Background information on the Trust

 

Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust

Ymddiriedolaeth Diwydiannol Amlwch

 Patron:

 The Most Hon. The Marquess of Anglesey, DL; FSA; FRHist.S; FRSL; Hon.DLitt.; Hon. FRIBA.  

Trustees:

Bryan D. Hope, B.A. (Secretary)
David A. Jenkins, B.A., Ph.D.  (Chairman) Senior Fellow UWB;  past Chairman of  Gwynedd Archaeological Trust;  environmental geologist  and mining archaeologist.
Denzil Taylor Smith, B.Sc.,  Professor Emeritus in Ocean Sciences;  Chartered Geologist specialising in hydrology, civil engineering and mineral exploration.
Neil Summers, (Archivist) BSc, CCHEM, MRSC Chartered chemist
Gwilym Evans Retried architect

Consultative Committee:
Ian Cuthbertson (Secretary, Anglesey Mining plc); Sally Ellis (Countryside Council for Wales);  Alyn Gruffydd (ACC Museum Service);  David Gwyn (Gwynedd Archaeological Trust););  John Smith (ACC Museum Service); Jim Woodcock  (Planning Dept., ACC).

Aims and Objectives:

To conserve the industrial and natural landscapes of Mynydd Parys, Dyffryn Adda and Porth Amlwch, whilst recognising the legal rights and reasonable expectations of the landowners and occupiers

 

To consolidate or restore historical features and sites.

 

To promote knowledge and understanding of local industrial, social and natural history through the fostering of scientific and historical research, and the dissemination of knowledge so gained through the publication of learned papers, etc..

 

To provide a forum in which all of those having an interest in the designated sites may express their views concerning their management, development and conservation.

 

To develop sites to the benefit of the local community and to nurture pride in its industrial heritage.

 

To encourage community participation in the work of the Trust, and to facilitate public access to, and enjoyment of, the designated sites.

 

To seek funding towards the realisation of the Trust’s aims and objectives.  

1:  PREFACE
In the late eighteenth century, Amlwch was the second largest population centre in  Wales.  This  pre-eminence resulted directly from the mining of copper on Mynydd Parys The mines dominated the world markets of their time, producing at their peak over 3000 tons of metal per year, and playing an important rôle in Britain’s industrial history.  Evidence of mining on the mountain has now been traced back to the Bronze Age with probable activity in Roman times, making it an archaeological site of european significance.  Associated with the mines, a thriving shipping industry sprang up at Porth Amlwch renowned at the time for the building of many fine coasters and deep sea sailing vessels.

Like most British metal mines, when the accessible ores were exhausted, production was eclipsed by cheaper ores from abroad.  This led to abandonment in the late nineteenth century and the consequent decline of Amlwch’s fortunes, population and shipping industry.   The remains of the mines today may appear to many as spectacular - but bleak - dereliction, but this perception is far from the truth.  They are in fact a remarkable testament to a past industrial society and are a valuable scientific and industrial archaeological resource.   Similarly, many visitors are impressed by the visual attractions of the nearby small harbour of Porth Amlwch, but are unaware of its former industrial importance.  Furthermore, the historic importance of Amlwch is supplemented by the current prospecting for zinc, copper and lead in new ground and at greater depths by Anglesey Mining plc. (AMC). Should active mining be renewed in the near future it would be the only significant base-metal mine operating in Britain:  with the help of AMC this project could then encompass nearly four thousand years of industrial mining history at Amlwch. 

2:  THE  OBJECTIVES
It is the aim of the Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust, formed in 1998, to conserve this unique heritage, to promote knowledge of the resource through education and research, and to present its historic and scientific splendour for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations whilst also developing local and national interest and pride in its past history.   The potential for conservation, research and other aspects of education is considerable, and the project is of particular relevance to the tourist industry.   The many thousands of visitors to the island each summer in search of new experiences will be obvious beneficiaries and the project forms an integral part of Local Authority’s (Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn / Isle of  Anglesey County Council) plans for the development of tourism.  Tourism to the area, which is well endowed with natural assets but relatively remote from the beaten track, would benefit from such a specific attraction.  Conversely, whilst readily accessible by good roads, it is the area’s relative remoteness which has preserved the site from subsequent development, although there is now an urgent need for positive conservation.   More importantly, perhaps, the town with its current air of decline would be able to profit yet again from its industrial past  through increased employment in an enhanced tourist trade.

