User:Pippa.lewis

Snailbeach Countryside Site is a very important area due to its rich historic background in the mining industry.

Site Facts
Snailbeach Countryside Site is located East of the A488, three miles south of Pontesbury, by the Stiperstones in Shropshire. Grid reference SJ 373022. This area is considered to be a very important part of Shropshire's industrial heritage, as it was once the greatest lead mines in the country and therefore has been protected as a scheduled ancient monument.

Snailbeach Lead Mine Heritage Project, Stiperstones
The Outdoor Recreation Service, and The Shropshire Mines Trusts Ltd have obtained £20,000 in a management agreement grant from English Heritage.

This money has been used to restored the Black Tom mine shaft headgear, and restore some of the areas and buildings. Future plans include assembling a building to store a piece of mining equipment called a jigger, which was removed for restoration more than ten years ago.

This work is aiming to be completed by April 2013.

History
Being one of the biggest lead mines in the country, this site has an important mining history. In its peak of the lead mining industry it was said to have extracted the largest volume of lead per acre in all of Europe. Though lead was the main substance extracted, smaller amounts of Barite, Calcite, Fluorspar, Silver and Zinc were also removed.

However a working mine was not without its dangers. At 6.15am on 6th March 1895, seven men lost their lives, their deaths were caused by a steel winding rope breaking on Georges shaft.

The cause of this steel rope breaking was due to internal corrosion, so severe was the corrosion that it was deemed not suitable to withstand the weight of the rope, let along a seven men.

Recreational activities
Walking paths are available on the site and range from easy to difficult terrain. A circular walk links all the historic buildings together, but some areas may be restricted due to residents’ privacy. The site provides access to the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve and Forest Enterprise land.

The Shropshire Mines Trust have been active in the restoration of the mine, and still continue to be involved as custodians. As a Trust they encourage volunteers who take part in activities that aim to conserve the historical built heritage.