial step was to negotiate a 40 year lease of the area from the Aberconwy Borough Council who own this part of Great Orme Head. They negotiated a loan from the bank, failed to penetrate the Byzantine complexities of the Welsh Tourist Agency and on 31st March 1990, gave up their jobs to found the Great Orme Mine Company. They built a Visitor Centre more or less by themselves with the all important public conveniences adjacent and erected a temporary hall for the video. Meanwhile they bulldozed away quantities of 19th century spoil to reveal the main Bronze Age entrances. Eventually, on 23rd April 1991 they opened to the public."

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SH7783, 275 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Humphrey Bolton   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 24 July, 1993   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 23 January, 2011
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SH 770 830 [100m precision]
WGS84: 53:19.7745N 3:50.9037W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SH 770 830
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Image classification(about): Geograph · First in 5 Years (TPoint) (about)
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