Briefly, these aims are to be achieved by (a) improved public access to, and awareness of, the various aspects of the mining itself and (b) a large-scale development in Porth Amlwch where old buildings (leased from the Local Authority) will be reconstructed and serve as interpretative centres to enhance public knowledge of mining, metal extraction, and the past shipping industry, using static displays, literature and dynamic interactive science packs.  Although the mining and shipping at Amlwch are inextricably linked, for convenience they are presented here under the two consecutive headings of Mynydd Parys  and Porth Amlwch.  The background to the project and  the proposed developments will now be presented in more detail

3:  MYNYDD PARYS
3.1:  A brief History  
Although there are references to the unusual chemistry of Mynydd Parys in the early eighteenth century, it was not until 1768 that the first major ore deposit was located, March 2nd still being a date commemorated in Amlwch.   The mountain was divided between two land owners leading to the development of two adjoining mines, the Mona Mine to the East (owned by the ancestors of the Marquess of Anglesey, Patron to the Trust) and Parys mine to the West.   Legal disputes marked the early stages of development until these were resolved and both mines came under the control of Thomas (“Twm chwarae teg”) Williams.  He was one of the major British industrialists of his time and someone of whom the people of Anglesey can be justly proud.   It was under his astute management that Amlwch came to dominate the world’s copper markets at its height in the 1780s when a workforce of several thousand was involved.    The post-napoleonic war slump and diminishing accessible reserves, together with competition from cheaper ores being discovered abroad, led to the decline of the mines and the effective cessation of deep mining in the late nineteenth century.     

 The ore was initially worked both on the surface from shallow shafts and then by open-pit mining (the Great and Hillside Opencasts).  In the nineteenth century mining  underground was developed under Cornish management via numerous deep shafts,  (e.g. Gwen shaft, c.300m), accessing work chambers inter-linked by extensive (over 20 km)  tunnels and adits (e.g. Mona adit).  After having been raised the ore was broken into small lumps with hammers, a process largely carried out by women, the best ore being transported usually by ships to Lancashire or South Wales for smelting, the remainder having the metal concentrated and extracted using kilns and furnaces on site and down at Porth Amlwch.  It was discovered that purer metal could also be obtained very efficiently by precipitation from water which was pumped to the top of the mountain and allowed to drain down through the spoil and the underground workings (i.e. “sparging”), dissolving the copper.   Precipitation of this copper was achieved by adding scrap iron in a sequence of purpose-built ponds which are a feature of the mines. The dissolved iron was then in turn oxidised and precipitated as “ochre”, a valuable by-product marketed as a pigment.  Other chemical industries based on by-products, such as sulphur and alum, were also developed on the mountain.

It was recognised by the eighteenth century miners that they were following in the steps of much earlier workers, an observation that was then linked to the occurrence on Anglesey of copper ingots bearing Roman inscriptions.  It was only in the last decade, however, that detailed excavations enabled surface debris to be dated (using ¹⁴C analysis) to nearly four thousand years ago, that is to the early Bronze Age.   Since then, access has been regained to the underground workings of Parys mine which had been sealed in the 1980s.  Ample evidence has been found for this ancient mining, and further samples dated to the Bronze Age with exciting prospects for future research.    Mynydd Parys is thus an addition to the very few mines in Britain (principally those at Cwmystwyth and on the Great Orme) where there is substantial evidence for the prehistoric beginnings of the British metal mining industry.  The status of the mines is consequently elevated to one of international archaeological, as well as historical,  significance. 

