Lead Mining in Shropshire dates from the Roman period and continued almost continously until the middle of the 20th century. Many sites have disappeared but Snailbeach remains a prime example and has underground access as well as surface buildings.
At its peak, 500 workers were employed in the mine. A branch railway was contructed to supply coal for fuel and to take the ore away for processing. The site was left derelict until the mid 1980s when it was acquired by Shropshire County Council. The site was declared a Scheduled Monument in 1997. Day to day, the site is now managed by the Shropshire Mines Trust.