Roman Mining Operations on the Borders of Wales. 305 



in the literary history of Shropshire, J. F. M. Povaston, ex- 

 plored the Roman workings as completely as it could be done, 

 taking the precaution of carrying a piece of chalk with him to 

 mark his way. Some of the shafts, or passages, which were 

 extremely sinuous,, extended as far as two hundred yards, 

 sometimes they were so small that it was necessary even to 

 creep through them, but they were usually from a yard to three 

 yards wide, and from time to time became developed into broad 

 and lofty chambers, where the ore had been found in larger 

 quantities. They had all been cut through the solid rock, and 

 in many places the marks of the chisel were distinctly visible. 

 ' ' Long passages," we are told in the account of this exploration, 

 ' ' frequently terminate in small holes about the size to admit a 

 man^s arm, as if the metal ran in strings, and had been picked 

 out quite clean, with hammers and long chisels, as far as they 

 could reach." It may be added that the roofs of these caverns 

 were covered with pendent stalactites, which glittered bril- 

 liantly in the light of the torches. So many human bones were 

 found scattered about, that it was conjectured that these caves 

 had become a place of refuge in the troubled times which fol- 

 lowed the overthrow of the Roman power, and that the fugitives 

 had perished there. Roman antiquities of various kinds, and 

 especially coins, are often found on Llanymynech Hill ; of the 

 latter, a friend in Shrewsbury, Mr. Henry Pidgeon, well known 

 for his zealous and successful investigations of Shropshire 

 antiquities, possesses about twenty copper corns found here, 

 ranging from the earlier emperors to a tolerably late period of 

 the imperial sway in Britain. The metal which was taken from 

 the mines I have been describing was no doubt copper ; but 

 the Romans obtained also from this hill lead and calamine. 

 Llanymynech Hill still produces both copper and lead, though, 

 I believe, not in very large quantity. 



The Romans seem not to have been aware of the existence 

 of iron in Shropshire ; but there can now be no doubt that they 

 discovered the Shropshire coal-field. It has been long sus- 

 pected that they used mineral coals in Britain, though different 

 circumstances rendered it very difficult to substantiate the con- 

 jecture ; but the question has been set at rest by the recent 

 excavations at Wroxeter, on the site of Uriconium, where 

 mineral coal is found in abundance, both unburnt and in cin- 

 ders, and under circumstances which can admit of no doubt. 

 It appears to be, generally, a coal of inferior quality which they 

 found near the surface, and which is still spoken of as surface 

 coal. 



When the Romans came into Britain, the metals in these 

 parts of the island were probably as yet undisturbed, and 

 they found employment enough where the existence of ore 