3.2:  The scientific and archaeological resource
3.2.1:  Geology.   Not only did the science of geology start in Britain, but the modern theory of plate tectonics was also established here through our oceanographic studies.  Anglesey plays an important part in the understanding and progression of this all-embracing theory in which Mynydd Parys has an essential rôle.  It is an ancient geological equivalent of the sea-floor volcanoes currently erupting on the western Pacific rim and producing an important assemblage of metal ore minerals;   the ore body at Parys Mountain is of the  “Kuroko”  type and is unique in Britain.  It follows that there is a constant stream of university researchers and students to the area and that the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) has designated several parts of the mountain as Sites of Special Scientific Interest  (SSSIs).
The mineralisation occurs within a thin sequence of rocks associated with volcanic vents at the margin of an ancient (Upper Ordovician: circa  440 million years) sedimentary basin.  The sulphide ores consist of  chalcopyrite (copper, iron), sphalerite (zinc) and galena (lead), together with large amounts of pyrite (iron).   A famous ore feature is the “bluestone” comprising a complex intergrowth of these other minerals and which, because of the early difficulties of metal extraction, was initially used for paving the mine roads. The presence of siliceous sinter and volcanic (rhyolitic) vents support a “sea floor, plate boundary exhalative volcanic-sedimentary origin”.  During later crustal distortion (i.e. the Caledonian orogeny circa 400 million years ago)  the deposit was deformed by folding (synclinal structure?) and fracture (faulting), although this interpretation is currently under revision.  During these phases of deformation the ore minerals were re-mobilised and deposited,  giving rise to a complex ore body.
 

3.2.2:   Surface environment - Biology.     The oxidation of the waste pyrite in the several million tonnes of surface spoil leads to the effective  production of sulphuric acid with the result that the surface is remarkably acidic.  Some of the orange-brown pools have pH values down to 2 and contain high concentrations of dissolved iron, copper and sulphate. There is also an unusual series of weathering products including the minerals anglesite (lead sulphate - for which Mynydd Parys is the world type locality) and antlerite (a copper sulphate - the only record in Wales).   From a more popular viewpoint, the oxidation of the iron-bearing ores, together with their extensive roasting in kilns, has produced a landscape of dramatic purples, reds, browns and oranges whose visual impact has been used in film sets from “Dr. Who”  to “Mortal Kombat 2”.
A  unique and distinctive geochemical environment has thus been generated which is inhabited by specially adapted life forms.  These include remarkable species of bacteria that are tolerant to acidity and heavy metals and gain their energy from inorganic chemical reactions (chemolithotrophs); these are the subject of active research.  There are also unusual lichens (fungi/algae symbionts)  comprising a rich flora of more than 125 species, some of which are very rare;  these too are included within the designated SSSIs by the CCW and have been the subject of detailed surveys.  The peripheral parts of the mountain are covered by heathland, demonstrating heather’s ability to survive in an adverse environment.  Amongst the birds found here, choughs and ravens (members of the crow family) may be seen soaring overhead or feeding on the heathland.  Prior to the capping of the shafts in the late 1970s, there was a significant colony of lesser horse-shoe bats and recent records may also be of this same species, but this is unconfirmed.  This is an uncommon species  for which a Biodiversity Action Plan is being produced as part of the UK Government’s actions following the Earth Summit, 1991.
More generally, in numerous British universities the site has been the subject of teaching and research on geology and on “environmental pollution”.  The latter relates to the effects of acidity (“acid mine drainage” – AMD) and heavy metals that can be traced right through the rivers draining the mountain down to the marine environment.

 3.2.3:  Industrial archaeology.
The extensive surface constructions both at Porth Amlwch and at Mynydd Parys (and underground at the latter), provide a wealth of sites for archaeological investigation, although most of them are relatively unknown and often in a state of poor preservation.  Four features have already been  scheduled by the Welsh Heritage Agency Cadw , Pearl Engine House, the Windmill, the Great Opencast, and the central Precipitation Pits, and the whole area has recently been designated as one of the limited number of “Historic Landscapes” in Wales.    At an international level, the mines have been considered as a candidate for World Heritage Status, but lacked at that stage an adequate management plan.
The impressive opencasts (Great and Hillside), were produced by the collapse of underground workings at an early stage of mining, and contain excellent geological teaching features (slumped pyritic beds and copper/lead/zinc ore veins; synclinal structure, etc.).   Remaining structures include the  prominent mid-nineteenth century windmill, the mineyards (Mona and Parys) and unique precipitation ponds, all of which are delapidated and in need of detailed survey and preservation.  Pearl Engine house is the earliest, and one of the very few remaining, structures of its type in Wales:  unfortunately the chimney collapsed recently, underlining the urgent need generally for the conservation currently being carried out by the Trust, and previously by the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust, funded by Cadw.    Surface relics relating to the processing of ores include kilns and furnaces, of which various enigmatic features remain requiring detailed excavation and analysis:  the prospects for the existence of important structures preserved intact under spoil is exciting and one possible site (a reverberatory furnace?) has already been located.
The extensive blanket of spoil is itself an important, if unappreciated, historical resource.   It generally records, in its different rock types and associated shafts, the detailed history of the mining.   Hidden, but of equal importance, the underground workings are extensive and comprise a major scientific and industrial asset, both historical and archaeological.    On the lower northern flanks of the mountain, Dyffryn Adda marks the site of the deep drainage level, containing dams (recently made accessible) to impound the copper-rich drainage water, and associated series of precipitation pits;  the site also contains a small reverberatory furnace, unique in Wales but in need of immediate conservation, and a Manager’s house.

