Bwlch Mine

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.2980, -3.8218

Also within

Clwyd County

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Ordovician

Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Description Bwlch Mine is situated on the edge of The Vardre, a small hill to the east of Deganwy, in North Wales. The mine, now long since closed down, was opened to exploit the antimony mineralisation within igneous rocks of Ordovician age. It is the only recorded Welsh locality for the lead-antimony-sulphides semseyite, zinkenite and heteromorphite along with stibnite, jamesonite, galena, pyrites and blende. Further research is predicted to yield other rare sulphide minerals and their associated secondary phases.