WHILE many flock to Llandudno’s famous Great Orme every year to enjoy the unique headland’s stunning topside scenery, there are equally wondrous and intriguing things to discover beneath it.

I found this out for myself after being invited to experience a trip down Ty Gwyn Mine with the Great Orme Exploration Society.

At the mine’s entrance, located near Llandudno Pier, I met society members David Broomhead (vice chairman), Nick Challinor (public relations) and Steve Lea (treasurer) and was given some background about the tunnels I was to set foot in.

L-R, Nick Challinor, David Broomhead and Steve Lea at the mine entrance.

The first discovery of copper was made by a man named Benjamin Edwards – who used the land now known as Happy Valley for grazing cows with the permission of Ty Gwyn farm owner Edward Jones.

Mr Jones applied to prospect the land and 126 shares were established in the venture with William Jones of Bodhyfryd becoming the major investor with 23 shares.

The mine opened in 1835 and closed in 1853 due to continuous flooding. During its relatively short life it produced more than £100,000 worth of copper ore.

Having never really tried caving or potholing, it was with slight apprehension that I descended the ladder ahead of Mr Lea.

A visitor descends into the mine - Picture provided by Great Orme Exploration Society

The first stage of the trip took us though some fairly wet tunnels in material called glacial moraine, which looked like tightly compacted soil and stone.

Mr Lea showed me several artefacts found in the mine shaft including Bovril jars, clay pipes and bottles from a Ruthin-based soda water company estimated to have been made in the 1870s.

We then entered solid limestone, which Mr Lea explained had been carved out by miners holding drill bits against the rock which were beaten by men with sledgehammers.

Steve Lea leads the way through the glacial moraine

The hole created would then have black powder inserted and be packed in with clay before having a straw fuse attached to light and blast the face of the rock away.

We continued onwards and saw the Ty Gwyn Shaft with its pumping rods, which fills with water as the sea level goes up and down.

After turning back in the general direction of the pier, Mr Lea led me down to ‘the coffin level’ – so called for its shape – which was full of slender dangling mineral stalactites and took us beneath the pier pavilion site.

The 'coffin level' - Picture provided by Great orme Exploration Society

Following that we headed back to the ladder and up the entrance shaft into the evening air.

I can honestly say I have never experienced anything quite like the Ty Gwyn Mine. After a few minutes of exploring my initial apprehension gave way to intrigue and I definitely enjoyed the experience.

Mr Lea said the society’s trips have been enjoyed by many visitors of all ages over the years, one of the older participants being 93!

Picture provided by Great Orme Exploration Society

Vice-chairman David Broomhead said the group is now hoping to bring in some new younger members to enjoy the mines and help with its exploration work.

He said: "We want to promote the history because the copper mining was here before the hotels were here.

“Wales, with the copper and lead and slate, fuelled the industrial revolution and there's not really enough publicised about that.”

To find out more about the Great Orme Exploration Society, which holds activities above and below ground in the town, visit: www.goes.org.uk/index.html