This is the second of a series of short articles and accompanying mobile documentaries, in which I hope to introduce some of the historical facts and historical fictions, interwoven into the hidden gem that is the Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Now in the care of the National Trust, Dolaucothi stands in the beautiful and evocative landscape of South West Wales near the tiny village of Pumpsaint (Five Saints). Archaeological evidence has discovered that the Romans extensively worked the Dolaucothi site and they were able to extract between 50 to 200 tonnes of gold during the 70 years they remained there.
After the Romans left the British Isles, Dolaucothi Mines remained unworked for nearly 1700 years. From 1797, with the mines now part of the Dolaucothi Estate and belonging to the Johnes family, three further attempts were made to extract gold but with little success.
The final attempt was made in 1937 and over the next year 1000 ounces (28kg) of gold was recovered however, in reality the majority of the gold that had been at Dolaucothi had been removed by the Romans many centuries earlier.
With rising costs and a diminishing return on their investment, Britain’s only known Roman gold mine closed for good.
Here is a link to a short film introducing a little more about the carbide safety lamps used by the miners in the 1930s.
Stay tuned for more history and mystery from the fascinating and magical Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Read the other parts of this series; Dolaucothi Gold Mines: Britain's Only Known Roman Gold Mine, here:
Dolaucothi Gold Mines: The Mystery of Upper Roman Adit: https://read.cash/@smiletobefree/dolaucolthi-gold-mines-the-mystery-of-upper-roman-adit-f537c932
And stay tuned for more history and mystery from the fascinating and magical Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Also enjoy the slapstick modern silent movie set in and around the Dolaucothi Gold Mines:
Fool's Gold: A Dolaucothi Love Story
