Y Lôn Haearn, Sarn Bach
This track follows the route of a tramway (a basic type of railway) built in the 19th century to carry iron ore from the Tan yr Orsedd quarry near y Bwlch, Llanengan, to the ships in Porth Fawr, south of Abersoch. The lane is still known as Y Lôn Haearn. Lôn is Welsh for lane or track. Haearn means iron.
Around 1839 the St Tudwal’s Iron Ore Company, with investment from London adventurers, had discovered iron ore on part of Robert Griffiths' land at Bwlch farm. The company sought grants to build a tramway to carry the ore to a new wharf in Porth Fawr.
In 1840 an advertisement was placed in the papers inviting proposals to lay a foundation for the tramway, and by 1842 it had been built and was in use for the quarry. Horse-drawn wagons were used, and the iron ore exported to places such as Ynys Las, Aberdyfi and Saltney, Chester. The venture succeeded for about 10 years until slowly activity diminished.
By 1862 more money was raised and quarrying restarted. Samples of the rock were sent to South Wales but its quality did not meet the requirements of ironmasters there: it contained too much phosphoric acid. To try to save the investment, a new company, The Caernarvon Iron Company, created in 1864, aimed to build two furnaces on land adjacent to the quarry where the ore would be turned into iron. That venture was also a failure.
The quarry continued to produce some ore for a few more years. One unplanned result of the venture was that the nearby chapel was dismantled and rebuilt on a new site, far enough away from the dust and explosions!
Some 20 years after construction of Y Lôn Haearn, five lead works were opened at different points along it: Deucoch, on the upper side of the main road; Pantgwyn, yards from here; then Tanbwlch; Faenol; and Penrhyn Du, near the wharf. The location of Y Lôn Haearn was very advantageous for development of these industries.
Pantgwyn works was the last of them to close, in 1893. You can see the derelict pumping-engine house of Penrhyn Du mine from the Wales Coast Path at Machroes.
With thanks to Diogelu Enwau Llanengan
Postcode: LL53 7BG View Location Map
