Roman Gravels Mine

Location - 1 mile north west of Shelve village (NGR SO334998)

Minerals - Barytes, Lead, Silver and Zinc

Working Life - Known working life : Roman(?)-1929

History ("Mining Remains in South West Shropshire", Terry Davies et al, SCMC Account No.18)

This mine has also been known as Shelvefield Gravels Mine. Mining has been carried out at this site from early times and some of the shallower workings have been attributed to the Romans. It is known to have been worked opencast by the Romans around 120 AD, using hushing techniques. In 1784, John Lawrence & Co erected a 20" Boulton & Watt engine at Engine Shaft for pumping. At the time of installation, the shaft was only 31 yards deep but it was intended to increase this to 60 yards. No details of the engine house are known since the engine was supported in a timber structure and the engine house design was left to the mine engineer. The boiler, however, would have been of a round kettle-like design. The beam hung over the shaft and it was connected to two pump rods, which would be offset to keep the shaft top clear for winding. The following year, Lawrence wrote to Watt to say that the engine had proved "good and substantial", except that the valve at the bottom of the air pump had lost its copper facing but this had been put right. The engine was "quite superior to the water in power" but, although the inflow of water was trifling, "the work has been opencast in the Roman manner and therefore land water is troublesome".

In 1788, a 24" Boulton & Watt engine was purchased to the same design as the previous one and was installed to pump at Old Engine Shaft. In 1790, a third Boulton & Watt engine was purchased, this time with a 14" cylinder and of an unusual design. The outer end of the beam was coupled by a chain or rod to a large pair of bellows and the beam itself was slung from above by a pair of links. The upper end of the piston rod, which was coupled directly to the beam, had a roller running on a vertical guide. This was necessary to prevent the freely suspended beam from moving out of alignment and drawing the piston crab-wise in the cylinder. There were two cocks at the lower end of the cylinder, one for steam to enter and one for it to escape.

A letter from John Lawrence Jnr to Edmund Buckley in August 1831 describes a blowing engine at the slaghearth. Buckley, who was an Ironmaster living in Manchester, wished to buy the smelt house but John Lawrence Snr did not approve. The engine was described as a "little steam engine and good bellows which both have answered their purpose well". He inferred that the engine was not in working order by stating that it could be put right at little expense. This is almost certainly the 14" Boulton & Watt engine referred to above and it was still in a reasonable state after more than 40 years of working. The exact location of this engine is not known.

In 1860, a 45" pumping engine was installed, together with a 15" winder. About 1875, the New (or Main) Engine Shaft was sunk on top of the hill and a 60" pumping engine from Harveys Foundry at Hayle installed. Shortly after this, a compressor house was built and the pumping engine at Old Engine Shaft was converted to a winder. It is difficult to tie in all these engines with the present remains since the buildings were blown up in the Second World War as practice for the Royal Engineers. The position of the mine buildings is shown on a mine plan of 1872, as well as in the mine section of 1892. There were also 3 waterwheels in use at some period, two of which were of 30ft diameter.

Surface Remains

Due to the demolition during the Second World War, little remains of the buildings. The remains of a pumping enginehouse can be seen on the east side of the road and this pumped from Old Engine Shaft, now completely collapsed. The footings of a horizontal winder for this shaft are also present. Behind the engine house, the back walls of two ore bins can be seen and, above these, the partly-filled entrance of Day Level with another opening 20ft above. The course of Day Level can be traced up the hillside as a series of collapse depressions to New Engine Shaft, which is completely filled. In 1964, remains of a pump rod protruded from this shaft but these have now slipped down.

To the north is Boundary Shaft. It was open in 1960 but the tip has since been pushed down it, although subsidence is continuing. This shaft, although on First North Vein which branches off Roman Vein, was worked by the California Engine of East Roman Gravels Mine. Below Boundary Shaft are two others on Second North Vein. One of these is flooded to within 6ft of surface, while the other is blocked 25ft down. There was an open adit in this area in 1964 but this was not found on a recent search.

Following the track from New Engine Shaft to Ladywell, a small ginged shaft on the Sawpit Vein can be seen on the left which is blocked with rubbish at 90ft. Further to the south, down the hillside is Spring Vein Pit . This large shaft is still open and the ditch along which the flat rods ran can still be seen. A video camera was lowered down here in 1993 and it was found to be flooded with no passages off above water level.

Three sets of Roman opencasts are present - a small one just to the north of Old Engine Shaft on First North Vein, a very large one 50yds to the south on Roman Vein and another small one 70yds further on Sawpit Vein.

The Hope Brook can be followed up the valley to the Roman Gravels tips, where it issues from a culvert. This is about 5ft across, with stone walls and a brick arched roof. For most of its 200yds length it is about 4ft high with a paved floor. One 24" culvert (explored for 100ft until it narrowed) enters from the right about 100 yds along, before a collapse of the brickwork has allowed large rocks to block it. Most of the water enters a seepage on the left. The culvert is decorated with white stalactites up to 2ft long, with stalagmite columns up to 9 inches high.

Miscellaneous

The following poem came into Clifford Evan's head a few years ago at Shrewsbury Market and he wrote it straight down. It was inspired by the old hushes at Roman Gravels Mine. The reference about the Romans destroying themselves refers to the fact that many suffered from the effects of lead poisoning due to their extensive use of lead in plumbing.

I walk through the trees and heather, what's this I see
A cut in the hillside, stretching out before me
Nothing to look at, I don't think I'll stay
I'll return to the path and go on my way.

But my mind seems to wander, as it sometimes will
About things that have happened at the cut in the hill
Everything's quiet, there's no movement of air
I can only look down with a dreamy-like stare.

Is that a Roman soldier standing high on the side
With a coiled leather whip on his belt neatly tied
And there are others down there, standing around
Watching men toil deep down in the ground.

Half dressed wild men, some looking half-dead
Using crude tools to bring out the lead
Dark eyed men these, with muscular arms
Renowned for their fierceness not their charms.

I see a young boy, with loose curly hair
He stands out from the others, his skin is so fair
He looks so weary, he stumbles and falls
Here bring water quick, somebody calls.

But I hear the whip lash snaking out with a crack
And the blood seems to jump from the fair boy's back
He tries to look up, he moves his fair head
His blue eyes close, now he slumps, he is dead.

"Come on you British louts, move him out of the way
If there's any more hold ups, you'll have done nothing today"
Savage eyes look up, there's hate in their stare
"We're warriors not slaves, you'd better take care".

"Just give me my bow, and arrows three
And I'll take your life before you get me
I'll see that you, in your own blood will drown
Before your comrades can cut me down".

But they have to move on, there's no other way
And try to keep working, till the end of the day
"You're bringing down their empire!" I want to shout
"They're destroying themselves with lead you dig out".

I feel on my face a soft zephyr-like breeze
It whispers through the heather, and sighs in the trees
I look back at the people, they're gone, all is still
There is only me here and a cut in the hill.