4:  PORTH AMLWCH
4.1:   A brief history of the port:
Porth Amlwch, by its very nature, attracts hundreds of visitors annually.  Of those who come, however, very few are aware of its once great importance as a copper exporting port, and even fewer know of its justifiable renown as a place where many fine deep-sea sailing vessels and coasters were built.  First recorded in Elizabethan times as a port through which the products of the nearby copper and lead mines could be exported, the harbour was later described by Lewis Morris, in his report to the Lords of the Admiralty in 1748, as being little more than a cove between two steep rocks in which a vessel could barely turn. 
The little creek’s fortunes changed however, as they did in Amlwch Town, when the vast reserves of copper ore were rediscovered on Mynydd Parys in 1768.  Despite its limited size it developed to become what was later described as the then most important port in Wales.  The port’s limitations, however, soon became apparent and, in an effort to overcome the congestion and delays caused by the great number of vessels using it, an Act of Parliament permitting its widening, deepening and regulation was passed in 1793.  Until that time the creek’s eastern side had been largely unused because of the steepness of the rock bounding it:  it was decided that this would be excavated to create a wide wharf on which were built large bins, each capable of storing hundreds of tons of copper ore.  A new road, running at a higher level along the length of the quay side, allowed the ore carted from the mountain to be tipped down chutes into the bins, thereby reducing congestion on the quay itself.   In time, large-scale ancillary industries related to the copper mines made extensive use of the port’s facilities.  Prodigous amounts of rock sulphur and yellow ochre were exported alongside the vast tonnages of copper ores and refined copper itself.  Countless shiploads of scrap iron intended for use in the precipitation ponds passed through the port, as did thousands of tons of coal for the smelters built close by to rival those at Swansea.
The enlargement of the harbour freed much of the space on the western side to allow the establishment of ship-repairing yards which soon developed into ship building yards.  From these were launched over succeeding years no fewer than 66 vessels of all kinds ranging from wooden coasting schooners to ocean-going steel barquentines, among them the earliest iron sailing ship and iron steamship ever to be built in North Wales.  Of the sailing vessels built at Amlwch by the most notable of the builders, William Thomas and Sons, the one-time Director of the National Maritime Museum, Basil Greenhill, relates how their iron and steel sailing vessels were considered to be the finest ever built.
The port declined rapidly following the exhaustion of the mines and the series of small vessels, so proudly launched from its several yards over a period of 50 years, ended when the trend for ever larger steam vessels became the norm in the early years of the 20th century

4.2:  The Port
The short descent from Upper Quay Street to the quay side takes the visitor back in time to a harbour which is fundamentally very much as it was in its heyday.  Barely 240 metres in length and averaging little more than 25 metres in width, the port is perhaps best described as small but unusually attractive because of its natural setting, which adds considerably to its charm.  The wharves, built almost entirely of  undressed stone laid vertically in a random fashion, reflect the Cornish origins of their builders, and although unpublicised, the little port’s popularity as a tourist attraction continues to grow.   
The western side, used almost exclusively before the Act of 1793, was home to the port’s first wharves and shipyards and, although largely overgrown, the derelict buildings associated with them are still very much in evidence. The condition of most of the buildings and relics however, gives rise to a great deal of concern amongst industrial archaeologists, who have long since recognised the uniqueness and historical importance of the site.  Over 40 features of archaeological significance have been identified in a professional survey in the vicinity of the harbour, some of which, like the copper storage bins, are still used, albeit for other purposes, in what is believed to be their original form. 

