Amongst the wooded slopes and moorland above the Snailbeach valley are the relics of a once thriving lead mining industry. The South West
Shropshire orefields were originally worked in Roman times and became the most productive in Europe. Mining finally ceased in the 1950s and the site is now a scheduled ancient monument with 20 fine buildings, the best set of preserved lead mine buildings in the UK.
The site may be visited at any time with surface and underground tours available on some summer weekends.
Snailbeach lead mine is owned by Shropshire Council and managed by Shropshire Mines Trust Ltd, a charity. The site is staffed by volunteers and the visitor centre is normally open from 11am to 4pm on bank holidays and Sundays from July until October. Open days are listed on https://shropshiremines.org.uk/snailbeach/snailbeach/visits.html and will be advertised on https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.shropshiremines.org.uk
When the site is manned, a detailed self-guided trail leaflet may be obtained from the visitor centre explaining each of the numbered locations spread across the whole area. There are also interpretation panels around the site. There is no fee for accessing the site or the buildings, but a small charge is made for underground tours.
There is no parking on the site, apart from limited disabled parking at the visitor centre, so please park at the village hall (no fee but donations please) and walk up onto the mine. The only toilets are by the car park. Please note that the site has many rough pathways, steps and steep hills. It may not be suitable for people with limited mobility.
Group visits, led by experienced guides, may be booked anytime between Easter and October, to include surface and/or underground tours. Bookings depend on the availability of guides.
