Dolaucothi Gold Mines

The Dolaucothi Gold Mines, also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire [1]. The gold mines are located within the Dolaucothi Estate [1]. They are the only mines for Welsh gold outside those of the Dolgellau gold-belt, and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument [1]. Archaeology suggests that gold extraction on this site may have started sometime in the Bronze Age, possibly by washing of the gold-bearing gravels of the river Cothi [1]. The Romans made extensive use of water carried by several aqueducts and leats, the longest of which is about 7 miles from its source in a gorge of the river [1]. Following the Roman departure from Britain in the 5th century, the mine lay abandoned for centuries [1].