Common land
Common land at "Mynydd Rhiw" and "Mynydd y Graig" was enclosed by Act of Parliament in 1811, and barley and oats were grown. Manganese was discovered in 1827; donkeys carried the ore to "Porth Cadlan" and "Porth Neigwl", and in the late 19th century houses were built for industrial workers. By 1914 an aerial ropeway had been constructed, passing over the growing village to a jetty on the shore at "Porth Neigwl". In World War I there was a great demand for manganese as a strengthening agent for steel, and the industry became a substantial employer in the village; over of ore were extracted during the lifetime of the mines, and in 1906 the industry employed 200 people. During World War II, coal miners, Cornish tin miners and a contingent of the Royal Canadian Engineers were drafted in to work the mines.