The Glendalough Mines sit beyond the monastic ruins and Upper Lake, where the valley narrows and the Wicklow landscape feels rougher. Stone remains of the miners’ village, spoil heaps, and old workings recall a lead-mining industry that ran in the wider area from the late 18th century into the 20th.
It is worth adding to a Glendalough visit if you have time for more than the classic round tower circuit. The walk out along the lakeshore gives you a quieter sense of the valley, and the ruins make a useful counterpoint to the early Christian monuments closer to the visitor centre.