Graig Fawr stands guardian above the village and the former mine workings which for nearly a hundred years, throbbed with activity.
From the top of the National Trust-owned site, a 10 minute walk from the road behind, you can see Rhyl laid out to the left of the white summit marker. To the right is Prestatyn and Ffrith Beach on the seafront with Meliden below further inland. The surrounding hills are known locally as Prestatyn Hillside, part of the Clwydian Range, and the start of the 177-mile Offa's Dyke Path between Prestatyn and Chepstow.
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Caves/Mining
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'Meliden Mountain'
Graig Fawr located near the Denbighshire coast, consists of wooded slopes and limestone outcrops that rise steeply, above the village of Meliden. The rock is a dominant and dramatic landscape feature formed of carboniferous limestone, and marks the northern end of the Clwydian Hills. The limestone extends westwards along the coast as a line of prominent hills that occur along this stretch of coast including Moel Hiraddug at Dyserth, and Rhyd-y-foel and Bryn Euryn further westwards.
Graig Fawr (colloquially known as 'Meliden Mountain') provides interesting habitat. The exposed location near the coast and the bleak limestone outcrops have resulted in the presence of a number of species normally associated with sea cliffs. The site is owned by the National Trust.
Due to the nature of the substrate and the lack of agricultural intensification on these steep slopes, semi-natural plant communities are able to thrive. Such is the national significance of the nature conservation interest that most of the hillside has been notified by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Mining
In addition to landscape and wildlife considerations, the area also has a wealth of historic and archaeological interest. Of significance is the range of industrial archaeological relics which have survived. Mine levels and spoil heaps, many now obscured by vegetation, also provide evidence of a history of mining activity in the locality where lead and zinc were mined extensively.
Rich mineral intrusions occurred in the limestone around Graig Fawr. These veins ran predominantly from south west to north east and were mined extensively. The Talargoch mines were probably first dug by the Romans to extract silver or possibly lead. Silver continued to be mined during the Middle Ages and up to the mid-18th century when lead and zinc extraction became more profitable. Talargoch was one of the most important lead mines in the area, reaching its peak in the 1850s. At least ten shafts were sunk around Meliden, all connected underground by horizontal 'levels' following the ore veins. The main shaft was over 330m deep, but with the sea so near and the mine's low lying position, water seeping through the porous limestone became a major problem. The engine house at the Clive Shaft was built in the 1860s to house a massive steam engine for pumping water from the southern end of the mine workings. It is still visible today, adjacent to the Graig Park Hotel & Country Club. Unfortunately, the increasing costs of keeping the mine dry meant that the company was unable to compete against cheap imported ores, so in 1884 the mine closed.
The development of the mines and quarries was the main reason behind the growth of the villages of Meliden and Dyserth. The former Prestatyn-Dyserth railway line, along which a recreational footpath now runs, was originally built to serve the two industries. The opening of the railway in 1869 made transporting the ore far easier than the previous method of shipping it from the tiny ports of Rhuddlan or Prestatyn.
Wildlife
Limestone grasslands - Graig Fawr, Meliden support many species of butterflies including the pearl-bordered fritillary.
Meliden Caves - winter hibernation sites for the rare lesser horseshoe bat.
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