 

5: GENERAL PROPOSALS
To achieve its stated objectives, the Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust proposes to develop and operate the sites at Mynydd Parys, Dyffryn Adda and Porth Amlwch as a comprehensive Industrial Heritage Centre, with the aim of protecting the landscapes and relics of the town’s industrial past.  Overwhelmingly, there is the necessity to promote knowledge and understanding of the local industrial, social, and natural history to the public at large, to local residents, students and tourists alike.  The combination of the three sites in this project will capitalise on their diversity, proximity and complexity, unique in British history and of international significance.   One  immediate and important consequence of such a project should be the general environmental enhancement of the area and the generation of local employment.
The Trust will seek close cooperation with other organisations working in the area.   For example, with the Local Authority (ACC) and Lein Amlwch - this includes integration with their development plans for heritage conservation, transport, and tourism;  with Cadw, the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust and the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust - archaeological conservation and research;   with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the Environment Agency - geological, hydrological and biological conservation and research;  with Anglesey Mining plc. -  general management and presentation to the public;  and also with Holyhead Maritime Museum and the ACC Museum Service.
In all its planning the Trust intends to work to the highest professional standards.  It will seek the services of professional designers and constructors regarding conversions, displays and exhibits in order to bring to life the technologies and the social realities of the life of Amlwch town during its most prosperous years.  The realisation of such a project will of necessity require the appointment of a full-time Project Officer) for an initial period of 3 years, with the intention that the post should then become self-sustaining through the generation of income.

 5.1:  Conservation and research
Clearly there is a need to conserve the industrial and natural landscapes of Mynydd Parys and of Porth Amlwch whilst recognising, of course, the legal rights and reasonable expectations of the landowners and occupiers.  The priority will therefore be to carry out topographical and archaeological surveys to refine existing site plans, followed by more detailed surveys of specific features such as precipitation ponds, the windmill, furnaces, spoil, wharves, shipyards, etc.. This will enable  management plans to be developed, identifying the priorities for the conservation and restoration of historical features in addition to those covered by Cadw.  
We aim to cater for the frequent visitors interested in geology, biology, environmental science and the history of mining, both professional and public, by coordinating research and disseminating information, and ultimately by providing facilities for research.   The underground workings are now mostly inaccessible due to the comprehensive capping of shafts and adits some twenty years ago.  However, it is planned to extend the current 1.5km which were re-entered in 1995,  and this will open up exciting prospects to specialists for further historical, archaeological, geochemical and microbiological research.    

 5.2:  Public access and education
A priority has been the early development of Heritage trails associated with geology, biology, mining and shipping, both on the mountain and at the port.  These are to incorporate the features above that have been identified and restored, and are illustrated by display boards and accompanied by explanatory leaflets On Mynydd Parys there is  a viewing platform and car park An innovation certain to excite public interest, particularly those not wishing to walk the full Trails, will be the construction of a camera obscura to provide a  panoramic bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape.  Subject to archaeological and scientific constraints, the windmill would provide the ideal site for this feature.
The Trust also intends to  investigate the long-term possibility of opening up safe public access to a section of the underground workings, for example that at Mona adit.   A working demonstration of the copper precipitation will also be established at Dyffryn Adda, fed from the restored drainage adit, to complement restoration of the furnace at this site.   This is an ideal location at which a future Field Studies Centre could be constructed, being only a few hundred metres from the main road.   This could serve the many school and university parties who visit the mines for geological/environmental field work, and would also act as an ideal site for international research into the pressing problems of AMD (acid mine drainage) and its remediation. 
At Porth Amlwch the Trust has, by way of realising its aims, negotiated the lease of three historic buildings  which are conveniently located within two hundred metres of each other.  With minor alterations, all three buildings are ideally suited to the Trust’s immediate needs and will serve all of its requirements for the immediate future.  These buildings are: 
The Watch House (circa 1835)
William Thomas’s Sail Loft (circa 1880)
A roofed Copper Bin (circa 1794)
 

The attractive stone-built Watch House, focal point for the many visitors to the port, consists of an office housed in a small lighthouse, attached to which there is a long, narrow room. 

The Sail Loft has two floors with a combined floor area of approximately 230 square metres.  Despite its sloping wooden floor, constructed to facilitate the unrolling of bolts of canvas, the building has been adapted as a Heritage Centre The ground floor has the all important toilet facilities required of a building to which the public are invited.  Floor beams constructed of ships’ masts and spars, and relics such as sail hooks still attached to roof beams and walls, create an atmosphere which adds to the authenticity of the building.    
The roofed Copper Bin, because of its size, can easily be adapted to become an Interpretative Centre and Museum concerned exclusively with mining and its associated industries Similar bins, located on each side of the building, although no longer roofed, could be utilised to extend the Interpretative Centre if necessary without in any way compromising their archaeological integrity.

The museums/interpretative centres in both the Sail Loft and the Copper Bin would form a suitable starting point for the public education programme.  This would have not only static and audio-video displays but also “hands-on” science experiments for which kits would be available for purchase, and interactive displays allowing visitors to better understand scientific principles associated with particular local industries, as well as the many skills needed to construct sea-going vessels.  Deep sea voyages by local vessels, and naturally occurring phenomena such as wind, rain and tides, which had a profound effect on them would no doubt create a great deal of interest.  Lighthouse and pilotage services including some very notable shipwrecks have featured strongly in local maritime history, and could be made into subjects of fascination.   For those unable to visit the mines there could be a remotely controlled virtual reality and/or real-time video link; otherwise visitors would then be directed to the mines or offered conducted tours and minibus transport.    

 

6:  CURRENT PROGRESS and FUTURE PLAN
6.1:  Financial support
To enable the Trust to establish itself and embark on its programme of developments, a crucial grant was given by Menter Môn in 1998.   This allowed successful applications to be made for further grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF – Objective 5), with match-funding from the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and  the Landfill Tax (LFT).  As a consequence a two-year phase of initial development was set in motion in January 1999.   
The Trust now intends to seek backing from local industry and financial support for the next phases of its short and long term development plans, involving applications to additional bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).   

 6.2:  Current progress
Some of the main developments in the projects listed in the accompanying Table are summarised below

6.2.1:  Visitor Centre and Heritage Trail at Porth Amlwch
The Sail loft at Porth Amlwch has been redecorated and rewired, with significant voluntary help from members of the local community. Display panels and showcases have been put upand larger items have been put on exhibition to illustrate the Trust, mining on Mynydd Parys and shipping in Porth Amlwch: it is now operative as a Visitor Heritage Centre. The Heritage Trail has recently been opened.

 6.2.2:  Mynydd Parys Heritage Trail
Heritage trail leaflets in English and Welsh have already been produced.    Work on the heritage trail itself commenced with the construction of a car park and information board, both of which are now in place, as are painted metal route signs , and feature indicators :  much effort has also been expended by members of the Parys Underground Group in clearing refuse from areas visible from the trail, although tipping elsewhere still remains a serious problem.   The trail is therefore now operative, and work on a viewing platform at the West end of the Great Opencast is complete.
The current phase of restoration work on the Pearl Engine House, inherited from the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust and funded by Cadw and ACC, has been completed and an initial appraisal of possible future work obtained from Mr. K. Brown, an expert on these features.

 6.2.3:   Dyffryn Adda restoration Work has been completed on the engineering aspects of this project.  The drain from the adit has been cleared and the collapsed entrance section repaired and infilled, with a permanent controlled entry to be established further back in the first airshaft.  This has allowed clearance of ochre from the far end of the adit and inspection of the dam holding back a 125’ head of impounded mine water.  Entrance has already been regained to the concrete-capped 150’ Garth Daniel shaft on this 45f Joint level and revealed it to be flooded up to 50’ depth;  this suggests it is behind (South of) the dam.   A programme of monitoring water chemistry underground, in surface pools and in the Afon Goch (S) by MSc students at UWB has also been completed.
The reverberatory furnace at Dyffryn Adda had suffered further damage but the building has now been secured against further entry with a grant from Cadw and the furnace has been recorded by RCHAM(W).  The building, incidentally, also houses a barn owl.

 6.2.4:  Design Consultant’s recommendations for future developments (B3)
As a prelude to future grant applications (e.g. HLF) a Design Consultant’s report has been commissioned from Optimum Ltd. This will focus tourist development at Porth Amlwch and involve a second phase where the Sail Loft would be converted into Maritime, and the Copper Bin into Mining, Interpretative Centres.   A third phase could involve the construction of a Field Study Centre at Dyffryn Adda.